Anti-obesity and other health benefits of bioprocessed black rice bran in combination with green tea extract in 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cells and in mice on a high-fat diet.

Black rice bran, a waste product from the commercial milling of black rice that removes the bran and germ leaving the starchy endosperm, contains bioactive anthocyanin, phenolic, and phytosteroid compounds that may have health benefits. This study determined the effect of a polysaccharide-rich bioprocessed (fermented) black rice bran and a green tea extract individually and in combination on weight loss in orally fed mice on a high-fat diet and on concurrent changes in blood glucose and insulin as well as in cholesterol, triglyceride, and high-density and low-density lipoproteins (HDL and LDL). At the end of the eight-week feeding study, the combination diet resulted in a 67% lower weight gain than mice on a high-fat diet alone, a greater effect than that of bioprocessed black rice bran or green tea extract individually.

Correlation between inflammatory markers and enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) failure in laparoscopic colectomy.

Purpose: To evaluate inflammatory markers to identify patients at risk of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) failure following laparoscopic colectomy.

Methods: We included patients who underwent laparoscopic colectomy between September 2020 and February 2023. ERAS failure was defined as intolerance of a soft diet on postoperative day (POD) 2, postoperative stay > 7 days, or readmission within 30 days postoperatively.

Safeguarding the brain from oxidative damage.

Oxidative stress imposes a substantial cellular burden on the brain and contributes to diverse neurodegenerative diseases. Various antioxidant signaling pathways have been implicated in oxidative stress and have a protective effect on brain cells by increasing the release of numerous enzymes and through anti-inflammatory responses to oxidative damage caused by abnormal levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Although many molecules evaluated as antioxidants have shown therapeutic potentials in preclinical studies, the results of clinical trials have been less than satisfactory.

Addressing statistical challenges in the analysis of proteomics data with extremely small sample size: a simulation study.

Background: One of the most promising approaches for early and more precise disease prediction and diagnosis is through the inclusion of proteomics data augmented with clinical data. Clinical proteomics data is often characterized by its high dimensionality and extremely limited sample size, posing a significant challenge when employing machine learning techniques for extracting only the most relevant information. Although there is a wide array of statistical techniques and numerous analysis pipelines employed in proteomics data analysis, it is unclear which of these methods produce the most efficient, reproducible, and clinically meaningful results.

Predictive Value of the nProfiler 1 Assay for the Efficacy of Adjuvant S-1-Based Doublet Chemotherapy in Stage III Gastric Cancer: A Post-Hoc Analysis of a Randomized Phase III Trial.

Purpose: The nProfiler 1 Stomach Cancer Assay (nProfiler1), designed to predict responses to fluorouracil-based adjuvant chemotherapy, measures the expression of four gastric cancer target genes (GZMB, WARS, SFRP4, and CDX1). The randomized phase III POST trial aimed to compare the efficacies of two adjuvant S-1-based doublet chemotherapies: S-1 plus cisplatin (SP) and S-1 plus docetaxel (DS). This study aimed to validate the nProfiler1 assay using a distinct cohort from the POST trial.

The effectiveness of a transitional care program for frail older adults between hospital and home: A randomized controlled trial.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a transitional care program developed for frail older adults. A single-blinded randomized controlled trial was conducted. Thirty-two frail older adults were enrolled in the study.

Sleep efficiency in community-dwelling persons living with dementia: exploratory analysis using machine learning.

Study Objectives: Sleep disturbances lead to negative health outcomes and caregiver burden, particularly in community settings. This study aimed to investigate a predictive model for sleep efficiency and its associated features in older adults living with dementia in their own homes.

Methods: This was an exploratory, observational study.

Transport of Golgi-localized β-catenin p-S47 by KIF11 or KIFC3 induces primary ciliogenesis.

Primary cilium is an important hub for cell signaling and dysregulation of primary cilia assembly and disassembly is associated with the development of cancer and chemotherapeutic drug resistance, as well as the genetic disorders collectively known as ciliopathy. β-catenin plays a major role in canonical Wnt signaling; however, its association with primary cilia has only recently been highlighted in reports of β-catenin-mediated primary ciliogenesis. In this study, we found that β-catenin p-S47 was localized to the Golgi apparatus and the nucleus, and the amount of β-catenin p-S47 at these locations was significantly higher during primary ciliogenesis compared with asynchronous cell growth conditions.

Reduced prefrontal activation during cognitive control under emotional interference in chronic insomnia disorder.

This study investigated the altered neural activation underlying cognitive control under emotional and sleep-related interference conditions and its role in subjective sleep disturbance in patients with chronic insomnia disorder. In total, 48 patients with chronic insomnia disorder, and 48 age-, sex- and body mass index-matched controls were included in this study. They completed self-reported questionnaires to assess subjective sleep and emotional distress.

Metabolic syndrome clustering patterns and the association with cardiovascular disease among post-menopausal Korean women.

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a group of diseases conceptualized as a clustering of risk factors, with the risks of developing MetS in women varying significantly before and after menopause. This study investigated MetS clustering patterns and their association with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among post-menopausal women (n = 2479) using data from the Korean Genome Epidemiology Study. Using latent class analysis, three groups emerged: diabetic (5.

Association Between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Trend of Age-Related Rise in Arterial Stiffness in Individuals With and Without Hypertension or Diabetes.

Background: This study aimed to investigate whether higher cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) can modify the trend of age-related rise in arterial stiffness in individuals with and without hypertension (HTN) or diabetes.

Methods: The study included 4,935 participants who underwent maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing with respiratory gas analysis in a health screening program. CRF was directly measured using peak oxygen uptake during the cardiopulmonary exercise test, while arterial stiffness was evaluated using brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV).

Case of pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis presenting as ground-glass opacity in the lower lung.

Nodules and cysts with upper lobe predominance on chest computed tomography (CT) are highly suggestive of pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis (PLCH). Herein, we describe a case of PLCH that presented with the unusual CT findings of subpleural ground-glass opacity (GGO) and traction bronchiectasis mostly in both lower lungs. No nodules or cysts were observed in the upper or middle lung areas.

In Vitro Self-Circularization Methods Based on Self-Splicing Ribozyme.

In vitro circular RNA (circRNA) preparation methods have been gaining a lot of attention recently as several reports suggest that circRNAs are more stable, with better performances in cells and in vivo, than linear RNAs in various biomedical applications. Self-splicing ribozymes are considered a major in vitro circRNA generation method for biomedical applications due to their simplicity and efficiency in the circularization of the gene of interest. This review summarizes, updates, and discusses the recently developed self-circularization methods based on the self-splicing ribozyme, such as group I and II intron ribozymes, and the pros and cons of each method in preparing circRNA in vitro.

Reduction of Overactive Bladder Medications in Spinal Cord Injury With Self-Administered Neuromodulation: A Randomized Trial.

Purpose: Our goal was to evaluate if self-administered bladder neuromodulation with transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation could safely replace overactive bladder medications in people with spinal cord injury.

Materials And Methods: We performed a 3-month, randomized, investigator-blinded, tibial nerve stimulation vs sham-control trial in adults with spinal cord injury and neurogenic bladder performing intermittent catheterization and taking overactive bladder medications. The primary outcome was a reduction in bladder medications while maintaining stable bladder symptoms and quality of life based on pre/post Neurogenic Bladder Symptom Score and the Incontinence Quality of Life questionnaire, respectively.

Efficacy of transdermal buprenorphine patch for managing withdrawal symptoms in patients with cancer physically dependent on prescription opioids.

Background: The physical dependence on prescription opioids among cancer survivors remains an under-investigated area, with a scarcity of well-designed prospective studies.

Methods: This single-arm, phase-2 clinical trial in Korea assessed the efficacy and safety of a transdermal buprenorphine patch (TBP) in managing physical dependence on prescription opioids in cancer survivors, as confirmed through the DSM-5 criteria or psychiatric consultation for opioid withdrawal. This study involved a 4-phase treatment protocol of screening, induction/stabilization, discontinuation, and monitoring.

Occupational and environmental risk factors for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: A case-control study.

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive interstitial lung disease of unknown etiology. The aim of this study was to evaluate the environmental and occupational risk factors of IPF.

Methods: This hospital-based, case-control study included 206 patients with IPF selected from the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital Interstitial Lung Disease registry and 167 controls without lung disease.