Publications by authors named "Seong-Eun Kim"

Background: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) bacteremia in nonpregnant adults is of increasing concern, particularly among the elderly in underlying conditions. This study analyzed the serotype distribution, antimicrobial resistance patterns, and clinical characteristics of GBS bacteremia in nonpregnant adults over a 15-year period in two tertiary hospitals in Korea.

Methods: From 2007 to 2021, patients aged ≥ 19 years with GBS bacteremia were identified via retrospective electronic medical record review.

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Candida infections have become a growing concern to the immunocompromised patients with cancer. We report a case of liver abscess causing Candida tropicalis candidemia in an immunocompromised patient with pancreatic head cancer on 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT. A 77-year-old man had a history of 10-year duration of uncontrolled diabetes, the presence of neutropenia, immunocompromised condition, and the progression of pancreatic cancer despite the 14 cycles of chemotherapy and palliative radiotherapy.

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Background/aims: The programmed death 1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) pathway has not been fully evaluated in inflammatory bowel disease. We evaluated PD-1/PD-L1 levels in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and their significance in tonsil-derived mesenchymal stem cells (TMSCs) treatment.

Methods: Using acute and chronic murine colitis model, we measured the PD-1 and PD-L1 levels in inflamed colonic tissues pre- and post-treatment with TMSCs.

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Strong coupling between light and matter forms hybrid states, such as exciton-polaritons, which are crucial for advancements in quantum science and technology. Plasmonic metal nanoparticles, with their ultrasmall mode volumes, are effective for generating these states, but the coupling strength is often limited by surface saturation of excitonic materials. Additionally, cubic nanoparticles, which can generate strong local fields, have not been systematically explored.

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Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder triggered by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). Recent studies have demonstrated that necroptosis is involved in dopaminergic neuronal cell death and the resulting neuroinflammation. During the process of necroptosis, a necrosome complex is formed consisting of the proteins receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1), RIPK3, and mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL).

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Mitochondrial homeostasis is controlled by biogenesis, dynamics, and mitophagy. Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a central role in cardiovascular and renal disease and omega-3 fatty acids (FAs) are beneficial for cardiovascular disease. We investigated whether omega-3 fatty acids (FAs) regulate mitochondrial biogenesis, dynamics, and mitophagy in the kidney and heart of adenine-induced uremic rats.

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Thermo-responsive hydrogels (thermogels), known for their sol-gel transition capabilities, have garnered significant interest for biomedical applications over recent decades. However, conventional thermogels are hindered by intrinsic physicochemical and functional limitations that impede their broader utility. This study introduces methacryl glycol chitosan (MGC) as a novel thermogel, offering enhanced functionality and addressing these limitations.

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Background/aims: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is typically managed based on the clinical phenotype. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of potassium-competitive acid blockers (PCABs) in patients with various clinical GERD phenotypes.

Methods: Core databases were searched for studies comparing PCABs and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in clinical GERD phenotypes of erosive reflux disease (ERD), non-erosive reflux disease (NERD), PPI-resistant GERD and night-time heartburn.

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In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the early diagnosis of respiratory diseases has become increasingly crucial. Traditional diagnostic methods such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), while accurate, often face accessibility challenges. Lung auscultation, a simpler alternative, is subjective and highly dependent on the clinician's expertise.

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Article Synopsis
  • Cancer immunotherapy aims to treat tumors by enhancing the immune system, but traditional models used for testing are not effective in replicating human-specific responses.
  • More advanced models that simulate the complex interactions within tumors and the immune microenvironment are necessary for properly evaluating the treatment's effectiveness.
  • Various latest imaging techniques are being developed for cancer immunotherapy assessment, including direct imaging of immune cell interactions, microwell systems for spatial observation, droplet assays for cell interactions, and 3D microphysiological systems to mimic the vascular environment, with an emphasis on moving towards more human-like immune models for future research.
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Influenza A virus causes numerous deaths and infections worldwide annually. Therefore, we have considered nanobodies as a potential treatment for patients with severe cases of influenza. We developed a nanobody that was expected to have protective efficacy against the A/California/04/2009 (CA/04; pandemic 2009 flu strain) and evaluated its therapeutic efficacy against CA/04 in mice experiments.

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Background/aims: Despite advances in imaging and endoscopic technology, diagnostic modalities for small bowel tumors are simultaneously performed. We investigated the discrepancy rate between each modality and predictive factors of discrepancy in patients with definite small bowel tumors.

Methods: Data of patients with definite small bowel tumors who underwent both device-assisted enteroscopy (DAE) and computed tomography (CT) were retrieved from web-based enteroscopy registry database in Korea.

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Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Frondoside A (FA) on the osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament (PDL) cells.

Methods: Human PDL cells were cultured in osteogenic medium and treated with FA at concentrations of 0, 0.05, and 0.

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Background: Statins reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Although diabetes mellitus (DM) is a reported side effect of statin treatment, some studies have indicated that pitavastatin does not cause DM. The present study investigated the effect of pitavastatin on the fatty acid (FA) content of erythrocyte membranes, which affects the occurrence of DM and cardiovascular diseases.

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Background: Early detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a transitional stage between normal aging and Alzheimer disease, is crucial for preventing the progression of dementia. Virtual reality (VR) biomarkers have proven to be effective in capturing behaviors associated with subtle deficits in instrumental activities of daily living, such as challenges in using a food-ordering kiosk, for early detection of MCI. On the other hand, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarkers have demonstrated their efficacy in quantifying observable structural brain changes that can aid in early MCI detection.

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Background: The landscape of stroke care has shifted from stand-alone hospitals to cooperative networks among hospitals. Despite the importance of these networks, limited information exists on their characteristics and functional attributes.

Methods: We extracted patient-level data on acute stroke care and hospital connectivity by integrating national stroke audit data with reimbursement claims data.

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Background: Measuring tissue oxygen concentration is crucial in understanding the pathophysiological process of hypoxia in head and neck cancer (HNC) and its significant role in cancer biology. This study aimed to determine the feasibility of T1 mapping using a variable flip angle (VFA) technique with stack of stars (SOS) trajectory sampling in HNC patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy (CRT).

Methods: To evaluate the ability of SOS acquisition to detect T1, a phantom study was conducted and compared to conventional Cartesian acquisition (CART).

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Article Synopsis
  • "Long COVID" refers to ongoing symptoms from COVID-19 that last over three months, creating a significant public health challenge worldwide.
  • The guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of long COVID are based on recent research and expert consensus, addressing 32 key questions related to the condition.
  • Comprehensive evaluations for long COVID patients should include medical history and tests, and vaccination plus antiviral treatment during the acute phase are recommended to lower the risk of long COVID.
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Article Synopsis
  • A study in the Republic of Korea aimed to create a national system for tracking the occurrences of stroke and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) using national health insurance claims data.
  • Researchers developed and validated algorithms to identify stroke and AMI cases by reviewing medical records and calculating their predictive values.
  • The study found a total of 150,837 stroke cases and 40,529 AMI cases in 2018, with calculated incidence rates of 180.2 and 46.1 per 100,000 person-years, showcasing the effectiveness of the surveillance system created.
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Background: The outbreak of mpox that occurred between 2022 and 2023 is primarily being transmitted through sexual contact. As of now, there is no consensus on the recommended duration of isolation to prevent sexual transmission of the virus. Moreover, this particular mpox outbreak has presented with distinct complications in comparison to previous occurrences.

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(1) Background: Advancements in the field of liver surgery have led to a critical need for precise estimations of preoperative liver function to prevent post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF), a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. This study introduces a novel application of artificial intelligence (AI) in determining safe resection volumes according to a patient's liver function in major hepatectomies. (2) Methods: We incorporated a deep learning approach, incorporating a unique liver-specific loss function, to analyze patient characteristics, laboratory data, and liver volumetry from computed tomography scans of 52 patients.

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Radiotherapy is commonly used to treat solid cancers located in the pelvis. A considerable number of patients experience proctitis of varying severity, even for a considerable period after radiotherapy. These side effects are often long-lasting or progressively worsen despite multiple therapeutic efforts and are a primary cause of an unexpectedly low quality of life, even after successful cancer treatment.

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