Dynamic functional connectivity changes associated with dementia in Parkinson's disease.

Dynamic functional connectivity captures temporal variations of functional connectivity during MRI acquisition and it may be a suitable method to detect cognitive changes in Parkinson's disease. In this study, we evaluated 118 patients with Parkinson's disease matched for age, sex and education with 35 healthy control subjects. Patients with Parkinson's disease were classified with normal cognition (n = 52), mild cognitive impairment (n = 46), and dementia (n = 20) based on an extensive neuropsychological evaluation.

Development of a filtration-based LAMP-LFA method as sensitive and rapid detection of O157:H7.

Rapid detection of low number of pathogenic bacteria in food is difficult. This study tested the filter-based loop-mediated isothermal amplification-lateral flow immunoassay (LAMP-LFA) method for rapid detection of pathogens in real food. O157:H7 was inoculated on 25 g of beef and the homogenized sample was filtered with 0.

Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics of Confirmed Cases of Severe Fever With Thrombocytopenia Syndrome in Jeju Province, Korea, 2014-2018.

Objectives: Jeju Province is well known as the region showing the highest incidence of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) in South Korea. The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of SFTS patients in Jeju Province.

Methods: The primary data for this study were obtained from the Integrated Diseases and Health Control System of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDCIS).

Incidence of Scarlet Fever in Children in Jeju Province, Korea, 2002-2016: An Age-period-cohort Analysis.

Objectives: Outbreaks of scarlet fever in Mexico in 1999, Hong Kong and mainland China in 2011, and England in 2014-2016 have received global attention, and the number of notified cases in Korean children, including in Jeju Province, has also increased since 2010. To identify relevant hypotheses regarding this emerging outbreak, an age-period-cohort (APC) analysis of scarlet fever incidence was conducted among children in Jeju Province, Korea.

Methods: This study analyzed data from the nationwide insurance claims database administered by the Korean National Health Insurance Service.

Complications in internal jugular vs subclavian ultrasound-guided central venous catheterization: a comparative randomized trial.

Purpose: The use of real-time ultrasound (US) has been shown to reduce complications of central venous (CV) catheterization. However, complication rates have not been compared according to insertion points for CV catheterization using US. Accordingly, this study aimed to compare the complication rates of internal jugular vein (IJV) with those of subclavian vein (SCV) catheterization.

A new herbal formula BP10A exerted an antitumor effect and enhanced anticancer effect of irinotecan and oxaliplatin in the colon cancer PDTX model.

BP10A is a novel two-herb medicine formula, consisting of Descurainiae sophia Semen and Peucedani praeruptorum Radix. This study was done to evaluate the antitumor efficacy of BP10A and its effect on the efficacy of the anticancer drugs oxaliplatin and irinotecan (CPT-11) in a colon tumor xenograft model. Chemical constituents from the ethanol extracts of BP10A were characterized with the ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and each constituent was quantified with the UPLC-diode array detector method.

Network Patterns of Beta-Amyloid Deposition in Parkinson's Disease.

Beta-amyloid (Aβ) in the brain is a key pathological feature of certain neurodegenerative diseases. Recent studies using graph theory have shown that Aβ brain networks are of pathological significance in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the characteristics of Aβ brain networks in Parkinson's disease (PD) are unknown.

Effect of sevoflurane-based or propofol-based anaesthesia on the incidence of postoperative acute kidney injury: A retrospective propensity score-matched analysis.

Background: Propofol may help to protect against ischaemic acute kidney injury (AKI); however, research on this topic is sparse.

Objective: The current study aimed to investigate whether there were differences in the incidence of postoperative AKI after lung resection surgery between patients who received propofol-based total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) and those who received sevoflurane-based inhalational anaesthesia.

Design: A retrospective observational study.

Oncogenic Effect of the Novel Fusion Gene in Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Fusion genes have been identified as oncogenes in several solid tumors including lung, colorectal, and stomach cancers. Here, we characterized the fusion gene, , discovered from RNA-sequencing data of a patient with lung adenocarcinoma who did not harbor activating mutations in , and . This fusion gene encodes a protein comprising the N-terminal region of vesicle-associated membrane protein (VAMP)-associated protein A (VAPA) fused to the C-terminal region of Ras-related protein 31 (Rab31).

Five-year survival rate among older adults participating in the national geriatric screening program: A South Korean population-based cohort study.

Introduction: This study aimed to assess the health benefits of a geriatric screening program comprising of physical function tests, screening questionnaires for depression and cognitive impairment, and bone mineral density measurements for women as a part of the National Screening Program for Transitional Ages (NSPTA). We compared the all-cause mortality between subjects who did and did not participate in the screening program.

Methods: This was a nationwide longitudinal study with a 5-year follow-up based on a 10% sample of the National Health Insurance beneficiaries aged 60 years and older.

Interleukin-7 Contributes to the Invasiveness of Prostate Cancer Cells by Promoting Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition.

Precise mechanisms underlying interleukin-7 (IL-7)-mediated tumor invasion remain unclear. Thus, we investigated the role of IL-7 in tumor invasiveness using metastatic prostate cancer PC-3 cell line derivatives, and assessed the potential of IL-7 as a clinical target using a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor and an IL-7-blocking antibody. We found that IL-7 stimulated wound-healing migration and invasion of PC-3 cells, increased phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 5, Akt, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase.

Gonadotropin regulates NUCB2/nesfatin-1 expression in the mouse ovary and uterus.

NUCB2/nesfatin-1 is expressed in the hypothalamus and regulates food intake and energy metabolism. Recent studies showed that NUCB2/nesfatin-1 also plays a role in other organs. However, its expression pattern and function in female reproductive organs are unclear.

Inactivation effect of UV-C and mild heat treatment against Typhimurium and O157:H7 on black pepper powder.

In this study, UV-C and mild heat treatments were used alone or in combination for the inactivation of Typhimurium and O157:H7 on the black pepper powder. The treated pepper powder was analyzed microbiologically, and the physicochemical properties of the pepper powder were examined. UV-C combined with heat treatment at 60 °C most effectively inactivated the pathogens.

The Multilevel Regulation of Complex Policy Problems: Uncertainty and the Swine Flu Pandemic.

This article aims at understanding the challenges of tackling complex policy problems in multilevel governance. In order to better grasp the multilevel regulation of complex policy problems, it is needed to understand how uncertainty and scientific expertise are dealt with. We investigate this via the regulation of pandemics by the EU and the WHO, with the H1N1 pandemic of 2009 as critical case.

Metabolic Syndrome in South Korean Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Focus on Gender Differences.

Purpose: This study investigated the relationship between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and metabolic syndrome (MetS), focusing on gender differences and using large-scale data on the Korean general population.

Methods: The total sample included 9,079 eligible participants aged ≥ 40 years who participated in the fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted between 2010 and 2012. Complex sampling methods, including strata sampling, clustering, and sample weighting were used to allow generalization of the findings to the Korean population.

First Observation of Ferroelectricity in ∼1 nm Ultrathin Semiconducting BaTiO Films.

The requirements of multifunctionality in thin-film systems have led to the discovery of unique physical properties and degrees of freedom, which exist only in film forms. With progress in growth techniques, one can decrease the film thickness to the scale of a few nanometers (∼nm), where its unique physical properties are still pronounced. Among advanced ultrathin film systems, ferroelectrics have generated tremendous interest.

Analgesia after major laparoscopic surgery in patients with chronic kidney disease: A retrospective cohort study.

The amount of reduction in opioid doses and its effect on postoperative pain outcomes in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients in the perioperative setting remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate differences in postoperative pain outcomes after major laparoscopic surgery between patients with CKD and those with normal preoperative kidney function. Medical records of patients who underwent laparoscopic major abdominal surgery from January 2010 to December 2016 were retrospectively reviewed, and 6,612 patients were finally included.

DRD2 Genotype-Based Variants Modulates D2 Receptor Distribution in Ventral Striatum.

Dopaminergic signaling within the striatum is crucial for motor planning and mental function. Neurons within the striatum contain two dopamine D2 receptor isoforms-D2 long and D2 short. The amount of expression for these receptor isoforms is affected by the genotype within two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs2283265 and rs1076560 (both are in high linkage disequilibrium; C > A), found in the DRD2 gene.

Iron is Responsible for Production of Reactive Oxygen Species Regulating Vasopressin Expression in the Mouse Paraventricular Nucleus.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) act as signaling molecules for maintaining homeostasis, particularly in the regulation of body-fluid balance in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus. However, there has been little discussion regarding the source of ROS generation in this hypothalamic region. Because iron is the most abundant metal in the brain, we hypothesized that iron may act as a source of ROS, which regulate vasopressin (VP) expression.

Differential effects, on oncogenic pathway signalling, by derivatives of the HNF4 α inhibitor BI6015.

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is a highly heterogeneous disease with few "targeted" therapeutic options. Previously, we demonstrated involvement of the transcription factor HNF4α in human GC tumours, and the developmental signal mediator, WNT5A, as a prognostic GC biomarker. One previously developed HNF4α antagonist, BI6015, while not advancing beyond preclinical stages, remains useful for studying GC.

Deciphering the Nutraceutical Potential of -A Comprehensive Overview.

(Radish) belongs to the Brassicaceae family and is a widely consumed root vegetable all around the world. The nutritional and medicinal values of radishes have been proven by several researches. Extracts prepared from the aerial and underground parts of radishes have been used in the treatment of stomach disorders, urinary infections, hepatic inflammation, cardiac disorders and ulcers in folk medicine since the ancient times.

Factors influencing colonoscopy behaviour among Koreans with a positive faecal occult blood tests.

Objective: Colonoscopy is important for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in individuals with a positive faecal occult blood test (FOBT). The purpose of the present study was to identify factors affecting the colonoscopy screening behaviour of FOBT-positive individuals, based on the health belief model (HBM).

Methods: This study involved a cross-sectional survey of 213 individuals aged 50 years or older who underwent CRC screening at a general hospital in Seoul, Korea, as part of the Korean National Cancer Screening Programme and who tested positive on FOBT.

MD001, a Novel Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor α/γ Agonist, Improves Glucose and Lipid Metabolism.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-α/γ dual agonists have been developed to treat metabolic diseases; however, most of them exhibit side effects such as body weight gain and oedema. Therefore, we developed a novel PPARα/γ dual agonist that modulates glucose and lipid metabolism without adverse effects. We synthesised novel compounds composed of coumarine and chalcone, determined their crystal structures, and then examined their binding affinity toward PPARα/γ.

An anti-Gn glycoprotein antibody from a convalescent patient potently inhibits the infection of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease localized to China, Japan, and Korea that is characterized by severe hemorrhage and a high fatality rate. Currently, no specific vaccine or treatment has been approved for this disease. To develop a therapeutic agent for SFTS, we isolated antibodies from a phage-displayed antibody library that was constructed from a patient who recovered from SFTS virus (SFTSV) infection.

Comparison of Simple Stylet versus Lighted Stylet for Intubating the Trachea with a Direct Laryngoscope: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

This study investigated the effectiveness of a lighted stylet during tracheal intubation with direct laryngoscopy. The study randomly assigned 284 patients undergoing general anesthesia to either the simple stylet (Group S) or lighted stylet (Group L) groups. In both groups, stylet-assisted intubation was performed with direct laryngoscopy.