A Novel Point-of-Care Prediction Model for Steatotic Liver Disease: Expected Role of Mass Screening in the Global Obesity Crisis.

Background/aims: The incidence of steatotic liver disease (SLD) is increasing across all age groups as the incidence of obesity increases worldwide. The existing noninvasive prediction models for SLD require laboratory tests or imaging and perform poorly in the early diagnosis of infrequently screened populations such as young adults and individuals with healthcare disparities. We developed a machine learning-based point-of-care prediction model for SLD that is readily available to the broader population with the aim of facilitating early detection and timely intervention and ultimately reducing the burden of SLD.

Heat-Killed subsp. 557 Extracts Protect Chondrocytes from Osteoarthritis Damage by Reducing Inflammation: An In Vitro Study.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic condition characterized by joint pain and disability, driven by excessive oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokine production in chondrocytes, resulting in cell death and cartilage matrix breakdown. Our previous study showed that in monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced OA rats, oral administration of heat-killed subsp. 557 (LDL557) could significantly decrease OA progression.

Outcomes and predictive factors for fluid resolution following three loading injections of faricimab for treatment-naïve neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

To evaluate the outcomes and predictive factors for fluid resolution following three loading injections of faricimab for neovascular age-related macular degeneration(AMD). This retrospective study included patients diagnosed with treatment-naïve neovascular AMD who received three monthly injections of faricimab. Changes in best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA) and central retinal thickness(CRT) following treatment were evaluated.

Medium-Sized Rotator Cuff Tears Repaired With Transosseous-Equivalent Technique Plus Bone Marrow Stimulation Yielded Similar Short-Term Outcomes Regardless of Whether Complete or Incomplete Footprint Coverage Was Achieved.

Purpose: To compare clinical outcomes and retear rates of medium-sized rotator cuff tears repaired with incomplete footprint coverage using the transosseous-equivalent technique versus those with complete footprint coverage plus bone marrow stimulation.

Methods: The retrospective study, conducted from March 2019 to December 2021, included consecutive patients with medium-sized (1-3 cm) posterosuperior rotator cuff tears repaired using the transosseous-equivalent technique and bone marrow stimulation, with a minimum follow-up of 2 years. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on the degree of footprint coverage achieved: group C (complete coverage) and group I (incomplete coverage).

Optimizing prone CT use for suspected interstitial lung abnormalities.

Objectives: We investigated whether supine chest CT alone suffices for diagnosing ILAs, thereby reducing the need for prone chest CT.

Materials And Methods: Patients who underwent prone chest CT for suspected ILAs from January 2021 to July 2023, with matching supine CT within 1 year, were retrospectively evaluated. Five multinational thoracic radiologists independently rated ILA suspicion and fibrosis scores (1 to 5-point) and ILA extent (1-100%) using supine CT first, then combined supine-prone CT after a 1-month washout.

Osteochondral Abnormalities on Three-Dimensional Ultrashort Echo Time MRI Scans Are Associated with Knee Cartilage Degradation.

Background The calcified cartilage layer and subchondral bone plate (SBP) contribute to osteoarthritis development. Three-dimensional (3D) ultrashort echo-time (UTE) MRI can help to evaluate calcified cartilage and SBP in various stages of cartilage degradation. Purpose To compare calcified cartilage and SBP abnormalities using 3D UTE MRI with cartilage degradation and osteochondral junction (OCJ) abnormalities observed at proton-density fast spin-echo with fat suppression (PDFS) MRI.

CycloZ Suppresses TLR4-Driven Inflammation to Reduce Asthma-Like Responses in HDM-Exposed Mouse Models.

Asthma is a chronic lung disease characterized by airway inflammation, hyperresponsiveness, and narrowing, with a risk of life-threatening attacks. Most current treatments primarily consist of inhalable steroids, which are not without adverse effects. Recently, there has been growing interest in alternative approaches to asthma management.

Clinical Potential of Novel Microbial Therapeutic LP51 Based on Xerosis-Microbiome Index.

Xerosis, characterized by dry, rough skin, causes discomfort and aesthetic concerns, necessitating effective treatment. Traditional treatments often show limited efficacy, prompting the need for innovative therapies. This study highlights the efficacy of microbiome therapeutic LP51, derived from a healthy vaginal microbiome, in improving xerosis.

Accurate Intramyocardial Hemorrhage Assessment with Fast, Free-running, Cardiac Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping.

Purpose To evaluate the performance of a high-dynamic-range quantitative susceptibility mapping (HDR-QSM) cardiac MRI technique to detect intramyocardial hemorrhage (IMH) and quantify iron content using phantom and canine models. Materials and Methods A free-running whole-heart HDR-QSM technique for IMH assessment was developed and evaluated in calibrated iron phantoms and 14 IMH female canine models. IMH detection and iron content quantification performance of this technique was compared with the conventional iron imaging approaches, R2*(1/T2*) maps, using measurements from ex vivo imaging as the reference standard.

Low-Dose CT Screening in East Asian Women Who Have Never Smoked: Association between Family History of Lung Cancer and Ground-Glass Nodule Prevalence and Growth.

Background Characteristics of ground-glass nodules (GGNs) in Asian women who have never smoked with family history of lung cancer (FHLC) remain unexamined. Purpose To investigate the differences in GGN progression to lung cancer at low-dose CT (LDCT) screening between Asian women who have never smoked with and without FHLC, and to examine associations between FHLC and GGN prevalence and growth. Materials and Methods This single-center retrospective study included East Asian women who had never smoked and had no personal history of lung cancer who underwent baseline LDCT for a health checkup between January 2011 and December 2015.

A Review of Contact Lens Regulations in the Asia Pacific Region.

The increased usage of nonrefractive cosmetic contact lenses in Asia and a trend toward increased online purchasing of both refractive and cosmetic contact lenses poses unique challenges in the management of contact lens-related complications. However, regulations have lagged behind this increased uptake in the community. This paper reviews regulations surrounding the manufacturing, import, and distribution of contact lenses in the Asia Pacific region and compares them with international regulations from the European Union and United States.

Arthroscopic Partial Repair of Large to Massive Rotator Cuff Tears Shows Clinical Outcomes and Survivorship at Minimum 10-Year Follow-Up Comparable to Those of Arthroscopic Complete Repair.

Purpose: To compare the survival rate (revision surgery) and clinical and radiologic outcomes of arthroscopic partial versus complete repair for large to massive rotator cuff tears over a minimum 10-year follow-up period.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent arthroscopic partial or complete repair of large to massive rotator cuff tears between 2008 and 2013, with minimum 10-year follow-up. Functional outcomes were measured using the visual analog scale pain score, Subjective Shoulder Value, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, University of California, Los Angeles shoulder score, and passive range of motion preoperatively and at the last follow-up.

Deep learning-based algorithm for automatic quantification of nigrosome-1 and Parkinsonism classification using susceptibility map-weighted MRI.

Background And Purpose: To develop and validate a deep learning-based automatic quantification for nigral hyperintensity and a classification algorithm for neurodegenerative parkinsonism using susceptibility map-weighted imaging (SMwI).

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively collected 450 participants (210 with idiopathic Parkinson's disease [IPD] and 240 individuals in the control group) for training data between November 2022 and May 2023, and 237 participants (168 with IPD, 58 with essential tremor, and 11 with drug-induced Parkinsonism) for validation data between July 2021 and January 2022. SMwI data were reconstructed from multi-echo GRE.

IAMSAM: image-based analysis of molecular signatures using the Segment Anything Model.

Spatial transcriptomics is a cutting-edge technique that combines gene expression with spatial information, allowing researchers to study molecular patterns within tissue architecture. Here, we present IAMSAM, a user-friendly web-based tool for analyzing spatial transcriptomics data focusing on morphological features. IAMSAM accurately segments tissue images using the Segment Anything Model, allowing for the semi-automatic selection of regions of interest based on morphological signatures.

Description and phylogenetic position of a new species, J.E.Jang, K.H.Lee & H.Y.Gil (Saxifragaceae), from the southern islands of South Korea.

We describe a new species, J.E.Jang, K.

5'-tRNA halves generated by IRE1α are linked to the ER stress response.

Transfer RNA halves (tRHs) have various biological functions. However, the biogenesis of specific 5'-tRHs under certain conditions remains unknown. Here, we report that inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α) cleaves the anticodon stem-loop region of tRNA to produce 5'-tRHs (5'-tRH-Gly) with highly selective target discrimination upon endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress.

Growth Kinetics of Graphene on Cu(111) Foils from Methane, Ethyne, Ethylene, and Ethane.

Chemical vapor deposition of carbon precursors on Cu-based substrates at temperatures exceeding 1000 °C is currently a typical route for the scalable synthesis of large-area high-quality single-layer graphene (SLG) films. Using molecules with higher activities than CH may afford lower growth temperatures that might yield fold- and wrinkle-free graphene. The kinetics of growth of graphene using hydrocarbons other than CH are of interest to the scientific and industrial communities.

RETRACTION: A Multiplicity of Anti-Invasive Effects of Farnesyl Transferase Inhibitor SCH66336 in Human Head and Neck Cancer.

S. H. Oh , J.

Real-Time Imaging Assessment of Stress-Induced Vascular Inflammation Using Heartbeat-Synchronized Motion Compensation.

Background: Chronic mental stress accelerates atherosclerosis through complicated neuroimmune pathways, needing for advanced imaging techniques to delineate underlying cellular mechanisms. While histopathology, ex vivo imaging, and snapshots of in vivo images offer promising evidence, they lack the ability to capture real-time visualization of blood cell dynamics within pulsatile arteries in longitudinal studies.

Methods: An electrically tunable lens was implemented in intravital optical microscopy, synchronizing the focal plane with heartbeats to follow artery movements.

Revealing Enhanced Active Oxygen Formation by Incorporating Chromium into Nickel Hydroxide Nanosheets for Improved Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

Nickel-based oxyhydroxides have emerged as promising catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) among Earth-abundant metals. While the incorporation of foreign elements is recognized to enhance catalytic activity, the origin of this enhancement is still debated. We synthesize and examine Ni hydroxide nanosheets, both with and without Cr doping, to elucidate the underlying enhancements.

Endometrial E-cadherin and N-cadherin Expression during the Mid-Secretory Phase of Women with Ovarian Endometrioma or Uterine Fibroids.

Background: Endometriosis and uterine fibroids are benign conditions frequently linked to subfertility/infertility. Recent research has highlighted the importance of epithelial-mesenchymal transition between embryonic and endometrial cells in the context of embryo implantation. Additionally, the adverse endometrial environment during implantation has been proposed as a mechanism contributing to infertility in endometriosis.