Impact of Handgrip Strength on Survival in Hemodialysis Patients.

: Hemodialysis patients face a high mortality risk, requiring effective clinical assessments. In these patients, muscle wasting due to protein-energy wasting (PEW) leads to increased frailty, which is strongly associated with worse outcomes, including higher mortality. As muscle mass declines, so does functional capacity, making regular assessment of both muscle mass and function critical for prognostic evaluation.

sp. nov., isolated from kimchi, a fermented vegetable.

The novel strain CBA3628 was isolated from kimchi, a Korean fermented vegetable. CBA3628 is a cocci-shaped, Gram-stain-positive, catalase- and oxidase-negative and facultatively anaerobic bacterium. The results of phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated that CBA3628 represented a member of the genus of the family .

Fermentative metabolic features of doenjang-meju as revealed by genome-centered metatranscriptomics.

Fermentative features of doenjang-meju, a traditional Korean soybean brick, were investigated over 45 days via genome-centered metatranscriptomics. The pH value rapidly decreased within 10 days and successively increased after 20 days, along with an initial bacterial growth, including lactic acid bacteria, and subsequent fungal growth, suggesting their association. Polysaccharides and lipids underwent degradation, and amino acids, free sugars, and organic acids increased during the early stage.

sp. nov., isolated from a marine green alga.

A Gram-stain-negative, facultative aerobic, catalase- and oxidase-positive, non-motile, non-flagellated, and coccus-shaped bacterium, strain J2-16, isolated from a marine green alga, was characterized taxonomically. Strain J2-16 grew at 20-40 °C (optimum, 30 °C), pH 6.0-10.

sp. nov. and sp. nov., isolated from marine algae.

Two Gram-stain-negative, facultatively aerobic, and motile rod bacteria, designated as strains KJ51-3 and 15G1-11, were isolated from marine algae collected in the Republic of Korea. Both strains exhibited catalase- and oxidase-positive activities. Optimum growth conditions for strain KJ51-3 were observed at 30 °C and pH 6.

The Factors Influencing Chronic Kidney Disease Incidence: Database from the Korean National Health Insurance Sharing Service (NHISS).

The global prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing, with diabetes accounting for the highest proportion. We analyzed the influence of clinical factors on the incidence of CKD according to the renal function, primary focusing on patients with diabetes. We used the Sample Cohorts Database provided by the National Health Insurance Sharing Service (NHISS) in Korea.

Relationship between Permanent Catheter Patency and Nutrient Score in Patients Aged >75 Years Requiring Renal Replacement Therapy.

Malnutrition is common in patients undergoing hemodialysis and is a powerful predictor of morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to investigate the effect of nutritional status on permanent catheter patency in elderly patients aged >75 years of age undergoing dialysis using tunneled dialysis catheters; Records of 383 patients whose nutritional factors and body cell mass (BCM) were measured simultaneously at the start of dialysis between 14 January 2020 and 30 September 2023, at Chungnam National University Hospital, were retrospectively reviewed. The relationships between permanent catheter patency at 180 days and BCM parameters and clinical parameters were studied using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis.

DERIVATION OF A MORTALITY PREDICTION MODEL IN CRITICAL CARE PATIENTS WITH CIRRHOSIS AND SEPSIS.

Objective : The aim of the study is to develop a predictive model for in-hospital mortality in critically ill patients with cirrhosis and sepsis, using clinical and laboratory data. Design : This is a retrospective cohort study. Setting: Medical and mixed intensive care units (ICUs) of a tertiary medical center.

sp. nov. and sp. nov., isolated from marine red algae.

Two Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic rods, designated as RMAR6-6 and KMA01, exhibiting catalase- and oxidase-positive activities, were isolated from marine red algae in the Republic of Korea. Cells of strain RMAR6-6 exhibited flagellar motility, while those of strain KMA01 were non-motile. Strain RMAR6-6 exhibited optimal growth at 30-35°C and pH 7.

Endovascular Treatment of Traumatic Vascular Injuries in the Head and Neck Region.

: Traumatic vascular injuries of the head and neck pose significant treatment challenges due to the complex anatomy, diverse clinical presentation, and mostly emergent nature. Endovascular treatment increasingly complements traditional surgical approaches. This study aimed to report our 10-year experience in treating traumatic vascular injuries of the head and neck with endovascular therapy and to determine the effectiveness of endovascular treatment.

Association between Serum GDF-15 and Cognitive Dysfunction in Hemodialysis Patients.

Cognitive dysfunction is more frequent in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing hemodialysis compared with the healthy population, emphasizing the need for early detection. Interest in serum markers that reflect cognitive function has recently increased. Elevated serum growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) levels are known to be associated with an increased risk of decreased renal function and cognitive dysfunction.

Comparative pangenome analysis of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus lactis provides new insights into the adaptive evolution by horizontal gene acquisitions.

Background: Enterococcus faecium and E. lactis are phylogenetically closely related lactic acid bacteria that are ubiquitous in nature and are known to be beneficial or pathogenic. Despite their considerable industrial and clinical importance, comprehensive studies on their evolutionary relationships and genomic, metabolic, and pathogenic traits are still lacking.

Rapid detection and identification of microplastics from nonchemically treated soil with CARS microspectroscopy.

In conventional microplastic (MP) analysis, acid or alkaline digestion is a necessary pretreatment step to remove residual organic matter from environmental samples. However, such a digestion process is not only cumbersome and time-consuming, but also possibly cause severe chemical damage to the MP itself, often making accurate MP characterization difficult. This study demonstrates that broadband coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microspectroscopy is useful for rapidly detecting and identifying MPs in natural soil without any digestion process.

Etiology and clinical characteristics of acute viral hepatitis in South Korea during 2020-2021: a prospective multicenter study.

This prospective, 12-center study investigated the etiology and clinical characteristics of acute viral hepatitis (AVH) during 2020-2021 in South Korea, and the performance of different diagnostic methods for hepatitis E virus (HEV). We enrolled 428 patients with acute hepatitis, of whom 160 (37.4%) were diagnosed with AVH according to predefined serologic criteria.

ω-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Improve the Blood-Brain-Barrier Integrity in Contrast-Induced Blood-Brain-Barrier Injury in Uremic Mice.

In patients with chronic kidney disease, the need for examinations using contrast media (CM) increases because of underlying diseases. Although contrast agents can affect brain cells, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) protects against brain-cell damage in vivo. However, uremia can disrupt the BBB, increasing the possibility of contrast-agent-induced brain-cell damage in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Comparison of Preventable Trauma Death Rates in Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury Before and After the Establishment of Regional Trauma Center: A Single Center Experience.

Objective: To compare preventable trauma death rates (PTDRs) in patients with traumatic brain injury before and after the establishment of a regional trauma center (RTC) at a single center.

Methods: Our institution established an RTC in 2014. A total of 709 patients were enrolled from January 2011 to December 2013 (before RTC) and 672 from January 2019 to December 2021 (after RTC).

Novel management of expected post-radiotherapy complications in hepatocellular carcinoma patients: a case report.

In recent years, radiotherapy (RT) has been used to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at each stage. This clinical trend has developed with the increasing improvement of RT techniques, which show clinical results comparable to those of other treatment modalities. Intensity-modulated radiotherapy uses a high radiation dose to improve treatment effectiveness.

Prediction of the Cervical Epidural Space Depth from the Skin Using Cervical X-Ray, During Cervical Epidural Block with Paramedian Approach.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to compare the actual needle depth measured during cervical epidural block (CEB) with the predicted needle depth measured through a cervical flexion x-ray image at the paramedian approach.

Methods: The study was conducted based on the medical records of patients who underwent CEB at the pain clinic of Haeundae Paik Hospital. The actual needle distance (AD) was recorded after each successful CEB.

Leucine-enriched amino acid supplementation and exercise to prevent sarcopenia in patients on hemodialysis: a single-arm pilot study.

Background: Sarcopenia, which is strongly associated with mortality and quality of life, occurs in up to 40% of hemodialysis patients. Here, we investigated the preventive effects of leucine-enriched amino acid supplementation and resistance exercise in non-sarcopenic hemodialysis patients, and characterized the biochemical and immunophenotypic profiles of those who benefited from the intervention.

Methods: Twenty-two patients on maintenance hemodialysis at our hospital were enrolled in this single center, prospective, single-arm pilot trial.

Risk factors for post-contrast acute kidney injury in patients sequentially administered iodine- and gadolinium-based contrast media on the same visit to the emergency department: a retrospective study.

Background: This study compares the incidence of post-contrast acute kidney injury (PC-AKI) in patients who received a single administration of iodine-based contrast medium (ICM) with that in patients who received a sequential administration of ICM and gadolinium- based contrast agents (GBCA) in a single visit to an emergency department (ED) to determine the risk factors for PC-AKI.

Methods: Patients who received one or more contrast media in the ED from 2016 to 2021 were included in this retrospective study. They were divided into the ICM alone and ICM + GBCA groups, and the incidence of PC-AKI was compared between the groups.