Amphiphilic Polyaspartamide Derivatives with Cholesterol Introduction Enhanced Ex Vivo mRNA Transfection Efficiency to Natural Killer Cells.

Engineered natural killer (NK) cells eliminate cancer cells by overexpressing a chimeric antigen receptor, producing highly efficient and safe NK cell therapies. This study investigated the polyplex formulation for the fusion protein GreenLantern-natural killer group 2D (NKG2D) mRNA to evaluate its delivery efficacy into NK cells, wherein NKG2D on the surface of NK cells recognized its counterpart NKG2D ligands on cancer cells. Amphiphilic polyaspartamide derivatives Chol-PAsp(DET/CHE) were prepared by adding cyclohexylethylamine (CHE) and diethylenetriamine (DET) in the side chains and cholesterol (Chol) at the α-terminus to enhance endosomal escapability and optimize hydrophobicity.

Hardware-Assisted Low-Latency NPU Virtualization Method for Multi-Sensor AI Systems.

Recently, AI systems such as autonomous driving and smart homes have become integral to daily life. Intelligent multi-sensors, once limited to single data types, now process complex text and image data, demanding faster and more accurate processing. While integrating NPUs and sensors has improved processing speed and accuracy, challenges like low resource utilization and long memory latency remain.

Outcomes and effectiveness of active surveillance for low-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes and effectiveness of active surveillance (AS) in patients with low-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and compare them to those of immediate surgery (IS).

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis, including 14 comparative studies and 7 noncomparative studies, was conducted, encompassing a total of 9,397 patients.

Results: AS was associated with lower rates of familial history of thyroid cancer, multiplicity, and overall mortality compared to IS.

Segmented Two-Dimensional Progressive Polynomial Calibration Method for Nonlinear Sensors.

Nonlinearity in sensor measurements reduces the sensor's accuracy. Therefore, accurate calibration is necessary for reliable sensor operation. This study proposes a segmented calibration method that divides the input range into multiple sections and calculates the optimized calibration functions for each one.

Effect of low muscle mass on total mortality related to metabolic disease in chronic kidney disease patients.

Low muscle mass is a risk factor for mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, it is not clear to what extent low muscle mass contributes to this risk, either independently or in combination with metabolic abnormalities and frailty. This study used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2006 and 2011-2018.

High-Speed Clearing and High-Resolution Staining for Analysis of Various Markers for Neurons and Vessels.

Background: Tissue clearing enables deep imaging in various tissues by increasing the transparency of tissues, but there were limitations of immunostaining of the large-volume tissues such as the whole brain.

Methods: Here, we cleared and immune-stained whole mouse brain tissues using a novel clearing technique termed high-speed clearing and high-resolution staining (HCHS). We observed neural structures within the cleared brains using both a confocal microscope and a light-sheet fluorescence microscope (LSFM).

Design of 2-Pyridone Fluorophores for Brighter Emissions at Longer Wavelengths.

The recent discovery of blue fluorophores with high quantum yields based on pyridone structures inspired the development of new low-molecular-weight fluorophores with bright emissions at tunable wavelengths, which are highly attractive for various applications. In this study, we propose a rational design strategy for 2-pyridone-based fluorophores with bright emissions at long wavelengths. With a detailed understanding of the positional substitution effects on each carbon atom of the 2-pyridone core, we developed a bright blue fluorophore (λ =377 nm; λ =433 nm; ϵ=13,200 M  cm ; ϕ =88 %) through C -aryl and C -ester substitutions followed by cyclization.

Global lineage evolution pattern of sars-cov-2 in Africa, America, Europe, and Asia: A comparative analysis of variant clusters and their relevance across continents.

Objective: The objective of this study is to provide a comparative analysis of variant clusters and their relevance across Africa, America, Europe, and Asia, in order to understand the evolutionary patterns of the virus across different regions and to inform the development of targeted interventions and genomic surveillance eforts.

Methods: The study analyzed the global lineage evolution pattern of 74, 075 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genomes from 32 countries across four continents, focusing on variant clusters and their relevance across regions. Variants were weighted according to their hierarchical level.

Fatty Liver Change in Older Adults as an Important Risk Factor for Type 2 Diabetes: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

Objective: To examine the association between changes in fatty liver disease (FLD) over time and the risk of type 2 diabetes in elderly individuals with prediabetes.

Methods: A total of 156,984 elderly individuals with prediabetes who underwent national health screening in 2009 and 2011 were followed up through December 31, 2019. The FLD status was defined as a change in the fatty liver index.

Spectral Efficiency Improvement Using Bi-Deep Learning Model for IRS-Assisted MU-MISO Communication System.

The intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) is a two-dimensional (2D) surface with a programmable structure and is composed of many arrays. The arrays are used to supervise electromagnetic wave propagation by altering the electric and magnetic properties of the 2D surface. IRS can influentially convert wireless channels to very effectively enhance spectral efficiency (SE) and communication performance in wireless systems.

Incidence and risk factors of hypoparathyroidism and hypocalcemia after hemithyroidectomy.

Purpose: The incidence and risk factors for hypoparathyroidism after total thyroidectomy is well-known. However, the characteristics of hypoparathyroidism and hypocalcemia after hemithyroidectomy have not been investigated well. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the incidence, characteristics, and risk factors of hypoparathyroidism and hypocalcemia after hemithyroidectomy.

Higher Non-High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Was Higher Associated With Cardiovascular Disease Comparing Higher LDL-C in Nine Years Follow Up: Cohort Study.

Objective: Non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) may be equivalent to or superior to low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) for the prediction of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, studies comparing the predictive values of LDL-C and non-HDL-C levels for CVD have yielded conflicting results. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between non-HDL-C, LDL-C, and CVD using a large-scale population dataset from the National Health Information Database (NHID).

Hypomethylation is associated with particulate matter exposure and worse prognosis for patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Airborne particulate matter (PM) is a major health hazard worldwide and is a key factor in lung cancer, which remains the most common type of malignancy and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. DNA methylation is a critical mechanism underlying the detrimental effects of PM, however, the molecular link between PM exposure and lung cancer remains to be elucidated. N-α-acetyltransferase 10 (NAA10) is involved in the cell cycle, migration, apoptosis, differentiation, and proliferation.

Epigenetic and genetic inactivation of tumor suppressor miR-135a in non-small-cell lung cancer.

Background: Despite therapeutic advances, lung cancer prognosis remains poor. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in the 3p21 region is well documented in lung cancer, but the specific causative genes have not been identified.

Materials And Methods: Here, we aimed to examine the clinical impact of miR-135a, located in the 3p21 region, in lung cancer.

A Comprehensive Survey on MIMO Visible Light Communication: Current Research, Machine Learning and Future Trends.

Visible light communication (VLC) has contributed new unused spectrum in addition to the traditional radio frequency communication and can play a significant role in wireless communication. The adaptation of VLC technology enhances wireless connectivity both in indoor and outdoor environments. Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication has been an efficient technique for increasing wireless communications system capacity and performance.

Five-Year Oncologic Outcome and Surgical Completeness of Transoral Robotic Thyroidectomy for Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: Comparison with Conventional Transcervical Thyroidectomy Using Propensity Score Matching.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the oncological outcomes and surgical completeness of transoral robotic thyroidectomy (TORT) for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) compared with conventional transcervical thyroidectomy.

Methods: We analyzed 489 patients with PTC who underwent thyroidectomy with or without central neck dissection (CND; 311 conventional thyroidectomy and 178 TORT) between January 2017 and December 2021. Patients with gross invasion of the surrounding structures, revision or completion thyroidectomy, and lateral neck dissection were excluded.

Asymmetric Contribution of Blastomere Lineages of First Division of the Zygote to Entire Human Body Using Post-Zygotic Variants.

Background: In humans, after fertilization, the zygote divides into two 2n diploid daughter blastomeres. During this division, DNA is replicated, and the remaining mutually exclusive genetic mutations in the genome of each cell are called post-zygotic variants. Using these somatic mutations, developmental lineages can be reconstructed.

Particulate matter-induced hypomethylation of Alu and LINE1 in normal human bronchial epithelial cells and epidermal keratinocytes.

Background: Airborne particulate matter (PM), a complex mixture of organic and inorganic compounds, is a major public health concern due to its adverse health effects. Understanding the biological action of PM is of particular importance in the improvement of public health. Differential methylation of repetitive elements (RE) by PM might have severe consequences for the structural integrity of the genome and on transcriptional activity, thereby affecting human health.

Formation of the Tertiary Sulfonamide C(sp)-N Bond Using Alkyl Boronic Ester via Intramolecular and Intermolecular Copper-Catalyzed Oxidative Cross-Coupling.

A synthetic strategy for the formation of C(sp)-N bonds, particularly through a copper-catalyzed oxidative cross-coupling, is rare. Herein, we report a novel synthetic approach for the preparation of tertiary sulfonamides via copper-catalyzed intra- and intermolecular oxidative C(sp)-N cross-coupling reactions. This method allows the utilization of the readily available C(sp)-based pinacol boronate as a substrate and the tolerance of a wide range of functional groups under mild reaction conditions.

Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Disease in Older Patients With Diabetes: Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background Blood pressure (BP) targets in elderly patients with diabetes remain unclear. We evaluated the association between BP and cardiovascular disease in elderly patients with diabetes without cardiovascular disease or heart failure. Methods and Results We performed a retrospective cohort study of 225 563 elderly (aged ≥65 years) patients with diabetes without cardiovascular disease or heart failure from 2009 to 2017 using the National Health Information Database.

Association Between Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease in Elderly Patients With Diabetes: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Context: Some studies have suggested that patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) concomitant with obesity have better clinical outcomes than normal-weight patients with T2DM.

Objective: We evaluated associations among obesity, cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, and mortality in elderly patients with T2DM without CVD.

Methods: This retrospective observational study from 2009 to 2017, with a mean follow-up of 7.

Cisplatin Resistance in Epstein-Barr-Virus-Associated Gastric Carcinoma Acquired through Methylation.

Epstein-Barr-virus-associated gastric carcinoma (EBVaGC), first reported in 1992, currently accounts for 10% of all gastric carcinoma worldwide. EBVaGC has unique DNA hypermethylation phenotypes that allow for higher proportions of DNA methylation than any other gastric cancer. CpG islands in the gene promoter region are one of the major regions in which DNA methylation controls gene transcription.

Framingham Risk Score Assessment in Subjects with Pre-diabetes and Diabetes: A Cross-Sectional Study in Korea.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate cardiovascular risk in subjects with pre-diabetes and diabetes in Korea.

Methods: In this pan-Korean, non-interventional, cross-sectional study, data were collected from medical records of 10 hospitals between November 2013 and June 2014. Subjects (aged ≥40 years) with medical records of dysglycemia and documentation of total cholesterol level, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, systolic blood pressure, and smoking status in the past 6 months were included.