Enhancing Aerosol Mitigation in Medical Procedures: A CFD-Informed Respiratory Barrier Enclosure.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the significant infection risks posed by aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs), such as intubation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Despite existing protective measures, high-risk environments like these require more effective safety solutions. In response, our research team has focused on developing a novel respiratory barrier enclosure designed to enhance the safety of healthcare workers and patients during AGPs.

Development and demonstration of the protective efficacy of a convertible respiratory barrier enclosure: a simulation study.

Objective: The efficacy of previously developed respiratory barrier enclosures to limit healthcare workers' exposure to aerosols from COVID-19 patients remains unclear; in addition, the design of these devices is unsuitable for transportation or other emergency procedures. Therefore, we developed a novel negative pressure respiratory isolator to improve protection from patient-generated aerosols and evaluated its protective effect in conversion to systemic isolator.

Methods: This in vitro study simulated droplets by nebulizing 1% glycerol + 99% ethanol solution.

Characteristics of fall-from-height patients: a retrospective comparison of jumpers and fallers using a multi-institutional registry.

Objective: Fall from height (FFH) is a major public health problem that can result in severe injury, disability, and death. This study investigated how the characteristics of jumpers and fallers differ.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of FFH patients enrolled in an Emergency Department-based Injury In-depth Surveillance (EDIIS) registry between 2011 and 2018.

Efficiency, limitations, and familiarization of a novel negative pressure aerosol box for intubation: a simulation-based randomized crossover study.

Objective: This study aimed to introduce a novel negative pressure aerosol box (Carrycure Isolator) and to test its efficiency and limitations, with the hope of suggesting improvements and further directions.

Methods: A novel aerosol box (Carrycure Isolator) was invented. A single-center, randomized, crossover simulation study of 28 emergency medicine physicians was designed.

Healthy lifestyle factors, cardiovascular comorbidities, and the risk of sudden cardiac arrest: A case-control study in Korea.

Aims: We investigated the impact of healthy lifestyle factors and cardiovascular comorbidities for sudden cardiac arrest.

Methods: A case-control study, including patients with sudden cardiac arrest aged 20-79 years and community-based 1:2 matched controls, was conducted from September 2017 to December 2020. All participants completed a structured questionnaire.

Characteristics of crashes and injuries on delivery motorcycles: A retrospective cohort study.

The food delivery market is growing rapidly. As most delivery riders use motorcycles, motorcycle crashes will increase along with the growing delivery market size. This study aimed at examining the proportions of motorcycle crashes and characteristics of injuries incurred while using motorcycles for occupational purposes.

The elderly age criterion for increased in-hospital mortality in trauma patients: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: With an aging population, the number of elderly individuals exposed to traumatic injuries is increasing. The elderly age criterion for traumatic injuries has been inconsistent in the literature. This study aimed at specifying the elderly age criterion when the traumatic mortality rate increases.

Effects of 6 Months of Dapagliflozin Treatment on Metabolic Profile and Endothelial Cell Dysfunction for Obese Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients without Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease.

Background: Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors reduce the risk of cardiovascular death in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease, but the effect of these inhibitors on early cardiovascular disease remains unknown. This study evaluated the effect of dapagliflozin on the metabolic profiles and endothelial cell function in obese patients with T2DM without established cardiovascular disease.

Methods: We enrolled 140 patients with a mean age, weight, and body mass index (BMI) of 47 years, 83 kg, and 30.

Preliminary results of entire pleural intensity-modulated radiotherapy in a neoadjuvant setting for resectable malignant mesothelioma.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the multimodality treatment with neoadjuvant intensitymodulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for resectable clinical T1-3N0-1M0 malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM).

Materials And Methods: A total of eleven patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy between March 2016 and June 2018 were reviewed. Patients received 25 Gy in 5 fractions to entire ipsilateral hemithorax with helical tomotherapy.

Development and external validation of new nomograms by adding ECG changes (ST depression or tall T wave) and age to conventional scoring systems to improve the predictive capacity in patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage: a retrospective, observational study in Korea.

Objectives: To develop new nomograms by adding ECG changes (ST depression or tall T wave) and age to three conventional scoring systems, namely, World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) scale, Hunt and Hess (HH) system and Fisher scale, that can predict prognosis in patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) using our preliminary research results and to perform external validation of the three new nomograms.

Design: Retrospective, observational study SETTING: Emergency departments (ED) of two university-affiliated tertiary hospital between January 2009 and March 2015.

Participants: Adult patients with SAH were enrolled.

High-Dose Thoracic Re-irradiation of Lung Cancer Using Highly Conformal Radiotherapy Is Effective with Acceptable Toxicity.

Purpose: Thoracic re-irradiation (re-RT) of lung cancer has been challenged by the tolerance doses of normal tissues. We retrospectively analyzed local control, overall survival (OS) and toxicity after thoracic re-RT using highly conformal radiotherapy, such as intensity modulated radiotherapy and stereotactic body radiotherapy.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-one patients who received high-dose thoracic re-RT were analyzed.

Waist-hip ratio and 1-year clinical outcome in patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarctions.

Objectives: Obesity is a well-known cardiovascular disease risk factor. We evaluated the relationship between the waist-hip ratio (WHR), as a surrogate marker of central obesity, and clinical outcomes in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarctions (NSTEMIs) undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs).

Methods: Between 2008 and 2010, NSTEMI patients who underwent PCI and who had available anthropometric data were divided into three groups according to their WHR tertile range.

Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids May Attenuate Streptozotocin-Induced Pancreatic β-Cell Death via Autophagy Activation in Fat1 Transgenic Mice.

Background: Inflammatory factors and β-cell dysfunction due to high-fat diets aggravate chronic diseases and their complications. However, omega-3 dietary fats have anti-inflammatory effects, and the involvement of autophagy in the etiology of diabetes has been reported. Therefore, we examined the protective effects of autophagy on diabetes using fat-1 transgenic mice with omega-3 self-synthesis capability.

Effects of Short-Term Exenatide Treatment on Regional Fat Distribution, Glycated Hemoglobin Levels, and Aortic Pulse Wave Velocity of Obese Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients.

Background: Most type 2 diabetes mellitus patients are obese and have obesity related vascular complications. Exenatide treatment is well known for both decreasing glycated hemoglobin levels and reduction in body weight. So, this study aimed to determine the effects of exenatide on body composition, glycated hemoglobin levels, and vascular stiffness in obese type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

Attenuation of streptozotocin-induced pancreatic beta cell death in transgenic fat-1 mice via autophagy activation.

Background: The incidence of diabetes has rapidly increased due to changes in eating habits. Inflammatory factors and beta (β) cell dysfunction due to high-fat diets aggravate chronic diseases and their complications. However, omega-3 dietary fats have anti-inflammatory effects, and the involvement of autophagy in the etiology of diabetes has been reported.

Clinical reasons for returning hearing aids.

Background And Objectives: Increases in older aged populations and exposure to complicated noise environments have increased the number of hearing-impaired patients, creating greater demands for hearing aids. We have assessed the reasons that individuals rejected wearing and returned properly prescribed hearing aids, as well as differences in individual factors between younger and elderly adults.

Subjects And Methods: Of 1138 patients for whom hearing aids were prescribed at Kyung Hee University Medical Center Hearing Aid Clinic, 81 (6.

Comparison of infarct-related artery vs multivessel revascularization in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction with multivessel disease: analysis from Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry.

Background: Many ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients have multivessel disease. There is still controversy in treatment strategy in STEMI patients with multivessel disease. We compared clinical outcomes of multivessel revascularization with infarct- related artery (IRA) revascularization in STEMI patients.

Overlapped seed localization in seed implant brachytherapy.

A procedure for the determination of the location of prostate implant seeds that are wholly overlapped in a projection view has been developed. The procedure mainly consists of a series of image processing and an in-house developed localization software based on a three-film technique. To verify the efficacy of the procedure, a simulation phantom was built and nine sets of simulation were performed.

Immunohistochemical and electron microscopic study of the meridian-like system on the surface of internal organs of rats.

Threadlike structures on the surfaces of mammalian internal organs were recently observed, and they can be the anatomical basis of the meridian-like network of internal organs as detected by the Bi-Digital O-Ring test imaging method. Morphological and histological studies were performed to reveal their novel features by using confocal and electron microscopy, and there is evidence that reveals that they have a ductal structure in which some liquid flows. They form a part of the network of acupuncture meridians that is thought to be a circulatory system distributed throughout an animal body.