Wurmb Extract Recovered Compromised Immune Status Induced by Forced Swimming in a Mouse Model.

Wurmb is known to contain large amounts of polyphenols and flavonoids with antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. However, the biological and physiological functions of have not been scientifically investigated. Thus, we investigated the immunomodulatory effect of hot water extract (YSK-N) in mice using an immune compromised model established by forced swimming (FS).

A dynamic strain prediction method for malfunction of sensors in buildings subjected to seismic loads using CWT and CNN.

Structural health monitoring (SHM) is a technique used to evaluate the safety of a structure based on the structural response. In the SHM, sensors may fail to measure the structural response, or data loss can occur during the data transmission and reception. In this regard, this paper proposes a method of predicting the strain response when a sensor installed in a structural member suffers a malfunction.

Problems Related to the Act on Decisions on Life-Sustaining Treatment and Directions for Improvement.

The Act on Decisions on Life-Sustaining Treatment has been in effect since 2018 for end-of-life patients. However, only 20~25% of deaths of terminally ill patients comply with the law, while the remaining 75~80% do not. There is significant confusion in how the law distinguishes between those in the terminal stage and those in the dying process.

The incidence, comorbidity and mortality of sarcoidosis in Korea, 2008-2015: a nationwide population-based study.

Background: Few national level, population-based studies are present on the epidemiology of sarcoidosis and it is unclear whether these patients have higher mortality than the general population. The objective of this study was to investigate the nationwide epidemiology, comorbidity and mortality in sarcoidosis in Korea.

Material And Methods: For the period between 2008 to 2015, we used the national population-based database operated by Rare Intractable Disease registration program in which patients' diagnosis are based on uniform criteria.

Late Recurrence of Bladder Cancer following Radical Cystectomy: Characteristics and Outcomes.

Purpose: There are only a few studies on characteristics and outcomes of late recurrence (LR) of urothelial carcinoma of bladder (UCB) after radical cystectomy (RC). The objective of this study was to assess characteristics and oncological outcomes of such LR that developed 5 years after RC.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 570 patients who underwent RC and bilateral regional lymphadenectomy for UCB at our institution.

Intravesical Chemotherapy after Radical Nephroureterectomy for Primary Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

The aim of this study was to determine the prophylactic effect of intravesical chemotherapy. Furthermore, it aimed to compare the efficacy of regimens on the prevention of bladder recurrence, after nephroureterectomy, for upper tract urothelial carcinoma by systematic review and network meta-analysis. A comprehensive literature search was conducted to search for studies published before 22 December 2016 using PubMed, Embase, and Scopus.

Association between sleep duration and musculoskeletal pain: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010-2015.

Both extremely long and short sleep durations have been associated with increased risk of numerous health problems. This study examined the association between self-reported sleep duration and reporting of musculoskeletal pain in the adult Korean population.This study included data from 17,108 adults aged ≥50 years, obtained from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010-2012 and 2013-2015.

Risk Factors for High Myopia in Koreans: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Purpose: To investigate risk factors for high myopia in the general Korean population.

Methods: In this nationwide population study, the dataset of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2008-2012 was analyzed. The study cohort included 11 703 participants, aged 25-49 years, who underwent neither refractive nor cataract surgery.

Different Pattern of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Assessment Test Score between Chronic Bronchitis and Non-chronic Bronchitis Patients.

Background: Chronic bronchitis (CB) is an important phenotype in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The purpose of this study is to evaluate different pattern of COPD assessment test (CAT) score between CB and non-CB patients.

Methods: Patients were recruited from 45 centers in Korea, as part of the Korean COPD Subgroup Study cohort.

Clinical characteristics and treatment propensity in elderly patients aged over 80 years with colorectal cancer.

Background/aims: Elderly patients (≥ 80 years) with colorectal cancer (CRC) tend to avoid active treatment at the time of diagnosis despite of recent advances in treatment. The aim of this study was to determine treatment propensity of elderly patients aged ≥ 80 years with CRC in clinical practice and the impact of anticancer treatment on overall survival (OS).

Methods: Medical charts of 152 elderly patients (aged ≥ 80 years) diagnosed with CRC between 1998 and 2012 were retrospectively reviewed.

Experimental evidence for partial spatial coherence in imaging Mueller polarimetry.

We demonstrate experimentally the validity of the partial spatial coherence formalism in Mueller polarimetry and show that, in a finite spatial resolution experiment, the measured response is obtained through convolving the theoretical one with the instrument function. The reported results are of primary importance for Mueller imaging systems.

Study of femtosecond laser-induced circular optical properties in silica by Mueller matrix spectropolarimetry.

Transmission Mueller-matrix spectroscopic ellipsometry is applied to femtosecond laser-induced modifications in silica glass in the spectral range of 450-1000 nm. Within a type II regime, the modifications exhibit not only circular dichroism, but also circular birefringence. We suggest that the laser polarization orientation with respect to pulse front tilt determines the amplitude and the sign of the circular properties.

The Ability of the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) IV Score to Predict Mortality in a Single Tertiary Hospital.

Background: The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II model has been widely used in Korea. However, there have been few studies on the APACHE IV model in Korean intensive care units (ICUs). The aim of this study was to compare the ability of APACHE IV and APACHE II in predicting hospital mortality, and to investigate the ability of APACHE IV as a critical care triage criterion.

Ultrasound-guided percutaneous bone drilling for the treatment of lateral epicondylitis.

Objective: To determine the clinical efficacy of sonographically-guided percutaneous bone drilling of the lateral epicondyle (LE) for the treatment of patients with LE.

Methods: We included 24 patients with LE who reported pain in this study. All patients underwent sonographically-guided percutaneous bone drilling of the lateral epicondyle.

Graphene Oxide Involved Air-Controlled Electrospray for Uniform, Fast, Instantly Dry, and Binder-Free Electrode Fabrication.

We report a facile air-controlled electrospray method to directly deposit binder-free active materials/graphene oxide (GO) onto current collectors. This method is inspired from an electrospinning process, and possesses all the advantages that electrospinning has such as low cost, easy scaling up, and simultaneous solvent evaporation during the spraying process. Moreover, the spray slurry is only a simple mixture of active materials and GO suspension in water, no binder polymer, organic solvent, and conductive carbon required.

Afatinib-Induced Acute Fatal Pneumonitis in Metastatic Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Afatinib is an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) that inhibit Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR), Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2), and HER4. The common side effects of EGFR TKI are rash, acne, diarrhea, stomatitis, pruritus, nausea, and loss of appetite. Drug induced pneumonitis is the less common adverse effects of EGFR TKI.

Graphene Folding in Si Rich Carbon Nanofibers for Highly Stable, High Capacity Li-Ion Battery Anodes.

Silicon nanoparticles (Si NPs) wrapped by graphene in carbon nanofibers were obtained via electrospinning and subsequent thermal treatment. In this study, water-soluble poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) with low carbon yield is selected to make the process water-based and to achieve a high silicon yield in the composite. It was also found that increasing the amount of graphene helps keep the PVA fiber morphology after carbonization, while forming a graphene network.

A general approach to fabricate free-standing metal sulfide@carbon nanofiber networks as lithium ion battery anodes.

A general approach for fabricating free-standing metal sulfide and carbon nanofiber mats is developed via electrospinning, starting with cheap and abundant raw materials. The prepared free-standing samples have metal sulfide nanoparticles dispersed throughout the interconnected carbon fibers. When applied to LIB, the composites demonstrate excellent cyclability and rate capability.

[Medical students' empathy and its effect on the physicianpatient relationship].

Purpose: Recent studies have emphasized the importance of empathy in the physician-patient relationship (PPR). The purpose of this study was to examine the association between empathy scores, as measured by the student version of the Jefferson Scaleof Empathy, Korean edition (JSE-S-K), and PPR scores on the clinical performance examination (CPX).

Methods: The sample comprised 104 third-year medical students.

End-of-life communication in Korean older adults: With focus on advance care planning and advance directives.

The present article aimed to provide a comprehensive review of current status of end-of-life (EOL) care and sociocultural considerations in Korea, with focus on the EOL communication and use of advance directives (AD) in elderly Koreans. Through literature review, we discuss the current status of EOL care and sociocultural considerations in Korea, and provide a look-ahead. In Korea, patients often receive life-sustaining treatment until the very end of life.

Diagnostic utility of immunochemical fecal occult blood tests to detect lower gastrointestinal lesions in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Purpose: The immunochemical fecal occult blood test (iFOBT) is a useful method to screen for lower gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding-related lesions. However, few studies have investigated the diagnostic utility of iFOBT in chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methods: We included 691 patients with nondialysis-dependent CKD stages 2-5 or those receiving dialysis.

A case of multicentric reticulohistiocytosis.

Multicentric reticulohistiocytosis (MRH) is a rare non-Langerhans histiocytosis of unknown etiology with a predilection for joint and skin. The characteristic clinical features are papulonodular skin eruptions and inflammatory polyarthritis, sometimes progressive to arthritis mutilans, a severe destructive arthropathy. Although these manifestations can present at the same time, it is more common that one feature precedes the others.