Background: Acute deterioration of patients in general wards often leads to major adverse events (MAEs), including unplanned intensive care unit transfers, cardiac arrest, or death. Traditional early warning scores (EWSs) have shown limited predictive accuracy, with frequent false positives. We conducted a prospective observational external validation study of an artificial intelligence (AI)-based EWS, the VitalCare - Major Adverse Event Score (VC-MAES), at a tertiary medical center in the Republic of Korea. Methods: Adult patients from general wards, including internal medicine (IM) and obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN)—the latter were rarely investigated in prior AI-based EWS studies—were included. The VC-MAES predictions were compared with National Early Warning Score (NEWS) and Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) predictions using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), area under the precision-recall curve (AUPRC), and logistic regression for baseline EWS values. False-positives per true positive (FPpTP) were assessed based on the power threshold. Results: Of 6,039 encounters, 217 (3.6%) had MAEs (IM: 9.5%, OBGYN: 0.26%). Six hours prior to MAEs, the VC-MAES achieved an AUROC of 0.918 and an AUPRC of 0.352, including the OBGYN subgroup (AUROC, 0.964; AUPRC, 0.388), outperforming the NEWS (0.797 and 0.124) and MEWS (0.722 and 0.079). The FPpTP was reduced by up to 71%. Baseline VC-MAES was strongly associated with MAEs (P<0.001). Conclusions The VC-MAES significantly outperformed traditional EWSs in predicting adverse events in general ward patients. The robust performance and lower FPpTP suggest that broader adoption of the VC-MAES may improve clinical efficiency and resource allocation in general wards.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the relationship between health-promoting behaviors and social jetlag and depression among shift-working nurses. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 130 shift-working nurses. Social jetlag was assessed using the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire for shift workers. Depression was measured using the Korean version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and health-promoting behaviors were evaluated using the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II. Data were analyzed using frequency analysis, t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis with SAS 9.4. Results: The average social jetlag was 193.82 minutes for day shifts, 46.63 minutes for evening shifts, and 274.17 minutes for night shifts. Significant differences in social jetlag were associated with age, marital status, clinical experience, and shift preferences. Depression was significantly associated with subjective health status and attitudes toward night shifts. A negative correlation was found between health-promoting behaviors and depression (r=-.33, p<.001).Regression analysis revealed that depression (β=.20, p=.025) and subjective health status (β=.26, p=.004) negatively predicted health-promoting behaviors. Conclusion Social jetlag and depression significantly influenced health-promoting behaviors among shift-working nurses. These findings suggest the importance of targeted health management strategies that address mental health and sleep disturbances to improve the well-being of shiftworking nurses.

Objective: The study explores the long-term impacts of traumatic brain injury (TBI) on neuroinflammation and neuronal apoptosis in pediatric and adult mice, focusing on how age at injury influences these processes. Methods: Controlled cortical impacts were used to induce TBI in pediatric (21–25 days old) and adult (8–12 weeks old) C57BL/6 male mice. Neuroinflammation was evaluated by measuring immunoreactivity for allograft inflammatory factor 1 (AIF-1)/ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba-1) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), while apoptosis was assessed using markers such as B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)-associated X protein (Bax), Bcl-2, and procaspase-3. Additionally, heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) expression was measured to understand the stress response. Results: Following controlled cortical impacts, pediatric mice exhibited a significant reduction in expression of neuronal nuclei (P<0.001), and significant increases in expression of GFAP (P<0.01) and AIF-1/Iba-1 (P<0.05) at 3 days post-injury (DPI) compared with sham controls. In contrast, adult mice exhibited no significant change in AIF-1/Iba-1 expression and a less pronounced increase in GFAP (P<0.05) at 3 DPI compared with sham controls. A more significant increase in Bax/Bcl-2 ratio at 7 DPI (P<0.01) was seen in pediatric mice, while a weak but significant increase in Bax/Bcl-2 ratio at 7 DPI (P<0.05) was evident in adults. Both age groups showed a significant but transient increase in HSP70 levels at 7 DPI, which normalized by 90 DPI. Conclusion Pediatric and adult mice exhibited significant time-dependent differences in neuroinflammation and apoptosis following TBI, with pediatric mice showing more intense early responses indicative of age-specific vulnerabilities in post-injury outcomes. Both age groups showed a significant but transient increase in HSP70 expression, suggesting an acute response to stress post-injury.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic relapsing inflammatory skin disease.Although murine studies have demonstrated that type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) mediate type 2 skin inflammation, their role in skin fibrosis in AD remains unclear. This study investigated whether type 2 ILCs are involved in skin fibrosis using an AD-like murine model. Methods: C57BL/6 mice were treated epicutaneously with Aspergillus fumigatus (Af) for 5 consecutive days per week for 5 weeks to induce skin fibrosis. Mature lymphocyte deficient Rag1−/− mice were also used to investigate the role of type 2 ILCs in skin fibrosis. Results: The clinical score and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) were significantly higher in the AD group than in the control group. The AD group also showed significantly increased epidermal and dermal thicknesses and significantly higher numbers of eosinophils, neutrophils, mast cells, and lymphocytes in the lesional skin than the control group. The lesional skin of the AD group showed increased stain of collagen and significantly higher levels of collagen than the control group (10.4 ± 2.2 µg/mg vs. 1.6 ± 0.1 µg/mg, P < 0.05). The AD group showed significantly higher populations of type 2 ILCs in the lesional skin compared to the control group (0.08 ± 0.01% vs. 0.03 ± 0.01%, P < 0.05). These findings were also similar with the AD group of Rag1−/− mice compared to their control group. Depletion of type 2 ILCs with anti-CD90.2 monoclonal antibodies significantly improved clinical symptom score, TEWL, and infiltration of inflammatory cells, and significantly decreased levels of collagen were observed in the AD group of Rag1−/− mice (1.6 ± 0.0 μg/mg vs. 4.5 ± 0.3 μg/mg, P < 0.001). Conclusion In the Af-induced AD-like murine model, type 2 ILCs were elevated, with increased levels of collagen. Additionally, removal of type 2 ILCs resulted in decreased collagen levels and improved AD-like pathological findings. These findings suggest that type 2 ILCs play a role in the mechanism of skin fibrosis in AD.

Background: The Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) is associated with morbidity and mortality in older individuals. Our study explored the relationship between GNRI, decline in kidney function, and all-cause mortality in older individuals. Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed data from participants aged ≥60 years who underwent a general health checkup between 2002 and 2018. The primary exposure was the GNRI, divided into quartiles. The primary and secondary outcomes were a decline in kidney function assessed using the 5-year estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and all-cause mortality, respectively. Results: The analysis included a total of 1,599 participants (median age, 63 years; interquartile range [IQR], 61–67; 54% males). The mean±standard deviation of GNRI was 114±7. Compared with the highest GNRI quartile, the lower GNRI quartiles were associated with steeper 5-year slopes in eGFR, with a fully adjusted beta coefficient and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of −0.50 (−0.86, −0.14), −0.29 (−0.63, 0.05), and −0.19 (−0.53, 0.14) for the first, second, and third GNRI quartiles, respectively. The median follow-up duration was 7.4 years (IQR, 4.6–12.4). During this period, we identified 108 deaths (7.8 per 1,000 person-years). The first GNRI quartile was associated with all-cause mortality compared to the highest GNRI quartile (hazard ratio of 2.20; 95% CI 1.23, 3.95). Conclusion Nutritional status, as evaluated using the GNRI, was associated with 5-year changes in kidney function and all-cause mortality in older individuals.

Purpose: This study aims to analyze the financial performance research trends in medical institutions and to suggest the necessity and future research direction for financial management from the perspective of nursing organizations. Methods: Financial performance research in medical institutions was extracted by combining the keywords ‘finance’, ‘nursing’, ‘medical’, and ‘hospital’ in three domestic and foreign online databases. 55 studies were finally extracted. Results: Of the 55 studies selected, 41.8% have been published after 2010, and 79.6% have been published in Korea. 83.6% of the studies used financial statements, and 74.5% used the financial ratio. Among the studies on the use of financial statements, 40 balance sheets and 41 profit and loss statements were used. Conclusion There were some limitations in deriving implications for financial performance management at the level of nursing organization. When establishing strategies for future financial performance improvement, it is recommended to prioritize nursing cost optimization and profitability enhancement at the nursing organization level.

Till date, researchers have been developing animal models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in various species to understand the pathological characterization and molecular mechanistic pathways associated with this condition in humans to identify potential therapeutic treatments. A widely recognized AD model that mimics the pathology of human AD involves the intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection with streptozotocin (STZ).However, ICV injection as an invasive approach has several limitations related to complicated surgical procedures. Therefore, in the present study, we created a customized stereotaxic frame using the XperCT-guided system for injecting STZ in cynomolgus monkeys, aiming to establish an AD model. The anatomical structures surrounding the cisterna magna (CM) were confirmed using CT/MRI fusion images of monkey brain with XperCT, the c-arm cone beam computed tomography. XperCT was used to determine the appropriate direction in which the needle tip should be inserted within the CM region. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was collected to confirm the accurate target site when STZ was injected into the CM.Cynomolgus monkeys were administered STZ dissolved in artificial CSF once every week for 4 weeks via intracisterna magna (ICM) injection using XperCT-guided stereotactic system. The molecular mechanisms underlying the progression of STZ-induced AD pathology were analyzed two weeks after the final injection. The monkeys subjected to XperCT-based STZ injection via the ICM route showed features of AD pathology, including markedly enhanced neuronal loss, synaptic impairment, and tau phosphorylation in the hippocampus. These findings suggest a new approach for the construction of neurodegenerative disease models and development of therapeutic strategies.

Objective: Resuscitation-related gastric inflation is associated with inadequate ventilation and the risk of gastric regurgitation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients. This study aims to estimate resuscitation-related gastric inflation values by using multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) scanning. Methods: MDCT imaging data were obtained from OHCA patients undergoing resuscitation from January 2014 to December 2020. Thirty age- and sex-matched healthy controls that underwent an MDCT scan were included. Gastric air volume (GAV), total gastric volume (TGV), and GAV/gastric content volume (GCV) ratio values were estimated. Results: In healthy controls (n=30), GAV and TGV values were in the range 5.0-35.0 mL, and 202.0-1,002.0 mL, respectively. The mean GAV and TGV values of OHCA patients (n=97) were 251.0 mL (range, 55.5-896.0) and 878.0 mL (range, 430.5-1,696.0), respectively. Significant between-group differences were determined in the mean GCV, GAV, and GAV/GCV ratio values. In OHCA patients, the cut-off value for abnormal GAV was defined as 56.5 mL (mean value plus two times standard deviation). Patients with abnormal GAV findings on MDCT scans had a longer duration from arrest to the return of spontaneous circulation, low body mass index, and increased rates of lactic acidosis. Conclusion Our results indicate an association between gastric air accumulation after resuscitation with longer recovery from arrest to return of spontaneous circulation, low body mass index, and increased lactic acidosis.

Background: In psoriasis treatment, not all body regions improve simultaneously after clinical interventions. Objective: This study was aimed at evaluating clinical responses across body regions, which may differentially influence patient treatment plans. Methods: This prospective, observational, and multi-center study was conducted in Koreans who adhered to ustekinumab treatment based on criteria per local label and reimbursement guidelines. A total of 581 were included in this analysis. Results: The mean (±standard deviation) psoriasis area severity index (PASI) score at baseline, age, disease duration, and body surface area (%) were 18.9±9.69, 44.2±13.29 years, 11.3±9.65 years, and 27.8±17.83, respectively. Across the head and neck, upper extremities, trunk, and lower extremities, the correlation between the PASI sub-scores for the upper and lower extremities was the highest (r=0.680). The mean PASI sub-score for the lower extremities was the highest at baseline. PASI90 and PASI100 scores were the highest for the head and neck region, indicating the highest response rates, while those for the lower extremities were consistently low at all visits. Conclusion We found differences in regional ustekinumab responses, with the lower extremities being the most difficult to treat. These findings should be considered in psoriasis treatment.

Erythema nodosum (EN) is the most common form of panniculitis and may be triggered by a variety of stimuli, including infections, drugs, pregnancy, sarcoidosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and malignancies. Rare cases of vaccination-related EN have been reported, but none due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine of Pfizer have been documented. We report a case of EN associated with the Pfizer vaccine. A 43-year-old woman presented with acute-onset painful nodular lesions that appeared bilaterally on the extensor surface of the lower legs. These lesions appeared 5 days after the first dose of Pfizer vaccination. The patient reported no recent infectious history other than fever for 3 days after vaccination. Skin biopsy revealed inflammation extending into the subcutaneous fat with a septal distribution. It is important for physicians to be aware of the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine because more people are bound to be vaccinated.