Persistently Active Infection Is Associated with the Development of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease.

Previous studies suggested a link between ( infection and steatotic liver disease, now termed metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). This study aimed to identify the association of active infection and the new concept of MASLD in a longitudinal cohort. We reviewed 1497 health examinees who had two endoscopic biopsies for activity without hepatic steatosis at the baseline abdominal ultrasonography.

Prognostic Impact of Primary Tumor Size in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma without Lymph Node Metastasis.

Background: We aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of primary tumor size in patients with pT1-T3a N0 M0 papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), minimizing the impact of confounding factors.

Methods: A multicenter retrospective study included 5,759 patients with PTC. Those with lymph node metastasis, gross extrathyroidal extension (ETE), and aggressive variants were excluded.

Association Between Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease and Thyroid Cancer.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) represents a hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome. This study investigated the association between newly developed nomenclature MASLD and the risk of thyroid cancer in the Korean population. After excluding individuals with a history of liver disease or malignancy, we analyzed a cohort of 214,502 Korean adults aged 40 years and above who participated in the National Health Screening Program from 2009 to 2010.

Combinatorial Pattern Response of Bioelectronic Nose for the Detection of Real Nerve Agents.

Nerve agents are toxic organophosphorus chemicals and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors that have been used in terrorist acts. Because they exhibit fatal toxic effects in small amounts, technology is required to detect and identify them early. Research for nerve agent detection using structural simulants of real agents may not function properly for real agents depending on the selectivity of the sensor.

Association between Liver Function Markers and Menstrual Cycle Irregularity in Korean Female Population.

Background: The liver plays an important role in gonadal steroid hormone metabolism, which can affect reproductive health, including the menstrual cycle. However, evidence from large population-based studies is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between liver function markers and menstrual cycle irregularities in premenopausal Korean women using nationwide data.

The influence of HLA genetic variation on plasma protein expression.

Genetic variation in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) loci is associated with risk of immune-mediated diseases, but the molecular effects of HLA polymorphism are unclear. Here we examined the effects of HLA genetic variation on the expression of 2940 plasma proteins across 45,330 Europeans in the UK Biobank, with replication analyses across multiple ancestry groups. We detected 504 proteins affected by HLA variants (HLA-pQTL), including widespread trans effects by autoimmune disease risk alleles.

DNA Delivery by Virus-Like Nanocarriers in Plant Cells.

Tobacco mild green mosaic virus (TMGMV)-like nanocarriers were designed for gene delivery to plant cells. High aspect ratio TMGMVs were coated with a polycationic biopolymer, poly(allylamine) hydrochloride (PAH), to generate highly charged nanomaterials (TMGMV-PAH; 56.20 ± 4.

Reversible Modulation of Plasmonic Coupling of Gold Nanoparticles Confined within Swellable Polymer Colloidal Spheres.

Dynamic optical modulation in response to stimuli provides exciting opportunities for designing novel sensing, actuating, and authentication devices. Here, we demonstrate that the reversible swelling and deswelling of crosslinked polymer colloidal spheres in response to pH and temperature changes can be utilized to drive the assembly and disassembly of the embedded gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), inducing their plasmonic coupling and decoupling and, correspondingly, color changes. The multi-responsive colloids are created by depositing a monolayer of AuNPs on the surface of resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) nanospheres, then overcoating them with an additional RF layer, followed by a seeded growth process to enlarge the AuNPs and reduce their interparticle separation to induce significant plasmonic coupling.

Physicochemical Changes in Root-Canal Sealers under Thermal Challenge: A Comparative Analysis of Calcium Silicate- and Epoxy-Resin-Based Sealers.

Introduction: We compared the effects of heat on the physicochemical properties of recently developed calcium silicate-based sealers (CSBSs), including BioRoot Flow, BioRoot RCS, and AH Plus Bioceramic sealer, with those of the epoxy-resin-based sealer (ERBS) AH Plus.

Methods: The flow, film thickness, setting time, and solubility of sealers were evaluated at 37 °C and 100 °C using ISO 6876/2012. Furthermore, pH and calcium ion release were evaluated at these temperatures.

Incidence of Infections in Republic of Korea: A Prospective Study With Active Surveillance vs. National Data From Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service.

Background: Since the emergence of hypervirulent strains of , the incidence of infections (CDI) has increased significantly.

Methods: To assess the incidence of CDI in Korea, we conducted a prospective multicentre observational study from October 2020 to October 2021. Additionally, we calculated the incidence of CDI from mass data obtained from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) from 2008 to 2020.

Skin-Whitening Effect of a Callus Extract of Isolate Haman.

The sacred lotus ( Gaertn. Isolate Haman, in the family Nelumbonaceae) used in this study originated from the Haman region of Korea, and lotus seeds dating back to the Goryeo Dynasty (650-760 years ago) were accidentally discovered. Lotus is known to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and soothing properties.

Electrostatics Control Nanoparticle Interactions with Model and Native Cell Walls of Plants and Algae.

A lack of mechanistic understanding of nanomaterial interactions with plants and algae cell walls limits the advancement of nanotechnology-based tools for sustainable agriculture. We systematically investigated the influence of nanoparticle charge on the interactions with model cell wall surfaces built with cellulose or pectin and performed a comparative analysis with native cell walls of plants and green algae (). The high affinity of positively charged carbon dots (CDs) (46.

Age-associated mortality is partially mediated by TERT promoter mutation status in differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

Background: Age at diagnosis (AAD) and telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter mutations are prognostic factors in differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC), and the prevalence of the mutations increases with AAD. Considering this correlation, we investigated whether an interaction between AAD and the mutations is present and whether the mutation mediates the effect of AAD on the mortality rate in DTC.

Methods: The study included 393 patients with DTC who were followed-up after thyroidectomy at a single medical center in Korea from 1994 to 2004.

Postoperative outcomes of ovarian preserving surgery in premenopausal women with adnexal torsion.

Objective: We aimed to determine whether ovarian-preserving surgery for adnexal torsion helps preserve ovarian function without increasing the risk of postoperative complications.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 71 women who were surgically diagnosed with adnexal torsion between January 2015 and December 2019 at Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine (ovarian preservation group, 56; oophorectomy, 15). Serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels measured within 6 months before surgery were compared to levels measured 6-24 months after surgery.

Comparative Analysis of Water Extracts from Roselle ( L.) Plants and Callus Cells: Constituents, Effects on Human Skin Cells, and Transcriptome Profiles.

Roselle ( L.) is a plant that has traditionally been used in various food and beverage products. Here, we investigated the potential of water extracts derived from Roselle leaves and callus cells for cosmetic and pharmaceutical purposes.

Greater Severity of Steatosis Is Associated with a Higher Risk of Incident Diabetes: A Retrospective Longitudinal Study.

Backgruound: Fatty liver is associated with increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. We aimed to evaluate whether the severity of hepatic steatosis is associated with incident diabetes.

Methods: We conducted a longitudinal analysis using data from 1,798 participants who underwent a comprehensive health checkup and abdominal computed tomography (CT).

FSLLRY-NH, a protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) antagonist, activates mas-related G protein-coupled receptor C11 (MrgprC11) to induce scratching behaviors in mice.

Aims: Protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2), a type of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), plays a significant role in pathophysiological conditions such as inflammation. A synthetic peptide SLIGRL-NH (SLIGRL) can activate PAR2, while FSLLRY-NH (FSLLRY) is an antagonist. A previous study showed that SLIGRL activates both PAR2 and mas-related G protein-coupled receptor C11 (MrgprC11), a different type of GPCR expressed in sensory neurons.

Identification of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms as Biomarkers for Recurrent Pregnancy Loss in Korean Women.

Background: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are reportedly associated with repeated abortion. Thus, genetic analysis based on race is the key to developing accurate diagnostic tests. This study analyzed the genetic polymorphisms of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) patients among Korean women compared to the controls.