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.

Impact of Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Colonization on Clinical Characteristics, Antibiotic Treatment, and Clinical Outcomes of Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia.

Purpose: To determine effects of colonization with multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDRB) in general wards on characteristics, treatment, and prognosis of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP).

Methods: This was a multicenter retrospective cohort study of patients with HAP admitted to 16 tertiary or university hospitals in Korea from July 2019 to December 2019. From the entire cohort, patients who developed pneumonia in general wards with known colonization status before the onset of pneumonia were included in this study.

Effect of ELHLD peptide for stifle function recovery after tibial plateau leveling osteotomy in dogs.

Importance: Patients with arthritis and ruptured cruciate ligaments typically require surgery. Following surgery, it is necessary to improve joint function in early stage.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of intraoperative intra-articular injection of the ELHLD peptide (L-glutamyl-L-leucyl-L-histidyl-L-leucyl-L-aspartic acid) on postoperative stifle function in patients with medial patella luxation grade 3 and osteoarthritis grade 2 undergoing tibial plateau leveling osteotomy due to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture.

Modulating synaptic plasticity with metal-organic framework for information-filterable artificial retina.

Neuroprosthetics equipped with artificial synapses hold promise to address some most intricate medical problems, such as human sensory disorders. Yet, it is necessitated and of paramount importance for neuroprosthetics to be able to differentiate significant and insignificant signals. Here, we present an information-filterable artificial retina system that integrates artificial synapses with a signal-integration device for signal perception and processing with attention.

The Influence of Dietary Habits on Male Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: Differential Influence of Water Intake on Voiding Symptoms and Storage Symptoms.

Purpose: To investigate the dietary factors affecting male lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study analyzed men who underwent health check-ups. The men who completed the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and a dietary questionnaire with 19 items were included in the study.

Ezetimibe/Atorvastatin, a Treatment for Hyperlipidemia, Inhibits Supraspinatus Fatty Infiltration and Improves Bone-Tendon Interface Healing in a Rotator Cuff Tear Rat Model.

Background: Multiple factors, such as muscle fatty infiltration (FI), tendon collagen content, and collagen arrangement, determine bone-tendon interface (BTI) healing after rotator cuff (RC) repair.

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of systemic administration of ezetimibe-atorvastatin (EZE/ATZ) combination on muscle FI and tendon collagen density and arrangement in an RC repair rat model.

Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.

A novel mouse model of image-guided radiation-induced acute kidney injury using SARRP.

Radiation therapy is crucial for cancer treatment, but it often causes tissue damage. The kidney, which is sensitive to radiation, is under-researched in this context. This study aimed to develop a mouse model for radiation-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) using a small animal radiation research platform (SARRP) to mimic clinical radiation conditions.

A microbiota-derived metabolite, 3-phenyllactic acid, prolongs healthspan by enhancing mitochondrial function and stress resilience via SKN-1/ATFS-1 in C. elegans.

The mechanisms underlying the impact of probiotic supplementation on health remain largely elusive. While previous studies primarily focus on the discovery of novel bioactive bacteria and alterations in the microbiome environment to explain potential probiotic effects, our research delves into the role of living Lactiplantibacillus (formerly known as Lactobacillus) and their conditioned media, highlighting that only the former, not dead bacteria, enhance the healthspan of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans).

Clinical significance of various pathogens identified in patients with acute exacerbations of COPD: a multi-center study in South Korea.

Background: Respiratory infection is a major cause of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). We investigated the presence of bacterial and viral pathogens and clinical features in patients with AECOPD.

Methods: This retrospective study included 1,186 patients diagnosed with AECOPD from 28 hospitals in South Korea between 2015-2018.

A low pathogenic avian influenza A/Mallard/South Korea/KNU2019-34/2019 (H1N1) virus has the potential to increase the mammalian pathogenicity.

Influenza, a highly contagious respiratory infectious disease caused by an influenza virus, is a threat to public health worldwide. Avian influenza viruses (AIVs) have the potential to cause the next pandemic by crossing the species barrier through mutation of viral genome. Here, we investigated the pathogenicity of AIVs obtained from South Korea and Mongolia during 2018-2019 by measuring viral titers in the lungs and extrapulmonary organs of mouse models.

Efficacy and safety of rebamipide/nizatidine in patients with erosive gastritis: A randomized, multicenter, phase 4 study.

Background: For the treatment of gastritis, rebamipide, a mucoprotective agent, and nizatidine, a gastric acid suppressant, are commonly employed individually.

Aim: To compare the efficacy of Mucotra SR (rebamipide 150 mg) and Axid (nizatidine 150 mg) combination therapy with the sole administration of Axid in managing erosive gastritis.

Methods: A total of 260 patients diagnosed with endoscopically confirmed erosive gastritis were enrolled in this open-label, multicenter, randomized, phase 4 clinical trial, allocating them into two groups: Rebamipide/nizatidine combination twice daily nizatidine twice daily for 2 weeks.

Hyperectatic Herniation of the Tympanic Membrane With Adenoid Vegetation.

A 31-year-old woman presented with intermittent otalgia in the right ear, reporting severe pain during flights. The patient denied performing habitual Valsalva maneuvers. Otoendoscopic examination revealed hyperectatic herniation of the posterior portion of the right tympanic membrane (TM).

Effect of dynamic interaction of estrous cycle and stress on synaptic transmission and neuronal excitability in the lateral habenula.

The prevalence of depressive disorders in women has been reported in many countries. However, the cellular mechanisms mediating such sex differences in stress susceptibility remain largely unknown. Previously, we showed that lateral habenula (LHb) neurons are more activated in female mice than in male mice by restraint stress.

Feasibility of Distal Radial Access in High Bleeding Risk Patients Who Underwent Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Backgrounds And Objectives: The distal radial access (DRA), a potential alternative to the trans-radial approach (TRA), may offer advantages in terms of access site complications due to its smaller vessel diameter, especially for high bleeding risk (HBR) patients. This study aims to investigate the feasibility of DRA in HBR patients.

Methods: Based on data from the KODRA registry, a prospective, multicenter cohort, this study analyzed 1,586 patients who underwent successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) via DRA.

Insights into glucose-derived carbon dot synthesis via Maillard reaction: from reaction mechanism to biomedical applications.

Carbon dots (CDs) are versatile nanomaterials that are considered ideal for application in bioimaging, drug delivery, sensing, and optoelectronics owing to their excellent photoluminescence, biocompatibility, and chemical stability features. Nitrogen doping enhances the fluorescence of CDs, alters their electronic properties, and improves their functional versatility. N-doped CDs can be synthesized via solvothermal treatment of carbon sources with nitrogen-rich precursors; however, systematic investigations of their synthesis mechanisms have been rarely reported.

Biocatalytic oxyfunctionalization of unsaturated fatty acids to oxygenated chemicals via hydroxy fatty acids.

The selective oxyfunctionalization of unsaturated fatty acids is difficult in chemical reactions, whereas regio- and stereoselective oxyfunctionalization is often performed in biocatalytic synthesis. Fatty acid oxygenases, including hydratases, lipoxygenases, dioxygenases, diol synthases, cytochrome P450 monooxygenases, peroxygenases, and 12-hydroxylases, are used to convert C16 and C18 unsaturated fatty acids to diverse regio- and stereoselective mono-, di-, and trihydroxy fatty acids via selective oxyfunctionalization. The formed hydroxy fatty acids or hydroperoxy fatty acids are metabolized to industrially important oxygenated chemicals such as lactones, green leaf volatiles, and bioplastic monomers, including ω-hydroxy fatty acids, α,ω-dicarboxylic acids, and fatty alcohols, by biocatalysts.

Metformin inhibits muscle atrophy through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in a rat model of acute rotator cuff tears.

Background: Muscle atrophy after the rupture of a rotator cuff (RC) tendon is a major factor that increases the risk of secondary complications and re-rupture. Metformin, a type 2 diabetes treatment, can be used to modulate intracellular signaling pathways that promote muscle growth. This study aimed to verify whether systemic metformin administration could prevent supraspinatus (SS) atrophy after RC rupture in a rat model.

The gut-brain axis: Unveiling the impact of xenobiotics on neurological health and disorders.

The Gut-Brain Axis (GBA) is a crucial link between the gut microbiota and the central nervous system. Xenobiotics, originating from diverse sources, play a significant role in shaping this interaction. This review examines how these compounds influence neurotransmitter dynamics within the GBA.

Synthesis and characterization of turmeric extract-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes: Metabolite profiling and antioxidant activity.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) has gained significant attention for its medicinal properties, yet its therapeutic applications are often limited by low aqueous solubility and susceptibility to environmental factors. This study investigates the formulation of a curcumin-rich turmeric extract-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex (TUE-β-CD) to enhance its bioactivity and stability.

Discontinuation rates, clinical effects and provocation factors of SGLT-2 inhibitor in the real world.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors are the only medications that improve clinical outcomes regardless of baseline left ventricular ejection fraction. Despite the recognized effectiveness of SGLT-2 inhibitors, there remains a paucity of research on the discontinuation of these medications. The objective of this study is to analyze the rate of discontinuation of SGLT-2 inhibitors, to evaluate the impact of discontinuation on the clinical outcome, and to identify the factors associated with discontinuation.

Effects of Perch on Productivity, Welfare, and Physiological Indicators of Broiler Chickens Reared in Animal Welfare-Certificated Farms.

This study explored the impact of perches on the productivity and welfare of broilers raised on two animal welfare-certified farms (designated as Farm A and B) in South Korea. Broiler houses in each farm were provided with or without wooden square-shaped perches (2 × 2 cm) at a rate of 2 m per 1000 birds. The study aimed to assess whether perches could influence productivity measures, such as weight and uniformity, and animal welfare indicators, including corticosterone levels and physical health markers.

Sex and Age Differences in the Impact of Metabolic Syndrome on Heart Failure Development.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS), a cluster of metabolic dysregulations, is recognized as a significant risk factor for the development of heart failure (HF). The pathophysiological mechanisms linking MetS to HF are complex and multifaceted, with the components of MetS contributing to cardiac deterioration through impaired myocardial energy metabolism, increased inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction. Numerous clinical studies have confirmed the relationship between MetS and HF.