• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.118-128
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• 2021

Purpose: To investigate the value of MR textural analysis, including use of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) to differentiate malignant from benign soft-tissue tumors on 3T MRI. Materials and Methods: We enrolled 69 patients (25 men, 44 women, ages 18 to 84 years) with pathologically confirmed soft-tissue tumors (29 benign, 40 malignant) who underwent pre-treatment 3T-MRI. We calculated MR texture, including mean, standard deviation (SD), skewness, kurtosis, mean of positive pixels (MPP), and entropy, according to different spatial-scale factors (SSF, 0, 2, 4, 6) on axial T1- and T2-weighted images (T1WI, T2WI), contrast-enhanced T1WI (CE-T1WI), high b-value DWI (800 sec/mm²), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) map. We used the Mann-Whitney U test, logistic regression, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for statistical analysis. Results: Malignant soft-tissue tumors had significantly lower mean values of DWI, ADC, T2WI and CE-T1WI, MPP of ADC, and CE-T1WI, but significantly higher kurtosis of DWI, T1WI, and CE-T1WI, and entropy of DWI, ADC, and T2WI than did benign tumors (P < 0.050). In multivariate logistic regression, the mean ADC value (SSF, 6) and kurtosis of CE-T1WI (SSF, 4) were independently associated with malignancy (P ≤ 0.009). A multivariate model of MR features worked well for diagnosis of malignant soft-tissue tumors (AUC, 0.909). Conclusion: Accurate diagnosis could be obtained using MR textural analysis with DWI and CE-T1WI in differentiating benign from malignant soft-tissue tumors.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.206-212
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• 2023

Background: Delayed sternal closure (DSC) is a useful option for patients with intractable bleeding and hemodynamic instability due to prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass and a preoperative bleeding tendency. Vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) has been widely used for sternal wound problems, but only rarely for DSC, and its efficacy for mediastinal drainage immediately after cardiac surgery has not been well established. Therefore, we evaluated the usefulness of DSC using VAC in adult cardiac surgery. Methods: We analyzed 33 patients who underwent DSC using VAC from January 2017 to July 2022. After packing sterile gauze around the heart surface and great vessels, VAC was applied directly without sternal self-retaining retractors and mediastinal drain tubes. Results: Twenty-one patients (63.6%) underwent emergency surgery for conditions including type A acute aortic dissection (n=13), and 8 patients (24.2%) received postoperative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support. Intractable bleeding (n=25) was the most common reason for an open sternum. The median duration of open sternum was 2 days (interquartile range [25th-75th pertentiles], 2-3.25 days) and 9 patients underwent VAC application more than once. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 27.3%. Superficial wound problems occurred in 10 patients (30.3%), and there were no deep sternal wound infections. Conclusion: For patients with an open sternum, VAC alone, which is effective for mediastinal drainage and cardiac decompression, had an acceptable superficial wound infection rate and no deep sternal wound infections. In adult cardiac surgery, DSC using VAC may be useful in patients with intractable bleeding or unstable hemodynamics with myocardial edema.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.975-981
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• 2011

The aim of this study was to observe the effect of moxibustion at matched acupoints of ST36, ST37 and ST39 in rats with sex and age. This study measured small intestinal motility in rats. First, cauterize with moxa was applied to the ST36, ST37 and ST39 in rats classified by sex and age under enflurane anesthesia. And then same treatment is done to matched acupoints of ST36, ST37 and ST39. In each groups of ST36, ST37 and ST39, the small intestinal motility was increased in 5, 6, 8 weeks male and 5 weeks female rats at ST36, 6, 7 weeks male and 5, 6, 8 weeks female rats at ST37, 5, 6 weeks male and 5 weeks female rats at ST39. In matched acupoints, the small intestinal motility was increased in 5, 8 weeks male and 5, 6, 7, 8 weeks female rat at ST36+ST37, 5 weeks male and 6, 7, 8 weeks female rats at ST36+ST39, 5, 7 weeks male and 5, 8 weeks female rats at ST37+ST39. The effects of moxibustion at each acupoints decreased by advancing age and when these acupoints were combined, the effective results were shown in female rats of all age group. These results suggest that when each acupoints and matched acupoints was chosen in moxibustion treatment, the sex and age of individual is worth consideration.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.77-85
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• 2015

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of Sophorae radix pharmacopuncture(SRP) therapy on the Chunchu($ST_{25}$) on intestinal disease in rats with dextran sulfate sodium(DSS)-induced colitis. Methods : The experimental model of colitis was induced by an infection of DSS for fifteen days. After colitis was induced, SRP therapy was practiced on the Chunchu($ST_{25}$) once every three days for a total of five times. Afterward, colon length, damage to the colonic mucosa, complete blood count, aspartate aminotransferase(AST), alanine transferase(ALT), blood urea nitrogen(BUN), creatinine, TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-6 were measured. Results : The results were obtained as below. 1. Colon length was significantly increased in the SRP group 2 compared to the control group. 2. Damage of colonic mucosa was observed less in the SRP groups than in the other groups. 3. The mean rates of white blood cell(WBC), neutrophils and lymphocytes were significantly increased in SRP group 2 compared to the control group. 4. The mean rates of HGB and hematocrit(HCT) were significantly increased in the SRP compared to the control group. 5. No significant differences were shown in AST, ALT, BUN and Creatinine between the SRP groups and the control group. 6. The mean rate of TNF-${\alpha}$ was significantly decreased in the SRP groups compared to the control group. 7. The mean of IL-6 was significantly decreased in the SRP groups compared to the control group. Conclusions : These results indicated that SRP therapy on Chunchu($ST_{25}$) functions as a treatment to the dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.2507-2513
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• 2015

Background: Serum vitamin D status can affect the prognosis of breast cancer patients. Our aim was to determine the association between alterations in the 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] status during follow-up and the prognosis of breast cancer patients. Additionally, we evaluated the association between the 25(OH)D status at the time of diagnosis and the prognosis using a detailed age and stage categorization. Materials and Methods: Four hundred and sixty-nine Korean breast cancer patients were included. We collected patient clinicopathological data, including their serum 25(OH)D concentration at diagnosis and at the annual follow-up until 4 years after diagnosis. The patients were divided according to their 25(OH)D status at diagnosis into a deficient (<20 ng/ml) and a non-deficient (${\geq}20ng/ml$) group. At follow-up, patients were categorized into the four following groups according to 25(OH)D status alterations: persistently deficient, improved, deteriorated and persistently non-deficient. Results: At diagnosis, 118 patients were classified into the deficient group and 351 into the non-deficient group. After a median follow-up period of $85.8{\pm}31.0$ months, the patients with advanced-stage disease or an older age in the non-deficient group showed a significantly better survival compared with the deficient group. Furthermore, at the 1-year follow-up of 25(OH)D status, the persistently non-deficient group and the improved group had better survival compared with the other two groups. Conclusions: Our results suggest that maintaining an optimal 25(OH)D status at diagnosis and during the 1-year follow-up period is important for improving breast cancer patient survival.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.238-245
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• 2023

0.75(Bi_1/2Na_1/2)TiO₃-0.25SrTiO₃ (BNT-25ST) ceramics with high densities were successfully prepared at a sintering temperature of 1,000℃ by adding a mixture of 1 mol% CuO and 0.5 mol% Na₂CO₃ or 0.5 mol% CuO and 0.25 mol% Na₂CO₃. Double polarization-electric field (P-E) hysteresis curves and sprout-shaped bipolar strain-electric field (S-E) hysteresis curves with small negative strains were observed in the pristine and CuO-added BNT-25ST ceramics whereas the Na₂CO₃-added sample showed similar P-E and S-E curves to a typical ferroelectric. The pristine BNT-25ST ceramics showed an extremely large strain and a large-signal piezoelectric strain constant (d₃₃^*): 0.287 % at 80 kV/cm and 850 pm/V at 20 kV/cm. Similar values, 0.248 % at 80 kV/cm and 655 pm/V at 20 kV/cm, were obtained in the CuO-added sample. However, the pristine and CuO-added samples showed large hysteresis in unipolar S-E curves at an electric field of less than 20 kV/cm. The Na₂CO₃-added sample showed smaller values of the strain and d₃₃^* but displayed a linear change and small hysteresis in the unipolar S-E curve. The co-added sample with CuO and Na₂CO₃ displayed intermediate P-E and S-E hysteresis curves.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.696-701
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• 2000

Stockings are considered to be excellent in retention of heat in cool weather. This study was to investigate the physiological effects of wearing support panty stocking when exposed to the cool environment from mild environment. Five healthy female college students wearing(ST) or not wearing(NST) support panty stocking, rested at 25$\pm$1$^{\circ}C$, 50$\pm$5% R.H. and were exposed to 18$\pm$1$^{\circ}C$, 50$\pm$5% R.H. for 90 minutes. The results obtained were as follows: Rectal Temperatures were lower in ST than in NST at both environments. Skin temperatures in ST were revealed higher at $25^{\circ}C$, but lower at 18$^{\circ}C$ than in NST. Heat production and total weight loss didn't show significant difference between ST and NST. Total thermal conductance from the body to the environment was higher in ST than in NST at 18$^{\circ}C$. It was suggested that wearing support panty stocking would keep the body warm in mild environment, but facilitate heat loss from the body in cool environment.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.109-114
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• 2000

The present study was undertaken to examine the effects of ethanol on the ovarian steroidogenic acute regulatory protein(StAR) gene expression during prepubertal and onset of puberty. From day 25, each rat began receiving either a control saline or ethanol. Animals were sacrificed on day 27 and 32, and their ovaries and blood were collected. In the present results, ethanol treatment significantly decreased serum luteinizing hormone contents at both time points. Uterine weights of ethanol-treated group were significantly lighter than control group at early time point while there was no noticeable discrepancy at late time point. Vaginal openings, a marker of onset of puberty, also clearly delayed in ethanol-treated group. Using an in situ hybridization histochemistry, we determined the expression of mRNAs encoding StAR. Ovaries from ethanol-treated rats showed a suppresed expression of StAR mRNA. These results demonstrate that ethanol can disturb the prepubertal ovarian function and onset of puberty, at least in part, through the inhibition of ovarian StAR gene expression.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.53-58
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• 1983

Enterotoxigenic E. coli is one of causative agents of the infantile diarrhea and traveler's diarrhea. A modified infant mouse assay(IMA) was developed for the detection of heat stable enterotoxin (ST) of E. coli isolated from diarrheal and control infants and assay system was established with using enterotoxin producing reference strains. The supernatant of the 24 hour-shaking culture of E. coli in Casamino Acid Yeast Extract Salt Broth(CYES-2) was ingested orally into the 2-4 day old ICR mice. After the mice were kept at $25^{\circ}C$ for 4 hours, they were sacrificed and the gut weight body weight ratio(GW/BW) was taken as the index of fluid accumulation induced by heat stable enterotoxin of E. coli. The results obtained were as follows; 1. The GW/BW responses of IMA tested with enterotoxin reference strains of E. coli(E. coli O148H28:$ST^+LT^+$, E. coli $O78H^-:ST^+LT^+$, E. coli O15H11:$ST^-LT^+$, E. coli O1H7:$ST^-LT^-$) appeared ta be ST dose-dependent, and not LT-dependent. From the dose-response curve, $25{\mu}l$ of culture supernatant was determined as test amount of the IMA. 2. Frequency distribution of IMA result from 643 strain of E. coli showed normal distribution at low GW/BW ratio and dispersed pattern at high GW/BW ratio. The GW/BW ratios of $0.056{\pm}0.004(mean{\pm}SD)$ of normal distribution which distributed from 0.044 to 0.068(P<0.01) was considered as ST negative. Thus the GW/BW ratio above 0.069 could be regarded as ST positive.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.25-33
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• 2004

Objective : The effects of Indium-Gallium-Aluminium-Phosphide(InGaAlP) laser transcutaneous irradiation on heart rate variability(HRV) in healthy adults are investigated with power spectrum analysis(PSA) of HRV. Methods : The control group consisted of 20 healthy volunteers (10 men, 10 women). The experiment was divided into 5 different periods, the pre-1st laser period(10 minutes), the 1st laser period(30 minutes), the post-1st laser period(5 minutes), the 2nd laser period( 30 minutes) and the post-2nd laser period(30 minutes). HRV was measured for 5 minutes at the pre-1 st laser period, the post-l st laser period and the post-2nd laser period. The laser period is the period in which InGaAlP laser transcutaneous Irradiation treatment occurs. Results : 1. SDNN of volunteers at post-1st laser period and post-2nd laser period significantly increased compared with that of the pre- 1 st laser period. 2, Ln(VLF) at post-I st laser period significantly increased compared with that of pre-1st laser period, while Ln(HF) at post-2nd laser period significantly decreased compared with those of pre- I st laser period and post-1st laser period, 3. Ln(TP) at post-1st laser period and post-2nd laser period significantly increased compared with that of pre-1st laser period, 4, LF/HF Ratio at post-2nd laser period significantly increased compared with those of pre-1st laser period and post-1st laser period. But the other variables did not significantly change. Conclusions : The results suggest that InGaAlp laser transcutaneous Irradiation in healthy adults is associated with the autonomic nervous systems. Further study is needed for investigating the effects of laser irradiation on autonomic nervous systems.