Notes

Osteosarcopenia as well as trabecular bone score in individuals using diabetes type 2 mellitus.
Intestinal Behcet's disease (BD) is a systemic autoimmune disease for which treatment options are limited. As a prospective therapeutic strategy for intestinal BD, anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (anti-TNF-α) agents have received increasing attention. In this study, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of anti-TNF-α agents for patients with intestinal BD.

We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases up to July 1, 2021 and articles that met the eligibility criteria were further assessed. Pooled rates were synthesized by a randomized effects model using Stata software.

Eleven clinical trials covering 671 patients with intestinal BD were included. According to compositive data, the pooled rate for remission was 39% [95% confidence interval (CI) 26-52] in patients receiving anti-TNF-α agents. Intestinal symptoms were cured in 70% (95% CI 53-84) of the patients, and the rate for endoscopic healing was 65% (95% CI 52-78). Corticosteroid discontinuation was achieved in 43% (95% CI 28-58) of the patients, and the dose reduction of corticosteroid was 20.43 mg (95% CI 13.4-27.46). There were 239 adverse events and 80 serious adverse events during follow-up.

Our study indicated that anti-TNF-α agents may serve as an effective treatment with acceptable safety for patients with intestinal BD. However, more robust evidence from randomized controlled trials is urgently needed to assess the long-term efficacy and safety of anti-TNF-α agents for those patients.
Our study indicated that anti-TNF-α agents may serve as an effective treatment with acceptable safety for patients with intestinal BD. However, more robust evidence from randomized controlled trials is urgently needed to assess the long-term efficacy and safety of anti-TNF-α agents for those patients.
To compare (non-contact) thermal imaging with power Doppler (PD) for the evaluation of knee arthritis with joint effusion.

We enrolled patients with knee arthritis who were scheduled to undergo an arthrocentesis of the knee from April to December 2020 at a single tertiary hospital. A thermography camera, FLIR ONE Pro, was used to obtain both thermographic and digital images on subjects. For each subject, thermography, ultrasonography, arthrocentesis, and blood tests were conducted at the same study visit. Thermal imaging findings and clinical characteristics were compared by dividing the subjects into PD-positive and PD-negative groups on ultrasound. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the accuracy of PD positivity.

A total of 30 knee arthritis patients were enrolled in this study. Knee temperature was significantly higher in PD-positive group compared to PD-negative group [maximum temperature (T max) 33.2℃ vs. 30.5℃,
=0.025; minimum temperature (T min) 30.7℃ vs. 27.0℃,
=0.015; average temperature (T ave) 32.1℃ vs. 29.1℃,
=0.016]. Also, the joint fluid white blood cell count was considerably higher in PD-positive group than in PD-negative group (24556 cells/mm
vs. 7840 cells/mm
,
=0.010). The area under the ROC curve of the point measurement of T max, T min, and T ave ranged between 0.764 and 0.790.

In this study, we found that high thermographic temperatures of the knee suggest a positive PD signal. Thus, thermography might be used as an adjuvant tool of PD for non-invasive evaluation of knee arthritis.
In this study, we found that high thermographic temperatures of the knee suggest a positive PD signal. Thus, thermography might be used as an adjuvant tool of PD for non-invasive evaluation of knee arthritis.
Bone mineral density (BMD) determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry is considered a gold standard for diagnosing osteoporosis. Some people show discordance in BMD values measured at the femur and that at the lumbar spine (LS). The aim of the present study was to investigate whether differences in BMD T-scores between the LS and femur neck (FN) are associated with renal dysfunction in the general population of Korea.

We analyzed national data for 17306 adults from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2008 and 2011. Benserazide mouse BMD T-score differences between LS and FN (termed BMD offset) were calculated by subtracting FN T-scores from LS T-scores. Diminished renal function was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR) less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m².

Among those aged ≥50 years, BMD offset was negatively associated with eGFR levels. Additionally, eGFR levels decreased linearly across increasing BMD offset quartiles. Men and women with an offset of >1.5 showed a 4.79-times and 2.51-times higher risk of renal dysfunction, respectively, compared to individuals with an offset of ≤0, after adjusting for age, body mass index, educational level, current smoking, and physical activity. In contrast, there was little evidence of an association between renal dysfunction and BMD offset in subjects aged <50 years.

Discordance between LS and FN BMDs was significantly associated with renal dysfunction in subjects aged ≥50 years. When assessing bone health in older chronic kidney disease patients, physicians should consider the possibility of BMD discordance between LS and FN.
Discordance between LS and FN BMDs was significantly associated with renal dysfunction in subjects aged ≥50 years. When assessing bone health in older chronic kidney disease patients, physicians should consider the possibility of BMD discordance between LS and FN.
This study aimed to compare long-term clinical outcomes according to the use of emergency medical services (EMS) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who arrived at the hospital within 12 hr of symptom onset.

A total of 13104 patients with acute myocardial infarction were enrolled in the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry-National Institutes of Health from October 2011 to December 2015. Of them, 2416 patients with STEMI who arrived at the hospital within 12 hr were divided into two groups 987 patients in the EMS group and 1429 in the non-EMS group. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to reduce bias from confounding variables. After PSM, 796 patients in the EMS group and 796 patients in the non-EMS group were analyzed. The clinical outcomes during 3 years of clinical follow-up were compared between the two groups according to the use of EMS.

The symptom-to-door time was significantly shorter in the EMS group than in the non-EMS group. The EMS group had more patients with high Killip class compared to the non-EMS group. The rates of all-cause death and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were not significantly different between the two groups. After PSM, the rate of all-cause death and MACE were still not significantly different between the EMS and non-EMS groups. The predictors of mortality were high Killip class, renal dysfunction, old age, long door-to-balloon time, long symptom-to-door time, and heart failure.

EMS utilization was more frequent in high-risk patients. The use of EMS shortened the symptom-to-door time, but did not improve the prognosis in this cohort.
EMS utilization was more frequent in high-risk patients. The use of EMS shortened the symptom-to-door time, but did not improve the prognosis in this cohort.Neuronal loss and axonal degeneration after spinal cord injury or peripheral injury result in the loss of sensory and motor functions. Nerve regeneration is a complicated and medical challenge that requires suitable guides to bridge nerve injury gaps and restore nerve function. Due to the hostility of the microenvironment in the lesion, multiple conditions should be fulfilled to achieve improved functional recovery. Many nerve conduits have been fabricated using various natural and synthetic polymers. The design and material of the nerve guide conduits were carefully reviewed. A detailed review was conducted on the fabrication method of the nerve guide conduit for nerve regeneration. The typical fabrication methods used to fabricate nerve conduits are dip coating, solvent casting, micropatterning, electrospinning, and additive manufacturing. The advantages and disadvantages of the fabrication methods were reported, and research to overcome these limitations was reviewed. Extensive reviews have focused on the biological functions and in vivo performance of polymeric nerve conduits. In this paper, we emphasize the fabrication method of nerve conduits by polymers and their properties. By learning from the existing candidates, we can advance the strategies for designing novel polymeric systems with better properties for nerve regeneration.Advances in sequencing technologies have facilitated the discovery of previously unknown genetic variants in both inherited and acquired disorders, and tools to correct these pathogenic variants are rapidly evolving. Since the first introduction of CRISPR-Cas9 in 2012, the field of CRISPR-based genome editing has progressed immensely, giving hope to many patients suffering from genetic disorders that lack effective treatment. In this review, we will examine the basic principles of CRISPR-based genome editing, explain the mechanisms of new genome editors, including base editors and prime editors, and evaluate the therapeutic possibilities of CRISPR-based genome editing by focusing on recently published clinical trials and animal studies. Although efficacy and safety issues remain a large concern, we cannot deny that CRISPR-based genome editing will soon be prevalent in clinical practice.This corrects the article on p. 225 in vol. 22, PMID 32901462.This corrects the article on p. 2034 in vol. 22, PMID 34564957.Acquisition, processing, and manipulation of biological signals require transistor circuits capable of ion to electron conversion. However, use of this class of transistors in integrated sensors or circuits is limited due to difficulty in patterning biocompatible electrolytes for independent operation of transistors. It is hypothesized that it would be possible to eliminate the need for electrolyte patterning by enabling directional ion conduction as a property of the material serving as electrolyte. Here, the anisotropic ion conductor (AIC) is developed as a soft, biocompatible composite material comprised of ion-conducting particles and an insulating polymer. AIC displays strongly anisotropic ion conduction with vertical conduction comparable to isotropic electrolytes over extended time periods. AIC allows effective hydration of conducting polymers to establish volumetric capacitance, which is critical for the operation of electrochemical transistors. AIC enables dense patterning of transistors with minimal leakage using simple solution-based deposition techniques. Lastly, AIC can be utilized as a dry, anisotropic interface with human skin that is capable of non-invasive acquisition of individual motor action potentials. The properties of AIC position it to enable implementation of a wide range of large-scale organic bioelectronics and enhance their translation to human health applications.The conformational preferences of oligopeptides of an ϵ-amino acid (2-((1R,3S)-3-(aminomethyl)cyclopentyl)acetic acid, Amc5 a) with a cyclopentane substituent in the Cβ -Cγ -Cδ sequence of the backbone were investigated using DFT methods in chloroform and water. The most preferred conformation of Amc5 a oligomers (dimer to hexamer) was the H16  helical structure both in chloroform and water. Four residues were found to be sufficient to induce a substantial H16 helix population in solution. The Amc5 a hexamer adopted a stable left-handed (M)-2.316 helical conformation with a rise of 4.8 Å per turn. The hexamer of Ampa (an analogue of Amc5 a with replacing cyclopentane by pyrrolidine) adopted the right-handed mixed (P)-2.918/16 helical conformation in chloroform and the (M)-2.416 helical conformation in water. Therefore, hexamers of ϵ-amino acid residues exhibited different preferences of helical structures depending on the substituents in peptide backbone and the solvent polarity as well as the chain length.
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