Nams

Wound healing involves a complex and dynamic interplay among various cell types, cytokines, and growth factors. Macrophages and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) play an essential role in different phases of wound healing. Cold atmospheric plasma has a wide range of applications in the treatment of chronic wounds. Hence, we aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of a custom-made plasma device in a full-thickness skin defect mouse model. Here, we investigated the wound tissue on days 6 and 12 using histology, qPCR, and western blotting...

UNLABELLED: The mitochondrial-rich renal tubule cells are key regulators of blood homeostasis via excretion and reabsorption of metabolic waste. With age, tubules are subject to increasing mitochondrial dysfunction and declining nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD + ) levels, both hampering ATP production efficiency. We tested two mitochondrial interventions in young (6-mo) and aged (26-mo) adult male mice: elamipretide (ELAM), a tetrapeptide in clinical trials that improves mitochondrial structure and function, and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), an NAD + intermediate and commercially available oral supplement...

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate facial changes after Presurgical Naso-Alveolar Molding (PNAM) in unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) patients treated with Modified Grayson Technique and AlignerNAM (with DynaCleft nasal elevator) using a 3D facial scan. DESIGN: Randomised clinical trial. SETTING: Institutional study. Participants: 20 UCLP patients allocated to two groups (10 patients each). INTERVENTIONS: Group A patients underwent PNAM with Modified Grayson Technique and Group B patients underwent AlignerNAM (with DynaCleft nasal elevator)...

The immune escape of Omicron variants significantly subsides by the third dose of an mRNA vaccine. However, it is unclear how Omicron variant-neutralizing antibodies develop under repeated vaccination. We analyze blood samples from 41 BNT162b2 vaccinees following the course of three injections and analyze their B-cell receptor (BCR) repertoires at six time points in total. The concomitant reactivity to both ancestral and Omicron receptor-binding domain (RBD) is achieved by a limited number of BCR clonotypes depending on the accumulation of somatic hypermutation (SHM) after the third dose...

This in vitro study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF) technology for detecting the presence and severity of microleakage of pit and fissure sealants. The areas of interest (AOIs) were 160 pits and fissures of 40 extracted permanent teeth. Fluorescent images were acquired using a QLF device, and the maximum fluorescence loss ΔFmax of each AOI was analyzed. After staining and cross-sectioning of the teeth, histological dye penetration was scored on a scale of 0 to 3...

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a leading cause of acute respiratory tract infection, with the greatest impact on infants, immunocompromised individuals, and older adults. RSV prevalence decreased substantially in the United States (US) following the implementation of COVID-19-related non-pharmaceutical interventions but later rebounded with abnormal seasonality. The biological and epidemiological factors underlying this altered behavior remain poorly defined. In this retrospective cohort study from 2009 to 2023 in Chicago, Illinois, US, we examined RSV epidemiology, clinical severity, and genetic diversity...

BACKGROUND: Appendectomy remains a common pediatric surgical procedure with an estimated 80,000 operations performed each year. While prior work has reported the existence of racial disparities in postoperative outcomes, we sought to characterize potential income-based inequalities using a national cohort. METHODS: All non-elective pediatric (<18 years) hospitalizations for appendectomy were tabulated in the 2016-2020 National Inpatient Sample. Only those in the highest ( HI ) and lowest income ( LI ) quartiles were considered for analysis...

BACKGROUND: Acute complicated diverticulitis poses a substantial burden to individual patients and the health care system. A significant proportion of the cases necessitate emergency operations. The choice between Hartmann's procedure and primary anastomosis with diverting loop ileostomy remains controversial. METHODS: Using American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program patient user file data from 2012 to 2020, patients undergoing Hartmann's procedure and primary anastomosis with diverting loop ileostomy for nonelective sigmoidectomy for complicated diverticulitis were identified...

BACKGROUND: The current recommendation for the elderly is to receive both a single dose 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV-23) and an annual inactivated influenza vaccine. There is a lack of post-marketing safety studies on concomitant vaccination using real-world data. We aimed to evaluate the safety of administering PPSV-23 and influenza vaccine concomitantly versus sequentially. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study using a linked database that combines vaccination registry from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and claims data from the National Health Insurance Service...

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The effect modification by smoking and menopausal status in the association between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and liver cancer risk has not been reported. METHODS: This population-based cohort study included 4.486 million cancer-free individuals among those who underwent national cancer screening in 2010 and were followed up until December 2017. We conducted analyses in populations that excluded people with chronic hepatitis B, chronic hepatitis C and liver cirrhosis (Model I) and that included those diseases (Model III)...

Nitrogen mustard (NM) is a potent vesicating chemical warfare agent that is primarily absorbed through skin, inhalation, or ocular surface. Ocular exposure of NM can cause acute to chronic keratopathy which can eventually lead to blindness. There is a current lack of effective countermeasures against ocular exposure of NM despite their imperative need. Herein, we aim to explore the sustained effect of Dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DSP)-loaded polymeric nanoparticles (PLGA-DSP-NP) following a single subconjunctival injection in the management and prevention of corneal injury progression upon exposure to NM...

BACKGROUND: Modular dual mobility (DM) bearings have a junction between a cobalt chrome alloy (CoCrMo) liner and titanium shell, and the risk of tribocorrosion at this interface remains a concern. The purpose of this study was to determine whether liner malseating and liner designs are associated with taper tribocorrosion. METHODS: We evaluated 28 retrieved modular DM implants with a mean in situ duration of 14.6 months (range, 1 to 83). There were two manufacturers included (12 and 16 liners, respectively)...

BACKGROUND: Given its heterogeneity and diverse clinical outcomes, precise subclassification of BCLC-C hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is required for appropriately determining patient prognosis and selecting treatment. METHODS: We recruited 2,626 patients with BCLC-C stage HCC from multiple centers, comprising training/test (n=1,693) and validation cohorts (n=933). The XGBoost was chosen for maximum performance among the machine learning (ML) models. Patients were categorized into low-/intermediate-/high-/very high-risk subgroups which were based on the estimated prognosis, and this subclassification was named the CLAssification via Machine learning of BCLC-C (CLAM-C)...

Various groups including animal protection organizations, medical organizations, research centers, and even federal agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, are working to minimize animal use in scientific experiments. This movement primarily stems from animal welfare and ethical concerns. However, recent advances in technology and new studies in medicine have contributed to an increase in animal experiments throughout the years. With the rapid increase in animal testing, concerns arise including ethical issues, high cost, complex procedures, and potential inaccuracies...

OBJECTIVES: To compare skeletodental changes between early and late treatment groups using modified C-palatal plates (MCPP) and long-term retention outcomes in hyperdivergent Class II adolescents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-one hyperdivergent Class II patients were divided into four groups according to treatment modality and treatment timing: group 1, early treatment with MCPP (n = 16; 9.9 ± 0.9 years); group 2, late treatment with MCPP (n = 19; 12.3 ± 0...

BACKGROUND: A study was designed to investigate whether the coronary artery disease polygenic risk score (CAD-PRS) may guide lipid-lowering treatment initiation as well as deferral in primary prevention beyond established clinical risk scores. METHODS AND RESULTS: Participants were 311 799 individuals from the UK Biobank free of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and lipid-lowering treatment at baseline. Participants were categorized as statin indicated, statin indication unclear, or statin not indicated as defined by the European and US guidelines on statin use...

The development of mRNA delivery systems utilizing lipid-based assemblies holds immense potential for precise control of gene expression and targeted therapeutic interventions. Despite advancements in lipid-based gene delivery systems, a critical knowledge gap remains in understanding how the biophysical characteristics of lipid assemblies and mRNA complexes influence these systems. Herein, we investigate the biophysical properties of cationic liposomes and their role in shaping mRNA lipoplexes by comparing various fabrication methods...

Pseudothrombocytopenia caused by platelet clumping (PC) can lead to unnecessary platelet transfusions or underdiagnosis of hematologic neoplasms. To overcome these limitations, we assessed the capacity of the Sysmex DI-60 digital morphology analyzer (Sysmex, Kobe, Japan) for detecting PC and determining an accurate platelet count in the presence of PC. For this purpose, 135 samples with or without PC (groups Y and N, respectively) were processed by an examiner (a hematologic specialist) using both the Sysmex XN-9000 and DI-60 analyzers...

Chronic diarrhea is a common condition that medical professionals often encounter. We present an unusual case of chronic diarrhea in a relatively young, immunocompetent man that was attributed to Brachyspira . The patient's clinical presentation was not specific, and he underwent workup for common infectious, inflammatory, and autoimmune causes, all unrevealing. During colonoscopy, no abnormalities were detected; however, histopathology revealed the presence of Brachyspira . Following a course of metronidazole, the patient showed marked improvement in his diarrhea...

PURPOSE: Gastric cancer exhibits molecular heterogeneity, with the microsatellite instability high (MSI-H) subtype drawing attention for its distinct features. Despite a higher survival rate, MSI-H gastric cancer lack significant benefits from conventional chemotherapy. The immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), presents a potential avenue, but a deeper understanding of the tumor immune microenvironment of MSI-H gastric cancer is essential. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We explored the molecular characteristics of CD8+ T cell subtypes in three MSI-H and three microsatellite stable (MSS) gastric cancer samples using single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptome analysis...