Perioperative lung expansion and pulmonary outcomes after open abdominal surgery versus usual care in the USA (PRIME-AIR): a multicentre, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial.

Background: Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) are a leading cause of morbidity, death, and increased use of health-care resources. We aimed to determine whether a perioperative lung expansion bundle including individualised intraoperative management reduces PPC severity in patients undergoing major open abdominal surgery compared with usual care.

Methods: In this multicentre, randomised controlled phase 3 trial (PRIME-AIR), we enrolled adult patients (age ≥18 years) scheduled for an elective open abdominal surgery that would last at least 2 h, who were at intermediate or high risk for PPCs on the basis of their Assess Respiratory Risk in Surgical Patients in Catalonia (ARISCAT) score (a score of ≥26), and who had a BMI below 35 kg/m at 17 academic hospitals across ten states in the USA.

Virtual reality-based vestibular rehabilitation therapy in patients with acute unilateral vestibulopathy: a randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: Conventional vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) requires significant time and resources, especially for patients with low compliance, limiting its effectiveness and accurate assessment. Studies have shown VRT using virtual reality (VR) to be effective, with meta-analyses confirming its superiority over conventional methods. However, methodological variations in VR remain a limitation.

Association Between Fatty Liver Index and Incidence of Cataract Surgery in Individuals Aged 50 Years and Older Based on the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort (NHIS-HEALS) Data: Longitudinal Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Cataract is a leading cause of vision impairment. Obesity-related risk factors, including insulin resistance, increase the risk of cataract. The fatty liver index (FLI) is a biomarker for noninvasive fat layer prediction of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Telehealth and In-Person Primary Care Visits for People Living with Alzheimer's Disease-Related Disorders in the State of Nevada.

To people living with Alzheimer's Disease-Related Disorders (ADRD), timely and coordinated communication is essential between their informal caregivers and healthcare providers. In provider shortage areas, for example, the state of Nevada, telehealth can be an effective primary care delivery alternative to in-person visits. To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of telehealth visits for people living with ADRD in the state of Nevada, a decision-analytic Markov model was developed from healthcare system perspectives with a 10-year horizon/1-year cycle.

A crucial role of neutrophil extracellular traps in pulmonary infectious diseases.

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), extrusions of intracellular DNA with attached granular material that exert an antibacterial effect through entangling, isolating, and immobilizing microorganisms, have been extensively studied in recent decades. The primary role of NETs is to entrap and facilitate the killing of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites, preventing bacterial and fungal dissemination. NET formation has been described in many pulmonary diseases, including both infectious and non-infectious.

Development of AI-generated medical responses using the ChatGPT for cancer patients.

Background And Objective: To develop a healthcare chatbot service (AI-guided bot) that conducts real-time conversations using large language models to provide accurate health information to patients.

Methods: To provide accurate and specialized medical responses, we integrated several cancer practice guidelines. The size of the integrated meta-dataset was 1.

Higher high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels increased vertebral osteoporotic fracture, but reduced hip fracture in men based on the National Health Insurance Service-National Health Screening Cohort.

Background Context: Lipids are currently known to play an important role in bone metabolism.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effect of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) on osteoporotic fractures beyond its beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system.

Study Design/setting: This was a retrospective, observational study that used data from the National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening cohort database.

Reduced Alcohol Consumption and Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events Among Individuals With Previously High Alcohol Consumption.

Importance: Cardiovascular benefits of mild to moderate alcohol consumption need to be validated in the context of behavioral changes. The benefits of reduced alcohol consumption among people who drink heavily across different subtypes of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are unclear.

Objective: To investigate the association between reduced alcohol consumption and risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in individuals who drink heavily across different CVD subtypes.

Effects of Intra-operative Cardiopulmonary Variability On Post-operative Pulmonary Complications in Major Non-cardiac Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Intraoperative cardiopulmonary variables are well-known predictors of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPC), traditionally quantified by median values over the duration of surgery. However, it is unknown whether cardiopulmonary instability, or wider intra-operative variability of the same metrics, is distinctly associated with PPC risk and severity. We leveraged a retrospective cohort of adults (n = 1202) undergoing major non-cardiothoracic surgery.

Transdermal scopolamine for the treatment of recurrent parotid sialocele: a case report.

Recurrent parotid sialocele is rare and challenging to treat. Treatment options are limited for cases of parotid sialocele that recur despite ductal ligation. This case study presents a patient who underwent wide excision of the right buccal mucosa due to squamous cell carcinoma.

Comparative analysis of supercritical fluid-based and chemical-based decellularization techniques for nerve tissue regeneration.

Axon regeneration and Schwann cell proliferation are critical processes in the repair and functional recovery of damaged neural tissues. Biomaterials can play a crucial role in facilitating cell proliferative processes that can significantly impact the target tissue repair. Chemical decellularization and supercritical fluid-based decellularization methods are similar approaches that eliminate DNA from native tissues for tissue-mimetic biomaterial production by using different solvents and procedures to achieve the final products.

Co-synthesis and Electrochemical Investigation of the Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Layer with Metallic Nano Beads on the SiO Anode for Lithium Secondary Batteries.

The high theoretical capacity (∼2000 mAh g) of silicon suboxide (SiO, with 1 < < 2) can solve the energy density issue of the graphite anode in Li-ion batteries. In addition, it has an advantage in terms of volume expansion or side reactions compared to pure Si or Li metals, which are considered as next-generation anode materials. However, the loading content of SiO is limited in commercial anodes because of its low cycle stability and initial coulombic efficiency.

Surgical technique for complicated preauricular sinus: Pilot study of double elliptical excision with coaptation suture.

Objectives: Preauricular sinus (PAS) is a congenital anomaly that can progress to complicated cases with granulation tissue around the PAS area due to skin inflammation. Treatment involves incision and drainage or continuous dressing; however, surgical treatment may be necessary. We evaluated a surgical method for the effective treatment of complicated PAS.

Effect of network size on comparing different stock networks.

We analyzed complex networks generated by the threshold method in the Korean and Indian stock markets during the non-crisis period of 2004 and the crisis period of 2008, while varying the size of the system. To create the stock network, we randomly selected N stock indices from the market and constructed the network based on cross-correlation among the time series of stock prices. We computed the average shortest path length L and average clustering coefficient C for several ensembles of generated stock networks and found that both metrics are influenced by network size.

Seasonal occurrence of bark and woodboring Coleoptera in stands of Pinus densiflora (Pinales: Pinaceae) and Larix kaempferi (Pinales: Pinaceae) and monitoring method using multifunnel traps baited with pine volatiles.

This study investigated the seasonal occurrence of bark and woodboring Coleoptera in Pinus densiflora (Pinales: Pinaceae), and Larix kaempferi (Pinales: Pinaceae) stands using multifunnel traps baited with pine volatiles in Korea. The number and species of bark and woodboring beetles caught in traps baited with ethanol, α-pinene, and ethanol+α-pinene were compared to determine the effective attractants. In addition, the effects of other pine volatiles, such as (-)-β-pinene, β-caryophyllene, (±)-limonene, β-myrcene, and 3-carene, were investigated.

A Case of Community-Acquired Elizabethkingia meningoseptica.

Many nosocomial infections commonly arise as a result of contaminated water sources in the hospital setting, such as sinks, air-conditioning systems, ventilation devices, and catheters. Among the microorganisms found in these environments is a gram-negative bacterium first discovered in 1959 by Elizabeth O. King.

Changes in alcohol consumption habits and risk of atrial fibrillation: a nationwide population-based study.

Aims: Heavy alcohol consumption is an established risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the association between habitual changes in heavy habitual drinkers and incident AF remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether absolute abstinence or reduced drinking decreases incident AF in heavy habitual drinkers.

Association Between Migraine and Ischemic Cardio-Cerebrovascular Disease (CCVD) and Effects of Triptans and Ergotamine on the Risk of Ischemic CCVD in Patients with Migraine in the Korean NHIS-HEALS Cohort.

Background And Objectives: Triptans and ergotamine are commonly used to treat migraine, a risk factor for ischemic stroke. This study aimed to investigate the association between migraine and ischemic cardio-cerebrovascular disease (CCVD). Further analyses were performed to examine whether symptom-relieving treatment of migraine with triptans and ergotamine reduces ischemic CCVD in migraineurs.

Clinical features of chronic fungal rhinosinusitis in Korean geriatric and non-geriatric patients.

Purpose: Worldwide, the incidence of chronic fungal rhinosinusitis (CFRS) has increased. Although ageing leads to weakening of the immune system, which increases susceptibility to CFRS, the CFRS characteristics in geriatric patients are unclear. Therefore, we comparatively analysed the clinical characteristics of CFRS in geriatric and non-geriatric patients.

Comparison of a Tobacco-Specific Carcinogen in Tobacco Cigarette, Electronic Cigarette, and Dual Users.

Background: 4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) is known as a lung carcinogen. The objective of this study was to investigate associations of urine NNAL concentrations and smoking status.

Methods: This was a cross-sectionally designed study based on data from the 2016-2018 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes for treatment of sepsis.

Introduction: The pathogenesis of sepsis is an imbalance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses. At the onset of sepsis, the lungs are severely affected, and the injury progresses to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), with a mortality rate of up to 40%. Currently, there is no effective treatment for sepsis.