• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.332-340
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• 2011

Objective : Pyogenic spondylitis often results in acute neurological deterioration requiring adequate surgical intervention and appropriate antibiotic treatment. The purpose of this study was to conduct an analysis of the clinical effect of continuous irrigation via laminotomy in a series of patients with pyogenic spondylitis in thoracic and lumbar spine. Methods : The authors conducted a retrospective investigation of 31 consecutive patients with pyogenic thoracic and lumbar spondylitis who underwent continuous irrigation through laminotomy from 2004 to 2008. The study included 22 men and 9 women, ranging in age from 38 to 78 years (mean 58.1 years). The average follow-up duration was 13.4 months (range, 8-34 months). We performed debridement and abscess removal after simple laminotomy, and then washed out epidural and disc space using a continuous irrigation system. Broad spectrum antibiotics were administered empirically and changed according to the subsequent culture result. Clinical outcomes were based on the low back outcome scale (LBOS), visual analogue scale (VAS) score, and Frankel grade at the last follow-up. Radiological assessment involved plain radiographs, including functional views. Results : Common predisposing factors included local injection for pain therapy, diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure, and liver cirrhosis. Causative microorganisms were identified in 22 cases (70.9%) : Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus spp. were the main organisms. After surgery, LBOS, VAS score, and Frankel grade showed significant improvement in most patients. Spinal stability was maintained during the follow-up period, making secondary reconstructive surgery unnecessary for all patients, except one. Conclusion : Simple laminotomy with continuous irrigation by insertion of a catheter into intervertebral disc space or epidural space was minimally invasive and effective in the treatment of pyogenic spondylitis. This procedure could be a beneficial treatment option in patients with thoracolumbar spondylitis combined with minimal or moderate destructive change of vertebrae.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.371-376
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• 1994

To reevaluate the clinical usefulness of erection penography for diffential diagnosis of impotence, we reviewed retrospectively the data of penography in 56 patients who were diagnosed as impotence by various diagnostic workup. Twelve normal males were studied as control group. Papaverine HCl 30mg was injected into the corpus cavernosum and simultaneously $^{99m}Tc$-HSA 20mCi was injected via an antecubital vein. After injection radioactivities in the penile area were detected for 30 minutes by gamma camera and time activity curve was displayed. We defined that transit time(TT) is the time to reach peak activity and erection persistent time(EPT) is the duration of time to maintain peak activity and venous index(VI) is the ratio of radioactivity($R_{30}/R_{max}$). The results were as follows. The TT of arteriogenic group($10.7{\pm}2.8min$) was significantly increased compared with those of control and venogenic groups(P<0.05, respectively). The EPT of venogenic group ($6.2{\pm}6.8min$) is significantly decreased compared with those of control and arteriogenic groups(P<0.05, respectively). The TT of psychogenic($15.2{\pm}5.5min$) is significantly increased compared with those of control and arteriogenic groups(P<0.05, respectively). In conclusion erection penography was very useful for the diagnosis of vascular and psychogenic impotence and for differentiation between arteriogenic and venogenic but it could not differentiate mixed type or neurogenic from vascular or psychogenic.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.93-101
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• 2008

The application of solid phase microextraction (SPME) is generally conducted by directly immersing the fiber into the liquid sample or by exposing the fiber in the head space (HS). The extraction temperature, the time of incubation, and application of stirring are often designated to be the most important parameters for achieving the best extraction efficiencies of HS-SPME analysis. In this study, relative importance of these three analytical parameters involved in the HS-SPME method is evaluated using a polydimethylsiloxane/carboxen (PDMS/CAR) fiber. To optimize its operation conditions the competing relationships between different parameters were investigated by comparing the extraction efficiency based on the combination of three parameters and two contracting conditions: (1) heating the sample at 30 vs. 50 C, (2) exposing samples at two durations of 10 vs. 30 min, and (3) application of stirring vs. no stirring. According to our analysis among 8 combination types of HS-SPME method, an extraction condition termed as S50-30 condition ((1) 1200 rpm stirring, (2) $50^{\circ}C$ exposure temp, and (3) 30 min exposure duration) showed maximum recovery rate of 45.5~68.5% relative to an arbitrary reference of direct GC injection. According to this study, the employment of stirring is the most crucial factor to improve extraction efficiency in the application of HS-SPME.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.58-64
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to observe unicameral bone cyst (UBC) outcome after the fracture has healed and if there is any identifiable prognostic factors. Materials and Methods: 13 UBC patients with pathologic fracture from 2001 to 2010 were reviewed. The mean follow up were 26 months (3-90 months). There were 11 male and 2 female patients and the mean age of the patients were 10.2 years old (6-16 years). 9 involved proximal humerusand 2 involved humerus shaft and 1 involved proximal femur and 1 involved proximal tibia. The treatment of UBC fracture was conservative cast application to heal the fracture initially, and 1 patient was treated with primary auto bone graft and open reduction with internal fixation. 5 patients were treated with steroid injection during follow up period and 2 patients with auto bone graft. We analyzed the change of UBC during pathologic fracture healing period and prognostic factor about age, the size of UBC, the involvement of physis. Results: The mean duration of the fracture healing was 8.2 months. Complete healing were occurred at 4 patients (31%). No statiscal difference was checked with age about UBC healing (p=0.42). But, more larger size about UBC and more closer to physis, the healing was difficult (p=0.05, p=0.03). Conclusion: While pathologic fracture of UBC was possibly healed, active treatment should be applied especially those cysts that involvescloser area of the physis or large size.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.77-84
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• 1999

Anesthetic agents are useful in inducing the anesthesia for surgical operations and various biological experiments, but they can disturb the body homeostasis and cause the stress in animals. Much efforts have been directed on reducing such side effects of anesthesia. In this work, we measured the serum ACTH, corticosterone and glucose concentration in rabbits to compare the degree of stress induced by two commonly-used anesthetics, ketamine, xylazine, and the combination of xylazine and ketamine. 1. The anesthesia was induced in about 10 min in the rabbits treated with xyalzine, ketamine and xylazine-ketamine. The duration of complete loss of righting reflex were 12, 13 and 115 min in the groups treated with xylazine, ketamine and xylazine-ketamine, respectively. 2. Serum ACTH concentrations in all treatment groups were higher than those in control group. At 30 min after the administration of the drugs, serum ACTH levels in ketamine-treated group were significantly higher than those in control, xylazine- and xylazine-ketamine-treated groups. However, at 1, 2, 5 and 9 hours after the drug administration, serum ACTH levels in xylazine-treated-group were higher than those in control. 3. Serum corticosterone levels in xylazine- and xylazine-ketamine-treated groups were lower than those in control or ketamine-treated groups at 0.5 and 1 hour after the administration. However, at 5 and 9 hours after the administration, serum corticosterone levels in xylazine- and xylazine-ketamine-treated groups were significantly higher than those in ketamine-treated group or control. 4. Serum glucose levels transiently increased to 3 times of the pre-injection levels at 0.5 and 1 hours after the administration in xylazine or xylazine-ketamine-treated groin, but were not changed in control and ketamine-treated group. These results indicate that xylazine-induced stress lasts longer than ketamine-induced, suggesting that the difference in stress-related hormone levels during anesthesia could be due to the differences in modes of actions of individual drugs used and the depth of anesthesia.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.116-122
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• 2007

Background: Lumbar zygapophysial joints are a common source of chronic lower back pain and radiofrequency thermocoagulation (RF) of the medial branches (MB) has been shown to be effective at providing substantial pain relief for chronic low back pain. Therefore, we carried out this study to determine the short term outcomes and prognostic factors of RF on the MB of patients with lumbar facet syndrome. Methods: We performed RF in fourteen patients who showed greater than 80% pain relief up to three times after a diagnostic MB block was conducted using 0.3 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine. Using 10 cm curved electrodes with 10-mm active tip, a 60 second, $80^{\circ}C$ lesion was made after electrical stimulation at 50 Hz for sensory and 2 Hz for motor nerve testing. The degree of pain relief was then assessed after 2 weeks, and again after 3 months using a visual analog scale (VAS) and a four point Likert scale. The outcome was regarded as 'success' if at least a 50% reduction in the VAS was observed. Possible prognostic factors between the two groups were also evaluated Results: The success rate was 71.4% (10/14) after three months of follow-up. However, there were transient complications, such as neuritis like syndrome, in 4 patients. In addition, short symptom duration and low minimal voltage (< 0.4 V) for sensory stimulation were shown to be the relevant prognostic factors for a successful outcome. Conclusions: RF may be an alternative to repeated MB block or intraarticular injection for palliation of lumbar facet syndrome. For better outcomes, early diagnosis and strict patient selection should be coupled with efforts to avoid anatomically incorrect RF.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.1464-1471
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• 2007

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder, leading to many complications including cognitive deficit. Regular exercise has often been recommended as a therapeutic maneuver to the diabetic patients for the prevention of secondary complications. In the present study, the effects of treadmill exercise on memory and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats were investigated. Male SD rats, aged 6 weeks, were randomly assigned to the following three groups: control group(n=8), STZ-induced diabetic group(n=8), and STZ-induced diabetes and exercise group(n=8). Diabetes was induced by a single injection of STZ (50 mg/kg body weight). Treadmill running was conducted with duration and frequency of 30 minutes and 5 times per week, respectively, for 8 weeks. Memories were tested in the Morris water maze. Western blotting was performed to detect BDNF expression in the hippocampus. In this study, we found that compared to the control group, the STZ-induced diabetes group had a significantly impaired cognitive performance along with suppressed BDNF expression in the hippocampus and the exercise group had a higher cognitive function in diabetic rats. Therefore, the current findings of the study show that a treadmill running exercise can improve diabetes-induced impairment of cognitive function. And the improved cognitive function appears to be related to an alleviation in diabetes-induced BDNF expression in hippocampus.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.5-13
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• 2023

Cement-based reinforcement materials, which are representative slope reinforcement materials, can cause contamination of ground and groundwater when ground injection or surface application is applied. Accordingly, slope reinforcement materials using eco-friendly biopolymers are attracting attention as a means of replacing existing materials, but the biopolymers currently used are easily dissolved when exposed to groundwater or rainfall environments, reducing strength. In order to solve this problem, the cross-linking of protein between sodium casein and Transglutaminase (TGase, C₂₀H₁₆N₄O₂S₂) was used to increase the water resistance of biopolymers, and a rainfall slope test was conducted to evaluate their usability and applicability as a slope reinforcing material. In the case of reinforcement with only sodium casein, the precipitation dissolved sodium casein, and the slope was completely destroyed in 1 hour. On the other hand, it was observed that the slope reinforced by adding a small amount of TGase (0.5%) do not collapse even after 80 hours of rainfall duration due to increased water resistance. Strength and water resistance increases due to the addition of a small amount of TGase, and its applicability as an eco-friendly reinforcement is confirmed.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.35 no.12
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• pp.1375-1381
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• 2011

Combustion processes in an optically-accessible single-cylinder heavy-duty diesel engine equipped with a highpressure common-rail injection system were investigated for JP-8 and diesel. Direct imaging and two-color thermometry were employed to verify the emission trend for both fuels. The combustion process was characterized by image analysis with focus on luminosity. The results of two-color thermometry were analyzed on the basis of the flame temperature and KL factor distribution. Analysis of the combustion process by direct imaging showed that the ignition delay was longer for JP-8 than for diesel, while the flame was extinguished rapidly. Analysis of the flame luminosity showed that the combustion intensity was higher for diesel and that the flame lasted for a longer duration in this case. Two-color thermometry results showed that the high-temperature region extended over a large area during JP-8 combustion, implying the formation of a large amount of $NO_x$. In addition, the KL factor showed low level over a large area and relatively homogeneous in the case of JP-8 combustion, which implied that less smoke was produced when using this fuel.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.92-98
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• 2017

Background: Nebulized colistimethate is increasingly used, because there are problems such as renal dysfunction and low distribution within the lungs when colistimethate is administered intravenously. This study was designed to compare and analyze the changes in renal function by of nebulized colistimethate treatment for its safe administration. Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of adult patients above 19 years old, receiving only the nebulized colistimethate at least 4 days in Yonsei university health system from Nov 2014 to Aug 2015. Acute kidney injury (AKI) was determined by using the RIFLE criteria (Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss and End-stage renal disease) according to serum creatinine (SCr) levels before and after use of nebulized colistimethate. Results: 48 patients were included our study and their SCr increased significantly after nebulized colistimethate treatment ($SCr_0$ vs. $SCr_1$; $0.85{\pm}0.80$ vs. $1.00{\pm}0.82mg/dL$, n=48, p<0.001), but the changes were in normal range according to the standards at Yonsei university health $system^a$. Among 48 patients, 38 patients were in the non-AKI group (79.2%), and 10 patients developed AKI (20.8%). Within the AKI group, 2 patients were in the Injury group (20%) and the other 8 in the Risk group (80%). Conclusion: There was no significant difference in age, dosage and duration of treatment between AKI group and non-AKI group (p>0.05). The study has a significance in that it reviewed the safety of nebulized colistimethate only treatment to national patients, analyzing its nephrotoxicity. It has confirmed that nebulized colistimethate is a safer method than intravenous injection, and requires to establish a guideline for the use of nebulized colistimethate in further studies with broader patient groups. $^a$ : SCr Male 0.68-1.19 mg/dL, Female 0.49-0.91 mg/dL.