Bone-Specific Alkaline Phosphatase as a Complementary Diagnostic Marker for the Assessment of Children and Adolescents with Secondary Osteoporosis.

: With increasing cases of osteoporosis in children and adolescents, the need for timely diagnosis, management, and follow-up has become important. This study aimed to determine whether bone turnover markers (BTMs), particularly serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BsALP) and serum C-telopeptide of collagen type 1 (CTx), accurately reflect BMD. : In this retrospective study, 280 post-puberty males and females who were previously diagnosed with hemato-oncologic, rheumatic, gastrointestinal, and endocrinologic diseases at a single tertiary care center were reviewed.

Recent Advances in Pineoblastoma Research: Molecular Classification, Modelling and Targetable Vulnerabilities.

Pineoblastoma (PB) is a rare yet lethal pediatric brain cancer of the pineal gland, a small endocrine organ that secretes melatonin to regulate the circadian rhythm. For PB patients ≤5 years of age, the overall survival rate is approximately 15%; metastatic PB is incurable. Standard treatment, including surgical resection, radiation, and systemic chemotherapy, improves survival but compromises neurocognitive function.

Striatal arbitration between choice strategies guides few-shot adaptation.

Animals often exhibit rapid action changes in context-switching environments. This study hypothesized that, compared to the expected outcome, an unexpected outcome leads to distinctly different action-selection strategies to guide rapid adaptation. We designed behavioral measures differentiating between trial-by-trial dynamics after expected and unexpected events.

Comparison of Clinical, Radiologic, and Arthroscopic Outcomes Between the Microfracture and Microdrilling Techniques for Articular Cartilage Defects in Medial Opening-Wedge High Tibial Osteotomy.

Background: Microfracture is the most common procedure for cartilage lesions during medial opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy (MOWHTO), but microdrilling has recently been introduced as an alternative technique.

Purpose: To compare the clinical, radiologic, and arthroscopic outcomes of microfracture and microdrilling during MOWHTO.

Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Tubular ER structures shaped by ER-phagy receptors engage in stress-induced Golgi bypass.

Cellular stresses, particularly endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress induced by ER-to-Golgi transport blockade, trigger Golgi-independent secretion of cytosolic and transmembrane proteins. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this unconventional protein secretion (UPS) remain largely elusive. Here, we report that an ER tubulovesicular structure (ER tubular body [ER-TB]), shaped by the tubular ER-phagy receptors ATL3 and RTN3L, plays an important role in stress-induced UPS of transmembrane proteins such as cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein.

Intra-articular Stromal Vascular Fraction and Mesenchymal Stem Cell Injections Show Variable Efficacy and Higher Potential Complications Compared to Corticosteroid and Hyaluronic Acid in Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of intra-articular stromal vascular fraction (SVF) and adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell (ASC) injections in patients with knee osteoarthritis through a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar were systematically searched to identify Level I studies that compared the clinical efficacy of SVF or ASC with that of other nonoperative treatments. Clinical scores measured 3, 6, and 12 months postinjection were standardized to pain and functional scales for meta-analysis based on minimal clinically important differences.

Clinical Impact of Meniscal Scaffold Implantation in Patients with Meniscal Tears: A Systematic Review.

Background: Meniscal scaffold implantation has been introduced as a treatment for meniscal injuries, but there is still no clear consensus on its clinical impact, including its chondroprotective effect. This review aimed to assess the chondroprotective effects, clinical outcomes, and survivorship of meniscal scaffold implantation compared to meniscectomy, as well as among different types of scaffolds.

Methods: A comprehensive search strategy was performed on the databases of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar, encompassing articles published until June 1, 2024.

A randomized non-inferiority trial investigating antibiotic adjustments based on blood culture in acute cholangitis.

Objectives: This study evaluated the adequacy of using blood cultures alone for antibiotic therapy in mild-to-moderate acute cholangitis after adequate biliary drainage.

Methods: A prospective, multi-centre, non-inferiority, randomized trial was conducted from August 2015 to September 2023 across 12 tertiary hospitals in South Korea. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to groups.

Arthroscopic Microdrilling for Full-Thickness Trochlear Cartilage Defects in Patients Undergoing High Tibial Osteotomy Confers Improved Cartilage Status at 1 Year and Rate of Minimal Clinically Important Difference at Short-term Follow-Up.

Purpose: To compare the patient-reported outcome (PRO) improvements and cartilage status of trochlear cartilage defects (TCDs) after additional arthroscopic microdrilling versus no treatment for TCDs during medial open-wedge high tibial osteotomy (MOWHTO).

Methods: Patients who underwent MOWHTO with either microdrilling (group M) or no treatment (group N) for near full-thickness TCDs (International Cartilage Repair Society grade IIIB or greater) from March 2010 to September 2022 were retrospectively reviewed, with a minimum 2-year follow-up. 1:1 Propensity score-matched group N was created.

Immune Gene Expression Profiling in Individuals with Turner Syndrome, Graves' Disease, and a Healthy Female by Single-Cell RNA Sequencing: A Comparative Study.

Turner syndrome (TS) can be determined by karyotype analysis, marked by the loss of one X chromosome in females. However, the genes involved in autoimmunity in TS patients remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to analyze differences in immune gene expression between a patient with TS, a healthy female, and a female patient with Graves' disease using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis of antigen-specific CD4(+) T cells.

Memory consolidation from a reinforcement learning perspective.

Memory consolidation refers to the process of converting temporary memories into long-lasting ones. It is widely accepted that new experiences are initially stored in the hippocampus as rapid associative memories, which then undergo a consolidation process to establish more permanent traces in other regions of the brain. Over the past two decades, studies in humans and animals have demonstrated that the hippocampus is crucial not only for memory but also for imagination and future planning, with the CA3 region playing a pivotal role in generating novel activity patterns.

SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-elicited immune responses in solid organ transplant recipients.

Solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) are considered a high-risk group for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The adaptive immune responses generated by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination include humoral and cellular immune responses. Most studies on the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine have focused primarily on humoral immunity, but cellular immunity is vital for effectively controlling progression to severe COVID-19.

Cortical VIP neurons as a critical node for dopamine actions.

Dopamine modulates a wide range of cognitive processes in the prefrontal cortex, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we examined the roles of prefrontal vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)-expressing neurons and their D1 receptors (D1Rs) in working memory using a delayed match-to-sample task in mice. VIP neurons conveyed robust working-memory signals, and their inactivation impaired behavioral performance.

Mechanical stability of the proximal tibia with different bone formations after plate removal in medial opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy: a finite element analysis.

Background: No clear agreement exists on the degree of bone formation required to remove a metal plate without correction loss after medial opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy (MOWHTO). We aimed to investigate the mechanical stability of the proximal tibia with different bone formations after plate removal in MOWHTO using finite element models and determine the extent of bone formation when the plate can be removed without correction loss.

Methods: The MOWHTO models with 5, 10, and 15 mm opening gaps were generated.

Graft Length Changes and Optimal Knee Flexion Angles for Fixation in Posterolateral Corner Reconstruction: An In Vivo 3-Dimensional Simulation Analysis.

Background: Changes in graft length according to knee flexion and the ideal knee flexion angle at the time of graft fixation for posterolateral corner (PLC) reconstruction have yet to be clearly defined.

Purposes: To investigate graft length changes according to knee flexion and determine the optimal graft fixation angle for knee flexion in PLC reconstruction.

Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study.

Anti-Melanogenic Effects of Umbelliferone: In Vitro and Clinical Studies.

Melanin overexpression causes skin hyperpigmentation, which is associated with various skin disorders and cosmetic concerns. Umbelliferone, a natural coumarin found widely in plant species, has been noted for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects but has received little attention for its impact on melanogenesis. Here, the effects of umbelliferone on melanogenesis were investigated in vitro and in clinical studies.

Hierarchical gradients of multiple timescales in the mammalian forebrain.

Many anatomical and physiological features of cortical circuits, ranging from the biophysical properties of synapses to the connectivity patterns among different neuron types, exhibit consistent variation along the hierarchical axis from sensory to association areas. Notably, the temporal correlation of neural activity at rest, known as the intrinsic timescale, increases systematically along this hierarchy in both primates and rodents, analogous to the increasing scale and complexity of spatial receptive fields. However, how the timescales for task-related activity vary across brain regions and whether their hierarchical organization appears consistently across different mammalian species remain unexplored.

Anterior-to-Central Cartilage Defects of Arthritic Knee Showed Better Cartilage Regeneration Than Posterior Cartilage Defects Using Mesenchymal Stem Cell Implantation.

Purpose: To analyze cartilage regeneration and clinical outcomes after human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cell (hUCB-MSCs) implantation on the basis of the distribution and location of medial femoral condyle (MFC) cartilage defects.

Methods: Patients who underwent hUCB-MSC implantation for MFC cartilage defects involved in isolated medial compartment osteoarthritis were included. The patients were divided into 2 groups, those with MFC defects located within the anterior-central portion (group A) and those with MFC defects extending to the posterior portion (group P).

Association between severity of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency and computed tomography-based morphological severity in patients with chronic pancreatitis.

The association between pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (PEI) and morphologic findings in chronic pancreatitis has not yet been fully studied. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between PEI severity and computed tomography (CT)-based morphological severity in patients with chronic pancreatitis. This nationwide survey included 180 Korean participants with chronic pancreatitis aged 18 years or older between January 2018 and December 2021.

Modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors affecting surgical failure after revision ACL reconstruction: a cohort study.

Background: Research on factors influencing the outcomes of revision anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is relatively scarce and mostly relies even on reports from a single group. Understanding the factors contributing to the failure of revision ACL reconstruction can provide valuable information for achieving better clinical outcomes and assist in patient counseling before surgery. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the factors contributing to surgical failure after revision ACL reconstruction.

Ultraviolet Photodetector Fabrication with Low-Power Dissipation Based on Organic Suboptimal Source-Gated Transistor Architecture and MoO-Doped Pentacene.

Organic field-effect transistor (OFET)-based photodetectors have been extensively studied owing to their potential applications in various fields, such as imaging, communication, and environmental monitoring. However, the traditional OFET structure brings about high power consumption. Furthermore, their low electrical performance and light sensitivity must be improved to detect harmful UV rays that accelerate skin aging and cause vision degradation.

Association Between Insufficient Restoration of Meniscal Tension During Surgical Repair of Medial Meniscus Root Tear and Surgical Outcomes: Clinical Implication of Curtain-Cliff Sign.

Background: Despite the clinical benefits over nonoperative treatment or meniscectomy, the clinical outcomes of surgical repair for medial meniscus posterior root tear (MMRT) remain suboptimal, which may be attributed to the insufficient restoration of meniscal hoop tension during surgery.

Purpose: To analyze the clinical outcomes of surgical repair of MMRT based on the appearance of the meniscal tension observed immediately after surgery.

Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Targeting the VEGFR2 signaling pathway for angiogenesis and fibrosis regulation in neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) is characterized by abnormal blood vessel growth from the choroid, leading to complications and eventual blindness. Despite anti-VEGF therapy, subretinal fibrosis remains a major concern, as VEGF/VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR2) signaling can contribute to both angiogenesis and fibrosis. For the identification of the aqueous humor proteome, we performed liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry analysis.

Acellular Particulated Costal Allocartilage Improves Cartilage Regeneration in High Tibial Osteotomy: Data From a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: This study aimed to compare short-term arthroscopic and clinical outcomes between microfractures with (treatment group) and without (control group) acellular particulated costal allocartilage in patients undergoing concurrent high tibial osteotomy (HTO).

Design: This retrospective cohort study enrolled 19 and 21 patients in the treatment and control groups, respectively, and reviewed them at a minimum 2-year follow-up after HTO. Cartilage regeneration status was evaluated according to the International Cartilage Repair Society-Cartilage Repair Assessment (ICRS-CRA) grading and Koshino's macroscopic staging systems during medial locked plate removal.