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Purpose: To investigate the association between metabolic syndrome and perirenal fat stranding (PRFS), which is defined as linear or curvilinear soft tissue densities in the perirenal fat on computed tomography (CT). Material and Methods: Adults who had abdominal CT for health screening at a single institution between October 2022 and March 2023 were included retrospectively. Two radiologists assessed the extent of PRFS for each CT and graded it as absent, mild/moderate, and severe. Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the associations between PRFS and metabolic syndrome-related factors, as well as age and gender. Results: Among 701 participants (mean age, 56.8 years ± 9.7; 336 women and 365 men), 87 (12.4%) had mild (n = 80) or moderate (n = 7) PRFS. None had severe PRFS. The presence of PRFS was independently associated with higher body mass index (odds ratio [OR], 2.561 and 9.842 for overweight and obese, respectively; p ≤ 0.001), elevated blood pressure with or without anti-hypertensive medication (OR, 2.232; p = 0.015), anti-diabetic medication (OR, 3.129; p < 0.001), and lipid-lowering medication (OR, 1.919; p = 0.019), older age (OR, 4.545 and 9.109 for 50–59 years and ≥ 60 years, respectively; p ≤ 0.002), and male gender (OR, 10.065; p < 0.001). Sixty three of 87 (72.4%) participants with PRFS had metabolic syndrome, while 265 of 614 (43.2%) participants without PRFS did (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Incidental mild or moderate PRFS may be associated with the presence of metabolic syndrome or related disorders in otherwise healthy adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robotic adrenalectomy (RA) has gained significant popularity in the management of adrenal gland diseases. We report our experience at a single tertiary institution and evaluate the safety and surgical outcomes of RA. The data of 122 consecutive patients who underwent RA from October 2009 to December 2022 at Korea University Anam Hospital (Seoul, Korea) were reviewed. There were no perioperative complications. Clinicopathological features and surgical outcomes were retrospectively analyzed through complete chart reviews. Noteworthy findings include the influence of sex, tumor size, and body mass index on operation time, with the female and small tumor groups exhibiting shorter operation times (P = 0.018 and P = 0.009, respectively). Pheochromocytoma was identified as a significant independent risk factor for a longer operation time in the multivariate analysis [odds ratio (OR), 3.709; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.127–12.205; P = 0.031]. A temporal analysis revealed a decreasing trend in mean operation times across consecutive groups, reflecting a learning curve associated with RA adoption. RA is a safe and effective operative technique alternative to laparoscopic adrenalectomy that has favorable surgical outcomes and enhances the convenience of the operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In force-based seismic design, the behavior factor q (or response modification factor R) is devised to prevent overdesign by reducing the design force. Different values of the behavior factor q are available for various structure types. However, masonry fence walls are not categorized in the current seismic design codes. These walls are of poor quality due to the absence of proper quality assurance and maintenance, and most of those structures are inclined. In this study, the behavior factor q of leaning masonry fence walls is experimentally estimated. We fabricate three masonry wall structures that are inclined with three different wall angles of 1.5 ∘ , 3.0 ∘ , and 6.0 ∘ , respectively. Monotonically increasing biaxial lateral loads are applied to the walls using a shaking table. The value q of each leaning wall is calculated by analyzing the dynamic load–displacement relationship. A relationship between the factor q and wall angle is discussed, and a new empirical formula representing q as a function of a wall angle is proposed. The proposed empirical formula would be useful in seismic design for severely leaning masonry walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Transoral robotic thyroidectomy (TORT) for differentiated thyroid carcinoma is increasing in popularity. However, studies are limited to small tumors. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of TORT for papillary thyroid carcinomas smaller than 1 cm and 1 cm or larger. Methods: The study analyzed 269 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma who underwent TORT at Korea University Hospital, Korea between January 2001 and December 2017. Surgical outcomes and postoperative complications were compared. Results: Group 1 (tumor < 1 cm) had 215 patients, and group 2 (tumor ≥ 1 cm) had 54 patients. The majority of the patients underwent lobectomy (95.8% in group 1 and 87.0% in group 2; p = 0.339) and unilateral central neck dissection (96.3% in group 1 and 88.9% in group 2; p = 0.024). The two groups did not differ significantly in terms of gender, age, body mass index, thyroiditis status, Da Vinci model. or operative procedure. The majority of the tumors in group 1 (73%) had T1a staging, whereas the majority of the tumors in group 2 were stage T1b or T3a (44.4% in each group; p = 0.000). Most of the patients in group 1 had N0 staging (59.1%), whereas most of the patients in group 2 had N1a staging (55.6%; p = 0.026). The mean operative time was significantly longer in group 2 (198.0 ± 34.2 min in group 1 vs. 215.7 ± 49.3 min in group 2; p = 0.015). The two groups did not differ significantly regarding length of stay, postoperative pain score, or thyroglobulin level. No patients experienced locoregional or distant recurrence. No statistically significant difference in overall complications was observed (p = 0.214). Conclusions: Transoral robotic thyroidectomy is a safe and effective procedure and may be a feasible option for patients with papillary thyroid carcinomas larger than 1 cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) plays an important role in the differentiation and proliferation of Th2 cells, resulting in eosinophilic inflammation and numerous allergic diseases. Baicalein (1), a major component of Scutellaria baicalensis, was found to be the first small molecule to block TSLP signaling pathways. It inhibited effectively eosinophil infiltration in house dust mite-induced and ovalbumin-challenged mouse models. Structure-activity relationship studies identified compound 11a, a biphenyl flavanone analog, as a novel human TSLP inhibitor for the discovery and development of new anti-allergic drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]