Functional Outcome Measures to Optimize Drug Development in Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy: Results From a Meta-Analysis of the Global SBMA Dataset.

Background And Objectives: Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is a rare, slowly progressive, and debilitating disease without effective treatments available. Lack of reliable biomarkers and sensitive outcome measures makes clinical research conduct challenging. The primary objective of this study was to identify clinically meaningful and statistically sensitive outcome measures enabling the evaluation of therapeutic interventions in late-stage clinical trials.

Perfluorooctanoic acid inhibits cell proliferation through mitochondrial damage.

Grown evidence has shown that the liver and reproductive organs were the main target organs of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Herein, we studied a toxic mechanism of PFOA using HeLa Chang liver epithelial cells. When incubated with PFOA for 24 h or 48 h, cell proliferation was inhibited in a concentration- and time-dependent fashion, but interestingly, the feature of dead cells was not notable.

Ocular and Plasma Pharmacokinetics of Enavogliflozin Ophthalmic Solution in Preclinical Species.

An enavogliflozin ophthalmic solution (DWRX2008) is being developed to treat diabetic retinopathy and macular edema. This study evaluated the ocular distribution and plasma pharmacokinetics (PKs) of enavogliflozin in animal species. A sample of [C] enavogliflozin was ocularly administered to two rabbits per time point at single doses of 600 μg/eye to evaluate ocular PK, which was evaluated using autoradiography until 48 h post-dose.

Association between oil spill clean-up work and thyroid cancer: Nine years of follow-up after the Hebei Spirit oil spill accident.

In 2007, an unprecedented oil spill occurred in Taean, Korea. Although crude oil contains chemicals that could increase thyroid cancer risk, few studies have examined the long-term effects of oil exposure during clean-up and thyroid cancer incidence. We investigated the long-term thyroid cancer incidence among participants involved in clean-up work.

Clinicopathological Reclassification of Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy to Match the Serological Results of Myositis-Specific Antibodies.

Background And Purpose: Advances in serological tests are transforming the classification of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM). The new criteria suggested by the 119th European Neuromuscular Center international workshop divide IIM cases into four main diseases according to clinical and pathological findings, adding immune-mediated necrotizing myositis and nonspecific myositis to the classic categories of polymyositis and dermatomyositis.

Methods: Seventy one cases of IIM with sufficient available clinical and pathological data were reviewed to be reclassified according to the new criteria.

Neurofilament light chain as a biomarker in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder: a comprehensive review and integrated analysis with glial fibrillary acidic protein.

Background: In the context of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), there are several measures that serve as a biomarker. However, each of the methods has the intrinsic limitations. While neurofilament light chain (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) have emerged as an additional biomarker for NMOSD, a thorough investigation of their role remains incomplete.

Whole-Body Muscle Magnetic Resonance Imaging in 81 Patients with Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy: A Prospective Study.

Objective: Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is characterized by slow, progressive bulbar and limb muscle weakness; however, the pattern of progression of muscle fat infiltration remains unclear. We assessed the progression of muscle involvement in 81 patients with SBMA using whole-body muscle magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), alongside clinical and laboratory findings.

Methods: This prospective study included patients with genetically confirmed SBMA who underwent whole-body muscle MRI.

Measurement device hacking-free mutual quantum identity authentication over a deployed optical fiber.

Quantum identity authentication serves as a crucial technology for secure quantum communication, but its security often faces challenges due to quantum hacking of measurement devices. This study introduces a measurement-device-independent mutual quantum identity authentication (MDI MQIA) scheme capable of ensuring secure user authentication, despite the use of measurement devices vulnerable to quantum hacking. To realize the MDI MQIA scheme, we proposed and applied a modified Bell state measurement based on linear optics, enabling the probabilistic measurement of all Bell states.

Long-term effects of the Hebei Spirit oil spill on the prevalence and incidence of allergic disorders.

The Hebei Spirit oil spill accident occurred in December 2007, approximately 10 km off the coast of Taean, South Korea, a location notably close to residential areas. Crude oil substances have been detected in various environmental mediums since the accident, yet previous studies have primarily focused on the acute effects of oil exposure due to the short latency period of allergic diseases. Therefore, this study evaluated the long-term effects of oil spill exposure on allergic disorders.

Subway station dust-induced pulmonary inflammation may be due to the dysfunction of alveolar macrophages: Possible contribution of bound elements.

With its increasing value as a means of public transportation, the health effects of the air in subway stations have attracted public concern. In the current study, we investigated the pulmonary toxicity of dust collected from an air purifier installed on the platform of the busiest subway station in Seoul. We found that the dust contained various elements which are attributable to the facilities and equipment used to operate the subway system.

Subchronic pulmonary toxicity of ambient particles containing cement production-related elements.

Chronic respiratory disease is among the most common non-communicable diseases, and particulate materials (PM) are a major risk factor. Meanwhile, evidence of the relationship between the physicochemical characteristics of PM and pulmonary toxicity mechanism is still limited. Here, we collected particles (CPM) from the air of a port city adjacent to a cement factory, and we found that the CPM contained various elements, including heavy metals (such as arsenic, thallium, barium, and zirconium) which are predicted to have originated from a cement plant adjacent to the sampling site.

Incidence and prevalence of Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy in South Korea: a nationwide population-based study.

Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), or Kennedy's disease, is a rare X-linked neuromuscular disorder predominantly affecting males and caused by a mutation in the androgen receptor gene. The epidemiology and comorbidities associated with SBMA in different ethnicities remain poorly understood. This study investigated the prevalence, incidence, and comorbidities associated with SBMA in the South Korean population using the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) database.