• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.58-64
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• 2006

In the clinical state of vitamin D deficiency, it is possible that associated phosphate depletion, parathyroid hormone excess, and hypocalcemia may all depress the proximal tubular reabsorption of bicarbonate, in addition to abnormal skeletal modeling or remodeling, Although nutritional rickets is considered a rare disease in developed countries nowadays, cases of vitamin D deficient rickets caused by various unhealthy lifestyles such as insufficient exposure to sunlight, breast feeding infants without giving vitamin D supplements, unbalanced vegetarian diets of breast feeding mothers, low-birth weight, and maternal deficiency of vitamin D or calcium are increasing. Here, we present the case of an 8 month old girl, who was completely breastfed without any weaning diet or infant vitamin supplements. She visited our emergency room with hypocalcemic seizure and subsequently was diagnosed with vitamin D deficient rickets accompanied by overt bone changes and proximal renal lobular acidosis. After intravenous(IV) and oral calcium replacement therapy(IV calcium gluconate injection 1 mEq/kg/day for 6 days, 2 mEq/kg/day for 4 days followed by oral calcium gluconate administration 4 g/day for 3 days) with vitamin D supplement(Alfacalcidol 0.5 mcg/day) during admission, serum calcium level was normalized with clinical improvement. Oral sodium bicarbonate(0.6 g/day) was administered from the $2^{nd}$ hospital day for 2 weeks, which normalized the serum bicarbonate(measured by $tCO_2$) level. Calcium and vitamin D replacement were continued for 2 weeks and 3 months each. After discontinuing medications, follow up laboratory findings showed good maintenance of serum calcium, alkaline phosphate and bicarbonate levels with complete improvement of bone X-ray findings.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.309-316
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• 2021

Sepsis is a physiological response to a source of infection that triggers mechanisms that compromise organ function, leading to death if not treated early. Biomarkers with high sensitivity, specificity, speed, and accuracy that could differentiate sepsis from non-infectious systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) could bring about a revolution in sepsis treatment. Given the limitations and time required for microbial verification of pathogens, the accurate diagnosis of infection before employing antibiotic therapy is important and clinically necessary. Procalcitonin (PCT), lactate, C-reactive protein (CRP), cytokines, and proadrenomedullin (ProADM) are the common biomarkers used for diagnosis. The procalcitonin (PCT)-guided antibiotic treatment in patients with acute respiratory infections effectively reduces antibiotic exposure and side effects while improving survival rates. The evidence regarding sepsis screening in hospitalized patients is limited. Clinicians, researchers, and healthcare decision-makers should consider these findings and limitations when implementing screening tools, future research, or policy on sepsis recognition in hospitalized patients. The use of biomarkers in pediatric sepsis is promising, although such use should always be correlated with clinical evaluation. Biomarkers may also improve the prediction of mortality, especially in the early phase of sepsis, when the levels of certain pro-inflammatory cytokines and proteins are elevated.

• The Journal of Korea Institute of Information, Electronics, and Communication Technology
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.328-334
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• 2022

The process that one may consciously focuses on necessary stimulation among tremendous amount of stimulation through human sensory systems is called attention in psychology. It is known that the attention can be affected by many factors such as room temperatures, humidity level, etc. In the field of sports science, ice packs are widely used for recovery from exercise fatigue providing fast heat transfer by conduction. However, the effect on attention by so-called iced-pack-cooling has not been tested. This research focuses on the attention levels when one is provided with a special cooling pad on their dorsal and lateral cervices. 40 subjects were divided into four groups and their attention level was evaluated based on the exposure conditions of combinations in reading and light walking with and without the cooling pad. The Frankfruter Aufmerksamkeits-Inventar, FAIR was used to evaluate the attention levels; the performance index, quality index, and continuity index consist of the FAIR test indicating the selectiveness of the attention, correctness of the attention, and maintaining term of the attention, respectively. Analysis of variance was carried out for those variables and post-hoc if applicable. When visual attention is constantly used for reading and studying, application of conductive heat transfer by the cooling pads is significantly helpful for improvement in selectiveness of the attention and maintaining terms of the attention levels. Also, light walking yielded improvement in selectiveness of the attention and maintaining terms of the attention levels; however one should presupposedly consider the loss of reading time.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.570-588
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• 2022

We scrutinized the acoustic outputs from the 70 shock wave generators of the 15 product models whose technical documents were available, among the 46 ballistic extracorporeal shock wave therapeutic devices of 11 domestic and 6 foreign manufacturers, approved by the Minster of Food & Drug Safety (Rep. Korea). We found that the acoustic Energy Flux Density (EFD), the most popular exposure parameter, was different by up to 563.64 times among shock wave generators at their minimum output settings and by up to 74.62 times at their maximum settings. In the same product model, the EFD was shown to vary depending on shock wave transmitters by up to 81.82 times at its minimum output setting and by up to 46.15 times at its maximum setting. The lowest EFD 0.013 mJ/mm² at the maximum output settings was much lower (2.1 %) than the maximum value 0.62 mJ/mm² at the minimum settings. The Large acoustic output differences (tens to hundreds of times)from the therapeutic devices approved for the same clinical indications imply that their therapeutic efficacy & safety may not be assured. The findings suggest the regulatory authority to revise her guideline to give clearer criteria for clinical approval and equality in performance, and recommend the authority to initiate a post-approval surveillance as well as a test in conformance between the data in technical documents and the real acoustic outputs clinically used.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.62-70
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• 2022

Background: Maternal Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection during pregnancy has been associated with various mental illnesses in the offspring. Ginsenoside Rh2 (GRh2) is a major bioactive compound obtained from ginseng that has an anti-T. gondii effect and attenuates microglial activation through toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. GRh2 also alleviated tumor-associated or lipopolysaccharide-induced depression. However, the effects and potential mechanisms of GRh2 on depression-like behavior in mouse offspring caused by maternal T. gondii infection during pregnancy have not been investigated. Methods: We examined GRh2 effects on the depression-like behavior in mouse offspring, caused by maternal T. gondii infection during pregnancy, by measuring depression-like behaviors and assaying parameters at the neuronal and molecular level. Results: We showed that GRh2 significantly improved behavioral measures: sucrose consumption, forced swim time and tail suspended immobility time of their offspring. These corresponded with increased tissue concentrations of 5-hydroxytryptamine and dopamine, and attenuated indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase or enhanced tyrosine hydroxylase expression in the prefrontal cortex. GRh2 ameliorated neuronal damage in the prefrontal cortex. Molecular docking results revealed that GRh2 binds strongly to both TLR4 and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that GRh2 ameliorated the depression-like behavior in mouse offspring of maternal T. gondii infection during pregnancy by attenuating the excessive activation of microglia and neuroinflammation through the HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. It suggests that GRh2 could be considered a potential therapy in preventing and treating psychiatric disorders in the offspring mice of mothers with prenatal exposure to T. gondii infection.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.37-42
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• 2022

Purpose Since 1985, the Korean society of nuclear medicine technology (KSNMT) has been engaged in academic activities related to nuclear medicine imaging. From 2017 to 2021, the papers published in the journal were classified by the specific fields to examine the trends in the research and the direction of nuclear medicine in comparison with the papers submitted to the Korean Society of Nuclear Medicine (KSNM) during the same period. Materials and Methods From 2017 to 2021, papers submitted to KSNMT and KSNM were classified and databaseization using the Excel program by submission type, examination equipment, and examination field. Through this data, the number of papers published in journals by year, the number of papers submitted by detailed fields, and key words by era were analyzed and compared. Results The papers included by journal was 57 KSNMT and 280 KSNM. The major large classification of equipment, PET, Planar and SPECT was 26.3%, 21.1%, 19.3% in the KSNMT, KSNM was 49.6%, 6.4%, and 9.3%, with 66.7% and 65.3%, respectively. the major medium classification of equipment, industrial safety, urogenital system, nervous system, and quality control accounted for 54.4% of the total papers of the total ratio in the KSNMT, while the medium classification of oncology, endocrine system, urogenital system, therapy, and nervous system accounted for 61.1% of KSNM. In the major small classification of image acquisition, improvement effect, and exposure management accounted for 70.2% in KSNMT, while the items of image acquisition, report, and improvement effect accounted for 60.7% in KSNM. The major keywords except for equipment-related keywords such as PET/CT, PET/MR, and SPECT were SUV, Planar Image, and Respiration Gating Method in KSNMT and Ga68, Thyroid, and Lymphoma in the KSNM. Conclusion When checking the last 5 years of submissions, we can see that KSNMT is mainly concerned with image acquisition using existing radiotracers, while KSNM has focused on new radiotracers such as ⁶⁸Ga, ¹⁷⁷Lu, etc., and new medical technologies of theranostic. It has been confirmed that more PET-related papers than other examination equipment will account for a greater number of papers, and it is believed that future submissions will also account for a higher proportion of PET-related papers than other equipment.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.81 no.5
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• pp.1260-1265
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• 2020

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a multicentric human immunodeficiency virus-associated neoplasm characterized by multiple vascular nodules in the skin, mucous membranes, and viscera. Gastrointestinal acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related KS is the most common visceral involvement reported in disseminated disease. Here, we present the findings of a rare case of KS involving multiple organs with abdominal pain and active bleeding in the colon. Multiple intraluminal lesions were found in the terminal ileum, sigmoid colon, and rectum by ileocolonoscopy, and in the jejunum and ileum by fluoroscopy. Abdominopelvic CT revealed multiple enhanced flat lesions in the ileum and enlarged lymph nodes. The diagnosis was confirmed by histopathology, and antiretroviral therapy was initiated as the treatment of choice for KS. Owing to the increasing number of AIDS patients, it is essential for radiologists and clinicians to be aware of the imaging characteristics of KS to protect physicians from indiscriminate exposure to AIDS.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.129-135
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• 2000

Purpose : We previously reported the short-term immunogenecity and safety of 47 passaged Oka strain live attenuated varicella vaccine in healthy children in 1997. Now, we conducted this two-year follow-up study to confirm the maintenance of immunity, the occurrence of natural varicella infection and the activation of vaccine induced latent infection on the same vaccine. Methods : 99 children who had been immunized by 47 passaged Oka strain live attenuated varicella vaccine in 1997 were followed up by questionnaire, and 46 children out of study group were followed up serologically. They were asked to report any instance of varicella or herpes zoster since they had been immunized. If there was any evidence of varicella or herpes zoster, they should be clinically or serologically confirmed by doctor. Also, those patients' parents were asked to report any instance of varicella or herpes zoster in their family, playmate, kindergarten, school, or other settings. The immunity to VZV was confirmed by EIA and FAMA test. Results : 6 recipients developed breakthrough varicella after exposure to VZV in family, kindergarten and school during follow-up period. However, clinical features of those patients were very mild and self limited without therapy. And none of the recipients developed herpes zoster during this observation period. The results of EIA test showed that study subjects were all seropositive except one, and the antibody titers and GMT of FAMA test were seropositively maintained in all subjects. Statistically, the antibody titers of EIA and FAMA test confirmed two years after vaccination were higher than those results confirmed one month after vaccination. Conclusion : Our study results suggest that the immunity of 47 passaged Oka strain live attenuated varicella is well maintained until 2 years later after vaccination, and mild natural infection after exposure to VZV can be occurred with low rate. There were not developing zoster in study vaccine after vaccination for two-years.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.345-354
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• 2000

Purpose : Conventional radiation therapy Portal images gives low contrast images. The purpose of this study was to enhance image contrast of a linacgram by developing a low-cost image processing method. Materials and Methods : Chest linacgram was obtained by irradiating humanoid Phantom and scanned using Diagnostic-Pro scanner for image processing. Several types of scan method were used in scanning. These include optical density scan, histogram equalized scan, linear histogram based scan, linear histogram independent scan, linear optical density scan, logarithmic scan, and power square root scan. The histogram distribution of the scanned images were plotted and the ranges of the gray scale were compared among various scan types. The scanned images were then transformed to the gray window by pallette fitting method and the contrast of the reprocessed portal images were evaluated for image improvement. Portal images of patients were also taken at various anatomic sites and the images were processed by Gray Scale Expansion (GSE) method. The patient images were analyzed to examine the feasibility of using the GSE technique in clinic. Results :The histogram distribution showed that minimum and maximum gray scale ranges of 3192 and 21940 were obtained when the image was scanned using logarithmic method and square root method, respectively. Out of 256 gray scale, only 7 to 30$\%$ of the steps were used. After expanding the gray scale to full range, contrast of the portal images were improved. Experiment peformed with patient image showed that improved identification of organs were achieved by GSE in portal images of knee joint, head and neck, lung, and pelvis. Conclusion :Phantom study demonstrated that the GSE technique improved image contrast of a linacgram. This indicates that the decrease in image quality resulting from the dual exposure, could be improved by expanding the gray scale. As a result, the improved technique will make it possible to compare the digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRR) and simulation image for evaluating the patient positioning error.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.325-331
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• 2015

Skin is exposed to sunlight or artificial indoor light on a daily. The reached solar light on the earth surface consist of 50% visible light and 45% infrared (IR) except for ultra violet (UV). The negative effects of UV including UVB and UVA have been steadily investigated within the last decades. However, little is known about the effects of visible or IR light. In this study, we irradiated human dermal fibroblasts using light emitting diode (LED) to investigate the optimal parameter for enhancing cell growth and collagen synthesis. We found that red of 630 nm and green of 520 nm enhance the cell proliferation, but irradiation with purple and blue light exerts toxic effects. To examine the response of irradiation time and light intensity on the fibroblasts, cells were exposed to red or green light with intensities from 0.05 to $0.75mW/cm^2$. Procollagen secretion was increased of 1.4 fold by 10 min irradiation, while 30 min treatment decreased the collagen synthesis of dermal fibroblasts. Treatment with red of $0.3mW/cm^2$ and green of 0.15 and $0.3mW/cm^2$ resulted in enhancement of collagen mRNA. Lastly, we investigated the combinatorial effect of red and green light on dermal fibroblasts. The sequential irradiation of red and green light is an efficient way for the purpose of the increase in the number of fibroblasts than single light treatment. On the other hand, the exposure of red light alone was more effective method for enhancing of collagen secretion. Our study showed that specific light parameters accelerated cell proliferation, gene expression and collagen secretion on human dermal fibroblasts. In conclusion, we demonstrate that light exposure with specific parameter has beneficial effects on the function of dermal fibroblasts, and suggests the possibility of its cosmetically and clinical application.