Spatial Similarity of MRI-Visible Perivascular Spaces in Healthy Young Adult Twins.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine whether genetic factors affect the location of dilated perivascular spaces (dPVS) by comparing healthy young twins and non-twin (NT) siblings.

Materials And Methods: A total of 700 healthy young adult twins and NT siblings [138 monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs, 79 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs, and 133 NT sibling pairs] were collected from the Human Connectome Project dataset. dPVS was automatically segmented and normalized to standard space.

Comparison of Safety and Diagnostic Efficacy of Iohexol 240 mgI/mL, Iopamidol 250 mgI/mL, and Iodixanol 270 mgI/mL in Cerebral Angiography: A Prospective, Multicenter Study.

Purpose: This multicenter prospective study aimed to evaluate the quality and diagnostic effectiveness of cerebral angiography images obtained using low-concentration iodinated contrast agents (iohexol 240 mgI/mL, iopamidol 250 mgI/mL, and iodixanol 270 mgI/mL) and to assess the safety thereof. The study addresses the need for safer contrast agent alternatives without compromising the diagnostic quality of identifying cerebrovascular disease.

Materials And Methods: Conducted in 5 medical centers in South Korea, we enrolled patients aged 19 years or older who were referred for diagnostic cerebral angiography under non-emergency conditions, excluding those with specific health conditions and sensitivities.

Exploring the exponential sensitivity of risk perception in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Individual's risk perception regarding specific hazards is a dynamic process that evolves over time. This study analyzed the relationship between the number of COVID-19 cases and the South Korean public's risk perceptions from the outset of the pandemic to the recent past. More than 70 repeated cross-sectional surveys were conducted biweekly to measure individuals' risk perception.

Malignancy risk stratification and subcategorization of K-TIRADS intermediate suspicion thyroid nodules: a retrospective multicenter study.

Purpose: This study aimed to develop the ultrasonography (US) criteria for risk stratification of the Korean Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (K-TIRADS) 4 nodules, and to evaluate the diagnostic yield of a modified biopsy criterion in a multicenter cohort.

Methods: In total, 1,542 K-TIRADS 4 nodules (≥1 cm) were included in the study. US criteria for the subcategorization of K-TIRADS 4 nodules were developed based on high-risk US features.

Exposure to Hazardous Substances and Their Health Effects Among Residents Living Near Three Industrial Waste Incinerators in Korea.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate exposure to various hazardous substances emitted by incineration facilities and their likely effect on the health for residents of Bugi-myeon, Cheongju, Korea, which has three incineration facilities.

Methods: Heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and dioxin concentrations in the air and soil of exposed and control areas were measured. Moreover, the exposure levels to harmful substances and its effects on health were investigated in 1,124 exposed and 232 control adults.

3D printing of drug-eluting bioactive multifunctional coatings for orthopedic applications.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is implemented for surface modification of titanium alloy substrates with multilayered biofunctional polymeric coatings. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) polymers were embedded with amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) and vancomycin (VA) therapeutic agents to promote osseointegration and antibacterial activity, respectively. PCL coatings revealed a uniform deposition pattern of the ACP-laden formulation and enhanced cell adhesion on the titanium alloy substrates as compared to the PLGA coatings.

Diagnosis of parathyroid incidentaloma detected on thyroid ultrasonography: the role of fine-needle aspiration cytology and washout parathyroid hormone measurements.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic role of fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and analyze factors associated with false-negative FNAC results in patients with parathyroid incidentaloma who were referred for ultrasonography (US)-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of thyroid nodules.

Methods: In this study, 121 patients with suspected parathyroid lesions were enrolled. The patients underwent US-guided FNAC with measurements of washout parathyroid hormone (PTH) between January 2015 and May 2020.

Malignancy risk stratification of thyroid nodules according to echotexture and degree of hypoechogenicity: a retrospective multicenter validation study.

Various risk stratification systems show discrepancies in the ultrasound lexicon of nodule echotexture and hypoechogenicity. This study aimed to determine the malignancy risk of thyroid nodules according to their echotexture and degree of hypoechogenicity. From June to September 2015, we retrospectively evaluated 5601 thyroid nodules with final diagnoses from 26 institutions.

Risk factors for reoperation after lumbar spine surgery in a 10-year Korean national health insurance service health examinee cohort.

Degenerative lumbar spine disease is becoming increasingly prevalent in the aging population. Surgical treatment is the standard treatment modality for intractable cases, but the reoperation rate remains high. We conducted this study to longitudinally evaluate the impact of health risk factors on the risk of lumbar spine reoperation in Koreans aged over 40 years.

Intradiploic Encephalocele at the Parietal Bone: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Intradiploic encephalocele is a rare condition of herniation of the brain parenchyma through the diploic space. A 52-year-old man presented with a parietal intradiploic encephalocele manifesting as an intermittent headache for 7 months. CT revealed an osteolytic lesion involving the right parietal bone.

Recapitulation of First Pass Metabolism Using 3D Printed Microfluidic Chip and Organoid.

The low bioavailability of oral drugs due to first pass metabolism is a major obstacle in drug development. With significant developments in the field of in vitro organ modeling and microfluidic chip three-dimensional (3D) printing, the challenge is to apply these for the production and evaluation of new drug candidates. This study aimed to produce a microfluidic chip to recapitulate and assess the feasibility of the first pass metabolism.

Radiologic Differentiation between Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis and Its Mimics Involving the Skull Base in Humans Using High-Resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) can involve the skull base or the Eustachian tubes. GPA is diagnosed on the basis of clinical manifestations and serological tests, although it is challenging to discriminate GPA from infectious processes driving skull base osteomyelitis (SBO) and malignant processes such as nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Moreover, current serological tests have a low sensitivity and cannot distinguish GPA from these other conditions.

Association between prenatal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and infantile allergic diseases modified by maternal glutathione S-transferase polymorphisms: results from the MOCEH birth cohort.

Background: Prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) has been linked to allergic disease onset. Variations in the glutathione S-transferase (GST) gene family can impact the progression of allergic diseases. We sought to examine the association between prenatal PAH exposure and infantile allergic diseases in 6-month-old infants, and how maternal glutathione S-transferase M1 () or T1 () polymorphism affects the association between prenatal PAH exposure and allergic diseases in the Mothers and Children's Environmental Health (MOCEH) study.

Temporalis muscle thickness as an indicator of sarcopenia predicts progression-free survival in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Temporalis muscle thickness (TMT) on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is correlated with sarcopenia and can be a predictive marker for survival in patients with brain tumors, but the association of TMT on head and neck computed tomography (CT) with survival in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains unclear. We investigated whether TMT on CT could predict progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with HNSCC. A total of 106 patients with newly diagnosed HNSCC were included in this retrospective study.

Construction of an MRI-based decision tree to differentiate autoimmune and autoinflammatory inner ear disease from chronic otitis media with sensorineural hearing loss.

Autoimmune and autoinflammatory inner ear diseases (AIED/AID) are characterized by the symptom of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). To date, standardized diagnostic tools for AIED/AID are lacking, and clinically differentiating AIED/AID from chronic otitis media (COM) with SNHL is challenging. This retrospective study aimed to construct a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based decision tree using classification and regression tree (CART) analysis to distinguish AIED/AID from COM.

Joint association of prenatal bisphenol-A and phthalates exposure with risk of atopic dermatitis in 6-month-old infants.

Background: Prenatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates could trigger immune response. Few studies have investigated the association between prenatal BPA and phthalate exposure and atopic dermatitis (AD) in infants.

Objective: We aimed to clarify the joint association of prenatal exposure to BPA and phthalate metabolites with AD incidence in 6-month-old infants.

Evaluation of Substituted -Phenylpiperazine Analogs as D3 vs. D2 Dopamine Receptor Subtype Selective Ligands.

phenylpiperazine analogs can bind selectively to the D3 versus the D2 dopamine receptor subtype despite the fact that these two D2-like dopamine receptor subtypes exhibit substantial amino acid sequence homology. The binding for a number of these receptor subtype selective compounds was found to be consistent with their ability to bind at the D3 dopamine receptor subtype in a bitopic manner. In this study, a series of the 3-thiophenephenyl and 4-thiazolylphenyl fluoride substituted -phenylpiperazine analogs were evaluated.

High-resolution MR imaging of cranial neuropathy in patients with anti-GQ1b antibody syndrome.

Objective: The value of conventional MRI in patients anti-GQ1b antibody syndrome is subject to debate. Our purpose was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of high-resolution MRI for detecting cranial nerve abnormalities in patients with anti-GQ1b antibody syndrome.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective cohort study enrolled 15 anti-GQ1b-positive patients diagnosed with MFS and related disorders and 17 age-matched controls, all of whom underwent high-resolution MR imaging including pre-contrast and contrast-enhanced (CE) 3D FLAIR and 3D CE T1-weighted turbo field echo (T1-TFE) between 2010 and 2016.

Cancer cluster among small village residents near the fertilizer plant in Korea.

Objectives: In Jang-jeom, a small village in Hamra-myeon, Iksan-si, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea, residents raised concerns about a suspected cancer cluster that they attributed to a fertilizer plant near the village. We aimed to investigate whether the cancer incidence in the village was higher than that in the general Korean population when the factory was in operation (2001-2017) and whether living in the village was associated with a higher risk of cancer.

Methods: Using national population data and cancer registration data of South Korea, we estimated the standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) in the village to investigate whether more cancer cases occurred in the village compared to other regions.

Prenatal heavy metal exposures and atopic dermatitis with gender difference in 6-month-old infants using multipollutant analysis.

Background: Prenatal exposure to heavy metals during critical developmental phases has been implicated in allergic phenotypes. However, few studies have been conducted on the gender-specific association of prenatal heavy metal exposure with atopic dermatitis (AD) in infants.

Objective: To examine the gender-specific association of prenatal exposure to multiple heavy metals with AD incidence in 6-month-old infants using data from the Mothers and Children's Environmental Health (MOCEH).

Effect of Lithium and Aluminum on the Mechanical Properties, and Degradation, and Toxicity of Multiphase Ultrahigh Ductility Mg-Li-Al-Zn Quaternary Alloys for Vascular Stent Application.

Magnesium alloys are the most widely studied biodegradable metals for biodegradable vascular stent application. Two major issues with current magnesium alloy based stents are their low ductility and fast corrosion rates. Several studies have validated that introduction of Li into the magnesium alloys will significantly improve the ductility while alloying with Al will improve the corrosion resistance and strength.

In-vivo efficacy of biodegradable ultrahigh ductility Mg-Li-Zn alloy tracheal stents for pediatric airway obstruction.

Pediatric laryngotracheal stenosis is a complex congenital or acquired airway injury that may manifest into a potentially life-threatening airway emergency condition. Depending on the severity of obstruction, treatment often requires a combination of endoscopic techniques, open surgical repair, intraluminal stenting, or tracheostomy. A balloon expandable biodegradable airway stent maintaining patency while safely degrading over time may address the complications and morbidity issues of existing treatments providing a less invasive and more effective management technique.