• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.384-389
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• 2018

Background: Airway anastomotic complications are a leading cause of mortality after lung transplantation. Among the factors that cause airway complications, preoperative steroid use has been considered to be related with postoperative airway healing. We analyzed the influence of preoperative steroid use on postoperative airway complications. Methods: The medical records of 66 double-lung transplant recipients from January 2014 to December 2015 were reviewed. Forty patients were prescribed steroids preoperatively. The daily steroid dose was standardized using the patient's body mass index (BMI). Patients who received preoperative steroids were sub-divided into high-dose (HD) and low-dose (LD) groups (cut-off value, 1.6 mg/BMI/day). Results: Thirteen patients suffered from airway complications postoperatively (bronchopulmonary fistula, 9; bronchial stenosis, 4). There was a tendency for early development of airway complications in the steroid use group compared to the non-steroid use group, but it was not significant (percentage free from airway complications in year 1: non-steroid group, 90.9% vs. steroid group, 79.2%; p=0.43). The percentage of patients in the LD and HD groups who were free from airway complications in year 1 was not significantly different (84.0% vs. 77.8%, p=0.39). Conclusion: The airway complication rate did not vary significantly according to steroid use. Additionally, in patients who received preoperative steroids, the dose did not affect the rate of development of airway complications.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.1-12
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• 2018

Objectives Bangpungtongsungsan is an herbal medicine that treats obesity and dampness-phlegm. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of Bangpungtongsungsan on insulin resistance induced by non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Methods Male 6-week-old C57BL/6 male mice were divided into four groups: control group (Ctrl), high fat diet group (HFF), high fat diet with Bangpungtongsungsan extract administration group (BT1), and high fat diet with double concentration of Bangpungtongsungsan extract administration group (BT2). Each 10 mice were allocated to each group (total of 40 mice). All mice were allowed to eat fat rich diet freely throughout the experiment. To examine the effect of Bangpungtongsungsan, we observed weight changes, lipid blot distributions, PGC-1, $p-I{\kappa}B$, 8-OHdG, p-JNK, total cholesterol and glucose levels. Results Comparing of body weight measurements between 4 groups, weight gain was significantly lower in BT1 and BT2 group than the HFF group. The distribution of lipid blots and positive reaction of PGC-1 were significantly lower in BT1 and BT2 group. The positive reaction of $p-I{\kappa}B$ and 8-OHdG in hepatic tissues was significantly lower in BT1 and BT2 group. The positive reaction of p-JNK in hepatic tissues was significantly lower in BT1 and BT2 group. Total cholesterol and glucose levels were significantly lower in BT1 and BT2 group. Conclusions Bangpungtongsungsan has the effect of improving non-alcoholic fatty liver induced insulin resistance through regulation of lipid metabolism.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.65-72
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• 2019

In long freight trains, there is a brake time delay in neighboring freight cars, which causes damage and fractures in the couplers, especially at their knuckle. A problem in the couplers of the cars can cause derailment and damages of human life and property. In this study, maximum forces on the couplers are studied when a long freight car brakes with the brake delay time and coupler gap. We make a dynamic model of 50 freight cars and couplers, applying contact between the couplers and a characteristic curve to express the force and displacement of the buffers using SIMPACK, which is a multi-body dynamics program. We use EN 14531-2, which is a standard of freight car brakes, to verify the dynamic model. Then, we compare the analyzed impact force with the coupler knuckle standard after applying the two carriages of a locomotive in the model based on the dispersed double head control system. The result shows that all coupler gap conditions satisfy the infinite lifetime of the material when the brake delay time is 0.1 second.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.154-168
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• 2021

Various types of wooden relics are being unearthed following the full-scale excavation in Wolseong palace site, Gyeongju in Korea. In particular, a large number of relics were found in the moat surrounding the Wolseong Fortress. This study attempted to secure basic data on the shields of the Silla era through species identification, radiocarbon dating, and shape analysis of the two wooden shields excavated from the Wolseong moat. As a result of the radiocarbon dating, it was confirmed that the shields were made of wood procured in the period between the mid-4th century and the early 5th century. The species identification confirmed that the body of the relic was made with Pinus soft pine group and the handle with Zelkova serrata. It was also confirmed that the excavated wooden shield was made by first marking a thin line on a flat grain board, then marking double concentric circles and perforating small holes. The distance between the division lines is constant at about 6cm, and spaces between them are colored in red and black. The shape analysis estimated that two artifacts were more than 50cm and 36cm in width, respectively.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.989-1002
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• 2022

Cephalopods, in particular octopus (Octopus vulgaris), have the ability to alter their appearance or body pattern by showing a wide range of camouflage by virtue of their chromatophores, which contain nanostructured granules of ommochrome pigments. Recently, the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of ommochromes have become of great interest; therefore, in this study, the pH-dependent redox effect of the extraction solvent on the antioxidant potential and the structural characterization of the pigments were evaluated. Cell viability was determined by the microdilution method in broth by turbidity, MTT, resazurin, as well as fluorescence microscopy kit assays. A Live/Dead Double Staining Kit and an ROS Kit were used to elucidate the possible inhibitory mechanisms of ommochromes against bacterial and fungal strains. The results obtained revealed that the redox state alters the color changes of the ommochromes and is dependent on the pH in the extraction solvent. Natural phenoxazinone (ommochromes) is moderately toxic to the pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella Typhimurium and Candida albicans, while the species Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas fluorescens, and the filamentous fungi Aspergillus parasiticus, Alternaria spp. and Fusarium verticillioides, were tolerant to these pigments. UV/visible spectral scanning and Fourier- transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) suggest the presence of reduced ommatin in methanol/ HCl extract with high intrinsic fluorescence.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.183-192
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• 2021

Background: The purse-string suture (PSS) is a simple and rapid wound closure method that results in minimal scarring. It has been used to treat circular or oval skin defects caused by tumor excision or trauma. However, due to obscurity, it is not widely used, especially for the head and neck. This study aimed to modify the PSS to obtain predictable and acceptable results. Methods: A total of 45 sites in 39 patients with various types of skin and soft tissue defects in the head and neck were treated with PSS. We used PDS II (2-0 to 5-0), which is an absorbable suture. Minimal dissection of the subcutaneous layer was performed. The suture knot was hidden by placing it in the dissection layer. Depending on the characteristics of the skin and soft tissue defects, additional surgical interventions such as side-to-side advancement sutures, double PSS, or split-thickness skin graft were applied. Results: All wounds healed completely without any serious complications. Large defects up to 45 mm in diameter were successfully reconstructed using only PSS. Postoperative radiating folds were almost flattened after approximately 1-2 months. Conclusion: PSS is simple, rapid, and relatively free from surgical design. Owing to the circumferential advancement of the surrounding tissue, PSS always results in a smaller scar than the initial lesion and less distortion of the body structures around the wound in the completely healed defect. If the operator can predict the process of healing and immediate radiating folds, PSS could be a favorable option for round skin defects in the head and neck.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.307-314
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• 2023

Objective: Chicken essence and branched chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation has been recognized to significantly relieve fatigue. To obtain chicken essence with high amounts of BCAA, spent hens herein was used to prepare dripped chicken essence (SCE) and compared with commercial dripped chicken essence (CCE) for in vivo anti-fatigue effect. Methods: To determine the effect on anti-fatigue by dripped chicken essence, the exhaustive swimming was performed. Thirty-two 7-week ICR mice were divided into four groups, which included the control group (CG), CCE, SCE-1X and SCE-2X. The mice were given daily oral administration (0.012 mL/g body weight/d). The fatigue index analysis was conducted weekly. Results: The results showed that SCE had a higher BCAA level as expected, and mice treated with dripped chicken essence (CCE and SCE) could significantly improve exercise performance. The lower blood lactate level, blood urea nitrogen level and creatine phosphokinase activity were found in the supplement of SCE group compared with the CCE group, which suggested that the SCE possessed strong anti-fatigue ability. This could possibly be due to the higher content of BCAA. Conclusion: In this study, SCE promoted recovery from physical fatigue in mice and elevated endurance ability. Among them, the double dose (SCE-2X) showed the strongest anti-fatigue ability. Taken together, spent chickens could be a good source of chicken essence to improve the effect of anti-fatigue.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.35-43
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• 2022

It was to test the efficiency of essence containing scalp derived Leuconostoc mesenteroides extract on relieving hair loss and the possibility of the usage as the functional cosmetic's material. 41 subjects were classified as the control and test group and for 24 weeks, from Apr. 15th 2021 to Nov. 4th 2021, they were double blindness, contrast samples, single organs, and randomized human applicating tests were performed. The amount of hair had meaningful change (p<0.001) seen through phototricogram in 8,16,24 weeks each, and could tell the difference by researcher's bare eye after 24 weeks. Since there were meaningful changes (p<0.017) in subjective evaluation of the subject on after 8,16,24 weeks time, Essence which contains 1% of L. mesenteroides has efficiency on hair loss. Therefore, L. mesenteroides is expected to be used as various cosmetics to prevent hair loss.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.233-246
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• 2022

Purpose : The study aims to determine the effects of virtual and non-virtual realities in a normal person's mirror walk on gait characteristics. Methods : Twenty male adults (Age: 27.8 ± 5.8 years) participated in the study. Reflection markers were attached to the subjects for motion analysis, and they walked in virtual reality environments with mirrors by wearing goggles that showed them the virtual environments. After walking in virtual environments, the subjects walked in non-virtual environments with mirrors a certain distance away after taking a 5 min break. To prevent the order effect caused by the experiential difference of gait order, the subjects were randomly classified into groups of 10 and the order was differentiated. During each walk, an infrared camera was used to detect motion and the marker positions were saved in real time. Results : Comparison between the virtual and non-virtual reality mirror walks showed that the movable range of the leg joints (ankle, knee, and hip joints), body joints (sacroiliac and atlantoaxial joints), and arm joints (shoulder and wrist joints) significantly differed. Temporal characteristics showed that compared to non-virtual gaits, the virtual gaits were slower and the cycle time and double limb support time of virtual gaits were longer. Furthermore, spacial characteristics showed that compared to non-virtual gaits, virtual gaits had shorter steps and stride lengths and longer stride width and horizontally longer center of movement. Conclusion : The reduction in the joint movement in virtual reality compared to that in non-virtual reality is due to adverse effects on balance and efficiency during walking. Moreover, the spatiotemporal characteristics change based on the gait mechanisms for balance, exhibiting that virtual walks are more demanding than non-virtual walks. However, note that the subject group is a normal group with no abnormalities in gait and balance and it is unclear whether the decrease in performance is due to the environment or fear. Therefore, the effects of the subject group's improvement and fear on the results need to be analyzed in future studies.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.512-530
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• 2023

The present study evaluated the effects of fermented whey protein using kimchi lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus casei DK211 on skeletal muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance in healthy middle-aged males performing regular resistance exercises. Effective protein supplementation and regular exercise are two important factors for improving muscle health. Therefore, in this study, the effects of consuming fermented whey protein twice a day were investigated and compared with that of non-fermented supplementation. Forty-eight males (average age 44.8) were randomly assigned to two groups: Fermented whey protein supplementation (FWPS) and non-fermented whey protein concentration supplementation (WPCS) groups. Each group ingested 37 g of FWPS or WPCS twice a day for eight weeks. Body composition, muscle strength, and physical performance were assessed pre- and post-intervention. Independent t-tests or chi-square tests for the categorical variables were performed for analyzing the observations. FWPS was effective in promoting the physical performance in dynamic balance measurement and muscle health, indicated through the increment in grip strength (left), upper arm circumference, and flat leg circumference from the baseline. However, similar improvements were not observed in the WPCS group. These results imply that whey protein fermented by L. casei DK211 is an effective protein supplement for enhancing muscle health in males performing regular resistance exercises.