https://scholarworks.korea.ac.kr/kumedicine/handle/2020.sw.kumedicine/46 2026-04-04T08:36:05Z 2026-04-04T08:36:05Z Hong, Insic Lim, Daseul Kim, Dongjin Hong, Myungrae Kang, Sanghun Ji, Kyungbin Oh, Taeuk Hwang, Suhyeon Roh, Yeonwook Gong, Dohyeon Kwon, Gibeom Kim, Taewi Im, Chaewan Kim, Eunyoung Lee, Jingoo Kim, Seongyeon Kim, Juil Kim, Seunghyun Shim, Kyungmin Lee, Jungho Seo, Sungchul Koh, Je-sung Han, Seungyong Kang, Daeshik https://scholarworks.korea.ac.kr/kumedicine/handle/2021.sw.kumedicine/78532 2025-11-07T03:00:28Z 2025-10-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Breathable, wearable skin analyzer for reliable long-term monitoring of skin barrier function and individual environmental health impacts Authors: Hong, Insic; Lim, Daseul; Kim, Dongjin; Hong, Myungrae; Kang, Sanghun; Ji, Kyungbin; Oh, Taeuk; Hwang, Suhyeon; Roh, Yeonwook; Gong, Dohyeon; Kwon, Gibeom; Kim, Taewi; Im, Chaewan; Kim, Eunyoung; Lee, Jingoo; Kim, Seongyeon; Kim, Juil; Kim, Seunghyun; Shim, Kyungmin; Lee, Jungho; Seo, Sungchul; Koh, Je-sung; Han, Seungyong; Kang, Daeshik Abstract: Monitoring skin health through parameters like skin hydration (SH) and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) is vital for diagnosing skin conditions and identifying disease factors. Conventional devices and survey-based methods often fail to deliver accurate diagnoses due to circadian rhythms of skin health data, limited measurement frequency, and patient subjectivity. Previous research has shown that prolonged device usage also causes sweat accumulation, compromising reliable monitoring. Here, we present a breathable skin health analyzer (BSA), a wearable device designed for prolonged use, capable of accurate, long-term measurement of SH and TEWL. The BSA addresses considerable obstacles in skin health monitoring by employing a breathable chamber and a bistable actuator that ensures both ventilation and consistent sensor contact with the skin. Validated through a 28-day clinical trial, the BSA and data processing algorithms demonstrated their effectiveness in providing reliable data by analyzing the correlation between particulate matter exposure and the skin barrier health. These results not only highlight the potential to improve the diagnosis and treatment of diseases but also show the possibility of contributing to individual environmental health impact assessments and translational studies. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

2025-10-01T00:00:00Z Yoon, Wonsuck Park, Yongsung Kwon, Soonhyun Han, Changhak Kim, Seunghyun Choe, Young June Lee, Jue Seong Yoo, Young https://scholarworks.korea.ac.kr/kumedicine/handle/2021.sw.kumedicine/78197 2025-09-08T10:02:03Z 2025-07-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Fungal Microbiome Diversity in Urban Forest Decreases Asthma and Allergic Inflammation Authors: Yoon, Wonsuck; Park, Yongsung; Kwon, Soonhyun; Han, Changhak; Kim, Seunghyun; Choe, Young June; Lee, Jue Seong; Yoo, Young Abstract: Purpose: Recent attention has been directed toward understanding how exposure to green areas in residential urban environments can impact asthma morbidity. Limited and inconsistent results have explored the link between exposure to greenness and asthma, highlighting the need for further research in this area. We analyzed airborne fungal microbiomes from urban forests and urban centers to better understand how airborne microorganisms affect asthma and allergic inflammatory responses. Methods: Fungi were isolated from air samples collected from 25 urban forests and 4 urban centers in Seoul Metropolitan City, and the diversity of fungal microbiomes was analyzed. The number of asthma episodes in each district in Seoul Metropolitan City was examined using data from the National Health Insurance. Allergic inflammatory responses of fungi from the urban forests and urban centers were measured using human mast cells (HMC-1) and an experimental asthma animal model. Results: Fungal microbiome diversity in urban forests was significantly higher than in urban centers. A significant inverse correlation was observed between the number of urban forests per each district and asthma episodes among residents. Allergic inflammation in the activated HMC-1 cells and lungs of the asthma animal model was significantly suppressed by the fungal strains isolated from the urban forest samples compared to those from the urban centers. Conclusions: Fungal microbiome diversity, particularly from the urban forests, plays a role in reducing asthma morbidity and can modulate allergic inflammation. Residential proximity to urban forests was positively associated with current asthma, potentially indicating a role in reducing allergic inflammation through the diversity of the fungal microbial flora. These findings support the increasing public recognition of urban forest as an essential component of health-supportive environments.

2025-07-01T00:00:00Z Kim, Doheon Shin, Dongmin Kim, Dohyeong Kwon, Boyeon Min, Choongki Geevarghese, Gloria Kim, Seunghyun Hwang, Jungho Seo, Sungchul https://scholarworks.korea.ac.kr/kumedicine/handle/2021.sw.kumedicine/76421 2025-07-10T02:09:48Z 2025-02-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Revisiting the joint effect of temperature and relative humidity on airborne mold and bacteria concentration in indoor environment: A machine learning approach Authors: Kim, Doheon; Shin, Dongmin; Kim, Dohyeong; Kwon, Boyeon; Min, Choongki; Geevarghese, Gloria; Kim, Seunghyun; Hwang, Jungho; Seo, Sungchul Abstract: Exposure to airborne bioaerosols, such as bacteria and fungi, presents significant health risks, especially for vulnerable populations like children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems. Bioaerosol exposure can aggravate respiratory and allergic conditions, underscoring the need for real-time monitoring in indoor environments. However, continuous monitoring is often hindered by technical and economic challenges. Temperature and relative humidity are known to strongly influence airborne bacteria and mold levels, yet the combined impact of these factors remains insufficiently explored for effective control strategies in diverse indoor settings. This study investigates the joint effects of temperature and humidity on indoor bioaerosol concentrations through a machine learning-based outlier removal. Data were collected from 4,048 samples across 10 different types of multi-use facilities (e.g., daycare center, library) in South Korea, taking seasonal variations into account. A Random Forest model was employed to manage complex nonlinear relationships, identifying and excluding data points heavily influenced by external variables, such as ventilation and occupancy, rather than by temperature and humidity alone. The refined dataset enabled a focused analysis of temperature and humidity's combined impact, revealing specific conditions that correspond with elevated bioaerosol levels. The findings show that temperature and humidity jointly and significantly affect concentrations of bacteria and mold, with variations observed according to season and facility type. This research provides practical guidelines for controlling indoor bioaerosol levels by adjusting temperature and humidity alone, thus supporting safer and healthier indoor environments across a range of facilities.

2025-02-01T00:00:00Z Sihn, Kyu-Hwan https://scholarworks.korea.ac.kr/kumedicine/handle/2021.sw.kumedicine/75061 2025-01-24T05:30:04Z 2024-08-01T00:00:00Z

Title: 식민지 홍콩의 열대의학 연구와 세균설: 말라리아와 페스트 방역을 중심으로 Authors: Sihn, Kyu-Hwan Abstract: 19세기 말 홍콩은 말라리아와 페스트 유행의 한복판에 위치하고 있었기 때문에, 질병 이론과 실제 방역을 둘러싼 의학계의 각축전이 벌어지고 있었다. 그러나 홍콩 의학계와 식민당국은 세균설에 의한 병인론을 순순히 받아들이지 않았다. 심지어 1890년대 페스트 연구와 말라리아 연구를 통해 세균설이 과학적 지위를 확고히 해가고 있었음에도 불구하고, 홍콩 식민당국과 의학계는 세균설에 대해 곧바로 수용적인 태도를 보이지 않았다. 맨슨은 1880년대 아모이와 홍콩에서 상피병과 말라리아 연구를 통해 세균설에 입각한 열대의학 연구의 가능성을 열었지만, 각 질병들의 감염 경로를 정확히 알 수 없었기 때문에 세균설에 입각한 방역정책을 강력하게 주장할 수 없었다. 1880-90년대 말라리아와 페스트 등의 원인균이 밝혀진 이후, 대세는 세균설로 향하고 있었지만, 여전히 홍콩의 적지 않은 의학자와 식민지 보건관료들은 미아즈마설에 입각한 방역조치에 대한 미련을 내려놓지 못하고 있었다. 그러나 연이은 감염병의 유행과 미아즈마설에 입각한 파괴적인 방역대책은 홍콩 사회를 혼란과 파국으로 밀어넣고 있었고, 더 이상 기존의 방역대책을 반복할 수 없었다. 20세기 이후 홍콩에서는 세균설에 입각한 입각한 열대의학과 방역대책이 식민당국과 의학계에서 확고한 위치를 차지하게 되었다. 그러나 세균설에 열대 질병 이론의 확립에도 불구하고, 인종론적인 질병 인식은 크게 변하지 않았다. 오히려 열대의학 이론은 오리엔탈리즘적인 질병 인식을 강화해 나가고 있었다.; At the end of the nineteenth century, Hong Kong was in the midst of a malaria and plague epidemic which caused a fierce dispute within the medical community over disease theories and quarantine practices. However, the Hong Kong colonial authorities and medical community did not immediately accept the theory of etiology based on germ theory. Although germ theory was becoming scientifically established through research on plague and malaria in the 1890s, the Hong Kong colonial authorities and medical community did not immediately accept it. Patrick Manson (1844-1922) began studying tropical medicine based on germ theory by studying elephantiasis and malaria in Amoi and Hong Kong during the 1880s. However, he was unable to strongly advocate for a quarantine policy based on germ theory because the exact transmission routes of these diseases were not yet fully understood. Although the scientific community began to shift towards germ theory after the discovery of causative bacteria for diseases like malaria and plague in the 1880s and 1890s, many medical and colonial health officials in Hong Kong still held on to the quarantine policy based on miasma theory. However, a series of infectious diseases and destructive miasma theory-based quarantine measures were pushing Hong Kong society into chaos, and the existing quarantine measures was no longer sustainable. In the twentieth century, colonial authorities and medical community in Hong Kong adopted tropical medicine and quarantine measures based on germ theory as their prominent position. Despite the establishment of tropical disease theory based on germ theory, racial perceptions of disease did not change significantly. Instead, the theory of tropical medicine reinforced orientalist views of disease. © The Korean Society for the History of Medicine.

2024-08-01T00:00:00Z