Application of metal-organic frameworks for photocatalytic degradation of microplastics: Design, challenges, and scope.

Microplastics (MPs), plastic particles smaller than 5 mm, are pervasive pollutants challenging wastewater treatment due to their size and hydrophobicity. They infiltrate freshwater, marine, and soil environments, posing ecological threats. In marine settings, MPs ingested by organisms cause cytokine release, cellular and DNA damage, and inflammation.

Synergistic Chemo-Immunotherapy: Recombinant Fusion Protein-Based Surface Modification of NK Cell for Targeted Cancer Treatment.

While traditional combination anticancer treatments have shown promising results, there remains significant interest in developing innovative methods to enhance and integrate chemotherapy and immunotherapy. This study introduces a recombinant fusion protein-based cell surface modification system that synergistically combines chemotherapy and immunotherapy into a single-targeted chemo-immunotherapy approach. A cell surface-modified protein composed of an antibody-specific binding domain and a cell-penetrating domain rapidly converts immune cells into chemo-immuno therapeutics by binding to antibodies on the surface of immune cells.

Enhancement of skin rejuvenation and hair growth through novel near-infrared light emitting diode (nNIR) lighting: in vitro and in vivo study.

The study aimed to explore the impact of a novel near-infrared LED (nNIR) with an extended spectrum on skin enhancement and hair growth. Various LED sources, including White and nNIRs, were compared across multiple parameters: cytotoxicity, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) reduction, skin thickness, collagen synthesis, collagenase expression, and hair follicle growth. Experiments were conducted on human skin cells and animal models.

Improvement of NASH and liver fibrosis through modulation of the gut-liver axis by a novel intestinal FXR agonist.

Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) plays a pivotal role in the regulation of bile acid homeostasis and is involved in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Although FXR agonists effectively alleviate pathological features of NASH, adverse effects such as disturbance of cholesterol homeostasis and occurrence of pruritus remain to be addressed. Here, we identified a novel FXR agonist, ID119031166 (ID166), and explored the pharmacological benefits of ID166 in the treatment of NASH.

Investigating the Anti-Aging Effects of Caviar Oil on Human Skin.

Background/aim: As the largest organ of the human body, the skin serves as a critical barrier against environmental damage. However, many factors, such as genetics, sun exposure, and lifestyle choices can lead to skin damage creating wrinkles, sagging, and loss of elasticity. The use of skincare products containing natural ingredients has become increasingly popular as a way to combat the signs of aging.

Potential Impact of the Involvement of Clinical Pharmacists in Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs on the Incidence of Antimicrobial-Related Adverse Events in Hospitalized Patients: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

Although specialized pharmacists have been suggested to be essential members of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs), not all hospitals in Korea operate ASPs with pharmacists involved. We aimed to evaluate the association of involvement of clinical pharmacists as team members of multidisciplinary ASPs with the incidence of antimicrobial-related adverse drug events (ADEs). Five tertiary teaching hospitals participated in this retrospective cohort study.

Effect of 808-nm Laser Photobiomodulation Treatment in Blepharitis Rat Model.

Purpose: Blepharitis, simply defined as eyelid inflammation, is one of the common ocular conditions associated with discomfort and irritation. Because blepharitis causes meibomian gland dysfunction and dry eye, this study aimed to confirm the effect of photobiomodulation (PBM) on blepharitis.

Methods: A total of 20 rats were randomly assigned to 4 equal groups, including control, blepharitis, PBM, and eye drop.

Comparison of characteristics of culture-negative pyogenic spondylitis and tuberculous spondylitis: a retrospective study.

Background: Differences between the characteristics of culture positive pyogenic spondylitis (CPPS) and tuberculous spondylitis (TS) are well known. However, differences between the characteristics of culture negative pyogenic spondylitis (CNPS) and TS have not been reported; these would be more helpful in clinical practice especially when initial microbiologic examination of blood and/or biopsy tissue did not reveal the causative bacteria in patients with infectious spondylitis.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of the medical records of patients with CNPS and TS.

Isolation of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus from a Patient of the 2015 Korean Outbreak.

During the 2015 outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Korea, 186 persons were infected, resulting in 38 fatalities. We isolated MERS-CoV from the oropharyngeal sample obtained from a patient of the outbreak. Cytopathic effects showing detachment and rounding of cells were observed in Vero cell cultures 3 days after inoculation of the sample.

The burden of nosocomial staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infection in South Korea: a prospective hospital-based nationwide study.

Background: We estimated the nationwide burden of nosocomial S. aureus bloodstream infection (SA-BSI), a major cause of nosocomial infection, in South Korea.

Methods: To evaluate the nationwide incidence of nosocomial SA-BSI, cases of SA-BSI were prospectively collected from 22 hospitals with over 500 beds over 4?months.

Incidence and risk factors of tuberculosis in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Korea is a low prevalence country for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and has an intermediate tuberculosis (TB) burden. We previously reported that the incidence of TB in HIV-infected patients was 9.6 cases per 100 person-years (P-Y) between 1988 and 1997.

Differentiating rapid- and slow-growing mycobacteria by difference in time to growth detection in liquid media.

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are classified into 2 categories: slow-growing mycobacteria (SGM) and rapid-growing mycobacteria (RGM), based on interval to colony formation by subculture on solid media. However, little is known about the growth rate of NTM in liquid broth media. We evaluated the differences in time to growth detection (TGD) of RGM and SGM in liquid broth media according to acid-fast stain.

Microbiologically and clinically diagnosed vertebral osteomyelitis: impact of prior antibiotic exposure.

We retrospectively reviewed medical records to identify the factors that affect the results of culture in patients with pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis. In multivariate analysis, the presence of paravertebral abscess was associated with positive results of microbiologic culture. Prior antibiotic exposure, especially of longer duration, was strongly associated with negative results.

A comparative study of pyogenic and tuberculous spondylodiscitis.

Study Design: We performed a retrospective review of 126 cases of infectious spondylodiscitis over a 4-year period.

Objective: Differentiation between pyogenic spondylodiscitis (PS) and tuberculous spondylodiscitis (TS) is essential for deciding on the appropriate therapeutic regimen. The aim of this study was to compare the characteristics of the 2 forms of spondylodiscitis.

A randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CJ-50300, a newly developed cell culture-derived smallpox vaccine, in healthy volunteers.

A randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CJ-50300, a newly developed cell culture-derived smallpox vaccine, and to determine its minimum effective dose. The overall rates of cutaneous "take" reaction and humoral and cellular immunogenicity in CJ-50300 vaccinees were 100% (123/123), 99.2% (122/123), and 90.

Nationwide surveillance study of vancomycin intermediate Staphylococcus aureus strains in Korean hospitals from 2001 to 2006.

We investigated the prevalence and the molecular characteristics of vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) among methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains isolated from clinical samples at tertiary or general hospitals participating in a nationwide surveillance program for VISA and vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) in Korea during an 8-week period in each year from 2001 to 2006. Of 41,639 MRSAs isolated, 37,856 were screened and 169 grew on brain heart infusion agar supplemented with 4 microg/ml vancomycin. A vancomycin MIC of 4 microg/ml was confirmed for 33 VISA isolates of the 169 isolates.

Diagnostic usefulness of a T-cell-based assay for extrapulmonary tuberculosis in immunocompromised patients.

Background: The low reactivity of the tuberculin skin test limits its clinical use in immunocompromised patients with extrapulmonary tuberculosis. A recently developed T-cell-based assay for diagnosing tuberculosis infection gave promising results. However, there were few data on the usefulness of this assay for diagnosing extrapulmonary tuberculosis in immunocompromised patients.

Diagnosis of central nervous system tuberculosis by T-cell-based assays on peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid mononuclear cells.

In active tuberculosis (TB), Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific T cells are compartmentalized more to the site of infection than to the circulating blood. Therefore, an M. tuberculosis-specific enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay with samples from the site of infection may permit a more sensitive or specific diagnosis of active central nervous system (CNS) TB than that achieved by the assay with blood alone.

Diagnostic usefulness of a T-cell based assay for extrapulmonary tuberculosis.

Background: Diagnosing extrapulmonary tuberculosis (E-TB) remains a challenge. A recently developed Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific region of difference 1 gene-based assay for diagnosing tuberculosis infection showed promising results. However, the diagnostic usefulness of this assay remains to be determined compared with tuberculin skin test (TST) in patients with suspected E-TB in clinical practice.

Outcome of vancomycin treatment in patients with methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia.

Limited data on the clinical outcome of vancomycin treatment compared with that of beta-lactam treatment in patients with methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (MSSA-B) are available. We used different and complementary approaches: (i) a retrospective cohort study using a propensity score to adjust for confounding by treatment assignment and (ii) a matched case-control study. Of all patients with S.

Bacteremia is a prognostic factor for poor outcome in spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.

We performed a retrospective study to determine the influence of bacteremia on the mortality of patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP), a major complication of liver cirrhosis. Patients with SBP with identified pathogens from ascites and/or blood were analyzed by retrospective review of clinical and laboratory records in a university hospital in Korea for 3 y and classified into the bacteremic and non-bacteremic groups. The underlying liver function was determined by model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score.

Detailed kinetics of immune responses to a new cell culture-derived smallpox vaccine in vaccinia-naïve adults.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the kinetics of humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to a new cell culture-derived smallpox vaccine (CJ-50300, CJ Corporation, South Korea) in 18 vaccinia-naïve volunteers. All subjects achieved positive humoral immune responses (plaque reduction neutralizing antibody assay) 28 days after vaccination, and cell-mediated immune responses (ELISPOT assay) 14 days after vaccination. Humoral immune responses increased up to 28 days after vaccination and were maintained up to 56 days after vaccination.

A case of hypersensitivity syndrome to both vancomycin and teicoplanin.

Drug hypersensitivity syndrome to both vancomycin and teicoplanin has not been previously reported. We describe here a 50-yr-old male patient with vertebral osteomyelitis and epidural abscess who developed hypersensitivity syndrome to both vancomycin and teicoplanin. Skin rash, fever, eosinophilia, interstitial pneumonitis, and interstitial nephritis developed following the administration of each drug, and resolved after withdrawing the drugs and treating with high dose corticosteroids.