Effect of Glomerular Hyperfiltration on Incident Cardiovascular Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Background: The effects of glomerular hyperfiltration (GHF) on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were explored.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study enrolled 1,952,053 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database between 2015 and 2016. Based on age- and sex-specific estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) percentiles, patients were classified into five groups: <5 (low filtration), 5-40, 40-60, 60-95, and >95 (GHF).

Single-molecule analysis reveals that IPMK enhances the DNA-binding activity of the transcription factor SRF.

Serum response factor (SRF) is a master transcription factor that regulates immediate early genes and cytoskeletal remodeling genes. Despite its importance, the mechanisms through which SRF stably associates with its cognate promoter remain unknown. Our biochemical and protein-induced fluorescence enhancement analyses showed that the binding of SRF to serum response element was significantly increased by inositol polyphosphate multikinase (IPMK), an SRF cofactor.

Risk acceleration by gout on major adverse cardiovascular events and all-cause death in patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease.

Aims: We aimed to examine the impact of gout on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality risk in patients with type 2 diabetes and explore whether chronic kidney disease (CKD) modifies this association.

Materials And Methods: Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, 757 378 individuals with type 2 diabetes were classified into the CKDGout, CKDGout, CKDGout, and CKDGout groups. Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the risk of myocardial infarction (MI), ischemic stroke, and mortality, after adjusting for cardiometabolic factors.

Effect of Herbal Medicine (Hwanglyeonhaedok-tang) on Insomnia Patients with Bedtime Procrastination: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: Insomnia, characterized by difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, affects a significant portion of the global population. Bedtime procrastination, which is a voluntary delay in going to bed, is a major contributing factor to the prevalence of sleep deprivation in modern societies. Hwanglyeonhaedok-tang (HJD decoction) has shown promise in improving the symptoms of insomnia.

National and regional trends in the prevalence of Perthes' disease among the male population in South Korea.

Aims: We evaluated the national and regional trends from 2013 to 2022, in the prevalence of Perthes' disease among adolescent males in South Korea.

Methods: This retrospective, nationwide, population-based study included a total of 3,166,669 Korean adolescent males examined at regional Military Manpower Administration (MMA) offices over ten years. Data from the MMA were retrospectively collected to measure the national and regional prevalence per 100,000 and 95% CI of Perthes' disease according to the year (1 January 2013 to 31 December 2022) and history of pelvic and/or femoral osteotomy in South Korea.

Unravelling complex mechanisms in materials processes with cryogenic electron microscopy.

Investigating nanoscale structural variations, including heterogeneities, defects, and interfacial characteristics, is crucial for gaining insight into material properties and functionalities. Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is developing as a powerful tool in materials science particularly for non-invasively understanding nanoscale structures of materials. These advancements bring us closer to the ultimate goal of correlating nanoscale structures to bulk functional outcomes.

Efficacy and Safety of Virtual Reality-Based Versus Traditional Emotion-to-Emotion Therapy for Treatment of Hwa-Byung: A Protocol for a Single-Center, Randomized, Assessor-Blind, Parallel-Group Clinical Trial.

Background: Hwa-Byung is a culturally bound syndrome prevalent in Korea, characterized by intense emotional distress and physical symptoms related to suppressed anger. Patients frequently report experiencing chest tightness, heat sensations, and globus pharyngeus (the sensation of a lump in the throat). These physical symptoms often accompany psychological distress and can exacerbate the sense of frustration and helplessness associated with the condition.

The Probiotics , , and Enhance Spermatozoa Motility Through Mitochondrial Function-Related Factors.

Idiopathic male infertility is characterized by increased mortality or reduced motility and vitality of sperm. There are several reports on probiotics in the male reproductive tract, but the effects of these probiotics on sperm motility remain to be elucidated. In this study, we investigated the impact and mechanism of probiotics on the vitality and motility of mouse sperm.

Gold Tetrahedral Nanoframes with Mono-Rim or Dual-Rim Morphologies for Enhanced Near-Field Focusing in SERS.

This study presents a synthesis method for Au tetrahedral nanoframes (Td NFs) through a rationally designed multiple-step process, followed by an investigation of their distinctively ordered self-assembly for enhanced performance in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Two distinct Au Td NF building blocks are synthesized, exhibiting mono-rim or dual-rim morphologies. The mono-rim structure lacks intra-nanogaps, whereas the dual-rim configuration features well-defined intra-nanogaps.

Effect of Preoperative Acupuncture and Epidural Steroid Injection on Early Postoperative Infection After Lumbar Spinal Fusion.

Background: Acupuncture and epidural steroid injection (ESI) are frequently performed in patients with degenerative lumbar disease. The purpose of this study was to explore preoperative acupuncture and ESI as risk factors for postoperative infection after elective lumbar fusion.

Methods: Patients >50 years of age who underwent spinal fusion due to degenerative lumbar disease from 2010 to 2019 were identified by diagnostic and procedural codes using a nationwide database.

Flexible transmissive colors with enhanced purity and brightness through overlapping multi-cavity resonances.

We demonstrate flexible transmissive structural color filters with enhanced color purity and brightness by exploiting resonance overlap within multiple cavities in penta-layered structures. Using an inverse design method that combines optimization and exhaustive search algorithms, the material choices and layer thicknesses are determined through a loss function based on the CIE XYZ color space, optimizing both color purity and brightness. The resulting color gamut is comparable to standard RGB, as assessed in the CIE xy color space, with luminance (Y from CIE 1931 model) values for the fabricated transmissive RGB colors being 0.

The Role of Cacao Powder in Enhancing Skin Moisture and Reducing Wrinkles: A 12-Week Clinical Trial and In Vitro Study.

Skin aging is driven by a combination of internal and external mechanisms, with ultraviolet (UV) radiation being a prominent external factor contributing to photoaging. Photoaging manifests through several signs, including decreased skin hydration, diminished elasticity, coarse wrinkles, and dyspigmentation. Cacao beans, known for their flavonoids and polyphenols, offer potential anti-aging benefits.

Risk factors associated with SGLT2 inhibitor discontinuation in diabetic patients with heart failure.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), have shown benefits in patient with heart failure (HF), however, adherence remains a significant issue: with only 60% of patients continuing usage beyond a year. This study aims to identify patients at risk of discontinuing SGLT2i and promote its judicious use to reduce hospitalizations and improve cardiovascular outcomes. Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, patients diagnosed with HF and diabetes mellitus (n = 1,665,565) between 2013 and 2018 were identified.

Tailoring resonant modes in dual cavities for transmissive structural colors with high brightness and high purity.

We present quad-layered structural color filters producing transmissive red (R), green (G), and blue (B) colors with high brightness and high purity, where thicknesses of layers for the RGB colors are optimized by using a L-BFGS-B algorithm. To evaluate the performance of the proposed structural color filters, computer-based inverse designs based on meta-heuristic and reinforcement learning algorithms are employed, where the optical properties obtained from the inverse designs are comparable to those shown in our proposed design. A peak separation phenomenon in dual cavities is applied to make a spectral response rectangular, and also a resonance order is optimally tailored to maximize the transmittance at a resonant wavelength with the suppression of undesired higher-order resonances at the same time for achieving pure colors.

TET2 regulates early and late transitions in exhausted CD8 T cell differentiation and limits CAR T cell function.

CD8 T cell exhaustion hampers control of cancer and chronic infections and limits chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell efficacy. Targeting in CAR T cells provides therapeutic benefit; however, TET2's role in exhausted T cell (T) development is unclear. In chronic lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection, TET2 drove conversion from stem cell-like T progenitors toward terminally differentiated and effector (T)-like T.

Case report of atypical re-sedation after general anesthesia using remimazolam.

Background: Remimazolam, an ultra-short-acting anesthetic with flumazenil as a reversal agent, typically facilitates patient awakening postoperatively. However, our case reveals an unusual occurrence: despite flumazenil initially restoring consciousness, re-sedation due to remimazolam ensued six hours later.

Case: A 65-year-old woman underwent total intravenous general anesthesia with remimazolam and remifentanil during the 140-min surgery.

Is Farming a Risk Occupation for Cardio-cerebrovascular Diseases? A Scoping Review on Cardio-cerebrovascular Disease Risk in Farmers.

Objectives: In Korea, cardio-cerebrovascular disease (CCVD) is recognized as an occupational disease when sufficient evidence of a work-related burden exists. In 2021, approximately 26.8% of the payments from occupational disease insurance under the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act were allocated to CCVDs.

Disease progression associated cytokines in COVID-19 patients with deteriorating and recovering health conditions.

Understanding the immune response to COVID-19 is challenging due to its high variability among individuals. To identify differentially expressed cytokines between the deteriorating and recovering phases, we analyzed the Electronic Health Records (EHR) and cytokine profile data in a COVID-19 cohort of 444 infected patients and 145 non-infected healthy individuals. We categorized each patient's progression into Deterioration Phase (DP) and Recovery Phase (RP) using longitudinal neutrophil, lymphocyte and lactate dehydrogenase levels.

Two- and Three-Dimensional Ag-Au Nanoalloying: Heterogeneous Building Blocks Enhancing Near-Field Focusing.

In this study, we report a strategy for fabricating binary surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates composed of plasmonic Pt@Ag and Pt@Au truncated-octahedral (TOh) dual-rim nanoframes (DNFs) functioning as a "nanoalloy." Pt TOh frameworks act as a scaffold to develop nanoarchitectures with surface decoration using plasmonically active materials (i.e.