Search Results (518)

Background/Objectives: The two major subtypes of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)—Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC)—are known to increase the likelihood of developing colorectal cancer (CRC). While this relationship has been well studied in Western populations, evidence from East Asia remains limited and inconsistent. Using nationwide cohort data, this study explored the potential connection between IBD and CRC in a large Korean population. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service–National Sample Cohort from 2005 to 2019. A total of 9920 CRC patients were matched 1:4 with 39,680 controls using propensity scores based on age, sex, income, and region. Overlap weighting and multivariable logistic regression were used to evaluate the association between IBD and CRC. Subgroup analyses were conducted to assess effect modification by demographic and clinical factors. Results: IBD markedly increased the likelihood of developing CRC (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.38; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.20–1.58; p < 0.001), with the association primarily driven by UC (aOR = 1.52; 95% CI: 1.27–1.83). CD appeared unrelated to heightened CRC risk overall, though a significant association was observed among low-income CD patients (aOR = 1.58; 95% CI: 1.15–2.16). The UC–CRC association persisted across all subgroups, including patients without comorbidities. Conclusions: Our findings support an independent association between IBD—particularly UC—and increased CRC risk in Korea. These results underscore the need for personalized CRC surveillance strategies that account for disease subtype, comorbidity burden, and socioeconomic status, especially in vulnerable subpopulations. Full article

Background/Objective: Accurately identifying women at high risk for preterm birth among those with threatened preterm labor (PTL) is crucial for effective interventions or tocolytic management to reduce preterm birth and its complications. This study aimed to determine the predictive value of cervical elastography for preterm delivery before 37 weeks of gestation in patients with threatened PTL and a cervical length greater than 15 mm. Methods: This prospective cohort study included pregnant women presenting with threatened PTL at between 24 and 34 weeks gestation. All participants underwent cervical elastography at diagnosis. We compared cervical elastography parameters between women who delivered spontaneously preterm (<37 weeks) and those who delivered at full term and assessed the ability of these parameters to predict spontaneous preterm delivery. Results: Among the 107 enrolled individuals with threatened PTL and a cervical length of ≥15 mm, 55 (42%) experienced preterm birth (<37 weeks). Internal os stiffness (IOS), internal-to-external os stiffness ratio (IOS/EOS ratio), and elasticity contrast index (ECI) were significantly associated with a risk of preterm birth compared to full-term birth. The IOS/EOS ratio was associated with 10-fold higher odds of preterm birth at <37 weeks (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.82–59.98), and ECI was associated with 1.5-fold higher odds (95% CI, 1.01–2.37). The IOS/EOS ratio demonstrated good predictive value (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.678) and the combination of CL ≤ 25 mm and the IOS/EOS ratio had good diagnostic performance for predicting preterm birth (AUC = 0.708). Conclusions: Cervical elastography using the E-Cervix™ system appears to improve the ability to predict preterm birth in pregnant women with threatened PTL and a cervical length greater than 15 mm. Full article

The basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors are involved in a wide range of physiological processes in plants, including hormone signaling, stress responses, and growth and development regulation. They play a key role in abscisic acid (ABA)-mediated immune regulation. However, the immune-related function of OsbZIP76 in rice remains poorly understood. In this study, we generated OsbZIP76 knockout (KO) lines using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing and examined their phenotypic responses to the bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) and the fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae. The KO lines showed increased susceptibility to both pathogens compared to wild-type (WT) plants. Furthermore, qRT-PCR analysis revealed that, upon pathogen infection, the expression of pathogenesis-related genes such as PR1a, PR5, and NPR1 was significantly suppressed in the KO lines. ABA treatment experiments showed that KO lines were hypersensitive to exogenous ABA, indicating a role for OsbZIP76 in ABA perception and signaling. Notably, the expression of the OsbZIP76 gene itself was strongly induced by both ABA treatment and pathogen infection, supporting its role as a positive regulator in ABA-associated immune signaling. Overall, this study demonstrates that OsbZIP76 functions as an important immune regulator by integrating defense gene expression with ABA signaling, providing new insights into the molecular crosstalk between hormonal signaling and pathogen defense mechanisms. Full article

Background: γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a non-proteinogenic amino acid with key roles in plant metabolism, stress responses, and fruit nutritional quality. In tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), GABA levels are dynamically regulated during fruit development but decline in the late ripening stages. Methods: To enhance GABA accumulation, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to edit the calmodulin-binding domain (CaMBD) of SlGAD2 and SlGAD3, which encode glutamate decarboxylases (GADs). The resulting truncated enzymes were expected to be constitutively active. We quantified GABA content in leaves and fruits and performed transcriptomic analysis on edited lines at the BR+7 fruit stage. Results: CaMBD truncation significantly increased GABA levels in both leaves and fruits. In gad2 sg1 lines, GABA levels increased by 3.5-fold in leaves and 3.2-fold in BR+10 fruits; in gad3 sg3 lines, increases of 2.8- and 2.5-fold were observed, respectively. RNA-seq analysis identified 1383 DEGs in gad2 #1−5 and 808 DEGs in gad3 #3−8, with 434 DEGs shared across both lines. These shared DEGs showed upregulation of GAD, GABA-T, and SSADH, and downregulation of stress-responsive transcription factors including WRKY46, ERF, and NAC. Notably, total free amino acid content and fruit morphology remained unchanged despite elevated GABA. Conclusions: CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing of the CaMBD in SlGAD genes selectively enhances GABA biosynthesis in tomato without adverse effects on development or fruit quality. These lines offer a useful platform for GABA-centered metabolic engineering and provide insights into GABA’s role in transcriptional regulation during ripening. Full article

Background/Objectives: Diagnosing interstitial pregnancy (IP) using ultrasonography can be challenging, as it is often mistaken for eccentrically located intrauterine pregnancy (IUP). In this retrospective cohort study, we aimed to develop a predictive scoring model using multiple clinical factors to enhance the diagnosis of IP and facilitate timely interventions in suspected cases. Methods: We enrolled 63 pregnant women with a diagnosis of suspected IP who visited a single tertiary center between January 2006 and December 2023. Data on the clinical risk factors, symptoms, laboratory test results, and ultrasound findings were analyzed. A statistical predictive score was developed using logistic regression analysis with feature selection based on the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator to optimize the predictive accuracy and clinical applicability. Results: From a total of 12 factors, a scoring model was constructed from the three most prominent factors—ultrasound findings showing no surrounding endometrium, myometrial thinning of less than 5 mm, and vaginal bleeding—all of which demonstrated high feature importance. This predictive score identified IP with a negative predictive value of 0.950 in the low-risk group and a positive predictive value of 1.000 in the high-risk group, whereas the overall area under the curve was 0.998 (95% confidence interval, 0.992–1.000). Conclusions: The statistically derived predictive model––ultrasound showing no surrounding endometrium and myometrial thinning < 5 mm combined with vaginal bleeding––demonstrated high accuracy and practical applicability for IP diagnosis, providing a robust tool to enhance clinical decision-making and optimize routine management strategies for IP. Full article

Background/Objectives: Stratifying post-cardiac arrest survivors based on the likelihood of good neurologic outcomes can guide the decision for targeted temperature management (TTM). This study aimed to compare the impact of TTM on neurological improvement among comatose out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survivors stratified by the revised post-cardiac arrest syndrome for therapeutic hypothermia (rCAST) score. Methods: This retrospective observational cohort study was conducted from February 2018 to April 2023 at the emergency department. We calculated the rCAST score immediately after the return of spontaneous circulation in adult patients and compared neurological outcomes at discharge for TTM based on the severity classification of the rCAST score (low: ≤5.5; moderate: 6.0–14.0; high: ≥14.5). We utilized inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) analysis to adjust for selection bias and potential confounding factors between the TTM and non-TTM groups. Results: Among 300 comatose OHCA survivors, the proportions of patients with good neurological outcomes at discharge were 60.7% (17/28), 38.9% (56/144), and 2.3% (3/128) in the low, moderate, and high-severity rCAST groups, respectively. With increasing severity of the rCAST, the absolute difference in the proportion of patients with good neurological outcomes decreased between those who underwent TTM and those who did not (68.0% vs. 0.0%; p = 0.023, 45.2% vs. 27.5%; p = 0.037, and 3.5% vs. 0.0%; p = 0.221, respectively). After adjusting using IPTW, TTM was associated with good neurologic outcomes in the moderate-severity group (odds ratio, 2.31; 95% confidence interval, 1.09–4.91; p = 0.029). Conclusions: This study suggests that TTM may offer specific benefits for certain groups of OHCA survivors. Further research is needed to refine risk stratification tools for improved patient selection. Full article

Background/Objectives: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of disinfection and quarantine significantly increased, particularly in situations of staff shortages. Automated disinfection methods, such as hydrogen peroxide vaporization (HPV), are increasingly considered as alternatives to traditional manual disinfection. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of HPV compared to standard disinfection practices. Methods: Experiments were conducted at the Infectious Disease Clinical Research Simulation Center of Soonchunhyang University Hospital using Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores as biological indicators. The spores were inoculated on various hospital surfaces and allowed to dry for 120 min. Three disinfection methods were tested: (1) scrubbing with a disposable towel soaked in sodium hypochlorite; (2) placing sodium hypochlorite-soaked towels on the surface for one minute; and (3) HPV alone. Samples were collected post-disinfection and incubated at 55–60 °C. Bacterial cultures were assessed after 24, 48, and 168 h. Results: After 24 h of incubation, sterilization rates were 0% for the scrubbing method, 27% for sodium hypochlorite towels, 68% for HPV alone, and 95% for the combination of sodium hypochlorite and HPV. HPV alone demonstrated statistically greater efficacy compared to standard disinfection practices (p = 0.03). Conclusions: HPV alone may serve as a viable disinfection method in clinical environments, particularly during pandemics when staffing limitations hinder thorough manual cleaning. Further clinical trials are warranted to validate these findings and improve disinfection methods for challenging materials such as fabrics. Full article

Urban trees grow in diverse environments where site conditions and human management may influence their growth patterns. However, few allometric equations (AEs) have been developed for urban trees, and the effects of environmental variations across urban land use categories on tree biomass remain largely unexplored. Therefore, this study developed urban land-use-specific AEs for major urban tree species in South Korea. We selected eight major urban tree species groups (at genus level), harvested 201 trees, and non-destructively measured the stem volumes of 1995 trees using a laser dendrometer. Species-specific and generalized AEs to estimate stem volume were developed under three urban land use categories: street trees, urban parks, and others. The results indicated that differences in stem volume across urban land use categories varied by species, with street trees generally showing smaller stem volumes. Furthermore, due to the high variation in stem volume within species, sampling designs that encompass diverse size distributions are necessary when developing AEs for urban trees. Our findings indicate that various factors in urban environments influence tree volume and considering these differences is essential for improving biomass estimation accuracy. Full article

Background/Objectives: Traditional Quality by Testing (QbT) strategies rely heavily on end-product testing and offer limited insight into how critical process parameters (CPPs) influence product quality. This increases the risk of variability and inconsistent outcomes. To overcome these limitations, this study aimed to implement a Quality by Design (QbD) approach to optimize the manufacturing process of clopidogrel tablets. Methods: A science- and risk-based QbD framework was applied to identify and prioritize key CPPs, intermediate critical quality attributes (iCQAs), and final product CQAs across key unit operations—pre-blending, dry granulation, post-blending, lubrication, and compression. Risk assessment tools and statistical design of experiments (DoE) were used to define proven acceptable ranges (PARs). Results: The study revealed strong correlations between CPPs and CQAs, allowing the definition of PARs and development of a robust control strategy. This led to improved manufacturing consistency, reduced variability, and enhanced process understanding. Conclusions: The QbD approach minimized reliance on end-product testing while ensuring high-quality outcomes. This study offers a novel QbD implementation tailored to the manufacturing challenges of clopidogrel tablets, providing a validated approach that integrates dry granulation CPPs with process-specific CQAs. These results demonstrate the value of QbD in achieving robust pharmaceutical manufacturing and meeting regulatory expectations. Full article

Background/Objectives: Parkinson’s disease (PD) and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) are both prevalent in the geriatric population. While dizziness is a common non-motor symptom in PD, the relationship between PD and incident BPPV remains unclear. Limited data suggest potential shared mechanisms, including mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress, but large-scale epidemiological evidence is lacking. This investigation focused on assessing the incidence of BPPV in patients with PD compared to matched controls using a nationwide cohort. Methods: Data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service–Health Screening Cohort were used to perform a retrospective cohort analysis. We identified 8232 newly diagnosed PD patients and matched them 1:4 with 32,928 controls based on age, sex, income, and residential region. Stratified Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for incident BPPV. Subgroup and Kaplan–Meier analyses were also performed. Results: Over 220,151 person-years of follow-up revealed a lower incidence of BPPV in the PD group relative to the control group (4.98 vs. 5.95 per 1000 person-years); the corresponding adjusted HR was 0.77 (95% CI: 0.66–0.90; p = 0.001), indicating a 23% reduced risk. The inverse association remained consistent across most subgroups, including older adults and rural residents. Kaplan–Meier analysis further illustrated a significant decline in the cumulative incidence of BPPV in PD patients (p = 0.007). Conclusions: PD may contribute to a lower incidence of BPPV, which could be explained by reduced mobility, altered vestibular function, or diagnostic challenges. Clinicians should consider BPPV in PD patients presenting with dizziness. Full article

This study investigates the effects of pilot scale Alnus japonica hot water extract (AJHW) on muscle loss and muscle atrophy. Building on previous in vitro studies, in vivo experiments were conducted to evaluate muscle strength, mass, fiber size, protein synthesis, and antioxidant activity. The results showed that AJHW significantly restored muscle strength, increased muscle mass, enhanced the expression of muscle synthesis markers, such as Akt and mTOR, and apoptosis inhibition markers, such as Bcl-2, compared to the muscle atrophy control. Muscle degradation markers, such as Atrogin1, MuRF1, FoxO3α, and the apoptosis activation marker Bax, were decreased compared to the muscle atrophy control. Additionally, AJHW significantly boosted the activity of antioxidant factors like SOD, catalase, and Gpx, suggesting its protective role against oxidative stress-induced muscle damage. The enhanced effects were attributed to the high content of hirsutanonol and hirsutenone, which synergized with oregonin, compounds, identified through phytochemical analysis. While these findings support the potential of AJHW as a candidate for preventing muscle loss, further studies are needed to confirm its efficacy across diverse atrophy models and to elucidate its exact mechanisms. Full article

Infective spondylitis is a rare but potentially devastating spinal infection that requires timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment to prevent severe complications, including neurological deficits and spinal deformity. Despite advancements in diagnostic imaging, microbiological techniques, and antimicrobial therapies, clinical challenges persist because of the disease’s insidious onset, varied etiologies, and increasing antimicrobial resistance. This review article provides a comprehensive analysis of the current literature on the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnostic approaches, and treatment strategies for infective spondylitis. Full article

Background/Objectives: The glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) enzyme, encoded by OsGAPDHC6, plays a crucial role in glycolysis while participating in various physiological and stress response pathways. Methods: In this study, the expression levels of the OsGAPDHC1 and OsGAPDHC6 genes were investigated over time by treating various abiotic stresses (ABA, PEG, NaCl, heat, and cold) in rice seedlings. Results: As a result, the expression levels of both genes in the ABA-treated group increased continuously for 0–6 h and then de-creased sharply from 12 h onwards. The mutational induction of the GAPDHC6 gene by the CRISPR/Cas9 system generated a stop codon through a 1 bp insertion into protein production. The knockout (KO) lines showed differences in seed length, seed width, and seed thickness compared to wild-type (WT) varieties. In addition, KO lines showed a lower germination rate, germination ability, and germination index of seeds under salt treatment compared to WT, and leaf damage due to 3,3′-diaminobenzidine (DAB) staining was very high due to malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation. The KO line was lower regarding the expression level of stress-related genes compared to WT. Conclusions: Therefore, the OsGAPDHC6 gene is evaluated as a gene that can increase salt resistance in rice as it actively responds to salt stress in the early stages of growth, occurring from seed germination to just before the tilling stage. Full article

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are pivotal to advancing sustainable hydrogen energy systems. However, their performance decreases under low-humidity conditions (relative humidity, RH 50%) due to inadequate membrane hydration. This study addresses this challenge by utilizing a sputtering process to deposit titanium dioxide (TiO₂) onto microporous layers (MPLs), enhancing their hydrophilicity and water management capabilities. TiO₂ intrinsic hydrophilic properties and oxygen vacancies improve water adsorption and distribution, leading to more stable PEMFC performance under reduced humidity. Electrochemical evaluations revealed that while initial resistance slightly increased, long-term stability improved significantly. The TiO₂-coated MPL exhibited a lower performance degradation rate, with a 12.33% reduction in current density compared to 25.3% for the pristine MPL after 10 h of operation. These findings demonstrate that TiO₂ deposition effectively mitigates performance losses under low-humidity conditions, reducing the reliance on external humidification systems. This work contributes to the development of more efficient and sustainable fuel cell technologies for applications such as hydrogen-powered vehicles and distributed energy systems. Full article