• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.37 no.3
• /
• pp.245-251
• /
• 2010

Objective: Human sperm nucleus DNA damage may negatively affect pregnancy outcome, and the spermatozoa of infertile men have more DNA damage than that of fertile men. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of microsurgical varicocelectomy on human sperm nucleus DNA integrity. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 18 subfertile male patients who underwent microsurgical varicocelectomy at our hospital from April 2006 to April 2007. Varicocele was diagnosed by physical examination and Doppler ultrasound. Standard semen analysis was performed in 18 patients before and 4 months after microsurgical varicoceletcomy using a computer assisted semen analyzer. Sperm nucleus DNA integrity was assessed by a single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay). Results: No recurrence of varicocele was observed after 4 months later. The DNA fragmentation index improved after varicocelectomy compared with pre-operatively (19.3 versus 13.7%, respectively, p<0.05). Semen analysis parameters (total count, concentration, motile sperm, viability, strict morphology) increased after varicocelectomy, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion: Our data suggest that microsurgical varicocelectomy can improve semen analysis parameters and human sperm nucleus DNA integrity in infertile men with varicocele.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.75-85
• /
• 2008

Moisture damage of asphalt mixtures can occur because of a loss of bond between the asphalt binder and the fine and coarse aggregates. Therefore, moisture damage on asphalt pavements is the main cause of potholes, which is one of the main distress type of asphalt pavement. The purpose of this study is to evaluation effect moisture damage on material properties of asphalt mixtures through the laboratory performance test. The existing Modified Lottman test procedure was improved and the number of times that thermal cyclic conditioning can be added until the asphalt mixtures is damaged, was tested in order to exhibit the changes of the material properties because of moisture damage by immersion. Through the above experiments, it was found that the material properties of asphalt mixtures on room-temperature were rapidly decreased with loss of about 50% at initial stage of moisture damage caused by the amount of repeated immersion. Also, it was found that the property damage ratio using material properties of failure energy and $DCSE_f$ by test temperature $25^{\circ}C$ were showed a high relationship to moisture damage of the asphalt mixtures caused by the amount of repeated immersion.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.348-358
• /
• 2009

Diffuse axonal injury(DAI) is a common form of traumatic brain injury and thought to be a major contributor to cognitive dysfunction. Physical activity has been shown to beneficial effects on physical health and influences in hippocampus which is an important location for memory and learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of motor training on motor performance and axonal regeneration in hippocampus through the immunoreactivity of GAP-43 after diffuse axonal injury in the rats. The experimental groups were applied motor training(beam-walking, rotarod, and Morris water maze) but control groups were not. The time performing the motor tasks and GAP-43 immunohistochemistry were used for the result of axonal recovery. There were meaningful differences between experimental groups and control groups on motor performance and GAP-43 immunohistochemistry. The control groups showed increasing tendency with the lapse of time, but experimental groups showed higher. Therefore, Motor training after DAI improve motor outcomes which are associated with dynamically altered immunoreactivity of GAP-43 in axonal injury regions, particularly hippocampus, and that is related with axonal regeneration.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.335-341
• /
• 2004

Traumatic cardiac injury is very rare but mortality is very high when the diagnosis and management are delayed. We reviewed our case retrospectively. Material and Method: From March 1995 to July 2003, 17 patients were diagnosed as having traumatic cardiac rupture. Five patients were stabbed, seven patients were motor vehicle accidents, four patients had fallen down, and the cause was unknown in one patient. Emergency operations were done and six patients were operated under CPB. Result: Four patients died during or after operation. The mean ICU stay period was 3.86$\pm$3.35 days and the mean hospital stay was 18.27$\pm$14.99 days. No mortality was observed in those whose vital signs were stable in the operating room. Conclusion: Preoperative vital status was very important and thoracic traumatic patient should be suspected as having cardiac injury.

• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.84-90
• /
• 2005

Neutrophils that influx into the alveolar spaces from circulatory bloods play a important role in pathogenesis of acute lung injury. During the acute inflammatory phase, in order to investigate the acceleration of macrophage phagocytosis to the neutrophils is able to reduce the neutrophil-derived acute lung injury, endotoxemia was induced by insufflation of lipopolysaccharide intratracheally and organic germanium was injected intraperitoneally after endotoxin treatment. At 5 h after endotoxin treatment, lung weight and BAL protein concentration are significantly increased (p<0.001) compared to sham, and that was remarkedly decreased (p<0.001, p<0.01) by injection of germanium. In addition germanium treatment resulted to decreased the number of alveolar PMNs and to increase the percentage of engulfed neutrophils by alveolar macrophages. These observations indicate that organic germanium may have a role of reduction to neutrophil-derived acute lung injury in endotoxemia.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.52-64
• /
• 2012

Acute traumatic shoulder injuries related to motor vehicle accidents and industrial accident has shown a steep increase recently. In regard to the causal relationship and the previous illness, the rotator cuff tear and SLAP lesion are the mostly debated among shoulder injuries related to trauma. Both the possibility of spontaneous occurrence related to their degenerative etiology and the discordance between the extent of injury and the symptom of the rotator cuff tear and SLAP lesion, make it difficult and obscure to estimate the extent of involvement of accident. Therefore, the Insurance Committee of Korean Shoulder and Elbow Society performed a questionnaire for the shoulder specialists to investigate their criteria about deciding the treatment modalities and SLAP lesion and reviewed literatures regarding the causal relationship between the accident and the rotator cuff tear and SLAP lesion. The committee recommended the diagnostic criteria to judge contribution of the accident on traumatic shoulder injuries, and to offer a guideline for disabilities.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.123-129
• /
• 2016

Whereas a somatic pain notifies tissue damage, a neuropathic pain presents disorder of the nerve itself. The causes of neuropathic pains are trauma, infection, chronic irritation by adjacent tissue and so on. The iatrogenic trauma or infection also causes traumatic neuropathy, which may exert a bad influence on doctor-patient relationship. Some of related dental treatments are implantation (directly or indirectly through heating), root canal treatment, teeth extraction, block anesthesia, mandibular surgery. If inappropriate management is performed after nerve trauma, there will be many chances to develop chronic neuropathy for the patient. It is important that the sign of nerve trauma have to be caught by the practitioner as soon as possible and treated properly.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Navigation
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.75-81
• /
• 1997

The switching components to control the speed of dc motor, which perform vital fuction in a modern motor vehicle or a ship, are susceptibile to suffer damage or upset by switching transient. An equivalent circuit was derived, in this paper, to select an ideal component having immunity against the switching transient among varisotor, zenner diode, etc. Furthermore, we have carried out the optimal improved transient protection circuit design in the view of cost effectiveness, proper wave form of transient defined by the international regulations. The process and cause of the damages in the switching components were examined. Then, the immunity improvement of semiconductor switching components to control a dc motor has been achieved considering impedance condition accoring to the variation of the diverting transient current.

• Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Sports Medicine
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.39-45
• /
• 2009

Purpose: We intended to classify the pattern and to seek the cause of fractures and/or dislocations related to middle and high school Taekwondo athletes in competition and try to get the ways for preventing them. Materials and Methods: We studied 50 fractures and dislocations of the athletes in competition, which were surveyed in 2005-2007 national middle and high school Taekwondo tournament annually. We analyzed the type and the cause of the injury, performed survey at postinjury l year in 32 cases, sought proper treatments and methods for prevention. Results: The 26 cases (52%) of foot fracture, 15 cases (30%) of hand fracture and 9 cases (18%) of forearm fracture are occurred in this study. The 9 cases (28%) of satisfaction in treatment, 15 cases (47%) of average and 8 cases (25%) of dissatisfaction are surveyed in the 32 cases. The causes of dissatisfaction are lack of rest (7 cases), excessive training (5 cases), immoderate participation of match (6 cases) and the others. The athletes were returned to the match before complete recovery in 21 cases (67%). Conclusion: The causes of fractures and dislocations in middle and high school Taekwondo athletes were stroke on upper and lower extremities and high-speed hyperflexion injury that was occurred during spraining of great toe on the floor. We consider that the athletes need the development of effective protector, improvement of equipment in stadium and enough rest and education.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.143-154
• /
• 2016

This study investigated the occurrences, causes, and mitigation of the recent ground subsidence and underground cavity generation events in Korea. Two main causes of ground subsidence are (1) the soil erosion by seepage during tunneling and earth excavation and (2) the damage of underground pipes. The main cause of the soil erosion during tunneling was the uncontrolled groundwater flow. Especially, when excavating soft grounds using a tunnel boring machine (TBM), the ground near TBM operation halt points were found to be the most vulnerable to failure. The damage of underground pipes was mainly caused by poor construction, material deterioration, and differential settlement in soft soils. The ground subsidence during tunneling and earth excavation can be managed by monitoring the outflow of groundwater and eroded soils in construction sites. It is expected that the ground subsidence by the underground pipe damage can be managed or mitigated by life cycle analysis and maintenance of the buried pipes, and by controlling the earth pressure distribution or increasing the bearing capacity at the upper ground of the buried pipes.