Sex-Specific Trends in the Prevalence of Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis From 2005 to 2021 in South Korea:Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are prevalent chronic joint disorders, with prevalence rates varying by sex. However, few studies have comprehensively documented the factors contributing to the sex-specific prevalence of osteoarthritis and RA, including sociological factors and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.OBJECTIVE: This study aims to identify long-term trends in the sex-specific prevalence of osteoarthritis and RA from 2005 to 2021 while examining the factors that serve as vulnerabilities specific to each sex within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.METHODS: Data were collected from a nationally representative sample of 110,225 individuals through the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2005 to 2021. The study included patients aged 19 years and older diagnosed with osteoarthritis or RA in South Korea. Data were analyzed using weighted trends to accurately represent the sample population, with a 95% CI. Weighted logistic and regression models were used to identify vulnerable groups at risk of osteoarthritis or RA during the pandemic to assess sex-specific trends.RESULTS: In total, 110,225 individuals (n=48,410, 43.92% male participants) were analyzed from 2005 to 2021, with prevalence rates remaining stable over time and higher in female than in male participants. Notably, during the pandemic, female participants aged 60 years and older exhibited a prevalence of osteoarthritis that was 4.92 times greater than male participants and a prevalence of RA that was 6.44 times greater (osteoarthritis: prevalence ratio [PR] 69.78, 95% CI 41.66-116.88; RA: PR 17.27, 95% CI 8.75-34.07). In terms of osteoarthritis, male participants did not show a significant association with BMI (PR 1.40, 95% CI 1.21-1.61; P=.47), whereas female participants exhibited a significantly higher vulnerability within the obese group (PR 1.68, 95% CI 1.55-1.83; P&lt;.001). Regarding RA, lower education levels were associated with increased vulnerability, with male participants showing a greater risk than female participants (male participants: PR 2.29, 95% CI 1.61-3.27 and female participants: PR 1.50, 95% CI 1.23-1.84).CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals that women in South Korea have a higher prevalence of osteoarthritis and RA than men. Understanding these sex-specific trends and identifying vulnerability factors can enhance preventive efforts and patient care.</p

Perfusable micro-vascularized 3D tissue array for high-throughput vascular phenotypic screening

Microfluidic organ-on-a-chip technologies have enabled construction of biomimetic physiologically and pathologically relevant models. This paper describes an injection molded microfluidic platform that utilizes a novel sequential edge-guided patterning method based on spontaneous capillary flow to realize three-dimensional co-culture models and form an array of micro-vascularized tissues (28 per 1 × 2-inch slide format). The MicroVascular Injection-Molded Plastic Array 3D Culture (MV-IMPACT) platform is fabricated by injection molding, resulting in devices that are reliable and easy to use. By patterning hydrogels containing human umbilical endothelial cells and fibroblasts in close proximity and allowing them to form vasculogenic networks, an array of perfusable vascularized micro-tissues can be formed in a highly efficient manner. The high-throughput generation of angiogenic sprouts was quantified and their uniformity was characterized. Due to its compact design (half the size of a 96-well microtiter plate), it requires small amount of reagents and cells per device. In addition, the device design is compatible with a high content imaging machine such as Yokogawa CQ-1. Furthermore, we demonstrated the potential of our platform for high-throughput phenotypic screening by testing the effect of DAPT, a chemical known to affect angiogenesis. The MV-IMPACT represent a significant improvement over our previous PDMS-based devices in terms of molding 3D co-culture conditions at much higher throughput with added reliability and robustness in obtaining vascular micro-tissues and will provide a platform for developing applications in drug screening and development.This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) Grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (No. 2021R1A3B1077481). This study was also supported by a grant of the Korean Health Technol‑ ogy R&D Project, Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (Grant No. HP20C0146010020), and by National Institutes of Health (R01HL141857 to YKH)

Global, Regional, and National Trends in Liver Disease-Related Mortality Across 112 Countries From 1990 to 2021, With Projections to 2050: Comprehensive Analysis of the WHO Mortality Database

BackgroundLiver disease causes over two million deaths annually worldwide, comprising approximately 4% of all global fatalities. We aimed to analyze liver disease-related mortality trends from 1990 to 2021 using the World Health Organization (WHO) Mortality Database and forecast global liver disease-related mortality rates up to 2050.MethodsThis study examined age-standardized liver disease-related death rates from 1990 to 2021, employing data from the WHO Mortality Database across 112 countries across five continents. The rates over time were calculated using a locally weighted scatter plot smoother curve, with weights assigned based on the population of each country. Furthermore, this study projected liver disease-related mortality rates up to 2050 using a Bayesian age-period-cohort (BAPC) model. Additionally, a decomposition analysis was conducted to discern influencing factors such as population growth, aging, and epidemiological changes.ResultsThe estimated global age-standardized liver disease-related mortality rates surged significantly from 1990 to 2021 across 112 countries, rising from 103.4 deaths per 1,000,000 people (95% confidence interval [CI], 88.16, 118.74) in 1990 to 173.0 deaths per 1,000,000 people (95% CI, 155.15, 190.95) in 2021. This upward trend was particularly pronounced in low- and middle-income countries, in Africa, and in populations aged 65 years and older. Moreover, age-standardized liver disease-related mortality rates were correlated with a lower Human Development Index (P &lt; 0.001) and sociodemographic index (P = 0.001). According to the BAPC model, the projected trend indicated a sustained and substantial decline in liver disease-related mortality rates, with an estimated decrease from 185.08 deaths per 1,000,000 people (95% CI, 179.79, 190.63) in 2021 to 156.29 (112.32, 214.77) in 2050. From 1990 to 2021, age-standardized liver disease-related deaths surged primarily due to epidemiological changes, whereas from 1990 to 2050, the impact of population aging and growth became the primary contributing factors to the overall increase.ConclusionGlobal age-standardized liver disease-related mortality has increased significantly and continues to emerge as a crucial global public health issue. Further investigation into liver disease-related mortality rates in Africa is needed, and updating policies is necessary to effectively manage the global burden of liver disease.<br/

Electrophoretic Deposition of Aged and Charge Controlled Colloidal Copper Sulfide Nanoparticles

Colloidal nanoparticles (NPs) have been recently spotlighted as building blocks for various nanostructured devices. Their collective properties have been exhibited by arranging them on a substrate to form assembled NPs. In particular, electrophoretic deposition (EPD) is an emerging fabrication method for such nanostructured films. To maximize the benefits of this method, further studies are required to fully elucidate the key parameters that influence the NP deposition. Herein, two key parameters are examined, namely: (i) the aging of colloidal NPs and (ii) the charge formation by surface ligands. The aging of Cu2-xS NPs changes the charge states, thus leading to different NP deposition behaviors. The SEM images of NP films, dynamic light scattering, and zeta potential results demonstrated that the charge control and restoration of interparticle interactions for aged NPs were achieved via simple ligand engineering. The charge control of colloidal NPs was found to be more dominant than the influence of aging, which can alter the surface charges of the NPs. The present results thus reveal that the charge formation on the colloidal NPs, which depends on the surface ligands, is an important controllable parameter in EPD

Development of Clinical Weekly-Dose Teriparatide Acetate Encapsulated Dissolving Microneedle Patch for Efficient Treatment of Osteoporosis

Teriparatide acetate (TA), which directly promotes bone formation, is subcutaneously injected to treat osteoporosis. In this study, TA with a once-weekly administration regimen was loaded on dissolving microneedles (DMNs) to effectively deliver it to the systemic circulation via the transdermal route. TA activity reduction during the drying process of various TA polymer solutions formulated with hyaluronic acid and trehalose was monitored and homogeneities were assessed. TA-DMN patches fabricated using centrifugal lithography in a two-layered structure with dried pure hyaluronic acid on the base layer and dried TA polymer solution on the top layer were evaluated for their physical properties. Rhodamine-B-loaded TA-DMNs were found to form perforations when inserted into porcine skin using a shooting device. In addition, 87.6% of TA was delivered to the porcine skin after a 5-min TA-DMN patch application. The relative bioavailability of TA via subcutaneous injection was 66.9% in rats treated with TA-DMN patches. The maximal TA concentration in rat plasma was proportional to the number of patches used. Therefore, the TA-DMN patch fabricated in this study may aid in the effective delivery of TA in a patient-friendly manner and enhance medical efficacy in osteoporosis treatment

Pneumatically Actuated Microfluidic Platform for Reconstituting 3D Vascular Tissue Compression

In vivo, blood vessels constitutively experience mechanical stresses exerted by adjacent tissues and other structural elements. Vascular collapse, a structural failure of vascular tissues, may stem from any number of possible compressive forces ranging from injury to tumor growth and can promote inflammation. In particular, endothelial cells are continuously exposed to varying mechanical stimuli, internally and externally, resulting in blood vessel deformation and injury. This study proposed a method to model biomechanical-stimuli-induced blood vessel compression in vitro within a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic 3D microvascular tissue culture platform with an integrated pneumatically actuated compression mechanism. 3D microvascular tissues were cultured within the device. Histological reactions to compressive forces were quantified and shown to be the following: live/dead assays indicated the presence of a microvascular dead zone within high-stress regions and reactive oxygen species (ROS) quantification exhibited a stress-dependent increase. Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran flow assays showed that compressed vessels developed structural failures and increased leakiness; finite element analysis (FEA) corroborated the experimental data, indicating that the suggested model of vascular tissue deformation and stress distribution was conceptually sound. As such, this study provides a powerful and accessible in vitro method of modeling microphysiological reactions of microvascular tissues to compressive stress, paving the way for further studies into vascular failure as a result of external stress

High-Voltage Symmetric Nonaqueous Redox Flow Battery Based on Modularly Tunable [Ru₂M(μ₃‑O)(CH₃CO₂)₆(py)₃] (M = Ru, Mn, Co, Ni, Zn) Cluster Compounds with Multielectron Storage Capability

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) provide an attractive solution for large-scale energy buffering and storage. This report describes the development of nonaqueous RFBs based on trimetallic coordination cluster compounds: [Ru2M(μ3-O)(CH3CO2)6(py)3] (M = Ru, Mn, Co, Ni, Zn). The all-ruthenium complex exhibited stable battery cycles in anolyte–catholyte symmetric operation, with rarely observed multielectron storage in a single molecule. Moreover, the complex holds modularly tunable synthetic handles for systematic improvements in solubility and redox potentials. An optimized battery stack containing [Ru3(μ3-O)(CH3CO2)6(py)3]+ anolyte and [Ru2Co(μ3-O)(CH3CO2)6(py)3] catholyte yielded stable cycles with a discharge voltage of 2.4 V, comparable to the state-of-the-art nonaqueous RFBs. Explanation for the exceptional stability of the charged states and prediction of systematic tunability of the redox potentials of the cluster compounds were assisted by DFT calculations

Enhanced Micro-Channeling System via Dissolving Microneedle to Improve Transdermal Serum Delivery for Various Clinical Skincare Treatments

Topical liquid formulations, dissolving microneedles (DMNs), and microscale needles composed of biodegradable materials have been widely used for the transdermal delivery of active compounds for skincare. However, transdermal active compound delivery by topical liquid formulation application is inhibited by skin barriers, and the skincare efficacy of DMNs is restricted by the low encapsulation capacity and incomplete insertion. In this study, topical serum application via a dissolvable micro-channeling system (DMCS) was used to enhance serum delivery through micro-channels embedded with DMNs. Transdermal serum delivery was evaluated after the topical-serum-only application and combinatorial serum application by assessing the intensity of allophycocyanin (APC) loaded with the serum in the porcine skin. APC intensity was significantly higher in the skin layer at a depth of 120&ndash;270 &mu;m upon combinatorial serum application as compared to topical-serum-only application. In addition, the combinatorial serum application showed significantly improved efficacy in the clinical assessment of skin hydration, depigmentation, improvement of wrinkles, elasticity, dermal density, skin pores, and skin soothing without any safety issues compared to the serum-only application. The results indicate that combinatorial serum application with DMCS is a promising candidate for improving skincare treatments with optimal transdermal delivery of active compounds

Bloodstream infections caused by Acinetobacter species with reduced susceptibility to tigecycline: clinical features and risk factors

Introduction: During recent decades, the rates of multidrug resistance, including resistance to carbapenems, have increased dramatically among Acinetobacter species. Tigecycline has activity against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter spp, including carbapenem-resistant isolates. However, reports of tigecycline-resistant Acinetobacter spp are emerging from different parts of the world. The purpose of this study was to evaluate potential risk factors associated with tigecycline non-susceptible Acinetobacter bacteremia. Methods: The medical records of 152 patients with Acinetobacter bacteremia attending Samsung Medical Center between January 2010 and December 2014 were reviewed. Non-susceptibility to tigecycline was defined as a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of tigecycline ≥4 μg/ml. Cases were patients with tigecycline non-susceptible Acinetobacter bacteremia and controls were those with tigecycline-susceptible Acinetobacter bacteremia. Results: Of the 152 patients included in the study, 61 (40.1%) had tigecycline non-susceptible Acinetobacter bacteremia (case group). These patients were compared to 91 patients with tigecycline-susceptible Acinetobacter bacteremia (control group). The case group showed high resistance to other antibiotics (>90%) except colistin (6.6%) and minocycline (9.8%) when compared to the control group, which exhibited relatively low resistance to other antibiotics (<50%). Multivariate analysis showed that recent exposure to corticosteroids (minimum 20 mg per day for more than 5 days within 2 weeks) (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 2.887, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.170–7.126) and carbapenems (within 2 weeks) (adjusted OR 4.437, 95% CI 1.970–9.991) were significantly associated with tigecycline non-susceptible Acinetobacter bacteremia. Although prior exposure to tigecycline was more common in the case group than in the control group (9.8%, 6/61 vs. 2.2%, 2/91; p = 0.046), this variable was found not to be a significant factor associated with tigecycline non-susceptibility after adjustment for other variables (adjusted OR 1.884, 95% CI 0.298–11.920; p = 0.501). Conclusions: These data suggest that tigecycline non-susceptible Acinetobacter spp have emerged and disseminated in the hospital in association with a recent exposure to carbapenems and an immunosuppressed state. This indicates that the rational use of antibiotics through a comprehensive antimicrobial stewardship program, especially in immunosuppressed patients, may be essential in limiting the emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant organisms such as tigecycline-resistant Acinetobacter spp, which are difficult to treat