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Jin-Sun Park,1,* Joon-Han Shin,1,* Taek-Jong Hong,2 Hong-Seog Seo,3 Wan-Joo Shim,4 Sang-Hong Baek,5 Jin-Ok Jeong,6 Youngkeun Ahn,7 Woong-Chol Kang,8 Young-Hak Kim,9 Sang-Hyun Kim,10 Min-Su Hyon,11 Dong-Hoon Choi,12 Chang-Wook Nam,13 Tae-Ho Park,14 Sang-Chol Lee,15 Hyo-Soo Kim16 1Department of Cardiology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, 2Division of Cardiology, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, 3Division of Cardiology, Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, 4Division of Cardiology, Korea University Anam Hospital, 5Cardiovascular Division, Catholic University of Korea, Seoul St Mary’s Hospital, Seoul, 6Division of Cardiology, Chungnam National University Hospital, Daejeon, 7Division of Cardiology, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, 8Division of Cardiology, Gachon University Gil Hospital, Incheon, 9Division of Cardiology, Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, 10Division of Cardiology, Seoul Metropolitan Government Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, 11Division of Cardiology, Soonchunhyang University Hospital, 12Division of Cardiology, Yonsei University Severance Hospital, Seoul, 13Department of Internal Medicine, Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center, Daegu, 14Division of Cardiology, Dong-A University Hospital, Busan, 15Cardiovascular Imaging Center, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 16Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Center, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: The pill burden of patients with hypertension and dyslipidemia can result in poor medication compliance. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of fixed-dose combination (FDC) therapy with olmesartan medoxomil (40 mg) and rosuvastatin (20 mg) in Korean patients with mild to moderate hypertension and dyslipidemia. This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, factorial-design study included patients aged ≥20 years with mild to moderate essential hypertension and dyslipidemia. Patients were randomly assigned to receive FDC therapy (40 mg olmesartan medoxomil, 20 mg rosuvastatin), 40 mg olmesartan medoxomil, 20 mg rosuvastatin, or a placebo. The percentage change from baseline in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels was compared between FDC therapy and olmesartan medoxomil, and the change from baseline in diastolic blood pressure was compared between FDC therapy and rosuvastatin 8 weeks after treatment. A total of 162 patients were included. The least square mean percentage change (standard error) from baseline in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels 8 weeks after treatment was significantly greater in the FDC than in the olmesartan medoxomil group (–52.3% [2.8%] vs –0.6% [3.5%], P

Si-Wan Choi,* Ji Hye Han,* Seon-Ah Jin, Mijoo Kim, Jae-Hwan Lee, Jin-Ok Jeong Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Chungnam National University Hospital, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a lethal complication of myocardial infarction. The event occurs 2–8 days after an infarction and patients should undergo emergency surgical treatment. We report on successful device closure of post-infarction VSD. A previously healthy 66-year-old male was admitted with aggravated dyspnea. Echocardiography showed moderate left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction with akinesia of the left anterior descending (LAD) territory and muscular VSD size approximately 2 cm. Coronary angiography showed mid-LAD total occlusion without collaterals. Without percutaneous coronary intervention due to time delay, VSD repair was performed. However, a murmur was heard again and pulmonary edema was not controlled 3 days after the operation. Echocardiography showed remnant VSD, and medical treatment failed. Percutaneous treatment using a septal occluder device was decided on. After the procedure, heart failure was controlled and the patient was discharged without complications. This is the first report on device closure of post-infarction VSD in Korea. Keywords: heart septal defects, myocardial infarction, septal occluder device, ventricular septal defect

Kye Taek Ahn, Kwang-In Park, Mi Joo Kim, Jin Kyung Oh, Ji Hye Han, Hee Jin Kwon, Seon-Ah Jin, Jun-Hyung Kim, Jae-Hyeong Park, Jae-Hwan Lee, Si Wan Choi, In-Whan Seong, Jin-Ok Jeong Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Chungnam National University Hospital, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea Objectives: Central hemodynamics may better represent the load imposed on the coronary and cerebral arteries and thereby bear a stronger relationship to cardiovascular outcomes. Methods: Patients who had confirmed hypertension as assessed by daytime 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (≥135/85 mmHg) were enrolled. Central blood pressure and radial augmentation index (AIx) corrected for a heart rate of 75 bpm (radial AIx 75) were measured for all patients. We evaluated the association of age, height, and sex with central hemodynamics in patients with never-treated hypertension. Results: A total of 203 patients were enrolled, of whom men numbered 101 (49.7%). The median height of all patients was 162 cm, and mean age was 53.2 years. In the Pearson correlation analysis, regardless of sex difference (R=-0.627 for height, R=0.035 for age, P-value =0.005), a stronger relationship was observed between height and radial AIx 75 than between age and radial AIx 75. In the multiple regression analysis, the sex difference and height were strongly associated with elevated radial AIx 75 in all patients (adjusted R2=0.428, β=6.237, 95% confidence interval [CI] for women 1.480–10.995, P-value =0.011 and β=-0.632, 95% CI for height -0.929 to -0.335, P-value =0.009, respectively). Conclusion: In patients with never-treated hypertension, female sex and shorter height are the important risk factors of elevated radial AIx 75. Keywords: hypertension, augmentation index, height, sex

This study aims to identify the Korean translator of the Collection of Modern Korean Fairy Tales (Chaoxian xiandai tonghuaji 朝鮮現代童話集), published in Shanghai, China in 1936. It examines the significance of the collection’s translation in the context of its relationship with teachers at Inseong School and the publication of the World Fairy Tale Series. Drawing on the prefaces of two fairy tale collections translated by Shao Linsheng and newspaper articles, this study concludes that the Collection of Modern Korean Fairy Tales was translated by the Chinese Shao Linsheng and the Korean Jeong Ja-pyeong, the latter a member of the Young Korean Academy (Heungsadan). The composition of the World Fairy Tale Series by Zhonghua shuju 中華書局, and the Chinese-style illustrations of the Collection of Modern Korean Fairy Tales, indicate the potential for cultural transformation, in which Chinese readers living in a colonial context could domesticate Korean fairy tales. Western stories, mistakenly identified as Korean fairy tales, depict the protagonist overcoming crises and seeking freedom. With these stories, the translator wanted to introduce young readers to the ideals of anti-imperialism and liberation. Thus, the Collection of Modern Korean Fairy Tales indicates that Chinese readers harbored political expectations and a desire for appropriating colonial Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Noninvasive methods have become increasingly critical in the diagnosis of fibrosis in chronic liver diseases. Herein, we compared the diagnostic performance of serum Mac2 binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) and other serological panels for fibrosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and proposed an improved two-step diagnostic algorithm for advanced fibrosis. Methods: We enrolled 231 patients diagnosed with NAFLD who underwent a liver biopsy. We subsequently evaluated the diagnostic performance of serological panels, including serum M2BPGi, a fibrosis index based on four factors (FIB-4), aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), and NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS), in predicting the stage of liver fibrosis. We then constructed a two-step algorithm to better differentiate advanced fibrosis. Results: The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves of serum M2BPGi, FIB-4, APRI, and NFS for advanced fibrosis (≥F3) were 0.823, 0.858, 0.779, and 0.827, respectively. To reduce the performance of unnecessary liver biopsy, we propose a two-step algorithm using FIB-4 as an initial diagnostic tool and serum M2BPGi (≥0.6) as an additional diagnostic method for patients classified as intermediate (23%). Using the proposed algorithm, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 0.812, 0.814, 0.814, 0.600, and 0.927, respectively. Conclusions: Serum M2BPGi is a simple and effective test for advanced fibrosis in patients with NAFLD. Application of the two-step algorithm based on FIB-4 and M2BPGi proposed here can improve diagnostic performance and reduce unnecessary tests, making diagnosis easily accessible, especially in primary medical centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: T1 high grade (T1HG) bladder cancer (BC) is a type of non-muscle invasive BC (NMIBC) that is recognized as an aggressive subtype with a heightened propensity for progression. Current risk stratification methods for NMIBC rely on clinicopathological indicators; however, these approaches do not adequately capture the aggressive nature of T1HG BC. Thus, new, more accurate biomarkers for T1HG risk stratification are needed. Here, we enrolled three different patient cohorts and investigated expression of collagen type VI alpha 1 (COL6A1), a key component of the extracellular matrix, at different stages and grades of BC, with a specific focus on T1HG BC. Materials and Methods: Samples from 298 BC patients were subjected to RNA sequencing and real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: We found that T1HG BC and muscle invasive BC (MIBC) exhibited comparable expression of COL6A1, which was significantly higher than that by other NMIBC subtypes. In particular, T1HG patients who later progressed to MIBC had considerably higher expression of COL6A1 than Ta, T1 low grade patients, and patients that did not progress, highlighting the aggressive nature and higher risk of progression associated with T1HG BC. Moreover, Cox and Kaplan–Meier survival analyses revealed a significant association between elevated expression of COL6A1 and poor progression-free survival of T1HG BC patients (multivariate Cox hazard ratio, 16.812; 95% confidence interval, 3.283–86.095; p=0.001 and p=0.0002 [log-rank test]). Conclusions: These findings suggest that COL6A1 may be a promising biomarker for risk stratification of T1HG BC, offering valuable insight into disease prognosis and guidance of personalized treatment decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acanthamoeba species are free-living amoebae those are widely distributed in the environment. They feed on various microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and algae. Although majority of the microbes phagocytosed by Acanthamoeba spp. are digested, some pathogenic bacteria thrive within them. Here, we identified the roles of 3 phagocytosis- associated genes (ACA1_077100, ACA1_175060, and AFD36229.1) in A. castellanii. These 3 genes were upregulated after the ingestion of Escherichia coli. However, after the ingestion of Legionella pneumophila, the expression of these 3 genes was not altered after the consumption of L. pneumophila. Furthermore, A. castellanii transfected with small interfering RNS (siRNA) targeting the 3 phagocytosis-associated genes failed to digest phagocytized E. coli. Silencing of ACA1_077100 disabled phagosome formation in the E. coli-ingesting A. castellanii. Alternatively, silencing of ACA1_175060 enabled phagosome formation; however, phagolysosome formation was inhibited. Moreover, suppression of AFD36229.1 expression prevented E. coli digestion and consequently led to the rupturing of A. castellanii. Our results demonstrated that the ACA1_077100, ACA1_175060, and AFD36229.1 genes of Acanthamoeba played crucial roles not only in the formation of phagosome and phagolysosome but also in the digestion of E. coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/purpose: Peri-implantitis is a representative etiology that affects the long-term survival of dental implants. It is known that decontamination of the implant surface is essential for the successful outcome of regenerative therapy for peri-implantitis. In the present study, the stability of a novel separable dental implant (SDI) was evaluated and compared with a conventional non-separable dental implant (NDI) using biomechanical and histomorphometric analyses. Materials and methods: In this animal study, 40 rabbits were implanted with two SDI fixtures in the left tibia and two NDI fixtures in the right tibia. The rabbits were sacrificed 3 and 6 weeks after implantation, and the implant samples were evaluated using resonance frequency analysis (RFA), micro-computed tomography (CT), removal torque testing, and histomorphometric analysis. Results: SDI exhibited comparable or better osseointegration and implant stability to NDI. In particular, SDI showed significantly higher implant stability quotient (ISQ) values immediately and 6 weeks after implantation, while removal torque values were significantly higher at both 3 and 6 weeks. In addition, microgaps on the histomorphometric images were not observed and abnormal signs or inflammation did not occur at the connection between the top and bottom parts of the SDI. Conclusion: The novel SDI fixture demonstrated sufficient osseointegration and biomechanical stability compared with NDI in this animal study. In addition, the changeable top part of SDI indicates that it may be effective in easily treating peri-implantitis in clinical practice. Additional future studies on the stability and clinical application after loading to the fixture are necessary.

Abstract This retrospective study aimed to analyze volumetric changes of the maxillary sinus after modified endoscopic-assisted sinus surgery (MESS) and to assess short-term treatment outcomes. The volumes of the total maxillary sinus, aeration, and sinus pathology were calculated using computed tomography data obtained prior to surgery and six months after surgery. Postoperative radiological improvement was assessed using the Lund–Mackay score. Bone regeneration around the bony window was evaluated during plate removal. A total of 32 patients were evaluated. Compared with before surgery, air and sinus pathology volumes improved significantly (air, increase by 6.0 cm3, p