• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.10
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• pp.1512-1523
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• 2022

Objective: The growth of pigs involves multiple regulatory mechanisms, and modern molecular breeding techniques can be used to understand the skeletal muscle growth and development to promote the selection process of pigs. This study aims to explore candidate lncRNAs and mRNAs related to skeletal muscle growth and development among Duroc pigs with different average daily gain (ADG). Methods: A total of 8 pigs were selected and divided into two groups: H group (high-ADG) and L group (low-ADG). And followed by whole transcriptome sequencing to identify differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs and mRNAs. Results: In RNA-seq, 703 DE mRNAs (263 up-regulated and 440 down-regulated) and 74 DE lncRNAs (45 up-regulated and 29 down-regulated) were identified. In addition, 1,418 Transcription factors (TFs) were found. Compared with mRNAs, lncRNAs had fewer exons, shorter transcript length and open reading frame length. DE mRNAs and DE lncRNAs can form 417 lncRNA-mRNA pairs (antisense, cis and trans). DE mRNAs and target genes of lncRNAs were enriched in cellular processes, biological regulation, and regulation of biological processes. In addition, quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis was used to detect the functions of DE mRNAs and lncRNAs, the most of DE mRNAs and target genes of lncRNAs were enriched in QTLs related to growth traits and skeletal muscle development. In single-nucleotide polymorphism/insertion-deletion (SNP/INDEL) analysis, 1,081,182 SNP and 131,721 INDEL were found, and transition was more than transversion. Over 60% of percentage were skipped exon events among alternative splicing events. Conclusion: The results showed that different ADG among Duroc pigs with the same diet maybe due to the DE mRNAs and DE lncRNAs related to skeletal muscle growth and development.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.7
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• pp.847-854
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• 2002

Purpose : Long term hospitalized infants in neonatal intensive care units(NICUs) are prone to systemic infection. It is important to differentiate systemic candidiasis from systemic bacterial infection early in the course. Thus, in this study, we have compared clinical characteristics of systemic candidiasis and systemic bacterial infection, in premature low birth weight infants. Methods : Retrospective chart review of the medical records of 20 patients with systemic candidiasis and 23 patients with systemic bacterial infection was performed. Results : Among the risk factors of systemic candidiasis, total parenteral nutrition(TPN), the use of broad spectrum antibiotics, central catheter insertion, endotracheal intubation and the use of H2 blockers were more frequent in neonates with systemic candidiasis than neonates with systemic bacterial infection. Apnea with bradycardia developed more frequently in neonates with systemic candidiasis compared with systemic bacterial infection(75% vs 39%). In laboratory findings at symptom onset, seven cases(35%) of systemic candidal infections and two cases(9%) of systemic bacterial infections showed leukopenia and thrombocytopenia(P=0.03). Blood was the most frequent isolation site of candida and bacteria. Conclusion : In neonates with systemic candidiasis, apnea with bradycardia, pneumonia and thrombocytopenia were prone to develop more frequently. The use of TPN, antibiotics and central catheters was strongly associated with systemic candidiasis. Empirical treatment with antifungal agent should be considered in critically ill neonates with above findings.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.46-53
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• 2002

Background: Pulmonary aspergilloma is relatively common in korea. It arises from the colonization and proliferation of Aspergillus in preexisting lung parenchymal cavities, in particular tuberculosis. The most common symptom in this disorder is hemoptysis, which mayor may not be massive and life threatening. A routine chest radiography and computed tomography (CT) are the most important diagnostic procedures. A surgical resection of the aspergilloma has recently been recommended, because of the relatively low incidence of postoperative complications than in the past. A more concentrated sample of patients with aspergilloma, who either underwent a thoracotomy or tested positive for aspergillus antibodies, were reviewed. Method : The medical records of twenty-two patients with aspergilloma, who had a proven thoracotomy (9 cases), or who tested positive for the diagnostic procedure and/or aspergillus antibodies (13 cases) from January 1995 to December 2000, were reviewed retrospectively. Results : The most common underlying lung disease was a current or old healed tuberculosis, and 3 patients had cultures of mycobacterium other than tuberculosis (MOTT). The mean time until the aspergilloma was detected 5.91 years in the healed tuberculosis cases. The others cases involved a lung abscess, bronchiectasis and without lung disease. The extrapulmonary disease was alcoholism and diabetes. Hemoptysis was most common in 72.7%. A computed tomography (CT) is useful for diagnosis. The right upper lobe, especially the posterior segment, is the most common location. Bronchial artery embolization is ineffective for a long term follow-up. A lobectomy is most common in a thoracotomy, and intra-operative and post-operative complications are rare. During follow-up, the mortality rate, not from the aspergilloma but from respiratory failure, was 13.6%. Conclusion : Aspergilloma is a common cavitary lung disease, It mainly arises from tuberculosis, either current or healed, but extra-pulmonary disease including alcoholism or diabetes are other possible risk factors. Their most common problem in aspergilloma is hemoptysis. Surgery has a low risk of post-operative complications and is recommended in relatively preserved lung function or healthy patients. Medical maneuvers including embolization, and the local insertion of certain materials needs to be studied more closely.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.57-68
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• 1994

Purpose : The purposes are to discuss the reason to measure dose distributions of circular small fields for stereotactic radiosurgery based on medical linear accelerator, finding of beam axis, and considering points on dosimetry using home-made small water phantom, and to report dosimetric results of 10MV X-ray of Clinac-18, like as TMR, OAR and field size factor required for treatment planning. Method and material : Dose-response linearity and dose-rate dependence of a p-type silicon (Si) diode, of which size and sensitivity are proper for small field dosimetry, are determined by means of measurement. Two water tanks being same in shape and size, with internal dimension, 30${\times}$30${\times}$30cm$^3$ were home-made with acrylic plates and connected by a hose. One of them a used as a water phantom and the other as a device to control depth of the Si detector in the phantom. Two orthogonal dose profiles at a specified depth were used to determine beam axis. TMR's of 4 circular cones, 10, 20, 30 and 40mm at 100cm SAD were measured, and OAR's of them were measured at 4 depths, d$\sub$max/, 6, 10, 15cm at 100cm SCD. Field size factor (FSF) defined by the ratio of D$\sub$max/ of a given cone at SAD to MU were also measured. Result : The dose-response linearity of the Si detector was almost perfect. Its sensitivity decreased with increasing dose rate but stable for high dose rate like as 100MU/min and higher even though dose out of field could be a little bit overestimated because of low dose rate. Method determining beam axis by two orthogonal profiles was simple and gave 0.05mm accuracy. Adjustment of depth of the detector in a water phantom by insertion and remove of some acryl pates under an auxiliary water tank was also simple and accurate. TMR, OAR and FSF measured by Si detector were sufficiently accurate for application to treatment planning of linac-based stereotactic radiosurgery. OAR in field was nearly independent of depth. Conclusion : The Si detector was appropriate for dosimetry of small circular fields for linac-based stereotactic radiosurgery. The beam axis could be determined by two orthogonal dose profiles. The adjustment of depth of the detector in water was possible by addition or removal of some acryl plates under the auxiliary water tank and simple. TMR, OAR and FSF were accurate enough to apply to stereotactic radiosurgery planning. OAR data at one depth are sufficient for radiosurgery planning.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.62-73
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• 2000

Purpose: Esophageal cancer patients have a difficulty in the intake of meals through the blocked esophageal lumen, which is caused by an ingrowth of cancer cells and largely influences on the prognosis. It is reported that esophageal cancer has a very low survival rate due to the lack of nourishment and immunity as the result of this. In this study a new radioactive stent, which prevents tumor ingrowth and restenosis by additional radiation treatment, has been developed. Materials and Methods: Using ${\ulcorner}HANARO{\lrcorner}$ research reactor, the radioactive stent assembly ($^{166}Ho$-SA) was prepared by covering the metallic stent with a radioactive sleeve by means of a post-irradiation and pre-irradiation methods. Results: Scanning electron microscopy and autoradiography exhibited that the distribution of $^{165/166}Ho\;(NO_3)$ compounds in polyurethane matrix was homogeneous. A geometrical model of the esophagus considering its structural properties, was developed for the computer simulation of energy deposition to the esophageal wall. The dose distributions of $^{166}Ho$-stent were calculated by means of the EGS4 code system. The sources are considered to be distributed uniformly on the surface in the form of a cylinder with a diameter of 20 mm and length of 40 mm. As an animal experiment, when radioactive stent developed in this study was inserted into the esophagus of a Mongrel dog, tissue destruction and widening of the esophageal lumen were observed. Conclusion: We have developed a new radioactive stent comprising of a radioactive tubular sleeve covering the metallic stent, which emits homogeneous radiation. If it is inserted into the blocked or narrowed lumen, it can lead to local destruction of the tumor due to irradiation effect with dilatation resulting from self-expansion of the metallic property. Accordingly, it is expected that restenosis esophageal lumen by the continuous ingrowth and infiltration of cancer after insertion of our radioactive stent will be decreased remarkably.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.136-139
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• 2008

Purpose: Epidural morphine infusion has been used to control pain in cancer patients whose cancer pain can not be controlled high dose intravenous morphine injection. To study the effectiveness and side effects of epidural morphine for the treatment of cancer pain in terminal patients at Hospice Ward, we evaluated the change in morphine equivalent daily dose for effectiveness and complications of epidural morphine infusion. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 24 terminal cancer patients who were treated with continuous epidural morphine between 2001 and 2004 at Hospice Ward of St. Vincent's Hospital. Results: The median of baseline morphine equivalent daily dose was 615 mg, whereas the median dose of initial epidural morphine was 16 mg. The median of morphine daily equivalent daily dose dropped from 615 mg to 274 mg in one week after epidural morphine infusion therapy (P-value=0.000). The median survival from the time of the first catheter insertion was 35 days. In 6 patients, the catheter was removed due to complications, however the catheter was reinserted in 3 patients. Conclusion: Cancer pain management by epidural morphine infusion is very effective method with low rate of severe complication.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.292-298
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• 2009

Background: Surgery for mitral valve disease in children carries both technical and clinical difficulties that are due to both the wide spectrum of morphologic abnormalities and the high incidence of associated cardiac anomalies. The purpose of this study is to assess the outcome of mitral valve surgery for treating congenital mitral regurgitation in children. Material and Method: From 1997 to 2007, 22 children (mean age: 5.4 years) who had congenital mitral regurgitation underwent mitral valve repair. The median age of the patients was 5.4 years old and four patients (18%) were under 12 months of age. 15 patients (68%) had cardiac anomalies. There were 13 cases of ventricular septal defect, 1 case of atrial septal defect and 1 case of supravalvar aortic stenosis. The grade of the preoperative mitral valve regurgitation was II in 4 patients, III in 15 patients and IV in 3. The regurgitation was due to leaflet prolapse in 12 patients, annular dilatation in 4 patients and restrictive leaflet motion in 5 patients. The preoperative MV Z-value and the regurgitation grade were compared with those obtained at follow-up. Result: MV repair was possible in all the patients. 19 patients required reduction annuloplasty and 18 patients required valvuloplasty that included shortening of the chordae, papillary muscle splitting, artificial chordae insertion and cleft closure. There were no early or late deaths. The mitral valve regurgitation after surgery was improved in all patients (absent=10, grade I=5, II=5, III=2). MV repair resulted in reduction of the mitral valve Z-value ($2.2{\pm}2.1$ vs. $0.7{\pm}2.3$, respectively, p<0.01). During the mid-term follow-up period of 3.68 years, reoperation was done in three patients (one with repair and two with replacement) and three patients showed mild progression of their mitral reguration. Conclusion: our experience indicates that mitral valve repair in children with congenital mitral valve regurgitation is an effective and reliable surgical method with a low reoperation rate. A good postoperative outcome can be obtained by preoperatively recognizing the intrinsic mitral valve pathophysiology detected on echocardiography and with the well-designed, aggressive application of the various reconstruction techniques.

• The Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Ultrasound Society
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.105-112
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• 2014

Purpose: Ultrasound-guided epidural caudal block for low back pain and radiating pain is often performed in the treatment of outpatients. However, this procedure has a failure rate of up to 25% even when it performed by an experienced physician. The authors investigate the effectiveness of Ultrasound-guided epidural caudal block in patients related to disc herniation or spinal stenosis. Materials and Methods: Ultrasound-guided caudal epidural block was performed in 55 outpatients with LBP and radiating pain. Patient was placed in the prone position and sonographic image of sacral hiatus was obtained using linear probe. A 22-gauge needle was advanced into the sacrococcygeal membrane under ultrasound guidance and then medication was injected into the caudal epidural space. There were 31 cases of disc herniation, and 24 cases of spinal stenosis. Patients were evaluated by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain score at pre-treatment, post-treatment, 2 weeks and 4 weeks by telephone interviews. Results: 53 of the 55 cases (96.4%) of needle insertion into the sacral canal under ultrasound guidance were successful. Gender was not significantly different between disc herniation group and spinal stenosis group. But there was a significant age difference between disc herniation group ($42.3{\pm}10.8$), and spinal stenosis group ($62.8{\pm}15.1$) [p<0.001]. The VAS score at pre-treatment, post-treatment, 2 weeks, 4 weeks in disc group were 6.84, 3.1, 1.8 & 1.77. The VAS score at pre-treatment, post-treatment, 2 weeks, 4 weeks in spinal stenosis group were 6.88, 3.58, 4.33 & 4.88. The VAS score in both groups was significantly improved after the procedure (p<0.001). Over time, the two groups were statistically significant differences in VAS score after adjusting for age (p<0.001). Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided caudal epidural block seems to provide a high success rate and a significantly better response in disc group than spinal stenosis group.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.108-113
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• 2013

Wilt damage on tomato plants caused by Ralstonia solanacearum has been increased as the areas of tomato cultivation increased during the warm seasons. Also, the tomato rootstocks used to prevent the disease occurrence are not effective in the highly prevailing regions. Therefore, bacterial wilt resistant eggplant rootstock EG203, collected from AVRDC, was tested for its effect to deter the Ralstonia solanacearum wilt disease in the greenhouses at Buyeo Tomato Experiment Station from 2003 to 2005, and at Gumi, Kyungpook province from 2009-2011. Planting of eggplant rootstock EG203 should be done three weeks before the planting of tomato scions so that they can have similar stem diameter (2.5-3.0 mm) and can be easily grafted. Both insertion and inarching grafting showed 93-96% success rates. In the greenhouse tests at Buyeo Tomato Experiment Station from 2003 to 2005, eggplant rootstock EG203-grafted tomatoes showed the disease occurrence of 4.3%. On the other hand, non-grafted or other commercial rootstock-grafted tomatoes showed disease occurrence of 58.0% and 25.0-36.7%, respectively. In the greenhouse tests at Gumi, Kyungpook province in 2009, the disease occurrence on the EG203-grafted and non-grafted tomatoes was 2-5% and 20-80%, respectively. In 2010, at Gumi, Kyungpook province, when the wilt disease occurred slightly, the tomatoes grafted with tomato rootstocks B-blocking and Chung-gang, and eggplant rootstock EG203 showed similar disease severities, but EG203-grafted tomatoes formed lately cluster, resulting in the reduction of yield compared to tomato-grafted tomatoes. In 2011, at Gumi, Kyungpook province, when the wilt disease occurred severely, the tomato rootstocks 'B-blocking' and Chung-gang and eggplant rootstock EG203-grafted tomatoes showed disease occurrences of 60-85% and 0-1%, respectively. Therefore, it was concluded that tomato rootstocks 'B-blocking' and 'Chung-gang' are more useful in the areas contaminated with low levels of pathogen and eggplant rootstock EG203 is more useful in the areas contaminated with high levels of pathogen.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.266-272
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• 2010

Background: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a serious disease that causes life-threatening pulmonary embolism and chronic venous insufficiency. Anticoagulation is the standard therapy for DVT. However, the results of standard anticoagulation for treating DVT have been disappointing, so endovascular treatment is commonly performed nowadays. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an endovascular procedure for treating patients with DVT. Material and Method: We retrospectively evaluated the clinical data of 29 DVT patients who underwent an endovascular procedure between December 2006 and July 2008. We compared the results of the 29 patients with the results of another 45 patients who were treated with only aspirin and heparin. Result: The patient’s mean age was 55.4 years in the intervention group and 53.7 years in the control group. DVT occurred more frequently in the females. Catheter-directed thrombolysis was performed in 22 patients (75.8%). Aspiration thrombectomy was performed in 18 patients (62%) and a endovascular stent was placed in 25 patients (86.2%). Fifteen patients (51.7%) underwent percutaneous insertion of a retrievable IVC filter for the prevention of pulmonary embolism. In the control group, thirty nine patients (86.7%) were treated with low-molecular heparin, and seven patients (15.6%) who were contraindicated for warfarin were treated with aspirin. No bleeding complications occurred during thrombolysis or anticoagulation. We analyzed the statistical data according to recurrence of DVT and the incidence of post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) during the follow-up period. The intervention group had a significantly lower incidence of PTS (p-value=0.008), but they had the same result as the control group for the recurrence of DVT. In addition, death from the DVT did not occur in the intervention group. Thus, we obtained better clinical outcomes in the intervention group as compared to those in the anticoagulation only group. Conclusion: Endovascular procedures are effective alternative modalities, as compared to systemic anticoagulation, for the treatment of DVT. But more studies are needed to determine the specific indications and to validate the long-term efficacy of endovascular procedures for the treatment of DVT.