Baseline Clinical Characterization of Participants in the Accelerating Medicines Partnership Schizophrenia Program.

Background: This paper focuses on the baseline clinical characterization of the participants in the Accelerating Medicines Partnership Schizophrenia (AMP SCZ) program. The AMP SCZ program is designed to investigate a wide array of clinical variables and biomarkers in a total of 2040 clinical high-risk (CHR) participants and 652 community control (CC) participants.

Methods: The dataset analyzed includes 1642 individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis and 519 CCs.

Sample Ascertainment and Recruitment Sources in the Accelerating Medicines Partnership Schizophrenia Program.

Background: This paper presents the recruitment sources of clinical high-risk (CHR) and community controls (CC) from the Accelerating Medicines Partnership Schizophrenia (AMP SCZ) program, which aims to study various clinical variables and biomarkers in 2040 CHR and 652 CC participants.

Methods: A total of 1640 CHR and 514 CC had recruitment source data. The Positive Symptoms and Diagnostic Criteria for the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States Harmonized with the SIPS was utilized to assess CHR criteria and severity of attenuated psychotic symptoms (APSs), and the Global Functioning: Social Scale was used for social functioning.

Elevated osteopontin reflects systemic inflammation in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

We examined the expression and localization of osteopontin (OPN) in various organs in mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). To evaluate the level of OPN in blood and various tissues, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and western blot analysis of OPN were performed. The serum level of OPN was significantly increased in mice with EAE, and OPN was upregulated in all tissues examined, including the liver, kidneys, intestines, and spinal cord.

Unified auxiliary restoration network for robust multimodal 3D object detection in adverse conditions.

The fusion of LiDAR and camera sensors offers remarkable results in multimodal 3D object detection with enhanced performance. However, existing fusion methods are primarily designed considering ideal data, ignoring the practical challenges of sensor specification and environmental variations encountered in autonomous driving. Thus, these methods often exhibit a significant performance degradation when faced with adverse conditions, such as sparse point cloud and inclement weather.

Longitudinal insights into the natural history of Type 2 diabetes among Koreans: A 20-year community-based prospective cohort study.

Objective: To investigate the natural history of diabetes mellitus (DM) based on metabolic phenotypes of prediabetes in a community-based prospective study.

Methods: Individuals aged 40-69 years without DM were followed for 20 years. Glycemic parameters, including the 75 g oral glucose tolerance test, were assessed at baseline and biennially thereafter.

Polydopamine-coated double emulsion capsules for on-demand drug release with reduced passive leakage.

Double emulsions (DEs) are widely explored in pharmaceuticals due to their ability to encapsulate both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs. However, their inherent instability limits their effectiveness in controlled drug delivery. Double emulsion capsules (DECs), formed by encapsulating DEs within a polymer shell, improve structural stability but still suffer from unintended drug diffusion due to the porous nature of polymeric shells.

Pre- and postoperative predictors of extrahepatic recurrence after curative resection for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: The factors associated with extrahepatic recurrence (EHR) after curative resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have rarely been investigated. This study examined the pre- and postoperative predictors of EHR after curative resection in HCC patients over a ten-year follow-up period.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on treatment-naïve HCC patients who underwent curative resection between 2004 and 2019 at four tertiary hospitals in South Korea.

High fat diet enhances catalase loading into adipose tissue derived extracellular vesicles with limited effect on oxidative stress.

Obesity is closely related to liver disease. However, few studies have focused on the impact of adipose tissue-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) in obesity on liver disease. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of adipose tissue-derived EVs from high-fat diet (HFD)-fed obese mice (EV-HFD) on liver damage induced by oxidative stress.

Testosterone Enhances Wound Healing and Stress Resistance in A549 Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells via Actin Remodeling and AQP3 Upregulation.

The role of androgens in lung function is contentious, yet their effects on type II alveolar epithelial cells (AECII)-derived lung cancer models remain underexplored. This study reveals that androgens provide survival advantages to A549 cells, a male lung adenocarcinoma AECII cell line, by promoting wound healing and enhancing stress resilience. We demonstrated that testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) significantly upregulate aquaporin 3 (AQP3) through androgen receptor (AR) accumulation and ERK pathway activation, thereby mitigating cell death under oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide and cyclic cell-stretching.

Actigraphy-based step analysis for the detection of depressed mood: An explainable machine learning approach.

Introduction: Our study aims to develop an interpretable artificial intelligence (AI) model for detecting depressive symptoms using actigraphy, integrating statistically significant features into machine learning models to enhance accuracy and explainability.

Methods: We analyzed actigraphy data from 3304 participants over a one-week period, classifying them into a depressive symptom group and a non-depressive symptom group. Six machine learning models, including CatBoost (CB) and XGBoost (XGB), were trained using absolute activity indicators based on three-hour intervals, relative activity indicators (nonparametric, Cosine analysis), and daytime light intensity exposure duration.

Osmotic stress-induced CsRCI2E endosomal trafficking modulates CsPIP2 aquaporins at the plasma membrane in Camelina sativa.

Rare Cold Inducible 2s (RCI2s) are membrane-associated proteolipids dynamically trafficking between the plasma membrane (PM) and the endomembrane system. Their expression is upregulated in response to abiotic stresses, including cold, heat, drought, and salinity, contributing to plant stress tolerance. CsRCI2E interacts with the water transport protein CsPIP2; 1, reducing its abundance at the PM under NaCl-induced stress.

Development and Evaluation of a Retrieval-Augmented Generation-Based Electronic Medical Record Chatbot System.

Objectives: This study aimed to develop and evaluate a retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)-based chatbot system designed to optimize hospital operations. By leveraging electronic medical record (EMR) manuals, the system seeks to streamline administrative workflows and enhance healthcare delivery.

Methods: The system integrated fine-tuned multilingual embedding models (Multilingual-E5-Large and BGE-M3) for indexing and retrieving information from EMR manuals.

Individual- and neighborhood-level factors influencing diet quality: a multilevel analysis using Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data, 2010-2019.

Objectives: Although environmental factors influence lifestyle choices, few studies have examined how individual- and neighborhood-level sociodemographic factors interact to affect diet quality in Korea. We investigated the associations between multilevel factors and diet quality among Korean adults and explored potential interactions by gender and age.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 42,035 adults from 1,671 towns using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010-2019) and the Population and Housing Census of Korea (2010-2019).

Iodine-starch chromogenic nanoplatforms for photothermal precision and IDO-mediated colorectal cancer therapy.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a significant global health challenge, as current treatments such as surgery and chemotherapy are limited by poor precision, severe side effects, and the complex tumor microenvironment. Photothermal therapy (PTT) offers a promising alternative; however, conventional photothermal agents largely rely on synthetic materials, raising concerns about stability, toxicity, and metabolic degradation. To overcome these limitations, this study aimed to develop a biocompatible photothermal nanoplatform using iodine (I)-loaded acetylated starch nanoparticles (ASt NPs).

Controlled drug release properties of allopurinol-incorporated double-layered chitosan/starch patches for gout therapy.

To develop a sustained transdermal drug delivery system for gout treatment, double-layered patches containing allopurinol (ALP) were prepared using starch, chitosan, polyvinyl alcohol, and plasticizers. The chitosan-based first layer was designed to modulate the ALP release from the starch-based second layer, enabling sustained drug delivery for continuous therapeutic effect. The physicochemical properties of ALP and the prepared patches were characterized by physical properties, FE-SEM, FT-IR, H NMR and C NMR.

The influence of pneumococcal positivity on clinical outcomes among patients hospitalized with COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study.

Background: Bacterial co-infection has been associated with adverse outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Streptococcus pneumoniae is a common cause of community-acquired pneumonia and may contribute to poor clinical outcomes when co-detected in COVID-19 patients. This study aimed to investigate the clinical significance of pneumococcal positivity in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Quantifying the influence of vocational education and training with text embedding and similarity-based networks.

Assessing the potential influence of Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses on creating job opportunities and nurturing work skills has been considered challenging due to the ambiguity in defining their complex relationships and connections with the local economy. Here, we quantify the potential influence of VET courses and explain it with future economy and specialization by constructing a network of more than 17,000 courses, jobs, and skills in Singapore's SkillsFuture data based on their text similarities captured by a text embedding technique, Sentence Transformer. We find that VET courses associated with Singapore's 4th Industrial Revolution economy demonstrate higher influence than those related to other future economies.

A one-pot strategy for the synthesis and functionalization of hyperbranched polytriazoles.

Herein we report a one-pot strategy for the synthesis and functionalization of hyperbranched polytriazoles by means of the Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of an AB-type monomer containing an alkyne and two azide groups. The AB monomer is synthesized starting from dimethyl 5-hydroxyisophthalate in four steps with an overall yield of 58%, and the synthesis and purification are straightforward. The synthesis of end-capped hyperbranched polytriazoles (HBPTs) can be achieved via the Huisgen cycloaddition of the AB monomer using only heat, followed by functionalization with either sulfonic acid (-SOH) or pentafluorophenyl (-Ph-F) end groups.

Multiphysics modelling enhanced by imaging and artificial intelligence for personalised cancer nanomedicine: Foundations for clinical digital twins.

Nano-sized drug delivery systems have emerged as a more effective, versatile means for improving cancer treatment. However, the complexity of drug delivery to cancer involves intricate interactions between physiological and physicochemical processes across various temporal and spatial scales. Relying solely on experimental methods for developing and clinically translating nano-sized drug delivery systems is economically unfeasible.

Clinical Practice Guideline for the Prehospital Stage in Acute Stroke : I. Use of Emergency Medical Services Assessment Tools.

Accurate and early identification of stroke and large vessel occlusion (LVO) in emergency settings is essential for improving patient outcomes and ensuring the efficient allocation of medical resources. This clinical practice guideline systematically reviews domestic and international literature and conducts meta-analyses to evaluate the utility and diagnostic accuracy of stroke assessment tools used in prehospital emergency medical services (EMS). We developed a guideline based on evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses via a de novo process.

Multiple loop-mediated isothermal amplification assays for the identification of Spodoptera eridania and Spodoptera ornithogalli (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) based on species-specific genome sequences.

The southern armyworm (SAW) Spodoptera eridania (Stoll) and the yellow-striped armyworm (YSAW) Spodoptera ornithogalli (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) are designated as regulated quarantine pests in South Korea and quarantine pests in Europe because of their potential to cause serious economic losses when introduced outside their native ranges. In this study, we developed rapid loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays with in-field applicability for the first time to detect SAW and YSAW. To design these assays, we selected 5 and 6 genomic regions specific to SAW and YSAW, respectively, from the whole-genome sequences of the 2 target species, along with those of 12 nontarget species (including 5 Spodoptera species and 7 lepidopteran species that infect similar hosts).

Proliferation of tumor-related regulatory T cells in circulation dictates efficacy of chemoimmunotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer.

Purpose: PD-1/PD-L1 blockade modulates the responses of T cells including regulatory T (TREG) cells. Understanding the changes of TREG cells upon PD-1/PD-L1 blockade in cancer patients and their association with therapeutic response will provide clues regarding the mechanisms underlying resistance to treatment.

Experimental Design: Peripheral blood samples were acquired before and at 1-week post-treatment from 65 patients (triple-negative [TN], n = 35; luminal, n = 30) enrolled in KORNELIA phase 2 trial, which evaluated the efficacy of chemoimmunotherapy combining nivolumab and eribulin in HER2 negative breast cancer (BC) patients.

Cu-Labeled Boronic-Acid-Conjugated Porphyrin: A Novel Agent for PET Imaging and Boron Neutron Capture Therapy.

Radiometal-labeled porphyrin derivatives have emerged candidates for targeted brain tumor imaging and therapy. In this study, we synthesized a boronic-acid-conjugated porphyrin and radiolabeled it with Cu to evaluate its dual-function potential for PET imaging and boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). The Cu-labeled 5,10,15,20-(tetra-4-dihydroxyborylphenyl)-porphyrin ([Cu]-Cu-TDBP) exhibited excellent serum stability and significant uptake in U87MG cells.

Regorafenib for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Real-World Practice (REFINE): A Prospective, Observational Study.

Introduction: In the phase 3 RESORCE trial, regorafenib prolonged overall survival (OS) in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) whose disease progressed on prior sorafenib. The prospective, observational REFINE study aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of regorafenib in a broader population of patients in real-world clinical practice, including patients with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) ≥2, Child-Pugh B liver status, and sorafenib intolerance.

Methods: This international, prospective, multicenter study (NCT03289273) enrolled patients with uHCC for whom the decision to treat with regorafenib was made by their physician before enrollment, according to the local health authority-approved label.