The goal of the study was to determine whether endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) is comparable to conventional transpapillary stenting with endoscopic retrograde ...cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in palliation of malignant distal biliary obstruction. Although ERCP for the palliation of malignant biliary obstruction is the standard of care, post-procedure pancreatitis and stent dysfunctions are not uncommon. While EUS-BD has garnered interest as a viable alternative when ERCP is impossible, its role as a primary palliation of malignant distal biliary obstruction is yet to be proven.
We performed random allocation to EUS-BD or ERCP in 125 patients with unresectable malignant distal biliary obstruction at four tertiary academic referral centers in South Korea.
Technical success rates were 93.8% (60/64) for EUS-BD and 90.2% (55/61) for ERCP (difference 3.6%, 95% 1-sided confidence interval lower limit -4.4%, P = 0.003 for noninferiority margin of 10%). Clinical success rates were 90.0% (54/60) in EUS-BD and 94.5% (52/55) in ERCP (P = 0.49). Lower rates of overall adverse events (6.3% vs 19.7%, P = 0.03) including post-procedure pancreatitis (0 vs 14.8%), reintervention (15.6% vs 42.6%), and higher rate of stent patency (85.1% vs 48.9%) were observed with EUS-BD. EUS-BD was also associated with more preserved quality of life (QOL) than transpapillary stenting after 12 weeks of the procedure.
This study demonstrated comparable technical and clinical success rates between EUS-BD and ERCP in relief malignant distal biliary obstruction. Substantially longer duration of patency coupled with lower rates of adverse events and reintervention, and more preserved QOL were observed with EUS-BD (cris.nih.go.kr, Identifier: KCT0001396, https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/search_result_st01_en.jsp?seq=9716<ype=&rtype= ).
Indium gallium nitride (InGaN)-based micro-LEDs (gLEDs) are suitable for meeting ever-increasing demands for high-performance displays owing to their high efficiency, brightness and stability1-5. ...However, gLEDs have a large problem in that the external quantum efficiency (EQE) decreases with the size reduction6-9. Here we demonstrate a blue InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well (MQW) nanorod-LED (nLED) with high EQE. To overcome the size-dependent EQE reduction problem8,9, we studied the interaction between the GaN surface and the sidewall passivation layer through various analyses. Minimizing the point defects created during the passivation process is crucial to manufacturing high-performance nLEDs. Notably, the sol-gel method is advantageous for the passivation because SiO2 nanoparticles are adsorbed on the GaN surface, thereby minimizing its atomic interactions. The fabricated nLEDs showed an EQE of 20.2 ± 0.6%, the highest EQE value ever reported for the LED in the nanoscale. This work opens the way for manufacturing self-emissive nLED displays that can become an enabling technology for next-generation displays.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
The formation of a dense and uniform thin layer on the substrates is crucial for the fabrication of high-performance perovskite solar cells (PSCs) containing formamidinium with multiple cations and ...mixed halide anions. The concentration of defect states, which reduce a cell’s performance by decreasing the open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current density, needs to be as low as possible. We show that the introduction of additional iodide ions into the organic cation solution, which are used to form the perovskite layers through an intramolecular exchanging process, decreases the concentration of deep-level defects. The defect-engineered thin perovskite layers enable the fabrication of PSCs with a certified power conversion efficiency of 22.1% in small cells and 19.7% in 1-square-centimeter cells.
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BFBNIB, NMLJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
The light‐harvesting Sb2S3 surface on mesoporous‐TiO2 in inorganic–organic heterojunction solar cells is sulfurized with thioacetamide (TA). The photovoltaic performances are compared before and ...after TA treatment, and the state of the Sb2S3 is investigated by X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and deep‐level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). Although there are no differences in crystallinity and composition, the TA‐treated solar cells exhibit significantly enhanced performance compared to pristine Sb2S3‐sensitized solar cells. From DLTS analysis, the performance enhancement is mainly attributed to the extinction of trap sites, which are present at a density of (2–5) × 1014 cm−3 in Sb2S3, by TA treatment. Through such a simple treatment, the cell records an overall power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 7.5% through a metal mask under simulated illumination (AM 1.5G, 100 mW cm–2) with a very high open circuit voltage of 711.0 mV. This PCE is, thus far, the highest reported for fully solid‐state chalcogenide‐sensitized solar cells.
The light‐harvesting Sb2S3 surface on mesoporous‐TiO2 in inorganic–organic heterojunction solar cells is sulfurized with thioacetamide. Through such a simple treatment, the cell records an overall power conversion efficiency of 7.5% under simulated illumination (AM 1.5G, 100 mW cm−2) and the performance enhancement is mainly attributed to the extinction of trap sites by deep‐level transient spectroscopy analysis.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
This study aimed to identify the major industries and jobs with the highest proportion of workers’ compensation (WC) claims for COVID-19, characterize COVID-19 WC claims in terms of their demographic ...properties and disease severity, and identify factors influencing the approval of COVID-19 WC claims as occupational disease. A total of 488 workers who submitted COVID-19-related claims to the Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service (KWCWS) from January 2020 to July 2021 were analyzed. A Fisher’s exact test was employed to associate the severity of COVID-19 infection with demographic properties. The highest proportion of all COVID-19 WC claims compensated as occupational disease (N=462) were submitted by healthcare workers (HCW=233, 50%), while only 9% (N=41) of the total originated from manufacturing industries. The 5% (N=26) of the COVID-19 WC claims accepted were evaluated as severe (N=15) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (N=9). A total of 71% (N=329) of the COVID-19 patients compensated (N=462) were from workplaces with infection clusters. A total of 26 WC cases were rejected for various reasons, including unclear infection routes, infection at private gatherings (including within families), no diagnosis, and more. Given our findings, we suggest an official system should be established to detect and compensate more job-associated infectious diseases like COVID-19.
Since around the year 2000, hundreds of people in Korea have developed humidifier disinfectant‐associated lung injury (HDLI). We collected all HD exposure‐related information from the field ...investigations into the locations in which the 1199 registered patients had used HD. Among the people who registered, 38% (1st round = 214, 2nd = 73, 3rd = 166) were confirmed as HDLI patients. Children aged under eight years old made up the highest proportion of HDLI cases (N = 279, 62%), followed by pregnant women (N = 31, 7%). One hundred thirty‐three (29%) of the confirmed HDLI patients died. Fifty‐seven percent of HDLI patients (N = 259) developed HDLI after <1 year of HD use. The number of HDLI patients who used only the Oxy Saksak HD brand was found to be 176 (39%), followed by the brands Cefu (N = 27, 6%) and Aekyung (N = 22, 5%). HD products containing only polyhexamethylene guanidine phosphate (PHMG‐P) were the most frequently used among HDLI patients (N = 234, 52%), followed by oligo (2‐(2‐ethoxy)ethoxyethyl) guanidinium (PGH) (N = 27, 6%) and a mixture of chloromethylisothiazolinone (CMIT) and methylisothiazolinone (MIT) (N = 26, 6%). The average PHMG‐P inhalation level estimated from the patient group classified as suffering lung injury definitely associated with HD use was 145.1 μg/m3 (N = 91, SD = 395.1 μg/m3), higher than levels estimated from both the probable and possible HDLI patient groups. In conclusion, HD exposure‐related variables, including type of HD brand and estimated inhalation HD level, were associated with the risk of HDLI.
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DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Cisplatin is the most widely used chemotherapeutic agent. However, it often causes nephrotoxicity, which results in acute kidney injury (AKI). Therefore, we urgently need a drug that can reduce the ...nephrotoxicity induced by cisplatin. Loganin is a major iridoid glycoside isolated from Corni fructus that has been used as an anti-inflammatory agent in various pathological models. However, the renal protective activity of loganin remains unclear. In this study, to examine the protective effect of loganin on cisplatin-induced AKI, male C57BL/6 mice were orally administered with loganin (1, 10, and 20 mg/kg) 1 h before intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin (10 mg/kg) and sacrificed at three days after the injection. The administration of loganin inhibited the elevation of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (CREA) in serum, which are used as biomarkers of AKI. Moreover, histological kidney injury, proximal tubule damages, and renal cell death, such as apoptosis and ferroptosis, were reduced by loganin treatment. Also, pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, reduced by loganin treatment. Furthermore, loganin deactivated the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) 1 and 2 during AKI. Taken together, our results suggest that loganin may attenuate cisplatin-induced AKI through the inhibition of ERK1/2.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a major side effect of cisplatin, a crucial anticancer agent. Therefore, it is necessary to develop drugs to protect against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. Ojeoksan ...(OJS), a traditional blended herbal prescription, is mostly used in Korea; however, there are no reports on the efficacy of OJS against cisplatin-induced AKI. To investigate the reno-protective effect of OJS on AKI, we orally administered 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg of OJS to mice 1 h before intraperitoneal injection with 20 mg/kg of cisplatin. OJS inhibited the increase of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (SCr) levels and reduced histological changes in the kidney, like loss of brush borders, renal tubular necrosis, and cast formation. Administration of OSJ reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. In addition, OJS inhibited the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathways in cisplatin-induced AKI. These results suggest that OJS attenuates cisplatin-induced AKI by downregulating the MAPK and NF-κB pathways.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Although percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) is the standard method for draining a malignant biliary obstruction after failed endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatographies (ERCPs), ...use of endoscopic ultrasound-guided transmural biliary drainage (EUS-BD) is increasing. We performed a multicenter, open-label, randomized trial to compare EUS-BD vs PTBD for malignant distal biliary obstruction after a failed ERCP.
Patients with unresectable malignant distal biliary obstructions and failed primary ERCP, caused by inaccessible papilla, were assigned to groups that underwent EUS-BD with an all-in-one device for direct deployment of a partially covered metal stent (without further fistula tract dilation, n = 34) or PTBD (n = 32). The procedures were performed at 4 tertiary academic referral centers in South Korea from October 2014 through March 2015; patients were followed up through June 2015. The primary end point was technical success, which was calculated using a noninferiority model. Secondary end points were functional success, procedure-related adverse events, rate of unscheduled re-intervention, and quality of life (QOL).
The rates of primary technical success were 94.1% (32 of 34) in the EUS-BD group and 96.9% (31 of 32) in the PTBD group (1-sided 97.5% confidence interval lower limit, -12.7%; P = .008 for a noninferiority margin of 15%). The rates of functional success were 87.5% (28 of 32) in the EUS-BD group and 87.1% (27 of 31) in the PTBD group (P = 1.00). The proportions of procedure-related adverse events were 8.8% in the EUS-BD group vs 31.2% in the PTBD group (P = .022); the mean frequency of unscheduled re-intervention was 0.34 in the EUS-BD group vs 0.93 in the PTBD group (P = .02). The QOL was similar between groups.
EUS-BD and PTBD had similar levels of efficacy in patients with unresectable malignant distal biliary obstruction and inaccessible papilla based on rates of technical and functional success and QOL. However, EUS-BD produced fewer procedure-related adverse events and unscheduled re-interventions. Clinical trial registration no: cris.nih.go.kr/KCT0001370.
The importance of preserving intangible cultural heritage (ICH) for sustainable development has been widely acknowledged by the international society. Various forms of cooperation have taken place to ...prevent deterioration and destruction due to its inherent characteristic of ‘intangibleness’. Public engagement, however, has largely been excluded from the system in spite of its significance in safeguarding ICH by inducing people to be trained as successors. In this respect, this paper discusses and emphasises the necessity of public engagement in safeguarding ICH. To this end, it suggests the use of digital technologies to create museum content to encourage public involvement with and learning about ICH. Focusing on ICH in Korea, digital exhibitions on Jultagi and Daemokjang utilising virtual reality technology are proposed. The ultimate aim of this article is to contribute to the sustainability of world ICH for humanity through digital exhibitions.
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