AI derived ECG global longitudinal strain compared to echocardiographic measurements.

Left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (LVGLS) is versatile; however, it is difficult to obtain. We evaluated the potential of an artificial intelligence (AI)-generated electrocardiography score for LVGLS estimation (ECG-GLS score) to diagnose LV systolic dysfunction and predict prognosis of patients with heart failure (HF). A convolutional neural network-based deep-learning algorithm was trained to estimate the echocardiography-derived GLS (LVGLS).

Impact of changes in left heart geometry on predicting new-onset atrial fibrillation in patients with hypertension.

Background: Hypertension-induced left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) increases end-diastolic LV pressure and contributes to left atrial enlargement (LAE), which are associated with development of atrial fibrillation. However, the impact of LVH and LAE and their regression following antihypertensive therapy on atrial fibrillation incidence remains unclear.

Methods: This retrospective analysis included consecutive patients with sinus rhythm who underwent echocardiography at hypertension diagnosis and after 6-18 months between 2006 and 2021 at tertiary care centres in Korea.

Diffusion-Weighted MR Neurography with Unidirectional Motion-Probing Gradient to Evaluate Lumbar Nerve Roots at 1.5T MR.

Purpose: Recent studies have demonstrated the usefulness of diffusion-weighted MR neurography (DW MRN) for assessing nerve roots. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of DW MRN with a unidirectional motion-probing gradient (MPG) for the lumbar nerve roots at 1.5T MR.

Effect of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 and osteoprotegerin-Fc in MC3T3-E1 cells.

Objective: We compared the osteoblastogenesis by serially administrating recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) and osteoprotegerin-immunoglobulin Fc segment complex (OPG-Fc).

Methods: The MC3T3-E1 preosteoblast cell line was differentiated for 1, 3, and 7 days with a treatment of OPG-Fc in 10~200 ng/mL concentration and the cell viability was evaluated by Cell Counting Kit-8 analysis. The level of differentiation from MC3T3-E1 cells to osteoblasts was determined by alkaline phosphatase activity.

Irreversible myocardial injury attenuates the benefits of sacubitril/valsartan in heart failure patients.

Background: Despite the established benefits of angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) across various etiologies, there are controversies regarding the effects of ARNI in patients with irreversible myocardial injury. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of irreversible myocardial injury on the benefits of ARNI treatment in patients with HFrEF, consisted of both ischemic and non-ischemic etiologies.

Methods And Results: We conducted a retrospective single-center study including 409 consecutive patients with HFrEF treated with ARNI between March 2017 and May 2020.

Geographical variation in cardiovascular disease mortality in Norway: The role of life course socioeconomic position and parental health.

Despite substantial geographical variation in cardiovascular (CVD) mortality within countries, little is known about whether this variation can be explained by individuals' life course socioeconomic position (SEP) or differences in family history of premature CVD deaths. Cox proportional hazards models were used to investigate the association between the county of residence at ages 50-59 and CVD death in Norwegians born between 1940 and 1959 and survived to at least age 60, using national data. Individual life course SEP and family history of premature CVD death reduced the geographical variation in CVD mortality across Norwegian counties, but some significant differences remained.

Serial administration of rhBMP-2 and alendronate enhances the differentiation of osteoblasts.

Aim: The incorporation of growth factors is an effective strategy to accelerate bone induction. Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) promotes osteoblast differentiation and induces bone formation. Alendronate (ALN) is an osteoclast deactivation drug.

Magic Learning Pill: Ontological and Instrumental Learning in Order to Speed Up Education.

The purpose of this research is to investigate the phenomenology of learning - people"s attitudes toward their learning experiences that have inherent worth in themselves (i.e., ontological learning) or have value outside of the learning itself (i.

Ureteral Rupture Caused by a Suprapubic Catheter in a Male Patient With Spinal Cord Injury: A Case Report.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) may lead to urinary system disturbances. Patients with SCI usually have neurogenic bladder, and treatment optionss for this condition include clean intermittent catheterization and a permanent indwelling urethral or suprapubic catheter. Complications of catheterization include urinary tract infection, calculi, urinary tract injury, bladder contraction, bladder spasm, renal dysfunction, bladder cancer, and so forth.

Effects of therapeutic Tai chi on functional fitness and activities of daily living in patients with Parkinson disease.

The purpose of the study is to investigate the effects of therapeutic Tai chi (TTC) on the functional fitness status and activities of daily living (ADL) of patients with Parkinson disease (PD). The participants were clinically stable PDs in Hoehn and Yahr stage 1-2. These patients were randomly assigned to either the TTC group (n=11) or the control (CON) group (n=9).

Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Advanced Gastric Cancer in Elderly and Non-elderly Patients: Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Purpose: This study evaluated the benefits of adjuvant chemotherapy on elderly patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC) using meta-analysis of well-designed randomized controlled clinical studies.

Materials And Methods: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane were searched to retrieve clinical studies evaluating the benefits of adjuvant chemotherapy in the elderly with AGC. Hazards ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled across studies using a fixed-effects model.

D-Dimer Can Serve as a Prognostic and Predictive Biomarker for Metastatic Gastric Cancer Treated by Chemotherapy.

Systemic activation of hemostasis and thrombosis has been implicated in tumor progression and metastasis. D-dimer has been used as an indicator for the thrombosis. Here, we investigated the role of the activation of coagulation in patients with metastatic gastric cancer by measuring D-dimer level.

Population-Based Regional Cancer Incidence in Korea: Comparison between Urban and Rural Areas.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate differences in organ-specific cancer incidence according to the region and population size in Korea.

Materials And Methods: We reviewed the data of the cancer registration program of Gyeongnam Regional Cancer Center between 2008 and 2011. Age-standardized rates of cancer incidence were analyzed according to population size of the region and administrative zone.

Gemcitabine plus vinorelbine as the second-line treatment and beyond in elderly patients with platinum-pretreated advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: The efficacy and tolerance of a gemcitabine and vinorelbine (GV) combination as salvage therapy have not been reported in elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: We reviewed elderly patients with advanced NSCLC who had disease progression after one or more chemotherapy regimens, at least one including platinum, and then who were treated with GV as the salvage therapy.

Results: In total 40 patients were analyzed.

Prognostic significance of the absolute monocyte counts in lung cancer patients with venous thromboembolism.

We investigated the clinical significance of the absolute monocyte count (AMC) as a predictor of the response to anticoagulation and survival in lung cancer patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE). We retrospectively reviewed 1707 patients with pathologically proven lung cancer who visited the hospital between July 2008 and May 2014. Among them, the clinical data of patients newly diagnosed with VTE and treated with anticoagulation were compared between the low and high AMC groups according to the median value of AMC (640/μL) at the time of VTE diagnosis.

Carbamylated low-density lipoprotein attenuates glucose uptake via a nitric oxide-mediated pathway in rat L6 skeletal muscle cells.

Carbamylation is a cyanate-mediated posttranslational modification. We previously reported that carbamylated low-density lipoprotein (cLDL) increases reactive oxygen species and apoptosis via a lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor mediated pathway in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. A recent study reported an association between cLDL and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Can thymidine phosphorylase be a predictive marker for gemcitabine and doxifluridine combination chemotherapy in cholangiocarcinoma?: case series.

Unresectable cholangiocarcinoma is poorly responded to chemotherapy, especially for the case refractory to gemcitabine and cisplatin. Here, we tested whether high expression of thymidine phosphorylase (TP) can be a predictive biomarker for the indicator for gemcitabine and doxifluridine combination chemotherapy in the cholangiocarcinoma refractory to gemcitabine and cisplatin. Immunohistochemical staining for TP was performed with a biopsy specimen.

Clinical Significance of Fecal Lactoferrin and Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction in Patients with Acute Diarrhea.

Background/aims: The diagnostic yield of fecal leukocyte and stool cultures is unsatisfactory in patients with acute diarrhea. This study was performed to evaluate the clinical significance of the fecal lactoferrin test and fecal multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in patients with acute diarrhea.

Methods: Clinical parameters and laboratory findings, including fecal leukocytes, fecal lactoferrin, stool cultures and stool multiplex PCR for bacteria and viruses, were evaluated prospectively for patients who were hospitalized due to acute diarrhea.

Prognostic significance of the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio in patients with small cell lung cancer.

We investigated the role of the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) at diagnosis in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) treated with standard chemotherapy. We retrospectively reviewed all SCLC patients who received frontline platinum-based chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. The cut-off LMR value at diagnosis was 4.

The analysis of mutations and exon deletions at TSC2 gene in angiomyolipomas associated with tuberous sclerosis complex.

Angiomyolipomas (AMLs) are relatively rare hamartomatous or benign tumors that occasionally occur as part of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Mutations in either of the two genes, TSC1 and TSC2, have been attributed to the development of TSC. Between 1994 and January 2009, 83 patients were diagnosed with AML at the Samsung Medical Center.

Proper exercise decreases plasma carcinoembryonic antigen levels with the improvement of body condition in elderly women.

Aging increases the risk of chronic diseases including cancers. Physical exercise has the beneficial effects for the elderly susceptible to the development of cancers, through maintaining a healthy body condition and improving the immune system. However, excessive or insufficient exercise might increase the risk for cancer.

Clinical significance of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in venous thromboembolism patients with lung cancer.

Background: The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been identified as a potentially useful marker for predicting clinical outcome in patients with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and various malignancies. The aim of this study was to determine whether NLR at the time of venous thromboembolism (VTE) diagnosis is a prognostic factor for the response to anticoagulation and survival in lung cancer patients treated with anticoagulation for VTE.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics, laboratory parameters, and NLR in 114 lung cancer patients newly diagnosed with VTE, among 991 patients pathologically confirmed for lung cancer between July 2008 and August 2013.