Increased diagnosis of hepato-biliary-pancreatic cancer after cholecystectomy: a population-based study.

Given the increasing trend of cholecystectomy, it is imperative to reassess surgical and surveillance strategies in consideration of the potential long-term risks for digestive tract cancers. The objective of this study was to assess the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) and hepato-biliary-pancreatic (HBP) cancer incidence after cholecystectomy. The data for this cohort study was obtained from the National Health Insurance Service database in Korea.

Delta/Notch-like Epidermal Growth Factor-Related Receptor (DNER), a Potential Prognostic Marker of Gastric Cancer Regulates Cell Survival and Cell Cycle Progression.

Upregulation of the expression of Delta/notch-like epidermal growth factor-related receptor (DNER) and its oncogenic role have been reported in several cancers, including gastric, breast, and prostate cancers. This study aimed to investigate the oncogenic role of DNER and the mechanisms behind its oncogenic role in gastric cancer. Analysis of the RNASeq data of gastric cancer tissues obtained from the TCGA database revealed that the expression of DNER was associated with the pathology of advanced gastric cancer and the prognosis of patients.

Modulation of Spheroid Forming Capacity and TRAIL Sensitivity by KLF4 and Nanog in Gastric Cancer Cells.

The expression of pluripotency factors, and their associations with clinicopathological parameters and drug response have been described in various cancers, including gastric cancer. This study investigated the association of pluripotency factor expression with the clinicopathological characteristics of gastric cancer patients, as well as changes in the expression of these factors upon the stem cell-enriching spheroid culture of gastric cancer cells, regulation of sphere-forming capacity, and response to cisplatin and TRAIL treatments by Nanog and KLF4. Nanog expression was significantly associated with the emergence of a new tumor and a worse prognosis in gastric cancer patients.

An Alkaline Protease-Digestion of Silkworm Powder Enhances Its Effects Over Healthspan, Autophagy, and Mitochondria Function in a Rotenone-Induced Model.

Background: Recent studies have reported that steamed and freeze-dried mature silkworms, also known as HongJam, have various health-promoting effects.

Objective: The goal of this study was to elucidate changes in the various health-promoting effects of HongJam, after its digestion with a food-grade protease.

Materials And Methods: We examined whether healthspan-promotion and rotenone-induced loss of motor-control prevention effects were enhanced in fed with food-grade alkaline protease-digested HongJam compared to those fed with non-digested HongJam.

Competitive Hybridization of a Microarray Identifies CMKLR1 as an Up-Regulated Gene in Human Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Compared to Human Embryonic Fibroblasts.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been widely applied to the regeneration of damaged tissue and the modulation of immune response. The purity of MSC preparation and the delivery of MSCs to a target region are critical factors for success in therapeutic application. In order to define the molecular identity of an MSC, the gene expression pattern of a human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell (hBMSC) was compared with that of a human embryonic fibroblast (hEF) by competitive hybridization of a microarray.

Sericulture and the edible-insect industry can help humanity survive: insects are more than just bugs, food, or feed.

The most serious threat which humans face is rapid global climate change, as the Earth shifts rapidly into a regime less hospitable to humans. To address the crisis caused by severe global climate change, it will be necessary to modify humankind's way of life. Because livestock production accounts for more than 14.

Satisfaction with the walking-related environment during COVID-19 in South Korea.

This study aimed to examine the satisfaction level differences between urban and rural areas with regard to their walking environment during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea. This online cross-sectional research was conducted using a mobile health application. Overall, 1,032 local residents who participated in the mobile healthcare program of a public health center were classified as being from either urban (n = 481, 46.

Identification of a fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda)-specific gene and development of a rapid and sensitive loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay.

The fall armyworm [FAW, Spodoptera frugiperda (J E Smith)], a moth native to America, has spread throughout the world since it was first discovered in Africa in 2016. The FAW is a polyphagous migratory pest that can travel over long distances using seasonal winds or typhoons because of its excellent flying ability, causing serious damage to many crops. For effective FAW control, accurate species identification is essential at the beginning of the invasion.

An easy brain thick-section-clearing protocol to observe antigens in the brains of neurological disease mouse models by conventional epifluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy.

We developed a brain thick-section-clearing (BTS-C) procedure to observe coronal sections of the entire mouse brain with conventional epifluorescence microscopy (EFM). After clearing with the BTS procedure, the white light transmittance of the 1-mm-thick mouse brain sections was more than 96%. The distribution patterns of amyloid plaques or α-synuclein in 1-mm-thick brain sections of five different mouse strains cleared with this procedure were easily observed by EFM.

Hemidiaphragmatic Paresis Following Interscalene Brachial Plexus Block With 2-Point Injection Technique.

Background: An interscalene brachial plexus block is a commonly conducted nerve block for anesthesia and analgesia in shoulder surgery. Due to its proximity to the targeted nerve, the phrenic nerve, which innervates the diaphragm, is typically inadvertently blocked by ventral spread of the local anesthetic. Although hemidiaphragmatic paresis is tolerable in healthy patients, it would be an irreversible risk to patients with compromised lung reserve.

The additive memory and healthspan enhancement effects by the combined treatment of mature silkworm powders and Korean angelica extracts.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Silkworm (Bombyx mori) and Korean angelica (KoAg; Angelica gigas Nakai) have been widely used as traditional oriental medicines in Korea, China, and Japan to treat various diseases such as anemia, cold, diabetes, palsy, stroke, etc. Steamed and freeze-dried mature silkworm powder, also known as HongJam (HJ), and extracts of KoAg root (KoAgE) are currently sold in Korea as functional foods to improve memory, cognition, and liver functions. However, the molecular and pharmacological basis for the improvement of brain functions of HJ and KoAgE has not yet been elucidated.

Alteration of unfolded protein responses and autophagy signaling represented the molecular basis underlying saccharin toxicity to Drosophila (Diptera: Drosophilidae).

The purpose of this study was to develop a new control method for Drosophila using saccharin sodium dihydrate (saccharin), an artificial sweetener that is safe for humans and the environment, and to elucidate its mode of action. In this study, we confirmed that saccharin can dose-dependently inhibit the development of or kill vinegar flies (VFs) and spotted wing Drosophila (SWDs). In addition, we found that low concentrations of saccharin induced a similar effect as starvation in Drosophila, whereas high concentrations of saccharin induced changes in the unfolded protein response (UPR) and autophagy signaling that were unlike starvation and inhibited development or killed the VF and the SWD by performing real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analyses.

Negative Impacts of Prolonged Standing at Work on Musculoskeletal Symptoms and Physical Fatigue: The Fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey.

Purpose: We aimed to investigate variations in the risk of low back pain (LBP), lower extremity muscle pain, and whole body fatigue according to differences in prolonged standing work hours in relation to risk factor exposure and rest frequency.

Materials And Methods: From the fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey data collected in 2017, data for 32970 full-time workers who worked for more than 1 year at their present job were analyzed. We classified the workers according to exposure to fatigue or painful postures, carrying heavy objects, performance of repetitive movements that burden the musculoskeletal system, and how often they took a break.

Point of care airway ultrasound to select tracheal tube and determine insertion depth in cleft repair surgery.

We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of using airway ultrasonography to select the correct tracheal tube size and insertion depth in pediatric patients who underwent cleft repair surgery as a way to decrease airway complications and adverse events during perioperative periods. Fifty-one patients (age < 28 months) were consecutively divided into conventional (n = 28) and ultrasound (n = 23) groups. Tracheal tube size and insertion depth were determined using the age-based formula and auscultation in the conventional group, whereas using ultrasonographic measurement of subglottic diameter with auscultation and lung ultrasonography in the ultrasound group.

Evaluating the Memory Enhancing Effects of in Mouse Models of Mild Cognitive Impairments.

(1) Background: By 2050, it is estimated that 130 million people will be diagnosed with dementia, and currently approved medicines only slow the progression. So preventive intervention is important to treat dementia. Mild cognitive impairment is a condition characterized by some deterioration in cognitive function and increased risk of progressing to dementia.

Synergistic apoptosis of human gastric cancer cells by bortezomib and TRAIL.

Resistance against tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-induced cell death of cancer cells is a major obstacle in clinical application of TRAIL. Variable response to TRAIL of gastric cancer cells, synergy of TRAIL with bortezomib and potential mechanisms behind the phenomena were investigated in this study. The response to TRAIL varied among six gastric cancer cell lines, which correlated with the expression of apoptotic TRAIL receptors.

Random urinary gonadotropins as a useful initial test for girls with central precocious puberty.

Recent evidence indicates that urinary gonadotropins may be an alternative method for detecting pubertal disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations of first morning voided (FMV) and random urinary gonadotropins with the pubertal response to a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation test to determine whether random urinary gonadotropins can be used as an alternative method for evaluating central precocious puberty (CPP). In total, 100 girls aged 6.

An investigation of the molecular and biochemical basis underlying chlorantraniliprole-resistant Drosophila strains and their cross-resistance to other insecticides.

Chlorantraniliprole is an anthranilic diamide insecticide that binds to the insect ryanodine receptor (RyR) and induces an uncontrolled release of Ca , resulting in paralysis and ultimately death of the target insects. Recently, it was reported that chlorantraniliprole-resistant diamondback moths, Plutella xylostella Linnaeus, have mutations in their RyR. In this study, we developed two different chlorantraniliprole-resistant Drosophila melanogaster strain.

Development of a highly accurate and sensitive diagnostic tool for pyrethroid-resistant chimeric P450 CYP337B3 of Helicoverpa armigera using loop-mediated isothermal amplification.

Recent studies have shown that pyrethroid resistance in the cotton bollworm (CBW) Helicoverpa armigera is conferred by the generation of a chimeric CYP337B3 gene, which resulted from unequal crossing-over between the CYP337B1 and CYP337B2 genes. In this study, we developed a diagnostic protocol based on the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for the detection of chimeric CYP337B3. The CYP337B3 LAMP assay utilized six primers and generated strong fluorescence signals visible to the naked eye under normal or ultraviolet light.

Author Correction: Regulation of synaptic architecture and synaptic vesicle pools by Nervous wreck at Drosophila Type 1b glutamatergic synapses.

After online publication of this article, the authors noticed an error in the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS section.

Melatonin alleviates oxidative stress-inhibited osteogenesis of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells through AMPK activation.

Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of aging-related osteoporosis through the increased bone resorption or reduced bone formation. Melatonin, which can exert beneficial actions through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and bone-preserving effects, shows promise in preventing oxidative stress-inhibited osteogenesis. However, specific mechanisms by which melatonin rescues oxidative stress-inhibited osteogenesis of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have not been fully elucidated yet.

Regulation of synaptic architecture and synaptic vesicle pools by Nervous wreck at Drosophila Type 1b glutamatergic synapses.

Nervous wreck (Nwk), a protein that is present at Type 1 glutamatergic synapses that contains an SH3 domain and an FCH motif, is a Drosophila homolog of the human srGAP3/MEGAP protein, which is associated with mental retardation. Confocal microscopy revealed that circles in Nwk reticulum enclosed T-shaped active zones (T-AZs) and partially colocalized with synaptic vesicle (SV) markers and both exocytosis and endocytosis components. Results from an electron microscopic (EM) analysis showed that Nwk proteins localized at synaptic edges and in SV pools.

Effect of emergency medical service use on time interval from symptom onset to hospital admission for definitive care among patients with intracerebral hemorrhage: a multicenter observational study.

Objective: This study evaluated whether emergency medical service (EMS) use was associated with early arrival and admission for definitive care among intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) patients.

Methods: Patients with ICH were enrolled from 29 hospitals between November 2007 and December 2012, excluding those patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage, traumatic ICH, and missing information. The patients were divided into four groups based on visit type to the definitive hospital emergency department (ED): direct visit by EMS (EMS-direct), direct visit without EMS (non-EMS-direct), transferred from a primary hospital by EMS (EMS-transfer), and transferred from a primary hospital without EMS (non-EMS-transfer).

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation by trained responders versus lay persons and outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A community observational study.

Objectives: The study aims to compare bystander processes of care (cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation) and outcomes for witnessed presumed cardiac etiology in OHCA patients in whom initial resuscitation was provided by dedicated trained responder (TR) versus lay person (LP) bystanders.

Methods: Data on witnessed and presumed cardiac OHCA in adults (15 years or older) from 2011 to 2015 in a metropolitan city with 10 million persons were collected, excluding cases in which the information on TRs, bystander CPR, defibrillation, and clinical outcomes was unknown. Exposure variables were TRs who were legally designated with CPR education and response and LPs who were bystanders who witnessed the OHCA by chance.