Publications by authors named "Yeon-A Kim"

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  • Koenigia alpina is a perennial herb studied for its potential use in cosmeceuticals, though its properties haven't been thoroughly examined until now.
  • Researchers induced inflammation in cells and tested K. alpina extracts for their ability to scavenge free radicals, inhibit enzymes related to aging, and promote wound healing.
  • Results showed that K. alpina extracts had strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, suggesting they could be effective in antiaging skincare products.
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Background: Prolotherapy is a proliferation therapy as an alternative medicine. A combination of dextrose solution and lidocaine is usually used in prolotherapy. The concentrations of dextrose and lidocaine used in the clinical field are very high (dextrose 10%-25%, lidocaine 0.

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  • Researchers developed a new technique called hybrid robotic single-site myomectomy (H-RSSM) that combines the benefits of single-port laparoscopic myomectomy (SP-LM) and robotic single-site surgery (RSSM) to treat women with symptomatic fibroids.
  • The study involved 25 women and reported an average operation time of about 69 minutes, showing that H-RSSM led to quicker recovery times without complications or conversions to more invasive surgeries.
  • Initial results suggest that H-RSSM may be a faster and safer alternative to traditional methods for treating fibroids, though more research is needed to confirm these advantages.
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Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as organochlorine (OC) pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) have become wide-spread environmental contaminants as a consequence of their extensive use, long-range transport, and persistence. Because POPs are highly resistant to metabolic degradation, humans bioaccumulate these lipophilic and hydrophobic pollutants in fatty tissues for many years. Previous studies have demonstrated that POPs including PCBs are involved in the development of diabetes mellitus (DM) type 2 and insulin resistance.

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  • Epidemiological studies indicate a link between polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and obesity, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood.
  • This study focused on how PCB-138 causes lipid droplet (LD) enlargement in adipocytes, potentially helping these fat cells resist cell death and contributing to obesity.
  • Key findings revealed that PCB-138 protects adipocytes from TNF-α-induced cell death by enhancing the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins like survivin, along with proteins Fsp27 and perilipin that help maintain enlarged LDs.
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  • Diagnosing calf pain can be challenging due to its varied causes; careful history and physical exam are essential for accurate diagnosis.
  • Ultrasonography is recommended as the first-choice evaluation tool because it is accessible and cost-effective for identifying issues like fibromas.
  • A case study illustrates that a 35-year-old man's chronic calf pain was misdiagnosed for years until ultrasonography revealed a fibroma causing inflammation around the nerves, leading to successful treatment after surgery.
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  • The study investigates the protective effects of ethyl pyruvate (EP) against myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) damage and its role in preventing apoptosis.
  • Rats were infused with either EP or a control solution before subjecting them to 30 minutes of ischaemia and 2 hours of reperfusion to observe the biochemical effects.
  • Results showed that EP increased anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein levels and decreased markers of apoptosis, indicating that EP may offer heart protection by reducing cell death during I/R injury.
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  • This study investigates how polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) like PCB-118 and PCB-138 contribute to insulin resistance, focusing on their impact on fat cell (adipocyte) development and function.
  • Both types of PCB were found to enhance adipocyte differentiation and increase lipid droplet size both in cell cultures and in mice.
  • The research suggests that PCBs induce insulin resistance by enlarging lipid droplets through the action of a protein called Fsp27, while the anti-diabetic drug metformin can help counteract this effect.
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The goal of this in vitro study was to examine the effects of pre-acidification and pre-akalinization on the lipid emulsion-mediated reversal of toxic dose levobupivacaine-induced vasodilation in isolated rat aorta. Isolated aortic rings with and without the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N(ω)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) were exposed to four types of Krebs solution (pH 7.0, 7.

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  • - The study investigates the effects of lipid emulsions, specifically Intralipid® and Lipofundin® MCT/LCT, on heart function and calcium levels in heart cells, particularly in the context of local anesthetic-induced cardiac toxicity.
  • - Results show that Lipofundin® MCT/LCT significantly improves left ventricular pressure and increases intracellular calcium more effectively than Intralipid®, indicating a stronger positive inotropic effect.
  • - The different impacts of these lipid emulsions on heart performance can be attributed to their specific triglyceride makeup, suggesting that higher intracellular calcium levels contribute to their effectiveness.
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  • The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of nefopam and meperidine in preventing shivering during spinal anesthesia.
  • A total of 65 patients undergoing orthopedic surgery were randomly assigned to receive either meperidine or nefopam before the procedure, with various health measurements taken post-anesthesia.
  • Results showed similar shivering incidence in both groups, but nefopam maintained better blood pressure levels, suggesting it could be a viable alternative to meperidine for shivering prevention during spinal anesthesia, despite some reported injection pain.
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  • - Intracranial hypotension causes postural headaches that improve when lying down and worsen when sitting or standing, along with potential sixth nerve palsy.
  • - The epidural blood patch (EBP) is a treatment commonly used for headaches after a spinal tap, but its effectiveness for sixth nerve palsy linked to intracranial hypotension is not well understood.
  • - This article presents a case where a patient with sixth nerve palsy from spontaneous intracranial hypotension received EBP treatment 10 days after the symptoms began.
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Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is a potentially morbid and costly complication of surgery. We conducted a multicentre case-control study to determine the risk factors for SSI in patients undergoing gastric surgery and to establish strategies to reduce the risk of SSI.

Methods: Between January 2007 and December 2008, 121 patients who developed an SSI after gastric surgery were matched with controls who had undergone surgery on the dates closest to those of the cases, at 13 centres in Korea.

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A gene encoding the beta-xylosidase/alpha-arabinofuranosidase (XylC) of Paenibacillus woosongensis was cloned into Escherichia coli. This xylC gene consisted of 1,425 nucleotides, encoding a polypeptide of 474 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence exhibited an 80% similarity with those of both Clostridium stercorarium beta-xylosidase/alpha-N-arabinosidase and Bacillus cellulosilyticus alpha-arabinofuranosidase, belonging to the glycosyl hydrolase family 43.

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Purpose: This study aimed to identify the correlations among social support, stress, and practice of prenatal care and elucidate the predictors affecting the practice of prenatal care in married immigrant women in Korea.

Method: This study employed a descriptive correlational

Design: Social support and prenatal-care practice were positively correlated, and stress was negatively correlated with both prenatal-care practice and social support. The practice of prenatal care in married immigrant women was most influenced by social support.

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  • The study aimed to compare the accuracy of epidural catheter placement at three lumbar sites (L2-3, L3-4, L4-5) in infants and children.
  • Seventy-five children were divided into three groups for catheter insertion, and the correct placement was checked using a diluted contrast agent and imaging.
  • Results showed that L2-3 had significantly better accuracy for catheter placement, particularly in children over 1 year, while infants performed better at lower lumbar levels due to safety concerns.
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Background: Decrease in blood magnesium and calcium concentration is associated with an increase in the incidence of arrhythmia, especially during the induction period. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the effects of propofol, pentothal sodium, and sevoflurane on calcium and magnesium concentration.

Methods: Thirty-six premedicated, ASA grade I patients were selected and randomly allocated into 3 groups.

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  • The study aimed to compare clinical characteristics of bacteremia caused by metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL)-producing and non-producing Acinetobacter species in a hospital setting.
  • Researchers analyzed data from patients with Acinetobacter bacteremia between 2001 and 2005, identifying distinct groups based on MBL resistance.
  • Key findings indicated that neutropenia and prolonged antibiotic use (specifically cephalosporins) are risk factors for developing MBL-producing Acinetobacter infections.
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Phosphoinositides are critical regulators of ion channel and transporter activity. There are multiple isomers of biologically active phosphoinositides in the plasma membrane and the different lipid species are non-randomly distributed. However, the mechanism by which cells impose selectivity and directionality on lipid movements and so generate a non-random lipid distribution remains unclear.

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Multiple antibiotic resistance threatens successful treatment of Acinetobacter baumannii infections worldwide. Increasing interest in the well-known activity of sulbactam against the genus Acinetobacter has been aroused. The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes for patients with Acinetobacter bacteremia treated with cefoperazone/sulbactam versus imipenem/cilastatin.

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As an acute neurotoxicity, high dose 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-induced encephalopathy is well-known, but encephalopathy associated with lower dose is rarely reported. Here, we report a case of a male with anal cancer who was treated with 5-FU 1000 mg/m(2), continuous infusion for 5 days q4 weeks. At the second and the fourth cycles of chemotherapy, sudden confusion, cognitive dysfunction and disorientation occurred during 5-FU infusion.

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We have shown previously that cardiac G protein-gated inwardly rectifying K+ (GIRK) channels are inhibited by Gq protein-coupled receptors (GqPCRs) via phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) depletion in a receptor-specific manner. To investigate the mechanism of receptor specificity, we examined whether the activation of GqPCRs induces localized PIP2 depletion. When we applied endothelin-1 to the bath, GIRK channel activities recorded in cell-attached patches were not changed, implying that PIP2 signal is not diffusible but is a localized signal.

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