• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.9
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• pp.677-685
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• 1993

Experience with bileaflet mechanical valve replacement at the Inha Hospital in 192 patients, operated on from June 1986 until April 1993. Two hundred fourty-one prostheses [51 Duromedics, 79 St.Jude Medical, and 111 CafboMedics]were implanted during the total 195 operations. Mitral valve replacment[MVR]was done in 113 cases, aortic valve replacement[AVR]in 34, tricuspid valve replacement[TVR]in 2, and double valve replacement[DVR]in 46 cases.Of the total patients, 63.0% were women and 37.0% were men. The mean age of the patients was 40.8 years, ranged from 14 to 67years. Overall early mortality was 9.2\ulcorner%[18 out of 195]; 9.7%[11 out of 113]for MVR, 14,7% [5 out of 34]for AVR, and 4.3%[2 out of 46]for DVR. All of the operative survors were followed over a period of one to 83 months with a mean of 37 months, for total 543 patient-years. So far, eleven patients[6.7% of the long-term survivors]were lost to follov-up after a mean postoperative follow-up of 22.8 months. There were nine late deaths; three deaths due to prostetic valve endocarditis, two due to persistent heart failure, one due to cerebral hemorrhage, one due to aortic dissection after Bentall oreration, and two sudden deaths. Actuarial survival rate at 6.9 years was 94.8%, There were seventeen valve-related complications; three prosthetic valve thromboses, three thrombembolisms, three instances of prosthetic valve endocarditis, two paravalvular leakages, and six hemorrhagic complications related to anticoagulation. The actuarial rate of freedom from all valve-related complications at 6.9years was 91.3%. There were significant decreases in the heart size postoperatively that can be demonstrated by comparison of cardio-thoracic ratios on simple chest X-ray and left ventricle dimensions on echocardiography. We conclude that this midterm follow-up shows good results in terms of hemodynamics and durability although further long-term evaluations are mandatory.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.159-168
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• 2012

The proximity of thoracic aortic aneurysm to the left subclavian artery (LSA) has made the coverage of LSA during thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) be essential. Despite controversy concerning the safety of LSA coverage and the indications for LSA revascularizations, the cerebral hemodynamic change after LSA coverage has not been demonstrated. We prospectively examined two patients who would undergo TEVAR with LSA coverage by using 2D cine phase contrast MR imaging. After LSA coverage, the left subclavian steal was properly compensated by the increased flow volumes of both carotid arteries and right vertebral artery, which is the major collateral supply. The total brain supply after TEVAR did not lessen, which showed good correlation with uneventful clinical outcome. Therefore, 2D phase contrast MR imaging can be recommended as a useful technique to evaluate the hemodynamic change of the LSA coverage during TEVAR and to triage the candidate for LSA revascularization.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.109-113
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• 1997

Purpose: To evaluate the differences of functional imaging patterns between conventional spoiled gradient echo (SPGR) and echo planar imaging (EPI) methods in cerebral motor cortex activation. Materials and Methods: Functional MR imaging of cerebral motor cortex activation was examined on a 1.5T MR unit with SPGR (TRfrE/flip angle=50ms/4Oms/$30^{\circ}$, FOV=300mm, matrix $size=256{\times}256$, slice thickness=5mm) and an interleaved single shot gradient echo EPI (TRfrE/flip angle = 3000ms/40ms/$90^{\circ}$, FOV=300mm, matrix $size=128{\times}128$, slice thickness=5mm) techniques in five male healthy volunteers. A total of 160 images in one slice and 960 images in 6 slices were obtained with SPGR and EPI, respectively. A right finger movement was accomplished with a paradigm of an 8 activation/ 8 rest periods. The cross-correlation was used for a statistical mapping algorithm. We evaluated any differences of the time series and the signal intensity changes between the rest and activation periods obtained with two techniques. Also, the locations and areas of the activation sites were compared between two techniques. Results: The activation sites in the motor cortex were accurately localized with both methods. In the signal intensity changes between the rest and activation periods at the activation regions, no significant differences were found between EPI and SPGR. Signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the time series data was higher in EPI than in SPGR by two folds. Also, larger pixels were distributed over small p-values at the activation sites in EPI. Conclusions: Good quality functional MR imaging of the cerebral motor cortex activation could be obtained with both SPGR and EPI. However, EPI is preferable because it provides more precise information on hemodynamics related to neural activities than SPGR due to high sensitivity.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.295-300
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• 2004

Coil embolization technique has been used recently to treat cerebral aneurysms. When a giant or a multilobular aneurysm are treated by roils, filling an aneurysm sac completely with coils is difficult and partial blocking of an aneurysm sac is inevitable. Blood flow characteristics, which nay affect the embolization process of an aneurysm sac, are changed by the locations of coils for the Partially blocked aneurysms. Blood flow fields are also influenced by the geometry of a parent vessel. In order to suggest the coil locations effective for aneurysm embolization, the blood flow fields of lateral aneurysm models were analyzed for the different coil locations and parent vessel geometries. Three dimensional pulsatile flow fields are analyzed by numerical methods considering non-Newtonian viscosity characteristics of blood. Flow rate into the aneurysm sac (inflow rate) and wall shear stress, which are suspected as flow dynamic factors influencing aneurysm embolization, are also calculated. Inflow rates were smaller and the low wall shear stress zones were larger in the neck blocked models compared to the dome blocked models. Smaller inflow and larger low wall shear stress zones in the distal neck blocked model imply that the distal neck should be the effective coil locations for aneurysm embolization.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.35-45
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• 2007

Objective : The purpose of this report was to provide the information activity and safety of Palmul-tang by analyzing domestic/international papers and theses about Palmul-tang, Methods: Domestic/international papers and theses related to Palmul-tang were reviewed and analyzed, These papers were then classified by year, experimental method and subject, Results: The following results were obtained in this study. 1. The study of Palmul-tang started from 1985 and was continuously increased. The study was mainly forcused on experimental model rather than clinical study. 2. As these studies were classified by subject, papers related to immune intensification were most abundant by 20 papers, Besides there were several papers related to cardiovascular activity, reproductive activity, anti-apoptotic activity and cerebral hemodynamics. 3. Among the papers related to immune intensification. the studies on recovery of fatigue were mostabundant by 10 papers and the studies of on immune cell and cytokine express were six. In addition to. several studies were associated with anti-cancer activity and anti-allergic activity. Recovery of fatigue was determined by measurement of fatigue markers in a living body such as lactate. CPK, pyruvate and triglyceride and assessment of exercise capability of animals such as swimming test. slopped plate test. Rota-rod test, and activity cage test after Palmul-tang treatment. 4. According to experimental data. it is supported that Palmul-tang has been used as Qi and Blood intensifier with immune intensification and recovery of fatigue. 5. The paper related to safety of Palmul-tang was only one paper which is studied on acute toxicity of Palmul-tang with experiment with ICR mouse. There was no study on evaluating safety by observing liver and kidney functions after Palmul-tang treatment Conclusion: Palmul-tang is being used in various ways associating with immune intensification. cardiovascular activity and reproductive activity. However. studies on efficacy and mechanism of Palmul-tang should be conducted at the molecular biology level and studies on safety of Palmul-tang need to be completed at the clinical level.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.1729-1739
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• 2012

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of fermented medicinal herbs. A search of the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), PubMed databases and Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine in 2000-2011 located 11 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated the clinical efficacy of fermented medicinal herbs. Domestic RCTs reported clinical efficacy on improvement of immune responses and clinical safety on usage of fermented medicinal herbs in subjects suffering from cerebral hemodynamics. Countries other than Chinareported studies on the cause of esophageal cancer and on local inflammatory reactions. In China, studies were reported on the effectiveness of fermented medicinal herbs on scapulohumeral periarthritis of the stasis type, chronic superficial gastritis, dysuria induced by benign prostatic hyperplasia of deficiency of kidney yang, diabetic nephropathy, essential hypertension, and benign prostate hyperplasia. These results indicate that fermented medicinal herbs have obvious clinical effects in some diseases and no adverse reactions. Therefore, we need to initiate more fermentation research with useful bacteria, fungi, and mushrooms to produce fermented medicinal herbs. Both governments and research authorities should focus on research involving fermentation of medicinal herbs.