• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.57 no.5
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• pp.469-479
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• 2019

Plasmodium vivax is usually considered morbidity in endemic areas of Asia, Central and South America, and some part of Africa. In Thailand, previous studies indicated the genetic diversity of P. vivax in malaria-endemic regions such as the western part of Thailand bordering with Myanmar. The objective of the study is to investigate the genetic diversity of P. vivax circulating in Southern Thailand by using 3 antigenic markers and 8 microsatellite markers. Dried blood spots were collected from Chumphon, Phang Nga, Ranong and, Surat Thani provinces of Thailand. By PCR, 3 distinct sizes of $PvMSP3{\alpha}$, 2 sizes of $PvMSP3{\beta}$ and 2 sizes of PvMSP1 F2 were detected based on the length of PCR products, respectively. PCR/RFLP analyses of these antigen genes revealed high levels of genetic diversity. The genotyping of 8 microsatellite loci showed high genetic diversity as indicated by high alleles per locus and high expected heterozygosity ($H_E$). The genotyping markers also showed multiple-clones of infection. Mixed genotypes were detected in 4.8% of $PvMSP3{\alpha}$, 29.1% in $PvMSP3{\beta}$ and 55.3% of microsatellite markers. These results showed that there was high genetic diversity of P. vivax isolated from Southern Thailand, indicating that the genetic diversity of P. vivax in this region was comparable to those observed other areas of Thailand.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.350-358
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• 2019

Background Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common peripheral entrapment neuropathy with a high morbidity and healthcare-related costs. Currently there is no consensus about the best treatment option. The purpose of this prospective cohort study conducted at a single institution was to evaluate the clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction following a mini-open carpal tunnel release for idiopathic CTS. Methods A total of 72 patients (53 female and 19 male patients; mean age, $57.8{\pm}15.3$ years; range, 24-94 years) had a mini-open carpal tunnel release performed by a single senior surgeon between June 2015 and June 2016. The patients were evaluated preoperatively, and at 3 and 12 months post-intervention. At every follow-up, the Boston Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Questionnaire (BCTSQ) and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores for pain and satisfaction were completed. Digital sensibility (using Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments) was assessed and pinch and grip strengths were measured. Results Statistically significant and clinically relevant improvement was found in terms of digital sensibility, grip and pinch strength (except for 2-point pinch), BCTSQ scores and pain scores. The complication rate was minimal, and no major complications occurred. Two patients experienced recurrence. The availability of follow-up records (including patient-reported outcomes, BCTSQ and VAS scores, and the complication rate) at 1-year post-intervention varied between 69% and 74% (50-53 patients) depending on which parameter was assessed. Patient satisfaction was high (mean, $80.9{\pm}26.0$; range, 0-100). Conclusions This study demonstrates that mini-incision carpal tunnel release is clinically effective in the short and long term.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Oncology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.83-88
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• 2018

Purpose: Double primary colorectal cancer (CRC) and gastric cancer (GC) represent the most common multiple primary malignant tumors (MPMT) in Korea. The recognition and screening of hidden malignancies other than the primary cancer are critical. This study aimed to investigate the clinicopathologic characteristics and survival rates in patients with synchronous or metachronous double primary CRC and GC. Methods: Between January 1994 and May 2018, 11,050 patients were diagnosed with CRC (n=5,454) or GC (n=5,596) at Gil Medical Center. MPMT and metastatic malignant tumors were excluded from this study. A total of 103 patients with double primary CRC and GC were divided into two groups: the synchronous group (n=40) and the metachronous group (n=63). The incidence, clinicopathologic characteristics, and survival rate of the two groups were analyzed. Results: The incidence of synchronous and metachronous double primary CRC and GC was 0.93%. Double primary CRC and GC commonly occurred in male patients aged over 60 years with low comorbidities and minimal previous cancer history. There were significant differences between the synchronous and metachronous groups in terms of age, morbidity, and overall survival. Metachronous group patients were 6 years younger on average (P=0.009), had low comorbidities (P=0.008), and showed a higher 5-year overall survival rate (94.8% and 61.3%, P<0.001) in contrast to synchronous group. Conclusion: When primary cancer (CRC or GC) is detected, it is important to be aware of the possibility of the second primary cancer (GC or CRC) development at that time or during follow-up to achieve early detection and better prognosis.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.247-255
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• 2019

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Accurate, early identification of acutely malnourished children has the potential to reduce related child morbidity and mortality. The current World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines classify non-oedematous acute malnutrition among children under five using Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) or Weight-for-Height Z-score (WHZ). However, there is ongoing debate regarding the use of current MUAC cut-offs. This study investigates the diagnostic performance of MUAC to identify children aged 6-24 months with global (GAM) or severe acute malnutrition (SAM). SUBJECTS/METHODS: Cross-sectional, secondary data from a community sample of children aged 6-24 months in Niger were used for this study. Children with complete weight, height and MUAC data and without clinical oedema were included. Using WHO guidelines for GAM (WHZ < -2, MUAC < 12.5 cm) and SAM (WHZ < -3, MUAC < 11.5 cm), the sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp), predictive values, Youden Index and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated for MUAC when compared with the WHZ reference criterion. RESULTS: Of 1161 children, 23.3% were diagnosed with GAM using WHZ, and 4.4% with SAM. Using current WHO cut-offs, the Se of MUAC to identify GAM was greater than for SAM (79 vs. 57%), yet the Sp was lower (84 vs. 97%). From inspection of the ROC curve and Youden Index, Se and Sp were maximised for MUAC < 12.5 cm to identify GAM (Se 79%, Sp 84%), and MUAC < 12.0 cm to identify SAM (Se 88%, Sp 81%). CONCLUSIONS: The current MUAC cut-off to identify GAM should continue to be used, but when screening for SAM, a higher cut-off could improve case identification. Community screening for SAM could use MUAC < 12.0 cm followed by appropriate treatment based on either MUAC < 11.5 cm or WHZ < -3, as in current practice. While the practicalities of implementation must be considered, the higher SAM MUAC cut-off would maximise early case-finding of high-risk acutely malnourished children.

• Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.387-393
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• 2019

Background/Aims Delayed gastric emptying (GE) is associated with high morbidity and mortality in subjects with diabetes. The aim of this study is to investigate associations between GE time and the major cardiovascular events (coronary heart diseases and ischemic stroke) in diabetic subjects with upper gastrointestinal (UGI) symptoms. Methods Among 259 subjects with chronic UGI symptoms who underwent gastric emptying study (GES) over 13 years, 122 diabetic subjects without gastric surgery and/or rapid GE were enrolled in this study. We also gathered data about baseline demographics, clinical characteristics, estimated GE half-time (GE T½) and incidence of cardiovascular events following GES. Results The mean age of subjects was 64.0 ± 17.4 years. There were 86 women and 104 subjects with type 2 diabetes. There were 52 (42.6%) subjects with normal GE, 50 (41.0.%) subjects with mild delayed GE, and 20 (16.4%) subjects with marked delayed GE. During follow-up (median, 207 weeks), cardiovascular events occurred in 7 (13.5%) subjects with normal GE, 4 (8.0%) subjects with mild delayed GE and 7 (35.0%) subjects with marked GE (P = 0.015). Univariate analysis showed that GE T½ was significantly associated with incidence of cardiovascular events (crude OR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.12-2.69; P = 0.014). In a multivariate model, association between GE T½ and incidence of cardiovascular events remained statistically significant after adjustment for baseline characteristics and comorbidities (adjusted OR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.21-3.12; P = 0.006). Conclusion A delay of GE was associated with an increased incidence of cardiovascular events in diabetic subjects with chronic UGI symptoms.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.42
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• pp.16.1-16.8
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• 2020

Background: Cyst enucleation, which extracts only the tumor with the application of Carnoy's solution (CS), has been suggested as a conservative treatment with a low recurrence rate and morbidity. However, there has been a concern that CS's contact with inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) can cause neurons to degenerate and cause sensory dysfunction. The purpose of this retrospective cohort study aimed to investigate the neurosensory function after surgical treatment with or without the application of CS. Methods: While controlling the effects of sex, age, follow-up period, and invasion size of the tumor, we performed the binary logistic regression analysis to examine whether or not the sensory function of the patients who were treated with CS (n = 19) for the cyst enucleation procedure was significantly different from those who were not treated with CS (n = 58) at the end of the follow-up period. Results: The logistic regression result showed that the use of CS was not significantly related to the normalness of sensory function at the end of the follow-up period. Rather, the invasion size of the cyst was significantly associated with sensory dysfunction. Conclusions: CS may be used for patients who are diagnosed with OKC and UAM without much fear of its impact on sensory dysfunction. However, a small number of patients who were treated with CS experienced severe sensory damage and did not recover at the end of the follow-up period, suggesting the need for further analysis of these patients.

• Journal of the Korean Burn Society
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.25-29
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• 2020

This paper presents our clinical experiences for reconstruction of the linear depressed postburn scar band by rhombus subcutaneous pedicle skin flap (RSPF). We report new RSPF, it's versatility, and effectiveness for correction of the mild to moderate linear depressed postburn scar band. To correct the postburn scar band, we have newly designed the Rhombus Subcutaneous Pedicle Skin Flap (RSPF), which is made as rhombus-shaped skin flap on the inside of scar band. After excision of burn scar band, the each vertex of RSPF flap is advanced into the skin defects at apex of extended skin incision, which is starting from the upper and lower portion of the removed burn scar band at a near right angle. This flap can add more extra skin to adjacent superior and inferior area of excised scar band. We have experienced 2 cases of RSPF for reconstruction of linear depressed postburn scar band deformities in lower extremity. After 3 weeks to 3 months postoperative follow ups, relatively satisfactory results were obtained in all cases. We had successfully reconstructed the linear depressed postburn scar postburn band of lower extremity using the rhombus subcutaneous pedicle skin flap. For the correction of mild to moderate sized linear depressed postburn scar band deformities in extremity, the RSPF is simple, and very effective without donor morbidity.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.337-347
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• 2022

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is currently a pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19 are directly associated with hyper-activation of innate immune response that excessively produce pro-inflammatory cytokines and induce cytokine storm, leading to multi-organ-failure and significant morbidity/mortality. Currently, several antiviral drugs such as Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir) and molnupiravir are authorized to treat mild to moderate COVID-19, however, there are still no drugs that can specifically fight against challenges of SARS-CoV-2 variants. Panax ginseng, a medicinal plant widely used for treating various conditions, might be appropriate for this need due to its anti-inflammatory/cytokine/viral activities, fewer side effects, and cost efficiency. To review Panax ginseng and its pharmacologically active-ingredients as potential phytopharmaceuticals for treating cytokine storm of COVID-19, articles that reporting its positive effects on the cytokine production were searched from academic databases. Experimental/clinical evidences for the effectiveness of Panax ginseng and its active-ingredients in preventing or mitigating cytokine storm, especially for the cascade of cytokine storm, suggest that they might be beneficial as an adjunct treatment for cytokine storm of COVID-19. This review may provide a new approach to discover specific medications using Panax ginseng to control cytokine storm of COVID-19.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.293-304
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• 2022

Among several diseases of calves, diarrhea is the most prevalent disease and has been a major cause of economic loss to the cattle industry. The main etiologic agents of diarrhea in calves are bacteria, viruses, and protozoa, but non-infectious factors including foreign bodies obstruction in the digestive system also focused as the cause of calf diarrhea in the recent days. Because there is still limited information for foreign body-related diarrhea in calves, especially in Hanwoo, the present retrospective study reviewed the medical records for diarrheic calves with foreign body in the digestive system (n=32). The morbidity was determined as 3.03% and more than half of them presented the acidosis, hyponatremia, and azotemia. The mortality in laparotomy-operated calves to remove foreign bodies or in non-operated ones was 28% or 85.7%, respectively, implied the importance of aggressive decision for laparotomy when the foreign bodies were determined in the digestive system in diarrheic calves. During laparotomy, trichobezoars (hair balls) and hays were the main foreign bodies and prevalently placed in the abomasum. In the trials to predict prognosis by several clinical factors, the time for laparotomy over 2 days after first diagnosis, acidosis, and foreign body in the abomasum were highly associated with mortality. Therefore, we believe that prompt surgical procedure (laparotomy) is necessary upon obstruction in the digestive system by foreign bodies is tentatively diagnosed in the diarrheic calf. In addition, when differential diagnosis list is made, foreign body-related diarrhea is necessary to be included in case of diarrheic calf.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.233-239
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• 2023

Background Trunk defects can occur because of surgical site infections after spinal surgery, resection of malignant tumors, or trauma. Herein, we present our experience of using intercostal artery perforator (ICAP) flaps to reconstruct trunk defects without noteworthy complications. Fourteen patients underwent reconstruction with ICAP flaps between March 2015 and March 2019. Methods Patients' data, including age, sex, the cause of the defect, defect size, perforator location, flap size, complications, and follow-up period, were retrospectively reviewed. The mean age of the patients was 56.5 years (range, 19-80 years). All operations were performed after the results of bacterial culture from the wound showed no microbial growth. We found reliable perforators around the defect using Doppler ultrasonography. The perforator flaps were elevated with a pulsatile perforator and rotated in a propeller fashion to the defects. We performed five dorsal and two lateral ICAP flaps. The mean flap dimensions were 12 × 5.5 cm² (range, 6 × 5 to 18 × 8 cm²). Results Primary closure of the donor site was performed. Marginal congestion was observed as a complication in one case, but it healed with no need for revision. The mean follow-up period was 8 months. All patients were satisfied with the surgical outcomes. Conclusion ICAP flaps can be easily mobilized, thereby reducing donor site morbidity without sacrificing the underlying muscles for trunk reconstruction. Therefore, these flaps are useful options for the reconstruction of trunk defects.