Metabolic abnormalities in the liver are closely associated with diverse metabolic diseases such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ameliorating effect of robinetin (RBN) on the significant pathogenic features of metabolic failure in the liver and to identify the underlying molecular mechanism. RBN significantly decreased triglyceride (TG) accumulation by downregulating lipogenesis-related transcription factors in AML-12 murine hepatocyte cell line. In addition, mice fed with Western diet (WD) containing 0.025% or 0.05% RBN showed reduced liver mass and lipid droplet size, as well as improved plasma insulin levels and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) values.CD38 was identified as a target of RBN using the BioAssay database, and its expression was increased in OPA-treated AML-12 cells and liver tissues of WD-fed mice. Furthermore, RBN elicited these effects through its anti-histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity. Computational simulation revealed that RBN can dock into the HAT domain pocket of p300, a histone acetyltransferase, which leads to the abrogation of its catalytic activity. Additionally, knock-down of p300 using siRNA reduced CD38 expression.The chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay showed that p300 occupancy on the promoter region of CD38 was significantly decreased, and H3K9 acetylation levels were diminished in lipid-accumulated AML-12 cells treated with RBN. RBN improves the pathogenic features of metabolic failure by suppressing the p300–CD38 axis through its anti-HAT activity, which suggests that RBN can be used as a new phytoceutical candidate for preventing or improving this condition.

Local ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma, a non-surgical option that directly targets and destroys tumor cells, has advanced significantly since the 1990s. Therapies with different energy sources, such as radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, and cryoablation, employ different mechanisms to induce tumor necrosis. The precision, safety, and effectiveness of these therapies have increased with advances in guiding technologies and device improvements.Consequently, local ablation has become the first-line treatment for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma. The lack of organized evidence and expert opinions regarding patient selection, preprocedure preparation, procedural methods, swift post-treatment evaluation, and follow-up has resulted in clinicians following varied practices. Therefore, an expert consensus-based practical recommendation for local ablation was developed by a group of experts in radiology and hepatology from the Research Committee of the Korean Liver Cancer Association in collaboration with the Korean Society of Image-Guided Tumor Ablation to provide useful information and guidance for performing local ablation and for the pre- and post-treatment management of patients.

Local ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a non-surgical option that directly targets and destroys tumor cells, has advanced significantly since the 1990s. Therapies with different energy sources, such as radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, and cryoablation, employ different mechanisms to induce tumor necrosis. The precision, safety, and effectiveness of these therapies have increased with advances in guiding technologies and device improvements. Consequently, local ablation has become the firstline treatment for early-stage HCC. The lack of organized evidence and expert opinions regarding patient selection, pre-procedure preparation, procedural methods, swift post-treatment evaluation, and follow-up has resulted in clinicians following varied practices. Therefore, an expert consensus-based practical recommendation for local ablation was developed by a group of experts in radiology and hepatology from the Research Committee of the Korean Liver Cancer Association in collaboration with the Korean Society of Image-guided Tumor Ablation to provide useful information and guidance for performing local ablation and for the pre- and posttreatment management of patients.

Background and Objectives: Early diastolic mitral annular tissue (e’) velocity is a commonly used marker of left ventricular (LV) diastolic function. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic implications of e’ velocity in patients with mitral regurgitation (MR). Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 1,536 consecutive patients aged <65 years with moderate or severe chronic primary MR diagnosed between 2009 and 2018. The primary and secondary outcomes were all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, respectively.According to the current guidelines, the cut-off value of e’ velocity was defined as 7 cm/s. Results: A total of 404 individuals were enrolled (median age, 51.0 years; 64.1% male; 47.8% severe MR). During a median 6.0-year follow-up, there were 40 all-cause mortality and 16 cardiovascular deaths. Multivariate analysis revealed a significant association between e’ velocity and all-cause death (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.770; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.634–0.935; p=0.008) and cardiovascular death (aHR, 0.690; 95% CI, 0.477–0.998;p=0.049). Abnormal e’ velocity (≤7 cm/s) independently predicted all-cause death (aHR, 2.467; 95% CI, 1.170–5.200; p=0.018) and cardiovascular death (aHR, 5.021; 95% CI, 1.189–21.211; p=0.028), regardless of symptoms, LV dimension and ejection fraction. Subgroup analysis according to sex, MR severity, mitral valve replacement/repair, and symptoms, showed no significant interactions. Including e’ velocity in the 10-year risk score improved reclassification for mortality (net reclassification improvement [NRI], 0.154; 95% CI, 0.308– 0.910; p<0.001) and cardiovascular death (NRI, 1.018; 95% CI, 0.680–1.356; p<0.001). Conclusions In patients aged <65 years with primary MR, e’ velocity served as an independent predictor of all-cause and cardiovascular deaths.

Interstitial granulomatous dermatitis (IGD) is a rare skin condition commonly associated with autoimmune diseases.Lesions typically occur bilaterally on the lateral trunk and proximal extremities and present as variable cutaneous lesions. A 63-year-old female with a 1-year history of a skin rash on her face visited the dermatology department of our hospital. The patient had received a dermal filler injection with unidentified gradients on the face of an unlicensed practitioner 20 years before. The lesions on the left cheek were tender, violaceous, coalescing, and annular. A violaceous round nodule with tenderness was observed on the left chin and glabella. She denied having any systemic complaints. The biopsy specimen showed diffuse interstitial CD68＋ histiocytic infiltration involving the reticular dermis around the degenerative collagen bundles. The patient was diagnosed with IGD. The patient was treated with systemic steroids and showed clinical improvement. Herein, we report a case of IGD after an unknown dermal filler injection, along with a literature review.

Background: Chronic scalp pruritus is a common symptom in dermatology patients. However, few studies have investigated its causes and clinical characteristics. Objective: We aimed to evaluate in this study the causes of chronic scalp pruritus, classify itching, and the clinical manifestations associated with different causes and classifications. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 179 patients with chronic scalp pruritus recruited from the Department of Dermatology at Konyang University Hospital between August 2023 to February 2024. Age, sex, clinical features, Itch Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), and treatment response were evaluated using a questionnaire. Results: The most common cause of chronic scalp pruritus was a dermatologic condition (n=135, 75.4%). Systemic scalp pruritus (n=15, 8.4%) was the second most common cause, followed by neuropathic pruritus (n=14, 7.8%), psychogenic scalp pruritus (n=9, 5.0%), and scalp pruritus of unknown origin (n=6, 3.4%). Patients with systemic pruritus had higher itch NRS scores compared to those with neuropathic pruritus (p=0.033). In addition, patients with dermatological pruritus experienced longer itch duration and treatment courses than patients with neuropathic pruritus (p=0.001 and p=0.005, respectively). Moreover, patients with higher itch NRS scores had higher DLQI scores among patients with dermatological pruritus (p＜0.001). Conclusion In this study, we classified the causes of scalp pruritus and identified the itch severity and clinical manifestations. The severity of itching, pruritus duration, treatment duration, and aggravating factors differed for each scalp pruritus classification. Understanding the classification and clinical characteristics of scalp pruritus can facilitate the development of more effective treatments.

Local ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a non-surgical option that directly targets and destroys tumor cells, has advanced significantly since the 1990s. Therapies with different energy sources, such as radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, and cryoablation, employ different mechanisms to induce tumor necrosis. The precision, safety, and effectiveness of these therapies have increased with advances in guiding technologies and device improvements. Consequently, local ablation has become the first-line treatment for early-stage HCC. The lack of organized evidence and expert opinions regarding patient selection, pre-procedure preparation, procedural methods, swift post-treatment evaluation, and follow-up has resulted in clinicians following varied practices. Therefore, an expert consensus-based practical recommendation for local ablation was developed by a group of experts in radiology and hepatology from the Research Committee of the Korean Liver Cancer Association in collaboration with the Korean Society of Image-guided Tumor Ablation to provide useful information and guidance for performing local ablation and for the pre- and post-treatment management of patients.

Quantitative and qualitative research explore various social phenomena using different methods. However, there has been a tendency to treat quantitative studies using complicated statistical techniques as more scientific and superior, whereas relatively few qualitative studies have been conducted in the medical and healthcare fields. This review aimed to provide a proper understanding of qualitative research. This review examined the characteristics of quantitative and qualitative research to help researchers select the appropriate qualitative research methodology. Qualitative research is applicable in following cases: (1) when an exploratory approach is required on a topic that is not well known, (2) when something cannot be explained fully with quantitative research, (3) when it is necessary to newly present a specific view on a research topic that is difficult to explain with existing views, (4) when it is inappropriate to present the rationale or theoretical proposition for designing hypotheses, as in quantitative research, and (5) when conducting research that requires detailed descriptive writing with literary expressions. Qualitative research is conducted in the following order: (1) selection of a research topic and question, (2) selection of a theoretical framework and methods, (3) literature analysis, (4) selection of the research participants and data collection methods, (5) data analysis and description of findings, and (6) research validation. This review can contribute to the more active use of qualitative research in healthcare, and the findings are expected to instill a proper understanding of qualitative research in researchers who review qualitative research reports and papers.

Background: A methodology for comprehensively and reasonably measuring the burden of disease due to adverse events has yet to be clearly established. In this study, a new and systematic method for measuring the burden of disease due to adverse events was tested by utilizing the results of a medical record review, which is commonly used as a gold standard. Methods: Using the characteristics of preventable adverse events identified in the 2019 Patient Safety Incidents Inquiry (PSII), conducted to monitor the level of patient safety in Korea accurately, the resulting disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and economic costs were estimated. DALYs were calculated as the sum of the years lived with a disability for patients who suffered permanent disability, or more, due to preventable adverse events, and the years of life lost due to premature mortality was calculated for patients who died due to preventable adverse events. The economic cost was calculated using the main diagnostic codes of patients who suffered preventable adverse events, identified as prolonged hospitalization in PSII, and the average medical cost by disease category and age group. Results: Estimates of DALYs due to preventable adverse events were 1,114.4 DALYs per 100,000 population for the minimum standard and 1,658.5 DALYs per 100,000 population for the maximum standard. Compared to the 2015 Korea Burden of Disease results, the ranking of DALYs due to preventable adverse events was sixth for the minimum standard and third for the maximum standard. The annual medical cost of adverse events in 2016 was estimated to be approximately Korean Republic Won (KRW) 870 billion (700 million US dollars). Medical expenses due to preventable adverse events were calculated to be approximately KRW 150 billion (120 million US dollars) as a minimum standard and approximately KRW 300 billion (240 million US dollars) as a maximum standard. Conclusion If this more standard method of systematically calculating the disease burden due to adverse events is used, it will be possible to compare the size of the patient safety problem with that of other diseases. The results of this study indicate that we still need to pay more attention to the issue of patient safety.

It has been reported that some exercise could enhance the anti-viral antibody titers after vaccination including influenza and coronavirus disease 2019 vaccines. We developed SAT-008, a novel digital device, consists of physical activities and activities related to the autonomic nervous system. We assessed the feasibility of SAT-008 to boost host immunity after an influenza vaccination by a randomized, open-label, and controlled study on adults administered influenza vaccines in the previous year. Among 32 participants, the SAT-008 showed a significant increase in the anti-influenza antibody titers assessed by hemagglutination-inhibition test against antigen subtype B Yamagata lineage after 4 wk of vaccination and subtype B Victoria lineage after 12 wk (p<0.05). There was no difference in the antibody titers against subtype “A.” The SAT-008 also showed significant increase in the plasma cytokine levels of IL-10, IL-1β, and IL-6 at weeks 4 and 12 after the vaccination (p<0.05). A new approach using the digital device may boost host immunity against virus via vaccine adjuvant-like effects.