Photocatalytic Degradation of Emerging Pollutants Using Covalent Organic Frameworks.

Emerging contaminants (ECs), such as pharmaceuticals, microplastics, and endocrine disruptors, pose persistent threats to human and ecological health due to their refractory nature. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are attractive crystalline porous materials for photocatalytic environmental remediation. Their high surface area, tunable structures, and stability complement the sustainable and efficient nature of photocatalysis, demonstrating great potential for treating ECs.

Real-World Utilization Patterns of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Based on the National Health Insurance Service Data in Korea.

Purpose: This study was conducted to comprehensively understand the utilization patterns of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in Korea, including their use in combination with traditional anticancer therapies.

Methods: We investigated the utilization of ICIs using claims data from Korea between 2017 and 2022. Patients with cancer were included in the study if they received at least one dose of ICIs, defined by drug codes in the claims data.

Current Perspectives on the Artificial Intelligence in Critical Care Medicine.

The article explores the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in critical care medicine. AI models offer superior accuracy in mortality risk assessment and personalized treatment recommendations, enhancing patient outcomes in acute and complex settings. However, various challenges exist, such as data quality, model interpretability, integrating models to clinical workflow, and ethical and legal concerns need to be addressed for successful integration into clinical practice.

Arsenic binds to nuclear transport factors and disrupts nucleocytoplasmic transport.

Human exposure to arsenicals is associated with devastating diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration. At the same time, arsenic-based drugs are used as therapeutic agents. The ability of arsenic to directly bind to proteins is correlated with its toxic and therapeutic effects, highlighting the importance of elucidating arsenic-protein interactions.

CoN-CoO with Core-Shell Structure Coupled on Cotton Stalk Derived Carbon as Catalyst to Accelerate Hydrogen Production from Sodium Borohydride.

In the future hydrogen economy, the design of efficient catalysts with dual active sites is essential to promote catalytic hydrogen production. In this paper, CoN-CoO with core@shell structure supported on cotton stalk carbon (CoN-CoO@C) possessing dual-active sites of CoN and CoO is designed. The catalyst shows excellent catalytic activity for sodium borohydride (NaBH) hydrolysis with hydrogen evolution rate (r = 1408 mL min g ).

Factors affecting health-related quality of life in ICU survivors.

This multicenter prospective study investigated factors influencing mid-term health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among intensive care unit (ICU) survivors in Korea. Among 2,002 patients, 189 who completed follow-up assessments at 90 days post-discharge were included in the final analysis. HRQoL was measured using the five-level EuroQoL 5-Dimension (EQ-5D-5L) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) at 30 and 90 days after discharge.

Framework for processing operando neutron radiography of energy devices.

Neutron radiography is a powerful diagnostic technique for operando studies of electrochemical devices, such as fuel cells, batteries, and electrolyzers. However, processing time-series neutron images is challenging due to high spatial/temporal resolution requirements, limited neutron flux, complex sample geometry, and low signal-to-noise ratios. Existing image processing platforms are not adequate to mitigate these issues, causing bottlenecks in data analysis and interpretation.

Perioperative outcomes in patients with very low-risk endometrial cancer undergoing surgery without lymph node dissection: Results from KGOG 2021.

Aim: To evaluate the perioperative outcomes of patients with endometrial cancer meeting the Korean Gynecologic Oncology Group (KGOG) criteria who underwent surgery without lymph node dissection.

Methods: This study included 153 patients who met the KGOG criteria: (1) endometrioid histology, (2) myometrial invasion <50%, (3) tumor confined to the corpus, (4) no lymph node >1 cm, and (5) serum CA125 ≤ 35 U/mL. The patients underwent surgery without lymph node dissection at 11 hospitals in Korea between February 2020 and May 2024.

Improved robustness by concurrent rapid and non-destructive terahertz sensing of pharmaceutical tablet thickness and porosity.

Conventional porosity measurements of pharmaceutical tablets using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) in transmission geometry require supplementary thickness measurements - typically using an optical laser gauge - to enable accurate porosity determination. However, discrepancies in beam profiles between the laser and THz systems, as well as the need for precise mechanical positioning of the tablet for the two measurements, introduce potential systematic errors and complicate the measurement setup. This study presents a robust and rapid alternative: a transflection-based THz-TDS method that simultaneously determines both tablet thickness and porosity from a single terahertz waveform.

Open Frameworks Materials for Nitrogen Electrofixation to Ammonia, Progress, Challenges, and Future Perspectives.

Electrochemical nitrogen reduction (eNRR) offers a sustainable and energy-efficient alternative to the conventional Haber-Bosch process for ammonia (NH) synthesis, operating under mild conditions with reduced environmental impact. Open framework materials (OFMs), encompassing covalent-organic frameworks (COFs) and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), have emerged as highly promising candidates due to their modular structures, tunable porosity, and adaptable functionalities. This review summarizes recent advancements in OFMs for eNRR, focusing on strategies for selection and design of active centers, regulation of porous structure, and conductivity enhancement strategy, as well as surface functionalization and interface engineering.

is a genetic modifier of somatic repeat instability in X-linked dystonia parkinsonism.

X-linked dystonia parkinsonism (XDP) is a progressive adult-onset neurogenerative disorder caused by the insertion of a SINE-VNTR-Alu (SVA) retrotransposon in gene. One element of the SVA is a tandem polymorphic CCCTCT repeat tract whose length inversely correlates with the age of disease onset. Previous observations that the repeat exhibits length-dependent somatic expansion and that XDP onset is modified by variation in DNA repair gene indicated that somatic repeat expansion is an important disease driver.

Unlocking the Oxygen Evolving Activity of Molybdenum Nickel Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Efficient Water Splitting.

Earth-abundant transition metal-based catalysts with exceptional bifunctionality for both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are greatly desired. Alloyed catalysts, such as molybdenum-nickel (MoNi), are known to demonstrate enhanced HER activity, yet suffer from low OER performance. To realize improved functionality, elemental doping can be an effective approach, giving rise to synergistic interactions between incorporated metal species, optimizing surface adsorption of target intermediates, and promoting reaction.

Significant underascertainment in Huntington's disease.

While Huntington's disease (HD), a Mendelian disorder caused by an expanded CAG repeat in , is considered rare, the true prevalence could be significantly higher due to substantial underascertainment. Given inherent biases in empirically assessing disease prevalence, we performed mathematical modelling and validation analyses to estimate the frequency of expanded CAG repeats in the general population to better understand the disease prevalence. We developed an exponential decay model after confirming that the logarithmic decrease in frequency of CAG repeats extends into the pathogenic range (CAG > 35).

Association of Extended Steroid Treatment With Bloodstream Infection in Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19: A National, Multicenter, Propensity Score-Matched Study.

Background: The impact of steroid treatment on mortality outcomes in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been widely demonstrated, while its effect on secondary infections, such as bloodstream infections (BSIs), is controversial. Recent studies have reported the survival benefits of using steroids for a standard duration compared to extended use, though their impact on the risk of BSIs remains debated. This study investigated whether extended steroid use is associated with the risk of BSIs and mortality in critically ill patients with COVID-19.

Oncologic outcomes of minimally invasive surgery vs. abdominal hysterectomy in patients with low-risk, early-stage cervical cancer: A retrospective analysis of KGOG 1028 data based on SHAPE trial eligibility criteria.

Objective: To compare the oncologic outcomes of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and abdominal hysterectomy in patients with low-risk, early-stage cervical cancer, based on the SHAPE trial eligibility criteria.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed data from the Korean Gynecologic Oncology Group (KGOG) 1028 cohort, including patients with 2009 FIGO stage IB1 cervical cancer who met SHAPE trial criteria and underwent MIS or abdominal hysterectomy. Disease-free survival (DFS) was the primary outcome, whereas secondary outcomes included pelvic recurrence rates and prognostic factors influencing DFS.

Determinants of Limiting Life-Sustaining Treatment in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients: A Multicenter Study in Korean Intensive Care Units.

Background: Understanding of the life-sustaining treatment (LST) decisions in critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients remains limited. This study aimed to identify factors influencing LST decisions, and compare clinical outcomes between patients with, and without, LST.

Methods: This multicenter, retrospective cohort study analyzed data from 1,081 COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) across Korea from January 1, 2020, to August 31, 2021.

Prolonged COVID-19 Pneumonia in Patients with Hematologic Malignancies: Clinical Significance and Serial CT Findings.

Hematologic malignancy patients have a heightened risk for prolonged COVID-19 pneumonia. We retrospectively investigated the clinical significance and serial CT findings of prolonged COVID-19 pneumonia in hematologic malignancy patients. Hematologic malignancy patients with persistent SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positivity >30 days and more than one chest CT after initial positivity were reviewed.

Effect of intensive nutritional support on functional recovery in subacute stroke: A randomized, multicenter, single-blinded trial.

Background: Nutrition in the subacute phase of stroke may be a critical factor in functional recovery and post-stroke mortality. Nevertheless, the issue of intensive nutritional support for people with subacute stroke remains insufficiently explored.

Objectives: This study investigated the effects of intensive nutritional support during rehabilitation on functional recovery in the subacute phase of participants with a first-ever stroke.

Molecular Interlayer for High-Performance and Stable 2D Tin Halide Perovskite Transistor.

Tin (Sn) halide perovskites present considerable potential for the advancement of high-performance p-channel field-effect transistors (FETs), attributable to their low hole effective mass and reduced carrier scattering. However, their intrinsic instability has impeded their ability to achieve the anticipated performance benchmarks. In this study, molecular interlayers are designed that not only passivate surface defects in Sn perovskites through their functional groups, leading to improved film formation and consequently enhanced performance and stability but also reduce the energy barrier at the source and drain interfaces through their strong dipole moments, thereby enhancing carrier transport.

Improved Chloride Tolerance of Pt Surface by Ionomer Layer Structure Engineering.

While recent advancements in electrocatalysts have led to significant progress toward the commercialization of electrochemical energy conversion devices, performance degradation derived by airborne impurity remains a critical challenge to address. In particular, chloride (Cl) poisoning of platinum (Pt) catalysts remains a critical challenge for performance. Herein, an effective strategy for suppressing Cl poisoning from the perspective of ionomer layer engineering is demonstrated.

Which factors predict the effectiveness of adjuvant treatment in patients with non-high-risk early-stage cervical cancer? Ancillary analysis of KGOG-1028.

Objective: To identify predictive factors for the effectiveness of adjuvant therapy (AT) in patients with non-high-risk early-stage cervical cancer.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the Korean Gynecologic Oncology Group-1028, which included 1109 low-risk and 360 intermediate-risk patients diagnosed with 2018 FIGO stage IB1-IIA cervical cancer from 2000 to 2008. Disease-free survival (DFS) according to AT was evaluated in restricted patients with certain prognostic factors, such as lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI), depth of invasion (DI) of 1/3, tumor size >4 cm, or nonsquamous cell carcinoma (non-SCC).

Five-Year Functional Outcomes Among Patients Surviving Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Importance: Longitudinal changes in functional levels can provide valuable information about disability. However, longitudinal outcomes in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) have not been well reported, which could provide insight into appropriate management and information for patients experiencing disability.

Objective: To investigate the 5-year prognosis and functional outcomes of patients with aSAH.

Long-term functional outcomes in patients with isolated cerebellar infarction: the KOSCO study.

Background: There are relatively few reports on the long-term sequential functional recovery and prognosis in patients with cerebellar infarction. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term recovery of multifaceted functional outcomes up to 36 months after onset and the functional prognosis of isolated cerebellar infarction.

Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of the Korean Stroke Cohort for Functioning and Rehabilitation (KOSCO) data up to 36 months after onset.

Terahertz-based analysis of immediate-release tablet hydration and disintegration: Effects of croscarmellose sodium and magnesium stearate.

This study investigated the influence of croscarmellose sodium (CCS) and magnesium stearate (MgSt) on tablet hardness, hydration time, and disintegration time to understand their roles and interactions at different stages of the disintegration process using terahertz pulsed imaging technique. Six powder blends were formulated by combining three CCS concentrations (3%, 4%, and 5%w/w) and two MgSt concentrations (0.5% and 1%w/w) and were direct-compressed.

Graph-based prototype inverse-projection for identifying cortical sulcal pattern abnormalities in congenital heart disease.

Examining the altered arrangement and patterning of sulcal folds offers insights into the mechanisms of neurodevelopmental differences in psychiatric and neurological disorders. Previous sulcal pattern analysis used spectral graph matching of sulcal pit-based graph structures to assess deviations from normative sulcal patterns. However, challenges exist, including the absence of a standard criterion for defining a typical reference set, time-consuming cost of graph matching, user-defined feature weight sets, and assumptions about uniform node distribution.