White matter tract density index is associated with disability in multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: The association between common neuroradiological markers of multiple sclerosis (MS) and clinical disability is weak. Given that the disability in patients with MS may depend on the underlying structural connectivity of the brain, our study aimed to examine the association between white matter tracts affected by MS and the patients' disability using a new tract density index (TDI). METHOD: This study included 53 patients diagnosed with MS, examined between 2019 and 2020. Manual lesion segmentation was performed on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images, and the density of white matter tracts encompassing the lesion (i.e., TDI) was calculated. Correlation analysis was employed to assess the association between TDI and disability. Additionally, the relationship between disability, TDI, and lesion-derived network metrics was examined by computing a partial correlation network. RESULTS: The TDI significantly correlated with the expanded disability status scale (EDSS) (r = 0.30, p = 0.03). Furthermore, the patient's disability is linked solely through TDI to lesion-derived network metrics -a key metric that 'bridges' the gap between the brain lesion and disability. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, MS lesions encompassing regions with high white matter tract density were associated and linked with severe physical disability. These findings indicate that TDI may be an outcome predictor that may connect radiologic findings to clinical practice.

Optimizing Percutaneous Mitral Valvuloplasty for Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis　- Clinical Significance of Changes in Mitral Valve Area.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty (PMV) is a standard treatment for severe rheumatic mitral stenosis (RMS). However, the prognostic significance of the change in mitral valve area (∆MVA) during PMV is not fully understood.Methods and Results: This study analyzed data from the Multicenter mitrAl STEnosis with Rheumatic etiology (MASTER) registry, which included 3,140 patients with severe RMS. We focused on patients with severe RMS undergoing their first PMV. Changes in echocardiographic parameters, including MVA quantified before and after PMV, and composite outcomes, including mitral valve reintervention, heart failure admission, stroke, and all-cause death, were evaluated. An optimal result was defined as a postprocedural MVA ≥1.5 cm2without mitral regurgitation greater than Grade II. Of the 308 patients included in the study, those with optimal results and ∆MVA >0.5 cm² had a better prognosis (log-rank P<0.001). Patients who achieved optimal results but with ∆MVA ≤0.5 cm² had a greater risk of composite outcomes than those with optimal outcomes and ∆MVA >0.5 cm² (nested Cox regression analysis, hazard ratio 2.27; 95% confidence interval 1.09-4.73; P=0.028). CONCLUSIONS: Achieving an increase in ∆MVA of >0.5 cm2was found to be correlated with improved outcomes. This suggests that, in addition to achieving traditional optimal results, targeting an increase in ∆MVA of >0.5 cm2could be a beneficial objective in PMV treatment for RMS.

Is single incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) for gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) dependent on the location of the tumor?

BACKGROUND: We compared the surgical outcomes of single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) and conventional laparoscopic surgery (CLS) for gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). METHODS: We performed single-incision gastric wedge resection on prospectively-enrolled 15 consecutive patients with gastric GIST between November 2020 and April 2022 in a single tertiary center. The early perioperative outcomes of these patients were compared to those of patients who underwent CLS. The indications did not differ from those for conventional laparoscopic procedures for gastric GIST. RESULTS: In total, 30 patients were assigned to the SILS (n = 15) and CLS (n = 15) groups. There were no significant differences in the estimated blood loss and intraoperative blood transfusion between the SILS and CLS groups. There were no intraoperative complications or conversions to multiple-port or open surgery in the SILS group. Proximally located tumors were more commonly treated with CLS than with SILS (P = 0.045). GISTs located in the greater curvature were more commonly treated with SILS than with CLS, although the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.08). The mean incision length in the SILS group was 4.1 cm shorter than that in the CLS group (3.2 ± 0.7 and 7.3 ± 5.2 cm, respectively, P = 0.01). The postoperative analgesic dose was significantly lower in the SILS than in the CLS group (0.4 ± 1.4 and 2.1 ± 2.3, respectively P = 0.01). Also, the duration of postoperative use of analgesic was shorter in SILS than in CLS (0.4 ± 0.7 and 2.0 ± 1.8, respectively, P = 0.01). There were no significant differences in the early postoperative complications between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: SILS is as safe, feasible, and effective for the treatment of gastric GIST as CLS with comparable postoperative complications, pain, and cosmesis. Moreover, SILS can be considered without being affected by the type or location of the tumor.

Torilis japonica Extract Suppresses the Induction of Atopic Inflammation.

As one of the major intractable allergic disorders, atopic inflammation is commonly accompanied by itching, dry skin, and inflammation. Atopic inflammation deteriorates the quality of life and has no fundamental cure, so it is crucial to urgently explore and develop natural resources for long-term treatment without any side effects. This study aimed to verify Torilis japonica extract (TJE)'s relieving effect and mechanism against atopic inflammation using skin cells and skin equivalent models, as well as to investigate torilin's effect (obtained from TJE) and other unknown components as marker compounds. Torilin concentration was verified in TJE using high-performance liquid chromatography and analyzed the unknown components using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Furthermore, TJE's cytotoxicity, regenerative effect, and cell cycle regulation effects were confirmed using skin cells with atopic inflammation (human dermal fibroblasts and HaCaT keratinocytes) by using TNF-α and IFN-γ treatments. Consequently, TJE was demonstrated to regulate TARC and CTACK expressions as chemokines and those of interleukin-4, -5, and -13 as cytokines related to atopic inflammation. TJE was further confirmed to affect the matrix metalloproteinase-1, -2, and -9 expressions, which are essential in skin damage. Lastly, this study confirmed TJE's relieving effect against atopic inflammation through a 3D skin model and RhCE model using human dermal fibroblasts and HaCaT keratinocytes. These findings on atopic inflammation verified torilin's relieving effects and TJE's other components.

MsSAMS, a cold stress-responsive gene, provides resistance to environmental stress in T2-generation transgenic plants.

The SAMS (S-adenosylmethionine synthetase) gene is known to play an important role in the mechanism of cold resistance, as overexpression of this gene results in phenotypic changes in T1-generation transgenic plants. Accordingly, this study was conducted to test the expression of the MsSAMS gene in T2-generation transgenic plants and to investigate the resistance of these plants and the function of the transgene in response to various environmental stresses. For the morphological analysis of T2-generation transgenic plants overexpressing the MsSAMS gene, observations using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were performed. T2-generation transgenic plants were obtained by planting a total of 5 lines, and their characteristics were tested by comparisons with those of the control. SEM revealed that the thickest leaves were produced by the T6 transgenic line-161.24 ± 8.05 µm. The number of stomata ranged from 20.00 ± 2.65 to 34.00 ± 1.00 in the T2-generation transgenic plants, but the control had more stomata. Resistance to various factors, such as low temperature, drought, and oxidative stress, in the T2-generation transgenic plants was also confirmed. Under cold-stress conditions, the T6 transgenic line presented the lowest value (22.73%) of ion leakage, and under drought-stress conditions, compared with the control, the transgenic lines presented lower ion leakage after being treated with various concentrations of mannitol. Even under oxidative-stress conditions, the T2-generation transgenic plants presented ion leakage levels that were 32.91 ± 4.24 to 48.33 ± 3.54% lower than those of the control after treatment with various concentrations of methyl viologen. Regarding SAMS enzyme activity, as the duration of cold treatment increased, the activity in the transgenic plants tended to decrease and then increase. During 48 h of cold treatment, the control showed a decrease in SAM content, while the T2-generation transgenic plants presented an increase in SAM content, from 13.58 ± 1.04 to 22.75 ± 1.95 mg protein/g FW. The results suggest that the MsSAMS gene may be important to the mechanisms of resistance to oxidative and drought stresses in addition to its previously known association with cold resistance. Based on these results, it was suggested that the MsSAMS gene, whose expression is induced by cold stress, can serve as a marker of various responses to environmental stresses, because resistance to cold damage and various environmental stresses are stably inherited in the T2 generation.

Brighter spotty lesions on spinal MRI help differentiate AQP4 antibody-positive NMOSD from MOGAD.

In a large acute myelitis cohort, we aimed to determine whether brighter spotty lesions (BSLs)-using the refined terminology-on spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) help distinguish aquaporin-4 antibody-positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (AQP4-NMOSD) from myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody disease (MOGAD). An experienced neuro-radiologist and two neurologists independently analyzed 133 spinal MRI scans (65 from MOGAD and 68 from AQP4-NMOSD) acquired within 1 month of attacks. BSLs were observed in 18 of 61 (30%) participants with AQP4-NMOSD, while none of 49 participants with MOGAD showed BSL (p < 0.001). BSL during the acute phase would be useful to differentiate AQP4-NMOSD from MOGAD.

Cortical reorganization following auditory deprivation predicts cochlear implant performance in postlingually deaf adults.

Long-term hearing loss in postlingually deaf (PD) adults may lead to brain structural changes that affect the outcomes of cochlear implantation. We studied 94 PD patients who underwent cochlear implantation and 37 patients who were MRI-scanned within 2 weeks after the onset of sudden hearing loss and expected with minimal brain structural changes in relation to deafness. Compared with those with sudden hearing loss, we found lower gray matter (GM) probabilities in bilateral thalami, superior, middle, inferior temporal cortices as well as the central cortical regions corresponding to the movement and sensation of the lips, tongue, and larynx in the PD group. Among these brain areas, the GM in the middle temporal cortex showed negative correlation with disease duration, whereas the other areas displayed positive correlations. Left superior, middle temporal cortical, and bilateral thalamic GMs were the most accurate predictors of post-cochlear implantation word recognition scores (mean absolute error [MAE] = 10.1, r = .82), which was superior to clinical variables used (MAE: 12.1, p < .05). Using the combined brain morphological and clinical features, we achieved the best prediction of the outcome (MAE: 8.51, r = .90). Our findings suggest that the cross-modal plasticity allowing the superior temporal cortex and thalamus to process other modal sensory inputs reverses the initially lower volume when deafness becomes persistent. The middle temporal cortex processing higher-level language comprehension shows persistent negative correlations with disease duration, suggesting this area's association with degraded speech comprehensions due to long-term deafness. Morphological features combined with clinical variables might play a key role in predicting outcomes of cochlear implantation.

Comparative Study on Seed Characteristics, Antioxidant Activity, and Total Phenolic and Flavonoid Contents in Accessions of Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench.

Sorghum is a major cereal food worldwide, and is considered a potential source of minerals and bioactive compounds. Its wide adaptive range may cause variations in its agronomic traits, antioxidant properties, and phytochemical content. This extensive study investigated variations in seed characteristics, antioxidant properties, and total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid contents (TFC) of sorghum collected from different ecological regions of 15 countries. The antioxidant potential of the seed extracts of various sorghum accessions was determined using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azinobis 3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate (ABTS) radical scavenging assays. Significant variations in TPC were observed among the sorghum accessions. All 78 sorghum accessions used in this study exhibited significant variations in TFC, with the lowest and highest amount observed in accessions C465 and J542, respectively. DPPH scavenging potential of the seed extracts for all the accessions ranged from 11.91 ± 4.83 to 1343.90 ± 81.02 µg mL-1. The ABTS assay results were similar to those of DPPH but showed some differences in the accessions. Pearson's correlation analysis revealed a wide variation range in the correlation between antioxidant activity and TPC, as well as TFC, among the sorghum accessions. A wide diversity range was also recorded for the seed characteristics (1000-seed weight and seed germination rate). A dendrogram generated from UPGMA clustering, based on seed traits, antioxidant activity, TPC, and TFC was highly dispersed for these accessions. Variations among the accessions may provide useful information regarding the phytoconstituents, antioxidant properties, and phytochemical contents of sorghum and aid in designing breeding programs to obtain sorghum with improved agronomic traits and bioactive properties.

Nontraumatic Subperiosteal Orbital Hematoma in a Patient With Behcet Disease.

Orbital subperiosteal hematomas are commonly caused by facial trauma. Nontraumatic subperiosteal orbital hematomas (NTSOHs) are rare but may occur in patients with underlying medical diseases. A 71-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with a 5-day history of left periorbital pain and proptosis. She was known to have Behcet disease and presented with no recent trauma. Clinical features and computed tomography findings aided in establishing the diagnosis of an NTSOH. The hematoma was evacuated via sub brow incision. After surgery, the patient's clinical symptoms resolved and did not recur during the 12-month follow-up period. On the basis of the findings of this case, the authors conclude that patients diagnosed with diseases such as bleeding disorders or autoimmune vasculitis should consider visual symptoms as a sign of an NTSOH. Patients who diagnosed with disease experience visual disturbance, periorbital pain, or periorbital swelling should undergo early surgical treatment for spontaneous NTSOH to avoid permanent visual loss.

Prognostic Value of Cervical Nodal Necrosis Observed in Preoperative CT and MRI of Patients With Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Cervical Node Metastases: A Retrospective Study.

OBJECTIVE. The prognosis of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) with cervical lymph node metastases is poor, and a subset of patients with aggressive disease experiences treatment failure. The current study evaluated the prognostic value of cervical nodal necrosis (CNN) observed on preoperative imaging studies of patients with tongue SCC and cervical node metastases. MATERIALS AND METHODS. We identified patients with tongue SCC who had undergone preoperative neck CT or MRI (or both) and retrospectively reviewed their demographic and clinical data. Patients with metastatic cervical lymph nodes were divided into two groups according to the presence (CNN group) or absence (non-CNN group) of necrosis, and radiologic extranodal extension (ENE) was assessed for all patients. Follow-up biopsy, imaging, and clinical examinations were used to determine survival and treatment failure. Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were performed to determine clinical, demographic, and pathologic factors for survival. RESULTS. Seventy-two patients with a mean follow-up period of 28.4 months were included. The incidence of CNN was 55.6% (40/72). In univariate analysis, patient age, evidence of CNN on preoperative imaging, radiologic ENE, clinical N classification, and overall stage were significantly associated with survival. The multivariate Cox proportional hazard model showed that patient age and CNN on preoperative imaging were independent negative prognostic factors. CONCLUSION. CNN observed on preoperative imaging studies is an independent predictor of a poor prognosis for patients with tongue SCC, and it may serve as a useful imaging biomarker for tailoring individual treatment regimens.

The analysis of virulence factors and antibiotic resistance between Helicobacter pylori strains isolated from gastric antrum and body.

BACKGROUND: Individuals can be infected with multiple strains of Helicobacter pylori. However, the differences among co-infecting strains have not been well analyzed yet. This study aimed to investigate whether the virulence factors and antibiotic resistance patterns of H. pylori differ between strains isolated from different locations of the stomach in the same patient. METHODS: H. pylori isolates were obtained from the antrum and body of the stomach. Genetic differences were examined by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprinting. Antibiotic resistance was assessed using the agar dilution method. Virulence factors were identified by polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing. RESULTS: Among 80 patients, co-infection by two H. pylori strains was detected in 10 patients. Among the 10 pairs of H. pylori strains, differences in antibiotic resistance patterns were detected in 7 pairs (clarithromycin, 1 patient; quinolone, 3 patients; metronidazole, 4 patients) and differences in virulence factors were detected in 5 pairs. The cagA virulence gene was detected in all 10 patients, and 2 patients had H. pylori strains with different EPIYA motifs. Differences in vacA genotypes were detected in 4 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Co-infection by two H. pylori strains was confirmed by RAPD fingerprinting. Frequently, two H. pylori strains obtained from a single host differed in their virulence factors and antibiotic resistance patterns. Co-infection by multiple H. pylori strains could undermine the success of eradication therapy and should be considered when interpreting the results of antimicrobial susceptibility tests.

PI-RADS Version 2: Detection of Clinically Significant Cancer in Patients With Biopsy Gleason Score 6 Prostate Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the utility of the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2 (PI-RADSv2) in the detection of a clinically significant cancers in patients with prostate cancers with a biopsy Gleason score of 6. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A group of 182 consecutively registered patients with biopsy-proven prostate cancer with a Gleason score of 6 underwent MRI and radical prostatectomy. Clinically significant cancer was surgically defined as Gleason score of 7 or greater, tumor volume of 0.5 cm3 or greater, or tumor category T3 or greater. Clinical parameters (prostate-specific antigen level, greatest percentage of biopsy core, and percentage of positive cores) and the PI-RADSv2 ratings by three independent readers (experienced readers 1 and 2, inexperienced reader 3) were investigated. Cutoffs and the diagnostic performance of PI-RADSv2 for clinically significant cancer were analyzed. RESULTS: Clinically significant cancer was found in 87.4% (159/182) of patients. The cutoff PI-RADSv2 score for clinically significant cancer was 4 for readers 1 and 2 and 5 for reader 3. The AUCs were 0.829 and 0.853 for readers 1 and 2 (p < 0.001) and 0.602 for reader 3 (p = 0.067). For reader 1, sensitivity was 89.9% (143/159); specificity, 69.6% (16/23); positive predictive value, 95.3% (143/150); negative predictive value, 50.0% (16/32); and accuracy, 87.4% (159/182). The corresponding values for reader 2 were 81.1% (129/159), 82.6% (19/23), 97.0% (129/133), 38.8% (19/49), and 81.3% (148/182). For the experienced readers, 66.7-81.3% of patients with false-negative results had clinically significant cancers with tumor volume less than 1 cm3. CONCLUSION: PI-RADSv2 may help experienced readers identify clinically significant prostate cancers in patients with a biopsy Gleason score of 6. However, some small (< 1 cm3) clinically significant cancers can be missed when PI-RADSv2 is used.

Activation of Peroxymonosulfate by Surface-Loaded Noble Metal Nanoparticles for Oxidative Degradation of Organic Compounds.

This study demonstrates the capability of noble metal nanoparticles immobilized on Al2O3 or TiO2 support to effectively activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and degrade select organic compounds in water. The noble metals outperformed a benchmark PMS activator such as Co(2+) (water-soluble) for PMS activation and organic compound degradation at acidic pH and showed the comparable activation capacity at neutral pH. The efficiency was found to depend on the type of noble metal (following the order of Pd > Pt ≈ Au ≫ Ag), the amount of noble metal deposited onto the support, solution pH, and the type of target organic substrate. In contrast to common PMS-activated oxidation processes that involve sulfate radical as a main oxidant, the organic compound degradation kinetics were not affected by sulfate radical scavengers and exhibited substrate dependency that resembled the PMS activated by carbon nanotubes. The results presented herein suggest that noble metals can mediate electron transfer from organic compounds to PMS to achieve persulfate-driven oxidation, rather than through reductive conversion of PMS to reactive sulfate radical.

Efficacy of ethanol ablation for thyroglossal duct cyst.

OBJECTIVE: Ethanol ablation has been known as an effective, easy, and safe treatment of cystic thyroid lesions. The objective of the present study was to evaluate efficacy of ethanol ablation as a minimally invasive management of thyroglossal duct cyst (TGDC). METHODS: Between January 2012 and July 2013, 9 TGDC patients were diagnosed and treated with ethanol ablation. We evaluated the treatment outcomes with the change of volume reduction and the improvement of symptomatic and cosmetic complaints and complications. RESULTS: Initial mean tumor volume was 8.9 mL (range, 0.2-36.9 mL) in ultrasonography. The mean number of the treatment sessions was 1.7 (range, 1-3 sessions). At last follow-up, the mean volume of the treated thyroglossal duct cyst decreased significantly from 8.9 mL to 1.9 mL (P = .019; volume reduction rate = 76.6%). Treatment success rate was 77.8% (7/9). Mean symptoms and cosmetic-grading scores improved from 5.2 to 3.1 and from 5.3 to 3.1 (P = .062). No significant complications were observed during follow-up. CONCLUSION: Ethanol ablation is a feasible and convenient procedure without surgical scars and hospitalization for TGDC patients. Favorable outcomes can be achieved without significant complications.

Periorbital Lipogranuloma Following Facial Autologous Fat Injections: Non-surgical Treatment.

BACKGROUND: Periorbital lipogranuloma following autologous fat injection into the forehead for cosmetic facial augmentation is a recently described adverse outcome. Patients have typically been treated with surgical excision. This study evaluates the clinical characteristics of periorbital lipogranulomas, and the non-surgical treatment outcomes of these patients. METHODS: This is a noncomparative, interventional case series. A retrospective analysis of clinical data and radiographic images was performed of patients with periorbital lipogranuloma following autologous fat injection. Objective treatment outcomes after intralesional triamcinolone injection and/or oral prednisolone were evaluated by measuring the size of the lipogranulomas pre- and post-treatment. Cosmetic outcomes were also assessed by the subjective satisfaction at the last visit. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients were identified with periorbital lipogranuloma following facial autologous fat injection. All patients were female, the mean age was 40 ± 10 years, and 19 patients received cryopreserved fat. Twenty-one patients underwent non-surgical corticosteroid treatment. 'Resolution' was achieved in 15 patients (71%), and 'Partial Resolution' was achieved in 5 patients (24%). One patient (5%) who took oral prednisone alone showed 'No Response'. Cosmetic outcomes were classified as 'Very Satisfied' in 16 patients (76%), 'Satisfied' in 4 patients (19%), and 'Dissatisfied' in 1 patient (5%) after corticosteroid treatment. CONCLUSION: Periorbital lipogranuloma following autologous fat injection may be diagnosed by history, physical exam, and orbital imaging. Non-surgical corticosteroid treatments showed a good response with few adverse effects and should be considered as a first line of treatment of periorbital granulomas prior to conducting surgical excision. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.

Lifestyle Behaviors in Patients With Gastric Cancer: Continuous Need for Alcohol Abstinence and Muscle Strength Training Education.

PURPOSE: This study was performed to assess the lifestyle-related behaviors of patients with gastric cancer (GC) and to investigate the associations between the time since GC diagnosis and these behaviors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 29,478 adults (including 338 patients with GC) aged ≥ 40 years who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2014-2021. Multiple logistic regression analysis explored the associations between the time since GC diagnosis (patients diagnosed with GC less than 5 years ago [<5 years group] and those diagnosed with GC 5 or more than years ago [≥5 years group]) and lifestyle factors. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on age and sex. RESULTS: The current smoking rate was not lower in the GC group than in the healthy group, regardless of time since diagnosis. Compared to the healthy controls, monthly alcohol intake was lower in the <5 years group (odds ratio [OR], 0.450; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.275-0.736). The ≥5 years group showed a lower rate of strength training (OR, 0.548; CI, 0.359-0.838), compared with the healthy control group. Subgroup analysis focusing on the ≥5 years group revealed a significantly lower rate of strength training, particularly in patients aged ≥65 years and male patients (OR, 0.519 and 0.553; CI, 0.302-0.890 and 0.340-0.901, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should continue educating patients on lifestyle behavior modifications, particularly alcohol abstinence, even beyond 5 years after GC diagnosis. Education on strength training is especially important for patients ≥65 years or male patients.

Neural network model for prediction of possible sarcopenic obesity using Korean national fitness award data (2010-2023).

Sarcopenic obesity (SO) is characterized by concomitant sarcopenia and obesity and presents a high risk of disability, morbidity, and mortality among older adults. However, predictions based on sequential neural network SO studies and the relationship between physical fitness factors and SO are lacking. This study aimed to develop a predictive model for SO in older adults by focusing on physical fitness factors. A comprehensive dataset of older Korean adults participating in national fitness programs was analyzed using sequential neural networks. Appendicular skeletal muscle/body weight was defined as SO using an anthropometric equation. Independent variables included body fat (BF, %), waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and various physical fitness factors. The dependent variable was a binary outcome (possible SO vs normal). We analyzed hyperparameter tuning and stratified K-fold validation to optimize a predictive model. The prevalence of SO was significantly higher in women (13.81%) than in men, highlighting sex-specific differences. The optimized neural network model and Shapley Additive Explanations analysis demonstrated a high validation accuracy of 93.1%, with BF% and absolute grip strength emerging as the most influential predictors of SO. This study presents a highly accurate predictive model for SO in older adults, emphasizing the critical roles of BF% and absolute grip strength. We identified BF, absolute grip strength, and sit-and-reach as key SO predictors. Our findings underscore the sex-specific nature of SO and the importance of physical fitness factors in its prediction.

Comparison of face mask effects on cardiorespiratory responses between physically active and sedentary individuals.

BACKGROUND: Alterations caused by face masks on physiological responses vary among different population groups. This study aimed to investigate whether physically active and sedentary individuals respond differently to face mask use during exercise. METHODS: Sixteen healthy college students were divided into two groups: Physically active group (N.=10; 26.50±2.80 years) and Sedentary group (N.=6; 26.33±2.81 years). They performed three maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET)s following the Bruce protocol: one without a face mask (NON), one with a surgical mask (SUR) and one with a cloth mask (CLO). Cardiorespiratory parameters and heart rate were monitored continuously during the test. Blood pressure, oxygen saturation and lactate level were measured immediately before and after exertion. RESULTS: Significant differences were found between the Physically active and the Sedentary group in peak VO2 (VO2peak) in NON (P=0.030). However, this difference disappeared when the face masks were used. Furthermore, VO2/kg (P=0.002) and METs (P=0.002) decreased significantly at the respiratory compensation point (RCP) only in the Physically active group with face masks. No significant differences were found between the two groups for exercise time, lactate level and dyspnea (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The decrease in exercise tolerance and cardiorespiratory responses, particularly VO2peak, due to face mask use was greater in physically active individuals compared to sedentary individuals. Population group characteristics should be considered when adapting face masks to daily life.

The effect of different LED wavelengths on the components and biosynthesis of isoflavonoid in sprout Astragalus membranaceus.

An artificial light source is the optimal element for studying the usability of the medicinal plant Astragalus membranaceus as a sprout vegetable. Based on artificial light source conditions, formononetin (FO) level was the highest (2.6 mg/L) in A. membranaceus exposed to white light emitting diode (LED) light, and calycosin (CA) level was the highest (3.09 mg/L) in the plant exposed to red LED light. According to the publicly available transcriptome data of LED-exposed sprout A. membranaceus LED, reference genes related to the content enhancement of FO, an isoflavone compound, and those related to the content enhancement of CA were selected. The expression patterns of these genes were assayed using qPCR. Among the genes related to FO enhancement, Gene-225190T showed the highest mRNA levels in cells of LED-white light-exposed sprout A. membranaceus; among the genes related to CA enhancement, Gene_042770T showed the highest expression under red LED light. Most genes related to the overall biosynthesis regulation of flavonoids of the upper concept of isoflavone were highly expressed in response to red LED light, and the transcriptional level of 4CL in response to red LED light was the highest. Based on these results, the artificial light sources that regulated the FO and CA contents in sprouts A. membranaceus were white and red LED lights, and the selected reference genes were capable of regulating isoflavone biosynthesis.