• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.551-558
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• 2010

Pain is very complex and multi-level experience that should be objective or subjective. Acupuncture is a traditional method to heal the pain and have been based on meridian theory. There have been many clinical evidences showing the pain-relieving effect of acupuncture but science-based understanding of it was poor. Furthermore in daily life, we feel huge gap between the source of pain and pain control by acupuncture stimulation. However, the underlying connection between pain control and acupuncture stimulation has been reported in many recent reports. In this paper, we briefly introduce the brain imaging techniques (functional magnetic resonance images, positron emission tomography, electroencephalograph, and magnetoencephalography) and review researches in pain and acupuncture. Through this, the brain areas that activated by pain and acupuncture will be verified, and compared each other regarding their specificity and similarity. In addition, detailed understanding of brain function which is related to pain and acupuncture analgesia through brain imaging techniques will be discussed.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.66-70
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• 2010

Reference interval is critical for interpreting laboratory results, monitoring response to therapy and predicting the prognosis of the patients in clinical settings. The aim of the present study was to update established reference intervals for routine hematologic and serum chemistry values for a population of clinically healthy dogs (range, 1-8 years) seen in an animal hospital. Blood was obtained by venipuncture while animals were physically restrained, and samples were analyzed for 9 chemistries on MS9-5H (Melot Schloesing Lab, France) and 6 hematology on Vet Test 8008 (IDEXX, USA). Data from 105 dogs (52 males and 53 females) for hematology and 113 dogs (37 males and 76 females) for chemistry were used to determine reference intervals using the parametric, nonparametric and bootstrap methods. Prior to analysis, all parameters were tested for normal distribution using Anderson-Darling criterion. Of the 9 biochemical analytes, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, creatinine, total protein, and glucose concentrations did not fit normal distribution for both original and transformed data. All but eosinophil count satisfied normal distribution for either original or transformed data. Parametric method can be used for original cholesterol concentrations, RBC, WBC, and neutrophil counts. This technique can also be used for power-transformed values of blood urea nitrogen concentrations and for logarithm of lymphocyte and monocyte counts. Non-parametric or bootstrap method was the preferred choice for the remaining 7 biochemical parameters and eosinophil count as they did not follow normal distributions. All three statistical techniques performed in similar reference intervals. When establishing reference intervals for clinical laboratory data, it is essential to assess the distribution of the original data to increase the accuracy of the interval, and non-parametric or bootstrap methods are of alternative for the data that do not fit normal distribution.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.113-119
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• 2024

Background: Missing isoniazid (INH) resistance during tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis can worsen the outcomes of INH-resistant TB. The BD MAX MDR-TB assay (BD MAX) facilitates the rapid detection of TB and INH and rifampin (RIF) resistance; however, data related to its performance in clinical setting remain limited. Moreover, its effect on treatment outcomes has not yet been studied. Methods: We compared the performance of BD MAX for the detection of INH/RIF resistances to that of the line probe assay (LPA) in patients with pulmonary TB (PTB), using the results of a phenotypic drug sensitivity test as a reference standard. The treatment outcomes of patients who used BD MAX were compared with those of patients who did not. Results: Of the 83 patients included in the study, the BD MAX was used for an initial PTB diagnosis in 39 patients. The sensitivity of BD MAX for detecting PTB was 79.5%. The sensitivity and specificity of BD MAX for INH resistance were both 100%, whereas these were 50.0% and 95.8%, respectively, for RIF resistance. The sensitivity and specificity of BD MAX were comparable to those of LPA. The BD MAX group had a shorter time interval from specimen request to the initiation of anti-TB drugs (2.0 days vs. 5.5 days, p=0.001). Conclusion: BD MAX showed comparable performance to conventional tests for detecting PTB and INH/RIF resistances. The implementation of BD MAX as a diagnostic tool for PTB resulted in a shorter turnaround time for the initiation of PTB treatment.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.348-354
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• 2016

Data stored in hospital information systems has a great potential to improve adequacy assessment and quality management. Moreover, an establishment of a data warehouse has been known to improve quality management and to offer help to clinicians. This study constructed a data mart that can be used to analyze antibiotic usage as a part of systematic and effective data analysis of infection control information. Metadata was designed by using the XML DTD method after selecting components and evaluation measures for infection control. OLAP-a multidimensional analysis tool-for antibiotic usage analysis was developed by building a data mart through modeling. Experimental data were obtained from data on antibiotic usage at a university hospital in Cheonan area for one month in July of 1997. The major components of infection control metadata were antibiotic resistance information, antibiotic usage information, infection information, laboratory test information, patient information, and infection related costs. Among them, a data mart was constructed by designing a database to apply antibiotic usage information to a star schema. In addition, OLAP was demonstrated by calculating the statistics of antibiotic usage for one month. This study reports the development of a data mart on antibiotic usage for infection control through the implementation of XML and OLAP techniques. Building a conceptual, structured data mart would allow for a rapid delivery and diverse analysis of infection control information.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.10-20
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• 2024

RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) is a technique used for providing global patterns of transcriptomes in samples. However, it can only provide the average gene expression across cells and does not address the heterogeneity within the samples. The advances in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology have revolutionized our understanding of heterogeneity and the dynamics of gene expression at the single-cell level. For example, scRNA-seq allows us to identify the cell types in complex tissues, which can provide information regarding the alteration of the cell population by perturbations, such as genetic modification. Since its initial introduction, scRNA-seq has rapidly become popular, leading to the development of a huge number of bioinformatic tools. However, the analysis of the big dataset generated from scRNA-seq requires a general understanding of the preprocessing of the dataset and a variety of analytical techniques. Here, we present an overview of the workflow involved in analyzing the scRNA-seq dataset. First, we describe the preprocessing of the dataset, including quality control, normalization, and dimensionality reduction. Then, we introduce the downstream analysis provided with the most commonly used computational packages. This review aims to provide a workflow guideline for new researchers interested in this field.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.24 no.11
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• pp.1061-1080
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• 2023

Artificial intelligence (AI) in radiology is a rapidly developing field with several prospective clinical studies demonstrating its benefits in clinical practice. In 2022, the Korean Society of Radiology held a forum to discuss the challenges and drawbacks in AI development and implementation. Various barriers hinder the successful application and widespread adoption of AI in radiology, such as limited annotated data, data privacy and security, data heterogeneity, imbalanced data, model interpretability, overfitting, and integration with clinical workflows. In this review, some of the various possible solutions to these challenges are presented and discussed; these include training with longitudinal and multimodal datasets, dense training with multitask learning and multimodal learning, self-supervised contrastive learning, various image modifications and syntheses using generative models, explainable AI, causal learning, federated learning with large data models, and digital twins.

• Journal of Technologic Dentistry
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.55-61
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• 2009

Passive fitting of meso-structure and super-structures is a predominant requirement for the longevity and clinical success of osseointegrated dental implants. However, precision and passive fitting has been unpredictable with conventional methods of casting as well as for corrective techniques. Alternative to conventional techniques, electro discharge machining(EDM) is an advanced method introduced to dental technology to improve the passive fitting of implant prosthesis. In this technique material is removed by melting and vaporization in electric sparks. Regarding the efficacy of EDM, the application of this technique induces severe surface morphological and elemental alterations due to the high temperatures developed during machining, which vary between $10,000{\sim}20,000^{\circ}C$. The aim of this study was to investigate the morphological and elemental alterations induced by EDM process of casting dental gold alloy and non-precious alloy used for the production of implant-supported prosthesis. A conventional clinical dental casting alloys were used for experimental specimens patterns, which were divided in three groups, high fineness gold alloy(Au 75%, HG group), low fineness gold alloy(Au 55%, LG group) and nonprecious metal alloy(Ni-Cr, NP group). The UCLA type plastic abutment patterns were invested with conventional investment material and were cast in a centrifugal casting machine. Castings were sandblasted with $50{\mu}m\;Al_2O_3$. One casting specimen of each group was polished by conventional finishing(HGCON, LGCON, NPCON) and one specimen of each group was subjected to EDM in a system using Cu electrodes, kerosene as dielectric fluid in 10 min for gold alloy and 20 min for Ni-Cr alloy(HGEDM. LGEDM, NOEDM). The surface morphology of all specimens was studied under an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS). The quantitative results from EDS analysis are presented on the HGEDM and LGEDM specimens a significant increase in C and Cu concentrations was found after EDM finishing. The different result was documented for C on the NPEDM with a significant uptake of O after EDM finishing, whereas Al, Si showed a significant decrease in their concentrations. EDS analysis showed a serious uptake of C and Cu after the EDM procedure in the alloys studied. The C uptake after the EDM process is a common finding and it is attributed to the decomposition of the dielectric fluid in the plasma column, probably due to the development of extremely high temperatures. The Cu uptake is readily explained from the decomposition of Cu electrodes, something which is also a common finding after the EDM procedure. However, all the aforementioned mechanisms require further research. The clinical implication of these findings is related with the biological and corrosion resistance of surfaces prepared by the EDM process.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.244-252
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• 2023

Objective: We evaluated the efficacy of the newly developed optimized in vitro culture (OIVC) dish for cultivating preimplantation mouse embryos. This dish minimizes the need for mineral oil and incorporates microwells, providing a stable culture environment and enabling independent monitoring of individual embryos. Methods: Mouse pronuclear (PN) zygotes and two-cell-stage embryos were collected at 18 and 46 hours after human chorionic gonadotropin injection, respectively. These were cultured for 120 hours using potassium simplex optimized medium (KSOM) to reach the blastocyst stage. The embryos were randomly allocated into three groups, each cultured in one of three dishes: a 60-mm culture dish, a microdrop dish, and an OIVC dish that we developed. Results: The OIVC dish effectively maintained the osmolarity of the KSOM culture medium over a 5-day period using only 2 mL of mineral oil. This contrasts with the significant osmolarity increase observed in the 60-mm culture dish. Additionally, the OIVC dish exhibited higher blastulation rates from two-cell embryos (100%) relative to the other dish types. Moreover, blastocysts derived from both PN zygotes and two-cell embryos in the OIVC dish group demonstrated significantly elevated mean cell numbers. Conclusion: Use of the OIVC dish markedly increased the number of cells in blastocysts derived from the in vitro culture of preimplantation mouse embryos. The capacity of this dish to maintain medium osmolarity with minimal mineral oil usage represents a breakthrough that may advance embryo culture techniques for various mammals, including human in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer programs.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.362-371
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• 2016

Purpose: The increasing demand for esthetically pleasing results has contributed to the use of ceramics for dental implant abutments. The aim of this study was to compare the biological response of epithelial tissue cultivated on lithium disilicate ($LS_2$) and zirconium oxide ($ZrO_2$) ceramics. Understanding the relevant physicochemical and mechanical properties of these ceramics will help identify the optimal material for facilitating gingival wound closure. Methods: Both biomaterials were prepared with 2 different surface treatments: raw and polished. Their physicochemical characteristics were analyzed by contact angle measurements, scanning white-light interferometry, and scanning electron microscopy. An organotypic culture was then performed using a chicken epithelium model to simulate peri-implant soft tissue. We measured the contact angle, hydrophobicity, and roughness of the materials as well as the tissue behavior at their surfaces (cell migration and cell adhesion). Results: The best cell migration was observed on $ZrO_2$ ceramic. Cell adhesion was also drastically lower on the polished $ZrO_2$ ceramic than on both the raw and polished $LS_2$. Evaluating various surface topographies of $LS_2$ showed that increasing surface roughness improved cell adhesion, leading to an increase of up to 13%. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that a biomaterial, here $LS_2$, can be modified using simple surface changes in order to finely modulate soft tissue adhesion. Strong adhesion at the abutment associated with weak migration assists in gingival wound healing. On the same material, polishing can reduce cell adhesion without drastically modifying cell migration. A comparison of $LS_2$ and $ZrO_2$ ceramic showed that $LS_2$ was more conducive to creating varying tissue reactions. Our results can help dental surgeons to choose, especially for esthetic implant abutments, the most appropriate biomaterial as well as the most appropriate surface treatment to use in accordance with specific clinical dental applications.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.161-165
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• 2002

Apoptosis can be difficult to detect in routine histological sections. Since extensive DNA fragmentation is an important characteristic of this process, visualization of DNA breaks could greatly facilitate the identification of apoptotic cells. Several techniques for the qualitative and quantitative detection of this process have been established; recently, an in situ nick end-labelling technique based on the detection of DNA fragmentation, which is a molecular characteristic of apoptotic cell death, was described. Applying this method to paraffin sections of rat tissues, sensitivity was observed to be inconsistently low with regard to the expected number of apoptotic cells. I describe a new modified method for formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections, pretense pretreatment to permeate the tissue sections that involves an TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling) is acknowledged as a method of choice in the rapid identification and quantification of the apoptotic cell fraction in paraffin tissue preparations. TUNEL was performed without apoptosis and with apopotosis samples to each of the three concentrations of proteinase K (10, 25, 40 mg/ml) pretreatments. In this study, I show that chemical pretreatments of the tissue sections in proteinase K (25 mg/ml for 15 min at room temperature) considerably enhances the sensitivity of this nick end labelling technique.