Anthocyanins from a new hybrid sweet potato peel cultivated in Northern Thailand mitigate LPS-induced inflammation and RANKL-induced osteoporosis by regulating ROS-mediated pathways.

Maejo 341 Sweet potato (MSP) is a new purple sweet potato variety cultivated in Northern Thailand, but its health benefits are unknown. This study aimed to investigate its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-osteoporotic activities, as well as its anthocyanin content. The peel and flesh of MSP were extracted with ethanol and water.

Tuning electronic structure and carrier transport properties through crystal orientation control in two-dimensional Dion-Jacobson phase perovskites.

Two-dimensional halide perovskites are attracting attention due to their structural diversity, improved stability, and enhanced quantum efficiency compared to their three-dimensional counterparts. In particular, Dion-Jacobson (DJ) phase perovskites exhibit superior structural stability compared to Ruddlesden-Popper phase perovskites. The inherent quantum well structure of layered perovskites leads to highly anisotropic charge transport and optical properties.

Single-cell transcriptomics in a child with coenzyme Q10 nephropathy: potential of single-cell RNA sequencing in pediatric kidney disease.

Background: Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) nephropathy is a well-known cause of hereditary steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome, primarily impacting podocytes. This study aimed to elucidate variations in individual cell-level gene expression in CoQ10 nephropathy using single-cell transcriptomics.

Methods: We conducted single-cell sequencing of a kidney biopsy specimen from a 5-year-old boy diagnosed with a CoQ10 nephropathy caused by a compound heterozygous COQ2 mutation complicated with immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis.

Clinical spectrum of adult-onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia in individuals of Korean ancestry.

Adult-onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia (ALSP) is a rare white matter disease characterized by axonal and glial injury. Although its clinical characteristics have been described in case reports, the prevalence of CSF1R mutations in clinically suspected ALSP cases remains unclear. Herein, we analysed the frequency of CSF1R mutations in patients with probable or possible ALSP and describe the genetic, clinical, radiological, and pathological findings of ALSP cases in individuals of Korean ancestry.

Direct TiH powder production by the reduction of TiO using Mg in Ar and H mixed gas atmosphere.

To develop a direct production process for TiH powder from TiO, the reduction of TiO using Mg in molten MgCl - KCl salt under a high hydrogen chemical potential was investigated. The reduction of nano-sized TiO powder was conducted at 973 - 1073 K under an Ar or Ar and 10% H mixed gas atmosphere when the mass ratios of Mg to feed and salt to feed were 1.14 - 2.

Artificial intelligence-enhanced diagnosis of degenerative joint disease using temporomandibular joint panoramic radiography and joint noise data.

This study aimed to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) model for the screening of degenerative joint disease (DJD) using temporomandibular joint (TMJ) panoramic radiography and joint noise data. A total of 2631 TMJ panoramic images were collected, resulting in a final dataset of 3908 images (2127 normal (N) and 1781 DJD (D)) after excluding indeterminate cases and errors. AI models using GoogleNet were evaluated with six different combinations of image data, clinician-detected crepitus, and patient-reported joint noise.

Nonlinear exposure-response associations of daytime, nighttime, and day-night compound heatwaves with mortality amid climate change.

Heatwaves are commonly simplified as binary variables in epidemiological studies, limiting the understanding of heatwave-mortality associations. Here we conduct a multi-country study across 28 East Asian cities that employed the Cumulative Excess Heatwave Index (CEHWI), which represents excess heat accumulation during heatwaves, to explore the potentially nonlinear associations of daytime-only, nighttime-only, and day-night compound heatwaves with mortality from 1981 to 2010. Populations exhibited high adaptability to daytime-only and nighttime-only heatwaves, with non-accidental mortality risks increasing only at higher CEHWI levels (75th-90th percentiles).

Anticancer effect of a single-chain variable fragment against pro-matrix metalloproteinase-7 in colon cancer.

Disrupting the interaction between matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) and syndecan-2 (SDC-2) can yield anticancer effects in colon cancer cells. Here, a single-chain variable fragment (scFv) targeting the pro-domain of MMP-7 was generated as a potential candidate anticancer agent. Among the generated scFvs, those designated 1B7 and 1C3 showed the strongest abilities to inhibit the ability of MMP-7 pro-domain to directly interact with SDC-2 in vitro and decrease the cancer activities of human HT29 colon adenocarcinoma cells.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Acute Myocarditis: An Analysis of Korean Multicenter Registry.

Background And Objectives: Data are limited on the clinical manifestations and outcomes of acute myocarditis from a large-scale registry. We investigated acute myocarditis's clinical characteristics and prognosis from a large-scale, multi-center registry in the Republic of Korea.

Methods: We collected data from seven hospitals between 2001 and 2021.

Comparison of Oncology Drug Lag in Japan and South Korea Based on the Interval between the U.S. Approval and the Local Approval.

Drug lag is a serious issue for patients with life-threatening diseases such as cancer. Japan and Korea have been facing a large drug lag, despite having a large market and a good clinical trial environment. We analyzed drug lags for anticancer drugs between these countries, using the information on 82 anticancer drugs approved in the United States between 2017 and 2022.

Unveiling Risk Factors for Treatment Failure in Patients with Graves' Disease: A Nationwide Cohort Study in Korea.

Background: Antithyroid drug (ATD) treatment is the preferred initial treatment for Graves' disease (GD) in South Korea, despite higher treatment failure rates than radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy or thyroidectomy. This study aimed to evaluate the incidence of treatment failure associated with the primary modalities for GD treatment in real-world practice.

Methods: We included 452,001 patients diagnosed with GD between 2004 and 2020 from the Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Health Information Database.

Impact of workflow times on successful reperfusion after endovascular treatment in the late time window.

Background And Purpose: Successful and complete reperfusion should be the aim of every endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) procedure. However, the effect of time delays on successful reperfusion in late window stroke patients presenting 6-to-24 h from onset has not been investigated.

Materials And Methods: We pooled individual patient-level data from seven trials and registries for anterior circulation stroke patients treated with EVT between 6 and 24 h from onset.

The immune-inflammatory responses on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the neurovascular unit in perioperative neurocognitive disorder.

Perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PNDs) refer to a wide spectrum of cognitive impairment persisting days to even after a year postoperative with significant morbidity and mortality. However, despite much efforts involving perioperative managements, PNDs are still prevalent with no standard preventative and therapeutic strategy. To overcome PNDs, a better understanding of pathophysiology of PNDs is crucial and a large number of studies have proven that immune-inflammatory responses from surgical stress are involved in the abnormal activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and destabilization of neurovascular unit (NVU) that lead to PNDs.

Carbon dioxide-mediated catalytic pyrolysis of lignin in syngas production.

Kraft lignin (KL), a byproduct of the pulp and paper industry, is commonly combusted as a low-grade fuel. However, its high sulphur content results in the emission of sulphur oxides, which pose environmental hazards. This study explores a sustainable approach for the valorisation of waste KL into syngas via CO-mediated pyrolysis.

Clinical practices on acute acquired comitant esotropia: A consensus statement proposed by the Council of Asia-Pacific Strabismus and Pediatric Ophthalmology Society.

Acute acquired comitant esotropia (AACE) is a concomitant strabismus characterized by sudden onset, mostly associated with diplopia. The prevalence of AACE has significantly increased, and various management approaches have been recommended in recent years. This study by the Council of Asia-Pacific Strabismus and Pediatric Ophthalmology Society aimed to provide an overview of the clinical features, etiology and the nonsurgical and surgical treatment recommendations for the condition to equip strabismus specialists with the most updated knowledge.

Results from a phase 1b study of telisotuzumab vedotin in combination with osimertinib in patients with c-Met protein-overexpressing, EGFR-mutated locally advanced/metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after progression on prior osimertinib.

Background: Osimertinib is the standard first-line treatment for advanced epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated NSCLC. However, treatment resistance is inevitable and increased c-Met protein expression correlates with resistance. Telisotuzumab vedotin (Teliso-V) is an antibody-drug conjugate that targets c-Met protein overexpression.

Predictive Model of Self-Management and Quality of Life for Patients on Hemodialysis Using Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The aim of this study was to develop and validate a predictive model to enhance self-management and quality of life in patients undergoing hemodialysis, using the Information-Motivation-Behavioral (IMB) skills model. A cross-sectional study design was employed, with data collected from 245 participants selected through convenience sampling from seven hemodialysis centers in the Republic of Korea. Data were gathered using a structured questionnaire and analyzed with descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and path analysis, utilizing Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 27 and Amos 23.

Radiopaque hydrogel-in-liposomes towards theranostic applications for malignant tumors.

A radiopaque hydrogel-in-liposome (RHL) system was developed for micro-computed tomography (μCT) imaging of tumor tissue and simultaneous delivery of a cytotoxic agent. Iopamidol (IPD) and doxorubicin (DOX) were incorporated as the CT contrast and anti-cancer agents, respectively. The presence of a polyethylene glycol hydrogel core in the liposomes was confirmed via attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared, proton nuclear magnetic resonance, and selective solvent extraction.

In-Plane Anisotropy in van der Waals NiTeSe Ternary Alloy.

The anisotropic properties of materials profoundly influence their electronic, magnetic, optical, and mechanical behaviors and are critical for a wide range of applications. In this study, the anisotropic characteristics of Ni-based van der Waals materials, specifically NiTe and its alloy NiTeSe, utilizing a combination of comprehensive scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, are explored. Unlike 1T-NiTe, which exhibits trigonal in-plane symmetry, the substitution of Te with Se in NiTe (resulting in the NiTeSe alloy) induces a pronounced in-plane anisotropy.

A One Stone Three Birds Paradigm of Photon-Driven Pyroptosis Dye for Amplifying Tumor Immunotherapy.

Activating the pyroptosis pathway of tumor cells by photodynamic therapy (PDT) for immunogenic cell death (ICD) is considered a valid strategy in pursuit of antitumor immunotherapy, but it remains a huge challenge due to the lack of reliable design guidelines. Moreover, it is often overlooked that conventional PDT can exacerbate the development of tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment, which is apparently unfavorable to clinical immunotherapy. The endoplasmic reticulum's (ER) pivotal role in cellular homeostasis and its emerging link to pyroptosis have galvanized interest in ER-centric imaging and therapeutics.

Automated and Efficient Sampling of Chemical Reaction Space.

Machine learning interatomic potentials (MLIPs) promise quantum-level accuracy at classical force field speeds, but their performance hinges on the quality and diversity of training data. An efficient and fully automated approach to sample chemical reaction space without relying on human intuition, addressing a critical gap in MLIP development is presented. The method combines the speed of tight-binding calculations with selective high-level refinement, generating diverse datasets that capture both equilibrium and reactive regions of potential energy surfaces.

Exploring the potential of compound-protein complex structure-free models in virtual screening using BlendNet.

Identifying new compounds that interact with a target is a crucial time-limiting step in the initial phases of drug discovery. Compound-protein complex structure-based affinity prediction models can expedite this process; however, their dependence on high-quality three-dimensional (3D) complex structures limits their practical application. Prediction models that do not require 3D complex structures for binding-affinity estimation offer a theoretically attractive alternative; however, accurately predicting affinity without interaction information presents significant challenges.

Rational design strategies for innovative small-molecule scaffolds inspired by three pivotal protein secondary structures.

We developed a design strategy focusing on pivotal secondary structural motifs-α-helix, β-strand, and β-turn-critical for PPI recognition, using a common core skeleton. The resulting peptide-inspired pyrimidodiazepine scaffolds were further subjected to comprehensive phenotypic screening to evaluate their efficacy. Our strategy offers a transformative approach to developing small-molecule PPI modulators with broad therapeutic potential.