Relationship between short-term ozone exposure, cause-specific mortality, and high-risk populations: A nationwide, time-stratified, case-crossover study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies reported that short-term exposure to ground-level ozone is associated with mortality risk. However, due to the limited monitored areas, existing studies were limited in assessing the nationwide risk and suggesting specific vulnerable populations to the ozone-mortality risk. METHODS: We performed a nationwide time-stratified case-crossover study to evaluate the association between short-term ozone and cause-specific mortality in South Korea (2015-2019). A machine learning-ensemble prediction model (a test R2 > 0.96) was used to assess the short-term ozone exposure. Stratification analysis was conducted to examine the high-risk populations, and the excess mortality due to non-compliance with the WHO guideline was also assessed. RESULTS: For all-cause mortality (1,343,077 cases), the risk associated with ozone (lag0- 1) was weakly identified (odd ratio: 1.005 with 95% CI: 0.997-1.014), and the risk was prominent in mortality with circulatory system diseases. In addition, based on the point estimates, the ozone-mortality risk was higher in people aged less than 65y, and this pattern was also observed in circulatory system disease deaths and urban areas. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides national estimates of mortality risks associated with short-term ozone. Results showed that the benefits of stricter air quality standards could be greater in vulnerable populations.

Long-term exposure to PM2.5 and mortality in a national cohort in South Korea: effect modification by community deprivation, medical infrastructure, and greenness.

BACKGROUND: Long-term exposure to PM2.5 has been linked to increased mortality risk. However, limited studies have examined the potential modifying effect of community-level characteristics on this association, particularly in Asian contexts. This study aimed to estimate the effects of long-term exposure to PM2.5 on mortality in South Korea and to examine whether community-level deprivation, medical infrastructure, and greenness modify these associations. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide cohort study using the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort. A total of 394,701 participants aged 30 years or older in 2006 were followed until 2019. Based on modelled PM2.5 concentrations, 1 to 3-year and 5-year moving averages of PM2.5 concentrations were assigned to each participant at the district level. Time-varying Cox proportional-hazards models were used to estimate the association between PM2.5 and non-accidental, circulatory, and respiratory mortality. We further conducted stratified analysis by community-level deprivation index, medical index, and normalized difference vegetation index to represent greenness. RESULTS: PM2.5 exposure, based on 5-year moving averages, was positively associated with non-accidental (Hazard ratio, HR: 1.10, 95% Confidence Interval, CI: 1.01, 1.20, per 10 µg/m3 increase) and circulatory mortality (HR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.47). The 1-year moving average of PM2.5 was associated with respiratory mortality (HR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.67). We observed higher associations between PM2.5 and mortality in communities with higher deprivation and limited medical infrastructure. Communities with higher greenness showed lower risk for circulatory mortality but higher risk for respiratory mortality in association with PM2.5. CONCLUSIONS: Our study found mortality effects of long-term PM2.5 exposure and underlined the role of community-level factors in modifying these association. These findings highlight the importance of considering socio-environmental contexts in the design of air quality policies to reduce health disparities and enhance overall public health outcomes.

Near-field probing of dielectric screening by hexagonal boron nitride in graphene integrated on silicon photonics.

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is one of the most suitable 2D materials for supporting graphene in electronic devices, and it plays a fundamental role in screening out the effect of charge impurities in graphene in contrast to inhomogeneous supports such as silicon dioxide (SiO2). Although many interesting surface science techniques such as scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) revealed dielectric screening by hBN and emergent physical phenomena were observed, STM is only appropriate for graphene electronics. In this paper, we demonstrate the dielectric screening by hBN in graphene integrated on a silicon photonic waveguide from the perspective of a near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) and Raman spectroscopy. We found shifts in the Raman spectra and about three times lower slope decrease in the measured electric near-field amplitude for graphene on hBN relative to that for graphene on SiO2. Based on finite-difference time-domain simulations, we confirm lower electric field slope and scattering rate in graphene on hBN, which implies dielectric screening, in agreement with the NSOM signal. Graphene on hBN integrated on silicon photonics can pave the way for high-performance hybrid graphene photonics.

Effects of long-term exposure to air pollution on all-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality in seven major cities of South Korea: Korean national health and nutritional examination surveys with mortality follow-up.

Evidence from cohort studies on the effects of long-term exposure to air pollution on mortality is limited in South Korea, which has high concentration of particles compared to North America, Western Europe, and Japan, and low exposure compared to China. To reduce knowledge gaps between other countries and South Korea, we investigated the association between all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality and long-term exposure to PM10 and, as a surrogate for fine particles from local emission sources, SO2 and NO2. Participants comprised 18,220 subjects (97,114.4 person-years) residing in 73 districts of seven major cities of South Korea who were assigned to measurements of fixed-site monitoring stations and followed up. We applied Cox proportional hazard models with time-varying exposure up to three years average of air pollutants. We adjusted for individual and district-level covariates measured at baseline such as age, sex, socioeconomic positions, and health behaviors. We found that hazard ratios of PM10 and SO2 for all-cause mortality leveled off over approximately 5 ppb of SO2 and 35-50 µg/m3 of PM10. Interquartile range increases of PM10 (5.05 µg/m3), SO2 (2.09 ppb), and NO2 (11.41 ppb) were associated with 14.4% (95% CI: -0.4, 31.4), 18.1% (-4.5, 46.0), and 18.9% (-8.7, 54.7) increases in cardiovascular mortality, respectively. We did not find positive associations for respiratory mortality. The increase in cardiovascular mortality varied by sex (for PM10, in females, 27.4% (5.8, 53.5) increase), smoking (in non-smokers, 35.9% (12.7, 64.0) increase), drinking (in drinkers, 24.5% (2.1, 51.8) increase), marital status (in those not married, 23.1% (1.1, 49.9)), employment status (for SO2, in those employed, 79.4% (16.1, 177.3) increase), body mass index (in those ≥23, 47.6% (10.4, 97.3) increase), and community deprivation (for PM10, in less deprived communities, 21.0% (1.3, 44.4) increase). In summary, long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with mortality risk in South Korea. Our results suggest that the health effect of long-term exposure to air pollution may not be equal by sex, health behaviors and socioeconomic positions.

Evaluation of the Relationship Between Bioactive Components in Seaweeds and Advanced Glycation End-Products Inhibitory Activities Using Principal Component Analysis.

This study comprehensively presents the relationship between the bioactive substance of 70% (v/v) aqueous ethanol extract of 38 species of seaweeds (SWEs), and anti-glycation activities. The contents of bioactive substance of SWEs, such as total phenolic, total flavonoid and condensed tannins, were determined through a colorimetric analysis. Among the tested species, Ecklonia bicyclis, Ishige foliacea, and Cladophora urightiana var. minor had the highest amount of total phenolic (255.75 mg GAE/g DW), total condensed tannins (63.36 mg CE/g DW), and total flavonoid content (85.26 mg CE/g DW), respectively. Anti-glycation properties of SWEs were evaluated through advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) formation, AGEs-collagen cross-link formation, and AGEs-collagen cross-link breaking assay. Brown algae species exhibited a more prominent inhibitory activity on AGEs formation and AGEs-collagen cross-links, and the breaking of AGEs-collagen cross-links compared to that exhibited by aminoguanidine and ALT-711 (positive controls). Using principal component analysis, we confirmed that the AGEs formation inhibitory property and AGEs-collagen cross-links breaking activity were closely correlated with total phenolic and the condensed tannin contents contained in SWEs. Therefore, the bioactive substances such as phenolics and condensed tannins in seaweeds can be used as predictive indices in selecting compounds for the development of a therapeutic agent that prevents diabetic complications related to the AGEs. In addition, our results suggest that brown algae species, which contains more bioactive substances than green and red algae species, can be utilized as a promising natural resource for the prevention and alleviation of AGEs-related diabetic complications as AGE inhibitor and cross-links breaker.

In-plane electric field confinement engineering in graphene-based hybrid plasmonic waveguides.

Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are surface modes confined to metal-dielectric interfaces. This confinement enhances the electromagnetic field and therefore, SPPs are sensitive to surface conditions. The properties of two dimensional materials such as graphene thus can be enhanced and used to engineer nanoscale components for optical communications. However, SPPs are transverse magnetic modes with electric fields out-of-plane that limit flexibility. In this contribution, we numerically analyze the confinement and in-plane enhancement in graphene-based hybrid plasmonic waveguides. We find that plasmonic modes supported by metal nanoparticle chain waveguides provide higher in-plane enhancement compared to those supported by nano-strip and slot hybrid plasmonic waveguides. Our results contribute to the performance improvement of graphene light absorption devices, including electro-optic modulators and photodetectors.

Long-Range Lattice Engineering of MoTe2 by a 2D Electride.

Doping two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors beyond their degenerate levels provides the opportunity to investigate extreme carrier density-driven superconductivity and phase transition in 2D systems. Chemical functionalization and the ionic gating have achieved the high doping density, but their effective ranges have been limited to ∼1 nm, which restricts the use of highly doped 2D semiconductors. Here, we report on electron diffusion from the 2D electride [Ca2N]+·e- to MoTe2 over a distance of 100 nm from the contact interface, generating an electron doping density higher than 1.6 × 1014 cm-2 and a lattice symmetry change of MoTe2 as a consequence of the extreme doping. The long-range lattice symmetry change, suggesting a length scale surpassing the depletion width of conventional metal-semiconductor junctions, was a consequence of the low work function (2.6 eV) with highly mobile anionic electron layers of [Ca2N]+·e-. The combination of 2D electrides and layered materials yields a novel material design in terms of doping and lattice engineering.

Chain Vacancies in 2D Crystals.

Defects in bulk crystals can be classified into vacancies, interstitials, grain boundaries, stacking faults, dislocations, and so forth. In particular, the vacancy in semiconductors is a primary defect that governs electrical transport. Concentration of vacancies depends mainly on the growth conditions. Individual vacancies instead of aggregated vacancies are usually energetically more favorable at room temperature because of the entropy contribution. This phenomenon is not guaranteed in van der Waals 2D materials due to the reduced dimensionality (reduced entropy). Here, it is reported that the 1D connected/aggregated vacancies are energetically stable at room temperature. Transmission electron microscopy observations demonstrate the preferential alignment direction of the vacancy chains varies in different 2D crystals: MoS2 and WS2 prefer 〈2¯11〉 direction, while MoTe2 prefers 〈1¯10〉 direction. This difference is mainly caused by the different strain effect near the chalcogen vacancies. Black phosphorous also exhibits directional double-chain vacancies along 〈01〉 direction. Density functional theory calculations predict that the chain vacancies act as extended gap (conductive) states. The observation of the chain vacancies in 2D crystals directly explains the origin of n-type behavior in MoTe2 devices in recent experiments and offers new opportunities for electronic structure engineering with various 2D materials.

A randomized, double-blind, single-dose, phase 1 study comparing the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, safety, and immunogenicity of denosumab biosimilar CT­P41 and reference denosumab in healthy males.

BACKGROUND: This study's objective was to demonstrate pharmacokinetic (PK) similarity and safety of denosumab biosimilar, CT­P41, and United States-licensed reference denosumab (US-denosumab) in healthy male Asian adults, considering also pharmacodynamic (PD) outcomes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This double-blind, two-arm, parallel-group, Phase 1 study randomized (1:1) healthy males to a single (60-mg) subcutaneous dose of CT­P41 or US-denosumab. Primary endpoints were area under the concentration - time curve (AUC) from time zero to infinity (AUC0-inf), AUC from time zero to the last quantifiable concentration (AUC0-last), and maximum serum concentration (Cmax). PK equivalence was determined if 90% confidence intervals (CIs) for ratios of geometric least-squares means (gLSMs) were within the predefined 80-125% equivalence margin. Secondary PK, PD, safety, and immunogenicity outcomes were also evaluated. RESULTS: Of 154 participants randomized (76 CT­P41; 78 US-denosumab), 151 received study drug (74 CT­P41; 77 US-denosumab). Primary and secondary PK results, PD results, safety, and immunogenicity were comparable between groups. Ninety percent CIs for ratios of gLSMs were within the predefined equivalence margin for AUC0-inf (100.4-114.7), AUC0-last (99.9-114.3), and Cmax (95.2-107.3). CONCLUSIONS: Following a single dose in healthy males, CT­P41 demonstrated PK equivalence with US-denosumab. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT06037395.

Association between non-optimal temperature and cardiovascular hospitalization and its temporal variation at the intersection of disability.

BACKGROUND: While previous research has identified populations susceptible to non-optimal temperatures, disability has been largely overlooked. Given the growing number of persons with disabilities (PwD) and their social and health disadvantages, understanding how disability intersects with temperature-related health effects is crucial. This study aimed to investigate the associations between non-optimal temperatures and cardiovascular disease (CVD) hospitalization and examine how these associations vary over time considering the existence of disability. METHODS: We used the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort to investigate the association between non-optimal temperatures and CVD hospitalization in South Korea, 2002-2019. We obtained daily mean temperature from the Korea Meteorological Administration's automated synoptic observing system. We applied a space-time-stratified case-crossover design using a conditional quasi-Poisson regression with a distributed lag non-linear model, adjusting for relative humidity, wind speed, and public holidays. We examined temporal variations in temperature-CVD hospitalization associations using a time window approach. All analyses used the minimum hospitalization temperature (20.0 °C) as reference and were stratified by disability status. RESULTS: The cumulative exposure-response curve in persons without disabilities showed a J-shape with a relative risk (RR) of 1.07 (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.99, 1.15) at extreme heat (99th percentile) and 1.09 (95 % CI: 0.97, 1.23) at extreme cold (1st percentile). The cumulative exposure-response curve in PwD showed an M-shape with the highest RR at chill (1.22 [95 % CI: 1.13, 1.32]) and moderate cold temperature (1.11 [95 % CI: 1.01, 1.21]), defined as the 30th and 5th percentiles, respectively. The impacts of heat and cold decreased over time for persons without disabilities but increased for PwD. CONCLUSIONS: Our study found differential temperature-related impacts on CVD hospitalization based on disability status, and PwD were maladapted to heat and cold over time. This suggests the importance of considering disability when investigating temperature-related health disparity and adopting disability-inclusive adaptation strategies.

Cranial nerve abnormalities in spontaneous intracranial hypotension and their clinical relevance.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is a known cause of headaches and neurologic symptoms, but the frequency of cranial nerve symptoms and abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has not been well described. The purpose of this study was to document cranial nerve findings in patients with SIH and determine the relationship between imaging findings and clinical symptoms. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with SIH with pre-treatment brain MRI at a single institution from September 2014 to July 2017 were retrospectively reviewed to determine the frequency of clinically significant visual changes/diplopia (cranial nerves 3 and 6) and hearing changes/vertigo (cranial nerve 8). A blinded review of brain MRIs before and after treatment was conducted to assess for abnormal contrast enhancement of cranial nerves 3, 6, and 8. Imaging results were correlated with clinical symptoms. RESULTS: Thirty SIH patients with pre-treatment brain MRI were identified. Sixty-six percent of patients had vision changes, diplopia, hearing changes, and/or vertigo. Cranial nerve 3 and/or 6 enhancement was present in nine patients on MRI, with 7/9 patients experiencing visual changes and/or diplopia (odds ratio [OR] 14.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.2-100.8, p = .006). Cranial nerve 8 enhancement was present in 20 patients on MRI, with 13/20 patients experiencing hearing changes and/or vertigo (OR 16.7, 95% CI 1.7-160.6, p = .015). CONCLUSIONS: SIH patients with cranial nerve findings on MRI were more likely to have associated neurologic symptoms than those without imaging findings. Cranial nerve abnormalities on brain MRI should be reported in suspected SIH patients as they may support the diagnosis and explain patient symptoms.

Enhanced intracellular delivery and multi-target gene silencing triggered by tripodal RNA structures.

BACKGROUND: The development of gene interfering RNA (iRNA) molecules such as small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and antagomirs provides promising therapeutic modalities for targeting specific mRNAs and microRNAs (miRNAs) involved in disease mechanisms. Therapeutic iRNA strategy against cancer or hypermutable viruses prefers targeting multiple genes simultaneously to achieve synergistic inhibition and to prevent resistance. METHODS: In the present study, we report chemically synthesized, multi-target gene interfering RNA structures based upon branched, tripodal interfering RNAs (termed T-tiRNAs). RESULTS: The T-tiRNAs could simultaneously inhibit up to three different mRNAs or miRNAs by harboring three siRNA or antagomir units. Moreover, when complexed with cationic delivery vehicles, T-tiRNAs showed enhanced gene interfering activity over conventional siRNAs or antagomirs as a result of increased intracellular delivery. CONCLUSIONS: The data obtained in the present study provide an example of synthetic multi-functional RNA structures that enable multiple gene interference in mammalian cells, which could become powerful tools for an efficient combinatorial iRNA strategy.

Short-term exposure to PM10 and cardiovascular hospitalization in persons with and without disabilities: Invisible population in air pollution epidemiology.

Persons with disabilities (PwD), the world's largest minority, can be more susceptible to particulate matter (PM) than persons without disabilities. Although numerous studies have addressed population susceptibility to PM, PwD have not been studied in air pollution epidemiology. This study investigated the association between short-term exposure to PM with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 10 µm (PM10) and cardiovascular hospital admissions by the existence of a disability, while also considering intersections of disability and other socio-demographic characteristics in South Korea. We used the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort (NHIS-NSC) to investigate the association between short-term exposure to PM10 and cardiovascular hospital admissions in seven metropolitan cities from 2002 to 2015. We conducted a time-stratified case-crossover analysis using conditional logistic regression and adjusted for daily temperature, relative humidity, air pressure, and national holidays. We conducted stratified analyses according to the existence of a disability, disability type and severity, and socio-demographic characteristics. The results showed that a 10 µg/m3 increase in the 0-3 moving average level of PM10 was associated with 1.9 % (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.7 %, 3.2 %) and 0.0 % (95 % CI: -0.5 %, 0.5 %) increase in cardiovascular admissions in persons with and without disabilities, respectively. Among PwD, the associations were pronounced in people with brain lesion disorders (percent change [PC]: 2.7 %, 95 % CI: 0.5 %, 5.0 %), people with visual impairment (PC: 3.0 %, 95 % CI: -1.0 %, 7.1 %), and people with severe disability (PC: 3.0 %, 95 % CI: 0.9 %, 5.0 %). We found that PwD may be more adversely affected by PM10 than their non-disabled counterparts. This suggests that PwD is a social identity reflecting the socially marginalized and disadvantaged population in air pollution epidemiology.

Long-term exposure to ambient ozone and mortality in a population-based cohort of South Korea: Considering for an alternative exposure time metric.

Studies on the health effects of long-term ozone exposure remain limited with mixed results. One potential source of this inconsistency is the difference in exposure time metrics. This study aimed to investigate the association between long-term exposure to ambient ozone and mortality in South Korea, using different exposure metrics. We also examined whether heterogeneity between previous studies was due to the different exposure metrics. The study population comprised 179,806 participants from the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort (2002-2015) residing in seven major cities in South Korea. Several ozone exposure metrics (year-round 24-h, year-round 8-h, warm-season 24-h, and warm-season 8-h) were calculated. Time-varying Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the association between ozone and all-cause and cause-specific mortalities. Random-effect meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis were performed to pool the effect estimates of previous studies and examine whether the exposure metric can explain the between-study heterogeneity. The hazard ratios (HRs) per 10 ppb increment in year-round 24-h ozone for all-cause (HR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.07-1.29) and circulatory (HR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.25-1.84) mortality were higher than those of the other metrics. Year-round 8-h ozone exhibited the largest association with respiratory mortality (HR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.04-1.96). A meta-analysis of 29 previous studies and the present study showed the largest HR for all-cause mortality from studies using year-round 8-h exposure (HR, 1.014; 95% CI, 0.994-1.033). The exposure metric was significantly associated with effect estimates in the multivariable meta-regression model. In conclusion, in the population-based cohort in South Korea, we found positive associations between several long-term ozone exposure metrics and mortality. The different ozone exposure metrics exhibited heterogeneous effect estimates. A year-round 24-h average ozone metric also could be considered an alternative long-term standard for ozone.

A brain tumor reporting and data system to optimize imaging surveillance and prognostication in high-grade gliomas.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: High-grade glioma (HGG), including glioblastoma, is the most common primary brain neoplasm and has a dismal prognosis. After initial treatment, follow-up decisions are guided by longitudinal MRI performed at routine intervals. The Brain Tumor Reporting and Data System (BT-RADS) is a proposed structured reporting system for posttreatment brain MRIs. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between BT-RADS scores and overall survival in HGG patients. METHODS: Chart review of grade 4 glioma patients who had an MRI at a single institution from November 2018 to November 2019 was performed. BT-RADS scores, tumor characteristics, and overall survival were recorded. Likelihood of improvement, stability, or worsening on the subsequent study was calculated for each score. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test, and a time-dependent cox model. Significance level of .05 was used. RESULTS: The study identified 91 HGG patients who underwent a total of 538 MRIs. Mean age of patients was 57 years old. Score with the highest likelihood for worsening on the next follow-up was 3b. The risk of death was 53% higher with each incremental increase in BT-RADS scores (hazard ratio, 1.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-2.19; p = .019). The risk of death was 167% higher in O-6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase unmethylated tumors (hazard ratio, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.34-5.33; p = .005). CONCLUSIONS: BT-RADS scores can be used as a reference guide to anticipate whether patients' subsequent MRI will be improved, stable, or worsened. The scoring system can also be used to predict clinical outcomes and prognosis.

Associations between Long-Term Air Pollution Exposure and Risk of Osteoporosis-Related Fracture in a Nationwide Cohort Study in South Korea.

Bone health is a major concern for aging populations globally. Osteoporosis and bone mineral density are associated with air pollution, but less is known about the impacts of air pollution on osteoporotic fracture. We aimed to assess the associations between long-term air pollution exposure and risk of osteoporotic fracture in seven large Korean cities. We used Cox proportional hazard models to estimate hazard rations (HRs) of time-varying moving window of past exposures of particulate matter (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) for osteoporotic fracture in Korean adults (age ≥ 50 years) in the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort data, followed 2002 to 2015. HRs were calculated for an interquartile range (IQR) increase. Comorbidity and prescription associated with osteoporosis, age, sex, body mass index, health behaviors, and income were adjusted in the models. Effect modification by age, sex, exercise, and income was examined. We assessed 56,467 participants over 535,481 person-years of follow up. Linear and positive exposure-response associations were found for SO2, while PM10 and NO2 showed nonlinear associations. SO2 was associated with osteoporosis-related fracture with marginal significance (HR for an IQR [2 ppb] increase = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.09). The SO2 HR estimates were robust in analyses applying various moving windows of exposure (from one to three years of past exposure) and two-pollutant models. The central HR estimate of O3 implied positive associations but was not significant (HR for 0.007 ppm increase = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.97, 1.06). PM10, CO, and NO2 did not show associations. Vulnerable groups by sex, age, exercise, and income varied across air pollutants and there was no evidence of effect modifications. Long-term exposure to SO2, but not PM10, CO, NO2 and O3, was associated with increased osteoporotic fracture risks in Korean adults.

Gender and tobacco epidemic in South Korea: implications from age-period-cohort analysis and the DPSEEA framework.

OBJECTIVES: To understand a 20-year trend of gender-specific smoking prevalence among adults in South Korea. DESIGN: Age-period-cohort analysis using the intrinsic estimator method was applied to examine the separate contribution of age, period and cohort effect on smoking prevalence. The Driving Force-Pressure-State-Exposure-Effect-Action (DPSEEA) framework was used to explain the observed smoking trends by mapping potential determinants and to address policy implications. SETTING: General adult population in South Korea. PARTICIPANTS: 34 828 men and 43 632 women who aged 19-78 years, were not currently pregnant and were without a prior diagnosis of cardiovascular disease or cancer. OUTCOME MEASURES: Gender-specific current smoking prevalence using the 1998-2017 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. RESULTS: Our results showed gender-specific age and birth cohort effects. More specifically, the smoking prevalence peaked at their mid-20s (prevalence rate ratio (PRR): 1.54, 95% CI: 1.49 to 1.59) and cohort born in 1959-1963 (PRR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.57 to 1.70) and then decreased in men. On the other hand, in women, the smoking prevalence consistently increased until their mid-40s (PRR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.27 to 1.84) and in recent birth cohort groups (PRR in 1994-1998 cohort: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.13 to 2.13). The period effects declined from 1998-2002 to 2003-2007, following increasing fluctuations in both genders. The smoking-DPSEEA framework showed the absence of policy actions to target female smokers and emphasised a proactive approach that tackles the upstream causes for smoking in women. CONCLUSIONS: Men and women are clearly in different phases of the smoking epidemic in Korean population, and gender-tailored policies should be implemented.

Tuning of Thermoelectric Properties of MoSe2 Thin Films Under Helium Ion Irradiation.

Transition metal dichalcogenides have attracted renewed interest for use as thermoelectric materials owing to their tunable bandgap, moderate Seebeck coefficient, and low thermal conductivity. However, their thermoelectric parameters such as Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, and thermal conductivity are interdependent, which is a drawback. Therefore, it is necessary to find a way to adjust one of these parameters without affecting the other parameters. In this study, we investigated the effect of helium ion irradiation on MoSe2 thin films with the objective of controlling the Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity. At the optimal irradiation dose of 1015 cm-2, we observed multiple enhancements of the power factor resulting from an increase in the electrical conductivity, with slight suppression of the Seebeck coefficient. Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy analyses revealed that irradiation-induced selenium vacancies played an important role in changing the thermoelectric properties of MoSe2 thin films. These results suggest that helium ion irradiation is a promising method to significantly improve the thermoelectric properties of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides. Effect of He+ irradiation on thermoelectric properties of MoSe2 thin films.

Ishige okamurae Ameliorates Methylglyoxal-Induced Nephrotoxicity via Reducing Oxidative Stress, RAGE Protein Expression, and Modulating MAPK, Nrf2/ARE Signaling Pathway in Mouse Glomerular Mesangial Cells.

Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) such as methylglyoxal (MGO) play a vital role in the pathogenesis of nephropathy, a diabetic complication. In the present study, we evaluated the anti-glycation and renal protective properties of Ishige okamurae extract (IOE) against AGE-induced oxidative stress. HPLC analysis confirmed that bioactive phlorotannins such as diphlorethohydroxycarmalol and ishophloroglucin A are predominantly present in IOE. IOE showed strong anti-glycation activities via inhibition of AGE formation, inhibition of AGE-protein cross-linking, and breaking of AGE-protein cross-links. In addition, in vitro studies using mesangial cells demonstrated that IOE effectively suppressed intracellular reactive oxygen species production, intracellular MGO accumulation, and apoptotic cell death by MGO-induced oxidative stress, in addition to regulating the expression of proteins involved in the receptor for AGEs and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/antioxidant response elements (ARE) signaling pathways. Therefore, IOE can serve as a natural therapeutic agent for the management of AGE-related nephropathy.

Using a Website to Teach a Structured Reporting System, the Brain Tumor Reporting and Data System.

BACKGROUND: The Brain Tumor Reporting and Data System (BT-RADS) is a proposed standardized radiology reporting scheme for magnetic resonance imagings in brain tumor patients. A website was created to introduce the classification system and to promote its use during daily radiology readouts with trainees. OBJECTIVES: To demonstrate how a website can help implement a structured reporting at a tertiary academic facility. METHODS: A website, www.btrads.com, including visual aids and an interactive scoring tool was developed to educate trainees about a structured reporting system for brain tumor magnetic resonance imagings. Number of website visitors, resource downloads, and scoring tool users was gathered during the study period of May 1, 2018 to April 30, 2019. Authors surveyed a group of 71 radiology trainees and 34 faculty physicians who care for brain tumor patients to assess the perceived educational and clinical value of BT-RADS. RESULTS: The website was visited by 10,058 unique users in 1 year. The most commonly downloaded support material was the full guide (382 downloads). The interactive scoring tool was used 267 times. The use of BT-RADS at a single institution over 12 months reached over 70%. While survey results from trainees did not reach statistical significance, faculty oncologists, neurosurgeons, and radiologists felt that BT-RADS was a valuable clinical tool that improved interdisciplinary communication, facilitated educational discussions, and helped make treatment decisions. CONCLUSIONS: A website designed to implement a novel structured radiology report facilitated template acceptance across a large neuroradiology section. Groups seeking to modify reporting practices should consider using a website.