• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.250-253
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• 2016

Acute Japanese encephalitis (JE) is an endemic viral infectious disease in various parts of Far East and Southeast Asian countries including Korea. Bilateral thalami are the most common involving sites in JE. Other areas including the basal ganglia, substantia nigra, red nucleus, pons, cerebral cortex and cerebellum may be also involved. We report an extremely unusual brain diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI) findings in a 53-year-old man with serologically proven JE involving unilateral deep gray matter and temporal lobe, which shows multifocal high signal intensities in left thalamus, left substantia nigra, left caudate nucleus and left medial temporal cortex on T2-weighted image and DWI with iso-intensity on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) map.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.728-733
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• 2008

New gluten-free food product (tarhana) was produced using rice and com flours. Chemical and sensory properties of the tarhana samples were investigated and compared with those of traditional wheat tarhana. Generally, sensory analysis results indicated that utilization of com and rice flours in tarhana resulted in acceptable soup properties in terms of some of the sensory properties. The changes in electrophoretic properties of the proteins of the tarhana samples were also studied during the tarhana production. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacryamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) results showed that relative intensities of some of the protein bands in tarhana samples generally decreased during fermentation. The decrease was more obvious at the larger molecular weight region. Corn and rice tarhana seem to be promising food products for the celiac patients who have limited choice of cereal based foods.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.199-210
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• 2008

Backgrounds : Electroacupuncture(EA) is commonly used in treatment of various disease. Despite an extensive evidence-base guiding the selection of stimulation parameters, little methodologically robust research regarding the level of intensity and frequency in need to provide effective doses. Objectives : This study is evaluated effects of various intensities and frequencies of EA's stimulation at $ST_{36}$, Zusanli, with sex and age in rats. Methods : In this study, we measured the effects of EA treatment on transfer capability of small intestine in rats. Under anesthesia, two intensities, 1, 5mA with three different frequencies, 2, 50, 100Hz were applied to the groups divided with sex and age for 30minutes. Results : 1mA-2Hz, 5mA-2, 100Hz in male and 1mA-2, 50, 100Hz in female without distinction of age elicited an increasing trend in transfer capability of small intestine. In case of 2Hz in male, it showed the effects of EA without strength or weakness of stimulation and it need 100Hz stimulation additionally with age. In the groups of 1mA-2Hz, 5mA-2Hz in male and 1mA-2Hz, 1mA-100Hz, we elicited the decreasing trend with growing of weeks-old in male. Conclusions : With this result, it was suggested that we should consider a correlation of sex, age and EA's intensities, frequencies for the efficient EA.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2022

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) is excessive hepatic lipid accumulation mainly caused by obesity. This study aimed to evaluate whether micro-current stimulation(MCS) could modulate lipid metabolism regarding the Sirt1/AMPK pathway, fatty acid β-oxidation pathway, and lipolysis and lipogenesis-related factors in FL83B cells. For the NAFLD cell model, FL83B cells were treated with oleic acid for lipid accumulation. MCS were stimulated for 1 hr and used frequency 10 Hz, duty cycle 50%, and biphasic rectangular current pulse. The intensity of MCS was divided into 50, 100, 200, and 400 ㎂. Through the results of Oil red O staining, it was confirmed that MCSs with the intensity of 200 ㎂ and 400 ㎂ significantly reduced the degree of lipid droplet formation. Thus, these MCS intensities were applied to western blot analysis. Western blot analysis was performed to analyze the effects of MCS on lipid metabolism. MCS with the intensity of 400 ㎂ showed that significantly activated the Sirt1/AMPK pathway, a key pathway for regulating lipid metabolism in hepatocytes, and fatty acid β-oxidation-related transcription factors. Moreover, it activated the lipolysis pathway and suppressed lipogenesis-related transcription factors such as SREBP-1c, FAS, and PPARγ. In the case of MCS with the intensity of 200 ㎂, only PGC1α and SREBP-1c showed significant differences compared to cells treated only with oleic acid. Taken together, these results suggested that MCS with the intensity of 400 ㎂ could alleviate hepatic lipid accumulation by modulating lipid metabolism in hepatocytes.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.136-145
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• 2023

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a severe neuropsychiatric abnormality in patients with either acute or chronic liver failure. Typical brain magnetic resonance imaging findings of HE are bilateral basal ganglia high signal intensities due to manganese deposition in chronic liver disease and hyperintensity in T2, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery, or diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with hemispheric white matter changes including the corticospinal tract. Low values on apparent diffusion coefficient mapping of the affected area on DWI, indicating cytotoxic edema, can be observed in acute HE. However, neuropsychological impairment in HE ranges from mild deficits in psychomotor abilities affecting quality of life to stupor or coma with higher grades of hepatic dysfunction. In particular, the long-lasting compensatory mechanisms for the altered metabolism in chronic liver disease make HE imaging results variable. Therefore, the clinical relevance of imaging findings is uncertain and differentiating HE from other metabolic diseases can be difficult. The recent introduction of concepts such as "acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF)," a new clinical entity, has led to a change in the clinical view of HE. Accordingly, there is a need to establish a corresponding concept in the field of neuroimaging diagnosis. Herein, we review HE from a historical and etiological perspective to increase understanding of brain imaging and help establish an imaging approach for advanced new concepts such as ACLF. The purpose of this manuscript is to provide an understanding of HE by reviewing neuroimaging findings based on pathological and clinical concepts of HE, thereby assisting in neuroimaging interpretation.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.497-502
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• 2016

To know the infection status of zoonotic trematode metacercariae in brackish water fish, we surveyed mullets collected from 18 coastal areas in the Republic of Korea. The metacercariae of Pygidiopsis summa were detected in 236 (68.2%) out of 346 mullets examined. They were found in mullets from 15 areas except for those from Boseong-gun (Jeollanam-do), Pohang-si, and Uljin-gun (Gyeongsangbuk-do). Especially in mullets from Taean-gun (Chungcheongnam-do) and Geoje-si (Gyeongsangnam-do), their prevalences were 100% and 95.5%, and the average metacercarial density was more than 1,000 per fish. They were also detected in mullets from 3 coastal lakes, Gyeongpoho, Songjiho, and Hwajinpoho, in Gangwon-do, and their average densities were 419, 147, and 672 per infected fish, respectively. The metacercariae of 5 other heterophyid species, including Heterophyes nocens, Heterophyopsis continua, Metagonimus sp., Stictodora fuscata, and Stictodora lari, were found in the mullets examined. The metacercariae of H. nocens were detected in 66.7, 100, 28.6, 81.6, 3.9, 61.5, and 27.3% of mullets from Muan-gun, Shinan-gun, Haenam-gun, Gangjin-gun, and Boseong-gun (Jeollanam-do), Hadong-gun, and Geoje-si (Gyeongsangnam-do), and their metacercarial intensities were 64, 84, 119, 99, 1, 24, and 24 per fish infected, respectively. From the above results, it has been confirmed that P. summa metacercariae are heavily infected in mullets from coastal areas of Korea. It is suggested that residents who frequently consume raw mullet dish can be easily infected with heterophyid flukes.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.59 no.5
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• pp.523-529
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• 2021

The endemicity of zoonotic trematode metacercariae (ZTM) was investigated with total 871 freshwater fishes (19 species) from Deokcheon-gang (a branch stream of Gyeongho-gang) in Sancheong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea for 3 years (2018-2020). All fishes were examined with the artificial digestion method. The metacercariae of Clonorchis sinensis (CsMc) were detected in 233 (36.3%) out of 642 fish in 11 positive fish species (PFS), and their infection intensity was 27 per fish infected (PFI). Especially, in index fish, Puntungia herzi, of CsMc infection, prevalence was 64.2% and infection intensity was 37 PFI. Metagonimus spp. metacercariae (MsMc) were found in 760 (87.5%) out of 869 fish in 18 PFS and their infection intensity was 228 PFI. In sweet smelt, Plecoglossus altivelis, the prevalence of MsMc was 97.6% and their infection intensity was 3,570 PFI. Centrocestus armatus metacercariae were detected in 209 (29.4%) out of 710 fish in 8 PFS and their infection intensity was 1,361 PFI. Echinostoma spp. metacercariae were found in 293 (42.6%) out of 688 fish in 15 PFS and their infection intensity was 5 PFI. Metacercariae of Clinostomum complanatum and Metorchis orientalis were also detected in 2.7% and 21.2% fish in 4 PFS and their infection intensities were 3.1 and 3.4 PFI respectively. By the present study, it was confirmed that some species of ZTM including CsMc and MsMc are more or less prevalent in fishes from Deokcheon-gang in Sancheong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.64-83
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of in vivo 3T $^1H$ MRS with short TE for prescreening various brain diseases. Together with ten normal volunteers, 12 brain tumor patients(2 lymphomas, 5 malignant gliomas) and 5(benign meningiomas) and 10 brain ischemic disease patients(6 acute and 4 subacute infarctions) participated. Lymphomas showed increased intensities of Cho and Lac. Likewise, gliomas showed increased Cho and Lac, but with decreased NAA and ${\beta}\;{\gamma}$-Glx; in higher grade of gliomas, Lac, Cho, mI and Lip predominantly increased with decrease of NAA. Benign meningiomas showed increased Cho, Lac and ${\beta}\;{\gamma}$-Glx; with decreased of NAA. The alanine peak at 1.47 ppm is a neuronal marker for meningiomas. Infarctions showed increased Lac and Lip and decreased NAA, ${\alpha}$-Glx and ${\beta}\;{\gamma}$-Glx where Lac increased with decreased of ${\alpha}$-Glx in acute, and Cho, Lac and Lip increased with decrease of NAA in subacute. Elevated Lac and decreased NAA levels were more aggravated in subacute. Clinical application of the $^1H$ MRS with short TE at 3T is able to povide valuable spectral information for prescreening various brain diseases by monitoring the changes of disease-specific cerebral metabolite concentrations in vivo, and consequently, it can be applicable to assessment of differential diagnosis and malignancy as well.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.967-973
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• 2020

The fungal cell wall is a major target of antifungals. In this study, we report the antifungal activity of an ethanol extract from Aucklandia lappa against Candida albicans. We found that the extract caused cell wall injury by decreasing chitin synthesis or assembly and (1,3)-β-D-glucan synthesis. A sorbitol protection assay demonstrated that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the A. lappa extract against C. albicans cells increased eight-fold from 0.78 to 6.24 mg/ml in 72 h. Cell aggregates, which indicate damage to the cell wall or membrane, were commonly observed in the A. lappatreated C. albicans cells through microscopic analysis. In addition, the relative fluorescence intensities of the C. albicans cells incubated with the A. lappa extract for 3, 5, and 6 h were 92.1, 84.6, and 79.8%, respectively, compared to the controls, estimated by Calcofluor White binding assay. This result indicates that chitin content was reduced by the A. lappa treatment. Furthermore, synthesis of (1,3)-β-D-glucan polymers was inhibited to 84.3, 79.7, and 70.2% of that of the control treatment following incubation of C. albicans microsomes with the A. lappa extract at a final concentration equal to its MIC, 2× MIC, and 4× MIC, respectively. These findings suggest that the A. lappa ethanol extract may aid the development of a new antifungal to successfully control Candidaassociated disease.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.10
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• pp.1170-1172
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• 1996

Chest wall hamartoma Is a very rare disease. The female infant was suffered from frequent upper respiratory infection. The chest AP revealed destruction of the ribs and widening of the intercostal space Chest CT demonstrated well-defined solid and cystic extrapleural mass. Chest M Rl revealed high signal and low signal intensities In the mass. In December, 1995, she underwent excision of the mass with partial resection of the ribs and ch st wall reconstruction with thick Cortex patch. The chest wall hamartoma was confirmed with histopathological examination. The postop course was smooth and uneventful.