• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.65 no.4
• /
• pp.182-187
• /
• 2022

We frequently encounter newborn infants with thrombocytosis in the neonatal intensive care unit. However, neonatal thrombocytosis is not yet fully understood. Thrombocytosis is more frequently identified in newborns and young infants, notably more often in those younger than 2 years than in older children or adults. The production of megakaryocytes (megakaryopoiesis) and platelets (thrombopoiesis) is mainly regulated by thrombopoietin (TPO). Increased TPO levels during infection or inflammation can stimulate megakaryopoiesis, resulting in thrombopoiesis. TPO concentrations are higher in newborn infants than in adults. Levels increase after birth, peak on the second day after birth, and start decreasing at 1 month of age. Initial platelet counts at birth increase with gestational age. Thus, preterm infants have lower initial platelet counts at birth than late-preterm or term infants. Postnatal thrombocytosis is more frequently observed in preterm infants than in term infants. A high TPO concentration and low TPO receptor expression on platelets leading to elevated plasma-free TPO, increased sensitivity of megakaryocyte precursor cells to TPO, a decreased red blood cell count, and immaturity of platelet regulation are speculated to induce thrombocytosis in preterm infants. Thrombocytosis in newborn infants is considered a reactive process (secondary thrombocytosis) following infection, acute/chronic inflammation, or anemia. Thrombocytosis in newborn infants is benign, resolves spontaneously, and, unlike in adults, is rarely associated with hemorrhagic and thromboembolic complications.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.164-171
• /
• 2023

To control the spread of COVID-19, it is important to identify the infection in its incipient stages so that the infected persons can be dealt with accordingly. The currently used face to face sampling method may increase the risk of infection for medical professionals as it exposes them to the asymptomatic yet infectious patients. This can result in further increases in the load on the medical system and workload of the medical staff. As a solution to this problem, in this paper, we present a robotic system for rapid non-face-to-face automatic nasopharyngeal swab sample collection. The system consists of a custom designed 7-DoF manipulator equipped with a specially developed safety mechanism for restricting the maximum force applied by the tip of the swab. During the swab sampling process, the force applied by the tip of the swab is continuously monitored in real-time by a 3-axis force sensor in order to detect contact with the nasopharynx. The possibility of using this system for automaticnasopharyngeal swab sample collection is proven through experimentation with a phantom model.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• v.40 no.3
• /
• pp.235-250
• /
• 2024

During the infection process, plant pathogenic fungi encounter plant-derived oxidative stress, and an appropriate response to this stress is crucial to their survival and establishment of the disease. Plant pathogenic fungi have evolved several mechanisms to eliminate oxidants from the external environment and maintain cellular redox homeostasis. When oxidative stress is perceived, various signaling transduction pathways are triggered and activate the downstream genes responsible for the oxidative stress response. Despite extensive research on antioxidant systems and their regulatory mechanisms in plant pathogenic fungi, the specific functions of individual antioxidants and their impacts on pathogenicity have not recently been systematically summarized. Therefore, our objective is to consolidate previous research on the antioxidant systems of plant pathogenic fungi. In this review, we explore the plant immune responses during fungal infection, with a focus on the generation and function of reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, we delve into the three antioxidant systems, summarizing their functions and regulatory mechanisms involved in oxidative stress response. This comprehensive review provides an integrated overview of the antioxidant mechanisms within plant pathogenic fungi, revealing how the oxidative stress response contributes to their pathogenicity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.146-153
• /
• 2007

A mathematical competition model between normal flora and an invading pathogen was devised to allow analysis of bacterial infections in a host. The normal flora includes the various microorganisms that live on or within the host and act as a primary human immune system. Despite the important role of the normal flora, no mathematical study has been undertaken on models of the interaction between it and invading pathogens against a background of antibiotic treatment. To quantify key elements of bacterial behavior in a host, pairs of nonlinear differential equations were used to describe three categories of human health conditions, namely, healthy, latent infection, and active infection. In addition, a cutoff value was proposed to represent the minimum population level required for survival. The recovery of normal flora after antibiotic treatment was also included in the simulation because of its relation to human health recovery. The significance of each simulation parameter for the bacterial growth model was investigated. The devised simulation showed that bacterial proliferation rate, carrying capacity, initial population levels, and competition intensity have a significant effect on bacterial behavior. Consequently, a model was established to describe competition between normal flora and an infiltrating pathogen. Unlike other population models, the recovery process described by the devised model can describe the human health recovery mechanism.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.59-69
• /
• 2014

One of the major challenges in metabolic engineering for enhanced synthesis of value-added chemicals is to design and develop new strains that can be translated into well-controlled fermentation processes using bioreactors. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of various fed-batch strategies in the performance of metabolically engineered Pseudomonas putida strains, ${\Delta}gcd$ and ${\Delta}gcd-pgl$, for improving production of medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates (mcl-PHAs) using glucose as the only carbon source. First we developed a fed-batch process that comprised an initial phase of biomass accumulation based on an exponential feeding carbon-limited strategy. For the mcl-PHA accumulation stage, three induction techniques were tested under nitrogen limitation. The substrate-pulse feeding was more efficient than the constant-feeding approach to promote the accumulation of the desirable product. Nonetheless, the most efficient approach for maximum PHA synthesis was the application of a dissolved-oxygen-stat feeding strategy (DO-stat), where P. putida ${\Delta}gcd$ mutant strain showed a final PHA content and specific PHA productivity of 67% and $0.83g{\cdot}l^{-1}{\cdot}h^{-1}$, respectively. To our knowledge, this mcl-PHA titer is the highest value that has been ever reported using glucose as the sole carbon and energy source. Our results also highlighted the effect of different fed-batch strategies upon the extent of realization of the intended metabolic modification of the mutant strains.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
• /
• v.45 no.3
• /
• pp.213-223
• /
• 2022

Although the number of computed tomography(CT) is increasing every year, it is insufficient to establish appropriate workload calculation standards of radiologic technologist to provide optimal medical services to patients, such as patient safety management and infection management. The purpose of this study is to present guidelines for calculating the appropriate workload of radiologic technologist by analyzing the work flow of CT procedures and the time required for CT examination in major hospitals. As for the study subjects and methods, the appropriate process for each step of CT examination was investigated to systematically present the process and time required for the actual examination, and the CT procedure time of 104,105 adult patients and 465 pediatric patients under the age of 6 were analyzed. For the time required, data according to the use of contrast medium, procedure type, and adult/child were collected and compared. The test time of CT examination using contrast medium took about 13 minutes when one radiologic technologist worked and about 9 minutes when two radiologic technologists worked. The time required for the procedures were statistically significant depending on the presence or absence of contrast medium, multi-phase procedure, and patient age (considering pediatric patients). As a result, in order to thoroughly perform patient safety and infection management, the appropriate workload increased by about 40% when there were two radiologic technologists. The limit workload was an average of 32 people per day with one radiologic technologist per 15 minutes, and 48 people per day with two radiologic technologist per 10 minutes. This is a marginal workload, and in the case of procedures that require more time to acquire radiographic images, the interval between reservations should be widened.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
• /
• v.51 no.3
• /
• pp.381-401
• /
• 2023

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand the perception of medical staff to propose an infected patient transport robot as a means of responding to infectious diseases. Methods: The data collected through the survey was analyzed through AHP analysis. The measurement tools used in this study were derived through the SERVQUAL model and Focus Group Interview(FGI), and consisted of four detailed questions for each of five classes: tangible, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. Results: As a result of the study, there are concerns about risk factors that may occur in areas where medical staff intervention is minimized. Above all, we confirmed the consensus that safety should be the top priority during the process of robots to transport patients. In particular, highlighted were the resolution of device errors that may occur during the process for transporting patients and easy provision of the first aid. Additionally, the ability to monitor patients and suppress infection factors turned out to be important, which was directly related to the simplification of the role of medical staff and work efficiency. Conclusion: As one of the means of effectively controlling infectious diseases in a pandemic situation, a robot to transport the infected patient was considered. However, in order to commercialize this, specific verification of the safety of medical staff and patients is needed, and empirical data on providing the first aid, patient monitoring, and infection factor suppression should be presented.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.219-223
• /
• 2005

We investigated chemical-wounding effect on Agrobacterium-mediated Chinese cabbage transformation via vacuum infiltration. Pre-germinated or germinating Chinese cabbage seeds were infiltrated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens LBA4404 cells carrying either GUS gene (pBI121) or hepatitis B virus surface antigen DNA (pBIHBsAg). Prior to agroinfiltration process, the seeds were soaked in sodium hydrosulfite (SHS) solution or just in sterile water as a control. Comparative transformation efficiency was determined by both of histochemistry and ELISA. We could demonstrate that SHS solution treatment especially to 1-day or 2-days old germinating seeds efficiently improved transformation process, and therefore, transient expression level. This strongly indicated that Agrobacterium infection could be facilitated indeed by SHS-causing wounds on Chinese cabbage seeds.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.1-6
• /
• 2012

Low back pain is a common clinical condition with heterogeneous causes and challenges to manage. High prevalence and numerous assessments result in an enormous socioeconomic burden. Clinician must conduct efficient and stepwise evaluation process to rule out serious spinal pathology, neurologic involvement, and identify risk factors for chronicity. The process can be achieved through the focused history taking and physical examination. Certain factors related to serious spinal pathology include age (>50 years), trauma, unexplained fever, recent urinary or skin infection, unrelenting night or rest pain, unexplained weight loss, osteoporosis, immunosuppression, steroid use, and widespread neurological symptoms. In non-specific low back pain, diagnostic imaging and laboratory studies are often unnecessary and can disturb an appropriate management. For the management of acute low back pain, patient education and medication such as acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and muscle relaxants are recommended. For chronic low back pain, behavior therapy, back exercise, and spinal manipulation are beneficial. The evidence based approach could improve success rate of management, result in prevention of acute low back pain from being chronic intractable pain.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.85-93
• /
• 2009

In this paper, the geometric design for the body of a 3"-PFA-lined plug valve is concerned, and body model which has less deformed PFA-resin after infection molding process is proposed. A CAE software is used to simulate the deformation due to heat in cooling. To reduce the deformation, some small shapes are added to PFA-resin surfaces related on wall of the valve housing. And thermal stress simulation with FEM methodology is followed after that. Also, the 3D-CAD package is used during the design processes. In this study, I tried to present the possibility to use the FEM analysis in the solid modeling process. So, the design engineer will be able to use analysis package effectively on his job within the limited range.