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Results after Tricuspid Valve Surgery for Preserved and Dysfunctional Right Ventricle
No full textBackground This study aimed to compare long-term outcomes after tricuspid valve (TV) repair (TVr) with those after TV replacement (TVR) by adjusting the right ventricular (RV) volume and function.Methods We enrolled 147 patients who underwent TVr (n = 78) and TVR (n = 69) for grade 3 or 4 tricuspid regurgitation and had preoperative cardiac magnetic resonance data. Long-term clinical outcomes were compared between the two groups using inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) to adjust for differences in preoperative characteristics between the two groups. Subgroup analyses were performed in patients with preserved and dysfunctional RV (ejection fraction < 50%).Results There were no significant differences in operative mortality or postoperative complications between the two groups before and after the IPTW adjustment. Five- and 10-year overall survival rates were 84.2 and 67.1%, respectively. Five- and 10-year cumulative incidences of TV-related events (TVREs) were 33.1 and 55.6%, respectively. There were no significant differences in overall survival and cumulative incidence of TVREs after IPTW adjustment (p = 0.236 and p = 0.989, respectively). The risk-adjusted overall survival was marginally higher in the TVr group of patients with preserved RV function (p = 0.054), while no such significant difference was found between the two groups of patients with dysfunctional RV (p = 0.513).Conclusion Adjusted long-term clinical outcomes after TVr and TVR were comparable. TVr might be beneficial for patients with preserved RV function in terms of long-term survival; however, this benefit might disappear in patients with RV dysfunction.N
Effects of fluoxetine on the gene expression of hippocampus and gap inhibition in noise-induced hearing loss rats
No full textObjective: Fluoxetine was reported to restore critical period-like neural plasticity via alleviating perineuronal nets (PNNs). This study aimed to investigate the effect of fluoxetine on auditory processing and PNNs in auditory cortex and hippocampus. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed 2–20 kHz, 115 dB sound pressure level noise for 3 h per day from postnatal day 1–3 to postnatal day 21. After completion of noise exposure, 10 mg/kg/day of fluoxetine was administered for 19 days. There were four groups of rats according to the presence of noise exposure and fluoxetine treatment, vehicle, noise + vehicle, fluoxetine, and noise + fluoxetine rats. The gene expression changes of hippocampus were analyzed using RNA sequencing. Results: In the auditory cortex, the expression of aggrecan (ACAN) was lower in noise-exposed rats than vehicle rats, while the noise + fluoxetine rats presented higher expression levels of ACAN which was comparable with that of the vehicle rats (p = 0.01 in Mann-Whitney U test; 146 ± 15 vs. 100 ± 11). In the hippocampus, the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was lower in noise + vehicle rats while noise + fluoxetine rats presented higher expression of BDNF than noise + vehicle rats (p < 0.001 in Mann-Whitney U test; 389 ± 21 vs. 249 ± 16). The RNA sequencing of the hippocampus predicted the down regulation of genes involving extracellular matrix organization when compared noise + vehicle vs. noise + fluoxetine rats. Conclusion: The fluoxetine administration in noise exposed rats improved the gap inhibition ability. The noise exposure decreased expression of BDNF and modulated the expression of genes related with extracellular matrix organization which was partially reversed after fluoxetine treatment.N
Redirecting electron flows in glutamate oxidases by selective anchoring of osmium complexes
No full textl-Glutamate is the most abundant and essential excitatory neurotransmitter in the nervous system. However, its direct electrochemical detection is challenging due to its inherently non-electroactive nature. In this study, we redesigned l-glutamate oxidase (GlutOx) by covalently attaching osmium polypyridyl complexes as electron mediators at selected sites. Most engineered enzymes retained their native catalytic activity, while exhibiting significantly altered catalytic currents during l-glutamate oxidation, depending on the proximity, orientation, and microenvironments of the osmium complexes relative to the FAD cofactors. Notably, two mutants significantly enhanced catalytic currents, revealing selectively and efficiently rerouted electron transfer pathways from the enzyme active site to Os complexes. These findings provide an effective strategy for designing redox-active enzymes for electrochemical biosensors.Y
Thoracic fascial plane injections using a hit-rib technique in dog cadavers targeting lateral cutaneous nerves
No full textObjective: To identify the feasibility of the anatomical landmark-guided hit-rib technique for distributing injectate solution in the thoracic lateral cutaneous fascial plane (TLCPLANE) and to evaluate injectate dispersion. Study design: Prospective, experimental, randomized cadaveric study. Animals: A group of 10 adult Beagle dog cadavers. Methods: In three cadavers, the feasibility of TLCPLANE dispersion of injectate was evaluated using the hit-rib technique. Hypodermic needles (23 or 26 gauge) were inserted perpendicularly through the skin until contact was made with target ribs (fourth, seventh, and 10th ribs), and 1 mL of bupivacaine-methylene blue dye solution was injected. In seven cadavers, injectate dispersion was evaluated following injection of dye solution using the same technique with 23 gauge hypodermic needles. For each hemithorax, a total injectate volume of 0.4 mL kg-1 was divided equally among the three injection sites. Duration of each injection was recorded. Injectate dispersion was evaluated through dissection. Data were analyzed descriptively and the results presented as median (range). Results: The hit-rib technique appeared feasible, with injectate successfully distributed in the hemithoraces of the three cadavers as follows: all injections distributed within the TLCPLANE; at the fourth and seventh ribs, it reached the superficial and deep serratus planes with 23 and 26 gauge hypodermic needles, respectively. From the injectate dispersion assessment, in each hemithorax, injectate was confirmed to be distributed in the TLCPLANE, with dispersion from ribs number 2 (1–3) to 12 (11–12). The numbers of stained lateral cutaneous branches for each injection site were 4 (3–5), 4 (4–5), and 4 (3–5) at the fourth, seventh, and 10th ribs, respectively. The procedure time per hemithorax was 42.6 (28.8–60.7) seconds. Conclusions and clinical relevance: This first description of an anatomical landmark-guided thoracic lateral cutaneous fascial plane block technique potentially results in injectate spread to the entire hemithorax with three simple and quick-to-perform injections.N
A Booster Administration of the OKA/SK Strain Causes Fatal Disseminated Varicella in an Immunocompetent Child
No full textN
Loss of dental pulp potentially increased the risk of Alzheimer's dementia
No full textBackground/purpose: Chronic periodontitis and tooth loss contribute to cognitive decline. Since many biological processes are shared by loss of teeth and loss of pulps, this study investigated the potential association between loss of pulp and the development of dementia. Materials and methods: A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted to investigate the association between dental treatment and the development of dementia. The records of dental treatment during the 10 years prior to the first diagnosis of dementia were extracted from the Elderly Cohort Database of the National Health Information Sharing Service of Korea. The independence of dementia compared to the number of pulps or teeth removed was evaluated using the chi-squared test. The subjects were grouped by the number of teeth or pulps treated, and their odds ratio for dementia was calculated. Results: Analysis of 591,592 sessions for pulpectomy and 710,722 sessions for tooth extraction from 558,147 individuals revealed a significant association with Alzheimer's dementia, but not with vascular or unspecified dementia. The number of dementia patients based on the number of pulps or teeth extracted were significantly different across age groups. The odds ratios demonstrated a tendency to increase with the number of dental treatments and decrease with age at the time of diagnosis of dementia. The number of pulps removed to achieve a notable impact on Alzheimer's dementia was found to be lower than the number of teeth extracted. Conclusion: The loss of pulp increased incidence of Alzheimer's dementia, with the impact being more pronounced in younger geriatric groups.Y
Cholesterol sulfate as a negative regulator of cellular cholesterol homeostasis
No full textCholesterol sulfate (CS), one of the most abundant cholesterol derivatives, recently emerged as a key regulatory molecule in several physiological processes. Here, we demonstrate multiple mechanisms by which CS reduces intracellular cholesterol levels. CS promotes the proteasomal degradation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase reductase by enhancing insulin-induced gene-mediated ubiquitination, thereby inhibiting cholesterol synthesis. In addition, CS blocks low-density lipoprotein receptor endocytosis, reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol uptake. CS further suppresses the proteolytic activation of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2, a master transcription factor governing cholesterol synthesis and uptake. Using in vitro and in vivo models, we show that CS lowers cholesterol by targeting both the cholesterol synthesis and uptake pathways, while also modulating an important feedback loop via sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2. These findings highlight the potential of CS as a modulator of cholesterol metabolism, offering new therapeutic insights into cholesterol-related disorders. (c) 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).Y
The impact of selcopintide on periodontal regeneration in a class II furcation defect model: a radiographic and histomorphometric analysis
No full textObjectives This study investigated the effect of Selcopintide (SCPT) on periodontal regeneration using surgically created class II furcation defects in an animal model, employing both radiographical and histological evaluations. Materials and methods Class II furcation defects were surgically induced in six beagle dogs. Each defect was unilaterally and randomly assigned to one of five treatment groups: (1) no treatment (control), (2) guided tissue regeneration (GTR) with a collagenated bone substitute and a collagen membrane, (3) GTR with an enamel matrix derivative (GTR/EMD), (4) GTR with 2 mg/ml SCPT (GTR/SCPT2), or (5) GTR with 4 mg/ml SCPT (GTR/SCPT4). Six weeks after initial surgery, identical procedures were performed on the contralateral area. Healing outcomes were assessed at 6 and 12 weeks through radiographic and histomorphometric analyses. The primary outcome was the length of the root surface covered by new cementum assessed histologically and the secondary outcome included other histomorphometric and radiographic healing outcomes. Results Radiographically, the GTR/SCPT groups showed significantly greater new bone volume than the control group at both 6- and 12-week timepoints (p < 0.05). Histologically, specimens treated with both formulations of SCPT displayed better-organized periodontal ligaments and improved cementum formation, similar to those treated with EMD. The group with the highest concentration of SCPT (GTR/SCPT4) exhibited the greatest amount of new cementum formation. Conclusions Within the limitations of this study, both formulations of SCPT demonstrated significant regenerative potential in periodontal tissues, with outcomes comparable to those of EMD treatment, suggesting SCPT's viability as an alternative bioactive agent for periodontal regeneration in class II furcation defects.Y
Global regularity for p(x)-Laplace equations with log-BMO matrix weights in Reifenberg domains
No full textWe study the boundary-value problem {div(|M(x)del u(x)|M-p(x)-2(2)(x)del u(x))=div(|M(x)F(x)|M-p(x)-2(2)(x)F(x)) in Omega, u(x)=0 on partial derivative Omega, which has a degeneracy or singularity arising from the nonnegative matrix weight M(x). A global Calder & oacute;n-Zygmund estimate for the relative weight is established under minimal regularity requirements on the associated operator by proving that |del u(x)|p(x) is as integrable as |F(x)|(p(x)) in L-gamma(Omega,|M(x)|(gamma p(x))dx) for every 1<gamma<infinity, under the assumptions that the variable exponent p(x) has a small log-H & ouml;lder constant, M(x) has a small log-BMO semi-norm and that the boundary partial derivative Omega of the nonsmooth bounded domain Omega is flat in the Reifenberg sense. Our work is a natural extension and outgrowth of the uniformly elliptic problem when the matrix M(x) is a constant matrix as in [1, 7] to the degenerate or singular one when a coefficient of the nonlinearity might goes to zero or infinity.N
Multilateral Corporate Tax Cuts, Agglomeration, and Endogenous Growth
No full textThis study examines the impact of multilateral corporate tax cuts on the international location of firms and world growth rate. This research demonstrates that corporate tax cuts result in the relocation of firms from a capital-rich country, which is characterized by agglomeration, to a capital-poor country, which is not characterized by this tendency. In circumstances where the scale of firms leaving an agglomerated country for a non-agglomerated one is low, corporate tax cuts result in an increase in world growth rate. Conversely, when such relocation flows of firms are significant, corporate tax cuts lead to a decline in world growth rate