Analysis for osteoarthritis of the ankle joint in a mouse model of chronic ankle instability.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess osteoarthritic changes in the ankle joint in a surgical model of chronic ankle instability (CAI) in mice.MethodsThis experimental study was conducted this study using 14-week-old Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) male mice ( = 19), divided into the sham control ([SH],  = 5), anterior talofibular ligament resection ([ATFL]; mild sprain,  = 7), and ATFL + calcaneofibular ligament resection ([ATFL + CFL]; severe ankle injury,  = 7) groups. A combination of behavioral analysis, micro-computed tomography, immunohistochemical staining, and serological analysis through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to evaluate the outcomes.

Nanomechanical Insights into Enhancing Flexibility and Reliability in Deformable Optoelectronic Devices.

The demand for deformable optoelectronic devices that are bendable, stretchable, and foldable has significantly increased. Accordingly, recent research has focused on ensuring the flexibility and stretchability of devices under various deformation modes, making the evaluation and enhancement of the mechanical reliability crucial. Here, we review strategies to improve the flexibility and stretchability of deformable optoelectronic devices, including intrinsic approaches to increasing the elastic deformation limit of materials and extrinsic structural design strategies at the device level.

Outcomes and responses to anti-seizure medications in status epilepticus: The significance of peri-ictal EEG and MRI abnormalities.

Background: Peri-ictal MRI (PMA) and EEG abnormalities (PEA) may predict the outcomes and responses to anti-seizure medications (ASMs) in patients with status epilepticus (SE).

Methods: The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) patients with SE aged >18 years, (2) peri‑ictal MRI including DWI and FLAIR, (3) peri‑ictal EEG, (4) well-documented medical records, and (5) recruitment between January 2016 and December 2023. Patients with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as the etiology were excluded.

High-Performance, Roll-to-Roll Fabricated Scaffold-Supported Solid Electrolyte Separator for Practical All-Solid-State Batteries.

All-solid-state batteries (ASBs) are promising candidates for next-generation energy storage systems due to their enhanced safety and potential for higher energy densities. However, achieving practical ASBs with energy densities surpassing those of state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) requires the development of thin, mechanically robust solid electrolyte separators (SESs). In this study, a scalable tape casting method is employed to fabricate a thin SES with a thickness of 27 µm and a high ionic conductance of 146 mS cm.

Enhanced etch characteristics of EUV PR masked SiON through the ion beam grid pulsing technique.

EUV lithography technology, applied in nano-patterning processes, enables the creation of fine patterns below 10 nm. However, issues still remain due to the reduced etch selectivity and increased line edge roughness (LER) caused by the thin thickness and weakness of organic EUV photoresist (PR). In this study, research was conducted to improve the low etch selectivity and high LER using a novel grid pulsed ion beam etching technique.

Navigating leadership dilemmas: neural mechanisms balancing social approval and group performance.

Leaders often face a dilemma when balancing the prioritization of group performance with gaining social approval from group members, a tension that can have significant consequences for the entire group. Despite its importance, the neural mechanisms underlying this leadership dilemma have not been thoroughly explored. In this study, participants, ostensibly designated as leaders of a group with 2 other members, engaged in a puzzle choice task that presented a conflict between group performance and social approval, all within either a public or a private setting.

Neural Processes Linking Interoception to Moral Preferences Aligned with Group Consensus.

Aligning one's decisions with the prevailing social norms and expectations of those around us constitutes a fundamental facet of moral decision-making. When faced with conflicting moral values, one adaptive approach is to rely on intuitive moral preference. Although theoretical accounts have proposed a link between moral preferences and interoceptive awareness-the capacity to sense internal bodily signals, this connection has not been empirically examined.

PEX5 acts as a negative regulator of RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis in vitro and inflammatory calvarial bone destruction in vivo.

Peroxisomal biogenesis factor 5 (PEX5), a peroxisomal import receptor, is well recognized for its role in protein trafficking and oxidative stress regulation. However, its function in bone metabolism remains unclear. Given the established impact of oxidative stress on osteoclast differentiation, this study explores the previously uncharacterized role of PEX5 in osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption.

Reinjection in Patients with Intraocular Inflammation Development after Intravitreal Brolucizumab Injection.

Purpose: To investigate the outcomes of brolucizumab reinjection after intraocular inflammation (IOI) development.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed patients with brolucizumab injections from April 2021 to January 2024. Patients who developed IOI after brolucizumab were included and categorized into subgroups depending on reinjection, discontinuation, and further IOI development.

Facile Projection of Spatially Resolved Refractive Index Modulation in Monolayer MoS via Light Phase Changes.

Fast spatial contouring of the complex refractive index (n  +  ik) of semiconducting materials is a much sought-after goal since the advent of semiconductor-related industries. This study develops a novel metrology to shape the refractive index modulation of materials using hyperspectral phase microscopy by maximizing the light-matter interaction of physical properties. The facile, non-destructive, and wide-field hyperspectral phase technique realizes efficient visualization of the spatially resolved refractive index nature induced by strain within and among examined MoS materials.

Dual Action of var. Extract on Myogenesis and Muscle Atrophy.

: Muscle atrophy, defined by diminished muscle mass and function, is a notable concern associated with aging, disease, and glucocorticoid treatment. var. extract (PMLE) demonstrates multiple bioactive properties, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and metabolic regulatory activities; however, its role in muscle atrophy has not been extensively investigated to date.

Sustainable Bioconversion of Methanol: A Renewable Employing Novel Alcohol Oxidase and Pyruvate Aldolase.

Methanol is an ideal one-carbon (C1) feedstock for bioconversion into multicarbon value-added compounds. Biocatalytic approaches to methanol conversion provide sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional methods. This process is facilitated by methanol-oxidizing enzymes, including alcohol oxidase (AOx).

Weaning strategies for osmotic laxatives in children with functional constipation: a pilot multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Background: Long-term maintenance of laxatives is crucial for treating functional constipation (FC) in children. This study aimed to compare the success rates of discontinuation based on different drug reduction methods, in order to identify the optimal strategy for discontinuing laxative use.

Methods: This open-label randomized controlled trial was conducted from September 2020 to September 2021.

Association of antinuclear antibody positivity with liver disease severity in pediatric metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Background: Although antinuclear antibody (ANA) is frequently observed in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), its clinical significance in children remains unclear and controversial. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of ANA positivity and the factors associated with it in pediatric MASLD patients without concurrent autoimmune hepatitis.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients aged 4-18 years diagnosed with MASLD and tested for ANA from January 2015 to December 2020 at 10 hospitals in Korea.

Nonlinear optical detection of the orbital angular momentum of light.

Optical beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) have gained significant interest due to their unique properties, enhancing various communication systems and enabling applications such as the characterization of material or molecular chirality. Generating and detecting the OAM of light is thus crucial for numerous applications but poses challenges. This paper proposes a method utilizing stimulated Raman scattering to detect the magnitude of OAM.

Magnetically reshapable 3D multi-electrode arrays of liquid metals for electrophysiological analysis of brain organoids.

To comprehend the volumetric neural connectivity of a brain organoid, it is crucial to monitor the spatiotemporal electrophysiological signals within the organoid, known as intra-organoid signals. However, previous methods risked damaging the three-dimensional (3D) cytoarchitecture of organoids, either through sectioning or inserting rigid needle-like electrodes. Also, the limited numbers of electrodes in fixed positions with non-adjustable electrode shapes were insufficient for examining the complex neural activity throughout the organoid.

The development of the Cough Hypersensitivity Questionnaire for chronic cough.

Introduction: Chronic cough is considered a disorder of neuronal hypersensitivity in which patients frequently report abnormal laryngeal and chest sensations, and excessive triggers. To facilitate clinical assessment, we developed the Cough Hypersensitivity Questionnaire (CHQ).

Methods: Candidate questionnaire items were developed following interviews with patients with refractory chronic cough (n=10, United Kingdom), and review by a multidisciplinary team.

Regulating Entanglement Networks of Fibrillatable Binders for Sub-20-µm Thick, Robust, Dry-Processed Solid Electrolyte Membranes in All-Solid-State Batteries.

Despite significant advancements in all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs), the reliance on thick solid electrolyte (SE) membranes hinders their commercial viability. Although the dry process using polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) binder is proposed for thin SE membranes, a comprehensive understanding of the correlation between PTFE fibrillation and SE membrane quality remains lacking. Here an important guidance is provided for producing durable SE membranes that can be reduced to sub-20-µm thickness by regulating the entanglement networks of PTFE.

Pressure enabled organic reactions via confinement between layers of 2D materials.

Confinement of reactants within nanoscale spaces of low-dimensional materials has been shown to provide reorientation of strained reactants or stabilization of unstable reactants for synthesis of molecules and tuning of chemical reactivity. While few studies have reported chemistry within zero-dimensional pores and one-dimensional nanotubes, organic reactions in confined spaces between two-dimensional materials have yet to be explored. Here, we demonstrate that reactants confined between atomically thin sheets of graphene or hexagonal boron nitride experience pressures as high as 7 gigapascal, which allows the propagation of solvent-free organic reactions that ordinarily do not occur under standard conditions.

Healthcare resource utilisation and costs in infants with confirmed respiratory syncytial virus infections: a national population cohort study.

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of severe respiratory infections in infants worldwide, significantly affecting their health and contributing to the global healthcare burden. We aimed to examine healthcare resource utilisation patterns and costs for infants under one year old with confirmed RSV infection across subgroups of different gestational ages and health conditions and the cost implications of RSV infections over time, thereby demonstrating the economic burden of the disease.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study utilised nationwide claims data from the Korea Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service for infants under one year of age with confirmed RSV infection in the first year of life from January 2017 to April 2022.

Effectiveness of a protein-supplemented very-low-calorie diet program for weight loss: a randomized controlled trial in South Korea.

Introduction: Weight-loss strategies through meal replacements are effective and sustainable options. However, few studies have assessed their effects on weight loss including body composition through protein-supplemented meal replacements targeting the Asian population, including Koreans. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of a protein-supplemented very-low-calorie diet (PSVLCD) for weight reduction and changes in body composition in individuals with obesity over a 12-month long-term period.

Social status mediates the propagation of unfairness.

Fairness constitutes a cornerstone of social norms, emphasizing equal treatment and equitable distribution in interpersonal relationships. Unfair treatment often leads to direct responses and can spread to others through a phenomenon known as pay-it-forward (PIF) reciprocity. This study examined how unfairness spreads in interactions with new partners who have higher, equal, or lower status than the participants.

Vigeo Promotes Myotube Differentiation and Protects Dexamethasone-Induced Skeletal Muscle Atrophy via Regulating the Protein Degradation, AKT/mTOR, and AMPK/Sirt-1/PGC1α Signaling Pathway In Vitro and In Vivo.

Sarcopenia, a condition caused by an imbalance between muscle growth and loss, can severely affect the quality of life of elderly patients with metabolic, inflammatory, and cancer diseases. Vigeo, a nuruk-fermented extract of three plants ( Maxim (ESM), (Miq.) Nakai (AJN), and Koidzumi (AJK)) has been reported to have anti-osteoporotic effects.