Comparison of the Characteristics of Korean Older Adults Who Returned to the Emergency Department Within 30 Days Before and During COVID-19: A Retrospective Study.

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic prompted significant alterations in emergency department accessibility owing to government-imposed health policies. These changes influenced the frequency of return emergency department visits among older adults, but empirical investigations on this topic remain scarce. This study aimed to examine trends in emergency department return visits among older adults in South Korea during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Sinhyotaklisan alleviates inflammation in LPS-activated macrophages by modulating the heme oxygenase pathway.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Shinhyotaklisan (SHTLS) is a time-honored traditional Korean herbal formula composed of four key herbs: Lonicerae Flos, Astragali Radix, Angelicae Gigantis Radix, and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma. It has been extensively used to treat inflammatory diseases by expelling excessive heat, detoxifying the body, and promoting the drainage of pus from abscesses.

Aim Of The Study: This study examines the therapeutic effects of SHTLS and elucidates its mechanisms of action in alleviating lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in vitro.

Palliative Care and Hospice for Heart Failure Patients: Position Statement From the Korean Society of Heart Failure.

Heart failure (HF) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in South Korea, imposing substantial physical, emotional, and financial burdens on patients and society. Despite the high burden of symptom and complex care needs of HF patients, palliative care and hospice services remain underutilized in South Korea due to cultural, institutional, and knowledge-related barriers. This position statement from the Korean Society of Heart Failure emphasizes the need for integrating palliative and hospice care into HF management to improve quality of life and support holistic care for patients and their families.

Korean Gastric Cancer Association-Led Nationwide Survey on Surgically Treated Gastric Cancers in 2023.

Purpose: Since 1995, the Korean Gastric Cancer Association (KGCA) has been periodically conducting nationwide surveys on patients with surgically treated gastric cancer. This study details the results of the survey conducted in 2023.

Materials And Methods: The survey was conducted from March to December 2024 using a standardized case report form.

Smartphone App for Improving Self-Awareness of Adherence to Edoxaban Treatment in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation (ADHERE-App Trial): Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Adherence to oral anticoagulant therapy is essential to prevent ischemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate whether smartphone app-based interventions improve medication adherence in patients with AF.

Methods: This open-label, multicenter randomized controlled trial (ADHERE-App [Self-Awareness of Drug Adherence to Edoxaban Using an Automatic App Feedback System] study) enrolled patients with AF treated with edoxaban for stroke prevention.

-targeted, stable expression of ChR2 in human brain organoids for consistent optogenetic control.

Self-organizing brain organoids provide a promising tool for studying human development and disease. Here we created human forebrain organoids with stable and homogeneous expression of channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) by generating safe harbor locus-targeted, ChR2 knocked-in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), followed by the differentiation of these genetically engineered hPSCs into forebrain organoids. The resulting ChR2-expressing human forebrain organoids showed homogeneous cellular expression of ChR2 throughout entire regions without any structural and functional perturbations and displayed consistent and robust neural activation upon light stimulation, allowing for the non-virus mediated, spatiotemporal optogenetic control of neural activities.

Discrepancies between home blood pressure and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in apparent treatment-resistant hypertension: analysis from the Korean resistant hypertension cohort.

This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of out-of-office blood pressure (BP) measurements in patients with apparent treatment-resistant hypertension (aRH) enrolled from 15 tertiary care centers in South Korea. aRH was defined as having uncontrolled office BP ≥ 130/80 mmHg despite receiving three classes of antihypertensive medication or any level of BP despite receiving ≥4 classes of antihypertensive medication. Patients with complete data for office BP, 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM), and home BP measurements at baseline were included.

Simultaneous Analysis of 504 Pesticide Multiresidues in Crops Using UHPLC-QTOF at MS and MS Levels.

A robust analytical method was developed for the simultaneous detection of 504 pesticide multiresidues in various crops using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF). The method integrates both MS and MS levels through sequential window acquisition of all theoretical mass spectra (SWATH) analysis, allowing for accurate mass measurements and the construction of a spectral library to enhance pesticide residue identification. An evaluation of the method was carried out according to international standards, including the FAO guidelines and SANTE/11312/2021.

Bayesian Safety and Futility Monitoring in Phase II Trials Using One Utility-Based Rule.

For phase II clinical trials that determine the acceptability of an experimental treatment based on ordinal toxicity and ordinal response, most monitoring methods require each ordinal outcome to be dichotomized using a selected cut-point. This allows two early stopping rules to be constructed that compare marginal probabilities of toxicity and response to respective upper and lower limits. Important problems with this approach are loss of information due to dichotomization, dependence of treatment acceptability decisions on precisely how each ordinal variable is dichotomized, and ignoring association between the two outcomes.

Exploring structural and biological insights of TEAD through rational design and synthesis of niflumic acid derivatives.

Transcriptional enhanced associate domain (TEAD) transcription factors undergo auto-palmitoylation, which is critical to mediate their function and maintain stability. Targeting the palmitate binding pocket of TEAD holds considerable promise for drug discovery, and it can be characterised into three components: a conserved cysteine, a hydrophobic main pocket, and a hydrophilic side pocket. Endogenous palmitate and several known TEAD inhibitors interact with the cysteine and hydrophobic residues in the deep hydrophobic pocket.

Short-term outcomes depending on type of oesophagojejunostomy in laparoscopic total gastrectomy for gastric cancer: retrospective study based on a Korean Nationwide Survey for Gastric Cancer in 2019.

Background: The study aimed to assess postoperative complication rates of different oesophagojejunostomy (EJ) techniques used in laparoscopic total gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

Methods: A total of 1155 patients who underwent laparoscopic total gastrectomy were retrospectively selected from the data obtained from the Korean Nationwide Survey for gastric cancer in 2019. Morbidity rate was compared between patients who received intracorporeal or extracorporeal EJ using linear or circular staplers during laparoscopic total gastrectomy.

Mechanism of Action and Pharmacokinetics of Approved Bispecific Antibodies.

Bispecific antibodies represent a significant advancement in therapeutic antibody engineering, offering the ability to simultaneously target two distinct antigens. This dual-targeting capability enhances therapeutic efficacy, especially in complex diseases, such as cancer and autoimmune disorders, where drug resistance and incomplete target coverage are prevalent challenges. Bispecific antibodies facilitate immune cell engagement and disrupt multiple signaling pathways, providing a more comprehensive treatment approach than traditional monoclonal antibodies.

The Protective Role of in Preventing Ovotoxicity and Managing Ovarian Function: An In Vitro and In Vivo Study.

(MF) is a medicinal herb widely employed in traditional medicine for relieving sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, headaches, and toothaches. Here, we investigated the potential preventive effects of MF extract (MFE) against 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD)-induced ovotoxicity in ovarian cells and a mouse model of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). The cytoprotective effects of MFE were assessed using CHO-K1 or COV434 cells.

Temporal Trends in Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes for Peripartum Cardiomyopathy: The Nationwide Multicenter Registry Over 20 Years.

Background: Although peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a fatal disease affecting young patients and fetuses, little is known about its recent prognosis and risk factors. This study investigated temporal trends in clinical characteristics and outcomes for PPCM in a nationwide multicenter registry.

Methods And Results: The study population comprised 340 patients (mean age, 33 years) who were diagnosed with PPCM between January 2000 and September 2022 in 26 tertiary hospitals in South Korea.

Feasibility of Extended Postoperative Follow-Up in Patients With Gastric Cancer.

Importance: Conventional research and guidelines on postgastrectomy follow-up for gastric cancer often restrict their focus to the first 5 years after surgery.

Objective: To evaluate the association of extended regular follow-up after 5 years postgastrectomy in patients with gastric cancer with overall and postrecurrence survival rates.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This population-based, retrospective cohort study used Korean National Health Insurance claims data extracted between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2014, with follow-up data examined until December 31, 2021.

Association Between Lifestyle Behaviors and Obesity Among Stroke Survivors.

Aim: The aim was to investigate factors influencing obesity among stroke survivors based on demographics and lifestyle behaviors.

Background: Stroke survivors are more likely to experience stroke recurrence within a few years. As obesity is a traditional risk factor for stroke, obesity should be managed in stroke survivors to prevent stroke recurrence.

Development and psychometric evaluation of the adjuvant endocrine therapy beliefs scale for breast cancer survivors.

Purpose: Adjuvant endocrine therapy has a vital role in reducing breast cancer mortality. The beliefs in adjuvant endocrine therapy is a very important factor in the medication adherence of breast cancer survivors. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a standardized scale for assessment of adjuvant endocrine therapy.

Effectiveness of calcipotriol/betamethasone dipropionate aerosol foam in patients with small versus large plaque psoriasis in routine practice in South Korea.

Small plaque psoriasis is the typical form of chronic plaque psoriasis affecting adults in South Korea. The effectiveness of calcipotriol/betamethasone dipropionate (Cal/BD) aerosol foam for large and small psoriasis plaques has not previously been examined. We performed a post hoc analysis of a recent, 4-week observational study of Cal/BD aerosol foam use in routine clinical practice in South Korea.

Continuity of care between dyslipidemia patients and multiple providers: A cohort study.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impacts of continuity of care (COC) between patients and multiple providers, i.e., doctors and community pharmacists, on clinical and economic outcomes.