Pharmacologic Potential of Statins in Cancer Prevention: Colo-Rectal Cancer Risk in Dyslipidemic Patients from a Korean Nationwide Cohort.

: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a growing public health concern in South Korea, with incidence rising alongside dyslipidemia. Statins, widely prescribed for lipid control, have been proposed to reduce CRC risk, but evidence remains inconsistent, particularly in Asian populations. : Using Korean National Health Insurance Service data (2002-2019), we conducted a nested case-control study of 9920 CRC patients and 39,680 matched controls.

Subgroup-Specific Osteoporosis Risk in Chronic Kidney Disease: Insights from a Nationwide Korean Cohort.

: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and osteoporosis are critical public health concerns, particularly among older adults, due to their prevalence and associated complications. While CKD-related disruptions in bone mineral metabolism are believed to increase osteoporosis risk, this relationship remains unclear in diverse populations such as Korea. : This longitudinal cohort study utilized data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service Health Screening Cohort (2002-2019), including 13,622 patients with newly diagnosed CKD and 54,488 matched controls.

Colorectal Cancer Risk in Korean Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Nationwide Big Data Study of Subtype and Socioeconomic Disparities.

: The two major subtypes of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC)-are known to increase the likelihood of developing colorectal cancer (CRC). While this relationship has been well studied in Western populations, evidence from East Asia remains limited and inconsistent. Using nationwide cohort data, this study explored the potential connection between IBD and CRC in a large Korean population.

Comparison of Adenine-Induced Rat Models for Vascular Calcification in Chronic Kidney Disease.

Vascular calcification significantly contributes to cardiovascular complications and limb loss in chronic kidney disease (CKD). To establish an optimal rat model for vascular calcification, we tested varying adenine concentrations and feeding durations in Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 72), divided into six groups (n = 12 each). The control group received a standard diet for 18 weeks.

Extract of (Thunba.) Jussieu Fruit Reduces Muscle Atrophy in Cancer Cachexia.

Cancer cachexia is a complex syndrome involved in muscle wasting, fat depletion, fatigue, reduced appetite, and unintentional weight loss. Recent studies have suggested that natural products can prevent cancer cachexia; however, there have been no studies on the effects of fruit extract on cancer cachexia. This study aimed to identify compounds of fruit extracted from water (LJFE-W) and those extracted from 30% ethanol (LJFE-E) for cancer cachexia treatment.

Diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia based on plain skull radiography using convolutional neural network.

This study aimed to determine whether trigeminal neuralgia can be diagnosed using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) based on plain X-ray skull images. A labeled dataset of 166 skull images from patients aged over 16 years with trigeminal neuralgia was compiled, alongside a control dataset of 498 images from patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms. The images were randomly partitioned into training, validation, and test datasets in a 6:2:2 ratio.

Reduced Risk of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo in Patients with Parkinson's Disease: A Nationwide Korean Cohort Study.

: Parkinson's disease (PD) and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) are both prevalent in the geriatric population. While dizziness is a common non-motor symptom in PD, the relationship between PD and incident BPPV remains unclear. Limited data suggest potential shared mechanisms, including mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress, but large-scale epidemiological evidence is lacking.

Optimizing extraction of microbial DNA from urine: Advancing urinary microbiome research in bladder cancer.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate and optimize microbial DNA extraction methods from urine, a non-invasive sample source, to enhance DNA quality, purity, and reliability for urinary microbiome research and biomarker discovery in bladder cancer.

Materials And Methods: A total of 302 individuals (258 with genitourinary cancers and 44 with benign urologic diseases) participated in this study. Urine samples were collected via sterile catheterization, resulting in 445 vials for microbial analysis.

Lightly Se-Doped Monolayer MoS Grown by Chemical Vapor Deposition Using SeS Precursor.

Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC)-based two-dimensional semiconductors are promising materials for next-generation electronic devices. However, challenges such as optimizing the carrier mobility, on/off current ratio, threshold voltage, and minimization of hysteresis remain. Herein, we report lightly Se-doped monolayer MoS via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using selenium disulfide (SeS) as a chalcogen source.

Relationship of Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss With History of Chronic Periodontitis.

Objectives: Chronic periodontitis (CP) has been linked to an increased risk of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). This study aimed to delineate the causal relationships between CP and SSNHL.

Methods: Data from participants aged 40 years or older in the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort from 2002 through 2019 were used.

Therapeutic potential of AAV2-shmTOR gene therapy in reducing retinal inflammation and preserving endothelial Integrity in age-related macular degeneration.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a prevalent retinal disorder that leads to central vision loss, mainly due to chronic inflammation. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is a critical mediator of inflammatory responses within the retinal environment. This study has investigated TNF-α's influence on inflammatory cytokine production and endothelial barrier integrity in human microglial (HMC3) and endothelial (HUVEC) cells.

Proton Pump Inhibitor Use and Its Association with Lung Cancer Likelihood and Mortality: A Nationwide Nested Case-Control Study in Korea.

Background/objectives: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are widely used for acid-related gastrointestinal disorders, but their potential association with lung cancer risk and mortality remains underexplored and debated. This study sought to investigate the association between PPI use and lung cancer likelihood and mortality, focusing on the impact of PPI exposure history and duration.

Methods: This study utilized data from 6795 lung cancer patients, 27,180 matched controls, and 4257 deceased and 2538 surviving lung cancer patients from the Korean National Health Insurance Service's Health Screening Cohort (2002-2019).

N-benzyl-N-methyldecane-1-amine derived from garlic ameliorates UVB-induced photoaging in HaCaT cells and SKH-1 hairless mice.

Skin tissue is susceptible to oxidative stress-induced senescence provoked by ultraviolet (UV) exposure in our daily lives, resulting in photoaging. Herein, we explore whether N-benzyl-N-methyldecan-1-amine (BMDA) derived from garlic ameliorates UVB-induced photoaging. To address this issue, HaCaT keratinocytes were exposed to UVB irradiation under BMDA treatment.

Chronic Periodontitis as a Risk Factor for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: A Cohort Study.

: The association between periodontitis and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) has been controversial. This study aimed to estimate the association between recurrent periodontitis episodes and the occurrence of BPH in an adult male population in Korea. : This study analyzed data from 79,497 matched cases and controls to examine the relationship between periodontitis and BPH, using Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort data.

Potential Chemopreventive Role of Proton Pump Inhibitors in Head and Neck Cancer: Insights from a Nested Case-Control Analysis of a National Health Screening Cohort.

: This study investigated the potential chemopreventive role of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use in relation to the occurrence of head and neck cancer (HNC) within a national cohort amid concerns of PPI overprescription. : From a cohort of 1,137,861 individuals and 219,673,817 medical claim records collected between 2005 and 2019, 1677 HNC patients were identified and matched 1:4 with 6708 controls after adjusting for covariates. Odds ratios (ORs) for PPI use and its duration in relation to HNC and its subsites were estimated using propensity score overlap-weighted multivariable logistic regression.

Association Between Statin Use and Psoriasis in Patients with Dyslipidemia: A Korean National Health Screening Cohort Study.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease that significantly impacts physical and emotional health. Statins, primarily used as lipid-lowering drugs, have also demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects. While some studies suggest that statins may improve psoriasis symptoms, the findings have been inconsistent.

Incidence and mortality of upper tract urothelial carcinoma in Korea: A nationwide population-based study conducted from 2002 to 2020.

Purpose: To describe the incidence and mortality of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) from 2002-2020 using data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service, which contains data from the entire Korean population.

Materials And Methods: Reimbursement records for 43,255 patients diagnosed with primary UTUC (according to the International Classification of Disease 10th revision code C65 and C66) between 2002-2020 were retrieved. The study period was split into four: period I (2002-2005), period II (2006-2010), period III (2011-2015), and period IV (2016-2020).

Chronic Kidney Disease and Infection Risk: A Lower Incidence of Peritonsillar Abscesses in Specific CKD Subgroups in a 16-Year Korean Nationwide Cohort Study.

Peritonsillar abscesses and deep neck infection are potentially serious infections among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), posing risks for severe complications and drawing significant public health concern. This nationwide, population-based longitudinal study (2002-2019) assessed the extended relationship between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the likelihood of peritonsillar abscess and deep neck infection in a Korean cohort. Using a 1:4 propensity score overlap-weighted matching, we included 16,879 individuals with CKD and 67,516 comparable controls, accounting for demographic variables and comorbidities to ensure balanced group comparisons.

Incidence and Clinical Course of Post-infectious Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Patients Admitted to University Hospitals: 1-year Prospective Follow-up Study.

Background/aims: Post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome (PI-IBS) is characterized by chronic gastrointestinal symptoms that arise following an episode of infectious enteritis. The incidence rates vary, ranging from 5% to 32% and the risk factors are not well known. We aim to investigate the incidence and risk factors of PI-IBS in enteritis patients admitted to university hospitals in Korea.

Vasectomy Discussions in South Korea: Central Themes and Public Interest on Question-and-Answer Social Platforms.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore public perceptions and key issues related to vasectomy in South Korea. In particular, this paper seeks to analyze how vasectomy is discussed on question-and-answer (Q&A) social platforms including NAVER Jisik iN (knowledge exchange service between NAVER users) and to identify topics that capture public interest.

Methods: In this study, based on data collected on NAVER Jisik iN from July 2019 to July 2024 with the keyword 'vasectomy,' this paper performs a co-occurrence matrix analysis on the Q&A data to identify key terms related to the topic.

Comparative genome-wide association study of single- and multi-locus models with ontology analysis for enhancing Hanwoo cow reproductive traits.

The reproductive characteristics of Hanwoo play a significant role in farm profitability by decreasing the generation interval. This study analyzed 1015 primiparous and 916 multiparous cows using a genome-wide association study with both single-locus (GEMMA, GCTA) and multi-locus models (FarmCPU, BLINK). A significant marker for age at first service was identified across all methods.

Association Between Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Periodontitis: A Longitudinal Follow-Up Study from the Korean National Health Screening Cohort.

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and periodontitis are common conditions in older adults that can lead to serious complications, gaining public health attention. Although GERD and periodontitis share common risk factors, such as age, lifestyle habits, and socioeconomic status, large-scale studies examining their specific relationship are limited.

Methods: This study aimed to assess the association between GERD and the likelihood of developing periodontitis using a national validated cohort data from Korea.

Single‑center, retrospective, evaluator‑blinded, pilot and pivotal clinical trials: Assessing the mirCaP Kit (hsv2‑miR‑H9/hsa‑miR‑3659) as a diagnostic marker for prostate cancer in patients with PSA levels in the gray zone.

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) remains a key biomarker for the diagnosis and monitoring of prostate cancer (PCa). For patients within the 'PSA gray zone', the positive predictive value (PPV) of PSA for PCa detection by biopsy is estimated to be between 30 and 42%. In the present study, a single-center, retrospective, evaluator-blinded, pilot and pivotal clinical trial was performed to assess the clinical performance of the mirCaP kit (Urotech, Inc.

Production of Magnesium Dilactate through Lactic Acid Fermentation with Magnesium Carbonate.

Magnesium dilactate is increasingly sought after for its applications in the pharmaceutical, food, and dietary supplement industries due to its essential role in various physiological processes. This study explores a sustainable method for synthesizing magnesium dilactate through lactic acid fermentation using tomato juice, coupling the neutralization of lactic acid with hydrated magnesium carbonate hydroxide. Utilizing the lactic acid bacteria and , fermentation was optimized in a 50% diluted MRS medium supplemented with glucose and tomato juice supplemented with glucose, yielding a maximum lactate concentration of 107 g/L.