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Rapid and accurate detection and visualization of temperature variations near the human body hold significant importance. This study presents thermochromic colloids capable of adjusting the detectable temperature range and reflection wavelength over a wide spectrum. The systematic investigation focuses on understanding the influence of the molecular structure of nematic mesogens on the morphological dynamics of cholesteric liquid crystal droplets and their associated thermochromic behaviors. A tunable colorimetric temperature range (i.e., from 10 to 40 °C) and high sensitivity (i.e., Δλ ΔT-1 > 100nm °C-1) are realized through precise modulation of the alkyl chain lengths in cyanobiphenyls molecules, combined with a cholesteryl oleyl carbonate as a chiral dopant. We demonstrate the efficiency of a binary mixture of different mesogens, enabling customized structural colors with desired temperature responses. Finally, inspired by the ability of the octopus to camouflage through the elongation or contraction of its pigment cells, thermochromic droplets are embedded within a polymer matrix, resulting in a portable skin patch that offers quick, reversible, and direct temperature visualization of the human body.
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Treatment patterns and preferences for patients with Graves' disease (GD) vary across countries. In this study, we assessed the initial therapies and subsequent treatment modalities employed for GD in real-world clinical practice in Korea. We analyzed 452,001 patients with GD from 2004 to 2020, obtained from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. Initial treatments included antithyroid drug (ATD) therapy (98% of cases), thyroidectomy (1.3%), and radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy (0.7%). The rates of initial treatment failure were 58.5% for ATDs, 21.3% for RAI, and 2.1% for thyroidectomy. Even among cases of ATD treatment failure or recurrence, the rates of RAI therapy remained low. Regarding initial treatment, the 5-year remission rate was 46.8% among patients administered ATDs versus 91.0% among recipients of RAI therapy; at 10 years, these rates were 59.2% and 94.0%, respectively. Our findings highlight a marked disparity in the use of RAI therapy in Korea compared to Western countries. Further research is required to understand the reasons for these differences in treatment patterns.
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BACKGROUND: Thyroid cancer (TC) has underwent notable changes in its diagnosis and treatments following the concerns regarding overdiagnosis and overtreatment. However, there is little research on evaluating the effects of these alterations on TC-specific mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This population-based cohort study included 434,228 patients with TC using Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Health Information Database. The age- and sex-standardized mortality rates of thyroid cancer per 1,000 person-years were calculated considering the number of patients diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2013 per our database to evaluate the TC-specific mortality trends according to the year of TC diagnosis. RESULTS: We enrolled 434,228 patients with TC, including 352,678 women and 81,550 men, with a mean age of 48.6±12.5 years and a median follow-up duration of 7.4 (interquartile range: 4.5-10.1) years. TC incidence increased from 2005 to 2012, with a standardized rate of 91.9 per 100,000 people in 2012, decreased rapidly to 50.6 in 2015, and remained stable until 2018. However, TC-specific age- and sex-standardized mortality rates decreased from 1.94 per 1,000 person-years in 2005 to 0.76 per 1,000 person-years in 2013 and then increased to 2.70 per 1,000 person-years in 2018. The TC-specific age- and sex-standardized mortality rates of patients who had undergone hemithyroidectomy or subtotal thyroidectomy remained steady during 2005-2018, but increased in patients who had undergone total thyroidectomy or not undergone thyroidectomy between 2013 and 2018. CONCLUSIONS: The TC-specific mortality rates among patients with TC diagnosed since 2015 have increased, in contrast to the significant decline in TC incidence during the same period. This underscores the importance of appropriate diagnosis and treatment in patients with TC at high risk of progression, simultaneously emphasizing efforts to reduce overdiagnosis and overtreatment in those with low-risk TC.
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Heat-treated Lactiplantibacillus plantarum nF1 (HT-nF1) increases immune cell activation and the production of various immunomodulators (e.g., interleukin (IL)-12) as well as immunoglobulin (Ig) G, which plays an important role in humoral immunity, and IgA, which activates mucosal immunity. To determine the effect of HT-nF1 intake on improving immune function, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted on 100 subjects with normal white blood cell counts. The HT-nF1 group was administered capsules containing 5 × 1011 cells of HT-nF1 once a day for 8 weeks. After 8 weeks of HT-nF1 intake, significant changes in IL-12 were observed in the HT-nF1 group (p = 0.045). In particular, the change in natural killer (NK) cell activity significantly increased in subjects with low secretory (s) IgA (≤49.61 µg/mL) and low NK activity (E:T = 10:1) (≤3.59%). These results suggest that HT-nF1 has no safety issues and improves the innate immune function by regulating T helper (Th)1-related immune factors. Therefore, we confirmed that HT-nF1 not only has a positive effect on regulating the body's immunity, but it is also a safe material for the human body, which confirms its potential as a functional health food ingredient.
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Interleucina-12 , Células Asesinas Naturales , Probióticos , Adulto , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Método Doble Ciego , Calor , Sistema Inmunológico , Inmunidad Innata , Inmunoglobulina A/sangre , Células Asesinas Naturales/inmunología , Lactobacillus plantarum , Probióticos/administración & dosificaciónRESUMEN
The oral cavity connects the external environment and the respiratory and digestive systems, and the oral microbial ecosystem is complex and plays a crucial role in overall health and immune defense against external threats. Recently, the potential use of probiotics for disease prevention and treatment has gained attention. This study aimed to assess the effect of Weissella cibaria CMS1 (W. cibaria CMS1) consumption on the oral microbiome and immune function in healthy individuals through a 12-week clinical trial. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel trial enrolled 90 healthy subjects. The consumption of W. cibaria CMS1 significantly increased salivary immunoglobulin A (p = 0.046) and decreased tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels (p = 0.008). Analysis of the oral microbiota revealed changes in beta diversity, increased abundance of Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, and decreased abundance of Bacteroidetes and Fusobacteria after 12 weeks of consuming W. cibaria CMS1. Significant increases in various strains, including Lactobacillales, Bacilli, Streptococcaceae, Streptococcus, and Firmicutes, were observed in the W. cibaria CMS1 group after 12 weeks of intake. Additionally, Fusobacteriia Fusobacteriales Fusobacteriaceae and Fusobacteriia Fusobacteriales Fusobacteriaceae Fusobacterium exhibited a positive correlation with TNF-α. These findings demonstrate the positive effect of W. cibaria CMS1 on the oral environment and immune function.
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Boca , Probióticos , Weissella , Humanos , Probióticos/farmacología , Probióticos/administración & dosificación , Método Doble Ciego , Masculino , Femenino , Adulto , Boca/microbiología , Adulto Joven , Factor de Necrosis Tumoral alfa/metabolismo , Microbiota , Saliva/microbiología , Saliva/inmunología , Inmunoglobulina A , Bacterias/clasificación , Bacterias/aislamiento & purificación , Bacterias/genética , Persona de Mediana EdadRESUMEN
Radioactive 131I (RAI) therapy has potential effects for the treatment of Graves disease (GD). However, whether RAI therapy for GD increases cancer risk remains controversial in medicine and public health. We aimed to investigate whether the risk of cancer increases in patients with GD receiving RAI therapy compared with those who did not. Methods: We used the Korean National Health Insurance Service's National Health Information Database from 2004 to 2020 and defined GD as prescribing antithyroid drugs, RAI, or thyroidectomy as a treatment for GD (International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, E05 group). We investigated the hazard ratios (HRs) of overall and site-specific cancers associated with RAI in patients with GD. Subsequent cancer was defined as a primary malignancy treated at least 1 y after RAI therapy. Results: In total, 10,737 patients with GD who received RAI therapy (7,193 women, 67.0%; mean age, 43.7 ± 13.4 y) were matched to 53,003 patients with GD who had never received RAI treatment (35,471 women, 66.9%; mean age, 43.8 ± 13.2 y) in a 1:4-5 ratio by age, sex, and health checkup data. The median follow-up duration was 8.7 y (interquartile range, 5.2-12.1 y), and the median cumulative RAI dose was 555 MBq (interquartile range, 370-630 MBq) in the RAI therapy group. During 2004-2020, the overall subsequent cancer rates were 5.66 and 5.84 per 1,000 person-years in the RAI and non-RAI groups, respectively, with an unadjusted HR of 0.97 (95% CI, 0.88-1.06); this remained at 0.96 (95% CI, 0.83-1.10) after adjustment for multiple clinical confounding factors. For cancer subtypes, the risk of leukemia was significantly increased, with an HR of 2.39 (95% CI, 1.17-4.91). However, a loss of statistical significance was observed after adjusting for confounding factors, which may be attributed to the limited number of absolute events. Moreover, cancer-specific mortality was not different between the RAI and the non-RAI groups, with an adjusted HR of 0.99 (95% CI, 0.66-1.47). Conclusion: This study identified that the overall cancer risk in patients with GD who received RAI therapy compared with those who did not was not significant in Korea. Further long-term studies are needed to determine the risks and advantages of RAI therapy in patients with GD.
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Enfermedad de Graves , Radioisótopos de Yodo , Humanos , Radioisótopos de Yodo/uso terapéutico , Radioisótopos de Yodo/efectos adversos , Enfermedad de Graves/radioterapia , Femenino , Masculino , Adulto , Persona de Mediana Edad , Estudios de Cohortes , República de Corea , Neoplasias Inducidas por Radiación/etiología , Neoplasias/radioterapiaRESUMEN
Novel strategies are required to reduce the risk of developing diabetes and/or clinical outcomes and complications of diabetes. In this regard, the role of the circadian system may be a potential candidate for the prevention of diabetes. We reviewed evidence from animal, clinical, and epidemiological studies linking the circadian system to various aspects of the pathophysiology and clinical outcomes of diabetes. The circadian clock governs genetic, metabolic, hormonal, and behavioral signals in anticipation of cyclic 24-hour events through interactions between a "central clock" in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and "peripheral clocks" in the whole body. Currently, circadian rhythmicity in humans can be subjectively or objectively assessed by measuring melatonin and glucocorticoid levels, core body temperature, peripheral blood, oral mucosa, hair follicles, rest-activity cycles, sleep diaries, and circadian chronotypes. In this review, we summarized various circadian misalignments, such as altered light-dark, sleep-wake, rest-activity, fasting-feeding, shift work, evening chronotype, and social jetlag, as well as mutations in clock genes that could contribute to the development of diabetes and poor glycemic status in patients with diabetes. Targeting critical components of the circadian system could deliver potential candidates for the treatment and prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus in the future.
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Relojes Circadianos , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2 , Melatonina , Animales , Humanos , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/metabolismo , Ritmo Circadiano/fisiología , Relojes Circadianos/fisiología , Melatonina/metabolismo , Sueño/fisiologíaRESUMEN
Tagetes erecta and Ocimum basilicum are medicinal plants that exhibit anti-inflammatory effects against various diseases. However, their individual and combined effects on osteoarthritis (OA) are unknown. Herein, we aimed to demonstrate the effects of T. erecta, O. basilicum, and their mixture, WGA-M001, on OA pathogenesis. The administration of total extracts of T. erecta and O. basilicum reduced cartilage degradation and inflammation without causing cytotoxicity. Although WGA-M001 contained lower concentrations of the individual extracts, it strongly inhibited the expression of pathogenic factors. In vivo OA studies also supported that WGA-M001 had protective effects against cartilage destruction at lower doses than those of T. erecta and O. basilicum. Moreover, its effects were stronger than those observed using Boswellia and Perna canaliculus. WGA-M001 effectively inhibited the interleukin (IL)-1ß-induced nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of the activated B cell (NF-κB) pathway and ERK phosphorylation. Furthermore, RNA-sequence analysis also showed that WGA-M001 decreased the expression of genes related to the IL-1ß-induced NF-κB and ERK signaling pathways. Therefore, WGA-M001 is more effective than the single total extracts of T. erecta and O. basilicum in attenuating OA progression by regulating ERK and NF-κB signaling. Our results open new possibilities for WGA-M001 as a potential therapeutic agent for OA treatment.