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.

Proteomic evaluation of pathways associated with phosphine-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and resistance mechanisms in Tribolium castaneum against phosphine fumigation: Whole and partial proteome identification.

Phosphine (PH) fumigation is widely used to control insect pests in stored products globally. However, intensive PH use has led to the emergence of significant resistance in target insects. To address this issue, this study investigated PH resistance mechanisms by conducting both qualitative and quantitative proteomic analyses on the whole proteome of a PH-resistant Tribolium castaneum strain (AUS-07) using LC-MS/MS.

Effects of maximum dose on local control after stereotactic body radiotherapy for oligometastatic tumors of colorectal cancer.

This study aimed to identify radiotherapy dosimetric parameters related to local failure (LF)-free survival (LFFS) in patients with lung and liver oligometastases from colorectal cancer treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). We analyzed 75 oligometastatic lesions in 55 patients treated with SBRT between January 2014 and December 2021. There was no constraint or intentional increase in maximum dose.

Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels and Survival Outcomes in Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer: Results From the NIFTY Trial.

Background: Numerous studies have explored the role of vitamin D in various cancers; however, its impact on advanced biliary tract cancers (BTC) within a prospective cohort remains to be investigated. This preplanned subgroup analysis of the NIFTY trial evaluated the prognostic implications of serum vitamin D levels in patients with advanced BTC undergoing second-line chemotherapy.

Methods: From the 174 patients in the NIFTY trial, a total of 173 patients (99.

First report of iron-overload myopathy due to secondary hemochromatosis in a dog.

Importance: Hemochromatosis is rare in domestic animals, and iron-induced myopathy has not been reported in veterinary medicine. This case is the first report of iron-overload myopathy owing to hemochromatosis in a dog.

Case Presentation: A 9-year-old spayed female Donggyeong dog presented with severe forelimb lameness.

Case Report: Gutter endoleak embolization in a patient with bilateral common iliac artery aneurysms treated with sandwich parallel grafts.

Background: Current guidelines recommend preserving at least one of the bilateral pelvic flows in patients with aortoiliac aneurysms. The sandwich parallel graft, using commercially available devices, provides a viable option for patients who fall outside the instructions for use of iliac branch devices. However, gutter endoleak remains a significant challenge.

Successful Treatment of a Patient Presenting with Simultaneous Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma and Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Simultaneously occuring diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is extremely rare. Generally, patients with CD20-positive DLBCL receive rituximab, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, prednisone (R-CHOP) regimen, while those with HL receive brentuximab vedotin, doxorubicin, vinblastine, dacarbazine (A-AVD) regimen as first-line therapy. Establishing a strategy for treating both lymphoma subtypes concurrently is thus very difficult.

Landscape profiling of PET depolymerases using a natural sequence cluster framework.

Enzymes capable of breaking down polymers have been identified from natural sources and developed for industrial use in plastic recycling. However, there are many potential starting points for enzyme optimization that remain unexplored. We generated a landscape of 170 lineages of 1894 polyethylene terephthalate depolymerase (PETase) candidates and performed profiling using sampling approaches with features associated with PET-degrading capabilities.

Expanding Horizons in Quantum Chemical Studies: The Versatile Power of MRSF-TDDFT.

ConspectusWhile traditional quantum chemical theories have long been central to research, they encounter limitations when applied to complex situations. Two of the most widely used quantum chemical approaches, Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TDDFT), perform well in cases with relatively weak electron correlation, such as the ground-state minima of closed-shell systems (Franck-Condon region). However, their applicability diminishes in more demanding scenarios.

Efficient photo-assisted activation of peroxydisulfate by a novel Z-scheme sulfur-doped CN/DyFeO heterojunction for norfloxacin degradation: Activation mechanism and DFT studies on reaction pathways.

Peroxydisulfate (PDS) activation is a crucial process for wastewater treatment in complicated water matrices. However, it is frequently limited because of poor selectivity, sluggish kinetics, and short lifetime of radicals. Therefore, in this study, an efficient sulfur-doped CN/DyFeO (SCN/DyF) Z-scheme heterostructure catalyst was rationally developed using a simple wet-chemical strategy to photoactivate PDS, which can effectively degrade norfloxacin (NOR; 96.

Exploring the Anti-inflammatory Potential of Novel Chrysin Derivatives through Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibition.

Inducible cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is a crucial enzyme involved in the processes of inflammation and carcinogenesis, primarily by catalyzing the production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), a significant mediator of inflammation. In this study, we designed and synthesized a series of novel chrysin derivatives to evaluate their anti-inflammatory potential through COX-2 inhibition using cultures of RAW264.7 macrophages and molecular docking assays.

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.

The guanine nucleotide exchange factor DOCK5 negatively regulates osteoblast differentiation and BMP2-induced bone regeneration via the MKK3/6 and p38 signaling pathways.

DOCK5 (dedicator of cytokinesis 5), a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rac1, has been implicated in BMP2-mediated osteoblast differentiation, but its specific role in osteogenesis and bone regeneration remained unclear. This study investigated the effect of DOCK5 on bone regeneration using C21, a DOCK5 chemical inhibitor, and Dock5-deficient mice. Osteoblast differentiation and bone regeneration were analyzed using bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and various animal models.

Portulaca oleracea Extract Ameliorates Testosterone Propionate-Induced Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Male Sprague-Dawley Rats.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a distressing health problem that can cause serious complications in aging men. Androgens are implicated in the causation of BPH. Portulaca oleracea (PO) is a natural product with diverse pharmacological effects.

Identification of novel therapeutic targets for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma through bioinformatics analysis.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a heterogeneous cancer with limited therapeutic options. Using publicly available datasets, we identified the WD repeat domain 54 (WDR54) gene as a potential therapeutic target in HNSCC. Gene expression profiling interactive analysis version 2 (GEPIA2) was used to identify genes differentially overexpressed in HNSCC.

Biotechnological advances in plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria for sustainable agriculture.

The rhizosphere, the soil zone surrounding plant roots, serves as a reservoir for numerous beneficial microorganisms that enhance plant productivity and crop yield, with substantial potential for application as biofertilizers. These microbes play critical roles in ecological processes such as nutrient recycling, organic matter decomposition, and mineralization. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) represent a promising tool for sustainable agriculture, enabling green management of crop health and growth, being eco-friendly alternatives to replace chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Mitigating salinity stress on tomato growth, water regime, gas exchange, and yield with the application of QuitoMax.

This study assessed the intensity of salt stress in the two tomato varieties by measuring variables associated with the water regime, chlorophyll content, normalized difference vegetation index, gas exchange, and yield. The cultivars Amalia and Claudia, which represent tolerance and susceptibility to salinity, were evaluated. Three treatments were established in plastic pots, using a completely randomized design: T1, saline soil (ECse = 6.

Augmented prediction of vertebral collapse after osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures through parameter-efficient fine-tuning of biomedical foundation models.

Vertebral collapse (VC) following osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) often requires aggressive treatment, necessitating an accurate prediction for early intervention. This study aimed to develop a predictive model leveraging deep neural networks to predict VC progression after OVCF using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical data. Among 245 enrolled patients with acute OVCF, data from 200 patients were used for the development dataset, and data from 45 patients were used for the test dataset.

NS1 binding protein regulates stress granule dynamics and clearance by inhibiting p62 ubiquitination.

The NS1 binding protein, known for interacting with the influenza A virus protein, is involved in RNA processing, cancer, and nerve cell growth regulation. However, its role in stress response independent of viral infections remains unclear. This study investigates NS1 binding protein's function in regulating stress granules during oxidative stress through interactions with GABARAP subfamily proteins.

Cryogenic III-V and Nb electronics integrated on silicon for large-scale quantum computing platforms.

Quantum computers now encounter the significant challenge of scalability, similar to the issue that classical computing faced previously. Recent results in high-fidelity spin qubits manufactured with a Si CMOS technology, along with demonstrations that cryogenic CMOS-based control/readout electronics can be integrated into the same chip or die, opens up an opportunity to break out the challenges of qubit size, I/O, and integrability. However, the power consumption of cryogenic CMOS-based control/readout electronics cannot support thousands or millions of qubits.

Risk and Mortality of Cardiovascular Diseases in Patients with Dupuytren's Disease: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

Background: Dupuytren's disease (DD) is a type of fibroproliferative disease that involves the palmar aspect of the hand. Although many benign fibroproliferative diseases have been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, the relationship between DD and myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke has not been fully elucidated.

Methods: A total of 35,909 patients with DD and a control cohort with 1,077,270 age- and sex-matched participants from the Korean National Health Insurance database were included.

Population pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic model guided weight-tiered dose of AST-001 in pediatric patients with autism spectrum disorder.

AST-001, a novel syrup formulation of L-serine, was developed for the treatment of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in pediatric patients. This study aimed to establish a pharmacokinetic (PK)-pharmacodynamic (PD) model to elucidate the effect of AST-001 on adaptive behavior in children with ASD. Due to the absence of PK samples in pediatric patients, a previously published population PK model was used to link the PD model by applying an allometric scale to body weight.

Feasibility of an indocyanine green-hyaluronic acid mixture (LuminoMark™) for targeting suspicious axillary lymph nodes in patients with breast cancer.

Purpose: During breast cancer surgery, the use of dyes such as indigo carmine, methylene blue, or indocyanine green (ICG) for targeting axillary lymph nodes (ALNs) under ultrasound guidance can result in rapid diffusion, complicated tissue differentiation, and disruption of staining. LuminoMark™, a novel ICG-hyaluronic acid mixture, can provide real-time visualization and minimize dye spread, thereby ensuring a clear surgical field. The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of LuminoMark™ for targeting ALNs in patients with breast cancer.

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.