Effect of individualized versus conventional perioperative blood pressure management on postoperative major complications in high-risk patients undergoing noncardiac surgery: study protocol for the SPROUT-4 multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Background: Intraoperative hypotension is very common during surgery and is linked to major organ dysfunction and mortality. Current perioperative blood pressure management is largely based on universal blood pressure thresholds ranging from a mean arterial pressure of 60-70 mmHg. However, the effectiveness of this conventional management remains unproven in prospective randomized trials.

Condylar position changes and prognosis in patients with unilateral mandibular condylar fracture treated non-surgically.

Background: Non-surgical method is a treatment option for mandibular condylar fracture; however, it is questionable whether bone fragments are adequately reduced and remodeled. The purpose of this study was to identify three-dimensional positional changes in the mandibular condyles in patients treated non-surgically, analyze factors influencing the extent of positional changes, and evaluate clinical prognosis.

Methods: This retrospective study included 31 patients with unilateral mandibular condylar fractures treated non-surgically at the Ajou University Dental Hospital between 2005 and 2023.

Clinical Implications of the Obstructive Pattern on Chest Radiography in Children Aged 3-59 Months With Severe Lower Respiratory Tract Infections.

Objectives: To investigate the clinical implications of the obstructive pattern on plain chest radiography, defined as peribronchial cuffing or hyperinflation, in young children with severe lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs).

Methods: We reviewed all children aged 3‒59 months with LRTIs who underwent radiography and polymerase chain reaction in a Korean emergency department from 2016 through 2020. The radiographs were read as consolidation, peribronchial cuffing, or hyperinflation, with each interrater reliability computed.

Comparison of outcomes between anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapies for intracranial arterial dissections.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate real-world data on the differences in outcomes between antiplatelet (AP) and anticoagulation (AC) therapies for intracranial arterial dissection (IAD).

Methods: This study included patients with symptomatic unruptured IAD between 2010 and 2021 that were treated with anti-thrombotics. Patients were dichotomized to AC and AP based on a treatment policy analysis.

The effect of heated tobacco products on metabolic syndrome: A cohort study.

Introduction: Evidence concerning the health effects of using heated tobacco products is needed. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of conventional cigarettes (CCs), electronic vaping cigarettes (EVCs), and heated tobacco products (HTPs) on the development of metabolic syndrome.

Methods: We conducted a cohort study in South Korea using data from the Korea Medical Institute.

SB16 versus reference denosumab in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis: 18-month outcomes of a phase III randomized clinical trial.

Purpose: This study evaluated the efficacy, safety, pharmacodynamics (PD), pharmacokinetics (PK), and immunogenicity of SB16 versus reference denosumab (DEN) up to 18 months in postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO) patients, and assessed outcomes after switching from DEN to SB16 compared to those who continued with DEN or SB16.

Methods: 457 PMO patients were initially randomized, with 407 re-randomized at Month 12 to either continue DEN (DEN+DEN), switch to SB16 (DEN+SB16), or continue SB16 (SB16 + SB16) through Month 18. Efficacy was assessed by the percent change from baseline in bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine, total hip, and femoral neck.

Leveraging deep transfer learning and explainable AI for accurate COVID-19 diagnosis: Insights from a multi-national chest CT scan study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as a global health crisis, impacting millions worldwide. Although chest computed tomography (CT) scan images are pivotal in diagnosing COVID-19, their manual interpretation by radiologists is time-consuming and potentially subjective. Automated computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) frameworks offer efficient and objective solutions.

Characteristics and Prognosis of Breast Cancer Patients With Prior Hormone Replacement Therapy: Insights From the Korean Breast Cancer Society Registry.

By investigating the characteristics and prognosis of breast cancer (BC) patients who have undergone hormone replacement therapy (HRT), this study addresses a gap in the existing literature. A total of 17,355 postmenopausal patients with BC were analyzed using data from the Korea Breast Cancer Society database (2000-2014). Among them, 3,585 (20.

Distribution and impact of p16 senescent cells in elderly tissues: a focus on senescent immune cell and epithelial dysfunction.

Cellular senescence, recognized as a key hallmark of aging, leads to the accumulation of senescent cells in various tissues over time. While the detrimental effects of these cells on age-related pathological conditions are well-documented, there is still limited information about how senescent cells are distributed in normal tissues of both young and aged organs. Our research indicates that fully senescent p16 cells are rarely identified in the parenchyma of organic tissues and in the stromal cells crucial for structural maintenance, such as fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells.

Challenges and considerations in multi-epitope vaccine design surrounding toll-like receptors.

Epitope-based peptide vaccines elicit targeted immune responses, making them effective for diseases requiring focused immune activation, such as targeting cancer-associated antigens. Strategies like peptide cocktails and mRNA-based epitope vaccines have revolutionized the field; however, the term 'multi-epitope peptide vaccine' has been overextended, especially concerning the use of toll-like receptors (TLRs), their ligands, and peptide linkers. TLRs are often conflated with T cell receptors (TCRs) and B cell receptors (BCRs), which recognize immunogenic peptides within vaccines.

Risk of Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury in Computed Tomography: A 16 Institutional Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objectives: Concern about contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) may delay the timely administration of contrast media for computed tomography (CT). The precise causative effect of iodinated contrast media on CI-AKI and its relevant risk factors remains an area of ongoing investigation. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the risk of CI-AKI following contrast-enhanced CT and its predisposing risk factors.

Diminished lactate utilization in LDHB-deficient neurons leads to impaired long-term memory retention.

Neurons' high energy demands for processing, transmitting, and storing information in the brain necessitate efficient energy metabolism to maintain normal neuronal function. The astrocyte-neuron lactate shuttle (ANLS) hypothesis suggests neurons preferentially use lactate from astrocytes over glucose for energy. This study investigated lactate dehydrogenase B (LDHB), which preferentially converts lactate to pyruvate, in neuronal energy metabolism and cognitive function.

LDHB-deficient brain exhibits resistance to ischemic neuronal cell death due to increased vasodilation.

Ischemic stroke triggers a cascade of metabolic and inflammatory events leading to neuronal death, particularly in the hippocampus. Here, we investigate the role of lactate metabolism in ischemic resistance using LDHB-deficient mice, which exhibit impaired lactate utilization. Contrary to expectations of severe neuronal damage due to metabolic defects, LDHB-deficient mice displayed significantly increased neuronal survival following ischemic insult.

Serum Galectin-10: A biomarker for persistent airflow limitation in adult asthmatics.

Background: Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are primary anti-inflammatory medications to control eosinophilic airway inflammation, and prevent asthma exacerbation. However, persistent airflow limitation (PAL) presents in some asthmatics even on ICS treatment, leading to lung function decline. Thus, we evaluated clinical associations of serum galectin-10 (Gal10) and galectin-3 (Gal3) levels in adult asthmatics who had maintained anti-asthma medication.

Anti-TCP1 Antibody Is a Potential Biomarker for Diagnosing Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by autoantibodies. Serum samples from patients with SLE ( = 10) were compared with those from normal controls (NCs, = 5) using 21K protein chip analysis to identify a biomarker for SLE, revealing 63 SLE-specific autoantibodies. The anti-chaperonin-containing t-complex polypeptide-1 (TCP1) antibody exhibited higher expression in patients with SLE than in NCs.

Differential role of negative and positive parenting styles on resting-state brain networks in middle-aged adolescents.

Parenting styles encompass negative and positive approaches, potentially affecting adolescents' brain reward and emotion regulation systems. However, the association between parenting style and brain networks remains unknown. This study investigates the link between parenting style and functional connectivity (FC) within the reward and emotion regulation brain networks, using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI).