Hearing changes and trajectories during the menopausal transition and their association with metabolic factors.

Background: Hearing loss is an emerging public health concern, with women typically experiencing deterioration during menopause; however, longitudinal studies across this transition are limited. This study examined hearing changes across the menopausal transition in order to identify distinct patterns of hearing decline from 11 years before to 9 years after the final menstrual period, with the goal of informing strategies for early detection and intervention.

Materials And Methods: We followed 4448 women aged 42-52 years who underwent regular health exams at the Kangbuk Samsung Hospital Total Healthcare Centers (2014-2018) through 2023.

Menopausal stage transitions and associations with overall and domain-specific perceived stress in middle-aged Korean women.

Background: The menopausal transition, closely linked to later-life health, involves substantial physiological and psychological changes, potentially increasing perceived stress. However, longitudinal studies have reported inconsistent results, with limited data for Asian women, despite the potential for perceived stress to vary with both race and socioeconomic status. Therefore, this study investigated the longitudinal association between menopausal transition and perceived stress among middle-aged Korean women.

Health-related quality of life across menopausal stages among middle-aged Korean women.

Objectives: We examined the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) during menopause transition (MT) among middle-aged Korean women.

Methods: This cross-sectional study comprised 2,290 middle-aged women who completed web-based questionnaires between 2020 and 2022. Based on self-reported menstrual cycle patterns, menopause status was classified as premenopausal, early or late transition, or postmenopausal.

Prevalence and trends of cigarette smoking among adults with HIV infection compared with the general population in Korea.

Objectives: This study compared the current smoking prevalence among adults with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection to that of the general Korean population and analyzed changes in smoking prevalence and cessation rates from 2009 to 2020.

Methods: The study included a total of 10,980 adults with HIV infection who underwent a health screening examination (National Health Insurance Service-National Health Information Database; NHIS-NHID), 1,230 individuals with HIV infection who participated in the Korea HIV/AIDS Cohort (KoCosHIV), and 76,783 participants from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). We estimated the current smoking prevalence and the quit ratio, defined as the ratio of former smokers to ever-smokers.

Association between obesity and cancer risk in adults with HIV in Korea.

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the association between obesity and cancer risk as well as site-specific cancer risks in adults with HIV using a nationwide health screening database in Korea.

Methods: Of the 16,671 adults with a new diagnosis of HIV from 2004 to 2020, 456 incident cancer cases and 1814 individually matched controls by sex, year of birth, year of HIV diagnosis, and follow-up duration (1 : 4 ratio) were included in this nested case-control study. The association between obesity (BMI ≥25 kg/m 2 ) and cancer risks was estimated and presented as odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs).

Economic Burden of Cancer for the First Five Years after Cancer Diagnosis in Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Korea.

This study aimed to estimate the medical cost of cancer in the first five years of diagnosis and in the final six months before death in people who developed cancer after human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in Korea. The study utilized the Korea National Health Insurance Service-National Health Information Database (NHIS-NHID). Among 16,671 patients diagnosed with HIV infection from 2004 to 2020 in Korea, we identified 757 patients newly diagnosed with cancer after HIV diagnosis.

Molecular mechanisms of the virulence and efficacy of a highly virulent Vibrio anguillarum strain and its formalin-inactivated vaccine in rainbow trout.

In this study, we have isolated four strains of Vibrio anguillarum, revealing that they share the same serotype of O1, biochemical characteristics and virulence factor genes. However, there were differences in haemolytic activity among the bacterial strains; a strain with lower pathogenicity showed γ-haemolytic activity, whereas other virulent strains showed α-haemolytic activity on blood agar and higher empA gene expression in RTG-2 cell line. The most virulent strain was V.

Association between Obesity Indexes and Thyroid Cancer Risk in Korean Women: Nested Case-Control Study.

Objective: This study aimed to identify the association between various obesity indexes, including waist circumference (WC), waist−hip ratio (WHR), waist−height ratio (WHTR), and BMI, and their combinations with body mass index (BMI) and thyroid cancer risk. Methods: Of the 65,639 participants who completed a follow-up survey of the Health Examinee Study (HEXA), a prospective cohort of the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study, 412 female incident thyroid cancer cases, and 1648 birth year- and enrollment year-matched female controls were included. Multiple conditional logistic regression was used to estimate the association between obesity indexes and thyroid cancer risk.

Clinical Characteristics of Macrolide-Refractory Pneumonia in Korean Children: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

is a major causative pathogen of community-acquired pneumonia in children, and the treatment of choice is macrolides. There is an increasing trend in reports of refractory clinical responses despite macrolide treatment due to the emergence of macrolide-resistant . Early discrimination of macrolide-refractory pneumonia (MrMP) from macrolide-sensitive pneumonia (MSMP) is vital; however, testing for macrolide susceptibility at the time of admission is not feasible.

The age-standardized incidence, mortality, and case fatality rates of COVID-19 in 79 countries: a cross-sectional comparison and their correlations with associated factors.

Objectives: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, crude incidence and mortality rates have been widely reported; however, age-standardized rates are more suitable for comparisons. In this study, we estimated and compared the age-standardized incidence, mortality, and case fatality rates (CFRs) among countries and investigated the relationship between these rates and factors associated with healthcare resources: gross domestic product per capita, number of hospital beds per population, and number of doctors per population.

Methods: The incidence, mortality, and CFRs of 79 countries were age-standardized using the World Health Organization standard population.

Prenatal and postnatal exposures to four metals mixture and IQ in 6-year-old children: A prospective cohort study in South Korea.

Background: Humans are exposed to a mixture of metals during their lifetime; however, evidence of neurotoxicity of such mixtures in critical time windows is still insufficient. We aimed to elucidate the associations of four metals mixture across multiple time points with children's intelligence quotient (IQ) in a prospective cohort study.

Methods: Prenatal exposure and exposure at age 4 and 6 years to four types of blood metals, namely lead, mercury, cadmium, and manganese were quantified in 502 pregnant women and their children who participated in the Environment and Development Cohort study.

From Cells to Organs: The Present and Future of Regenerative Medicine.

Regenerative medicine promises a bright future where damaged body parts can be restored, rejuvenated, and replaced. The application of regenerative medicine is interdisciplinary and covers nearly all fields of medical sciences and molecular engineering. This review provides a road map on how regenerative medicine is applied on the levels of cell, tissue, and organ and summarizes the advantages and limitation of human pluripotent stem cells in disease modeling and regenerative application.

Association between weekly fruit and vegetable consumption and depressive symptoms: results from the Korean Elderly Environmental Panel study.

Objectives: Although previous studies have investigated the correlation between fruit and vegetable consumption and depression, the results remain inconclusive. The present study aimed to investigate the association between weekly fruit and vegetable consumption and depressive symptoms in elderly Koreans.

Methods: A multiple covariate linear regression analysis was performed using the data of 1,226 elderly individuals ≥ 60 years of age who participated in the Korean Elderly Environmental Panel II study from 2012 to 2014.

Particulate air pollution and survival after stroke in older adults: A retrospective cohort study in Korea.

Although many studies have evaluated the effects of ambient particulate matter with diameters of less than 2.5 μm (PM) on stroke mortality in the general population, little is known about the mortality effects of PM in post-stroke populations. Therefore, a retrospective cohort was constructed using information from the health insurance database to evaluate whether exposure to PM is associated with increased mortality in aged stroke survivors residing in seven Korean metropolitan cities.

Associations Between Thyroid Hormone Levels and Urinary Concentrations of Bisphenol A, F, and S in 6-Year-old Children in Korea.

Objectives: Bisphenol A (BPA) is used in the electrical, mechanical, medical, and food industries. Previous studies have suggested that BPA is an endocrine disruptor. Regulation of BPA has led to increased use of bisphenol F (BPF) and bisphenol S (BPS).

Types of COVID-19 clusters and their relationship with social distancing in the Seoul metropolitan area, South Korea.

Background: The complete contact tracing of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) cases in South Korea allows a unique opportunity to investigate cluster characteristics. This study aimed to investigate all reported COVID-19 clusters in the Seoul metropolitan area from January 23 to September 24, 2020.

Methods: Publicly available COVID-19 data was collected from the Seoul Metropolitan City and Gyeonggi Province.

Convergence of human pluripotent stem cell, organoid, and genome editing technologies.

The last decade has seen many exciting technological breakthroughs that greatly expanded the toolboxes for biological and biomedical research, yet few have had more impact than induced pluripotent stem cells and modern-day genome editing. These technologies are providing unprecedented opportunities to improve physiological relevance of experimental models, further our understanding of developmental processes, and develop novel therapies. One of the research areas that benefit greatly from these technological advances is the three-dimensional human organoid culture systems that resemble human tissues morphologically and physiologically.

Short-Term Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter and Hospitalizations for Acute Lower Respiratory Infection in Korean Children: A Time-Series Study in Seven Metropolitan Cities.

Although several studies have evaluated the association between fine particulate matter (PM) and acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) in children, their results were inconsistent Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the association between short-term exposure to PM and ALRI hospitalizations in children (0-5 years) living in seven metropolitan cities of Korea. The ALRI hospitalization data of children living in seven metropolitan cities of Korea from 2008 to 2016 was acquired from a customized database constructed based on National Health Insurance data. The time-series data in a generalized additive model were used to evaluate the relationship between ALRI hospitalization and 7-day moving average PM exposure after adjusting for apparent temperature, day of the week, and time trends.

Associations between surrounding residential greenness and intelligence quotient in 6-year-old children.

Background: Residential greenness has been reported to be positively associated with health benefits for children, including improved cognitive function. We investigated the association between the intelligence quotient (IQ) of 6-year-old children in Seoul, South Korea and surrounding greenness currently and during the mothers' pregnancy. We also analyzed whether these effects differed by the type of greenness, such as natural or built greenness.

Long-term exposure to moderate fine particulate matter concentrations and cause-specific mortality in an ageing society.

Background: Long-term exposure to particulate matter <2.5 μm in size (PM2.5) is considered a risk factor for premature death.

A comparison of hepato-cellular in vitro platforms to study CYP3A4 induction.

In vitro studies of drug toxicity and drug-drug interactions are crucial for drug development efforts. Currently, the utilization of primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) is the de facto standard for this purpose, due to their functional xenobiotic response and drug metabolizing CYP450 enzyme metabolism. However, PHHs are scarce, expensive, require laborious maintenance, and exhibit lot-to-lot heterogeneity.

Annual and seasonal patterns in etiologies of pediatric community-acquired pneumonia due to respiratory viruses and Mycoplasma pneumoniae requiring hospitalization in South Korea.

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is one of the leading worldwide causes of childhood morbidity and mortality. Its disease burden varies by age and etiology and is time dependent. We aimed to investigate the annual and seasonal patterns in etiologies of pediatric CAP requiring hospitalization.

The Effect of Prenatal Cadmium Exposure on Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in 6-Year-old Children in Korea.

Objectives: Prenatal cadmium (Cd) exposure may be associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the relationship between Cd exposure during gestation and ADHD at 6 years of age.

Methods: As part of an ongoing cohort study (the Environment and Development of Children study), 479 mother-child pairs from Seoul, Korea were included for analysis between 2008 and 2011.