• Applied Microscopy
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• 제41권1호
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• pp.69-73
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• 2011

High-voltage electron microscope (HVEM) has higher resolution and penetration power than conventional transmission electron microscope that could be load thick specimen. Some researchers have taken this advantage of HVEM to explore 3-dimensional configuration of the biological structures including tissue and cells. Whole mount preparations has been employed to study some cell lines and primary culture cells. In this study, we would like to introduce useful whole mount preparation method for neuronal studies. The plastic coverslips were punched, covered by formvar membrane and coated with carbon. The neurons obtained embryonic 18 rat hippocampus were seeded on the prepared cover slip. The coverslips were fixed, dried in freeze drier and kept in a descicator until HVEM observation. We could observe detailed neuronal structures such as soma, dendrite and spine under HVEM without conventional thin section and heavy metal stain. The anaglyphic image based on stereo paired image ($-8^{\circ},+8^{\circ}$) provides three dimensional perception of the neuronal dendrites and their spines. This method could be applied to sophisticated analysis of dendritic spine under the various experimental conditions.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제40권4호
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• pp.148-154
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• 2013

Objective: To compare the mouse oocyte vitrification outcomes of the CryoLogic vitrification method (CVM) and the conventional open method using a Cryotop. Two CVM methods (original CVM and modified CVM) were tested. Methods: Mature oocytes obtained from female BDF-1 mice were vitrified by two-step exposure to equilibrium and vitrification solutions. Three vitrification protocols were tested on three groups: the CVM-kit, modified CVM, and Cryotop groups. After exposure to the two solutions, the oocytes were vitrified. After warming, the oocytes were fertilized in vitro, and the embryo development was assessed. Blastomeres positive for caspase were counted using an in situ assay kit. The spindle morphology and chromosome configurations of warmed vitrified oocytes were also assessed. Results: The modified CVM and Cryotop groups showed similar developmental capacities, and similar proportions of cells with intact spindles and chromosome configurations. The modified CVM protocol was superior to the original CVM protocol for developmental competence and intact spindle preservation. However, the CVM group showed a relatively higher number of apoptotic cells in blastocysts. Conclusion: Closed vitrification using the modified CVM protocol may be used as an alternative to the conventional open method, but strategies to decrease apoptosis in the blastomere need to be investigated.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제12권2호
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• pp.203-209
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• 1995

본 연구는 최근에 개발되어 임상적으로 널리 이용되는 자기공명 영상상을 20명의 자궁 경부암 환자의 치료계획에 적용하여 전통적인 치료계획과 비교하여 아래의 결과를 얻었다. 1. 측방 조사야의 가로길이는 11 cm가 7명(35%)으로 가장 많았으며, 10 cm가 6명(30%), 9 cm와 12 cm가 각각 3명(15%)이었으며 13 cm는 1명(5%)이었다. 2. 측방 조사야의 중심 이동은 자궁의 크기나 골반의 횡경과는 무관하였다. 3. 자기공명 영상을 이용한 방사선치료계획을 한 결과 전통적인 방법으로 결정된 전골반 측방 조사야의 변경이 20명 중 5명(25%)에서 있었으므로 향후 자궁 경부암이나 자궁 체부암의 정확한 치료를 위해서는 자기공명 영상이 매우 중요함을 시사하였으며 향후 더 많은 환자를 대상으로 자기공명 영상을 이용한 방사선치료 성적을 전통적인 방법에 의한 성적과 비교하는 연구가 요구된다.

• Journal of Korean Medical Science
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• 제33권46호
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• pp.304.1-304.7
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• 2018

Background: The Republic of Korea has a very low prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, but the number of new HIV diagnoses has steadily risen, strongly indicating a large number of undetected HIV infections. Thus, it is important for Korean public health authorities to adopt and encourage cost-effective HIV detection tools, such as rapid HIV screening tests. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and rapid tests in a public health center (PHC) setting. Methods: We developed a decision analytic model to assess the per-examinee cost and the cost-effectiveness of identifying HIV patients in a PHC setting using two HIV testing strategies: conventional HIV screening by ELISA versus rapid HIV testing. Analysis was performed in two scenarios: HIV testing in an average-risk population and in a high-risk population. Results: Compared to the ELISA, the rapid test was cost-saving and cost-effective. The per-examinee cost was USD 1.61 with rapid testing versus USD 3.38 with ELISA in an average-risk population, and USD 4.77 with rapid testing versus USD 7.62 with ELISA in a high-risk population. The cost of identifying a previously undiagnosed HIV case was USD 26,974 with rapid testing versus USD 42,237 with ELISA in an average-risk population, and USD 153 with rapid testing versus USD 183 with ELISA in a high-risk population. Conclusion: Rapid testing would be more cost-effective than using conventional ELISA testing for identifying previously undiagnosed HIV-infected cases in Korea, a country with extremely low HIV prevalence.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제48권2호
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• pp.174-183
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• 2021

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the pregnancy outcomes of in vitro fertilization with embryo transfer between embryos cultured in a time-lapse monitoring system (TLS) and those cultured in a conventional incubator (CI). Methods: The medical records of 250 fertilized embryos from 141 patients undergoing infertility treatment with assisted reproductive technology at a tertiary hospital from June 2018 to May 2020 were reviewed. The study population was divided into TLS and CI groups at a 1 to 1 ratio (125 embryos per group). The primary outcome was the live birth rate. Results: The TLS group had a significantly higher clinical pregnancy rate (46.4% vs. 27.2%, p=0.002), implantation rate (27.1% vs. 12.0%, p=0.004), and live birth rate (32.0% vs. 18.4%, p=0.013) than the CI group. Furthermore, subgroup analyses of the clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate in the different age groups favored the TLS group. However, this difference only reached statistical significance in the live birth rate in women aged over 40 years and the clinical pregnancy rate in women aged 35-40 years (p=0.048 and p=0.031, respectively). The miscarriage rate, cleavage rate, and blastocyst rate were comparable. Conclusion: TLS application improved the live birth rate, implantation rate, and clinical pregnancy rate, particularly in the advanced age group in this study, while the other reproductive outcomes were comparable. Large randomized controlled trials are needed to further explore the ramifications of these findings, especially in different age groups.

• 한국임상수의학회지
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• 제39권6호
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• pp.311-318
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• 2022

Appropriate suture technique is crucial for successful tracheal anastomosis. However, standards for an ideal suture method have not yet been established. A previous study suggested tracheal anastomosis using barbed sutures that do not require knots; however, their use in small animals has not been reported. In this study, we aimed to compare knotless barbed sutures with conventional smooth sutures in terms of maximum tensile strength and suturing time in canine tracheal models to demonstrate the feasibility of using barbed sutures in tracheal anastomosis in dogs. Tracheal segments harvested from nine beagle dog cadavers were randomly assigned to three suture groups: barbed suture (B), smooth suture in simple interrupted pattern (SI), and smooth suture in simple continuous pattern (SC). The maximum tensile force and suturing time were compared according to the suturing method, and the mode of failure was evaluated. The average suturing time was 3.29 min in the B group; 4.41 min, SC group; and 8.99 min, SI group (p < 0.001). The average maximum tensile force in the SC group was 134.97 N, which was stronger than the SI (110.57 N) and B groups (103.10 N) (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively). The difference between the B and SI groups was not significant (p = 0.05). The B group demonstrated comparable mechanical strength and shorter suture time compared with the SI group. Therefore, tracheal anastomosis using barbed sutures could be an effective alternative to conventional smooth sutures in dogs.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제37권1호
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• pp.59-72
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• 2024

Background: This study assessed the postoperative analgesic efficacy and safety of the quadratus lumborum block (QLB) in pediatric patients. Methods: Electronic databases were searched for studies comparing the QLB to conventional analgesic techniques in pediatric patients. The primary outcome was the need for rescue analgesia 12 and 24 hours after surgery. Secondary outcomes covered the Face-Legs-Activity-Cry-Consolability Scale (FLACC) scores at various time points; parental satisfaction; time to the first rescue analgesia; hospitalization time; block execution time; block failure rates, and adverse events. Results: Sixteen randomized controlled trials were analyzed involving 1,061 patients. The QLB significantly reduced the need for rescue analgesia both at 12 and 24 hours after surgery (12 hours, relative risk [RR]: 0.45; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.01, 0.88; 24 hours, RR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.31, 0.70). In case of 24 hours after surgery, type 1 QLB significantly reduced the need for rescue analgesia (RR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.36, 0.76). The QLB also exhibited lower FLACC scores at 1 hour (standardized mean difference [SMD]: -0.87; 95% CI: -1.56, -0.18) and 6 hours (SMD: -1.27; 95% CI: -2.33, -0.21) following surgery when compared to non-QLB. Among QLBs, type 2 QLB significantly extended the time until the first rescue analgesia (SMD: 1.25; 95% CI: 0.84, 1.67). No significant differences were observed in terms of parental satisfaction, hospitalization time, block execution time, block failure, or adverse events between QLB and non-QLB groups. Conclusions: The QLB provides non-inferior analgesic efficacy and safety to conventional methods in pediatric patients.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제28권11호
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• pp.1928-1936
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• 2018

Recently, human infections caused by severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV), which can lead to fatality, have dramatically increased in East Asia. With the unavailability of vaccines or antiviral drugs to prevent and/or treat SFTSV infection, early rapid diagnosis is critical for prevention and control of the disease. Here, we report the development of a simple, rapid and sensitive portable detection method for SFTSV infection applying reverse transcription-loop mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) combined with one-pot colorimetric visualization and electro-free reaction platform. This method utilizes a pocket warmer to facilitate diagnosis in a resource-limited setting. Specific primers were designed to target the highly-conserved region of L gene of SFTSV. The detection limit of the RT-LAMP assay was approximately $10^0$ viral genome copies from three different SFTSV strains. This assay exhibited comparable sensitivity to qRT-PCR and 10-fold more sensitivity than conventional RT-PCR, with a rapid detection time of 30 to 60 minutes. The RT-LAMP assay using SFTSV clinical specimens has demonstrated a similar detection rate to qRT-PCR and a higher detection rate compared to conventional RT-PCR. Moreover, there was no observed cross-reactive amplification of other human infectious viruses including Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV), Dengue, Enterovirus, Zika, Influenza and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). This highly sensitive, electro- and equipment-free rapid colorimetric visualization method is feasible for resource-limited SFTSV field diagnosis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제67권5호
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• pp.422-429
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• 2009

Background: The discomfort caused by chronic cough, that is persistent for more than 3 weeks, causes a number of patients to seek medical attention. However, the underlying disorder often remains undetermined despite thorough examinations, and is considered to be idiopathic. This study compared the efficacy of inhaled corticosteroid with conventional cough suppressants on chronic idiopathic cough. Methods: Eligible patients with chronic idiopathic cough were randomly assigned to either the inhaled fluticasone group or the codeine plus levodropropizine oral administration group. The subjects in each group took their planned medication for 2 weeks. After the trial, comparative analyses of outcomes were performed in terms of the remnant cough (%) at the end of treatment, drug compliance, and adverse drug events. Results: Seventy-seven patients were enrolled in this randomized trial; 38 to the inhaled fluticasone group and 39 to the codeine plus levodropropizine group. The remnant cough was 41.0${\pm}$35.8% in the inhaled fluticasone group, and 32.4${\pm}$32.0% in the codeine+levodropropizine group (p=0.288). Drug compliance was 95.4${\pm}$7.4% and 81.8${\pm}$18.6% in the inhaled fluticasone and the codeine+levodropropizine group, respectively (p<0.001). Nine patients had adverse drug events in the codeine+levodropropizine group compared to one in the inhaled fluticasone group (p<0.001). Conclusion: Short-term inhaled corticosteroid is not inferior to conventional antitussive agents in controlling chronic idiopathic cough without significant adverse events.

• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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• 제28권4호
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• pp.455-460
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• 2007

Flow mismatch between blood and dialysate is invariably encountered during conventional hemodialysis, and this deteriorates diffusive mass transfer. A modification of a conventional dialyzer was conceived to prevent this mismatch. The modified dialyzer includes two independent blood flow regions (central and peripheral regions), which were achieved by redesigning the dialyzer cap. Resultantly, the blood stream was divided into two concentric dialyzer regions. Solutes clearances obtained using the modified dialyzers were compared with those of conventional dialyzers. Solutes clearances by conventional dialyzers were uniform, but solutes clearances by modified dialyzers were found to be dependent on the simulated blood split into dialyzer central and peripheral regions. Maximal clearances using the modified dialyzer were improved by up to approximately 7.6% for urea and 7.3% for creatinine, as compared with those of conventional dialyzers. More optimizations are required for clinical applications, but the finding that blood flowrates through central and peripheral fiber bundles can be easily regulated is encouraging.