Diagnostic Algorithm Using Multimodal Imaging for the Differential Diagnosis of Intra-Cardiac Masses.

Cardiac masses are complex clinical conditions that frequently pose diagnostic challenges in cardiology practice. These masses can form within heart chambers or near the pericardium and are generally categorized as either non-neoplastic or neoplastic. These latter are further classified into benign and malignant (primary and secondary or metastatic).

A Multi-Center, Prospective, Observational Study to Evaluate the Therapeutic Effectiveness and Safety of an Olmesartan/Amlodipine Plus Rosuvastatin Combination Treatment in Patients with Concomitant Hypertension and Dyslipidemia.

This study assessed the therapeutic effectiveness of a single-pill combination (SPC) of olmesartan/amlodipine plus rosuvastatin for blood pressure (BP) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in patients with hypertension and dyslipidemia. Adult patients with hypertension and dyslipidemia who were decided to be treated with the study drug were eligible. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients who achieved BP, LDL-C and both BP and LDL-C treatment goals at weeks 24-48.

Phase angle in bioelectrical impedance analysis for assessing congestion in acute heart failure.

Background: The phase angle (PhA) in bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) reflects the cell membrane integrity or body fluid equilibrium. We examined how the PhA aligns with previously known markers of acute heart failure (HF) and assessed its value as a screening tool.

Methods: PhA was measured in 50 patients with HF and 20 non-HF controls along with the edema index (EI), another BIA parameter suggestive of edema.

High-Throughput Chemotherapeutic Drug Screening System for Gastric Cancer (Cure-GA).

Background: Three dimensional (3D) cell cultures can be effectively used for drug discovery and development but there are still challenges in their general application to high-throughput screening. In this study, we developed a novel high-throughput chemotherapeutic 3D drug screening system for gastric cancer, named 'Cure-GA', to discover clinically applicable anticancer drugs and predict therapeutic responses.

Methods: Primary cancer cells were isolated from 143 fresh surgical specimens by enzymatic treatment.

Senolytic Targeting of Anti-Apoptotic Bcl Family Increases Cell Death in UV-Irradiated Senescent Melanocytes: Search for Senolytics.

Senescent melanocytes have been suggested to play a role in the development of ageing-associated pigmentary changes and skin ageing. Here, we assessed the senolytic capacity of recognised senolytic chemicals and natural compounds in UV-irradiated senescent melanocytes. Among the tested agents, only ABT-737 and ABT-263 showed a significant reduction in the number of SA-β-Gal-positive senescent melanocytes and in the expressions of p16 and p21.

Blue photoluminescence from active carboxyl adatoms on nanoporous anodic alumina films.

Nanoporous anodic alumina (nPAA) films formed on aluminum in lower aliphatic carboxylic acids exhibit blue self-coloring and characteristic properties such as photoluminescence (PL), electroluminescence, and electron spin resonance. The blue colors are seemingly originated from the adsorbed radicals incorporating into the oxide during the aluminum anodization. However, there is lack of reports revealing the detailed activation mechanism of the adatoms in the complexes.

An Investigation of the Status of Commercial Meat Analogs and Their Ingredients: Worldwide and South Korea.

Meat analogs are a burgeoning industry, with plant-based meat analogs, insect-based meat analogs, algae-based meat analogs, mycoprotein-based meat analogs, and cell-based meat analogs. However, despite the industry's growth potential, market expansion faces hurdles due to taste and quality disparities compared to traditional meats. The composition and characteristics of meat analogs currently available in the market are analyzed in this study to inform the development of future products in this sector.

Environmental Impact of Meat Protein Substitutes: A Mini-Review.

The expansion of alternative food industries, including cultured meat, is often promoted as a strategy to reduce environmental pollution, particularly greenhouse gas emissions. However, comprehensive data on the environmental impacts of these industries remains limited. This study examines the environmental impacts of traditional meat and meat substitute production, highlighting their respective advantages and disadvantages.

Cutting-Edge Technologies of Meat Analogs: A Review.

This study was conducted to investigate the recent research trends of alternative protein foods being developed to replace traditional livestock foods and thus determine the current state of the technology and the potential for industrialization. The results of this study showed that the technology related to cultured meat has not yet reached industrialization. However, serum-free media development, technologies to improve culture efficiency, and technologies to improve taste and flavor are being researched.

Geographical and Socioeconomic Disparities in Substance and Opioid Use Disorders Among Inflammatory Bowel Disease Hospitalizations in the United States From the National Inpatient Sample.

We compared substance use disorder (SUD) prevalence among adult inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) hospitalizations with non-IBD controls from the 2016-2018 National Inpatient Sample, assessing correlations with demographics, socioeconomic status, geographic regions, depression, and anxiety. The primary aim focused on SUD, defined as substance abuse or dependence (: F10-F19) excluding unspecified use or remission, among hospitalizations documenting IBD (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis; : K50-51) as one admitting diagnosis (IBD-D). The prevalence of SUD among hospitalizations with and without IBD was compared.

Abdominal synthetic CT generation for MR-only radiotherapy using structure-conserving loss and transformer-based cycle-GAN.

Purpose: Recent deep-learning based synthetic computed tomography (sCT) generation using magnetic resonance (MR) images have shown promising results. However, generating sCT for the abdominal region poses challenges due to the patient motion, including respiration and peristalsis. To address these challenges, this study investigated an unsupervised learning approach using a transformer-based cycle-GAN with structure-preserving loss for abdominal cancer patients.

Clinical implementation of next-generation sequencing testing and genomically-matched therapy: a real-world data in a tertiary hospital.

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) cancer profiling has gained traction in routine clinical practice in South Korea. Here, we evaluated the use of NGS testing and genomically-matched therapies for patients with advanced solid tumors in a real-world clinical practice. We analyzed results from NGS cancer panel tests (SNUBH pan-cancer version 2) ordered from June 2019 to June 2020.

Therapeutic effects of CGS21680, a selective A receptor agonist, via BDNF-related pathways in R106W mutation Rett syndrome model.

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a neurological disorder caused by a mutation in the X-linked methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MECP2), leading to cognitive and motor skill regression. Therapeutic strategies aimed at increasing brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels have been reported; however, BDNF treatment has limitations, including the inability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier, a short half-life, and potential for adverse effects when administered via intrathecal injection, necessitating novel therapeutic approaches. In this study, we focused on the adenosine A receptor (AR), which modulates BDNF and its downstream pathways, and investigated the therapeutic potential of CGS21680, an AR agonist, through in vitro and in vivo studies using R106W RTT model.

Simultaneous Quantification of Biogenic Amines and their Metabolites in Mice Tissue by Combining Ultraviolet and Integrated Pulsed Amperometric Detectors.

We developed a reversed-phased high-performance liquid chromatographic method combining ultraviolet detection and integrated pulsed amperometric detection for the simultaneous quantification of dopamine, 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid, homovanillic acid, serotonin, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, norepinephrine and epinephrine. All target components were completely separated in a C18 column with isocratic elution of 5% acetonitrile solution containing 8 mM HClO4 and 0.20 mM 1-octanesulfonic acid as an ion pairing reagent.

Strong Enhancement of Light Emission in Core-Shell InGaN/GaN Multi-Quantum-Well Nanowire Light-Emitting Diodes by Incorporating Graphene Quantum Dots.

One-dimensional (1D) vertical nitrides are highly attractive for light-emitting diode (LED) applications because they are useful for overcoming the drawbacks of conventional GaN planar structures. However, the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of GaN multi-quantum-well (MQW) nanowire (NW) LEDs, typical 1D GaN structures, is still too low to replace standard planar LEDs. Here, we report a phenomenon of light amplification from core-shell InGaN/GaN NW LEDs by incorporating graphene quantum dots (GQDs).

Mesoporous Boron-Doped Carbon with Curved BC Active Sites for Highly Efficient HO Electrosynthesis in Neutral Media and Air-Supplied Environments.

Hydrogen peroxide (HO) electrosynthesis via the 2e oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is considered as a cost-effective and safe alternative to the energy-intensive anthraquinone process. However, in more practical environments, namely, the use of neutral media and air-fed cathode environments, slow ORR kinetics and insufficient oxygen supply pose significant challenges to efficient HO production at high current densities. In this work, mesoporous B-doped carbons with novel curved BC active sites, synthesized via a carbon dioxide (CO) reduction using a pore-former agent, to simultaneously achieve excellent 2e ORR activity and improved mass transfer properties are introduced.

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy up-regulates PD-L1 in radioresistant colorectal cancer.

Background: Combining radiotherapy (RT) with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is a promising strategy that can enhance the therapeutic efficacy of ICIs. However, little is known about RT-induced changes in the expression of immune checkpoints, such as PD-L1, and their clinical implications in colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to investigate the association between responsiveness to RT and changes in PD-L1 expression in human CRC tissue and cell lines.

Synergistic effects of L-arginine and argininosuccinate synthetase 1 in inducing apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background/aims: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant cancer with an increasing incidence worldwide. Although numerous efforts have been made to identify effective therapies for HCC, current strategies have limitations. We present a new approach for targeting L-arginine and argininosuccinate synthetase 1 (ASS1).

Prenatal Intervention for a Large Ureterocele in a Male Fetus Causing Lower Urinary Tract Obstruction "Society of Fetal Urology Case Reports, Fall 2024".

A male fetus at 20 weeks of gestation presented with severe bilateral hydroureteronephrosis and distended bladder due to a large ureterocele. A percutaneous ureterocele puncture at 21+3 weeks aimed to decompress the ureterocele, unclog the lower urinary tract, and prevent renal damage. Post-puncture, the ureterocele decompressed, with improved left hydronephrosis and a normal right kidney.

Glycine Decarboxylase Regulates Renal Carcinoma Progression via Interferon Stimulated Gene Factor 3-Mediated Pathway.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is considered as a "metabolic disease" due to various perturbations in metabolic pathways that could drive cancer development. Glycine decarboxylase (GLDC) is a mitochondrial enzyme that takes part in the oxidation of glycine to support nucleotide biosynthesis via transfer of one-carbon units. Herein, we aimed to investigate the potential role of GLDC in RCC development.

FBG-based Shape-Sensing to Enable Lateral Deflection Methods of Autonomous Needle Insertion.

In diagnosing and treating prostate cancer the flexible bevel tip needle insertion surgical technique is commonly used. Bevel tip needles experience asymmetric loading on the needle's tip, inducing natural bending of the needle and enabling control mechanisms for precise placement of the needle during surgery. Several methods leverage the needles natural bending to provide autonomous control of needle insertion for accurate needle placement in an effort to reduce excess tissue damage and improve patient outcomes from needle insertion intraventions.

Cohort profile: Multicenter Networks for Ideal Outcomes of Rare Pediatric Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases in Korea (OUTSPREAD study).

Rare endocrine diseases are complex conditions that require lifelong specialized care due to their chronic nature and associated long-term complications. In Korea, a lack of nationwide data on clinical practice and outcomes has limited progress in patient care. Therefore, the Multicenter Networks for Ideal Outcomes of Pediatric Rare Endocrine and Metabolic Disease (OUTSPREAD) study was initiated.

Investigating the effect of mindfulness training for stress management in military training: the relationship between the autonomic nervous system and emotional regulation.

Background: Military personnel face an increased risk of developing mental disorders owing to the stressful environments they encounter. Effective stress management strategies are crucial to mitigate this risk. Mindfulness training (MT) is promising as a stress management approach in such demanding settings.

Optimization of the Frying Process for Maximizing Crispiness of Scallop ( Adductor Muscle Snacks Using Vacuum Low-Temperature Frying.

Scallops, an economically important seafood, are popular as fried snacks. Vacuum low-temperature frying creates crispy, healthier foods that meet consumer demand for nutritious snacks with excellent texture. However, research on vacuum frying for shellfish products remains limited.