The epidemiology of male lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia: Results of 20 years of Korean community care and surveys.

Purpose: To investigate the prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hyperplasia in a Korean population.

Materials And Methods: The Korean Prostate & Voiding Health Association provided free prostate-related community health care and conducted surveys in all regions of Korea from 2001 to 2022 with the cooperation of local government public health centers. A total of 72,068 males older than 50 were surveyed and analyzed.

Rice ( L.) Grain Size, Shape, and Weight-Related QTLs Identified Using GWAS with Multiple GAPIT Models and High-Density SNP Chip DNA Markers.

This study investigated novel quantitative traits loci (QTLs) associated with the control of grain shape and size as well as grain weight in rice. We employed a joint-strategy multiple GAPIT (Genome Association and Prediction Integrated Tool) models [(Bayesian-information and Linkage-disequilibrium Iteratively Nested Keyway (BLINK)), Fixed and random model Circulating Probability Uniform (FarmCPU), Settlement of MLM Under Progressive Exclusive Relationship (SUPER), and General Linear Model (GLM)]-High-Density SNP Chip DNA Markers (60,461) to conduct a Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS). GWAS was performed using genotype and grain-related phenotypes of 143 recombinant inbred lines (RILs).

Understanding BGR1 Virulence through the Application of Toxoflavin-Degrading Enzyme, TxeA.

Rice ( cv. dongjin) is a cornerstone of global food security; however, BGR1, which is responsible for bacterial panicle blight (BPB), threatens its productive output, with dire consequences for rice and other crops. BPB is primarily caused by toxoflavin, a potent phytotoxin that disrupts plant growth at various developmental stages.

Effectiveness and Safety of Recombinant Human Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (Follitrope™) in Inducing Controlled Ovarian Stimulation in Infertile Women in Real-World Practice: a Prospective Cohort Study.

To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone (rhFSH [Follitrope™]) in infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). To identify predictors of ovarian response that induce optimal clinical outcomes. This multicenter prospective study enrolled infertile women who were scheduled to undergo IVF after ovarian stimulation with rhFSH (Follitrope™) following the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist or GnRH antagonist protocol.

A dual-center study of predictive factors for sperm retrieval through microdissection testicular sperm extraction and intracytoplasmic sperm injection outcomes in men with non-mosaic Klinefelter syndrome.

Purpose: This study evaluated the predictors of sperm retrieval (SR) in non-mosaic Klinefelter syndrome (KS) patients undergoing microsurgical testicular sperm extraction (mTESE). The cutoff values of the predictors of SR and overall pregnancy rates after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) were analyzed for the positive SR (PSR) cases.

Materials And Methods: The study was a dual-center retrospective study.

The Prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections and Sociosexual Behaviors in the South Korean Military Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction: This study evaluated the epidemiological factors of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among South Korean troops including the prevalence, therapeutic methods, and sexual risk behaviors.

Material And Methods: The medical records of the STIs diagnosed troops at the Armed Forces Capital Hospital (AFCH) for 36 months (between January 2018 and December 2020) were retrospectively reviewed. The data collection for the study began after obtaining research approvals from the institutional ethics committee of AFCH.

RNA-Seq and Electrical Penetration Graph Revealed the Role of -Mediated Activation of Defense Mechanisms towards Green Rice Leafhopper ( Uhler) Resistance in Rice ( L.).

The green rice leafhopper (GRH, Uhler) is one of the most important insect pests causing serious damage to rice production and yield loss in East Asia. Prior to performing RNA-Seq analysis, we conducted an electrical penetration graph (EPG) test to investigate the feeding behavior of GRH on Ilpum (recurrent parent, GRH-susceptible cultivar), a near-isogenic line (NIL carrying ) compared to the donor parent (Shingwang). Then, we conducted a transcriptome-wide analysis of GRH-responsive genes in Ilpum and NIL, which was followed by the validation of RNA-Seq data by qPCR.

Low Expression of EphB2, EphB3, and EphB4 in Bladder Cancer: Novel Potential Indicators of Muscular Invasion.

Purpose: Eph receptors are differentially expressed in numerous malignant tumors. This study intended to analyze the roles of EphB receptors (EphB2, B3, and B4) in urinary bladder cancer.

Materials And Methods: Tissue microarray-based immunohistochemical analysis was used to investigate the expression patterns of EphB2, EphB3, and EphB4 in 154 bladder cancer specimens.

Mapping of a Major QTL, , for Bakanae Disease Resistance in Rice.

Bakanae disease is a fungal disease of rice ( L.) caused by the pathogen (also known as ). This study was carried out to identify novel quantitative trait loci (QTLs) from an variety Zenith.

The role of Ureaplasma parvum serovar-3 or serovar-14 infection in female patients with chronic micturition urethral pain and recurrent microscopic hematuria.

Background: Ureaplasma parvum (UP) is commonly isolated in the genitor-urinary tract and may cause various clinical features, including microscopic hematuria (MH). Some UP serovars are more commonly related with specific urogenital disease, but the evidences have been conflicting. This study primarily aimed to research the possible associations between specific UP serotypes and genito-urinary pathogenicity in female patients showing MH with/without chronic micturition urethral pain (CMP).

Feasibility and early toxicity of focal or partial brachytherapy in prostate cancer patients.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare short-term oncologic outcomes and toxicity of focal or partial low-dose-rate brachytherapy (focal/partial LDR-BT) with whole gland low-dose-rate brachytherapy (whole LDR-BT) in localized prostate cancer patients.

Material And Methods: Medical records of eligible patients who underwent focal/partial LDR-BT and whole LDR-BT between 2015 and 2017 at our institution were reviewed retrospectively. Clinical characteristics and pathologic outcomes were compared between focal/partial LDR-BT group and whole LDR-BT group.

Obstetric, Neonatal, and Clinical Outcomes of Day 6 vs. Day 5 Vitrified-Warmed Blastocyst Transfers: Retrospective Cohort Study With Propensity Score Matching.

Despite the large number of studies on blastocyst transfers, it is unclear whether day 6 blastocysts have similar pregnancy rates and safety with day 5 blastocysts. Thus, this study aimed to compare the obstetric, neonatal, and clinical outcomes of day 5 and day 6 vitrified blastocyst transfers (VBT). In this retrospective cohort study with propensity score matching, we evaluated 1,313 cycles of VBT performed between January 2014 and December 2015 at the Fertility Center of CHA Gangnam Medical Center.

Type VI secretion systems of plant-pathogenic Burkholderia glumae BGR1 play a functionally distinct role in interspecies interactions and virulence.

In the environment, bacteria show close association, such as interspecies interaction, with other bacteria as well as host organisms. The type VI secretion system (T6SS) in gram-negative bacteria is involved in bacterial competition or virulence. The plant pathogen Burkholderia glumae BGR1, causing bacterial panicle blight in rice, has four T6SS gene clusters.

Clinical and pregnancy outcomes of double and single blastocyst transfers related with morphological grades in vitrified-warmed embryo transfer.

Objective: To evaluate clinical and pregnancy outcomes of double and single blastocyst transfers related with morphological grades in vitrified-warmed embryo transfer.

Materials And Methods: In a retrospective cohort analysis, data were assessed from women who underwent vitrified-warmed blastocyst transfers (VBT) at CHA Gangnam Medical Center between 2014 and 2015. All VBT cycles were categorized into three groups according to blastocyst quality: GG (double good blastocysts transfer), GP (one good and one poor blastocyst transfer), and GS (single good blastocyst transfer).

Selective Phase Control of Dopant-Free Potassium Sodium Niobate Perovskites in Solution.

As one of the perovskite families, potassium sodium niobates (KNa)NbO (KNN) have been gaining tremendous attention due to their various functional properties which can be largely determined by their crystallographic phase and composition. However, a selective evolution of different phases for KNN with controlled composition can be difficult to achieve, especially in solution chemical synthesis because of its strong tendency to stabilize into orthorhombic phase at conventional synthetic temperature. We herein developed a facile solution approach to control the phase and composition of dopant-free KNN particles selectively through the modification of reaction parameters.

New sparse implantation technique of I-125 low-dose-rate brachytherapy using concomitant short-term hormonal treatment for low and intermediate-risk prostate cancer: An initial study of therapeutic feasibility.

This study aimed to evaluate the oncological outcomes and post-implantation complications of the concurrent androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with I-125 low-dose-rate (LDR)-prostate brachytherapy (sparse implantation technique: SIT) in comparison with the conventional non-ADT using whole gland brachytherapy (CWT). 302 localized prostate cancer (PCa) patients were treated with CWT (implantation dose: 145 Gy) and 215 patients were treated with SIT, which applied reduced implantation dose of 123.5 Gy.

Accelerated development of rice stripe virus-resistant, near-isogenic rice lines through marker-assisted backcrossing.

The development of new improved varieties is one of the major goals of plant breeding. Concomitantly, the demand for stable, eco-friendly, and high-quality rice production is constantly increasing. However, most farmers prefer to cultivate familiar rice varieties developed more than 10 years ago to minimize economic risk.

Impact of Cerebrovascular Disease on Survival Benefits from Local Treatment in Patients with De Novo Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer.

Purpose: Local treatment has become a treatment option for patients with de novo metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). Subgroup analyses based on a history of cerebrovascular disease (CVD) were performed to evaluate the impact thereof on overall survival (OS) after local treatment.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed for 879 patients with de novo mHSPC between August 2003 and November 2016.

Retrograde balloon dilation as a therapeutic option for post-gynecologic surgery ureteral stricture followed by ureteroureterostomy: a comparative study regarding stricture length.

Background: To evaluate the success rate of balloon dilation and the factors possibly influencing the outcomes of balloon dilation for the ureteric strictured portion of ureteroureterostomy (UUS) site in patients with post-gynecologic surgeries.

Methods: A single institution data base was screened for the patients who received balloon dilation for a treatment of ureteral stricture diagnosed after gynecologic surgery. Overall 114 patients underwent primary intra-operative UUS due to ureteral injury during gynecologic surgery.

Influence of Alcohol on Phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors Use in Middle- to Old-Aged Men: A Comparative Study of Adverse Events.

Introduction: Some previous studies reported recreational use of phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors by ingesting the medicine with alcohol in patients with erectile dysfunction, but the rate of misuse in general population has never been researched.

Aim: To investigate the frequency of concomitant alcohol consumption with PDE-5 inhibitors in the general male population. We secondarily analyzed the influence of alcohol on PDE-5 inhibitor.

Fine mapping of qBK1, a major QTL for bakanae disease resistance in rice.

Background: Bakanae disease is an important fungal disease caused by Gibberella fujikuroi. Incidence of rice bakanae disease creates serious problems in the foremost rice growing countries, and no rice variety has been found to be completely resistant to this disease. However, breeding rice varieties resistant to bakanae disease may be a cost-saving solution preferable to the application of fungicides.

A Comparison Study of Fatigue Behavior of Hard and Soft Piezoelectric Single Crystal Macro-Fiber Composites for Vibration Energy Harvesting.

Designing a piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) with high power density and high fatigue resistance is essential for the successful replacement of the currently using batteries in structural health monitoring (SHM) systems. Among the various designs, the PEH comprising of a cantilever structure as a passive layer and piezoelectric single crystal-based fiber composites (SFC) as an active layer showed excellent performance due to its high electromechanical properties and dynamic flexibilities that are suitable for low frequency vibrations. In the present study, an effort was made to investigate the reliable performance of hard and soft SFC based PEHs.