Risk of Death From Various Causes According to Prevalent Atrial Fibrillation: A Nationwide Population-Based Study.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with increased risks of adverse events including stroke and all-cause death. Understanding the pattern of causes of death (COD) with the relative risks in patients with AF compared to the non-AF population is essential in planning optimal care for patients with AF. We aimed to analyze the COD and its relative risks in patients with AF, using a nationwide population-based cohort.

Rare disease genomics and precision medicine.

Rare diseases, though individually uncommon, collectively affect millions worldwide. Genomic technologies and big data analytics have revolutionized diagnosing and understanding these conditions. This review explores the role of genomics in rare disease research, the impact of large consortium initiatives, advancements in extensive data analysis, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), and the therapeutic implications in precision medicine.

Increasing Very Low-Dose Edoxaban Prescription: Effectiveness and Safety Data of Korean AF Patients.

Background And Objectives: Evidence remains limited on the real-world prescription of very low-dose oral anticoagulation among frail patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We described the practice patterns, effectiveness, and safety of very low-dose edoxaban (15 mg once daily).

Methods: Patients with AF prescribed edoxaban 15 mg once daily in 2 tertiary hospitals between 2016 and September 2022 were included.

Hypoxia is linked to acquired resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors in lung cancer.

Despite the established use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), only a subset of patients benefit from treatment and ∼50% of patients whose tumors respond eventually develop acquired resistance (AR). To identify novel drivers of AR, we generated murine Msh2 knock-out (KO) lung tumors that initially responded but eventually developed AR to anti-PD-1, alone or in combination with anti-CTLA-4. Resistant tumors harbored decreased infiltrating T cells and reduced cancer cell-intrinsic MHC-I and MHC-II levels, yet remained responsive to IFNγ.

Metastasis of colon cancer requires Dickkopf-2 to generate cancer cells with Paneth cell properties.

Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Paneth cells provide stem cell niche factors in homeostatic conditions, but the underlying mechanisms of cancer stem cell niche development are unclear. Here, we report that Dickkopf-2 (DKK2) is essential for the generation of cancer cells with Paneth cell properties during colon cancer metastasis.

Shank3 Overexpression Leads to Cardiac Dysfunction in Mice by Disrupting Calcium Homeostasis in Cardiomyocytes.

Background And Objectives: SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domains 3 (Shank3) proteins play crucial roles as neuronal postsynaptic scaffolds. Alongside neuropsychiatric symptoms, individuals with mutations often exhibit symptoms related to dysfunctions in other organs, including the heart. However, detailed insights into the cardiac functions of Shank3 remain limited.

Clinical outcomes of Asian patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation and previously diagnosed atrial fibrillation: Insights from the CODE-AF Registry.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) may have different clinical features in its early phase.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the characteristics and clinical outcomes of early-phase AF with later-phase AF using a large multicenter prospective registry (CODE-AF [COmparison study of Drugs for symptom control and complication prEvention of Atrial Fibrillation]).

Methods: Patients enrolled between June 2016 and March 2021 were divided into 2 groups based on AF duration: (1) newly diagnosed (AF duration ≤90 days); and (2) previously diagnosed (AF duration >90 days).

Sex Difference in 5-year Relative Survival Following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background: Survival rates following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) show variability across studies, particularly regarding sex-specific outcomes. Relative survival analysis, which considers survival patterns in sex-and age-matched general populations, could help explain this variability.

Methods: In a 2011 nationwide South Korean PCI cohort study with 48,783 patients, all-cause death was assessed as the primary outcome over 5 years.

For Me or Against Me? Reactions to AI (vs. Human) Decisions That Are Favorable or Unfavorable to the Self and the Role of Fairness Perception.

Public reactions to algorithmic decisions often diverge. While high-profile media coverage suggests that the use of AI in organizational decision-making is viewed as unfair and received negatively, recent survey results suggest that such use of AI is perceived as fair and received positively. Drawing on fairness heuristic theory, the current research reconciles this apparent contradiction by examining the roles of decision outcome and fairness perception on individuals' attitudinal (Studies 1-3, 5) and behavioral (Study 4) reactions to algorithmic (vs.

Predictive biomarkers for metachronous gastric cancer development after endoscopic resection of early gastric cancer.

Objectives: We aimed to identify predictive markers for metachronous gastric cancer (MGC) in early gastric cancer (EGC) patients curatively treated with endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD).

Materials And Methods: From EGC patients who underwent ESD, bulk RNA sequencing was performed on non-cancerous gastric mucosa samples at the time of initial EGC diagnosis. This included 23 patients who developed MGC, and 23 control patients without additional gastric neoplasms for over 3 years (1:1 matched by age, sex, and Helicobacter pylori infection state).

Plasma apixaban concentrations and thrombin generation assay parameters in response to dose reduction for atrial fibrillation.

Aims: To investigate plasma apixaban concentrations and thrombin generation assay (TGA) parameters across different apixaban doses in atrial fibrillation patients who had dose-reduction criteria for apixaban.

Methods: This observational study included 374 patients (mean age 75.6 ± 7.

Transfusion and clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention.

We investigated the long-term patterns and effects of transfusion on the clinical outcome of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using a nationwide registry. Five-year clinical outcome of all Koreans undergoing PCI using stent in year 2011 (n = 48,786) was investigated. Primary outcome was the incidence density of transfusion.

Yeast Small Ubiquitin-Like Modifier (SUMO) Protease Ulp2 is Involved in RNA Splicing.

In eukaryotes, RNA splicing, an essential biological process, is crucial for precise gene expression. Inaccurate RNA splicing can cause aberrant mRNA production, disrupting protein synthesis. To regulate splicing efficiency, some splicing factors are reported to undergo Ubiquitin-like Modifier (SUMO)ylation.

Stress resistance insights of 65 Listeria strains: Acidic, low temperature, and high salt environments.

Genetically, Listeria monocytogenes is closely related to non-L. monocytogenes (L. innocua, L.

Clinical characteristics of apixaban prescription in AF patients with single dose-reduction criterion: the ASPIRE (efficAcy and safety of aPixaban in rEal-world practice in Korean frail patients with atrial fibrillation) study.

Background: Data on off-label reduced dose risk among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who qualify for a single-dose reduction of apixaban is scarce.

Objectives: We prospectively assessed apixaban dosing and clinical characteristics in AF patients meeting a dose reduction criterion.

Methods: The multicentre, prospective cohort study, the efficAcy and Safety of aPixaban In REal-world practice in Korean frail patients with AF (ASPIRE), encompasses patients with AF who met the criteria for a single-dose reduction of apixaban and were given varying doses of apixaban, either the on-label standard dose or the off-label reduced dose.

Association between types of antihypertensive medication and the risk of atrial fibrillation: a nationwide population study.

Background: Patients with hypertension are at a high risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). Recent research has indicated the varying effects of antihypertensive medications on developing AF.

Objectives: We investigated the relationship between different types of antihypertensive medications and the risk of AF occurrence.

GnRH peripherally modulates nociceptor functions, exacerbating mechanical pain.

The function of peripheral nociceptors, the neurons that relay pain signals to the brain, are frequently tuned by local and systemic modulator substances. In this context, neurohormonal effects are emerging as an important modulatory mechanism, but many aspects remain to be elucidated. Here we report that gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), a brain-specific neurohormone, can aggravate pain by acting on nociceptors in mice.

Perioperative Management in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Treated with Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulants Undergoing Minor Bleeding Risk Procedure: Rationale and Protocol for the PERIXa Study.

Background: While treatment interruption of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) for elective surgery or procedures among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is becoming more prevalent, there remains insufficient evidence regarding the optimal perioperative management of NOACs, particularly procedures with minor bleeding risks.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a simplified, standardized protocol for perioperative management of direct factor Xa inhibitors in patients, with AF undergoing procedures associated with minor bleeding risk.

Methods: This multicenter, prospective single-arm registry study plans to enroll patients undergoing procedures with minor bleeding risk who were prescribed direct factor Xa inhibitors for AF.

Alcohol is neither a risk factor nor a protective factor for sudden cardiac death and/or fatal ventricular arrhythmia: A population-based study with genetic traits and alcohol consumption in the UK Biobank.

Background: The association between alcohol consumption and the risk of sudden cardiac death and/or fatal ventricular arrhythmia remains controversial.

Objective: We analyzed the association between alcohol consumption, genetic traits for alcohol metabolism, and the risk of sudden cardiac death and/or fatal ventricular arrhythmia.

Methods: We identified 397,164 individuals enrolled between 2006 and 2010 from the UK Biobank database and followed them until 2021.

SCORE and SCORE2 in East Asian Population: A Performance Comparison.

Background: Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation 2 (SCORE2) and SCORE2-Older Persons (OP) models have been proposed as new cardiovascular risk evaluation tools.

Objectives: This study evaluated the performance of SCORE/SCORE-OP and SCORE2/SCORE2-OP in the East Asian population by using population-based cohort data from the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) Health Screening Cohort of Korea.

Methods: A total of 324,384 NHIS examinees from 2004 to 2005 were divided into 5 age groups: 40-49 years, 50-59 years, 60-69 years,70-79 years, and more than 80 years.

Metastasis of colon cancer requires Dickkopf-2 to generate cancer cells with Paneth cell properties.

Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Paneth cells provide stem cell niche factors in homeostatic conditions, but the underlying mechanisms of cancer stem cell niche development are unclear. Here we report that Dickkopf-2 (DKK2) is essential for the generation of cancer cells with Paneth cell properties during colon cancer metastasis.