Impact of perforation following self-expandable metal stent as a bridge to surgery for malignant colorectal obstruction: a multicenter study of the Research Group for Stent in the Korean Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

Background And Aims: Self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) are effective in alleviating malignant colorectal obstruction. However, bowel perforation following SEMS placement remains a significant concern, as it can adversely affect oncological outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the recurrence and overall survival rates associated with SEMS-related bowel perforations.

Clinical Manifestations.

Background: The study aimed to evaluate the validity of the Korean version of the University of California San Diego Performance-based Skills Assessment, Validation of Intermediate Measures (K-UPSA-2-VIM) in patients with dementia (D), Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), cognitive normal control group (CN), and explore the usefulness of the instrument as a measure of ADL in older adults with cognitive disorder.

Method: Study participants were 25 patients with D, 43 patients with MCI, 111 controls with CN group, respectively. For cognitive assessment, Mini Mental State Examination (K-MMSE-2), Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease neuropsychological battery (CERAD-K-NP), Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) were used.

Association between obstructive sleep apnea and albuminuria in Korean adults: a nationwide populationbased study.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular and metabolic complications. Albuminuria, an early marker of kidney damage, is a proposed risk factor for OSA and its adverse outcomes. The study explored the association between OSA and albuminuria in Korean adults.

Differences in spatiotemporal dynamics for processing specific semantic categories: An EEG study.

Semantic processing is an essential mechanism in human language comprehension and has profound implications for speech brain-computer interface technologies. Despite recent advances in brain imaging techniques and data analysis algorithms, the mechanisms underlying human brain semantic representations remain a topic of debate, specifically whether this occurs through the activation of selectively separated cortical regions or via a network of distributed and overlapping regions. This study investigates spatiotemporal neural representation during the perception of semantic words related to faces, numbers, and animals using electroencephalography.

Lactococcus lactis and Bifidobacterium bifidum alleviate postmenopausal symptoms by suppressing NF-κB signaling and microbiota dysbiosis.

To understand the action mechanism of probiotics against postmenopausal symptoms, we examined the effects of Lactococcus lactis P32 (P) and Bifidobacterium bifidum P45 (P), which suppressed interleukin (IL)-6 and receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (RANK) ligand (RNAKL) expression in Gardnerella vaginalis (Gv)-stimulated macrophages, on vaginitis, osteoporosis, and depression/cognitive impairment (DC) in mice with vaginally infected Gv, ovariectomy (Ov), or Ov/Gv (oG). Oral administration of P or P decreased Gv-induced DC-like behavior and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-6, RANK, and/or RANKL expression in the vagina, bone, hypothalamus, hippocampus, and colon, while Gv-suppressed bone osteoprotegerin and brain serotonin and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels increased. They partially shifted vaginal and gut dysbiosis in Gv-infected mice to the gut microbiota composition in normal control mice.

Chk2 sustains PLK1 activity in mitosis to ensure proper chromosome segregation.

Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) protects against genome instability by ensuring timely and accurate mitotic cell division, and its activity is tightly regulated throughout the cell cycle. Although the pathways that initially activate PLK1 in G2 are well-characterized, the factors that directly regulate mitotic PLK1 remain poorly understood. Here, we identify that human PLK1 activity is sustained by the DNA damage response kinase Checkpoint kinase 2 (Chk2) in mitosis.

High-Throughput Screening of 3-Dimensional Co-culture Hair Follicle Mimetic Tissue with an Enhanced Extracellular Matrix for the Screening of Hair Growth-Promoting Compounds.

Hair follicle cells reside within a complex extracellular matrix (ECM) environment in vivo, where physical and chemical cues regulate their behavior. The ECM is crucial for hair follicle development and regeneration, particularly through epithelial-mesenchymal interactions. Current in vitro models often fail to replicate this complexity, leading to inconsistencies in evaluating hair loss treatments.

Do Risk Factors for HCC Impact the Association of CT/MRI LIRADS Major Features With HCC? An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis.

Guidelines suggest the Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) may not be applicable for some populations at risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, data assessing the association of HCC risk factors with LI-RADS major features are lacking. To evaluate whether the association between HCC risk factors and each CT/MRI LI-RADS major feature differs among individuals at-risk for HCC.

Exploring potential multiple molecular biomarkers that predict treatment response in patients with lupus nephritis.

Limited knowledge exists regarding biomarkers that predict treatment response in Lupus nephritis (LN). We aimed to identify potential molecular biomarkers to predict treatment response in patients with LN. We enrolled 66 patients with active LN who underwent renal biopsy upon enrollment.

Metabolic Engineering of Corynebacterium glutamicum for High-Level Production of 1,5-Pentanediol, a C5 Diol Platform Chemical.

The biobased production of chemicals is essential for advancing a sustainable chemical industry. 1,5-Pentanediol (1,5-PDO), a five-carbon diol with considerable industrial relevance, has shown limited microbial production efficiency until now. This study presents the development and optimization of a microbial system to produce 1,5-PDO from glucose in Corynebacterium glutamicum via the l-lysine-derived pathway.

The impact of depression on risk of malignant glioma: A nationwide cohort study.

Background: Malignant glioma (MG) is a malignant brain tumor with a fatal prognosis. Depression is on the rise in society, and its negative association on prognosis of glioma patients is known. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between depression and MG risk by analyzing data from the Korean National Health Insurance System (NHIS).

Tetragonal Tungsten Oxide for Supercapacitor Electrodes: Study of Phase-Driven Charge Storage Mechanism and Work Function Control.

The crystal phase of pseudocapacitive materials significantly influences charge storage kinetics and capacitance; yet, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study focuses on tungsten oxide (WO), a material exhibiting multiple crystal phases with potential for energy storage. Despite extensive research on WO, the impact of different crystal structures on charge storage properties remains largely unexplored.

Comparative Validation of Prediction Models for HCC Outcomes in Living Donor Liver Transplantation: Superiority of Tumor Markers to Imaging Study.

Background: Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) offers timely curative treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aims to validate and compare previous prediction models for HCC outcomes in 488 LDLT recipients.

Methods: For 488 patients who underwent LDLT for HCC, pretransplant imaging studies assessed by modified RECSIT criteria, tumor markers such as alpha feto-protein (AFP) and protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II (PIVKA II), and explant pathology were recruited.

SymScore: Machine learning accuracy meets transparency in a symbolic regression-based clinical score generator.

Self-report questionnaires play a crucial role in healthcare for assessing disease risks, yet their extensive length can be burdensome for respondents, potentially compromising data quality. To address this, machine learning-based shortened questionnaires have been developed. While these questionnaires possess high levels of accuracy, their practical use in clinical settings is hindered by a lack of transparency and the need for specialized machine learning expertise.

Obstructive sleep apnea subtyping based on apnea and hypopnea specific hypoxic burden is associated with brain aging and cardiometabolic syndrome.

Background: Conventional metrics such as the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) may not fully capture the diverse clinical manifestations of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This study aims to establish a novel OSA subtype classification based on the patterns of apneic and hypopneic hypoxic burden (HB), a potential biomarker that more accurately reflects the severity and duration of respiratory events. We further examined the associations of these HB-based subtypes with cardiometabolic risk and brain health outcomes.

Impact of the CAPTURE COPD Screening Tool in US Primary Care: A Cluster Randomized Trial.

The impact of COPD screening on US primary care clinician behavior and patient outcomes is unclear. Assess the impact of receiving CAPTURE (COPD Assessment in Primary Care to Identify Undiagnosed Respiratory Disease and Exacerbation Risk) screening scores on clinical and patient outcomes. Cluster randomized trial included 49 usual care (COPD education only) and 51 intervention (COPD and CAPTURE education plus screening scores) primary care practices.

Co3O4-RuO2/Ti3C2Tx MXene Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Evolution Reaction in Acidic and Alkaline Media.

MXene 2D materials and non-noble transition metal oxide nanoparticles have been proposed as novel pH-universal platforms for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), owing to the enhancement of active site exposures and conductivity. Herein, Co3O4-RuO2 /Ti3C2Tx/carbon cloths (CRMC) were assembled in a facile way as an efficient OER platform through a hydrothermal process. The Co3O4-RuO2/Ti3C2Tx demonstrated prominent OER catalytic performance under acidic and alkaline conditions, which showed overpotential values of 195 and 247 mV at 10 mA cm-2 with Tafel slopes of 93 and 97 mVdec-1, respectively.

Clinical evaluation of usefulness and effectiveness of sitting-type continuous passive motion machines in patients with total knee arthroplasty: a dual-center randomized controlled trial.

Background: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a treatment option for osteoarthritis of the knee. After undergoing TKA, patients can be treated with continuous passive motion (CPM); however, inconsistent results have been reported on the effectiveness of CPM as part of a rehabilitation strategy. This discrepancy may be due to the difference between the set-arc of CPM and real arcs of knee motion.

In situ forming and self-crosslinkable protein hydrogels for localized cancer therapy and topical wound healing.

Proteins, inherently biocompatible and biodegradable, face a challenge in forming stable hydrogels without external chemical crosslinkers. Here, we construct a ring-shaped trimeric SpyTag-fused Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen Protein (ST-PCNA) as a core protein building block, and a dumbbell-shaped tandem dimeric SpyCatcher (SC-SC) as a bridging component. Self-crosslinked PCNA/SC-SC Protein (2SP) hydrogels are successfully formed by simply mixing the solutions of ST-PCNA and SC-SC, without chemical crosslinkers.

Tocilizumab and immune signatures for targeted management of cytokine release syndrome in immune checkpoint therapy.

Background: This study aimed to identify specific biomarkers in oncology patients experiencing immune-related cytokine release syndrome (irCRS)-like symptoms during immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy, including severe cases like hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (irHLH), and to distinguish these from sepsis. A secondary objective was to retrospectively analyze the efficacy of tocilizumab (TCZ) in treating corticosteroid (CS)-refractory high-grade irCRS.

Patients And Methods: A cohort of 35 patients presenting with irCRS-like symptoms was studied, including 9 with irHLH-like manifestations and 8 with sepsis.