In daily clinical practice, assessing anatomical findings and the presence or absence of ischemia is pivotal for determining the need for percutaneous coronary intervention. However, concurrently, comprehending vulnerability can greatly assist in predicting future cardiovascular events and formulating preventive strategies for individual patients. This review aims to describe the vulnerability of coronary artery plaques, primarily focusing on vulnerable plaques through pathological, morphological, and physiological viewpoints. Our review emphasizes the usefulness of coronary imaging modalities for the diagnosis of vulnerable plaques and the assessment of their rupture risk, as well as the possibility of percutaneous coronary intervention as a management strategy for plaque stabilization. Our findings show that there have been sporadic accounts of the potential of preventing cardiovascular events through early invasive treatments in patients with moderate or greater ischemia and utilizing new-generation stents to seal lipid core plaques. Thus, it is anticipated that direct intervention targeting coronary plaques, coupled with strict low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol lowering therapy, can play a vital role in suppressing future cardiovascular events and archiving zero perioperative myocardial infarction.

Mitochondria not only generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and act as the powerhouse of the cell but also contribute to host defense by producing reactive oxygen species. Therefore, mitochondrial damage in sepsis directly results in a shortage of energy currency and dysregulation of the immune system. Other than those, mitochondrial damage results in the release of highly dangerous mitochondrial DNA, facilitating acidosis by modulating the metabolism and inducing programmed cell death, thereby facilitating disease progression in sepsis. Various forms of cell death are induced by mitochondrial damage. Aponecrosis is a secondary conversion from apoptosis to necrosis. Although apoptosis is initially intended, it cannot be completed due to ATP depletion from mitochondrial damage, ultimately leading to inflammatory necrosis. Besides such accidental cell death, programmed inflammation-inducing cell deaths such as necroptosis, ferroptosis, and pyroptosis are induced by mitochondrial damage in sepsis. Based on these findings, the regulation of mitochondrial damage holds promise for the development of new therapeutic approaches for sepsis.

Objectives To elucidate physiological changes in the brain caused by rapid reading, we herein focused on brain areas related to language processing and reading comprehension and memory processes and evaluated changes in neural activities associated with reading speed and comprehension using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Materials This study included 23 nonrapid and 23 rapid readers matched for age, gender, and handedness. T1 weighted image and fMRI were acquired using 3T MRI.

Methods The neural activity was compared between nonrapid and rapid readers using fMRI. The correlation between neural activity and reading speed and comprehension was also determined.

Results The neural activities of rapid readers were significantly lower in Wernicke’s and Broca’s areas, left angular and supramarginal gyri, and hippocampus. Furthermore, reading speed was negatively correlated with neural activities in these areas. Conversely, reading comprehension was negatively correlated with the neural activities in the left angular gyrus.

Conclusions Rapid readers exhibited reduced language processing, including phonological transformation, analysis, inner speech, semantic and syntactic processes, and constant reading comprehension during rapid reading.

Objectives This study aimed to assess the effect of the spinal circuit of repetitive magnetic stimulation (rPMS) on the soleus muscle among healthy subjects.

Methods Nineteen healthy adults were included in this study. Intermittent rPMS was applied to the left soleus muscle for 20 minutes. We applied different intensity rPMS (high-intensity, low-intensity, and non-stimulation) in different three days. RI (reciprocal inhibition) from the tibialis anterior to the soleus muscle with an inter-stimulus interval (ISI) of 2ms and 20ms was assessed before, immediately after and 30 minutes at each session.

Results Two factor repeated measure ANOVA test showed a significant interaction (F_2,33 = 9.688, p < 0.001) between tasks and time in the RI ratio 2ms. Post-hoc analysis showed that RI ratio 2ms significantly differed from those immediately after, and 30 min after high-intensity rPMS (p = 0.001 and p = 0.003, respectively). A significant difference was observed between high-intensity rPMS and non-stimulation immediately after the stimulation (p = 0.003). However, no significant difference was found in the RI ratio 20ms between all the intensities (p > 0.05).

Conclusion This study demonstrates that high-intensity rPMS can effectively modulate spinal circuits, as evidenced by the decreased RI in healthy individuals. This suggests the potential use of rPMS as a therapeutic intervention for patients with muscle weakness. Disinhibition of the RI may lead to a more effective contraction of the target muscle. This effect could be expected to strengthen the muscles and alleviate paralysis, making it a promising avenue for future research and clinical applications in the field of rehabilitation. Further investigation is warranted to explore the precise mechanisms underlying the observed effects and to optimize the parameters of rPMS for specific clinical populations.

Objective Since there have been no studies for the prevention of job turnover among medical interpreters, this study examined the effects of social support, professional career maturity and stress coping on their attitudes toward job continuity intentions.

Design A cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the relationships between social support, professional career maturity, stress coping and job continuity intentions.

Methods Stress coping was measured by using a simplified stress coping scale (with 9 items and 1 factor structure). Social support was measured by defining the interpreters who answered “Yes” for “I have someone to talk to when I feel emotional stress”. Professional carrier maturity was assessed by using, 12 career-related items. We defined those interpreters who responded “No” to “Have you ever wanted to quit medical interpreting due to emotional stress?” were to have job continuity intentions.

Results The present study indicated that 14 (25.5%) of the interpreters did not intend to continue their occupation because of their psychological stresses. Compared to interpreters without social support, the odds ratio of job continuity intentions was 4.39 (95% confidence interval [CI] : 1.13-18.3) for those with social support. Moreover, in comparison with the interpreters with low professional career maturity, the odds ratio of job continuity intentions was significantly higher for those with high professional career maturity (odds ratio [OR] = 4.35; 95%CI: 1.12-21.8). However, there was an association found for stress coping.

Conclusions Strengthening social support and helping professional career development were the important factors for medical interpreters to be able to continue their careers.

Human breast milk is considered the optimal source of nutrition for infants and is recommended as the exclusive nutrient source for term infants during the first six months of life. Existing evidence strongly supports the direct benefits of breastfeeding, encompassing benefits for nutrition, gastrointestinal function, and protection against acute illness in both term and preterm infants. Previously, we demonstrated a notable reduction in a urinary marker of oxidative DNA damage in breastfed term and preterm infants compared to formula-fed infants. While long-term benefits of breastfeeding on neurodevelopmental outcomes and adult health have been reported, the effects may be relatively modest and limited.