Diagnostic efficacy of body roll test for lateral canal BPPV: A randomized controlled study.

Background: Lateral semicircular canal BPPV (LC-BPPV) is diagnosed by the head roll test (HRT), in which the head is rotated to move particles in the lateral canal, causing nystagmus. The body roll test (BRT) is performed in a rolling position with the body and head together, which has the advantage of safely rotating the head at the correct angle in both directions. This study aims to assess the diagnostic utility of the body roll test (BRT).

LCST/UCST behavior of polysaccharides for hydrogel fabrication.

Hydrogel-based scaffolds play a crucial role in widespread biotechnological applications by providing physicochemical stability to loaded cells or therapeutic agents, interacting with organismal microenvironments, and controlling cargo release. Polysaccharides are regarded as attractive candidates among substrate materials because of their high water-retaining capacity, reactive functional groups, ease of gelation, low immunogenicity, biodegradability, and biocompatibility. However, employing polysaccharide-based hydrogel scaffolds for practical use in response to ongoing physiological and pathological changes within the human body, such as insufficient mechanical strength, uncertain degradation, and uncontrollable release patterns, is challenging.

Postoperative complications of hypofractionated and conventional fractionated radiation therapy in patients with implant-based breast reconstruction: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Post-mastectomy radiation therapy is an important component of adjuvant therapy for high-risk patients. However, radiation to reconstructed breasts can cause various complications. Recently, hypofractionated (HF) protocols have been adopted in several countries.

Factors Affecting Life-Sustaining Treatment Decisions and Changes in Clinical Practice after Enforcement of the Life-Sustaining Treatment Decision (LST) Act: A Tertiary Hospital Experience in Korea.

Purpose: In Korea, the act on hospice and palliative care and decisions on life-sustaining treatment (LST) was implemented on February 4, 2018. We aimed to investigate relevant factors and clinical changes associated with LST decisions after law enforcement.

Materials And Methods: This single-center retrospective study included patients who completed LST documents using legal forms at Asan Medical Center from February 5, 2018, to June 30, 2020.

Short-term exposure to di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate may disrupt hepatic lipid metabolism through modulating the oxidative stress in male adolescent rats.

Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) is commonly used to increase the flexibility of plastics. In our previous study, DEHP may increase hepatic lipid accumulation through modulating of acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) expression. Nevertheless, it is hard to understand the association between DEHP and DGAT1 in the liver because only one dosage of DEHP was used.

Silver nitrate-assisted photo-crosslinking for enhancing the mechanical properties of an alginate/silk fibroin-based 3D scaffold.

Scaffolds play a pivotal role in tissue engineering and serve as vital biological substitutes, providing structural support for cell adhesion and subsequent tissue development. An ideal scaffold must possess mechanical properties suitable for tissue function and exhibit biodegradability. Although synthetic polymer scaffolds offer high rigidity and elasticity owing to their reactive side groups, which facilitate tailored mechanical and rheological properties, they may lack biological cues and cause persistent side effects during degradation.

Sex-Specific Association between Sodium Intake Estimated by 24-Hour Urinary Sodium Excretion and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: The Community-Based Prospective Cohort Study.

Evidence for the association between high sodium intake and the onset of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is insufficient. This study examined the sex-specific association between sodium intake and the risk of NAFLD. This study included 2582 adults (aged 40-69 years; 1011 males and 1571 females).

Photo-/thermo-responsive bioink for improved printability in extrusion-based bioprinting.

Extrusion-based bioprinting has demonstrated significant potential for manufacturing constructs, particularly for 3D cell culture. However, there is a greatly limited number of bioink candidates exploited with extrusion-based bioprinting, as they meet the opposing requirements for printability with indispensable rheological features and for biochemical functionality with desirable microenvironment. In this study, a blend of silk fibroin (SF) and iota-carrageenan (CG) was chosen as a cell-friendly printable material.

Association between depressive symptoms and employment type of Korean workers: the Fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey.

Background: This study analyzed the association between depressive symptoms and employment type, by considering both socioeconomic status and job stress factors.

Methods: We analyzed 27,369 participants (13,134 men and 14,235 women) using data from the fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey. The participants were divided into regular and precarious workers.

Multiplexed Antibody Glycosylation Profiling Using Dual Enzyme Digestion and Liquid Chromatography-Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry Method.

Antibody glycosylation plays a crucial role in the humoral immune response by regulating effector functions and influencing the binding affinity to immune cell receptors. Previous studies have focused mainly on the immunoglobulin G (IgG) isotype owing to the analytical challenges associated with other isotypes. Thus, the development of a sensitive and accurate analytical platform is necessary to characterize antibody glycosylation across multiple isotypes.

A randomized controlled trial using surgical gloves to prevent chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy by paclitaxel in breast cancer patients (AIUR trial).

Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common adverse effect of taxane treatment and can significantly affect patient quality of life. Currently, there are no effective treatments to alleviate symptoms of CIPN; thus, starting with prevention steps in high-risk patients is considered advantageous. However, for these prevention steps to be applicable to all patients, their side effects or accompanying discomforts should be minimal, and the intervention cost-effective.

Visible light-crosslinkable tyramine-conjugated alginate-based microgel bioink for multiple cell-laden 3D artificial organ.

While the natural carbohydrate alginate has enabled effective three-dimensional (3D) extrusion bioprinting, it still suffers from some issues such as low printability and resolution and limited cellular function due to ionic crosslinking dependency. Here, we prepared a harmless visible light-based photocrosslinkable alginate by chemically bonding tyrosine-like residues onto alginate chains to propose a new microgel manufacturing system for the development of 3D-printed bioinks. The photocrosslinkable tyramine-conjugated alginate microgel achieved both higher cell viability and printing resolution compared to the bulk gel form.

Prevention of Postoperative Complications by Prepectoral versus Subpectoral Breast Reconstruction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Implant-based breast reconstruction has evolved over time. However, the effects of prepectoral breast reconstruction (PBR) compared with those of subpectoral breast reconstruction (SBR) have not been clearly defined. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the occurrence of surgical complications between PBR and SBR to determine the procedure that is effective and relatively safe.

Chemoembolization combined radiofrequency ablation vs. chemoembolization alone for treatment of beyond the Milan criteria viable hepatocellular carcinoma (CERFA): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Many previous studies evaluated a combination of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for treating early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, studies evaluating combination therapy for beyond-the-Milan criteria HCC are scarce.

Methods: A total of 120 patients with beyond-the-Milan criteria HCC who have viable tumour after first TACE will be enrolled in this multi-institutional, parallel, pragmatic, randomized controlled trial. Patients with metastasis, vascular invasion, or a sum of tumour diameter > 8 cm will be excluded.

Photocrosslinkable natural polymers in tissue engineering.

Natural polymers have been widely used in scaffolds for tissue engineering due to their superior biocompatibility, biodegradability, and low cytotoxicity compared to synthetic polymers. Despite these advantages, there remain drawbacks such as unsatisfying mechanical properties or low processability, which hinder natural tissue substitution. Several non-covalent or covalent crosslinking methods induced by chemicals, temperatures, pH, or light sources have been suggested to overcome these limitations.

Microporous Hemostatic Sponge Based on Silk Fibroin and Starch with Increased Structural Retentivity for Contact Activation of the Coagulation Cascade.

Hemostatic agents with diverse forms and materials are necessitated to control excessive bleeding to improve surgical site visibility during operation. The adequate use of hemostatic agents dramatically reduces the chance of dehydration, absence of oxygen, and, in severe cases, death. Polysaccharide-based hemostatic agents are widely used as they are safe for the human body.

MicroRNA and Messenger RNA Expression Profiles in Canine Mammary Gland Tumor.

Canine mammary gland tumor (CMT) is the most frequently diagnosed neoplasm in intact female dogs. As prognosis depends on the malignancy of tumors and metastasis levels, early and accurate diagnosis are crucial for prolongation of life expectancy. The genetic similarity of dogs with humans in addition to environmental and physiological similarities make them ideal models for the study of cancer.