An infographic on laboratory animal veterinarians.

Background: Laboratory animal veterinarians play a crucial role as a bridge between the ethical use of laboratory animals and the advancement of scientific and medical knowledge in biomedical research. They alleviate pain and reduce distress through veterinary care of laboratory animals. Additionally, they enhance animal welfare by creating environments that mimic natural habitats through environmental enrichment and social associations.

Evaluating the ergonomic aspects of laparoscopic energy devices: combination of a survey and a kinesiologic experiment.

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate surgeons' ergonomic satisfaction when using laparoscopic energy devices and to investigate how prolonged use affects muscle fatigue and surgical performance.

Methods: A two-part study, including a survey and a kinesiologic experiment, was conducted to compare 4 laparoscopic energy devices (D1-D4). Thirty surgeons completed a structured survey assessing ergonomic factors such as device weight, grip strength, handle design, comfort, and trigger location.

Emerging strategies, applications and challenges of targeting NAD in the clinic.

Beyond their classical functions as redox cofactors, recent fundamental and clinical research has expanded our understanding of the diverse roles of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) in signaling pathways, epigenetic regulation and energy homeostasis. Moreover, NAD and NADP influence numerous diseases as well as the processes of aging, and are emerging as targets for clinical intervention. Here, we summarize safety, bioavailability and efficacy data from NAD-related clinical trials, focusing on aging and neurodegenerative diseases.

Construction of a bacterial surface display system using split green fluorescent protein (GFP) in Escherichia coli.

The cell surface display system employs carrier proteins to present target proteins on the outer membrane of cells. This system enables functional proteins to be exposed on the exterior of living cells without cell lysis, allowing direct interaction with the surrounding environment. A major limitation of conventional approaches is the difficulty in displaying large-sized enzymes or antibodies, despite their critical roles in applications requiring functional domains that must remain intact, such as catalytic or antigen-binding sites.

One-year outcomes of faricimab versus aflibercept treatment for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy: a comparative study.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of intravitreal faricimab and aflibercept injections in patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV).

Methods: This retrospective study analysed 111 treatment-naïve eyes (111 patients) with PCV who received intravitreal injections of either faricimab (30 eyes) or aflibercept (81 eyes). All patients were treated with three initial monthly loading injections.

Antitumor Effects of Doxorubicin-Loaded Cellulose Nanoparticles in the Rabbit VX2 Liver Tumor Model.

Purpose: To evaluate the preclinical efficacy and safety of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) using doxorubicin-loaded biocompatible cellulose nanoparticles in a rabbit VX2 liver tumor model.

Materials And Methods: Following institutional animal care committee approval, 23 rabbits with VX2 liver tumors were randomized into three groups: Group A (n = 9) received doxorubicin-loaded cellulose nanoparticles with ethiodized oil; Group B (n = 9) received doxorubicin with ethiodized oil; and Group C (n = 5) served as untreated controls. Tumor size was monitored via ultrasound for 4 weeks, and serum liver enzymes (aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase) were measured on days 1, 3, and 7 to assess hepatotoxicity.

The feasibility of noninvasive blood pressure monitoring in infants with a birth weight under 500 grams.

Objective: To quantify agreement between oscillometric non-invasive blood pressure (NIBP) and invasive arterial blood pressure (IBP) in infants <500 g during the first postnatal week.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort of infants with a birth weight <500 g admitted to a tertiary NICU (2011-2023). Paired IBP-NIBP readings obtained within 1 min were analyzed.

Enhancing Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in a Virtual Reality: A Prospective Interventional Study.

The increasing prevalence of depression has highlighted Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) as an effective treatment. However, conventional MBCT has several limitations, including barriers to access, the need for trained professionals, and inconsistent levels of participant engagement. The feasibility of using Virtual Reality (VR) for MBCT has emerged as a promising solution, but further research is needed to assess its therapeutic potential.

Differences in Learning Strategy Selection and Object Location Memory Impairments in APP/PS1 Mice.

This study investigated the learning strategy preferences of 11-month-old APP/PS1 double transgenic (Tg) mice, a well-established murine model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). APP/PS1 Tg and non-Tg control mice were serially trained in visual and hidden platform tasks in the Morris water maze. APP/PS1 Tg mice performed poorly in visual platform training compared with non-Tg mice but performed as well as non-Tg mice in hidden platform training.

Elevated O-GlcNAcylation Enhances Metabolic Rate and Reduces the Excitability of Hypothalamic ARC Neurons in 10-month-old Male Mice.

Aging correlates with alterations in metabolism and neuronal function, which affect the overall regulation of energy homeostasis. Recent studies have highlighted that protein O-GlcNAcylation, a common post-translational modification regulating metabolic function, is linked to aging. In particular, elevated O-GlcNAcylation increases energy expenditure, potentially due to alterations in the neuronal function of the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC), a key brain region for energy balance and metabolic processes.

KCC-07, MBD2 Inhibitor, Expands the Therapeutic Window of DNA Damage Inducing Reagents in Neural Tumor Cells.

Neural tumors represent diverse malignancies with distinct molecular profiles and present particular challenges due to the blood-brain barrier, heterogeneous molecular etiology including epigenetic dysregulation, and the affected organ's critical nature. KCC-07, a selective and blood-brain barrier penetrable MBD2 (methyl CpG binding domain protein 2) inhibitor, can suppress tumor development by inducing p53 signaling, proven only in medulloblastoma. Here we demonstrate KCC-07 treatment's application to other neural tumors.

Reproductive Dysfunction in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis, an Animal Model of Multiple Sclerosis.

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS). The latter is a human organ-specific autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS). EAE is characterized by systemic inflammation associated with increased blood levels of proinflammatory mediators that potentially trigger inflammation of both reproductive organs and the CNS.

All-Water-Based Nanofabrication of Multilayer Biopolymer/Inorganic Reflectors with Reconfigurable Structural Color Patterns.

Achieving high performance nanoscale photonic functionalities remains extraordinarily challenging when using naturally derived biomaterials. The ability to manipulate ultrathin films of structural proteins─combined with photolithographic control of their polymorphism─unlocks a compelling route toward engineering biopolymer-based photonic crystals with precisely defined photonic bandgaps and reconfigurable structural colors. In this work, we describe a robust, water-based fabrication process for silk/inorganic hybrid one-dimensional (1D) photonic crystals that overcomes many of the conventional difficulties in ensuring reproducibility, uniformity, and reliability at the nanoscale.

Association between changes in secondhand smoke exposure and incident metabolic syndrome among Korean former smokers.

Background And Aims: Although secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure has been linked with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in never-smokers, its effects among individuals who have quit smoking remain unclear. This study investigated the relationship between changes in SHS exposure and incident MetS in a large cohort of Korean former smokers.

Methods And Results: We analyzed 17,269 Korean former smokers without MetS at baseline from a longitudinal cohort, with a median follow-up of three years.

Development of a Social Communication Intervention Mobile App for Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Social Communication Disorder: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and social communication disorder (SCD) are neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by deficits in social communication that hinder social adaptation, with limited pharmacological options for therapy owing to the absence of identified biomarkers. Individuals with ASD or SCD require lifelong interventions tailored to their development stages. However, most existing interventions primarily focus on early childhood, leaving adolescents relatively underserved.

Passive acoustic monitoring of sound characteristics and vocalization patterns of the brown croaker.

Passive acoustic monitoring is an observation method for detecting and characterizing ocean soundscapes, and it has recently been used to observe underwater marine life. The brown croaker () is an important fish species in the Northwest Pacific Ocean that produces biological sounds. In this study, the sounds of 150 adult brown croakers were recorded continuously for three weeks using a self-recording hydrophone.

Functionalized hyaluronic acid biomaterials-encouraged cancer immunotherapy through CD44-mediated targeting and cell surface engineering: A review.

Modified hyaluronic acid (HA) biomaterials have received considerable attention in recent years, especially in developing innovative therapeutic strategies for targeted disease interventions. HA serves to shield therapeutics from the physiological environment, while enabling safe delivery and promoting uptake into specific cells. As a hydrophilic chain polymer, HA is readily chemically modified into functional biomaterials for drug delivery and cancer immunotherapy.

Modulation of fibronectin extracellular matrix enhances anti-tumor efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade.

The success of immune checkpoint inhibitors is limited by multiple factors, including poor T cell infiltration and function within tumors, partly due to a dense extracellular matrix (ECM). Here, we investigate modulating the ECM by targeting integrin α5β1, a major fibronectin-binding and organizing integrin, to improve immunotherapy outcomes. Use of a function-blocking murinized α5β1 antibody reduces fibronectin fibril formation, enhances CD8 T cell transendothelial migration, increases vascular permeability, and decreases vessel-associated collagen.

HPV-associated squamous cell carcinoma in situ arising from urethral caruncle: A case of the unusual occurrence in the common urogenital lesion.

Introduction And Importance: Urethral caruncle is one of the most prevalent urethral inflammatory disease in postmenopausal females. Although urethral caruncle is neither neoplastic nor preneoplastic, there have been rare reports of malignant neoplasm arising from them. Furthermore, none of them revealed association between urethral caruncle lesion and HPV (human papilloma virus) infection.

Intraspecific variation in paralytic shellfish toxin compositions of Alexandrium catenella strains isolated from Jinhae-Masan Bay, Korea: effects of temperature and salinity on growth and toxicity.

A total of 27 Alexandrium catenella strains isolated from Jinhae-Masan Bay were examined to assess differences in the toxicity and composition of paralytic shellfish toxins (PST). The strains exhibited widely variable toxicity, ranging from 0.02 to 360.

Parental and child problematic smartphone use over time: Six-year within-dyad analysis in two Korean cohorts.

Emerging evidence suggests a positive link between parental and child problematic smartphone use (PSU), yet the direction and reciprocity of this relationship over time remain unclear. Here, we address this gap by examining six years (2018-2023) of PSU data from 4,086 parent-child dyads in South Korea, comprising two cohorts: a child cohort (1,984 dyads; mean child age = 11.00, 51.

A higher intake of white-edible-colored fruits and vegetables is associated with lower gastrointestinal cancer risk among Korean adults in a prospective cohort study.

Although fruits and vegetables were studied botanically in previous studies, few have examined their associations with gastrointestinal (GI) cancer risk based on color classification. Color is familiar to the public and translates phytochemical science into dietary guidance. We hypothesized that the intake of fruits and vegetables would be differently associated with GI cancer risk by color.