Optimizing Triage in Chemical Disasters: Validation of Modified IGSA Criteria for Hydrofluoric Acid Exposure.

Objective: This study aimed to develop and validate the modified irritant gas syndrome agent (IGSA) criteria, utilizing readily available triage information and epidemiologic data to efficiently segregate patients based on the severity of hydrofluoric acid (HFA) exposure.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 160 patients exposed to HFA was performed to develop the criteria and assess the criteria's efficacy, focusing on age, respiratory rate, and compliance with IGSA standards. The criteria's validity was assessed by comparing clinical outcomes between patients meeting the modified IGSA (mIGSA) criteria and those who did not as external and internal.

Effect of isoproterenol, a β-adrenergic agonist, on the differentiation of insulin-producing pancreatic β cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells.

Research on islet replacement through the differentiation of functionally matured insulin-producing β-like cells for the treatment of diabetes presents a significant challenge. Neural signals in β cell differentiation significantly impact the pancreatic microenvironment in glucose metabolism, but they are not fully understood. In this study, isoproterenol, a β adrenoreceptor agonist, was introduced into pancreatic progenitor cells, derived from human pluripotent stem cells in vitro, undergoing endocrine differentiation, using 2-dimensional (2D) and 3-dimensional (3D) differentiation protocols.

Can Over Six Months of Teriparatide Treatment Prevent the Progression of Osteoporotic Thoracolumbar Compression Fracture?

Objective: Osteoporosis is one of the most common causes of thoracolumbar compression fractures. Teriparatide is an anabolic agent used to treat osteoporosis. This study aimed to determine whether teriparatide treatment for over 6 months could be effective in patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures.

Korean urobiome platform (KUROM) study for acute uncomplicated sporadic versus recurrent cystitis in women: Clinical significance.

Purpose: To investigate urine microbiome differences among healthy women, women with recurrent uncomplicated cystitis (rUC), and those with sporadic/single uncomplicated cystitis (sUC) to challenge traditional beliefs about origins of these infections.

Materials And Methods: Patients who underwent both conventional urine culture and next-generation sequencing (NGS) of urine were retrospectively reviewed. Symptom-free women with normal urinalysis results as a control group were also studied.

An augmented reality mobile application for weight estimation in paediatric patients: A prospective single-blinded cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Determining the exact weight of children is a challenging task during emergency situations. Current guidelines recommend the use of length-based weight-estimating tapes. However, healthcare providers must either always carry the tapes or take time to locate them.

Prediction of tumor recurrence after surgical resection of ampullary adenocarcinoma using magnetic resonance imaging.

Objectives: To predict tumor recurrence in patients who underwent surgical resection of ampullary adenocarcinoma using preoperative magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings combined with clinical findings.

Methods: In this multicenter study, a total of 113 patients (mean age, 62.9 ± 9.

Relationship between Handgrip Strength and Incident Diabetes in Korean Adults According to Gender: A Population-Based Prospective Cohort Study.

(1) Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a well-known disease that causes comorbidities such as chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease. Therefore, it is necessary to develop diagnostic tools to prevent DM. Handgrip strength, a known diagnostic tool for sarcopenia, is a predictor of several diseases.

Efficacy and cost-effectiveness of darbepoetin alfa once every 4 weeks versus continuous erythropoietin receptor activator once every 4 weeks for anemia correction in patients with chronic kidney disease not on dialysis.

Background: For anemia management in patients with chronic kidney disease not on dialysis, darbepoetin alfa (DA), which has a shorter half-life but is more inexpensive than continuous erythropoietin receptor activator (CERA), is preferred in Korea. This study evaluated the efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness of once-in-4-weeks DA compared with once-in-4-weeks CERA in patients with chronic kidney disease not on dialysis.

Methods: In this randomized, prospective, non-inferiority study, 40 erythropoiesis-stimulating agent-naïve patients with chronic kidney disease not on dialysis were randomized 1:1 to the DA group and CERA group.

Addition of Kidney Dysfunction Type to MELD-Na for the Prediction of Survival in Cirrhotic Patients Awaiting Liver Transplantation in Comparison with MELD 3.0 with Albumin.

It is well known that renal dysfunction has a devastating effect on the prognosis of liver cirrhosis. In this study, the aim was to assess whether the incorporation of the kidney dysfunction type into the MELD-Na score enhances its predictive capacity for outcomes in patients awaiting liver transplantation (LT), compared to utilizing the MELD 3.0 score with albumin.

Differentiation of malignant from benign ampullary strictures: A prediction nomogram based on MR imaging and clinical findings.

Purpose: To construct a predictive nomogram based on contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical findings for differentiating malignant from benign ampullary strictures.

Method: In this retrospective study, 76 patients with ampullary strictures (51 benign and 25 malignant) who underwent contrast-enhanced MRI were enrolled. Imaging findings were evaluated independently by two abdominal radiologists who reached consensus.

Accuracy of visual estimation of ejection fraction in patients with heart failure using augmented reality glasses.

Objective: Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is measured to assess haemodynamic status and cardiac function. It may be difficult to accurately measure in patients with heart failure (HF) as they are often poorly echogenic. The augmented reality (AR) technology is expected to provide real-time guidance that will enable more accurate measurements.

The Current Evidence of Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), an advanced RT technique, is a considerable treatment option for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the distinguishing features of IMRT for HCC have not yet been clearly defined. A systematic review was performed according to the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.

Initial and 5-day positivity rate of severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in exposed inpatients within shared rooms during the omicron-variant dominant period.

In this observational study conducted in 2022, 12.3% of patients who shared a room with a patient positive for severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) also had a positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, either at initial screening or during a 5-day quarantine. Therefore, screening and quarantine are still necessary within hospitals for close-contact inpatients during the SARS-CoV-2 omicron-variant dominant period.

Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Meta-Analysis and International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society Practice Guidelines.

This systematic review and meta-analysis reports on outcomes and hepatic toxicity rates after stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for liver-confined hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and presents consensus guidelines regarding appropriate patient management. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic Review and Meta-Analyses guidelines, a systematic review was performed from articles reporting outcomes at ≥5 years published before October 2022 from the Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane, and Scopus databases with the following search terms: ("stereotactic body radiotherapy" OR "SBRT" OR "SABR" OR "stereotactic ablative radiotherapy") AND ("hepatocellular carcinoma" OR "HCC"). An aggregated data meta-analysis was conducted to assess overall survival (OS) and local control (LC) using weighted random effects models.

Interobserver Variability and Diagnostic Performance in Predicting Malignancy of Pancreatic Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm with MRI.

Background The 2017 international consensus guidelines for intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of the pancreas are widely used. Purpose To evaluate the interobserver agreement and diagnostic performance of MRI assessment in predicting the malignant potential of IPMN according to radiologists' experience. Materials and Methods This multicenter retrospective study included 100 patients with pathologically proven pancreatic IPMN (77 patients with surgery, 23 patients with biopsy) who underwent contrast-enhanced MRI between 2016 and 2021.

Vertebral artery foraminal segment doppler sonography to detect vertebral and basilar artery stenosis or occlusion.

Background And Purpose: The diagnostic value of vertebral artery foraminal segment (V2) ultrasonography remains unclear. This study aimed to estimate the predictive value of V2 Doppler imaging for the detection of vertebrobasilar stenosis or occlusion.

Methods: Three hundred sixty-four vertebral arteries from 182 patients were investigated.

A composite of polymethylmethacrylate, hydroxyapatite, and β-tricalcium phosphate for bone regeneration in an osteoporotic rat model.

The purpose of this study was to test several modifications of the polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) bone cement by incorporating osteoconductive and biodegradable materials for enhancing bone regeneration capacity in an osteoporotic rat model. Three bio-composites (PHT-1 [80% PMMA, 16% HA, 4% β-TCP], PHT-2 [70% PMMA, 24% HA, 6% β-TCP], and PHT-3 [30% PMMA, 56% HA, 14% β-TCP]) were prepared using different concentrations of PMMA, hydroxyapatite (HA), and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP). Their morphological structure was then examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and mechanical properties were determined using a MTS 858 Bionics test machine (MTS, Minneapolis, MN, USA).

Associations of cardiovascular and diabetes-related risk factors with myocardial perfusion reserve assessed by Tl/Tc-tetrofosmin single-photon emission computed tomography in patients with diabetes mellitus and stable coronary artery disease.

We aimed to examine the associations of cardiovascular risk factors with myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR) in patients with type 2 diabetes and stable coronary artery disease. The study patients were retrospectively identified from a database of patients with diabetes and stable coronary artery disease at Asan Medical Center (Seoul, Republic of Korea), covering the period from 2017 to 2019. The primary outcome variable was MPR assessed by dynamic stress Tl/rest Tc-tetrofosmin SPECT.

Effects of Omicron Infection and Changes in Serum Antibody Response to Wild-Type, Delta, and Omicron After a Booster Dose With BNT163b2 Vaccine in Korean Healthcare Workers.

Background: Although the primary vaccine coverage rate for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in South Korea has exceeded 80%, the coronavirus continues to spread, with reports of a rapid decline in vaccine effectiveness. South Korea is administering booster shots despite concerns about the effectiveness of the existing vaccine.

Methods: Neutralizing antibody inhibition scores were evaluated in two cohorts after the booster dose.