A study on the compressive strength of three-dimensional direct printing aligner material for specific designing of clear aligners.

Background: The demand for orthodontic treatment using clear aligners has been gradually increasing because of their superior esthetics compared with conventional fixed orthodontic therapy. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the compressive strength of three-dimensional direct printing aligners (3DPA) with that of conventional thermo-forming aligners (TFA) to determine their clinical applicability. In the experimental group, the 3DPA material TC-85 (TC-85 full) was used to create angular protrusions called rectangular pressure areas (RPA).

Perceptions of science, science communication, and climate change attitudes in 68 countries - the TISP dataset.

Science is integral to society because it can inform individual, government, corporate, and civil society decision-making on issues such as public health, new technologies or climate change. Yet, public distrust and populist sentiment challenge the relationship between science and society. To help researchers analyse the science-society nexus across different geographical and cultural contexts, we undertook a cross-sectional population survey resulting in a dataset of 71,922 participants in 68 countries.

How faculty with critical care specialties learn in a university hospital: a qualitative phenomenological study.

Objectives: The study aims to explore the workplace learning experiences of medical faculty in critical care specialties at a university hospital, focusing on how they develop their professional identity and construct the meaning of their work.

Design: Qualitative, phenomenological study.

Setting: The current study was conducted at a university hospital in South Korea between November 2022 and October 2023.

Longitudinal associations of flare and damage accrual in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of organ damage (damage) and flare and to examine longitudinal associations between flares and subsequent damage accrual, in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods: Patients enrolled in the Asia Pacific Lupus Collaboration cohort with ≥3 years of prospectively captured data were studied. Flares were assessed at routine visits, while damage ((Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology) Damage Index) was assessed annually.

Evaluating the effectiveness of dengue surveillance in the tropical and sub-tropical Asian nations through dengue case data from travelers returning to the five Western Pacific countries and territories.

Introduction: Dengue, affecting over 3.9 billion people, is a significant health threat globally. Despite a tenfold increase in reported cases from 2000 to 2020, underreporting remains an issue.

Compositional Differences of Various Sorption States of Cu and Cd on Goethite in the Presence of Oxyanions: A Quantitative Study.

The anionic species of antimony(V) and phosphate(V) are commonly found in the contaminated soil of mining areas, exerting a significant influence on the sorption of heavy metals and thus affecting their migration. This study quantitatively discussed the sorption mechanism of Sb and P in promoting the sorption of Cd or Cu on goethite through a series of extraction methods. In the single sorption system, the majority of Cu (87-98%) is adsorbed on goethite in the form of EDTA-extractable Cu (EF Cu, possibly inner-sphere complexes) under pH conditions of 3.

At-Home Immersive Virtual Reality Exergames to Reduce Cardiometabolic Risk Among Office Workers: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: The worldwide rise in the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases has increased the recognition of the need to identify modifiable risk factors for preventing and managing these diseases. The office worker, as a representative group of physically inactive workers, is exposed to risk factors for metabolic syndrome, which is a primary driver of noncommunicable diseases. The use of virtual reality (VR) exergames may offer a potential solution to the problem of increasing noncommunicable disease prevalence, as it can help individuals increase their physical activity levels while providing a more immersive experience.

Socioeconomic inequalities and their impact on the health of seniors 65.

Objectives: The main aim of the article is to indicate how selected socioeconomic factors contribute to the selected characteristics of the subjectively perceived health of seniors 65+ living in the Czech Republic.

Methods: Data collection took place in the Czech Republic from 27 January 2020 to 14 February 2020. The total number of interviews carried out in the research was 1,172, from a representative quota sample of seniors from the senior population living in the Czech Republic.

Recent trends and outcomes in immediate and delayed sequential bilateral cataract surgeries: a nationwide cohort study in South Korea.

Purpose: To analyze the latest annual trends in immediate sequential bilateral cataract surgery (ISBCS) and delayed sequential bilateral cataract surgery (DSBCS) among patients with bilateral cataracts in Korea, and to identify the factors influencing the choice of surgery and the outcomes associated with ISBCS and DSBCS.

Methods: This retrospective, nationwide cohort study included all patients aged 65 and older who were covered by the Korean National Health Insurance and underwent ISBCS or DSBCS from 2016 to 2021. The study recorded yearly numbers of ISBCS and DSBCS procedures, the interval between surgeries in DSBCS cases, patient demographics, types of implanted intraocular lenses (IOLs), and the incidence of cystoid macular edema and endophthalmitis following ISBCS or DSBCS.

The fluoroquinolone compounds potentiate the antifungal activity of the echinocandins against Aspergillus fumigatus.

The antifungal drugs of the echinocandin family show high efficacy against Aspergillus fumigatus. However, their paradoxical effect, which restores fungal growth at high drug concentrations, and the emergence of resistant strains necessitate improvements. We identified 13 fluoroquinolone compounds from a chemical library containing 10,000 compounds that potentiate the antifungal activity of caspofungin.

Stable H-O and radiogenic Sr isotopic ratios in bottled water in South Korea.

Stable H-O and radiogenic Sr isotopic compositions of bottled water in South Korea were investigated to trace water origins and to elucidate hydrogeochemical water-rock interactions within aquifers. Eighty-one bottled water samples were collected across the country. The δD and δO values, and Sr/Sr ratios and Sr contents of groundwater-sourced bottled water samples were in the ranges of -68 to -40 ‰, -10 to -7 ‰, 0.

Current status of pulmonary rehabilitation and impact on prognosis of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in South Korea.

Background: The benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have been limited to improving dyspnea, exercise capacity, and quality of life (QoL). This study aimed to assess the current status of PR and its effect on prognosis.

Methods: The Nationwide Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) database was used in this study.

Impact of antifibrotic therapy on lung cancer incidence and mortality in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Background: Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are at risk of lung cancer development. Antifibrotic therapy could slow disease progression of IPF, but there is limited data on its effectiveness on lung cancer. Here, we aimed to investigate lung cancer incidence and the risk of mortality of patients with IPF receiving antifibrotic therapy.

Risk Prediction of Liver Injury in Pediatric Tuberculosis Treatment: Development of an Automated Machine Learning Model.

Purpose: Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is one of the most common and serious adverse drug reactions related to first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs in pediatric tuberculosis patients. This study aims to develop an automatic machine learning (AutoML) model for predicting the risk of anti-tuberculosis drug-induced liver injury (ATB-DILI) in children.

Methods: A retrospective study was performed on the clinical data and therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) results of children initially treated for tuberculosis at the affiliated Changsha Central Hospital of University of South China.

Slow-Release Pharmaceutical Implants in Ecotoxicology: Validating Functionality across Exposure Scenarios.

Pharmaceutical contaminants have spread in natural environments across the globe, endangering biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and public health. Research on the environmental impacts of pharmaceuticals is growing rapidly, although a majority of studies are still conducted under controlled laboratory conditions. As such, there is an urgent need to understand the impacts of pharmaceutical exposures on wildlife in complex, real-world scenarios.

Selection and Characterization of a DNA Aptamer Recognizing High Mobility Group Box 1 Protein (HMGB1) and Enhancing Its Pro-inflammatory Activity.

Background: High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) plays an essential role in various pathological conditions, including inflammation, fibrosis, autoimmune diseases, and carcinogenesis. The quantification of HMGB1 in body fluids holds promise for clinical applications.

Objectives: This study aimed to isolate high-affinity single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) aptamers that target HMGB1.

Fungal Planet description sheets: 1697-1780.

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: , from accumulated snow sediment sample. , on leaf spots of . , on submerged decaying wood in sea water, on , as endophyte from healthy leaves of .

A Hospital-Based, Single-Center, Cross-Sectional Study to Investigate the of Hyperuricaemia in a Booming Seaside City with Young Population from 2020 to 2021 in China.

Background: This is a hospital-based, single-center, cross-sectional study to investigate the of hyperuricaemia (HUA) in general adults in Shenzhen, a booming seaside city in the South China.

Methods: All health adults (≥18 years old) undergoing health examination from 2020 Oct 1 to 2021 September 30 in a general hospital were enrolled. Their medical records were investigated and analyzed.

Enhancement of Thermal, Mechanical, and Oxidative Properties of Polypropylene Composites with Exfoliated Hexagonal Boron Nitride Nanosheets.

This study investigates the enhancement of polypropylene (PP) composites through the incorporation of exfoliated hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanosheets. The preparation process involved exfoliating h-BN in a liquid phase using a high-pressure homogenizer, followed by the coating of PP pellets with the exfoliated nanosheets using an acoustic mixer. Melt extrusion was then employed to fabricate h-BN-reinforced PP composite films.

ITZO-Based Self-Aligned Top Gate Thin-Film Transistor with Minimum Parasitic Capacitance for Long-Retention 2T0C DRAM.

We developed a two-transistor, zero-capacitor (2T0C) gain-cell memory featuring a self-aligned top-gate-structured thin-film transistor (TFT) for the first time. The proposed indium tin zinc oxide (ITZO) channel-incorporated architecture was specifically engineered to minimize parasitic capacitance for achieving long-retention 2T0C memory operations. A typical 2T0C structure features five types of parasitic capacitances; however, the proposed SATG design effectively used an essential gate insulator capacitance ( ) and reduced four nonessential capacitances ( , , , and ) to virtually zero.

Study on the Therapeutic Effects of Bisdemethoxycurcumin on a Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy Mouse Model Established via Chronic Treatment With Five Vascular Risk Factors.

Background And Purpose: Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is recognized as a major contributor to progressive cognitive decline and cerebral hemorrhages in the elderly population. Currently, there is a global shortage of safe and effective treatments for this condition. Bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC) has been demonstrated to exhibit pharmacological effects with anti-Aβ toxicity properties.

Synaptic Density Reductions in MSA: A Potential Biomarker Identified Through [F]SynVesT-1 PET Imaging.

Objective: The objective of this study was to delineate synaptic density alterations in multiple system atrophy (MSA) and explore its potential role as a biomarker for MSA diagnosis and disease severity monitoring using [F]SynVesT-1 positron emission tomography / computed tomography (PET CT).

Methods: In this prospective study, 60 patients with MSA (30 patients with MSA-parkinsonian [MSA-P] subtype and 30 patients with MSA-cerebellar [MSA-C] subtype), 30 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), and 30 age-matched healthy controls (HCs) underwent [F]SynVesT-1 PET/CT for synaptic density assessment. Visual, voxel, and volumetric region of interest (VOI) analyses were used to elucidate synaptic density patterns in the MSA brain and establish diagnostic criteria.

Proteomic analysis reveals the roles of silicon in mitigating glyphosate-induced toxicity in Brassica napus L.

Glyphosate (Gly) is a widely used herbicide for weed control in agriculture, but it can also adversely affect crops by impairing growth, reducing yield, and disrupting nutrient uptake, while inducing toxicity. Therefore, adopting integrated eco-friendly approaches and understanding the mechanisms of glyphosate tolerance in plants is crucial, as these areas remain underexplored. This study provides proteome insights into Si-mediated improvement of Gly-toxicity tolerance in Brassica napus.

Association of gross domestic product with equitable access to childhood vaccines in 195 countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Gross domestic product (GDP) has been shown to affect government spending on various budget heads including healthcare and the purchase and distribution of vaccines. This vulnerable situation has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic which disrupted and exposed the fragile nature of equitable access to vaccines for childhood immunisation globally. A systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the association of country income status and GDP with vaccination coverage of vaccines for childhood immunisation and other major infectious diseases around the globe will inform global and national policy on equity in living standards and vaccine uptake.

Global trends in the revision of nutrient reference values and formulations for infants and toddlers.

Background And Objectives: Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs) play an important role in nutrition labeling and nutrition and health claims based on scientific data. This study, with a global perspective, reviewed recent trends in NRVs for adults and their establishment for infants and toddlers.

Methods And Study Design: We searched for laws and regulations on official government websites for nutrition labeling in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China, South Korea, Japan, the Codex Committee, and the European Union.