Association of Oral Health and Periodontal Disease With Oesophageal Cancer: A Nationwide Population-Based Study.

Aim: Oral dysbiosis and periodontal inflammation might play a role in oesophageal carcinogenesis via the translocation of periodontal pathogens. We aimed to assess whether poor oral health is associated with oesophageal cancer.

Methods: We conducted a population-based case-control study using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database to evaluate poor oral health as the exposure and oesophageal cancer as the outcome.

Functional Polymorphism (rs2494750) Influences Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Advanced Lung Cancer Treated With EGFR Inhibitors.

Background: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are the standard first-line treatment for patients with advanced lung cancer harboring activating mutations. This study aimed to investigate the association between genetic polymorphisms in the EGFR signaling pathway and clinical outcomes in patients receiving EGFR-TKI therapy.

Methods: We enrolled 266 patients with advanced lung cancer treated with EGFR-TKIs and examined 30 putative functional polymorphisms across 11 genes involved in the EGFR signaling pathway.

Prognostic role of the pulmonary artery-to-aorta ratio and the N-terminal of prohormone brain natriuretic peptide in patients hospitalized with bronchiectasis exacerbation.

Background: Information regarding the role of the N-terminal of prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and the ratio of the diameter of the pulmonary artery to the diameter of the aorta (PA:A ratio) on computed tomography in predicting prognosis in patients with bronchiectasis exacerbation is limited.

Methods: Retrospectively, patients with bronchiectasis exacerbation were classified into survivors and non-survivors based on 1-year mortality. Clinical, laboratory, and radiological variables were compared between the two groups.

Self-Assessment of acute rib fracture detection system from chest X-ray: Preliminary study for early radiological diagnosis.

ObjectiveDetecting and accurately diagnosing rib fractures in chest radiographs is a challenging and time-consuming task for radiologists. This study presents a novel deep learning system designed to automate the detection and segmentation of rib fractures in chest radiographs.MethodsThe proposed method combines CenterNet with HRNet v2 for precise fracture region identification and HRNet-W48 with contextual representation to enhance rib segmentation.

Distinct microbial signatures of liquid biopsy samples during gastric carcinogenesis and insights from extracellular vesicle analysis.

Background/aims: The early detection of gastric cancer is crucial for improving patient outcomes. However, its pathogenesis is not fully understood. The microbiome and extracellular vesicles (EVs) might play a role in gastric carcinogenesis.

Current Practices in Histological Diagnosis and Management of Asymptomatic Gastric Subepithelial Lesions: A Multicenter Survey in Korea.

Objectives: Gastric subepithelial lesions (SELs) are elevated lesions covered by normal mucosa often detected during esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Because of its submucosal location, accurate diagnosis through biopsy is challenging. We conducted a nationwide survey to identify differences in clinical practices across healthcare institutions with varying medical resources in Korea.

A Survey on the Management and Surveillance of Low-Grade Gastric Adenoma Among Gastroenterologists in South Korea.

Objectives: Low-grade gastric adenomas (LGA) are managed using a variety of methods, unlike high-grade adenomas or early gastric cancers, which follow more standardized treatment protocols. This study aimed to assess the current practices and follow-up strategies used by South Korean gastroenterologists in managing LGA.

Methods: An online survey was created with Google Forms and distributed to South Korean gastroenterologists via email or paper instructions containing a Quick Response code.

Multifunctional Polar 2D Lead Iodide Perovskites Exhibiting Persistent Spin Texture.

Ferroelectric Rashba semiconductors are a rare class of multifunctional materials promising for spin-orbitronics due to the possibility of electrically switchable spin textures. Hybrid organic-inorganic metal halide perovskites offer exceptional tunability that can be harnessed to target noncentrosymmetry; however, the complex interactions between organic and inorganic components are not rationally understood. Here, we use an asymmetric spacer cation with a strong molecular dipole moment (2-fluorobenzylammonium, 2FBZ) and increase the intrinsic quantum well thickness to > 1 to synthesize three new polar 2D lead iodide perovskites (2FBZ)(A)PbI with A = methylammonium (MA) or formamidinium (FA) and = 2, 3.

Comparative Efficacy of Potassium-Competitive Acid Blocker-Based Triple Therapy with Tegoprazan versus Vonoprazan for Eradication: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Active-Controlled Pilot Study.

Background/aims: Triple therapy with vonoprazan, a potassium-competitive acid blocker, has shown an acceptable eradication rate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tegoprazan-based triple therapy compared with those of vonoprazan-based triple therapy for eradication.

Methods: This randomized, double-blind, active-controlled, multicenter pilot study included treatment-naive adults with infection.

Korean Registry on the Current Management of (K-Hp-Reg): Interim Analysis of Adherence to the Revised Evidence-Based Guidelines for First-Line Treatment.

Background/aims: The Korean guidelines for treatment were revised in 2020, however, the extent of adherence to these guidelines in clinical practice remains unclear. Herein, we initiated a prospective, nationwide, multicenter registry study in 2021 to evaluate the current management of infection in Korea.

Methods: This interim report describes the adherence to the revised guidelines and their impact on first-line eradication rates.

Clinical characteristics of community-acquired primary pleural infection compared to postpneumonic pleural infection: a retrospective study.

Background: Data on the clinical features and treatment outcomes in patients with primary pleural infection (PI) are limited. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of these patients.

Patients And Methods: In this retrospective study, patients with community-acquired PI, diagnosed based on pleural fluid analysis, were classified into postpneumonic and primary PI groups according to computed tomography (CT) findings.

Comparative Changes in Fecal Microbiome After Endoscopic Resection and Surgical Resection in Gastric Cancer Patients.

: Gastric cancer treatments can lead to significant alterations to patients' gastrointestinal microbiome. However, differences in microbial impacts between gastrectomy and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) remain underexplored. This study investigates how these treatments influence microbial diversity and composition in patients with stage I gastric cancer.

Second Examination of the Right Colon Using Narrow-Band Imaging Increases Adenoma Detection Rates in the Right Colon: A Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background/aims: Repeat examination of the right colon increases adenoma detection rates (ADRs) in the right colon. This study aimed to investigate whether a second examination of the right colon using narrow-band imaging (NBI) increases ADRs in the right colon compared with repeat examinations using white light imaging (WLI).

Methods: Consecutive patients with routine indications for colonoscopy were enrolled and randomly assigned to two groups.

Tuberculous and Malignant Pleural Effusions With Adenosine Deaminase Levels of 40-70 IU/L: Trends in New Cases Over Time and Differentiation Between Groups.

Background: The diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) often relies on pleural fluid adenosine deaminase (ADA) levels. The diagnostic utility of ADA, however, is influenced by the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) in local populations. Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) cases can exhibit moderately elevated ADA levels comparable to those seen in TPE.

Assessing the readability of dermatological patient information leaflets generated by ChatGPT-4 and its associated plugins.

Background: In the UK, 43% of adults struggle to understand health information presented in standard formats. As a result, Health Education England recommends that patient information leaflets (PILs) be written at a readability level appropriate for an 11-year-old.

Objectives: To evaluate the ability of ChatGPT-4 and its three dermatology-specific plugins to generate PILs that meet readability recommendations and compare their readability with existing British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) PILs.

Altered heme metabolism and hemoglobin concentration due to empirical antibiotics-induced gut dysbiosis in preterm infants.

Background: High-risk infants are usually treated with empirical antibiotics after birth, regardless of the evidence of infection; however, their gut microbiome and metabolome have seldom been studied. This study investigated the influence of antibiotic exposure on the gut microbiome and associated metabolic pathways in term and preterm infants.

Methods: Thirty-six infants within 10 days of birth who were admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit/newborn nursery unit were divided into four groups based on maturity (gestational age) and use of empirical antibiotics.

Novel function of TREK-1 in regulating adipocyte differentiation and lipid accumulation.

K2P (two-pore domain potassium) channels, a diversified class of K-selective ion channels, have been found to affect a wide range of physiological processes in the body. Despite their established significance in regulating proliferation and differentiation in multiple cell types, K2P channels' specific role in adipogenic differentiation (adipogenesis) remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the engagement of K2P channels, specifically KCNK2 (also known as TREK-1), in adipogenesis using primary cultured adipocytes and TREK-1 knockout (KO) mice.

The HRAS-binding C2 domain of PLCη2 suppresses tumor-like synoviocytes and experimental arthritis in rheumatoid arthritis.

Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs), which are stromal cells that play key roles in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathophysiology, are characterized by a tumor-like phenotype and immunostimulatory actions. C2 domains in various proteins play roles in intracellular signaling and altering cellular characteristics, and some C2 domain-containing proteins exacerbate or alleviate certain malignant or inflammatory diseases. However, the roles of C2 domains in regulating the functions of RA FLSs remain unclear.

Mice deficient in TWIK-1 are more susceptible to kainic acid-induced seizures.

TWIK-1 belongs to the two-pore domain K (K2P) channel family, which plays an essential role in the background K conductance of cells. Despite the development of exon 2-deleted knockout (KO) mice, the physiological role of TWIK-1 has remained largely unknown. Here, we observed that the exon 2-deleted KO mice expressed an internally deleted TWIK-1 (TWIK-1 ΔEx2) protein, which unexpectedly acts as a functional K channel.

Image-enhanced endoscopy in upper gastrointestinal disease: focusing on texture and color enhancement imaging and red dichromatic imaging.

Endoscopic examination plays a crucial role in the diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) tract diseases. Despite advancements in endoscopic imaging, the detection of subtle early cancers and premalignant lesions using white-light imaging alone remains challenging. This review discusses two novel image-enhanced endoscopy (IEE) techniques-texture and color enhancement imaging (TXI) and red dichromatic imaging (RDI)-and their potential applications in UGI diseases.

Direct Anterior vs. Posterior Approach in Simultaneous Bilateral Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Meta-Analysis.

Simultaneous bilateral total hip arthroplasty (SimBTHA) offers benefits such as reduced hospital stay and costs for patients with bilateral hip disease. However, the optimal surgical approach remains uncertain. This study aimed to compare the perioperative outcomes of SimBTHA performed via the direct anterior approach (DAA) versus the posterior approach (PA).

Direct anterior vs other surgical approaches in patients with lumbar stiffness undergoing total hip arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: The effectiveness of the direct anterior approach (DAA) compared to other surgical approaches for total hip arthroplasty (THA) in patients with lumbar spine stiffness remains unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare clinical outcomes, including dislocation rates and other complications, between DAA and other surgical approaches for THA in patients with lumbar spine stiffness.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the DAA with other surgical approaches (anterolateral, direct lateral, posterolateral and direct superior) in patients with lumbar spine stiffness undergoing THA.

Biological augmentation of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with bone marrow aspirate concentrate: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Purpose: Biological augmentation of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) is gaining attention for its theoretical potential to enhance postoperative healing and recovery. However, its clinical benefits remain uncertain, and its high cost raises questions about efficacy. Hence, we systematically reviewed randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the effectiveness of BMAC in ACL reconstruction.