Cardiovascular disease risk in Korean patients with systemic lupus erythematosus compared to diabetes mellitus and the general population.

To evaluate the incidence and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among Korean patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) comparing them to diabetes patients and the general population. This nationwide cohort study focused on incident SLE patients aged over 40 years, matched with diabetes patients and the general population (1:4:4 ratio). CVD was defined as ischaemic heart disease, ischaemic stroke, and cardiac arrest.

Singular topological edge states in locally resonant metamaterials.

Band topology has emerged as a novel tool for material design across various domains, including photonic and phononic systems, and metamaterials. A prominent model for band topology is the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) chain, which reveals topological in-gap states within Bragg-type gaps (BG) formed by periodic modification. Apart from classical BGs, another mechanism for bandgap formation in metamaterials involves strong coupling between local resonances and propagating waves, resulting in a local resonance-induced bandgap (LRG).

Cell-free systems: A synthetic biology tool for rapid prototyping in metabolic engineering.

Microbial cell factories provide sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based chemical production using cost-effective substrates. A deep understanding of their metabolism is essential to harness their potential along with continuous efforts to improve productivity and yield. However, the construction and evaluation of numerous genetic variants are time-consuming and labor-intensive.

Suppression of carbon footprint through the CO-assisted pyrolysis of livestock waste.

Concentrated animal feeding operation facility in modern livestock industry is pointed out as a point site causing environmental pollution due to massive generation of manure. While livestock manure is conventionally treated through biological processes, composting and anaerobic digestion, these practices pose difficulties in achieving efficient carbon utilization. To address this, this study suggests a pyrolytic valorization of livestock manure, with a focus on enhancing syngas production.

SEPO-FI: Deep-learning based software to calculate fusion index of muscle cells.

The fusion index is a critical metric for quantitatively assessing the transformation of in vitro muscle cells into myotubes in the biological and medical fields. Traditional methods for calculating this index manually involve the labor-intensive counting of numerous muscle cell nuclei in images, which necessitates determining whether each nucleus is located inside or outside the myotubes, leading to significant inter-observer variation. To address these challenges, this study proposes a three-stage process that integrates the strengths of pattern recognition and deep-learning to automatically calculate the fusion index.

Greater Influence of Density on the Electrical Properties of an Organic Semiconductor Glass Compared to Molecular Orientation.

Physical vapor deposition is widely used in the fabrication of organic light-emitting diodes and has the potential to adjust the density and orientation through substrate temperature control, which may lead to enhanced electrical performance. However, it is unclear whether this enhanced property is because of the horizontal molecular orientation or the increased density. The effects of the density and orientation on the electrical properties of a potential electron transport material, (3-dibenzo[c,h]acridin-7-yl)phenyl)diphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO-dibenzacridine), were investigated.

Investigation of Novel Aronia Bioactive Fraction-Alginic Acid Nanocomplex on the Enhanced Modulation of Neuroinflammation and Inhibition of Aβ Aggregation.

Background/objectives: Aronia extract or its active compounds, especially anthocyanin, have shown potential for Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related pathologies, including neuroinflammation, fibrillogenesis of amyloid beta (Aβ), and cognitive impairment. However, there was still concern about their structural instability in vivo and in vitro. To solve the instability of anthocyanins, we combined aronia bioactive factions (ABFs) and alginic acid via electrostatic molecular interactions and created an ABF-alginic acid nanocomplex (AANCP).

Enhancing the Mechanical and Adhesive Properties of Polyurethane Adhesives with Propylene Oxide-Modified Ethylenediamine (PPO-EDA).

This study explores the use of propylene oxide-modified ethylenediamine (PPO-EDA) as a novel crosslinker and chain extender in polyurethane (PU) adhesives. PPO-EDA was synthesized and compared with ,-dimethylethylenediamine (DMEDA) to assess its impact on mechanical properties and adhesion performance. Key parameters such as NCO conversion, tensile strength, and lap shear strength were thoroughly evaluated.

Trends of Soil and Solution Nutrient Sensing for Open Field and Hydroponic Cultivation in Facilitated Smart Agriculture.

Efficient management of soil nutrients is essential for optimizing crop production, ensuring sustainable agricultural practices, and addressing the challenges posed by population growth and environmental degradation. Smart agriculture, using advanced technologies, plays an important role in achieving these goals by enabling real-time monitoring and precision management of nutrients. In open-field soil cultivation, spatial variability in soil properties demands site-specific nutrient management and integration with variable-rate technology (VRT) to optimize fertilizer application, reduce nutrient losses, and enhance crop yields.

Comparative Efficacy of Extracorporeal Versus Conventional Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in Adult Refractory Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Retrospective Study at a Single Center.

Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) has the potential to improve neurological outcomes in patients with refractory out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), offering an alternative to conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CCPR). However, its effectiveness in OHCA remains controversial despite advancements in resuscitation techniques. This retrospective single-center study compared neurological outcomes and 30-day survival between ECPR and CCPR patients from January 2014 to January 2022.

Analysis of Preventive Effect of Bisphosphonate for Osteoporotic Fracture in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Patient Mortality.

: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease in the older adult population and is often associated with reduced physical activity. Reduced activity and mechanical loading subsequently reduce bone mineral density and increase risk of osteoporosis. Bisphosphonates (BPs) offer preventative effects on osteoporotic fractures in the general population, but their effects on patients with AD are less known.

Interlaminar Fracture Toughness Analysis for Reliability Improvement of Wind Turbine Blade Spar Elements Based on Pultruded Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Plate Manufacturing Method.

The key structural components of a wind turbine blade, such as the skin, spar cap, and shear web, are fabricated from fiber-reinforced composite materials. The spar, predominantly manufactured via resin infusion-a process of resin injection and curing in carbon fibers-is prone to initial defects, such as pores, wrinkles, and delamination. This study suggests employing the pultrusion technique for spar production to consistently obtain a uniform cross-section and augment the reliability of both the manufacturing process and the design.

Dispersion-Stable Carboxymethyl Cellulose/Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Composite for Water-Processed Organic Thermoelectrics.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have drawn great attention as promising candidates for realizing next-generation printed thermoelectrics (TEs). However, the dispersion instability and resulting poor printability of CNTs have been major issues for their practical processing and device applications. In this work, we investigated the TE characteristics of water-processable carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and single-walled CNT (SWCNT) composite.

Etoposide as a Key Therapeutic Agent in Lung Cancer: Mechanisms, Efficacy, and Emerging Strategies.

Topoisomerase II inhibitors, particularly etoposide, have long been integral to the treatment of lung cancer, especially small cell lung cancer. This review comprehensively examines the mechanisms of action of etoposide, its clinical efficacy, and its role in current lung cancer treatment regimens. Etoposide exerts its anticancer effects by inducing DNA strand breaks through the inhibition of topoisomerase II, leading to cancer cell apoptosis.

Ultra-Sensitive Aptamer-Based Diagnostic Systems for Rapid Detection of All SARS-CoV-2 Variants.

The emergence of numerous SARS-CoV-2 variants, characterized by mutations in the viral RNA genome and target proteins, has presented challenges for accurate COVID-19 diagnosis. To address this, we developed universal aptamer probes capable of binding to the spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2 variants, including highly mutated strains like Omicron. These aptamers were identified through protein-based SELEX using spike proteins from three key variants (D614G-substituted Wuhan-Hu-1, Delta, and Omicron) and virus-based SELEX, known as viro-SELEX.

Clinical Efficacy of Three-Dimensional-Printed Pure Titanium Fracture Plates with Locking Screw Systems in Distal Tibia Fractures.

Distal tibia fractures are high-energy injuries characterized by a mismatch between standard plate designs and the patient's specific anatomical bone structure, which can lead to severe soft tissue damage. Recent advancements have focused on the development of customized metal plates using three-dimensional (3D) printing technology. However, 3D-printed metal plates using titanium alloys have not incorporated a locking system due to the brittleness of these alloys.

Oxidative Stress and Risk of Dementia in Older Patients with Depression: A Longitudinal Cohort Study Using Plasma Biomarkers.

: While depression is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's dementia (AD), traditional AD-related biomarkers, such as amyloid-beta, have shown limited predictive value for late-life depression. Oxidative stress has emerged as a potential indicator given its shared role in both depression and dementia. This study investigated the longitudinal relationship between oxidative stress biomarkers and risk of dementia in patients with depression.

Gastroprotective Effects of Aqueous Extracts of Broccoli Stems on Acute Injury in Rats: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Gastric Function and Inflammatory Responses.

: Acute gastric injury is a prevalent gastrointestinal disorder characterized by inflammation and damage to the stomach lining. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic potential effects of broccoli stem extract (BSE) against acute gastritis in a rat model. : The antioxidant properties of BSE were evaluated through DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity assays and total polyphenol content analysis.

Novel Predictive Strategy Using CA19-9 and Fecal Elastase Levels to Make Treatment Decisions for Resectable Pancreatic Cancer: A Retrospective Study.

: Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) is used as a marker to predict recurrence and survival of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Recently, fecal elastase-1 (FE-1) has been shown to correlate with prognosis in patients with PDAC. : A total of 536 patients who underwent curative intent surgery between 2010 and 2019 were included in the study.

A Scoping Review of the Current Knowledge of the Social Determinants of Health and Infectious Diseases (Specifically COVID-19, Tuberculosis, and H1N1 Influenza) in Canadian Arctic Indigenous Communities.

Social determinants of health (SDHs) and the impact of colonization can make Canadian Arctic Indigenous communities susceptible to infectious diseases, including the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This scoping review followed the PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews and studied what is known about selected pandemics (COVID-19, tuberculosis, and H1N1 influenza) and SDHs (healthcare accessibility, food insecurity, mental health, cultural continuity, housing, community infrastructure, and socioeconomic status (SES)) for Canadian Arctic Indigenous communities. Original studies published in English and French up to October 2024 were located in databases (PubMed, Medline, and CINAHL), , and through reference tracking.

Intermittent Fasting Protects Against the Progression from Acute Kidney Injury to Chronic Kidney Disease.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a major but often underestimated risk factor for the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Exploring innovative approaches to prevent this progression is critical. Intermittent fasting (IF), recognized for its metabolic and anti-inflammatory benefits, may offer protective effects in this context.

Aetiology of chronic liver disease is a valuable factor for stratifying adverse outcomes of acute decompensation: prospective observational study.

Background/aims: Acute decompensation (AD) is defined as the development of complications related to portal hypertension and liver dysfunction that affect the progression of chronic liver disease (CLD) or liver cirrhosis (LC). Variations exist in patient demographics and prognostic outcomes of AD based on the aetiology of CLD, encompassing LC. However, limited research has been conducted to analyse these discrepancies across aetiologies.

Retrospective observational study of the association between changes in physical activity and frailty in middle-aged and older adults: evidence from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (2006-2022).

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between changes in physical activity and frailty among middle-aged and older adults in Korea, using panel data from the 2006-2022 Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA).

Design: Retrospective observational study.

Setting: For this longitudinal panel study, data were sourced from the KLoSA dataset.

Machine learning prediction of in-hospital mortality and external validation in patients with cardiogenic shock: the RESCUE score.

Introduction And Objectives: Despite advances in mechanical circulatory support, mortality rates in cardiogenic shock (CS) remain high. A reliable risk stratification system could serve as a valuable guide in the clinical management of patients with CS. This study aimed to develop and externally validate a risk prediction model for in-hospital mortality in CS patients using machine learning (ML) algorithms.