Age and sex differences in the relationship of body weight changes with colon cancer risks: A nationwide cohort study.

Colon cancer is a significant health concern, and obesity is a well-established risk factor. However, previous studies have mainly focused on assessing body weight as a risk factor for colon cancer at a specific time point. This nationwide cohort study investigated the association between body weight changes, which can fluctuate throughout an individual's lifespan, and the incidence of colon cancer using the South Korean population database provided by the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS).

Therapy-induced senescent cancer cells contribute to cancer progression by promoting ribophorin 1-dependent PD-L1 upregulation.

Conventional chemotherapy- and radiotherapy-induced cancer senescence, which is characterized by poor proliferation, drug resistance, and senescence-associated secretory phenotype, has gained attention as contributing to cancer relapse and the development of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. However, the association between cancer senescence and anti-tumor immunity is not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate that senescent cancer cells increase the level of PD-L1 by promoting its transcription and glycosylation.

Circulating resistin levels and mutation burden of the RETN gene variants predict long-term mortality in a Taiwanese population.

Human resistin is a proinflammatory cytokine involving the development and progression of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. However, prediction of long-term outcome using circulating resistin level and its genetic determinants in a population-based study remain to be explored. After genome-wide association study (GWAS), DNA methylation (DNAm) analysis and functional assays of a RETN rs370006313 variant, we tested whether resistin level and its genetic determinants can be used to determine the long-term outcomes of 5678 Taiwan Biobank (TWB) participants.

Augmented prediction of vertebral collapse after osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures through parameter-efficient fine-tuning of biomedical foundation models.

Vertebral collapse (VC) following osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) often requires aggressive treatment, necessitating an accurate prediction for early intervention. This study aimed to develop a predictive model leveraging deep neural networks to predict VC progression after OVCF using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical data. Among 245 enrolled patients with acute OVCF, data from 200 patients were used for the development dataset, and data from 45 patients were used for the test dataset.

Warfarin Versus Non-Vitamin K Inhibitors Medications and Cognitive Disease Progression in Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with cognitive decline. Use of oral anticoagulant (OAC) medications offers a lower risk of dementia, but it is unclear whether differences exist between types of OAC agents.

Objective: This was a secondary analysis to explore whether the progression from normal cognition to mild cognitive impairment to dementia differs between adults with AF on warfarin versus non-vitamin K inhibitors medications (NOACs) using data extracted from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center clinical case series.

Hearing modulation affects Alzheimer's disease progression linked to brain inflammation: a study in mouse models.

Background: Recent studies have identified hearing loss (HL) as a primary risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD) onset. However, the mechanisms linking HL to AD are not fully understood. This study explored the effects of drug-induced hearing loss (DIHL) on the expression of proteins associated with AD progression in mouse models.

Edge mode resonance in the dark state by a finite beam.

We treat edge-mode resonance that may exist at boundaries of transversely finite beams illuminating a photonic lattice. The lattice is in the dark state signifying a perfect bound state in the continuum (BIC). The dark state is non-radiative in symmetric systems because lateral waves cannot couple to the lattice due to destructive interference between counter-propagating waves.

Dual regulation of stomatal development by brassinosteroid in Arabidopsis hypocotyls.

Stomata are epidermal pores that are essential for water evaporation and gas exchange in plants. Stomatal development is orchestrated by intrinsic developmental programs, hormonal controls, and environmental cues. The steroid hormone brassinosteroid (BR) inhibits stomatal lineage progression by regulating BIN2 and BSL proteins in leaves.

Induction of Oral Lichen Planus-like Histopathology in Mice.

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic T cell-mediated inflammatory mucosal disease of unknown etiology. The lack of suitable animal models has hampered understanding of its etiopathogenesis. This study aimed to clarify the contribution of bacterial infection and zinc deficiency (ZD) in OLP pathogenesis by developing a murine model.

AI model using CT-based imaging biomarkers to predict hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Background & Aims: Various hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prediction models have been proposed for patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) using clinical variables. We aimed to develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-based HCC prediction model by incorporating imaging biomarkers derived from abdominal computed tomography (CT) images along with clinical variables.

Methods: An AI prediction model employing a gradient-boosting machine algorithm was developed utilizing imaging biomarkers extracted by DeepFore, a deep learning-based CT auto-segmentation software.

Evaluation of inflammation adjustment methods to assess iron deficiency using longitudinal data from norovirus human challenge trials.

Accounting for inflammation is necessary to assess iron deficiency using ferritin. A limitation of existing inflammation-adjustment methods is reliance on cross-sectional data to evaluate method performance. The study objective was to evaluate three inflammation-adjustment methods using longitudinal data from two controlled trials where apparently healthy adults (n = 52) were exposed to norovirus.

A device-dependent auto-segmentation method based on combined generalized and single-device datasets.

Background: Although generalized-dataset-based auto-segmentation models that consider various computed tomography (CT) scanners have shown great clinical potential, their application to medical images from unseen scanners remains challenging because of device-dependent image features.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the performance of a device-dependent auto-segmentation model based on a combined dataset of a generalized dataset and single CT scanner dataset.

Method: We constructed two training datasets for 21 chest and abdominal organs.

Electrochemical and quantum chemical investigation on the adsorption behavior of a schiff base and its metal complex for corrosion protection of mild steel in 15 wt% HCl solution.

This work evaluates the effectiveness of Schiff base derivatives, namely, 2,2'-((1E,1'E)-((2,2-dimethylpropane-1,3-diyl)bis(azaneylylidene))bis(methaneylylidene))diphenol (DAMD) and (2-((E)-((3-(((E)-2-hydroxybenzylidene)amino)-2,2dimethylpropyl)imino)methyl)phenoxy) zinc (HDMZ), as corrosion inhibitors for mild steel in a 15 % HCl solution. By employing a blend of experimental assessments and theoretical computations, such as electrochemical tests, morphological observations, and theoretical simulations, the study achieved an impressive up to 94.6 % inhibition efficiency.

The Impact of Membrane Stabilization for Alveolar Ridge Preservation in Periodontally Compromised Extraction Sockets: A Non-Inferiority Randomized Controlled Trial.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the non-inferiority of alveolar ridge preservation (ARP) with membrane stabilization compared with non-stabilization, focusing on changes of soft-tissue contour in periodontally compromised extraction sockets. Secondary outcomes included changes in hard-tissue contour, patient-reported outcomes and new bone formation.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-four patients with periodontally compromised teeth were randomly assigned to ARP with (test group) or without (control group) membrane stabilization.

Intraprocedural and Delayed Plaque Protrusion in Carotid Artery Stenting Using a Dual-Layer Metallic Stent.

Background: Intravascular ultrasound-determined plaque protrusion (PP) during carotid artery stenting (CAS) using conventional stents is reported in 7.6% to 12% of cases and is associated with periprocedural cerebral embolism. The Casper/Roadsaver stent (CRS) is a dual-layer micromesh stent designed to reduce the risk of PP, with a mesh cell diameter 4-fold smaller size than that of conventional stents.

Comparative Analysis of Rhizosphere Fungal Communities in Korean Fir Trees.

The Korean fir (), a native coniferous species of Korea, predominantly inhabits the subalpine zone. Recently, this species has experienced a significant population decline, primarily attributed to environmental changes in the subalpine zone driven by global warming. Efforts to prevent the extinction of the Korean fir are underway, with a predominant focus on abiotic factors contributing to its decline.

Salinomycin attenuates kidney fibrosis and inflammation in mice with unilateral ureteral obstruction.

Renal fibrosis is a crucial pathological feature in chronic kidney disease (CKD), resulting in the gradual decline of renal function. Salinomycin is an antibiotic discovered from Streptomyces albus that also regulates the fates of cells. However, its potential in kidney fibrosis remains elusive.

Validation of Risk Models for Predicting Febrile Neutropenia Among Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy: A Real-World Study.

Background: Breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy may develop a serious complication called febrile neutropenia (FN). We aimed to validate and compare three existing FN prediction models for breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy in Taiwan.

Patients And Methods: This was a retrospective observational real-world study.

Integrating Out-of-Pocket Costs Into Shared Decision-Making for Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction: A Stepped-Wedge Trial (POCKET-COST-HF).

Background: Guideline-directed medical therapy for heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction can entail high out-of-pocket (OOP) costs, prompting concerns about financial toxicity and access. OOP costs are generally unavailable during encounters. This trial assessed the impact of providing patient-specific OOP costs to patients and clinicians.

IGAMT: Privacy-Preserving Electronic Health Record Synthesization with Heterogeneity and Irregularity.

Utilizing electronic health records (EHR) for machine learning-driven clinical research has great potential to enhance outcome predictions and treatment personalization. Nonetheless, due to privacy and security concerns, the secondary use of EHR data is regulated, constraining researchers' access to EHR data. Generating synthetic EHR data with deep learning methods is a viable and promising approach to mitigate privacy concerns, offering not only a supplementary resource for downstream applications but also sidestepping the privacy risks associated with real patient data.

Expanded application of unilateral biportal endoscopy in adult thoracic disease: report of three cases and literature review.

Background: Traditional surgery for degenerative thoracic disorder can be extremely invasive and accompanied by complications. Unilateral biportal endoscopy (UBE), a newly developed technique in the field of spin surgery, is minimally invasive and its popularity and indications have been increasing. In this study, we report three cases of different thoracic diseases treated using UBE.

Deodeokaloid, a New Indole Alkaloid -Glycoside and Bioactive Phenolic Compounds from the Roots of .

, commonly known as the bonnet bellflower or deodeok, is primarily found in Eastern Asia. Its roots have been used traditionally across Asia to treat various ailments such as bronchitis, coughs, asthma, and inflammation. In our ongoing efforts to discover bioactive natural products, a phytochemical investigation of the -BuOH fraction of root extracts led to the isolation and identification of a new indole alkaloid -glycoside, deodeokaloid (D-indole-3-lactic acid -β-D-glucopyranoside) (), alongside known compounds tangshenoside I (), tangshenoside IV (), and chlorogenic acid () through HPLC purification.

Tribological and Hygroscopic Behavior of Polybutylene Terephthalate/Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate (PBT/ASA) Nanocomposites with Graphene Nanofiller.

Fogging in automotive headlamps is a significant issue that affects both aesthetics and functionality. This study investigates the use of graphene-based nanocomposites to mitigate fogging by enhancing the hygroscopic properties of polybutylene terephthalate/acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (PBT/ASA) composites commonly used in headlamps. The incorporation of functionalized graphene improved the tensile and flexural strength of the nanocomposites, though it led to a reduction in elongation and melt flow.

Cervical Open-Door Laminoplasty for Myelopathy Caused by Ossification of the Posterior Longitudinal Ligament: Correlation Between Spinal Canal Expansion and Clinical Outcomes.

: This study investigated the relationship between spinal canal expansion and clinical outcomes in patients with myelopathy due to ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) who underwent cervical open-door laminoplasty. : A retrospective study was conducted on 36 OPLL patients who underwent open-door laminoplasty between 2009 and 2021. Preoperative and two-year postoperative radiologic parameters, including bony canal area (BCA) and spinal canal area (SCA), were measured.