Publications by authors named "So J"

Background: Telesurgery has been made increasingly possible with the advancements in robotic surgical platforms and network connectivity. However, long-distance transnational complex robotic surgeries such as gastrectomy have yet to be attempted.

Methods: Multiple transnational network connections by Science Innovation Network (SINET), Japan Gigabit Network (JGN), and Arterial Research and Education Network in Asia-Pacific (ARENA-PAC) were established and tested by multiple surgeons in a dry box model.

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Single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq), an alternative to single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), encounters technical challenges in obtaining high-quality nuclei and RNA, persistently hindering its applications. Here, we present a robust technique for isolating nuclei across various tissue types, remarkably enhancing snRNA-seq data quality. Employing this approach, we comprehensively characterize the depot-dependent cellular dynamics of various cell types underlying mouse adipose tissue remodeling during obesity.

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Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) is a genetic disorder due to pathogenic variants in the COL7A1 gene. In this study we determined the association between different categories of COL7A1 variants and clinical disease severity in 236 RDEB patients in North America. Published reports or in-silico predictions were used to assess the impact of pathogenic variants in COL7A1 on type VII collagen (C7) protein function.

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Gastric cancer (GC) is a major cause of global cancer mortality with high levels of heterogeneity. To explore geospatial interactions in tumor ecosystems, we integrated 2,138 spatial transcriptomic regions-of-interest (ROIs) with 152,423 single-cell expression profiles across 226 GC samples from 121 patients. We observed pervasive expression-based intratumor heterogeneity, recapitulating tumor progression through spatially localized and functionally ordered subgroups associated with specific immune microenvironments, checkpoint profiles, and genetic drivers such as SOX9.

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Background: Endoscopic assessment for the diagnosis of gastric cancer is limited by interoperator variability and lack of real-time capability. Recently, Raman spectroscopy-based artificial intelligence (AI) has been proposed as a solution to overcome these limitations.

Objective: To compare the performance of the AI-enabled Raman spectroscopy with that of high-definition white light endoscopy (HD-WLE) for the risk classification of gastric lesions.

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Neurotensin (NTS) is a secretory peptide produced by lymphatic endothelial cells. Our previous study revealed that NTS suppressed the activity of brown adipose tissue via interactions with NTSR2. In the current study, we found that the depletion of Ntsr2 in white adipocytes upregulated food intake, while the local treatment of NTS suppressed food intake.

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Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a distressing health problem that can cause serious complications in aging men. Androgens are implicated in the causation of BPH. Portulaca oleracea (PO) is a natural product with diverse pharmacological effects.

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Tightly bound electron-hole pairs (excitons) hosted in atomically-thin semiconductors have emerged as prospective elements in optoelectronic devices for ultrafast and secured information transfer. The controlled exciton transport in such excitonic devices requires manipulating potential energy gradient of charge-neutral excitons, while electrical gating or nanoscale straining have shown limited efficiency of exciton transport at room temperature. Here, we report strain gradient induced exciton transport in monolayer tungsten diselenide (WSe) across microns at room temperature via steady-state pump-probe measurement.

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Objectives: This study evaluated the impact of masticatory difficulty on the development and progression of malnutrition, frailty, sarcopenia, and disability in community-dwelling adults, using data from the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study.

Methods: Participants were categorised by presence of masticatory difficulty. The Fried frailty phenotype, mini-nutritional assessments, and diagnostic criteria proposed by Asian Working Group on Sarcopenia were adopted to diagnose frailty, malnutrition, and sarcopenia respectively.

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Article Synopsis
  • Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) display clonal heterogeneity affecting their ability to differentiate into cardiomyocytes (CMs), necessitating a deeper understanding of these variations.
  • By analyzing multiple hiPSC clones from a single donor, researchers categorized them into productive (PC) and non-productive (NPC) groups based on their differentiation efficiency, uncovering distinct biological profiles.
  • Integrating RNA sequencing and chromatin accessibility data, the study identified biomarkers like TEK and SDR42E1 that are linked to CM differentiation potential, providing insights that could improve the selection of hiPSC clones for clinical use.
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  • Cutaneous melanoma (CM) and non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) rates are increasing in postmenopausal women, but the impact of vitamin A on their risk remains unclear.
  • A study of 52,877 White women found no link between total vitamin A intake and melanoma risk; however, higher dietary vitamin A and beta-cryptoxanthin were correlated with an increased risk of NMSC.
  • The findings suggest that while vitamin A does not lower CM or NMSC risk, higher dietary intakes may actually increase NMSC risk in this demographic.
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: Family members, often informal caregivers, play a crucial role in providing home care for stroke survivors. The period following discharge to home after receiving acute stroke management in a hospital includes the subacute phase of stroke and remains critical to the recovery of stroke patients. This study evaluated the association between family caregiving and post-stroke functional recovery after discharge to home.

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Purpose: To investigate patient-level differences in retinoblastoma presentation, treatments, and outcomes within the United States (US).

Design: Retrospective registry-based analysis.

Participants: One thousand, four hundred and four retinoblastoma cases in the National Cancer Database, 2004-2016, a US-based cancer registry.

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With the recent prominence of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, various research outcomes and applications in the field of image recognition and processing utilizing AI have been continuously emerging. In particular, the domain of object recognition using 3D time-of-flight (ToF) sensors has been actively researched, often in conjunction with augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). However, for more precise analysis, high-quality images are required, necessitating significantly larger parameters and computations.

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This paper presents a simple, fast, and cost-effective method for creating metallic microstructured surfaces by spray-coating a dispersion of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) onto polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) substrates, enabling the imbibition-induced wetting of liquid metal. The formation of these microstructured patterns is crucial for the spontaneous wetting of gallium-based liquid metals. Traditional techniques for producing such microstructures often involve complex and costly lithography and vacuum deposition methods.

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  • Ascites is a common issue in patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancers that have spread to the peritoneum, impacting survival negatively; this study is the first to look specifically at ascites, peritoneal metastases (PM), and survival in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and metastatic gastric cancer (mGC).
  • A retrospective analysis of clinical trial data showed that mCRC patients with ascites had significantly shorter progression-free and overall survival compared to those without PM, while gastric cancer patients with ascites also had poorer survival outcomes and higher disease severity scores.
  • The findings suggest that ascites can indicate worse prognoses for certain cancer patients, highlighting the need for more focused research and tailored treatments for these individuals.
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  • The study examines the impact of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) on venous thromboembolic (VTE) and bleeding events in Asian patients after major surgery for upper gastrointestinal malignancies.
  • It included data from 399 patients over a decade in Singapore, finding that while LMWH did not significantly reduce VTE incidents, it was linked to a higher rate of postoperative bleeding.
  • The conclusion suggests that routine use of LMWH is not recommended for Asian patients undergoing these surgical procedures due to the increased risk of bleeding without substantial benefits in VTE prevention.
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The rate of cardiovascular disease (CVD) death is higher in men than women before age 50 y, but the gap between sexes significantly narrows after menopause. Lipid mediators derived from EPA, DHA and AA play a role in inflammation and CVD. The aim of our study was to assess whether plasma concentrations of these lipid mediators differ between postmenopausal women and men.

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Objective: The relationship between ethnicity, obesity and health-related quality of life outcomes in a multi-ethnic population remains poorly understood. We aim to investigate the relationship between ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), obesity-associated diseases, as well as determinants of quality of life (QoL) in Southeast Asian patients with obesity. We aim to develop and validate a simple objective score to identify patients with obesity at high risk for major depression.

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Background: Recent advancements in large language models (LLMs) have accelerated their use across various domains. Psychiatric interviews, which are goal-oriented and structured, represent a significantly underexplored area where LLMs can provide substantial value. In this study, we explore the application of LLMs to enhance psychiatric interviews by analyzing counseling data from North Korean defectors who have experienced traumatic events and mental health issues.

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Background: The elevation of IQGAP3 expression in diverse cancers indicates a key role for IQGAP3 in carcinogenesis. Although IQGAP3 was established as a proliferating stomach stem cell factor and a regulator of the RAS-ERK pathway, how it drives cancer growth remains unclear.

Objective: We define the function of IQGAP3 in gastric cancer (GC) development and progression.

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Objective: To evaluate whether an antimicrobial stewardship bundle (ASB) can safely empower frontline providers in the treatment of gram-negative bloodstream infections (GN-BSI).

Intervention And Method: From March 2021 to February 2022, we implemented an ASB intervention for GN-BSI in the electronic medical record (EMR) to guide clinicians at the point of care to optimize their own antibiotic decision-making. We conducted a before-and-after quasi-experimental pre-bundle (preBG) and post-bundle (postBG) study evaluating a composite of in-hospital mortality, infection-related readmission, GN-BSI recurrence, and bundle-related outcomes.

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  • The study explores the relationship between appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) and the severity of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in patients under 35 years old.
  • It found that individuals with MASLD had significantly lower ASM compared to those without MASLD, and that lower ASM was associated with worse liver-related outcomes.
  • Increased ASM was linked to a higher likelihood of steatosis regression and lower chances of worsening condition over time, suggesting that ASM plays an important role in the severity of MASLD in younger patients.
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Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a complex disease characterized by a diverse range of clinical presentations. The primary manifestation is inflammatory lower back pain, often accompanied by other clinical manifestations such as peripheral arthritis, enthesitis, uveitis, psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel disease. However, the presentation of axSpA can vary widely among patients.

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  • Eggs are nutritious but easily damaged, which can lead to contamination and economic losses, making effective crack detection essential.
  • Traditional crack detection methods often fail for processed eggs due to changes in their physical properties, prompting the need for new solutions.
  • This study introduces a novel device that uses electric discharge to detect cracks in eggs by applying a high-voltage field, showing promising results in accuracy and reliability for both raw and processed eggs, thus enhancing food safety.
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