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Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of dapagliflozin versus placebo as an add‐on in patients with type 2 diabetes who did not achieve adequate glycaemic control with evogliptin and metformin combination. Patients and Methods: In this multicentre, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled Phase 3 trial, patients with glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels ≥7.0% (≥53 mmol/mol) and ≤10.5% (≤91 mmol/mol) who had received stable‐dose metformin (≥1000 mg) and evogliptin (5 mg) for at least 8 weeks were randomized to receive dapagliflozin 10 mg or placebo once daily for 24 weeks. Participants continued treatment with metformin and evogliptin. The primary endpoint was change in HbA1c level after 24 weeks of treatment from baseline level. Results: In total, 198 patients were randomized, and 195 patients were included in the efficacy analyses (dapagliflozin: 96, placebo: 99). At Week 24, dapagliflozin significantly reduced HbA1c levels. The least squares mean difference in HbA1c level change from baseline after 24 weeks of treatment was −0.70% (−7.7 mmol/mol) (p < 0.0001). The proportion of participants achieving HbA1c <7.0% (≥53 mmol/mol) was higher in the dapagliflozin group than in the placebo group. Compared to placebo, dapagliflozin significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose, mean daily glucose, 2‐h postprandial plasma glucose, fasting insulin, uric acid and gamma‐glutamyl transferase levels, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance index, body weight, hepatic steatosis index, and albuminuria. Adiponectin level significantly increased from baseline level after 24 weeks of dapagliflozin treatment. Adverse event rates were similar in the two groups. Conclusion: Dapagliflozin add‐on to evogliptin plus metformin improved glycaemic control and was well tolerated by the target patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To evaluate the long‐term safety and efficacy of enavogliflozin monotherapy (0.3 mg/day) in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Materials and Methods: Following a 24‐week randomized, double‐blind treatment period with enavogliflozin 0.3 mg/day (n = 77) or placebo (n = 69), consenting participants received enavogliflozin 0.3 mg/day for an additional 28 weeks during an open‐label extension (OLE) period. The safety and efficacy of enavogliflozin were assessed at Week 52. Results: A total of 37 participants continued enavogliflozin (maintenance group), and 26 participants switched from placebo to enavogliflozin (switch group). No additional adverse drug reactions related to enavogliflozin were observed during the OLE period. At Week 52, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting plasma glucose were significantly lower than at the baseline, by 0.9% and 24.9 mg/dL, respectively, in the maintenance group (p < 0.0001 for both), and by 0.7% and 18.0 mg/dL, respectively, in the switch group (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.002). The proportions of participants reaching HbA1c 7.0% (53 mmol/mol) at Week 52 were 69.4% in the maintenance group and 65.4% in the switch group. A significant increase in urine glucose‐to‐creatinine ratio was observed at Week 52, by 84.9 g/g and 67.1 g/g in the maintenance and switch groups, respectively (p < 0.0001 for both). Body weight in both groups decreased significantly (p < 0.0001) from baseline to Week 52, by 3.5 kg and 3.8 kg in the maintenance and switch groups, respectively. Conclusions: Enavogliflozin 0.3 mg monotherapy provides long‐term glycaemic control in T2DM and is safe and well tolerated during a 52‐week treatment period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of gemigliptin and dapagliflozin dual add‐on therapy (GEMI + DAPA) to metformin in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients who had inadequate glycaemic control on metformin alone, compared with a single add‐on of either gemigliptin (GEMI) or dapagliflozin (DAPA) to metformin. Materials and Methods: In this randomized, double‐blind, double‐dummy, active‐controlled, parallel‐group, phase 3 study, 469 T2D patients treated with a stable dose of metformin for 8 weeks or longer were randomized to receive GEMI + DAPA (n = 157) and either GEMI (n = 156) or DAPA (n = 156). The primary endpoint was change in HbA1c levels from baseline at week 24. Results: Baseline characteristics including body mass index and T2D duration were similar among groups. At week 24, the least square mean changes in HbA1c from baseline were −1.34% with GEMI + DAPA, −0.90% with GEMI (difference between GEMI + DAPA vs. GEMI −0.44% [95% confidence interval {CI}: −0.58% to −0.31%], P <.01) and −0.78% with DAPA (difference between GEMI + DAPA vs. DAPA −0.56% [95% CI: −0.69% to −0.42%], P <.01). Both upper CIs were less than 0, demonstrating the superiority of GEMI + DAPA for lowering HbA1c. The rates of responders achieving HbA1c less than 7% and less than 6.5% were greater with GEMI + DAPA (84.9%, 56.6%) than with GEMI (55.3%, 32.2%) and DAPA (49.3%, 15.3%). The incidence rate of adverse events was similar across groups, with low incidence rates of hypoglycaemia, urinary tract infection and genital infection. Conclusions: These results suggest that the addition of GEMI + DAPA to metformin as triple combination therapy was effective, safe and well‐tolerated, especially for T2D patients who experienced poor glycaemic control on metformin alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Striatal cholinergic interneurons (ChIs) provide acetylcholine tone to the striatum and govern motor functions. Nicotine withdrawal elicits physical symptoms that dysregulate motor behavior. Here, the role of striatal ChIs in physical nicotine withdrawal is investigated. Mice under RNAi‐dependent genetic inhibition of striatal ChIs (ChIGI) by suppressing the sodium channel subunit NaV1.1, lessening action potential generation and activity‐dependent acetylcholine release is first generated. ChIGI markedly reduced the somatic signs of nicotine withdrawal without affecting other nicotine‐dependent or striatum‐associated behaviors. Multielectrode array (MEA) recording revealed that ChIGI reversed ex vivo nicotine‐induced alterations in the number of neural population spikes in the dorsal striatum. Notably, the drug repurposing strategy revealed that a clinically‐approved antimuscarinic drug, procyclidine, fully mimicked the therapeutic electrophysiological effects of ChIGI. Furthermore, both ChIGI and procyclidine prevented the nicotine withdrawal‐induced reduction in striatal dopamine release in vivo. Lastly, therapeutic intervention with procyclidine dose‐dependently diminished the physical signs of nicotine withdrawal. The data demonstrated that the striatal ChIs are a critical substrate of physical nicotine withdrawal and that muscarinic antagonism holds therapeutic potential against nicotine withdrawal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For advancing next‐generation optoelectronics, a versatile strategy for fabricating π‐conjugated polymer (π‐CP)/chiral‐small molecule (SM) hybrid films through co‐crystallization‐mediated chirality transfer is reported. The transfer of optical chirality from 1,1′‐binaphthyl–2,2′‐diamine (BN), a representative chiral inducer SM, to thin films of various achiral π‐CPs, including non‐fluorene π‐CPs, is achieved by simply blending the π‐CPs with BN using aromatic organic solvents. The resulting π‐CP/chiral‐SM hybrid films exhibit chiroptical responses at the main electronic absorption bands of various π‐CPs. Studies of the morphology, crystalline structure, and phase‐separation structure of a representative hybrid system of poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and BN reveal that these hybrid films exhibit a characteristic lamellar structure where the π‐CPs co‐crystallize with chiral BN molecules, facilitated by aromatic solvent‐assisted intermolecular π–π interactions. In‐depth photophysical analysis suggests that BN molecules co‐crystallized in the P3HT lamellar structure induce asymmetrically misaligned transition dipoles along the P3HT conjugated backbone, transferring optical chirality from BN to P3HT under circularly polarized light illumination. As a proof‐of‐concept, chiroptical photodiodes based on π‐CP/chiral‐SM hybrid films and printed micropatterns, exhibiting a distinguishable photocurrent response depending on the direction of circularly polarized light are successfully demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Methods Results Significance White matter abnormalities in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and hippocampal sclerosis (HS) are well known. Peak width of skeletonized mean diffusivity (PSMD) is a novel marker for quantifying white matter integrity that may reflect small vessel disease. In this study, we aimed to quantify the extent of white matter damage in patients with TLE and HS by using PSMD.We enrolled 52 patients with TLE with HS and 54 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was performed using a 3‐T magnetic resonance imaging scanner. We measured PSMD using DTI findings and compared PSMD between patients with TLE with HS and healthy controls. We also evaluated the correlation between PSMD and clinical factors in patients with TLE and HS.PSMD differed significantly between healthy controls and patients with TLE and HS, and it was higher in the patients (2.375 × 10−4 mm2/s vs. 2.108 × 10−4 mm2/s, p < .001). Furthermore, PSMD in the ipsilateral hemisphere of the HS was higher than in the contralateral hemisphere of the HS (2.472 × 10−4 mm2/s vs. 2.258 × 10−4 mm2/s, p = .040). PSMD was positively correlated with age (r = .512, p < .001) and age at seizure onset (r = .423, p = .002) in patients with TLE and HS.Patients with TLE and HS had higher PSMD values than healthy controls, and PSMD was positively correlated with age. These findings provide evidence of white matter damage probably due to small vessel disease in patients with TLE and HS and support the feasibility of PSMD as a promising imaging marker for epileptic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is linked to the diffuse‐malignant subtype and higher cognitive burden in Lewy body disease (LBD). Objective: This study explores brain β‐amyloid deposition and its association with cognitive decline across the RBD–LBD continuum. Methods: Patients with isolated RBD (iRBD), Parkinson's disease with probable RBD (PDRBD), and dementia with Lewy bodies with probable RBD (DLBRBD) underwent 18F‐florbetaben positron emission tomography, 3T magnetic resonance imaging scans, and comprehensive neuropsychological assessments. Subjects were categorized as cognitively normal (NC), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or dementia. Global and regional standardized uptake value ratios (SUVR) were estimated in predefined cognitive volumes of interest (VOI) derived from voxel‐wise comparison analysis among the cognitive groups, namely the prefrontal, parietal, precentral cortices, lingual gyrus, and supplementary motor area. Generalized linear models assessed the relationship between 18F‐florbetaben SUVRs and neuropsychological testing, adjusting for age and sex. Subgroup analysis focused on the polysomnography‐confirmed iRBD‐continuum subset (n = 41) encompassing phenoconverters and nonconverters in our prospective iRBD cohort. Results: Eighty‐six subjects were classified as follows: 14 NC, 54 MCI, and 18 dementia. The proportion of positive β‐amyloid scans increased with advanced cognitive stages (P = 0.038). β‐Amyloid signals in cognitive VOIs were elevated in subgroups showing impairment in Trail‐Making Test B (TMT‐B). A linear association between TMT‐B z score and global cortical β‐amyloid levels was observed in the iRBD‐continuum subset (P = 0.013). Conclusion: Cortical β‐amyloid accumulates with declines in executive function within the RBD–LBD continuum. TMT‐B performance may be a useful marker associating with β‐amyloid load, particularly in the iRBD population. © 2024 The Author(s). Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: No definitive treatment has been established for refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Antireflux mucosectomy (ARMS) and antireflux mucosal ablation (ARMA) using argon plasma coagulation are promising methods. However, no study has compared these two. This study compared the efficacy and safety of the two procedures. Methods: This multicenter, retrospective, observational study included 274 patients; 96 and 178 patients underwent ARMA and ARMS, respectively. The primary outcome was subjective symptom improvement based on GERD questionnaire (GERDQ) scores. The secondary outcomes included changes in the presence of Barrett's esophagus, Los Angeles grade for reflux esophagitis, flap valve grade, and proton pump inhibitor withdrawal rates. Results: The ARMS group had higher baseline GERDQ scores (10.0 vs. 8.0, P < 0.001) and a greater median postprocedure improvement than the ARMA group (4.0 vs. 2.0, P = 0.002), and even after propensity score matching adjustment, these findings remained. ARMS significantly improved reflux esophagitis compared with ARMA, with notable changes in Los Angeles grade (P < 0.001) and flap valve grade scores (P < 0.001). Improvement in Barrett's esophagus was comparable between the groups (P = 0.337), with resolution rates of 94.7% and 77.8% in the ARMS and ARMA groups, respectively. Compared with the ARMA group, the ARMS group experienced higher bleeding rates (P = 0.034), comparable stricture rates (P = 0.957), and more proton pump inhibitor withdrawals (P = 0.008). Conclusions: Both ARMS and ARMA showed improvements in GERDQ scores, endoscopic esophagitis, flap valve grade, and the presence of Barrett's esophagus after the procedures. However, ARMS demonstrated better outcomes than ARMA in terms of both subjective and objective indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of energy‐efficient window technology is crucial for zero‐energy building approaches, as windows play a pivotal role in minimizing heat loss, optimizing natural light utilization, and contributing to overall energy conservation. In this study, a self‐powered electrochromic smart window is presented together and its application as a self‐charging battery is showcased. The self‐powered system is composed of a WOx electrochromic working electrode, an Al counter electrode, and an AlCl3 liquid electrolyte similar to a voltaic cell. This device generates an open circuit voltage of around 0.95 V. When two electrodes are connected, this voltage is applied as an external voltage and changes the color of the transparent WOx electrode into a blue state with approximately 62% transmittance modulation. However, if the two electrodes are connected via an light‐emitting diode (LED), the LED lights up for up to 4 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shikonin, an herbal naphthoquinone, demonstrates a broad spectrum of pharmacological properties. Owing to increasingly adverse environmental conditions, human skin is vulnerable to harmful influences from dust particles. This study explored the antioxidant capabilities of shikonin and its ability to protect human keratinocytes from oxidative stress induced by fine particulate matter (PM2.5). We found that shikonin at a concentration of 3 µM was nontoxic to human keratinocytes and effectively scavenged reactive oxygen species (ROS) while increasing the production of reduced glutathione (GSH). Furthermore, shikonin enhanced GSH level by upregulating glutamate‐cysteine ligase catalytic subunit and glutathione synthetase mediated by nuclear factor‐erythroid 2‐related factor. Shikonin reduced ROS levels induced by PM2.5, leading to recovering PM2.5‐impaired cellular biomolecules and cell viability. Shikonin restored the GSH level in PM2.5‐exposed keratinocytes via enhancing the expression of GSH‐synthesizing enzymes. Notably, buthionine sulphoximine, an inhibitor of GSH synthesis, diminished effect of shikonin against PM2.5‐induced cell damage, confirming the role of GSH in shikonin‐induced cytoprotection. Collectively, these findings indicated that shikonin could provide substantial cytoprotection against the adverse effects of PM2.5 through direct ROS scavenging and modulation of cellular antioxidant system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The purpose of this study was to summarise the current state of the science on diabetes mellitus education programs for nursing students. Design: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Methods: Eligible studies were identified by searching PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library databases. Randomised controlled trials and quasi‐experimental studies, published in English between 2013 and 2022, that examined diabetes education programs for nursing students were considered in the review. The quality of the articles was evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institute's Critical Appraisal Checklist. Key information such as authors, study focus, population, sample size, details of intervention and control group treatments, outcome variables, and main findings were extracted and summarised in a data extraction form for further analyses and syntheses. Results: The literature search identified 464 articles, from which 13 studies were evaluated in the systematic review. Most studies (n = 12, 92.3%) used technology‐based teaching methods, such as high‐fidelity simulations, mobile applications, and virtual reality simulations. Regarding the evaluation of diabetes education program effectiveness, the majority of studies showed significant improvements in knowledge (n = 8, 61.5%), followed by satisfaction with learning (n = 4, 30.8%), nursing skill performance (n = 3, 23.1%), and self‐confidence (n = 3, 23.1%) in nursing students. In meta‐analyses, technology‐based teaching interventions, compared to traditional education, showed no statistically significant improvement in diabetes knowledge (standard mean difference 9.52, 95% CI [−0.18, 19.21], p = 0.05) and self‐efficacy (standard mean difference 24.09, 95% CI [−10.75, 58.92], p = 0.18). Despite this, technology‐based methods demonstrated favourable effects on knowledge and self‐efficacy against traditional education. Findings highlight the importance of emerging technology‐based diabetes education programs tailored for nursing students, crucial for enhancing positive educational outcomes. No Patient or Public Contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elevated glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels and longer disease duration increase the risk of complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), highlighting the need for continuous management. This study evaluated the 18‐month effects of the Automated Personalized Self‐Care (APSC) program on self‐care self‐efficacy, diabetes self‐care, and complication risk indices in T2DM patients through a randomized controlled trial. Participants aged 40–69 years were assigned to either an intervention group using the APSC mobile app, which provided personalized goals, automated feedback, and monthly support, or a comparison group. The final analysis included 43 engaged participants from the intervention group and 78 from the comparison group. Data were collected at baseline, 6, 12, and 18 months using structured questionnaires and medical record reviews and analyzed using generalized estimating equations. Significant effects were observed for self‐care self‐efficacy, diabetes self‐care activities, vegetable intake, HbA1c, and total cholesterol levels. The APSC program showed potential to improve long‐term self‐care and reduce complication risk in T2DM patients. Further research with a larger samples and strategies to promote long‐term engagement is needed for its integration into routine diabetes care. Trial Registration: Clinical Research Information Service: KCT0007672 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This cross‐sectional study aimed to identify the impact of multimorbidity on self‐reported sarcopenia and compare the differences in the prevalence and associated factors of sarcopenia in community‐dwelling older adults with and without multimorbidity. We enrolled 876 community‐dwelling older adults in South Korea. Multimorbidity was defined as the coexistence of two or more chronic diseases, and sarcopenia was evaluated using the Strength, Assistance in walking, Rising from a chair, Climbing stairs, and Falling Questionnaire. Binomial logistic regression analyses were performed. Our study revealed that the prevalence of sarcopenia was significantly higher (43.5%) in older adults with multimorbidity than in those without multimorbidity (20.8%). This finding underscores the significant impact of multimorbidity on sarcopenia. We also found that poor perceived health status was the strongest predictor of sarcopenia in older adults with multimorbidity, while oldest‐old age (≥ 85 years) was the strongest predictor of sarcopenia in those without multimorbidity. Large prospective cohort studies using objective sarcopenia screening tools are needed to demonstrate the synergistic effects of multimorbidity and sarcopenia on health outcomes among community‐dwelling older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the differences in structural connectivity and glymphatic system function between patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and hippocampal sclerosis (HS) and healthy controls. Additionally, we analyzed the association between structural connectivity, glymphatic system function, and antiseizure medication (ASM) response. Methods: We retrospectively enrolled patients with TLE and HS and healthy controls who underwent diffusion tensor imaging at our hospital. We assessed structural connectivity in patients with TLE and HS and healthy controls by calculating network measures using graph theory and evaluated glymphatic system function using the diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space (DTI‐ALPS) index. Patients with TLE and HS were categorized into two groups: ASM poor and good responders. Results: We enrolled 55 patients with TLE and HS and 53 healthy controls. Of the 55 patients with TLE and HS, 39 were ASM poor responders, and 16 were ASM good responders. The assortativity coefficient in patients with TLE and HS was higher than that in healthy controls (0.004 vs. −0.007, p = 0.004), and the assortativity coefficient in ASM poor responders was lower than that in ASM good responders (−0.001 vs. −0.197, p = 0.003). The DTI‐ALPS index in patients with TLE and HS was lower than that in healthy controls (1.403 vs. 1.709, p < 0.001); however, the DTI‐ALPS index did not differ between ASM poor and good responders (1.411 vs. 1.385, p = 0.628). The DTI‐ALPS index had a significant negative correlation with age in patients with TLE and HS (r = −0.267, p = 0.049). Significance: We confirmed increased assortativity coefficient in structural connectivity and decreased DTI‐ALPS index in patients with TLE and HS compared with healthy controls. Additionally, we demonstrated an association between decreased assortativity coefficient in structural connectivity and ASM poor response in patients with TLE patients and HS. Plain Language Summary: This study investigates the relationship between brain connectivity changes and glymphatic system function with antiseizure medication response in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and hippocampal sclerosis. The research reveals that these patients show altered brain connectivity and glymphatic function compared to healthy individuals. A key finding is the strong link between a specific connectivity measure (assortativity coefficient) and antiseizure medication response, providing valuable insights that could influence epilepsy treatment and future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The artificial sweetener saccharin has been reported to enhance resistance against pathogen attack in various plant species. In this study, foliar application of saccharin resulted in increased resistance to leaf infection by Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae biovar 3 (Psa) in two Actinidia chinensis cultivars, Hayward and Zesy002. In glasshouse plants, the application of saccharin at 0.25, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 g/L, 1 week before inoculation with Psa, induced a dose‐dependent reduction in leaf necrosis in both cultivars. Saccharin at 2.0 g/L reduced leaf necrosis in Hayward by 77% and in Zesy002 by over 90%. However, saccharin (2.0 g/L) did not inhibit growth of Psa in liquid media, thus suggesting induced resistance (IR) as the primary mode of action against leaf infection. The development of IR in both cultivars was concomitant with the accumulation of salicylic acid (SA) and salicylate glycoside (SAG), and the upregulation of SA‐pathway genes (PR1 and PR2) in treated leaves. In orchard‐grown Hayward vines, saccharin (1.0 g/L) induced the upregulation of SA‐pathway genes and reduced Psa leaf necrosis and flower bud rot by 50% and 25%, respectively, compared with controls. However, saccharin residues were detected in fruit collected from vines that were sprayed with saccharin (1.0 g/L) before flowering. Residue level correlated with application frequency and timing and was highest (0.051 mg/kg) in vines that received three preflowering sprays. This exceeds the default maximum residue limit (MRL; 0.01 mg/kg) for some export markets and could limit the use of saccharin for disease management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the transcriptomic profiles of airway epithelial cells in response to environmental triggers of asthma exacerbation. The study found that combined exposure to house dust mite (HDM) and bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) resulted in the greatest number of differentially expressed genes in bronchial epithelial cells. Asthmatic cells showed increased sensitivity to environmental triggers, eliciting a larger number of differentially expressed genes compared to non-asthmatic cells. The findings suggest that exposure mixtures increase the complexity of transcriptomic responses in airway epithelial cells and provide a basis for future research on the impact of multiple exposures on molecular signaling during asthma exacerbations. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: This study aimed to perform a nationwide analysis of medication errors (MEs) from hospitals using national reporting system data and to compare the ME patterns among different age groups. Methods: We analyzed medication‐related incidents in acute care hospitals reported to the Korean Patient Safety Reporting and Learning System (KOPS), which is a patient safety reporting system, from July 2016 to December 2020. The stages of the medication use process, type of errors, medication class involved in MEs, and degree of harm were analyzed. Results: Among a total of 5071 medication‐related incidents, 37.7% (1911 cases) were incidents that caused patient harm and 1.2% caused long‐term, permanent, and fatal harm. The proportion of medication‐related incidents that resulted in harm was the highest among the <1‐year‐old age group (67 cases, 51.5%), followed by the elderly (≥ 65 years) (828 cases, 40.9%). The cases leading to patient death were most frequently reported in patients aged ≥65 years. Medication‐related incidents occurred mainly in the administration stage (2954 cases, 58.3%), and wrong dose was the most frequently reported ME type. The most prevalent medication class occurring in the 20–64‐year age group (256 cases, 11.7%) was 'antibacterials for systemic use', whereas 'contrast media' (236 cases, 11.6%) and 'blood substitutes and perfusion solutions' (98 cases, 19.3%) were the most prevalent drug classes in the ≥65‐ and <20‐year‐old age groups, respectively. Conclusions: It is necessary to establish guidelines for the prevention of medication‐related incidents according to the medication use process and patient age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deepfake (DF) involves utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) technology to synthesize or manipulate images, voices, and other human or object data. However, recent times have seen a surge in instances of DF technology misuse, raising concerns about cybercrime and the credibility of manipulated information. The objective of this study is to devise a method that employs remote photoplethysmography (rPPG) biosignals for DF detection. The face was divided into five regions based on landmarks, with automatic extraction performed on the neck region. We conducted rPPG signal extraction from each facial area and the neck region was defined as the ground truth. The five signals extracted from the face were used as inputs to an support vector machine (SVM) model by calculating the euclidean distance between each signal and the signal extracted from the neck region, measuring rPPG signal similarity with five features. Our approach demonstrated robust performance with an area under the curve (AUC) score of 91.2% on the audio‐driven dataset and 99.7% on the face swapping generative adversarial network (FSGAN) dataset, even though we only used datasets excluding DF techniques that can be visually identified in Korean DF Detection Dataset (KoDF). Therefore, our research findings demonstrate that similarity features of rPPG signals can be utilized as key features for detecting DFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder requiring continuous care and treatment. Therefore, exploring the therapeutic potential of natural ingredients for AD is essential. This study conducted a network analysis to investigate the anti‐AD effects of propolis and its underlying mechanism, with a focus on the compositional differences between Korean and Brazilian propolis. To identify the bioactive components and related mechanisms, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in AD‐induced HaCaT cells with and without propolis treatment were identified. NCBI, SwissTargetPrediction, STITCH, and the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD) were used to identify target genes of the propolis compounds, and these genes were compared with the DEGs to identify the shared target genes. Notably, CXCL10 and CCL2 were highly associated with target genes shared between Korean and Brazilian propolis, with Korean propolis affecting TLR4, RIPK2, and PYCARD and Brazilian propolis influencing CEBPB, PTGS2, and DAB2IP. Korean propolis was found to predominantly impact the regulation of mast cell activation and the cytosolic DNA‐sensing pathway, whereas Brazilian propolis primarily affects Type I interferon–mediated regulation and the TNF signaling pathway. Additionally, both the TNF and IL‐17 signaling pathways were implicated in the mechanisms of both Brazilian propolis and Korean propolis. Furthermore, our study validated the therapeutic potential of propolis in AD treatment, as evidenced by significant reductions in TNF‐α, IFN‐γ, IL‐4, IL‐13, CXCL10, CCL2, and histamine release in an AD‐induced model. This study confirms the efficacy of Korean and Brazilian propolis in treating AD and reveals molecular mechanism differences due to variations in major components and target genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem: The imbalance in the Th17/Regulatory T (Treg) cell ratio is associated with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). This study aimed to determine a cut‐off for the Th17/Treg cell ratio to predict pregnancy outcomes in RPL and evaluate the effectiveness of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) based on this cut‐off value. Method of Study: This retrospective cohort study included 49 idiopathic RPL and 75 controls. The subgroups of IL‐17+ T cell to Foxp3+ T cell ratios in peripheral blood were measured using flow cytometry. The cut‐off values of Th17/Treg cell ratios were determined by the ROC curve to distinguish between RPL and controls. The IVIG treatment effectiveness in pregnancy outcome was compared between high‐ and low‐ratio groups. Pearson correlation assessed the Th17/Treg cell ratio's relationship with NK cell cytotoxicity (NKC), NK cell percentage, and Th1/Th2 cell ratio. Results: Using the ROC curve, we identified six Th17/Treg cell ratio markers with diagnostic value, and the following two, CD3+IL‐17+ T cell/CD3+Foxp3high T cell ratio (sensitivity at 97%) and CD4+IL‐17+ T cell/CD3+Foxp3high T cell ratio (specificity at 93.61%), showed the highest statistical significance in diagnosing idiopathic RPL. Among the six diagnostic markers, in terms of predicting pregnancy outcomes with IVIG treatment, CD3+IL‐17+ T cell/CD4+Foxp3+ T cell ratio was the most valuable prognostic marker. In RPL women with high CD3+IL‐17+ T cell/CD4+Foxp3+ T cell ratio (≥ 1.096), the live birth rate (LBR) was improved with IVIG treatment. (IVIG treatment, 78.57% vs. no IVIG, 28.57%, p = 0.026). On the other hand, RPL women with low CD3+IL‐17+ T cell/CD4+Foxp3+ T cell ratio did not demonstrate the effectiveness of IVIG (LBRs with IVIG treatment, 50.00% vs. no IVIG, 84.62%, p = 0.219). In a correlation study, the CD3+IL‐17+ T cell/CD4+Foxp3+ T cell ratio was an independent prognostic marker, showing no correlation with NKC, NK cell percentage, and Th1/Th2 cell ratio. Conclusion: The CD3+IL‐17+ T/CD4+Foxp3+ T cell ratio may serve as a valuable marker for understanding the pathogenesis of RPL, predicting pregnancy outcomes, and selecting candidates for immunotherapy. Our study demonstrates that IVIG treatment can significantly improve LBR in women with a high CD3+IL‐17+ T/CD4+Foxp3+ T ratio, offering a promising therapeutic approach for this challenging condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used naturalistic audio–visual recordings from early care and education (ECE) settings to examine the associations between toddlers' (76 toddlers, 40 female, Mage = 32.94 months, SD = 4.92 months) multimodal emotion expressions and emotion‐related vocalizations with contingent teacher interventions. Findings indicated a correspondence between multimodal emotion expressions and emotion‐related vocalizations, such that screams and yells corresponded with anger expressions, and cries corresponded with sadness expressions. Time series analysis indicated that toddlers' emotion vocalizations significantly predicted subsequent contingent teacher interventions. Specifically, toddlers' multimodal sadness expressions with vocalizations increased the likelihood of evoking a contingent teacher response seven times more than other emotions and vocalizations. Implications for multimodal emotion correspondences, emotion dynamics, and toddlers' distress expressions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐quality early care and education (ECE) programs are associated with positive outcomes, especially for children from low‐income families. During the initial COVID‐19 pandemic lockdown many of these families faced an abrupt halt to ECE. Here, we examined how toddlers from economically disadvantaged backgrounds enrolled in high‐quality ECE programs in the United States during the 2020 pandemic (n = 48) fared on cognitive and socioemotional outcomes compared to a 2019 pre‐pandemic cohort (n = 94) and a pandemic 2021 cohort (n = 132). Toddlers in the 2020 cohort scored significantly lower on executive function compared to toddlers in 2019 and 2021 cohorts. Toddlers in the 2020 cohort had higher ratings self‐regulation compared to the pre‐pandemic cohort, but not 2021 cohort. There were no differences on attachment ratings between cohorts. Findings suggest that the abrupt halt to ECE programs due to the COVID‐19 pandemic impacted US toddlers' cognitive and socioemotional abilities. This underscores the importance of continued high‐quality ECE for infants and toddlers from low‐income families during disruptive times. Further work is needed to investigate the long‐term impacts of experiencing an abrupt halt to ECE due to COVID‐19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alcohol withdrawal is widely recognized as a trigger for acute symptomatic seizures among individuals with chronic alcohol consumption. While most alcohol withdrawal seizures occur shortly after cessation, chronic alcohol consumption can be associated with the development of epilepsy, necessitating anti‐epileptic drug (AED) therapy. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics, seizure recurrence, and epilepsy development in patients with alcohol‐related seizures and to identify prognostic factors for epilepsy. Methods: In a retrospective analysis at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, 206 patients with alcohol‐related seizures were examined and 15 were excluded due to preexisting epilepsy. Demographic and clinical data, including alcohol withdrawal duration, seizure recurrence, types, and comorbidities, were investigated. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the risk factors for seizure recurrence and epilepsy development. The performance of the final models was evaluated based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and validated using calibration plots and leave‐one‐out cross‐validation. Results: Of the 191 patients (146 males; mean age 48.3 ± 12.1 years) with alcohol‐related seizures, 99 patients (51.8%) experienced seizure recurrence and 79 patients (41.4%) developed epilepsy. Factors associated with seizure recurrence included alcohol consumption levels, occurrence of focal impaired awareness seizure, anxiety, and headache. The number of recurrent seizures, semiology, status epilepticus, electroencephalogram findings, and brain imaging findings was associated with epilepsy development. The predictive models showed strong diagnostic performance, with AUCs of 0.833 for seizure recurrence and 0.939 for epilepsy development. Conclusion: High alcohol consumption and specific clinical and diagnostic features are significant predictors of seizure recurrence and the development of epilepsy among patients with alcohol‐related seizures. These findings underscore the importance of early identification and intervention to prevent seizure recurrence and the onset of epilepsy, emphasizing the importance of AED treatment in managing these conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engaging the US Office of Personnel Management's inaugural Federal Work‐life Survey (2017), this study deconstructs the gender and race differences in employee satisfaction with federal work‐life programs. We examine whether women of color employees in particular stand to benefit differently from the federal work‐life programs in comparison to their male and white colleagues. Notably, this study operationalizes the federal employee's work‐life interference and dependent care responsibilities to determine gender and race‐related differences in employee satisfaction with federal work‐life programs. Study results indicate that federal employees belonging to historically marginalized racial and ethnic groups are satisfied to a lesser extent with partaking in federal work‐life programs than their white counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Butin is a naturally occurring compound with a wide range of medicinal properties, including anti‐inflammatory, anti‐arthritic, and antioxidant properties. Particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) and ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation contribute to skin cell damage via the induction of oxidative stress. Methods: This study sought to assess the protective effects of butin against damage triggered by PM2.5 and UVB in human HaCaT keratinocytes. Assessments were performed to evaluate cell viability, apoptosis, and cellular component damage. Results: Butin exhibited its protective ability via the inhibition of PM2.5‐induced reactive oxygen species generation, lipid peroxidation, DNA damage, protein carbonylation, and mitochondrial damage. Butin reduced the PM2.5‐induced c‐Fos and phospho‐c‐Jun protein levels as well as mitogen‐activated protein kinase. Furthermore, butin mitigated PM2.5‐ and UVB‐induced apoptosis. Conclusion: Butin had the potential as a pharmaceutical candidate for treating skin damage caused by PM2.5 and UVB exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Seasonal variations in systemic immunity have been reported. This study aimed to evaluate whether seasonality affects the efficacy of anticancer immunotherapy. Methods: A total of 604 patients with lung cancer receiving single anti–programmed cell death (ligand) 1 (anti–PD‐[L]1) inhibitors from two prospective observational cohorts were screened. Primary outcomes were progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Patients were classified into two groups according to the season when the treatment started: winter (November–February) and other seasons (March–October). Kaplan–Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards models were fitted to evaluate the impact of seasonality on survival. For validation, propensity score matching was performed. Results: A total of 484 patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer were included. In an unmatched population, multivariable analysis demonstrated that the winter group (n = 173) had a significantly lower risk of progression or death from immunotherapy than the other group (n = 311) (PFS: hazard ratio [HR], 0.77 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.62–0.96]; p =.018; OS: HR, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.1–0.98]; p =.032). In a propensity score–matched population, the winter group (n = 162) showed significantly longer median PFS (2.8 months [95% CI, 1.9–4.1 months] vs. 2.0 months [95% CI, 1.4–2.7 months]; p =.009) than the other group (n = 162). The winter group's median OS was also significantly longer than that of the other group (13.4 months [95% CI, 10.2–18.0 months] vs. 8.0 months [95% CI, 3.6–8.7 months]; p =.012). The trend toward longer survival in the winter group continued in subgroup analyses. Conclusions: Starting an anti–PD‐(L)1 inhibitor in winter was associated with better treatment outcomes in patients with lung cancer compared to other seasons. Patients with lung cancer who started anti–programmed cell death (ligand) 1 inhibitor treatment in the winter season from November to February showed significantly better survival outcomes than those who started treatment in the other seasons. This observation was validated in further analysis via propensity score matching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the hippocampus has been implicated in both the temporal organization of memories and association of scene elements, some theoretical accounts posit that the role of the hippocampus in episodic memory is largely atemporal. In this study, we set out to explore this discrepancy by identifying hippocampal activity patterns related to scene construction while participants performed a temporal order memory task. Participants in the fMRI scanner were shown a sequence of photographs, each consisting of a central object and a contextual background scene. On each retrieval trial, participants were shown a pair of the original photographs (FULL), objects from the scenes without the background (OBJ), or background contexts without the main foreground object (BACK). In the temporal order judgment (TOJ) task, participants judged the temporal order of the pair of scenes; in the Viewing trials, two identical scenes were shown without any task. First, we found that the anterior hippocampus—particularly the CA1 and subiculum—showed similar patterns of activation between the BACK and OBJ conditions, suggesting that scene construction occurred spontaneously during both TOJ and Viewing. Furthermore, neural markers of scene construction in the anterior hippocampus did not apply to incorrect trials, showing that successful temporal memory retrieval was functionally linked to scene construction. In the cortex, time‐processing areas, such as the supplementary motor area and the precuneus, and scene‐processing areas, such as the parahippocampal cortex, were activated and functionally connected with the hippocampus. Together, these results support the view that the hippocampus is concurrently involved in scene construction and temporal organization of memory and propose a model of hippocampal episodic memory that takes both processes into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Although relationships among positive psychological capital (PsyCap), compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction, and burnout have been reported, causal relationships among these variables have not been identified. This study examined the influence of positive PsyCap on burnout and confirmed the mediating effects of compassion fatigue and satisfaction among public hospital nurses. Methods: This study adopted a correlational cross‐sectional design. We recruited 237 nurses working at a public hospital, using convenience sampling. Results: The fit of the hypothetical model was adequate. Positive PsyCap directly affected compassion fatigue and satisfaction, and burnout. It had an indirect effect on burnout. Compassion fatigue and satisfaction directly affect burnout. This finding indicates that compassion fatigue and satisfaction partially mediate between positive PsyCap and burnout. In addition, the mediating effect of compassion fatigue was greater than that of compassion satisfaction on the relationship between positive PsyCap and burnout. Finally, positive PsyCap, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction explained 70.4% of the total variance in burnout scores. The effect size (f2) was 2.38 (large effect size). Conclusions: Burnout should be assessed with positive PsyCap, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction among public hospital nurses. Given that the mediating effect of compassion fatigue was greater than that of compassion satisfaction, interventions for compassion fatigue may be a strategy to reduce burnout, especially among public hospital nurses with low levels of positive PsyCap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This study aimed to reveal the pathophysiology of isolated rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) in patients using multilayer network analysis. Participants eligible for isolated RBD were included and verified via polysomnography. Both iRBD patients and healthy controls underwent brain MRI, including T1‐weighted imaging and diffusion tensor imaging. Grey matter matrix was derived from T1‐weighted images using a morphometric similarity network. White matter matrix was formed from diffusion tensor imaging‐based structural connectivity. Multilayer network analysis of grey and white matter was performed using graph theory. We studied 29 isolated RBD patients and 30 healthy controls. Patients exhibited a higher average overlap degree (27.921 vs. 23.734, p = 0.002) and average multilayer clustering coefficient (0.474 vs. 0.413, p = 0.002) compared with controls. Additionally, several regions showed significant differences in the degree of overlap and multilayer clustering coefficient between patients with isolated RBD and healthy controls at the nodal level. The degree of overlap in the left medial orbitofrontal, left posterior cingulate, and right paracentral nodes and the multilayer clustering coefficients in the left lateral occipital, left rostral middle frontal, right fusiform, right inferior posterior parietal, and right parahippocampal nodes were higher in patients with isolated RBD than in healthy controls. We found alterations in the multilayer network at the global and nodal levels in patients with isolated RBD, and these changes may be associated with the pathophysiology of isolated RBD. Multilayer network analysis can be used widely to explore the mechanisms underlying various neurological disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review examines factors associated with quality of life (QoL) in persons with young‐onset dementia (YOD). Studies investigating and analysing factors related to QoL in persons with YOD were included. Databases searched included PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, EMBASE, and SCOPUS. Due to inconsistent outcome variables across studies, synthesis without meta‐analysis was used for data integration. Methodological quality was assessed, and results were synthesised. Eleven studies were included in this review, identifying different factors influencing QoL in persons with YOD, which could be categorised into six groups. Behavioural and psychiatric factors showed the highest significant findings ratio (SFR), as determined by the ratio of 'studies finding significance' to the 'total number of studies addressing the factor'. Following in terms of SFR were care‐related and physical factors. Demographic and dementia‐characteristic factors had the lowest SFR. Among single factors, depressive symptoms, and neuropsychiatric symptoms, both included in behavioural and psychiatric factors, had the highest SFR. This systematic review highlights the importance of behavioural and psychiatric elements in QoL in persons with young onset and points to depressive symptoms and neuropsychiatric symptoms as potential therapeutic targets. However, as research on QoL in persons with YOD continues to expand, the inclusion of methods such as meta‐analysis may be beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic semiconductors are used in organic opto‐electronic devices because of their various advantages. However, they are vulnerable to moisture and oxygen. Thus, flexible and transparent encapsulations with barrier properties against moisture and oxygen need to be developed to fabricate bendable and foldable organic semiconductor devices. In this study, a simple and highly productive self‐assembly process is developed from montmorillonites by using maximized Marangoni forces and a co‐solvent in an aqueous water and a non‐aqueous N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone medium for the fabrication of a flexible and transparent encapsulation film. Water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) and optical transmittance of montmorillonite‐based flexible and transparent encapsulation films are modulated using different precursor solution concentrations and numbers of stacked montmorillonite layers. Long‐term stability of transparent polymer solar cells with self‐assembled flexible and transparent encapsulation films (WVTR of 6.66 × 10−3 g m−2 day−1 and optical transmittance of 90.5% at 550 nm) is enhanced, and performance of flexible polymer light‐emitting diodes with flexible encapsulation films is maintained after 1000 bending cycles, even at a bending radius of 2 mm. Mechanical properties of prepared encapsulation films are analyzed by conducting tensile tests and finite element analysis simulations, demonstrating that an integrated analysis includes both devices and encapsulation films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Downregulation of N‐myc downstream‐regulated gene 2 (NDRG2), a tumor suppressor gene, has been associated with poor clinical outcomes in various cancers. However, the prognostic significance of NDRG2 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of NDRG2 downregulation in OSCC and to elucidate the mechanism by which NDRG2 is downregulated and the biological role of NDRG2 in tumor progression. Methods: Immunohistochemical and in silico analyses of NDRG2 expression were performed, and the correlation between NDRG2 expression and clinicopathological data was analyzed. The effect of NDRG2 knockdown on the biological behavior of OSCC cells was investigated and the effect of 5‐aza‐2′‐deoxycytidine (5‐aza‐dC) on NDRG2 expression was determined. Results: NDRG2 expression was significantly downregulated and DNA hypermethylation of NDRG2 was frequently found in head and neck SCC, including OSCC. Low NDRG2 expression was significantly correlated with adverse clinicopathological features and worse survival in OSCC. NDRG2 knockdown could enhance the oncogenic properties of OSCC cells. NDRG2 mRNA levels in OSCC cells could be restored by 5‐aza‐dC. Conclusion: Downregulation of NDRG2 promotes tumor progression and predicts poor prognosis in OSCC. Therefore, restoration of NDRG2 expression may be a potential therapeutic strategy in OSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Novel treatments are needed for patients with advanced, triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) that progresses or recurs after first‐line treatment with chemotherapy. The authors report results from the TNBC cohort of the multicohort, open‐label, single‐arm, phase 2 LEAP‐005 study of lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab in patients with advanced solid tumors (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT03797326). Methods: Eligible patients had metastatic or unresectable TNBC with disease progression after one or two lines of therapy. Patients received lenvatinib (20 mg daily) plus pembrolizumab (200 mg every 3 weeks; up to 35 cycles). The primary end points were the objective response rate according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, version 1.1, and safety (adverse events graded by the National Cancer Institute's Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0). Duration of response, progression‐free survival, and overall survival were secondary end points. Results: Thirty‐one patients were enrolled. The objective response rate by investigator assessment was 23% (95% confidence interval [CI], 10%–41%). Overall, the objective response rate by blinded independent central review (BICR) was 32% (95% CI, 17%–51%); and, in patients who had programmed cell death ligand 1 combined positive scores ≥10 (n = 8) and <10 (n = 22), the objective response rate was 50% (95% CI, 16%–84%) and 27% (95% CI, 11%–50%), respectively. The median duration of response by BICR was 12.1 months (range, from 3.0+ to 37.9+ months). The median progression‐free survival by BICR was 5.1 months (95% CI, 1.9–11.8 months) and the median overall survival was 11.4 months (95% CI, 4.1–21.7 months). Treatment‐related adverse events occurred in 94% of patients (grade 3, 52%; grade 4, 0%). One patient died due to a treatment‐related adverse event of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Conclusions: The combination of lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab demonstrated antitumor activity with a manageable safety profile in patients with previously treated, advanced TNBC. Lenvatinib, a multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, plus pembrolizumab, an antiprogrammed cell death protein 1 inhibitor, demonstrated an objective response rate of 23% by investigator assessment and 32% by blinded independent central review, with a manageable safety profile, among 31 patients with previously treated, advanced, triple‐negative breast cancer. These results contribute to the growing body of evidence on immunotherapy combinations for patients with triple‐negative breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Lifestyle, defined as a way of living resulting from an individual's deliberate choices, is a crucial factor in improving and maintaining health. Consequently, the measurement and analysis of lifestyle are of significant importance. This study aims to validate the validity and reliability of the Yonsei Lifestyle Profile‐Active, Balance, Connection, Diversity (YLP‐ABCD) in measuring health‐related lifestyles. Methods: Data were collected from 300 participants aged 55 and older using the YLP‐ABCD. To analyse the validity and reliability of the YLP‐ABCD, analysed using frequency, descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis, and Rasch model analysis. Results: The results indicate that the YLP‐ABCD, which consists of 35 items, demonstrates unidimensionality and local independence. The Rasch model confirmed the suitability of the 5‐point Likert scale for the factors, excluding subfactors Balanced and Unbalanced. The item fit criteria (0.5 < MNSQ < 1.5) were met for all items. The distribution of the respondents' abilities suggests the need for additional items to measure their ability levels. Both the item and respondent separation indices and their reliabilities were satisfactory. Conclusion: This study confirmed the utility of the YLP‐ABCD as a valuable tool for measuring and understanding the multifaceted diversity of lifestyles. Therefore, by utilising YLP‐ABCD to quantitatively measure health lifestyles, we anticipate contributing to improvements in human health and quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to fine particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) can cause oxidative damage and apoptosis in the human skin. Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a bioactive polyphenolic compound with antioxidant, antifungal, and antiviral properties. The objective of this study was to identify the ameliorating impact of CGA that might protect human HaCaT cells against PM2.5. CGA significantly scavenged the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by PM2.5, attenuated oxidative cellular/organelle damage, mitochondrial membrane depolarization, and suppressed cytochrome c release into the cytosol. The application of CGA led to a reduction in the expression levels of Bcl‐2‐associated X protein, caspase‐9, and caspase‐3, while simultaneously increasing the expression of B‐cell lymphoma 2. In addition, CGA was able to reverse the decrease in cell viability caused by PM2.5 via the inhibition of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK). This effect was further confirmed by the use of the mitogen‐activated protein kinase kinase inhibitor, which acted upstream of ERK. In conclusion, CGA protected keratinocytes from mitochondrial damage and apoptosis via ameliorating PM2.5‐induced oxidative stress and ERK activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The epidermal barrier acts as a defense against external agents as well as helps to maintain body homeostasis. Polynucleotides (PN), exogenous DNA fragments, promote wound repair through their stimulatory and anti‐inflammatory effects. Recent findings indicate a synergistic effect of PN and hyaluronic acid (HA) combinations in regulating inflammation and promoting cell proliferation. This study aims to elucidate the effects of PN and HA on repairing the epidermal barrier following its disruption by tape stripping (TS) in a mouse model. Materials and Methods: After disrupting the epidermal barrier using TS, a formulation containing PN (14 mg/mL) and HA (6 mg/mL) was applied. Trans‐epidermal water loss (TEWL) was measured at 0, 3, 6, 24, 48, and 72 h. Mice were euthanized after the final application at 72 h, and tissue samples were analyzed for epidermal/dermal thickness, neutrophil infiltration, and filaggrin expression. Results: We observed a significant reduction in TEWL in the PN+HA group compared to that in the control group (20.8 ± 0.5 vs. 43.7 ± 0.5 g/m2h at 72 h, p < 0.05), indicating an improvement in barrier function. Histological evaluation showed decreased epidermal and dermal thickening in the PN+HA group compared to that in the control group (epidermal: 29.4 ± 2.2 vs. 57.9 ± 3.5 μm; dermal: 464.8 ± 25.9 vs. 825.9 ± 44.8 μm, both p < 0.05). Additionally, neutrophil infiltration in the dermis was significantly reduced, and filaggrin protein levels were significantly higher in the PN+HA group compared to those in the control group (4.8 ± 0.4 vs. 21.1 ± 3.3 for neutrophils; 0.84 ± 0.04 vs. 0.42 ± 0.03 for filaggrin, both p < 0.05). Conclusion: These results suggest that PN+HA may be an effective therapeutic strategy for repairing skin barrier damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global phase 3 DESTINY‐Breast03 study (ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT03529110) showed statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) with trastuzumab deruxtecan (T‐DXd) over trastuzumab emtansine (T‐DM1) in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)‐positive metastatic breast cancer (mBC) previously treated with trastuzumab and a taxane. Here, we report a subgroup analysis of Asian patients enrolled in DESTINY‐Breast03. In total, 309 patients (149 in the T‐DXd arm and 160 in the T‐DM1 arm) from Asian countries and regions were randomized. At data cutoff (July 25, 2022), the median duration of follow‐up in the Asian subpopulation was 29.0 months with T‐DXd and 26.0 months with T‐DM1. The PFS (determined by blinded independent central review) hazard ratio was 0.30 (95% confidence interval 0.22–0.41) favoring T‐DXd over T‐DM1 (median PFS 25.1 vs. 5.4 months). Median OS was not reached in the T‐DXd arm and was 37.7 months in the T‐DM1 arm. The median treatment duration was 15.4 months with T‐DXd and 5.5 months with T‐DM1. The incidence of grade ≥3 drug‐related treatment‐emergent adverse events was similar between both treatment arms (49.0% vs. 46.5%) and was consistent with the overall DESTINY‐Breast03 population. Adjudicated drug‐related interstitial lung disease or pneumonitis occurred in 12.9% of patients treated with T‐DXd and 2.5% treated with T‐DM1, with a higher incidence in Japanese patients; none of these were grade ≥4 events. These efficacy and safety data reinforce the favorable benefit–risk profile of T‐DXd in HER2‐positive mBC, including in the Asian subgroup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Disaggregated memory is a promising approach that addresses the limitations of traditional memory architectures by enabling memory to be decoupled from compute nodes and shared across a data center. Cloud platforms have deployed such systems to improve overall system memory utilization, but performance can vary across workloads. High‐performance computing (HPC) is crucial in scientific and engineering applications, where HPC machines also face the issue of underutilized memory. As a result, improving system memory utilization while understanding workload performance is essential for HPC operators. Therefore, learning the potential of a disaggregated memory system before deployment is a critical step. This paper proposes a methodology for exploring the design space of a disaggregated memory system. It incorporates key metrics that affect performance on disaggregated memory systems: memory capacity, local and remote memory access ratio, injection bandwidth, and bisection bandwidth, providing an intuitive approach to guide machine configurations based on technology trends and workload characteristics. We apply our methodology to analyze thirteen diverse workloads, including AI training, data analysis, genomics, protein, fusion, atomic nuclei, and traditional HPC bookends. Our methodology demonstrates the ability to comprehend the potential and pitfalls of a disaggregated memory system and provides motivation for machine configurations. Our results show that eleven of our thirteen applications can leverage injection bandwidth disaggregated memory without affecting performance, while one pays a rack bisection bandwidth penalty and two pay the system‐wide bisection bandwidth penalty. In addition, we also show that intra‐rack memory disaggregation would meet the application's memory requirement and provide enough remote memory bandwidth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Narrow bandgap non‐fullerene acceptors (NBG NFAs) are crucial in advancing near‐infrared organic photodetectors (NIR OPDs). However, the polymorphous behavior of NFAs introduces energetic disorder and charge‐trapping sites in the bulk heterojunction (BHJ) active layers, thereby hindering the NIR performance of OPDs. This study demonstrates the design and optimization of the molecular structures of alkyl side chains in NFAs to morphologically address these electrical limitations and shed light on how side chains affect the crystallization‐driven control of the morphogenesis process in BHJ layers. The structure, linearity, and length of the alkyl side chain molecules are strategically designed and controlled to synthesize a series of NBG NFAs, namely COT‐R (R = EH, BO, Oct, or Dod). The in‐depth quantitative investigations into the morphological and electrical factors reveal that side‐chain optimization effectively enhances various morphological properties, such as the molecular alignment and compatibility between components in the BHJ layer, resulting in the mitigation of energetic disorders and charge traps in the BHJ layers. Therefore, the optimized BHJ system, comprising COT‐Oct blended with PTB7‐Th, achieves a reduced dark current and increased responsivity, contributing to the development of high‐performance NIR OPDs with an impressive specific detectivity of 1.49 × 1012 Jones at 1000 nm under ‐0.5 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dysregulation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is one of the most common mechanisms associated with the pathogenesis of various cancers. Mitogen‐inducible gene 6 [MIG6; also known as ERBB receptor feedback inhibitor 1 (ERRFI1)], identified as a feedback inhibitor of EGFR, negatively regulates EGFR by directly inhibiting its kinase activity and facilitating its internalization, subsequently leading to degradation. Despite its proposed role as an EGFR‐dependent tumor suppressor, the functional consequences and clinical relevance in cancer etiology remain incompletely understood. Here, we identify that the stoichiometric balance between MIG6 and EGFR is crucial in promoting EGFR‐dependent oncogenic growth in various experimental model systems. In addition, a subset of ERRFI1 (the official gene symbol of MIG6) mutations exhibit impaired ability to suppress the enzymatic activation of EGFR at multiple levels. In summary, our data suggest that decreased or loss of MIG6 activity can lead to abnormal activation of EGFR, potentially contributing to cellular transformation. We propose that the mutation status of ERRFI1 and the expression levels of MIG6 can serve as additional biomarkers for guiding EGFR‐targeted cancer therapies, including glioblastoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

North Korean refugees exposed to traumatic events often experience a high recurrence of post‐traumatic stress disorder symptoms. However, a post‐traumatic growth programme has the potential to transform these traumatic events into increasing post‐traumatic growth, reduced emotional stress and enhanced well‐being. This study investigated the effects of a post‐traumatic growth promotion programme on post‐traumatic stress disorder recovery among North Korean refugees. Using a non‐equivalent control group non‐synchronised pretest–posttest design, 60 North Korean refugees who have been in South Korea for 6–8 or 12–13 years were assigned to the experimental (post‐traumatic growth promotion programme; n = 30) or control group (post‐traumatic growth promotion education brochure; n = 30). The programme comprised group sessions and discussions, each lasting 120 min/session, conducted twice a week for 5 weeks. Mindfulness, anxiety, depression, blood cortisol and post‐traumatic growth were assessed at baseline, immediately after intervention and 4 weeks after intervention. The findings showed the programme was effective in significantly increasing post‐traumatic growth and decreasing anxiety, depression and cortisol level. The two‐way analysis of variance showed a significant interaction between groups and time. Consequently, this post‐traumatic growth promotion programme can be utilised as a non‐invasive, cost‐effective and safe intervention for promoting post‐traumatic growth and well‐being among North Korean refugees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to document the safety and efficacy of a single infusion of autologous umbilical cord blood (UCB) in 20 autistic children aged 24–72 months. A pre‐post treatment within‐subjects open label design was used. At T = 0, 6, 12, and 18 months, participants underwent detailed and structured safety evaluations (via caregiver report), Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (Vineland‐3), Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale (SB‐5), Expressive One‐Word Picture Vocabulary Test, Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC), Pervasive Developmental Disorder‐Behavior Inventory, Repetitive Behavior Scale‐Revised, Sensory Experience Questionnaire (SEQ‐2.1), Child Behavior Checklist, Clinical Global Impression‐Severity and Improvement (CGI‐I) Scales, and eye‐gaze tracking. UCB infusion was conducted at T = 6 months, hence, 0–6 months was the control period, and 6–18 months the follow‐up period. Of 20 children recruited, 19 completed the study and 1 was withdrawn due to UCB not meeting quality control criteria for infusion. There were 15 males and 4 females with an overall mean (SD) age of 4.15 (0.62) years. Mean (SD) cell dose administered was 38.16 (9.82) million cells/kg. None suffered serious adverse events although there were mild behavioral side effects and one unit grew coagulase negative staphylococcus from a post‐thaw sample. There were no significant differences in Vineland‐3, SB‐5, BOSCC, and SEQ‐2.1 scores at T = 12 and T = 18 months. Twelve participants had T = 18 CGI‐I scores of 2–3 (minimally to much improved), seven participants had scores of 4 (no change). Autologous UCB infusion in autistic children is generally safe but not without risks, including that of infection. In this within‐subjects study, some children showed global symptom improvements while others showed no change. Stem cell therapies for autism should only be conducted under strict clinical trial conditions with clear risk discussions. Lay Summary: This open label clinical trial investigated changes in language, social communication, autism symptoms, behavior, and eye‐gaze tracking in 20 autistic children, comparing a period when they were on regular behavioral interventions to a period after they had received an infusion of their own cord blood. Nineteen children completed the study, as one had to be withdrawn due to the cord blood unit not meeting quality control criteria to be safe enough for infusion. Although cord blood infusion was found to be generally safe, some children had mild temporary side effects affecting their behavior (increased repetitive behaviors, aggression/irritability, hyperactivity, mood swings, sleep problems). One child's cord blood unit sample also showed bacterial growth, although that child remained well after the infusion. Some children showed global symptom improvements while others showed no change. Stem cell therapies for autism should therefore only be conducted within clinical trials with clear risk discussions, including that of infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]