Age-related amyloid beta dynamics modeled with the generalized additive model for location, scale, and shape (GAMLSS) across diverse populations: Cross-sectional trajectories and longitudinal validation.

Introduction: We developed and validated age-related amyloid beta (Aβ) positron emission tomography (PET) trajectories using a statistical model in cognitively unimpaired (CU) individuals.

Methods: We analyzed 849 CU Korean and 521 CU non-Hispanic White (NHW) participants after propensity score matching. Aβ PET trajectories were modeled using the generalized additive model for location, scale, and shape (GAMLSS) based on baseline data and validated with longitudinal data.

Characterization of subsp. isolated from human vagina: prevalence, phenotypic, and genomic insights.

The genus is a heterogenous group of commensal and pathogenic bacteria. Members of this genus are classified into two major groups, the pyogenic group and the viridans group streptococci (VGS). VGS are frequently found as normal members of the human microbiome and are regarded as commensals.

Clinical Characteristics of Individuals with COPD, Pre-COPD, Smokers with Normal Lung Function in Korea: Updated Analysis of the KOCOSS Cohort.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous lung disease characterized by persistent airflow limitation and is a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Pre-COPD refers to a pre-disease state associated with an increased risk of COPD development. This study aims to evaluate the clinical characteristics of individuals with COPD, pre-COPD, and smokers with normal lung function in South Korea, and to provide an updated analysis of the KOCOSS cohort data.

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.

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.

Missed strictures and penetrating complications on CT and MR enterography in Crohn's disease patients prior to anti-TNF therapy.

Purpose: Crohn's disease (CD) is characterized by enteric inflammation, often resulting in strictures and penetrating complications, which may alter patient management prior to the initiation of biologic therapy. Our aim is to assess the frequency of missed stricturing and internal penetrating complications in CD patients on computed tomography enterography (CTE) and magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) performed prior to anti-TNF therapy.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients from two tertiary centers who underwent CTE\MRE within six months before starting anti-TNF therapy.

Calcifications Affect Pathologic Complete Response and MRI Prediction after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-positive Breast Cancer.

Background The optimal surgical management of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer with calcifications remains controversial, particularly when pathologic complete response (pCR) is suspected. Purpose To identify factors associated with pCR after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer and assess whether calcifications affect the performance of radiologic complete response (rCR) at MRI for predicting pCR. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included patients with HER2-positive breast cancer who received neoadjuvant docetaxel, carboplatin, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab and underwent surgery between January 2021 and October 2023.

Effects of Dexmedetomidine-Remifentanil on Neurodevelopment of Children after Inhalation Anesthesia: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: Anesthetic exposure in young children raises concerns about neurodevelopmental safety, with preclinical evidence suggesting potential neurotoxicity of volatile anesthetics. This study aimed to assess whether the combination of dexmedetomidine and remifentanil, by reducing sevoflurane exposure, has any differential effect on neurodevelopmental outcomes in young children compared with sevoflurane alone.

Methods: This study was a prospective, double-blind, randomized clinical trial including children younger than 2 yr undergoing nonstaged, nonrepetitive surgeries.

Overall Survival with Amivantamab-Lazertinib in -Mutated Advanced NSCLC.

Background: Previous results from this phase 3 trial showed that progression-free survival among participants with previously untreated (epidermal growth factor receptor)-mutated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was significantly improved with amivantamab-lazertinib as compared with osimertinib. Results of the protocol-specified final overall survival analysis in this trial have not been reported.

Methods: We randomly assigned, in a 2:2:1 ratio, participants with previously untreated -mutated (exon 19 deletion or L858R substitution), locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC to receive amivantamab-lazertinib, osimertinib, or lazertinib.

Large-Scale Dermatopathology Dataset for Lesion Segmentation: Model Development and Analysis.

Background: With the increasing incidence of skin cancer, the workload for pathologists has surged. The diagnosis of skin samples, especially for complex lesions such as malignant melanomas and melanocytic lesions, has shown higher diagnostic variability compared to other organ samples. Consequently, artificial intelligence (AI)-based diagnostic assistance programs are increasingly needed to support dermatopathologists in achieving more consistent diagnoses.

Comparative study of proficiency improvement in ArtiSential according to conventional laparoscopic surgery experiences.

Background: This pilot study investigates the adaptability of the articulating instrument (ArtiSential) among surgeons with different levels of experience in conventional laparoscopic surgery.

Methods: From June to November 2023, 18 laparoscopic surgeons participated in peg transfer and suture training using ArtiSential instruments. Participants were categorized into novice, intermediate, and expert groups.

Music therapy for patients with depression: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Background: Depression is one of the most common mental diseases, leading to a decline in both psychiatric and physical functions. One non-pharmacological therapeutic strategy for the management of psychiatric disorders is music therapy.

Aims: To assess the clinical effectiveness of music therapy and its various subscales for managing depressive symptoms (primary outcome) and related problems (secondary outcome) in comparison with other conventional treatments.

Polygenic scores for psychiatric traits mediate the impact of multigenerational history for depression on offspring psychopathology.

A family history of depression is a well-documented risk factor for offspring psychopathology. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying the intergenerational transmission of depression remain unclear. We used genetic, family history, and diagnostic data from 11,875 9-10 year-old children from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study.

Risk factors for Progression to Frequent Exacerbators in Stable Patients with COPD.

Background: Little is known about the transition to frequent exacerbators in stabilized patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods: This study utilized data obtained from the Korean COPD subgroup study cohort (KOCOSS), including 511 patients with infrequent exacerbations. The outcome for these groups was progression to frequent exacerbators.

Delineating coronary epicardial stenosis status from microvascular dysfunction using pressure-drop coefficient from multicenter ILIAS registry.

Introduction: Pressure-based fractional flow reserve (FFR) and flow-based coronary flow reserve (CFR) assess the functional status of coronary artery disease (CAD) during cardiac catheterization. Complex hemodynamics may not be adequately explained by either pressure or flow alone. Consequently, pressure-drop coefficient (CDP, the ratio between pressure-drop across a stenosis and distal dynamic pressure) that combines both pressure and flow measurements has been developed to distinguish between epicardial stenosis (ES) and microvascular disease (MVD).

AI-Driven quality assurance in mammography: Enhancing quality control efficiency through automated phantom image evaluation in South Korea.

Purpose: To develop and validate a deep learning-based model for automated evaluation of mammography phantom images, with the goal of improving inter-radiologist agreement and enhancing the efficiency of quality control within South Korea's national accreditation system.

Materials And Methods: A total of 5,917 mammography phantom images were collected from the Korea Institute for Accreditation of Medical Imaging (KIAMI). After preprocessing, 5,813 images (98.

Self-Bondable and Strain-Durable Electroceuticals Using Self-Healing and Stretchable Conducting Nanocomposite Trilayer for Effective Vagus Nerve Stimulation.

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a promising therapy for neurological and inflammatory disorders across multiple organ systems. However, conventional rigid interfaces fail to accommodate dynamic mechanical environments, leading to mechanical mismatches, tissue irritation, and unstable long-term interfaces. Although soft neural interfaces address these limitations, maintaining mechanical durability and stable electrical performance remains challenging.

Glycoproteomics analysis of complement factor H and its complement-regulatory function during -associated hemolytic uremic syndrome.

Hemolytic uremic syndrome caused by an invasive infection (SP-HUS) is a rare and severe disease that primarily affects children under two years of age. The pathophysiology of SP-HUS remains poorly understood, and treatment is largely supportive. Complement factor H (FH) is a key regulator of the alternative pathway of the complement system.

Pediatric Atopic Dermatitis Exhibits Distinctive Patterns in JAK/STAT Pathway Activation and CD6-ALCAM Signaling.

Pediatric atopic dermatitis (AD) shows distinct clinical characteristics compared to adult AD, suggesting unique inflammatory profiles that may influence disease prognosis and treatment response. We aimed to identify unique immune signatures of pediatric AD and investigate the differences between pediatric and adult AD patients. Nine pediatric (6-16 years) and 12 adult (20-60 years) were enrolled.

Urinary mRNA biomarkers for the noninvasive diagnosis of calcineurin inhibitor toxicity in kidney transplant recipients with graft dysfunction.

Background: Calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) toxicity is a significant cause of graft dysfunction in kidney transplant recipients, yet distinguishing it from acute rejection (AR) and acute tubular necrosis (ATN) remains challenging. This study investigated the use of urinary mRNA biomarkers as a noninvasive tool for identifying CNI toxicity.

Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 110 kidney transplant recipients and classified them into four groups based on pathological findings: stable graft function (n=35), CNI toxicity (n=25), AR (n=30), and ATN (n=20).

Functional analysis of secreted tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 from adult human neural stem cells (ahNSCs) for regeneration and neuroprotection.

The adult human neural stem cell (ahNSC)-conditioned medium (CM) contains various secreted factors that promote tissue repair and neuroprotection. This study aimed to identify the key secreted proteins in ahNSC-CM and investigate the role of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) in wound healing, angiogenesis, and neuroprotection against oxygenglucose deprivation. Cytokine array and liquid chromatography- tandem mass spectrometry analysis of ahNSC-CM revealed that monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and TIMP-1 were highly abundant.

Impact of guideline-directed medical therapy on the cardiac or non-cardiac death in acute myocardial infarction.

Background/aims: While the clinical effectiveness of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) is well established in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), its specific impact on cause-specific mortality remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the impact of GDMT on both cardiac and non-cardiac mortality in AMI patients.

Methods: Data of the KAMIR-NIH, a multicenter prospective registry of AMI in Korea between 2011 and 2015, were included.

Age-related insulin resistance changes in children and adolescents and its impact on the accuracy of diagnosis of metabolic syndrome.

Purpose: Although insulin resistance (IR) varies with age and puberty in children and adolescents, most previous attempts to determine cutoff values for IR indices overlook factor. This study assesses age-related differences in IR index values and evaluates how diagnostic performance varies by age when using a uniform cutoff for diagnosing metabolic syndrome (MetS) without considering age.

Methods: We analyzed age-related differences in IR indices (the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance [HOMA-IR], triglyceride-glucose [TyG] index, and triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [TG/HDL-C] ratio) among 1,641 participants in the 2019-2021 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.