AI-Based 3D Liver Segmentation and Volumetric Analysis in Living Donor Data.

This study investigated the application of deep learning for 3-dimensional (3D) liver segmentation and volumetric analysis in living donor liver transplantation. Using abdominal computed tomography data from 55 donors, this study aimed to evaluate the liver segmentation performance of various U-Net-based models, including 3D U-Net, RU-Net, DU-Net, and RDU-Net, before and after hepatectomy. Accurate liver volume measurement is critical in liver transplantation to ensure adequate functional recovery and minimize postoperative complications.

Prediction of Grain Structure and Texture in Twin-Roll Cast Aluminum Alloys Using Cellular Automaton-Finite Element Method.

The twin-roll casting (TRC) process has gained significant attention for aluminum sheet production due to its cost-effectiveness and high processing efficiency. However, controlling the initial grain structure of TRC strips remains challenging due to the absence of a hot rolling stage, necessitating an advanced predictive modeling approach. In this study, a cellular automaton-finite element (CA-FE) model was developed to predict the grain structure and texture of aluminum strips fabricated via TRC.

The Association Between Location of BRCA Mutation and Efficacy of PARP Inhibitor as a Frontline Maintenance Therapy in Advanced Epithelial Ovarian Cancer.

Background: The location of BRCA mutations within functional domains may affect sensitivity to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors and platinum-based chemotherapy. This study aimed to evaluate the progression-free survival (PFS) benefit from the PARP inhibitor in relation to the location of mutations in / in newly diagnosed ovarian cancer.

Materials And Methods: Patients with advanced stage III-IV epithelial ovarian cancer who had deleterious or were analyzed.

Acute severe hepatitis in children following extrahepatic infection in South Korea: etiology, clinical course, and outcomes.

Background: Acute hepatitis can occur in association with systemic diseases outside the liver. Acute severe hepatitis with markedly elevated transaminase levels following extrahepatic infection has been reported in children. However, research on this condition remains limited.

Smartphone conjunctiva photography for malaria risk stratification in asymptomatic school age children.

Malaria remains a major global health challenge. Although effective control relies on testing all suspected cases, asymptomatic infections in school-age children are frequently overlooked. Advances in retinal imaging and computer vision have enhanced malaria detection.

Cirsium japonicum leaf extract attenuated lipopolysaccharide-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome in mice via suppression of the NLRP3 and HIF1α pathways.

Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a severe inflammatory disorder characterized by acute respiratory failure, alveolar barrier dysfunction, edema, and dysregulated alveolar macrophage-mediated pulmonary inflammation. Despite advancements in treatment strategies, the mortality rate in patients with ARDS remains high, ranging from 40-60 %. Current approaches are limited to supportive care, necessitating the exploration of effective therapeutic options such as suppressing broad inflammatory responses.

Leveraging AlphaFold models to predict androgenic effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals through zebrafish androgen receptor analysis.

The androgen receptor (AR) activation by androgens is vital for tissue development, sexual differentiation, and reproductive attributes in zebrafish (). However, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind their activation remains limited. In this study, we employed both (AlphaFold) and homology (SWISS-MODEL) structure models of zebrafish androgen receptor ligand-binding domain (zAR-LBD) to explore the binding specificity, binding affinity, and molecular interactions of endogenous hormones (testosterone (T), 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT), and dihydrotestosterone (DHT)) in a computational simulation.

Differences in sexually transmitted infection-associated cervical infections in pelvic inflammatory disease patients between adolescents and adults.

Objective: Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of female reproductive organs mainly in sexually active patients, which can cause serious complications throughout life. We aimed to analyze the risk factors and differences in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) between adolescents and adult PID patients.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a retrospective study based on descriptive and statistical analyses of the clinical records of patients with PID treated with antibiotics between January 2013 and December 2023 at Busan Paik Hospital.

Plantar Pressure Based Personality Type Classification Using Gait Cycle Features.

Gait contain diverse information about individuals, and while research on gait and personality has been on the rise recently, there remains a scarcity of comprehensive studies involving various gait data and personality traits. In this study, a total of 24 healthy subjects were recruited, and data on personality types along with plantar pressure during gait were collected. Personality traits used in the study included E-I for interaction with surroundings, S-N for perspective on the world, T-F for how to make decisions and deal with emotions, and J-P for approach to decision-making.

Non-invasive stroke diagnosis using speech data from dysarthria patients.

Acute Ischemic Stroke (AIS) is a major cause of disability and can lead to death in severe cases. A common symptom of AIS, dysarthria, significantly impacts the quality of life of patients. In this study, we developed a deep learning model using dysarthria data for cost-effective and non-invasive brain stroke diagnosis.

Aerobic biodegradation of micropollutants by nitrifiers and heterotrophs: Changes in biodegradation rate constant depending on levels of growth substrates and microbial activities.

This study investigated how the biodegradation rate constant (k) of 11 micropollutants (MPs) responded to changes in the concentrations of growth substrates and microbial activities while considering the predominant microbial degraders of MPs. Metformin, losartan, valsartan, and cimetidine (group A) were biodegraded predominantly by nitrifiers. MPs of group A showed a positive correlation with k and nitrifying activity, while a negative correlation was observed with the initial concentration of ammonium, possibly due to competitive inhibition.

Non-Immediacy for Non-Destructive Equilibrium: Surgical, Osteogenic, and Prosthetic Innovations in Full-Arch Implant Rehabilitation with Terminal Dentitions - A Three-Year Case Report.

Full-arch implant rehabilitation - necessitating a holistic, transdisciplinary approach - has been one of the most rapidly advancing disciplines in implant dentistry, driven by rising standards and modern technological advancements. Despite indicated cases and genuine efforts to improve efficiency, the current trend of immediacy or 'teeth-in-a-day' protocol may have unintentionally veiled a more conservative, predictable, and practical potential in wound healing process, esthetics, and occlusion. Through a more phased approach utilizing terminal dentitions as strategic abutments, this case report of three years follow-up emphasizes the leverage of natural biological phenomena in tissue maturation, remodeling, and condensation, along with prosthetic sophistications focusing on its meticulousness in execution and long-range trajectory success.

Pentosan Polysulfate Sodium and Maculopathy in Patients with Interstitial Cystitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: Pentosan polysulfate sodium (PPS) is the only pharmacological intervention approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treating interstitial cystitis (IC) to date. However, PPS may induce an adverse event, maculopathy, which can be a significant challenge. To determine the risk of PPS-induced maculopathy in patients with IC.

Thrombin-preconditioned mesenchymal stromal cell-derived extracellular vesicles attenuate experimental necrotizing enterocolitis.

Background: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a critical gastrointestinal disease in preterm infants, for which no specific treatment is established. We previously demonstrated that thrombin-preconditioned mesenchymal stromal cell-derived extracellular vesicles (thMSC-EVs) enhance protection against other neonatal tissue injuries. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of thMSC-EVs in modified in vitro, in vivo, and organoid models of NEC.

Glucosamine supplementation attenuates progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and related comorbidities.

Background & Aims: This study examines the impact of glucosamine on the progression and outcomes of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and metabolic dysfunction and alcohol-associated liver disease (MetALD) using a large scale cohort.

Methods: Present study utilized inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) to adjust for confounders in this cohort study. Participants were classified based on glucosamine use, and primary and secondary outcomes included all-cause mortality, liver cirrhosis, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease (CKD) incidences.

Regulating the Cu distribution by the controllable metal-support interaction via thermal treatment for boosting reverse water-gas shift reaction.

Metal-support interaction (MSI) is an efficient strategy to modulate the distribution of active metal with different electronic states over the oxide-supported metal catalysts. However, the intrinsic correlation between the intensity of MSI and the electronic structure of supported metals remains inadequate. In this work, the intensity of MSI over the Cu/YO catalyst was tuned by the calcination temperature, which regulated the distribution of Cu, Cu and Cu species.

An Analysis of the Efficacy of Deep Learning-Based Pectoralis Muscle Segmentation in Chest CT for Sarcopenia Diagnosis.

Sarcopenia is the loss of skeletal muscle function and mass and is a poor prognostic factor. This condition is typically diagnosed by measuring skeletal muscle mass at the L3 level. Chest computed tomography (CT) scans do not include the L3 level.

Protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis comparing the efficacy and safety of benzalkonium chloride-preserved, alternatively preserved and preservative-free eyedrops in the treatment of glaucoma.

Introduction: The primary therapeutic approach to glaucoma involves the long-term use of intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering eyedrops. However, the prevalent use of benzalkonium chloride (BAK) as a preservative in glaucoma eyedrops has been associated with ocular side effects, prompting a demand for alternatively preserved (AP) or preservative-free (PF) eyedrops. Studies comparing various preservatives have shown conflicting evidence concerning the safety of BAK-preserved (BP) eyedrops, some studies indicating no notable concerns and others reporting adverse effects.

Enhanced thrombopoiesis supplies PD-L1 to circulating immune cells via the generation of PD-L1-expressing platelets in patients with lung cancer.

Background: The increased expression of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) on a subset of immune cells in the peripheral blood has been frequently observed in patients with cancer, suggesting a relationship with PD-L1 expression in tumor tissues. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms underlying PD-L1 expression on various types of immune cells in the peripheral blood of patients with cancer.

Methods: PD-L1 expression on various immune cell populations was analyzed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 112 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using flow cytometry.

Enhancing Piezoelectricity of Polyacrylonitrile-Cellulose Composite Nanofibers via Zigzag Conformation.

A novel piezoelectric material, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers, exhibits significant piezoelectric effects when a high content of planar zigzag structures is present. To enhance the contribution of planar zigzag structures to energy conversion while preserving the structure of PAN nanofibers, a novel approach was developed to increase planar zigzag content by incorporating cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) rather than modifying conventional synthesis conditions. In this study, CNCs were introduced during the electrospinning process of PAN formation, and the increased planar zigzag content was confirmed through X-ray diffraction (XRD), electrical characterization, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses.

Factors Associated with Driving Ability and Changes After Immobilization of the Right Lower Limb: A Driving Simulator Study.

Patients with orthopedic injuries often require cast immobilization therapy using casts. Driving with a cast on the right lower limb restricts many things. This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with driving capacity after orthopedic fixation of the right lower limb in healthy adult volunteers.

Parenteral Nutrition-Induced Liver Function Complications: Incidence, Risk Factors, and Prognosis.

: Parenteral Nutrition-Associated Liver Disease (PNALD) is a significant complication in patients undergoing parenteral nutrition (PN). This study aims to explore the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes associated with PNALD, including abnormal liver function tests, in patients receiving parenteral nutrition, even in short-term PN recipients. : A retrospective analysis of 500 patients receiving PN for at least 3 days at a tertiary medical center was conducted.

Automated Imaging of Cataract Surgery Using Artificial Intelligence.

This study proposes a state-of-the-art technology to estimate a set of parameters to automatically display an optimized image on a screen during cataract surgery. We constructed an architecture comprising two stages to estimate the parameters for realizing the optimized image. The Pix2Pix approach was first introduced to generate fake images that mimic the optimal image.