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BACKGROUND: CSF1R-related leukoencephalopathy is a type of autosomal dominant leukodystrophy caused by mutations in the colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) gene. Subcortical ischemic vascular dementia (SIVaD), which is caused by cerebral small vessel disease, is similar to CSF1R-related leukoencephalopathy in that it mainly affects subcortical white matter. In this study, we compared the patterns of white matter hyperintensity (WMH) and cortical thickness in CSF1R-related leukoencephalopathy with those in SIVaD. METHODS: Fourteen patients with CSF1R-related leukoencephalopathy and 129 with SIVaD were retrospectively recruited from three tertiary medical centers. We extracted and visualized WMH data using voxel-based morphometry to compare the WMH distributions between the two groups. Cortical thickness was measured using a surface-based method. Statistical maps of differences in cortical thickness between the two groups were generated using a surface model, with age, sex, education, and intracranial volume as covariates. RESULTS: Predominant distribution of WMH in the CSF1R-related leukoencephalopathy group was in the bilateral frontal and parietal areas, whereas the SIVaD group showed diffuse WMH involvement in the bilateral frontal, parietal, and temporal areas. Compared with the SIVaD group, the CSF1R-related leukoencephalopathy group showed more severe corpus callosum atrophy (CCA) and widespread cortical thinning. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first study using the automated MR measurement to capture WMH, cortical thinning, and CCA with signal changes in CSF1R-related leukoencephalopathy. It provides new evidence regarding differences in the patterns of WMH distribution and cortical thinning between CSF1R-related leukoencephalopathy and SIVaD.
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Demência Vascular , Leucoencefalopatias , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , Receptores de Fator Estimulador das Colônias de Granulócitos e Macrófagos , Substância Branca , Humanos , Masculino , Feminino , Substância Branca/patologia , Substância Branca/diagnóstico por imagem , Leucoencefalopatias/diagnóstico por imagem , Leucoencefalopatias/patologia , Demência Vascular/patologia , Demência Vascular/diagnóstico por imagem , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Idoso , Estudos Retrospectivos , Receptores de Fator Estimulador das Colônias de Granulócitos e Macrófagos/genética , Córtex Cerebral/patologia , Córtex Cerebral/diagnóstico por imagem , Receptor de Fator Estimulador de Colônias de MacrófagosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Omicron variants have rapidly diversified into sublineages with mutations that enhance immune evasion, posing challenges for vaccination and antibody responses. This study aimed to compare serum cross-neutralizing antibody responses against various SARS-CoV-2 Omicron sublineages (BA.1, BA.5, XBB.1.17.1, FK.1.1, and JN.1) in recipients of monovalent COVID-19 boosters, bivalent booster recipients, and individuals who had recovered from Omicron BA.5 infections. METHODS: We conducted a micro-neutralization assay on serum samples from monovalent BNT162b2 booster recipients (N = 54), bivalent BNT162b2 booster recipients (N = 24), and SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.5-recovered individuals (N = 13). The history of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection was assessed using ELISA against the SARS-CoV-2 NP protein. RESULTS: Bivalent booster recipients exhibited significantly enhanced neutralization efficacy against Omicron sublineages compared to those who had received monovalent booster vaccinations. Omicron BA.5-recovered individuals displayed similar neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) to the bivalent booster recipients. Despite the improved neutralization in bivalent recipients and BA.5-recovered individuals, there were limitations in neutralization against the recently emerged Omicron subvariants: XBB.1.17.1 FK.1.1, and JN.1. In both monovalent and bivalent booster recipients, a history of Omicron breakthrough infection was associated with relatively higher geometric mean titers of NAbs against Omicron BA.1, BA.5, and XBB.1.17.1 variants. CONCLUSION: This study underscores the intricate interplay between vaccination strategies, immune imprinting, and the dynamic landscape of SARS-CoV-2 variants. Although bivalent boosters enhance neutralization, addressing the challenge of emerging sublineages like XBB.1.17.1, FK.1.1, and JN.1 may necessitate the development of tailored vaccines, underscoring the need for ongoing adaptation to effectively combat this highly mutable virus.
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Anticorpos Neutralizantes , Anticorpos Antivirais , Vacinas contra COVID-19 , COVID-19 , Imunização Secundária , SARS-CoV-2 , Humanos , Anticorpos Neutralizantes/sangue , Anticorpos Neutralizantes/imunologia , SARS-CoV-2/imunologia , SARS-CoV-2/genética , COVID-19/prevenção & controle , COVID-19/imunologia , COVID-19/virologia , Anticorpos Antivirais/sangue , Anticorpos Antivirais/imunologia , Vacinas contra COVID-19/imunologia , Vacinas contra COVID-19/administração & dosagem , Testes de Neutralização , Feminino , Masculino , Adulto , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Vacina BNT162/imunologiaRESUMO
Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by cerebral cortex atrophy. In this study, we used sparse canonical correlation analysis (SCCA) to identify associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and cortical thickness in the Korean population. We also investigated the role of the SNPs in neurological outcomes, including neurodegeneration and cognitive dysfunction. Methods: We recruited 1125 Korean participants who underwent neuropsychological testing, brain magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, and microarray genotyping. We performed group-wise SCCA in Aß negative (-) and Aß positive (+) groups. In addition, we performed mediation, expression quantitative trait loci, and pathway analyses to determine the functional role of the SNPs. Results: We identified SNPs related to cortical thickness using SCCA in Aß negative and positive groups and identified SNPs that improve the prediction performance of cognitive impairments. Among them, rs9270580 was associated with cortical thickness by mediating Aß uptake, and three SNPs (rs2271920, rs6859, rs9270580) were associated with the regulation of CHRNA2, NECTIN2, and HLA genes. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that SNPs potentially contribute to cortical thickness in AD, which in turn leads to worse clinical outcomes. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the genetic architecture underlying cortical atrophy and its relationship with AD.
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Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the lungs that results in airway inflammation and narrowing. BS012 is an herbal remedy containing Asarum sieboldii, Platycodon grandiflorum, and Cinnamomum cassia extracts. To elucidate the anti-asthma effect of BS012, this study analyzed the immune response, respiratory protection, and changes in metabolic mechanisms in an ovalbumin-induced allergic asthma mouse model. Female BALB/c mice were exposed to ovalbumin to induce allergic asthma. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and plasma were analyzed for interleukin and immunoglobulin E levels. Histological analyses of the lungs were performed to measure morphological changes. Apoptosis-related mediators were assayed by western blotting. Plasma and lung tissue metabolomic analyses were performed to investigate the metabolic changes. A T-helper-2-like differentiated cell model was used to identify the active components of BS012. BS012 treatment improved inflammatory cell infiltration, mucus production, and goblet cell hyperplasia in lung tissues. BS012 also significantly downregulated ovalbumin-specific immunoglobulin E in plasma and T-helper-2-specific cytokines, interleukin-4 and -5, in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The lungs of ovalbumininhaled mice exhibited nerve growth factor-mediated apoptotic protein expression, which was significantly attenuated by BS012 treatment. Ovalbumin-induced abnormalities in amino acid and lipid metabolism were improved by BS012 in correlation with its anti-inflammatory properties and normalization of energy metabolism. Additionally, the differentiated cell model revealed that N-isobutyl-dodecatetraenamide is an active component that contributes to the anti-allergic properties of BS012. The current findings demonstrate the anti-allergic and respiratory protective functions of BS012 against allergic asthma, which can be considered a therapeutic candidate.
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The upper head of the lateral pterygoid muscle (LPM) is known to insert into the capsule of the temporomandibular joint and articular disc, and therefore its relationship with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) has been consistently suggested. The aim of the study was to determine the anatomical features of the LPM using ultrasonographic (US) imaging. Around 120 hemifaces from 60 healthy Korean volunteers were included in this study. US images were taken with the subject's mouth 2 cm open. The transducer was placed at a position where the infratemporal fossa could be observed through the mandibular notch, and its position was recorded. The locations of the coronoid process (CorP), lateral margin of the condylar process (ConP), and midpoint of CorP and ConP (MP) were measured with reference to the ala-tragus line. The thicknesses of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, the masseter muscle, the temporalis muscle, and the depth of the LPM were measured at the MP. The masseter muscle, temporalis muscle, and LPM were observed in all cases and located in order from superficial to deep. The MP was located 39.6 ± 3.3 mm anterior and 7.8 ± 1.6 mm inferior to the tragus. The thicknesses of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, the masseter muscle, the temporalis muscle, and the depth of the LPM at the MP were 9.7 ± 1.0, 10.3 ± 1.3, 10.9 ± 1.6, and 30.9 ± 1.9 mm, respectively. The information reported in this study may be useful for determining the location of the LPM and adjacent anatomical structures in TMD patients and provide accurate and safe injection guidelines.
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BACKGROUND: The clinical effects of ß-amyloid positivity (Aß+) on copathologies in various dementias remain relatively underexamined. Thus, the present study was conducted to investigate the prevalence and clinical effects of Aß+ in subcortical vascular cognitive impairment (SVCI) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We enrolled SVCI (n = 583), FTD (n = 152), and cognitively unimpaired (CU) participants (n = 1,249) who underwent Aß PET scans. The odds of having Aß+ were subsequently compared among the diagnostic groups (CU, SVCI, and FTD) according to age and apolipoprotein E genotype. Additionally, a linear mixed-effects model was used to investigate the effects of Aß+ on cognitive trajectories in SVCI and FTD. RESULTS: Compared with CU, the SVCI group had a higher prevalence of Aß+ in the 75 to 90 years age group (adjusted odds ratio, 1.97; 95% confidence interval, 1.36-2.85; P < 0.001), as well as within the apolipoprotein E ε3/ε3 group (adjusted odds ratio, 1.78; 95% confidence interval, 1.20-2.63; P = 0.001), whereas the FTD group showed no difference in Aß+ prevalence. Aß+ was associated with a worse cognitive trajectory in SVCI (adjusted ß-coefficient = -0.6424; P < 0.001), but not in FTD. CONCLUSIONS: These findings contribute to our understanding of Aß biomarker traits in various dementias in Korea.
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Benign enlargement of the parotid gland hypertrophy results in a bulky lateral facial contour and esthetic appearance. This study aimed to determine the depth from the skin surface to the parotid fascia, which encompasses the parotid gland. The anatomical properties of the parotid glands were evaluated in 40 patients using ultrasonography. An up-to-date understanding of the localization of botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) injection based on anatomy could lead to better localization of the injection into the parotid gland through morphological measurements using data previously published from cadaveric studies. Measurement using the otobasion inferius as a landmark revealed parotideomasseteric fascia thickness averaging 4-6 mm from the skin surface, with the parotid gland extending approximately 15 mm anteriorly. Analysis showed a 3-7 mm thickness range, indicating an optimal injection depth for safety and efficacy in BoNT procedures. Utilizing the otobasion inferius as an anatomical landmark offers a practical approach for measuring parotideomasseteric fascia thickness, addressing cadaveric study limitations. These guidelines aim to maximize the effects of BoNT therapy, which can be useful in clinical settings, by minimizing its deleterious effects.
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Tau is a microtubule-associated protein that plays an important role in modulating axonal microtubules in neurons. Intracellular tau aggregates are found in a broad class of disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, termed tauopathies. Tau is an intrinsically disordered protein, and its structural disorder appears to be critical to its microtubule-related functions. Tubulin binding sites are found in tau's proline-rich region (PRR), microtubule binding repeats (MTBR: R1-R4), and pseudo-repeat, R'. While many post-translational modifications have been identified on tau, phosphorylation sites, which both regulate tubulin dimer and microtubule interactions and are correlated with disease, cluster with high frequency within the PRR. Here, we use fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and structural mass spectrometry techniques to characterize the impact of phosphomimic mutations in the PRR on tubulin dimer binding and probe the structure of the PRR-tubulin dimer complex. We find that phosphomimics cumulatively diminish tubulin dimer binding and slow microtubule polymerization. Additionally, we map two â¼15 residue regions of the PRR as primary tubulin dimer binding sites and propose a model in which PRR enhances lateral interactions between tubulin dimers, complementing the longitudinal interactions observed for MTBR. Together these measurements provide insight into the previously overlooked relevance of tau's PRR in functional interactions with tubulin.
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The trigeminal sensory system consists of the trigeminal nerve, the trigeminal ganglion, and the trigeminal sensory nuclei (the mesencephalic nucleus, the principal nucleus, the spinal trigeminal nucleus, and several smaller nuclei). Various sensory signals carried by the trigeminal nerve from the orofacial area travel into the trigeminal sensory system, where they are processed into integrated sensory information that is relayed to higher sensory brain areas. Thus, knowledge of the trigeminal sensory system is essential for comprehending orofacial pain. This review elucidates the individual nuclei that comprise the trigeminal sensory system and their synaptic transmission. Additionally, it discusses four types of orofacial pain and their relationship to the system. Consequently, this review aims to enhance the understanding of the mechanisms underlying orofacial pain.
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Dor Facial , Nervo Trigêmeo , Núcleos do Trigêmeo , Humanos , Dor Facial/fisiopatologia , Nervo Trigêmeo/fisiopatologia , Núcleos do Trigêmeo/fisiopatologia , Animais , Gânglio Trigeminal/fisiopatologia , Transmissão SinápticaRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Because of the possible therapeutic benefit of removing occult tumor cells, a source of recurrence and chemoresistance, total parietal peritonectomy (TPP) is an alternative treatment for advanced epithelial ovarian/fallopian tube/primary peritoneal cancer. Interventional studies comparing TPP with selective parietal peritonectomy (SPP) are in progress. Since surgeons skilled in TPP are essential for such trials to be conducted, this nationwide survey aimed to examine current peritonectomy practice among gynecologic oncologists in Korea. METHODS: A 17-item questionnaire, developed by a surgery committee and reviewed by the scientific review board of the Korean Gynecology Oncology Group (KGOG), was distributed to 144 KGOG members. The questionnaire was divided into 3 categories: respondent demographics, peritonectomy practice during primary debulking surgery (PDS), and peritonectomy practice during interval debulking surgery (IDS). RESULTS: We received 88 (61.1%) valid responses. Of the valid respondents, 98.9% and 93.8% performed SPP during PDS and IDS, respectively. Only 4.9% of the respondents performed TPP during IDS. Most respondents performed peritonectomy in cases where optimal postoperative outcomes were expected. Approximately 50.6% of the respondents had performed peritonectomy independently, while the others did so in cooperation with non-gynecologic surgeons. The primary reasons for not performing TPP were concerns about morbidity and uncertainty about the clinical benefits of the procedure. CONCLUSION: SPP is the predominant technique used in both PDS and IDS in Korea. A small percentage (4.9%) of gynecologic oncologists have performed TPP during IDS. Accordingly, a study regarding the feasibility of TPP should be conducted before proceeding with a prospective clinical trial.
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BACKGROUND: Microalgae are potential sustainable resources for the production of value-added chemicals that can be used as biofuels, pharmaceuticals, and nutritional supplements. Arachidonic acid (ARA), a omega-6 fatty acid, plays a crucial role in infant development and immune response, and can be used in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Demand for industrial-scale ARA production is continuously increasing because of its broad applicability. To address this demand, there has been a significant shift towards microorganism-based ARA production. To accelerate large-scale ARA production, it is crucial to select suitable strains and establish optimal culture conditions. RESULTS: Here, we isolated a novel microalga Lobosphaera incisa CFRC-1, a valuable strain that holds promise as a feedstock for ARA production. Optimal cultivation conditions were investigated using a high-throughput screening method to enhance ARA production in this novel strain. Out of 71 candidates, four organic carbon substrates were identified that could be utilized by L. incisa CFRC-1. Through flask-scale verification, fructose was confirmed as the optimal organic carbon substrate for promoting microalgal growth, total lipid accumulation, and ARA production. Subsequently, we investigated appropriate substrate concentration and cultivation temperature, confirming that the optimal conditions were 30 g L- 1 of fructose and 27 â of temperature. Under these optimized conditions, biomass and ARA production reached 13.05 ± 0.40 g L- 1 and 97.98 ± 7.33 mg L- 1, respectively, representing 9.6-fold and 5.3-fold increases compared to the conditions before optimization conditions. These results achieved the highest biomass and ARA production in flask-scale cultivation, indicating that our approach effectively improved both production titer and productivity. CONCLUSIONS: This study presents a novel microalgae and optimized conditions for enhancing biomass and ARA production, suggesting that this approach is a practical way to accelerate the production of valuable microalgae-based chemicals. These findings provide a basis for large-scale production of ARA-utilizing microalgae for industrial applications.
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Ácido Araquidônico , Carbono , Microalgas , Microalgas/metabolismo , Microalgas/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Ácido Araquidônico/metabolismo , Ácido Araquidônico/biossíntese , Carbono/metabolismo , Biomassa , Ensaios de Triagem em Larga Escala/métodos , Biocombustíveis , Frutose/metabolismoRESUMO
AIMS: To assess the efficacy and safety of sarpogrelate (300 mg) for symptom improvement in patients having peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and/or being at risk of PAD in clinical practice using the Peripheral Artery Questionnaire (PAQ). BACKGROUND: Symptomatic changes with antiplatelets in patients with PAD are limited. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect and safety of sarpogrelate on the PAQ at 24 weeks from baseline. METHOD: A total of 1003 patients having PAD and/or being at risk of PAD from 17 tertiary hospitals in South Korea who were treated with sarpogrelate, were enrolled in this study. PAQs were collected at baseline and at 12 and 24 weeks, together with physical examination and vital signs measurements. Lifestyle pattern was also investigated. RESULTS: The average PAQ Summary Score in the efficacy evaluation analysis group significantly improved from 62.9 ± 23.7 at baseline to 68.9 ± 21.7 at 24 weeks (P<0.0001). Physical limitation items significantly improved from 69.5 ± 30.0 at baseline to 72.9 ± 28.3 after 24 weeks (P=0.0011). Symptom stability also significantly improved from 52.1 ± 21.6 at baseline to 63.6 ± 22.9 after 24 weeks (P<0.0001). Symptoms, treatment satisfaction, quality of life, and social limitation domains all improved after treatment. A total of 201 patients reported adverse events (20.0%), not directly associated with treatment. CONCLUSION: Treatment with 300 mg (orally) of sarpogrelate demonstrated statistically significant improvements in all domains and for the summary score of the PAQ at 24 weeks, it gave good results in terms of safety. Sarpogrelate may be helpful in reducing symptoms related to PAD.
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Interest in natural extracts for managing oral biofilms is increasing, with black cumin seed oil (BCSO) demonstrating efficacy against Streptococcus mutans. The effectiveness of antibacterial agents should be evaluated using multi-species oral biofilm models that closely mimic actual conditions. This study aimed to compare the antibacterial effects of BCSO and chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX) on oral microcosm biofilms. Biofilms using human saliva as the inoculum were cultured for 2 days and subsequently treated with 0.5% dimethyl sulfoxide, 0.5% BCSO, or 0.12% CHX once daily for 6 days. Following treatment, the red fluorescence intensity (RatioR/G) of the oral biofilm; biomass, including extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) levels and live bacteria counts; and colony-forming units (CFUs) of aciduric bacteria were evaluated. RatioR/G after BCSO treatment (1.26 ± 0.03) was not significantly different from that after CHX treatment (p = 0.552). The EPS levels were also not significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.743). The live bacteria count was 0.55 times lower in the BCSO-treated group than in the CHX-treated group (p = 0.018). No significant between-group difference was observed in the CFUs of aciduric bacteria (p = 0.935). These results suggest that BCSO exhibits antibacterial effects similar to those of CHX, highlighting its potential as an effective alternative.
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OBJECTIVE: The study compared differences in various neurocognitive characteristics across treatment modalities among schizophrenia patients recruited in one city between July 2020 and June 2023 who were on regular medication. METHODS: Of the 151 participants, 113 were included in the analysis. Participants were divided into community-based and hospital-based groups, and their demographics and clinical characteristics, including insight, quality of life, positive and negative symptoms, and personal and social functioning, were examined. In addition, several aspects of cognition were assessed using neurocognitive assessments such as the Trail Making Test (TMT), Stroop test, and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). After adjusting for age differences between groups, the final analysis included data from 42 participants in the community-based group and 33 participants in the hospital-based group. RESULTS: Hospital-based group participants completed Stroop-W more rapidly, excelled in Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test recall and recognition, and incurred fewer TMT Part B (TMT-B) and Stroop-C errors. Additionally, they outperformed in WCST total, non-persistent errors, and categories completed. Contrastingly, community-based group participants showed superior outcomes in WCST persistent responses and errors, suggesting specific neurocognitive strengths. CONCLUSION: We found differences in neurocognitive characteristics between the two groups. These differences were consistent across a range of cognitive domains, including attention, visual discrimination, memory, and executive functioning. Further large-scale study is needed to generalize cognitive characteristics across treatment modalities.
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The exorbitant presence of heavy metals has emerged as one of the most serious ecological issues facing the world. The treatment processes currently employed are not effective for removing all of the contaminants completely. Therefore, it is necessary for better operational technology to be developed. Here, we fabricated effective and inexpensive kaolin-based ceramic membranes with the addition of dolomite using a simple dry compaction method. Moreover, we applied the obtained adsorptive membranes to the removal of lead, copper, zinc, and cadmium from aqueous solutions. The membranes prepared with dolomite addition (sintered at different temperatures) exhibited a high water flux between 246.78 and 1738.56 L/h·m2 at an extremely low operating pressure (0.03 MPa). Furthermore, the optimal membrane showed high removal efficiencies of 99.12, 99.82, 85.62, and 65.94% for Pb(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), and Cd(II), respectively. The utilization of dolomite enhanced the removal efficiency of the adsorptive membranes by around 32-54% in a multielement system. This work reveals that enhanced adsorptive membranes with high fluxes and strong removal abilities have great potential as a synergized system with practical applications in the removal of heavy-metal contaminants from wastewater in the future.
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BACKGROUND: This present study aimed to investigate the impact of left atrial appendage (LAA) isolation on adverse clinical outcomes, with a further stratified analysis by biatrial (BA) and left atrial lesion sets, in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing surgical ablation (SA) concurrent with mitral valve (MV) surgery. METHODS: We evaluated 875 patients (aged 65.1±12.0 years) who underwent SA of AF concomitant to MV surgery, excluding those with mechanical prostheses requiring lifelong anticoagulation, between 2005 and 2017 in five tertiary cardiac centres in South Korea. Of these, 458 had isolated the LAA, whereas the remainder (n=417) had the LAA preserved. Comparative risk of stroke, mortality and AF recurrence was assessed between the groups, considering death as a competing event. Inverse-probability treatment weighting was used for baseline adjustment. RESULTS: During the median follow-up of 57.4 months (IQR, 32.5-92.4 months), the adjusted risk of long-term stroke was significantly lower in the patients who underwent LAA isolation compared with those who preserved the LAA (subdistribution HR (SHR), 0.28; 95% CI 0.15 to 0.51; p<0.001). However, there were no significant differences in the adjusted risk of mortality (HR, 0.85; 95% CI 0.57 to 1.27; p=0.429) or AF recurrence (SHR, 0.92; 95% CI 0.78 to 1.08; p=0.291) between LAA isolation and preservation. In the subgroup of patients who underwent BA ablation, LAA isolation was associated with a lower long-term risk of stroke and AF recurrence (SHR, 0.77; 95% CI 0.61 to 0.94; p=0.029) compared with LAA preservation. CONCLUSIONS: Concomitant LAA isolation during SA of AF in patients undergoing MV surgery was associated with a significantly lower risk of long-term stroke, but no survival benefit was observed.
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Apêndice Atrial , Fibrilação Atrial , Ablação por Cateter , Pontuação de Propensão , Recidiva , Humanos , Fibrilação Atrial/cirurgia , Fibrilação Atrial/diagnóstico , Apêndice Atrial/cirurgia , Masculino , Feminino , Idoso , Ablação por Cateter/métodos , Ablação por Cateter/efeitos adversos , República da Coreia/epidemiologia , Estudos Retrospectivos , Resultado do Tratamento , Fatores de Tempo , Fatores de Risco , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Seguimentos , Acidente Vascular Cerebral/etiologia , Acidente Vascular Cerebral/prevenção & controle , Medição de Risco/métodos , Valva Mitral/cirurgiaRESUMO
While the efficiency of microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) systems has improved remarkably, their application in continuous reactors and wastewater treatment remains poorly understood. This study evaluated the performance of a continuous-flow MEC using livestock wastewater and food waste as substrates. The MEC system achieved a hydrogen production rate of 5.2 L/L/day using acetate as a substrate, and a rate of 2.9-4.6 L/L/day when real wastewater mixtures were used. In terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal, the system demonstrated high efficiency, with values ranging from 42.3 % to 62.2 % depending on the wastewater composition. Volatile fatty acid (VFA) removal reached up to 72.8 %. The current density averaged 9.9 A/m2 with acetate and decreased to 7.0 and 6.1 A/m2 in phases using wastewater, reflecting the adaptation of the microbial community to the more complex substrates. The microbial community was dominated by Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, and Synergistetes, with Proteobacteria showing a particularly high abundance near the anion exchange membrane (AEM) on the anode. The MEC process demonstrates substantial promise as a sustainable technology for both biohydrogen production and wastewater treatment. With further optimization and scaling, MECs could play a crucial role in the circular economy by converting waste into clean energy while simultaneously treating wastewater, offering a pathway toward more sustainable industrial and environmental practices.
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This study aimed to explore the clinical applicability of the shade-matching function in intraoral scanners. This study measured the tooth colors of maxillary anterior dentitions of 83 adults using visual matching, a spectrophotometer, and a scanner according to two color systems: VITA Classical (VC) and VITA 3D-Master (V3D). Agreement between each method was assessed by weighted Cohen's kappa coefficient (KW, α = 0.05). For V3D, the overall agreement between the scanner and spectrophotometer (KW = 0.498) was higher than that between the scanner and visual matching (KW = 0.473). Similarly, the agreement between the scanner and spectrophotometer (KW = 0.283) was higher than that between a scanner and visual matching (KW = 0.140) for VC. Regarding tooth position, the highest agreement between the scanner and spectrophotometer was observed on the right central incisor (KW = 0.542) for V3D. Tooth color measurement with a scanner was comparable to that with a spectrophotometer, especially on the central incisors when using the VITA 3D-Master system. A scanner could serve as an alternative to a spectrophotometer for shade selection. However, color matching should still be visually verified.
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Cor , Espectrofotometria , Humanos , Espectrofotometria/métodos , Espectrofotometria/instrumentação , Masculino , Feminino , Adulto , Dente/anatomia & histologia , Dente/diagnóstico por imagem , Adulto Jovem , Incisivo/anatomia & histologia , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Pigmentação em Prótese/métodos , Pigmentação em Prótese/instrumentaçãoRESUMO
There is an urgent need for better biomarkers for the detection of early-stage breast cancer. Utilizing untargeted metabolomics and lipidomics in conjunction with advanced data mining approaches for metabolism-centric biomarker discovery and validation may enhance the identification and validation of novel biomarkers for breast cancer screening. In this study, we employed a multimodal omics approach to identify and validate potential biomarkers capable of differentiating between patients with breast cancer and those with benign tumors. Our findings indicated that ether-linked phosphatidylcholine exhibited a significant difference between invasive ductal carcinoma and benign tumors, including cases with inconsistent mammography results. We observed alterations in numerous lipid species, including sphingomyelin, triacylglycerol, and free fatty acids, in the breast cancer group. Furthermore, we identified several dysregulated hydrophilic metabolites in breast cancer, such as glutamate, glycochenodeoxycholate, and dimethyluric acid. Through robust multivariate receiver operating characteristic analysis utilizing machine learning models, either linear support vector machines or random forest models, we successfully distinguished between cancerous and benign cases with promising outcomes. These results emphasize the potential of metabolic biomarkers to complement other criteria in breast cancer screening. Future studies are essential to further validate the metabolic biomarkers identified in our study and to develop assays for clinical applications.
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Biomarcadores Tumorais , Neoplasias da Mama , Detecção Precoce de Câncer , Aprendizado de Máquina , Metabolômica , Humanos , Neoplasias da Mama/diagnóstico , Neoplasias da Mama/metabolismo , Feminino , Biomarcadores Tumorais/metabolismo , Metabolômica/métodos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Detecção Precoce de Câncer/métodos , Adulto , Idoso , Curva ROC , Estadiamento de NeoplasiasRESUMO
BACKGROUND: North Korean refugees (NKRs) exhibit alarmingly high levels of depression prior to or immediately after entering South Korean society, which is likely attributable to their pre-migration traumatic experiences. However, prior research on NKRs has simply examined the cumulative effect of trauma on depression. Despite calls for research identifying trauma exposure patterns that co-occur among refugees, to date, no study has investigated distinct profiles of NKRs' pre-migration trauma exposure and their associations with depression in this high-risk population. To better understand the unique mental health needs of NKRs and provide them with tailored care, it is imperative to identify meaningful subgroups of NKRs with distinct profiles of trauma exposure. AIMS: Using latent class analysis (LCA), which is a person-centered approach, this study aimed to identify subgroups of NKRs based on trauma exposure and their associations with sociodemographic characteristics and depression levels. METHODS: A sample of NKRs (N = 405) in South Korea were assessed for depression, pre-migration trauma, and sociodemographic covariates through a self-administered survey. LCA was conducted to identify trauma exposure classes and multivariate ordinary least squares regression analysis was performed to examine associations between trauma exposure classes and depression. RESULTS: The prevalence of clinically significant depression was 47.2% for our study sample. Three classes of trauma were identified: deprivation trauma and witnessing death (59.3%), complex and pervasive trauma (23.7%), and low exposure (17.0%). Members in the complex and pervasive trauma class demonstrated very high probabilities of exposure to all traumatic events and had the strongest association with elevated depression. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings underscore the importance of identifying subgroups of NKRs to unravel heterogeneity in trauma exposure and provide more nuanced explanations for different risk profiles regarding depression. These findings also provide evidence for a framework for clinicians to provide individualized resources and trauma-informed services to NKRs.