Publications by authors named "Ku B"

This study assessed the therapeutic effectiveness of a single-pill combination (SPC) of olmesartan/amlodipine plus rosuvastatin for blood pressure (BP) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in patients with hypertension and dyslipidemia. Adult patients with hypertension and dyslipidemia who were decided to be treated with the study drug were eligible. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients who achieved BP, LDL-C and both BP and LDL-C treatment goals at weeks 24-48.

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Background: Amino acid supplements are crucial for animal health and productivity. Traditional analysis methods face limitations like complexity, long testing times and toxic reagents. Therefore, a more efficient and reliable method is needed.

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Background: Three dimensional (3D) cell cultures can be effectively used for drug discovery and development but there are still challenges in their general application to high-throughput screening. In this study, we developed a novel high-throughput chemotherapeutic 3D drug screening system for gastric cancer, named 'Cure-GA', to discover clinically applicable anticancer drugs and predict therapeutic responses.

Methods: Primary cancer cells were isolated from 143 fresh surgical specimens by enzymatic treatment.

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Introduction: We investigated the efficacy of a multidomain intervention (MI) via face-to-face and video communication platforms using a tablet personal computer application in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Methods: Three hundred participants with MCI and ≥ 1 modifiable dementia risk factor, aged 60-85 years, were randomly assigned to either the MI group, who underwent a 24-week intervention, or the control group, who received usual care.

Results: The overall adherence rate to MI was 84.

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Lung cancer is a malignant tumor with high incidence and mortality rates in both men and women worldwide. Although anticancer drugs are prescribed to treat lung cancer patients, individual responses to these drugs vary, making it crucial to identify the most suitable treatment for each patient. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an anticancer drug efficacy prediction model that can analyze drug efficacy before patient treatment and establish personalized treatment strategies.

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Recent advancements in three-dimensional (3D) cell culture technologies, such as cell spheroids, organoids, and 3D bioprinted tissue constructs, have significantly improved the physiological relevance of in vitro models. These models better mimic tissue structure and function, closely emulating in vivo characteristics and enhancing phenotypic analysis, critical for basic research and drug screening in personalized cancer therapy. Despite their potential, current 3D cell culture platforms face technical challenges, which include user-unfriendliness in long-term dynamic cell culture, incompatibility with rapid cell encapsulation in biomimetic hydrogels, and low throughput for compound screening.

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Objectives: We applied three electronic triggers to study frequency and contributory factors of missed opportunities for improving diagnosis (MOIDs) in pediatric emergency departments (EDs): return visits within 10 days resulting in admission (Trigger 1), care escalation within 24 h of ED presentation (Trigger 2), and death within 24 h of ED visit (Trigger 3).

Methods: We created an electronic query and reporting template for the triggers and applied them to electronic health record systems of five pediatric EDs for visits from 2019. Clinician reviewers manually screened identified charts and initially categorized them as "unlikely for MOIDs" or "unable to rule out MOIDs" without a detailed chart review.

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Background: The novel sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor enavogliflozin effectively lowers glycosylated hemoglobin levels and body weights without the increased risk of serious adverse events; however, the long-term clinical benefits of enavogliflozin in terms of cardiovascular and renal outcomes have not been investigated.

Methods: This study is an investigator-initiated, multicenter, randomized, pragmatic, open-label, active-controlled, non-inferiority trial. Eligible participants are adults (aged ≥19 years) with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who have a history of, or are at risk of, cardiovascular disease.

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Inhalation exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) during the fabrication of engineered stone-based kitchen countertops has been on the rise in recent years and has become a significant occupational health problem in the United States and globally. Little is known about the presence of nanocrystalline silica (NCS), i.e.

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Background: We investigated the prevalence and clinical characteristics of type 2 diabetes mellitus in lean Korean adults.

Methods: We analyzed data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2021 among adults aged ≥ 19 years. Trend analyses between 2001 and 2019-2021 (n = 89,720) and comparative analyses of multiple clinical characteristics between patients with type 2 diabetes with and without overweight/obesity were conducted (n = 2,284).

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Article Synopsis
  • Staphylococcus hyicus is a bacterium that leads to skin disease in piglets, producing harmful toxins responsible for symptoms of exudative epidermitis, and antimicrobial treatment often fails due to resistance issues.
  • A study examined 17 isolates of S. hyicus from piglets, confirming their identity and analyzing the presence of specific exfoliative toxin genes, with 52.9% of isolates showing these genes, primarily exhB, exhC, and exhD.
  • Results indicated that while all isolates were highly susceptible to certain antibiotics, 82.4% displayed multidrug resistance, highlighting the need for better management and treatment approaches for the skin disease in pigs.
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Objective: Neuroendoscopic surgery (NES) has been proven to be safe and effective in hematoma evacuation for cerebral hemorrhage. However, its efficacy for thalamic hemorrhage accompanied by intraventricular hematoma (THAVH) remains unclear. The aim of this study is to determine the efficacy of NES in treating THAVH.

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  • This study explores the differences in how patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and seeks to identify key biomarkers that predict these responses.
  • Researchers analyzed samples from 33 lung cancer biopsies, focusing on 14 taken before ICI treatment, and found that non-responders had more regulatory and memory T cells, while responders displayed diverse activated CD8+ T cells.
  • They identified specific tumor cell activity linked to resistance to ICIs, achieving over 95% accuracy in predicting patient responses by combining immune cell profiles with tumor characteristics, highlighting the importance of the tumor-immune environment in NSCLC treatment.
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Real-time PCR assays are valuable tools for the rapid and accurate diagnosis of infectious diseases by identifying the nucleic acid sequences of pathogens. Here, we aimed to develop a recombinant plasmid-based standard for validating the sensitivity of different molecular diagnostic methods adopting the Jonstrup assay (J assay). Chimeric plasmid DNA (cpDNA) harboring various pathogen genes and the target site of the J assay was constructed.

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  • * The isolated virus from the cats and raw food belonged to the HPAI A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b, showing similarities to previously isolated viruses in Korea from November 2022.
  • * Infected cats exhibited severe systemic lesions and harbored mutations indicating adaptation to mammals, leading to symptoms and death from consuming contaminated raw meat.
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Recently, cases of antifreeze poisoning in companion animals, particularly cats, have surged in the Republic of Korea. Ethylene glycol (EG), the toxic primary component of antifreeze, is metabolized into glycolic acid (GA), leading to severe metabolic acidosis, acute kidney injury, and death. Traditional detection methods, although effective, are often time-consuming owing to complex sample preparation.

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  • Uteroglobin, a protein known for its anti-inflammatory properties, was studied in relation to type 2 diabetes (T2D) and inflammation's role in its development.
  • The research involved testing 240 subjects divided into three groups based on their diabetes status, revealing that uteroglobin levels were significantly lower in those with prediabetes and T2D compared to those with normal glucose tolerance.
  • Treatment with metformin or statins led to increased uteroglobin levels in newly diagnosed patients, suggesting that uteroglobin could serve as an early biomarker for chronic inflammation in T2D.
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  • This study looked at how living in diverse neighborhoods affects young people at risk for schizophrenia compared to those who are not.
  • Researchers found that living in neighborhoods with lots of different racial and ethnic groups can lead to fewer symptoms of mental health issues for some young people.
  • They also discovered that experiences like being bullied and discrimination can play a role in how these feelings are affected by neighborhood diversity.
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  • The study aimed to assess how effective and safe add-on dapagliflozin is for type 2 diabetes patients who weren't properly managing their blood sugar levels with metformin and linagliptin.
  • In a trial with 235 patients, half received a fixed-dose combination of dapagliflozin and linagliptin, while the other half received linagliptin plus a placebo, with results measured after 24 weeks.
  • The dapagliflozin group showed significantly lower HbA1c levels and better outcomes in achieving target blood sugar levels compared to the placebo group, with a low risk of adverse effects being noted for both treatments.
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Evaluating the synergy of drug combinations is crucial in advancing treatment regimens. Here, we present a protocol to establish primary cells and organoids from murine tumors and calculate drug synergy. We describe all necessary cell culture procedures, including establishing primary cultures, setting up treatment groups, and detecting cell viability.

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  • YAP and TAZ are crucial for stem/progenitor cell growth and their dysregulation can cause tissue growth issues.
  • YAP can counteract the negative effects of serum starvation by activating mTORC1 to boost protein synthesis, allowing cells to grow despite adverse conditions.
  • The study highlights DDIT4, which normally inhibits mTORC1 but is suppressed by YAP/TAZ, suggesting that targeting mTORC1 or protein translation may be effective for treating cancers driven by YAP/TAZ.
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  • Cryptosporidium and Giardia duodenalis are common parasites that cause diarrhea in dogs and humans, and a study was conducted to examine their prevalence in shelter dogs in South Korea.
  • Researchers analyzed 345 dog fecal samples and found a prevalence of 6.67% for Cryptosporidium spp., with C. canis being the most common, and 17.68% for G. duodenalis, which was more frequent in dogs with diarrhea.
  • The study discovered regional differences in parasite prevalence and identified specific genetic characteristics of the parasites, offering valuable insights into their distribution and types in shelter dogs.
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Purpose: Parents of children with disabilities often encounter challenges when supporting their child's physical activity (PA). Research on the psychological factors influencing parental support for PA has produced mixed results. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to a) synthesize psychological factors associated with parental support for PA, and b) evaluate the moderators of the association between parental support for PA and these psychological factors.

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  • The study examines cases of bovine abortions in South Korea caused by an opportunistic bacterium, focusing on its pathological findings, antimicrobial resistance, and genetic traits.
  • Three bovine abortion cases revealed severe lung issues and other infections, with bacterium detected in all affected fetuses; two were attributed solely to the bacterium, while one was associated with a viral coinfection.
  • This marks the first report of such abortions linked to this bacterium in South Korea, highlighting the need for ongoing research to understand its characteristics and resistance patterns.
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Importance: Recent research has demonstrated that domains of social determinants of health (SDOH) (e.g., air pollution and social context) are associated with psychosis.

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