• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.103-111
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• 2022

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive disease caused by some risk factors, including smoking, viral infection, toxic substances, and radiation, that decline lung function of fresh oxygen and blood delivery throughout the body. Patients with pulmonary fibrosis have suffered from breathing and cough and the average survival rate is only 3 years after diagnosis. Therefore, it is significant to diagnose IPF and start treatment in enough time. Usually, lung biopsy is available to diagnose localized pulmonary fibrotic sites directly. However, it is insufficient to visualize whole lung tissue, and also it has a risk of infection for patients. In the clinic, medical imaging systems can diagnose pulmonary fibrosis non-invasively without infection. In this review, we introduce current medical imaging systems used to diagnose pulmonary fibrosis, including CT, MRI, and nuclear medicine. Further, we introduce several molecular imaging probes targeting specific biomarkers which are expressed in pulmonary fibrosis. Through this paper, it is expected that it would be helpful to understand the latest knowledge and research trends on pulmonary fibrosis diagnostic imaging.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.108-111
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• 2023

Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCLs) are a group CD30-positive mature T-cell lymphomas, an uncommon subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphomas, characterized by diverse clinical and genetic features. Among the types of ALCL, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-negative ALCL, though typically involves the lymph nodes, can infrequently invade other tissues. When soft tissue involvement occurs, it may mimic the clinical presentation of infectious diseases, leading to potential misdiagnosis. Therefore, a histological examination is necessary to differentiate between ALK-negative ALCL and similar phenotypes associated with infectious conditions. This paper reports a case of ALCL, initially misdiagnosed as an infection.

• Mycobiology
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.399-407
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• 2022

Endophytic fungi occupy inner plant tissues, which results in various interactions between the fungus and host. Studies on endophytic fungi have been conducted in Korea for over 30 years. This paper summarizes the published results of those studies. The endophytic fungi of approximately 132 plant species in Korea have been studied since the 1990s, resulting in over 118 publications. The host plants featured in these studies comprised 3 species of mosses, 34 species of woody plants, and 95 species of herbaceous plants. At the family level, the most studied plants were members of the Poaceae family, covering 18 species. Regionally, these studies were conducted throughout Korea, but over half of the studies were conducted in Gyeongsangbuk-do, Gangwon-do, and Chungcheongnam-do. Relatively few studies have been conducted in a metropolis such as Seoul. We confirmed 5 phyla, 16 classes, 49 orders, 135 families, 305 genera, and 855 taxa of endophytic fungi, excluding Incertae sedis, whose relationship with others are unknown. Most of the endophytic fungi belonged to Ascomycota (93.2%), and a few belonged to Basidiomycota (3.6%). Since the diversity of endophytic fungi differs depending on the host plant, plant tissue, and distribution region, future studies should be conducted on multiple host plants and in various regions. Future studies on endophytic fungi are expected to broaden, including genomics and taxonomic and ecological studies of secondary metabolites.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.28-31
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• 2023

The radial forearm free flap (RFFF) has become popular for head and neck reconstructions. Owing to a constant anatomy the RFFF is relatively easy to dissect. Nevertheless, anatomical variations of the radial artery have been reported. Some variations could affect the survival of the flap. This paper reports an unusual anomaly of the radial artery where the radial artery was not located between the brachioradialis (BR) and flexor carpi radialis. The radial artery was observed above the BR and on the radial side of the BR. The survival of the elevated flap was deemed questionable because it had only few perforators. So we decided to discard the flap and to elevate another free flap for the head and neck defect. The donor area on the forearm was covered using the original skin of the first flap as a full-thickness skin graft. This case highlights a means to deal with anomalies of the radial artery encountered during the elevation of RFFF and the checking process for variations of the radial artery before RFFF.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.205-214
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• 2009

Purpose: Adenomyosis is the disease caused by ingrowth of lining tissue into the uterine muscle. Final treatment of the disease is hysterectomy but there is a tendency to avoid surgical treatment if possible. And medication often results in relapse and it does not cure completely. This paper introduces the potential of oriental medical treatment for adenomyosis through a case study. Methods: A 31-year-old female patient, suffered from pelvic pain and metrorrhagia, was diagnosed with adenomyosis and uterine myoma. She was put on oriental medical treatment in the ○○ Oriental Hospital for almost three months. We applied herb-medication, acupuncture and moxibustion. Results: Overall condition including the symptoms was relieved after oriental medical treatment Conclusion: Oriental medical treatment alleviates chronic pelvic pain and has an effect against adenomyosis.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.52.1-52.11
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• 2020

Objectives: Yttria-stabilized tetragonal phase zirconia has been used as a dental restorative material for over a decade. While it is still the strongest and toughest ceramic, its translucency remains as a significant drawback. To overcome this, stabilizing the translucency zirconia to a significant cubic crystalline phase by increasing the yttria content to more than 8 mol% (8YTZP). However, the biocompatibility of a high amount of yttria is still an important topic that needs to be investigated. Materials and Methods: Commercially available 8YTZP plates were used. To enhance cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation, the surface of the 8YTZP is sequentially polished with a SiC-coated abrasive paper and surface coating with type I collagen. Fibroblast-like cells L929 used for cell adherence and cell proliferation analysis, and mouse bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) used for cell differentiation analysis. Results: The results revealed that all samples, regardless of the surface treatment, are hydrophilic and showed a strong affinity for water. Even the cell culture results indicate that simple surface polishing and coating can affect cellular behavior by enhancing cell adhesion and proliferation. Both L929 cells and BMSC were nicely adhered to and proliferated in all conditions. Conclusions: The results demonstrate the biocompatibility of the cubic phase zirconia with 8 mol% yttria and suggest that yttria with a higher zirconia content are not toxic to the cells, support a strong adhesion of cells on their surfaces, and promote cell proliferation and differentiation. All these confirm its potential use in tissue engineering.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.163-169
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• 2023

Objectives: This study aimed to review the experimental research trends in asthma caused by particulate matter to conduct further researches, especially in clinical trials. Methods: We searched for the meaningful literature using medicinal herb for asthma through the Pubmed databases. Results: Finally, six studies were finally selected. These studies showed recent trends, from 2018 to 2021 and conducted mostly in South Korea. The type of fine dust and the method of inducing asthma are different for each paper, but the effective mechanism is relatively common. It was commonly confirmed that the ratio and number of eosinophils, th2 cells and related cytokines are decreased in BALF and lung tissue by administration of medicinal herb. Conclusions: Although the method of inducing asthma using fine dust has not yet been standardized, it is thought that more meaningful evaluation results can be derived if a standardized animal model is established in the future. Nevertheless, based on the results that herbal medicine is effective for particular matter induced asthma, it is expected that it will be the basis for expanding into future clinical studies.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.139-142
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• 2024

A wild Whooper swan (Cygnus Cygnus) with limping due to an injured left pelvic limb in an accident was rescued on the seashore and transferred to the Jeju Wildlife Rescue Center on November 23rd, 2020. On physical examination, its body condition score was 1 out of 5 due to starvation and dehydration. The left coxofemoral joint was also examined by careful palpating and estimating the damage. Moderated soft tissue swelling and crepitus surrounding the hip joint were confirmed. Radiography and computed tomography (CT) were used together for an accurate diagnosis of the joint. By radiographs readings, it was difficult to accurately confirm the condition of the proximal femur due to superimposition of the synsacrum and internal organs. However, signs such as avulsion fracture of the femoral head and a few fragments around the joint were revealed by CT imaging. Besides, through three-dimensional (3D) image analysis of CT, the dislocated area and condition of the left hip joint could be accurately and easily confirmed. The diagnostic process showing in this paper could be used as a good reference for diagnosing coxofemoral joint luxation in wild swan.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.71-74
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• 2024

This report presents a unique case of checkrein deformities in both halluces following isolated intramuscular sarcoidosis, a rare occurrence given the infrequent musculoskeletal involvement in sarcoidosis. Typically resulting from flexor hallucis longus tendon entrapment by scar tissue post-trauma, the checkrein deformity reported in this paper presented with unusual metatarsophalangeal joint flexion and interphalangeal joint extension during ankle dorsiflexion. A 49-year-old woman with a history of intramuscular sarcoidosis presented with a great toe deformity and discomfort while wearing shoes, leading to a diagnosis of dynamic deformity, possibly attributed to tendon tethering by sarcoidosis. Surgical treatments, including abductor hallucis muscle intratendinous tenotomy, flexor hallucis longus Z-plasty lengthening, Weil osteotomy, and Kirschner wire fixation, significantly improved the functional scores and patient discomfort. This report underscores the importance of recognizing dynamic deformities and the potential for rare diseases, such as sarcoidosis, to cause such conditions, highlighting the need for careful diagnosis and tailored surgical intervention for atypical checkrein deformities.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.46 no.11
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• pp.655-663
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• 2023

Autophagy dysfunction is associated with human diseases and conditions including neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic issues, and chronic infections. Additionally, the decline in autophagic activity contributes to tissue and organ dysfunction and aging-related diseases. Several factors, such as down-regulation of autophagy components and activators, oxidative damage, microinflammation, and impaired autophagy flux, are linked to autophagy decline. An autophagy flux impairment (AFI) has been implicated in neurological disorders and in certain other pathological conditions. Here, to enhance our understanding of AFI, we conducted a comprehensive literature review of findings derived from two well-studied cellular stress models: glucose deprivation and replicative senescence. Glucose deprivation is a condition in which cells heavily rely on oxidative phosphorylation for ATP generation. Autophagy is activated, but its flux is hindered at the autolysis step, primarily due to an impairment of lysosomal acidity. Cells undergoing replicative senescence also experience AFI, which is also known to be caused by lysosomal acidity failure. Both glucose deprivation and replicative senescence elevate levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), affecting lysosomal acidification. Mitochondrial alterations play a crucial role in elevating ROS generation and reducing lysosomal acidity, highlighting their association with autophagy dysfunction and disease conditions. This paper delves into the underlying molecular and cellular pathways of AFI in glucose-deprived cells, providing insights into potential strategies for managing AFI that is driven by lysosomal acidity failure. Furthermore, the investigation on the roles of mitochondrial dysfunction sheds light on the potential effectiveness of modulating mitochondrial function to overcome AFI, offering new possibilities for therapeutic interventions.