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This study was conducted to re-evaluate the utility of subendometrial enhancement (SEE) in assessing the interface between the endometrium and myometrium. In total, 110 women who underwent pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for non-endometrial gynecologic diseases were enrolled in this prospective study. Two radiologists independently assessed the presence or absence of subendometrial enhancement (SEE) on dynamic contrast-enhanced (CE) MRI. A subgroup analysis was performed to evaluate the impact of menstrual status on the detection of SEE. Identified areas of SEE were rated using a 4-point Likert scale to determine their reliability in assessing the interface between the endometrium and myometrium. SEE was identified in 44.5% (49/110) of cases by radiologist 1 and in 39.1% (43/110) by radiologist 2. A subgroup analysis indicated no significant differences in the detection of SEE based on menstrual status. The identified areas of SEE were deemed reliable for assessing the interface between the endometrium and myometrium in 24.5% (12/49) of the cases evaluated by radiologist 1 and in 32.6% (14/43) of those evaluated by radiologist 2. Among the 110 women studied, reliable areas of SEE for assessing the interface between the endometrium and myometrium were observed in 10.9% (n = 12) by radiologist 1 and 12.7% (n = 14) by radiologist 2. The evaluation of SEE using dynamic CE MRI may be limited in its ability to assess the interface between the endometrium and myometrium., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The drying process of inkjet-printed organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) is influenced by both ink properties and external environmental factors, which ultimately affect the film profile. First, we conducted a detailed investigation of the drying time based on changes in the boiling point (BP) of mixed solvents and analyzed the correlation with the film profile. Under atmospheric drying conditions in a nitrogen (N 2 ) atmosphere, the increased drying time under capillary-driven flow leads to greater particle movement toward the edges, significantly increasing the coffee-ring effect. Additionally, using a high-boiling-point solvent mixture of ethyl 4-methylbenzoate (EMB) and 2-ethylhexyl benzoate (EHB), we produced uniform thin films both between and within pixels (inter and intrapixel uniformity) through a vacuum drying process. In particular, we proposed a drying process model that divides the drying of inkjet pixels into a microfluidic phase and a gelation phase. Through five gelation phase-controlled vacuum drying experiments, the morphology within the pixels was precisely investigated. By sufficiently removing residual solvents after the microfluidic phase and then proceeding with heating, we produced uniform thin films. Furthermore, we fabricated OLED devices using this gelation phase-controlled vacuum drying process, achieving uniform pixel emission and improved device performance.

Assessment of the clock genes, Period (Per) 1, Per2, Per3, and Cryptochrome (Cry) 2, Cry3, and Cry4, can help better understand eel spawning ecology. In this study, the circadian rhythm and moonlight effects of these clock genes in the eel retina and hypothalamus were analyzed. We examined clock gene expression patterns under 12 h light:12 h darkness (12L12D), constant darkness (DD), and constant light (LL) conditions; under short photoperiod (SP; 9L15D) and long photoperiod (LP; 15L9D), and during the new moon (NM) and full moon in male eels. Per2 expression increased after sunrise, Cry2, and Cry4 expression increased around sunset, and Per1, Per3, and Cry3 expression increased before sunrise. Under SP conditions, oscillations of retinal Per3 and Cry4, which did not occur under LP conditions, were generated. In addition, retinal Cry4 oscillation was generated under NM conditions. These results suggest that the retina of the eel may play an important role in regulating circadian rhythm, and migration is initiated by the synchronization of clock genes by moonlight, suggesting that photic signals are closely related to the migratory activity of the eel., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological and Integrative Physiology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Purpose: The prognosis of microinvasive breast cancer (MIBC) is controversial, with a high reported rate of local recurrence (LR). This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics, treatments, and prognosis of patients with MIBC compared to those with carcinoma in situ (CIS) or early invasive cancer., Methods: Patients who diagnosed with CIS or stage I breast cancer were retrospectively enrolled. Using the Kaplan-Meier method, local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), systemic recurrence-free survival (SRFS), and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were compared according to T stage. The prognostic factors associated with LRFS were identified using the Cox proportional hazards model., Results: According to T stage, 517 (21.6%), 200 (8.4%), 207 (8.7%), 363 (15.2%), and 1101 (46.1%) patients had Tis, T1mi, T1a, T1b, and T1c tumors, respectively. The proportion of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive tumors was significantly higher in patients with MIBC (p < 0.0001). The administered adjuvant treatments also showed differences according to T stage (p < 0.0001). During the 73-month median follow-up period, patients with MIBC showed significantly worse LRFS than those with T1a or T1c tumors (p = 0.002). There was no significant difference in SRFS and CSS. In the Cox regression analysis, tumor multiplicity (p = 0.017), Ki-67 (p = 0.025), cancer subtype (p = 0.034), adjuvant endocrine therapy (p = 0.003), and adjuvant radiation therapy (p < 0.0001) were significant prognostic factors associated with LRFS., Conclusion: The risk of LR was higher in patients with MIBC than in those with small invasive breast cancer. Therefore, if indicated, adjuvant endocrine and radiation therapies should be administered to prevent undertreatment in patients with MIBC., (© 2024 The Author(s). Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose: This study aims to explore the relationship between soy food consumption and gastric cancer (GC) risk, accounting for Helicobacter pylori infection status., Materials and Methods: We analyzed data from patients with GC and healthy individuals prospectively enrolled by 6 hospitals between 2016 and 2018. Dietary intake was evaluated using questionnaires that categorized seven dietary habits and 19 food groups. Multivariate logistic regression models were applied to examine associations. Model I adjusted for various epidemiological factors, while Model II included further adjustments for H. pylori infection. Primary exposures examined were consumption frequencies of nonfermented, unsalted soy foods (soybean/tofu) and fermented, salty soy foods (soybean paste stew)., Results: A total of 5,535 participants were included, with 1,629 diagnosed with GC. In Model I, the frequency of soybean/tofu consumption was inversely related to GC risk; adjusted odd ratios (aORs) were 0.62 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.48-0.8), 0.38 (95% CI, 0.3-0.49), 0.42 (95% CI, 0.33-0.53), and 0.33 (95% CI, 0.27-0.42) for 1 time/week, 2 times/week, 3 times/week, and ≥4 times/week. Consumption of 2 servings/week of soybean paste stew showed the lowest GC association, forming a V-shaped curve. Both low (aOR, 4.03; 95% CI, 3.09-5.26) and high serving frequencies of soybean paste stew (aOR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.76-2.82) were associated with GC. The association between soy foods and GC in Model II was similar to that in Model I. The soy food-GC associations were consistent across sexes in Model I. Nonetheless, the positive correlation between frequent consumption of soybean paste stew (≥5 times/week) and GC was more pronounced in women (aOR, 7.58; 95% CI, 3.20-17.99) compared to men (aOR, 3.03; 95% CI, 1.61-5.88) in Model II. Subgroup analyses by H. pylori status and salty diet revealed a consistent inverse relationship between soybean/tofu and GC risk. In contrast, soybean paste stew showed a V-shaped relationship in H. pylori -positive or salty diet groups and no significant association in the H. pylori -negative group., Conclusions: Soybean/tofu intake is consistently associated with a decreased risk of GC. However, the relationship between soybean paste stew consumption and GC risk varies, depending on H. pylori infection status and dietary salt intake., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03046745., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported., (Copyright © 2024. Korean Gastric Cancer Association.)

Graphene oxide (GO) is a promising material widely utilized in advanced materials engineering, such as in the development of soft robotics, sensors, and flexible devices. Considering that GOs are often processed using solution-based methods, a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental characteristics of GO in dispersion states becomes crucial given their significant influence on the ultimate properties of the device. GOs inherently exhibit polydispersity in solution, which plays a critical role in determining the mechanical behavior and flowability. However, research in the domain of 2D colloids concerning the effects of GO's polydispersity on its rheological properties and microstructure is relatively scant. Consequently, gaining a comprehensive understanding of how GO's polydispersity affects these critical aspects remains a pressing concern. In this study, we aim to investigate the dispersions and structure of GOs and clarify the effect of polydispersity on the rheological properties and yielding behavior. Using a rheometer, polarized optical microscopy, and small-angle X-ray scattering, we found that higher polydispersity in the same average size leads to overall improved rheological properties and higher flowability during yielding. Thus, our study can be beneficial in the employment of polydispersity in the processing of GO such as 3D printing and fiber spinning.

Purpose: To compare the performance of diffusion-weighted imaging-guided transitional zone (TZ) lesion scoring on T2-weighted imaging (DWI-guided TZ scoring) to conventional PI-RADS TZ scoring., Methods: Forty patients carried transition zone prostate cancer (TZPCa), and 40 patients had benign prostatic hyperplasia without TZPCa. A lesion-base, one-to-one correlation between the pathologic mapping sheet and the corresponding MR imaging was conducted by consensus between the genitourinary-specialized radiologist and pathologist. DWI-guided TZ scoring was defined as evaluating the DWI/apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) images first, identifying the suspicious foci, then correlating the foci with the T2-weighted imaging, and finally assigning the PI-RADS score based on PI-RADS v2.1. Three other radiologists independently recorded the PI-RADS v2.1 scoring for TZ and the DWI-guided TZ scoring, with a time interval of 4 weeks., Results: When a PI-RADS score of ≥ 3 was considered a positive lesion, the specificity, PPV, NPV and sensitivity between the DWI-guided TZ scoring and conventional PI-RADS TZ scoring were 0.896 vs. 0.542 (p < .001), 0.764 vs. 0.439 (p < .001), 0.853 vs. 0.759 (p = .001), and 0.687 vs. 0.676 (p = .836), respectively. When PI-RADS scores ≥ 4 was considered cancer-positive, the specificity and PPV were also higher when applying DWI-guided TZ scoring (0.986 vs. 0.944, p = .007; 0.943 vs. 0.810, p = .009, respectively); however, the sensitivity and NPV were not statistically different (0.468 vs. 0.468, p = .998; 0.785 vs. 0.776, p = .537, respectively). The interobserver agreement presented as κ-value was higher in DWI-guided TZ scoring (0.584) than in conventional PI-RADS TZ scoring (0.155) (p = .003)., Conclusions: DWI-guided TZ scoring improves the interobserver agreement, specificity, and predictive value without impairing the sensitivity., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Plexiform schwannomas representing a rare subset, comprise 5% of all schwannomas. However, their occurrence in the thyroid gland is exceptionally rare. A 32-year-old male presented with an incidentally discovered, asymptomatic thyroid mass. Imaging revealed an approximately 5 cm heterogeneous solid mass on the right thyroid lobe extending to the upper mediastinum and directly invading the upper trachea. Under the suspicion of thyroid malignancy, the patient underwent right thyroidectomy. Histological examination confirmed a plexiform schwannoma with S100-positive spindle cells. Currently, the patient is undergoing outpatient follow-up, with no reported complications. To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of plexiform schwannoma of the thyroid gland within the English literature. This case highlights the diverse and unpredictable clinical manifestations of thyroid masses, emphasizing the importance of a multidisciplinary approach for diagnosing and managing rare entities, such as thyroid gland schwannomas.

The poultry red mite (PRM), Dermanyssus gallinae, significantly impacts the health of egg-laying hens. Mites feed on the blood of infested chickens and have a great economic impact on the poultry industry. Chemical treatment of mites raises concerns about their resistance to miticides and residues in eggs and poultry. Biocontrol using entomopathogenic fungi is expected to be a chemical-free strategy for reducing PRM infestations. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of various entomopathogenic fungal species collected in South Korea on the inhibition of PRM. Seventeen strains of six fungal species collected from various sources were used to evaluate acaricidal activity against PRM. The results showed that 16/17 strains had acaricidal properties against PRM, of which strains of Metarhizium anisopliae had the highest acaricidal activity. Mites treated with M. anisopliae CBNU 4-2 showed 100 % mortality 5 d after inoculation, followed by M. flavoviride var. pemphigi. The M. flavoviride var. pemphigi CBNU 1-1-1 showed 97.78 % mortality after 10 d of exposure to fungi. The mortality rate of PRM treated with other strains slowly increased and reached its highest value on the 14th day of inoculation. The results of this study provide information on the acaricidal activity of different entomopathogenic fungi against PRM. This information is important for the selection of fungal species for developing biocontrol methods for PRM treatment. These strains could be used for further evaluation of PRM treatment on chicken farms, or in combination with other methods, to increase PRM treatment efficiency., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors report there are no competing interests to declare., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The near-infrared (NIR) sensor technology is crucial for various applications such as autonomous driving and biometric tracking. Silicon photodetectors (SiPDs) are widely used in NIR applications; however, their scalability is limited by their crystalline properties. Organic photodetectors (OPDs) have attracted attention for NIR applications owing to their scalability, low-temperature processing, and notably low dark current density (J D ), which is similar to that of SiPDs. However, the still high J D (at NIR band) and few measurements of noise equivalent powers (NEPs) pose challenges for accurate performance comparisons. This study addresses these issues by quantitatively characterizing the performance matrix and J D generation mechanism using electron-blocking layers (EBLs) in OPDs. The energy offset at an EBL/photosensitive layer interface determines the thermal activation energy and directly affects J D . A newly synthesized EBL (3PAFBr) substantially enhances the interfacial energy barrier by forming a homogeneous contact owing to the improved anchoring ability of 3PAFBr. As a result, the OPD with 3PAFBr yields a noise current of 852 aA (J D = 12.3 fA cm⁻ 2 at V → -0.1 V) and several femtowatt-scale NEPs. As far as it is known, this is an ultralow of J D in NIR OPDs. This emphasizes the necessity for quantitative performance characterization., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Background: Current guidelines recommend against the use of routine imaging tests to detect distant metastasis in asymptomatic breast cancer patients. However, recent advancements in effective therapeutics and diagnostic accuracy have raised the need to reassess the clinical efficacy of intensive metastasis surveillance. We report the results of a multicenter retrospective study to investigate the association between intensive imaging studies and survival outcomes., Patients and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 4130 patients who underwent surgery from 11 hospitals in Korea between January 2010 and December 2011. Patients were divided into two groups on the basis of the intensity of metastasis imaging studies during their disease-free period. The types and intervals of the imaging studies were based on each physician's decisions., Results: High-intensive screening showed a shorter distant metastasis-free survival [p < 0.001, hazard ratio (HR) 1.62; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.29-2.04], especially for patients in whom bone or lung was the first site of metastasis. With a median follow-up period of 110.0 months, the 5-year breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) rate was 96.5%. The high-intensity screening group showed significantly poorer BCSS compared with the low-intensity screening group (p < 0.001, HR 3.13; 95% CI 2.32-4.21). However, both multivariable analysis and propensity score matching analysis showed no significant association between the screening intensity and BCSS., Conclusions: Frequent imaging studies to detect distant metastasis were associated with earlier detection of distant metastasis, especially for lung and bone metastasis. However, intensive surveillance showed no apparent association with BCSS despite the use of currently available treatments., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is an essential class of materials for demanding applications, from soft robotics and electronics to medical devices and batteries. However, traditional TPU development is primarily relied on specific soft segments, such as polyether, polyester, and polycarbonate polyols. Here, a novel method is introduced for developing TPU elastomers with enhanced performance and superior functionalities compared to conventional TPUs, achieved through the use of α,ω-hydroxyl end-functionalized polyacrylates. This approach involves a defect-free synthesis of α,ω-hydroxyl end-functionalized polyacrylates through visible-light-driven photoiniferter polymerization. By strategically blending these functionalized polyacrylates with conventional polyols, TPUs that exhibit exceptional toughness and notable self-healing capabilities, traits rarely found in existing TPUs are engineered. Furthermore, incorporating photo-crosslinkable acrylic monomers has enabled the creation of the first TPU with superior elastomeric properties and photopatterning capabilities. This approach paves the way for a new direction in polyurethane engineering, introducing a novel class of soft segments and unlocking the potential for a wide range of advanced applications., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Materials published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Objectives: To predict tumor recurrence in patients who underwent surgical resection of ampullary adenocarcinoma using preoperative magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings combined with clinical findings., Methods: In this multicenter study, a total of 113 patients (mean age, 62.9 ± 9.8 years; 58 men and 55 women) with ampullary adenocarcinoma who underwent preoperative MR imaging and surgery with margin-negative resection between 2006 and 2017 were retrospectively included. The MR imaging findings were evaluated by two radiologists. Preoperative clinical findings were obtained. Cox proportional regression analyses were used to identify the independent prognostic factors for recurrence-free survival (RFS). A nomogram was created based on the multivariable analysis and was internally validated., Results: Multivariable analysis revealed that presence of infiltrative tumor margin (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.18, p = 0.019), adjacent organ invasion (HR: 3.31, p = 0.006), adjacent vessel invasion (HR: 5.42, p = 0.041), peripancreatic lymph node enlargement (HR: 2.1, p = 0.019), and jaundice (HR: 1.93, p = 0.043) were significantly associated with worse RFS of ampullary adenocarcinoma after surgical resection. These MR imaging and clinical findings were used to construct a nomogram. On internal validation, the calibration plots showed excellent agreement between the predicted probabilities and the actual rates of tumor recurrence, with Harrell's c-index of 0.746., Conclusions: Combination of preoperative MR imaging and clinical findings can be useful for predicting tumor recurrence after surgical resection of ampullary adenocarcinoma. Identifying these features before surgery may aid in better treatment planning and management of these patients., Clinical Relevance Statement: A predictive nomogram using preoperative MR imaging and clinical findings can be useful in estimating the recurrence-free survival after surgical resection of ampullary adenocarcinoma., Key Points: • Presently, tumor size on imaging is the only non-invasive factor that correlates with recurrence-free survival from ampullary adenocarcinoma; other factors are obtained postoperatively. • Infiltrative tumor margin, adjacent organ invasion, adjacent vessel invasion, peripancreatic lymph node enlargement on MRI, and jaundice are significant predictors for recurrence. • A nomogram incorporating significant MR imaging and clinical findings showed good performance in predicting recurrence-free survival, which can help in treatment planning., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to European Society of Radiology.)

Ticks pose a significant public health threat due to their ability to transmit various pathogens, including emerging tick-borne diseases. This study conducted a comprehensive surveillance of Haemaphysalis tick species and their severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) infection rates in South Korea throughout the year 2023, from January to December. To ensure accurate and rapid identification of the prevalent Haemaphysalis tick species in South Korea, we designed PCR primer sets targeting the ITS1 gene, specifically distinguishing Haemaphysalis longicornis from Haemaphysalis flava . Among the 10,343 ticks collected from wild animals, H. longicornis constituted the majority, accounting for 65.5% (6,784/10,343 ticks), followed by H. flava at 33.8% (3,491/10,343 ticks), and Ixodes nipponensis at 0.7% (68/10,343 ticks). These identified ticks were then categorized into 811 pools, with 63 pools testing positive for SFTSV. Remarkably, the prevalence of SFTSV-positive H. longicornis ticks peaked during the summer months, aligning with heightened human outdoor activities and, consequently, an increased risk of human exposure. Conversely, it is noteworthy that H. flava exhibited a higher prevalence during the winter season, reaching its peak in January, with an SFTSV minimum infection rate similar to that of H. longicornis . These findings underscore the year-round presence of Haemaphysalis ticks as potential vectors for SFTSV, extending the temporal window for potential human exposure. Consequently, these results emphasize the necessity for active and continuous field surveillance to comprehensively understand and mitigate the public health risks associated with these tick-borne pathogens., Importance: To date, the majority of tick surveillance studies have primarily focused on warmer seasons, which are considered optimal periods for ticks to actively seek hosts and transmit pathogens through blood-feeding activities. Consequently, tick species active during winter have often been overlooked, leading to an underestimation of their significance in transmitting severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV). In this study, we aimed to examine year-round tick prevalence with SFTSV and illuminate the role of the winter-dominant species, Haemaphysalis flav a, in South Korea. Through rigorous identification facilitated by a primer set designed specifically for this purpose, we emphasize that H. flava , a competent vector species, harbors SFTSV in the winter season, thereby acting as an overwintering reservoir for the virus. This phenomenon may contribute to a higher infection rate among ticks in the following year.

Purpose: To investigate the added value of using contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in conjunction with contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) for differentiating malignant and benign ampullary strictures., Materials and Methods: The present retrospective study included 90 patients with ampullary strictures who underwent preoperative contrast-enhanced CT and contrast-enhanced MRI at two tertiary institutions. The image sets (i.e., CT alone vs. combined CT and MRI) were evaluated by three abdominal radiologists, who used a five-point Likert scale to score their confidence for diagnosing malignancy in patients with ampullary strictures. Diagnostic accuracy was calculated using receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. Additionally, interobserver agreement regarding the scoring of potential malignancies of the ampullary strictures was assessed., Results: The addition of contrast-enhanced MRI to contrast-enhanced CT showed a significant improvement in predicting malignant ampullary strictures in all three observers (p = 0.007, 0.001, and 0.002) using ROC curve analysis, and a significant improvement was observed in diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy for predicting malignancy (p = 0.016 and 0.029 for observer 1; p = 0.023 and 0.010 for observer 2; and p = 0.010 and 0.011 for observer 3). The interobserver agreement for the five-point scale in determining malignancies of the ampullary strictures was 0.86 for CT alone and 0.93 for the combined set of CT and MRI., Conclusion: The addition of contrast-enhanced MRI to CT provided added value for differentiating malignant from benign ampullary strictures., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Japan Radiological Society.)

Herein, a mild thermal annealing (MTA) process is presented for additive-free gelation of graphene oxide (GO) dispersions. This process transitions the GO from a nematic liquid crystal phase to a random network structure, significantly enhancing its rheological properties by order of magnitude. This transition is facilitated by the diffusion of functional groups on the GO surface, which induces hydrophobic attractions, leading to a stable network structure. Employing rheo-SAXS experiments, detailed insights are provided into the microstructural changes of GO gel under shear stress, establishing a direct correlation between its rheological behavior and microstructure. The distinctive properties of MTA-processed inks are illustrated, seamlessly integrating with 3D printing, to yield a highly porous lattice structure that demonstrates promising potential as a supercapacitor electrode. The MTA process, an additive-free approach to gelation, maintains the inherent dispersion properties of GO while offering scalability. Thus, this method brings significant economic and environmental advantages compared to conventional gelation techniques. The findings not only advance the fundamental understanding of 2D colloidal network gels but also increase the potential of GO for a wide range of applications, from gas and liquid absorbers to electrodes for energy storage and conversion, and biomedical fields., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Rhodobacter sphaeroides is a strain capable of both photoautotrophic and chemoautotrophic growth, with various metabolic pathways that make it highly suitable for converting carbon dioxide into high value-added products. However, its low transformation efficiency has posed challenges for genetic and metabolic engineering of this strain. In this study, we aimed to increase the transformation efficiency of R. sphaeroides by deleting the rshI gene coding for an endogenous DNA restriction enzyme that inhibits. We evaluated the effects of growth conditions for making electrocompetent cells and optimized electroporation parameters to be a cuvette width of 0.1 cm, an electric field strength of 30 kV/cm, a resistance of 200 Ω, and a plasmid DNA amount of 0.5 μg, followed by a 24-h recovery period. As a result, we observed over 7,000 transformants per μg of DNA under the optimized electroporation conditions using the R. sphaeroides ΔrshI strain, which is approximately 10 times higher than that of wild-type R. sphaeroides under standard bacterial electroporation conditions. These findings are expected to enhance the application of R. sphaeroides in various industrial fields in the future.

Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision.

The role of combining neoadjuvant endocrine therapy with conventional chemotherapy remains unclear; therefore, we conducted an open-label, single-center, nonrandomized phase II trial to assess the effect of this combination. Patients with previously untreated stage II or III HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer received concurrent letrozole 2.5 mg with standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The primary endpoint was pathologic complete response (pCR) at the time of surgery. We used Simon's minimax two-stage design; a pCR rate > 6% was necessary at the first stage to continue. Between November 2017 and November 2020, 53 women were enrolled in the first stage of the trial. Their median age was 49 years (range, 33-63), and 60% of them were premenopausal. Subsequently, 66% and 34% of patients with clinical stages II and III, respectively, were included; 93% had clinically node-positive disease. Two patients (4%) achieved pCR after neoadjuvant chemo-endocrine treatment, which did not satisfy the criteria for continuing to the second stage. The overall response rate was 83%. During the median follow-up of 53.7 months, the 3-year disease-free survival and overall survival rates were 87% and 98%, respectively. Neutropenia was the most common grade 3/4 adverse event (40%), but rarely led to febrile neutropenic episodes (4%). Myalgia (32%), nausea (19%), constipation (17%), heartburn (11%), oral mucositis (9%), and sensory neuropathy (9%) were frequently observed, but classified as grade 1 or 2. No deaths occurred during preoperative treatment. The addition of letrozole to standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy was safe and beneficial in terms of overall response rate, but did not provide a higher pCR rate in locally advanced HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. Further research is needed to enhance neoadjuvant treatment strategies for this cancer subtype.

Purpose: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive skin cancer with a 40% recurrence rate, lacking effective prognostic biomarkers and surveillance methods. This prospective, multicenter, observational study aimed to evaluate circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as a biomarker for detecting MCC recurrence., Methods: Plasma samples, clinical data, and imaging results were collected from 319 patients. A tumor-informed ctDNA assay was used for analysis. Patients were divided into discovery (167 patients) and validation (152 patients) cohorts. Diagnostic performance, including sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV), was assessed., Results: ctDNA showed high sensitivity, 95% (discovery; 95% CI, 87 to 99) and 94% (validation; 95% CI, 85 to 98), for detecting disease at enrollment, with corresponding specificities of 90% (95% CI, 82 to 95) and 86% (95% CI, 77 to 93). A positive ctDNA during surveillance indicated increased recurrence risk, with hazard ratios (HRs) of 6.8 (discovery; 95% CI, 2.9 to 16) and 20 (validation; 95% CI, 8.3 to 50). The PPV for clinical recurrence at 1 year after a positive ctDNA test was 69% (discovery; 95% CI, 32 to 91) and 94% (validation; 95% CI, 71 to 100), respectively. The NPV at 135 days after a negative ctDNA test was 94% (discovery; 95% CI, 90 to 97) and 93% (validation; 95% CI, 89 to 97), respectively. Patients positive for ctDNA within 4 months after treatment had higher rates of recurrence, with 1-year rates of 74% versus 21% (adjusted HR, 7.4 [95% CI, 2.7 to 20])., Conclusion: ctDNA testing exhibited high prognostic accuracy in detecting MCC recurrence, suggesting its potential to reduce frequent surveillance imaging. ctDNA also identifies high-risk patients who need more frequent imaging and may be best suited for adjuvant therapy trials.

Surface engineering of photoelectrodes is considered critical for achieving efficient photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells, and various p-type materials have been investigated for use as photoelectrodes. Among these, the p-type semiconductor/n-type CdS heterojunction is the most successful photocathode structure because of its enhanced onset potential and photocurrent. However, it is determined that the main contributor to the enhanced activity is the Cd-doped layer and not the CdS layer. In this study, a Cd-doped n + p-buried homojunction of a CuInS 2 photocathode is first demonstrated without a CdS layer. The homojunction exhibited a more active and stable PEC performance than the CdS/CuInS 2 heterojunction. Moreover, it is confirmed that Cd doping is effective for other p-type materials. These results strongly suggest that the effects of Cd doping on photocathodes should be carefully investigated when designing CdS/p-semiconductor heterojunction photoelectrodes. They also indicate that the Cd-doped layer has great potential to replace the CdS layer in future photoelectrode designs., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

While robotic and laparoscopic surgeries are both minimally invasive in nature, they are intrinsically different approaches and it is critical to understand outcome differences between the two. Studies evaluating pain outcomes and opioid requirement differences between the robotic and laparoscopic colorectal resections are conflicting and often underpowered. In this retrospective, cohort study, we compare postoperative opioid requirements, reported as morphine milligram equivalents (MME), postoperative average and highest pain scores across postoperative days (POD) 0-5, and return to work in patients who underwent robotic versus laparoscopic colorectal resections. The sample size was selected based on power calculations. Daily pain scores and MME were used as outcomes in linear mixed effect models with unstructured covariance between time points. Propensity score weighting was used to adjust for imbalances. Patients in the robotic group required significantly less opioids as measured by MME on all postoperative days (p = 0.004), as well as lower average and highest daily pain scores for POD 0-5 (p = 0.02, and p = 0.006, respectively). In a linear mixed-effects model, robotic resections were associated with a decrease in average pain scores by 0.36 over time (p = 0.03) and 35 fewer MME requirements than the laparoscopic group (p = 0.0004). Patients in the robotic arm had earlier return to work (2.1 vs 3.8 days, p = 0.036). The robotic approach to colorectal resections is associated with significantly less postoperative pain, decreased opioid requirements, and earlier return to work when compared to laparoscopy, suggesting that the robotic platform provides important clinical advantages over the laparoscopic approach., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Docking domains (DDs) located at the C- and N-termini of polypeptides play a crucial role in directing the assembly of polyketide synthases (PKSs), which are multienzyme complexes. Here, we determined the crystal structure of a complex comprising the C-terminal DD ( C DD MlnB ) and N-terminal DD ( N DD MlnC ) of macrolactin trans-acyltransferase (AT) PKS that were fused to a functional enzyme, AmpC EC2 β-lactamase. Interface analyses of the C DD MlnB / N DD MlnC complex revealed the molecular intricacies in the core section underpinning the precise DD assembly. Additionally, circular dichroism and steady-state kinetics demonstrated that the formation of the C DD MlnB / N DD MlnC complex had no influence on the structural and functional fidelity of the fusion partner, AmpC EC2. This inspired us to apply the C DD MlnB / N DD MlnC assembly to metabolon engineering. Indeed, DD assembly induced the formation of a complex between 4-coumarate-CoA ligase and chalcone synthase both involved in flavonoid biosynthesis, leading to a remarkable increase in naringenin production in vitro., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests D.-W.B., E.K., B.-G.J., S.-J.Y., N.K.L., J.-S.H., S.-S.C., and Y.J.Y. have filed a patent for employing docking domains to assemble an artificial metabolon, as described in this study., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study investigates the impact of the anatomical separation point of the dorsal ulnar cutaneous nerve (DUCN) on nerve conduction studies (NCS). Involving 25 subjects with DUCN NCS findings, it utilizes ultrasound to mark the DUCN's divergence from the ulnar nerve. NCS was performed at four points relative to the separation point. The findings indicate the maximal amplitudes occurred 2 cm distal to the separation point. The study suggests it is ideal when the stimulation is performed between the seperation point and 2 cm distal to it., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Downstaging of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is typically defined as the reduction in size or number of viable tumors through locoregional therapy (LRT), aiming to meet the established criteria for liver transplantation (LT). According to the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system, a subgroup of patients with BCLC-B may benefit most from downstaging therapies. The United Network Organ Sharing downstaging protocol identifies potential candidates for downstaging by setting out 'inclusion criteria' and defining 'successful downstaging.' Additionally, the protocol considers factors related to tumor biology, such as an alphafetoprotein level <500 ng/mL after LRT. Reports indicate that successful downstaging rates following LRT are about 50%, with post- LT recurrence rates comparable to those of patients within the Milan criteria. A comprehensive multicenter US study on 10-year outcomes post-LT after downstaging showed 10-year post-LT survival and recurrence rates of 52.1% and 20.6%, respectively, for patients whose disease was downstaged; this compares to 61.5% and 13.3% for those consistently within the Milan criteria. Recently, the development of effective systemic treatments for HCC, such as immuno-oncologic agents, has provided additional opportunities for downstaging. Numerous clinical trials are exploring a multidisciplinary approach (MDA) combining LRT and systemic therapy. Although concrete evidence of the superiority of MDA for HCC downstaging is lacking, some retrospective studies and phase I and II trials have shown promising results regarding the efficacy and safety of MDA for this purpose. In this review, we will also discuss the future of MDA protocols in downstaging for improved clinical outcomes.

Breast cancer (BrCa) remains a significant health concern globally, influenced by both nonmodifiable and modifiable risk factors. Limited studies have explored the role of color-specific vegetables and fruits, which are rich in specific phytonutrients, on BrCa risk. We hypothesized that consuming color-specific vegetables and fruits may decrease BrCa risk in Korean women. This case-control study examined the relationship between the intake of different-colored vegetables and fruits and the risk of BrCa, considering menopausal, hormone receptor status, tumor subtypes. We matched 395 patients and 395 controls by age and recruited from the National Cancer Center in Korea. Dietary data was collected via food frequency questionnaire, categorizing by colors: green, orange/yellow, red/purple, and white. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by logistic regression models, with subgroup analyses for menopausal, hormone receptor status, and tumor subtypes. Results shown BrCa patients consumed less vegetables and fruits than control group. Higher consumption of green, other orange/yellow, and white vegetables and fruits was negatively associated with BrCa risk [OR (95% CIs) of Q4 vs Q1 = 0.59 (0.36-0.94); 0.55 (0.33-0.89); and 0.60 (0.37-0.96), respectively]. Particularly, a greater intake of dark green leafy vegetables was significantly associated with reduced BrCa risk (OR of Q4 vs Q1 = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.34-0.89). Subgroup analysis consistently demonstrated inverse associations between higher intake of green-color vegetables and fruits and BrCa risk. Our findings suggest that a diet rich in green and white-color vegetables and fruits may lower BrCa risk among Korean women., Competing Interests: Author declarations None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: The incidence of gastric and duodenal neuroendocrine tumors (GNET and DNET, respectively) is increasing, however associated factors of these diseases are not well known. Here, we investigated the factors associated with GNET and DNET., Methods: Patients with GNET and DNET presenting at eight tertiary referral centers between 2001 and 2020 were included and compared with healthy controls who underwent upper endoscopic screening. Clinical factors and laboratory data were analyzed to determine associated factors of GNET and DNET., Results: Overall, 396 patients with GNET and 193 patients with DNET were included and compared with 1725 healthy controls. Multivariate analysis showed that age (odds ratio [OR] 0.98), diabetes (OR 1.72), hypertension (OR 1.97), low serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels (OR 2.54), and past/present H. pylori infection (OR 1.46) were significantly associated with GNET. In contrast, DNET was significantly associated with diabetes (OR 1.80), hypertension (OR 1.68), low serum HDL-C levels (OR 2.29), and past/present H. pylori infection (OR 5.42). In the sex-based subgroup analysis in GNET, current smoking was strongly associated in women (OR 9.85), but not in men., Conclusions: This study identified several common metabolic factors associated with GNET and DNET. Additionally, some factors had sex-specific associations., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors have no conflict of interest regarding this article., (Copyright © 2024 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Herein, we reported the dual functions of molybdenum disulfide/sulfur-doped graphitic carbon nitride (MoS 2 /SGCN) composite as a sensing material for electrochemical detection of 4-NP and a catalyst for 4-NP degradation. The MoS 2 nanosheet, sulfur-doped graphitic carbon nitride (SGCN) and MoS 2 /SGCN were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Electrochemical characterization of these materials with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) in 1 mM K 4 [Fe(CN) 6 ] 3-/4- show that the composite has the lowest charge transfer resistance and the best electrocatalytic activity. The limit of detection (LOD) and the linear range of 4-nitrophenol at MoS 2 /SGCN modified glassy carbon electrode (MoS 2 /SGCN/GCE) were computed as 12.8 nM and 0.1 - 2.6 μM, respectively. Also, the percentage recoveries of 4-NP in spiked tap water samples ranged from 97.8 - 99.1 %. The electroanalysis of 4-NP in the presence of notable interferons shows that the proposed electrochemical sensor features outstanding selectivity toward 4-NP. Additionally, the results of the catalytic degradation of 4-NP at MoS 2 /SGCN show that the nanocatalyst catalyzed the transformation of 4-NP to 4-aminophenol (4-AP) with a first-order rate constant (k) estimated to be 4.2 ×10 -2 s -1 . The results of this study confirm that the MoS 2 /SGCN nanocatalyst is a useful implement for electroanalytical monitoring and catalytic degradation of the hazardous 4-NP in water samples., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Organic charge-transfer complex (CTC) formation has emerged as an effective molecular engineering strategy for achieving the desired optical properties via intermolecular interactions. By synthesizing organic CTCs with carbazole-based electron donors and a 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane acceptor and adopting a molecular linker located remotely from the charge-transfer interface within the donors, we were able to modulate near-infrared absorptive and short-wavelength infrared emissive properties. Structural characterizations performed by using single-crystal X-ray diffraction confirmed that the unique molecular arrangements induced by the steric hindrance from the remotely located linker significantly influence the electronic interactions between the donor and acceptor molecules, resulting in different photophysical properties. Our findings offer an improved understanding of the interplay between molecular packing and optoelectronic properties, providing a foundation for designing advanced materials for optoelectronic applications.

Ticks are blood-sucking ectoparasites that act as vectors for transmission of various pathogens. The purpose of this study was to assess tick-borne bacteria, whether pathogenic or not, in ticks distributed in Korea using 16S rRNA metabarcoding and to confirm the results by PCR. Questing ticks were collected from four provinces in Korea in 2021 using the flagging method. After pooling the DNAs from the 61 tick pools (including 372 ticks), the bacterial 16S rRNA V3-V4 hypervariable region was amplified and sequenced using the MiSeq platform. Rickettsia, Ehrlichia, and the endosymbiont Wolbachia were confirmed by conventional PCR and molecular analysis. In total, 6907 ticks (534 pools) were collected and identified as belonging to five species (Haemaphysalis spp., H. longicornis, H. flava, I. nipponensis, and A. testudinarium). Through 16S rRNA metabarcoding, 240 amplicon sequence variants were identified. The dominant taxa were Rickettsiella and Coxiella. Additionally, pathogenic bacteria such as Rickettsia and Ehrlichia, endosymbiotic bacteria such as Wolbachia and Spiroplasma were identified. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to confirm the presence of Rickettsia, Ehrlichia, Bartonella, and Wolbachia in individual ticks. Overall, 352 (65.92%) of 534 pools tested positive for at least one of the screened tick-borne bacteria. Rickettsia was the most prevalent (61.42%), followed by Wolbachia (5.05%). Ehrlichia was detected in 4.86% of tested samples, whereas Bartonella was not detected. In this study, 16S rRNA metabarcoding revealed the presence of Rickettsia, Wolbachia, and Ehrlichia, in that order of abundance, while showing absence of Bartonella. These results were confirmed to exhibit the same trend as that of the conventional PCR. Therefore, large-scale screening studies based on pooling, as applied in this study, will be useful for examining novel or rare pathogens present in various hosts and vectors., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Hip fractures are a common and debilitating condition, particularly among older adults. Loss of muscle mass and strength is a common consequence of hip fractures, which further contribute to functional decline and increased disability. Assessing changes in individual thigh muscles volume in follow-up patients can provide valuable insights into the quantitative recovery process and guide rehabilitation interventions. However, accurately measuring anatomical individual thigh muscle volume can be challenging due to various, labor intensive and time-consuming., Materials and Methods: This study aimed to evaluate differences in thigh muscle volume in followed-up hip fracture patients computed tomography (CT) scans using an AI based automatic muscle segmentation model. The study included a total of 18 patients at Gyeongsang National University, who had undergone surgical treatment for a hip fracture. We utilized the automatic segmentation algorithm which we have already developed using UNETR (U-net Transformer) architecture, performance dice score = 0.84, relative absolute volume difference 0.019 ± 0.017%., Results: The results revealed intertrochanteric fractures result in more significant muscle volume loss (females: -97.4 cm 3 , males: -178.2 cm 3 ) compared to femoral neck fractures (females: -83 cm 3 , males: -147.2 cm 3 ). Additionally, the study uncovered substantial disparities in the susceptibility to volume loss among specific thigh muscles, including the Vastus lateralis, Adductor longus and brevis, and Gluteus maximus, particularly in cases of intertrochanteric fractures., Conclusions: The use of an automatic muscle segmentation model based on deep learning algorithms enables efficient and accurate analysis of thigh muscle volume differences in followed up hip fracture patients. Our findings emphasize the significant muscle loss tied to sarcopenia, a critical condition among the elderly. Intertrochanteric fractures resulted in greater muscle volume deformities, especially in key muscle groups, across both genders. Notably, while most muscles exhibited volume reduction following hip fractures, the sartorius, vastus and gluteus groups demonstrated more significant disparities in individuals who sustained intertrochanteric fractures. This non-invasive approach provides valuable insights into the extent of muscle atrophy following hip fracture and can inform targeted rehabilitation interventions., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024 Kim et al.)

Purpose: Most youth experiencing anxiety/depression lack access to evidence-based mental health practices (EBPs). School-delivered care improves access, and various support can help school professionals (SPs; school social workers, counselors) deliver EBPs, like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Understanding implementation strategies' impact on downstream mental health outcomes is crucial to scaling up EBPs to address the treatment gap, but it has rarely been assessed., Methods: This paper compares implementation strategies' impact on change in student outcomes, collected as exploratory outcomes from a type III hybrid implementation-effectiveness trial. A clustered, sequential, multiple-assignment randomized trial design was used, which embedded four implementation supports that differentially sequence three implementation strategies, Replicating Effective Programs (REP), Coaching, and Facilitation. Prior to the first randomization, N = 169 SPs from 94 Michigan high schools each identified up to 10 students whom they believed could benefit from CBT and facilitated student survey completion. Changes in students' depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9, modified for teens) and anxiety symptoms (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7) over 10 months were compared across the four sequences of implementation support using a generalization of a marginal, weighted least squares approach developed for a clustered SMARTs., Results: Small, non-clinically significant reductions in symptoms over the study period were found. Pairwise comparisons found no significant differences in symptom change across the four implementation strategies. The difference in the estimated mean PHQ-9T/GAD-7 scores between the least and the most intensive strategies (REP vs. REP+Coaching+Facilitation) was 1.04 (95%CI = -0.95, 3.04) for depression and 0.82 (95%CI = -0.89, 2.52) for anxiety., Discussion: No difference in symptom change was found across the four implementation strategies. Multiple forms of implementation support may be useful for improving student mental health outcomes., Trial Registration: NCT03541317-Registered on 29 May 2018 on ClinicalTrials.gov PRS., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors of this manuscript warrant that we have no actual or perceived conflicts of interest—financial or non-financial—in the procedures described in the enclosed manuscript. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Veterans Affairs or other public entity. During completion of this manuscript, TRAILS was in the process of applying for non-profit corporation status (501c.3)., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC), which is known for its heterogeneity, high recurrence rate, and metastasis, is often diagnosed after being dispersed in several sites, with about 80% of patients experiencing recurrence. Despite a better understanding of its metastatic nature, the survival rates of patients with HGSOC remain poor., Methods: Our study utilized spatial transcriptomics (ST) to interpret the tumor microenvironment and computed tomography (CT) to examine spatial characteristics in eight patients with HGSOC divided into recurrent (R) and challenging-to-collect non-recurrent (NR) groups., Results: By integrating ST data with public single-cell RNA sequencing data, bulk RNA sequencing data, and CT data, we identified specific cell population enrichments and differentially expressed genes that correlate with CT phenotypes. Importantly, we elucidated that tumor necrosis factor-α signaling via NF-κB, oxidative phosphorylation, G2/M checkpoint, E2F targets, and MYC targets served as an indicator of recurrence (poor prognostic markers), and these pathways were significantly enriched in both the R group and certain CT phenotypes. In addition, we identified numerous prognostic markers indicative of nonrecurrence (good prognostic markers). Downregulated expression of PTGDS was linked to a higher number of seeding sites (≥ 3) in both internal HGSOC samples and public HGSOC TCIA and TCGA samples. Additionally, lower PTGDS expression in the tumor and stromal regions was observed in the R group than in the NR group based on our ST data. Chemotaxis-related markers (CXCL14 and NTN4) and markers associated with immune modulation (DAPL1 and RNASE1) were also found to be good prognostic markers in our ST and radiogenomics analyses., Conclusions: This study demonstrates the potential of radiogenomics, combining CT and ST, for identifying diagnostic and therapeutic targets for HGSOC, marking a step towards personalized medicine., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objectives: To develop and validate imaging-based models for predicting the malignancy risk of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN)., Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 241 IPMN patients who underwent preoperative CT and MRI for model development. Cyst size, presence and size of the enhancing mural nodule (EMN), main pancreatic duct (MPD) diameter, thickened/enhancing cyst wall, abrupt MPD caliber change with distal atrophy, and lymphadenopathy were assessed. Multiple logistic regression models predicting malignancy risk were created using either continuous (Model C) or dichotomized variables (Model D) using these imaging features. Validation included internal (n = 55) and external (n = 43) datasets. Model performance was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and compared with that of the international guideline-based model (Model F)., Results: Model C identified age, EMN size, MPD diameter, and lymphadenopathy as independent predictors on CT, and age and presence and size of EMN on MRI. Model D identified age ≥ 68, cyst size ≥ 31 mm, EMN ≥ 6 mm, MPD ≥ 7 mm, and lymphadenopathy as independent predictors on CT, and age ≥ 68, EMN ≥ 4.5 mm, and lymphadenopathy on MRI. Model C (AUC, 0.763-0.899) performed slightly better than Model D (AUC, 0.753-0.912) without statistical significance. No significant difference was observed between Models C and F (AUC, 0.729-0.952). Combining Model C with obstructive jaundice improved performance (AUC, 0.802-0.941) without statistical significance., Conclusion: Our imaging-based models effectively predicted the malignancy risk of IPMNs, comparable to international consensus guidelines., Clinical Relevance Statement: Imaging features are important for predicting the malignant potential of IPMNs. Our imaging-based model may help determine surgical candidacy for patients with IPMNs., Key Points: Non-invasively determining the malignant potential of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) allows for appropriate treatment decision-making We identified multiple imaging features that are associated with malignant transformation and developed models for this prediction. Our model performs comparably with international consensus guidelines in predicting the malignant potential of IPMNs., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to European Society of Radiology.)

Purpose: This study evaluated the effectiveness of different surveillance intensities on morbidity and mortality in women with breast cancer., Methods: This retrospective study included patients who had undergone breast cancer surgery in the Republic of Korea between 2009 and 2011. The patients were divided into two groups based on the intensity of their postsurgical surveillance: intensive surveillance group (ISG) and less-intensive surveillance group. Surveillance intensity was measured based on the frequency and type of follow-up diagnostic tests conducted, including mammography, ultrasonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, bone scans, and positron emission tomography scans., Results: We included 1,356 patients with a median follow-up period of 121.2 months (range, 12.8-168.0 months). The analysis revealed no significant difference in the overall survival (OS) between the two groups within five years of surgery. However, patients with ISG exhibited significantly better breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) within the same period. Five years after surgery, the differences in survival outcomes between the groups were not statistically significant., Conclusion: Intensive surveillance did not demonstrate a significant improvement in OS for patients with breast cancer beyond five years postoperatively. However, within the first five years, intensive surveillance was associated with better BCSS and DMFS. These findings suggest that personalized surveillance strategies may benefit specific patient subsets, particularly in the early years after treatment. Further nationwide randomized studies are warranted to refine surveillance guidelines and optimize outcomes in patients with breast cancer., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2024 Korean Breast Cancer Society.)

This study establishes a comprehensive library of nanopatterns achievable by a single block copolymer (BCP), ranging from spheres to complex structures like split micelles, flower-like clusters, toroids, disordered micelle arrays, and unspecified unique shapes. The ordinary nanostructures of polystyrene-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) surface micelles deposited on a SiO x surface undergo a unique morphology transformation when immersed directly in solvents. Investigating parameters such as immersion solvents, BCP molecular weight, substrate interactions, and temperature, this work reveals the influence of these parameters on the thermodynamics and kinetics governing the morphology transformation. Additionally, the practical application of BCP nanopattern templates for fabricating metal nanostructures through direct solvent immersion of surface micelles is demonstrated. This approach offers an efficient and effective method for producing diverse nanostructures, with the potential to be employed in nanolithography, catalysts, electronics, membranes, plasmonics, and photonics., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Background: No standard treatment guidelines have been established for postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). We aimed to assess the differences in outcomes and prognoses between patients with PPH who underwent surgical and non-surgical treatment., Methods: This retrospective study included 230 patients diagnosed with PPH at two referral hospitals between August 2013 and October 2023. The patients were divided into non-surgical (group 1, n = 159) and surgical intervention groups (group 2, n = 71). A subgroup analysis was performed by dividing the surgical intervention group into immediate (n = 45) and delayed surgical intervention groups (n = 26)., Results: Initial lactic acid levels and shock index were significantly higher in group 2 (2.85 ± 1.37 vs. 4.54 ± 3.63 mmol/L, p = 0.001, and 0.83 ± 0.26 vs. 1.10 ± 0.51, p < 0.001, respectively). Conversely, initial heart rate and body temperature were significantly lower in group 2 (92.5 ± 21.0 vs. 109.0 ± 28.1 beat/min, p < 0.001, and 37.3 ± 0.8 °C vs. 37.0 ± 0.9 °C, p = 0.011, respectively). Logistic regression analysis identified low initial body temperature, high lactic acid level, and shock index as independent predictors of surgical intervention (p = 0.029, p = 0.027, and p = 0.049, respectively). Regarding the causes of PPH, tone was significantly more prevalent in group 1 (57.2% vs. 35.2%, p = 0.002), whereas trauma was significantly more prevalent in group 2 (24.5% vs. 39.4%, p = 0.030). Group 2 had worse overall outcomes and prognoses than group 1. The subgroup analysis showed significantly higher rates of uterine atony combined with other causes, hysterectomy, and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy in the delayed surgical intervention group than the immediate surgical intervention group (42.2% vs. 69.2%, p = 0.027; 51.1% vs. 73.1%, p = 0.049; and 17.8% vs. 46.2%, p = 0.018, respectively)., Conclusions: Patients with PPH presenting with increased lactic acid levels and shock index and decreased body temperature may be surgical candidates. Additionally, immediate surgical intervention in patients with uterine atony combined with other causes of PPH could improve prognosis and reduce postoperative complications., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The association between dietary carotenoids and breast cancer (BC) risks were inconsistent. Therefore, this study investigated the association between dietary carotenoid and BC risks among Korean women. We recruited participants from the National Cancer Centre of Korea. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated with a logistic regression model. There was an inverse association between dietary carotenoid subclasses and BC risks; in particular, a higher intake of β-carotene and lutein/zeaxanthin was associated with reduced BC risks. After subgroup analysis with estrogen receptor (ER)/progesterone receptor (PR) status, there was similar trend among ER-/PR- women. We further investigated which foods contribute to the carotenoid intake. A higher intake of radish leaves, kale, and bracken was associated with lowered BC risks. Accordingly, dietary carotenoid, particularly β-carotene and lutein/zeaxanthin, appears to be associated with a lower risk of BC among Korean women.

Background: To predict poor overall survival (OS) in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC) who underwent FOLFIRINOX (5-fluorouracil/leucovorin/irinotecan/oxaliplatin) using clinical and computed tomography (CT) findings., Methods: A total of 189 patients with PAC who received FOLFIRINOX were retrospectively included. Two reviewers assessed CT findings and resectability based on National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines. They determined tumor size changes according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST 1.1). Delta measurements were performed. Clinical results, such as whether to perform surgery, were also investigated. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to identify significant predictors for OS. A CT-based nomogram was constructed to predict OS., Results: Seventy-four patients (39.2%) underwent surgery. For OS, rim enhancement of PAC on baseline CT (hazard ratio [HR], 1.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-2.77; P = 0.018), high delta tumor on baseline CT (HR, 2.46; 95% CI, 1.55-3.91; P < 0.001), progressive disease at follow-up CT (HR, 8.89; 95% CI, 2.94-26.87; P < 0.001), and without surgery (HR, 2.81; 95% CI, 1.49-5.30; P = 0.001) were important features related to poor prognosis. The nomogram showed good predictive ability for the survival., Conclusion: Both clinical and CT findings were useful for predicting OS after FOLFIRINOX in PAC., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The KITL-KIT interaction is known as an important initiator in oocyte activation through the downstream pathway of PI3K-AKT-FOXO3 signalling. Previous studies utilising germ cell-specific Kit mutant knockin and kinase domain knockout models with Vasa-Cre suggested the crucial role of KIT in oocyte activation at the primordial follicle stage., Methods: We utilised mice with complete postnatal deletion of KIT expression in oocytes via Gdf9-iCre and conducted analyses on ovarian follicle development, specific markers, hormone assays, and fertility outcomes., Findings: Our findings reveal contrasting phenotypes compared to previous mouse models with prenatal deletion of Kit. Specifically, postnatal deletion of Kit exhibit no defects in germ cell nest breakdown, follicle activation, and folliculogenesis during development. Remarkably, upon reaching full maturity, mice with postnatal deletion of Kit experience a complete loss of ovarian reserve, growing follicles, and ovarian function. Furthermore, mice display smaller ovarian size and weight, delayed folliculogenesis, and phenotypes indicative of primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), including elevated serum levels of FSH, reduced AMH, and absence of ovarian follicles, ultimately resulting in infertility. Additionally, the ovaries exhibit randomly distributed expression of granulosa and theca cell markers such as Inhibin α, ACVR2B, and LHR. Notably, there is the uncontrolled expression of p-SMAD3 and Ki67 throughout the ovarian sections, along with the widespread presence of luteinised stroma cells and cleaved Caspase-3-positive dying cells., Interpretation: These genetic studies underscore the indispensable role of KIT in oocytes for maintaining the survival of ovarian follicles and ensuring the reproductive lifespan., Funding: This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grant R01HD096042 and startup funds from UNMC (S.Y.K.)., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: After neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), the SLN identification rate is lower and has a higher false-negative rate than that at upfront surgery. This clinical trial aimed to confirm the effectiveness of sentinel lymph node (SLN) surgery by determining the lymph node identification rate using multimodal SLN marker methods in patients with advanced breast cancer undergoing NAC., Patients and Methods: This clinical study is a prospective single-center randomized controlled trial involving patients with breast cancer receiving NAC. Patients are randomized (1:1:1) into arm A that involves the use of radioisotope (RI) plus indocyanine green fluorescence (ICG-F); arm B, RI plus vital dye; and, arm C, ICG-F plus vital dye. A total of 348 patients are needed. An interim analysis was performed on 50% of the patients enrolled. The primary outcome of this trial was the SLN identification rate., Results: Among the 164 total patients (median age 51 years), T2 and N1 were the most common clinical stages. The identification rate of SLN was 95% in arm A, 92% in arm B, and 79% in arm C. To assess superior efficacy, the one-sided endpoint was set at α < 0.0056. Arms A and C showed a difference of 0.1597 in the detection rate (p = 0.0055)., Conclusions: The use of ICG-F plus vital dye for SLNB was the least effective. The results show that the choice of tracer should be radioisotope in combination with one of the other tracers to have the highest SLN identification rate when SLNB cannot be implemented conventionally due to the circumstances of each institution., (© 2024. Society of Surgical Oncology.)

Tonicity-responsive enhancer binding protein (TonEBP) is a stress-responsive protein that plays a critical role in the regulation of gene expression and cellular adaptation to stressful environments. Recent studies uncovered the novel role of TonEBP in the DNA damage response, which significantly impacts genomic stability. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the novel role of TonEBP in DNA damage repair, including its involvement in the DNA damage bypass pathway and the recognition and resolution of DNA damage-induced R-loop structures., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The author declares that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Despite many recent studies on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) therapeutics, the optimal treatment has yet to be determined. In this unfinished project, we combined secondary metabolites (SMs) from the gut microbiota (GM) and Hordeum vulgare (HV) to investigate their combinatorial effects via network pharmacology (NP). Additionally, we analyzed GM or barley - signalling pathways - targets - metabolites (GBSTMs) in combinatorial perspectives (HV, and GM). A total of 31 key targets were analysed via a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and JUN was identified as the uppermost target in NAFLD. On a bubble plot, we revealed that apelin signalling pathway, which had the lowest enrichment factor antagonize NAFLD. Holistically, we scrutinized GBSTM to identify key components (GM, signalling pathways, targets, and metabolites) associated with the Apelin signalling pathway. Consequently, we found that the primary GMs ( Eubacterium limosum , Eggerthella sp. SDG-2 , Alistipes indistinctus YIT 12060 , Odoribacter laneus YIT 12061 , Paraprevotella clara YIT 11840 , Paraprevotella xylaniphila YIT 11841 ) to ameliorate NAFLD. The molecular docking test (MDT) suggested that tryptanthrin-JUN is an agonist, conversely, dihydroglycitein-HDAC5, 1,3-diphenylpropan-2-ol-NOS1, and (10[(Acetyloxy)methyl]-9-anthryl)methyl acetate-NOS2, which are antagonistic conformers in the apelin signalling pathway. Overall, these results suggest that combination therapy could be an effective strategy for treating NAFLD.

Objective/background: Insomnia is common in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We recently developed and validated the 21-item Pediatric Autism Insomnia Rating Scale (PAIRS). This report explores the associations and agreements between actigraphy and PAIRS., Participants Methods: Children with ASD, with and without sleep problems, were assessed with a battery of parent-rated and clinician measures (N = 134). In a subset (n = 70), a wrist-worn actigraph measured sleep for five consecutive nights. Parents completed logs for scoring sleep intervals. Spearman correlations evaluated associations with the PAIRS and actigraphy indices (sleep onset latency = SOL, wake after sleep onset = WASO, total sleep time = TST, sleep efficiency = SE%). Agreements on "poor sleepers" based on PAIRS total score (≥33) and conventional thresholds for TST and SE% were evaluated with Cohen's Kappa and McNemar's test., Results: Actigraphy data were averaged over 4.64 ± 0.68 nights in 70 children (mean age = 7.3 ± 2.9, 74.3 % male). There were no significant correlations between PAIRS and any actigraphy indices. On TST, 48.6 % (n = 34) and on SE% 52.9 % (n = 37) were classified as "poor sleepers" compared to 32.9 % (n = 23) on PAIRS (kappa = 0.11 for TST and 0.27 for SE%). P-values on McNemar's Chi square test for PAIRS with TST and with SE% were 0.072 and 0.011, respectfully., Conclusions: These results suggest that actigraphy and PAIRS do not agree. Actigraphy TST captures movement and an estimate of specific sleep parameters. PAIRS is a broader measure that incorporates sleep disturbance and sleep-related impairment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests. Dr. Scahill has served as a consultant to Yamo Pharmaceuticals and Cogstate. He receives book royalties from Oxford, Guilford and American Psychological Association and license fees from Yamo, Roche and Abbvie. Dr. Lecavalier receives book royalties from Oxford and license fees from Yamo, Roche and Abbvie. Dr. Johnson receives book royalties from Oxford and American Psychological Association. The authors have no other financial interests to disclose., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of genetic polymorphisms on methotrexate (MTX) metabolism in Korean children and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, specifically focusing on MTX polyglutamates (MTX-PGs) in erythrocytes, which have been rarely studied. Korean children and young adult patients undergoing maintenance therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, who were receiving weekly oral MTX doses of 20 mg/m²/week, were prospectively included. We investigated erythrocyte MTX-PG (PG1 to PG5) levels, MTX-PG/MTX dose ratios, and 222 genetic polymorphisms spanning 78 genes and three intergenic areas related to MTX transport, folate cycle metabolism, purine/pyrimidine pathways, and non-pathway genes (including TPMT and NUDT15 genotypes) to explore their association with MTX metabolism. MTX-PG levels were associated with MTX dose (p < 0.05), and MTX-PG3 comprised the majority of the total MTX-PGs, with a median of 39.3 %. Various polymorphisms within the same gene demonstrated differing associations with each type of MTX-PG, underscoring the complexity of MTX pharmacogenetics. Among the polymorphisms examined, 14 across 13 genes showed significant associations with MTX-PG2-5 levels, even after adjusting for the false discovery rate (ABCC5, ATG16L1, CEP72, FSTL5, GMPS, HTR3A, IMPDH1, NT5C2, SLC28A3, SLCO1B3, SUCLA2, TPMT, and TYMS). This study enhances our understanding of genetic polymorphisms in MTX metabolism and therapeutic monitoring for MTX maintenance, promoting personalized medicine in acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients., Competing Interests: Declarations of competing interest The authors have declared no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Purpose: To assess the computed tomography (CT) findings of papillary renal neoplasm with reverse polarity (PRNRP) and develop a radiomics-based model to distinguish PRNRPs from papillary renal cell carcinomas (PRCCs)., Materials and Methods: We analyzed 31 PRNRPs and 68 PRCCs using preoperative kidney CT. We evaluated CT features that could discriminate PRNRPs from PRCCs. A radiomics signature was constructed using features selected through a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm. A radiomics-based model incorporating a radiomics signature and subjective CT parameters using multivariate logistic regression was developed. The diagnostic performance of the CT parameters, radiomics model, and their combination was evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC)., Results: Most of PRNRPs had a round shape (93.5%), well-defined margin (100%), and persistent enhancement (77.4%). Compared with PRCC, PRNRPs exhibited distinct CT features including small size (16.7 vs. 37.7 mm, P < 0.001), heterogeneity (64.5 vs. 32.4%, P = 0.004), enhancing dot sign (16.1 vs. 1.5%, P = 0.001), and high attenuation in pre-contrast CT (44.2 vs. 35.5 HU, P = 0.003). Multivariate analysis revealed smaller mass size (odds ratio [OR]: 0.9; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.9-1.0, P = 0.013), heterogeneity (OR: 8.8; 95% CI 1.9-41.4, P = 0.006), and higher attenuation in pre-contrast CT (OR: 1.1; 95% CI 1.0-1.2, P = 0.011) as significant independent factors for identifying PRNRPs. The diagnostic performance of the combination model was excellent (AUC: 0.923)., Conclusion: Smaller tumor size, heterogeneity, and higher attenuation in pre-contrast CT were more closely associated with PRNRPs than with PRCCs. Though the retrospective design, small sample size, and single-center data of this study may affect the generalizability of the findings, combining subjective CT features with a radiomics model is beneficial for distinguishing PRNRPs from PRCCs., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Context.—: Therapeutic drug monitoring is recommended to optimize infliximab use and improve outcome in chronic inflammatory disorders., Objective.—: To describe a simple and affordable liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method to measure infliximab in serum., Design.—: Infliximab was measured using winged stable isotope-labeled peptides as internal standards. Linearity, lower limit of measuring interval, limit of detection, precision, accuracy, carryover, and ion suppression were evaluated. Method comparison against 2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods (Remsima Monitor and IDKmonitor Infliximab) and anti-drug antibody (ADA) interference were evaluated using clinical specimens from inflammatory bowel disease patients (N = 237)., Results.—: Analytical run time and sample preparation time were 5 minutes per sample and 3 hours per batch, respectively. Analytical measurement interval and limit of detection were 0.50 to 50.0 μg/mL (R2 = 0.998) and 0.25 μg/mL, respectively. The intraday and interday imprecision percentage coefficients of variation were less than 6.1%. Accuracy was 94.2% to 98.7%. No significant ion suppression or carryover was observed. Infliximab concentrations measured by LC-MS/MS showed good agreement with those measured by Remsima Monitor (mean percentage difference, 5.7%; 95% CI, -1.2% to 12.6%) but were markedly lower than those measured by IDKmonitor (-32.6%; -35.8% to -29.4%), demonstrating significant bias between ELISAs. Although a good agreement between LC-MS/MS and ELISA was observed for ADA-negative samples (-3.5%; -12.8% to 5.9%), a significant bias was observed for ADA-positive samples (13.6%; 1.7% to 25.6%)., Conclusions.—: This simple, fast, and affordable LC-MS/MS method for infliximab quantitation could improve standardization of infliximab quantitation and optimization of infliximab use in patients with high-titer ADA., (© 2024 College of American Pathologists.)

Given the environmental concerns surrounding fluoromaterials, the use of high-cost perfluorinated sulfonic acids (PFSAs) in fuel cells and water electrolysis contradicts the pursuit of clean energy systems. Herein, we present a fluorine-free dumbbell-shaped block-graft copolymer, derived from the cost-effective triblock copolymer, poly(styrene-b-ethylene-co-butylene-b-styrene) (SEBS), for polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs). This unique polymer shape led to the alignment of the hydrophobic-hydrophilic domains along a preferred orientation, resulting in the construction of interconnected proton channels across the membrane. A bicontinuous network allowed efficient proton transport with reduced tortuosity, leading to an exceptional ionic conductivity (249 mS cm -1 at 80 °C and 90 % relative humidity (RH)), despite a low ion exchange capacity (IEC; 1.41). Furthermore, membrane electrode assembly (MEA) prepared with our membrane exhibited stable performance over a period of 150 h at 80 °C and 30 % RH. This study demonstrates a novel polymer structure design and highlights a promising outlook for hydrocarbon PEMs as alternatives to PFSAs., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)