[Experiences of Patients and Their Families Receiving Medical Services Provided by Advanced Practice Nurses at Tertiary General Hospitals].

Purpose: This study aimed to understand and describe the experiences of patients and their families who have received medical services from advanced practice nurses in tertiary general hospitals in Korea.

Methods: Data were collected through four focus group interviews with 20 patients and their families who had received medical services from advanced practice nurses for more than six months at four tertiary hospitals from November 29 to December 28, 2023. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

Inorganic-Organic Double Network Ionogels Based on Silica Nanoparticles for High-Temperature Flexible Supercapacitors.

Herein, we demonstrate an inorganic-organic double network gel electrolyte consisting of a silica particle network and a poly-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate network in which 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ionic liquids are confined. The as-synthesized double network ionogel electrolytes exhibited high ion conductivity of 3.8 to 12.

Postoperative HbA1c Level as a Predictor of Rotator Cuff Integrity After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes.

Background: In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), preoperative glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is associated with outcomes after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR); however, the relationship between outcomes and postoperative serum glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) after ARCR has not been investigated.

Purpose: To evaluate outcomes after ARCR in patients (1) with and without DM and (2) with DM according to their pre- and postoperative HbA1c levels.

Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Patient Acceptable Symptom State, Minimal Clinically Important Difference, and Substantial Clinical Benefit After Arthroscopic Superior Capsular Reconstruction.

Background: Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS), minimal clinically important difference (MCID), and substantial clinical benefit (SCB) have rarely been assessed after arthroscopic superior capsular reconstruction (ASCR) with fascia lata autograft.

Purpose: (1) To investigate PASS, MCID, and SCB values for pain visual analog scale (pVAS), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, Constant score, and Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) after ASCR with fascia lata autograft, (2) to investigate factors for achieving PASS, MCID, and SCB.

Study Design: Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.

The Patient Acceptable Symptom State as a Predictor of the Sports Activity Available State After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair.

Background: The patient acceptable symptom state (PASS) has emerged as a metric for evaluating patient satisfaction after treatment. There is little research on the relationship between sports activity and PASS values after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR).

Purpose: To (1) introduce the sports activity available state (SAAS) as an indicator of whether sports activities are possible based on patient symptoms after ARCR, (2) investigate the correlation between the SAAS and PASS, (3) predict the SAAS using derived PASS values, and (4) identify factors for achieving the PASS and SAAS.

Retear bigger than preoperative tear size would lead to treatment failure after rotator cuff repair.

Background: This study aimed to (1) define treatment failure using the referred patient acceptable symptomatic state (PASS) values for pain visual analog scale (PVAS), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder Assessment Form (ASES), and Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) clinical scores and (2) identify the factors that lead to patient dissatisfaction after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR).

Methods: We analyzed the arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery registry data from January 2015 to December 2016. Patients were followed for ≥2 years and categorized as dissatisfied or satisfied based on our own definition of treatment failure at 2 years postoperatively.

Postoperative Pain Control After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: Arthroscopy-Guided Continuous Suprascapular Nerve Block Versus Ultrasound-Guided Continuous Interscalene Block.

Purpose: To compare the clinical efficacy and safety of arthroscopy-guided continuous suprascapular nerve block and ultrasound-guided continuous interscalene block in postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

Methods: A prospective study was performed between March and November 2020. In total, 76 patients were enrolled and divided into 2 groups: in the 38 patients of group 1 (arthroscopy-guided continuous suprascapular nerve block), an indwelling catheter was introduced via the Neviaser portal under arthroscopic view before closing the portal at the end of the surgery; and in the 38 patients of group 2 (ultrasound-guided continuous interscalene block), an indwelling catheter was inserted and directed toward the interscalene brachial plexus prior to the surgery under ultrasound guidance.

Poor Prognostic Factors in Patients With Rotator Cuff Retear.

Background: The treatment for retears after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR) has long been a challenge.

Purpose: This study aimed to (1) summarize the characteristics of patients with a retear after primary ARCR and (2) determine the risk factors for poor clinical outcomes after a retear.

Study Design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Determination of the patient acceptable symptomatic state after osteocapsular arthroplasty for primary elbow osteoarthritis.

Background: The study aimed (1) to determine patient acceptable symptomatic state (PASS) values for the pain visual analog scale (PVAS), range-of-motion (ROM) scale difference, Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS), and Self-evaluation Elbow (SEE) following osteocapsular arthroplasty for primary elbow osteoarthritis and (2) to determine factors for achieving the PASS.

Methods: The study analyzed retrospectively collected osteocapsular arthroplasty registry data from January 2010 to April 2019. Fifty patients were evaluated, and anchor questions for deriving PASS values were administered at a 1-year follow-up.

Clinical and Imaging Outcomes After Revision Open Rotator Cuff Repair: A Retrospective Review of a Midterm Follow-Up Study.

Background: Revision open rotator cuff repair (ORCR) has been associated with unpredictable functional outcome with concerns of deltoid detachment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and imaging outcomes of revision ORCR.

Materials And Methods: The study retrospectively reviewed 30 consecutive patients (mean age 60.

Minimal Clinically Important Difference, Substantial Clinical Benefit, and Patient Acceptable Symptomatic State After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair.

Background: Minimal clinically important difference (MCID), substantial clinical benefit (SCB), and patient acceptable symptomatic state (PASS) are emerging criteria for patient-based treatment assessments. However, few studies have investigated these measures after rotator cuff repair.

Purpose: (1) To determine MCID, SCB, and PASS values for pain visual analog scale (pVAS), Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) score after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

Interfacially Polymerized Polyamide Interlayer onto Ozonated Carbon Nanotube Networks for Improved Stability of Sulfur Cathodes.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are considered promising energy-storage devices owing to the high specific capacity and low cost of the S cathode. However, they suffer from capacity decay and poor coulombic efficiency arising from the dissolution of long-chain polysulfides and their shuttling. A facile and scalable method was developed to directly coat a thin (≈57.

Diagnostic performance of static single-scan stress perfusion cardiac computed tomography in detecting hemodynamically significant coronary artery stenosis: a comparison with combined invasive coronary angiography and cardiovascular magnetic resonance-myocardial perfusion imaging.

Background Non-invasive anatomical and physiological evaluations of coronary artery disease (CAD) may be obtained with static single-scan stress perfusion cardiac computed tomography (SSPCT). Purpose To determine the diagnostic performance of static SSPCT for identifying hemodynamically significant CAD. Material and Methods This prospective study included 29 patients with suspected or known CAD who underwent static SSPCT, cardiovascular magnetic resonance myocardial perfusion imaging (CMR-MPI), and invasive coronary angiography (ICA).

Indirect CT Venography at 80 kVp with Sinogram-Affirmed Iterative Reconstruction Compared to 120 kVp with Filtered Back Projection: Assessment of Image Quality and Radiation Dose.

Objective: To evaluate the image quality and radiation dose of indirect computed tomographic venography (CTV) using 80 kVp with sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction (SAFIRE) and 120 kVp with filtered back projection (FBP).

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study was approved by our institution and informed consent was waived. Sixty-one consecutive patients (M: F = 27: 34, mean age 60 ± 16, mean BMI 23.

Color radiography in lung nodule detection and characterization: comparison with conventional gray scale radiography.

Background: To compare the capability of lung nodule detection and characterization between dual-energy radiography with color-representation (DCR) and conventional gray scale chest radiography (GSR).

Methods: A total of 130 paired chest radiographs (DCR and GSR) obtained from 65 patients (14 with normal scans and 51 with pulmonary nodules) were evaluated. After analysis, 45 non-calcified and 21 calcified nodules were identified.

Virtual Non-Contrast CT Using Dual-Energy Spectral CT: Feasibility of Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of coronary artery calcium scoring based on three virtual noncontrast-enhanced (VNC) images derived from single-source spectral dual-energy CT (DECT) as compared with true noncontrast-enhanced (TNC) images.

Materials And Methods: This prospective study was conducted with the approval of our Institutional Review Board. Ninety-seven patients underwent noncontrast CT followed by contrast-enhanced chest CT using single-source spectral DECT.

Assessment of the regurgitant orifice area in aortic regurgitation with dual-source CT: Comparison with cardiovascular magnetic resonance.

Background: Regurgitant orifice area (ROA) measurements by cardiac CT have not been compared with a quantitative classification of aortic regurgitation (AR) severity based on regurgitant fraction by phase-contrast cardiovascular magnetic resonance (PC-CMR).

Objectives: To compare ROA using dual-source CT (DSCT) with the grade of AR using PC-CMR for obtaining the cutoff values of the ROA allowing for grading of AR severity.

Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 208 patients (81 women, mean age 53.

Detection of skeletal muscle metastasis: torso FDG PET-CT versus contrast-enhanced chest or abdomen CT.

Background: Skeletal muscle metastasis (SMM) in cancer patients has not been sufficiently evaluated regarding prevalence and proper method of detection.

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of SMM and compare the diagnostic competencies for SMM of torso F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) and contrast-enhanced chest or abdomen CT.

Material And Methods: We investigated 18,225 PET-CT studies of 6359 cancer patients performed from 2005 to 2012.

Direct comparison of stress- and rest-dual-energy computed tomography for detection of myocardial perfusion defect.

We assessed the diagnostic performance of stress- and rest-dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) and their incremental value when used with coronary CT angiography (CCTA) compared with combined invasive coronary angiography (ICA)/cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) for detecting hemodynamically significant stenosis causing a myocardial perfusion defect. Forty patients (30 men; mean age, 63.4 ± 8.

Sildenafil vaginal suppositories: preparation, characterization, in vitro and in vivo evaluation.

Aim: The main objective was to investigate the in vitro release profile/kinetics, and in vivo plasma pharmacokinetics (PK) and organ biodistribution (BD) of the prepared sildenafil vaginal suppositories (SVS).

Methods: Suppositories containing 25 mg of sildenafil were prepared by the cream melting technique using Witepsol H-15 as a suppository base. The suppositories were characterized for weight variation, content uniformity, hardness, disintegration time and crystallinity change.

Strategies for successful percutaneous revascularization of chronic total occlusion of the femoropopliteal arteries when the antegrade passage of a guide wire fails.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of various strategies for revascularization of chronic total occlusion of femoropopliteal arteries when the guide wire does not pass in an anterograde direction.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-four patients with totally occluded femoropopliteal arteries (mean occlusion length 13.75 cm; range, 6-22 cm) were treated by using a retrograde approach and two novel catheters.

Cobalt chloride stimulates phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt signaling through the epidermal growth factor receptor in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Tumor cells are often found under hypoxic conditions due to the rapid outgrowth of their vascular supply, and, in order to survive hypoxia, these cells induce numerous signaling factors. Akt is an important kinase in cell survival, and its activity is regulated by the upstream phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). In this study, we examined Akt activation and RTKs/PI3K/Akt signaling using the hypoxia-mimetic cobalt chloride in oral squamous carcinoma cells.

Chest CT of incidental breast lesions.

Chest computed tomography (CT) is routinely used for the evaluation of diseases of the chest involving the lung, mediastinum, pleura, chest wall, and diaphragm. Benign and malignant breast lesions are not uncommonly encountered incidentally on chest CT. The chest CT radiologist should be aware of the different breast pathologies and their CT appearances as some can be diagnosed by chest CT, whereas others, such as breast cancer, should not be overlooked.