• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.505-513
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• 2021

Objective : The adaptive immune response following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is not well understood. We evaluated and compared the T cell receptor (TCR) immune repertoire of good-grade and poor-grade SAH patients to elucidate the T cell immunology after ictus. Methods : Peripheral blood from six SAH patients was collected at two different times, admission and at the 7-day follow-up. Composition and variation of the TCR β-chain (TCRB) complimentary determining regions (CDR) 3 repertoire was examined using high-throughput sequencing; the analysis was based on sampling time and disease severity (good vs. poor-grade SAH). Results : Clonality at admission and follow-up were 0.059 (0.037-0.038) and 0.027 (0.014-0.082) (median, 25th-75th percentile). Poor-grade SAH (0.025 [0.011-0.038]) was associated with significantly lower clonality than good-grade SAH (0.095 [0.079-0.101]). Poor-grade SAH patients had higher diversity scores than good-grade SAH patients. CDR length was shorter in good-grade SAH vs. poor-grade SAH. Differences in clonotype distribution were more prominent in TCRBV gene segments than TCRBJ segments. TCRBV19-01/TCRBJ02-04 and TCRBV28-01/TCRBJ02-04 were the most increased and the most decreased V-J pairs in the 7-day follow-up compared to admission in good-grade SAH. The most increased and decreased V-J pairs in poor-grade SAH patients were TCRBV28-01/TCRBJ02-06 and TCRBV30-01/TCRBJ02-04, respectively. Conclusion : The TCRB repertoire is dynamic in nature following SAH. TCRB repertoire may facilitate our understanding of adaptive immune response according to SAH severity.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.187-202
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• 2021

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The exposure to sucrose in rats has mimic abnormalities attributed to metabolic syndrome (MetS). The effects of honey bee and "free" glucose and fructose, have not been explored in this context. The aim was to expose Wistar rodents to sucrose solution (SS), honey solution (HS) and fructose/glucose solution (GFS) at 30% to assess their effects. SUBJECTS/METHODS: HS (n = 10), SS (n = 10) and GFS (n = 10) groups were formed. Solutions were ad libitum along 14-weeks. RESULTS: Between solutions consumptions, honey was significantly 42% higher (P = 0.000), while similar consumption was observed among GFS and SS. The feeding pattern of HS consumption was irregular along experiment; while the food intake pattern showed the similar trend among groups along time. Non statistical differences were obtained in any biochemical and anthropometric measure, however, a higher concentration of leptin (721 ± 507 pg/mL), lower concentration of total cholesterol (TC; 48.87 ± 2.41 mg/100 mL), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL; 16.47 ± 6.55 mg/100 mL) and triglycerides (82.37 ± 32.77 mg/100 mL) was obtained in SS group. For anthropometric values, HS showed less total adipose tissue (AT; average 26 vs. 31-33 g) and adiposity index (average 6.11 vs. 7.6). Due to sugar-sweetened beverages consumption increases the risk for the development of chronic diseases; correlations between fluid intake and anthropometric and biochemical parameters were assessed. A moderate correlation was obtained in groups with the weight of total AT and solution intake; for the weight gain in GFS group and for triglycerides in HS and GFS. The highest hepatic tissue damage was observed in SS group with multiple intracytoplasmic vacuoles, atypia changes, moderate pleomorphism and hepatocellular necrosis. CONCLUSIONS: In spite of the significantly higher consumption of HS, biochemical, anthropometrical and histological effects were not remarkably different in comparision to other sweeteners.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.30-37
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• 2021

Purpose: While the amylase concentration of the drainage fluid (dAmy) has been reported to be a predictor of postoperative pancreas-related complications (PPRC), the optimal timing for its measurement has not been fully investigated. Materials and Methods: The clinicopathological data of 387 patients who underwent elective gastrectomy for gastric cancer were reviewed. Laboratory data, including dAmy on postoperative days 1 (dAmy1) and 3 (dAmy3), and serum C-reactive protein (sCRP) concentrations on postoperative days 1 (sCRP1) and 3 (sCRP3) were compared between patients with PPRC and without PPRC. Results: Nineteen of the 387 patients (4.9%) developed PPRC. The optimal cutoff values of dAmy1, dAmy3, sCRP1, and sCRP3 were 1514 IU/L, 761 IU/L, 8.32 mg/dL, and 15.15 mg/dL, respectively. The area under the curve of dAmy1 was greater than that of dAmy3 (0.915 vs. 0.826), and that of sCRP3 was greater than that of sCRP1 (0.820 vs. 0.659). In the multivariate analysis, dAmy1 (P<0.001) and sCRP3 (P=0.004) were significant predictors of PPRC, while dAmy3 (P=0.069) and sCRP1 (P=0.831) were not. Thirteen (41.9%) of 31 patients with both dAmy1 ≥1,545 IU/L and sCRP3 ≥15.15 mg/dL had PPRC ≥Clavien-Dindo II. In contrast, among 260 patients with both dAmy1 <1,545 IU/L and sCRP3 <15.15 mg/dL, none developed PPRC. Conclusions: dAmy1 was more useful than dAmy3 in predicting PPRC. The combination of dAmy1 and sCRP3 may be a useful criterion for the removal of drains on postoperative day 3.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.27-30
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• 2021

Vaccination for swine food and mouth disease (FMD) has been using needle injection. Needle injection can cause lesions of injection site on muscle and lymph node, leading to consumer's complain and Korea Pork's image deterioration. Needle-free injections have been developing to solve this issues. The current study performed to evaluate the frequency of muscle and lymph node lesions after vaccination using needle-free injection. Needle-free injection significantly decreased the lesions on the injection site compared with the needle injection(36 vs. 16%, p < 0.05). Based on the result, needle-free injection can enhance the quality of pork and decrease consumer's complains. Further study should perform to validate potential of needle-free injection by investigating antibody formation rate, work efficiency, and economic cost.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.258-265
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• 2021

High levels for noise and a loss of true signal make the quantitative interpretation of nuclear medicine (NM) images difficult. An application of profile optimization using a sigmoidal function in this study was used to acquire the NM images with high quality. And the images were acquired by using three kinds of reconstruction method using each same sinogram: a standard filtered back-projection (FBP), an iterative reconstruction (IR) technique, and the sigmoidal function profile optimization (SFPO). Comparison of image according to reconstruction method was performed to show a superiority of the SFPO for imaging. The images reconstructed by using the SFPO showed an average of 1.49 times and of 1.17 times better in contrast than the results obtained using the standard FBP and the IR technique, respectively. Higher signal to noise ratios were obtained as an average of 12.30 times and of 3.77 times than results obtained using the standard FBP and the IR technique, respectively. This study confirms that reconstruction with SFPO (vs FBP and vs IR) can lead to better lesion detectability and characterization with noise reduction. It can be developed for future reconstruction technique for the NM imaging.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.21-30
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• 2022

PURPOSE: This study examined the effects of treadmill training with taping on the affected ankle joint on the gait and balancing ability in patients with sub-acute stroke. METHODS: Nineteen patients with sub-acute hemiplegic stroke in a rehabilitation hospital were assigned randomly to either the experimental group (n = 10), who received treadmill training with taping on the affected ankle joint or the control group (n = 9), who received general treadmill training. All participants performed 60 min of comprehensive rehabilitation therapy (five sessions per week for four weeks). Each group received treadmill training with or without taping on the affected ankle joint for 20 min (three sessions per week for four weeks). The gait and balancing ability were measured before and after the four-week training. RESULTS: Post-training scores of 10-meter walk test (10 MWT), timed up and go (TUG) test, and center of pressure (COP) path length and velocity for the experimental group increased significantly compared to that pre-training (p < .05). The experimental group showed a larger decrease in the 10 MWT and TUG test than the control group (-3.5 s vs. -1.01 s, p < .05; -4.9 s vs. -1.7 s, p < .05; respectively) CONCLUSION: Treadmill training with taping on the affected ankle joint might improve the gait and balancing ability of stroke patients and is considered a more effective method for improving gait and balancing ability than the method of general treadmill training.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.348-355
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• 2022

Objectives: To compare the vital sign stability and cost of two commonly used sedatives, midazolam (MDZ) and dexmedetomidine (DEX). Patients and Methods: This retrospective study targeted patients who underwent mandibular third molar extractions under intravenous sedation using MDZ or DEX. The predictor variable was the type of sedative used. The primary outcome variables were vital signs (heart rate and blood pressure), vital sign outliers, and cost of the sedatives. A vital sign outlier was defined as a 30% or more change in vital signs during sedation; the fewer changes, the higher the vital sign stability. The secondary outcome variables included the observer's assessment of alertness/sedation scale, level of amnesia, patient satisfaction, and bispectral index score. Covariates were sex, age, body mass index, sleeping time, dental anxiety score, and Pederson scale. Descriptive statistics were computed including propensity score matching (PSM). The P-value was set at 0.05. Results: The study enrolled 185 patients, 103 in the MDZ group and 82 in the DEX group. Based on the data after PSM, the two samples had similar baseline covariates. The sedative effect of both agents was satisfactory. Heart rate outliers were more common with MDZ than with DEX (49.3% vs 22.7%, P=0.001). Heart rate was higher with MDZ (P=0.000). The cost was higher for DEX than for MDZ (29.27±0.00 USD vs 0.37±0.04 USD, P=0.000). Conclusion: DEX showed more vital sign stability, while MDZ was more economical. These results could be used as a reference to guide clinicians during sedative selection.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.136-144
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• 2024

Background: Early non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that abuts adjacent structures requires careful evaluation due to its potential impact on postoperative outcomes and prognosis. We examined stage I NSCLC with invasion into adjacent structures, focusing on the prognostic implications after curative surgical resection. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the records of 796 patients who underwent curative surgical resection for pathologic stage IA/IB NSCLC (i.e., visceral pleural invasion only) at a single center from 2008 to 2017. Patients were classified based on tumor abutment and then reclassified by the presence of visceral pleural invasion. Clinical characteristics, pathological features, and survival rates were compared. Results: The study included 181 patients with abutting NSCLC (22.7% of all participants) and 615 with non-abutting tumors (77.3%). Those with tumor abutment exhibited higher rates of non-adenocarcinoma (26.5% vs. 9.9%, p<0.01) and visceral/lymphatic/vascular invasion (30.4%/33.1%/12.7% vs. 8.5%/22.4%/5.7%, respectively; p<0.01) compared to those without abutment. Multivariable analysis identified lymphatic invasion and male sex as risk factors for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in stage I NSCLC measuring 3 cm or smaller. Age, smoking history, vascular invasion, and recurrence emerged as risk factors for OS, whereas the presence of non-pure ground-glass opacity was a risk factor for DFS. Conclusion: NSCLC lesions 3 cm or smaller that abut adjacent structures present higher rates of various risk factors than non-abutting lesions, necessitating evaluation of tumor invasion into adjacent structures and lymph node metastasis. In isolation, however, the presence of tumor abutment without visceral pleural invasion does not constitute a risk factor.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.399-407
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• 2024

Background: Pump-controlled retrograde trial off (PCRTO) is a safe, simple, and reversible method for weaning patients from veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). However, few studies have compared PCRTO to conventional weaning methods. This retrospective study aimed to compare PCRTO to non-PCRTO methods. Methods: This study included patients who were weaned from VA-ECMO from January 2016 to December 2022 at our medical center. Demographic data, ECMO management, ECMO complications, survival to discharge, and cardiogenic shock after VA-ECMO weaning were compared between the 2 groups. Results: Seventy patients who were weaned from VA-ECMO using PCRTO and 85 patients who were weaned with conventional methods were compared. Patient characteristics were not significantly different between the 2 groups. The rate of survival to discharge was significantly higher in the PCRTO group than in the non-PCRTO group (90% vs. 72%, p=0.01). The rates of freedom from all-cause mortality at 10, 30, and 50 days after weaning from ECMO were 75%, 55%, and 35% in the non-PCRTO group and 62%, 60%, and 58% in the PCRTO group, respectively (p=0.1). The incidence of cardiogenic shock after weaning from VA-ECMO was significantly higher in the non-PCRTO group (16% vs. 5%, p=0.04). In logistic regression analysis, PCRTO was a significant factor for survival to discharge (odds ratio, 2.42; 95% confidence interval, 1.29-5.28; p=0.02). Conclusion: Compared to conventional methods, PCRTO is a feasible and reversible method, and it serves as a useful predictor of successful VA-ECMO weaning through a preload stress test.

• Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.279-289
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• 2022

BACKGROUND: In many cardiovascular disorders, the contractile performance of the right ventricle (RV) is the primary determinant of prognosis. For evaluating RV volumes and function, 4 dimensional (4D)-echocardiography has become common. This research used 2D and 4D modalities to assess RV contractile performance in hypertensive patients. METHODS: A total of 150 patients with essential hypertension were enrolled in this study, along with 75 age and sex-matched volunteers. Clinical evaluation and echocardiographic examination (including M-mode, tissue Doppler imaging, and 2D speckle tracking) were conducted on all participants. RV volumes, 4D-ejection fraction (EF), 4D-fractional area change (FAC), 4D-tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), 4D-septal and free wall (FW) strain were all measured using 4D-echocardiography. RESULTS: Hypertensive patients showed 2D-RV systolic and diastolic dysfunction (including TAPSE, 2D-right ventricular global longitudinal strain, RV-myocardial performance index and average E/EaRV) and 4D-RV impairment (including right ventricular EF, FAC, RV strain and TAPSE, right ventricular end-diastolic volume and right ventricular end-systolic volume) compared to the control group. We verified the prevalence of RV systolic dysfunction in hypertension patients using the following parameters: 1) 15% of them had 2D-TAPSE < 17 mm vs. 40% by 4D-TAPSE; 2) 25% of them had 2D-GLS < 19% vs. 42% by 4D-septal strain and 35% by 4D FW strain; 3) 35% of hypertensive patients had 4D-EF < 45%; and finally; 4) 25% of hypertensive patients had 2D-FAC < 35% compared to 45% by 4D-FAC. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of RV involvement was greater in 4D than in 2D-modality trans-thoracic echocardiography. We speculated that 4D-echocardiography with 4D-strain imaging would be more beneficial for examining RV morphology and function in hypertensive patients than 2D-echocardiography, since 4D-echocardiography could estimate RV volumes and function without making geometric assumptions.