• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.190-195
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• 2016

Purpose: Severe aplastic anemia (SAA), a fatal disease, requires multiple transfusion, immunosuppressive therapy, and finally, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) as the definitive treatment. We hypothesized that iron overloading associated with multiple transfusions and HSCT-related complications may adversely affect cardiac function. Left ventricular (LV) function was assessed in children after HSCT for SAA. Methods: Forty-six consecutive patients with a median age of 9.8 years (range, 1.5-18 years), who received HSCT for SAA and who underwent comprehensive echocardiography before and after HSCT, were included in this study. The data of LV functional parameters obtained using conventional echocardiography, tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), and speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) were collected from pre- and post-HSCT echocardiography. These data were compared to those of 40 age-matched normal controls. Results: In patients, the LV ejection fraction, shortening fraction, end-diastolic dimension, mitral early diastolic E velocity, TDI mitral septal E' velocity, and STE LV longitudinal systolic strain rate (SSR) decreased significantly after HSCT. Compared to normal controls, patients had significantly lower post-HSCT early diastolic E velocity and E/A ratio. On STE, patients had significantly decreased LV deformational parameters including LV longitudinal systolic strain (SS), SSR, and diastolic SR (DSR), and circumferential SS and DSR. Serum ferritin levels showed weak but significant correlations (P<0.05) with LV longitudinal SS and SSR and circumferential SS and DSR. Conclusion: Subclinical LV dysfunction is evident in patients after HSCT for SAA, and was associated with increased iron load. Serial monitoring of cardiac function is mandatory in this population.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.400-414
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• 2021

Under high-level radioactive waste repository conditions, bentonite as an engineered barrier material undergoes thermal, hydrological, mechanical, and chemical processes. We report the applications of X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) imaging technique on the characterization and analysis of bentonite over the past decade to provide a reference of the utilization of this technique and the recent research trends. This overview of the X-ray CT technique applications includes the characterization of the bentonite either in pellets or powder form. X-ray imaging has provided a means to extract grain information at the microscale and identify crack networks responsible for the pellets' heterogeneity. Regarding samples of pellets-powder mixtures under hydration, X-ray CT allowed the identification and monitoring of heterogeneous zones throughout the test. Some results showed how zones with pellets only swell faster compared to others composed of pellets and powder. Moreover, the behavior of fissures between grains and bentonite matrix was observed to change under drying and hydrating conditions, tending to close during the former and open during the latter. The development of specializing software has allowed obtaining strain fields from a sequence of images. In more recent works, X-ray CT technique has served to estimate the dry density, water content, and particle displacement at different testing times. Also, when temperature was added to the hydration process of a sample, CT technology offered a way to observe localized and global density changes over time.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.336-340
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• 2023

A dog (2-year old, female, Shih-Tzu) presented with hyperthermia and right-sided facial paralysis characterized by the inability to close the right eye and drooling from the right side of the mouth after H3N2 influenza vaccination [A/Canine/Korea/01/07(H3N2) strain; Caniflu-Max, Bionote, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do, ROK]. To determine the cause of the fever and neurological symptoms, physical examination, ophthalmic examination, thoracic and abdominal radiography, abdominal ultrasonography, complete blood counts, serum chemistry values, and electrolyte levels were determined. In addition, Cerebrospinal fluid analysis, antinuclear antibody test, fever of unknown origin polymerase chain reaction (PCR) panel, tick-borne pathogen PCR panel were performed. As a result, hyperthermia, leukocytosis, and elevated C-reactive protein were confirmed. In addition, neurological examination revealed decreased right eyelid reflexes, corneal reflexes, threat response, and facial sensation, it was possible to suspect problems with the trigeminal and facial nerves of the cranial nerve. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a lesion suggestive of myositis in the right muscular lesion at atlanto-occipital junction level on site of vaccine injection. Therefore, right-sided facial paralysis was tentatively determined to be a secondary cause of nerve damage caused by myositis. The patient was treated with immunosuppressants such as prednisolone and mycophenolate mofetil. After 3 months of immunosuppressant therapy, the patient's symptoms improved.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1-11
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• 2006

Purpose: This study compared the effects of non-cold and cold conditions on the viscoelastic properties of tendon structures in vivo. Methods: Seven male subjects perfomed plantar flesion exercise with maximal isokinetic voluntary contraction, which consisted of muscle contraction for 6 see and relaxation for 60 secs, 10 times for 1 set, Totally 10 sets were repeated. Before and after each task, the elongation of the tendon and aponeurosis of the medial gastrocnemius muscle (MG) was directly measured by ultrasonography. (The relationship between the estimated tendon force and tendon elongation.) Tendon cross-sectional area and ankle joint moment arm were obtained from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The tendon force was calculated from the joint moments and the tendon moment arm and stress was obtained by dividing force by cross-sectional areas (CSA). The strain was measured from the displacements normalized to tendon length. Results: After cooling, the tendon force was larger in cold than non-cold. The value of the tendon stiffness of MVC were significantly higher under the cold condition than under the non-cold condition. The maximal strain and stress of $7.4{\pm}0.7%$ and $36.4{\pm}1.8$ MPa in non-cold and $7.8{\pm}8.5%,\;31.8{\pm}1.1$ MPa in cold (P<0.05). Conclusion: This study shows for the first time that the muscle endurance in cooling increases the stiffness and Young's modulus of human tendons. The improvement in muscle endurance with cooling was directly related to muscle and tendon.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.152-158
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• 2023

Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is a common cause of skin and soft tissue infections. Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) toxin-producing strain of SA has been discovered worldwide and is known to cause serious infections. However, reports of neonatal infections caused by PVL-positive SA are rare. Here, we report a case of severe skin and soft tissue infection caused by PVL-positive SA in a 7-day-old neonate. The patient was admitted to the emergency room with a history of fever for one day, tenderness, and sensation of buttocks heating. The infant presented with fever, tachycardia, poor general health, progressive tenderness, and edema of the buttocks on the day of admission. Ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed necrotizing fasciitis involving the skin, soft tissue, and muscles. Specimens drained from the buttock lesions confirmed the presence of PVL-positive methicillin-resistant SA (MRSA), and there was no bacteremia. She recovered after one month of intravenous antibiotics and surgical drainages. One month after discharge, she was rehospitalized for otitis externa and was infected with MRSA again. Considering the PVL-positive strain, the patient was treated with intravenous linezolid and dressing. The patient underwent decolonization therapy in a 0.5% chlorhexidine bath and recovered completely without sequelae. This case suggests that aggressive drainage and antibiotic treatment are essential for PVL-producing MRSA infections, and additional decolonization is needed to prevent recurrence and community spread.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.33-36
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• 2015

Group D streptococci are known to cause newborn septicemia and meningitis, but the Streptococcus bovis group strains rarely cause serious neonatal infections in Korea. Central nervous system (CNS) complications of neonatal S. bovis group infection have rarely been reported. In adults, S. bovis group strains cause bacteremia and endocarditis, and are associated with gastrointestinal malignancy. However, only a few studies have reported meningitis and septicemia in infants. Here, we describe a case of bacteremia and meningitis due to Streptococcus gallolyticus subsp. pasteurianus with a delayed CNS complication in an infant. A 28-day-old male infant was admitted to the hospital with a 1-day history of fever. Cultures of blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and urine showed the presence of S. bovis group strain-S. gallolyticus subsp. pasteurianus. He was discharged after 21 days of intravenous ampicillin and cefotaxime administration. Two weeks later, he was readmitted with a fever and short episodes of tonic-clonic movements. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed marked bilateral frontal subdural effusion. He was discharged after 31 days of antibiotic therapy, and no neurological sequelae were observed at the 9-month follow-up. In conclusion, we present a rare case of neonatal S. gallolyticus subsp. pasteurianus infection causing urinary tract infection, septicemia, meningitis, and delayed CNS complications. This case emphasizes the need for physicians to be aware of S. bovis infection in infants.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.545-552
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• 2001

Nondestructive methods such as ultrasonic and magnetic resonance imaging systems have many advantages but still much expensive. And they do not give exact color information and may miss some details. If it is allowed to destruct a biological object to obtain interior and exterior informations, 3D image visualization model from a series of sliced sectional images gives more useful information with relatively low cost. In this paper, a PC based automatic 3D visualization system is presented. The system is composed of three modules. The first module is the handling and image acquisition module. The handling module feeds and slices a cylindrical shape paraffin, which holds a biological object inside the paraffin. And the paraffin is kept being solid by cooling while being handled. The image acquisition modulo captures the sectional image of the object merged into the paraffin consecutively. The second one is the system control and interface module, which controls actuators for feeding, slicing, and image capturing. And the last one is the image processing and visualization module, which processes a series of acquired sectional images and generates a 3D volumetric model. To verify the condition for the uniform slicing, normal directional forces of the cutting edge according to the various cutting angles were measured using a strain gauge and the amount of the sliced chips were weighed and analyzed. Once the 3D model was constructed on the computer, user could manipulate it with various transformation methods such as translation, rotation, and scaling including arbitrary sectional view.

• Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.167-174
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• 2007

Spongy Alphonso mangoes were found to be infected with Staphylococcus bacteria. A Gram positive Staphylococcus strain was isolated from spongy pulp and identified from CABI Bioscience, UK, by partial 16S rDNA sequence analysis and by morphological and biochemical characterization through IMTECH, Chandigarh, India. Although identification by both of these methods indicated the organism belonged to same genus, different species names were given. Changes in total phenolics, reducing, and non-reducing sugars, respiration rate, total carotenoids, peroxidase(POX), and catalase activities were monitored during ripening of these fruits. The climacteric rise in spongy fruits was marked by an increase in respiration rate and a decrease in sugar content. Total phenolics content increased in spongy fruits as compared to ripe non-spongy fruits. Development of corky white tissue in spongy fruits was associated with about a 2.5-fold reduction in total carotenoids and a concomitant increase in lipoxygenase-mediated, $\beta$-carotene co-oxidation. A marked decrease in soluble protein content and about a 1.5-fold increase in POX activity was observed. Maximum POX activity was confined to 50-70%$(NH_4)_2SO_4$ fraction. The intense dark bands visible after POX specific substrate staining of the Native gel indicated a high expression of isoenzymes of POX in spongy fruits. Similarly, changes in levels of catalase activity were also observed in spongy fruits. The results suggest that infection of Alphonso mangoes with Staphylococcus bacteria affects the normal ripening processes of the fruit interfering with the carbohydrate and carotenoid metabolism. Also, the studies indicate the expression of POX and catalase enzymes as a plant defense response to microbial invasion.

• The Journal of Korea Institute of Information, Electronics, and Communication Technology
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.27-32
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• 2008

Bone is a self-assembly material. It is known that the low amplitude and high frequency mechanical stimulus, which is much less amplitude but higher frequency than those induced by the normal activity, can induce new bone formation. The vibrating resonance is employed to elucidate why new bone is formed by this kind of mechanical stimulus. For example, as 30 Hz and $5{\mu}{\epsilon}$ mechanical stimulus is applied at the wall of canaliculus (the tiny tube type pathway of bone fluid flow and the diameter of canaliculus is less than 200nm), the osteocytic cell membrane experiences $1,000{\mu}{\epsilon}$ strain due to the vibrating resonance. Two experiments will follow after this pilot study; (1) observing the MAPK pathway of osteocytes by using in-vitro cell culture and (2) visualizing the actin filament network in the osteocytes by using the imaging technique, such as confocal laser scanning microscope.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.573-579
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• 2008

PBA/PS core-shell polymer nanoparticles were synthesized by two stage emulsion polymerization and hybridized with silica nanoparticle by simple mixing in emulsion state and following precipitation into water/methanol mixture dissolving $Na_2CO_3$. The stress-strain curve revealed that the elastic modulus was increased with increasing molecular weight of polymer and silica weight fraction but decreased with increasing size of core-shell nanoparticle. Especially, there was a rapid increase of elastic modulus with silica blending. As a result, 6 times higher elastic modulus was observed in PBA/PS core-shell baroplastic sample processed at 25$^\circ$C under 13.8 MPa for 5 min by blending with 13.0 wt% of silica nanoparticle.