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Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by the death of dopaminergic neurons in the nigrostriatal pathway, leading to motor and non-motor dysfunctions, such as depression, olfactory dysfunction, and memory impairment. Although levodopa (L-dopa) has been the gold standard PD treatment for decades, it only relieves motor symptoms and has no effect on non-motor symptoms or disease progression. Prior studies have reported that 6-shogaol, the active ingredient in ginger, exerts a protective effect on dopaminergic neurons by suppressing neuroinflammation in PD mice. This study investigated whether cotreatment with 6-shogaol and L-dopa could attenuate both motor and non-motor symptoms and dopaminergic neuronal damage. Both 6-shogaol (20 mg/kg) and L-dopa (80 mg/kg) were orally administered to 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine/probenecid- induced PD model mice for 26 days. The experimental results showed that L-dopa alleviated motor symptoms, but had no significant effect on non-motor symptoms, loss of dopaminergic neuron, or neuroinflammation. However, when mice were treated with 6-shogaol alone or in combination L-dopa, an amelioration in both motor and non-motor symptoms such as depression-like behavior, olfactory dysfunction and memory impairment was observed. Moreover, 6-shogaol-only or co-treatment with 6-shogaol and L-dopa protected dopaminergic neurons in the striatum and reduced neuroinflammation in the striatum and substantia nigra. Overall, these results suggest that 6-shogaol can effectively complement L-dopa by improving non-motor dysfunction and restoring dopaminergic neurons via suppressing neuroinflammation.
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This study aims to report on treatment outcomes and related factors in Bell's palsy patients by analyzing Electronic Medical Records (EMR) data. To assess the impact on the duration until improvement in House-Brackmann grading post-onset, we conducted an analysis of inpatient records for Bell's palsy patients admitted to a traditional Korean medicine hospital from 2018 to 2022. A total of 1049 subjects were included in the analysis. Contributing factors to a duration of more than 14 days until improvement in HB Grade included age 40 or above, male gender, an initial period of more than 7 days from onset to admission, a history of past recurrence, and the indication for adjunctive therapy. To generalize the adaptation of adjunctive traditional Korean medicine treatment indications to treatment outcomes, larger-scale studies encompassing a broader patient population will be necessary.
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Registros Electrónicos de Salud , Humanos , Masculino , Femenino , Estudios Retrospectivos , Adulto , Persona de Mediana Edad , República de Corea , Parálisis de Bell , Parálisis Facial , Anciano , Resultado del TratamientoRESUMEN
Background: Persistent post-infectious symptoms, predominantly fatigue, characterize Long COVID. This study investigated the efficacy of Myelophil (MYP), which contains metabolites extracted from Astragalus membranaceus and Salvia miltiorrhiza using 30% ethanol, in alleviating fatigue among subjects with Long COVID. Methods: In this prospective observational study, we enrolled subjects with significant fatigue related to Long COVID, using criteria of scores of 60 or higher on the modified Korean Chalder Fatigue scale (mKCFQ11), or five or higher on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for brain fog. Utilizing a single-arm design, participants were orally administered MYP (2,000 mg daily) for 4 weeks. Changes in fatigue severity were assessed using mKCFQ11, Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20), and VAS for fatigue and brain fog. In addition, changes in quality of life using the short form 12 (SF-12) were also assessed along with plasma cortisol levels. Results: A total of 50 participants (18 males, 32 females) were enrolled; 49 were included in the intention-to-treat analysis with scores of 66.9 ± 11.7 on mKCFQ11 and 6.3 ± 1.5 on the brain fog VAS. After 4 weeks of MYP administration, there were statistically significant improvements in fatigue levels: mKCFQ11 was measured at 34.8 ± 17.1 and brain fog VAS at 3.0 ± 1.9. Additionally, MFI-20 decreased from 64.8 ± 9.8 to 49.3 ± 10.8, fatigue VAS dropped from 7.4 ± 1.0 to 3.4 ± 1.7, SF-12 scores rose from 53.3 ± 14.9 to 78.6 ± 14.3, and plasma cortisol levels also elevated from 138.8 ± 50.1 to 176.9 ± 62.0 /mL. No safety concerns emerged during the trial. Conclusion: Current findings underline MYP's potential in managing Long COVID-induced fatigue. However, comprehensive studies remain imperative. Clinical Trial Registration: https://cris.nih.go.kr, identifier KCT0008948.
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INTRODUCTION: A high consumption of carbonated soft drinks (i.e., soda drinks) and fast food is potentially associated with the observed global rise in adolescent allergic diseases. Thus, our study aimed to examine the potential associations between the consumption of soda drinks and fast food and allergic conditions, identifying specific relationships across subgroups and each allergic condition (asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis). METHODS: This study uses large-scale data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey (total n = 865,614). Soda drinks and fast food were defined by a self-reported questionnaire and allergic conditions by physician-diagnosed within 1 year. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze the weighted odds ratios (ORs), along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), for allergic diseases associated with the intake of soda drinks and fast food. RESULTS: Among 865,614 adolescents in grades 7-12 (male, 51.40%), patients with asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis were 18,568 (2.15%), 153,536 (17.74%), and 59,014 (6.82%), respectively. Current asthma was associated with soda drinks (OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.03-1.12) and fast food consumption (1.25; 1.17-1.33). Interestingly, stronger associations were observed for female high schoolers, compared to male high schoolers and middle schoolers, in relation to the consumption of soda drinks (1.31; 1.19-1.44) and fast food (1.46; 1.26-1.69) with asthma. Current allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis had no significant association with fast food consumption and soda drinks. CONCLUSION: This first large-scale study suggests that fast food and soda drinks consumption are potentially associated with current asthma, with stronger associations observed in females than males, underscoring the need for sex-specific allergy prevention programs.
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BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common type of dementia characterized by amyloid-ß (Aß) accumulation, lysosomal dysfunction, and tau hyperphosphorylation, leading to neurite dystrophy and memory loss. This study aimed to investigate whether Rhei Undulati Rhizoma (RUR), which has been reported to have anti-neuroinflammatory effect, attenuates Aß-induced memory impairment, neuritic dystrophy, and tau hyperphosphorylation, and to reveal its mode of action. METHODS: Five-month-old 5xFAD mice received RUR (50 mg/kg) orally for 2 months. The Y-maze test was used to assess working memory. After behavioral testing, brain tissue was analyzed using thioflavin S staining, western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining to investigate the mode of action of RUR. To confirm whether RUR directly reduces Aß aggregation, a thioflavin T assay and dot blot were performed after incubating Aß with RUR. RESULTS: RUR administration attenuated the Aß-induced memory impairment in 5xFAD mice. Furthermore, decreased accumulation of Aß was observed in the hippocampus of the RUR-treated 5xFAD group compare to the vehicle-treated 5xFAD group. Moreover, RUR reduced the dystrophic neurites (DNs) that accumulate impaired endolysosomal organelles around Aß. In particular, RUR treatment downregulated the expression of ß-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 and the hyperphosphorylation of tau within DNs. Additionally, RUR directly suppressed the aggregation of Aß, and eliminated Aß oligomers in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that RUR could attenuate Aß-induced pathology and directly regulate the aggregation of Aß. These results suggest that RUR could be an efficient material for AD treatment through Aß regulation.
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A 6-year-old spayed female domestic short-hair cat was presented for primary complaints of anorexia and lethargy. The cat was being treated with cyclosporine (25 mg/cat, PO q24h) and prednisolone (1 mg/kg, PO q12h) for feline hypersensitivity dermatitis and inflammatory bowel disease for 1 year, wherein prednisolone was withdrawn 2 weeks prior to presentation. At presentation, dehydration, hyperglycaemia, ketonaemia, increased fructosamine, glucosuria, ketonuria and metabolic acidosis were observed. The cat was diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Immediate treatments with insulin continuous-rate infusion and intravenous fluid therapy were initiated. A serum cyclosporine concentration was >2100 ng/mL, indicating cyclosporine toxicity. Cyclosporine was discontinued immediately. The cat's acidosis and ketonaemia were resolved within a week, allowing a switch from insulin continuous-rate infusion to subcutaneous glargine (1 IU/cat), which was eventually discontinued due to persistent normoglycaemia 12 days after initial presentation. Hyperglycaemia was not observed for 28 days thereafter without insulin, indicating remission of diabetes mellitus. This report suggests that using prednisolone, particularly immune suppressive doses, could be problematic in cats receiving long-term cyclosporine therapy. Additionally, diabetic cats receiving immune-suppressive agents can possibly achieve diabetic remission after surviving DKA through regular monitoring of blood glucose concentration, elimination of prednisolone and intensive blood glucose management.
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Enfermedades de los Gatos , Ciclosporina , Inmunosupresores , Prednisolona , Animales , Gatos , Femenino , Ciclosporina/uso terapéutico , Enfermedades de los Gatos/tratamiento farmacológico , Enfermedades de los Gatos/inducido químicamente , Prednisolona/uso terapéutico , Prednisolona/administración & dosificación , Inmunosupresores/uso terapéutico , Diabetes Mellitus/veterinaria , Diabetes Mellitus/tratamiento farmacológico , Quimioterapia CombinadaRESUMEN
Due to the limitation of previous studies examining adverse reports of myocarditis and pericarditis associated with vaccines other than the COVID-19 vaccine, there are challenges in establishing a comprehensive understanding of vaccine safety on a global scale. Hence, the objective of this study was to examine the worldwide burden of vaccine-associated pericarditis and myocarditis and the vaccines associated with these indications. This study utilized the World Health Organization international pharmacovigilance database, from which records of vaccine-associated pericarditis and myocarditis between 1969 and 2023 were extracted (over 130 million reports). We calculated global reporting counts, reported odds ratios (RORs), and information components (ICs) to discern the association between 19 vaccines and the occurrence of pericarditis and myocarditis across 156 countries and territories. We identified 49 096 reports (male, n = 30 013) of vaccine-associated pericarditis and myocarditis among 73 590 reports of all-cause pericarditis and myocarditis. There has been a significant increase in reports of vaccine-related cardiac adverse events over time, with a noteworthy surge observed after 2020, attributed to cases of pericarditis associated with COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. Smallpox vaccines were associated with most pericarditis and myocarditis reports (ROR: 73.68 [95% CI, 67.79-80.10]; IC [IC0.25]: 6.05 [5.91]), followed by COVID-19 mRNA vaccine (37.77 [37.00-38.56]; 3.07 [3.05]), anthrax vaccine (25.54 [22.37-29.16]; 4.58 [4.35]), typhoid vaccine (6.17 [5.16-7.38]; 2.59 [2.29]), encephalitis vaccine (2.00 [1.48-2.71]; 0.99 [0.47]), influenza vaccine (1.87 [1.71-2.04]; 0.90 [0.75]), and Ad5-vectored COVID-19 vaccine (1.40 [1.34-1.46]; 0.46 [0.39]). Concerning age and sex-specific risks, reports of vaccine-associated pericarditis and myocarditis were more prevalent among males and in older age groups. The age group between 12 and 17 years exhibited significant sex disproportion. Most of these adverse events had a short time to onset (median time: 1 day) and fatality rate was 0.44%. Our analysis of global data revealed an increase in pericarditis and myocarditis reports associated with vaccines, particularly live vaccines like smallpox and anthrax, notably in young males. While these adverse events are generally rare and mild, caution is warranted, especially for healthcare workers, due to potential myocardial injury-related in-hospital mortality. Further study with validated reporting is crucial to enhance accuracy in evaluating the correlation between vaccines and cardiac conditions for preventive measures.
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Miocarditis , Pericarditis , Farmacovigilancia , Organización Mundial de la Salud , Humanos , Miocarditis/epidemiología , Miocarditis/inducido químicamente , Pericarditis/epidemiología , Pericarditis/inducido químicamente , Masculino , Femenino , Bases de Datos Factuales , Vacunas contra la COVID-19/efectos adversos , Sistemas de Registro de Reacción Adversa a Medicamentos/estadística & datos numéricos , Salud Global , COVID-19/prevención & control , COVID-19/epidemiología , Vacunas contra la Influenza/efectos adversos , Adulto , Adulto Joven , Persona de Mediana Edad , Adolescente , Vacunas/efectos adversosRESUMEN
Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) holds significant commercial value as one of the leading oil crops, with its agronomic features and oil quality being crucial determinants. In this investigation, 73,226 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across 95 rapeseed mutant lines induced by gamma rays, alongside the original cultivar ('Tamra'), using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) analysis were examined. This study encompassed gene ontology (GO) analysis and a genomewide association study (GWAS), thereby concentrating on agronomic traits (e.g., plant height, ear length, thousand-seed weight, and seed yield) and oil traits (including fatty acid composition and crude fat content). The GO analysis unveiled a multitude of genes with SNP variations associated with cellular processes, intracellular anatomical structures, and organic cyclic compound binding. Through GWAS, we detected 320 significant SNPs linked to both agronomic (104 SNPs) and oil traits (216 SNPs). Notably, two novel candidate genes, Bna.A05p02350D (SFGH) and Bna.C02p22490D (MDN1), are implicated in thousand-seed weight regulation. Additionally, Bna.C03p14350D (EXO70) and Bna.A09p05630D (PI4Kα1) emerged as novel candidate genes associated with erucic acid and crude fat content, respectively. These findings carry implications for identifying superior genotypes for the development of new cultivars. Association studies offer a cost-effective means of screening mutants and selecting elite rapeseed breeding lines, thereby enhancing the commercial viability of this pivotal oil crop.
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The incidence of peripheral facial palsy is on the rise, with psychological issues influencing quality of life due to visible symptoms. Consequently, patient-reported outcome measures are critical in assessing the disease burden and the treatment efficacy of peripheral facial palsy from patients' perspective. This study examines factors influencing patients' global impression of change (PGIC) scores, a type of patient-reported outcome measure, in hospitalized patients with peripheral facial palsy. This retrospective study analyzed the electronic medical records of 200 patients with peripheral facial palsy who were admitted to the Korean Medicine Hospital, Kyung Hee University Medical Center from May 1, 2022 to April 30, 2023. Impact of demographic, electrophysiological, intervention, and clinical factors on PGIC scores were evaluated. Descriptive statistics showed that the length of hospitalization (Pâ =â .020), time from disease onset to hospitalization (Pâ =â .022), lacrimal disorders (Pâ =â .002), House-Brackmann (HB) grade evaluated at admission (Pâ =â .016) and at discharge (Pâ <â .001), improvement in HB-grade from admission to discharge (Pâ =â .002), and total facial disability index (FDI) score at discharge (Pâ <â .001) were significantly associated with PGIC scores. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, HB-grade at admission (OR: 13.89, 95% CI: 2.18-113.60), length of stay (OR: 0.27, 95% CI: 0.07-0.92), time from disease onset to hospitalization (OR: 5.55, 95% CI: 1.36-24. 77), tear-related symptoms (OR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.17-0.96), total FDI score (OR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.20-0.98), and greater improvement in HB-grade at discharge compared to admission (OR: 0.08, 95% CI: 0.02-0.31) were significantly associated with PGIC scores. Patients with milder initial disease severity, hospitalization period exceeding 7 days, shorter time from disease onset to hospitalization, improvement of lacrimal symptoms, total FDI score, and HB-grade between admission and discharge experienced more significant subjective improvement in peripheral facial palsy.
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Parálisis Facial , Humanos , Masculino , Femenino , Estudios Retrospectivos , Parálisis Facial/psicología , Parálisis Facial/terapia , Persona de Mediana Edad , República de Corea/epidemiología , Anciano , Adulto , Medición de Resultados Informados por el Paciente , Índice de Severidad de la Enfermedad , Hospitalización/estadística & datos numéricos , Tiempo de Internación/estadística & datos numéricos , Calidad de Vida , Pacientes Internos/estadística & datos numéricosRESUMEN
Background: Although obesity is known to be related to allergic diseases, few studies have investigated the prevalence of allergic diseases in individuals with obesity, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, this study aimed to analyze national trends of allergic diseases among individuals with obesity and sociodemographic factors. Methods: This study used data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to examine the prevalence of allergic diseases among individuals with obesity in South Korea from 2005 to 2021. A nationally representative sample of 118,275 participants aged over 2 years or above was divided into six groups for analysis. This study used weighted multivariate regression analysis to examine the estimates of related factors. It assessed the weighted odds ratios or ß-coefficients for these factors across different categories, including age, sex, region of residence, education level, household income, and body mass index for the entire population. Results: All allergic diseases showed a general upward trend from 2005 to 2021, but each disease showed different prevalence trends when compared by age. Before the pandemic, those aged ≤39 years had an increasing trend for asthma and AD, but those aged ≥40 years had a decreasing trend. For asthma, ß-coefficients were 0.629 (95 % CI, 0.299 to 0.958) for 19-39 years, -0.245 (-0.450 to -0.040) for 40-59 years, and -0.668 (-1.024 to -0.313) for ≥60 years. For AD, ß-coefficients were 2.514 (1.258-3.769) in those aged 2-18 years, 0.630 (0.173-1.086) in those aged 19-39 years, -0.458 (-0.648 to -0.268) in those aged 40-59 years, and -0.253 (-0.454 to -0.052) in those aged ≥60 years. However, for both asthma and AD, there were no significant changes in prevalence during the pandemic. In the case of AR, trends were different from those of asthma and AD. Before the pandemic, AR showed an increasing trend in those aged ≤39 years and those aged ≥40 years: ß-coefficients were 3.067 (2.344-3.790) in 19-39 years, 2.051 (1.609-2.493) in 40-59 years, and 1.173 (0.820-1.526) in ≥60 years. During the pandemic, there was an increasing trend only among those aged 40-59, with no significant changes in other age groups: ß-coefficients were 1.438 (0.065-2.811) in 40-59 years. Conclusions: From 2005 to 2021, all allergic diseases (asthma, AD, and AR) increased overall, but with different age-related trends. No significant link was found between COVID-19 and allergic diseases, possibly due to preventive measures like mask-wearing and social distancing. Anxiety about accessing healthcare during the pandemic likely contributed to a decline in allergy diagnoses, highlighting the need for comprehensive strategies to manage and prevent allergic diseases.
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BACKGROUND: Efficient data exchange and health care interoperability are impeded by medical records often being in nonstandardized or unstructured natural language format. Advanced language models, such as large language models (LLMs), may help overcome current challenges in information exchange. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the capability of LLMs in transforming and transferring health care data to support interoperability. METHODS: Using data from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III and UK Biobank, the study conducted 3 experiments. Experiment 1 assessed the accuracy of transforming structured laboratory results into unstructured format. Experiment 2 explored the conversion of diagnostic codes between the coding frameworks of the ICD-9-CM (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification), and Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms (SNOMED-CT) using a traditional mapping table and a text-based approach facilitated by the LLM ChatGPT. Experiment 3 focused on extracting targeted information from unstructured records that included comprehensive clinical information (discharge notes). RESULTS: The text-based approach showed a high conversion accuracy in transforming laboratory results (experiment 1) and an enhanced consistency in diagnostic code conversion, particularly for frequently used diagnostic names, compared with the traditional mapping approach (experiment 2). In experiment 3, the LLM showed a positive predictive value of 87.2% in extracting generic drug names. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlighted the potential role of LLMs in significantly improving health care data interoperability, demonstrated by their high accuracy and efficiency in data transformation and exchange. The LLMs hold vast potential for enhancing medical data exchange without complex standardization for medical terms and data structure.
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Intercambio de Información en Salud , Humanos , Intercambio de Información en Salud/normas , Interoperabilidad de la Información en Salud , Registros Electrónicos de Salud , Procesamiento de Lenguaje Natural , Systematized Nomenclature of MedicineAsunto(s)
Consumo de Bebidas Alcohólicas , COVID-19 , Fumar , Intento de Suicidio , Humanos , COVID-19/epidemiología , COVID-19/psicología , República de Corea/epidemiología , Adolescente , Consumo de Bebidas Alcohólicas/epidemiología , Intento de Suicidio/estadística & datos numéricos , Intento de Suicidio/tendencias , Masculino , Femenino , Fumar/epidemiología , Fumar/psicología , Conducta del Adolescente/psicologíaRESUMEN
Amomum xanthioides (AX) has been used as an edible herbal medicine to treat digestive system disorders in Asia. Additionally, Lactobacillus casei is a well-known probiotic commonly used in fermentation processes as a starter. The current study aimed to investigate the potential of Lactobacillus casei-fermented Amomum xanthioides (LAX) in alleviating metabolic disorders induced by high-fat diet (HFD) in a mouse model. LAX significantly reduced the body and fat weight, outperforming AX, yet without suppressing appetite. LAX also markedly ameliorated excessive lipid accumulation and reduced inflammatory cytokine (IL-6) levels in serum superior to AX in association with UCP1 activation and adiponectin elevation. Furthermore, LAX noticeably improved the levels of fasting blood glucose, serum insulin, and HOMA-IR through positive regulation of glucose transporters (GLUT2, GLUT4), and insulin receptor gene expression. In conclusion, the fermentation of AX demonstrates a pronounced mitigation of overnutrition-induced metabolic dysfunction, including hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and obesity, compared to non-fermented AX. Consequently, we proposed that the fermentation of AX holds promise as a potential candidate for effectively ameliorating metabolic disorders.
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Amomum , Dieta Alta en Grasa , Fermentación , Lacticaseibacillus casei , Obesidad , Animales , Dieta Alta en Grasa/efectos adversos , Ratones , Obesidad/metabolismo , Masculino , Lacticaseibacillus casei/metabolismo , Amomum/química , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Probióticos/farmacología , Proteína Desacopladora 1/metabolismo , Resistencia a la Insulina , Ratones Obesos , Adiponectina/metabolismo , Insulina/metabolismo , Insulina/sangre , Glucemia/metabolismoRESUMEN
Considering the significant burden of post-acute COVID-19 conditions among patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, we aimed to identify the risk of acute respiratory complications or post-acute respiratory sequelae. A binational population-based cohort study was conducted to analyze the risk of acute respiratory complications or post-acute respiratory sequelae after SARS-CoV-2 infection. We used a Korean nationwide claim-based cohort (K-COV-N; n = 2,312,748; main cohort) and a Japanese claim-based cohort (JMDC; n = 3,115,606; replication cohort) after multi-to-one propensity score matching. Among 2,312,748 Korean participants (mean age, 47.2 years [SD, 15.6]; 1,109,708 [48.0%] female), 17.1% (394,598/2,312,748) were infected with SARS-CoV-2. The risk of acute respiratory complications or post-acute respiratory sequelae is significantly increased in people with SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to the general population (acute respiratory complications: HR, 8.06 [95% CI, 6.92-9.38]; post-acute respiratory sequelae: 1.68 [1.62-1.75]), and the risk increased with increasing COVID-19 severity. We identified COVID-19 vaccination as an attenuating factor, showing a protective association against acute or post-acute respiratory conditions. Furthermore, while the excess post-acute risk diminished with time following SARS-CoV-2 infection, it persisted beyond 6 months post-infection. The replication cohort showed a similar pattern in the association. Our study comprehensively evaluates respiratory complications in post-COVID-19 conditions, considering attenuating factors such as vaccination status, post-infection duration, COVID-19 severity, and specific respiratory conditions.
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COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Humanos , COVID-19/epidemiología , COVID-19/complicaciones , Femenino , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , República de Corea/epidemiología , Adulto , Japón/epidemiología , Estudios de Cohortes , Anciano , Síndrome Post Agudo de COVID-19 , Factores de RiesgoRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among adolescents and is associated with clusters of suicides. Despite numerous studies on this preventable cause of death, the focus has primarily been on single nations and traditional statistical methods. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to develop a predictive model for adolescent suicidal thinking using multinational data sets and machine learning (ML). METHODS: We used data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey with 566,875 adolescents aged between 13 and 18 years and conducted external validation using the Youth Risk Behavior Survey with 103,874 adolescents and Norway's University National General Survey with 19,574 adolescents. Several tree-based ML models were developed, and feature importance and Shapley additive explanations values were analyzed to identify risk factors for adolescent suicidal thinking. RESULTS: When trained on the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey data from South Korea with a 95% CI, the XGBoost model reported an area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve of 90.06% (95% CI 89.97-90.16), displaying superior performance compared to other models. For external validation using the Youth Risk Behavior Survey data from the United States and the University National General Survey from Norway, the XGBoost model achieved AUROCs of 83.09% and 81.27%, respectively. Across all data sets, XGBoost consistently outperformed the other models with the highest AUROC score, and was selected as the optimal model. In terms of predictors of suicidal thinking, feelings of sadness and despair were the most influential, accounting for 57.4% of the impact, followed by stress status at 19.8%. This was followed by age (5.7%), household income (4%), academic achievement (3.4%), sex (2.1%), and others, which contributed less than 2% each. CONCLUSIONS: This study used ML by integrating diverse data sets from 3 countries to address adolescent suicide. The findings highlight the important role of emotional health indicators in predicting suicidal thinking among adolescents. Specifically, sadness and despair were identified as the most significant predictors, followed by stressful conditions and age. These findings emphasize the critical need for early diagnosis and prevention of mental health issues during adolescence.
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Aprendizaje Automático , Ideación Suicida , Humanos , Adolescente , Femenino , Masculino , República de Corea , Algoritmos , Estudios de Cohortes , Conducta del Adolescente/psicología , Suicidio/estadística & datos numéricos , Suicidio/psicología , Noruega , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Factores de Riesgo , Asunción de RiesgosRESUMEN
Objectives: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent mental health condition, and techniques using sensory stimulation in processing traumatic memories have gained attention. The Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is a psychotherapy that combines tapping on acupoints with exposure to cognitive reframing. This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility of EFT as a treatment for PTSD by answering the following research questions 1) What is the compliance and completion rate of patients with PTSD with regard to EFT protocol? Is the dropout rate reasonable? 2) Is the effect size of EFT protocol for PTSD sufficient to justify a future trial? Methods: Thirty participants diagnosed with PTSD were recruited. They received weekly EFT sessions for five weeks, in which they repeated a statement acknowledging the problem and accepting themselves while tapping the SI3 acupoint on the side of their hand. PTSD symptoms were evaluated using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) before and after the intervention. Results: Of the 30 PTSD patients (mean age 34.1 ± 9.1, 80% female), 96.7% showed over 80% compliance to the EFT sessions, and 86.7% completed the entire study process. The mean PCL-5 total score decreased significantly after the intervention, with a large effect size (change from baseline -14.33 [95% CI -19.79, -8.86], p < 0.0001, d = 1.06). Conclusion: The study suggests that EFT is a feasible treatment for PTSD, with high session compliance and low dropout rates. The effect size observed in this study supports the need for a larger trial in the future to further investigate EFT as a treatment for PTSD. However, the lack of a control group and the use of a self-rated questionnaire for PTSD symptoms are limitations of this study. The findings of this pilot study can be used to plan a future trial.
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Mast cells have a detrimental impact on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Sambou Bamboo salt™ (BS) suppresses mast cell-mediated inflammatory response and enhances immunity. In this study, we investigated the regulatory effects of BS on expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and transmembrane protease/serine subfamily member 2 (TMPRSS2) in human mast cell line (HMC)-1 cells. BS resulted in significant reductions in expression levels of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 in activated HMC-1 cells. Levels of tryptase were reduced by BS. In addition, BS blocked activation of activator protein 1 (AP-1), c-Jun NH2-terminal kinases (JNK), p38, and phosphatidylinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) in activated HMC-1 cells. Therefore, these results show that BS reduces levels of ACE2, TMPRSS2, and tryptase by inhibiting AP-1/JNK/p38/PI3K signaling pathways in mast cells. These findings can serve as valuable foundational data for the development of therapeutic agents aimed at preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Introduction: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic condition characterized by recurrent abdominal pain associated with bowel movements. Modified Gwakjeongtang (MGT), an herbal prescription rooted in traditional East Asian medicine, consists of thirteen botanical drugs known for their potential to enhance intestinal barrier function, regulate gastrointestinal motility, and exhibit anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Despite a few previous clinical trials highlighting MGT's potential for IBS symptom management, limited evidence exists with placebo control. Methods and Analysis: In this pilot randomized clinical trial protocol, we aim to exploratively evaluate the efficacy and safety of MGT in patients with diarrhea-predominant IBS (IBS-D) by comparing it with a placebo. A total of 60 IBS-D patients will be enrolled, and eligible participants will be randomly allocated to either the MGT or placebo groups. Over a 4-week period, they will receive MGT or placebo granules three times a day. The primary endpoint will be the overall response rate post-treatment, determined through daily assessments of abdominal pain intensity and stool consistency. Ethics and Dissemination: This clinical trial protocol has received approval from the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for an investigational new drug application and Institutional Review Board of the Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital. The research findings will be submitted and published in international peer-reviewed journal. Trial Registration: Clinical research information service (registration number: KCT0008523).
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Mitochondria are essential organelles for cell survival that manage the cellular energy supply by producing ATP. Mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with various human diseases, including metabolic syndromes, aging, and neurodegenerative diseases. Among the diseases related to mitochondrial dysfunction, Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease and is characterized by dopaminergic neuronal loss and neuroinflammation. Recently, it was reported that mitochondrial transfer between cells occurred naturally and that exogenous mitochondrial transplantation was beneficial for treating mitochondrial dysfunction. The current study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of mitochondrial transfer on PD in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that PN-101 mitochondria isolated from human mesenchymal stem cells exhibited a neuroprotective effect against 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium, 6-hydroxydopamine and rotenone in dopaminergic cells and ameliorated dopaminergic neuronal loss in the brains of C57BL/6J mice injected 30 âmg/kg of methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) intraperitoneally. In addition, PN-101 exhibited anti-inflammatory effects by reducing the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in microglial cells and suppressing microglial activation in the striatum. Furthermore, intravenous mitochondrial treatment was associated with behavioral improvements during the pole test and rotarod test in the MPTP-induced PD mice. These dual effects of neuroprotection and anti-neuroinflammation support the potential for mitochondrial transplantation as a novel therapeutic strategy for PD.
RESUMEN
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a heterogeneous disorder with elusive causes, but most likely because of clinical and other biological factors. As a vital environmental factor, the gut microbiome is increasingly emphasized in various refractory diseases including ME/CFS. The present study is aimed to enhance our understanding of the relationship between the gut microbiome and ME/CFS through data analysis of various clinical studies. We conducted a literature search in four databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Google Scholar) until May 31, 2023. Our analysis encompassed 11 clinical studies with 553 ME/CFS patients and 480 healthy controls. A comparative analysis of meta data revealed a significant decrease in α-diversity and a noticeable change in ß-diversity in the gut microbiome of ME/CFS patients compared to healthy controls. The notable ratio of Firmicutes and Bacteroides was 2.3 times decreased, and also, there was a significant reduction in the production of microbial metabolites such as acetate, butyrate, isobutyrate, and some amino acids (alanine, serine, and hypoxanthine) observed in ME/CFS patients. The lack of comparison under similar conditions with various standardized analytical methods has impeded the optimal calculation of results in ME/CFS patients and healthy controls. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the recent advancements in understanding the role of the gut microbiome in ME/CFS patients. Additionally, we have also discussed the potentials of using microbiome-related interventions and associated challenges to alleviate ME/CFS.