Update on the treatment navigation for functional cure of chronic hepatitis B: expert consensus 2.0.

As new evidence emerges, treatment strategies toward the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B are evolving. In 2019, a panel of national hepatologists published a Consensus Statement on the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B. Currently, an international group of hepatologists has been assembled to evaluate research since the publication of the original consensus, and to collaboratively develop the updated statements.

Role of radiofrequency ablation in the treatment of symptomatic distant metastasis of thyroid cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for the treatment of symptomatic distant metastasis of differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

Materials And Methods: The medical records of 12 patients who underwent RFA for the palliative treatment of 18 symptomatic distant metastases from thyroid cancer between January 2008 and December 2020 were analyzed. All patients were assessed for their degree of discomfort and underwent periodical evaluations as outpatients, including clinical examination, imaging, and serologic markers.

Incorporating Lymph Node Size at CT as an N1 Descriptor in Clinical N Staging for Lung Cancer.

Background The ninth edition of the TNM classification for lung cancer revised the N2 categorization, improving patient stratification, but prognostic heterogeneity remains for the N1 category. Purpose To define the optimal size cutoff for a bulky lymph node (LN) on CT scans and to evaluate the prognostic value of bulky LN in the clinical N staging of lung cancer. Materials and Methods This retrospective study analyzed patients who underwent lobectomy or pneumonectomy for lung cancer between January 2013 and December 2021, divided into development (2016-2021) and validation (2013-2015) cohorts.

Risk Factors for Progressive Disease After Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Background: This study analyzed the clinical features of patients with recurrent or metastatic (R/M) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), who developed progressive disease (PD) after immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 256 patients with R/M HNSCC treated with ICIs at 11 medical centers. Associations between the treatment outcomes-best response, overall survival, and progression-free survival-and various clinical factors were analyzed.

Prognostic Value of Ambulatory Status at Transplant in Older Heart Transplant Recipients: Implications for Organ Allocation Policy.

Background: Shortage of organ donors in the Republic of Korea has become a major problem. To address this, it has been questioned whether heart transplant (HTx) allocation should be modified to reduce priority of older patients. We aimed to evaluate post-HTx outcomes according to recipient age and specific pre-HTx conditions using a nationwide prospective cohort.

Management of a Large Nosocomial Outbreak From an Index of Crusted Scabies in a Tertiary Care Hospital, 2023: A Retrospective Observational Study.

Background: In 2023, we experienced an outbreak from a case of undiagnosed crusted scabies, resulting in a significant number of exposed individuals and secondary cases. In this report, we describe the outbreak control measures, the attack rate, and the risk factors for acquisition of scabies among healthcare workers (HCWs).

Methods: This study was conducted in a 2,700-bed tertiary care hospital in Seoul, South Korea.

Solar-Active Carbon Nitride Film Integrated by Free Radical Copolymerization for Photocatalytic Indoor Air Purification.

The current lack of stable, scalable, and efficient coating technology dramatically limits the exploitation of solar-driven graphitic carbon nitride (CN) photocatalysts. Herein, a unique, efficient, and scalable method is reported to immobilize CN powder on various substrates ranging from Fluorine tin oxide (FTO), glass, Plexiglas, Al foil, Ti foil, and Granite stone, to even wood. The film shows an outstanding thickness of 212 µm, which is the highest value ever reported.

Risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in Asian patients with primary biliary cholangitis: A nationwide and hospital cohort study.

Background & Aims: Large-scale studies on the association between primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Asians are scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the incidence of HCC and its risk factors in a nationwide cohort.

Methods: The data of 4,882 patients with PBC and 38,603 matched controls were extracted from the Korean National Health Insurance Service (2007-2020) and analyzed.

Facile Synthesis of Nanostructured Lithium-Incorporated Titanium Oxides (Li-TiO ) by Means of Wet Corrosion Process (WCP) and Their Potential Application for Batteries.

Currently, there is a growing demand for nanomaterials in the fields of materials and energy. Nanostructured metal oxides have been widely studied, owing to their unique and diverse physicochemical properties and potential applications in various fields. In recent years, considerable attention has been directed toward metal oxides, particularly lithium-incorporated titanium oxides (Li-TiO ), owing to their exceptional safety profiles.

Feasibility of Pure Laparoscopic Donor Right Hepatectomy Compared to Open Donor Right Hepatectomy: A Large Single-Center Cohort Study.

Objective: This study aimed to compare morbidity of living donors and recipients after pure laparoscopic donor right hepatectomy (PLDRH) and open donor right hepatectomy (ODRH).

Background: Donor and recipient morbidity have not been sufficiently reported in large-scale comparisons of PLDRH and ODRH.

Methods: This retrospective study reviewed 3348 donors who underwent PLDRH (n=329) and ODRH (n=3019) and their corresponding recipients (n=3348) between January 2014 and August 2023.

Erratum to: Corrigendum: 2023 Korean Society of Menopause - Osteoporosis Guidelines Part I.

This corrects the article on p. 126 in vol. 30, PMID: 39315504.

Spontaneous Nystagmus Violating the Alexander's Law: Neural Substrates and Mechanisms.

Alexander's law states that spontaneous nystagmus increases when looking in the direction of fast-phase and decreases during gaze in slow-phase direction. Disobedience to Alexander's law is occasionally observed in central nystagmus, but the underlying neural circuit mechanisms are poorly understood. In a retrospective analysis of 2,652 patients with posterior circulations stroke, we found a violation of Alexander's law in one or both directions of lateral gaze in 17 patients with lesions of unilateral lateral medulla affecting the vestibular nucleus.

Comparative analysis of postoperative outcomes of single-incision cholecystectomy: Propensity score matching of robotic surgery using the da Vinci SP system and da Vinci Xi system vs. laparoscopic surgery.

Backgrounds/aims: We compared the postoperative outcomes of single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) with those of single-incision robotic cholecystectomy (SIRC) using the da Vinci Xi and SP systems.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 206 patients who underwent these procedures by a single surgeon between August 2020 and April 2022. Propensity score matching was used to adjust for confounders and evaluate outcomes.

Association between Everolimus Combination Therapy and Cancer Risk after Liver Transplantation: A Nationwide Population-based Quasi-Cohort Study.

The potential of everolimus in reducing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among recipients following liver transplantation has been reported. This nationwide population-based quasi-cohort study investigated whether combining everolimus with calcineurin inhibitor therapy affects the risk of HCC and extrahepatic cancers compared to a time-duration-matched cohort of recipients not receiving everolimus. Using data covering the entire population from Korea, liver transplant recipients who had initiated immunosuppressants between June 2015 and February 2020 were collected and divided into two groups: the everolimus combination and non-combination groups.

Clinical feasibility of deep learning-driven magnetic resonance angiography collateral map in acute anterior circulation ischemic stroke.

To validate the clinical feasibility of deep learning-driven magnetic resonance angiography (DL-driven MRA) collateral map in acute ischemic stroke. We employed a 3D multitask regression and ordinal regression deep neural network, called as 3D-MROD-Net, to generate DL-driven MRA collateral maps. Two raters graded the collateral perfusion scores of both conventional and DL-driven MRA collateral maps and measured the grading time.

Thermally Triggered Double Emulsion-Integrated Hydrogel Microparticles for Multiplexed Molecular Diagnostics.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) has been recognized as the most reliable diagnostic tool. However, there is a need to develop multiplexed assays capable of analyzing multiple genes simultaneously to expand its application. To address this, a multiplexed RT-qPCR using a double emulsion (DE)-based carrier and a polymer microparticle reactor, termed primer-incorporated network tailored with Taqman probe (TaqPIN) is developed.

Conversion Therapy for Stage IV Gastric Cancer: Report From the Expert Consensus Meeting at KINGCA WEEK 2024.

Conversion therapy is a treatment strategy that shifts from palliative systemic therapy to curative surgical treatment for primary and/or metastatic stage IV gastric cancer (GC). To address its clinical statements, the Korean Gastric Cancer Association aims to present a consensus on conversion therapy among experts attending KINGCA WEEK 2024. The KINGCA Scientific Committee and Development Working Group for Korean Practice Guidelines prepared preformulated topics and 9 clinical statements for conversion therapy.

Korean Gastric Cancer Association-Led Nationwide Survey on Surgically Treated Gastric Cancers in 2023.

Purpose: Since 1995, the Korean Gastric Cancer Association (KGCA) has been periodically conducting nationwide surveys on patients with surgically treated gastric cancer. This study details the results of the survey conducted in 2023.

Materials And Methods: The survey was conducted from March to December 2024 using a standardized case report form.

Korean Practice Guidelines for Gastric Cancer 2024: An Evidence-based, Multidisciplinary Approach (Update of 2022 Guideline).

Gastric cancer is one of the most common cancers in both Korea and worldwide. Since 2004, the Korean Practice Guidelines for Gastric Cancer have been regularly updated, with the 4th edition published in 2022. The 4th edition was the result of a collaborative work by an interdisciplinary team, including experts in gastric surgery, gastroenterology, endoscopy, medical oncology, abdominal radiology, pathology, nuclear medicine, radiation oncology, and guideline development methodology.