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Background: Temporal bone pneumatization (TBP) is influenced by age, sex, and race, and it seems to progress rapidly to puberty. However, the extent of TBP in childhood remains unclear., Purpose: To investigate the progression of TBP in children aged 1-18 years via three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of high-resolution computed tomography (CT) images., Material and Methods: A total of 432 temporal bones of 216 individuals aged 1-18 years with well-pneumatized mastoid antra on both sides were included in this retrospective work. We created 18 age groups, each with six boys and six girls. Surface rendering of air density was performed using -290 HU to obtain TBP. Statistical analysis employed SPSS version 24.0 software (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA)., Results: The linear regression equations that considered age and volume for all cases (y a ), male (y m ) and female (y f ) were y a  = 384.42x + 1790.40, R 2  = 0.425; y m  = 431.54x + 1440.9, R 2  = 0.501; and y f  = 337.26 x + 2140.5, R 2  = 0.355. Both male and female individuals showed an increase in the average value of pneumatization until the age of 17, and the values ​​of pneumatization at specific ages for boys and girls showed differences. The mean male and female TBP levels differed significantly at 3, 11, and 18 years of age ( P  < 0.05)., Conclusion: TBP in boys was greater than that of girls at adolescence. It was possible to identify the specific periods of significant variation in the degree of pneumatization of temporal bone., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Background: Physiologic MRI-based tumor habitat analysis has the potential to predict patient outcomes by identifying the spatiotemporal habitats of glioblastoma. This study aims to prospectively validate the cut-off for tumor progression obtained from tumor habitat analysis based on physiologic MRI in ascertaining time-to-progression (TTP) and the site of progression in glioblastoma patients following concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT)., Methods: In this prospective study (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02613988), we will recruit patients with IDH-wild type glioblastoma who underwent CCRT and obtained immediate post-operative and three serial post-CCRT MRI scans within a three-month interval, conducted using diffusion-weighted imaging and dynamic susceptibility contrast imaging. Voxels from cerebral blood volume and apparent diffusion coefficient maps will be grouped using k-means clustering into three spatial habitats (hypervascular cellular, hypovascular cellular, and nonviable tissue). The spatiotemporal habitats of the tumor will be evaluated by comparing changes in each habitat between the serial MRI scans (post-operative and post-CCRT #1, #2, and #3). Associations between spatiotemporal habitats and TTP will be analyzed using cox proportional hazard modeling. The site of progression will be matched with spatiotemporal habitats., Discussion: The perfusion- and diffusion-derived tumor habitat in glioblastoma is expected to stratify TTP and may serve as an early predictor for tumor progression in patients with IDH wild-type glioblastoma., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02613988., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery is a potential next-generation energy storage technology over lithium-ion batteries for high capacity, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly solutions. However, several issues including polysulfides shuttle, low conductivity and limited rate-capability have hampered its practical application. Herein, a new class of cathode active material with perfect core-shell structure is reported, in which sulfur is fully encapsulated by conductivity-enhancing FeS 2 (named as S@FeS 2 ), for high-rate application. Surface-stabilized S@FeS 2 cathode exhibits a stable cycling performance under 2 - 20 times higher rates (1-2 C, charged in 30-60 min) than standard rates (e.g., 0.1-0.5 C, charged in 2-10 h), without polysulfides shuttle event. Surface analysis results reveal the unprecedented formation of a stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer on S@FeS 2 cathode, which is distinguished from other sulfur-based cathodes that are not able to form the SEI layer. The data suggest that the prevention of polysulfides shuttling is owing to the surface protection effect of FeS 2 shell and the SEI layer formation overlying core-shell S@FeS 2 . This unique and potential material concept proposed in the present study will give insight into designing a prospective fast charging Li-S battery., (© 2024 The Author(s). Small published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Objective: Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) is widely used for treating small- to medium-sized or postoperative residual, recurrent lower cranial nerve schwannomas (LCNSs). This study aimed to evaluate the radiographic and neurological outcomes of GKRS for LCNS., Methods: A total of 60 patients with 47 jugular foramen schwannomas (JFSs) and 13 hypoglossal nerve schwannomas (HNSs) who underwent GKRS were included. Dysphagia (40.4%) and hoarseness (23.4%) were the most common preexisting symptoms associated with JFS, whereas tongue deviation (53.8%) was prevalent in HNS. The median tumor volumes were 3.2 cm3 and 2.2 cm3 for JFSs and HNSs, respectively. The median marginal dose administered to the tumor was 13 Gy (range 12-15 Gy). The median follow-up duration was 52.8 months., Results: Local tumor control was achieved in 91.5% of JFSs and 92.3% of HNSs. The preexisting neurological symptoms improved in 48.9% of patients with JFS and remained stable in 29.8%. However, 10 patients (21.3%) experienced exacerbation of symptoms associated with cranial nerves VII, VIII, IX, X, and XI. Among these, 3 patients (6.4%) exhibited persistent symptomatic deterioration. Patients with HNSs demonstrated a stable trajectory without symptom aggravation. Larger tumor volume and cystic portion were significantly associated with tumor progression (p = 0.017 and 0.003, respectively), and post-GKRS transient swelling was associated with neurological deterioration (p = 0.044)., Conclusions: GKRS is an alternative treatment option for LCNS that reduces surgical morbidity and enhances tumor control. However, GKRS can potentially lead to neurological deterioration, necessitating extreme caution throughout the procedure, specifically for JFSs.

The frozen elephant trunk (FET) technique can be applied to extensive aortic pathology, including lesions in the aortic arch and proximal descending thoracic aorta. FET is useful for tear-oriented surgery in dissections, managing malperfusion syndrome, and promoting positive aortic remodeling. Despite these benefits, complications such as distal stent-induced new entry and spinal cord ischemia can pose serious problems with the FET technique. To prevent these complications, careful sizing and planning of the FET are crucial. Additionally, since the FET technique involves total arch replacement, meticulous surgical skills are essential, particularly for young surgeons. In this article, we propose several techniques to simplify surgical procedures, which may lead to better outcomes for patients with extensive aortic pathology. In the era of precision medicine, the next-generation FET device could facilitate the treatment of complex aortic diseases through a patient-tailored approach.

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) comprises of heterogeneous group of neoplasms that occasionally express epithelial markers on immunohistochemistry (IHC). We herein report the case of a patient who developed RMS of the skull with EWSR1 fusion and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) and cytokeratin expression as cytomorphologic features. A 40-year-old man presented with a mass in his forehead. Surgical resection was performed, during which intraoperative frozen specimens were obtained. Squash cytology showed scattered or clustered spindle and epithelioid cells. IHC revealed that the resected tumor cells were positive for desmin, MyoD1, cytokeratin AE1/ AE3, and ALK. Although EWSR1 rearrangement was identified on fluorescence in situ hybridization, ALK, and TFCP2 rearrangement were not noted. Despite providing adjuvant chemoradiation therapy, the patient died of tumor progression 10 months after diagnosis. We emphasize that a subset of RMS can express cytokeratin and show characteristic histomorphology, implying the need for specific molecular examination.

Purpose: This study investigated the internal carotid artery (ICA) and jugular bulb (JB) structures in terms of lateral temporal bone resection using 3D computed tomography (CT)., Methods: We retrospectively investigated 80 ears of 40 patients using 3D reconstruction data from normal temporal bone CT. Ten critical points (P) in the temporal bone were marked in the 3D object with reference to the axial, coronal, and sagittal images of the CT scans. An imaginary plane of the facial nerve (PLf) course was also reconstructed in relation to the three points of the chorda-facial junction, P5 (second genu), and P3 (cochleariform) process., Results: The distances (mean ± SD; mm) from points P3 to P1 (the highest level of the JB) and P2 (the posterior wall of the ascending petrous IAC at the level of the Eustachian tube) were 12.03 ± 2.56 and 9.79 ± 1.78, respectively. The distances from point P4 (chorda-facial junction) to P1 and P2 were 10.98 ± 2.70 and 17.66 ± 2.26, respectively. The angles (mean ± SD; degree) between the PLf to the line from Pa (point of the anterior bony canal) to P3 and P4 were 17.80 ± 10.05º and 8.93 ± 5.37º, respectively. The angles between the PLf to the line from P3 to P1 and P2 were - 36.35 ± 13.28º and - 24.78 ± 13.91º, respectively. The angles between the PLf to the line from P4 to P1 and P2 respectively were - 40.35 ± 15.37º and - 13.34 ± 7.63º., Conclusions: Understanding the anatomical relationships of P1 and P2 at P3 and P4 can be helpful in preventing iatrogenic trauma of the ICA and JB., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag France SAS, part of Springer Nature.)

Recent studies have highlighted the potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) as an alternative treatment for Alopecia Areata (AA) due to their immunosuppressive properties. While MSCs have shown promise in cell experiments, their effectiveness in vivo remains uncertain. This study aims to validate local administration of MSC therapy's efficacy in AA treatment through animal experiments. AA was induced through Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) administration in mice, and MSC treatment (MSCT)'s effects were assessed visually and through tissue analysis. The MSC-treated group showed more hair regrowth compared to the control (CTL) group. MSCT notably reduced local inflammatory cytokines (JAK1, JAK2, STAT1, STAT3, IFN-γR, IL-1β, IL-16, IL-17α, and IL-18) in AA-induced mice's skin, but systemic cytokine levels remained unchanged. Furthermore, MSC treatment normalized the expression of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway genes (LEF1 and β-catenin) and growth factors (FGF7 and FGF2), which are crucial for hair cycle regulation. This study lays the groundwork for further exploring MSCs as a potential treatment for AA, but more research is needed to fully understand their therapeutic potential.

Background: To spatially validate intratumoral subregions (tumor habitat) using physiologic MRI on pathology of the isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-wildtype whole-glioblastoma sample., Methods: Data of 20 patients (168 slides) were obtained from the Ivy Glioblastoma Atlas Project. On MRI, tumor habitats were defined using voxel-wise clustering of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and cerebral blood volume (CBV) maps for contrast-enhancing lesion (CEL) and non-enhancing lesion (NEL). On pathology slides, normalized areas of leading edge (LE), infiltrating tumor (IT), cellular tumor (CT), hypervascular lesion (CThypervascular), and perinecrotic lesion (CTperinecrotic) were obtained. Gross specimen was co-registered on MRI and correlation between pathology-MRI habitats was calculated. RNA sequencing of 67 samples was assessed using 4 Neftel subtypes and further correlated with pathology., Results: Six tumor habitats were identified: hypervascular, hypovascular cellular, and hypovascular hypocellular habitats for CEL and NEL. CT was correlated with hypovascular cellular habitat in CEL (r= 0.238, p =.005). IT was correlated with hypovascular cellular habitat in NEL (r= 0.294, p =.017). CThypervascular was correlated with hypervascular habitat in NEL (r= 0.195, p = .023). CTperinecrotic was correlated with imaging necrosis (r= 0.199, p =.005). Astrocyte-like subtypes were correlated with IT (r= 0.256, p <.001), while mesenchymal-like subtypes were correlated with CTperinecrotic area (r= 0.246, p <.001)., Conclusion: Pathologically matched tumor subregions were cellular tumor with hypovascular cellular habitat in CEL and infiltrative tumor with hypovascular cellular habitat in NEL. Identification of the most aggressive as well as infiltrative tumor portion can be achieved using non-invasive MRI tumor habitats., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Although extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) has emerged as a leading technology for achieving high quality sub-10 nm patterns, the insufficient pattern height of photoresist patterns remains a challenge. Directed self-assembly (DSA) of block copolymers (BCPs) is expected to be a complementary technology for EUVL due to its ability to form periodic nanostructures. However, for a combination with EUV patterns, it is essential to develop advanced BCP systems that are suited to inorganic-containing EUV photoresists and offer improved resolution limits, pattern quality, and etch resistance. Here, we report a reverse-gradient BCP system, poly[(styrene- gradient -pentafluorostyrene)- b -4- tert -butyldimetilsiloxystyrene] [P(S- g -PFS)- b -P4BDSS] BCP, which enables universally vertically oriented lamellae even in the absence of a neutral layer, while also containing a Si-containing block with high etch resistance. The gradient block, characterized by a gradual compositional transition from the block junction to the tail, plays a crucial role in creating an adequate surface energy contrast that energetically drives the formation of perpendicular lamellae without neutral layer. When used as a pattern height enhancement layer in EUVL, a high aspect ratio (3.29) of patterns was achieved, thereby offering a supplementary solution for next-generation EUVL.

Background: The role of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG-PET/CT) in the prognostication and response evaluation of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) remains inadequately defined., Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 268 consecutive newly diagnosed patients with PCNSL between 2006 and 2020. Of these patients, 105 and 110 patients were included to evaluate the prognostic value of baseline and post-treatment 18F-FDG-PET/CT scans, respectively. Tumor uptake was considered positive when it exceeded that of the contralateral brain upon visual assessment. Quantitative analysis of baseline 18F-FDG-PET/CT included measurement of the maximal standardized uptake value (SUVmax), total metabolic tumor volume (TMTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG)., Results: The median age of the 268 patients was 62 years (range: 17-85), with 55% being male. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 24.5 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 19.9-29.1), and the median overall survival (OS) was 34.5 months (95% CI, 22.9-46.1). The average SUVmax was 15.3 ± 5.7 and the mean TMTV and TLG were 12.6 ± 13.9 cm3 and 135.0 ± 152.7 g, respectively. Patients with a baseline TMTV ≥17.0 cm3 had significantly shorter OS (12.5 vs. 74.0 months, p=0.011). Post-treatment metabolic response by 18F-FDG-PET/CT significantly predicted PFS (median: 10.5 vs. 46.0 months, p=0.001) and OS (median: 21.0 vs. 62.0 months, p=0.002), whereas anatomic response by contrast-enhanced MRI showed no statistically significant differences in PFS (p=0.130) or OS (p=0.540)., Conclusion: Baseline TMTV and post-treatment metabolic response, as assessed by 18F-FDG-PET/CT, are significant prognostic factors in patients with PCNSL., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Mangroves perform a crucial ecological role along the tropical and subtropical coastal intertidal zone where salinity fluctuation occurs frequently. However, the differential responses of mangrove plant at the combined transcriptome and metabolome level to variable salinity are not well documented. In this study, we used Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh., a pioneer species of mangrove wetlands and one of the most salt-tolerant mangroves, to investigate the differential salt tolerance mechanisms under low and high salinity using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis. The results showed that HAK8 was up-regulated and transported K+ into the roots under low salinity. However, under high salinity, AKT1 and NHX2 were strongly induced, which indicated the transport of K+ and Na+ compartmentalization to maintain ion homeostasis. In addition, A. marina tolerates low salinity by up-regulating ABA signaling pathway and accumulating more mannitol, unsaturated fatty acids, amino acids' and L-ascorbic acid in the roots. Under high salinity, A. marina undergoes a more drastic metabolic network rearrangement in the roots, such as more L-ascorbic acid and oxiglutatione were up-regulated, while carbohydrates, lipids and amino acids were down-regulated in the roots, and, finally, glycolysis and TCA cycle were promoted to provide more energy to improve salt tolerance. Our findings suggest that the major salt tolerance traits in A. marina can be attributed to complex regulatory and signaling mechanisms, and show significant differences between low and high salinity., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permission@oup.com.)

We present the case of a 70-year-old male patient who underwent a gallium-68 ( 68 Ga)-DOTATOC brain positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) for the assessment of a tumorous lesion on the dura. The patient had previously undergone below-knee amputation due to a mass of synovial sarcoma on the left foot and completed adjuvant chemotherapy approximately 3 months ago. Subsequently, a well-demarcated papillary solid mass located on the dura was surgically excised. Pathological examination confirmed that the dural metastasis originated from synovial sarcoma and post-operative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed no residual tumor. We conducted a 68 Ga-DOTATOC brain PET/CT suspecting a meningioma given the presence of a dural mass. The result showed lower uptake (maximum standardized uptake [SUV max 4.9]) than the pituitary gland (SUV max 9.3). Thus, we successfully conducted a differential diagnosis of metastasis from the preexisting malignancy rather than the meningioma. 68 Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT is a valuable tool for the differential diagnosis of meningioma. However, metastasis should also be considered, especially in patients with a history of malignancy and lesions showing mild 68 Ga-DOTATOC uptake., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestShin Ae Han, Jeongryul Ryu, Sang Woo Song, Jae-Seung Kim, Jin-Sook Ryu, and Minyoung Oh declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Korean Society of Nuclear Medicine 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.)

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance and procedural characteristics of fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous transthoracic pleural forceps biopsy (PTPFB) in patients with exudative pleural effusion., Materials and Methods: Patients with exudative pleural effusion who underwent PTPFB between May 1, 2014, and February 28, 2023, were included in this retrospective study. The interval between percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD) and PTPFB, number of biopsies, procedural time, and procedure-related complications were evaluated. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of diagnosing malignancy were computed for pleural cytology using PCD drainage, PTPFB, and combined PTPFB and pleural cytology., Results: Seventy-one patients, comprising 50 male and 21 female (mean age, 69.5 ± 15.3 years), were included in this study. The final diagnoses were benign lesions in 48 patients (67.6%) and malignant in 23 patients (32.4%). The overall interval between PCD and biopsy was 2.4 ± 3.7 days. The interval between PCD and biopsy in the group that underwent delayed PTPFB was 5.2 ± 3.9 days. The mean number of biopsies was 4.5 ± 1.3. The mean procedural time was 4.4 ± 2.1 minutes. Minor bleeding complications were reported in one patient (1.4%). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for pleural cytology, PTPFB, and combined PTPFB and pleural cytology were 47.8% (11/23), 100% (48/48), and 83.1% (59/71), respectively; 65.2% (15/23), 100% (48/48), and 88.7% (63/71), respectively; and 78.3% (18/23), 100% (48/48), and 93.0% (66/71), respectively. The sensitivity and accuracy of cytology combined with PTPFB were significantly higher than those of cytological testing alone ( P = 0.008 and 0.001, respectively)., Conclusion: Fluoroscopy-guided PTPFB is an accurate and safe diagnostic technique for patients with exudative pleural effusion, with acceptable diagnostic performance, low complication rates, and reasonable procedural times., Competing Interests: The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 The Korean Society of Radiology.)

Background: The identification of viable tumors and radiation necrosis after stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is crucial for patient management. Tumor habitat analysis involving the grouping of similar voxels can identify subregions that share common biology and enable the depiction of areas of tumor recurrence and treatment-induced change. This study aims to validate an imaging biomarker for tumor recurrence after SRS for brain metastasis by conducting tumor habitat analysis using multi-parametric MRI., Methods: In this prospective study (NCT05868928), patients with brain metastases will undergo multi-parametric MRI before SRS, and then follow-up MRIs will be conducted every 3 months until 24 months after SRS. The multi-parametric MRI protocol will include T2-weighted and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging, diffusion-weighted imaging, and dynamic susceptibility contrast imaging. Using k-means voxel-wise clustering, this study will define three structural MRI habitats (enhancing, solid low-enhancing, and nonviable) on T1- and T2-weighted images and three physiologic MRI habitats (hypervascular cellular, hypovascular cellular, and nonviable) on apparent diffusion coefficient maps and cerebral blood volume maps. Using RANO-BM criteria as the reference standard, via Cox proportional hazards analysis, the study will prospectively evaluate associations between parameters of the tumor habitats and the time to recurrence. The DICE similarity coefficients between the recurrence site and tumor habitats will be calculated., Discussion: The tumor habitat analysis will provide an objective and reliable measure for assessing tumor recurrence from brain metastasis following SRS. By identifying subregions for local recurrence, our study could guide the next therapeutic targets for patients after SRS., Trial Registration: This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05868928)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Oligodendrogliomas (ODGs) are a subtype of diffuse lower-grade gliomas with overall survival of > 10 years. This study aims to analyze long-term outcomes and identify prognostic factors in patients with WHO grade 2 ODG., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 138 adult patients diagnosed with 1p/19q co-deleted ODG who underwent surgical resection or biopsy between 1994 and 2021, analyzing clinical data, treatment details, and outcomes. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were utilized to identify significant prognostic factors., Results: In the gross total resection (GTR) group, 63 (45.7%) underwent observation and 5 (3.6%) received postoperative treatment; in the non-GTR group, 37 (26.8%) were observed and 33 (23.9%) received postoperative treatment. The median PFS and OS were 6.8 and 18.4 years, respectively. Between adjuvant treatment and observation, there was no significant difference in PFS or OS. However, GTR or STR with less than 10% residual tumor exhibited significantly better PFS and OS compared to PR or biopsy (p = 0.022 and 0.032, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that contrast enhancement on MRI was associated with worse PFS (HR = 2.36, p < 0.001) and OS (HR = 5.89, p = 0.001). And the presence of seizures at presentation was associated with improved OS (HR = 0.28, p = 0.006)., Conclusion: This study underscores favorable long-term outcomes for patients with 1p/19q co-deleted ODG WHO grade 2. Our findings indicate that the EOR plays a crucial role as a significant prognostic factor in enhancing PFS and OS outcomes in WHO grade 2 ODG., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Parabens have historically served as antimicrobial preservatives in a range of consumables such as food, beverages, medications, and personal care products due to their broad-spectrum antibacterial and antifungal properties. Traditionally, these compounds were believed to exhibit low toxicity, causing minimal irritation, and possessing limited sensitization potential. However, recent evidence suggests that parabens might function as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Consequently, extensive research is underway to elucidate potential human health implications arising from exposure to these substances. Among these parabens, particular concerns have been raised regarding the potential adverse effects of iso-butylparaben (IBP). Studies have specifically highlighted its potential for inducing hormonal disruption, significant ocular damage, and allergic skin reactions. This study aimed to evaluate the prolonged systemic toxicity, semen quality, and estrus cycle in relation to endocrine disruption endpoints, alongside assessing the toxicokinetic behavior of IBP in Sprague-Dawley rats following a 13-week repeated subcutaneous administration. The rats were administered either the vehicle (4% Tween 80) or IBP at dosage levels of 2, 10, and 50 mg/kg/day for 13 weeks. Blood collection for toxicokinetic study was conducted on three specified days: day 1 (1st), day 30 (2nd), and day 91 (3rd). Systemic toxicity assessment and potential endocrine effects were based on various parameters including mortality rates, clinical signs, body weights, food and water consumption, ophthalmological findings, urinalysis, hematological and clinical biochemistry tests, organ weights, necropsy and histopathological findings, estrus cycle regularity, semen quality, and toxicokinetic behavior. The findings revealed that IBP induced local irritation at the injection site in males at doses ≥ 10 mg/kg/day and in females at 50 mg/kg/day; however, systemic toxicity was not observed. Consequently, the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) for IBP was determined to be 50 mg/kg/day in rats of both sexes, indicating no impact on the endocrine system. The toxicokinetics of IBP exhibited dose-dependent systemic exposure, reaching a maximum dose of 50 mg/kg/day, and repeated administration over 13 weeks showed no signs of accumulation., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the predictive accuracy of 30-day mortality with delta neutrophil index (DNI) in adult cardiac surgical patients. Methods: This study enrolled patients who underwent cardiac surgery under general anesthesia between March 2016 and May 2022 at a tertiary hospital in the Republic of Korea. DNI was measured preoperatively, on postoperative arrival to the surgical intensive care unit (ICU), and 12, 24, 48, and 72 h postoperatively. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was employed to identify the prediction accuracy of DNI. An area under ROC curve (AUROC) ≥0.700 was defined as satisfactory predictive accuracy. An optimal cutoff point for the DNI value to maximize predictive accuracy was revealed in the ROC curve, where [sensitivity + specificity] was maximum. Results: This study included a total of 843 patients in the final analyses. The mean age of the study population was 66.9±12.2 years and 38.4% of them were female patients. The overall 30-day mortality rate was 5.2%. Surgery involving the thoracic aorta, history of prior cardiac surgery, or emergency surgery were associated with a higher mortality rate. The DNI showed satisfactory predictive accuracy at 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h postoperatively, with AUROC of 0.729, 0.711, and 0.755, respectively. The optimal cutoff points of DNI at each time point were 3.2, 3.8, and 2.3, respectively. Conclusions: Postoperative DNI is a good predictor of 30-day mortality after cardiac surgery and has the benefit of no additional financial costs or time., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (© The author(s).)

Background: This study evaluated whether generative artificial intelligence (AI)-based augmentation (GAA) can provide diverse and realistic imaging phenotypes and improve deep learning-based classification of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) type in glioma compared with neuroradiologists., Methods: For model development, 565 patients (346 IDH-wildtype, 219 IDH-mutant) with paired contrast-enhanced T1 and FLAIR MRI scans were collected from tertiary hospitals and The Cancer Imaging Archive. Performance was tested on internal (119, 78 IDH-wildtype, 41 IDH-mutant [IDH1 and 2]) and external test sets (108, 72 IDH-wildtype, 36 IDH-mutant). GAA was developed using a score-based diffusion model and ResNet50 classifier. The optimal GAA was selected in comparison with the null model. Two neuroradiologists (R1, R2) assessed realism, diversity of imaging phenotypes, and predicted IDH mutation. The performance of a classifier trained with optimal GAA was compared with that of neuroradiologists using the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC). The effect of tumor size and contrast enhancement on GAA performance was tested., Results: Generated images demonstrated realism (Turing's test: 47.5-50.5%) and diversity indicating IDH type. Optimal GAA was achieved with augmentation with 110 000 generated slices (AUC: 0.938). The classifier trained with optimal GAA demonstrated significantly higher AUC values than neuroradiologists in both the internal (R1, P = .003; R2, P < .001) and external test sets (R1, P < .01; R2, P < .001). GAA with large-sized tumors or predominant enhancement showed comparable performance to optimal GAA (internal test: AUC 0.956 and 0.922; external test: 0.810 and 0.749)., Conclusions: The application of generative AI with realistic and diverse images provided better diagnostic performance than neuroradiologists for predicting IDH type in glioma., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objective: Petroclival meningiomas invade Meckel's cave through the porus trigeminus, leading to secondary trigeminal neuralgia. Microsurgery and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) are the typical treatment options. This study investigated symptom control, outcomes, and surgical strategies for PC meningioma-induced TN., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 28 TN patients with PC meningiomas who underwent microsurgical nerve decompression between January 2021 and February 2023. In all patients undergoing a transpetrosal approach, the porus trigeminus was opened to enable the removal of the entire tumor within Meckel's cave. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the Barrow Neurologic Institute (BNI) pain intensity scale. Risk factors for poor TN outcomes and poor facial numbness were analyzed., Results: Among 28 patients, 21 (75%) underwent the transpetrosal approach, 5 (17.9%) underwent the retrosigmoid approach, and 2 (7.1%) underwent the Dolenc approach. Following microsurgery, 23 patients (82.1%) experienced TN relief without further medication (BNI I or II). TN recurrence occurred in 2 patients (7.1%), and 3 patients (10.7%) did not achieve TN relief. Cavernous sinus invasion was significantly correlated with poor TN outcomes (P = 0.047). A history of previous SRS (P = 0.011) and upper clivus type tumor (P = 0.018) were significantly associated with poor facial numbness., Conclusions: Microsurgical nerve decompression is effective in improving BNI scores in patients with TN associated with PC meningiomas. Considering the results of our study, the opening of the porus trigeminus can be considered as a suggested procedure in the treatment of PC meningiomas, especially in cases accompanied by TN., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the characteristics and epidemiological trends of pediatric injuries among patients visiting emergency departments (EDs) on Jeju Island., Method: Employing a community-level serial cross-sectional analysis, we targeted pediatric patients aged 18 years or younger who visited EDs for injuries over a ten-year period. The data, sourced from the Jeju Injury Surveillance System (JISS), facilitated a comprehensive examination of injury characteristics and epidemiological trends. This included an evaluation of the annual incidence and overall trends in pediatric injury cases., Results: The study found toddlers (42.5% of cases) to be the most frequently injured age group. Males were more prone to injuries, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.7:1. Injuries among visitors accounted for 17.3% of cases, with a seasonal spike in Summer, evenings and weekends. Most incidents occurred at home, predominantly accidental in nature, with adolescents more likely to require EMS services. The common mechanisms of injuries were blunt force (49.2%), slips/falls (22.0%), and motor vehicle collisions (13.2%), leading to bruises, cuts, and sprains. Over the decade, a general increase in pediatric injuries was observed. Accidental injuries initially surged but later stabilized, while self-harm/suicide and assault/violence injuries showed a concerning upward trend. Age-specific analysis revealed increasing trends in infants and adolescents., Conclusion: The study underscores the crucial need for targeted injury prevention and resource allocation strategies, particularly for high-risk groups and times, to effectively mitigate pediatric trauma on Jeju Island.

Objective: To investigate the prognostic value of skeletal muscle measured by CT at the level of the fourth thoracic vertebra (T4) in advanced epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with ecotinib. Methods: The study retrospectively reviewed clinical and pathological characteristics of 176 patients with advanced EGFR-positive NSCLC who received ecotinib and underwent chest CT scans at Wuhan Union Hospital between January 2017 and October 2020. Among them, 70 were male and 106 were female, with ages ranging from 27 to 80 (58.6±10.6) years. As of August 21, 2021, the median follow-up duration was 19.2 months (95% CI : 15.3 to 23.7 months). The optimal cut-off value of skeletal muscle density (T4-SMD) on CT images at the T4 level were determined using X-tile software. Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test were used to plot progression-free survival curves. Cox proportional hazards regression models were employed to analyze factors influencing 1-year progression-free survival (PFS), and a nomogram prognostic model was constructed accordingly. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA) were utilized to evaluate the predictive value of the nomogram. Results: The T4-SMD [ M ( Q 1 , Q 3 )] of 176 patients was 42.56 (37.05, 45.93) HU. Patients were divided into low T4-SMD group ( n =122) and high T4-SMD group ( n =54) based on the cut-off value (The values for males and females were 49.44 and 41.41 HU, respectively) of T4-SMD. The median PFS time and 1-year PFS rate in the low T4-SMD group were significantly lower than those in the high T4-SMD group [10.4 (95% CI : 9.3-11.8) vs 13.7 (95% CI : 11.1-18.5) months, 36.1% vs 59.3%, respectively, P =0.034]. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ( HR =3.308, 95% CI : 1.183-9.247, P =0.023), lactate dehydrogenase level ( HR =1.852, 95% CI : 1.037-3.307, P =0.037), systemic immune-inflammation index ( HR= 1.772, 95% CI : 1.019-3.080, P =0.043), and T4-SMD ( HR =0.563, 95% CI : 0.325-0.974, P =0.040) were prognostic factors for 1-year PFS in advanced EGFR-positive NSCLC patients treated with ecotinib. A nomogram for predicting 1-year PFS of advanced EGFR-positive NSCLC patients treated with ecotinib was constructed based on the four indicators selected by multivariate Cox regression analysis. The area under the ROC curve of the nomogram was 0.775 (95% CI : 0.676-0.874). The calibration curve showed good consistency between the predicted and actual 1-year PFS. DCA demonstrated good clinical prediction effectiveness of the nomogram. Conclusion: Low T4-SMD is a prognostic risk factor for patients with advanced EGFR-positive NSCLC receiving icotinib therapy.

This study presents an innovative solution for the enhanced tracking and security of pharmaceuticals through the development of microstructures incorporating environmentally responsive, coded microparticles. Utilizing maskless photolithography, we engineered these microparticles with a degradable masking layer with 30  μ m thickness that undergoes controlled dissolution. Quantitative analysis revealed that the protective layer's degradation, monitored by red fluorescence intensity, diminishes predictably over 144 h in phosphate-buffered saline under physiological conditions. This degradation not only confirms the microparticles' integrity but also allows the extraction of encoded information, which can serve as a robust indicator of medicinal shelf life and a deterrent to tampering. These findings indicate the potential for applying this technology in real-time monitoring of pharmaceuticals, ensuring quality and authenticity in the supply chain., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts to disclose., (© 2024 Author(s).)

In plants, C-to-U RNA editing mainly occurs in plastid and mitochondrial transcripts, which contributes to a complex transcriptional regulatory network. More evidence reveals that RNA editing plays critical roles in plant growth and development. However, accurate detection of RNA editing sites using transcriptome sequencing data alone is still challenging. In the present study, we develop PlantC2U, which is a convolutional neural network, to predict plastid C-to-U RNA editing based on the genomic sequence. PlantC2U achieves >95% sensitivity and 99% specificity, which outperforms the PREPACT tool, random forests, and support vector machines. PlantC2U not only further checks RNA editing sites from transcriptome data to reduce possible false positives, but also assesses the effect of different mutations on C-to-U RNA editing based on the flanking sequences. Moreover, we found the patterns of tissue-specific RNA editing in the mangrove plant Kandelia obovata, and observed reduced C-to-U RNA editing rates in the cold stress response of K. obovata, suggesting their potential regulatory roles in plant stress adaptation. In addition, we present RNAeditDB, available online at https://jasonxu.shinyapps.io/RNAeditDB/. Together, PlantC2U and RNAeditDB will help researchers explore the RNA editing events in plants and thus will be of broad utility for the plant research community., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

An increased homocysteine level is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, venous thromboembolism, cerebrovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease. In addition, vitamin D deficiency is associated with coronary artery disease and metabolic disorders. The present study included data from 1375 adults (895 men and 480 women) with a mean age of 52.62 ± 9.94 years who visited the Health Promotion Center of the University Hospital in Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea from January 2018 to December 2022 for routine checkups that included assessments of their homocysteine and vitamin D levels. Homocysteine levels were positively associated with age, a history of hypertension, a history of diabetes, current smoking habits, and levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, creatinine, uric acid, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. By contrast, vitamin D levels were negatively associated with serum levels of homocysteine after adjusting for covariates ( β = -0.033, p < 0.001). Additional long-term prospective studies are needed to elucidate the presence of a causal relationship between vitamin D status and serum levels of homocysteine in asymptomatic Korean adults. An intervention trial is warranted to determine whether the administration of vitamin D is helpful for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease by lowering the homocysteine level in this population.

Background: Pain control after off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (OPCAB) facilitates mobilization and improves outcomes. The efficacy of the erector spinae plane block (ESPB) after cardiac surgery remains controversial. Methods: We aimed to investigate the analgesic effects of ESPB after OPCAB. Precisely 56 patients receiving OPCAB were randomly divided into ESPB and control groups. The primary outcome was visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores at 6, 12, 24, and 48 h postoperatively. Secondary outcomes were the dose of rescue analgesics in terms of oral morphine milligram equivalents, the dose of antiemetics, the length of intubation time, and the length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU). Results: The VAS scores were similar at all time points in both groups. The incidence of severe pain (VAS score > 7) was significantly lower in the ESPB group (50% vs. 15.4%; p = 0.008). The dose of rescue analgesics was also lower in the ESPB group (19.04 ± 18.76, 9.83 ± 12.84, p = 0.044) compared with the control group. The other secondary outcomes did not differ significantly between the two groups. Conclusions: ESPB provides analgesic efficacy by reducing the incidence of severe pain and opioid use after OPCAB.

Background: Cyclosporine (CS) is a first-line immunosuppressive agent used to manage moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD). To date, the risk of developing hypertension associated with the long-term use of low-dose CS in AD patients is understudied., Objective: To determine the cumulative dose-dependent effect of CS on the risk of developing hypertension in patients with AD., Methods: A nationwide population-based retrospective cohort with 1,844,009 AD patients was built from the Korean National Health Insurance System database from 2005 to 2009. A Cox proportional-hazard regression analysis was performed according to patients' CS treatment history adjusted for potential confounders., Results: Current use of CS was associated with an increased risk of developing hypertension (adjusted hazard ratio, 4.442; 95% confidence interval, 3.761-5.247). Among the current CS users, a higher cumulative dose of CS (≥39,725 mg) or longer cumulative use of CS (≥182 days), was significantly associated with an increased risk of developing hypertension., Conclusion: The incidence of CS-associated hypertension is very low when using low-dose treatment regimens for AD. However, the current use or a high cumulative dose of CS for treating patients with AD increases the risk of developing hypertension. Precaution is needed when prescribing CS for long-term treatment of AD., Competing Interests: The authors have nothing to disclose., (© 2024 The Korean Dermatological Association and The Korean Society for Investigative Dermatology.)

Objective: Agriculture is a hazardous industry. However, previous studies have focused on injuries to agricultural workers without comparison with injuries to nonagricultural workers. Therefore, we compared the clinical characteristics and outcomes of injuries reported at an emergency department (ED) between agricultural workers and nonagricultural workers., Methods: We established a prospective ED-based agricultural injury surveillance system at a tertiary university hospital. Adult patients visiting the ED for an injury were divided into farmer and non-farmer groups depending on their engagement with agriculture. Using an adjusted multivariate analysis and propensity score matching (age, sex, inhabitant, and insurance type), we compared the clinical characteristics and outcomes of injuries between the farmer and non-farmer groups., Results: In total, 38,556 injured adult patients (37,746 in the non-farmer group and 810 in the farmer group) were available for the unmatched sample analysis. The 1,620 matched subjects were equally classified after one-to-one nearest-neighbor propensity score matching. A multivariate logistic regression analysis of the unmatched sample revealed higher adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for intensive care unit admission (adjusted OR, 1.752; P=0.003) and overall surgery (adjusted OR, 1.870; P<0.001) in the farmer group. In contrast, univariate logistic regression analyses of the propensity score-matched sample found a higher OR in the farmer group only for overall surgery (OR, 1.786; P<0.001)., Conclusion: Injuries of agricultural workers had higher odds only of requiring surgery; differences in injury-related mortality between groups were not statistically significant in either the matched or unmatched sample analyses.

Objectives: In this cohort study, we aimed to assess the 1-year clinical outcomes of using the E-vita Open NEO™ hybrid prosthesis for total arch replacement with frozen elephant trunk (FET) to repair extensive aortic pathologies., Methods: We reviewed individuals who underwent thoracic aortic surgery between April 2021 and March 2023 from the Gangnam Severance Aortic Registry. Exclusion criteria included ascending aortic replacement, 1 or 2 partial arch replacement, descending aortic replacement and total arch replacement without an FET. Finally, all consecutive patients who underwent total arch replacement and FET with E-vita Open NEO for aortic arch pathologies between April 2021 and March 2023 were included in this cohort study. The patients were divided into 3 groups based on their pathology: acute aortic dissection, chronic aortic dissection and thoracic aortic aneurysm. The primary end point was in-hospital mortality. The secondary end points during the postoperative period comprised stroke, spinal cord injury and redo sternotomy for bleeding. Additionally, the secondary end points during the follow-up period included the 1-year survival rate, 1-year freedom from all aortic procedures and 1-year freedom from unplanned aortic interventions., Results: The study included 167 patients in total: 92 patients (55.1%) with acute aortic dissection, 20 patients (12.0%) with chronic aortic dissection and 55 patients (32.9%) with thoracic aortic aneurysm. The in-hospital mortality was 1.8% (n = 3). Strokes occurred in 1.8% (n = 3) of the patients, spinal cord injury in 1.8% (n = 3) and redo sternotomy for bleeding was performed in 3.0% (n = 5). There were no significant differences between the pathological groups. The median follow-up period (quartile 1-quartile 3) was 198 (37-373) days, with 1-year survival rates of 95.9%. At 1 year, the freedom from all aortic procedures and unplanned aortic interventions were 90.3% and 92.0%, respectively., Conclusions: The 1-year clinical outcomes of total arch replacement with FET using the E-vita Open NEO were favourable. Long-term follow-up is required to evaluate the durability of the FET., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Abstract: The fields of precision and personalised medicine have led to promising advances in tailoring treatment to individual patients. Examples include genome/molecular alteration-guided drug selection, single-patient gene therapy design and synergy-based drug combination development, and these approaches can yield substantially diverse recommendations. Therefore, it is important to define each domain and delineate their commonalities and differences in an effort to develop novel clinical trial designs, streamline workflow development, rethink regulatory considerations, create value in healthcare and economics assessments, and other factors. These and other segments are essential to recognise the diversity within these domains to accelerate their respective workflows towards practice-changing healthcare. To emphasise these points, this article elaborates on the concept of digital health and digital medicine-enabled N-of-1 medicine, which individualises combination regimen and dosing using a patient's own data. We will conclude with recommendations for consideration when developing novel workflows based on emerging digital-based platforms., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Singapore Medical Journal.)

Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytomas (PXA) are rare, accounting for < 1% of all astrocytomas. Literature on the clinical course and treatment outcomes of PXAs is limited. The study aimed to determine prognosis and treatment strategies for PXAs. Patients who had PXAs surgery between 2000-2021 were retrospectively analyzed for demographics and radiological characteristics. Initial and salvage treatment outcomes were recorded. Overall, 40 and 9 patients had grade 2 and 3 PXAs; their 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 75.8% and 37.0%, respectively (p = 0.003). Univariate analysis revealed that strong T1 enhancement (p = 0.036), infiltrative tumor margins (p < 0.001), peritumoral edema (p = 0.003), WHO grade (p = 0.005), and gross total resection (p = 0.005) affected the PFS. Multivariate analysis revealed that the WHO grade (p = 0.010) and infiltrative tumor margins (p = 0.008) influenced the PFS. The WHO grade (p = 0.027) and infiltrative tumor margins (p = 0.027) also affected the overall survival (OS). Subgroup analysis for grade 2 PXAs revealed no significant associations between adjuvant radiation therapy and the PFS and OS. This study highlighted the heterogeneous nature of PXAs and its impact on patient prognosis. Infiltrative tumor margins emerged as a key prognostic factor. Our findings have emphasized the prognostic relevance of radiological features and the need for larger studies on comprehensive management., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of shoulder pain and analyze its association with socio-demographic factors, agricultural work-related conditions, and biomechanical factors among farmers on Jeju Island. We utilized initial survey data from the Safety for Agricultural Injury of Farmers' cohort study involving adult farmers on Jeju Island. The presence and characteristics of shoulder pain, socio-demographics, agricultural work-related conditions, and biomechanical factors were assessed using semi-structured questionnaires. A total of 1206 participants were analyzed for prevalence and associated risk factors using frequency and multivariate logistic regression analyses. The overall prevalence of shoulder pain was 17%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis, adjusted for significant socio-demographic and agricultural work-related condition variables, revealed that stress level, type of farming, and experiencing an agricultural injury within the preceding year were significantly associated with shoulder pain (stress level: "occasional," adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.581; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.079-2.318; "frequent," aOR, 1.964; 95% CI, 1.205-3.200; and "extreme," aOR, 2.999; 95% CI, 1.480-6.074 vs "rarely"; type of farming: "orchard," aOR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.597-1.124; "livestock," aOR, 0.225; 95% CI, 0.079-0.641 vs "field"; and experienced an agricultural injury within the past year: "yes," aOR, 2.078; 95% CI, 1.269-3.405). In addition, 3 biomechanical factors significantly contributed to shoulder pain: activities requiring significant power such as shoveling, pickaxing, and hammering; repetitive use of a particular body part; and constant elevation of the arm above the head. The findings highlight the importance of postural education, injury prevention, and psychological support in managing shoulder pain among farmers., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: Myocardial injury after non-cardiac surgery (MINS) has been known to be associated with mortality in various surgical patients; however, its prognostic role in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) open repair remains underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the role of MINS as a predictor of mortality in patients who underwent AAA open repair., Methods: This retrospective study investigated 352 patients who underwent open repair for non-ruptured AAA. The predictors of 30-day and 1-year mortalities were investigated using logistic regression analysis., Results: MINS was diagnosed in 41% of the patients after AAA open repair in this study. MINS was an independent risk factor of 30-day mortality (odds ratio [OR]: 10.440, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.278-85.274, p = 0.029) and 1-year mortality (OR: 5.189, 95% CI: 1.357-19.844, p = 0.016). Kaplan-Meier survival curves demonstrated significantly lower overall survival rates in patients with MINS compared to those without MINS ( p = 0.003)., Conclusion: This study revealed that MINS is a common complication after AAA open repair and is an independent risk factor of 30-day and 1-year mortalities. Patients with MINS have lower overall survival rates than those without MINS.

Salt secretion is an important strategy used by the mangrove plant Aegiceras corniculatum to adapt to the coastal intertidal environment. However, the structural, developmental and functional analyses on the leaf salt glands, particularly the salt secretion mechanism, are not well documented. In this study, we investigated the structural, developmental and degenerative characteristics and the salt secretion mechanisms of salt glands to further elucidate the mechanisms of salt tolerance of A. corniculatum. The results showed that the salt gland cells have a large number of mitochondria and vesicles, and plenty of plasmodesmata as well, while chloroplasts were found in the collecting cells. The salt glands developed early and began to differentiate at the leaf primordium stage. We observed and defined three stages of salt gland degradation for the first time in A. corniculatum, where the secretory cells gradually twisted and wrinkled inward and collapsed downward as the salt gland degeneration increased and the intensity of salt gland autofluorescence gradually diminished. In addition, we found that the salt secretion rate of the salt glands increased when the treated concentration of NaCl increased, reaching the maximum at 400 mM NaCl. The salt-secreting capacity of the salt glands of the adaxial epidermis is significantly greater than that of the abaxial epidermis. The real-time quantitative PCR results indicate that SAD2, TTG1, GL2 and RBR1 may be involved in regulating the development of the salt glands of A. corniculatum. Moreover, Na+/H+ antiporter, H+-ATPase, K+ channel and Cl- channel may play important roles in the salt secretion of salt glands. In sum mary, this study strengthens the understanding of the structural, developmental and degenerative patterns of salt glands and salt secretion mechanisms in mangrove recretohalophyte A. corniculatum, providing an important reference for further studies at the molecular level., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permission@oup.com.)

The widespread use of plastic materials, owing to their several advantageous properties, has resulted in a considerable increase in plastic consumption. Consequently, the production of primary and secondary microplastics has also increased. To identify, categorize, and quantify microplastics, several analytical methods, such as thermal analysis and spectroscopic methods, have been developed. They generally offer little insight into the size and shape of microplastics, require time-consuming sample preparation and classification, and are susceptible to background interference. Herein, we created a macroscale hyperspectral Raman method to quickly quantify and characterize large volumes of plastics. Using this approach, we successfully obtained Raman spectra of five different types of microplastics scattered over an area of 12.4 mm × 12.4 mm within just 550 s and perfectly classified these microplastics using a machine learning method. Additionally, we demonstrated that our system is effective for obtaining Raman spectra, even when the microplastics are suspended in aquatic environments or bound to metal-mesh nets. These results highlight the considerable potential of our proposed method for real-world applications., 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 © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Obesity is an important public health problem and socioeconomic burden. We hypothesized that an intake of sunflower seed extract (SUN-CA) would decrease body fat and then investigated the effects and safety of SUN-CA intake on body fat in adults with obesity as an option for obesity treatment. In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, 100 adults with body mass indices of 25 to 31.9 kg/m 2 were assigned to groups that received SUN-CA (n = 50) or a placebo (n = 50) and received 1 tablet/day containing 500 mg of SUN-CA or the placebo over a 12-week period. The primary endpoint was the change in mass and percentage of body fat. The group that received SUN-CA daily showed decreases in body fat mass greater than those in the placebo group (-0.9 ± 1.8 kg vs. -0.1 ± 1.4 kg, P = .043). In addition, body weight, body mass index, and hip circumference improved after the intake of SUN-CA relative to the changes in the placebo group. There was no intergroup differences in the prevalence of adverse events. The accumulation of excess body fat improved through the intake of 500 mg/day of SUN-CA containing 100 mg of chlorogenic acids for 12 weeks in adults with obesity without causing serious adverse side effects. SUN-CA could be an effective and safe management option for obesity. The trial was registered at Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS: https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/index/index.do) as KCT0005733., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Brassinosteroid (BR) has been shown to modulate plant tolerance to various stresses. S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR) is involved in the plant response to environment stress by fine-turning the level of nitric oxide (NO). However, whether GSNOR is involved in BR-regulated Na + /K + homeostasis to improve the salt tolerance in halophyte is unknown. Here, we firstly reported that high salinity increases the expression of BR-biosynthesis genes and the endogenous levels of BR in mangrove Kandelia obovata. Then, salt-induced BR triggers the activities and gene expressions of GSNOR and antioxidant enzymes, thereafter decrease the levels of malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide. Subsequently, BR-mediated GSNOR negatively regulates NO contributions to the reduction of reactive oxygen species generation and induction of the gene expression related to Na + and K + transport, leading to the decrease of Na + /K + ratio in the roots of K. obovata. Finally, the applications of exogenous BR, NO scavenger, BR biosynthetic inhibitor and GSNOR inhibitor further confirm the function of BR. Taken together, our result provides insight into the mechanism of BR in the response of mangrove K. obovata to high salinity via GSNOR and NO signaling pathway by reducing oxidative damage and modulating Na + /K + homeostasis., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

There is a lack of consensus regarding universally accepted criteria for metabolic health (MH). A simple definition of MH was systematically derived in a recent prospective cohort study. The present cross-sectional study aimed to explore the applicability of these criteria in Korean population, using coronary calcification as an indicator of cardiovascular risk. In total, 1049 healthy participants, who underwent coronary artery calcification testing at university hospital health promotion centers between January and December 2022, were included. Applying the main components of the newly derived definition, MH was defined as follows: (1) systolic blood pressure < 130 mmHg and no use of blood pressure-lowering medication; (2) waist circumference < 90 cm for males and < 85 cm for females; and (3) absence of diabetes. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to examine the odds ratio (OR) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) for coronary artery calcium score across different phenotypes. The prevalence of coronary artery calcification in this study was 41.1 %. Compared with metabolically healthy, normal weight subjects, those with the metabolically healthy obesity phenotype did not exhibit increased odds for coronary atherosclerosis. (OR 0.93 [95 % CI 0.48-1.79]) Conversely, metabolically unhealthy subjects had increased risk, regardless of their body mass index category (OR 3.10 [95 % CI 1.84-5.24] in metabolically unhealthy normal weight; OR 3.21 [95 % CI 1.92-5.37] in metabolically unhealthy overweight; OR 2.73 [95 % CI 1.72-4.33] in metabolically unhealthy obese phenotype). These findings suggest that the new definition for MH has the potential to effectively distinguish individuals at risk for cardiovascular disease from those who are not., 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 Asia Oceania Association for the Study of Obesity. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)