• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.14-19
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• 2004

Backgrounds and objectives: POEMS (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M protein, and skin changes) syndrome is the rare cause of polyneuropathy. Although the polyneuropathy is essential for the diagnosis of the disease, the pattern of electrodiagnostic abnormalities has not been characterized in detail. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the features of nerve conduction abnormalities in POEMS syndrome. Methods: We reviewed the medical records and nerve conduction studies (NCS) of 12 consecutive patients with POEMS. Results: A total of 68 motor and 46 sensory nerves were examined. Compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs) and sensory nerve action potentials were abnormally attenuated or not elicited in majority of motor and sensory nerves (80.88% in motor, and 82.6% in sensory nerves). Frequency of the nerves with no potential was significantly higher in lower limbs than in upper limbs (p<0.01 in both motor and sensory nerves), and CMAP amplitude was more reduced in lower limbs than in upper limbs (p<0.01). Conduction slowing was very frequently observed with 95% and 76% of motor and sensory nerves, respectively, having the abnormally reduced values of conduction velocity. Distal motor latencies were abnormally prolonged in 75% of motor nerves, and terminal latency indices were significantly higher in patients than in normal controls (p < 0.05). Conduction block was observed only in 5% of motor nerves. Conclusions: NCS in POEMS syndrome showed characteristic patterns, in which conduction abnormalities were more frequently and severely affected in the lower limbs, and more predominantly in the intermediate nerve segments than in the distal portions. The recognition of these characteristic patterns may be helpful in early diagnosis of polyneuropathy in POEMS syndrome.

• Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.62-75
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• 2022

BACKGROUND: Due to its location very close to the bundle of His, mitral annulus calcification (MAC) might be associated with the development of atrioventricular (AV) conduction disturbances. This study assessed the association between MAC and AV conduction disturbances identified by cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) use and electrocardiographic parameters. The association between MAC and traditional cardiovascular risk factors was also assessed. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed 14,771 participants, predominantly men aged 60-75 years, from the population-based Danish Cardiovascular Screening trial. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors were obtained. Using cardiac non-contrast computed tomography imaging, MAC scores were measured using the Agatston method and divided into absent versus present and score categories. CIED implantation data were obtained from the Danish Pacemaker and Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator Register. A 12-lead electrocardiogram was available for 2,107 participants. Associations between MAC scores and AV conduction disturbances were assessed using multivariate regression analyses. RESULTS: MAC was present in 22.4% of the study subjects. Participants with pacemakers for an AV conduction disturbance had significantly higher MAC scores (odds ratio [OR], 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.23) than participants without a CIED, whereas participants with a CIED for other reasons did not. Prolonged QRS-interval was significantly associated with the presence of MAC (OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.04-2.04), whereas prolonged PQ-interval was not. Female sex and most traditional cardiovascular risk factors were significantly associated with high MAC scores. CONCLUSIONS: MAC was associated with AV conduction disturbances, which could improve our understanding of the development of AV conduction disturbances.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of IIIuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.303-306
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• 2005

This paper presents the frequency-dependent characteristics of leakage currents flowing through ZnO surge arrester block. The leakage current-voltage (I-V) characteristic curves of the commercial ZnO surge arrester blocks were measured. The resistive leakage current was found to increase with increasing frequency in the low conduction region. The capacitance of ZnO block was independent of the magnitude and frequency of the applied voltage. The power losses of ZnO block increase as the frequency of applied voltage increases, because of the dielectric loss related to the frequency of the test voltage.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Veterinary Clinics Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.120-120
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• 2007

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.78-80
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• 2002

A 32-year-old man who had worked at aluminum processing plant for 4 months visited us. He complained of numbness and paresthesia of both foot and hands and weakness of all extremities. Electrophysiologic study showed motorsensory polyneuropathy of diffuse axonal type with focal conduction block. And we discovered higher concentration of n-Hexane in his workplace. On sural nerve biopsy, bubbly enlarged nerve fibers in light microscope and thick myelin sheath and axonal degeneration on electron microscope were found. We diagnosed it as n-Hexane induced neuropathy.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.235-240
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• 1996

The automated ECG diagnostic systems that are odd in hospitals have low performance of P-wave detection when faced with some diseases such as conduction block. So, the purpose of this study was the improvement of detection performance in conduction block which is low in P-wave detection. The first procedure was removal of baseline drift by subtracting the median filtered signal of 0.4 second length from the original signal. Then the algorithm detected R peak and T end point and cancelled the QRS-T complex to get'p prototypes'. Next step was magnification of P prototypes with dispersion and detection of'p candidates'in the magnified signal, and then extraction of contextual information concerned with P-waves. For the last procedure, the CIR was applied to P candidates to confirm P-waves. The rule base consisted of three rules that discriminate and confirm P-waves. This algorithm was evaluated using 500 patient's raw data P-wave detection perFormance was in- creased 6.8% compared with the QRS-T complex cancellation method without application of the rule base.

• Korean Circulation Journal
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.134-150
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• 2023

Ventricular septal defects (VSDs) are the most common kind of congenital heart disease and, if indicated, surgical closure has been accepted as a gold-standard treatment. However, as less-invasive methods are preferred, percutaneous device closure has been developed. After the first VSD closure was performed percutaneously by Lock in 1988, both techniques and devices have developed consistently. A perventricular approach for closure of muscular VSD in small patients and the closure of perimembranous VSD using off-label devices are key remarkable developments. Even though the Amplatzer membranous VSD occluder (Abbott) could not be approved for use due to the high complete atrioventricular conduction block rate, other new devices have shown good results for closure of perimembranous VSDs. However, the transcatheter technique is slightly complicated to perform, and concerns about conduction problems after VSD closure with devices remain. There have been a few reports demonstrating successful closure of subarterial-type VSDs with Amplatzer devices, but long-term issues involving aortic valve damage have not been explored yet. In conclusion, transcatheter VSD closure should be accepted as being as effective and safe as surgery but should only be performed by experienced persons and in specialized institutes because the procedure is complex and requires different techniques. To avoid serious complications, identifying appropriate patient candidates for device closure before the procedure is very important.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Clinical Electrophysiology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.63-83
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• 2006

This study conducted the following experiment to examine anesthetic effects of 500 kHz ultrasound with lidocaine. Clinical experiment was conducted to compare local anesthetic effects by ultrasound frequencies and drugs with 40 normal adults and it divided subjects into experimental group (I) applying only ultrasound, ointment group (II) applying only lidocaine, phonophoresis group of 1 MHz (III), phonophoresis group of 500 kHz lidocaine (IV) for pain threshold and nerve conduct experiments. Mechanical threshold was measured with von Frey monofilament, thermal pain threshold with halogen lamp and digital thermometer, action potential in median nerve with diagnostic electromyography before and after treatment, and at 30 min., 60 min., 90 min., and 120 min. after treatment. Results of this study can be summarized as follows. Topical anesthesia experiment showed that pain threshold of phonophoresis groups was significantly increased, but there were little differences in ultrasound frequency and drugs among phonophoresis groups. Conduction anesthesia experiment showed that phonophoresis group of 500 kHz using lidocaine had significant difference in pain threshold and sensory nerve conduction compared to ointment group and ultrasound group, but there was no great difference from other phonophresis groups and light nerve block effect was found. It was considered that application of 500 kHz ultrasound using lidocaine will be more effective in deep anesthesia or nerve block than 1 MHz ultrasound. However, researches considering various frequencies, intensities and application hours in low frequency areas including kHz ultrasound are needed to increase deep permeation of drugs.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.55-59
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• 2010

$Na^+$ ion conductivity can be improved by the substitution of an Mg atom for an Al atom to form a nonstoichiometric $Na^+$ $\beta$-alumina. We performed a first principles study to investigate the most stable substitution site of an Mg atom and the resulting structural change of the nonstoichiometric $Na^+$ $\beta$-alumina. Al atoms were classified as four different layers in the spinel block that are separated by conduction planes in the nonstoichiometric $Na^+$ $\beta$-alumina. The substitution of an Mg atom for an Al atom at a tetragonal site was more favorable than that at an octahedral site. The substitution in the spinel block was more favorable than that close to the conduction plane. This result was well explained by the volume changes of the polyhedrons, by the standard deviation of the Mg-O distance, and by the comparison with bulk MgO structure. Our result indicates that the most preferable site for the Mg atom was the tetrahedral site at the spinel block in the nonstoichiometric $Na^+$ $\beta$-alumina.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.447-455
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• 2013

This clinical case reports the effect of Chilgi-tang, a kind of traditional Korean herbal medicine, on $3^{rd}$ degree AV block patients also known as complete heart block. Complete heart block caused by degeneration of electrical conduction system of heart may result in weakness, dizziness, syncope, etc. Two clinical cases reported herein are diagnosed as $3^{rd}$ degree AV block caused by psychological stress with chief complaints of syncope and dyspnea respectively. The chief complains of cases cured remarkably after Chilgi-tang medication. In one case, $3^{rd}$ degree AV block was disappeared. In conclusion, we suggest that Chilgi-tang can be a potential treatment for complete heart block due to psychological stress.