Ultrathin Boron Growth onto Nanodiamond Surfaces via Electrophilic Boron Precursors.

Diamond as a templating substrate is largely unexplored, and the unique properties of diamond, including its large bandgap, thermal conductance, and lack of cytotoxicity, makes it versatile in emergent technologies in medicine and quantum sensing. Surface termination of an inert diamond substrate and its chemical reactivity are key in generating new bonds for nucleation and growth of an overlayer material. Oxidized high-pressure high temperature (HPHT) nanodiamonds (NDs) are largely terminated by alcohols that act as nucleophiles to initiate covalent bond formation when an electrophilic reactant is available. In this work, we demonstrate a templated synthesis of ultrathin boron on ND surfaces using trigonal boron compounds. Boron trichloride (BCl3), boron tribromide (BBr3), and borane (BH3) were found to react with ND substrates at room temperature in inert conditions. BBr3 and BCl3 were highly reactive with the diamond surface, and sheet-like structures were produced and verified with electron microscopy. Surface-sensitive spectroscopies were used to probe the molecular and atomic structure of the ND constructs' surface, and quantification showed the boron shell was less than 1 nm thick after 1-24 h reactions. Observation of the reaction supports a self-terminating mechanism, similar to atomic layer deposition growth, and is likely due to the quenching of alcohols on the diamond surface. X-ray absorption spectroscopy revealed that boron-termination generated midgap electronic states that were originally predicted by density functional theory (DFT) several years ago. DFT also predicted a negative electron surface, which has yet to be confirmed experimentally here. The boron-diamond nanostructures were found to aggregate in dichloromethane and were dispersed in various solvents and characterized with dynamic light scattering for future cell imaging or cancer therapy applications using boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). The unique templating mechanism based on nucleophilic alcohols and electrophilic trigonal precursors allows for covalent bond formation and will be of interest to researchers using diamond for quantum sensing, additive manufacturing, BNCT, and potentially as an electron emitter.

Safety and feasibility of single-incision laparoscopic distal gastrectomy in overweight and obese gastric cancer patients: a propensity score-matched analysis.

BACKGROUND: The technical challenges and safety concerns of single-incision laparoscopic gastrectomy for overweight and obese gastric cancer patients remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of single-incision laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (SIDG) compared to multiport laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (MLDG) in overweight and obese gastric cancer patients. METHODS: This study retrospectively analyzed overweight and obese patients (body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2) and pathologic stage T1 primary gastric adenocarcinoma treated with either SIDG or MLDG. The SIDG and MLDG groups were propensity score matched at a 1:2 ratio using age, sex, height, body weight, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, year of surgery, pathologic N stage, and anastomosis method as covariates. RESULTS: After 1:2 matching, the study included patients who underwent SIDG (n = 179) and MLDG (n = 358). No significant difference in the number of retrieved lymph nodes was found between the SIDG and MLDG groups (52.8 ± 19.3 vs. 53.9 ± 21.0, P = 0.56). Operation times were significantly shorter in the SIDG group (170.8 ± 60.0 min vs. 186.1 ± 52.6 min, P = 0.004). The postoperative hospital length of stay was comparable between the 2 groups (SIDG: 5.9 ± 3.4 days vs. MLDG: 6.3 ± 5.1 days, P = 0.23), as was postoperative complication rate (SIDG: 13.4% vs. MLDG: 12.8%, P = 0.89). CONCLUSIONS: SIDG was shown to be as safe and feasible as MLDG for overweight and obese gastric cancer patients, with comparable early postoperative complication rates without compromising operation time compared to MLDG.

Change in Pulmonary Arteries after Modified Blalock-Taussig Shunt Procedure: Analysis Based on Computed Tomography.

Background: Although the modified Blalock-Taussig shunt remains the mainstay method of palliation for augmenting pulmonary blood flow in various congenital heart diseases, the shunt must be carefully designed to achieve the best outcomes. This study investigated the effect of shunt configuration on pulmonary artery growth and growth discrepancy. Methods: Twenty patients with successful modified Blalock-Taussig shunt takedown were analyzed. Pulmonary artery and shunt characteristics were obtained using computed tomography scans. Differences in the baseline and follow-up diameter ratios and growth in the ipsilateral and contralateral arteries were calculated. The angle between the shunt and pulmonary artery, as well as the distance from the main pulmonary artery bifurcation, were measured. Correlations between pulmonary arteries and shunt configurations were analyzed. Results: The median interval time between shunt placement and takedown was 154.5 days (interquartile range, 113.25-276.25 days). Follow-up values of the ipsilateral-to-contralateral pulmonary artery diameter ratio showed no significant correlation with the shunt angle (ρ=0.429, p=0.126) or distance (ρ=0.110, p=0.645). The shunt angle and distance from the main pulmonary bifurcation showed no significant correlation (ρ=-0.373, p=0.189). Pulmonary artery growth was negatively correlated with shunt angle (ipsilateral, ρ=-0.565 and p=0.035; contralateral, ρ=-0.578 and p=0.030), but not with distance (ipsilateral, ρ=-0.065 and p=0.786; contralateral, ρ=-0.130 and p=0.586). Conclusion: Shunt configuration had no significant effect on growth imbalance. The angle and distance of the shunt showed no significant correlation with each other. A more vertical shunt was associated with significant pulmonary artery growth. We suggest a more vertical graft design for improved pulmonary artery growth.

Hyperthermic pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol drug delivery system in a large animal model: a feasibility and safety study.

BACKGROUND: We developed a novel drug delivery system called hyperthermic pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (HPIPAC) that hybridized Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) and pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC). The present study aims to assess the feasibility and safety of HPIPAC system in a large animal survival model. METHODS: Eleven pigs (eight non-survival models and three survival models) were used in the experiment. The heat module in the HPIPAC controller circulates hyperthermic CO2 in a closed-loop circuit and creates gas-based dry intraperitoneal hyperthermia. Three 12 mm trocars were placed on the abdomen. The afferent CO2 tube wound with heat generating coil was inserted into a trocar, and the efferent tube was inserted into another trocar. Heated CO2 was insufflated and circulated in a closed circuit until the intra-abdominal and peritoneal surface temperature reached 42 °C. 100 ml of 5% dextrose in water was nebulized for 5 min and the closed-loop circulation was resumed for 60 min at 42 °C. Tissue biopsies were taken from several sites from the pigs in the survival model. RESULTS: The average change in core temperature of the pigs was 2.5 ± 0.08 °C. All three pigs displayed no signs of distress, and their vital signs remained stable, with no changes in their diet. In autopsy, inflammatory and fibrotic responses at the biopsy sites were observed without serious pathologic findings. CONCLUSIONS: We successfully proved the feasibility and safety of our novel HPIPAC system in an in-vivo swine survival model.

Ethnic-specific associations between body mass index and gastric cancer: a Mendelian randomization study in European and Korean populations.

BACKGROUND: Given the uncertainties surrounding the associations in previous epidemiological studies, we conducted linear and nonlinear Mendelian randomization (MR) studies to evaluate whether body mass index (BMI) associated with gastric cancer (GC) risk in European and Korean. METHODS: Genome-wide association study-summary statistics were used from the Pan-UK Biobank, the Genetic Investigation of Anthropometric Traits consortium, the K-CHIP consortium, and BioBank Japan. BMI-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used as instrumental variables (IVs) in MR to identify the association between BMI and GC. Both linear and nonlinear MR analyses were performed. Sensitivity analyses were also conducted for individuals below or above a BMI of 24 kg/m2. RESULTS: The study used 22 and 55 SNPs as IVs for BMI in European and Korean populations, respectively. Genetically predicted BMI was positively associated with GC risk in the European population (Odds ratio per 1 kg/m2 increase; 95% CI = 1.17; 1.01-1.36 using simple median method), but no significant association was observed in the Korean population. However, the nonlinear MR identified a U-shaped association between BMI and GC in the Korean population, with both low and high BMIs associated with increased GC risk. A BMI of 24 kg/m2 presented the lowest risk. Sensitivity analyses did not yield any genome-wide significant SNPs. CONCLUSION: While MR analysis suggests a linear association between BMI and GC in those of European ancestry, nonlinear MR hints at a U-shaped association in Koreans. This suggests the association between BMI and GC risk may vary according to ethnic ancestry.

Feasibility and safety of pure single-incision laparoscopic total and proximal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer: propensity score-matched comparison to multiport totally laparoscopic approach.

BACKGROUND: There have been few studies regarding the feasibility and safety of pure single-incision laparoscopic total gastrectomy (SITG) or proximal gastrectomy (SIPG) for early gastric cancer (EGC). The purpose of this study was to analyze the surgical outcome of all consecutive SITG or SIPG cases compared with multiport laparoscopic total gastrectomy (MLTG) or proximal gastrectomy (MLPG) for EGC. METHODS: We analyzed all consecutive SITG or SIPG cases with double-tract reconstruction for ECG, including the initial case, between March 2013 and December 2021. SITG/SIPG was performed on patients without significant systemic comorbidities through a 3-4 cm vertical transumbilical incision. SITG/SIPG was matched to multiport laparoscopic total or proximal gastrectomy (MLTG/MLPG) cases performed in the same period using a 1:3 propensity score matching, including sex, body mass index (BMI), age and type of resection, year of operation, and institution as covariates. We compared perioperative clinicopathological characteristics and early postoperative morbidity within 1 month after surgery between the SITG/SIPG and MLTG/MLPG groups. RESULTS: In total, 21 patients with SITG and 15 patients with SIPG were compared with those with MLTG (n = 264) and MLPG (n = 220). No conversion to an open or multiport approach occurred in the SITG/SIPG group. After matching, operation time was similar between SITG/SIPG and MLTG/MLPG (223.9 ± 63.5 min vs 234.8 ± 68.7 min, P = 0.402). Length of stay was not significantly different between SITG/SIPG and MLTG/MLPG (11.9 ± 15.4 days vs 8.4 ± 5.0 days, P = 0.210). The average number of retrieved lymph nodes was not significantly different between SITG and MLTG (53.1 ± 16.3 vs 63.2 ± 27.5, P = 0.115), but it was significantly higher in SIPG than MLPG (59.6 ± 27.2 vs 46.0 ± 19.7, P = 0.040). The overall complication rate (30.6% vs 25.9%, P = 0.666) and Clavien-Dindo grade III or higher complication rates (13.9% vs 6.5%, P = 0.175) were not significantly different between the SITG/SIPG and MLTG/MLPG groups. CONCLUSION: Cautious adoption of SITG/SIPG procedures for EGC is feasible and safe.

Enhancement of dynamic visual acuity using transcranial alternating current stimulation with gamma burst entrained on alpha wave troughs.

BACKGROUND: Cross-frequency phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) of cortical oscillations is observed within and across cortical regions during higher-order cognitive processes. Particularly, the PAC of alpha and gamma waves in the occipital cortex is closely associated with visual perception. In theory, gamma oscillation is a neuronal representation of visual stimuli, which drives the duty cycle of visual perception together with alpha oscillation. Therefore, it is believed that the timing of entrainment in alpha-gamma PAC may play a critical role in the performance of visual perception. We hypothesized that transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) with gamma waves entrained at the troughs of alpha waves would enhance the dynamic visual acuity (DVA). METHOD: We attempted to modulate the performance of DVA by using tACS. The waveforms of the tACS were tailored to target PAC over the occipital cortex. The waveforms contained gamma (80 Hz) waves oscillating at either the peaks or troughs of alpha (10 Hz) waves. Participants performed computerized DVA task before, immediately after, and 10 min after each stimulation sessions. EEG and EOG were recorded during the DVA task to assess inter-trial phase coherence (ITPC), the alpha-gamma PAC at occipital site and the eye movements. RESULTS: tACS with gamma waves entrained at alpha troughs effectively enhanced DVA, while the tACS with gamma waves entrained at alpha peaks did not affect DVA performance. Importantly, analyses of EEG and EOG showed that the enhancement of DVA performance originated solely from the neuromodulatory effects, and was not related to the modulation of saccadic eye movements. Consequently, DVA, one of the higher-order cognitive abilities, was successfully modulated using tACS with a tailored waveform. CONCLUSIONS: Our experimental results demonstrated that DVA performances were enhanced when tACS with gamma bursts entrained on alpha wave troughs were applied over the occipital cortex. Our findings suggest that using tACS with tailored waveforms, modulation of complex neuronal features could effectively enhance higher-order cognitive abilities such as DVA, which has never been modulated with conventional noninvasive brain stimulation methods.

Valve-Sparing Neo-Aortic Root Replacement for Neo-Aortic Root Dilatation 20 Years after Arterial Switch Operation for Transposition of the Great Arteries: A Case Report.

A 25-year-old man returned to Seoul National University Children's Hospital with mild dyspnea on exertion. He had undergone an arterial switch operation at 1 month after birth to correct a complete transposition of the great arteries and a ventricular septal defect. When the patient was 15 years old, dilatation of the neo-aortic sinus and annulus was first identified; since then, it had gradually increased. Given the young age of the patient and the degree of aortic regurgitation (AR), which was mild to moderate, we opted to perform a valve-sparing neo-aortic root replacement with aortic valve repair. Postoperative echocardiography showed successful reductions in the sizes of the aortic sinus and annulus, with only mild AR remaining.

Sex-specific Associations between Body Mass Index and Thyroid Cancer Incidence among Korean Adults.

BACKGROUND: The potential differences by sex in the association between body mass index (BMI) and thyroid cancer risk remain unconfirmed. METHODS: Data from the National Health Insurance Service-National Health Screening Cohort (NHIS-HEALS; 2002-2015; population size = 510,619) and the Korean Multi-center Cancer Cohort (KMCC) data (1993-2015; population size = 19,026) were used. We constructed Cox regression models, adjusted for potential confounders, to evaluate the association between BMI and thyroid cancer incidence in each cohort, and assessed the consistency of the results. RESULTS: In the NHIS-HEALS, 1,351 and 4,609 incident thyroid cancer cases occurred during the follow-up among men and women, respectively. Compared with BMI of 18.5-22.9 kg/m2, BMI of 23.0-24.9 [no. of cases = 410; HR, 1.25; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.08-1.44], 25.0-29.9 (no. of cases = 522; HR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.15-1.51), and ≥30.0 kg/m2 (no. of cases = 48; HR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.42-2.61) were associated with an increased risk of incident thyroid cancer among males. Among females, BMI of 23.0-24.9 (no. of cases = 1,300; HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.09-1.26) and 25.0-29.9 (no. of cases = 1,406; HR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.11-1.29) were associated with incident thyroid cancer. The analyses using the KMCC demonstrated results consistent with wider CIs. CONCLUSIONS: Sex differences in the associations between BMI and thyroid cancer incidence were observed in Korean cohorts. IMPACT: BMI <23 kg/m2 may help prevent incident thyroid cancer, especially among men.

Inflammatory Endotypes of Chronic Rhinosinusitis in the Korean Population: Distinct Expression of Type 3 Inflammation.

PURPOSE: Cluster analyses on inflammatory markers of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) in Asians from multicenter data are lacking. This multicenter study aimed to identify the endotypes of CRS in Koreans and to evaluate the relationship between the endotypes and clinical parameters. METHODS: Nasal tissues were obtained from patients with CRS and controls who underwent surgery. The endotypes of CRS were investigated by measuring interleukin (IL)-5, interferon (IFN)-γ, IL-17A, IL-22, IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, matrix metalloproteinase-9, eotaxin-3, eosinophil cationic protein, myeloperoxidase (MPO), human neutrophil elastase (HNE), periostin, transforming growth factor-ß1, total immunoglobulin E (IgE), and staphylococcal enterotoxin (SE)-specific IgE. We performed hierarchical cluster analysis and evaluated the phenotype, comorbidities, and Lund-Mackay computed tomography (LM CT) score in each cluster. RESULTS: Five clusters and 3 endotypes were extracted from 244 CRS patients: cluster 1 had no upregulated mediators compared to the other clusters (mild mixed inflammatory CRS); clusters 2, 3, and 4 had higher concentrations of neutrophil-associated mediators including HNE, IL-8, IL-17A, and MPO (T3 CRS); and cluster 5 had higher levels of eosinophil-associated mediators (T2 CRS). SE-specific IgE was undetectable in T3 CRS and had low detectable levels (6.2%) even in T2 CRS. The CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) phenotype and LM CT scores showed no significant differences between T2 and T3 CRS, while the incidence of comorbid asthma was higher in T2 CRS than T3 CRS. In T3 clusters, higher levels of neutrophilic markers were associated with disease severity and CRSwNP phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: In Koreans, there is a distinct T3 CRS endotype showing a high proportion of CRSwNP and severe disease extent, along with T2 CRS.

dCas9-Mediated PCR-Free Detection of Oncogenic Mutation by Nonequilibrium Nanoelectrokinetic Selective Preconcentration.

Cutting-edge nanoelectrokinetic technology in this work provides a breakthrough for the present clinical demands of molecular diagnosis to detect a trace amount of oncogenic mutation of DNA in a short time without an erroneous PCR procedure. In this work, we combined the sequence-specific labeling scheme of CRISPR/dCas9 and ion concentration polarization (ICP) mechanism to separately preconcentrate target DNA molecules for rapid detection. Using the mobility shift caused by dCas9's specific binding to the mutant, the mutated DNA and normal DNA were distinguished in the microchip. Based on this technique, we successfully demonstrated the dCas9-mediated 1-min detection of single base substitution (SBS) in EGFR DNA, a carcinogenesis indicator. Moreover, the presence/absence of target DNA was identified at a glance like a commercial pregnancy test kit (two lines for positive and one line for negative) by the distinct preconcentration mechanisms of ICP, even at the 0.1% concentration of the target mutant.

Cross-phenotype association analysis of gastric cancer: in-silico functional annotation based on the disease-gene network.

BACKGROUND: A gene or variant has pleiotropic effects, and genetic variant identification across multiple phenotypes can provide a comprehensive understanding of biological pathways shared among different diseases or phenotypes. Discovery of genetic loci associated with multiple diseases can simultaneously support general interventions. Several meta-analyses have shown genetic associations with gastric cancer (GC); however, no study has identified associations with other phenotypes using this approach. METHODS: Here, we applied disease network analysis and gene-based analysis (GBA) to examine genetic variants linked to GC and simultaneously associated with other phenotypes. We conducted a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) level meta-analysis and GBA through a systematic genome-wide association study (GWAS) linked to GC, to integrate published results for the SNP variants and group them into major GC-associated genes. We then performed disease network and expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analyses to evaluate cross-phenotype associations and expression levels of GC-related genes. RESULTS: Seven genes (MTX1, GBAP1, MUC1, TRIM46, THBS3, PSCA, and ABO) were associated with GC as well as blood urea nitrogen (BUN), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and uric acid (UA). In addition, 17 SNPs regulated the expression of genes located on 1q22, 24 SNPs regulated the expression of PSCA on 8q24.3, and rs7849820 regulated the expression of ABO on 9q34.2. Furthermore, rs1057941 and rs2294008 had the highest posterior causal probabilities of being a causal candidate SNP in 1q22, and 8q24.3, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These findings identified seven GC-associated genes exhibiting a cross-association with GFR, BUN, and UA.

Comparison of perioperative outcomes between bipolar sealing, ultrasonic shears and a hybrid device during laparoscopic gastrectomy for early gastric cancer: a prospective, multicenter, randomized study.

BACKGROUND: Although EBDs are essential for minimally invasive surgery, well-established prospective randomized studies comparing EBDs are scarce. This study aimed to compare the intraoperative inflammatory response and short-term surgical outcomes among different energy-based devices (EBDs) in laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG). METHODS: Patients with clinical stage I gastric cancer scheduled for LDG at two different medical centers were prospectively randomized into three groups: ultrasonic shears (US), advanced bipolar (BP) and ultrasonic-bipolar hybrid (HB). The C-reactive protein (CRP) level, operation time, intraoperative blood loss (IBL), laboratory tests, cytokines (interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10), hospital stay, and complication rate were analyzed. A novel semiquantitative measurement method using indocyanine green (ICG) and a near-infrared camera measured the amount of lymphatic leakage. RESULTS: The primary endpoint, the CRP level, was significantly lower in the BP (n = 60) group than in the US (n = 57) or HB (n = 57) group [9.03 ± 5.55 vs. 11.12 ± 5.02 vs. 12.67 ± 6.14, p = 0.001, on postoperative day (POD) 2 and 7.48 vs. 9.62 vs. 9.48, p = 0.026, on POD 4]. IBL was significantly lower in BP than in US or HB (26.3 ± 25.3 vs. 43.7 ± 42.0 vs. 34.9 ± 37.0, p = 0.032). Jackson-Pratt drainage triglycerides were significantly lower in BP than in US (53.6 ± 33.7 vs. 84.2 ± 59.0, p = 0.11; HB: 71.3 ± 51.4). ICG fluorescence intensity, operation time, laboratory results, cytokines, hospital stay, and complication rate were not significantly different among the 3 groups. CONCLUSION: BP showed a lower postoperative CRP level and less IBL than US and HB, suggesting less collateral thermal damage and better sealing function. Surgeons may consider this when selecting EBDs for laparoscopic surgery.

Postoperative major bleeding risk in patients using oral antiplatelets and/or anticoagulants after laparoscopic gastric cancer surgery.

Purpose: The use of antiplatelet and/or anticoagulant therapies has become common. In rare cases, these therapies may increase the risk of dangerous postoperative bleeding. We investigated the association of antiplatelets and/or anticoagulants with postoperative major bleeding risk in laparoscopic gastric cancer surgery. Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 3,663 gastric cancer patients (antiplatelet/anticoagulant group, 518; control group, 3,145) who had undergone laparoscopic surgery between January 2012 and December 2017. To minimize selection bias, 508 patients in each group were matched using propensity score matching (PSM) method. The primary outcome was postoperative major bleeding. Secondary outcomes were intraoperative, postoperative transfusion and early complications. Results: After PSM, postoperative major bleeding occurred in 10 (2.0%) and 3 cases (0.6%) in the antiplatelets/anticoagulants and control groups, respectively (P = 0.090). Intraoperative and postoperative transfusions were not significantly different between 2 groups (2.4% vs. 1.4%, P = 0.355 and 5.5% vs. 4.3%, P = 0.469). Early complications developed in 58 (11.4%) and 43 patients (8.5%) in the antiplatelets/anticoagulants and control groups, respectively (P = 0.142). The mean amounts of intraoperative and postoperative transfusions were not significantly different between the groups (366.67 ± 238.68 mL vs. 371.43 ± 138.01 mL, P = 0.962; 728.57 ± 642.25 mL vs. 508.09 ± 468.95 mL, P = 0.185). In multivariable analysis, male (P = 0.008) and advanced stage (III, IV) (P = 0.024) were independent significant risk factors for postoperative major bleeding. Conclusion: Preoperative antiplatelets and/or anticoagulants administration did not significantly increase the risk of postoperative major bleeding after laparoscopic gastric cancer surgery.

Postoperative pain and quality of life after single-incision distal gastrectomy versus multiport laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer - a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Although it has been more than ten years since its first introduction, single-incision distal gastrectomy (SIDG) still lacks solid evidence and there are also no reports on patient quality of life (QOL). This study evaluates the postoperative outcomes and patient QOL of SIDG compared to multiport laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (MLDG). METHODS: This study was designed as a prospective phase II randomized controlled study. Patients diagnosed with early gastric cancer in the distal 2/3rd of the stomach were randomized to either multiport or single-port group. Primary endpoint was pain using the visual analogue scale on postoperative day (POD) 1. Other outcomes include operative data, complications, and patient QOL using the EORTC C30 and STO22 modules. RESULTS: A total of 43 patients in the SIDG group and 40 patients in the MLDG group were enrolled from September 2017 to February 2020. Mean operation time was 154.3 ± 53.3 min in the MLDG group and 148.9 ± 50.1 min in the SIDG group (p = 0.631). There was no difference in POD1 pain scores between the two groups (MLDG = 4.0 ± 1.3, SIDG = 4.3 ± 1.3, p = 0.372). Mean hospital stay was 5.5 (range 4-12) days in the MLDG group and 5 (range 4-17) days in the SIDG group (p = 0.993). There was no statistical significance in postoperative QOL scores. CONCLUSION: Unlike previous reports, there was no difference in POD1 pain scores between SIDG and MLDG. Nevertheless, SIDG did not increase short-term morbidity compared to MLDG and had similar outcomes in QOL.

Comparative Analysis of Various Weight Loss Success Criteria Models After Bariatric Metabolic Surgery in Korean Morbid Obese Patients.

Purpose: To identify weight loss prediction models by validating previous models using weight loss success criteria. Materials and Methods: Patients with morbid obesity from 4 hospitals were retrospectively analyzed between Jan 2019 and 2022. Preoperative demographics, postoperative data, and 1-year follow-up weight loss outcomes were compared between 2 groups who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) and laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB). Additionally, the predictive factors for the success of excess weight loss (EWL) (>50%) and total weight loss (TWL) (>25%) were analyzed. Results: Of the 162 patients, 137 were enrolled during the study period, 75 underwent LSG, and 62 underwent LRYGB. The >50% EWL and >25% TWL 1 year after surgery were 61.3% and 43.1%, respectively. Diabetes mellitus medication use was reduced in 94.8% of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Male sex and body mass index (BMI) were independent risk factors for successful weight loss (SWL) or >50% EWL (odds ratio [OR] for BMI 0.830, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.764-0.902), whereas achieving >25% TWL was not affected by sex or BMI (OR for BMI 1.010, 95% CI 0.957-1.065). External validation of the prediction models showed an acceptable range of accuracy (adjusted R2 66.5-71.3%). Conclusion: LSG and LRYGB are feasible and effective bariatric procedures for SWL in Korean patients with morbid obesity. The TWL model was a more appropriate criterion than EWL, and weight loss prediction models may help assess the 1-year outcomes of bariatric surgery.

Toward High-Performance Mg-S Batteries via a Copper Phosphide Modified Separator.

Magnesium-sulfur (Mg-S) batteries are emerging as a promising alternative to lithium-ion batteries, due to their high energy density and low cost. Unfortunately, current Mg-S batteries typically suffer from the shuttle effect that originates from the dissolution of magnesium polysulfide intermediates, leading to several issues such as rapid capacity fading, large overcharge, severe self-discharge, and potential safety concern. To address these issues, here we harness a copper phosphide (Cu3P) modified separator to realize the adsorption of magnesium polysulfides and catalyzation of the conversion reaction of S and Mg2+ toward stable cycling of Mg-S cells. The bifunctional layer with Cu3P confined in a carbon matrix is coated on a commercial polypropylene membrane to form a porous membrane with high electrolyte wettability and good thermal stability. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations, polysulfide permeability tests, and post-mortem analysis reveal that the catalytic layer can adsorb polysulfides, effectively restraining the shuttle effect and facilitating the reversibility of the Mg-S cells. As a result, the Mg-S cells can achieve a high specific capacity, fast rates (449 mAh g-1 at 0.1 C and 249 mAh g-1 at 1.0 C), and a long cycle life (up to 500 cycles at 0.5 C) and operate even at elevated temperatures.

Projection of Cancer Incidence and Mortality From 2020 to 2035 in the Korean Population Aged 20 Years and Older.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify the current patterns of cancer incidence and estimate the projected cancer incidence and mortality between 2020 and 2035 in Korea. METHODS: Data on cancer incidence cases were extracted from the Korean Statistical Information Service from 2000 to 2017, and data on cancer-related deaths were extracted from the National Cancer Center from 2000 to 2018. Cancer cases and deaths were classified according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition. For the current patterns of cancer incidence, age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) and age-standardized mortality rates were investigated using the 2000 mid-year estimated population aged over 20 years and older. A joinpoint regression model was used to determine the 2020 to 2035 trends in cancer. RESULTS: Overall, cancer cases were predicted to increase from 265 299 in 2020 to 474 085 in 2035 (growth rate: 1.8%). The greatest increase in the ASIR was projected for prostate cancer among male (7.84 vs. 189.53 per 100 000 people) and breast cancer among female (34.17 vs. 238.45 per 100 000 people) from 2000 to 2035. Overall cancer deaths were projected to increase from 81 717 in 2020 to 95 845 in 2035 (average annual growth rate: 1.2%). Although most cancer mortality rates were projected to decrease, those of breast, pancreatic, and ovarian cancer among female were projected to increase until 2035. CONCLUSIONS: These up-to-date projections of cancer incidence and mortality in the Korean population may be a significant resource for implementing cancer-related regulations or developing cancer treatments.

Genetic causal inference between amblyopia and perinatal factors.

Amblyopia is a common visual disorder that causes significant vision problems globally. Most non-ocular risk factors for amblyopia are closely related to the intrauterine environment, and are strongly influenced by parent-origin effects. Parent-origin perinatal factors may have a direct causal inference on amblyopia development; therefore, we investigated the causal association between perinatal factors and amblyopia risk using a one-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) with data from the UK Biobank Cohort Data (UKBB). Four distinct MR methods were employed to analyze the association between three perinatal factors (birth weight [BW], maternal smoking, and breastfeeding) and amblyopia risk, based on the summary statistics of genome-wide association studies in the European population. The inverse variance weighting method showed an inverse causal association between BW and amblyopia risk (odds ratio, 0.48 [95% CI, 0.29-0.80]; p = 0.004). Maternal smoking and breastfeeding were not causally associated with amblyopia risk. Our findings provided a possible evidence of a significant genetic causal association between low BW and increased amblyopia risk. This evidence may highlight the potential of BW as a predictive factor for visual maldevelopment and the need for careful management of amblyopia risk in patients with low BW.