Decrease of alpha-crystallin A by miR-325-3p in retinal cells under blue light exposure.

Exposure to blue light can lead to retinal degeneration, causing adverse effects on eye health. Although the loss of retinal cells due to blue light exposure has been observed, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying this process remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigate the role of alpha-crystallin A (CRYAA) in neuro-retinal degeneration and their regulation by blue light.

Visualization system to identify structurally vulnerable links in OHT railway network in semiconductor FAB using betweenness centrality.

In semiconductor fabrication (FAB), wafers are placed into carriers known as Front Opening Unified Pods (FOUPs), transported by the Overhead Hoist Transport (OHT). The OHT, a type of Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV), moves along a fixed railway network in the FAB. The routes of OHTs on the railway network are typically determined by a Single Source Shortest Path (SSSP) algorithm such as Dijkstra's.

Corrigendum: Nocebo effects in systemic therapies for adult plaque psoriasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.

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.

Developing an eyeball positioning method in the eye orbit for craniofacial identification in Korean population.

We analysed the skulls and faces of Korean subjects using anthropometric methods to understand the anatomical characteristics of the eyeball and eye orbit region of Korean population and to determine the correlations between the hard and soft tissues around the eyeball and eye orbit region. In total, 82 sections in the region were measured to determine the correlations; among them, 34 showed significant differences by sex, and 6 showed significant differences by age. As the distance from the centre of the eye lens to the eye orbit is calculated as a ratio, we determined that the centre of the eye lens is located relatively on the lateral and superior position in each eye orbit in front view.

Atomic sawtooth-like metal films for vdW-layered single-crystal growth.

Atomic sawtooth surfaces have emerged as a versatile platform for growth of single-crystal van der Waals layered materials. However, the mechanism governing the formation of single-crystal atomic sawtooth metal (copper or gold) films on hard substrates (tungsten or molybdenum) remains a puzzle. In this study, we aim to elucidate the formation mechanism of atomic sawtooth metal films during melting-solidification process.

Can FDG-PET Imaging Identify Cardiac Sarcoidosis Disease Phenotypes?

Purpose Of Review: Despite the scarcity of data, most guidelines have advocated for the treatment of cardiac sarcoidosis with corticosteroids. However, there is heterogeneity in disease presentation and response to treatment, which can make treatment challenging. The ability to identify disease phenotypes to allow for tailored therapy is therefore highly desirable.

Near-infrared focused heating method for the rotational diamond anvil cell.

We developed a near-infrared focused heating system (IRrDAC) for deformation experiments using a rotational diamond anvil cell. This study reports the results of annealing tests on silver and antigorite conducted at SPring-8 (BL47XU) using the IRrDAC system. The experimental results demonstrated the melting of silver and the dehydration of antigorite, confirming the capability of this system.

Multimodal Imaging-Assisted Intravascular Theranostic Photoactivation on Atherosclerotic Plaque.

Background: Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease causing a fatal plaque rupture, and its key aspect is a failure to resolve inflammation. We hypothesize that macrophage-targeted near-infrared fluorescence emitting photoactivation could simultaneously assess macrophage/lipid-rich plaques in vivo and facilitate inflammation resolution.

Methods: We fabricated a Dectin-1-targeted photoactivatable theranostic agent through the chemical conjugation of the near-infrared fluorescence-emitting photosensitizer chlorin e6 and the Dectin-1 ligand laminarin (laminarin-chlorin e6 [LAM-Ce6]).

Collagen structures of demineralized bone paper direct mineral metabolism.

Bone is a dynamic mineralized tissue that undergoes continuous turnover throughout life. While the general mechanism of bone mineral metabolism is documented, the role of underlying collagen structures in regulating osteoblastic mineral deposition and osteoclastic mineral resorption remains an active research area, partly due to the lack of biomaterial platforms supporting accurate and analytical investigation. The recently introduced osteoid-inspired demineralized bone paper (DBP), prepared by 20-μm thin sectioning of demineralized bovine compact bone, holds promise in addressing this challenge as it preserves the intrinsic bony collagen structure and retains semi-transparency.

Identifying risk factors for COVID-19 cluster infections in schools in the Republic of Korea: a case-control study.

Background: No study has yet analyzed risk factors to determine whether students with confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections may affect students at neighboring schools. Therefore, this study aimed to determine risk factors for COVID-19 transmission among schools within a community in the Republic of Korea.

Methods: An epidemiological investigation was conducted among 696 students and school staff members at 3 schools where COVID-19 clusters began on October 15, 2021.

Clinical course of pancreas cancer diagnosed after spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy with borderline lesion: two case reports.

Distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy is considered the standard operation for pancreas tail and body cancer. However, splenectomy may be option for benign or low-grade malignant tumors including mucinous cystadenoma and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm. If spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy (SPDP) with borderline lesion is performed and pancreas cancer is diagnosed on postoperative pathologic finding, if it is R0 resection, the necessity of additional splenectomy remains questionable.

Stretchable glove for accurate and robust hand pose reconstruction based on comprehensive motion data.

We propose a compact wearable glove capable of estimating both the finger bone lengths and the joint angles of the wearer with a simple stretch-based sensing mechanism. The soft sensing glove is designed to easily stretch and to be one-size-fits-all, both measuring the size of the hand and estimating the finger joint motions of the thumb, index, and middle fingers. The system was calibrated and evaluated using comprehensive hand motion data that reflect the extensive range of natural human hand motions and various anatomical structures.

Differences in cortical microstructure according to body mass index in neurologically healthy populations using structural magnetic resonance imaging.

Associations between brain structure and body mass index (BMI) are increasingly gaining attention. Although BMI-related regional alterations in brain morphology have been previously reported, the effect of BMI on the microstructural profiles, which provide information on the proxy of neuronal density within the cortex, is unexplored. In this study, we investigated the links between cortical layer-specific microstructural profiles and BMI in 302 neurologically healthy young adults.

Crystallographic Pathways to Tailoring Metal-Insulator Transition through Oxygen Transport in VO.

The metal-insulator (MI) transition of vanadium dioxide (VO) is effectively modulated by oxygen vacancies, which decrease the transition temperature and insulating resistance. Oxygen vacancies in thin films can be driven by oxygen transport using electrochemical potential. This study delves into the role of crystallographic channels in VO in facilitating oxygen transport and the subsequent tuning of electrical properties.

Demequina capsici sp. nov., a novel plant growth-promoting actinomycete isolated from the rhizosphere of bell pepper (Capsicum annuum).

Demequina, commonly found in coastal and marine environments, represents a genus of Actinomycetes. In this study, strains Demequina PMTSA13 and OYTSA14 were isolated from the rhizosphere of Capsicum annuum, leading to the discovery of a novel species, Demequina capsici. Bacteria play a significant role in plant growth, yet there have been no reports of the genus Demequina acting as plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB).

Deep learning for predicting rehospitalization in acute heart failure: Model foundation and external validation.

Aims: Assessing the risk for HF rehospitalization is important for managing and treating patients with HF. To address this need, various risk prediction models have been developed. However, none of them used deep learning methods with real-world data.

Trastuzumab deruxtecan versus trastuzumab emtansine in Asian patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.

The global phase 3 DESTINY-Breast03 study (ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT03529110) showed statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) with trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) over trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer (mBC) previously treated with trastuzumab and a taxane. Here, we report a subgroup analysis of Asian patients enrolled in DESTINY-Breast03.

Associations of global and specific components of positive psychological well-being with mortality risk: Findings from two cohort studies.

Previous studies have examined how various aspects of positive psychological well-being (PPWB) independently relate to healthy aging, yet a notable gap remains in understanding the effects of their overlap (i.e., shared variance).

Epidemiologic relationship between alcohol flushing and smoking in the Korean population: the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Although facial flushing after drinking alcohol (alcohol flushing response) is common in Asian populations, the epidemiological features in a large sample have been investigated in only a few studies. This study assessed the epidemiologic characteristics and associated factors for alcohol flushing in a Korean population. This study was based on data collected during the 2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES).