Knee osteoarthritis with a high grade of Kellgren-Lawrence score is associated with a worse frailty status, KNHANES 2010-2013.

Frailty as a syndrome of physical decline in late life is associated with adverse health outcomes. Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) could contribute to frailty conditions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of KOA on frailty risk in a Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) cohort.

Observations of Nematicity, Dopants, and Zero-Bias Conductance Peaks for the CaLaFeAs Superconductor.

CaLaFeAs (CLFA112) belongs to a new family of Fe-based superconductors (FeSCs) and has a unique crystal structure featuring an arsenic zigzag chain layer, which has been proposed to be a possible two-dimensional topological insulator. This suggests that CLFA112 is a potential topological superconductor-a platform to realize Majorana fermions. Up to now, even a clear superconducting (SC) gap in CLFA112 has never been observed, and the SC properties of CLFA112 remain largely elusive.

Visualizing the unusual spectral weight transfer in DyBaCuO thin film.

We report a Spectroscopic Imaging Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (SI-STM) study of a DyBaCuO (DBCO) thin film (T ~ 79 K) synthesized by the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). We observed an unusual transfer of spectral weight in the local density of states (LDOS) spectra occurring only within the superconducting gap. By a systematic control of the tip-sample distance and the junction resistance, we demonstrate that the spectral weight transfer can be switched at a nano-meter length scale.

Effect of Impurities Control on the Crystallization and Densification of Polymer-Derived SiC Fibers.

The polymer-derived SiC fibers are mainly used as reinforcing materials for ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) because of their excellent mechanical properties at high temperature. However, decomposition reactions such as release of SiO and CO gases and the formation of pores proceed above 1400 °C because of impurities introduced during the curing process. In this study, polycrystalline SiC fibers were fabricated by applying iodine-curing method and using controlled pyrolysis conditions to investigate crystallization and densification behavior.

Environmental exposure to lead, mercury, and cadmium is not associated with abnormal kidney function in Korean adolescents.

Background: We aimed to elucidate the relationship between environmental exposure to lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and cadmium (Cd) which were measured in blood and the kidney function of adolescents.

Methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2010 to 2017. Statistical procedures were performed to analyze the Korean population of adolescents aged 12-17 years.

Atomic-scale electronic structure of the cuprate pair density wave state coexisting with superconductivity.

The defining characteristic of hole-doped cuprates is -wave high temperature superconductivity. However, intense theoretical interest is now focused on whether a pair density wave state (PDW) could coexist with cuprate superconductivity [D. F.

Imaging the energy gap modulations of the cuprate pair-density-wave state.

The defining characteristic of Cooper pairs with finite centre-of-mass momentum is a spatially modulating superconducting energy gap Δ(r), where r is a position. Recently, this concept has been generalized to the pair-density-wave (PDW) state predicted to exist in copper oxides (cuprates). Although the signature of a cuprate PDW has been detected in Cooper-pair tunnelling, the distinctive signature in single-electron tunnelling of a periodic Δ(r) modulation has not been observed.

Potential clinical utility of a novel optical tomographic imaging for the quantitative assessment of hand rheumatoid arthritis.

Optical tomographic imaging (OTI) was reported to be a novel technique for the early diagnosis and disease activity assessment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study aimed to evaluate the clinical utility of OTI for the detection of hand synovitis of RA patients. Manu-scan was used to perform imaging targeting the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) and metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints in 12 RA patients and three controls.

Prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in relation to serum cadmium concentrations: cross-sectional study using Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) data.

Objectives: It has been suggested that exposure to heavy metal cadmium (Cd) may contribute to a high risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study was to investigate the association of RA prevalence and serum concentrations of Cd and other heavy metals through large survey data analysis.

Design: A retrospective cross-sectional survey study.

Prevalence of extraintestinal manifestations in Korean inflammatory bowel disease patients.

Background: The prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in South Korea is increasing. Although extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs) are an important factor in the clinical outcomes of IBD patients, EIMs have not yet been investigated in Korea. Thus, we conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the prevalence of EIMs in Korean IBD patients.

Changes in serum uric acid levels after allogeneic hematologic stem cell transplantation: A retrospective cohort study.

Background: Since cell turnover in the hematopoietic system constitutes a major source of uric acid (UA) production, we investigated whether hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is associated with significant changes in serum UA levels in patients with hematological disorders.

Methods: Patients who underwent HSCT at our institution between 2001 and 2012 were retrospectively enrolled. Serum UA levels at 3 months before, 1 week before, and 3 months and 1 year after HSCT were examined.

Detection of a Cooper-pair density wave in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x.

The quantum condensate of Cooper pairs forming a superconductor was originally conceived as being translationally invariant. In theory, however, pairs can exist with finite momentum Q, thus generating a state with a spatially modulated Cooper-pair density. Such a state has been created in ultracold (6)Li gas but never observed directly in any superconductor.

Certain Autoimmune Manifestations Are Associated With Distinctive Karyotypes and Outcomes in Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndrome: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Autoimmune manifestations (AIMs) are common in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). This study aimed to investigate whether AIMs are associated with a specific cytogenetic abnormalities and worse survival in patients with MDS. A total of 67 MDS patients with AIMs and 134 age- and sex-matched MDS patients without AIMs, all of whom received medical care at Seoul National University Hospital from January 2000 through July 2014, were enrolled.