Simultaneous Isolation and Preparation of Extracellular Vesicles by Circular Multicavity Electrophoresis.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a crucial role in diagnosis and treatment, yet obtaining highly purified EVs from complex biological samples is often hindered by nanoscale contaminants. In this work, considering the charge-to-size characteristics of EVs, a circular multicavity electrophoresis (CME) with gradient pore size distribution was constructed in the gradient electric field to realize the isolation and preparation of EVs. By the gradient gel sieving effect, small cell debris, EVs, and proteins in biological samples were gradually separated.

The conserved protein DopA is required for growth, drug tolerance and virulence in Aspergillus fumigatus.

The majority of Aspergillus fumigatus reproduction occurs asexually, with large numbers of conidiophores producing small hydrophobic conidia dispersed aerially. When healthy hosts inhale conidia, the mucosal cilia and phagocytosis by the innate immune system can remove them. However, in immunocompromised hosts, the conidia are not removed, which allows them to germinate, forming mycelium that invades host tissues and causes disease.

Toward the validation of crowdsourced experiments for lightness perception.

Crowdsource platforms have been used to study a range of perceptual stimuli such as the graphical perception of scatterplots and various aspects of human color perception. Given the lack of control over a crowdsourced participant's experimental setup, there are valid concerns on the use of crowdsourcing for color studies as the perception of the stimuli is highly dependent on the stimulus presentation. Here, we propose that the error due to a crowdsourced experimental design can be effectively averaged out because the crowdsourced experiment can be accommodated by the Thurstonian model as the convolution of two normal distributions, one that is perceptual in nature and one that captures the error due to variability in stimulus presentation.

Role of the Lymphocyte Count-to-C-Reactive Protein Ratio in the Risk Stratification for High EASE Scores After Living Donor Liver Transplantation: A Retrospective Observational Cohort Study.

Early allograft failure (EAF) significantly contributes to mortality, necessitating re-transplantation following liver transplantation. The EAF simplified estimation (EASE) score has been recently developed to predict EAF. We aimed to assess the predictive capacity of high EASE scores for EAF and postoperative outcomes and to evaluate the association between the lymphocyte count-to-C-reactive protein ratio (LCR) and high EASE scores after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT).

Subperiosteal Abscess of the Orbit: Long-term Trends in Bacteriology and Clinical Outcomes and Current Management Recommendations.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact over time of evolving upper respiratory pathogens, modified microbial terminology, and improved laboratory isolation on the bacteriology and management of sinusitis-related subperiosteal abscess of the orbit.

Methods: Comparative case series of pediatric patients with bacterial sinusitis-related subperiosteal abscess from 2012 to 2022. Outcomes, culture results, age-specific findings, and antibiotic duration were compared with those in 1977 to 1992, 1988 to 1998, 1999 to 2008, and 2002 to 2012 cohorts at the same institution.

Who can benefit more from its twelve-week treatment: A prospective cohort study of blonanserin for patients with schizophrenia.

Background: Blonanserin (BNS) is a well-tolerated and effective drug for treating schizophrenia.

Aim: To investigate which types of patients would obtain the most benefit from BNS treatment.

Methods: A total of 3306 participants were evaluated in a 12-week, prospective, multicenter, open-label post-marketing surveillance study of BNS.

Ship-based visual observation underestimates plastic debris in marine surface water.

Visual observation surveys from ships are commonly used for monitoring floating marine debris, but their detection performance has not yet been fully verified. Here, simultaneous visual observation surveys and surface trawling were conducted in three coastal areas of South Korea, each with distinct characteristics. The extent of floating debris missed by visual observations was assessed, and the characteristics of overlooked debris were identified.

Predictive Value of the D-Dimer-to-Fibrinogen Ratio for Acute Kidney Injury after Living-Donor Liver Transplantation: A Retrospective Observational Cohort Study Using Logistic Regression and Propensity Score Matching Analyses.

Liver transplantation (LT) is typically performed as a surgery to treat end-stage liver disease (ESLD). Factors influencing acute kidney injury (AKI) post-living-donor LT (LDLT) have been identified; however, the potential role of the D-dimer-to-fibrinogen ratio (DFR) in predicting AKI remains unexplored. Therefore, we analyzed the relationship between DFR levels and the occurrence of AKI following LT.

Predicting superagers: a machine learning approach utilizing gut microbiome features.

Objective: Cognitive decline is often considered an inevitable aspect of aging; however, recent research has identified a subset of older adults known as "superagers" who maintain cognitive abilities comparable to those of younger individuals. Investigating the neurobiological characteristics associated with superior cognitive function in superagers is essential for understanding "successful aging." Evidence suggests that the gut microbiome plays a key role in brain function, forming a bidirectional communication network known as the microbiome-gut-brain axis.

Intrathecal Morphine Enhances Postoperative Analgesia and Recovery in Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy: A Retrospective Study of 272 Patients.

BACKGROUND Robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (RAPN) has been increasingly used for treating renal tumors due to its advantages over other approaches. However, RAPN can induce acute incisional, peritoneal, visceral, and referred pain. Therefore, acute pain control in robotic surgery is a concern.

Polyhexamethylene guanidine aerosol causes irreversible changes in blood proteins that associated with the severity of lung injury.

Polyhexamethylene guanidine (PHMG) is a positively charged polymer used as a disinfectant that kills microbes but can cause pulmonary fibrosis if inhaled. After the long-term risks were confirmed in South Korea, it became crucial to measure toxicity through diverse surrogate biomarkers, not only proteins, especially after these hazardous chemicals had cleared from the body. These biomarkers, identified by their biological functions rather than simple numerical calculations, effectively explained the imbalance of pulmonary surfactant caused by fibrosis from PHMG exposure.

Efficacy of Multimodal Analgesia with Transversus Abdominis Plane Block in Comparison with Intrathecal Morphine and Intravenous Patient-Controlled Analgesia after Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy.

Robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (RAPN) for renal tumor treatment provides ergonomic advantages to surgeons and improves surgical outcomes. However, moderate-to-severe pain is unavoidable even after minimally invasive surgery. Despite the growing interest in multimodal analgesia, few studies have directly compared its efficacy with intrathecal morphine, a traditional opioid-based analgesic.

Improved switching condition for reachable set estimation of discrete-time switched delayed neural networks.

This research delves into the reachable set estimation (RSE) problem for general switched delayed neural networks (SDNNs) in the discrete-time context. Note that existing relevant research on SDNNs predominantly relies on either time-dependent or state-dependent switching approaches. The time-dependent versions necessitate the stability of each subnetwork beforehand, whereas the state-dependent switching strategies solely depend on the current state, thus disregarding the historical information of the neuron states.

Synchronization of Intermittently Coupled Neural Networks With Coupling Delay.

In recent years, the synchronization of coupled neural networks (CNNs) has been extensively studied. However, existing results heavily rely on assuming continuous couplings, overlooking the prevalence of intermittent couplings in reality. In this article, we address for the first time the synchronization challenge posed by intermittently CNNs (ICNNs) with coupling delay.

Identifying the source rookery of green turtles () found in feeding grounds around the Korean Peninsula.

Determining the genetic diversity and source rookeries of sea turtles collected from feeding grounds can facilitate effective conservation initiatives. To ascertain the genetic composition and source rookery, we examined a partial sequence of the mitochondrial control region (CR, 796 bp) of 40 green turtles () collected from feeding grounds around the Korean Peninsula between 2014 and 2022. We conducted genetic and mixed-stock analyses (MSA) and identified 10 CR haplotypes previously reported in Japanese populations.

Epidemiologic features and therapeutic strategies of kerion: A nationwide multicentre study.

Background: Kerion is a severe type of tinea capitis that is difficult to treat and remains a public health problem.

Objectives: To evaluate the epidemiologic features and efficacy of different treatment schemes from real-world experience.

Methods: From 2019 to 2021, 316 patients diagnosed with kerion at 32 tertiary Chinese hospitals were enrolled.

Application and effect of tension-reducing suture in surgical treatment of hypertrophic scar.

Purpose: To investigate the application and effectiveness of tension-reducing suture in the repair of hypertrophic scars.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of clinical data was conducted on 82 patients with hypertrophic scars treated at the Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from September 2021 to December 2022. Patients were operated with combination of heart-shaped tension-reducing suturing technique and looped, broad, and deep buried (LBD) suturing technique or conventional suture method.

Habitat use of loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) turtles at the northern limit of their distribution range of the Northwest Pacific Ocean.

Verifying habitats, including the foraging and nesting areas for sea turtles, enables an understanding of their spatial ecology and successful planning of their conservation and management strategies. Recently, the observation frequency and bycatch of loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) turtles have increased in the northern limit of their distribution range, in the northern part of the East China Sea and East (Japan) Sea. We conducted satellite tracking to investigate the habitat use of seven loggerhead and eight green turtles from June 2016 to August 2022 in this area, where little is known about their spatial ecology.

The role of pattern coherence in interocular grouping during binocular rivalry: Insights from individual differences.

Interocular grouping during binocular rivalry occurs when two images presented to each eye combine into a coherent pattern. The experience of interocular grouping is thought to be influenced by both eye-of-origin, which involves excitatory lateral connections among monocular neurons, and pattern coherence, which results from top-down intervention from higher visual areas. However, it remains unclear which factor plays a more significant role in the interocularly-grouped percepts during binocular rivalry.

Transpalpebral mini-orbitozygomatic approach for nonvascular skull base lesions: a single neurosurgeon's experience.

Objective: The authors aim to describe the advantages, utility, and disadvantages of the transpalpebral mini-orbitozygomatic (MOZ) approach for tumors of the lateral and superior orbit, orbital apex, anterior clinoid, anterior cranial fossa, middle cranial fossa, and parasellar region.

Methods: The surgical approach from skin incision to closure is described while highlighting key technical and anatomical considerations, and cadaveric dissection demonstrates the surgical steps and focuses on important anatomy. Intraoperative images were included to supplement the cadaveric dissection.