Development and Evaluation of a Mindfulness-Based Mobile Intervention for Perinatal Mental Health: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Perinatal mental health problems, such as anxiety, stress, and depression, warrant particularly close monitoring and intervention, but they are often unaddressed in both obstetric and psychiatric clinics, with limited accessibility and treatment resources. Mobile health interventions may provide an effective and more accessible solution for addressing perinatal mental health. Development and evaluation of a mobile mental health intervention specifically for pregnant women are warranted.

Toll-like receptor 2/6-stimulated HMC-1 mast cells promote keratinocyte migration in wound healing.

Mast cells, immune sentinels that respond to various stimuli in barrier organs, provide defense by expressing pattern recognition receptors, such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs). They may affect inflammatory responses and wound healing. Here, we investigated the effect of TLR2/6-stimulated mast cells on wound healing in keratinocytes.

Safety and effectiveness of an herbal decoction (modified Saengmaeksan) in hypertensive patients: Protocol for a real-world prospective observational study.

Objective: Hypertension, a common chronic disease, often leads to serious complications. While conventional management relies on antihypertensive drugs, which can cause side effects and adherence issues, alternative treatments like herbal medicine are gaining attention. This study examines the efficacy and safety of modified Saengmaeksan, an East Asian herbal remedy, in treating hypertension.

GX-188E DNA vaccine plus pembrolizumab in HPV 16- and/or 18-positive recurrent or advance cervical cancer: a phase 2 trial.

Background: In an interim analysis of this phase 2 trial, adding the GX-188E vaccine to pembrolizumab resulted in manageable toxicity with antitumor activities in patients with recurrent or advanced cervical cancer. Here, we report the final safety and efficacy results after a long-term follow-up at the study's completion.

Methods: This open-label, single-arm, phase II trial was conducted in nine hospitals in South Korea (ClinicalTrials.

Exercise Therapy Rescues Skeletal Muscle Dysfunction and Exercise Intolerance in Cardiometabolic HFpEF.

Exercise intolerance, a hallmark of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) exacerbated by obesity, involves unclear mechanisms related to skeletal muscle metabolism. In a "2-hit" model of HFpEF, we investigated the ability of exercise therapy (voluntary wheel running) to reverse skeletal muscle dysfunction and exercise intolerance. Using state-of-the-art metabolic cages and a multiomic approach, we demonstrate exercise can rescue dysfunctional skeletal muscle lipid and branched-chain amino acid oxidation and restore exercise capacity in mice with cardiometabolic HFpEF.

PD-L1 as a Biomarker in Gastric Cancer Immunotherapy.

Combining chemotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) that target the programmed death-1 (PD-1) protein has been shown to be a clinically effective first-line treatment for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative and -positive advanced or metastatic gastric cancer (GC). Currently, PD-1 inhibitors combined with chemotherapy are the standard treatment for patients with HER2-negative/positive locally advanced or metastatic GC. Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, as assessed using immunohistochemistry (IHC), is a crucial biomarker for predicting response to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 agents in various solid tumors, including GC.

Korean Gastric Cancer Association-Led Nationwide Survey on Surgically Treated Gastric Cancers in 2023.

Purpose: Since 1995, the Korean Gastric Cancer Association (KGCA) has been periodically conducting nationwide surveys on patients with surgically treated gastric cancer. This study details the results of the survey conducted in 2023.

Materials And Methods: The survey was conducted from March to December 2024 using a standardized case report form.

Korean Practice Guidelines for Gastric Cancer 2024: An Evidence-based, Multidisciplinary Approach (Update of 2022 Guideline).

Gastric cancer is one of the most common cancers in both Korea and worldwide. Since 2004, the Korean Practice Guidelines for Gastric Cancer have been regularly updated, with the 4th edition published in 2022. The 4th edition was the result of a collaborative work by an interdisciplinary team, including experts in gastric surgery, gastroenterology, endoscopy, medical oncology, abdominal radiology, pathology, nuclear medicine, radiation oncology, and guideline development methodology.

Human gut microbiota-fermented asparagus powder protects human epithelial cells from injury and inflammation.

Dietary consumption of green asparagus has been associated with several health benefits. These beneficial properties are attributed to the presence of many bioactive compounds in asparagus, including saponins, phenolics, flavonoids, as well as dietary fiber mostly comprising fructans and inulins, which are prebiotics capable of supporting the growth of beneficial members of gut microbiota. In this study, we used the Human Gut Simulator system to assess the fermentation of oro-gastro-intestinally digested asparagus powder by the human gut microbiota.

Rural-Urban Disparities in State-Level Diabetes Prevalence Among US Adults, 2021.

Introduction: We assessed state-level disparities in diabetes prevalence among adults in rural and urban areas in the United States.

Methods: We estimated state-specific diabetes prevalence in rural and urban areas in 41 states with applicable data from the 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Rural areas were defined based on the 2013 National Center for Health Statistics Urban-Rural Classification Scheme.

Tear film lipid layer thickness and blink dynamics in patients with blepharospasm.

Background: This study investigates the effect of botulinum toxin A on lipid layer thickness (LLT) and blink dynamics in patients with benign essential blepharospasm (BEB) compared to dry eye disease (DED) patients.

Methods: We reviewed the medical records of patients with dry eye disease (DED) and BEB treated with botulinum toxin A (BoT A) injections. Data on demographics, lipid layer thickness (LLT), meiboscore, and blink dynamics measured using a LipiView II interferometer before and 2 months after BoT A were collected.

Effects of blood pressure lowering in patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis before endovascular thrombectomy.

Background: The effects of blood pressure (BP) lowering in patients treated with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV tPA) before endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) are unclear.

Aims: This study aims to investigate whether intensive and conventional BP management affect outcomes differently, depending on IV tPA administration before EVT.

Methods: In this subgroup analysis of the Outcome in Patients Treated with Intra-Arterial Thrombectomy-Optimal Blood Pressure Control (OPTIMAL-BP; ClinicalTrials.

Synergistic Effect of HAD-B1 and Osimertinib Against Gefitinib Resistant HCC827 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells.

In this study, we investigated the synergistic effect of co-administration of osimertinib and HAD-B1 using gefitinib-resistant non-small cell lung cancer cells, HCC827-GR. HAD-B1 is composed of 4 natural drugs, Panax Notoginseng Radix, Panax ginseng C. A.

Merged Red and NIR Light Sources for Photobiomodulation Therapy in Diabetic Wound Healing.

Photobiomodulation (PBM) is considered an effective and safe therapeutic modality in supporting the treatment of complications from a global pandemic-diabetes. In this study, PBM therapy is investigated to accelerate wound healing in diabetic mice (DM), under the combined biological effects of red light from a red organic light-emitting diode (ROLED) and near-infrared (NIR) light from an NIR conversion film (NCF) with dispersed CuInS/ZnS quantum dots (QDs). The QD concentration and the NCF structure were optimized to maximize the optical properties and mechanical stability.

Isotopic fractionation of gaseous mercury in a large industrial city: Spatio-temporal variations and source apportionment.

The source-receptor relationship of atmospheric mercury is a critical environmental concern. However, comprehensive evaluations of mercury pollution based on spatially resolved and time-averaged data have not yet been conducted in Korea. In this study, the spatio-temporal variations of total gaseous mercury (TGM) and mercury isotopes were examined using passive air samplers at 30 sites in Ulsan over one year.

Coordinated neuron-specific splicing events restrict nucleosome engagement of the LSD1 histone demethylase complex.

Chromatin regulatory proteins are expressed broadly and assumed to exert the same intrinsic function across cell types. Here, we report that 14 chromatin regulators undergo evolutionary-conserved neuron-specific splicing events involving microexons. Among them are two components of a histone demethylase complex: LSD1 H3K4 demethylase and the H3K4me0-reader PHF21A.

Transferrin-binding domain inserted-adenovirus hexon engineering enables systemic immune evasion and intratumoral T-cell activation.

Adenovirus-based therapies have encountered significant challenges due to host immunity, particularly from pre-existing antibodies. Many trials have struggled to evade antibody response; however, the efficiency of these efforts was limited by the diversity of antibody Fv-region recognizing multiple amino acid sequences. In this study, we developed an antibody-evading adenovirus vector by encoding a plasma-rich protein transferrin-binding domain.

Emerging Trends and Future Opportunities for Battery Recycling.

The global lithium-ion battery recycling capacity needs to increase by a factor of 50 in the next decade to meet the projected adoption of electric vehicles. During this expansion of recycling capacity, it is unclear which technologies are most appropriate to reduce costs and environmental impacts. Here, we describe the current and future recycling capacity situation and summarize methods for quantifying costs and environmental impacts of battery recycling methods with a focus on cathode active materials.

A case of emergency stent graft placement for subclavian artery injury during ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement.

With advancements in medical devices and imaging techniques, endovascular treatment using stent grafts has emerged as a viable and aggressive therapeutic option for traumatic subclavian artery injuries, including iatrogenic cases. Existing literature suggests that endovascular treatment is less invasive and offers hemostatic success rates comparable to traditional surgical methods. However, there is a paucity of case reports, necessitating further investigation into treatment indications and procedural challenges.

Light-sheet microscopy enabled by a miniaturized plane illuminator.

We present a implementation method of light-sheet microscopy utilizing a highly miniaturized device that produces light-sheet illumination while immersed in the sample container. Our miniaturized plane illuminator (MPI) internally equips a two-axis beam-scanning mechanism based on a magnetostatically driven optical fiber cantilever. A light sheet is produced by fast scanning of the focused beam in an axis while the illumination plane can move in the other axis for positioning and 3D imaging.

The impact of body mass index on mortality according to age in hemodialysis patients: an analysis of the Korean Renal Data System.

The impact of age on the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and all-cause mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients is not clearly understood. We analyzed the association between BMI and all-cause mortality, stratified by age, in patients undergoing HD using data from the Korean Renal Data System (KORDS). We analyzed 66,129 HD patients from the 2023 KORDS database, with data collected between 2001 and 2022.

Lipid-encapsulated gold nanoparticles: an advanced strategy for attenuating the inflammatory response in SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Background: Nanodrugs play a crucial role in biomedical applications by enhancing drug delivery. To address safety and toxicity concerns associated with nanoparticles, lipid-nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems have emerged as a promising approach for developing next-generation smart nanomedicines. Ginseng has traditionally been used for various therapeutic purposes, including antiviral activity.