BACKGROUND: Implant supporting materials are currently used in breast reconstruction. However, when used in humans, they are associated with several problems. To address these issues, a new mesh called TissueDerm was created by combining a collagen sponge with a 3D printed polycaprolactone (PCL) mesh. It has shown promising results in pig experiments and could potentially replace the most commonly used acellular dermal matrix (ADM) for breast reconstruction. METHODS: Four 12-month-old minipigs were used in this experiment. Silicone implants were wrapped with ADM or TissueDerm, and the breast tissue was excised and implanted along with the wrapped implants. Three months later, the minipigs were sacrificed and the skin and mammary gland tissue surrounding the implants were harvested for further analysis. Histological analyses and immunostaining were performed. RESULTS: Although there was no significant difference in capsule thickness between the ADM and TissueDerm groups, collagen was more involved in TissueDerm, leading to better tissue regeneration. TissueDerm also induced lower levels of inflammatory markers TNF-a and IL-6 compared to ADM. However, capsules induced with ADM had significantly higher collagen fiber alignment and alpha-smooth muscle actin (a-SMA) positive immunoreactivity, suggesting that TissueDerm may be less likely to cause spherical contractures in the porcine model compared to ADM. CONCLUSIONS The study found that TissueDerm has advantages over ADM in terms of easier tissue invasion and reduced spheroidization in a porcine model. The results showed that TissueDerm is a promising new mesh for implantbased breast reconstruction (IBBR) and could potentially replace ADM.

Background: Cough is a prominent symptom of chronic respiratory diseases, including asthma, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and bronchiectasis (BE). Some patients develop chronic cough (CC), defined as lasting more than 8 weeks, yet its characteristics remain poorly understood. This study aimed to characterize CC across various chronic respiratory diseases using validated cough assessment tools. Methods: The Cough Assessment in Chronic Respiratory Diseases (COASESS) study, a multicenter, prospective cross-sectional study, was conducted at 10 university hospitals. CC was evaluated in terms of intensity (numeric rating scale [NRS]), frequency (cough symptom score [CSS]), and quality of life (using the cough assessment test [COAT] and Leicester cough questionnaire [LCQ]). Cough hypersensitivity was assessed with the cough hypersensitivity questionnaire (CHQ). Data on age, sex, and smoking status were also collected. Results: Among the 303 enrolled patients, 266 with chronic respiratory diseases were included in the analysis. Patients with asthma were younger, predominantly female, and non-smokers, whereas those with COPD and IPF were older males who had previously smoked (p<0.001). Scores for COAT, LCQ, NRS, and CSS showed significant differences across the diseases, with asthma and IPF patients experiencing a greater symptom burden and lower quality of life compared to those with COPD or BE (p<0.001). Although CHQ total scores were similar across groups, asthma patients more frequently reported triggers such as talking and post-nasal drip. Conclusion This study revealed distinct characteristics of CC across different chronic respiratory diseases. Asthma and IPF were associated with a higher symptom burden, and cough hypersensitivity varied depending on the underlying condition. These findings highlight the necessity for disease-specific assessments and management strategies for CC.

Background: and Purpose Previous research on patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) has shown a 0.5% incidence of major gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) requiring blood transfusion during hospitalization. The existing literature has insufficiently explored the long-term incidence in this population despite the decremental impact of GIB on stroke outcomes. Methods: We analyzed the data from a cohort of patients with AIS admitted to 14 hospitals as part of a nationwide multicenter prospective stroke registry between 2011 and 2013. These patients were followed up for up to 6 years. The occurrence of major GIB events, defined as GIB necessitating at least two units of blood transfusion, was tracked using the National Health Insurance Service claims data. Results: Among 10,818 patients with AIS (male, 59%; mean age, 68±13 years), 947 (8.8%) experienced 1,224 episodes of major GIB over a median follow-up duration of 3.1 years. Remarkably, 20% of 947 patients experienced multiple episodes of major GIB. The incidence peaked in the first month after AIS, reaching 19.2 per 100 person-years, and gradually decreased to approximately one-sixth of this rate by the 2nd year with subsequent stabilization. Multivariable analysis identified the following predictors of major GIB: anemia, estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 , and a 3-month modified Rankin Scale score of ≥4. Conclusion Patients with AIS are susceptible to major GIB, particularly in the first month after the onset of AIS, with the risk decreasing thereafter. Implementing preventive strategies may be important, especially for patients with anemia and impaired renal function at stroke onset and those with a disabling stroke.

Background: The 16S rRNA-targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) has been widely used as the primary tool for microbiome analysis. However, whether the sequenced microbial diversity absolutely represents the original sample composition remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate whether 16S rRNA gene-targeted NGS accurately captures bacterial community composition. Methods: Mock communities were constructed using equal amounts of DNA from 18 bacterial strains in three formats: genomic DNA, recombinant plasmids, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) templates. The V3V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified and sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq. Results: Data regression analysis revealed that the recombinant plasmid produced more accurate and precise correlation curve than that by the gDNA and PCR products, with a slope closest to 1 (1.0082) and the highest R² value (0.9975). Despite the same input amount of bacterial DNA, the NGS read distribution varied across all three mock communities. Using multiple regression analysis, we found that the guanine-cytosine (GC) content of the V3V4 region, 16S rRNA gene, size of gDNA, and copy number of 16S rRNA were significantly associated with the NGS output of each bacterial species. Conclusion This study demonstrated that recombinant plasmids are the preferred option for quality control and that NGS output is biased owing to certain bacterial characteristics, such as %GC content, gDNA size, and 16S rRNA gene copy number. Further research is required to develop a system that compensates for NGS process biases using mock communities.

Background: The 16S rRNA-targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) has been widely used as the primary tool for microbiome analysis. However, whether the sequenced microbial diversity absolutely represents the original sample composition remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate whether 16S rRNA gene-targeted NGS accurately captures bacterial community composition. Methods: Mock communities were constructed using equal amounts of DNA from 18 bacterial strains in three formats: genomic DNA, recombinant plasmids, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) templates. The V3V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified and sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq. Results: Data regression analysis revealed that the recombinant plasmid produced more accurate and precise correlation curve than that by the gDNA and PCR products, with a slope closest to 1 (1.0082) and the highest R² value (0.9975). Despite the same input amount of bacterial DNA, the NGS read distribution varied across all three mock communities. Using multiple regression analysis, we found that the guanine-cytosine (GC) content of the V3V4 region, 16S rRNA gene, size of gDNA, and copy number of 16S rRNA were significantly associated with the NGS output of each bacterial species. Conclusion This study demonstrated that recombinant plasmids are the preferred option for quality control and that NGS output is biased owing to certain bacterial characteristics, such as %GC content, gDNA size, and 16S rRNA gene copy number. Further research is required to develop a system that compensates for NGS process biases using mock communities.

Background: The 16S rRNA-targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) has been widely used as the primary tool for microbiome analysis. However, whether the sequenced microbial diversity absolutely represents the original sample composition remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate whether 16S rRNA gene-targeted NGS accurately captures bacterial community composition. Methods: Mock communities were constructed using equal amounts of DNA from 18 bacterial strains in three formats: genomic DNA, recombinant plasmids, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) templates. The V3V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified and sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq. Results: Data regression analysis revealed that the recombinant plasmid produced more accurate and precise correlation curve than that by the gDNA and PCR products, with a slope closest to 1 (1.0082) and the highest R² value (0.9975). Despite the same input amount of bacterial DNA, the NGS read distribution varied across all three mock communities. Using multiple regression analysis, we found that the guanine-cytosine (GC) content of the V3V4 region, 16S rRNA gene, size of gDNA, and copy number of 16S rRNA were significantly associated with the NGS output of each bacterial species. Conclusion This study demonstrated that recombinant plasmids are the preferred option for quality control and that NGS output is biased owing to certain bacterial characteristics, such as %GC content, gDNA size, and 16S rRNA gene copy number. Further research is required to develop a system that compensates for NGS process biases using mock communities.

Background: The 16S rRNA-targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) has been widely used as the primary tool for microbiome analysis. However, whether the sequenced microbial diversity absolutely represents the original sample composition remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate whether 16S rRNA gene-targeted NGS accurately captures bacterial community composition. Methods: Mock communities were constructed using equal amounts of DNA from 18 bacterial strains in three formats: genomic DNA, recombinant plasmids, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) templates. The V3V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified and sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq. Results: Data regression analysis revealed that the recombinant plasmid produced more accurate and precise correlation curve than that by the gDNA and PCR products, with a slope closest to 1 (1.0082) and the highest R² value (0.9975). Despite the same input amount of bacterial DNA, the NGS read distribution varied across all three mock communities. Using multiple regression analysis, we found that the guanine-cytosine (GC) content of the V3V4 region, 16S rRNA gene, size of gDNA, and copy number of 16S rRNA were significantly associated with the NGS output of each bacterial species. Conclusion This study demonstrated that recombinant plasmids are the preferred option for quality control and that NGS output is biased owing to certain bacterial characteristics, such as %GC content, gDNA size, and 16S rRNA gene copy number. Further research is required to develop a system that compensates for NGS process biases using mock communities.

Background: and Purpose Previous research on patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) has shown a 0.5% incidence of major gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) requiring blood transfusion during hospitalization. The existing literature has insufficiently explored the long-term incidence in this population despite the decremental impact of GIB on stroke outcomes. Methods: We analyzed the data from a cohort of patients with AIS admitted to 14 hospitals as part of a nationwide multicenter prospective stroke registry between 2011 and 2013. These patients were followed up for up to 6 years. The occurrence of major GIB events, defined as GIB necessitating at least two units of blood transfusion, was tracked using the National Health Insurance Service claims data. Results: Among 10,818 patients with AIS (male, 59%; mean age, 68±13 years), 947 (8.8%) experienced 1,224 episodes of major GIB over a median follow-up duration of 3.1 years. Remarkably, 20% of 947 patients experienced multiple episodes of major GIB. The incidence peaked in the first month after AIS, reaching 19.2 per 100 person-years, and gradually decreased to approximately one-sixth of this rate by the 2nd year with subsequent stabilization. Multivariable analysis identified the following predictors of major GIB: anemia, estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 , and a 3-month modified Rankin Scale score of ≥4. Conclusion Patients with AIS are susceptible to major GIB, particularly in the first month after the onset of AIS, with the risk decreasing thereafter. Implementing preventive strategies may be important, especially for patients with anemia and impaired renal function at stroke onset and those with a disabling stroke.

Background: The 16S rRNA-targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) has been widely used as the primary tool for microbiome analysis. However, whether the sequenced microbial diversity absolutely represents the original sample composition remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate whether 16S rRNA gene-targeted NGS accurately captures bacterial community composition. Methods: Mock communities were constructed using equal amounts of DNA from 18 bacterial strains in three formats: genomic DNA, recombinant plasmids, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) templates. The V3V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified and sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq. Results: Data regression analysis revealed that the recombinant plasmid produced more accurate and precise correlation curve than that by the gDNA and PCR products, with a slope closest to 1 (1.0082) and the highest R² value (0.9975). Despite the same input amount of bacterial DNA, the NGS read distribution varied across all three mock communities. Using multiple regression analysis, we found that the guanine-cytosine (GC) content of the V3V4 region, 16S rRNA gene, size of gDNA, and copy number of 16S rRNA were significantly associated with the NGS output of each bacterial species. Conclusion This study demonstrated that recombinant plasmids are the preferred option for quality control and that NGS output is biased owing to certain bacterial characteristics, such as %GC content, gDNA size, and 16S rRNA gene copy number. Further research is required to develop a system that compensates for NGS process biases using mock communities.

Background: and Purpose Previous research on patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) has shown a 0.5% incidence of major gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) requiring blood transfusion during hospitalization. The existing literature has insufficiently explored the long-term incidence in this population despite the decremental impact of GIB on stroke outcomes. Methods: We analyzed the data from a cohort of patients with AIS admitted to 14 hospitals as part of a nationwide multicenter prospective stroke registry between 2011 and 2013. These patients were followed up for up to 6 years. The occurrence of major GIB events, defined as GIB necessitating at least two units of blood transfusion, was tracked using the National Health Insurance Service claims data. Results: Among 10,818 patients with AIS (male, 59%; mean age, 68±13 years), 947 (8.8%) experienced 1,224 episodes of major GIB over a median follow-up duration of 3.1 years. Remarkably, 20% of 947 patients experienced multiple episodes of major GIB. The incidence peaked in the first month after AIS, reaching 19.2 per 100 person-years, and gradually decreased to approximately one-sixth of this rate by the 2nd year with subsequent stabilization. Multivariable analysis identified the following predictors of major GIB: anemia, estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 , and a 3-month modified Rankin Scale score of ≥4. Conclusion Patients with AIS are susceptible to major GIB, particularly in the first month after the onset of AIS, with the risk decreasing thereafter. Implementing preventive strategies may be important, especially for patients with anemia and impaired renal function at stroke onset and those with a disabling stroke.