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Abstract Serial CA125 and second line transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) screening in the UKCTOCS indicated a shift towards detection of earlier stage ovarian cancer (OvCa), but did not yield a significant mortality reduction. There remains a need to establish additional biomarkers that can complement CA125 for even earlier and at a larger proportion of new cases. Using a cohort of plasma samples from 219 OvCa cases (59 stage I/II and 160 stage III/IV) and 409 female controls and a novel Sensitivity Maximization At A Given Specificity (SMAGS) method, we developed a blood-based metabolite-based test consisting of 7 metabolites together with CA125 for detection of OvCa. At a 98.5% specificity cutpoint, the metabolite test achieved sensitivity of 86.2% for detection of early-stage OvCa and was able to capture 64% of the cases with low CA125 levels (

In-Seon Lee,1 Da-Eun Yoon,1 Seoyoung Lee,2 Jae-Hwan Kang,3,4 Younbyoung Chae,1 Hi-Joon Park,1 Junsuk Kim5 1College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; 2Department of Physics and Computational Radiology, Division of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; 3Digital Health Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea; 4Aging Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea; 5School of Information Convergence, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, Republic of KoreaCorrespondence: Junsuk Kim, School of Information Convergence, Kwangwoon University, 20 Kwangwoon-ro, Seoul, 01897, Republic of Korea, Tel +82-2-940-8477, Email junsuk.kim@kw.ac.kr Hi-Joon Park, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyunghee-daero, Seoul, 02447, Republic of Korea, Tel +82-2-961-9435, Email acufind@khu.ac.krPurpose: Only a few studies have focused on the brain mechanisms underlying the itch processing in AD patients, and a neural biomarker has never been studied in AD patients. We aimed to develop a deep learning model-based neural signature which can extract the relevant temporal dynamics, discriminate between AD and healthy control (HC), and between AD patients who responded well to acupuncture treatment and those who did not.Patients and Methods: We recruited 41 AD patients (22 male, age mean ± SD: 24.34 ± 5.29) and 40 HCs (20 male, age mean ± SD: 26.4 ± 5.32), and measured resting-state functional MRI signals. After preprocessing, 38 functional regions of interest were applied to the functional MRI signals. A long short-term memory (LSTM) was used to extract the relevant temporal dynamics for classification and train the prediction model. Bootstrapping and 4-fold cross-validation were used to examine the significance of the models.Results: For the identification of AD patients and HC, we found that the supplementary motor area (SMA), posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), temporal pole, precuneus, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex showed significantly greater prediction accuracy than the chance level. For the identification of high and low responder to acupuncture treatment, we found that the lingual-parahippocampal-fusiform gyrus, SMA, frontal gyrus, PCC and precuneus, paracentral lobule, and primary motor and somatosensory cortex showed significantly greater prediction accuracy than the chance level.Conclusion: We developed and evaluated a deep learning model-based neural biomarker that can distinguish between AD and HC as well as between AD patients who respond well and those who respond less to acupuncture. Using the intrinsic neurological abnormalities, it is possible to diagnose AD patients and provide personalized treatment regimens.Keywords: Atopic Dermatitis, deep learning, functional MRI, biomarkers, personalized medicine

Serial CA125 and second line transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) screening in the UKCTOCS indicated a shift towards detection of earlier stage ovarian cancer (OvCa), but did not yield a significant mortality reduction. There remains a need to establish additional biomarkers that can complement CA125 for even earlier and at a larger proportion of new cases. Using a cohort of plasma samples from 219 OvCa cases (59 stage I/II and 160 stage III/IV) and 409 female controls and a novel Sensitivity Maximization At A Given Specificity (SMAGS) method, we developed a blood-based metabolite-based test consisting of 7 metabolites together with CA125 for detection of OvCa. At a 98.5% specificity cutpoint, the metabolite test achieved sensitivity of 86.2% for detection of early-stage OvCa and was able to capture 64% of the cases with low CA125 levels (< 35 units/mL). In an independent test consisting of 65 early-stage OvCa cases and 141 female controls, the metabolite panel achieved sensitivity of 73.8% at a 91.4% specificity and captured 13 (44.8%) out of 29 early-stage cases with CA125 levels < 35 units/mL. The metabolite test has utility for ovarian cancer screening, capable of improving upon CA125 for detection of early-stage disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquids undergo continuous deformation in the presence of external shear stresses; however, they are pinned between structures owing to their viscosity. Therefore, reshaping the liquids using their intrinsic material properties and structural interfaces is possible. In this study, we used the template-guided forming (TGF) method to reshape and produce oil patterns on flat and curved substrates. To produce oil patterns, we developed two oil patterning methods: direct heating-based oil patterning (DHOP) and solvent evaporation-based oil patterning (SEOP), which were characterized using various oils and solvents. To overcome the limitation of relying solely on liquid patterning that undergoes complete evaporation, we successfully fabricated liquid films using oil and nonpolar organic solvents that exhibit long-term stability. Therefore, achieving durability and control over the film thickness using nonpolar organic solvents has great potential for future applications in microfluidics. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the SEOP method in conjunction with TGF can produce various and unconventional patterns of an organic photoresist (SU-8), which cannot be produced through standard photolithography. Hence, we conclude that the proposed TFG-based oil pattering methods could be highly useful for producing unconventional and unprecedented patterns on flat and curved substrates for various applications, including microelectronics, optics, filtration and separation, biomedical engineering, and nanotechnology., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interests., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Membrane electrode assembly (MEA) cells incorporating Cu catalysts are effective for generating C 2+ chemicals via the CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR). However, the impact of MEA configuration on the inevitable reconstruction of Cu catalysts during CO 2 RR remains underexplored, despite its considerable potential to affect CO 2 RR efficacy. Herein, we demonstrate that MEA cells prompt a unique reconstruction of Cu, in contrast to H-type cells, which subsequently influences CO 2 RR outcomes. Utilizing three Cu-based catalysts, specifically engineered with different nanostructures, we identify contrasting selectivity trends in the production of C 2+ chemicals between H-type and MEA cells. Operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy, alongside ex-situ analyses in both cell types, indicates that MEA cells facilitate the reduction of Cu 2 O, resulting in altered Cu surfaces compared to those in H-type cells. Time-resolved CO 2 RR studies, supported by Operando analysis, further highlight that significant Cu reconstruction within MEA cells is a primary factor leading to the deactivation of CO 2 RR into C 2+ chemicals., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

A 6-year-old spayed female domestic short-hair cat was presented for primary complaints of anorexia and lethargy. The cat was being treated with cyclosporine (25 mg/cat, PO q24h) and prednisolone (1 mg/kg, PO q12h) for feline hypersensitivity dermatitis and inflammatory bowel disease for 1 year, wherein prednisolone was withdrawn 2 weeks prior to presentation. At presentation, dehydration, hyperglycaemia, ketonaemia, increased fructosamine, glucosuria, ketonuria and metabolic acidosis were observed. The cat was diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Immediate treatments with insulin continuous-rate infusion and intravenous fluid therapy were initiated. A serum cyclosporine concentration was >2100 ng/mL, indicating cyclosporine toxicity. Cyclosporine was discontinued immediately. The cat's acidosis and ketonaemia were resolved within a week, allowing a switch from insulin continuous-rate infusion to subcutaneous glargine (1 IU/cat), which was eventually discontinued due to persistent normoglycaemia 12 days after initial presentation. Hyperglycaemia was not observed for 28 days thereafter without insulin, indicating remission of diabetes mellitus. This report suggests that using prednisolone, particularly immune suppressive doses, could be problematic in cats receiving long-term cyclosporine therapy. Additionally, diabetic cats receiving immune-suppressive agents can possibly achieve diabetic remission after surviving DKA through regular monitoring of blood glucose concentration, elimination of prednisolone and intensive blood glucose management., (© 2024 The Author(s). Veterinary Medicine and Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objectives: Hypersensitive acupoints in specific body areas are associated with corresponding internal or visceral disorders. Back-shu points are clinically significant for the diagnosis of visceral organ disease, according to the biomechanical characteristics of the acupoints. In this study, we assessed the biomechanical characteristics and pain sensitivities of five back-shu points linked to five visceral organs in healthy participants., Methods: The study included 48 volunteer participants. A myotonometry was used to assess muscle tone and muscle stiffness at five back-shu points associated with visceral organs. Pressure was monitored using a microcontroller and a force sensor. Pain sensitivity was assessed in response to deep pressure pain produced by a constant force., Results: Substantial differences in muscle tone and stiffness were observed at the five back-shu points; muscle tone was highest at BL15, whereas muscle tone and muscle stiffness were lowest at BL23. Moreover, pain sensitivity was significantly different among the acupoints; pain sensitivity was highest at BL23. There was a significant negative correlation between muscle tone and pain sensitivity., Conclusions: We found significant differences in muscle tone, muscle stiffness, and pain sensitivity among five back-shu points associated with visceral organs, which may be attributable to anatomical variations at each point. Our findings suggest that differences at back-shu points should be considered to ensure the accurate diagnosis of visceral disease.

Bisphenol AF (BPAF) is found in high concentrations in aquatic environments due to the increased use of thermal paper and food packaging. However, there have been relatively few toxicological studies and potential risk assessments of BPAF. In this study, the risk quotient (RQ) and hazard quotient (HQ) of BPAF were derived to present the safety standards for environmental risk management and protection in lakes, rivers, bays, and Italian regions. We applied the species sensitivity distribution (SSD) method based on the previous ecotoxicological data and the results of supplementary toxicity tests on BPAF. From the SSD curves, the hazardous concentration for 5 % of the species (HC 5 ) values for the acute and chronic toxicity data were 464.75 µg/L and 3.59 µg/L, respectively, and the acute- and chronic-based predicted no-effect concentration were derived as 154.92 µg/L and 1.20 µg/L, respectively. The acute-based RQ (RQ A )values of BPAF in all regions were negligible (RQ < 0.1). The chronic-based RQ (RQ C ) in the Xitang River (XR) and the Central Italy (CI) showed a considerably high ecological risk (12.77 and 1.29) and the Hangzhou Bay (0.21), the South and North Italy (0.79 and 0.27), and the Tamagawa River (0.13) had a medium ecological risk (0.1 < RQ < 1.0). However, the HQ values based on the tolerable daily intake for BPAF over all age groups in these regions was < 0.1, indicating the low health risk. Nonetheless, the result of this study indicates that BPAF contamination is serious in XR and CI, and their use and emissions require continuous monitoring., 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.)

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1) agonists on the lipid profiles of patients with type 2 diabetes., Methods: We retrieved the data of phase 3 randomized controlled trials on GLP-1 agonists in patients with type 2 diabetes from the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane library up to 11 February 2024. We extracted % changes in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol/total cholesterol (T-CHO) and triglycerides levels from baseline. Using Bayesian network meta-analysis, mean differences and 95% credible intervals for lipid changes were estimated as a unit of percentage points (%p) by class., Results: Twenty-six studies covering 22,290 participants were included. The glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP)/GLP-1 dual agonist showed significant differences in LDL-C (range of mean differences: -11.61 to -6.77%p), triglycerides (-19.94 to -13.31%p), and T-CHO (-7.94 to -5.09%p) levels compared to placebo, insulin, and sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. The GLP-1 agonist significantly reduced T-CHO (-5.20%p; -6.39%p) and LDL-C (-4.32%p; -8.17%p) levels compared to placebo and SGLT2 inhibitors, respectively., Conclusions: The GIP/GLP-1 dual agonist positively affects the lipid profiles of patients with type 2 diabetes. This may contribute to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with type 2 diabetes., Protocol Registration: PROSPERO (CRD42021282668).

In this work, we present CodeAR, a medical time series generative model for electronic health record (EHR) synthesis. CodeAR employs autoregressive modeling on discrete tokens obtained using a vector quantized-variational autoencoder (VQ-VAE), which addresses key challenges of accurate distribution modeling and patient privacy preservation in the medical domain. The proposed model is trained with next-token prediction instead of a regression problem for more accurate distribution modeling, where the autoregressive property of CodeAR is useful to capture the inherent causality in time series data. In addition, the compressive property of the VQ-VAE prevents CodeAR from memorizing the original training data, which ensures patient privacy. Experimental results demonstrate that CodeAR outperforms the baseline autoregressive-based and GAN-based models in terms of maximum mean discrepancy (MMD) and Train on Synthetic, Test on Real tests. Our results highlight the effectiveness of autoregressive modeling on discrete tokens, the utility of CodeAR in causal modeling, and its robustness against data memorization., 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. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

A 9-year-old, neutered male, domestic short-haired cat was referred for recurrent ascites of unknown etiology over a week. Physical examination revealed abdominal distension and ultrasonography revealed a large volume of ascites throughout the abdominal cavity; this was interpreted as modified transudate. The mesentery and abdominal fat were hyperechoic and edematous. Fat tissue was assessed using fine-needle aspiration cytology, and adipocytes, fat-phagocytizing macrophages, and neutrophils were identified. Computed tomography revealed a pancreatic mass connected to the left pancreatic leg. Exploratory laparoscopy confirmed nodular masses and organ adhesions, leading to a tentative diagnosis of sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis. The cat was administered prednisolone, vitamin E, and tamoxifen but died 22 days after the initial therapy. Necropsy revealed a multi-lobulated pancreatic tumor (10 × 10 cm) tightly attached to the stomach and intestine, with a large amount of ascites. The peritoneum, stomach, intestine, and mesentery were covered with numerous disseminated nodules of various sizes (1-5 mm diameter). Microscopically, the tumor consisted of extensive adipose tissue, locally extensive inflammatory infiltrates, fibrous connective tissue, and small invasive proliferative glands. Well-defined small irregular glands composed of single-layered epithelial cells that appear to be of ductal origin were surrounded by an abundant desmoplastic stroma. Neoplastic nodules were widespread in the liver, stomach, peritoneum, mesentery, mesenteric lymph nodes, lungs, and urinary bladder. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the neoplastic glands were positive for pan-cytokeratin, confirming the pancreatic epithelial origin of the tumor. This is the first report of sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis accompanied by aggressive pancreatic adenocarcinoma of presumed ductal origin and extensive metastasis in a cat., 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., (Copyright © 2024 Kim, Kim, Park, Lee, Chae, Yun, Chang, Kang, Lee, Kim and Kim.)

Climate change is an imminent threat, particularly affecting agricultural productivity, which relies heavily on weather conditions. Understanding the specific impacts of climate change on key crops is crucial for developing effective adaptation strategies to ensure food security. The growth patterns of onions and garlic were observed at over ten different locations in South Korea, and the yield data from the past 40 years were analyzed. The yield was significantly correlated with temperature and strongly affected by the frequent and unexpected patterns of precipitation. The increase in mean temperature during winter and the spatial and temporal concentration of precipitation are expected to be the most influential factors for Allium crop production in the future. In addition, the yields of onions and garlic can serve as good indicators for predicting the impacts of weather on agricultural productivity, given their extended cultivation periods and significant correlations with temperature and precipitation. As climate change scenarios become available, the results of this study can serve as a basis for predicting changes in agricultural production in the future and identifying opportunities to adapt cultivation systems for food security., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:Gibum Yi reports financial support was provided by Chungnam National University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Gibum Yi reports a relationship with Chungnam National University that includes: employment. none If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background/aim: Various devices for non-invasive body shape correction are being developed along with the growth of the beauty industry. Radiofrequency (RF) can selectively reduce subcutaneous fat without causing skin damage. The efficacy of the procedure can be improved by applying RF to a large area simultaneously with multiple handpieces. This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of a new RF device with multi-channel handpieces., Materials and Methods: In ex vivo experiments, the RF device was used to treat porcine tissue comprising the skin, subcutaneous, and muscle layers. The device's safety was evaluated by temperature measurements of porcine tissue and histological analysis. In in vivo experiments, the dorsal skin of pigs was treated with the RF device. The safety and efficacy of the device were evaluated by measuring the skin temperature, subcutaneous fat layer thickness, and conducting histological analysis., Results: The skin temperature did not exceed the set temperature during treatment, and skin damage was not observed in histologic analysis in both ex vivo and in vivo experiments. In in vivo experiments, the subcutaneous fat layer thickness and subcutaneous lipocyte size were decreased after treatment. In addition, the fibrous tissue between subcutaneous lipocytes was increased in the RF treatment group compared with the non-treatment group., Conclusion: The RF device used in this study effectively reduced the size of subcutaneous lipocytes and increased fibrous tissue without skin damage. Therefore, the safe and effective use of this device for non-invasive fat reduction may be possible in clinical settings., (Copyright © 2024, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Changes in neutrophil-to-lymphocite ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have been identified in dogs with hypercortisolism (HC), but, no studies have investigated the changes in these inflammatory biomarkers as cost-effective and available parameters for the diagnosis and management of HC. This study was performed to evaluate whether NLR and PLR could be used as biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment response in dogs with HC. This retrospective study included 67 dogs with HC, 58 dogs with non-adrenal illness (NAI), and 39 healthy dogs. NLR and PLR were compared among the three groups. Cut-off values of NLR and PLR for HC screening and percent change in biomarkers for assessing treatment response were evaluated. In addition, the NLR and PLR were compared before and after trilostane treatment. NLR and PLR were significantly higher in the HC group than in the NAI and healthy groups. The NLR cut-off value of 4.227 had a sensitivity of 67.16% and specificity of 65.52%, and the PLR cut-off value of 285.0 had a sensitivity of 56.72% and specificity of 70.69% for differentiating between dogs with HC and those with NAI, respectively. Furthermore, a significant decline in NLR was observed after treatment in the well-controlled HC group. The cutoff value of percent change in NLR to identify well-controlled HC was -7.570%; sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 63.64%, respectively. Therefore, NLR and PLR might be used cautiously as supportive biomarkers for HC diagnosis, and NLR could be a potential monitoring tool in assessing the treatment response of HC in dogs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is released into the peripheral circulation by damaged axons., Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic value of serum NfL concentration in dogs with intracranial diseases., Animals: Study included 37 healthy dogs, 31 dogs with idiopathic epilepsy (IE), 45 dogs with meningoencephalitis of unknown etiology (MUE), 20 dogs with hydrocephalus, and 19 dogs with brain tumors., Methods: Cohort study. Serum NfL concentrations were measured in all dogs using single-molecule array technology., Results: Serum NfL concentration in dogs with each structural disease was significantly higher than in healthy dogs and dogs with IE (P = .01). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of NfL for differentiating between dogs with structural diseases and IE was 0.868. An optimal cutoff value of the NfL 27.10 pg/mL had a sensitivity of 86.67% and a specificity of 74.19% to differentiate the dogs with IE from those with structural brain diseases. There were significant correlations between NfL concentrations and lesion size: (1) MUE, P = .01, r = 0.429; (2) hydrocephalus, P = .01, r = 0.563., Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Serum NfL could be a useful biomarker for distinguishing IE from structural diseases in dogs and predicting the lesion sizes of MUE and hydrocephalus., (© 2024 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.)

Fermented foods have been a staple in human diets for thousands of years, garnering attention for their health and medicinal benefits. Rich in lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with probiotic properties, these foods play a crucial role in positively impacting the host's gut microbiome composition and overall health. With a long history of safe consumption, fermented foods effectively deliver LAB to humans. Intake of LAB from fermented foods offers three main benefits: (1) enhancing digestive function and managing chronic gastrointestinal conditions, (2) modulating the immune system and offering anti-inflammatory effects to prevent immune-related diseases, and (3) synthesizing vitamins and various bioactive compounds to improve human health. In this review, we highlighted the diverse LAB present in Asian fermented foods and emphasized LAB-rich fermented foods as a natural and effective solution for health enhancement and disease prevention., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© The Korean Society of Food Science and Technology 2024. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Background: No reports have compared the clinical therapeutic efficacy of fluconazole and itraconazole in canine Malassezia dermatitis., Objectives: The study aimed to compare the clinical therapeutic efficacy of fluconazole and itraconazole and to evaluate the adverse effects of fluconazole in canine Malassezia dermatitis., Animals: Sixty-one client-owned dogs with Malassezia dermatitis., Materials and Methods: The enrolled animals were randomly divided into groups receiving 5 mg/kg fluconazole (5FZ), 10 mg/kg fluconazole (10FZ) or 5 mg/kg itraconazole (5IZ). The drugs were orally administered once daily for 28 days. Cytological examination, clinical index score (CIS), pruritus Visual Analog Scale (PVAS) evaluation and blood analysis (for 5FZ only) were performed on Day (D)0, D14 and D28., Results: On D14, significant reductions in mean yeast count (MYC), CIS and PVAS were observed in the 5FZ (n = 20, p < 0.01), 10FZ (n = 17, p < 0.01) and 5IZ (n = 16, p < 0.05) groups. In all three groups, a significant reduction (p < 0.001) in MYC, CIS and PVAS expression was observed on D28. There was no significant difference in the percentage reduction of MYC, CIS and PVAS among the groups. Moreover, there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in each group between D14 and D28, except for the percentage reduction in MYC in the 10FZ and 5IZ groups. No adverse effects of fluconazole were observed in the 5FZ or 10FZ groups., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: This study indicates that 5FZ and 10FZ are as effective as itraconazole in canine Malassezia dermatitis., (© 2024 ESVD and ACVD.)

Linguoverted mandibular canine teeth (LMC) is a common malocclusion in dogs. Several inclined bite-plane techniques using acrylic resin have been introduced to correct LMC in dogs. Although these techniques have suggested modifications to overcome shortcomings, there are still limitations; e.g ., high technical sensitivity, as the viscous acrylic resin must still be fabricated in the oral cavity. The authors developed a novel method for small-breed dogs that uses a doughy acrylic resin form to achieve an easy intraoral design and extraoral fabrication. Eight small-breed dogs were presented to evaluate and treat malocclusion causing palatal trauma. First, a Class-1 malocclusion with linguoversion of the mandibular canine teeth (6 dogs with unilateral LMC and 2 dogs with bilateral) was diagnosed based on oral examination. Dogs were treated with the new method using a doughy acrylic resin form for 6 to 7 wk and had posttreatment follow-up 1 y after the procedure. All treated canine teeth were in correct positions 1 y after the appliances were removed. Key clinical message: The authors believe that the new method using a doughy acrylic resin form could be a good alternative for veterinarians to use when treating LMC., (Copyright and/or publishing rights held by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.)

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a signaling lipid mediator that is involved in multiple biological processes. The S1P/S1P receptor (S1PR) signaling pathway has an important role in the central nervous system. It contributes to physiologic cellular homeostasis and is also associated with neuroinflammation. Therefore, this study was performed to evaluate the expression of S1PR in dogs with meningoencephalitis of unknown etiology (MUE) and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). The analysis used 12 brain samples from three neurologically normal dogs, seven dogs with MUE, and two canine EAE models. Anti-S1PR1 antibody was used for immunohistochemistry. In normal brain tissues, S1PR1s were expressed on neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and endothelial cells. In MUE and EAE lesions, there was positive staining of S1PR1 on leukocytes. Furthermore, the expression of S1PR1 on neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and endothelial cells was upregulated compared to normal brains. This study shows that S1PR1s are expressed in normal brain tissues and leukocytes in inflammatory lesions, and demonstrates the upregulation of S1PR1 expression on nervous system cells in inflammatory lesions of MUE and EAE. These findings indicate that S1P/S1PR signaling pathway might involve physiologic homeostasis and neuroinflammation and represent potential targets for S1PR modulators to treat MUE., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: To evaluate the relationships between the severity of myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) and pulmonary hypertension (PH) and serum angiopoietin (Ang)-1 and Ang-2 concentrations in dogs with MMVD., Animals: 74 dogs (control, n = 12; MMVD, n = 62) were included., Methods: Serum Ang-1 and Ang-2 concentrations were estimated using the canine-specific ELISA kit. The concentrations were compared between dogs with MMVD and healthy dogs, and they were analyzed according to the severity of MMVD and PH., Results: The median serum Ang-1 concentration did not differ among the study groups. The median serum Ang-2 concentration was higher in dogs with stage B2 MMVD (P = .041) and acute congestive heart failure (P = .002) than in control dogs. In addition, the median serum Ang-2 concentration was higher in MMVD dogs with PH than in those without PH (P = .031). Serum Ang-2 concentration was correlated with vertebral heart score (rs = 0.36, P = .004) and vertebral left atrial score (r = 0.50, P < .001) in dogs with MMVD, and correlated with vertebral heart score (r = 0.63, P = .01), maximum E wave amplitude of the diastolic transmitral flow (rs = 0.61, P = .018), ejection fraction (rs = -0.77, P < .001) and fractional shortening (rs = -0.56, P = .032) in dogs with acute congestive heart failure., Clinical Relevance: Circulating Ang-2 levels increase in dogs with the severity of MMVD and the presence of PH.

Background: High concentrations of complement factors are presented in serum of animal epilepsy models and human patients with epilepsy., Objectives: To determine whether complement dysregulation occurs in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy (IE)., Animals: The study included 49 dogs with IE subgrouped into treatment (n = 19), and nontreatment (n = 30), and 29 healthy dogs., Methods: In this case-control study, the serum concentrations of the third (C3) and fourth (C4) components of the complement system were measured using a canine-specific ELISA kit., Results: Serum C3 and C4 concentrations were significantly higher in dogs with IE (C3, median; 4.901 [IQR; 3.915-6.673] mg/mL, P < .001; C4, 0.327 [0.134-0.557] mg/mL, P = .03) than in healthy control dogs (C3, 3.550 [3.075-4.191] mg/mL; C4, 0.267 [0.131-0.427] mg/mL). No significant differences were observed in serum C3 and C4 concentrations between dogs in the treatment (C3, median; 4.894 [IQR; 4.192-5.715] mg/mL; C4, 0.427 [0.143-0.586] mg/mL) and nontreatment groups (C3, 5.051 [3.702-7.132] mg/mL; C4, 0.258 [0.130-0.489] mg/mL). Dogs with a seizure frequency >3 times/month had significantly higher serum C3 (6.461 [4.695-8.735] mg/mL; P < .01) and C4 (0.451 [0.163-0.675] mg/mL; P = .01) concentrations than those with a seizure frequency ≤3 times/month (C3, 3.859 [3.464-5.142] mg/mL; C4, 0.161 [0.100-0.325] mg/mL)., Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Dysregulation of classical complement pathway was identified in IE dogs. Serum C3 and C4 concentrations could be diagnostic biomarkers for IE in dogs with higher seizure frequency., (© 2024 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are known to be representative carcinogenic environmental pollutants with high toxicity. However, information on the potential ecological and environmental risks of PAH contamination in soil remains scarce. Thus, this study was evaluated the potential ecological risks of PAHs in soils of five Korean areas (Gunsan (GS), Gwangju, Yeongnam, Busan, and Gangwon) using organic carbon (OC)-normalized analysis, mean effect range-median quotient (M-ERM-Q), toxic equivalent quantity (TEQ) analysis, and risk quotient (RQ) derived by the species sensitivity distribution model. In this study, atmospheric particulate matter has a significant effect on soil pollution in GS through the presence of hopanes and the similar pattern of PAHs in soil and atmospheric PAHs. From analysis of source identification, combustion sources in soils of GS were important PAH sources. For PAHs in soils of GS, the OC-normalized analysis, M-ERM-Q, and TEQ analysis have 26.78 × 10 5 ng/g-OC, 0.218, and 49.72, respectively. Therefore, the potential ecological risk assessment results showed that GS had moderate-high ecological risk and moderate-high carcinogenic risk, whereas the other regions had low ecological risk and low-moderate carcinogenic risk. The risk level (M-ERM-Q) of PAH contamination in GS was similar to that in Changchun and Xiangxi Bay in China. The Port Harcourt City in Nigeria for PAH has the highest risk (M-ERM-Q = 4.02 and TEQ = 7923). Especially, compared to China (RQ Phe =0.025 and 0.05), and Nigeria (0.059), phenanthrene showed the highest ecological risk in Korea (0.001-0.18). Korea should focus on controlling the release of PAHs originating from the PM in GS., 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.)

Acupuncture treatment can be defined as a medical procedure with an acupuncture needle at acupoints. Establishing suitable control settings is essential, based on the target elements of the acupuncture therapy. In order to properly design a clinical trial or an experiment, a control group must be established. Here, we overview the significance of the control group and its limitations in acupuncture research. Clinical trials have employed a variety of study designs and controls for acupuncture treatment in order to compare the effects of actual treatments with control groups that include no treatment or treatment as usual, sham acupuncture at true acupoints, real acupuncture at non-acupoints, and sham acupuncture at non-acupoints. In order to determine the point-specificity of acupuncture, real acupuncture at non-acupoints should be taken into consideration, whereas sham acupuncture at the same true acupoints should be used to determine the needling-specific effect of acupuncture. It is crucial to choose the optimum control for acupuncture treatments depending on the study's main goal and to interpret the results in accordance with the research design., (© 2024 Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Purpose: To evaluate a triplet regimen combining immune checkpoint blockade, AKT pathway inhibition, and (nab-) paclitaxel as first-line therapy for locally advanced/metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC)., Patients and Methods: The single-arm CO40151 phase Ib study (NCT03800836), the single-arm signal-seeking cohort of IPATunity130 (NCT03337724), and the randomized phase III IPATunity170 trial (NCT04177108) enrolled patients with previously untreated mTNBC. Triplet therapy comprised intravenous atezolizumab 840 mg (days 1 and 15), oral ipatasertib 400 mg/day (days 1-21), and intravenous paclitaxel 80 mg/m2 (or nab-paclitaxel 100 mg/m2; days 1, 8, and 15) every 28 days. Exploratory translational research aimed to elucidate mechanisms and molecular markers of sensitivity and resistance., Results: Among 317 patients treated with the triplet, efficacy ranged across studies as follows: median progression-free survival (PFS) 5.4 to 7.4 months, objective response rate 44% to 63%, median duration of response 5.6 to 11.1 months, and median overall survival 15.7 to 28.3 months. The safety profile was consistent with the known toxicities of each agent. Grade ≥3 adverse events were more frequent with the triplet than with doublets or single-agent paclitaxel. Patients with PFS >10 months were characterized by NF1, CCND3, and PIK3CA alterations and increased immune pathway activity. PFS <5 months was associated with CDKN2A/CDKN2B/MTAP alterations and lower predicted phosphorylated AKT-S473 levels., Conclusions: In patients with mTNBC receiving an ipatasertib/atezolizumab/taxane triplet regimen, molecular characteristics may identify those with particularly favorable or unfavorable outcomes, potentially guiding future research efforts., (©2023 The Authors; Published by the American Association for Cancer Research.)

Introduction: This study evaluated the physiological uptake range of 18 F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ( 18 F-FDG) in the normal ovaries of seven dogs using positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT)., Materials and Methods: The dogs were subjected to general anesthesia and were positioned in ventral recumbency for PET/CT scans. The dosage of 18 F-FDG ranged from 0.14 to 0.17 mCi/kg and was administered intravenously followed by 0.9% NaCl flushing; PET/CT images of each dog were obtained precisely 60 min after the injection of 18 F-FDG. The regions of interest were drawn manually, and standardized uptake values (SUV) were calculated to evaluate the 18 F-FDG uptake in each ovary. The maximum and mean SUVs (SUV max and SUV mean) for all the ovaries of the dogs were then computed., Results: The range of SUV max and SUV mean of the normal ovaries of the dogs were 1.28-1.62 and 1.07-1.31 (mean ± standard deviation), respectively., Conclusion: This is the first study to investigate the normal 18 F-FDG uptake baseline data of normal canine ovaries using PET/CT scans. These data will help clinicians in identifying malignant tumors before anatomical changes in the ovary through PET/CT scans., 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., (Copyright © 2024 Choi, Chae, Kang and Lee.)

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate clinical practices and factors related to the outcomes of T-DM1 use in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (mBC)., Methods: We included patients with HER2-positive mBC who received T-DM1 as a palliative therapy between August 2017 and December 2018. The safety and outcomes of T-DM1, including overall response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS), were evaluated. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval (CI) for mortality or progression to HER2-positive mBC., Results: In total, 824 patients were enrolled during the study period. The mean age of patients was 58 years, and 516 (62.6%) patients relapsed after curative treatment. Excluding a history of endocrine therapy, 341 (41.4%) patients previously received none or first-line chemotherapy, 179 (21.7%) received second-line therapy, and 303 (36.9%) received third-or later-line chemotherapy before T-DM1 therapy. During a median follow-up of 16.8 months, the ORR was 35%, the median PFS was 6.6 months, and the median OS was not reached. The clinical factors associated with the hazard of progression were age (<65 years), poor performance status (⩾2), advanced line of palliative chemotherapy (⩾2), prior pertuzumab use, and treatment duration of palliative trastuzumab (<10 months). Common grade 3-4 adverse events were thrombocytopenia ( n = 107, 13.2%), neutropenia ( n = 23, 2.8%), anemia ( n = 21, 2.6%), and elevated liver enzyme ( n = 20, 2.5%). Hypokalemia (⩽3.0 mmol/L) and any-grade bleeding events occurred in 25 (3.1%) and 94 (22.6%) patients, respectively., Conclusion: This is the first nationwide real-world study of T-DM1 use in patients with HER2-positive mBC in Korea. The effectiveness and toxicity profiles of T-DM1 in real-world practice were comparable to those in randomized trials. Moreover, patient factors and previous anti-HER2 therapy could predict the outcomes of T-DM1 therapy., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s), 2024.)

In addition to the functionality of electronic textiles (e-textiles), their aesthetic properties should be considered to expand their marketability. In this study, premordanted cotton fabrics were co-dyed with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and natural dyes to develop ecofriendly and colorful graphene-based wearable e-textiles. The color attributes of the textiles were analyzed in terms of the dyeing conditions, namely, rGO loading, mordant type, and natural dye type. The lightness of the dyed samples increased in the order of cochineal < gardenia blue < rhubarb. Regardless of the natural dye and rGO loading, the lightness of the fabrics mordanted with Fe was lower than that with Al and Cu. Moreover, the rhubarb- and gardenia blue-dyed fabrics exhibited broad chroma and hue dispersions, indicating the strong impact of the dyeing conditions. With increasing rGO loading, the chroma of the rhubarb-dyed fabrics substantially decreased, resulting in decreased color saturation. The initial greenish-blue color of the gardenia blue-dyed fabrics gradually changed to yellowish-green and then yellow. Regardless of the natural dye, drastic overall color changes were observed, with average values of 7.60, 11.14, 12.68, and 13.56 ΔE CMC(2:1) at increasing rGO loadings of 1, 3, 5, and 7% owb, respectively., (© 2024. The Author(s).)