General obesity, abdominal obesity, and the risk of cardiovascular disease including stroke in 5-year breast cancer survivors.

Background: To assess the association between discrepancies between general obesity and abdominal obesity and the risk of subsequent cardiovascular disease (CVD), including stroke, in breast cancer survivors.

Methods: We undertook a retrospective cohort study using data from the National Health Insurance Service of South Korea. Among 72,174 5-year breast cancer survivors aged 40 years and above, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) were used to determine obesity status.

Association between Antibiotic Use and Subsequent Risk of Breast Cancer: A Nationwide Retrospective Cohort Study in South Korea.

Several studies have revealed a possible association between antibiotic use and breast cancer in the Western population of women. However, its association with the Asian population remains unclear. Data utilized in this nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study was obtained from the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database.

Blood Pressure Variability and Ocular Vestibular-Evoked Myogenic Potentials Are Independently Associated With Orthostatic Hypotension.

Background And Purpose: We delineated the association between otolithic dysfunction and blood pressure (BP) variability.

Methods: We prospectively recruited 145 consecutive patients (age=71 [59-79] years, median [interquartile range]; 76 females) with orthostatic intolerance between December 2021 and December 2023 at a tertiary hospital in South Korea. Each patient underwent evaluations of cervical and ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (oVEMPs), 24-h noninvasive ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM), and a head-up tilt-table test using the Finometer device.

Predictive Factors of Apparent Treatment Resistant Hypertension Among Patients With Hypertension Identified Using Electronic Health Records.

Background: Early identification of a patient with resistant hypertension (RH) enables quickly intensified treatment, short-interval follow-up, or perhaps case management to bring his or her blood pressure under control and reduce the risk of complications.

Objective: To identify predictors of RH among individuals with newly diagnosed hypertension (HTN), while comparing different prediction models and techniques for managing missing covariates using electronic health records data.

Design: Risk prediction study in a retrospective cohort.

Image-based ECG analyzing deep-learning algorithm to predict biological age and mortality risks: interethnic validation.

Background: Cardiovascular risk assessment is a critical component of healthcare, guiding preventive and therapeutic strategies. In this study, we developed and evaluated an image-based electrocardiogram (ECG) analyzing an artificial intelligence (AI) model that estimates biological age and mortality risk.

Methods: Using a dataset of 978 319 ECGs from 250 145 patients at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, we developed a deep-learning model utilizing printed 12-lead ECG images to estimate patients' age (ECG-Age) and 1- and 5-year mortality risks.

Depth-Resolved X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Evidence of Intrinsic Polar States in HfO-Based Ferroelectrics.

The discovery of ferroelectricity in nanoscale hafnia-based oxide films has spurred interest in understanding their emergent properties. Investigation focuses on the size-dependent polarization behavior, which is sensitive to content and movement of oxygen vacancies. Though polarization switching and electrochemical reactions is shown to co-occur, their relationship remains unclear.

REM sleep without atonia and neurocognitive function in isolated REM sleep behaviour disorder: Cross-sectional and longitudinal study.

This study investigated the relationship between rapid eye movement sleep without atonia and cognitive profiles in individuals diagnosed with isolated rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder, assesssing both cross-sectional associations and their link to phenoconversion in a longitudinal follow-up. Participants underwent video-polysomnography, neurological examination, neuropsychological tests and structured interviews to confirm isolated rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder. Rapid eye movement sleep without atonia was manually scored using the Montreal method, and participants were categorized into either high or low electromyography activity groups, based on their tonic and phasic electromyography activities.

Association between antibiotics use and osteoporotic fracture risk: a nationally representative retrospective cohort study.

Unlabelled: This population-based retrospective cohort study aimed to estimate the association between antibiotic exposure and osteoporotic fracture risk. Long-term antibiotic use was associated with the risk of osteoporotic fracture. An increase in the number of antibiotic classes prescribed may also be associated with an increased osteoporotic fracture risk.

Reduced aggregation of the Leghorn Male Hepatoma (LMH) cell line in suspension by supplementing dextran sulfate in the media.

Objective: The study aimed to improve the efficiency of Leghorn Male Hepatoma (LMH) cells for animal virus vaccine production by transitioning from adherent to suspension culture and evaluating the effects of dextran sulfate (DS) on preventing cell aggregation. The goal was to enhance cell growth, viability, and glucose metabolism and to develop efficient suspension-adapted LMH cells for large-scale vaccine production.

Methods: LMH cells previously cultured in an adherent state were transferred to 125 mL Erlenmeyer flasks to conduct suspension culture.

Fucoidan refined from Saccharina japonica ameliorates ambient particulate matter-induced inflammation in keratinocytes, underlying fibroblasts, and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate-induced ear edema in mice.

Fucoidan from Saccharina japonica (SJF) was isolated and characterized, and its anti-inflammatory effects on fine dust/ambient particulate matter (PM)-stimulated HaCaT keratinocytes were investigated. SJF increased cell viability by reducing intracellular ROS production in PM-stimulated HaCaT keratinocytes. Moreover, SJF downregulated the expression/production of inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, IL-13, IL-25, IL-33, TNF-α, IFN-γ, and TSLP) and chemokines (MDC and TARC) through modulating NF-κB/MAPK signaling in PM-stimulated HaCaT keratinocytes.

Healthcare Costs due to Dizziness/Vertigo in Korea: Analyses Using the Public Data of Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service.

Background: Dizziness/vertigo is one of the most common symptoms for which people seek healthcare. However, the healthcare expenditure attributable to dizziness/vertigo in South Korea remains poorly understood. We investigated the healthcare costs due to six major disorders causing dizziness/vertigo using claims data.

Experimental Analysis of Robotic Cortical Bone Specimen Drilling Performance: Effect of Cryogen.

In orthopedic surgery, precise bone screw insertion is crucial for stabilizing fractures, necessitating a preliminary cortical bone drilling procedure. However, this process can induce temperatures exceeding 70 °C due to the low thermal conductivity of cortical bone, potentially leading to thermal osteonecrosis. Furthermore, significant cutting forces and torque pose risks of tool breakage and bone damage, underlining the need for high precision and optimal processing parameters.

Ocular Vestibular-Evoked Myogenic Potential Assists in the Differentiation of Multiple System Atrophy From Parkinson's Disease.

Objective: Vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) can help in assessing otolithic neural pathway in the brainstem, which may also contribute to the cardiovascular autonomic function. Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with altered VEMP responses; however, the associations between VEMP abnormalities and multiple system atrophy (MSA) remain unknown. Therefore, we compared the extent of otolith dysfunction using ocular (oVEMP) and cervical VEMPs between patients with MSA and PD.