Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by progressive cognitive deterioration and significant depression. However, the mechanisms linking depression to AD pathology remain unclear. Here, we investigated whether Notch2 signaling mediates depressionlike behaviors in presenilin-2 (PS2) N141I mutant mice, an early-onset AD model. PS2 wild-type (WT) and mutant (MT) mice aged 12-15 months were subjected to unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) for 4 weeks, followed by sucrose preference, tail-hanging, and forced swimming tests. Behavioral assessments showed that UCMS exacerbated anhedonia and immobility only in PS2 MT mice. Molecular analysis revealed concomitant increases in plasma corticosterone, hippocampal γ-secretase activity, and Notch2 expression, and elevated total and phosphorylated glucocorticoid receptor levels in PS2 MT-UCMS mice. Gene expression profiling of human hippocampal datasets confirmed upregulation of NOTCH2 in Alzheimer’s disease and depression.Pharmacological inhibition of γ-secretase and Notch signaling with DAPT normalizes depressive behavior, reduces corticosterone release, attenuates GR phosphorylation, and inhibits Notch2 signaling in PS2 MT mice. These findings identify Notch2 as a pivotal mediator linking chronic stress to molecular changes associated with depression and AD, and suggest that targeting Notch2 signaling may provide therapeutic benefits for comorbid mood and neurodegenerative disorders.

Objective: As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been prolonged, the pre-hospital screening test performed in hospitals has changed from polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to rapid antigen test (RAT). RAT has lower sensitivity than PCR, but a lower cost and shorter test time. In the hospital where this study was conducted, the preadmission COVID-19 test was changed from PCR to RAT on February 24, 2023. This study compared the efficacy of PCR and RAT as the pre-admission COVID-19 test. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study comparing two periods, 90 days from November 25, 2022 to February 23, 2023, and 90 days from February 28, 2023 to May 29, 2023. Patients hospitalized from the emergency medical center during these two periods were included. Binomial logistic regression was used to compare the emergency department length of stay (ED LOS) between the two groups (PCR vs. RAT). Logistic regression was used to compare the mortality. Results: Four thousand seven hundred and thirty-eight patients were admitted through the emergency room: 2,202 patients in the PCR group and 2,443 patients in the RAT group. No statistically significant differences in the characteristics and severity were observed between the two groups. The mean ED LOS of PCR 5.07 hours (interquartile range, 3.80-6.75) was longer than RAT 3.65 hours (interquartile range, 2.83-4.68) (P<0.001). Mortality was higher in PCR 8.9% than RAT 6.6% (P=0.005). Conclusion The study showed that ED LOS and mortality were reduced when using RAT rather than PCR as a preadmission COVID-19 test.

Background: Prolonged length of hospital stay (LOS) is associated with an increased risk of hospital-acquired conditions and worse outcomes. We conducted a nationwide, multicenter, retrospective cohort study to determine whether prolonged hospitalization before developing sepsis has a negative impact on its prognosis. Methods: We analyzed data from 19 tertiary referral or university-affiliated hospitals between September 2019 and December 2020. Adult patients with confirmed sepsis during hospitalization were included. In-hospital mortality was the primary outcome. The patients were divided into two groups according to their LOS before the diagnosis of sepsis: early- (< 5 days) and late-onset groups (≥ 5 days). Conditional multivariable logistic regression for propensity score matched-pair analysis was employed to assess the association between lateonset sepsis and the primary outcome. Results: A total of 1,395 patients were included (median age, 68.0 years; women, 36.3%).The early- and late-onset sepsis groups comprised 668 (47.9%) and 727 (52.1%) patients.Propensity score-matched analysis showed an increased risk of in-hospital mortality in the late-onset group (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.69–5.34).The same trend was observed in the entire study population (aOR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.37–2.50).When patients were divided into LOS quartile groups, an increasing trend of mortality risk was observed in the higher quartiles (Pfor trend < 0.001). Conclusion Extended LOS before developing sepsis is associated with higher in-hospital mortality. More careful management is required when sepsis occurs in patients hospitalized for ≥ 5 days.

Background: Hand hygiene is considered the simplest and most cost-effective method of infection prevention. Regular observation and feedback on hand hygiene compliance are key strategies for its enhancement. This study evaluated the effectiveness of hand hygiene surveillance, including direct observation and feedback, by comprehensively analyzing the reported hand hygiene compliance within the Korean National Healthcare-Associated Infections Surveillance System from 2019 to 2022. Methods: Participating medical institutions included general hospitals and hospitals with infection control departments that consented to participate. Hand hygiene surveillance was conducted using direct observation. Collected data, including healthcare workers, clinical areas, hand hygiene moments, and hand hygiene compliance, were recorded to calculate hand hygiene compliance rates. Additionally, the volume of alcohol-based hand sanitizers used per patient per day was investigated as an indirect indicator of hand hygiene compliance. The study was conducted from July 2019 to December 2022. Results: Hand hygiene compliance increased from 87.2% in Q3 2019 to 89.9% in 2022. Nurses and medical technologists showed the highest compliance rates, whereas doctors showed the lowest compliance rates. Intensive care units excelled in compliance, whereas emergency de partments lagged. Compliance was highest after patient contact and lowest when the patient’s surroundings were touched. Larger hospitals consumed more alcohol-based hand sanitizers than smaller hospitals did. Conclusion This study confirmed an improvement in hand hygiene compliance through sustained surveillance, indicating its contribution not only to preventing infection transfer within healthcare facilities but also to fostering a culture of hand hygiene in the country.

OBJECTIVES: Dietary soy, known for its high phytoestrogen content, has been suggested to exhibit a sex-specific association with type 2 diabetes. However, evidence regarding the sex-specific associations of different legume subtypes with type 2 diabetes remains scarce. We aimed to evaluate whether habitual consumption of soy and non-soy legumes (beans and peanuts) was prospectively and sex-specifically associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes incidence, taking into considering significant sex-specific genetic factors beyond legume consumption. METHODS: A total of 16,666 participants (96,945 person-years) were followed and 945 incident cases were observed. Cumulative intake of legume subtypes was calculated using a food frequency questionnaire administered at baseline and during the revisit surveys. RESULTS: Non-soy legumes are inversely associated with type 2 diabetes in both men and women. Dietary soy intake, however, demonstrated a unilaterally interacting sex-specific association with type 2 diabetes risk (pinteraction for sex=0.017). Specifically, there was a significant inverse association with type 2 diabetes risk in women (incidence rate ratio, 0.66; 95% confidence interval, 0.48 to 0.80; ptrend=0.007), but no such association was observed in men. This sex-specific association persisted and even appeared antagonistic in minor allele carriers of 2 novel single nucleotide polymorphisms, rs10196939 (LRRTM4) and rs11750158 (near GFPT2) (pinteraction for sex=0.001 and 0.011, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Habitual consumption of legumes shows protective impacts against type 2 diabetes, although these benefits vary by sex. Non-soy legumes provide health advantages for both men and women, whereas soy consumption seems to be beneficial exclusively for women.

OBJECTIVES: Dietary soy, known for its high phytoestrogen content, has been suggested to exhibit a sex-specific association with type 2 diabetes. However, evidence regarding the sex-specific associations of different legume subtypes with type 2 diabetes remains scarce. We aimed to evaluate whether habitual consumption of soy and non-soy legumes (beans and peanuts) was prospectively and sex-specifically associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes incidence, taking into considering significant sex-specific genetic factors beyond legume consumption. METHODS: A total of 16,666 participants (96,945 person-years) were followed and 945 incident cases were observed. Cumulative intake of legume subtypes was calculated using a food frequency questionnaire administered at baseline and during the revisit surveys. RESULTS: Non-soy legumes are inversely associated with type 2 diabetes in both men and women. Dietary soy intake, however, demonstrated a unilaterally interacting sex-specific association with type 2 diabetes risk (pinteraction for sex=0.017). Specifically, there was a significant inverse association with type 2 diabetes risk in women (incidence rate ratio, 0.66; 95% confidence interval, 0.48 to 0.80; ptrend=0.007), but no such association was observed in men. This sex-specific association persisted and even appeared antagonistic in minor allele carriers of 2 novel single nucleotide polymorphisms, rs10196939 (LRRTM4) and rs11750158 (near GFPT2) (pinteraction for sex=0.001 and 0.011, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Habitual consumption of legumes shows protective impacts against type 2 diabetes, although these benefits vary by sex. Non-soy legumes provide health advantages for both men and women, whereas soy consumption seems to be beneficial exclusively for women.

OBJECTIVES: Dietary soy, known for its high phytoestrogen content, has been suggested to exhibit a sex-specific association with type 2 diabetes. However, evidence regarding the sex-specific associations of different legume subtypes with type 2 diabetes remains scarce. We aimed to evaluate whether habitual consumption of soy and non-soy legumes (beans and peanuts) was prospectively and sex-specifically associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes incidence, taking into considering significant sex-specific genetic factors beyond legume consumption. METHODS: A total of 16,666 participants (96,945 person-years) were followed and 945 incident cases were observed. Cumulative intake of legume subtypes was calculated using a food frequency questionnaire administered at baseline and during the revisit surveys. RESULTS: Non-soy legumes are inversely associated with type 2 diabetes in both men and women. Dietary soy intake, however, demonstrated a unilaterally interacting sex-specific association with type 2 diabetes risk (pinteraction for sex=0.017). Specifically, there was a significant inverse association with type 2 diabetes risk in women (incidence rate ratio, 0.66; 95% confidence interval, 0.48 to 0.80; ptrend=0.007), but no such association was observed in men. This sex-specific association persisted and even appeared antagonistic in minor allele carriers of 2 novel single nucleotide polymorphisms, rs10196939 (LRRTM4) and rs11750158 (near GFPT2) (pinteraction for sex=0.001 and 0.011, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Habitual consumption of legumes shows protective impacts against type 2 diabetes, although these benefits vary by sex. Non-soy legumes provide health advantages for both men and women, whereas soy consumption seems to be beneficial exclusively for women.

OBJECTIVES: Dietary soy, known for its high phytoestrogen content, has been suggested to exhibit a sex-specific association with type 2 diabetes. However, evidence regarding the sex-specific associations of different legume subtypes with type 2 diabetes remains scarce. We aimed to evaluate whether habitual consumption of soy and non-soy legumes (beans and peanuts) was prospectively and sex-specifically associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes incidence, taking into considering significant sex-specific genetic factors beyond legume consumption. METHODS: A total of 16,666 participants (96,945 person-years) were followed and 945 incident cases were observed. Cumulative intake of legume subtypes was calculated using a food frequency questionnaire administered at baseline and during the revisit surveys. RESULTS: Non-soy legumes are inversely associated with type 2 diabetes in both men and women. Dietary soy intake, however, demonstrated a unilaterally interacting sex-specific association with type 2 diabetes risk (pinteraction for sex=0.017). Specifically, there was a significant inverse association with type 2 diabetes risk in women (incidence rate ratio, 0.66; 95% confidence interval, 0.48 to 0.80; ptrend=0.007), but no such association was observed in men. This sex-specific association persisted and even appeared antagonistic in minor allele carriers of 2 novel single nucleotide polymorphisms, rs10196939 (LRRTM4) and rs11750158 (near GFPT2) (pinteraction for sex=0.001 and 0.011, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Habitual consumption of legumes shows protective impacts against type 2 diabetes, although these benefits vary by sex. Non-soy legumes provide health advantages for both men and women, whereas soy consumption seems to be beneficial exclusively for women.

Background: This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of add-on gemigliptin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who had inadequate glycemic control with metformin and dapagliflozin. Methods: In this randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, double-blind, phase III study, 315 patients were randomized to receive either gemigliptin 50 mg (n=159) or placebo (n=156) with metformin and dapagliflozin for 24 weeks. After the 24-week treatment, patients who received the placebo were switched to gemigliptin, and all patients were treated with gemigliptin for an additional 28 weeks. Results: The baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups, except for body mass index. At week 24, the least squares mean difference (standard error) in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) changes was –0.66% (0.07) with a 95% confidence interval of –0.80% to –0.52%, demonstrating superior HbA1c reduction in the gemigliptin group. After week 24, the HbA1c level significantly decreased in the placebo group as gemigliptin was administered, whereas the efficacy of HbA1c reduction was maintained up to week 52 in the gemigliptin group. The safety profiles were similar: the incidence rates of treatment-emergent adverse events up to week 24 were 27.67% and 29.22% in the gemigliptin and placebo groups, respectively. The safety profiles after week 24 were similar to those up to week 24 in both groups, and no new safety findings, including hypoglycemia, were noted. Conclusion Add-on gemigliptin was well tolerated, providing comparable safety profiles and superior efficacy in glycemic control over placebo for long-term use in patients with T2DM who had poor glycemic control with metformin and dapagliflozin.

Purpose: Renal tumors account for approximately 7% of all childhood cancers. These include Wilms tumor (WT), clear cell sarcoma of the kidney (CCSK), malignant rhabdoid tumor of the kidney (MRTK), renal cell carcinoma (RCC), congenital mesoblastic nephroma (CMN) and other rare tumors. We investigated the epidemiology of pediatric renal tumors in Korea. Materials and Methods: From January 2001 to December 2015, data of pediatric patients (0–18 years) newly-diagnosed with renal tumors at 26 hospitals were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Among 439 patients (male, 240), the most common tumor was WT (n=342, 77.9%), followed by RCC (n=36, 8.2%), CCSK (n=24, 5.5%), MRTK (n=16, 3.6%), CMN (n=12, 2.7%), and others (n=9, 2.1%). Median age at diagnosis was 27.1 months (range 0-225.5) and median follow-up duration was 88.5 months (range 0-211.6). Overall, 32 patients died, of whom 17, 11, 1, and 3 died of relapse, progressive disease, second malignant neoplasm, and treatment-related mortality. Five-year overall survival and event free survival were 97.2% and 84.8% in WT, 90.6% and 82.1% in RCC, 81.1% and 63.6% in CCSK, 60.3% and 56.2% in MRTK, and 100% and 91.7% in CMN, respectively (p < 0.001). Conclusion The pediatric renal tumor types in Korea are similar to those previously reported in other countries. WT accounted for a large proportion and survival was excellent. Non-Wilms renal tumors included a variety of tumors and showed inferior outcome, especially MRTK. Further efforts are necessary to optimize the treatment and analyze the genetic characteristics of pediatric renal tumors in Korea.