Biomarkers.

Background: Chronic pain remains mostly untreated in those with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD), mainly due to limited capacity to verbalize pain. Development of reliable objective biomarkers of chronic pain could improve pain assessment and treatment. We explored feasibility and acceptability of using a wearable electroencephalograph (EEG) and a screen-based eye tracker system to identify neural signatures of chronic pain in this population.

Association of varicose veins with the risk of heart failure: A nationwide cohort study.

Background: Research investigating the association between varicose veins (VV) and heart failure has been limited. Here, we examine this association within a nationwide longitudinal cohort, hypothesizing an increased risk of heart failure associated with the presence of VV.

Methods: Our study included 390,436 participants based on health screening results conducted from 2005 to 2010 in the South Korean health screening cohort database.

Effectiveness of Bisphosphonates in Young Adults with Fragility Fractures: Representative Population-Based Cohort Study.

Context: Fragility fractures in young adults present significant clinical challenges due to the limited evidence on the effectiveness of bisphosphonates in preventing subsequent fractures.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of bisphosphonate therapy in reducing the fracture risk among premenopausal women with a history of osteoporotic fractures.

Design: A population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort (NHIS-NSC) in South Korea, covering the years 2003 to 2014.

Developmental Characteristics of High-Risk Infants According to the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third Edition.

Background: The present study aimed to determine the developmental characteristics of high-risk infants with birth and perinatal risk factors according to gestational age using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third Edition (Bayley-III) and to assess the clinical utility of the scale.

Methods: This study included 100 high-risk infants < 12 months' corrected age who presented to a hospital in Korea. Developmental levels of cognitive, language and motor scales were confirmed using Bayley-III and analysed by dividing the infants according to gestational age as follows: high-risk full-term, moderate-to-late preterm and very preterm.

Examining Preliminary Efficacy of a Qigong Intervention in Veterans with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

Purpose: The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the preliminary efficacy of an 8-week qigong intervention in managing biopsychosocial outcomes in veterans with chronic low back pain (CLBP).

Design: The study design was a longitudinal randomized controlled trial (RCT).

Methods: Multimodal assessments (e.

Comparison of responders and nonresponders with knee osteoarthritis after transcranial direct current stimulation.

Aim: The study compared responders and nonresponders to transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) regarding clinical pain outcomes in knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients.

Patients And Methods/materials: Sixty participants received home-based active tDCS, and clinical pain outcomes were compared between responders and nonresponders.

Results: Latent class growth analyses classified 41 participants as responders and 19 as nonresponders.

Effects of Late-Passage Small Umbilical Cord-Derived Fast Proliferating Cells on Tenocytes from Degenerative Rotator Cuff Tears under an Interleukin 1β-Induced Tendinopathic Environment.

Background: Tendinopathy is a chronic tendon disease. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), known for their anti-inflammatory properties, may lose effectiveness with extensive culturing. Previous research introduced "small umbilical cord-derived fast proliferating cells" (smumf cells), isolated using a novel minimal cube explant method.

Rural Roads to Cognitive Resilience (RRR): A prospective cohort study protocol.

Background: Ambient air pollution, detrimental built and social environments, social isolation (SI), low socioeconomic status (SES), and rural (versus urban) residence have been associated with cognitive decline and risk of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). Research is needed to investigate the influence of ambient air pollution and built and social environments on SI and cognitive decline among rural, disadvantaged, ethnic minority communities. To address this gap, this cohort study will recruit an ethnoracially diverse, rural Florida sample in geographic proximity to seasonal agricultural burning.

Health risks associated with urinary incontinence among older Korean Americans living in subsidized senior housing.

Objectives: We examined the association of urinary incontinence (UI) with physical, mental, and social health among older Korean Americans living in subsidized senior housing.

Design: Data were obtained from surveys conducted in 2023 with older Korean Americans residing in subsidized senior housing in the Los Angeles area ( = 313). UI was measured using a question about the frequency of involuntary urine loss.

Falls as a mental health risk among Korean-American residents in subsidized senior housing: mediating effect of fall-related self-efficacy.

Objectives: The study examined the mediating role of fall-related self-efficacy in the association between falls and mental health among older Korean Americans living in subsidized senior housing in the greater Los Angeles area. We focused on serious fall incidents (i.e.

Adoption of Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Robots in Long-Term Care Homes by Health Care Providers: Scoping Review.

Background: Long-term care (LTC) homes face the challenges of increasing care needs of residents and a shortage of health care providers. Literature suggests that artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled robots may solve such challenges and support person-centered care. There is a dearth of literature exploring the perspectives of health care providers, which are crucial to implementing AI-enabled robots.

Effects of stress on burnout among infection control nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: the mediating effects of social support and self-efficacy.

Background: This study investigated the mediating effects of self-efficacy and social support on the relationship between stress and burnout among infection control nurses (ICNs) during an emerging infectious disease pandemic.

Methods: The study participants encompassed 210 ICNs with at least six months' experience in an infection control unit at a general hospital in South Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were analyzed using independent t-tests or one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), while descriptive statistics were performed using SPSS/WIN 26.

Estrogen receptor/androgen receptor transcriptional activation of benzophenone derivatives and integrated approaches to testing and assessment (IATA) for estrogenic effects.

Estrogen receptor (ER) and androgen receptor (AR) transactivation assays for the benzophenone compounds (BPs) were performed using hERα-HeLa-9903 cells for ER and MMTV/22Rv1_GR-KO cells for AR. Results showed that some BPs, such as BP-1, BP-2, 4OH-BP, 4DHB, and 4-MBP, showed agonistic activity on ER with a higher RPCmax than 1 nM 17-β estradiol. The other BPs (BP, BP-3, BP-6, BP-7, and BP-8) showed low RPCmax in accordance with the OECD Test guideline (TG) 455 criteria, with BP-4 as the only ER-negative.

Hypnotic effect of AR-001 through adenosine A receptor.

Insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders, affecting 10-15% of the global population. Because classical remedies used to treat insomnia have various side effects, new therapeutics for insomnia are attracting attention. In the present study, we found that N-Ethyl-N-(furan-2-ylmethyl) quinazoline-2,4-diamine (AR-001) has adenosine A receptor agonistic activity and exhibits hypnotic efficacy by decreasing sleep onset latency and increasing total sleep time in a pentobarbital-induced sleep model.

Risk of dementia in the elderly with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A nested case-control study in the Republic of Korea.

Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is known to be associated with metabolic syndrome of which diabetes is an important component. Although diabetes is a known risk factor for dementia, studies on the association between NAFLD and dementia still produce conflicting results. This study aimed to determine whether NAFLD would be a risk factor for the development of dementia in an elderly population.

A continuous-wave and pulsed X-band electron spin resonance spectrometer operating in ultra-high vacuum for the study of low dimensional spin ensembles.

We report the development of a continuous-wave and pulsed X-band electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometer for the study of spins on ordered surfaces down to cryogenic temperatures. The spectrometer operates in ultra-high vacuum and utilizes a half-wavelength microstrip line resonator realized using epitaxially grown copper films on single crystal Al2O3 substrates. The one-dimensional microstrip line resonator exhibits a quality factor of more than 200 at room temperature, close to the upper limit determined by radiation losses.

Dementia Caregiving Experiences Among Korean Americans: Qualitative Inquiry Using the Stress Process Perspective.

Dementia caregiving involves a challenging and complex process, especially for immigrant families. Using a qualitative method, this study provides an in-depth exploration of caregiving experiences among Korean American caregivers of people living with dementia. Based on various sampling strategies, 16 Korean American caregivers of family members/relatives with dementia were recruited in the greater Los Angeles area.

Risk Factors for Elder Mistreatment Among Older Korean Americans.

Using data from a sample of older Korean Americans (= 2,150), we examined the prevalence and associated factors of physical, emotional, and financial mistreatment. Given the importance of contextual factors, we examined the effect of immigration-related (years in the U.S.

Numerical Investigation of Layered Homogeneous Skull Model for Simulations of Transcranial Focused Ultrasound.

Background And Objectives: The influence of the intracranial pressure field must be discussed with the development of a single-element transducer for low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound because the skull plays a significant role in blocking and dispersing ultrasound wave propagation. Ultrasound propagation is mainly affected by the structure and acoustic properties of the skull; thus, we aimed to investigate the impact of simplifying the acoustic properties of the skull on the simulation of the transcranial pressure field to present guidance for efficient skull modeling in full-wave simulations.

Materials And Methods: We constructed a three-dimensional computational model for ultrasound transmission with the same structure but varying acoustic properties of the skull.

Mental Health Impact of Bullying by Ethnic Peers in Senior Housing: A Study with Older Korean American Residents in the Greater Los Angeles Area.

Using data from Korean-American residents ( = 343) in subsidized senior housing in the Los Angeles area, we examined the effect of peer bullying on mental health. About 18% of the sample had been a target of bullying, and over 31% had witnessed someone being bullied. Being a target of bullying was a significant predictor for both depressive symptoms and anxiety, whereas witnessing other residents being bullied was a significant predictor for anxiety only.

The Role of Sensory Impairment in Cognitive Health Appraisal: A Study of Older Korean Americans Living in Subsidized Senior Housing.

Objectives: We examined how the association between cognitive performance and cognitive health appraisal would be moderated by vision and/or hearing impairment.

Methods: Data were collected from 315 older Korean-American residents in subsidized senior housing in Los Angeles ( age = 79.4 years).

Prescribing Benzodiazepines and Opioids and Clinical Characteristics Associated With 30-Day Hospital Return in Patients Aged ≥75 Years: Secondary Data Analysis.

Purpose: The current study compared prevalence of opioid or benzodiazepine (BZD) prescription and co-prescription of opioids and BZD at discharge and return to a community hospital within 30 days, as well as identified clinical characteristics associated with hospital return in patients aged ≥75 years.

Method: A secondary analysis of a database created during implementation of the Safe Transitions for At Risk Patients program at a 400-bed community teaching hospital in south Florida was conducted. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify significant demographic and clinical characteristics associated with return to the hospital within 30 days of discharge.

Integrated Assessment for the Estrogenic Effects of Pyrethroid Compounds: Defining the Molecular Initiating Events and Key Events for the Adverse Outcome Pathway.

Pyrethroids, which are derived from natural insecticides found in chrysanthemum flowers, are widely utilized in various sectors, including agriculture, forestry, horticulture, and personal insect protection. Due to their widespread use, concerns have arisen regarding their potential estrogenic effects on female reproductive health. This review aims to address data gaps and inconsistencies in previous studies by defining molecular initiating events and key events within the adverse outcome pathway associated with pyrethroid-induced estrogenic effects.

Intervention to promote preventive dental care for older Korean-American Medi-Cal enrollees in Los Angeles.

Background: In California, preventive dental care is covered by Medi-Cal (California's Medicaid program). However, many beneficiaries do not use their dental benefits. Given that a lack of knowledge about oral health and insurance coverage contributes to this underutilization, promoting the use of dental benefits among eligible individuals via an educational program is imperative.