Heart failure (HF) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in South Korea, imposing substantial physical, emotional, and financial burdens on patients and society. Despite the high burden of symptom and complex care needs of HF patients, palliative care and hospice services remain underutilized in South Korea due to cultural, institutional, and knowledge-related barriers. This position statement from the Korean Society of Heart Failure emphasizes the need for integrating palliative and hospice care into HF management to improve quality of life and support holistic care for patients and their families. By clarifying the role of palliative care in HF and proposing practical referral criteria, this position statement aims to bridge the gap between HF and palliative care services in South Korea, ultimately improving patient-centered outcomes and aligning treatment with the goals and values of HF patients.

Background: s/Aims: Artificial intelligence (AI) technology has been used to assess surgery quality, educate, and evaluate surgical performance using video recordings in the minimally invasive surgery era. Much attention has been paid to automating surgical workflow analysis from surgical videos for an effective evaluation to achieve the assessment and evaluation. This study aimed to design a deep learning model to automatically identify surgical phases using laparoscopic cholecystectomy videos and automatically assess the accuracy of recognizing surgical phases. Methods: One hundred and twenty cholecystectomy videos from a public dataset (Cholec80) and 40 laparoscopic cholecystectomy videos recorded between July 2022 and December 2022 at a single institution were collected. These datasets were split into training and testing datasets for the AI model at a 2:1 ratio. Test scenarios were constructed according to structural characteristics of the trained model. No pre- or post-processing of input data or inference output was performed to accurately analyze the effect of the label on model training. Results: A total of 98,234 frames were extracted from 40 cases as test data. The overall accuracy of the model was 91.2%. The most accurate phase was Calot’s triangle dissection (F1 score: 0.9421), whereas the least accurate phase was clipping and cutting (F1 score:0.7761). Conclusions Our AI model identified phases of laparoscopic cholecystectomy with a high accuracy.

Background: s/Aims: Artificial intelligence (AI) technology has been used to assess surgery quality, educate, and evaluate surgical performance using video recordings in the minimally invasive surgery era. Much attention has been paid to automating surgical workflow analysis from surgical videos for an effective evaluation to achieve the assessment and evaluation. This study aimed to design a deep learning model to automatically identify surgical phases using laparoscopic cholecystectomy videos and automatically assess the accuracy of recognizing surgical phases. Methods: One hundred and twenty cholecystectomy videos from a public dataset (Cholec80) and 40 laparoscopic cholecystectomy videos recorded between July 2022 and December 2022 at a single institution were collected. These datasets were split into training and testing datasets for the AI model at a 2:1 ratio. Test scenarios were constructed according to structural characteristics of the trained model. No pre- or post-processing of input data or inference output was performed to accurately analyze the effect of the label on model training. Results: A total of 98,234 frames were extracted from 40 cases as test data. The overall accuracy of the model was 91.2%. The most accurate phase was Calot’s triangle dissection (F1 score: 0.9421), whereas the least accurate phase was clipping and cutting (F1 score:0.7761). Conclusions Our AI model identified phases of laparoscopic cholecystectomy with a high accuracy.

Background: s/Aims: Artificial intelligence (AI) technology has been used to assess surgery quality, educate, and evaluate surgical performance using video recordings in the minimally invasive surgery era. Much attention has been paid to automating surgical workflow analysis from surgical videos for an effective evaluation to achieve the assessment and evaluation. This study aimed to design a deep learning model to automatically identify surgical phases using laparoscopic cholecystectomy videos and automatically assess the accuracy of recognizing surgical phases. Methods: One hundred and twenty cholecystectomy videos from a public dataset (Cholec80) and 40 laparoscopic cholecystectomy videos recorded between July 2022 and December 2022 at a single institution were collected. These datasets were split into training and testing datasets for the AI model at a 2:1 ratio. Test scenarios were constructed according to structural characteristics of the trained model. No pre- or post-processing of input data or inference output was performed to accurately analyze the effect of the label on model training. Results: A total of 98,234 frames were extracted from 40 cases as test data. The overall accuracy of the model was 91.2%. The most accurate phase was Calot’s triangle dissection (F1 score: 0.9421), whereas the least accurate phase was clipping and cutting (F1 score:0.7761). Conclusions Our AI model identified phases of laparoscopic cholecystectomy with a high accuracy.

Background: We aimed to evaluate whether composite blood biomarkers including aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B10 (AKR1B10) and cytokeratin 18 (CK-18; a nonalcoholic steatohepatitis [NASH] marker) have clinically applicable performance for the diagnosis of NASH, advanced liver fibrosis, and high-risk NASH (NASH+significant fibrosis). Methods: A total of 116 subjects including healthy control subjects and patients with biopsy-proven nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) were analyzed to assess composite blood-based and imaging-based biomarkers either singly or in combination. Results: A composite blood biomarker comprised of AKR1B10, CK-18, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) showed excellent performance for the diagnosis of, NASH, advanced fibrosis, and high-risk NASH, with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values of 0.934 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.888 to 0.981), 0.902 (95% CI, 0.832 to 0.971), and 0.918 (95% CI, 0.862 to 0.974), respectively. However, the performance of this blood composite biomarker was inferior to that various magnetic resonance (MR)-based composite biomarkers, such as proton density fat fraction/MR elastography- liver stiffness measurement (MRE-LSM)/ALT/AST for NASH, MRE-LSM+fibrosis-4 index for advanced fibrosis, and the known MR imaging-AST (MAST) score for high-risk NASH. Conclusion Our blood composite biomarker can be useful to distinguish progressive forms of NAFLD as an initial noninvasive test when MR-based tools are not available.

BACKGROUND: The skin, a vital organ protecting against microorganisms and dehydration, undergoes structural decline with aging, leading to visible issues such as wrinkles and sagging. Reduced blood vessels exacerbate vulnerability, hindering optimal cellular function and compromising skin health. Polydioxanone (PDO) biomaterials address aging concerns but produce acidic byproducts, causing inflammation. Inorganic particles and nitric oxide (NO) play crucial roles in inhibiting inflammation and promoting skin regeneration. Stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) contribute to intercellular communication, offering the potential to enhance cell functions. The study proposes a method to enhance PDO-based medical devices by incorporating inorganic particles and immobilizing EVs, focusing on facial rejuvenation, anti-inflammatory response, collagen formation, and angiogenesis.METHOD: PDO composites with inorganic particles such as magnesium hydroxide (MH) and zinc oxide (ZO) were prepared and followed by EV immobilization. Comprehensive characterization included biocompatibility, anti-inflammation, collagen formation ability, and angiogenesis ability. RESULTS: Bulk-modified PDO composites demonstrated even dispersion of inorganic particles, pH neutralization, and enhanced biocompatibility. EVs immobilized on the composite surface exhibited spherical morphology. Inflammationrelated gene expressions decreased, emphasizing anti-inflammatory effects. Collagen-related gene and protein expressions increased, showcasing collagen formation ability. In addition, angiogenic capabilities were notably improved, indicating potential for skin rejuvenation. CONCLUSION The study successfully developed and characterized PDO composites with inorganic particles and EVs, demonstrating promising attributes for medical applications. These composites exhibit biocompatibility, anti-inflammatory properties, collagen formation ability, and angiogenic potential, suggesting their utility in skin rejuvenation and tissue engineering. Further research and clinical validation are essential.

Purpose: Frequent neutropenia hinders uninterrupted palbociclib treatment in patients with hormone receptor (HR)–positive breast cancer. We compared the efficacy outcomes in multicenter cohorts of patients with metastatic breast cancer (mBC) receiving palbociclib following conventional dose modification or limited modified schemes for afebrile grade 3 neutropenia. Materials and Methods: Patients with HR-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–negative mBC (n=434) receiving palbociclib with letrozole as first-line therapy were analyzed and classified based on neutropenia grade and afebrile grade 3 neutropenia management as follows: group 1 (maintained palbociclib dose, limited scheme), group 2 (dose delay or reduction, conventional scheme), group 3 (no afebrile grade 3 neutropenia event), and group 4 (grade 4 neutropenia event). The primary and secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) between groups 1 and 2 and PFS, overall survival, and safety profiles among all groups. Results: During follow-up (median 23.7 months), group 1 (2-year PFS, 67.9%) showed significantly longer PFS than did group 2 (2-year PFS, 55.3%; p=0.036), maintained across all subgroups, and upon adjustment of the factors. Febrile neutropenia occurred in one and two patients of group 1 and group 2, respectively, without mortality. Conclusion Limited dose modification for palbociclib-related grade 3 neutropenia may lead to longer PFS, without increasing toxicity, than the conventional dose scheme.

Background and Objectives: Inherited arrhythmia (IA) is a more common cause of sudden cardiac death in Asian population, but little is known about the genetic background of Asian IA probands. We aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and analyze the genetic underpinnings of IA in a Korean cohort. Methods: This study was conducted in a multicenter cohort of the Korean IA Registry from 2014 to 2017. Genetic testing was performed using a next-generation sequencing panel including 174 causative genes of cardiovascular disease. Results: Among the 265 IA probands, idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (IVF) and Brugada Syndrome (BrS) was the most prevalent diseases (96 and 95 cases respectively), followed by long QT syndrome (LQTS, n=54). Two-hundred-sixteen probands underwent genetic testing, and 69 probands (31.9%) were detected with genetic variant, with yield of pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant as 6.4%. Left ventricular ejection fraction was significantly lower in genotype positive probands (54.7±11.3 vs. 59.3±9.2%, p=0.005). IVF probands showed highest yield of positive genotype (54.0%), followed by LQTS (23.8%), and BrS (19.5%). Conclusions There were significant differences in clinical characteristics and genetic yields among BrS, LQTS, and IVF. Genetic testing did not provide better yield for BrS and LQTS. On the other hand, in IVF, genetic testing using multiple gene panel might enable the molecular diagnosis of concealed genotype, which may alter future clinical diagnosis and management strategies.

Background: A previous study reported that hyperlipidemia increases the incidence of tears in the rotator cuff tendon and affects healing after repair. The aim of our study was to compare the gene and protein expression of torn rotator cuff tendons in patients both with and without hypercholesterolemia. Methods: Thirty patients who provided rotator cuff tendon samples were classified into either a non-hypercholesterolemia group (n=19, serum total cholesterol [TC] <200 mg/dL) and hypercholesterolemia group (n=11, serum TC ≥240 mg/dL) based on their concentrations of serum TC. The expression of various genes of interest, including COL1A1, IGF1, IL-6, MMP2, MMP3, MMP9, MMP13, TNMD, and TP53, was analyzed by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). In addition, Western blot analysis was performed on the proteins encoded by interleukin (IL)-6 and TP53 that showed significantly different expression levels in real-time qRT-PCR. Results: Except for IGF1, the gene expression levels of IL-6, MMP2, MMP9, and TP53 were significantly higher in the hypercholesterolemic group than in the non-hypercholesterolemia group. Western blot analysis confirmed significantly higher protein levels of IL-6 and TP53 in the hypercholesterolemic group (p<0.05). Conclusions We observed an increase in inflammatory cytokine and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) levels in hypercholesterolemic patients with rotator cuff tears. Increased levels of IL-6 and TP53 were observed at both the mRNA and protein levels. We suggest that the overexpression of IL-6 and TP53 may be a specific feature in rotator cuff disease patients with hypercholesterolemia.

The apocrine morphology of the breast is observed in a broad pathological spectrum, ranging from benign cysts to invasive carcinomas. However, the number of clinical research investigating malignant apocrine lesions is limited. This study retrospectively reviewed the data of patients with malignant apocrine lesions admitted in a tertiary center between January 2004 and December 2021, based on the radiology-pathology correlation and the recent advances in their status to enhance the therapeutic implications of androgen receptor (AR). Among the 37 patients with lesions, 27 (73.0%) had triple-negative subtypes with predominant AR expression. The radiological features of malignant apocrine lesions did not differ from those of typical invasive ductal carcinoma or ductal carcinoma in situ. This study demonstrated that knowledge on the imaging features of malignant apocrine lesions and their histological basis could enhance the adoption of new targeted therapies in patients with this particular type of breast cancer.