Bibliometric Analysis of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Research in South Korea.

Background: Current research on nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is multidisciplinary; thus, proper organization is necessary to obtain comprehensive insights. Therefore, a bibliometric analysis was performed to identify NTM research characteristics in South Korea.

Methods: The Web of Science was searched for NTM articles authored by Koreans at Korean institutions until March 2023.

Microglial galectin-3 increases with aging in the mouse hippocampus.

Microglial activation during aging is associated with neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment. Galectin-3 plays a crucial role in microglial activation and phagocytosis. However, the role of galectin-3 in the aged brain is not completely understood.

Effectiveness and safety of negative pressure wound therapy in patients with deep sternal wound infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Deep sternal wound infection (DSWI) is a severe and life-threatening complication following cardiovascular surgery. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has emerged as a promising therapeutic bridging option for DSWI. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, the authors aimed to evaluate the impact of NPWT on clinical outcomes in patients with DSWI.

Feasibility of long-range telesurgical robotic radical gastrectomy in a live porcine model.

Background: Telesurgery has been made increasingly possible with the advancements in robotic surgical platforms and network connectivity. However, long-distance transnational complex robotic surgeries such as gastrectomy have yet to be attempted.

Methods: Multiple transnational network connections by Science Innovation Network (SINET), Japan Gigabit Network (JGN), and Arterial Research and Education Network in Asia-Pacific (ARENA-PAC) were established and tested by multiple surgeons in a dry box model.

ArtiSential versus conventional laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery: a multicenter retrospective matched cohort study.

Background: This study aims to compare outcomes of colorectal cancer surgeries performed using the newly developed articulating laparoscopic instrument, ArtiSential, with those using conventional non-articulating or rigid laparoscopic instruments.

Methods: This multicenter, retrospective, matched cohort study enrolled patients with colorectal cancer undergoing laparoscopic surgery in seven tertiary referral hospitals from January 2021 to October 2022. A 1:1 propensity score matching was performed between the articulating (Arti-LAP) and conventional (Rigid-LAP) laparoscopic groups.

Influence of an impacted estuary on the reproduction of an endangered endemic fish.

Health and nutrition of individuals are tied to reproductive success, which determines population viability. Environmental variability and anthropogenic effects can affect the health and nutrition of a species leading to reproductive repercussions which can hinder recovery of endangered populations. Indices of health and nutrition were examined for an imperiled species, delta smelt, Hypomesus transpacificus, in relation to their reproductive status to evaluate the effects of hydrologic conditions in the San Francisco Estuary and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

'It overwhelms the system': examining EMS provision in a South Texas border community.

Objective: Examine how the characteristics of border communities along the US southern land border impact Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel in these border communities.

Design: Using phenomenological approach, we conducted face-to-face, one-on-one interviews using a semistructured interview methodology.

Setting: All participants worked as EMS providers in a city fire department along the Texas-Mexico border.

Efficacy of solution-focused brief therapy versus case management for psychological distress in adolescents and young adults in a community-based youth mental health service in Singapore: protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: There are insufficient scalable, evidence-based treatments to meet increasing mental health needs of young people. Offering interim, brief interventions for young persons with psychological distress can improve access to care and mitigate adverse effects of long waiting times. This study tests the efficacy of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT), a strength-based, goal-directed intervention, in adolescents and young adults at a community-based youth mental health service in Singapore.

AI-assisted detection for chest X-rays (AID-CXR): a multi-reader multi-case study protocol.

Introduction: A chest X-ray (CXR) is the most common imaging investigation performed worldwide. Advances in machine learning and computer vision technologies have led to the development of several artificial intelligence (AI) tools to detect abnormalities on CXRs, which may expand diagnostic support to a wider field of health professionals. There is a paucity of evidence on the impact of AI algorithms in assisting healthcare professionals (other than radiologists) who regularly review CXR images in their daily practice.

Protocol for a multisite randomised controlled trial assessing the effect of the Telehealth for Early Developmental Intervention in babies born very preterm (TEDI-Prem) programme on neurodevelopmental outcomes and parent well-being.

Introduction: Infants born very preterm (VPT, <32 weeks' gestation) are at increased risk for neurodevelopmental impairments including motor, cognitive and behavioural delay. Parents of infants born VPT also have poorer mental health outcomes compared with parents of infants born at term.We have developed an intervention programme called TEDI-Prem (Telehealth for Early Developmental Intervention in babies born very preterm) based on previous research.

Tuning Hydrogen Binding on Ru Sites by Ni Alloying on MoO Enables Efficient Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution for Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis.

Ruthenium (Ru)-based electrocatalysts have shown promise for anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) due to their ability to facilitate water dissociation in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, their performance is limited by strong hydrogen binding, which hinders hydrogen desorption and water re-adsorption. This study reports the development of RuNi nanoalloys supported on MoO, which optimize the hydrogen binding strength at Ru sites through modulation by adjacent Ni atoms.

HDAC4/5 Inhibitor, LMK-235 Improves Animal Voluntary Movement in MPTP-Induced Parkinson's Disease Model.

Oxidation of dopamine can cause various side effects, which ultimately leads to cell death and contributes to Parkinson's disease (PD). To counteract dopamine oxidation, newly synthesized dopamine is quickly transported into vesicles via vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) for storage. VMAT2 expression is reduced in patients with PD, and studies have shown increased accumulation of dopamine oxidation byproducts and α-synuclein in animals with low VMAT2 expression.

Harnessing the tumor microenvironment: targeted cancer therapies through modulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is integral to cancer progression, impacting metastasis and treatment response. It consists of diverse cell types, extracellular matrix components, and signaling molecules that interact to promote tumor growth and therapeutic resistance. Elucidating the intricate interactions between cancer cells and the TME is crucial in understanding cancer progression and therapeutic challenges.

Is early use of sodium-glucose cotransporter type 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) necessary even in diabetic patients without cardiovascular disease: a prospective study regarding the effect of SGLT2i on left ventricular diastolic function.

Background: There are insufficient studies to determine whether sodium-glucose cotransporter type 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) will help reduce early diabetic cardiomyopathy, especially in patients without documented cardiovascular disease.

Methods: We performed a single center, prospective observation study. A total of 90 patients with type 2 diabetes patients without established heart failure or atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease were enrolled.

Investigating the impact of microbiome-changing interventions on food decision-making: MIFOOD study protocol.

Background: Obesity is a multifactorial disease reaching pandemic proportions with increasing healthcare costs, advocating the development of better prevention and treatment strategies. Previous research indicates that the gut microbiome plays an important role in metabolic, hormonal, and neuronal cross-talk underlying eating behavior. We therefore aim to examine the effects of prebiotic and neurocognitive behavioral interventions on food decision-making and to assay the underlying mechanisms in a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT).

Comparative analysis of real-world data on the efficacy and safety of and adherence to ICS/LABA combinations in asthma management.

Background: Choosing effective devices (inhaled corticosteroid [ICS]-long-acting β2 agonist [LABA] combination inhalers) as maintenance treatment is critical for managing patients with asthma. We aimed to compare ICS/LABA combination efficacy, safety, and adherence across inhaler types and components in patients newly diagnosed with asthma.

Methods: Utilizing South Korea's National Health Insurance Service data, we conducted a population-based cohort study involving patients aged 18-80 years, newly diagnosed with asthma who received ICS/LABA combination therapy between January 2016 and December 2020.

IL-6 and PD-1 antibody blockade combination therapy regulate inflammation and T lymphocyte apoptosis in murine model of sepsis.

Background: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) plays a central role in sepsis-induced cytokine storm involving immune hyperactivation and early neutrophil activation. Programmed death protein-1 (PD-1) is associated with sepsis-induced immunosuppression and lymphocyte apoptosis. However, the effects of simultaneous blockade of IL-6 and PD-1 in a murine sepsis model are not well understood.

Predictive and prognostic value of F-FES PET/CT for patients with recurrent or metastatic breast cancer treated with endocrine therapy plus cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors.

Purpose: Estrogen receptor (ER) expression and heterogeneity affect endocrine therapy efficacy. F-fluoroestradiol (F-FES) PET/CT is an effective non-invasive method to analyze systemic ER expression. This study aimed to examine the predictive/prognostic value of F-FES PET/CT for patients treated with endocrine therapy plus cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6) inhibitors.

Loss of Kmt2c or Kmt2d primes urothelium for tumorigenesis and redistributes KMT2A-menin to bivalent promoters.

Members of the KMT2C/D-KDM6A complex are recurrently mutated in urothelial carcinoma and in histologically normal urothelium. Here, using genetically engineered mouse models, we demonstrate that Kmt2c/d knockout in the urothelium led to impaired differentiation, augmented responses to growth and inflammatory stimuli and sensitization to oncogenic transformation by carcinogen and oncogenes. Mechanistically, KMT2D localized to active enhancers and CpG-poor promoters that preferentially regulate the urothelial lineage program and Kmt2c/d knockout led to diminished H3K4me1, H3K27ac and nascent RNA transcription at these sites, which leads to impaired differentiation.

Patency Capsule and Cross-Sectional Imaging for Predicting Capsule Endoscopy Retention: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Aims: Small bowel capsule endoscopy, which has been widely used to evaluate small bowel disease, has a risk of capsule retention (CR). The present systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the accuracy of patency capsule (PC) and cross-sectional imaging (CSI) for predicting CR.

Methods: Databases, including MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and the Cochrane library, were searched for articles through August 15, 2023, that investigated the diagnostic accuracy of PC or CSI for predicting CR.

The degree of parallel/serial processing affects stimulus-driven and memory-driven attentional capture: Evidence for the attentional window account.

The issue of whether a salient stimulus in the visual field captures attention in a stimulus-driven manner has been debated for several decades. The attentional window account proposed to resolve this issue by claiming that a salient stimulus captures attention and interferes with target processing only when an attentional window is set wide enough to encompass both the target and the salient distractor. By contrast, when a small attentional window is serially shifted among individual stimuli to find a target, no capture is found.

Clinical spectrum of adult-onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia in individuals of Korean ancestry.

Adult-onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia (ALSP) is a rare white matter disease characterized by axonal and glial injury. Although its clinical characteristics have been described in case reports, the prevalence of CSF1R mutations in clinically suspected ALSP cases remains unclear. Herein, we analysed the frequency of CSF1R mutations in patients with probable or possible ALSP and describe the genetic, clinical, radiological, and pathological findings of ALSP cases in individuals of Korean ancestry.

Artificial intelligence-enhanced diagnosis of degenerative joint disease using temporomandibular joint panoramic radiography and joint noise data.

This study aimed to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) model for the screening of degenerative joint disease (DJD) using temporomandibular joint (TMJ) panoramic radiography and joint noise data. A total of 2631 TMJ panoramic images were collected, resulting in a final dataset of 3908 images (2127 normal (N) and 1781 DJD (D)) after excluding indeterminate cases and errors. AI models using GoogleNet were evaluated with six different combinations of image data, clinician-detected crepitus, and patient-reported joint noise.

Nonlinear exposure-response associations of daytime, nighttime, and day-night compound heatwaves with mortality amid climate change.

Heatwaves are commonly simplified as binary variables in epidemiological studies, limiting the understanding of heatwave-mortality associations. Here we conduct a multi-country study across 28 East Asian cities that employed the Cumulative Excess Heatwave Index (CEHWI), which represents excess heat accumulation during heatwaves, to explore the potentially nonlinear associations of daytime-only, nighttime-only, and day-night compound heatwaves with mortality from 1981 to 2010. Populations exhibited high adaptability to daytime-only and nighttime-only heatwaves, with non-accidental mortality risks increasing only at higher CEHWI levels (75th-90th percentiles).