Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number as a Potential Biomarker for the Severity of Motor Symptoms and Prognosis in Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Mitochondrial function influences Parkinson's disease (PD) through the accumulation of pathogenic alpha-synuclein, oxidative stress, impaired autophagy, and neuroinflammation. The mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA-CN), representing the number of mitochondrial DNA copies within a cell, serves as an easily assessable proxy for mitochondrial function.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the diagnostic and prognostic capabilities of mtDNA-CN in PD.

Unveiling the Diverse Principles for Developing Sprayable Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications.

Sprayable hydrogels have emerged as a transformative innovation in biomedical technology, offering a versatile, efficient, and minimally invasive platform for various clinical applications. They form gels upon tissue contact, enabling seamless application on even complex surfaces. This property is especially useful in wound care, drug delivery, and tissue engineering, where localized and sustained release of therapeutics is essential.

Physicochemical properties of surimi made from edible insects using washing and pH shift methods.

Edible insects, characterized by their eco-friendly nature and high nutrient value, are promising protein sources. Therefore, we aimed to assess the suitability of insects as source ingredients for surimi, a widely-used, intermediate food material. Mealworm ( L.

Unraveling metabolic signatures in SARS-CoV-2 variant infections using multiomics analysis.

Introduction: The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants, notably delta and omicron, has significantly accelerated the global pandemic, worsening conditions worldwide. However, there is a lack of research concerning the molecular mechanisms related to immune responses and metabolism induced by these variants.

Methods: Here, metabolomics combined with transcriptomics was performed to elucidate the immunometabolic changes in the lung of hamsters infected with delta and omicron variants.

Simultaneous utilization of CO and potassium-rich biomass for the environmentally friendly production of potassium formate.

The C chemical species, potassium formate (K(HCO)), known as a two-electron reducing agent, finds application in the synthesis of multi-carbon compounds, including oxalate, and plays a crucial role not only in the food and pharmaceutical industries but also across various sectors. However, the direct hydrogenation of CO to produce K(HCO) remains a challenge. Addressing this issue, efficient production of K(HCO) is achieved by integrating CO hydrogenation in a trickle-bed reactor using a heterogeneous catalyst with a novel separation method that utilizes potassium ions from biomass ash for formic acid derivative product isolation.

Contact-Engineered Oxide Memtransistors for Homeostasis-Based High-Linearity and Precision Neuromorphic Computing.

Homeostasis is essential in biological neural networks, optimizing information processing and experience-dependent learning by maintaining the balance of neuronal activity. However, conventional two-terminal memristors have limitations in implementing homeostatic functions due to the absence of global regulation ability. Here, three-terminal oxide memtransistor-based homeostatic synapses are demonstrated to perform highly linear synaptic weight update and enhanced accuracy in neuromorphic computing.

Evaluation of the Safety and Impact of Heat-Treated KM2 Fermentation on Gut Microbiome Architecture.

Postbiotics, bioactive compounds from the fermentation process by probiotics, are gaining attention for their potential health benefits as safer alternatives to live probiotic microbes. is a well-studied probiotic species known for promoting gut health and immune modulation. However, the safety and effects of its postbiotic formulations on the gut microbiome structure remain less explored.

Study Protocol of the Korean EGFR Registry: A Multicenter Prospective and Retrospective Cohort Study in Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer Patients With EGFR Mutation.

Introduction: The provision of treatment for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients has increased in Korea. However, multicenter studies on the clinicopathologic dataset and treatment outcomes, using a large-scale dataset, have not been conducted. The current study is a prospective and retrospective multicenter observational cohort study that registers all stages of EGFR-mutated NSCLC patients.

LC-MS/MS analysis of surface and lysate N-glycans of CHO-K1 cells: Structure, relative quantity, and absolute quantity.

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K1 cells are widely used in biomedical research relevant to cancer, toxicity screening, and viruses, as well as in the production of recombinant proteins for biopharmaceuticals. In this study, liquid chromatography (LC)-electrospray ionization (ESI)-higher energy collisional dissociation (HCD)-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) was used to characterize the surface and lysate N-glycans of CHO-K1 cells and analyze their structures. The relative quantity (%) of each N-glycan and absolute quantity (pmol) of total N-glycans were also obtained.

Midterm Functional Outcomes After Retear of an Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: A Propensity Score-Matched Comparative Study.

Background: Studies are still limited on the isolated effect of retear after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR) on functional outcomes after the midterm period.

Purpose: To assess the effect of retear at midterm follow-up after ARCR and to identify factors associated with the need for revision surgery.

Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

12-year cumulative incidence rate of rare retinal diseases: a nationwide study in Korea.

Purpose: Understanding the incidence of rare diseases is important in establishing a proper public health care system and setting target diseases in medical research. Herein, we report the 12-year cumulative incidence of seven rare ocular diseases of the retina in South Korea.

Methods: We analysed clinical records of 1,126,250 South Korean population during 2006~2019.

Susceptibility map-weighted MRI can distinguish tremor-dominant Parkinson's disease from essential tremor.

Distinguishing between Parkinson's disease (PD) and essential tremor (ET) can be challenging sometimes. Although positron emission tomography can confirm PD diagnosis, its application is limited by high cost and exposure to radioactive isotopes. Patients with PD exhibit loss of the dorsal nigral hyperintensity on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Association between calcium channel blocker use and the risk of interstitial lung disease and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: A longitudinal cohort study.

Introduction: Ca2+ signaling in fibroblasts would be one of the important mediators of lung fibrosis. This study investigated the relationship between calcium channel blocker usage and the risk of developing interstitial lung disease and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Material And Methods: This cohort study used data from the Korean National Health Screening Cohort spanned from January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2015.

Multiple sphingolipid-metabolizing enzymes modulate influenza virus replication.

The sphingolipid network is sustained principally by the balance of bioactive sphingolipid molecules and their regulation by sphingolipid-metabolizing enzymes. The components in the lipid system display key functions in numerous cellular and disease conditions including virus infections. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a fruitful effort to use an inhibitor that blocks the activity of sphingosine kinase (SphK) 2 to cure the devastating disease.

Utilisation patterns of immunomodulators and pregnancy outcomes in systemic lupus erythematosus: Insights from Korean national data.

Objectives: To investigate the trends in immunomodulator use and pregnancy outcomes among pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a condition requiring medication to maintain disease activity.

Methods: This descriptive study used data from the National Health Information Database in Korea from 2002 to 2018. We included 5,044 pregnancies initiated between 2005 and 2017 in 3,120 SLE patients.

Improved Glycemic Control in Insulin-Treated Individuals With Poorly Controlled Type 2 Diabetes Through Combined Structured Education With Real-Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring.

Background: We evaluated the efficacy of structured individualized education combined with real-time continuous glucose monitoring (rt-CGM, Dexcom G6) in improving glycemic outcomes in insulin-treated adults with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods: This multicenter, 16-week, single-arm study included 66 adults with T2D (multiple daily insulin [MDI]: 33; basal insulin: 33) with a ≥7.8%.

Effectiveness and safety of human placenta hydrolysate injection into subacromial space in patients with shoulder impingement syndrome: a single-blind, randomized trial.

Background: Human placental hydrolysate (hPH) contains anti-inflammatory substances. This study aimed to analyze whether injecting hPH into the subacromial space could reduce pain in patients with shoulder impingement syndrome.

Methods: This single-blind, randomized controlled study enrolled 50 patients with shoulder impingement syndrome who were randomly assigned to either the hPH or placebo groups.

Association between obstructive sleep apnea and hyperuricemia/gout in the general population: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is linked to various health conditions, including cardiovascular diseases and metabolic disorders. Hyperuricemia and gout may be associated with OSA, but large-scale studies on this are limited. This study aimed to investigate the association between hyperuricemia/gout and OSA using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey (KNHANES).

A comprehensive review of multi-level inverters, modulation, and control for grid-interfaced solar PV systems.

With the significant development in photovoltaic (PV) systems, focus has been placed on inexpensive, efficient, and innovative power converter solutions, leading to a high diversity within power converters and new system configurations for grid-connected PV (GCPV) systems. During the last decade, multilevel inverter (MLI) designs have gained popularity in GCPV applications. This article provides a wide-ranging investigation of the common MLI topology in contrast to other existing MLI topologies for PV applications.

hsa-mir-483-3p modulates delayed breast cancer recurrence.

Patients with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer undergoing continuous adjuvant hormone therapy often experience delayed recurrence with tamoxifen use, potentially causing adverse effects. However, the lack of biomarkers hampers patient selection for extended endocrine therapy. This study aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying delayed recurrence and identify biomarkers.

Do renewable energy policies exacerbate corporate information uncertainty?

This study analyzes the impact of state-level renewable energy policies and incentives on the corporate information environment in the US. It considers these renewable energy policies and incentives as exogenous measures of firm-level renewable energy exposure. The findings indicate that such policies and incentives significantly increase firms' adoption of renewable energy, confirming their suitability as proxies for external shocks.

Clinical features of FOSMN syndrome in Korea: A comparative analysis with bulbar-onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Facial onset sensory and motor neuronopathy (FOSMN) syndrome is a rare neurodegenerative disorder initially characterized by facial sensory deficits, which later progress to motor deficits in a rostral-caudal distribution. This study investigated the prevalence, clinical features, and prognosis of FOSMN syndrome and compared these aspects with those of bulbar-onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) within a single institutional cohort of motor neuron diseases. We identified four patients with FOSMN syndrome who had been misclassified as having bulbar-onset ALS, representing approximately 2 % of such ALS cases.

Understanding mechanical failure behaviours and protocol optimization for fast charging applications in Co-free Ni-based cathodes for lithium-ion batteries.

Currently, it is a significant challenge to achieve long-term cyclability and fast chargeability in lithium-ion batteries, especially for the Ni-based oxide cathode, due to severe chemo-mechanical degradation. Despite its importance, the fast charging long-term cycling behaviour is not well understood. Therefore, we comprehensively evaluate the feasibility of fast charging applications for Co-free layered oxide cathodes, with a focus on the extractable capacity and cyclability.

R(3780) Resonance Interpreted as the 1^{3}D_{1}-Wave Dominant State of Charmonium from Precise Measurements of the Cross Section of e^{+}e^{-}→Hadrons.

We report the precise measurements of the cross section of e^{+}e^{-}→hadrons at center-of-mass energies from 3.645 to 3.871 GeV.

Enhancing Mechanical Resilience in Li-Ion Battery Cathodes with Nanoscale Elastic Framework Coatings.

Lattice volume changes in Li-ion batteries active materials are unavoidable during electrochemical cycling, posing significant engineering challenges from the particle to the electrode level. In this study, we present an elastic framework coating designed to absorb and reversibly release strain energy associated with particle volume changes, thereby enhancing mechanical resilience at both the particle and electrode levels. This framework, composed of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), is applied to nickel-rich LiNiCoMnO (NCM9055) cathodes at a low loading of 0.