Risk of depression in chronic immune-mediated neuropathies: A nationwide cohort study in South Korea.

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) and multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) are among the most common immune-mediated neuropathies, characterized by a chronic, disabling disease course. While depression significantly impacts outcomes in various neurological disorders, its risk remains underexplored in patients with CIDP or MMN. This study aimed to investigate the association between CIDP or MMN and new-onset depression using a nationwide cohort in South Korea.

Salmon Nasal Cartilage-Derived Proteoglycans Alleviate Cartilage Degeneration in Osteoarthritis by Modulating Inflammation and Apoptosis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative joint disease characterized by progressive cartilage damage, inflammatory responses, and apoptosis of chondrocytes. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic potential properties of proteoglycans (PG) extracted from salmon nasal cartilage in both (HTB-94 human chondrocytic cells) and (monosodium iodoacetate-induced OA rat model) approaches. Rats were treated with PG, and key parameters related to cartilage integrity, inflammation, and apoptosis were evaluated.

Cytotoxic Profiling of Korea Chemical Bank Diversity Library.

Cytotoxicity profiling of screening libraries is a critical component in early-stage drug discovery to identify compounds with undesirable toxic effects. Here, we report the cytotoxicity profiling of the Korea Chemical Bank (KCB) diversity library, comprising 7040 compounds curated via virtual screening, clustering, and druggability assessment. A subset of 5181 compounds was randomly selected and screened using the WST-1 assay in five mammalian cell lines (HEK293, HFL1, HepG2, NIH3T3, and CHOK1) at concentrations of 30 µM and 10 µM, following 24 h and 48 h incubation periods.

Particulate matter-induced lung cancer metastasis is inhibited by ginsenoside Rg3.

The risk of exposure to particulate matter (PM) has been consistently highlighted globally owing to its detrimental effects on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems and in the development of lung cancer. Additionally, PM promotes cancer cell metastasis; however, research elucidating the precise mechanisms underlying this phenomenon and the strategies to inhibit it remains limited. The aim of this study was to elucidate the mechanism underlying PM-induced cancer metastasis and investigate the preventive role of ginsenoside Rg3.

Attend-and-Refine: Interactive keypoint estimation and quantitative cervical vertebrae analysis for bone age assessment.

In pediatric orthodontics, accurate estimation of growth potential is essential for developing effective treatment strategies. Our research aims to predict this potential by identifying the growth peak and analyzing cervical vertebra morphology solely through lateral cephalometric radiographs. We accomplish this by comprehensively analyzing cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) features from these radiographs.

Single junction CsPbBr solar cell coupled with electrolyzer for solar water splitting.

Artificial photosynthesis system to realize Solar overall water splitting has been regarded as sustainable and renewable solution for energy and environmental issues. While artificial photosynthesis system (efficiency of 12.4%) greatly exceeds efficiency of natural photosynthesis, yet such high efficiency needs multiple, 2 or more light absorbers to achieve, total photovoltage above 1440 mV.

Machine learning-based classification of adrenal tumors using clinical, hormonal, and body composition data.

Objective: Accurate diagnosis of adrenal tumors, including mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS), adrenal Cushing's syndrome (ACS), primary aldosteronism (PA), pheochromocytoma (PCC), and nonfunctioning adrenal adenomas (NFAs), is crucial but challenging. We aimed to develop a machine learning (ML)-based single-step diagnostic method for differentiating adrenal tumors by integrating clinical data, serum adrenal hormone profiles (SAPs), and body composition data.

Methods: A total of 641 patients with adrenal tumors (MACS = 141, ACS = 64, PA = 265, PCC = 78, and NFA = 93), excluding adrenal metastases and adrenocortical carcinoma, were enrolled from Seoul National University Hospital.

Ethanolic Extract of Glycine Semen Preparata Prevents Oxidative Stress-Induced Muscle Damage in C2C12 Cells and Alleviates Dexamethasone-Induced Muscle Atrophy and Weakness in Experimental Mice.

Skeletal muscle atrophy is a debilitating condition characterized by the loss of muscle mass and function. It is commonly associated with aging, chronic diseases, disuse, and prolonged glucocorticoid therapy. Oxidative stress and catabolic signaling pathways play significant roles in the progression of muscle degradation.

Anti-Obesity Effects of Fatdizol, a Blend of and , in 3T3-L1 Cells and Obese Mouse Models.

This study explored the anti-obesity potential of Fatdizol, a blend composed of L. and , in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes and in a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mouse model. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of Fatdizol verified the presence of two key bioactive constituents, rosmarinic acid and 1-deoxynojirimycin (1-DNJ), which are recognized for their anti-obesity effects.

Mediating Role of Health Literacy in Relationship Between Frailty and Medical Costs in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

This study aims to examine the mediating effects of health literacy on the relationship between frailty and medical costs among community-dwelling older adults. This study conducted a secondary data analysis of the research data that were constructed by linking the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Data (KFACD) and the National Health Insurance Database (NHID). Frailty was measured using the Modified Fried Phenotype.

Sinhyotaklisan as a Potential Therapeutic for Psoriasis: Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation.

Sinhyotaklisan (SHTLS) is a traditional herbal prescription composed of , , , and , commonly used to treat skin disorders. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects and underlying mechanisms of SHTLS in psoriasis through the network pharmacology analysis and experimental validation in vitro and in vivo. Bioactive compounds and molecular targets were identified using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database, and key protein-protein interaction networks were analyzed via STRING and Cytoscape.

Diesel exhaust particles disrupt blood-retina barrier integrity via TLR2 and TLR4 activation.

Diesel exhaust particles (DEPs), a major component of air pollution, are well-known to induce inflammation and vascular dysfunction. However, the molecular mechanisms linking DEP exposure to the disruption of the blood–retina barrier (BRB) remain poorly understood. Toll-like receptors (TLRs), particularly TLR2 and TLR4, play critical roles in inflammatory signaling and may contribute to DEP-induced retinal endothelial dysfunction.

Long-term outcomes of pulmonary valve replacement in adolescents and adults: A nationwide population-based study.

Objective: A study using the National Health Insurance Service database compared bioprosthetic and mechanical pulmonary valve replacement clinical results.

Methods: Total of 1586 patients underwent pulmonary valve replacement from 2003 to 2021 and 1295 patients were enrolled after excluding those with previous aortic valve replacement and aged less than 13 years at operation. Bioprostheses (group B) and mechanical prostheses (group M) were used in 1085 patients (83.

Antiretroviral Therapy at Conception Leads to Lower Peripheral CD49a NK Cells and Higher SERPINB2.

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) during pregnancy is essential to prevent vertical HIV transmission and preserve the health of the mother and child. However, ART in pregnancy has been associated with adverse birth outcomes linked to poor placental development. Immune dysregulation of placental development is an important factor in the development of preeclampsia (PE), a common hypertension disorder of pregnancy.

Neural representations in MPFC and insula encode individual differences in estimating others' preferences.

In human society, successful social interactions often hinge upon the ability to accurately estimate other's perspectives, a skill that necessitates integrating contextual cues. This study investigates the neural mechanism involved in this capacity through a preference estimation task. In this task, participants were presented with the target's face and asked to predict their preference for a given item.

A haplotype-phased genome characterizes the genomic architecture and causal variants for RXf1 conferring resistance to Xanthomonas fragariae in strawberry (F. × ananassa).

Background: Cultivated octoploid strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) is one of the most economically important fruits worldwide due to its flavor, texture, and health benefits. However, bacterial angular leaf spot (ALS) causes economic losses in fruit production and plant nurseries. All commercial strawberry varieties are susceptible to ALS.

Impact of the 2023 wildfire smoke episodes in Ontario, Canada, on asthma and other health outcomes: an interrupted time-series analysis.

Background: During the 2023 wildfire season, Ontario, Canada, had unprecedented wildfire smoke, but the health impact on the population is unknown. We aimed to quantify the acute impact of the wildfire smoke on respiratory and cardiovascular outcomes across Ontario.

Methods: We conducted a quasi-experimental study by leveraging the timing of 2 consecutive wildfire smoke episodes in June 2023.

Claudin 18.2 Expression in Gastric Tumors and Other Tumor Types With Gastric Epithelium-like Differentiation.

Background/aim: Claudin 18.2 is an emerging biomarker for claudin 18.2-targeted therapy.

Students Perceive Similar Gains in Collaboration, Communication and Professional Skills in Two Distinct Experiential Learning Courses.

Experiential learning (EL) is a high-impact teaching practice. Despite this, it can be challenging to embed EL into educational curricula at scale due to resource constraints, such as the number of faculty members available to supervise research projects. Here we report on two distinct elective courses in a Pharmacology curriculum, both of which incorporate EL in different ways.

Effects of a virtual reality digital twin of the operating theatre on anxiety in pediatric surgery patients: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Sevoflurane-based volatile induction and maintenance of anesthesia (VIMA) is common in pediatric outpatient surgery but can elevate preoperative anxiety in unfamiliar settings. This study compared the effects of immersive 3D virtual reality (VR) digital twin that precisely simulated the operating theatre environment with those of two-dimensional (2D) video education on preoperative anxiety in pediatric patients undergoing VIMA.

Methods: In total, 102 pediatric patients undergoing elective ambulatory surgery were randomly assigned to either the VR or tablet group.

Exploring automatic approach-avoidance tendencies: the impact of self-relevant social feedback on behavior.

Previous studies have reported automatic approach-avoidance tendencies toward various stimuli, such as words, facial expressions, and images in the appetitive or aversive valence domain. This work investigates whether self-relevant evaluative feedback affects these behavioral tendencies using a touchscreen-based approach and avoidance task, in which participants responded to two-colored fish icons either by pulling toward or by pushing away from themselves. Evaluative feedback on participants' personality traits, provided by the fish, served as a task-irrelevant feature.

Self-aggregating long-acting injectable microcrystals.

Injectable drug depots have transformed our capacity to enhance medication adherence through dose simplification. Central to patient adoption of injectables is the acceptability of needle injections, with needle gauge as a key factor informing patient discomfort. Maximizing drug loading in injectables supports longer drug release while reducing injection volume and discomfort.

Feasibility of a Machine Learning Classifier for Predicting Post-Induction Hypotension in Non-Cardiac Surgery.

Purpose: To develop a machine learning (ML) classifier for predicting post-induction hypotension (PIH) in non-cardiac surgeries.

Materials And Methods: Preoperative data and early vital signs were obtained from 3669 cases in the VitalDB database, an open-source registry. PIH was defined as sustained mean arterial pressure (MAP) <65 mm Hg within 20 minutes since induction or from induction to incision.

Comparison of bioprosthetic valves in primary isolated aortic valve replacement: a nationwide study†.

Objectives: This study aimed to comprehensively compare the early and long-term clinical outcomes of bovine pericardial valve (BOV) and porcine valve (POV), specifically during the primary isolated aortic valve replacement (AVR), using data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database.

Methods: Using the Korean NHIS claimed data, all adult patients (age ≥19) who underwent primary isolated AVR using bioprosthetic valve from 2003 to 2019 were identified and propensity-score matching (PSM) analysis was performed.

Results: Overall, 5470 patients with BOV (n = 3947, group B) or POV (n = 1,523, group P) were enrolled, of whom 814 pairs were matched in a 1:1 ratio using PSM analysis.

Porcine-Derived Chondroitin Sulfate Sodium Alleviates Osteoarthritis in HTB-94 Cells and MIA-Induced SD Rat Models.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic disease characterized by cartilage degradation, leading to bone friction, inflammation, stiffness, pain, and reduced mobility. This study investigates the therapeutic effects of porcine-derived chondroitin sulfate sodium (CS) on OA symptoms at both cellular and animal levels. study, HTB-94 chondrocytes were treated with inflammatory stimuli and CS (10, 50, 100, and 200 μg/mL) to assess the release of inflammatory mediators and the expression of genes and proteins related to cartilage synthesis and degradation.