Mitochondrial-encoded peptide MOTS-c prevents pancreatic islet cell senescence to delay diabetes.

Mitochondria are crucial for cell survival and function, partly through peptides encoded by the mitochondrial genome. Although mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of age-related diseases and senescence, the role of mitochondrial-genome-encoded peptides in pancreatic β-cell senescence during type 1 and type 2 diabetes pathogenesis is largely unexplored. Here we show that MOTS-c levels decrease with aging and senescence in pancreatic islet cells.

Anti-Senescence Effect of Inhibiting Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 and α-Glucosidase in a Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Animal Model.

Background: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) increases with age, and cellular senescence of pancreatic β-cells plays a key role in T2DM pathogenesis. As canagliflozin and acarbose have been shown to increase lifespan in mice, we investigated the effect of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, α-glucosidase inhibitor or both on the cellular senescence of β-cells in a T2DM mouse model.

Methods: Enavogliflozin (0.

Exploring the shared genetic landscape of diabetes and cardiovascular disease: findings and future implications.

Diabetes is a rapidly growing global health concern projected to affect one in eight adults by 2045, which translates to roughly 783 million people. The profound metabolic alterations often present in dysglycaemia significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular complications. While genetic susceptibility plays a crucial role in diabetes and its vascular complications, identifying genes and molecular mechanisms that influence both diseases simultaneously has proven challenging.

Hippocampal subfield volume differences between female-to-male transgender individuals with cross-sex hormone therapy and cisgender women.

Introduction: The prevalence of female-to-male (FtM) transgender individuals has risen recently, yet the effects of cross-sex hormone therapy on volumetric differences in the hippocampal subfields remain poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the differences of gray matter (GM) volume, especially focusing on the hippocampal subfields, in FtM transgender individuals and premenopausal cisgender women.

Methods: Seventeen FtM transgender individuals who had undergone hysterectomies and were receiving testosterone therapy before participating in this study, along with 20 premenopausal women, underwent a single session of T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Real-time continuous glucose monitoring improves postoperative glucose control in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting: A randomized clinical trial.

Background: Effective glycaemic control following cardiac surgery improves clinical outcomes, and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) might be a valuable tool in achieving this objective. We investigated the effect of real-time CGM and telemonitoring on postoperative glycaemic control in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Methods: In this randomized clinical trial (RCT), adults with T2D undergoing CABG were assigned to either a test group utilizing real-time CGM (Dexcom G6) and telemetry for glycaemic control, or a control group with blinded CGM measures, relying on point-of-care measures.

Discrepancy Between Genetically Predicted and Observed BMI Predicts Incident Type 2 Diabetes.

Objective: Obesity is a key predictor of type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, metabolic complications are not solely due to increased BMI. We hypothesized that differences between genetically predicted BMI and observed BMI (BMI-diff) could reflect deviation from individual set point and may predict incident T2D.

Higher Genetic Risk for Type 2 Diabetes Is Associated With a Faster Decline of β-Cell Function in an East Asian Population.

Objective: While most genetic variants of type 2 diabetes (T2D) are suggested to be associated with β-cell dysfunction cross sectionally, their association with the longitudinal change of β-cell function remains largely unknown.

Research Design And Methods: We analyzed data from 6,311 participants without T2D at baseline (mean [SD] age 51.6 [8.

The clinical relevance of a polygenic risk score for type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Korean population.

The clinical utility of a type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) polygenic risk score (PRS) in the East Asian population remains underexplored. We aimed to examine the potential prognostic value of a T2DM PRS and assess its viability as a clinical instrument. We first established a T2DM PRS for 5490 Korean individuals using East Asian Biobank data (269,487 samples).

Ultralight, Robust, Thermal Insulating Silica Nanolace Aerogels Derived from Pickering Emulsion Templates.

Synthesis of silica aerogel insulators with ultralight weight and strong mechanical properties using a simplified technique remains challenging for functional soft materials. This study introduces a promising method for the fabrication of mechanically reinforced ultralight silica aerogels by employing attractive silica nanolace (ASNLs)-armored Pickering emulsion templates. For this, silica nanolaces (SiNLs) are fabricated by surrounding a cellulose nanofiber with necklace-shaped silica nanospheres.

Effects of Home-Based Computerized Cognitive Training in Community-Dwelling Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Objective: There is a growing importance for the home-based (HB) support services, and computerized cognitive training (CCT) has been reported as an effective intervention for cognitive impairment. However, there is still a need for further verification of the effect of HB-CCT. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of HB-CCT on the cognitive function of community-dwelling adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as well as safety in its use.

Direct Differentiation of Bone Marrow Mononucleated Cells Into Insulin-Producing Cells Using 4 Specific Soluble Factors.

Bone marrow-derived stem cells are self-renewing and multipotent adult stem cells that differentiate into several types of cells. Here, we investigated a unique combination of 4 differentiation-inducing factors (DIFs), including putrescine (Put), glucosamine (GlcN), nicotinamide, and BP-1-102, to develop a differentiation method for inducing mature insulin-producing cells (IPCs) and apply this method to bone marrow mononucleated cells (BMNCs) isolated from mice. BMNCs, primed with the 4 soluble DIFs, were differentiated into functional IPCs.

Hydrophobically modified silica nanolaces-armored water-in-oil pickering emulsions with enhanced interfacial attachment energy.

Hypothesis: Anisotropic particles with a high aspect ratio led to favorable interfacial adhesion, thus enabling Pickering emulsion stabilization. Herein, we hypothesized that pearl necklace-shaped colloid particles would play a key role in stabilizing water-in-silicone oil (W/S) emulsions by taking advantage of their enhanced interfacial attachment energy.

Experiments: We fabricated hydrophobically modified silica nanolaces (SiNLs) by depositing silica onto bacterial cellulose nanofibril templates and subsequently grafting alkyl chains with tuned amounts and chain lengths onto the nanograins comprising the SiNLs.

Earlier Age at Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis Is Associated With Increased Genetic Risk of Cardiovascular Disease.

Objective: We investigated genetic risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) by age at type 2 diabetes (T2D) diagnosis.

Research Design And Methods: We compared incident CVD events by age at T2D diagnosis using UK Biobank (N = 12,321) and the Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) cohort (N = 1,165). Genetic risk was quantified using polygenic risk score (PRS).

Effects of retinoid-loaded hyaluronic acid nanomicelles on vaginal epithelium in a murine menopause model.

Purpose: This study aimed to develop hyaluronic acid (HA)-based, retinoic acid (RA)-containing nanomicelles and to investigate the effects of these newly developed nanomicelles on regeneration of the vaginal epithelium and aquaporin 3 (AQP3) expression in a murine menopause model.

Materials And Methods: The HA-based, RA-loaded nanomicelles were developed, and the RA-loading rate, encapsulation efficiency, and hydrodynamic diameter were measured. Female BALB/c mice (8 weeks; n=30) were divided into control and experimental groups.

Adjuvant Therapy for Attention in Children with ADHD Using Game-Type Digital Therapy.

Children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) require early intervention and sustained treatment. This study used a game-based digital treatment planning NeuroWorld DTx to analyze the impact on attention and cognitive function in children with ADHD. Thirty children diagnosed with ADHD were recruited and subjected to a four-week NeuroWorld DTx digital treatment.

Different effects of low muscle mass on the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and hepatic fibrosis in a prospective cohort.

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and sarcopenia share insulin resistance as a common pathophysiology and have overlapping clinical manifestation of metabolic derangement; hence, it is difficult to differentiate the independent effect of sarcopenia on the development of NAFLD from concomitant metabolic disorders. Using a community-based prospective cohort study, the contributions of low muscle mass and genetic risk factors to the development of NAFLD and NAFLD-related hepatic fibrosis were investigated in the Korean population.

Methods: This prospective community-based cohort study included 40-70-year-old adults, followed up biennially from 2001-2002 to 2017-2018.

Extrinsic Calibration of Multiple 3D LiDAR Sensors by the Use of Planar Objects.

Three-dimensional light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors have received much attention in the field of autonomous navigation owing to their accurate, robust, and rich geometric information. Autonomous vehicles are typically equipped with multiple 3D LiDARs because there are many commercially available low-cost 3D LiDARs. Extrinsic calibration of multiple LiDAR sensors is essential in order to obtain consistent geometric information.

Long-Term Effect of PNPLA3 on the Aggravation of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in a Biopsy-Proven Cohort.

The PNPLA3 rs738409 G allele increases the risk of not only nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) but also nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) or fibrosis. It also affects the prognosis of patients with NAFLD in specific conditions. After liver transplantation, patients with NAFLD carrying the rs738409 GG genotype have a higher risk of graft steatosis or development of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Changes of Apomorphine-Induced Vaginal Hemodynamics in an Ovariectomized Rat Model Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Probe.

Introduction: Female sexual arousal disorder (FSAD) can be caused by the change in vaginal structure due to the decline of estrogen and one of the main symptoms is vaginal dryness. FSAD is a prevalent problem afflicting women all over the world and thus the interest is growing on the matter, but related studies of monitoring FSAD using a non-invasive optical method barely have been carried out.

Aim: This study aims to investigate the longitudinal changes in female sexual arousal response induced by apomorphine (APO) administration in the ovariectomized rat using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) probe.

Understanding the Perspectives and Experiences of Employed Older People on Active Ageing in Their Later Working Life (Biographical Narrative Approach).

This thesis aims to understand the perspectives and experiences of older people regarding the concept of active ageing in their later working life with biographical narratives. This research adopted a biographical narrative interview for data collection. A total of 15 employed older people were interviewed by the researcher.

Machine learning for clinical trials in the era of COVID-19.

The world is in the midst of a pandemic. We still know little about the disease COVID-19 or about the virus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes it. We do not have a vaccine or a treatment (aside from managing symptoms).

Successful Removal of a Difficult Common Bile Duct Stone by Percutaneous Transcholecystic Cholangioscopy.

Common bile duct (CBD) stones are prevalent in 11% to 21% of patients with gallstones and can cause various clinical manifestations, from biliary colic to biliary sepsis. The treatment of choice is endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, but approximately 5% to 10% of CBD stones are difficult to remove using these conventional endoscopic methods. Although percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy and lithotripsy can be used as an alternative, it can be technically demanding and risky if the intrahepatic duct is not dilated.

Grain Size and Phase Transformation Behavior of TiNi Shape-Memory-Alloy Thin Film under Different Deposition Conditions.

TiNi shape-memory-alloy thin films can be used as small high-speed actuators or sensors because they exhibit a rapid response rate. In recent years, the transformation temperature of these films, manufactured via a magnetron sputtering method, was found to be lower than that of the bulk alloys owing to the small size of the grain. In this study, deposition conditions (growth rate, film thickness, and substrate temperature) affecting the grain size of thin films were investigated.

Design of an Optical Probe to Monitor Vaginal Hemodynamics during Sexual Arousal.

An optical probe was developed to measure the change of oxy-hemoglobin (OHb), deoxy- hemoglobin (RHb), and total hemoglobin (THb) along with temperature from the vaginal wall of female rats. Apomorphine (APO, 80 μg/kg) was administered to elicit sexual arousal in female Sprague Dawley rats (SD, 180-200 g). The behavior changes caused by APO administration were checked before monitoring vaginal responses.