Publications by authors named "E-J Choi"

Background: Ultrasonography allows real-time imaging of facial soft tissue during hyaluronic acid (HA) filler injections. However, there is currently limited guidance relating to ultrasound-guided HA filler placement in the upper face.

Aims: To develop guidance for the effective use of ultrasonography to improve the safety of HA filler injection procedures.

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The novel strain CBA3628 was isolated from kimchi, a Korean fermented vegetable. CBA3628 is a cocci-shaped, Gram-stain-positive, catalase- and oxidase-negative and facultatively anaerobic bacterium. The results of phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated that CBA3628 represented a member of the genus of the family .

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Background: Current guidelines recommend intervention for asymptomatic rheumatic mitral stenosis (MS) with mitral valve area ≤1.5 cm based on indicators including pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (PASP) >50 mm Hg and new-onset atrial fibrillation; however, evidence supporting this is lacking.

Methods: This single-center retrospective study included patients with rheumatic MS between 2006 and 2022.

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  • Cervical artery dissection (CeAD) is a leading cause of ischemic strokes in young adults, and this study explored the effects of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) on patients with CeAD and stroke symptoms.
  • Analyzed data from the STOP-CAD study, it found that IVT significantly improved functional independence after 90 days in patients without increasing the risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage.
  • The results suggest that IVT is a beneficial treatment for eligible patients with CeAD, aligning with current medical guidelines on its use.
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  • Precise implantation depth is crucial for the success of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), but the effects of incorrect depths on the ACURATE NEO2 prosthesis hadn't been previously studied.
  • A study of 1,839 patients evaluated outcomes based on three implantation depth categories: high (<3 mm), optimal (3-7 mm), and low (>7 mm), finding no significant differences in technical success or paravalvular regurgitation rates.
  • While higher implantation showed better hemodynamics, it also had a higher risk of embolization; low implantation led to more pacemaker needs, suggesting it's better to avoid high placements to minimize risks.
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[2,3-diamino--(4-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)phenyl)propanamide], named as ETN101, is a novel therapeutic agent for hepatocellular carcinoma. In vitro studies examined ETN101 metabolites in human, mouse, rat, dog, and monkey hepatocytes and identified the drug-metabolizing enzymes involved using cDNA-expressed human recombinant cytochrome P450s (CYPs), carboxylesterases (CESs), -acetyltransferase (NAT) 1, and human liver cytosol. ETN101 showed similar metabolic stability across hepatocytes from five species, with particularly comparable stability in humans, rats, and monkeys.

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  • Genomic alterations in tumors significantly influence cancer progression and treatment response, with whole-genome sequencing (WGS) emerging as a viable alternative to traditional targeted panel sequencing (TPS) due to advancements in cost and technology.
  • A study involving 120 cancer patients evaluated the clinical utility of WGS and found that 79% received genomic reports quickly, with 72% of these reports offering clinically relevant information.
  • The insights gained from WGS helped in selecting tailored treatments and clinical trials based on identifying specific mutations, potentially enhancing precision oncology and suggesting routine integration of WGS in cancer management.
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  • - The study evaluated how various cardiometabolic risk factors, such as metabolic syndrome and individual factors like high fasting glucose and low HDL cholesterol, impact the progression of coronary plaque and the likelihood of major cardiovascular events in patients with stable coronary artery disease.
  • - In a cohort of 1,200 patients followed over several years, 28% experienced rapid coronary plaque progression, identified primarily through increased atheroma volume, which indicates worsening arterial health.
  • - The findings suggest that a combination of risk factors, particularly high blood sugar and blood pressure, significantly forecast both plaque progression and serious cardiovascular incidents, highlighting the importance of monitoring these factors in at-risk patients.
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It is important to understand real-world BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (VE), especially among racial and ethnic minority groups. We performed a test-negative case-control study to measure BNT162b2 COVID-19 VE in the prevention of COVID-19-associated acute respiratory illness (ARI) hospitalizations at two Atlanta hospitals from May 2021-January 2023 and adjusted for potential confounders by multivariate analysis. Among 5139 eligible adults with ARI, 2763 (53.

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Antibiotics are used to control infectious diseases. However, adverse effects of antibiotics, such as devastation of the gut microbiota and enhancement of the inflammatory response, have been reported. Health benefits of fermented milk are established and can be enhanced by the addition of probiotic strains.

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Objectives: To investigate differences in the incidence of enteropathy or intestinal malabsorption in patients taking angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI), calcium channel blocker (CCB), and beta blockers (BBs) at a single center in Korea.

Methods: In this retrospective study, we utilized data from the Yangsan electronic medical records to identify 129,169 patients. These individuals were prescribed olmesartan, other ARBs, ACEI, CCB, and BBs between November 2008 and February 2021.

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  • Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of respiratory infections in young children and ranks as the second leading cause of infant mortality globally.
  • The study utilizes genomic data from INFORM-RSV to analyze how both natural selection and random factors influence the genetic diversity of RSV strains.
  • Findings indicate that air travel significantly impacts the distribution and spread of RSV types A and B worldwide, emphasizing the need for comprehensive genomic surveillance to better understand RSV dynamics.
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  • Akkermansia muciniphila is important for gut health as it aids in gut immunity, intestinal development, and barrier integrity.
  • The study focuses on a newly discovered protein, Amuc_1409, secreted by A. muciniphila, which enhances intestinal stem cell (ISC) growth and recovery in both lab models and aging male mice.
  • Amuc_1409 works by interacting with E-cadherin, activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling, and is suggested as a potential biological agent for promoting gut health.
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Purpose: Establishing a development environment for machine learning is difficult for medical researchers because learning to code is a major barrier. This study aimed to improve the accuracy of a postoperative vault value prediction model for implantable collamer lens (ICL) sizing using machine learning without coding experience.

Methods: We used Orange data mining, a recently developed open-source, code-free machine learning tool.

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Purpose To investigate quantitative CT (QCT) measurement variability in interstitial lung disease (ILD) on the basis of two same-day CT scans. Materials and Methods Participants with ILD were enrolled in this multicenter prospective study between March and October 2022. Participants underwent two same-day CT scans at an interval of a few minutes.

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  • Seladelpar, a medication aimed at treating primary biliary cholangitis, was tested in a phase 3 trial involving patients who didn't respond well to the standard treatment, ursodeoxycholic acid.
  • The trial showed that a significantly higher percentage of patients taking seladelpar achieved a biochemical response and normalized alkaline phosphatase levels compared to those on placebo.
  • Additionally, seladelpar was more effective in reducing itchiness, with patients reporting greater relief from pruritus than those receiving placebo, although some adverse events were noted.
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Background: Small, randomized trials of patients with cervical artery dissection showed conflicting results regarding optimal stroke prevention strategies. We aimed to compare outcomes in patients with cervical artery dissection treated with antiplatelets versus anticoagulation.

Methods: This is a multicenter observational retrospective international study (16 countries, 63 sites) that included patients with cervical artery dissection without major trauma.

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Background: Preoperative cardiovascular risk stratification before noncardiac surgery is a common clinical challenge. Coronary artery calcium scores from ECG-gated chest computed tomography (CT) imaging are associated with perioperative events. At the time of preoperative evaluation, many patients will not have had ECG-gated CT imaging, but will have had nongated chest CT studies performed for a variety of noncardiac indications.

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  • The ENHANCE study assessed the efficacy and safety of seladelpar, a PPAR-δ agonist, in patients with primary biliary cholangitis who didn't respond well to or couldn't tolerate traditional treatment with UDCA.
  • Participants were divided into three groups receiving either seladelpar (5 mg or 10 mg) or a placebo, with the primary goal of measuring liver function improvements after 12 months.
  • Results showed that patients receiving 10 mg of seladelpar had significant liver function improvements and reduced itching compared to placebo, and the treatment was deemed safe with no serious side effects reported.
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Mucopolysaccharidosis II (MPS II) is a rare lysosomal storage disease characterized by deficient activity of iduronate-2-sulfatase (I2S), leading to pathological accumulation of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in tissues. We used iduronate-2-sulfatase knockout ( KO) mice to investigate if liver-directed recombinant adeno-associated virus vectors (rAAV8-LSP-h) encoding human I2S (hI2S) could cross-correct I2S deficiency in KO mouse tissues, and we then assessed the translation of mouse data to non-human primates (NHPs). Treated mice showed sustained hepatic hI2S production, accompanied by normalized GAG levels in somatic tissues (including critical tissues such as heart and lung), indicating systemic cross-correction from liver-secreted hI2S.

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  • Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease are forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) caused by abnormal immune responses, and the study focuses on the less understood interactions among immune cells and the mechanisms behind the drug vedolizumab.
  • Researchers used a method called CITE-seq on immune cells from UC patients treated with vedolizumab and applied a computational tool (NicheNet) to study immune cell interactions and transcriptional changes.
  • Findings showed that UC patients who responded to vedolizumab had fewer T helper 17 (TH17) cells and different interaction patterns with other immune cells compared to nonresponders, suggesting that understanding cell communications could enhance treatments for IBD.
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Studies of transcriptional initiation in different bacterial clades reveal diverse molecular mechanisms regulating this first step in gene expression. The WhiA and WhiB factors are both required to express cell division genes in Actinobacteria and are essential in notable pathogens such as . The WhiA/B regulons and binding sites have been elucidated in (), where they coordinate to activate sporulation septation.

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Muscle-specific tyrosine kinase myasthenia gravis (MuSK MG) is an autoimmune disease that causes life-threatening muscle weakness due to anti-MuSK autoantibodies that disrupt neuromuscular junction signaling. To avoid chronic immunosuppression from current therapies, we engineered T cells to express a MuSK chimeric autoantibody receptor with CD137-CD3ζ signaling domains (MuSK-CAART) for precision targeting of B cells expressing anti-MuSK autoantibodies. MuSK-CAART demonstrated similar efficacy as anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T cells for depletion of anti-MuSK B cells and retained cytolytic activity in the presence of soluble anti-MuSK antibodies.

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Background And Objectives: Recent studies have shown that global cognitive ability tends to decline faster over time in older adults (≥65 years) with epilepsy compared with older adults without epilepsy. Scarce data exist about the role of vascular risk factors (VRFs) on cognitive course in epilepsy. We assessed whether the associations of individual VRFs with cognitive trajectory differed depending on the presence of prevalent epilepsy.

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