• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.1-19
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• 2002

The use of herbals has increased considerably while their efficacy and safety remain untested. This unsupported surge in demand has prompted a call for their clinical evaluation. One area in which evaluations are emerging is ginseng and diabetes. Growing evidence is accumulating from in vitro and animal models indicating that various ginseng species, American (Panax quinquefolius L), Asian (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer), Korean Red, San-chi (Panax notoginseng [Burk.] P.R. Chen), and the non-panax species Siberian (Eleutherococcus senticossus) ginsing, and their fractions, saponins (ginsenosides) and peptidoglycans (panaxans for panax species and eleutehrans for Siberian ginseng), might affect carbohydrate metabolism and related signaling molecules. Recent human studies from our laboratory have also shown a blood glucose lowering effect of American ginseng (AG) and some other ginseng spices postprandially after acute administration and chronically after administration for 8-weeks in people with type 2 diabetes. Although generally encouraging, these data only indicate a need for more evaluations of ginsengs safety and efficacy. Because of poor industry standardization, it is not known whether all ginsengs will affect blood glucose. In this regards some ginseng batches have demonstrated null effects while others have even raised postprandial glycemia. Clinical research should therefore focus on components involved in its glucose lowering effects.

• Journal of Korean Philosophical Society
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• v.130
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• pp.187-218
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• 2014

Nietzsche stellt in seiner Philosophie den "${\ddot{U}}bermensch$" als existenziales Ideal des Menschen sowie als Menschentyp der Zukunft und "die ${\ddot{u}}bermenschliche$ Zukunft" als Zukunft des gesunden Menschen vor. Der ${\ddot{U}}bermensch$ und die ${\ddot{u}}bermenschliche$ Zukunft beinhalten in Nietzsches Philosophie den Sinn des gesunden Menschen und seiner gesunden Zukunft. Nach Nietzsche kann dieses gesunde Ideal durch die aktive Praxis des Menschen endlich verwirklicht werden. Nietzsche unterscheidet das aktive und das passive Verhalten des Menschen und leitet daraus die zwei $gegens{\ddot{a}}tzlichen$ Menschentypen her, also den aktiven Menschen (Herr der Moral des Lebens - geistig Starker) und den passiven Menschen (Sklave der Moral des Lebens - geistig Schwacher). Aber die Typologie dieser anthropologischen Differenz zielt nicht auf die Dualisierung der absoluten Differenz, sondern auf seine relativistisch-relationale ${\ddot{U}}berwindung$. Auf diese Weise setzt die philosophische Anthropologie Nietzsches im Grunde seine eigene praktische Philosophie voraus. Ferner bestimmt Nietzsche den Menschen als Zwischenwesen, das $hei{\ss}t$, dass der Mensch in Also sprach Zarathustra an der existenzialen Grenze zwischen Tier und ${\ddot{U}}bermensch$ und in seiner anthropologischen ${\ddot{A}}sthetik$ an der ${\ddot{a}}sthetischen$ Grenze zwischen $Versch{\ddot{o}}nerung$ und $Verh{\ddot{a}}sslichung$ des Lebens steht, sowie als $M{\ddot{o}}glichkeitswesen$, das an dieser Grenze durch die existenziale $Selbst{\ddot{u}}berwindung$ und die ${\ddot{a}}sthetische$ Selbstgestaltung in jedem Moment seine $Ver{\ddot{a}}nderungsm{\ddot{o}}glichkeit$ $sch{\ddot{o}}pferisch$ verwirklichen kann. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, aufgrund Nietzsches anthropologischen $Verst{\ddot{a}}ndnisses$ die anthropologische Methodologie zu $er{\ddot{o}}rtern$, die er $f{\ddot{u}}r$ die Verwirklichung der immanenten $Ver{\ddot{a}}nderungsm{\ddot{o}}glichkeit$ des Menschen in seiner Philosophie vorstellt.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.69-73
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• 2019

During screening of microbes for compounds having cosmetic benefits, we isolated Marinobacter salarius HL2708#2 from lava seawater on Jeju Island, Republic of Korea. The complete genome sequence was determined. Strain HL27080#2 features a circular chromosome of 4,304,603 bp with 57.21% G+C content and a 244,163 bp plasmid with 53.14% G+C. There were 4,180 protein coding sequences identified, along with 49 transfer RNA and 18 ribosomal RNA noncoding genes. The genome harbored genes for the utilization of alcohol, maltose/starch, and monosaccharide as sole carbon sources. Genes responsible for halophilic characteristics and heavy metal resistance could be annotated, as well as aromatic and alkane hydrocarbons. Contrary to the prior report that M. salarius is negative for nitrate and nitrite reduction, nitrate/nitrite reductase along with nitrate/nitrate transporters and nitronate monooxygenase were evident, suggesting that strain HL2708#2 may be able to denitrify extracellular nitroalkenes to ammonia.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.74-76
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• 2019

Gram-positive anaerobic bacilli Actinomyces spp. commonly reside on mucosal surfaces of the oropharynx, gastrointestinal tract, and urogenital tract. Here, we first report the draft genome sequence of Actinomyces georgiae KHUD_A1, isolated from dental plaque of a Korean elderly woman. The genome is 2,652,059 bp in length and has a GC content of 68.06%. The genome includes 2,242 protein-coding genes, 9 rRNAs, and 64 tRNA. We identified 157 KHUD_A1 strain-specific genes, including genes encoding CPBP family intramembrane metalloprotease, bile acid: sodium symporter family protein, Txe/YoeB family addiction module toxin and Phd/YefM family antitoxin. The sequence information of A. georgiae KHUD_A1 will help understand the general characteristics of the bacterial species and the genome diversity of the genus Actinomyces.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.166-170
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• 2019

Objectives: Attentional and memory functions are important aspects of neural plasticity that, theoretically, should be amenable to pharmacopuncture treatments. A previous study from our laboratory suggested that quantitative electroencephalographic (qEEG) measurements of theta/beta ratio (TBR), an index of attentional control, may be indicative of academic performance in a first-semester medical school course. The present study expands our prior report by extracting and analyzing data on frontal theta and beta asymmetries. We test the hypothesis that the amount of frontal theta and beta asymmetries (fTA, fBA), are correlated with TBR and academic performance, thereby providing novel targets for pharmacopuncture treatments to improve cognitive performance. Methods: Ten healthy male volunteers were subjected to 5-10 min of qEEG measurements under eyes-closed conditions. The qEEG measurements were performed 3 days before each of first two block examinations in anatomy-physiology, separated by five weeks. Amplitudes of the theta and beta waveforms, expressed in ${\mu}V$, were used to compute TBR, fTA and fBA. Significance of changes in theta and beta EEG wave amplitude was assessed by ANOVA with post-hoc t-testing. Correlations between TBR, fTA, fBA and the raw examination scores were evaluated by Pearson's product-moment coefficients and linear regression analysis. Results: fTA and fBA were found to be negatively correlated with TBR (P<0.03, P<0.05, respectively) and were positively correlated with the second examination score (P<0.03, P=0.1, respectively). Conclusion: Smaller fTA and fBA were associated with lower academic performance in the second of two first-semester medical school anatomy-physiology block examination. Future studies should determine whether these qEEG metrics are useful for monitoring changes associated with the brain's cognitive adaptations to academic challenges, for predicting academic performance and for targeting phamacopuncture treatments to improve cognitive performance.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.462-469
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• 2019

Background Incisional hernia is a common complication following visceral organ transplantation. Transplant patients are at increased risk of primary and recurrent hernias due to chronic immune suppression and large incisions. We conducted a retrospective review of patients with a history of liver or kidney transplantation who underwent hernia repair to analyze outcomes and hernia recurrence. Methods This is a single center, retrospective review of 19 patients who received kidney and/or liver transplantation prior to presenting with an incisional hernia from 2011 to 2017. All hernias were repaired with open component separation technique (CST) with biologic mesh underlay. Results The mean age of patients was $61.0{\pm}8.3years\;old$, with a mean body mass index of $28.4{\pm}4.8kg/m^2$, 15 males (78.9%), and four females (21.1%). There were seven kidney, 11 liver, and one combined liver and kidney transplant patients. The most common comorbidities were hypertension (16 patients, 84.2%), diabetes (9 patients, 47.4%), and tobacco use (8 patients, 42.1%). Complications occurred in six patients (31.6%) including hematoma (1/19), abscess (1/19), seroma (2/19), and hernia recurrence (3/19) at mean follow-up of $28.7{\pm}22.8months$. With the exception of two patients with incomplete follow-up, all patients healed at a median time of 27 days. Conclusions This small, retrospective series of complex open CST in transplant patients shows acceptable rates of long-term hernia recurrence and healing. By using a multidisciplinary approach for abdominal wall reconstruction, we believe that modified open CST with biologic mesh is a safe and effective technique in the transplant population with complex abdominal hernias.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Medical Physics Conference
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.44-44
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• 2003

As a basic measurement tool in the areas of animal models of human disease, gene expression and therapy, and drug discovery and development, small animal PET imaging is being used increasingly. An ideal small animal PET should have high sensitivity and high and uniform resolution across the field of view to achieve high image quality. However, the combination of long narrow pixellated crystal array and small ring diameter of small animal PET leads to the degradation of spatial resolution for the source located at off center. This degradation of resolution can be improved by determining the depth of interaction (DOI) in the crystal and by taking into account the information in sorting the coincident events. Among a number of 001 identification schemes, dual layer phsowich detector has been widely investigated by many research groups due to its practicability and effectiveness on extracting DOI information. However, the effects of each crystal length composing dual layer phoswich detector on DOI measurements and image qualities were not fully characterized. In order to minimize the DOI effect, the length of each layer of phoswich detector should be optimized. The aim of this study was to perform simulations using a simulation tool, GATE to design the optimum lengths of crystals composing a dual layer phoswich detector. The simulated small PET system employed LSO front layer LuYAP back layer phoswich detector modules and the module consisted of 8${\times}$8 arrays of dual layer crystals with 2 mm ${\times}$ 2 mm sensitive area coupled to a Hamamatsu R7600 00 M64 PSPMT. Sensitivities and variation of radial resolutions were simulated by varying the length of LSO front layer from 0 to 10 mm while the total length (LSO + LuYAP) was fixed to 20 mm for 10 cm diameter ring scanner. The radial resolution uniformity was markedly improved by using DOI information. There existed the optimal lengths of crystal layers to minimize the variation of radial resolutions. In 10 cm ring scanner configuration, the radial resolution was kept below 3.4 mm over 8 cm FOV while the sensitivity was higher than 7.4% for LSO 5 mm : LuYAP 15 mm phoswich detector. In this study, the optimal length of dual layer phoswich detector was derived to achieve high and uniform radial resolution.

• Annals of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.258-263
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• 2023

Backgrounds/Aims: Hemangiomas are the most common benign liver lesions; however, they are usually asymptomatic and seldom require surgery. Enucleation and resection are the most commonly performed surgical procedures for symptomatic lesions. This study aims to compare the outcomes of these two surgical techniques. Methods: A retrospective analysis of symptomatic hepatic hemangiomas (HH) operated upon between 2000 and 2021. Patients were categorized into the enucleation and resection groups. Demographic profile, intraoperative bleeding, and morbidity (Clavien-Dindo Grade) were compared. Independent t-test and chi-square tests were used for continuous and categorical variables respectively. p-value of < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Sixteen symptomatic HH patients aged 30 to 66 years underwent surgery (enucleation = 8, resection = 8) and majority were females (n = 10 [62.5%]). Fifteen patients presented with abdominal pain, and one patient had an interval increase in the size of the lesion from 9 to 12 cm. The size of hemangiomas varied from 6 to 23 cm. The median blood loss (enucleation: 350 vs. resection: 600 mL), operative time (enucleation: 5.8 vs. resection: 7.5 hours), and postoperative hospital stay (enucleation: 6.5 vs. resection: 11 days) were greater in the resection group (statistically insignificant). In the resection group, morbidity was significantly higher (62.6% vs. 12.5%, p = 0.05), including one mortality. All patients remained asymptomatic during the follow-up. Conclusions: Enucleation was simpler with less morbidity as compared to resection in our series. However, considering the small number of patients, further studies are needed with comparable groups to confirm the superiority of enucleation over resection.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.48-59
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• 2024

Purpose: Research on rib fracture management has exponentially increased. Predicting fracture patterns based on the mechanism of injury (MOI) and other possible correlations may improve resource allocation and injury prevention strategies. The Chest Injury International Database (CIID) is the largest prospective repository of the operative and nonoperative management of patients with severe chest wall trauma. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the MOI is associated with the resulting rib fracture patterns. We hypothesized that specific MOIs would be associated with distinct rib fracture patterns. Methods: The CIID was queried to analyze fracture patterns based on the MOI. Patients were stratified by MOI: falls, motor vehicle collisions (MVCs), motorcycle collisions (MCCs), automobile-pedestrian collisions, and bicycle collisions. Fracture locations, associated injuries, and patient-specific variables were recorded. Heat maps were created to display the fracture incidence by rib location. Results: The study cohort consisted of 1,121 patients with a median RibScore of 2 (range, 0-3) and 9,353 fractures. The average age was 57±20 years, and 64% of patients were male. By MOI, the number of patients and fractures were as follows: falls (474 patients, 3,360 fractures), MVCs (353 patients, 3,268 fractures), MCCs (165 patients, 1,505 fractures), automobile-pedestrian collisions (70 patients, 713 fractures), and bicycle collisions (59 patients, 507 fractures). The most commonly injured rib was the sixth rib, and the most common fracture location was lateral. Statistically significant differences in the location and patterns of fractures were identified comparing each MOI, except for MCCs versus bicycle collisions. Conclusions: Different mechanisms of injury result in distinct rib fracture patterns. These different patterns should be considered in the workup and management of patients with thoracic injuries. Given these significant differences, future studies should account for both fracture location and the MOI to better define what populations benefit from surgical versus nonoperative management.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.83-103
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• 2024

Adhesive bonding is currently widely used in many industrial fields, particularly in the aeronautics sector. Despite its advantages over mechanical joints such as riveting and welding, adhesive bonding is mostly used for secondary structures due to its low peel strength; especially if it is simultaneously exposed to temperature and humidity; and often presence of bonding defects. In fact, during joint preparation, several types of defects can be introduced into the adhesive layer such as air bubbles, cavities, or cracks, which induce stress concentrations potentially leading to premature failure. Indeed, the presence of defects in the adhesive joint has a significant effect on adhesive stresses, which emphasizes the need for a good surface treatment. The research in this field is aimed at minimizing the stresses in the adhesive joint at its free edges by geometric modifications of the ovelapping part and/or by changing the nature of the substrates. In this study, the finite element method is used to describe the mechanical behavior of bonded joints. Thus, a three-dimensional model is made to analyze the effect of defects in the adhesive joint at areas of high stress concentrations. The analysis consists of estimating the different stresses in an adhesive joint between two 2024-T3 aluminum plates. Two types of single lap joints(SLJ) were analyzed: a standard SLJ and another modified by removing 0.2 mm of material from the thickness of one plate along the overlap length, taking into account several factors such as the applied load, shape, size and position of the defect. The obtained results clearly show that the presence of a bonding defect significantly affects stresses in the adhesive joint, which become important if the joint is subjected to a higher applied load. On the other hand, the geometric modification made to the plate considerably reduces the various stresses in the adhesive joint even in the presence of a bonding defect.