Impact of Subjective Masticatory Difficulty on Malnutrition and Frailty in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Objectives: This study evaluated the impact of masticatory difficulty on the development and progression of malnutrition, frailty, sarcopenia, and disability in community-dwelling adults, using data from the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study.

Methods: Participants were categorised by presence of masticatory difficulty. The Fried frailty phenotype, mini-nutritional assessments, and diagnostic criteria proposed by Asian Working Group on Sarcopenia were adopted to diagnose frailty, malnutrition, and sarcopenia respectively.

Clinical outcomes of the implementation of acute care surgery system in South Korea: a multi-centre, retrospective cohort study.

Background: In emergency general surgery (EGS), rapid judgement and prompt emergency surgery play a significant role in determining the patient's prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate whether implementing the acute care surgery (ACS) system in Korea has improved the clinical outcomes of patients.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at three tertiary hospitals in Korea.

Outcomes in emergency surgery following the implementation of an acute care surgery model: a retrospective observational study.

Purpose: Over the past 3 years, approximately 23,000 emergency surgeries were performed annually in South Korea, accounting for >1% of all surgeries nationwide. With the growing necessity for treating these emergency cases with dedication and proficiency, acute care surgery (ACS) teams were appointed at various hospitals. Regarding the implications of the ACS team, many studies showed promising results with a shorter time from the emergency department (ED) to the operating room (OR), shorter length of stay, and fewer complications.

Clinical evaluation and surgical intervention for diaphragmatic eventration mimicking peritoneopericardial hernia in a cat.

A 2-year-old spayed female British Shorthair cat presented with an increased frequency and duration of cough since infant period. Based on radiographic, ultrasonographic, and computed tomography findings, peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernia was considered so that repair surgery was planned. During celiotomy, lax diaphragm was identified instead of defect.

Enhanced extraction of bioactive compounds from propolis (Apis mellifera L.) using subcritical water.

The bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities of propolis extracts were investigated using subcritical water extraction (SWE). SWE was performed by varying temperature (110-200 °C) and time (10-30 min). SWE using only water as solvent successfully to extracted bioactive compounds from propolis using high-purity glass thimbles.

Thermal conversion kinetics and solubility of soy isoflavones in subcritical water extraction.

The conversion of isoflavones during subcritical water extraction were studied using first-order reaction kinetics modeling. Isoflavones were extracted from soybean using temperatures from 100℃ to 180℃ for 3 to 30 min. It was found that malonylgenistin was the most thermally unstable, with little being detected above 100℃.

The Incidence and Care Cascade of the Hepatitis C Virus in Korea.

Background/aims: The 2030 hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination targets of the World Health Organization are an 80% reduction in incidence and 65% reduction in mortality compared to the 2015 rates. However, information on the nationwide incidence and treatment rates of HCV infection are limited. We aimed to investigate the nationwide incidence and status of the care cascade for HCV infection in Korea.

Clinical effect and safety of thread embedding acupuncture on facial nerve palsy sequelae: A retrospective observational study.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical effect and safety of thread embedding acupuncture (TEA) in patients with facial nerve palsy sequelae. This was a retrospective observational study on 82 patients treated with TEA from January 2021 to May 2022. The Facial Disability Index (FDI) reported by patients and Sunnybrook Facial Grading System scores assessed by clinical practitioners were used to evaluate the intensity of facial movements, functional problems, and psychosocial status.

Direct-Acting Antivirals and the Risk of Hepatitis B Reactivation in Hepatitis B and C Co-Infected Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Hepatitis B (HBV) reactivation was observed to be more than 10% in patients receiving interferon-based therapy for hepatitis C (HCV) co-infection. At present, when direct-acting antiviral (DAA) has become the main treatment for HCV, there are few large-scale studies on the reactivation of HBV in these population. We studied HBV reactivation risk and prophylactic HBV treatment efficacy in HBV/HCV co-infected patients receiving DAA therapy.

Direct-Acting Antivirals for HCV Treatment in Decompensated Liver Cirrhosis Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

DAA therapy is known to clear hepatitis C virus infection in patients with decompensated cirrhosis (DC). However, the safety and benefits of DAA in DC remain unclear, especially with the use of protease inhibitors (PI). Therefore, we evaluated the efficacy and clinical safety of DAA in DC patients and observed whether there was a discrepancy between PI-based and non-PI-based treatment.

Enhanced delivery to brain using sonosensitive liposome and microbubble with focused ultrasound.

Glioblastoma is considered one of the most aggressive and dangerous brain tumors. However, treatment of GBM has been still challenged due to blood-brain barrier (BBB). BBB prevents that the chemotherapeutic molecules are extravasated to brain.

Ultrasound-Responsive Liposomes for Targeted Drug Delivery Combined with Focused Ultrasound.

Chemotherapeutic drugs are traditionally used for the treatment of cancer. However, chemodrugs generally induce side effects and decrease anticancer effects due to indiscriminate diffusion and poor drug delivery. To overcome these limitations of chemotherapy, in this study, ultrasound-responsive liposomes were fabricated and used as drug carriers for delivering the anticancer drug doxorubicin, which was able to induce cancer cell death.

Extraction characteristics and hydrolysis of flavoring compounds of cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) under subcritical-water conditions.

Subcritical water extraction (SWE) of four flavoring compounds from cinnamon was performed at various temperatures and for various extraction times. The extraction temperature (°C) and time (min) corresponding to the maximum content of flavoring compounds were 190 °C and 5 min for cinnamyl alcohol, 200 °C and 20 min for cinnamic acid, 130 °C and 10 min for cinnamaldehyde, and 170 °C and 20 min for coumarin, respectively. Cinnamaldehyde underwent structural conversion to benzaldehyde via hydrolysis at high temperatures, and the rate of conversion rapidly increased above 150 °C.

Application of Pulsed Electric Field as a Pre-Treatment for Subcritical Water Extraction of Quercetin from Onion Skin.

Pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment promotes the electroporation of biological membranes, and if included as a pre-treatment, could improve the extraction of certain constituents therefrom. The aim of this study was to determine the optimal extraction conditions for extracting the flavonoid quercetin from dried onion skin and to establish whether the yield could be enhanced by combining PEF pre-treatment with an eco-friendly extraction method that uses subcritical water extraction (SWE). Samples of onion skin were treated with PEF under conditions of varying electric field strength (0.

Efficacy and safety of direct-acting antiviral therapy for hepatitis C virus in elderly patients (≥65 years old): A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Direct-acting agents (DAAs) have launched a new era of hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment. As aged individuals comprise a large percentage of HCV-infected patients, the effectiveness and safety of DAAs in the elderly have come under scrutiny. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of DAAs in elderly patients.

Selective extraction of oxygenated terpene in caraway (Carum carvi L.) using subcritical water extraction (SWE) technique.

Caraway contains terpenes such as carvone, limonene and carveol, that have antibacterial and antifungal properties. Subcritical-water extraction (SWE) can be used to extract terpenes by changing temperature under high pressure. This study evaluated the SWE of terpenes from caraway when varying the extraction conditions of temperature (110 °C-190 °C), time (5-15 min), and particle size (>1000, 850-1000, 425-850, and < 425 μm).

A risk scoring system to predict clinical events in chronic hepatitis B virus infection: A nationwide cohort study.

Many patients with chronic hepatitis B do not receive adequate follow-up. This study aimed to develop a risk score to predict clinical events in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection at the population level for identifying patients at high risk to warrant regular follow-up. This study analysed population-based data from the nationwide claims database of South Korea obtained between 2005 and 2015.

Thermal decomposition and oxidation of β-caryophyllene in black pepper during subcritical water extraction.

Subcritical water extraction is an efficient technique for extracting components from various plants by changing the polarity of water. β-caryophyllene is a natural bicyclic sesquiterpene with the highest content found among black pepper essential oils. In this study, the efficiency of extraction and yield of β-caryophyllene from black pepper were investigated using a subcritical water extraction technique.

Real-World Outcomes of On- vs Off-pump Coronary Bypass Surgery: Result From Korean Nationwide Cohort.

Background: Although several randomized trials have shown conflicting results regarding the comparative effectiveness of on- and off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), research on long-term outcomes in large-scale, real-world clinical settings are limited. The study sought to examine the comparative effectiveness of on- and off-pump CABG in a real-world clinical setting.

Methods: Using the nationwide claims database of the Korean National Health Insurance Service, the study identified patients who underwent isolated CABG from 2004 to 2013.

Association of aspirin and statin use with the risk of liver cancer in chronic hepatitis B: A nationwide population-based study.

Background & Aims: Aspirin and statins have been suggested to prevent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the combined effects of aspirin and statins on HCC risk in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) are not clear.

Methods: A nationwide nested case-control study was performed with data from the National Health Insurance Service gathered between 2005 and 2015 in Korea.

Accuracy of Digital Breast Tomosynthesis for Detecting Breast Cancer in the Diagnostic Setting: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: To compare the accuracy for detecting breast cancer in the diagnostic setting between the use of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), defined as DBT alone or combined DBT and digital mammography (DM), and the use of DM alone through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Materials And Methods: Ovid-MEDLINE, Ovid-Embase, Cochrane Library and five Korean local databases were searched for articles published until March 25, 2020. We selected studies that reported diagnostic accuracy in women who were recalled after screening or symptomatic.

Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate on the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis B patients with failure to preceding treatments: A nationwide cohort study.

Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) monotherapy is recommended for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients who are refractory to other drugs. Yet, little data are available for the effectiveness of TDF monotherapy compared with TDF-based combination therapy on the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and death/transplantation. This nationwide population-based cohort study included 11,289 CHB patients who initiated TDF rescue therapy after failure of preceding treatments between 2012 and 2014 in Korea.

Anthocyanin Structure and pH Dependent Extraction Characteristics from Blueberries () and Chokeberries () in Subcritical Water State.

This study determines the optimal extraction conditions for the subcritical-water extraction (SWE) of anthocyanin from blueberries and chokeberries and compares the performance using conventional extraction methods. SWE is carried out under different conditions of extraction temperature (110 °C, 130 °C, 150 °C, 170 °C, 190 °C, and 200 °C), extraction time (1, 3, 5, and 10 min), and solvent pH (water and 1% citric acid). The solubility and stability of anthocyanin from blueberries and chokeberries influences the optimal condition for SWE.