Nonconventional growth characteristics of tin silicon oxide grown by thermal atomic layer deposition using H2O as oxidant.

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) of tin silicon oxide was performed via an ALD supercycle on an amorphous carbon (a-C) layer, which serves as the mandrel in self-aligned double patterning (SADP) techniques. This approach addresses limitations of conventional ALD SiO2 processes using ozone (O3) as the oxidant, which can lead to degradation of a-C mandrel or collapse of the SiO2 spacer itself under aggressive scaling. In this study, tetrakis(dimethylamino)tin (TDMASn) and bis-diethylaminosilane (BDEAS) were used as Sn and Si precursors, respectively, with H2O as the oxidant to avoid damage to the a-C layer.

Non-linear associations between exposure to a mixture of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and thyroid hormone levels in Korean adults.

Background: This study investigated how exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) influence the levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (fT4) and the risk of thyroid disease in euthyroid adults.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from 181 euthyroid Korean adults (59.4 ± 8.

Association between obstructive sleep apnea risk and atherosclerosis: A nationwide cross-sectional study in the Korean population.

Objectives: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) increases the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. This study aimed to investigate the association between OSA and atherogenic risk in the Koreans.

Methods: Data from 8,158 participants (mean age, 57.

Layer-by-layer NH3 plasma treatment for area-selective atomic layer deposition of high-quality SiO2 thin films.

Area-selective atomic layer deposition (area-selective ALD) has been extensively studied because of its versatility in nanotechnological applications. The priority focus in area-selective ALD is to achieve the desired selectivity; thus, most studies to date have been concentrated on the reaction mechanism of ALD on growth/nongrowth substrates or the development of novel methodologies to resolve the challenges associated with its implementation in high-volume manufacturing. In this study, we performed area-selective ALD of SiO2 on SiO2, where SiO2 was not grown on SiNx, and suggested area-selective ALD approaches that could simultaneously enhance selectivity and film quality.

Effect of Glomerular Hyperfiltration on Incident Cardiovascular Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Key Points: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who had glomerular hyperfiltration (GHF) were younger and had fewer comorbid metabolic disorders, despite poor glycemic control. The relationship between eGFR and incident cardiovascular disease showed an inverted J-shaped pattern, which was highest among low filtration, followed by GHF. GHF was associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly myocardial infarction and heart failure.

Risk acceleration by gout on major adverse cardiovascular events and all-cause death in patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease.

Aims: We aimed to examine the impact of gout on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality risk in patients with type 2 diabetes and explore whether chronic kidney disease (CKD) modifies this association.

Materials And Methods: Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, 757 378 individuals with type 2 diabetes were classified into the CKDGout, CKDGout, CKDGout, and CKDGout groups. Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the risk of myocardial infarction (MI), ischemic stroke, and mortality, after adjusting for cardiometabolic factors.

Selective denoising autoencoder for classification of noisy gas mixtures using 2D transition metal dichalcogenides.

Electronic nose (E-nose) technology, which is composed of an array of chemical sensors and pattern recognition, has been widely utilized for the quantitative classification of gas mixtures. However, for the practical use of E-nose in real-industry, advanced algorithms are necessary to handle the noise in sensing data caused by various environmental variables. In order to achieve precise measurements even in real-world environments, it is necessary to denoise and classify noisy sensing data.

Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy and the risk of diabetic kidney disease.

Background: Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) is known to affect patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and cause adverse renal outcomes. We aimed to analyze the association between CAN and diabetic kidney disease (DKD).

Method: We enrolled 254 DM patients (mean age, 56.

Screening and treatment of endocrine hypertension focusing on adrenal gland disorders: a narrative review.

Most cases of high blood pressure have no identifiable cause, termed essential hypertension; however, in approximately 15% of cases, hypertension occurs due to secondary causes. Primary aldosteronism (PA) and pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL) are representative endocrine hypertensive diseases. The differentiation of endocrine hypertension provides an opportunity to cure and prevent target organ damage.

Effect of gout and diabetic kidney disease on renal cancer development in Korea.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and gout are risk factors for renal cancer. We analysed the effects of comorbid diabetic kidney disease and gout on renal cancer.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study enrolled 847 884 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who underwent health assessments provided by the Korean National Health Insurance Service in 2009.

Association between mixed exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and metabolic syndrome in Korean adults: Data from the Korean National environmental health survey cycle 4.

Aim: To explore the effect of mixed exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the Korean National Environmental Health Survey Cycle 4 (2018-2020). The serum concentrations of five PFAS (perfluorooctanoic acid [PFOA], perfluorooctanesulfonic acid [PFOS], perfluorohexanesulfonic acid, perfluorononanoic acid [PFNA], and perfluorodecanoic acid [PFDeA]) were measured, and the relative potency factor approach was employed for the mixture of PFAS (Cmix) assessment.

Assessment of the information provided by ChatGPT regarding exercise for patients with type 2 diabetes: a pilot study.

Objectives: We assessed the feasibility of ChatGPT for patients with type 2 diabetes seeking information about exercise.

Methods: In this pilot study, two physicians with expertise in diabetes care and rehabilitative treatment in Republic of Korea discussed and determined the 14 most asked questions on exercise for managing type 2 diabetes by patients in clinical practice. Each question was inputted into ChatGPT (V.

The Potential Role of Presepsin in Predicting Severe Infection in Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcers.

: Diabetic foot ulcers are one of the complications in patients with diabetes, which can be caused by infection, neuropathy, and blood vessel disorder. Among them, infection is the most common cause, and if it becomes worse, amputation may be necessary. So, it is important to detect and treat infections early, and determining indicators that can confirm infection is also important.

Reducing contact resistance of MoS2-based field effect transistors through uniform interlayer insertion via atomic layer deposition.

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), a semiconducting two-dimensional layered transition metal dichalcogenide (2D TMDC), with attractive properties enables the opening of a new electronics era beyond Si. However, the notoriously high contact resistance (RC) regardless of the electrode metal has been a major challenge in the practical applications of MoS2-based electronics. Moreover, it is difficult to lower RC because the conventional doping technique is unsuitable for MoS2 due to its ultrathin nature.

Investigation on Contact Properties of 2D van der Waals Semimetallic 1T-TiS/MoS Heterojunctions.

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2D TMDCs) are considered promising alternatives to Si as channel materials because of the possibility of retaining their superior electronic transport properties even at atomic body thicknesses. However, the realization of high-performance 2D TMDC field-effect transistors remains a challenge owing to Fermi-level pinning (FLP) caused by gap states and the inherent high Schottky barrier height (SBH) within the metal contact and channel layer. This study demonstrates that high-quality van der Waals (vdW) heterojunction-based contacts can be formed by depositing semimetallic TiS onto monolayer (ML) MoS.

Cadmium exposure and thyroid hormone disruption: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: This meta-analysis aimed to analyze the effect of cadmium (Cd) exposure on thyroid hormone disruption.

Content: Databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Scopus were searched for studies published up to December 14, 2022. Studies evaluating the association between Cd exposure (blood Cd [BCd] or urine Cd [UCd]) and thyroid function (thyroid-stimulating hormone [TSH], free thyroxine [FT4], total triiodothyronine [TT3]) or thyroid autoimmunity (thyroglobulin antibody [TgAb] or thyroperoxidase Ab [TPOAb]) were included.

Mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 coordinates the hydrogen sulfide - AMPK axis to attenuate high glucose-induced pancreatic β-cell dysfunction by glutathione antioxidant system.

Progression of β-cell loss in diabetes mellitus is significantly influenced by persistent hyperglycemia. At the cellular level, a number of signaling cascades affect the expression of apoptotic genes, ultimately resulting in β-cell failure; these cascades have not been elucidated. Mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2) plays a central role in the detoxification of reactive aldehydes generated from endogenous and exogenous sources and protects against mitochondrial deterioration in cells.

Predictive factors of lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid cancer.

This study aimed to evaluate factors that predict lymph node metastasis (LNM) in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). This retrospective cross-sectional study compared the demographic, clinical, and ultrasonographic findings of patients with PTC with and without LNM. Subgroup analysis was conducted for micro-PTCs (<1 cm).

Effect of cadmium exposure on body composition deterioration: A propensity score-matched cohort study.

This propensity score-matched cohort study investigated the effects of blood cadmium (Cd) levels on body composition. Body composition was assessed by multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis and categorized into three groups: metabolically healthy obesity (MHO), adiposity obesity (AO), and sarcopenic obesity (SO). At baseline, 85 and 101 participants had MHO and AO, respectively (mean age, 51 ± 7 years; male-to-female ratio, 1.

Medial Arterial Calcification and the Risk of Amputation of Diabetic Foot Ulcer in Patients With Diabetic Kidney Disease.

We assessed the risk factors for major amputation of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) in patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD) stages 3b-5. For DFU assessment, in addition to DFU location and presence of infection, ischemia, and neuropathy, vascular calcification was assessed using the medial arterial calcification (MAC) score. Of 210 patients, 26 (12.

Comparison of the effects of gemigliptin versus glimepiride on cardiac function in patients with type 2 diabetes uncontrolled with metformin: The gemi-heart study.

Aim: To investigate the effects of gemigliptin on cardiac function and compare the effects of gemigliptin and glimepiride in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Materials And Methods: Sixty T2D patients being treated with metformin were assigned to a gemigliptin group (50 mg daily) or a glimepiride group (2 mg daily) for 24 weeks. The preadjudicated extension period was up to 52 weeks.