Development and Effects of a Smartphone Application to Improve Self-Management in Workers Who Underwent Thyroid Cancer Surgery.

Background: Although the survival rate for thyroid cancer is high, a nursing intervention that enhances autonomous motivation is needed for patients with jobs to improve their long-term self-management abilities in the early postoperative period.

Objectives: This study aims to develop a mobile application (app) based on the Self-Determination Theory for patients returning to work after thyroid cancer surgery and to verify its effectiveness.

Methods: We developed an app to promote self-management and verify its effectiveness after 12 weeks in early outpatients who underwent thyroid cancer surgery through a randomized controlled trial design.

"It's more than a ride" veteran perceptions of peer specialist qualities and activities that were most valuable for post-incarceration reentry: a qualitative analysis.

Background: Reentry veterans experience many barriers to achieving physical and psychological well-being. While peer specialists can provide important support to veterans as they readjust to life post-incarceration, their specific activities and qualities most valued by veterans are not well known. The Post-Incarceration Engagement (PIE) intervention, coordinated with VA's Health Care for Reentry Veterans (HCRV) program, links reentry veterans with a peer specialist who provides connection to services and social-emotional support during the reentry process.

Accuracy and feasibility of continuous glucose monitoring system in pancreatectomy patients.

Purpose: Pancreatectomy patients often experience challenging fluctuations in blood glucose levels; therefore, they require a reliable monitoring system. This study aimed to determine the accuracy and acceptability of a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system compared with the intermittent capillary glucose test in patients who have undergone pancreatectomy.

Methods: Thirty non-diabetic pancreatectomy patients participated.

Digital Profiling of Tumor Extracellular Vesicle-Associated RNAs Directly from Unprocessed Blood Plasma.

Tumor-derived extracellular vesicle (tEV)-associated RNAs hold promise as diagnostic biomarkers, but their clinical use is hindered by the rarity of tEVs among nontumor EVs. Here, we present EV-CLIP, a highly sensitive droplet-based digital method for profiling EV RNA. EV-CLIP utilizes the fusion of EVs with charged liposomes (CLIPs) in a microfluidic chip.

Efficacy and Safety of Secondary Surgical Treatment for Refractory Recurrent Corneal Erosion.

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy and safety of secondary surgical intervention of combined phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) with alcohol delamination and peripheral anterior stromal puncture (ASP) for refractory recurrent corneal erosion (RCE).

Methods: This retrospective comparative study defined refractory RCE as cases persisting for more than 6 months after primary surgical intervention. A total of 115 eyes from 115 patients with refractory RCE, treated either with (n = 92) or without (n = 23) the secondary surgical treatment combining PTK and ASP between January 2021 and January 2023, were included.

Current understanding of the etiology, diagnosis, treatment, and management of peri-implant diseases: a narrative review for the consensus report of the Korean Academy of Periodontology.

Over the past few decades, dental implants have been successfully utilized to replace teeth lost due to periodontal disease and other conditions. However, similar to natural teeth, dental implants are vulnerable to inflammatory peri-implant diseases, which can compromise their long-term viability. This review aims to summarize the current understanding of peri-implant diseases and discuss effective strategies for their diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management.

Correlating photochemical H production and excited state lifetimes of heterostructured and doped ZnCdS nanoparticles.

A variety of ZnCdS-based semiconductor nanoparticle heterostructures with extended exciton lifetimes were synthesized to enhance the efficacy of photocatalytic hydrogen production in water. Specifically, doped nanoparticles (NPs), as well as core/shell NPs with and without palladium and platinum co-catalysts, were solubilized into water using various methods to assess their efficacy for solar H fuel synthesis. The best results were obtained with low bandgap ZnCdS cores and ZnCdS/ZnS core/shell NPs with palladium co-catalysts.

Temperature Dependence of Optical Properties of MoS and WS Heterostructures Assessed by Spectroscopic Ellipsometry.

We report the complex dielectric function = + of MoS/WS and WS/MoS heterostructures and their constituent monolayers MoS and WS for an energy range from 1.5 to 6.0 eV and temperatures from 39 to 300 K.

Tin(IV)Porphyrin-Based Porous Coordination Polymers as Efficient Visible Light Photocatalyst for Wastewater Remediation.

Two porphyrin-based polymeric frameworks, SnP-BTC and SnP-BTB, as visible light photocatalysts for wastewater remediation were prepared by the solvothermal reaction of -dihydroxo-[5,15,10,20-tetrakis(phenyl)porphyrinato]tin(IV) (SnP) with 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid (HBTC) and 1,3,5-tris(4-carboxyphenyl)benzene (HBTB), respectively. The strong bond between the carboxylic acid group of HBTC and HBTB with the axial hydroxyl moiety of SnP leads to the formation of highly stable polymeric architectures. Incorporating the carboxylic acid group onto the surface of SnP changes the conformational frameworks as well as produces rigid structural transformation that includes permanent porosity, good thermodynamic stability, interesting morphology, and excellent photocatalytic degradation activity against AM dye and TC antibiotic under visible light irradiation.

Electrical Characteristics of Solution-Based Thin-Film Transistors with a Zinc-Tin Oxide/Carbon Nanotube Stacked Nanocomposite Active Layer.

A stacked nanocomposite zinc-tin oxide/single-walled carbon nanotubes (ZTO/SWNTs) active layer was fabricated for thin-film transistors (TFTs) as an alternative to the conventional single-layer structure of mixed ZTO and SWNTs. The stacked nanocomposite of the solution-processed TFTs was prepared using UV/O treatment and multiple annealing steps for each layer. The electrical properties of the stacked device were superior to those of the single-layer TFT.

Trying to Kill a Killer; Impressive Killing of Patient Derived Glioblastoma Cultures Using NK-92 Natural Killer Cells Reveals Both Sensitive and Highly Resistant Glioblastoma Cells.

The overall goal of this work was to assess the ability of Natural Killer cells to kill cultures of patient-derived glioblastoma cells. Herein we report impressive levels of NK-92 mediated killing of various patient-derived glioblastoma cultures observed at ET (effector: target) ratios of 5:1 and 1:1. This enabled direct comparison of the degree of glioblastoma cell loss across a broader range of glioblastoma cultures.

Dysregulation of Podocyte BK Channels and Nephrosis: Effects of Circulating Factors and Auxiliary β4 Subunits.

Podocytes express large-conductance Ca-activated K channels (BK channels) and at least two different pore-forming KCa1.1 subunit C-terminal splice variants, known as VEDEC and EMVYR, along with auxiliary β and γ subunits. Podocyte KCa1.

Induction of SUSD2 by STAT3 Activation Is Associated with Tumor Recurrence in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer.

Sushi domain-containing protein 2 (SUSD2), a transmembrane protein containing a sushi motif, has been reported to have tumor-promoting functions in various types of cancer, including breast cancer. However, the regulatory mechanism of SUSD2 and its function in HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer have not been fully identified as yet. In this study, we explored the potential of targeting SUSD2 to overcome trastuzumab (TRZ) resistance in HER2+ breast cancer.

Hair Regeneration Methods Using Cells Derived from Human Hair Follicles and Challenges to Overcome.

The hair follicle is a complex of mesenchymal and epithelial cells acquiring different properties and characteristics responsible for fulfilling its inductive and regenerative role. The epidermal and dermal crosstalk induces morphogenesis and maintains hair follicle cycling properties. The hair follicle is enriched with pluripotent stem cells, where dermal papilla (DP) cells and dermal sheath (DS) cells constitute the dermal compartment and the epithelial stem cells existing in the bulge region exert their regenerative role by mediating the epithelial-mesenchymal interaction (EMI).

Increased Risk of End-Stage Kidney Disease After Traumatic Amputation: Nationwide Cohort Study.

Background: Amputation confers disabilities upon patients and is associated with substantial cardiovascular and metabolic morbidity and mortality. We aimed to compare the incidence of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) between individuals with amputation and the general population.

Methods: A population-based retrospective cohort study was performed using the Nationwide Health Insurance Service database for the period between 2010 and 2018.

A Study on Adolescent Smoking Prevention and Cessation Policies: Based on the Propensity Score Matching-Difference-in-Differences Method.

: Adolescent smoking can lead to various health problems including atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, making it more difficult to quit smoking during adulthood. This study aims to evaluate the effect of the ordinance by assessing adolescents' smoking cessation behaviors and environmental conditions, according to the "Ordinance for the Prevention of Child and Adolescent Smoking and Support for Smoking Cessation", which was enacted in 2019 in Gwangju City, South Korea, for the first time in the country. : The data for the analysis were obtained from the 2018 and 2021 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

DRG2 levels in prostate cancer cell lines predict response to PARP inhibitor during docetaxel treatment.

Purpose: Developmentally regulated GTP-binding protein 2 (DRG2) regulates microtubule dynamics and G2/M arrest during docetaxel treatment. Poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) acts as an important repair system for DNA damage caused by docetaxel treatment. This study investigated whether DRG2 expression affects response to PARP inhibitors (olaparib) using prostate cancer cell lines PC3, DU145, LNCaP-FGC, and LNCaP-LN3.

Multi-center, prospective, non-interventional, observational study on the efficacy and safety of Mirabek in adult patients with overactive bladder.

Purpose: Mirabegron, the first-in-class beta-3 agonist, is the mainstay medication for overactive bladder (OAB). The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of generic drugs of mirabegron (Mirabek) in adults diagnosed with OAB through a multicenter, prospective, non-interventional observational study.

Materials And Methods: Adult patients with OAB prescribed Mirabek SR Tab.

Incidence and mortality of upper tract urothelial carcinoma in Korea: A nationwide population-based study conducted from 2002 to 2020.

Purpose: To describe the incidence and mortality of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) from 2002-2020 using data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service, which contains data from the entire Korean population.

Materials And Methods: Reimbursement records for 43,255 patients diagnosed with primary UTUC (according to the International Classification of Disease 10th revision code C65 and C66) between 2002-2020 were retrieved. The study period was split into four: period I (2002-2005), period II (2006-2010), period III (2011-2015), and period IV (2016-2020).

Rise in intraluminal temperature during ureteroscopy: Is this a concern?

The global increase in urolithiasis prevalence has led to a shift towards minimally invasive procedures, such as retrograde intrarenal surgery, supported by advancements in laser technologies for lithotripsy. Pulsed lasers, particularly the holmium YAG and the newer thulium fiber laser, have significantly transformed the management of upper urinary tract stones. However, the use of high-power lasers in these procedures introduces risks of heat-related injury.

Self-Assembly of Amorphous 2D Polymer Nanodiscs with Tuneable Size, pH-Responsive Degradation and Controlled Drug Release.

Amphiphilic bottlebrush block copolymers (BBCs) with tadpole-like, coil-rod architecture can be used to self-assemble into functional polymer nanodiscs directly in water. The hydrophobic segments of the BBC were tuned via the ratio of ethoxy-ethyl glycidyl ether (EE) to tetrahydropyranyl glycidyl ether (TP) within the grafted polymer sidechains. In turn, this variation controlled the sizes, pH-responsiveness, and drug loading capacity of the self-assembled nanodiscs.

Minimum number of readings necessary for determining long-term visit-to-visit blood pressure variability to predict cardiovascular outcomes in people with diabetes.

Background: People with diabetes often have increased blood pressure (BP) variability because of autonomic dysfunction and arterial stiffness, making it a critical factor in predicting clinical outcomes. We investigated the reproducibility of long-term visit-to-visit BP variability (VVV) and the minimum number of BP readings to reliably determine VVV in people with diabetes.

Methods: This multicenter retrospective study used data from electronic health records of the Korea University Medical Center database.