• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.119-125
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• 2008

Lymphatic filariasis, transmitted by mosquitoes is the commonest cause of lymphedema in endemic countries. Among 120 million infected people in 83 countries, up to 16 million have lymphedema. Microfilariae ingested by mosquitoes grow into infective larvae. These larvae entering humans after infected mosquito bites grow in the lymphatics to adult worms that cause damage to lymphatics resulting in dilatation of lymph vessels. This earliest pathology is demonstrated in adults as well as in children, by ultrasonography, lymphoscintigraphy and histopathology studies. Once established, this damage was thought to be irreversible. This lymphatic damage predisposes to bacterial infection that causes recurrent acute attacks of dermato-lymphangio-adenitis in the affected limbs. Bacteria, mainly streptococci gain entry into the lymphatics through 'entry lesions' in skin, like interdigital fungal infections, injuries, eczema or similar causes that disrupt integrity of skin. Attacks of dermato-lymphangio-adenitis aggravates lymphatic damage causing lymphedema, which gets worse with repeated acute attacks. Elephantiasis is a late manifestation of lymphatic filariasis, which apart from limbs may involve genitalia or breasts. Lymphedema management includes use of antifilarial drugs in early stages, treatment and prevention of acute attacks through 'limb-hygiene', antibiotics and antifungals where indicated, and physical measures to reduce the swelling. In selected cases surgery is helpful.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.259-266
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• 2004

Specific heat mechanism of oxide fuel is contributed by lattice vibration, dilatation, conduction electron and defect and excess specific heat. Model of oxide fuel for specific heat consists of specific heat at constant pressure term, dilatation specific heat term and defect specific heat term. In this study experimental and published data on the specific heats of oxide nuclear fuels have been reviewed and analyzed to recommend the best fitting model. The oxide fuels considered in this paper were UO$_2$, mixed (U, Pu) oxides and spent fuel. The specific heat data of spent fuel has been replaced by that of simulated fuel.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.161-167
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• 2022

Congenital web formations are extremely rare anomalies of the extrahepatic biliary tree. We herein report a case of common bile duct septum combined with multiple intrahepatic bile duct strictures in a 74-year-old female patient who was successfully treated with radiological intervention. The patient initially visited the hospital because of upper abdominal pain. Imaging studies revealed multifocal strictures with dilatation in both intra- and extrahepatic ducts; the final clinical diagnosis was congenital common bile duct web combined with multiple intrahepatic duct strictures. Surgical treatment was not indicated because multiple biliary strictures were untreatable, and the disease was clinically diagnosed as benign. The multiple strictures were extensively dilated twice through bilateral percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) for 2 months. After 1 month of observation, PTBD catheters were successfully removed. The patient is doing well at 6 months after completion of the radiological intervention, with the maintenance of normal liver function. Congenital web of the bile duct is very rare, and its treatment may vary depending on the patterns of biliary stenosis. In cases where surgical intervention is not indicated for congenital web and its associated disease, radiological intervention with balloon dilatation can be a viable therapeutic option.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.56-58
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• 2023

Untreated severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is associated with poor outcomes. Functional TR occurs secondary to dilatation of the annulus and tethering of the leaflets. Ring annuloplasty alone can correct most cases, but is insufficient in cases of severe annular dilatation due to severe leaflet tethering. In such cases, a tricuspid edge-to-edge technique may be an option. However, stitching of the leaflet tips alone is likely to result in tearing of the leaflets. Approximation of the durable chordae tendineae is considered helpful for this problem. Herein, we present the case of a 39-year-old man who had undergone open-heart surgery for acute type A aortic dissection 13 months earlier. A right mini-thoracotomy approach with a beating-heart strategy was used, which did not require unnecessary pericardial adhesiolysis and dissection. This technique had the advantage of reducing the operation time and the risk of bleeding. To summarize, we present a case of tricuspid valve repair in a high-risk patient with severe leaflet tethering that was successfully managed using these methods.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.284-289
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• 2023

A 14-year-old girl was admitted to the emergency department for excessive bile-containing vomiting and severe abdominal pain. She had been healthy until she intentionally lost 25 kg over a 6-month period. Thick, bloody bile-mixed food particles were drained from the stomach through a nasogastric tube. Abdominal computed tomography revealed huge stomach dilatation with extensive gastric pneumatosis, possible near rupture, acute pancreatitis, and a very narrow third of the duodenum, indicating superior mesenteric syndrome. Gastrofibroscopy revealed multiple hemorrhagic ulcers and numerous beadlike cystic lesions in the stomach. Laboratory examination results were notable for severe deficiencies in critical nutrients, including iron, zinc, proteins, and prealbumin, as well as undernutrition-associated endocrine complications such as hypothyroidism and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Excessive vomiting ceased after the endoscopic removal of stagnant gastric contents. Gastric pneumatosis improved after 3 days of supportive care.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.445-448
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• 2023

A 25-year-old man returned to Seoul National University Children's Hospital with mild dyspnea on exertion. He had undergone an arterial switch operation at 1 month after birth to correct a complete transposition of the great arteries and a ventricular septal defect. When the patient was 15 years old, dilatation of the neo-aortic sinus and annulus was first identified; since then, it had gradually increased. Given the young age of the patient and the degree of aortic regurgitation (AR), which was mild to moderate, we opted to perform a valve-sparing neo-aortic root replacement with aortic valve repair. Postoperative echocardiography showed successful reductions in the sizes of the aortic sinus and annulus, with only mild AR remaining.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.1200-1220
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• 2023

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is one of the most common types of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy. DCM is characterized by left ventricle (LV) dilatation and systolic dysfunction without coronary artery disease or abnormal loading conditions. DCM is not a single disease entity and has a complex historical background of revisions and updates to its definition because of its diverse etiology and clinical manifestations. In cases of LV dilatation and dysfunction, conditions with phenotypic overlap should be excluded before establishing a DCM diagnosis. The differential diagnoses of DCM include ischemic cardiomyopathy, valvular heart disease, burned-out hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, and non-compaction. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is helpful for evaluating DCM because it provides precise measurements of cardiac size, function, mass, and tissue characterization. Comprehensive analyses using various sequences, including cine imaging, late gadolinium enhancement imaging, and T1 and T2 mapping, may help establish differential diagnoses, etiological work-up, disease stratification, prognostic determination, and follow-up procedures in patients with DCM phenotypes. This article aimed to review the utilities and limitations of CMR in the diagnosis and assessment of DCM.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.726-734
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• 2023

Background/Aims: Endoscopic stenting for stricturing Crohn's disease (CD) is an emerging treatment that achieves more persistent dilatation of the stricture over time than endoscopic balloon dilatation (EBD). We aimed to explore the efficacy and safety of stenting for the treatment of CD strictures. Methods: A systematic electronic literature search was performed (PROSPERO; no. CRD42022308033). The primary outcomes were technical success, efficacy, complication rate, and the need for further interventions due to reobstruction. The outcomes of partially covered self-expanding metal stents (PCSEMS) with scheduled retrieval after seven days were also analyzed. Results: Eleven eligible studies were included in the review. Overall, 173 patients with CD were included in this study. Mean percentage of technical success was 95% (range, 80%-100%), short-term efficacy was 100% in all studies, and long-term efficacy was 56% (range, 25%-90%). In patients with a scheduled PCSEMS retrieval, the long-term efficacy was 76% (range, 59%-90%), the mean complication rate was 35% (range, 15%-57%), and the major complication rate was 11% (range, 0%-29%). Conclusions: Endoscopic stenting with scheduled PCSEMS retrieval may be considered a feasible second-line treatment for short CD strictures to postpone surgery. However, larger head-to-head prospective studies are needed to understand the role of stenting as an alternative or additional treatment to EBD in CD.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.5 s.274
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• pp.329-340
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• 2007

Background: Matrix Metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibition has emerged as a potential therapeutic strategy for the left ventricular dilatation that occurs after myocardial infarction. This study is designed to evaluate which treatment is better for attenuating the left ventricular remodeling via MMP inhibition 1) during the early, short highly MMP producing period of the initial phase or 2) during most of the period of the initial phase after myocardial infarction. Material and Method: Myocardial infarction was induced by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery in rabbits. The experimental group was divided into 3 groups. The myocardial infarction only (MI only) group consisted of 7 cases. The MMP inhibitor administered for 5 days after MI (MMPI 50) group had 6 cases, and these rabbits were given MMP inhibitor for 5 days after myocardial infarction, beginning with the postoperative first day. MMP inhibitor administered for 9 days (MMPI 90) group consisted of 5 cases and these rabbits were given MMPI for 9 days the same manner as above. CG2300 was used as a selective MMPI; this is a potent MMP-2 and -9 inhibitor Two-D echocardiograms were performed on all the groups at the time of preoperative period, the post-operative 1st week, the postoperative 20 week and the postoperative 30 week, and we measured the end-diastolic dimension (EDD), the end-systolic dimension (ESD), and the ejection fraction (EF). Result: The echocardiograms generally showed postoperative left ventricular dilatation in the MI only group. The EDD was increased significantly higher in the postoperative 1 week compared to the preoperative value (p<0.05). The ESD was also increased significantly higher in the postoperative 1st week, the postoperative 20 week and the postoperative 30 week compared to the preoperative value (p<0.05). Left ventricular dilatation was noted to be less In the MMPI 9d group than in the MI only and MMPI 5d groups. In the MMPI 9d group, there was no significant change of EF postoperatively compared to the preoperative period. MMP-2 and MMP-9 were measured from the infarcted myocardial tissue at post-MI 4 weeks by performing western blotting and zymography. The changes the of protein expression and activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were not significant in the three MI groups and the normal heart group. Histopathologic examination revealed severe collagen deposition in the MI only group. Collagen accumulation was reduced in both the MMPI groups. The MMPI 9d group revealed an increased number of capillaries. Conclusion: Left ventricular dilatation developed rapidly after, MI from ligation of the coronary artery and MMPI attenuated the ventricular dilatation. The effect of MMPI seemed to have better a result from its usage during most of the period of the initial phase after myocardial infarction. This suggested that increased neovascularization by MMPI may also contribute to attenuation of the left ventricular remodeling.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.255-258
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• 2015

Gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV) is an acute and life-threatening disease most commonly affecting large- and giant-breed dogs. However a 17-year-old Shih-tzu (4 kg, spayed female) was hospitalized for acute GDV. Repeated unproductive retching, lethargy, and excessively enlarged abdomen were observed. Physical examination indicated that the patient had suffered from hypothermia ($36.5^{\circ}C$), tachycardia (240 bpm), slowed capillary refill time (> 2 sec.), and pale mucous membrane. Grade III murmur with normal lung sound was auscultated. Abdominal palpation revealed that tympanic regions existed in both the left and right sides. Systolic blood pressure decreased gradually from 220 to 40 mmHg within 4 hours. In blood analysis, slight azotemia was observed by blood urea nitrogen (BUN; 29.1 mg/dl) and creatinine (1.6 mg/dl). Blood lactate concentration (8.13 mmol/l) was severely elevated. Additionally, dilatation and volvulus of the stomach was observed by radiograph. Supportive oxygen, heat, fluid, and drugs were administered with gastric decompressions (e.g., gastrocentesis and nasogastric tube). However the patient entered into comatose status with uncontrollable systolic blood pressure, despite the administration of dobutamine intravenously. The case was closed by euthanasia, considering welfare and age. We finally diagnosed the patient as a GDV, thus this is the first GDV case report in small-breed dog such as Shih-tzu.