Whole-Body and Segmental Phase Angles and Cognitive Function in the Older Korean Population: Cross-Sectional Analysis.

Background: Recently, the phase angle (PhA) has emerged as an essential indicator of cellular health. Most studies have examined its association with physiological conditions, such as sarcopenia, frailty, and physical function, in older populations. Simultaneously, growing attention is being paid to the clinical relevance of segmental PhAs for future applications.

Are Imaging Evaluations of Soft-Tissue Masses Before Referral to a Specialized Center Being Performed Properly? A Systematic Review.

Background/objectives: Since the initial approach towards the clinical presentation of soft-tissue masses is challenging for frontline physicians, some countries use clinical practice guidelines. Proper imaging work-up is crucial to differentiate between soft-tissue tumors. Recently, ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been widely used.

Validation of the visual body image classification in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a retrospective study.

Study Design: A prospective study.

Purpose: To diagnose scoliosis, a visit to the hospital for radiography is typically necessary. In such cases, children with scoliosis are exposed to radiation, which may place their health at risk.

Pain and cognitive function in Korean older adults aged 60 years or more: A retrospective longitudinal study.

To elucidate the relationship between pain and cognitive decline in adults aged ≥60 years using data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging survey. We included 3,287 older adults aged ≥60 years with a Korean Mini-Mental State Examination score ≥24. We assessed the presence of pain and pain interference using self-administered questionnaires.

Association between glycemic status and all-cause mortality among individuals with dementia: a nationwide cohort study.

Background: To examine the association between glycemic status and all-cause mortality risk among individuals with dementia.

Methods: We enrolled 146,832 individuals aged 40 and older with dementia as identified through the Korean National Health Insurance Service health screening test between 2008 and 2016. Mortality status was evaluated at the end of 2019.

Typical Development of the Secondary Ossification Centers of the Acetabulum and Their Effects on Acetabular Coverage of the Femoral Head.

Background: We investigated the normal development of the secondary ossification centers of the acetabulum, focusing on their location and the amount of acetabular coverage increased by them.

Methods: We enrolled 132 patients who were 7 to 16 years of age and had no pelvic deformity but did have ≥1 os ischium, os ilium, and/or os pubis on abdominal or pelvic computed tomographic (CT) scans. The locations of the ossification centers were evaluated by adopting an orientation using 0° for the superior acetabulum, 90° for the anterior acetabulum, 180° for the inferior acetabulum, and 270° for the posterior acetabulum, on a reconstructed 3-dimensional (3D) CT image.

Age- and Sex-Specific Myocardial Blood Flow Values in Patients Without Coronary Atherosclerosis on Rb-82 PET Myocardial Perfusion Imaging.

Background: Quantitative myocardial blood flow (MBF) on positron-emission tomography myocardial perfusion imaging is a measure of the overall health of the coronary circulation. The ability to adequately augment blood flow, measured by myocardial blood flow reserve (MBFR), is associated with lower major adverse cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. The age-specific ranges of MBFR in patients without demonstrable coronary artery disease have not been well established.

Electrocatalysis in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers.

Interest in energy-to-X and X-to-energy (where X represents green hydrogen, carbon-based fuels, or ammonia) technologies has expanded the field of electrochemical conversion and storage. Solid oxide electrochemical cells (SOCs) are among the most promising technologies for these processes. Their unmatched conversion efficiencies result from favorable thermodynamics and kinetics at elevated operating temperatures (400-900 °C).

Development of Magnetic Resonance-Compatible Head Immobilization Device and Initial Experience of Magnetic Resonance-Guided Radiation Therapy for Central Nervous System Tumors.

Purpose: We aimed to develop and investigate positional reproducibility using a fixation device (Unity Brain tumor Immobilization Device [UBID]) in patients with brain tumor undergoing magnetic resonance (MR)-guided radiation therapy (RT) with a 1.5 Tesla (T) MR-linear accelerator (MR-LINAC) to evaluate its feasibility in clinical practice and report representative cases of patients with central nervous system (CNS) tumor.

Materials And Methods: Quantitative analysis was performed by comparing images obtained by placing only the MR phantom on the couch with those obtained by placing UBID next to the MR phantom.

Advancing ecological validity and clinical utility in virtual reality-based continuous performance test: exploring the effects of task difficulty and environmental distractors.

Introduction: Researchers have highlighted concerns regarding the limited diagnostic utility and ecological validity of the Continuous Performance Test (CPT). Recent advancements in VR-based CPTs have attempted to address these concerns by simulating real-life scenarios and enhancing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis; however, certain areas require improvement for obtaining reliable data from both healthy individuals and those with ADHD. To tackle these issues, we developed an enhanced VR-based CPT program featuring four distinct difficulty levels, advancing toward home-based assessment.

Should the diameter of the proximal femoral nail be large enough to fill the canal in the treatment of intertrochanteric femoral fracture in patients over fifty?

Purpose: Many studies have been conducted to evaluate the effects of nail shape, design, or length on the treatment of intertrochanteric fractures. However, the clinical implications of the nail diameter remain unclear.

Methods: This study was conducted with 191 patients aged ≥ 50 years with unilateral intertrochanteric fractures treated with the same type of short cephalomedullary nail and followed for at least one year.

Proteomic analysis reveals activation of platelet- and fibrosis-related pathways in hearts of ApoE mice exposed to diesel exhaust particles.

Air pollution is an environmental risk factor linked to multiple human diseases including cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). While particulate matter (PM) emitted by diesel exhaust damages multiple organ systems, heart disease is one of the most severe pathologies affected by PM. However, the in vivo effects of diesel exhaust particles (DEP) on the heart and the molecular mechanisms of DEP-induced heart dysfunction have not been investigated.

Insight into the Role of Entropy in Promoting Electrochemical CO Reduction by Imidazolium Cations.

The electroreduction of CO plays an important role in achieving a net-zero carbon economy. Imidazolium cations can be used to enhance the rate of CO reduction reactions, but the origin of this promotion remains poorly understood. In this work, we show that in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium (EMIM), CO reduction on Ag electrodes occurs with an apparent activation energy near zero, while the applied potential influences the rate through the pre-exponential factor.

Altered Urine Microbiome in Male Children and Adolescents with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

While interest in developing the human microbiome as a biomarker for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is increasing, there has been limited exploration in utilizing urine samples. In this study, we analysed urine microbiome profiles by extracting 16S ribosomal DNA from purified bacteria-derived extracellular membrane vesicles obtained from urine samples. Sequencing libraries were constructed by amplifying V3-V4 hypervariable regions sequenced using Illumina MiSeq.

The role of Tc-DPD bone SPECT/CT in the management of growth disturbance of the long bones in pediatric patients: a retrospective observational study.

Backgrounds: Determining the precise localization of diseased physes is crucial for guiding the treatment of growth disturbances. Conventional radiography, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging only provide information on physeal anatomy. Planar bone scintigraphy and bone single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) resolutions are suboptimal for clinically managing growth disturbances.