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Background: The endothelial glycocalyx (EG) is an important structure that regulates vascular homeostasis. Deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap is expected to cause substantial EG breakdown owing to the long procedural duration and ischemia– reperfusion injury. This prospective, randomized, controlled study aimed to compare syndecan-1 levels during sevoflurane-remifentanil and propofol-remifentanil anesthesia in patients who underwent DIEP flap breast reconstruction.Methods: Fifty-one patients were randomized to either sevoflurane (n = 26) or propofol (n = 25) groups. Anesthesia was maintained with remifentanil in combination with either sevoflurane or propofol. The primary endpoint was the concentration of serum syndecan-1 measured at 1 h after surgery.Results: Fifty patients (98.0%) completed the study. Patients in the propofol group had significantly lower levels of syndecan-1 than patients in the sevoflurane group at 1 h after operation (23.8 ± 1.6 vs. 30.9 ± 1.7 ng/ml, respectively; Bonferroni corrected P = 0.012). There were no significant differences between groups in postoperative complications. The postoperative hospital stay was 8.4 ± 2.5 days in the sevoflurane group and 7.4 ± 1.0 days in the propofol group (P = 0.077).Conclusions: Propofol-remifentanil anesthesia resulted in lesser increases in syndecan-1 levels compared to increases with sevoflurane-remifentanil anesthesia in patients who underwent DIEP flap reconstruction. Our results suggest that propofol-remifentanil anesthesia shows protective effects against EG damage during DIEP flap breast reconstruction in contrast to sevoflurane-remifentanil anesthesia.

This study reports measurements of size-resolved aerosol composition at a site in Incheon along with other aerosol characteristics for contrast between Incheon (coastal) and Seoul (inland), South Korea, during a transboundary pollution event during the early part of an intensive sampling period between 4 and 11 March 2019. Anthropogenic emissions were dominant in the boundary layer over the study region between 4 and 6 March, with much smaller contributions from dust, smoke, and sea salt. The meteorology of this period (shallow boundary layer, enhanced humidity, and low temperature) promoted local heterogeneous formation of secondary inorganic and organic species, including high nitrate (NO3-) relative to sulfate (SO42-). Seoul exhibited higher PM2.5 levels than Incheon, likely due to local emissions. The following findings point to secondary aerosol formation and growth sensitivity to water vapor during this pollution event: (i) significant concentrations of individual inorganic and organic acids in the supermicrometer range relative to their full size range (∼40 %) at higher humidity; (ii) high correlation (r=0.95) between oxalate and SO42-, a marker of secondary aqueous production of oxalate; (iii) increased sulfur and nitrogen oxidation ratios as a function of humidity; and (iv) matching composition apportionment (for soluble ions) between the PM1 and PM2.5−1 size fractions. The last finding confirms that PM1 aerosol composition measurements fully capture PM2.5 composition apportionment (for soluble ions) during haze events and may therefore be reliably applied in modeling studies of such events over the full PM2.5 size range. However, the differences evident in the periods following the haze event imply that under other atmospheric conditions PM1 composition measurements will not fully reflect the apportionment of PM2.5 aerosols. The study period was marked by relatively low temperatures that made NO3- the most abundant species detected, pointing to the sensitivity of PM2.5 levels and composition as a function of season during such transboundary events. For instance, other such events in previous studies exhibited more comparable levels between SO42- and NO3- coincident with higher temperatures than the current study. This dataset can contribute to future evaluation of model PM2.5 composition to better support regulatory efforts to control PM2.5 precursors.

Nipple-areolar complex (NAC)-related complications are common during nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM), with obesity as a risk factor. Although the incidence of NAC-related complications after robotic NSM (RNSM) with immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) is lower than that after conventional NSM, it remains one of the most unwanted complications. We aimed to evaluate body composition-based risk factors for NAC-related complications after RNSM with IBR. Data of 92 patients with breast cancer who underwent RNSM with IBR using direct-to-implant or tissue expander from November 2017 to September 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. Risk factors for NAC-related complications were identified with a focus on body composition using preoperative transverse computed tomography at the third lumbar vertebra level. Postoperative complications were assessed for 6 months. The most common complication was NAC ischemia, occurring in 15 patients (16%). Multivariate analysis revealed a low skeletal muscle index/total adipose tissue index (SMI/TATI) ratio as an independent NAC ischemia risk factor. An increase in the SMI/TATI ratio by one decreased the incidence of NAC ischemia by 0.940-fold (p = 0.030). A low SMI/TATI ratio is a risk factor for postoperative NAC ischemia in patients undergoing RNSM with IBR for breast cancer. Preoperative body composition-focused evaluation is more valuable than simple body mass index assessment.

Intraoperative hemodynamics can affect postoperative kidney function. We aimed to investigate the effect of intraoperative mean arterial pressure (MAP) as well as other risk factors on the occurrence of acute kidney injury (AKI) after robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP). We retrospectively evaluated the medical records of 750 patients who underwent RALP. The average real variability (ARV)-MAP, standard deviation (SD)-MAP, time-weighted average (TWA)-MAP, area under threshold (AUT)-65 mmHg, and area above threshold (AAT)-120 mmHg were calculated using MAPs collected within a 10-s interval. Eighteen (2.4%) patients developed postoperative AKI. There were some univariable associations between TWA-MAP, AUT-65 mmHg, and AKI occurrence; however, multivariable analysis found no association. Alternatively, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status ≥ III and the low intraoperative urine output were independently associated with AKI occurrence. Moreover, none of the five MAP parameters could predict postoperative AKI, with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values for ARV-MAP, SD-MAP, TWA-MAP, AUT-65 mmHg, and AAT-120 mmHg being 0.561 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.424–0.697), 0.561 (95% CI, 0.417–0.704), 0.584 (95% CI, 0.458–0.709), 0.590 (95% CI, 0.462–0.718), and 0.626 (95% CI, 0.499–0.753), respectively. Therefore, intraoperative MAP changes may not be a determining factor for AKI after RALP.

Background Mammography yields inevitable recall for indeterminate findings that need to be confirmed with additional views. Purpose To explore whether the artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm for mammography can reduce false-positive recall in patients who undergo the spot compression view. Material and Methods From January to December 2017, 236 breasts from 225 women who underwent the spot compression view due to focal asymmetry, mass, or architectural distortion on standard digital mammography were included. Three readers who were blinded to the study purpose, patient information, previous mammograms, following spot compression views, and any clinical or pathologic reports retrospectively reviewed 236 standard mammograms and determined the necessity of patient recall and the probability of malignancy per breast, first without and then with AI assistance. The performances of AI and the readers were evaluated with the recall rate, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. Results Among 236 examinations, 8 (3.4%) were cancers and 228 (96.6%) were benign. The recall rates of all three readers significantly decreased with AI assistance ( P Conclusion AI assistance significantly reduced false-positive recall without compromising cancer detection in women with focal asymmetry, mass, or architectural distortion on standard digital mammography regardless of mammographic breast density.

BackgroundA robotic deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap created through a totally extraperitoneal approach minimizes violation of the donor site, which may lead to postoperative pain reduction and rapid recovery. The authors compared the clinical outcomes of robotic and conventional DIEP flap breast reconstructions.MethodsData from consecutive patients who underwent mastectomy with DIEP flaps for breast reconstruction between July 2017 and January 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into robotic and conventional DIEP groups, and the two groups were matched using the inverse probability of treatment weighting method. They were compared based on the reconstruction time, drainage amount, postoperative pain, rescue analgesics, hospital stay, complications, and BREAST-Q scores.ResultsAfter matching, a dataset of 207 patients was formed, including 21 patients in the robotic DIEP group and 186 patients in the conventional DIEP group. The mean reconstruction time was longer in the robotic DIEP group than in the conventional DIEP group (PP=0.001) with less use of fentanyl (P=0.003) compared to the conventional DIEP group. The mean length of hospital stay for the robotic DIEP group was shorter than that for conventional DIEP (P=0.002). BREAST-Q scores indicated a higher level of the abdominal physical well-being domain in the robotic group (P=0.020). Complication rates were comparable between the two groups.ConclusionsThis study suggests that a robotic DIEP flap offers enhanced postoperative recovery, accompanied by a reduction in postoperative pain and hospital stay.

This study aimed to investigate whether parity is associated with the prevalence of low muscle mass in postmenopausal women.This study was performed using data from the 2010-2011 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which included 1,338 postmenopausal women aged 46 to 70 years. The association between parity and low muscle mass was analyzed after adjusting parity, multiparity, age, body mass index, diabetes mellitus, education level, and Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance and using weighted multiple logistic regression analysis. Modifiable risk factors were evaluated in a susceptible population. Low muscle mass was defined as an appendicular skeletal muscle mass index below 2 SDs with a cutoff value of 5.45 kg/m 2 .The low muscle mass group ( n = 343) had lower parity, lower body mass index, more frequent previous history of diabetes mellitus, higher Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance, and higher education level compared with the non-low muscle mass group ( n = 995). After adjusting for the confounding factors, parity with three births or more was associated with a significantly lower odds of postmenopausal low muscle mass than nulliparity (model 1: odds ratio, 0.32; 95% confidence interval, 0.12-0.87; P = 0.03; model 2: odds ratio, 0.27; 95% confidence interval, 0.11-0.67; P0.05). In the subgroup analysis of the lower parity group, moderate aerobic activity was associated with a lower low muscle mass prevalence.A lower parity is associated with increasing the odds of low muscle mass in postmenopausal Korean women. Moderate aerobic activity may be effective in lowering the odds of low muscle mass in postmenopausal women with lower parity.

We aimed to investigate the relationship between intraoperative mean arterial pressure (MAP) and acute kidney injury (AKI) occurrence after robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP), as well as the relationship between MAP and the maximal increase in serum creatinine (SCr) levels. We retrospectively evaluated the medical records of 750 patients who underwent RALP. The average real variability (ARV)-MAP, standard deviation (SD)-MAP, time-weighted average (TWA)-MAP, area under threshold (AUT)-65 mmHg, and area above threshold (AAT)-120 mmHg were calculated using MAPs collected within a 10-s interval. Eighteen (2.4%) patients developed postoperative AKI. None of the five MAP parameters could predict postoperative AKI, with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values for ARV-MAP, SD-MAP, TWA-MAP, AUT-65 mmHg, and AAT-120 mmHg being 0.561 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.424–0.697), 0.561 (95% CI, 0.417–0.704), 0.584 (95% CI, 0.458–0.709), 0.590 (95% CI, 0.462–0.718), and 0.626 (95% CI, 0.499–0.753), respectively. ARV-MAP (per 15-mmHg/min increase) and TWA-MAP (per 30-mmHg increase) were positively correlated with delta-SCr levels (β = 0.21, P = 0.010 and β = 0.14, P = 0.002; respectively). However, the resulting increases did not cause AKI. Therefore, intraoperative MAP changes may not be a determining factor for AKI after RALP.

We aimed to investigate the optimal radiologic method to determine Milan criteria (MC) for the prediction of recurrence in patients who underwent locoregional treatment (LRT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and subsequent liver transplantation (LT).This retrospective study included 121 HCC patients who underwent LRT and had both liver dynamic CT and MRI. They were classified with MC using four cross combinations of two imaging modalities (CT and MRI) and two diagnostic criteria (modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors [mRECIST] and Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System treatment response algorithm [LI-RADS TRA]). Competing risk regression was performed to analyze the time to recurrence after LT. The predictive abilities of the four methods for recurrence were evaluated using the time-dependent area under the curve (AUC).Competing risk regression analyses found that beyond MC determined by MRI with mRECIST was independently associated with recurrence (hazard ratio, 6.926; p = 0.001). With mRECIST, MRI showed significantly higher AUCs than CT at 3 years and 5 years after LT (0.597 vs. 0.756, p = 0.012 at 3 years; and 0.588 vs. 0.733, p = 0.024 at 5 years). Using the pathologic reference standard, MRI with LI-RADS TRA showed higher sensitivity (61.5%) than CT with LI-RADS TRA (30.8%, p0.001) or MRI with mRECIST (38.5%, p0.001).MRI with mRECIST was the optimal radiologic method to determine MC for the prediction of post-LT recurrence in HCC patients with prior LRT.• MRI with modified RECIST (mRECIST) is the optimal preoperative method to determine Milan criteria for the prediction of post-transplant HCC recurrence in patients with prior locoregional treatment. • With mRECIST, MRI was better than CT for the prediction of post-transplant recurrence.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of alcohol consumption on metabolic syndrome (MetS) and obesity in Koreans by analysis of big data from the National Health Insurance Service health checkup database. A total of 26,991,429 subjects aged 20 years or older were included. Alcohol consumption was divided into five groups: nondrinkers, ≤7.0 g/d, 7.1–14.0 g/d, 14.1–28.0 g/d, ≥28.1 g/d. Logistic regression analyses were performed after adjusting for age, exercise, smoking, and income. The odds ratios (ORs) of MetS and obesity in men and women were lowest at ≤7.0 g/d, similar to that of the nondrinkers at 7.1–14.0 g/d, and increased with the alcohol consumption. At 7.1–14.0 g/d in older men, the ORs of metabolic syndrome and obesity were similar to those in the nondrinkers, but the OR of obesity was slightly increased in older women. This study suggests that the risk of MetS and obesity may be higher in Korean men, women, and the elderly who drink more than 14 g/d than the nondrinkers. In people with obesity or abdominal obesity, or those who need to manage their blood pressure, glucose, or triglyceride, drinking more than 7 g/d may increase the risk of MetS.

Countries in Northeast Asia have been regulating PM

Postoperative bowel dysfunction poses difficulty to patients during their recovery from surgery, and reversal agents may affect bowel function. This study aimed to investigate and compare the effects of sugammadex and a neostigmine/glycopyrrolate combination on postoperative bowel movement in patients undergoing robotic thyroidectomy. The electronic medical records of 122 patients, who underwent robotic thyroidectomy between March 2018 and December 2020, were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory findings and the first gas-passing time after surgery were assessed. The number of patients with a first gas emission time over 24 h was significantly higher in the neostigmine group than in the sugammadex group (p = 0.008). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that sugammadex was a prognostic factor for the first gas-passing time within 24 h (odds ratio = 4.60, 95% confidence interval 1.47–14.36, p = 0.005). Although postoperative bowel motility, based on the first gas emission time, was comparable, the number of patients with a first gas emission time within 24 h was significantly higher in the sugammadex group than in the neostigmine group. This shows that the use of sugammadex did not affect the delayed recovery of postoperative bowel motility after robotic thyroidectomy.

OBJECTIVE: Seizures are a harmful complication of acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). “Early” seizures in the first week after ICH are a risk factor for deterioration, later seizures, and herniation. Ideally, seizure medications after ICH would only be administered to patients with a high likelihood to have seizures. We developed and validated machine-learning (ML) models to predict early seizures after ICH. DESIGN: We used two large datasets to train and then validate our models in an entirely independent test set. The first model (“CAV”) predicted early seizures from a subset of variables of the CAVE score (a prediction rule for later seizures): cortical hematoma location, age less than 65 years, and hematoma volume greater than 10 mL, while early seizure was the dependent variable. We attempted to improve upon the “CAV” model by adding anti-coagulant use, anti-platelet use, Glasgow Coma Scale, international normalized ratio, and systolic blood pressure (“CAV+”). For each model we utilized logistic regression, lasso regression (regularized), support vector machines, boosted trees (Xgboost), and Random Forest models. Final model performance was reported as the area under the curve using receiver operating characteristic models for the test data. SETTING: Two large academic institutions. PATIENTS: 864 survivors of ICH – 634 from Institution 1 and 230 from Institution 2. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Early seizures were predicted similarly across the ML models by the CAV score in test data, (AUC 0.72, 95% CI 0.62–0.82). CAV+ had both the greatest and significantly improved performance for Xgboost compared to CAV (AUC 0.79, 95% CI 0.71–0.87, p=0.04 compared to CAV model AUC). CONCLUSIONS: Early seizures after ICH are predictable. Models utilizing cortical hematoma location, age less than 65 years, and hematoma volume greater than 10 mL had very good accuracy, and performance improved with more independent variables. Additional methods to predict seizures could improve patient selection for monitoring and prophylactic seizure medications.

The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) is a representative frailty assessment tool in medicine. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine whether frailty defined based on the CFS could adequately predict short-term mortality in emergency department (ED) patients.The PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane libraries were searched for eligible studies until December 23, 2021. We included studies in which frailty was measured by the CFS and short-term mortality was reported for ED patients. All studies were screened by two independent researchers. Sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), and negative likelihood ratio (NLR) values were calculated based on the data extracted from each study. Additionally, the diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) was calculated for effect size analysis, and the area under the curve (AUC) of summary receiver operating characteristics was calculated. Outcomes were in-hospital and 1-month mortality rate for patients with the CFS scores of ≥5, ≥6, and ≥7.Overall, 17 studies (n = 45,022) were included. Although there was no evidence of publication bias, a high degree of heterogeneity was observed. For the CFS score of ≥5, the PLR, NLR, and DOR values for in-hospital mortality were 1.446 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.325-1.578), 0.563 (95% CI 0.355-0.893), and 2.728 (95% CI 1.872-3.976), respectively. In addition, the pooled statistics for 1-month mortality were 1.566 (95% CI 1.241-1.976), 0.582 (95% CI 0.430-0.789), and 2.696 (95% CI 1.673-4.345), respectively. Subgroup analysis of trauma patients revealed that the CFS score of ≥5 could adequately predict in-hospital mortality (PLR 1.641, 95% CI 1.242-2.170; NLR 0.580, 95% CI 0.461-0.729; DOR 2.883, 95% CI 1.994-4.168). The AUC values represented sufficient to good diagnostic accuracy.Evidence that is published to date suggests that the CFS is an accurate and reliable tool for predicting short-term mortality in emergency patients.

Human breast milk is essential and provides irreplaceable nutrients for early humans. However, breastfeeding is not easy for various reasons in medical institution environments. Therefore, in order to improve the breastfeeding environment, we investigated the difficult reality of breastfeeding through questionnaire responses from medical institution workers.A survey was conducted among 179 medical institution workers with experience in childbirth within the last five years. The survey results of 175 people were analyzed, with incoherent answers excluded.Of the 175 people surveyed, a total of 108 people (61.7%) worked during the day, and 33 people (18.9%) worked in three shifts. Among 133 mothers who stayed with their babies in the same nursing room, 111 (93.3%) kept breastfeeding for more than a month, but among those who stayed apart, only 10 (71.4%) continued breastfeeding for more than a month (In medical institutions, it is recommended that environmental improvements in medical institutions, the implementation of supporting policies, and the provision of specialized education on breastfeeding are necessary to promote breastfeeding.

Red blood cell (RBC) transfusion and albumin administration can affect kidney function. We aimed to evaluate the association between intraoperative 20% albumin administration and acute kidney injury (AKI), along with the duration of hospitalization and 30-day mortality in patients undergoing major abdominal surgery with RBC transfusion. This retrospective study included 2408 patients who received transfusions during major abdominal surgery. Patients were categorized into albumin (n = 842) or no-albumin (n = 1566) groups. We applied inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW), propensity score (PS) matching (PSM), and PS covariate adjustment to assess the effect of albumin administration on the outcomes. In the unadjusted cohort, albumin administration was significantly associated with increased risk of AKI, prolonged hospitalization, and higher 30-day mortality. However, there was no significant association between albumin administration and AKI after adjustment (OR 1.26, 95% CI 0.90–1.76 for the IPTW; OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.72–1.48 for the PSM; and OR 1.04, 95% CI 0.76–1.43 for the PS covariate adjustment methods). While albumin exposure remained associated with prolonged hospitalization after adjustment, it did not affect 30-day mortality. Our findings suggest that hyper-oncotic albumin can be safely administered to patients who are at risk of developing AKI due to RBC transfusion.

Simple Summary We developed a novel risk-scoring model for hepatocellular carcinoma development in treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection who are starting antiviral therapy with entecavir or tenofovir. The model reflects age, platelet count, hepatitis B e antigen positivity, serum albumin and total bilirubin levels, cirrhosis development, and liver stiffness values measured by transient elastography. Our new model showed better performance for predicting hepatocellular carcinoma development (Harrell’s c-index: 0.799) than the PAGE-B, modified PAGE-B, and modified REACH-B models in Asian patients with chronic hepatitis B receiving potent antiviral therapy. Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk prediction is important to developing individualized surveillance approaches. We designed a novel HCC prediction model using liver stiffness on transient elastography for patients receiving antiviral therapy against hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. We recruited 2037 patients receiving entecavir or tenofovir as first-line antivirals and used the Cox regression analysis to determine key variables for model construction. Within 58.1 months (median), HCC developed in 182 (8.9%) patients. Patients with HCC showed a higher prevalence of cirrhosis (90.7% vs. 45.9%) and higher liver stiffness values (median 13.9 vs. 7.2 kPa) than those without. A novel nomogram (score 0–304) was established using age, platelet count, cirrhosis development, and liver stiffness values, which were independently associated with increased HCC risk, along with hepatitis B e antigen positivity and serum albumin and total bilirubin levels. Cumulative HCC probabilities were 0.7%, 5.0%, and 22.7% in the low- (score ≤87), intermediate- (88–222), and high-risk (≥223) groups, respectively. The c-index value was 0.799 (internal validity: 0.805), higher than that of the PAGE-B (0.726), modified PAGE-B (0.756), and modified REACH-B (0.761) models (all p < 0.05). Our nomogram showed acceptable performance in predicting HCC in Asian HBV-infected patients receiving potent antiviral therapy.

The effects of perioperative blood transfusion on the prognosis of gastric cancer patients remain controversial. This study aimed to assess the association between perioperative blood transfusion and survival outcomes.The study included 2905 patients who underwent curative gastrectomy for stage II/III gastric cancer between 2006 and 2015 and were followed until 2018. Propensity-score matching was used to adjust for differences in baseline clinicopathologic characteristics between patients with or without blood transfusion.Of 2905 patients, 543 (18.7%) received a perioperative blood transfusion. Patients with blood transfusion had significantly worse overall survival and recurrence-free survival than those without blood transfusion (p 0.001 for both). Survival outcomes did not differ according to timing of transfusion (preoperative, intraoperative, or postoperative), transfused volume (1-2 units of packed red cells vs ≥ 3 units of packed red blood cells), and volume of intraoperative blood loss (≤300 mL vs 300 mL). After propensity-score matching adjusting for risk factors associated with blood transfusion, 498 patients were included in each group. Long-term recurrence-free survival was not significantly different between patients with or without blood transfusion in the matched analysis (p = 0.808).In propensity-score matched analysis, blood transfusion was not associated with recurrence-free survival. Clinical circumstances, including demographic, pathologic, and surgical characteristics, rather than blood transfusions, appear to be the main prognostic factors for recurrence.

Background Interpretation of chest radiographs (CRs) by emergency department (ED) physicians is inferior to that by radiologists. Recent studies have investigated the effect of deep learning-based assistive technology on CR interpretation (DLCR), although its relevance to ED physicians remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether DLCR supports CR interpretation and the clinical decision-making of ED physicians. Methods We conducted a prospective interventional study using a web-based performance assessment system. Study participants were recruited through the official notice targeting board for certified emergency physicians and residents working at the present ED. Of the eight ED physicians who volunteered to participate in the study, seven ED physicians were included, while one participant declared withdrawal during performance assessment. Seven physicians’ CR interpretations and clinical decision-making were assessed based on the clinical data from 388 patients, including detecting the target lesion with DLCR. Participant performance was evaluated by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy analyses; decision-making consistency was measured by kappa statistics. ED physicians with Results Among the 388 simulated cases, 259 (66.8%) had CR abnormality. Their median value of abnormality score measured by DLCR was 59.3 (31.77, 76.25) compared to a score of 3.35 (1.57, 8.89) for cases of normal CR. There was a difference in performance between ED physicians working with and without DLCR (AUROC: 0.801, P Conclusions This study presents preliminary evidence that ED physicians using DLCR in a clinical setting perform better at CR interpretation than their counterparts who do not use this technology. DLCR use influenced the clinical decision-making of inexperienced physicians more strongly than that of experienced physicians. These findings require prospective validation before DLCR can be recommended for use in routine clinical practice.

Atmospheric volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Seoul, the capital of South Korea, have attracted increased attention owing to their emission, secondary formation, and human health risk. In this study, we collected 24 hourly samples once a month at an urban site in Seoul for a year (a total of 288 samples) using a sequential tube sampler. Analysis results revealed that toluene (9.08 ± 8.99 μg/m

Contribution of liquid water content (LWC) to the levels of the carcinogenic particulate nitro(so) compounds and the chemistry affecting LWC were investigated based on the observation of seven nitrosamines and two nitramines in rural (Seosan) and urban (Seoul) area in South Korea during October 2019 and a model simulation. The concentrations of both the total nitrosamines and nitramines were higher in Seosan (12.48 ± 16.12 ng/m

Remimazolam has been suggested to improve the maintenance of hemodynamic stability when compared with other agents used for general anesthesia. This study aimed to compare the effects of remimazolam and sevoflurane anesthesia on hemodynamic stability in patients undergoing robotic gastrectomy. We retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of 199 patients who underwent robotic gastrectomy with sevoflurane (n = 135) or remimazolam (n = 64) anesthesia from January to November 2021. Propensity scores were used for 1:1 matching between the groups. The primary outcome was the difference in use of intraoperative vasopressors between groups. Secondary outcomes included differences in incidence and dose of vasopressors, as well as intraoperative hemodynamic variables, between groups. Remimazolam anesthesia was associated with a significantly less frequent use of ephedrine (odds ratio (OR): 0.13; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.05–0.38, p < 0.001), phenylephrine (OR: 0.12; 95% CI: 0.04–0.40, p < 0.001), and any vasopressor (OR: 0.06; 95% CI: 0.02–0.25, p < 0.001) compared with sevoflurane anesthesia. Remimazolam anesthesia enables better maintenance of hemodynamic stability than sevoflurane anesthesia. Thus, remimazolam anesthesia may be beneficial for patients who are expected to experience hypotension due to the combined effects of CO2 pneumoperitoneum and the head-up position utilized during robotic gastrectomy.

In Korea, the characteristics of aerosols vary according to the four distinct seasons (spring, summer, fall, and winter); the seasonal variations are influenced by different air mass inflows of each season. Therefore, research is required to analyze the composition and characteristics of aerosols in different seasons. In this study, high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometry (HR-ToF-AMS) and positive matrix factorization (PMF) analyses were conducted in 2018 to examine the seasonal characteristics of aerosols with focus on organic aerosol in Seoul metropolitan area of South Korea. The results indicated that the seasonal non-refractory submicron particle (NR-PM1) concentration in Seoul metropolitan area ranged from 6.3 to 41.0 μg/m3, which was lower than those in other metropolitan areas of Northeast Asia and slightly higher than those in suburban and rural areas of South Asia and Europe. The organic aerosol concentration, which was the highest among PM1 components, ranged 3.5–14.24 μg/m3. In addition, a large increase in nitrate content was observed in high-concentration episodes. In all seasons, the O:C ratio and oxidation state were higher than those in previous studies, and it was estimated that the oxidation state was higher than those in other countries due to the influx of aged aerosols by long-range transport. In summer, the odd oxygen (Ox) concentration tends to be proportional to temperature and inversely proportional to humidity, indicating that the formation of fresh organic aerosol (OA) by active photochemical reaction is the main process of organic aerosol generation. In spring, fall, and winter, the Van Krevelen graph showed a slope of −0.68 ~ –0.99, indicating that carboxylic acid production was an important process for OA production. In addition, the causes of the high concentration episodes observed in spring and winter were estimated through the oxidation state of organic aerosols, PMF factor, and backward trajectory analyses.