Comparative epigenetics of domestic animals: focusing on DNA accessibility and its impact on gene regulation and traits.

Importance: Chromatin accessibility is vital for gene regulation, determining the ability of DNA-binding proteins to access the genomic regions and drive transcriptional activity, reflecting environmental changes. Although human and murine studies have advanced the understanding of chromatin dynamics, domestic animals remain comparatively underexplored despite their importance in agriculture and veterinary medicine. Investigating the accessibility of chromatin in these species is crucial for improving traits such as productivity, disease resistance, and environmental adaptation.

Oncologic oUTcomes of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for obSTructive colon cAncer after steNt decompression (OUTSTAND trial); A study protocol of multicenter non-inferiority randomized controlled trial.

Background: For obstructive colon cancer, many studies have been conducted on the use of self-expandable metallic stents (SEMS) as a bridge to surgery (BTS). However, there are currently no available prospective data on the impact of bridging period and there is a lack of research on the effects of neoadjuvant chemotherapy during the bridging period.

Objectives: Patients who undergo successful SEMS placement for obstructive left-sided colon adenocarcinoma without metastases will be eligible for this study.

Long-term trends and patterns in ultra-processed food consumption among Korean adults from 1998 to 2022.

Ultra-processed foods are linked to adverse health outcomes, making it crucial to monitor consumption trends. Despite rising consumption due to Westernized diets in Asia, long-term studies targeting Asian adults are lacking. Thus, we analyzed ultra-processed food consumption trends among Korean adults from 1998 to 2022.

Drug-resistance genes and antifungal susceptibility of Trichophyton verrucosum variants isolated from bovine skin lesions and farm environments.

Trichophyton verrucosum causes a highly contagious disease in bovines and is occasionally transmitted to humans. Azoles are widely used as antifungal drugs in bovines, and act by targeting the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway. However, cases of treatment failure and recurrence of dermatophyte infections have been associated with mutations at the drug target site.

Effect of preoperative medial meniscus status on the outcomes of high tibial osteotomy with human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells cartilage regeneration.

Background: The effect of medial meniscus (MM) status on outcomes following high tibial osteotomy (HTO) combined with cartilage regeneration using human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCB-MSCs) remains unclear.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of preoperative MM status on the outcomes of HTO combined with cartilage regeneration using hUCB-MSCs. Specifically, clinical and radiological outcomes were compared between two groups of patients, which were divided according to their preoperative MM status.

DOGpred: A Novel Deep Learning Framework for Accurate Identification of Human O-linked Threonine Glycosylation Sites.

O-linked glycosylation is a crucial post-translational modification that regulates protein function and biological processes. Dysregulation of this process is associated with various diseases, underscoring the need to accurately identify O-linked glycosylation sites on proteins. Current experimental methods for identifying O-linked threonine glycosylation (OTG) sites are often complex and costly.

The prevalence of congenital cervical stenosis differs based on race.

Background: Congenital cervical stenosis (CCS) is a rare condition involving a narrowed spinal canal due to developmental anomalies. CCS heightens the risk of neurologic deficits and acute spinal cord injury posttrauma, influencing return-to-play decisions for contact athletes. Additionally, CCS patients are prone to cervical myelopathy as degenerative changes progress with age.

Cleaning contaminants from cotton textiles using compressed liquid CO and co-solvent mixtures.

Liquid CO (L-CO) has emerged as a safe and sustainable alternative to conventional organic solvents in dry cleaning owing to its non-toxic, non-flammable, and environmentally friendly nature. However, the compounds that can be removed from the fabrics by L-CO are unknown. In this study, we optimized the temperature, flow rate, and co-solvent for L-CO dry cleaning and identified the compounds that can be removed by this method using gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Impact of INSTI on a Drug-Resistant Mutation (S68S Insertion) in a Patient Infected with HIV-1 CRF06_cpx.

Previously, we reported a T69S insertion in the circulating recombinant form 06_cpx in a patient infected with HIV-1 during the perinatal period. Through this study, we found that the T69S insertion in our previous report was actually an S68S insertion. The patient was treated with zidovudine and didanosine, followed by combination antiretroviral therapy.

Recruiting spatial-numerical representations to increase arithmetic fluency in low-income students.

This study examined the effects of training involving spatial versus nonspatial representations of numerical magnitude for promoting arithmetic fluency. The key goal was to advance theoretical understanding of the relation between spatial and math learning, while simultaneously laying the groundwork for the development of future educational interventions. Toward this goal, the study tested the hypothesis that the use of spatial representations during training facilitates arithmetic fluency via improvements in numerical magnitude knowledge.

Investigation on phase formation and thermoelectric transport properties of CoTe2-CoSe2 solid solution alloys.

CoTe2 and CoSe2 alloys have garnered considerable attention in thermoelectric applications due to their high electrical conductivity, tunable electronic properties, and potential for high power factors. In this study, the phase formation behavior and thermoelectric transport properties of a CoTe2-CoSe2 solid solution alloy were investigated by synthesizing a series of Co(Te1-xSex)2 compositions, where x = 0, 0.25, 0.

Real-world outcomes of prophylactic cranial irradiation utilization and efficacy for patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer treated with consolidative thoracic radiotherapy.

Background: The role of prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) is not well-defined in extensive-stage SCLC (ES-SCLC), with conflicting results from randomized trials and a lack of relevant data for patients who received consolidative thoracic radiotherapy (CTRT). We sought to evaluate the impact of PCI on the outcomes of ES-SCLC patients who were all treated with CTRT.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of ES-SCLC patients without brain metastases who were all treated with CTRT between 2013-2021 at our institution was conducted.

Effectiveness of advanced cardiovascular life support in hyperkalemic cardiac arrest: A randomized experimental study in pigs.

Current treatment recommendations for hyperkalemic cardiac arrest focus exclusively on the addition of antihyperkalemic therapies and are otherwise identical to those for cardiac arrest caused by non-hyperkalemic etiologies. We were unable to find any studies that specifically examine the hemodynamic effects of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in hyperkalemic cardiac arrest compared to cardiac arrest from non-hyperkalemic etiologies. We hypothesized that myocardial ischemic contracture would be less severe in hyperkalemic cardiac arrest compared with ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest, resulting in higher cerebral perfusion pressure, brain tissue oxygen tension, and coronary perfusion pressure during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Long-term outcomes of enzyme replacement therapy from a large cohort of Korean patients with mucopolysaccharidosis IVA (Morquio A syndrome).

Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) IVA (Morquio A syndrome) is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder caused by a mutation affecting the enzyme -acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfatase (EC 3.1.6.

Hypomagnesemia Causing Convulsions in a Patient Taking a Proton Pump Inhibitor: A Case Report.

Long-term administration of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) has been increasingly recognized to cause hypomagnesemia due to impaired magnesium absorption in both the small and large intestines. Hypomagnesemia can lead to various electrolyte imbalances, including hypokalemia, hypocalcemia, and, less commonly, hyponatremia and hypophosphatemia. Measuring serum magnesium levels is essential for identifying the underlying cause in patients receiving PPIs with unexplained electrolyte abnormalities.

Machine learning prediction of anxiety symptoms in social anxiety disorder: utilizing multimodal data from virtual reality sessions.

Introduction: Machine learning (ML) is an effective tool for predicting mental states and is a key technology in digital psychiatry. This study aimed to develop ML algorithms to predict the upper tertile group of various anxiety symptoms based on multimodal data from virtual reality (VR) therapy sessions for social anxiety disorder (SAD) patients and to evaluate their predictive performance across each data type.

Methods: This study included 32 SAD-diagnosed individuals, and finalized a dataset of 132 samples from 25 participants.

Quantum-inspired seagull optimised deep belief network approach for cardiovascular disease prediction.

The early detection and accurate diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases is vital to reduce global morbidity and death rates. In this work, the quantum-inspired seagull optimization algorithm (QISOA) combined with a deep belief network (DBN) is proposed to improve the identification of cardiovascular disorders. As part of preprocessing, cleaning, transformation, and standardization are performed to eliminate noise, inconsistencies, and scaling issues in the data.

Crosslinker-free hydrogel induces self-aggregation of human dental pulp stem cells with enhanced antibacterial activity.

Recently, injectable hydrogels have garnered significant attention in tissue engineering due to their controlled flowability, strong plasticity, adaptability, and good biocompatibility. However, research on readily injectable -forming hydrogels capable of forming functional three-dimensional (3D) tissue condensations remains limited. This study explores the development and evaluation of a carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCTS)/oxidized hyaluronic acid (oHA) hydrogel incorporated with silver sulfadiazine (AgSD) for tissue engineering applications with inherent antibacterial activity.

Efficacy of in-person and telepractice-based extended Lee Silverman Voice Treatment LOUD on dysarthria and dysphagia in adults with cerebral palsy.

Objective: With advancements in digital health technologies, telepractice has become crucial for providing accessible medical interventions. Cerebral palsy (CP) frequently results in comorbidities including dysarthria and dysphagia, leading to restrictions in activities. This study evaluates the efficacy of both in-person and telepractice-based intensive voice therapy in improving speech, swallowing functions, and related quality of life measures in adults with CP.

Serum and urine eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN) levels predict biologic response in severe asthma.

Background: Eosinophils are crucial in allergic inflammation, and their correlation with asthma severity has made them a focal point in predicting treatment outcomes. Blood eosinophil count is a commonly utilized marker. However, its limitations have prompted alternative biomarker exploration, such as eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN).

Molecular characterization of ovarian mesonephric-like adenocarcinoma: Insights from single-cell RNA sequencing and mitochondrial metabolism.

Objectives: Ovarian mesonephric-like adenocarcinoma (MLA) is a rare malignancy with limited understanding of its molecular features and therapeutic vulnerabilities. Although similar to uterine MLA, its unique characteristics remain undefined. This study aimed to characterize ovarian MLA using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and compare it with high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC).

HMGA1 acts as an epigenetic gatekeeper of ASCL2 and Wnt signaling during colon tumorigenesis.

Mutated tumor cells undergo changes in chromatin accessibility and gene expression, resulting in aberrant proliferation and differentiation, although how this occurs is unclear. HMGA1 chromatin regulators are abundant in stem cells and oncogenic in diverse tissues; however, their role in colon tumorigenesis is only beginning to emerge. Here, we uncover a previously unknown epigenetic program whereby HMGA1 amplifies Wnt signaling during colon tumorigenesis driven by inflammatory microbiota and/or Adenomatous polyposis coli (Apc) inactivation.

Differential Prognosis of True Bifurcation Lesions According to Left Main Versus Non-Left Main Location and Treatment Strategy.

Background: Although true bifurcation lesions are associated with a high risk of procedural complications, the differential prognostic implications of percutaneous coronary intervention for true bifurcations according to lesion location are unclear. This study aimed to identify whether clinical outcomes of true bifurcation lesions differed between left main coronary artery (LM) and non-LM bifurcations and to determine the optimal treatment strategy for subtypes of bifurcation lesions in the current-generation drug-eluting stent era.

Methods: The ULTRA-BIFURCAT (Combined Insights From the Unified COBIS III, RAIN, and ULTRA Registries) was created by merging 3 bifurcation-dedicated registries from Korea and Italy.

Comparative Effectiveness of Rosuvastatin Versus Atorvastatin in Acute Ischemic Stroke Treatment.

Background: Research specifically addressing the efficacy of rosuvastatin versus atorvastatin in patients with ischemic stroke is insufficient. Using a large stroke registry, we investigated whether 2 commonly used statins, rosuvastatin and atorvastatin, differ in their effectiveness in reducing the risk of vascular events in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Methods: We analyzed data from a nationwide stroke registry in South Korea between January 2011 and April 2022.