Angiographic Predictors for Repeated Revascularization in Patients with Intermediate Coronary Lesions.

Intermediate lesions (ILs) present challenges in making therapeutic decisions. This study aimed to determine the practical coronary angiographic predictors for revascularization in patients with ILs who underwent repeated angiograms. This study was a retrospective single-center study.

Beyond One-Size-Fits-All: Tailoring Teicoplanin Regimens for Normal Renal Function Patients Using Population Pharmacokinetics and Monte Carlo Simulation.

In patients with normal renal function, significant teicoplanin dose adjustments are often necessary. This study aimed to develop a population pharmacokinetic (PK) model for teicoplanin in healthy adults and use it to recommend optimal dosage regimens for patients with normal renal function. PK samples were obtained from 12 subjects and analyzed using a population approach.

Intrapulmonary and Systemic Pharmacokinetics of Colistin Following Nebulization of Low-Dose Colistimethate Sodium in Patients with Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia Caused by Carbapenem-Resistant .

Colistimethate sodium (CMS) nebulization is associated with reduced systemic toxicity compared to intravenous injection, with potentially enhanced clinical efficacy. This study aimed to assess the pharmacokinetic (PK) properties of colistin during low-dose CMS nebulization in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) caused by carbapenem-resistant . A nonlinear mixed-effects modeling approach was applied to develop population PK models for colistin in both epithelial lining fluid (ELF) and plasma.

Effect of Previous COVID-19 Vaccination on Humoral Immunity 3 Months after SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Infection and Booster Effect of a Fourth COVID-19 Vaccination 2 Months after SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Infection.

In this study, we aimed to determine the effect of COVID-19 vaccination on 3-month immune response and durability after natural infection by the Omicron variant and to assess the immune response to a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccination in patients with prior natural infection with the Omicron variant. Overall, 86 patients aged ≥60 years with different vaccination histories and 39 health care workers (HCWs) vaccinated thrice before Omicron infection were enrolled. The sVNT50 titer was significantly lower in patients with incomplete vaccination before SARS-CoV-2 infection with the S clade ( < 0.

Regioselective Synthesis of 6--Acetyl Dieckol and Its Selective Cytotoxicity against Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Cells.

Dieckol, a phlorotannin from , has shown potential for use as an anticancer agent that selectively kills cancer cells. However, it is necessary to amplify its potency without damaging its inherent safety in order to develop it as a competitive chemotherapeutic. Here, we explored the controlled -acylations of dieckol.

A strategic response map for cascading pandemics: Lessons learned from the response to COVID-19 in the Republic of Korea.

COVID 19 is a still on-going fatal risk that affects the whole world. COVID-19 pandemic has been characterized as a systemic risk. Accordingly, this paper aims to identify the features of systemic risk of COVID-19 and draw policy implications for effective response.

Population Pharmacokinetics of Meropenem in Critically Ill Korean Patients and Effects of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

Limited studies have investigated population pharmacokinetic (PK) models and optimal dosage regimens of meropenem for critically ill adult patients using the probability of target attainment, including patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). A population PK analysis was conducted using non-linear mixed-effect modeling. Monte Carlo simulation was used to determine for how long the free drug concentration was above the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) at steady state conditions in patients with various degrees of renal function.

COVID-19: Systemic risk and response management in the Republic of Korea.

This study aimed to investigate the different kinds of risks associated with the novel coronavirus infection in the Republic of Korea and how those risks have been changed by the countermeasures taken by the Korean authorities and citizens. To this end, the authors explored the official database of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) in order to extract risk-related data from January 2020 to April 2021, and then identified the disaster risks and countermeasures from the government press briefings and news media in the same period. Consequently, this study identified three important approaches to enhance the infectious disease response management.

Toxocariasis-Associated Acute Perimyocarditis with Cardiogenic Shock: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Toxocariasis is an infection due to ingestion of the helminth parasite larvae found in dogs (Toxocara canis) or cats (Toxocara cati). Symptoms vary from being asymptomatic to shock, depending on the organ invaded by the parasite. However, cardiac involvement with shock in toxocariasis is very rare.

Long-term clinical outcomes in patients with untreated non-culprit intermediate coronary lesion and evaluation of predictors by using virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound; a prospective cohort study.

Background: It is uncertain whether the coronary lesion with intermediate stenosis is more likely to cause cardiovascular events than a normal or minimal lesion. We conducted a single-center, prospective cohort study to identify long-term clinical outcomes of patients with untreated non-culprit intermediate lesion and evaluate its predictor of cardiovascular events by using virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS).

Methods: Subjects with non-culprit intermediate lesion underwent VH-IVUS were prospectively registered after percutaneous coronary intervention at the culprit lesion.

Nanochannel-Confined TAMRA-Polypyrrole Stained DNA Stretching by Varying the Ionic Strength from Micromolar to Millimolar Concentrations.

Large DNA molecules have been utilized as a model system to investigate polymer physics. However, DNA visualization via intercalating dyes has generated equivocal results due to dye-induced structural deformation, particularly unwanted unwinding of the double helix. Thus, the contour length increases and the persistence length changes so unpredictably that there has been a controversy.

Emergence and Spread of Cephalosporin-Resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae with Mosaic penA Alleles, South Korea, 2012-2017.

In South Korea, surveillance of antimicrobial drug resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae is extremely limited. We describe the emergence and subsequent national spread of N. gonorrhoeae strains with mosaic penA alleles associated with decreased susceptibility and resistance to extended-spectrum cephalosporins.

Current characteristics of dialysis therapy in Korea: 2016 registry data focusing on diabetic patients.

Diabetic nephropathy is the most frequent cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide. Dialysis patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) have more complications and shorter survival duration than non-DM dialysis patients, requiring more clinical attention and difficult management. The registry committee of the Korean Society of Nephrology has collected data about dialysis therapy in Korea through an on-line registry program and analyzed the characteristics of patients.

In-stent restenosis-prone coronary plaque composition: A retrospective virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound study.

Background: The mechanism of in-stent restenosis (ISR) is multifactorial, which includes biological, mechanical and technical factors. This study hypothesized that increased inflammatory reaction, which is known to be an important atherosclerotic process, at a culprit lesion may lead to higher restenosis rates.

Methods: The study population consisted of 241 patients who had undergone percutaneous coronary intervention with virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS) and a 9-month follow-up coronary angiography.

The impact of preload on 3-dimensional deformation parameters: principal strain, twist and torsion.

Background: Strain analysis is feasible using three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography. This approach provides various parameters based on speckle tracking analysis from one full-volume image of the left ventricle; however, evidence for its volume independence is still lacking.

Methods: Fifty-eight subjects who were examined by transthoracic echocardiography immediately before and after hemodialysis (HD) were enrolled.

Descending thin limb of the intermediate loop expresses both aquaporin 1 and urea transporter A2 in the mouse kidney.

A new intermediate type of Henle's loop has been reported that it extends into the inner medulla and turns within the first millimeter beyond the outer medulla. This study aimed to identify the descending thin limb (DTL) of the intermediate loop in the adult C57Bl/6 mouse kidney using aquaporin 1 (AQP1) and urea transporter A2 (UT-A2) antibodies. In the upper part of the inner stripe of the outer medulla (ISOM), AQP1 was expressed strongly in the DTL with type II epithelium of the long loop, but not in type I epithelium of the short loop.

Analysis of Plaque Composition in Coronary Chronic Total Occlusion Lesion Using Virtual Histology-Intravascular Ultrasound.

Background And Objectives: Success rates of chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have recently been reported to range from 80% to 90%. A better understanding of the pathologic characteristics of the CTO lesion may helpful to improving CTO PCI success rates. We evaluated the CTO lesion in patients with stable angina (SA) by virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS).

The Waterless Portable Private Toilet: An Innovative Sanitation Solution in Disaster Zones.

Catastrophes can occur without warning and inevitably cause short-term and long-term problems. In disaster zones, having an action plan to alleviate difficulties can reduce or prevent many long-lasting complications. One of the most critical and urgent issues is sanitation.

Single-molecule visualization of ROS-induced DNA damage in large DNA molecules.

We present a single molecule visualization approach for the quantitative analysis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced DNA damage, such as base oxidation and single stranded breaks in large DNA molecules. We utilized the Fenton reaction to generate DNA damage with subsequent enzymatic treatment using a mixture of three types of glycosylases to remove oxidized bases, and then fluorescent labeling on damaged lesions via nick translation. This single molecule analytical platform provided the capability to count one or two damaged sites per λ DNA molecule (48.

Prevalence and characteristics of Escherichia coli sequence type 131 and its H30 and H30Rx subclones: a multicenter study from Korea.

We investigated the prevalence and characteristics of Escherichia coli sequence type 131 (ST131) and its subclones among 268 E. coli isolates. The isolates were collected from 21 Korean hospitals without use of selection criteria and were screened for ST131 status by PCR.

Diagnostic Usefulness of IFN-Gamma Releasing Assays Compared With Conventional Tests in Patients With Disseminated Tuberculosis.

IFN-gamma releasing assays (IGRAs) such as T-SPOT.TB assay and QuantiFERON-TB In-Tube (QFT-GIT) have yielded promising results for the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB). However, little is known about the usefulness of these assays for diagnosing disseminated TB.

Visualization of large elongated DNA molecules.

Long and linear DNA molecules are the mainstream single-molecule analytes for a variety of biochemical analysis within microfluidic devices, including functionalized surfaces and nanostructures. However, for biochemical analysis, large DNA molecules have to be unraveled, elongated, and visualized to obtain biochemical and genomic information. To date, elongated DNA molecules have been exploited in the development of a number of genome analysis systems as well as for the study of polymer physics due to the advantage of direct visualization of single DNA molecule.