Epigenetic scars in regulatory T cells are retained after successful treatment of chronic hepatitis C with direct-acting antivirals.

Background & Aims: Chronic HCV infection results in abnormal immunological alterations, which are not fully normalized after viral elimination by direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment. Herein, we longitudinally examined phenotypic, transcriptomic, and epigenetic alterations in peripheral blood regulatory T (Treg) cells from patients with chronic HCV infection before, during, and after DAA treatment.

Methods: Patients with chronic genotype 1b HCV infection who achieved sustained virologic response by DAA treatment and age-matched healthy donors were recruited.

Chemical Structure-Physicochemical Property Relationships of Copolymers Utilizable for Negative-Tone Photoimaging via Chemical Amplification.

We demonstrate an understanding of different physicochemical properties of copolymers induced by systematic changes in their structural parameters, i.e., the chemical structure of the comonomer unit, composition, molecular weight, and dispersity.

Familial focal segmental glomerulosclerosis associated with a WT1 gene missense mutation: A case report.

Focal s egmental glomerulosclerosis (F SGS) can cause protei nuria and loss o f k idney fun ction, leading to e ndstage renal di s ease (ESRD). Podocyte injury is the ce ntral pathophysiologi cal mechanis m of hereditary FSGS. Numerous mutations in genes e ncoding or affe cting the transcriptional regulation of podocyte cell compar tments have been detected in patients with genetic FSGS.

Single-Component Hydrophilic Terpolymer Thin Film Systems for Imparting Surface Chemical Versatility on Various Substrates.

We demonstrate a single-component hydrophilic photocrosslinkable copolymer system that incorporates all critical functionalities into one chain. This design allows for the creation of uniform functional organic coatings on a variety of substrates. The copolymers were composed of a poly(ethylene oxide)-containing monomer, a monomer that can release a primary amine upon UV light, and a monomer with reactive epoxide or cyclic dithiocarbonate with a primary amine.

Predictive values of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and other prognostic factors in pediatric vestibular neuritis patients.

Objective: To analyze the relationship between severity and hemodynamic factor in pediatric vestibular neuritis patients and find out their effectiveness as a prognostic factor.

Study Design: Retrospective review.

Setting: Tertiary medical center.

Comparing Disease-Specific and Generic Quality of Life in Korean Breast Cancer Survivors Using the FACT-B and QLI: The Importance of Instrument Selection.

Background: Quality of life (QOL) has become an important indicator for evaluating patients' symptoms and their overall satisfaction with life. Thus, examining QOL is essential for fully understanding the life satisfaction of breast cancer survivors (BCS). However, selecting the appropriate instrument for QOL measurement is challenging, and few studies have compared disease-specific and generic QOL measures and how they reflect the impact of cancer-related symptoms on QOL in BCS.

Does the Association Between Fatigue and Fatigue Self-management Preference Vary by Breast Cancer Stage?

Background: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a major issue facing breast cancer survivors (BCS) that can negatively impact their symptoms and quality of life.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to examine levels of fatigue, identify preferred types of fatigue self-management, and explore the relationship between fatigue levels and management choices by cancer stage.

Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study included 229 BCS recruited from 5 hospitals in Korea.

DAPK1 Promotes Extrasynaptic GluN2B Phosphorylation and Striatal Spine Instability in the YAC128 Mouse Model of Huntington Disease.

Huntington disease (HD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene. Disrupted cortico-striatal transmission is an early event that contributes to neuronal spine and synapse dysfunction primarily in striatal medium spiny neurons, the most vulnerable cell type in the disease, but also in neurons of other brain regions including the cortex. Although striatal and cortical neurons eventually degenerate, these synaptic and circuit changes may underlie some of the earliest motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms.

Erratum: Pro-inflammatory Cytokine Levels and Cancer-related Fatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors: Effects of an Exercise Adherence Program.

[This corrects the article on p. 205 in vol. 23, PMID: 32395379.

Accuracy of Ultrasound-Guided and Non-guided Botulinum Toxin Injection Into Neck Muscles Involved in Cervical Dystonia: A Cadaveric Study.

Objective: To compare the accuracy of ultrasound-guided and non-guided botulinum toxin injections into the neck muscles involved in cervical dystonia.

Methods: Two physicians examined six muscles (sternocleidomastoid, upper trapezius, levator scapulae, splenius capitis, scalenus anterior, and scalenus medius) from six fresh cadavers. Each physician injected ultrasound-guided and non-guided injections to each side of the cadaver's neck muscles, respectively.

Pro-inflammatory Cytokine Levels and Cancer-related Fatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors: Effects of an Exercise Adherence Program.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the effect of an exercise intervention on subjective cancer-related fatigue (CRF) and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in breast cancer survivors (BCS).

Methods: BCS with greater than moderate CRF (≥ 4) were recruited and randomly assigned to experimental or control groups. The experimental group participated in a 12-week exercise adherence program (Better Life after Cancer - Energy, Strength, and Support; BLESS).

Pre-post analysis of a social capital-based exercise adherence intervention for breast cancer survivors with moderate fatigue: a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: This study assessed the effectiveness of the Better Life After Cancer: Energy, Strength, and Support (BLESS) program, a 12-week social capital-based exercise adherence program for breast cancer survivors (BCS), regarding cancer-related fatigue (CRF), quality of life (QOL), physical activity, and psychosocial characteristics.

Methods: Forty-eight BCS with moderate or high (≥ 4) CRF participated in this randomized control trial (intervention group n = 23, control group n = 25). The intervention group participated in small group sessions to activate social capital while targeting CRF in supervised physical exercises supplemented by home-based physical exercises.

Development of an exercise adherence program for breast cancer survivors with cancer-related fatigue-an intervention mapping approach.

Purpose: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is the most common and distressing symptom in breast cancer survivors (BCS), with severe impact on quality of life. CRF can be reduced through exercise, but conversely, is also a barrier to exercising. The aim of this article was to apply the intervention mapping protocol (IMP) to develop an exercise adherence intervention for BCS with CRF.

Spinal Accessory Nerve Injury Induced by Manipulation Therapy: A Case Report.

Spinal accessory nerve (SAN) injury mostly occurs during surgical procedures. SAN injury caused by manipulation therapy has been rarely reported. We present a rare case of SAN injury associated with manipulation therapy showing scapular winging and droopy shoulder.

Signal Loss Compensation of RF Crossbar Switch Matrix System in Ultra-High Field MRI.

With the increased commercial availability of high channel count MR coil arrays and the associated higher number of plugs in the patient bed, it has become a common practice to include switch matrices in the receive path of MR systems. These allow the arbitrary routing of a signal from any plug to any receiver in the console. While switch matrices are standard in systems at clinical field strength and have been developed for systems operating up to 4T, they have not yet been implemented at ultra-high field (UHF).

Anti-tumor effect of CDK inhibitors on CDKN2A-defective squamous cell lung cancer cells.

Background: Squamous cell lung cancer (SqCLC) is a distinct histologic subtype of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although the discovery of driver mutations and their targeted drugs has remarkably improved the treatment outcomes for lung adenocarcinoma, currently no such molecular target is clinically available for SqCLC. The CDKN2A locus at 9p21 encodes two alternatively spliced proteins, p16 (p16) and p14 (p14), which function as cell cycle inhibitors.

Comparison of antiplatelet treatment in patients with clopidogrel nonresponders with or without carriage of CYP2C19 polymorphism.

Background/aims: Several interventions exist for overcoming high platelet reactivity (HPR) on clopidogrel therapy. The goal of this study was to identify strategies that improve inhibition of platelet reactivity in clopidogrel nonresponders with or without loss of function CYP2C19 genotypes, resulting in platelet reactivity similar to that in responders.

Methods: A total of 376 patients with stenting for coronary artery disease underwent platelet function testing in three centers.

Analysis of Taurine's Anti-Down Syndrome Potential in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Down syndrome (DS) patients overexpress human DS critical region gene 1 (hDSCR-1), whose translational product inhibits calcineurin-dependent signaling pathways of genetic transcription. Compared to hDSCR-1, C. elegans rcn-1 has 40% sequence similarity and its proteins share an analogous function with hDSCR-1 in regulating calcineurin.

Effects of HA and NA glycosylation pattern changes on the transmission of avian influenza A(H7N9) virus in guinea pigs.

Avian influenza H7N9 virus has posed a concern of potential human-to-human transmission by resulting in seasonal virus-like human infection cases. To address the issue of sustained human infection with the H7N9 virus, here we investigated the effects of hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) N-linked glycosylation (NLG) patterns on influenza virus transmission in a guinea pig model. Based on the NLG signatures identified in the HA and NA genetic sequences of H7N9 viruses, we generated NLG mutant viruses using either HA or NA gene of a H7N9 virus, A/Anhui/01/2013, by reverse genetics on the 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus backbone.

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase-δ regulates fungus-induced allergic lung inflammation through endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Background: Sensitisation with Aspergillus fumigatus (Af) is known to be associated with severe allergic lung inflammation, but the mechanism remains to be clarified. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-δ and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress are suggested to be involved in steroid-resistant lung inflammation. We aimed to elucidate the role of PI3K-δ and its relationship with ER stress in fungus-induced allergic lung inflammation.

Trends in health-related behaviors of Korean adults: study based on data from the 2008-2014 Community Health Surveys.

Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical inactivity (multiple risks) often lead to serious health consequence and impaired health status. The purpose of this study was to investigate the trend in health-related behavioral factors over time among adults in South Korea (hereafter Korea). The data of 1,595,842 Koreans older than 19 years who participated in the 2008-2014 Korea Community Health Survey were analyzed to assess the trend in the prevalence of behavioral risk factors.

Korea Community Health Survey Data Profiles.

In 2008, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initiated the first nationwide survey, Korea Community Health Survey (KCHS), to provide data that could be used to plan, implement, monitor, and evaluate community health promotion and disease prevention programs. This community-based cross-sectional survey has been conducted by 253 community health centers, 35 community universities, and 1500 interviewers. The KCHS standardized questionnaire was developed jointly by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention staff, a working group of health indicators standardization subcommittee, and 16 metropolitan cities and provinces with 253 regional sites.