Publications by authors named "Mi Jung Kim"

Although the relationships between basic clinical parameters and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) have been studied, the associations between vascular factors and WMH volume in general populations remain unclear. We investigated the associations between clinical parameters including comprehensive vascular factors and WMH in two large general populations. This retrospective, cross-sectional study involved two populations: individuals who underwent general health examinations at the Asan Medical Center (AMC) and participants from a regional cohort, the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES).

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Owing to the unique inheritance pattern of the X chromosome, X-chromosomal short tandem repeat (X-STR) analysis represents a valuable tool in forensic DNA examination-particularly in complex kinship cases, missing person investigations, and disaster victim identification. We analyzed buccal swabs from 429 unrelated Korean males for forensic statistical parameters of 12 X-STRs. Among the 427 individuals analyzed (2 were excluded), DXS10135 was the most informative marker (polymorphism information content [PIC] = 0.

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  • The study investigates the impact of COVID-19 on the neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm infants, showing increased risks for adverse effects.
  • Results indicate that preterm infants exposed to the pandemic scored lower on language and cognitive assessments compared to those born before the pandemic, even after considering other factors.
  • The findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic is linked to poorer developmental outcomes for preterm children in their first three years of life.
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Transmembrane protein 135 (TMEM135) is a 52 kDa protein with five predicted transmembrane domains that is highly conserved across species. Previous studies have shown that TMEM135 is involved in mitochondrial dynamics, thermogenesis, and lipid metabolism in multiple tissues; however, its role in the inner ear or the auditory system is unknown. We investigated the function of TMEM135 in hearing using wild-type (WT) and ( ) mutant mice on a CBA/CaJ background, a normal-hearing mouse strain.

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  • - The study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the SCales for Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease-Cognition (K-SCOPA-Cog) for assessing cognition in Parkinson's disease patients in South Korea.
  • - A total of 129 patients participated, and various statistical methods, including Cronbach's alpha and Spearman’s rank correlation, were employed to test the reliability and concurrent validity against established cognitive assessments.
  • - Results showed that the K-SCOPA-Cog has strong reliability (Cronbach's alpha of 0.797, ICC of 0.887) and a significant correlation with other cognitive measures (MOCA-K and K-MMSE), indicating it is a valid tool for cognitive assessment in this
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  • The study examines the role of estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) in auditory and balance functions using wild-type (WT) and knockout (KO) mice, focusing on the effects of estrogen on the nervous system.
  • While KO female mice had lower body weights compared to KO males, no significant differences were found in measures of auditory function or balance performance between WT and KO mice.
  • The results suggest that estrogen receptor 1 deficiency does not impair auditory or balance functions in normal-hearing mice, indicating potential compensation by estrogen receptor 2 or other estrogen receptors.
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The process of skin aging is currently recognized as a disease, and extracellular vesicles (EVs) are being used to care for it. While various EVs are present in the market, there is a growing need for research on improving skin conditions through microbial and plant-derived EVs. Edelweiss is a medicinal plant and is currently an endangered species.

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Purpose: This study evaluated whether combination therapy is more effective than monotherapy in elderly patients with metastatic or recurrent gastric cancer (MRGC) as first-line chemotherapy.

Materials And Methods: Elderly (≥ 70 years) chemo-naïve patients with MRGC were allocated to receive either combination therapy (group A: 5-fluorouracil [5-FU]/oxaliplatin, capecitabine/oxaliplatin, capecitabine/cisplatin, or S-1/cisplatin) or monotherapy (group B: 5-FU, capecitabine, or S-1). In group A, starting doses were 80% of standard doses, and they could be escalated to 100% at the discretion of the investigator.

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(CS; family Legume) was used as a medicinal material to treat neuralgia and arthritis in folk remedies and has been shown to have antioxidant, neuroprotective, and anti-apoptotic effects. However, CS is unknown for its biological activities related to skin. The present study explored the effects of CS flower absolute (CSFAb) on skin repair responses, viz.

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  • PCR is a crucial technique for diagnosing infectious diseases, particularly effective in detecting nucleic acids from various samples, yet stool samples present significant challenges due to their complexity.
  • Researchers have developed hydrogel microparticles that can capture viral RNA from stool without the need for RNA purification, allowing for quick and efficient real-time PCR (qPCR) testing in about 20 minutes.
  • This innovative method demonstrates strong performance, including high amplification efficiency and reliability, and suggests great potential for field applications in disease surveillance without requiring extensive lab equipment.
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Hearing loss is the third most prevalent chronic health condition affecting older adults and age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is the most common form of hearing impairment. Significant sex differences in hearing have been documented in humans and rodents. In general, the results of these studies show that men lose their hearing more rapidly than women.

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As the turnaround time of diagnosis becomes important, there is an increasing demand for rapid, point-of-care testing (POCT) based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the most reliable diagnostic tool. Although optical components in real-time PCR (qPCR) have quickly become compact and economical, conventional PCR instruments still require bulky thermal systems, making it difficult to meet emerging needs. Photonic PCR, which utilizes photothermal nanomaterials as heating elements, is a promising platform for POCT as it reduces power consumption and process time.

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Miq. (ITM; family Balsaminaceae) is a traditional medicinal plant with many biological activities, which include anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-pruritic properties. However, it remains to be determined whether ITM affects biological activities in the skin.

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The in situ diagnosis of cardiac activities with simultaneous therapeutic electrical stimulation of the heart is key to preventing cardiac arrhythmia. Here, we present an unconventional single-device platform that enables in situ monitoring even in a wet condition and control of beating heart motions without interferences to the recording signal. This platform consists of the active-matrix array of pressure-sensitive transistors for detecting cardiac beatings, biocompatible, low-impedance electrodes for cardiac stimulations, and an alginate-based hydrogel adhesive for attaching this platform conformally to the epicardium.

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  • Mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIB (MPS IIIB) is a genetic disorder that affects lysosomes due to mutations in the NAGLU gene, leading to harmful accumulation of heparan sulfate and progressive brain damage.
  • Traditional treatment methods face challenges because they struggle to cross the blood-brain barrier, but the AAV8 viral vector shows better results than other variants in delivering therapy to the brain.
  • In a mouse study, two injection methods of a modified AAV8 vector significantly improved enzyme levels, reduced harmful substance accumulation, and positively impacted lifespan and hearing, indicating potential for effective treatment of MPS IIIB.
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Unlabelled: In recent decades "saliva" has emerged as an important non-invasive biofluid for diagnostic purposes in both human and animal health sectors. However, with the rapid evolution of molecular detection technologies, the limitation has been the lack of an efficient method for the facile amplification of target RNA from such a complex matrix. Herein, we demonstrate the novel application of hydrogel microparticles of primer-immobilized networks (PIN) for direct quantitative reverse transcription PCR (dirRT-qPCR) of viral RNA from saliva samples without prior RNA purification.

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Purpose: Robotic head and neck surgery is widespread nowadays. However, in the reconstruction field, the use of robotic operations is not. This article aimed to examine methodologies for conventional head and neck reconstruction after robotic tumor surgery in an effort to obtain further options for future reconstruction manipulations.

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Background/aims: Efficient anti-fibrotic therapies are required for the treatment of liver cirrhosis. Hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors have been reported to have anti-fibrotic effects. Here, we investigated whether combined treatment with a statin and a COX-2 inhibitor has synergistic anti-fibrotic effects.

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In a nationwide prospective cohort of Korean infants with very low birthweights (VLBW, birth weight < 1500 g) from 70 neonatal intensive care units of the Korean Neonatal Network, we investigated neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) from 2132 infants with VLBW who had undergone developmental assessments at 18-24 months of corrected age. Motor, cognitive, or language delay was determined using developmental scores that were less than 1 standard deviation from the average. Comparative analyses and multivariate regression analyses were performed to validate the association between ROP or its treatment and developmental delay.

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  • * The study compared videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) results between bulbar and spinal onset ALS patients, focusing on swallowing difficulties and their correlation with the ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R) scores.
  • * Findings indicated that bulbar ALS patients had longer oral transit times and more severe swallowing issues compared to spinal ALS patients, emphasizing the need for intensive monitoring and treatment for dysphagia in bulbar ALS cases.
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Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is an immune-mediated acute polyradiculoneuropathy and commonly occurs after a preceding infection or immunization sequalae. Following the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 virus pandemic with co-introduction of massive vaccinations, several GBS cases associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection per se or after vaccination for COVID-19 were reported internationally. Herein, we report two cases of Korean GBS presenting with tetraplegia after two different COVID-19 vaccinations (42-year old man by AstraZeneca and 48-year woman by Pfizer vaccines) within four weeks after vaccination.

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This study aimed to determine the effects of (L.) Pers. (EAP) flower absolute (EAPFAb) on neurotransmitter release-blocking events and muscle paralysis induced by botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT/A).

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Anderss (SKA) has been used traditionally to treat inflammation, pain, and edema. SKA has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, but no study has examined its effects on skin wound healing. Here, we aimed to investigate the effects of the absolute extracted from SKA flower (SKAFAb) on skin wound healing-associated responses in keratinocytes.

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Multimodal imaging studies targeting preschoolers and low-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients are scarce. We applied machine learning classifiers to parameters from T1-weighted MRI and DTI data of 58 children with ASD (age 3-6 years) and 48 typically developing controls (TDC). Classification performance reached an accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 88.

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