The value of magnetic resonance imaging in predicting vesicovaginal fistula in cervical cancer with bladder invasion treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy.

Objectives: To assess the predictive value of magnetic resonance imaging for vesicovaginal fistula development in cervical cancer patients with bladder invasion treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of the medical records of 43 cervical cancer patients with bladder invasion between 1999 and 2015. Bladder invasion was confirmed through magnetic resonance imaging (scores ≥3) or cystoscopic findings, with or without biopsy.

Experimental Validation of Antiobesogenic and Osteoprotective Efficacy of Ginsenoside CK via Targeting Lipid and Atherosclerosis Pathways.

The present study explored the possible antiobesogenic and osteoprotective properties of the gut metabolite ginsenoside CK to clarify its influence on lipid and atherosclerosis pathways, thereby validating previously published hypotheses. These hypotheses were validated by harvesting and cultivating 3T3-L1 and MC3T3-E1 in adipogenic and osteogenic media with varying concentrations of CK. We assessed the differentiation of adipocytes and osteoblasts in these cell lines by applying the most effective doses of CK that we initially selected.

Bilayer 3D co-culture platform inducing the differentiation of normal fibroblasts into cancer-associated fibroblast like cells: New in vitro source to obtain cancer-associated fibroblasts.

This study presents a novel in vitro bilayer 3D co-culture platform designed to obtain cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs)-like cells. The platform consists of a bilayer hydrogel structure with a collagen/polyethylene glycol (PEG) hydrogel for fibroblasts as the upper layer and an alginate hydrogel for tumor cells as the lower layer. The platform enabled paracrine interactions between fibroblasts and cancer cells, which allowed for selective retrieval of activated fibroblasts through collagenase treatment for further study.

Evaluation of Peri-Implantitis through Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy on Saliva.

Background: Peri-implantitis is characterized as a pathological change in the tissues around dental implants. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) provides molecular information from optical phenomena observed by the vibration of molecules, which is used in biological studies to characterize changes and serves as a form of diagnosis.

Aims: this case-control study evaluated the peri-implant disease by using FTIR spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance in the fingerprint region.

Evidence-based clinical recommendations for hypofractionated radiotherapy: exploring efficacy and safety - Part 4: Liver and locally recurrent rectal cancer.

In this paper, we review the use of hypofractionated radiotherapy for gastrointestinal malignancies, focusing on primary and metastatic liver cancer, and recurrent rectal cancer. Technological advancements in radiotherapy have facilitated the direct delivery of high-dose radiation to tumors, while limiting normal tissue exposure, supporting the use of hypofractionation. Hypofractionated radiotherapy is particularly effective for primary and metastatic liver cancer where high-dose irradiation is crucial to achieve effective local control.

Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy for pulmonary metastasis from sarcoma: a retrospective comparison with metastasectomy.

Recent studies report excellent local control (LC) and favorable toxicities of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) for pulmonary metastasis (PM) from sarcoma. This study compared the LC and survival of SABR and metastasectomy for sarcoma PM. We analyzed the LC rates of 54 PMs treated with SABR between 2008 and 2022.

Antimicrobial Resistance of for Uncomplicated Cystitis: Korean Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System.

Uncomplicated cystitis is a leading form of bacterial UTI; the most common causative bacterium worldwide is . This internet-based, prospective, multicenter, and national observational study aimed to report the antimicrobial resistance of in patients with uncomplicated cystitis through the use of the Korean Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (KARMS) in 2023. Data for a total of 654 patients were retrieved from the KARMS database.

Stem-and-leaf of new hydroponically-cultured ginseng cultivar K-1: A sustainable and innovative resource of ginsenosides for anti-inflammatory agents.

Background: Korean ginseng ( Meyer), a traditional medicine plant cultivated in eastern Asia, has recently captured attention for its potential advancements in hydroponic cultivation, offering a sustainable and innovative resource. Additionally, in the typical processing of ginseng, stem-and-leaf are commonly discarded, leading to resource wastage and overlooking their economically valuable potential as an alternative to the conventionally prioritized roots.

Methods: Initially, we investigated the phenotype of five Korean hydroponically cultivated ginseng cultivars, namely Kumpoong (KP), Chunpoong (CP), Honkaejong (HKJ), Yunpoong (YP), and K-1.

Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Up-Regulated Factor (PAUF) Transforms Human Monocytes into Alternative M2 Macrophages with Immunosuppressive Action.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) promote immune evasion, cancer cell proliferation, and metastasis. Ongoing research is focused on finding ways to prevent tumor growth by inhibiting TAM polarization, which has shown a correlation with unfavorable prognosis in clinical studies. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma up-regulated factor (PAUF) is a protein secreted from pancreatic cancer (PC) and acts as a TME modulator that affects the TME by acting on not only cancer cells but also stromal cells and immune cells.

β3-adrenergic agonist counters oxidative stress and Na-K pump inhibitory S-glutathionylation of placental cells: implications for preeclampsia.

Oxidative stress from placental ischemia/reperfusion and hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) in preeclampsia is accompanied by Na-K pump inhibition and S-glutathionylation of its β1 subunit (GSS-β1), a modification that inhibits the pump. β3-adrenergic receptor (β3-AR) agonists can reverse GSS-β1. We examined the effects of the agonist CL316,243 on GSS-β1 and sources of H/R-induced oxidative stress in immortalized first-trimester human trophoblast (HTR-8/SVneo) and freshly isolated placental explants from normal-term pregnancies.

Forward genetic approach identifies a phylogenetically conserved serine residue critical for the catalytic activity of UBIQUITIN-SPECIFIC PROTEASE 12 in Arabidopsis.

Circadian clocks rely on transcriptional/translational feedback loops involving clock genes and their corresponding proteins. While the primary oscillations originate from gene expression, the precise control of clock protein stability plays a pivotal role in establishing the 24-hour circadian rhythms. Most clock proteins are degraded through the ubiquitin/26S proteasome pathway, yet the enzymes responsible for ubiquitination and deubiquitination remain poorly characterised.

Prevention of Radiotherapy-Induced Enteropathy by Probiotics (PREP): Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Probiotics are thought to be effective in the treatment of radiation-induced enteropathy (RIE). However, little is known regarding their efficacy in preventing RIE. In this prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, single-center study, the incidence of grade 2 acute RIE was compared and the safety of probiotics was evaluated.

Upgrading Isoquercitrin Concentration via Submerge Fermentation of Mulberry Fruit Extract with Edible Probiotics to Suppress Gene Targets for Controlling Kidney Cancer and Inflammation.

In recent years, kidney cancer has become one of the most serious medical issues. Kidney cancer is treated with a variety of active compounds that trigger genes that cause cancer. We identified in our earlier research that isoquercitrin (IQ) can activate PIK3CA, IGF1R, and PTGS2.

Evidence-based clinical recommendations for hypofractionated radiotherapy: exploring efficacy and safety - Part 3. Genitourinary and gynecological cancers.

Hypofractionated radiotherapy (RT) has become a trend in the modern era, as advances in RT techniques, including intensity-modulated RT and image-guided RT, enable the precise and safe delivery of high-dose radiation. Hypofractionated RT offers convenience and can reduce the financial burden on patients by decreasing the number of fractions. Furthermore, hypofractionated RT is potentially more beneficial for tumors with a low α/β ratio compared with conventional fractionation RT.

Treatment Outcomes after Postoperative Radiotherapy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Multi-Institutional Retrospective Study (KROG 17-05).

Background: We designed a multi-institutional retrospective study to investigate the previously unreported failure pattern, survivals, and prognostic factors after postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients in South Korea.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 699 patients with TNBC who underwent PORT at six institutions between 2008 and 2010. The median follow-up period was 94 months (range: 7-192 months).

Latent stem cell-stimulating radially aligned electrospun nanofibrous patches for chronic tympanic membrane perforation therapy.

Chronic tympanic membrane (TM) perforation is a tubotympanic disease caused by either traumatic injury or inflammation. A recent study demonstrated significant progress in promoting the regeneration of chronic TM perforations through the application of nanofibers with radially aligned nanostructures and controlled release of growth factors. However, radially aligned nanostructures with stem cell-stimulating factors have never been used.

Role of circulating microparticles and cytokines in periodontitis associated with diabetes.

Background: Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects the supporting tissues of the teeth, and can lead to serious complications such as tooth loss and systemic health problems, including diabetes, which have a bidirectional relationship with periodontitis. Circulating microparticles originate from different cell types after stimuli such as activation or apoptosis. Interleukins are related to processes in the regulation of the immune response, inflammation, and cell growth.

A circuit motif for color in the human foveal retina.

The neural pathways that start human color vision begin in the complex synaptic network of the foveal retina where signals originating in long (L), middle (M), and short (S) wavelength-sensitive cone photoreceptor types are compared through antagonistic interactions, referred to as opponency. In nonhuman primates, two cone opponent pathways are well established: an L vs. M cone circuit linked to the midget ganglion cell type, often called the red-green pathway, and an S vs.