Long-Term Anticoagulation Discontinuation After Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation: The ALONE-AF Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Data from randomized clinical trials on a long-term anticoagulation strategy for patients after catheter-based ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) are lacking.

Objective: To evaluate whether discontinuing oral anticoagulant therapy provides superior clinical outcomes compared with continuing oral anticoagulant therapy in patients without documented atrial arrhythmia recurrence after catheter ablation for AF.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A randomized clinical trial including 840 adult patients (aged 19-80 years) who were enrolled and randomized from July 28, 2020, to March 9, 2023, at 18 hospitals in South Korea.

The impact of sleep health on cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in the general population.

Sleep patterns are important predictors of long-term health outcomes. We investigated the associations of sleep duration, sleep regularity, and their combinations with all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events in a large Korean cohort, including sex-specific analyses. This prospective cohort study included 9,641 adults aged 40-69 years from the Ansung-Ansan cohort in Korea.

Lingual liposarcoma transitioning from an infiltrative lipoma in a dog.

Lingual neoplasms comprise approximately 2-4 % of canine oropharyngeal tumours, with liposarcomas being particularly rare and typically arising in the subcutis of the extremities and trunk. This report describes a 5-year-old spayed female Bedlington Terrier that presented with a ruptured lingual mass with muscular invasion, for which glossectomy was performed. Histopathological examination revealed a neoplastic proliferation of well-differentiated adipocytes that infiltrated the skeletal muscle layer.

Uterine angiomyofibroblastoma in a domestic cat: A need of precise diagnosis for proper perioperative management.

Angiomyofibroblastoma (AMFB) is rarely reported in humans as well as domestic animals, especially in the female genital tract. This painless tumour is characterised by the proliferation of spindle or ovoid tumour cells with myofibroblastic differentiation, which often cluster around thin-walled blood vessels. This report presents a case of feline AMFB for the first time.

Protein Microplastic Coronation Complexes Trigger Proteome Changes in Brain-Derived Neuronal and Glial Cells.

The extensive distribution of microplastics (MPs) in the environment and their food chain contamination urgently necessitates a deeper understanding of their molecular-level impact on physiological responses. This study employed a mass spectrometry-based proteomics approach to investigate the potential risks, mechanisms of associated cellular processes, and biological reactions to preformed protein-MPs coronation and intact MPs using brain-derived neuronal and glial cells. Our findings indicate that MPs can adsorb proteins and form a heterogeneous corona layer when interacting with biological fluids such as serum.

Pre-contrast hyperattenuating metastatic lymph node on computed tomography due to iodide accumulation in a dog with thyroid carcinoma.

An 11-year-old Bichon Frise presented with a right cervical mass. Computed tomography revealed a thyroid mass without significant lymphadenopathy; however, the caudal portion of the ipsilateral retropharyngeal lymph node exhibited marked hyperattenuation on pre-contrast images. Histopathology of this lymph node confirmed the presence of metastasis from thyroid adenocarcinoma.

Impact of Post-PCI Lipid Core Burden Index on Angiographic and Clinical Outcomes: Insights From NIRS-IVUS.

Background: The impact of lipid core burden index (LCBI) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the stented segment assessed by intracoronary near-infrared spectroscopy on the outcomes remains unclear.

Methods: In this prospective observational study, we aimed to assess the impact of post-PCI LCBI on late lumen loss and clinical outcomes. Post-PCI intracoronary near-infrared spectroscopy imaging was performed in the stented segment after PCI.

PRPF4 Knockdown Suppresses Glioblastoma Progression the p38 MAPK and ERK Signaling Pathways.

Background/aim: Pre-mRNA processing factor 4 (PRPF4), a core protein of U4/U6 small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs), is crucial for maintaining their structure by interacting with PRPF3 and Cyclophilin H. Beyond its role in splicing, PRPF4 has been implicated in cell survival, apoptosis, and oncogenesis. Although PRPF4 mutations have been associated with retinitis pigmentosa, its role in glioblastoma (GBM) remains unclear.

First report of iron-overload myopathy due to secondary hemochromatosis in a dog.

Importance: Hemochromatosis is rare in domestic animals, and iron-induced myopathy has not been reported in veterinary medicine. This case is the first report of iron-overload myopathy owing to hemochromatosis in a dog.

Case Presentation: A 9-year-old spayed female Donggyeong dog presented with severe forelimb lameness.

Erratum to "An Ultrasoft and Flexible PDMS-Based Balloon-Type Implantable Device for Controlled Drug Delivery".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.34133/bmr.0012.

Clinical outcomes of Asian patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation and previously diagnosed atrial fibrillation: Insights from the CODE-AF Registry.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) may have different clinical features in its early phase.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the characteristics and clinical outcomes of early-phase AF with later-phase AF using a large multicenter prospective registry (CODE-AF [COmparison study of Drugs for symptom control and complication prEvention of Atrial Fibrillation]).

Methods: Patients enrolled between June 2016 and March 2021 were divided into 2 groups based on AF duration: (1) newly diagnosed (AF duration ≤90 days); and (2) previously diagnosed (AF duration >90 days).

Self-rated health and the risk of incident atrial fibrillation in general population.

The association between self-rated health (SRH) and the development of atrial fibrillation (AF) in the general population remains underexplored. We reviewed the data of 9,895 participants in the Ansung-Ansan cohort study, a community-based Korean study. SRH was categorised as 'poor', 'fair', or 'good'.

Impact of Atrial Fibrillation with Rapid Ventricular Response on Atrial Fibrillation Recurrence: From the CODE-AF Registry.

: Relatively little has been established about the association of rapid ventricular response (RVR) with further recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF). This study investigated the impact of RVR on the recurrence of AF. : Data were obtained from a multicenter, prospective registry of non-valvular AF patients.

Red ginseng extract inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced platelet-leukocyte aggregates in mice.

Background: Platelet-leukocyte aggregates (PLAs) play important roles in cardiovascular disease and sepsis. Red ginseng extract (RGE) has been well-studied for its antiplatelet and anti-inflammatory activities. However, the potential inhibitory effects of RGE on PLA have not been investigated.

Accelerates the Progression of Prostate Cancer the EFNA3-Erk1/2 Signaling Pathway.

Background/aim: Human melanoma-associated antigen A2 (hMAGEA2) family members play several roles in many types of cancer and have been explored as potential prognostic markers. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanism underlying hMAGEA2-mediated tumorigenesis of prostate cancer.

Materials And Methods: Immunohistochemistry and western blot were used to assess protein expression whereas microarray and quantitative reverse transcription-PCR determined mRNA expression.

A phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor, amlexanox, reduces neuroinflammation and neuronal death after pilocarpine-induced seizure.

Epilepsy, a complex neurological disorder, is characterized by recurrent seizures caused by aberrant electrical activity in the brain. Central to this study is the role of lysosomal dysfunction in epilepsy, which can lead to the accumulation of toxic substrates and impaired autophagy in neurons. Our focus is on phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4), an enzyme that plays a crucial role in regulating intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels by converting it into adenosine monophosphate (AMP).

An Ultrasoft and Flexible PDMS-Based Balloon-Type Implantable Device for Controlled Drug Delivery.

Non-biodegradable implants have undergone extensive investigation as drug delivery devices to enable advanced healthcare toward personalized medicine. However, fibroblast encapsulation is one of the major challenges in all non-biodegradable implants, besides other challenges such as high initial burst, risk of membrane rupture, high onset time, non-conformal contact with tissues, and tissue damage. To tackle such challenges, we propose a novel ultrasoft and flexible balloon-type drug delivery device for unidirectional and long-term controlled release.

Association Between Atrial Fibrillation Symptoms and Clinical Outcomes: A Prospective Multicenter Registry Study.

The presence of symptoms plays an important role in determining whether to focus on rhythm control or rate control when treating atrial fibrillation (AF). Previous comparative studies on the clinical outcomes of symptomatic and asymptomatic AF have yielded inconsistent results, and a link between AF symptoms and left atrial (LA) remodeling is not established. Patients selected from the COmparison study of Drugs for symptom control and complication prEvention of AF (CODE-AF) registry, which is a prospective, multicenter study consisting of patients with non-valvular AF, were grouped into 2 groups: symptomatic and asymptomatic.

Decreased SMP30 Expression Is Related With EMT in the Kidneys of Two Siberian Tigers With CKD.

Background/aim: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the most common causes of mortality in wild non-domestic felidae. The molecular mechanism regulating renal fibrosis in nephropathy is not fully understood especially in the felidae. This study aimed to elucidate senescence marker protein 30 (SMP30) expression patterns and its relationship with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by immunostaining in two necropsied Siberian tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) with CKD.

Electrocardiography score based on the Minnesota code classification system predicts cardiovascular mortality in an asymptomatic low-risk population.

Background: The use of a single abnormal finding on electrocardiography (ECG) is not recommended for stratifying the risk of cardiovascular (CV) events in low-risk general populations because of its low discriminative power. However, the value of a scoring system containing multiple abnormal ECG findings for predicting CV death has not been sufficiently evaluated.

Methods: In a prospective community-based cohort study, 8417 participants without atherosclerotic CV diseases (ASCVDs) and any related symptoms were followed for 18 years.

Multiple Hepatic Lipoma: A Case Report of Captive Hill Mynah with Iron Storage Disease.

The present case describes multiple hepatic lipomas in a common hill mynah ( A 21-year-old female captive common hill mynah died without any notable clinical symptoms. An autopsy and histopathological examinations were conducted to determine the exact cause of death. On gross observation, the liver demonstrated a yellowish white surface color and multiple nodules indicating neoplastic lesions.

Case report: Fatal neonatal sepsis associated with infection in a common bottlenose dolphin ().

A 25-day-old male common bottlenose dolphin () died suddenly while swimming at a dolphinarium. The gross examination revealed ulceration on the dorsal and pectoral fins and rostrum. Severe congestion, hemorrhage, and edema were observed in the gastrointestinal tract, liver, mesenteric lymph nodes, lungs, and kidneys.

The anti-platelet activity of panaxadiol fraction and panaxatriol fraction of Korean Red Ginseng in vitro and ex vivo.

Background: The anti-platelet activity of the saponin fraction of Korean Red Ginseng has been widely studied. The saponin fraction consists of the panaxadiol fraction (PDF) and panaxatriol fraction (PTF); however, their anti-platelet activity is yet to be compared. Our study aimed to investigate the potency of anti-platelet activity of PDF and PTF and to elucidate how well they retain their anti-platelet activity via different administration routes.