Baewha Women's University

BackgroundHuman papillomavirus (HPV) independent cervical malignancies (HPV-IDCMs) have recently been classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) 5th edition. These malignancies have historically received limited attention due to their rarity and the potential for evasion of HPV-based screening.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed 5,854 biopsy-confirmed cervical malignancies from 22 institutions over 3 years (July 2020–June 2023). Histologic classification followed the WHO guidelines. HPV independence was confirmed by dual negativity for p16 and HPV; discordant cases (p16-positive/HPV-negative) underwent additional HPV testing using paraffin-embedded tissue. Cytological results were matched sequentially to histological confirmation.ResultsThe prevalence of HPV-IDCM was 4.4% (257/5,854) overall and was 3.6% (208/5,805 cases) among primary cervical malignancy. Patient age of HPV-IDCM was 29 to 89 years (median, 57.79). Its histologic subtypes included primary adenocarcinoma (n = 116), endometrial adenocarcinoma (n = 35), squamous cell carcinoma (n = 72), metastatic carcinoma (n = 14), carcinoma, not otherwise specified (n = 10), neuroendocrine carcinoma (n = 3), and others (n = 7). Among 155 cytology-histological matched cases, the overall and primary Pap test detection rates were 85.2% (132/155) and 83.2% (104/125), respectively. The interval between cytology and histologic confirmation extended up to 38 months.ConclusionsHPV-IDCMs comprised 3.6% of primary cervical malignancies with a high detection rate via cytology (83.2%). These findings affirm the value of cytological screening, particularly in patients with limited screening history or at risk for HPV-independent lesions, and may guide future screening protocols.

ABSTRACT This study aimed to understand the design characteristics and consumers' preferences and satisfaction of virtual fashion to provide guidelines for developing AR-based virtual fashion products. A total of 171 virtual fashion images were analyzed, followed by a quantitative survey on the preferences and purchase intentions of 305 participants living in the U.S. to investigate whether there are differences among subgroups. Ten virtual clothing designs were generated with AI-based software based on the survey results. A second survey involving 322 participants evaluated satisfaction and purchase intention toward the developed virtual clothing. This research defined the design characteristics of each design element of the purchased virtual clothing and identified consumer preferences regarding these design elements and analyzed consumer satisfaction and purchase intention toward the developed virtual clothing, including sub-group differences. The results of this study can help designers when developing virtual clothing with AR technology.

This study aims to investigate the effect of both the affordance of virtual reality (VR) technology and users’ digital media literacy on users’ emotions, which leads to recommendations to use VR experiences in cultural heritage tourism. A survey was conducted at a realistic VR studio in Gyeongju World Culture Expo Park, South Korea using high-quality and sophisticated VR content that accurately reflects users’ physical movements in real-time rendering. A total of 157 visitors participated in the study, and the measurement model and structural model were analysed using partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings show that the cognitive, physical, sensory, and functional affordance of VR devices, as well as user digital media literacy, had a significant effect on the visitors’ positive emotional experiences. In addition, visitors’ positive emotions had a significant effect on the recommendation intention. This empirical result shows that digital media literacy is a new major variable that affects the virtual experience of cultural heritage sites.

To secure technological and industrial competitiveness, the KOSDAQ market is implementing a technology-growth listing system. In general, such listed companies have been recognized for their technological prowess at the time of listing, but there are few cases where the technology has been commercialized or realized. Nevertheless, the largest shareholder sold their shares after the lock-up period using the listing system to obtain capital gain. A company that utilizes the listing system for the purpose of acquiring such private gain may overestimate the pro-forma profit and loss to evaluate the company value higher than that of a company that did not sell its shares. Therefore, we verified whether the technology-growth listed companies, in which the largest shareholder sold their shares after the lock-up period, overestimate the pro-forma profit and loss compared to those that did not. The analysis revealed that the technology-growth listed companies in which the largest shareholder sold their shares after the lock-up period overestimated the pro-forma net income for the first year compared to the companies that did not.

Abstract Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease, and can result in various complications. Owing to the lack of effective pharmacological therapies, life style modifications are the cornerstone treatment for NAFLD. However, there has been no recommendation for a specific dietary therapy because no significant effects have been observed in previous studies. Intermittent calorie restriction (ICR), which consists of alternating phases of extreme energy restriction and regular energy intake, is a novel dietary approach for NAFLD treatment. Recent studies have demonstrated a significantly higher reduction in liver fat content in the ICR group than in the standard of care (SOC) or continuous calorie restriction groups in patients with NAFLD. However, critical weaknesses limit the broader application of ICR in clinical practice, such as the lack of appropriate assessment tools, different cut-offs of body mass index (BMI) used to define obesity, and different food portions. Thus, we report a protocol for a prospective, randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of 12-week ICR on improving liver fat content in NAFLD patients (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease-intermittent calorie restriction [FLICR]). Methods: We will include adult (19–75 years) NAFLD patients diagnosed by histologic assessment or magnetic resonance imaging-proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) ≥8%. A total of 72 patients will be classified according to BMI (obese group: BMI ≥25 kg/m2 [n=36] and non-obese group: BMI <25 kg/m2 [n=36]), and followed up for 24 weeks. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the two groups: the SOC or ICR group. The primary objective will be the change in liver fat content measured using MRI-PDFF from baseline to 12 weeks. Discussion: This FLICR study may provide clinical evidence on ICR in the treatment of NAFLD in both obese and non-obese patients. The use of ICR in patients with NAFLD will improve the clinical outcomes of patients facing a shortage of effective medical therapy. Trial registration: This trial was registered at the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM) at the National Institutes of Health, ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT05309642 (date of registration: April 4, 2022), https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05309642.

Abstract Antibiotic‐independent artificial nanozymes exhibit excellent biocatalytic activity, and can generate sufficient reactive oxygen species (ROS) for potential applications in the field of anti‐infective therapy. However, single nanozymes often catalyze the production of ROS with low yield and low utilization, resulting in low antibacterial activity. To address the above refractory concern, a spike‐like surface nanoparticles (CAC NPs) platform is built that possesses intrinsic dual enzyme‐like (oxidase and peroxidase‐like) activities and photothermal conversion capacity with near‐infrared irradiation (NIR‐I) to quickly capture and effectively eliminate the bacteria and biofilm. Upon NIR‐I irradiation, CAC NPs have exerted an excellent biocatalytic antibacterial effect through a hyperthermia‐amplified dual enzyme‐like activities strategy. As predicted, the results show CAC NPs can eradicate bacteria in the subcutaneous tissues of mice and promote the healing of inflamed tissues with no significant side effects in vivo. Collectively, this work reveals the potential of NIR‐assisted dual enzyme‐like activities for antimicrobial therapy and provides broad prospects for antimicrobial drugs and strategies.

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Abstract Background and aims: Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and entecavir (ETV) have been recommended after liver transplantation to prevent recurrence of hepatitis B virus infection. Despite its proven efficacy, the renal safety of TDF has not been established in liver transplant recipients. We aimed to compare the effects of TDF and ETV on renal function in liver transplant recipients and to evaluate risk factors for renal dysfunction after liver transplantation. Methods: This is a retrospective, observational multicenter study of data from the Korean Organ Transplantation Registry. We included adults who underwent liver transplantation for hepatitis B virus-related complications from April 2014 to December 2017 and received TDF or ETV post-transplantation. Renal dysfunction was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate decline by at least 20% from baseline (1 month post-transplantation). Median duration of follow-up was 29 months (interquartile range 19–42).Results: A total of 804 liver transplant patients were included. The cumulative probability of renal dysfunction was significantly higher in the TDF group than in the ETV group. Multivariable analysis confirmed that TDF was independently associated with an increased risk of renal dysfunction (hazard ratio = 1.47, 95% confidence interval 1.12-1.92; P = 0.005). Independent risk factors for renal dysfunction included older age, worse baseline renal function, and low body mass index. Renal dysfunction after liver transplantation was independently associated with increased mortality.Conclusions: In this nationwide study, use of TDF was associated with an increased risk of renal dysfunction, when compared with ETV.

In this study, the hemolysis of Enterococcus faecalis BMSE-HMP strains, isolated from human breast milk, was investigated, and the anti-hemolytic and antimicrobial effects on multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria were investigated. The enzyme activity of E. faecalis BMSE-HMP 4 strains was measured, and it was found that the activities of esterase and esterase lipase were the highest. In addition, no hemolytic reaction was observed in any of the isolates. Subsequently, the anti-hemolytic activity against MDR strains causing hemolysis was evaluated. E. faecalis BMSE-HMP002 had the highest anti-hemolytic activity against Staphylococcus aureus CCARM 3855 at 75.71 10.00%. The anti-hemolytic activity against Escherichia coli DC 2 CCARM 0238 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa CCARM 0223 showed that the activity of BMSE-HMP001 was highest at 76.92 2.99% and 87.93 1.93%, respectively. Examination of the antimicrobial effects against the MDR bacteria Staphylococcus spp., Escherichia spp., Pseudomonas spp., Salmonella spp., Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp., and E. faecalis BMSE-HMP strains showed antimicrobial effects against both gram-positive and gram-negative strains. Breastfeeding delivers enterococci into the intestinal tract of newborns by lactation, and its usefulness is attracting attention as it has been reported that enterococci have a potential effect on neonatal immune development. In this study, the hemolytic and antimicrobial effects of E. faecalis BMSE-HMP strains on MDR bacteria were investigated, to confirm their potential as useful lactic acid bacteria. Additional studies on the antibiotic resistance and toxicity of the E. faecalis BMSE-HMP strains, isolated in this study, are necessary to prove it safe for use.