Association Between Childhood Trauma and Anhedonia-Related Symptoms: The Mediation Role of Trait Anhedonia and Circulating Proteins.

Background: Though accumulating evidence suggests an association between childhood trauma and anhedonia, further analysis is needed to consider specific traumatic dimensions, both traits and state anhedonia, and the role of circulating proteins. Therefore, this study investigated the association between different types of childhood traumas and their influence on anhedonia-related symptoms, and to evaluate the influence of anhedonia traits and plasma proteins as mediators.

Methods: This study included 170 patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and healthy controls aged 19-65 years.

Extracellular vesicle as therapeutic agents in anti-aging: Mechanistic insights and future potential.

Aging is a multifaceted biological process marked by a gradual decline in physiological functions, driven by cellular senescence, oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and stem cell exhaustion. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), naturally occurring nanoscale vesicles secreted by various cell types, have gained attention as potential therapeutic agents due to their ability to mediate intercellular communication by delivering bioactive molecules, including proteins, lipids, and RNAs. This review provides a comprehensive overview of EV biogenesis, cargo composition, and their mechanistic roles in counteracting aging processes.

Addressing Cardiovascular Diseases Challenges in South Korea: Strategies to Improve Outcomes.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) pose a significant public health challenge in South Korea. This paper attempts to assess the current status of major cardiovascular risk factors and representative CVDs, and proposes policies and strategies to improve CVDs outcomes. It addresses key issues related to hypertension, dyslipidemia, ischemic heart disease, atrial fibrillation, sudden cardiac death, heart failure and valvular heart disease.

A Streamlined Approach for Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomics Using Selected Tissue Regions.

Mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics enables comprehensive proteome analysis across a wide range of biological samples, including cells, tissues, and body fluids. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sections, commonly used for long-term archiving, have emerged as valuable resources for proteomic studies. Beyond their storage benefits, researchers can isolate regions of interest (ROIs) from normal tissue regions through collaborative efforts with pathologists.

The Pathophysiology of Sex Differences in Stroke Risk and Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation: A Comprehensive Review.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common chronic arrhythmia and is a leading cause of stroke, with well-documented differences in pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and prognosis according to the sex of the patient. This review provides an overview of known or hypothesized sex differences in physiology and stroke risk for patients with AF. Women are reported to have more extensive fibrosis of the left atrium, different functional properties of the atria, and higher sensitivity to prothrombotic stimuli, especially after menopause.

The Preventive Effect of Physical Activity on Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Korean Longitudinal Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: To assess longitudinally physical activity patterns and intensity from pre-pregnancy to postpartum and evaluate the association between timing and type of physical activity and the development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Methods: The Korean Pregnancy Outcome Study (KPOS) is a prospective cohort study conducted from 2013 to 2017. Our study included 3,457 participants with singleton pregnancies in KPOS, classified according to the pregnancy outcome: GDM (n=231) and normal (n=3,226).

Febrile Seizures at Early Childhood and Subsequent Fine Motor Skill Delays at Age Six: Insights from a Comprehensive Population-Based Cohort Study.

Introduction: Febrile seizures, the most common childhood seizures, raise concerns about their impact on neurodevelopment due to their overlap with central nervous system development. This study examined the influence of febrile seizures on neurodevelopment.

Methods: Data were analyzed from the Korean National Health Insurance System for children born between 2009 and 2011.

Performance on the Rey-Osterrieth complex figure test in non-demented middle-aged and elderly Koreans.

BackgroundExisting studies on Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) performance in South Korea have not fully accounted for key demographic factors and often include limited sample sizes. This study examines ROCF performance in a non-demented aging sample to explore cognitive variability and provide comparative data for future research.ObjectiveThis study investigates the effects of age, education, and gender on performance on the ROCF test copy, immediate recall, and delayed recall trials for middle-aged and elderly Koreans.

Physician-Scientist Training System and Development Strategies in Korea.

Physician-scientists play a pivotal role in bridging clinical practice and biomedical research, advancing medical science, and tackling complex healthcare challenges. In South Korea, the declining number of medical doctors engaging in basic medical sciences has prompted the implementation of various training initiatives since the 2000s. Notable initiatives, such as the Integrated Physician-Scientist Training Program (2019) and the Global Physician-Scientist Training Program (2024), aim to cultivate multidisciplinary physician-scientists capable of addressing unmet medical needs.

Resting-state hemodynamic changes and effects on upper limb function after multi-channel transcranial direct current stimulation to the ipsilesional primary motor cortex and anterior intraparietal sulcus in stroke patients: an fNIRS pilot study.

Background: Stroke results in substantial long-term disability, necessitating effective recovery interventions. This study explored the effects of multi-channel transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on hemodynamic responses and upper limb motor function in stroke patients, targeting the ipsilesional primary motor cortex (M1) and anterior intraparietal sulcus (aIPS).

Methods: A double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial was conducted with 24 stroke patients (18 men; mean age, 57.

Cord Blood Treatment for Children With Cerebral Palsy: Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis.

Context: Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is a novel treatment for cerebral palsy (CP), with trials indicating UCB can improve gross motor function. However, heterogeneity has limited the ability to interpret findings.

Objective: Assess the safety and efficacy of UCB for improving gross motor function in children with CP, including exploring cell dose effect and responder subgroups.

Scalable ion concentration polarization dialyzer for peritoneal dialysate regeneration.

A wearable artificial kidney (WAK) stands poised to offer dialysis treatment with maximal temporal and spatial flexibility for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, while portability has not yet been achieved due to difficulties in portable purification. The ion concentration polarization (ICP), one of the nanoelectrokinetic phenomenon, has garnered substantial attention in the realm of portable purification applications, owing to its remarkable capacity for charge separation. In this work, scalable ICP dialyzer with 10,000-fold increase in throughput, was applied for peritoneal dialysate regeneration.

A Phase III Randomized, Double-Blind, Active-Controlled, Multicenter Study on the Efficacy and Safety of Ezetimibe/Atorvastatin/Amlodipine Combination in Patients With Comorbid Primary Hypercholesterolemia and Essential Hypertension.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of triple combination of ezetimibe (Eze)/atorvastatin (Ato) 10/40 mg + amlodipine (Aml) 10 mg therapy for lowering the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and blood pressure compared with either Eze/Ato 10/40 mg or Aml 10 mg therapies in patients with comorbid primary hypercholesterolemia and essential hypertension.

Methods: This was a randomized, multicenter, double-blind, active-controlled, Phase III clinical trial. Participants underwent a wash-out period (2 weeks for nonfibrate medications, 6 weeks for fibrates) followed by 4 weeks of therapeutic lifestyle changes.

Monocyte activation test (MAT) as an ethical alternative to animal testing.

Ethical considerations surrounding the utilization of animals in scientific research have prompted a widespread search for alternative methodologies. This review explores the historical context and ethical dilemmas associated with traditional animal testing methods, before introducing the Monocyte Activation Test (MAT) as a promising alternative, and outlining its basic principles, historical development, and advantages over conventional animal testing. The role of monocytes in the immune system and the activation pathways utilized in MAT are elucidated, while regulatory acceptance and guidelines for MAT validation are introduced, alongside case studies proving its reliability and reproducibility.

Evaluating the Appropriate Use Criteria for Coronary Revascularization in Stable Ischemic Heart Disease Using Randomized Data From the ISCHEMIA Trial.

Background: The appropriate use criteria for revascularization of stable ischemic heart disease have not been evaluated using randomized data. Using data from the randomized ISCHEMIA trial (International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness with Medical and Invasive Approaches; July 2012 to January 2018, 37 countries), the health status benefits of an invasive strategy over a conservative one were examined within appropriate use criteria scenarios.

Methods: Among 1833 participants mapped to 36 appropriate use criteria scenarios, symptom status was assessed using the Seattle Angina Questionnaire-7 at 1 year for each scenario and for each of the 6 patient characteristics used to define the scenarios.

Exploratory study of serum protein biomarkers for sudden cardiac arrest using protein extension assay: A case-control study.

Background: Biomarkers associated with the occurrence of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) are not currently utilized in clinical practice. We aimed to identify novel protein biomarkers associated with sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) using proteomic profiling and evaluate their predictive power alongside traditional cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods: A total of 42 SCA patients with medical causes, aged ≤ 65 years and whose initial rhythm was shockable, and 42 age- and sex-matched controls were analyzed.

Source attribution of human infection: a multi-country model in the European Union.

Introduction: Infections caused by spp. represent a severe threat to public health worldwide. National action plans have included source attribution studies as a way to quantify the contribution of specific sources and understand the dynamic of transmission of foodborne pathogens like and .

The International Classification of Vestibular Disorders: Achievements, challenges, and future directions.

In 2007, the Bárány Society embarked on a project to establish definitions of vestibular syndromes and disorders based on best available evidence, referred to as the International Classification of Vestibular Disorders (ICVD). Since then, numerous publications providing consensus-driven diagnostic criteria for vestibular symptoms, syndromes, and disorders have been published. Here, we reflect on the rationale for developing the ICVD as well as its subsequent achievements, challenges, and outlook.

Prediction of microsatellite-stable/epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition molecular subtype gastric cancer using CT radiomics and clinicopathologic factors.

Objectives: This study aimed to develop a predictive model for the microsatellite-stable (MSS)/epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) subtype of gastric cancer (GC) using computed tomography (CT) radiomics and clinicopathological factors.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study included 418 patients with GC who underwent primary resection and transcriptome analysis with microarray between October 1995 and May 2008. Using preoperative CT images, radiomic features from the volume of interest in the portal venous phase images were extracted.

Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation in Octogenarians-Outcome and Impact for Future Same Day Discharge Strategies.

Background: Catheter ablation (CA) for atrial fibrillation (AF) in the elderly poses a growing challenge. Outcome data regarding CA in these patients are scarce.

Methods: Octogenarians with AF or consecutive atrial tachycardia undergoing index or re-ablation (pulmonary vein isolation [PVI] and ablation beyond PVI with different energy sources) in a single center, were analyzed.

Prediction of the potential distribution area of endangered medicinal plant in China under the background of climate change.

is an endangered medicinal plant. Due to climate change and human activities, as well as the low reproductive capacity, the wild resources of are extremely scarce and it has been listed in the Chinese National Second Level Protected Plant List. Predicting the potential suitable distribution area of is crucial for the conservation and sustainable utilization.

Graphene Quantum Dots Attenuate TDP-43 Proteinopathy in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Aberrant phase separation- and stress granule (SG)-mediated cytosolic aggregation of TDP-43 in motor neurons is the hallmark of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In this study, we found that graphene quantum dots (GQDs) potentially modulate TDP-43 aggregation during SG dynamics and phase separation. The intrinsically disordered region in the C-terminus of TDP-43 exhibited amyloid fibril formation; however, GQDs inhibited the formation of amyloid fibrils through direct intermolecular interactions with TDP-43.