• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.147-155
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• 2022

Background: Although various conventional approaches have been employed to reduce spasticity in neurological rehabilitation, only a few studies have shown scientific evidence for its effectiveness. Thus, we introduced a different concept (Ueda method) of rehabilitation therapy that can complement the limitations of conventional therapy. Objects: This study aimed to investigate the immediate effects of the application of the Ueda method on patients with spasticity after stroke via an electrophysiological study. Methods: We conducted a randomized double-blind pilot study in two rehabilitation hospitals involving 30 stroke patients who were randomly allocated to the Ueda (n = 15) and convention (n = 15) groups. Electromyographic data of six examined muscles in both upper extremities of all patients were recorded. The A-ApA index and activation ratios of upper extremity muscles were evaluated and compared between the groups to confirm post-intervention changes in upper-extremity flexor spasticity and flexion synergies. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was conducted to confirm the therapeutic effect (2 × 2) as a function of group (Ueda vs. convention) and time (pre-/post-intervention) on all outcome measures (p < 0.05). Results: In the Ueda group, the mean A-ApA index values differed significantly before and after the intervention (p = 0.041), indicating a weak evidence level; however, the effect size was medium (d = -0.503). The interaction effects of the A-ApA index between the Ueda and convention groups and between pre-intervention and post-intervention stages were significant (p = 0.012). The effect size was large (n_p² = 0.220). In the Ueda group, the activation ratios of the anterior deltoid fiber significantly decreased after the intervention in all reaching tasks. Conclusion: The Ueda method reduces upper-extremity flexor spasticity and changes its synergy in stroke patients and should be considered a rehabilitation therapy for spastic stroke patients.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.435-442
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• 2023

Sports activities, including playing tennis, are popular with many people. As this industry has become more professionalized, investors and those involved in sports are sure to pay attention to any tool that improves athletes' performance Tennis requires perfect coordination between hands, eyes, and the whole body. Consequently, to perform long-term sports, athletes must have enough muscle strength, flexibility, and endurance. Tennis rackets with new frames were manufactured because tennis players' performance depends on their rackets. These rackets are distinguished by their lighter weight. Composite rackets are available in many types, most of which are made from the latest composite materials. During physical exercise with a tennis racket, nanocomposite materials have a significant effect on reducing injuries. Materials as strong as graphite and thermoplastic can be used to produce these composites that include both fiber and filament. Polyamide is a thermoplastic typically used in composites as a matrix. In today's manufacturing process, materials are made more flexible, structurally more vital, and lighter. This paper discusses the production, testing, and structural analysis of a new polyamide/Multi-walled carbon nanotube nanocomposite. This polyamide can be a suitable substitute for other composite materials in the tennis racket frame. By compression polymerization, polyamide was synthesized. The functionalization of Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) was achieved using sulfuric acid and nitric acid, followed by ultrasonic preparation of nanocomposite materials with weight percentages of 5, 10, and 15. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) confirmed a synthesized nanocomposite structure. Nanocomposites were tested for thermal resistance using the simultaneous thermal analysis (DTA-TG) method. scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis was used to determine pores' size, structure, and surface area. An X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) analysis was used to determine their amorphous nature.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.42-50
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• 2016

The effects of freezing and thawing conditions on microbiological quality and microstructure change of inoculated (Listeria monocytogenes and Campylobacter jejuni) and non-inoculated chicken breasts were investigated. Chicken breasts were frozen with air blast freezing (-20, -70, and $-150^{\circ}C$), ethanol ($-70^{\circ}C$) and liquid nitrogen ($-196^{\circ}C$) immersion freezing. There were no significant differences on the populations of L. monocytogenes inoculated with chicken breasts under different freezing conditions. However, air blast freezing ($-20^{\circ}C$) resulted in significant reductions for total aerobic bacteria and C. jejuni compared to the control and other freezing treatments. The frozen samples were thawed with (hot or cold) air blast, water immersion, and high pressure thawing at $4^{\circ}C$ and $25^{\circ}C$. the populations of total aerobic bacteria, and yeast and mold in the frozen chicken breast increased by 5.78 and 4.05 log CFU/g after water immersion thawing ($25^{\circ}C$) treatment. After five freeze-thaw cycles, the populations of total aerobic bacteria, yeast and mold, and C. jejuni were reduced by 0.29~1.40 log cycles, while there were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in the populations of L. monocytogenes depending on the freeze-thaw cycles. In addition, the histological examination of chicken breasts showed an increase in spacing between the muscle fiber and torn muscle fiber bundles as the number of freeze-thaw cycles increased. These results indicate that freezing and thawing processes could affect in the levels of microbial contamination and the histological change of chicken breasts.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.71-90
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• 1996

There is considerable current interest in the effect of regular vigorous exercise and in particular endurance-running as a possible measure in improving myocardial function. Some data indicate that the aging heart may actually suffer from vigorous endurance exercise. On the contrary appropriate exercise in aged animals improves myocardial function and aerobic energy metabolism. So far there is relatively little data to indicate that endurance exercise is in fact beneficial in improving myocardial function or damaging to heart of aged animals. The present investigation aimed to study the possible effect of a long range treadmill training program on the heart in aging rats. Male rats aged 3, 10, and 20 months were divided at random into a control (sedentary) and an exercise group. The training group was exercised for 5 days a week on an automated treadmill for 20minutes at 18m/min over a period of 5 months. The exercise regimen of our experiments did not cause any significant changes in the tissues and ultrastructural as com-pared with sedentary age-matched control. Tissues and ultrastructures of myocardial cells in trained group aged 8 months are intact and well organized as well as sedentary control group. Age associated tissue and ultrastructural changes of trained group aged 15 months included : an increase in transformed mitochondria, vacuoles, lysosomes, lipid droplets and early lipofuscin. But the trained heart did not show significant difference in tissue and ultrastructural properties from those of sedentary controls. Endurance-trained group aged 25 months showed significant qualitative tissue and ultrastructural difference as compared with age-matched controls. In addition to those found in 25 months control group, focal necrosis, myofibril fraying, hypercontraction band, seperation of intercalated discs, degenerating nucleus and infiltration of collagenous fiber into myocyte were noted in trained 25 months group. The stereological examination of the mi-crographs disclosed no significant difference in the myoflbril, mitochondrion, sarcotubule and in-terstitium volume density and surface density of mitochondrial cristae and numerical density of mitochondria between trained and control group aged 8 and 15 months. In the trained 25 months group, significant increase in volume density of interstitium, lipofucsin granule were shown as compared to untrained age-matched control. On the other hand, significant decrease in mitochondrion volume density was shown. The myofibril volume density did not differ between trained and control group although trained group showed slight increase. From the data obtained a reduced mitochondria/myofibrils ratio was found in trained rat heart aged 25 months and there was no difference between trained and control rat aged 15 months. But a slight but not significant increase was found in the trained group aged 8 months as compared with same age control group. Such increase in the ratio in young animals is considered to be of great importance to cardiac pumping and adaptability. Whereas such adaptations don't seem to occur in aged heart muscle. This study proposed that repeated endurance exercise do not cause any significant qualitative and quantitative ultrastructural change of heart muscle in young(3months) and adult (10months) suggesting that the heart is able to adapt to the exercise. On the contrary, the repeated endurance exercise stress may actually induce degenerative changes in the aged heart muscle(20months).

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.7
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• pp.65-74
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• 1967

This work has been carried out to find the fundamental reasons of raw silk size nonuniformity by studying with the physical nature and its bave formation through the worm spinnerate with anatomical device. Mean time, the uniformity improving method is also attached to this paper after throughfall theoretical study. 1. According to the anatomical study of the silkworm spinnerate, the physical form decides the fiber cross section and also spinns more finner size as the spinning is continued collaborating with the muscle pressure and decrease of liquid silk in the silk gland. 2. The bave size deviation of the Korean cocoons have shown a little difference among the varieties, but, they are conclued as 0.58 denier in average which caused some size deviation of the raw silk inevitably. 3. The raw silk nonuniformity increases when the cocoon have size is not suitable with the proposed raw silk size. 4. The nonuniformity is also increased very much during the filature process in case of poor technical work, but even if we do our best, the best result is found as 30 percent improvement which is still worser than the natural cocoon size deviation. 5. It is required to be careful for the selection of silkworm variety in order to improve the nonuniformity of raw silk so that the bave size be suitable for the proposed silk. 6. The definite size silk reeling method could made better uniform silk, 20 percent at least, than the definite cocoon number silk reeling method. 7. A newly developed denier(21d) gauge was applied for the multiends type silk reeling machine which is widely used in Korea, and the result of the method showed 1.30 denier size deviation, but, in case of no use of it was 1.57 denier size deviation, that is, it could improve two grades more than the normal reeling method.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.79-87
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• 1982

Higenamine(dl-demethylcoclaurine, dl-1-(4-hydroxybenzyl)-6,7-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrah-ydroisoquinoline hydrochloride), which has recently been isolated from Aconite root by Drs. Kosuge and Yokota, has known to be the main cardiotonic component of the Aconite root. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of Higenamine on the calcium binding and release and ATPase activity of fragmented cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum under in vitro condition. The calcium binding and release of sarcoplasmic reticulum were measured by using the double-beam spectrophotometer and the calcium sensitive dye, murexide. In the presence of $10^{-4}{\sim}5{\times}10^{-3}M$ of Higenamine, the maximal calcium binding and the initial binding rate of porcine cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum were inhibited dose dependently by up to 43%. However, the calcium release from cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum, which was loaded with $Ca^{++}(50{\mu}M)$, was stimulated in dose dependent manner. When incubated in the medium of 20 mM Tris-maleate(pH 7.0), 100 mM KCl, 10 mM $MgCl_2,\;0.05mM\;CaCl_2\;and\;0.014{\sim}1\;mM\;Tris-ATP\;at\;30^{\circ}C$ in the presence of Higenamine $(10^{-4}{\sim}5{\times}10^{-3}M)$, both $Ca^{++}-and\;Mg^{++}-ATPase$ of sarcoplasmic reticulum were inhibited non-competitively by Higenamine and values of $K_i$ were 4.896 mM and 6.875 mM respectively. It is suggested from the above findings that the cardiotonic effects of Higenamine might be partially explained by the inhibition of calcium binding and the stimulation of calcium release from the sarcoplasimic reticulum which may increase the free intracellular calcium that is available in the contraction of the cardiac muscle fiber.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.53 no.12
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• pp.180-190
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• 2016

This prospective pilot clinical trial mainly focuses on developing dual chamber-based assistive cups which are suitable for stroke patients who have struggled with using there affected arms. It is unable to provide motor and sensory enhancement during drinking activities and to examine the feasibility of the devices for acute phase, even for chronic stroke survivors. The stroke patients(n=16; male=8, female=8), in this trial, were provided informed consent to the investigation. All the individuals participated in 1 weeks of training for using cups, randomized over dedicated dual chamber based assistive cups(DC) or placebo-cups(PC) training. All the participants were assessed within 1 week before and after the intervention period. 3-dimensional motion analysis, sEMG(surface electromyography) and 3-dimensional trunk movement were assessed. The result presents DC data group compared with PC showed, they needed lesser ROM(range of motion) at the phase of drinking in shoulder movements and lesser muscle activities on upper trapezius, deltoid middle fiber and triceps brachii muscles, lesser tilting movement on front and back side in drinking phase, the differences were statistically significant(p<.05). Dual chamber-based assistive cup could be one of efficient way to complete ADLs(activities of daily living), especially drinking tasks, and these evidence data may contribute to determine certain rehabilitation policies related to assistive devise usage.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.861-867
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• 2005

Feeding values of soybean hulls (SH) were compared to those of wheat bran (WB) for swine diets by chemical compositions, a digestion trial, a preference test by self-selection, and two feeding trials. The SH and the WB appeared to have, on airdry basis, 11.1 vs. 15.4% CP, 32.5 vs. 8.7% crude fiber (CF), 36.8 vs. 10.7% ADF, 0.6 vs. 0.1% Ca, and 492 vs. 92 ppm Fe, respectively. Lysine and total sulfur-containing amino acids in the SH were 0.66 vs. 0.37%, respectively. Apparent digestibility values of the SH were 71% for dry matter, 50% for CP, and 74% for CF. Apparent digestible energy and MEn values of the SH were 2,420 and 2,370 kcal kg$^-1$, respectively, which were comparable to those of the WB, 2,420 and 2,275 kcal kg$^-1$ (NRC, 1998), respectively. The first feeding trial was conducted with 72 crossbred growing pigs with an average weight of 29.6 kg. The pigs when fed the diets containing 0, 6 and 10% SH by replacing the WB on a weight basis for 42 days did not show significant differences in body weight gain and feed/gain ratio among the treatments. The same trends were observed in the second trial with 60 crossbred finishing pigs with an average weight of 64.5 kg when fed the diets containing 12% SH or WB for 41 days. Back-fat thickness and adjusted loin eye muscle area of the finisher pigs were also not significantly different between the two groups. When allowed to self-select from two different feed troughs containing 10% SH or WB for two weeks, two groups of 80 pigs with 10 pigs per pen consumed the two diets exactly in equal proportion. In conclusion, the soybean hulls can be included up to 10 and 12% for growing or finishing pig diets, respectively, replacing the wheat bran on a weight basis without any adverse effects on palatability of diets and animal performances.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.341-354
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• 1998

GMI (Fibrel${(R)}$) is one of the dermal filling substances which have been successfully used for the treatment of depressed cutaneous scar and wrinkles. It's major components are; Gelatin powder, which provides a framework for the clot to form and remains stable under the scar, and ${\varepsilon}$-aminocaproic acid, which inhibits the production of fibrinolysin, and Plasma, which provides the necessary ingredients for collagen synthesis. GMI has advantages of low immunogenicity and increased longevity. It has been known to induce fibroblast activity and promote new collagen synthesis. We used 34 Sprague-Dawley rats which were bred under the same condition and duration. 18 of experimental animals were undergone cardiac puncture, and their blood were collected, centrifugated, and stored in freezer. Out of 16 animals, control group were injected with 2ml plasma into the subcutaneous tissue of Lt. scapular, while experimental group were implanted of 2 ml GMI into the Rt. same area. Experimental animals were sacrificed at the 3rd day, 5th day, 1st week and 2nd week respectively after implantation of GMI. To observe the histopathologic change of GMI and surrounding tissue reaction of GMI, we had examined with H&E staining, immunohistochemical staining with vimentin, ${\alpha}$-SMA, S-100 under LM and SEM. The obtained results were as follows ; 1. In LM study, the inflammatory cell infiltrations and granulation tissue formation were observed, and muscle tissues were well attached with adipose tissues in the control group. In the experimental group, inflammatory cell infiltrations had been observed by the 2nd week and irregular adipiose tissues and well differentiated mesenchymal tissues were examined. 2. In immunohistochemical study, the experimental group of ${\alpha}$-SMA study, there were a prominent positive response on endothelial development of granulation tissues and mesenchymal tissues compare with the control group. In vimentin study, positive response on mescenchymal fibroblast continued to 2nd week, but negative in the control group. In S-100 study, both groups were positively responded on irregular adipose tissues. 3. In SEM study, collagen fibers were embedded by the plasma by the 5th day in the control group, and in the 3rd day experiment GMI were resorved but communited with collagen fiber till the 1st week. Collagen fibers were infilt-rated into GMI at the 2nd week and the infilltrated GMI were conglomerated with the mature adipose cells and the collagen fibers. From the above results, GMI implantation in the subcutaneous tissue of Sprague-Dawley rat, the mild infiltration of inflammatory cells were showed till 2nd week and the granulation tissues were observed. GMI were nearly resorbed till 2nd week, but well attached with adipose tissue and collagen fibers. The endothelium and fibroblasts were actively proliferated. Adipose tissues and mesenchymal tissue cells were observed. As already expressed, GMI showed resorptive change in course of time without any early immune reaction, and seemed to induce fibroblast activity and promote new collagen synthesis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.160-169
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• 2008

Bakcground: To treat anastomosis site stenosis and occlusion of the artificial vessels used in vascular surgery, tissue-engineered artificial vessels using autologous cells have been constructed. We developed artificial vessels using a polymer scaffold and autologous bone marrow cells and performed an in vivo evaluation. Material and Method: We manufactured a vascular scaffold using biodegradable PLCL (poly lactide-co-${\varepsilon}$-caprolactone) and PGA (poly glycolic acid) fibers. Then we seeded autologous bone marrow cells onto the scaffold. After implantation of the artificial vessel into the abdominal aorta, we performed an angiography 3 weeks after surgery. After the dogs were euthanized we retrieved the artificial vessels and performed histological analysis. Result: Among the six dogs, 2 dogs died of massive bleeding due to a crack in the vascular scaffold 10 days after the operation. The remaining four dogs lived for 3 weeks after the operation. In these dogs. the angiography revealed no stenosis or occlusion at 3 weeks after the operation. Gross examination revealed small thrombi on the inner surface of the vessels and the histological analysis showed three layers of vessel structure similar to the native vessel. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated regeneration of the endothelial and smooth muscle cell layers. Conclusion: A tissue engineered vascular graft was manufactured using a polymer scaffold and autologous bone marrow cells that had a structure similar to that of the native artery. Further research is needed to determine how to accommodate the aortic pressure.