A Wonderful Journey: The Diverse Roles of Adenosine Deaminase Action on RNA 1 (ADAR1) in Central Nervous System Diseases.

Background: Adenosine deaminase action on RNA 1 (ADAR1) can convert the adenosine in double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) molecules into inosine in a process known as A-to-I RNA editing. ADAR1 regulates gene expression output by interacting with RNA and other proteins; plays important roles in development, including growth; and is linked to innate immunity, tumors, and central nervous system (CNS) diseases.

Results: In recent years, the role of ADAR1 in tumors has been widely discussed, but its role in CNS diseases has not been reviewed.

Fast-spiking parvalbumin-positive interneurons: new perspectives of treatment and future challenges in dementia.

Central nervous system parvalbumin-positive interneurons (PV-INs) are crucial and highly vulnerable to various stressors. They also play a significant role in the pathological processes of many neuropsychiatric diseases, especially those associated with cognitive impairment, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), vascular dementia (VD), Lewy body dementia, and schizophrenia. Although accumulating evidence suggests that the loss of PV-INs is associated with memory impairment in dementia, the precise molecular mechanisms remain elusive.

Present and future use of exosomes containing proteins and RNAs in neurodegenerative diseases for synaptic function regulation: A comprehensive review.

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) are increasingly prevalent with global aging, demanding effective treatments. Exosomes, which contain biological macromolecules such as RNA (including miRNAs) and proteins like α-synuclein, tau, and amyloid-beta, are gaining attention as innovative therapeutics. This comprehensive review systematically explores the potential roles of exosomes in NDDs, with a particular focus on their role in synaptic dysfunction.

Botanical Mixture Containing Nitric Oxide Metabolite Enhances Neural Plasticity to Improve Cognitive Impairment in a Vascular Dementia Rat Model.

Vascular dementia (VD), caused by impaired cerebral blood flow, is the most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the elderly and is characterized by severe neuronal damage and cognitive decline. Nitric oxide (NO) is an important determinant of vascular homeostasis, and its deficiency is associated with the progression of VD. In this study, we investigated the role of nitrite ion, a NO metabolite in a botanical mixture (BM) of fermented garlic, fermented , and on neuron loss and cognitive impairment using a VD rat model.

The Relationship between the Lipid Accumulation Product and Beta-cell Function in Korean Adults with or without Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: The 2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Aims: This study was conducted to assess the relationship between the lipid accumulation product index (LAP) and the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and beta-cell function (HOMA-) in Korean adults with or without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Materials And Methods: The study was carried out using data from the 2015 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) and included 4,922 adults aged 20 or older.

Results: There were several key findings.

Change of Safe Needling Depth at Acupoint GB21 according to Posture and Breathing.

Acupoint GB21 (Jianjing) is used for treating back and shoulder pain but is associated with a risk of pneumothorax. We aimed to determine the SND (safe needling depth) at GB21 according to posture and breathing in real time. Ultrasonographic images of GB21 during normal breathing, inspiration, and expiration in a SP (sitting position) were acquired for 52 healthy volunteers.

Development of an ultrasound-imaging procedure and acquisition of ultrasound images of acupuncture points for safety and accuracy of needle insertion.

Background: Acupuncture is a relatively safe, commonly used "alternative" medical treatment for various symptoms. However, adverse effects can occur, including trauma, pneumothorax, and central-nervous-system injury. Our objective was to develop a reliable and practical procedure for ultrasound imaging of acupuncture points to improve safety during needling, and to acquire ultrasound images of several (44) acupuncture points, especially those in high-risk areas, according to an in-house standard operating procedure.

Induction by HT7 Acupuncture Alters Theta and Alpha Band Coherence in Human Healthy Subjects.

The aim of this preliminary study is to investigate the changes in phase synchronization in the theta and alpha bands before and during the performance of classical acupuncture on the Sinmun (HT7). The electroencephalogram (EEG) signals from nine healthy young subjects were recorded before and during acupuncture in the "closed-eye" state. The EEG signals were acquired from 19 surface scalp electrodes (FP1, FP2, F7, F3, Fz F4, F8, T3, C3, Cz, C4, T4, T5, P3, Pz, P4, T6, O1, and O2).

Linking Emotional Labor, Public Service Motivation, and Job Satisfaction: Social Workers in Health Care Settings.

This study examines the determinants of emotional laborers'--social workers in health care organizations--job satisfaction and their public service motivation in using a structural equation model and provides empirical evidence regarding what contributes to job satisfaction or burnout in these workers. Among several latent variables, this study confirmed that false face significantly decreases the job satisfaction of social worker and is positively associated with burnout. In addition, commitment to public interest increases social workers' job satisfaction significantly.

Plasmon enhanced photoacoustic generation from volumetric electromagnetic hotspots.

This work reports plasmon enhanced photoacoustic generation by using a three dimensional plasmonic absorber. The 3D plasmonic absorber comprises a thin polymer film on glass nanopillar arrays with nanogap-rich silver nanoislands. The 3D plasmonic absorber clearly shows 24.

Electrokinetic preconcentration of small molecules within volumetric electromagnetic hotspots in surface enhanced Raman scattering.

The on-chip integration of a preconcentration chamber for ultrasensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is shown. Small molecules are preconcentrated using 3D volumetric electromagnetic hotspots. The experimental results demonstrate an enhancement of the SERS signals of over two orders of magnitude, which allows the fingerprinting of neurotransmitter molecules at the nanomolar level and furthers the selective detection of oppositely charged molecules.

Anomalous behaviors of visible luminescence from graphene quantum dots: interplay between size and shape.

For the application of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) to optoelectronic nanodevices, it is of critical importance to understand the mechanisms which result in novel phenomena of their light absorption/emission. Here, we present size-dependent shape/edge-state variations of GQDs and visible photoluminescence (PL) showing anomalous size dependences. With varying the average size (d(a)) of GQDs from 5 to 35 nm, the peak energy of the absorption spectra monotonically decreases, while that of the visible PL spectra unusually shows nonmonotonic behaviors having a minimum at d(a) = ~17 nm.

The association between hospital ownership and technical efficiency in a managed care environment.

This study assessed the association between hospital ownership and technical efficiency in a managed care environment. Hospital technical efficiency scores were calculated via the data envelopment analysis (DEA) method, employing four input variables and three output variables from the American Hospital Association Hospital Survey Data for acute care general hospitals in Florida. By utilizing the hospital technical efficiency scores as a dependent variable, we determined that non-profit hospitals were more efficient than for-profit hospitals for all 4 years examined in this study.