Publications by authors named "Yeonkyeong Lee"
Safety of the bivalent COVID-19 mRNA booster vaccination among persons aged over 18 years in the Republic of Korea.
Osong Public Health Res Perspect
December 2024
Background: The aim of this study was to disseminate information about the safety of bivalent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mRNA booster vaccines administered to adults in the Republic of Korea.
Methods: Two databases were used to assess the safety of COVID-19 booster doses of Pfizer BA.1, Pfizer BA.
Article Synopsis
- The release of radionuclides from nuclear activities and natural sources can contaminate aquatic ecosystems, leading to long-term exposure to ionizing radiation for organisms, potentially threatening their survival.
- In a study, Atlantic salmon embryos were exposed to varying gamma radiation dose rates (1 to 30 mGy·h) from fertilization to hatching; results showed that higher radiation doses led to increased mortality, DNA damage, and developmental issues, particularly in eye and brain tissues.
- Significant negative effects on fish development, including delayed hatching and reduced antioxidant enzyme activity, were observed at dose rates exceeding 10 mGy·h, demonstrating the harmful impact of chronic radiation exposure on aquatic life. *
Article Synopsis
- The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident in 1986 caused severe damage to surrounding Scots pine trees due to high levels of ionizing radiation, leading to tree death and subsequent replanting efforts.
- Over 30 years later, radiation levels remain elevated but have decreased significantly, with ongoing research investigating the health of Scots pine in areas with varying radiation exposure.
- Findings indicate that trees in high and medium radiation areas exhibit notable DNA damage, cellular abnormalities, and increased antioxidant compounds, highlighting the long-lasting impact of radiation on forest ecosystems in the Exclusion Zone.
Article Synopsis
- * A study of over 22,000 migraine patients and nearly 118,000 with non-migraine headaches (nMH) found higher odds of conditions like asthma and GI disorders among migraine sufferers compared to controls.
- * While both migraine and nMH patients showed increased risks for GI and respiratory issues, only the GI disorders were significantly more common in the migraine group compared to those with nMH.
Article Synopsis
- The mice were exposed to 40 Hz stimulation for 14 days, with significant improvements in memory and cognitive function observed in mice that received auditory stimulation compared to those with no stimulation.
- Additionally, brain analysis revealed reduced amyloid-beta levels, less cell death, and higher acetylcholine levels in the stimulated groups, indicating positive effects on cognitive performance and brain health.
COVID-19 vaccine safety monitoring in the Republic of Korea: February 26, 2021 to April 30, 2021.
Osong Public Health Res Perspect
August 2021
Article Synopsis
- COVID-19 vaccination began in Korea on February 26, 2021, targeting high-priority groups, with AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines available.
- From February 26 to April 30, 2021, there were 16,196 reports of adverse events after administering 3,586,814 doses, with 96.7% being non-serious, while 3.3% were serious including 73 deaths, none linked to the vaccines.
- The majority of adverse events (80.7%) occurred in women, with common side effects like myalgia, fever, and headache, and ongoing monitoring of vaccine safety is being conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
Article Synopsis
- South Korea's mass vaccination campaign from February 26 to April 30, 2021, administered 3.8 million COVID-19 vaccine doses.
- Out of 173 suspected anaphylaxis cases reported, 44 were confirmed as actual anaphylaxis using established case definitions.
- The rates of anaphylaxis were 18.2 per million doses for Vaxzevria and 6.2 per million for Comirnaty, with symptoms typically appearing 14 minutes after vaccination, and most patients had recovered by the time of review.
Article Synopsis
- Neuroimaging studies show that people who suffer from migraines have cognitive impairments linked to the frontal lobe, which led researchers to compare cognitive functioning in individuals with episodic migraine (EM) versus chronic migraine (CM).
- In a study with women participants, those with chronic migraine, particularly those with medication overuse headache (CM + MOH), performed worse on tests assessing frontal lobe function compared to those with episodic migraine and control participants.
- Results indicated significant deficits in cognitive tests, particularly in multitasking and problem-solving tasks (TMT and WCST), but there were no observable differences in gambling task performance (IGT) based on migraine type or medication overuse.
Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) following anesthesia and surgery is a common and severe complication, especially in elderly patients. A pre-existing cognitive impairment may impart susceptibility to further cognitive dysfunction; the mechanism remains unclear. We hypothesized that the specific impacts of anesthesia and surgery on individuals with preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) may render them more susceptible to an increase in the risk of cognitive impairment.
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- * The research used both lab tests and computational methods to study the effects of UVB on crustaceans, focusing on a specific species to measure its impact at different biological levels.
- * A novel network of quantitative adverse outcome pathways (qAOPs) was created using experimental data and existing information, providing a structured framework that could be useful for assessing both chemical and nonchemical stressors in the future.
Article Synopsis
- Ionizing radiation can cause oxidative stress, DNA damage, and epigenetic changes in aquatic organisms, which can either help them adapt or lead to negative effects.
- A study exposed adult Daphnia magna to different levels of Co gamma radiation and analyzed various biological responses at molecular, cellular, and organismal levels.
- Findings revealed increased global DNA methylation and changes in gene expression and reactive oxygen species over time, but no significant impact on overall fecundity, leading to a proposed model for understanding how epigenetic mechanisms respond to low-dose radiation stress.
Article Synopsis
- - The study investigates the effects of high-energy gamma radiation on Daphnia magna, a type of freshwater crustacean, examining multiple biological levels from molecular to individual impacts.
- - Key findings include the identification of complex, non-linear responses to radiation exposure and the characterization of toxicity pathways that impair reproduction, including DNA damage and lipid peroxidation.
- - The research proposes three new Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs) that connect oxidative stress mechanisms to reproductive effects, emphasizing the need for a mechanistic understanding of gamma radiation's impact on aquatic organisms.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the effects of gamma radiation on three plant species: Norway spruce, Scots pine, and Arabidopsis thaliana, revealing that conifers are more sensitive to radiation compared to the herbaceous A. thaliana.
- High doses of gamma radiation (≥40 mGy h) significantly inhibited growth in the conifers, causing visible damage and mortality, while A. thaliana only displayed delayed root development at much higher doses (≥100 mGy h) without significant damage.
- All species experienced dose-dependent DNA damage, but the conifers showed more persistent adverse effects at the cellular and organismal level, indicating a lower tolerance to DNA damage compared to Arabidopsis thaliana.
Article Synopsis
- - A study examined how UV-B radiation affects Scots pine seedlings' tolerance to gamma radiation, focusing on whether previous UV-B exposure helps seedlings acclimatize to low-moderate gamma radiation levels.
- - Results showed that gamma radiation significantly harmed the seedlings by increasing reactive oxygen species, reducing shoot and root length, and causing DNA damage, regardless of whether they were pre-exposed to UV-B.
- - Ultimately, no protective effect of UV-B against gamma radiation was found; any negative effects of both types of radiation on growth and DNA damage persisted for weeks but began to reverse after eight months.
Chelidonine Induces Caspase-Dependent and Caspase-Independent Cell Death through G Arrest in the T98G Human Glioblastoma Cell Line.
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med
May 2019
Article Synopsis
- Greater celandine, a plant from the Papaveraceae family, is recognized for its potential health benefits.
- It has been studied for its antibacterial and anticancer properties.
- Chelidonine, a functional metabolite derived from the plant, is specifically noted for its therapeutic effects.
Article Synopsis
- Researchers developed a new method to quantitatively measure auxin levels in plant tissues by combining cryosectioning, freeze-drying, and laser microdissection (LMD), enabling high precision and minimal tissue use.
- This method enhances the preservation of plant materials, preventing auxin degradation, which is crucial for accurate measurement of the hormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA).
- The technique allows collection of tissue samples in a short time frame (around 4 hours) and can be applied to other small molecule analyses requiring high specificity and preservation of biological compounds.
Article Synopsis
- NDRG2 downregulation is linked to cancer progression and poor outcomes but may enhance chemotherapy sensitivity when induced by p53.
- This study focuses on NDRG2's role in increasing sensitivity to cisplatin in U937 lymphoma cells lacking functional p53.
- NDRG2 enhances cisplatin sensitivity by adjusting the BAK-to-Mcl-1 ratio via the NOX5-ROS-PKR pathway, suggesting its potential as a target for improving cancer treatment effectiveness.
Article Synopsis
- * In the crown region of buds, SDs lead to changes in cell wall composition, making them less permeable to water, which helps prevent dehydration in winter buds.
- * Upon returning to LD conditions, these changes are reversed, allowing for increased water transport and signaling the end of dormancy in the buds.
Article Synopsis
- * The study examined Arabidopsis thaliana mutants to understand how different combinations of day and night temperatures (while keeping the average daily temperature constant) affect the timing of floral induction.
- * Results showed that lower daytime temperatures led to faster flowering due to increased expression of key floral genes (FT and LFY), and indicated that the circadian clock protein LHY is important for this thermoperiodic response.
Article Synopsis
- The Def locus in pea seeds influences the abscission between the funicle and seed coat, requiring cell wall remodeling for this process.
- Researchers investigated changes in pectic polysaccharides in wild type and def mutant pea seeds using immunolabeling techniques to identify factors behind abscission.
- Results showed specific changes in pectic components during abscission, highlighting that de-methyl esterification may contribute to the remodeling necessary for seed separation, as seen in the different patterns of labeling in dominant and recessive lines.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the effectiveness of low temperature treatment combined with meristem culture to eliminate Chrysanthemum stunt viroid (CSVd) from infected Argyranthemum plants, focusing on two cultivars: 'Border Dark Red' and 'Yellow Empire'.
- While some CSVd-free plants were successfully produced in 'Border Dark Red', the treatment was ineffective for 'Yellow Empire', indicating varied responses between the cultivars.
- The research also found that CSVd persists in the flowers and stems of both cultivars but does not transmit via seeds, providing insights into the viroid's distribution and potential methods for creating viroid-free plants.
Article Synopsis
- A study showed that during embryogenesis in Norway spruce, several epigenetic regulators are expressed differently based on temperature conditions, affecting their epigenetic memory.
- Key mechanisms involved include DNA and histone methylation and small RNAs, with significant transcriptomic changes identified in over 10,000 genes due to temperature variations.
- The research suggests that Norway spruce has a larger variety of epigenetic regulatory genes compared to related species, which may enhance its ability to adapt to environmental changes.
Article Synopsis
- Abscission is a critical process in plants that affects crop yields and ornamental quality, and researchers are focused on understanding its regulation to enhance control over this process in agricultural settings.
- A study on poinsettia showcases a reliable method of inducing abscission through specific bud decapitation, revealing important gene expressions linked to the process, including six genes that are differentially expressed.
- Comparative analysis between poinsettias and pea mutants highlights significant differences in abscission characteristics, offering insights into evolutionarily conserved genes and mechanisms across vastly separated plant species.
Article Synopsis
- - Chrysanthemum stunt viroid (CSVd) is a harmful pathogen that affects Argyranthemum plants, and this study investigates its distribution in the plants' shoot apical meristems (SAM) and why certain cultivars are more susceptible.
- - Through techniques like in situ hybridization, researchers found that CSVd spreads differently among Argyranthemum cultivars: it fully invaded the SAM of 'Yellow Empire' and 'Butterfly' while being limited in 'Border Dark Red' and 'Border Pink'.
- - Differences in the invasion ability of CSVd are linked to the presence of callose deposits at plasmodesmata (PD) in SAM, with 'Yellow Empire' showing fewer deposits compared to 'Border
Article Synopsis
- - Young Norway spruce seedlings stop growing and set buds when exposed to short days, with temperature variations impacting dormancy and bud set timing, but the effects of alternating day and night temperatures are unclear.
- - Seedlings subjected to various day and night temperature combinations showed that night temperature significantly influences bud set and break, with higher daytime temperatures leading to delayed bud break, despite fast bud flush at intermediate night temperatures.
- - Time to bud burst decreases with longer short day exposure, indicating a threshold in bud development, and seedlings from different latitudes experience varying effects of low temperatures during bud development, with southern sources being more affected.