Publications by authors named "Dong Cha"

Background: To investigate prenatal ultrasound findings and the chromosomal outcomes of mosaic embryo transfer.

Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on pregnant women who underwent mosaic embryo transfer following blastocyst-stage preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) at CHA Gangnam Medical Center from January 2021 to July 2024. Trophectoderm biopsy specimens were collected using standard protocols, and next-generation sequencing profiles were defined as mosaics when displaying copy number counts in the 20-80% range.

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Background: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of subphrenic hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) using ultrasound (US) guidance presents a challenge.

Purpose: To evaluate local tumor progression (LTP) and overall survival (OS) after RFA of right posterior subphrenic HCCs, and to identify the risk factors for LTP and OS after RFA.

Material And Methods: We screened patients who underwent US-guided RFA for a single HCC <3 cm in the right posterior subphrenic area.

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  • Previous studies identified various coconut free fatty acid (CFFA) compounds that deter egg-laying in different fruit fly species, but results varied.
  • In experiments with the fruit fly Zeugodacus cucurbitae, a CFFA mixture actually increased oviposition, while individually tested compounds had mixed effects—four compounds deterred oviposition, one was neutral, and three stimulated it.
  • A specific blend of the four deterrent compounds proved effective in reducing oviposition, showing both spatial and contact repellency, and has potential for use in pest management strategies since all components are considered safe food additives.
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Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is the most common substance use disorder and poses a significant global health challenge. Despite pharmacological advances, no single drug effectively treats all AUD patients. This study explores the protective potential of hispidol, a 6,4'-dihydroxyaurone, for AUD using the model system.

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  • The study evaluated whether micro-flow imaging (MFI) is as effective as contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) for identifying segmental congestion in patients who had living donor liver transplants.
  • Data from 63 patients who underwent the procedure were analyzed, focusing on imaging results and laboratory values to assess congestion, with postoperative CT scans serving as the reference standard.
  • Results indicated that MFI had comparable sensitivity (73.9%) and specificity (67.5%) to CEUS (sensitivity 78.3%, specificity 75.0%), suggesting that MFI could be a suitable alternative for detecting postoperative complications.
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  • The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in how drugs are metabolized and how effective they are, but there hasn't been an effective way to monitor these changes without using labels.
  • A new 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique allows real-time monitoring of the metabolism of the Parkinson's drug Levodopa in live bacteria and in symbiotic systems with the host organism Caenorhabditis elegans.
  • The study finds that different strains of the same bacterial species, Enterococcus faecalis, produce varying amounts of dopamine despite having the same gene for L-dopa metabolism, indicating that gene presence doesn't always reflect metabolic activity; this new method could be applied to other drugs to understand how they interact with the
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Objectives: We assessed the value of the diffusion-weighted image (DWI) for predicting intrahepatic biliary complications (IHBC) after ABO-incompatible liver transplantation (ABOi-LT), potentially leading to refractory cholangitis.

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective study at a single center, 56 patients who underwent ABOi-LT from March 2021 to January 2023 were analyzed. All received magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) and DWI during the postoperative hospitalization.

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Objective: We analyzed the incidence and mortality rate of gastrointestinal (GI) tract perforation after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for hepatic tumors and assess its risk factors.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 4799 patients with malignant tumors who underwent RFA (n = 7206). Sixty-nine cases of thermal injury to the GI tract were identified via a search of the electronic medical record system using index terms and divided into two groups according to the thermal injury with (n = 8) or without (n = 61) GI tract perforation based on follow-up CT reports.

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Purpose: To identify high-risk computed tomography (CT) features for predicting gallbladder (GB) cancer in patients presenting with localized GB wall thickening.

Methods: This retrospective analysis included 120 patients (mean age: 63.9 ± 10.

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Herein, we describe the synthesis of the proposed structure of the caffeamide alkaloid bassiamide A. The amide moiety of bassiamide A was readily formed via an amide coupling reaction between caffeic acid and the known N-(3-aminopropyl)-3-methylbutanamide. However, the spectral data of the synthesized bassiamide A did not agree with that of a previous study.

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  • - Innate immune cells play a crucial role in fighting tumors, and their function can be influenced by beneficial bacteria found in food.
  • - The specific bacterial strain Lactiplantibacillus plantarum IMB19 enhances antitumor immunity in mouse models, primarily through its capsular heteropolysaccharide, which activates immune pathways.
  • - This strain reprograms tumor-related macrophages to promote robust T cell responses while also capturing iron in the tumor environment, potentially leading to cancer cell death and improved treatment strategies using "oncobiotics."
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Unlabelled: To initiate skin sensitization, haptens react with endogenous proteins. During this process, skin sensitizers react with small endogenous molecules containing thiol or amino groups. In this study, a simple spectrophotometric method to identify skin sensitizers was developed using the reactivity of glutathione (GSH) with test chemicals in a 96-well plate.

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Bacterial symbionts are crucial to the biology of Bactrocera dorsalis. With larval diet (fruit host) being a key factor that determines microbiome composition and with B. dorsalis using more than 400 fruits as hosts, it is unclear if certain bacterial symbionts are preserved and are passed on to B.

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Accumulating evidence hints heterochromatin anchoring to the inner nuclear membrane as an upstream regulatory process of gene expression. Given that the formation of neural progenitor cell lineages and the subsequent maintenance of postmitotic neuronal cell identity critically rely on transcriptional regulation, it seems possible that the development of neuronal cells is influenced by cell type-specific and/or context-dependent programmed regulation of heterochromatin anchoring. Here, we explored this possibility by genetically disrupting the evolutionarily conserved barrier-to-autointegration factor (Baf) in the Drosophila nervous system.

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Background: To evaluate the clinical significance of noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for detecting fetal sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCAs) in Korean pregnant women.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed NIPT data from 9,176 women with singleton pregnancies referred to the CHA Biotech genome diagnostics center. Cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) was extracted from maternal peripheral blood, and high-throughput massively parallel sequencing was conducted.

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Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) can negatively affect infant well-being and child development. Although the frequency and risk factors of PPD symptoms might vary depending on the country and culture, there is limited research on these risk factors among Korean women. This study aimed to elucidate the potential risk factors of PPD throughout pregnancy to help improve PPD screening and prevention in Korean women.

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  • Pineapple mealybug is a major pest for pineapple production and poses trade challenges.
  • Ethyl formate (EF) was tested as a potential replacement for methyl bromide fumigation, showing effective results in killing nymphs and adults of the mealybug when used at a specific concentration and temperature.
  • Trials indicated that lower loading ratios of pineapples (below 30%) help achieve the required mortality levels, with no noticeable impact on the quality of the treated fruit.
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Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic outcomes of transarterial chemoembolization combined with radiofrequency ablation (TACE + RFA) for hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) measuring ≤3 cm infeasible for ultrasound (US)-guided percutaneous RFA.

Methods: Twenty-four patients who underwent fluoroscopy-guided TACE + RFA for single HCC between January 2012 and December 2016 were screened. To evaluate the TACE + RFA outcomes compared with those of US-guided RFA, 371 patients who underwent US-guided RFA during the same period were screened.

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  • * A retrospective look at 258 preoperative cases revealed that major treatment plan changes occurred in 10.1% of the discussions, primarily due to new insights about tumor characteristics and metastasis.
  • * Findings indicate that the additional information provided by radiologists significantly impacts treatment decisions, especially regarding local tumor extent and the presence of distant metastasis.
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Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) screening for normal fetal aneuploidy has been widely adopted worldwide due to its convenience, non-invasiveness, and high positive predictive rate. We retrospectively evaluated 9327 Korean women with single pregnancies who underwent a non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT) to investigate how various factors such as maternal weight, age, and the method of conception affect the fetal fraction (FF). The average FF was 9.

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  • - The study aimed to assess how vanishing twin (VT) affects maternal serum marker levels and nuchal translucency (NT) during pregnancy.
  • - Conducted as a secondary analysis of a larger study involving 6,793 pregnant women, the research found that women in the VT group had higher levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and inhibin A compared to those with normal singleton pregnancies.
  • - The findings suggest that VT should be factored into risk assessments during second-trimester serum screening tests due to its association with abnormal AFP levels.
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Coconut free fatty acid (CFFA), a mixture of 8 fatty acids derived from coconut oil, is an effective repellent and deterrent against a broad array of hematophagous insects. In this study, we evaluated the oviposition deterrent activity of CFFA on spotted-wing drosophila (SWD; Drosophila suzukii), a destructive invasive pest of berries and cherries, and identified bioactive key-deterrent compounds. In laboratory 2-choice tests, CFFA deterred SWD oviposition in a dose-dependent manner with the greatest reduction (99%) observed at a 20-mg dose compared with solvent control.

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As the prevalence of pregnancies with advanced maternal age increases, the risk of fetal chromosomal abnormalities is on the rise. Therefore, prenatal genetic screening and diagnosis have become essential elements in contemporary obstetrical care. Trophoblast retrieval and isolation from the cervix (TRIC) is a non-invasive procedure that can be utilized for prenatal genetic diagnosis.

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Objectives: To assess whether the Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) category is associated with the treatment outcomes of small single hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after surgical resection (SR) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA).

Methods: This retrospective study included 357 patients who underwent SR (n = 209) or RFA (n = 148) for a single HCC of ≤ 3 cm between 2014 and 2016. LI-RADS categories were assigned.

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Objective: To compare therapeutic outcomes after liver transplantation (LT) between hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) with low and high risk for microvascular invasion (MVI) within the Milan criteria evaluated preoperatively.

Methods: Eighty patients with a single HCC who underwent LT as the initial therapy between 2008 and 2017 were included from two tertiary referral medical centers in a HBV-predominant population. A preoperative MVI-risk model was used to identify low- and high-risk patients.

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