• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.280-286
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• 2009

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the hemodynamic changes after endovascular stenting in patients with unilateral middle cerebral artery (MCA) stenosis using statistical probabilistic anatomical mapping (SPAM) analysis of basal/acetazolamide (ACZ) Tc-99m ECD brain perfusion SPECT. Materials and Methods: Eight patients (3 men and 5 women, 64.8$\pm$10.5 years) who underwent endovascular stenting for unilateral MCA stenosis were enrolled. Basal/ACZ Tc-99m ECD brain perfusion SPECT studies were performed by one-day protocol before and after stenting. Using SPAM analysis, we compared basal cerebral perfusion (BCP) counts and cerebrovascular reserve (CVR) index of the MCA territory before stenting with those after stenting. Results: After stenting, no patient had any complication nor additional stroke. In SPAM analysis, 7 out of the 8 patients had improved BCP counts of the MCA territory and 7 out of the 8 patients had improved CVR index of the MCA territory after stenting. Before stenting, the mean BCP counts and CVR index in the affected MCA territory were 47.1$\pm$2.2 ml/min/100 g and -2.1$\pm$2.9%, respectively. After stenting, the mean BCP counts and CVR index in the affected MCA territory were improved significantly (48.3$\pm$2.9 ml/min/100 g, p =0.025 and 0.1$\pm$1.3%, p =0.036). Conclusion: This study revealed that SPAM analysis of basal/ACZ brain perfusion SPEG would be helpful to evaluate hemodynamic efficacy of endovascular stenting in unilateral MCA stenosis.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.113-120
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• 2001

Objectives: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is common and may produce various symptoms and serious complications. A substantial number of research articles on obstructive sleep apnea syndrome have been published in Korea. However, we found such limitations as lack of sufficient sample size and lack of polysomnography-proven cases. Therefore, we aimed at studying clinical features and sleep structure in a sufficient number of Korean patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome diagnostically confirmed with polysomnography. Methods: We studied 801 subjects referred to the Division of Sleep Studies, Seoul National University Hospital, who were diagnosed as having obstructive sleep apnea syndrome with polysomnography. Subjects were excluded if they had central sleep apnea syndrome, periodic limb movement disorder, narcolepsy or REM sleep behavior disorder. Foreign patients were also excluded. First of all, we studied the clinical features of the subjects. Secondly, we compared sleep-related parameters of the study subjects with those of age/sex-matched normal values. Thirdly, correlations of respiratory disturbance index (RDI) with each of the sleep-related parameters were calculated. Results: Among the 801 subjects, 668 were male subjects (83.4%) and 133 female subjects (16.4%). Their mean age was 46.6 years (${\pm}13.5$). The mean body mass index (BMI) was 25.8 (${\pm}3.8$) and subjects with BMI was over 28.0 accounted for 22.8% of the total. Fifty subjects (6.2%) were found to take benzodiazepines. Mean RDI and mean nocturnal oxygen saturation of all subjects was 31.2 (${\pm}24.4$) and 94.5% (${\pm}3.6$), respectively. In comparison with normal values, the subjects showed longer sleep latency, lower sleep efficiency, decreased total slow wave sleep % (TSWS %), and decreased total REM sleep % (TREM %)(p<0.01 in all). RDI had a negative correlation with each TSWS % and TREM % (p<0.01, p<0.01). However, RDI did not have significant correlation with either sleep latency or sleep efficiency. Conclusion: In this study, 6.2% of patients diagnosed as having obstructive sleep apnea syndrome were found to take benzodiazepines, although they are generally considered to be of litte benefit or even dangerous because of the respiratory suppressing effect. The proportion of obese subjects was only 22.8% and Korean patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome seem to be less obese than those described in foreign journals. This study also suggests that the severity of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome may have a more significant effect on sleep architecture defined as TSWS % and TREM % than on sleep efficiency.

• Journal of The Korean Ophthalmological Society
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• v.58 no.11
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• pp.1260-1268
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• 2017

Purpose: Strabismus affects any age and represents various functional or non-functional eye problems. This population-based study was conducted to determine the prevalence of strabismus and nystagmus in South Korea according to various sociodemographic factors. Methods: We acquired data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nation-wide cross-sectional survey and examinations of the non-institutionalized civilian population in South Korea (n = 30,538), conducted from July 2008 to December 2011. The prevalence of strabismus and nystagmus were verified, and associated sociodemographic factors was evaluated. Results: The overall prevalence of strabismic disorder in participants over 3 years of age was $1.4{\pm}0.1%$ (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3-1.6%; $1.5{\pm}0.1%$ in males, $1.3{\pm}0.1%$ in females). The prevalence of exodeviation (15 or more prism diopters), esodeviation (10 or more prism diopters), vertical deviation, and other complicated strabismus and nystagmus was 1.0%, 0.2%, 0.2%, 0.1% and 0.1% respectively. The prevalence was highest in the 6 to 15-year age group ($1.9{\pm}0.3%$), and lowest in the 40 to 49 years age group ($0.8{\pm}0.1%$) (p = 0.005). There were no statistically significant differences for gender, region, residential area, household income, educational level and occupation. Conclusions: This nation-wide epidemiologic study demonstrated that the prevalence of strabismus and nystagmus according to various sociodemographic factors in South Korea was not statistically significant except for age group. Further investigations are required based on more surveys to better recognize the etiologic or risk factors that may be related to strabismus and nystagmus.

• Annals of Clinical Microbiology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.9-13
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• 2019

Background: The isolation of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) has become increasingly common. Continuous surveillance for these organisms is essential because their infections are closely related to outbreaks of illness and are associated with high mortality rates. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate multiplex PCR as a means of detecting several important CPE genes simultaneously. Methods: We aimed to develop a multiplex PCR that could detect seven CPE genes simultaneously. The multiplex PCR was composed of seven primer sets for the detection of KPC, IMP, VIM, NDM-1, GES, OXA-23, and OXA-48. We designed different PCR product sizes of at least 100 bp. We evaluated the performance of this new test using 69 CPE-positive clinical isolates. Also, we confirmed the specificity to rule out false-positive reactions by using 71 carbapenem-susceptible clinical strains. Results: A total of 69 CPE clinical isolates showed positive results and were correctly identified as KPC (N=14), IMP (N=13), OXA-23 (N=12), OXA-48 (N=11), VIM (N=9), GES (N=5), and NDM (N=5) by the multiplex PCR. All 71 carbapenem-susceptible clinical isolates, including Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, showed negative results. Conclusion: This multiplex PCR can detect seven CPE genes at a time and will be useful in clinical laboratories.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.207-218
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• 2024

Cereal, including barley, wheat, and oats, is a major winter food crop in Korea. Despite recent changes in agricultural environments in response to climate change, fungal diseases that could affect cereal productivity remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the incidence of diseases in barley, wheat, and oats in the southern part of Korea. We collected fungal pathogens from seven locations where cereals were grown. In March-April of 2020 and 2021, a total of 92 fungal isolates were collected, mainly from the stem base or leaves of cereal crops during the tillering and stem extension stages of cereals in Korea. The collected isolates were identified based on morphological and molecular biological characteristics. The dominant species was Ceratobasidium cereale (42.4%), followed by Pyrenophora teres (21.7%), P. avenae (10.9%), Alternaria alternata (6.5%), and Epicoccum tobaicum (6.5%). In addition, P. tritici-repentis (3.3%), Cladosporium sp. (3.3%), Fusarium sp. (3.3%), and Nigrospora sp. (2.2%) were also collected as minority groups. Our results will provide information on fungal pathogens that occur during the growing season of cereals in Korea, particularly during the tillering and stem extension stages. In addition, the isolates collected from this study can serve as a valuable resource for conducting simulations on climate change, focusing on temperature and humidity.