Metabolism is a dynamic network of biochemical reactions that support systemic homeostasis amidst changing nutritional, environmental, and physical activity factors. The circulatory system facilitates metabolite exchange among organs, while the endocrine system finely tunes metabolism through hormone release. Endocrine disorders like obesity, diabetes, and Cushing’s syndrome disrupt this balance, contributing to systemic inflammation and global health burdens. They accompany metabolic changes on multiple levels from molecular interactions to individual organs to the whole body. Understanding how metabolic fluxes relate to endocrine disorders illuminates the underlying dysregulation. Cancer is increasingly considered a systemic disorder because it not only affects cells in localized tumors but also the whole body, especially in metastasis. In tumorigenesis, cancer-specific mutations and nutrient availability in the tumor microenvironment reprogram cellular metabolism to meet increased energy and biosynthesis needs. Cancer cachexia results in metabolic changes to other organs like muscle, adipose tissue, and liver. This review explores the interplay between the endocrine system and systems-level metabolism in health and disease. We highlight metabolic fluxes in conditions like obesity, diabetes, Cushing’s syndrome, and cancers. Recent advances in metabolomics, fluxomics, and systems biology promise new insights into dynamic metabolism, offering potential biomarkers, therapeutic targets, and personalized medicine.

Fourteen African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks occurred in the pig farms in the northwestern region of South Korea, near the border with North Korea, from September 16, 2019 to October 9, 2019. Active and passive surveillance on the ASF-infected farms indicated that the infection was limited only to pigsties where the infected pigs were detected on the farm for the first time before further transmission to other pigsties and farms. This early detection could be one of the pivotal factors for the prompt eradication of ASF in domestic pig farms within 1 month in the northwestern region of South Korea.

Fourteen African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks occurred in the pig farms in the northwestern region of South Korea, near the border with North Korea, from September 16, 2019 to October 9, 2019. Active and passive surveillance on the ASF-infected farms indicated that the infection was limited only to pigsties where the infected pigs were detected on the farm for the first time before further transmission to other pigsties and farms. This early detection could be one of the pivotal factors for the prompt eradication of ASF in domestic pig farms within 1 month in the northwestern region of South Korea.

Purpose: This cross-sectional study aimed to identify factors affecting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination intention. Methods: For an anonymous online survey, recruitment notices were posted on an anonymous community by each university, and an online survey was conducted through online form from June to July 2021. COVID-19 knowledge and health-protective behavior were measured using a questionnaire based on previous literature and reflecting the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 Response Guidelines. The psychological antecedents of vaccination were measured by 5C scale. Results: Two-hundred and ninety-four college students (women 67.3%) answered the survey; 179 (60.9%) reported that they would accept a COVID-19 vaccine. The mean scores for COVID-19 knowledge and health-protective behavior were 22.97 ± 5.33 (out of 35) and 9.92 ± 2.22 (out of 12), respectively. For the psychological antecedents of vaccination, the mean scores for confidence, collective responsibility, calculation, complacency, and constraints were 4.45 ( ± 1.24), 5.61 ( ± 1.09), 5.09 ( ± 1.18), 2.42 ( ± 1.11), and 2.37 ( ± 1.19) out of 5 points, respectively. The confidence, calculation, and collective responsibility were associated with vaccination intention. Additionally, the top reason for those who were less prone to accept vaccination against COVID-19 was concern about vaccine safety. Conclusion The higher the confidence in the vaccine and the higher the collective responsibility, the higher the vaccination intention. As it is a factor related to an individual’s perception of COVID-19 information, it is necessary to increase confidence in the vaccines through obtaining accurate information on the safety, effectiveness, and side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination.

Ramsay Hunt syndrome (RHS) is a disease caused by varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection that can be diagnosed through clinical symptoms with or without imaging evaluations. The typical features of RHS on imaging evaluation include signal changes and enhancement in the internal auditory canal (IAC) nerves, and the labyrinthine segment of cranial nerve VII (CN VII) and cranial nerve VIII (CN VIII). In some patients, inner ear structure (cochlear and vestibular apparatus) is involved in RHS. Neurologic complications, such as encephalitis and meningitis, are rare in RHS, but are known to occur. Therefore, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is necessary to detect both abnormal signal intensity in the IAC, CN VII, CN VIII, inner and ear structure, and CNS complications. We report an RHS patient with CN VII, VIII, and leptomeningeal enhancement within the cerebellar folia on 10-min delayed, contrast-enhanced (CE), three-dimensional fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (3D-FLAIR) imaging.

Purpose: Smoking is a risk factor for the development of asthma and worsens the long-term prognosis of asthma. This study investigated the effect of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) on innate immune cells such as innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) and macrophages in a murine model of induced asthma. Methods: Six-week-old female BALB/C mice were exposed to ovalbumin (OVA) via an intranasal route with or without CSE for 8 weeks to establish a chronic murine asthma model. Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), airway inflammatory cells from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and the population of CD4 + T cells, ILCs, and macrophages in the lungs were studied to evaluate the effect of chronic CSE exposure on asthma. Results: Mice intranasally exposed to CSE along with OVA treatment (CSE/OVA) had significantly enhanced AHR, eosinophilic inflammation, increased IL-13 and IL-17 producing CD4 + T cells compared to mice intranasally exposed to OVA only. On the contrary, the frequency of Foxp3 + in CD4 + T cells was reduced in the CSE/OVA group. CSE enhanced the dendritic cell (DC) population, especially MHCII + DC with antigen-presenting capacity. Among ILCs, the CSE/OVA group showed a significant increase of IL-13-producing type 2 ILCs, but not interferon-γ+ ILC1s and IL-17 + ILC3s. . Among macrophages, alveolar macrophage and Ym-1 and FIZZ1 positive M2 macrophage populations were significantly induced by CSE exposure alone and when combined with OVA treatment. Conclusion In this study, we showed that long-term exposure to cigarette smoke contributes to the inception and aggravation of asthmatic inflammation by enhancing DCs, ILC2, and M2 alveolar macrophage populations in the mouse model.

OBJECTIVES: The association between thyroid-related hormones and cognitive function has been controversial. The purpose of this study is to compare the levels of thyroid-related hormones in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Furthermore, we investigated the relationship between thyroid-related hormones and cognitive function. METHODS: From January 2011 to December 2018, we retrospectively reviewed 105 patients who were diagnosed with AD and MCI by visiting a dementia clinic at Ilsan Paik Hospital. Thyroid-related hormones [triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)] was measured using chemiluminescent immunoassay. An independent sample t-test was performed to analyze the mean value of thyroid-related hormones in patients of AD and MCI. To investigate whether thyroid-related hormones correlate significantly with Global deterioration scale (GDS), Clinical dementia rating (CDR) and scores of each The Korean version of the consortium to establish a registry for Alzheimer's disease items, we conducted a partial correlation analysis with geriatric depression scale-Korean version (GDS-K) scores as covariates. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the mean serum T3, T4 and TSH levels between patients of the AD and the MCI, but the Construction Praxis Test (CPT) showed a significant positive correlation with the serum TSH concentration (p-value=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: In our study, the positive correlation between serum TSH level and the CPT associated with executive function was found to be helpful in understanding the association between thyroid-related hormones and the pathophysiology of dementia. Prospective studies in regard of the pathophysiology of thyroid-related hormones on cognitive function will be necessary in the future.
Alzheimer Disease ; Cognition ; Dementia ; Depression ; Executive Function ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; Mild Cognitive Impairment ; Prospective Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Hormones ; Thyrotropin ; Thyroxine

Ramsay Hunt syndrome (RHS) is a disease caused by varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection that can be diagnosed through clinical symptoms with or without imaging evaluations. The typical features of RHS on imaging evaluation include signal changes and enhancement in the internal auditory canal (IAC) nerves, and the labyrinthine segment of cranial nerve VII (CN VII) and cranial nerve VIII (CN VIII). In some patients, inner ear structure (cochlear and vestibular apparatus) is involved in RHS. Neurologic complications, such as encephalitis and meningitis, are rare in RHS, but are known to occur. Therefore, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is necessary to detect both abnormal signal intensity in the IAC, CN VII, CN VIII, inner and ear structure, and CNS complications. We report an RHS patient with CN VII, VIII, and leptomeningeal enhancement within the cerebellar folia on 10-min delayed, contrast-enhanced (CE), three-dimensional fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (3D-FLAIR) imaging.

Background: s: Proper distribution and supply of physicians are factors that affect national health care systems. This study investigated the payment distribution levels and the determinants that influence the salary levels of hospital hired physicians. Methods: We analyzed 4,014 job advertisements posted on an internet invitation information site about physician recruitment from May 2016 to May 2019. We used univariate analysis to determine the relationship between average monthly salary and the other related variables. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the predictors of physician salary level. Results: The average monthly salary for the service physician was 15.4 million won, highest for orthopedic surgeons with 22.24 million won, and lowest for diagnostic laboratory physician with 11.4 million won. The factors significantly associated with average monthly salary were; non-major specialty, housing provision, no severance pay, and incentives(p<0.05). Non-major specialty, incentives, and the regions were predictors of the average standardized monthly salary(p<0.05). Conclusion Factors associated with average monthly salary as revealed by this study were; medical specialty, hospital regional location, housing provision, payment of retirement allowance, and payment of other incentives respectively. However, this study was a cross-sectional study, and further studies will be required.