• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.54-61
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• 2020

Purpose: Brown tumor is a tumor-like disease that can occur as a linked disease of hyperparathyroidism which can causes osteoporosis, osteitis fibrosa cystica, pathologic fractures. Brown tumor has been reported as a case report, but there is no comprehensive report on the exact diagnosis and principle of management for osseous lesion. The purpose of this study is to report the treatment and results of osseous lesions through 5 cases. Materials and Methods: From February 2004 to May 2015, five cases of Brown tumor were diagnosed in Chosun University Hospital and Chonnam National University Hospital orthopedic department. Medical records and radiographs were reviewed retrospectively. Parathyroid tumors were surgically removed, and surgical treatment and observation were performed for orthopedic osseous lesions. Results: The mean length of the long axis of the symptomatic osseous lesion was 6.2 cm (4.5-9.0 cm). An average of 7.6 (range, 3 to 14) of high uptake osseous lesion showed in whole body bone scan. The absolute value, T-score and Z-score of the vertebrae and proximal femur were adequate for diagnosis of osteoporosis using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry bone mineral density at diagnosis and recovered to normal at the last follow-up. In laboratory tests, serum concentrations of total calcium, ionized calcium, inorganic phosphorus, serum alkaline phosphatase, and parathyroid hormone were helpful to diagnosis and normalized upon successful removal of parathyroid adenoma or cancer. Conclusion: For accurate diagnosis of Brown tumor, it should be accompanied by systemic examination as well as clinical symptoms, laboratory tests and radiologic examination for osseous lesions. And a good prognosis can be expected if the hyperparathyroidism is treated together with the comprehensive treatment of osseous lesions.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.399-407
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• 2021

Wrinkle formation and dryness are the most well-known symptoms of skin aging. This study investigated skin anti-aging and moisturizing effects of Mugunghwa (Hibiscus syriacus L.), the national flower of Korea. The effect of H. syriacus L. flower extract was examined in skin cells originating from humans in vitro and in hairless mice exposed to UVB in vivo. The in vivo study results showed that skin hydration-related factors such as involucrin, filaggrin, HAS1, HYAL1, and matrix metalloproteinase-I (a primary skin photoaging factor) were regulated by H. syriacus L. Additionally, epidermal thickness and collagen disruption, which resulted in wrinkle formation and skin dryness, were ameliorated by oral administration of H. syriacus L. These results indicate that H. syriacus L. flowers can play important roles in preventing aging and promoting skin moisturizing.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.189-197
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• 2022

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by recurring symptoms, airflow obstruction, and bronchial hyper-responsiveness. The onset of asthma for most patients begins early in life, and current asthma treatment with anti-inflammatory agents can have adverse effects, eventually leading to impaired quality of life. In the pathogenesis of asthma, macrophages and basophils play a vital role during progression. Macrophages not only induce inflammation by secreting inflammatory cytokines but also promote DNA damage and mucus production through nitric oxide (NO) production. Basophils enhance eosinophil recruitment and aggravate asthma through the FcεRIα receptor with high affinity for histamine and IgE. Therefore, in this study, we investigated whether the activation of macrophages and basophils is suppressed by the individual extracts of 28 natural products. RAW 264.7 cells (mouse macrophages) were treated with the natural products in LPS, and 4 natural product extracts resulted in decreased NO production. In β-hexosaminidase assay using RBL-2H3 cells (rat basophils), 19 natural product extracts decreased β-hexosaminidase production. In NO production and β-hexosaminidase assay using macrophages and basophils, 3 natural product extracts (Plantago asiatica, Centella asiatica, and Perilla frutescens var. japonica) significantly inhibited NO production and β-hexosaminidase release. Overall, we examined the inhibitory effects of 28 natural product extracts on macrophage and basophil activity, and the findings demonstrated the potential of natural product extracts for treating asthma and macrophage- and basophil-related diseases.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.78-85
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• 2021

Objectives: When elderly patients show depressive symptoms, discrimination between depressive disorder and prodromal phase of Alzheimer's disease is important. We tested whether a quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG) marker was associated with cerebral amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition in older adults with depression. Methods: Non-demented older individuals (≥ 55years) diagnosed with depression were included in the analyses (n = 63; 76.2% female; mean age ± standard deviation 73.7 ± 6.87 years). The participants were divided into Aβ+ (n = 32) and Aβ- (n = 31) groups based on amyloid PET assessment. EEG was recorded during the 7min eye-closed (EC) phase and 3min eye-open (EO) phase, and all EEG data were analyzed using Fourier transform spectral analysis. We tested interaction effects among Aβ positivity, condition (EC vs. EO), laterality (left, midline, or right), and polarity (frontal, central, or posterior) for EEG alpha band power. Then, the EC-to-EO alpha reactivity index (ARI) was examined as a neurophysiological marker for predicting Aβ+ in depressed older adults. Results: The mean power spectral density of the alpha band in EO phase showed a significant difference between the Aβ+ and Aβ- groups (F = 6.258, p = 0.015). A significant 3-way interaction was observed among Aβ positivity, condition, and laterality on alpha-band power after adjusting for age, sex, educational years, global cognitive function, medication use, and white matter hyperintensities on MRI (F = 3.720, p = 0.030). However, post-hoc analyses showed no significant difference in ARI according to Aβ status in any regions of interest. Conclusion: Among older adults with depression, increased power in EO phase alpha band was associated with Aβ positivity. However, EC-to-EO ARI was not confirmed as a predictor for Aβ+ in depressed older individuals. Future studies with larger samples are needed to confirm our results.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.82-91
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• 2022

Recently, several in vitro studies have reported antiviral activity of agents of systemic acquired resistance against plant virus infection, but the approach has not been applied in a wide range of agricultural fields. The objective of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory effect of the exogenous application of salicylic acid (SA), chitosan (CH), or eugenol (EG) in tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) infection of greenhouse-grown tomato plants. In vitro, the initial time of symptom was observed in TYLCV-infected plants (VP) of the resistant cultivar 'Superdotaerang' at 12 days post inoculation (dpi) after application of antiviral agents. At 32 dpi, the disease rate of TYLCV in the CHT+VP (0.1% chitosan and virus infected control) treated plants was 87.5%, lower than that of the other treatment. However, the virus content in the CHT+VP treated plants was higher than those of the other treatments, and SA, EG, and CH did not show significant effect on plant height or shoot and root fresh weight. Our results from summer-cultivated greenhouse-grown tomatoes show that none of the tested agents had an inhibitory activity on viral infection or yield of tomato 'Dotaerangsola'cultivar. In contrast, all treated 'TY Giants' cultivars that possessed TYLCV resistance genes Ty-1 and Ty-3a did not show typical symptoms and the virus content was remarkably lower than those in the TYLCV treated plants in 'Superdotaerang'. The results of this research indicated that the planting of resistant tomato cultivars was effective method instead of using SA, EG, and CH (known as resistance-inducing factors for control) of TYLCV in the field.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.131-140
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• 2022

Purpose: Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began, new variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have emerged, and distinct epidemic waves of COVID-19 have occurred for an extended period. This study aimed to analyze the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of children with COVID-19 from the third wave to the middle of the fourth epidemic wave in Korea. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of hospitalized patients aged ≤18 years with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. The study periods were divided into the third wave (from November 13, 2020 to July 6, 2021) and the fourth wave (from July 7 to October 31, 2021). Results: Ninety-three patients were included in the analysis (33 in the third and 60 in the fourth waves). Compared with the third wave, the median age of patients was significantly older during the fourth wave (6.7 vs. 2.8 years, P=0.014). Household contacts was reported in 60.2% of total patients, similar in both periods (69.7 vs. 55.0%, P=0.190). Eighty-one (87.1%) had symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among these, 10 (12.3%) had no respiratory symptoms. Anosmia or ageusia were more commonly observed in the fourth epidemic wave (10.7 vs. 34.0%, P=0.032). Most respiratory illness were upper respiratory tract infections (94.4%, 67/71), 4 had pneumonia. The median cycle threshold values (detection threshold, 40) for RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and envelope (E) genes of SARS-CoV-2 were 21.3 and 19.3, respectively. There was no significant difference in viral load during 2 epidemic waves. Conclusions: There were different characteristics during the two epidemic waves of COVID-19.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.12
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• pp.896-910
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• 2022

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a highly transmissible and potentially fatal virus. So far, most comprehensive analyses encompassing clinical and transcriptional manifestation have concentrated on the lungs. Here, we confirmed evident signs of viral infection in the lungs and spleen of SARS-CoV-2-infected K18-hACE2 mice, which replicate the phenotype and infection symptoms in hospitalized humans. Seven days post viral detection in organs, infected mice showed decreased vital signs, leading to death. Bronchopneumonia due to infiltration of leukocytes in the lungs and reduction in the spleen lymphocyte region were observed. Transcriptome profiling implicated the meticulous regulation of distress and recovery from cytokine-mediated immunity by distinct immune cell types in a time-dependent manner. In lungs, the chemokine-driven response to viral invasion was highly elevated at 2 days post infection (dpi). In late infection, diseased lungs, post the innate immune process, showed recovery signs. The spleen established an even more immediate line of defense than the lungs, and the cytokine expression profile dropped at 7 dpi. At 5 dpi, spleen samples diverged into two distinct groups with different transcriptome profile and pathophysiology. Inhibition of consecutive host cell viral entry and massive immunoglobulin production and proteolysis inhibition seemed that one group endeavored to survive, while the other group struggled with developmental regeneration against consistent viral intrusion through the replication cycle. Our results may contribute to improved understanding of the longitudinal response to viral infection and development of potential therapeutics for hospitalized patients affected by SARS-CoV-2.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.276-285
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• 2023

This work investigated the viral infection in jujube plants in Korea. A total of 61 samples with the symptoms of putative viral infection were collected from experimental fields and orchards. Thereafter, the samples were subjected to metatranscriptome analysis, Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis, and nucleotide sequence analysis. These analyses identified the presence of two DNA viruses, jujube-associated badnavirus (JuBV), jujube mosaic-associated virus (JuMaV), and one RNA virus, jujube yellow mottle-associated virus (JYMaV). All samples collected were confirmed to be infected by at least one of the three viruses, with most showed multiple infections. The detection rates of JuBV, JYMaV, and JuMaV were 100%, 90.2%, and 8.2%, respectively. Only three combinations of viral infections were found: 9.8% of samples showed single infection of JuBV, 82.0% showed double infection of JuBV+JYMaV, and 8.2% showed triple infection of JuBV+JYMaV+JuMaV. Sequence analysis of the three viruses showed very high homology with respective virus isolates reported in China. This study is predicted to provide fundamental data to produce virus-free jujube seedlings and represents the first report of JuBV and JuMaV infection in Korea.

• Journal of Service Research and Studies
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.63-75
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• 2023

Due to the development of industry, interest in air pollutants has increased. Air pollutants have affected various fields such as environmental pollution and global warming. Among them, environmental diseases are one of the fields affected by air pollutants. Air pollutants can affect the human body's skin or respiratory tract due to their small molecular size. As a result, various studies on air pollutants and environmental diseases have been conducted. Asthma, part of an environmental disease, can be life-threatening if symptoms worsen and cause asthma attacks, and in the case of adult asthma, it is difficult to cure once it occurs. Factors that worsen asthma include particulate matter and air pollution. Asthma is an increasing prevalence worldwide. In this paper, we study how air pollutants correlate with the number of emergency room admissions in asthma patients and predict the number of future asthma emergency patients using highly correlated air pollutants. Air pollutants used concentrations of five pollutants: sulfur dioxide(SO₂), carbon monoxide(CO), ozone(O₃), nitrogen dioxide(NO₂), and fine dust(PM₁₀), and environmental diseases used data on the number of hospitalizations of asthma patients in the emergency room. Data on the number of emergency patients of air pollutants and asthma were used for a total of 5 years from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2017. The model made predictions using two models, Informer and LTSF-Linear, and performance indicators of MAE, MAPE, and RMSE were used to measure the performance of the model. The results were compared by making predictions for both cases including and not including the number of emergency patients. This paper presents air pollutants that improve the model's performance in predicting the number of asthma emergency patients using Informer and LTSF-Linear models.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.45-51
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• 2019

Purpose: The clinical and radiological results of patients with type 3 talar neck fractures treated with the anteromedial approach using medial malleolar osteotomy and large distractor were analyzed retrospectively. Materials and Methods: From March 2009 to August 2016, 12 patients with a type 3 talar neck fracture, who underwent the anteromedial approach using a medial malleolar osteotomy and large distractor and who could be followed-up for more than 12 months after the operation, were examined. The patients were examined for the presence of Hawkins signs by anteroposterior and lateral radiographs and osteonecrosis by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on the postoperative 3 months. Subsequently, every 3 months, radiographic union was assessed by a simple radiograph and clinical symptoms. Twelve months postoperatively, posttraumatic arthritis was assessed and the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score was analyzed. Results: In 7 cases, osteonecrosis was found on MRI performed 3 months after surgery. On the other hand, at the 12 months follow-up, all of them obtained AOFAS scores of 83.86±4.53 without surgical treatment. Radiographic union was achieved in all cases. The mean union period was 5.3 months. In 10 cases, traumatic arthritis was found after the radiographical and clinical evaluation. In addition, all of them could carry on everyday life by conservative treatment. The AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score was measured to be 85.17 on average. Other complications included superficial wound infection in 2 cases. Conclusion: An anteromedial approach using a medial malleolar osteotomy and a large distractor in the surgical treatment of patients with type 3 talar neck fractures can achieve anatomical reduction of the displaced fragment without a lateral dissection. This is considered to be another good surgical option.