1.Gapmer Antisense Oligonucleotide Targeting E-Cadherin Rescues Abnormal Keratinization in X-Linked Ichthyosis Models
Ji Heung KWAK ; Tae-Uk KWON ; Yeo-Jung KWON ; Hyemin PARK ; Yoon-ji KANG ; Jeongeun SHIN ; Young-Jin CHUN
Biomolecules & Therapeutics 2026;34(1):213-224
X-linked ichthyosis (XLI) is an inherited disorder of keratinization resulting from a deficiency of steroid sulfatase (STS), for which no effective therapy is currently available. E-cadherin, a key upstream regulator of keratinocyte differentiation, has been found to be markedly overexpressed in STS-deficient HaCaT cells, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target in XLI. To investigate the functional role of E-cadherin and explore its therapeutic potential, we introduced mutations into the N-terminal region of Ecadherin and examined the resulting effects on keratinocyte differentiation. In addition, a microRNA (miR-6766) and a rationally designed gapmer antisense oligonucleotide (gASO) targeting the same E-cadherin mRNA sequence were employed to modulate E-cadherin expression in HaCaT cells. Mutations within the N-terminal region of E-cadherin significantly reduced keratin 1 expression, underscoring the critical role of this domain in regulating keratinocyte differentiation. Treatment with miR-6766 led todownregulation of both early and terminal differentiation markers. Building on this, the gASO modified with 2′-O-methoxyethyl andphosphorothioate linkages exhibited enhanced potency and stability, resulting in stronger suppression of E-cadherin and keratin 1 expression compared with miR-6766 (maintained 37.7% greater inhibition of E-cadherin at 96 h and 35.7% greater inhibition of keratin 1 at 96 h). Furthermore, gASO treatment induced a concentration-dependent reduction in early (keratin 1 and keratin 10) and terminal (transglutaminase 1, involucrin, and loricrin) differentiation markers. These findings demonstrate that an E-cadherin– targeting gASO effectively suppresses abnormal keratinocyte differentiation and may serve as a promising therapeutic strategy for X-linked ichthyosis.
2.Effects of Loneliness and Subjective Well-Being on Depression in Female Adolescents: A Longitudinal Moderated Mediation Model of the Parental Relationship
Haemi CHOI ; Jeongeun LEE ; Eunjoo KIM ; Yoosik YOUM ; Kiho SUNG ; Dong-Gyun HAN ; Min-Hyeon PARK
Psychiatry Investigation 2026;23(1):142-153
Objective:
Adolescent depressive symptoms are increasingly recognized as a global concern for youth mental health. Female adolescents consistently report higher levels of depressive symptoms than their male counterparts, yet the psychological mechanisms underlying depressive symptoms remain insufficiently understood. Our longitudinal study examined the relationship between loneliness and depressive symptoms in female adolescents and investigated the mediating effect of subjective well-being (SWB) and the moderating influence of the parental relationship.
Methods:
Data were drawn from the Korean Study of Adolescent Health, a longitudinal study on adolescent mental health. The sample included 104 female high school students (mean age=15.33 years) who completed self-report surveys at three time points between April 2022 and July 2023. Measures assessed loneliness, SWB, depressive symptoms, and relationships with mothers and fathers. Mediation and moderated mediation analyses were conducted using SPSS PROCESS (Models 4 and 14), controlling for age, socioeconomic status, and baseline depressive symptoms.
Results:
Mediation analyses indicated that SWB fully mediated the longitudinal association between loneliness and depressive symptoms. Loneliness predicted lower SWB, which subsequently predicted more depressive symptoms. Moderated mediation analysis revealed that maternal, but not paternal, relationship quality significantly moderated the SWB-depressive symptoms link. The indirect effect was significant only among adolescents reporting stronger maternal relationships.
Conclusion
These findings underscore the importance of SWB in the link between loneliness and depressive symptoms among female adolescents and highlight the protective role of a positive maternal relationship. The results have implications for targeted prevention and intervention strategies to enhance emotional well-being in female adolescents.
3.A review of the relationship between patient safety culture and safety activities: A systematic review focusing on the Korean version of the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture 1.0
Hana KIM ; Mijeong PARK ; Jeongeun KIM ; Jisan LEE
Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education 2025;31(1):65-83
Purpose:
Forming a patient safety culture is the first step in addressing patient safety issues. This study therefore examines the patient safety culture among healthcare professionals in South Korea. It also identifies the factors influencing patient safety culture and related activities.
Methods:
Among the survey studies conducted in South Korea, we reviewed those that measured patient safety culture using the Korean version of the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture 1.0. We identified the level of patient safety culture, the relationship between patient safety culture and patient safety activities, and the factors affecting patient safety culture.
Results:
A total of 640 studies were identified through searches of seven domestic and international databases, with 58 included in the analysis. Studies targeting nurses accounted for 96.6%. The general characteristics of patient safety culture included length of service, age, working hours, department of work, hospital size, conflict occurrence, unreported incidents, and subjective safety management evaluations. A statistically significant correlation between patient safety culture and patient safety activities was confirmed in 84.5% of studies. Patient safety culture was the most frequently reported factor influencing patient safety activities.
Conclusion
Strategies to enhance patient safety culture can promote patient safety activities in South Korean healthcare institutions. Considering organizational and organizational members characteristics when devising these strategies can enhance their effectiveness.
4.A review of the relationship between patient safety culture and safety activities: A systematic review focusing on the Korean version of the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture 1.0
Hana KIM ; Mijeong PARK ; Jeongeun KIM ; Jisan LEE
Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education 2025;31(1):65-83
Purpose:
Forming a patient safety culture is the first step in addressing patient safety issues. This study therefore examines the patient safety culture among healthcare professionals in South Korea. It also identifies the factors influencing patient safety culture and related activities.
Methods:
Among the survey studies conducted in South Korea, we reviewed those that measured patient safety culture using the Korean version of the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture 1.0. We identified the level of patient safety culture, the relationship between patient safety culture and patient safety activities, and the factors affecting patient safety culture.
Results:
A total of 640 studies were identified through searches of seven domestic and international databases, with 58 included in the analysis. Studies targeting nurses accounted for 96.6%. The general characteristics of patient safety culture included length of service, age, working hours, department of work, hospital size, conflict occurrence, unreported incidents, and subjective safety management evaluations. A statistically significant correlation between patient safety culture and patient safety activities was confirmed in 84.5% of studies. Patient safety culture was the most frequently reported factor influencing patient safety activities.
Conclusion
Strategies to enhance patient safety culture can promote patient safety activities in South Korean healthcare institutions. Considering organizational and organizational members characteristics when devising these strategies can enhance their effectiveness.
5.A review of the relationship between patient safety culture and safety activities: A systematic review focusing on the Korean version of the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture 1.0
Hana KIM ; Mijeong PARK ; Jeongeun KIM ; Jisan LEE
Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education 2025;31(1):65-83
Purpose:
Forming a patient safety culture is the first step in addressing patient safety issues. This study therefore examines the patient safety culture among healthcare professionals in South Korea. It also identifies the factors influencing patient safety culture and related activities.
Methods:
Among the survey studies conducted in South Korea, we reviewed those that measured patient safety culture using the Korean version of the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture 1.0. We identified the level of patient safety culture, the relationship between patient safety culture and patient safety activities, and the factors affecting patient safety culture.
Results:
A total of 640 studies were identified through searches of seven domestic and international databases, with 58 included in the analysis. Studies targeting nurses accounted for 96.6%. The general characteristics of patient safety culture included length of service, age, working hours, department of work, hospital size, conflict occurrence, unreported incidents, and subjective safety management evaluations. A statistically significant correlation between patient safety culture and patient safety activities was confirmed in 84.5% of studies. Patient safety culture was the most frequently reported factor influencing patient safety activities.
Conclusion
Strategies to enhance patient safety culture can promote patient safety activities in South Korean healthcare institutions. Considering organizational and organizational members characteristics when devising these strategies can enhance their effectiveness.
6.Safety education status and needs priorities of Korean military food service personnel using the Borich Needs Assessment and the Locus for Focus model: a cross-sectional study
Korean Journal of Community Nutrition 2025;30(4):261-273
Objectives:
Since the enactment of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act in Korea in 2021, the importance of safety management in food service facilities has increased. This study was conducted to examine the status of safety education and to identify educational needs for safety accident prevention among army food service personnel.
Methods:
This study included 157 food service personnel from Army units located in Gyeongsangnam-do. Participants were divided into two groups based on the daily number of meals served. Demographic characteristics, the status of safety education, and priority for safety accident prevention education were evaluated.
Results:
A total of 97.5% of participants received safety education, with 60.8% attending at least monthly. “Lecture” (63.4%) was the most commonly used educational method. The preferred educational methods were “Lecture” (23.5%) and “Counselling” (23.5%), showing significant group differences (P < 0.001). A total of 79.6% of participants reported applying the educational content in their performance. The mean importance score for safety accident prevention (4.78) was higher than the performance score (4.44), with significant differences between the two groups observed in the importance scores (P < 0.05). “Slip & burn” had the highest importance score, while “Electric shock and fire” had the highest performance score. The educational needs analysis revealed that the highest priority item for the < 100 meals group was “When moving heavy items, an assistive device or assistance from colleagues should be utilized”, while for the ≥ 100 meals group, it was “When using a vegetable cutter or grinder, use an exclusive stick.”
Conclusion
This study can serve as a foundational database for developing customized safety education programs tailored to Korean army food service personnel.
7.Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma Presenting as a Scalp Mass
Moo Seong KIM ; Se Young PYO ; Ha Young PARK ; Hyuck Rae JO ; Jeongeun KIM
Brain Tumor Research and Treatment 2022;10(2):113-116
Peripheral scalp T-cell lymphoma is a very rare disease. We report a case of a 22-year-old man who presented an indolent large scalp mass in the right frontal scalp region. The patient’s physical examination demonstrated no palpable mass in the chest, abdomen, and extremities. The brain CT revealed a high-density large scalp mass of the subgaleal layer in the right frontal and a small scalp mass of the subgaleal layer in the left frontal. The brain MRI showed multifocal enhancing masses in the bilateral dura, the subgaleal layer of the scalp, and the skull. The patient underwent removal of the tumor found in the right frontal scalp. The histologic diagnosis was peripheral T-cell lymphoma. Bone marrow aspiration showed the involvement of T-cell lymphoma. The patient received chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and prednisolone (CHOP protocol) for 3 cycles. The patient was discharged without neurological deficit. The patient showed no evidence of recurrence 15 months after surgery. We report a rare case of peripheral T-cell lymphoma mimicking benign scalp tumors.
8.Evaluation of automated calibration and quality control processes using the Aptio total laboratory automation system
Namhee KIM ; Yein KIM ; Jeongeun PARK ; Jungsoo CHOI ; Hyunyong HWANG
Kosin Medical Journal 2022;37(4):342-353
Background:
The objective of this study was to determine whether manually performed calibration and quality control (QC) processes could be replaced with an automated laboratory system when installed analyzers fail to provide automated calibration and QC functions.
Methods:
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total cholesterol (TC), creatinine (Cr), direct bilirubin (DB), and lipase (Lip) items were used as analytes. We prepared pooled serum samples at 10 levels for each test item and divided them into two groups; five for the analytical measurement range (AMR) group and five for the medical decision point (MDP) group. Calibration and QC processes were performed for five consecutive days, and ALT, TC, Cr, DB, and Lip levels were measured in the two groups using automated and manual methods. Precision and the mean difference between the calibration and QC methods were evaluated using the reported values of the test items in each group.
Results:
Repeatability and within-laboratory coefficients of variation (CVs) between the automated system and the conventional manual system in the AMR group were similar. However, the mean reported values for test items were significantly different between the two systems. In the MDP group, repeatability and within-laboratory CVs were better with the automation system. All calibration and QC processes were successfully implemented with the Aptio total laboratory automation system.
Conclusion
The Aptio total laboratory automation system could be applied to routine practice to improve precision and efficiency.
9.Antiproliferative properties of luteolin against chemically induced colon cancer in mice fed on a high-fat diet and colorectal cancer cells grown in adipocyte-derived medium
Journal of Nutrition and Health 2022;55(1):47-58
Purpose:
Obesity and a high-fat diet (HFD) are risk factors for colorectal cancer. We have previously shown that luteolin (LUT) supplementation in HFD-fed mice markedly inhibits tumor development in chemically induced colon carcinogenesis. In this study, we evaluated the anticancer effect of LUT in the inhibition of cell proliferation in HFD-fed obese mice and HT-29 human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells grown in an adipocyte-derived medium.
Methods:
C57BL/6 mice were fed a normal diet (ND, 11.69% fat out of total calories consumed, n = 10), HFD (40% fat out of total calories consumed, n = 10), HFD with 0.0025% LUT (n = 10), and HFD with 0.005% LUT (n = 10) and were subjected to azoxymethanedextran sulfate sodium chemical colon carcinogenesis. All mice were fed the experimental diet for 11 weeks. 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and HT-29 cells were treated with various doses of LUT in an adipocyte-conditioned medium (Ad-CM).
Results:
The weekly body weight changes in the LUT groups were similar to those in the HFD group; however, the survival rates of the LUT group were higher than those of the HFD group.Impaired crypt integrity of the colonic mucosa in the HFD group was observed to be restored in the LUT group. The colonic expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) receptors were suppressed by the LUT supplementation in the HFDfed mice. The LUT treatment (10, 20, and 40 μM) inhibited the proliferation and migration of HT-29 cells cultured in Ad-CM in a dose-dependent manner, as well as the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes.
Conclusion
These results suggest that the anticancer effect of LUT is probably due to the inhibition of IGF-1 signaling and adipogenesis-related cell proliferation in colon cancer cells.
10.An Open Medical Platform to Share Source Code and Various Pre-Trained Weights for Models to Use in Deep Learning Research
Sungchul KIM ; Sungman CHO ; Kyungjin CHO ; Jiyeon SEO ; Yujin NAM ; Jooyoung PARK ; Kyuri KIM ; Daeun KIM ; Jeongeun HWANG ; Jihye YUN ; Miso JANG ; Hyunna LEE ; Namkug KIM
Korean Journal of Radiology 2021;22(12):2073-2081
Deep learning-based applications have great potential to enhance the quality of medical services. The power of deep learning depends on open databases and innovation. Radiologists can act as important mediators between deep learning and medicine by simultaneously playing pioneering and gatekeeping roles. The application of deep learning technology in medicine is sometimes restricted by ethical or legal issues, including patient privacy and confidentiality, data ownership, and limitations in patient agreement. In this paper, we present an open platform, MI2RLNet, for sharing source code and various pre-trained weights for models to use in downstream tasks, including education, application, and transfer learning, to encourage deep learning research in radiology. In addition, we describe how to use this open platform in the GitHub environment. Our source code and models may contribute to further deep learning research in radiology, which may facilitate applications in medicine and healthcare, especially in medical imaging, in the near future. All code is available at https://github.com/mi2rl/MI2RLNet.

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