• 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.

• International Journal of Stem Cells
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.120-129
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• 2024

Recent amendments to regulatory frameworks have placed a greater emphasis on the utilization of in vitro testing platforms for preclinical drug evaluations and toxicity assessments. This requires advanced tissue models capable of accurately replicating liver functions for drug efficacy and toxicity predictions. Liver organoids, derived from human cell sources, offer promise as a reliable platform for drug evaluation. However, there is a lack of standardized quality evaluation methods, which hinders their regulatory acceptance. This paper proposes comprehensive quality standards tailored for liver organoids, addressing cell source validation, organoid generation, and functional assessment. These guidelines aim to enhance reproducibility and accuracy in toxicity testing, thereby accelerating the adoption of organoids as a reliable alternative or complementary tool to animal testing in drug development. The quality standards include criteria for size, cellular composition, gene expression, and functional assays, thus ensuring a robust hepatotoxicity testing platform.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.257-261
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• 2024

Chorea-acanthocytosis (ChAc) is an extremely rare neurodegenerative disorder characterized by movement disorders and acanthocytosis. Orofacial dyskinesia is a distinct symptom of this disorder that can lead to lip injuries and feeding difficulties. This paper reports the first case of a patient with ChAc presenting with a lip defect, who was managed with surgical and adjuvant onabotulinumtoxinA (BTX-A) therapy. A 43-year-old woman diagnosed with ChAc was referred to our clinic because of a 5×5 mm lip defect resulting from orofacial dyskinesia. Wedge resection of the scar tissue was carried out, followed by reconstruction by suturing. Postoperatively, BTX-A injections were administered to ameliorate dyskinesia. Thirty units of BTX-A were injected into each masseter muscle, and 40 units were injected into the orbicularis oris muscle. At 1, 2, and 4 weeks after the injections, assessments were performed using the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale, and the patient's impression of change was assessed using the Global Rating of Change Scale. Subsequent adjuvant BTX-A treatment yielded subjective and objective improvements in orofacial dyskinesia. In conclusion, lip reconstruction and adjuvant BTX-A injections were effective in treating lip defects associated with orofacial dyskinesia in patients with ChAc, which highlights the need for a multimodal treatment approach.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.117-122
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• 2013

This research was carried out to clarify the germination characteristics with reference to hard seed coat in safflower. Morphologically, seed coat surface has hilum and micropyle which were evident during seed development stage. In the flower of developing seeds, the hilum area is connected with placenta of maternal tissue while the micropyle area is connected with the style of pistil. When the seeds imbibed, the hilum surface began to crack and the embryo protrudes through the hilum. To investigate the route for moisture absorption and gas exchange on the seed coat, the hilum and the micropyle were artificially sealed by paraffin. The seeds whose hilum were sealed could not germinate, which indicates that the exchange of moisture and oxygen takes place through hilum in safflower seeds. The germination was tested at $15^{\circ}C$, $20^{\circ}C$, and $25^{\circ}C$ by three substrates with different moisture conditions; top of paper method (hilum submerged in water), between-paper method, and soil seeding. The germination percentages were 31.3% at $15^{\circ}C$, 15.7% at $20^{\circ}C$ and 6.0% at $25^{\circ}C$ in the top of paper method; and 45.5% at $15^{\circ}C$, 30.0% at $20^{\circ}C$ and 14.0% at $25^{\circ}C$ in the between-paper method; and 80.0% at $15^{\circ}C$, 77.0% at $20^{\circ}C$ and 78.0% at $25^{\circ}C$ in the soil seeding, respectively. When the internal structure of hilum was investigated through SEM, it was found out consisting of vascular bundle element. In conclusion, the hilum of safflower seed was closely related with water absorption and gas exchange during initial germination process.

• Proceedings of the Korea Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry Conference
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• 2000.06a
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• pp.16-23
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• 2000

The increasing functional needs of top-quality printing papers and packaging paperboards, and especially the rapid developments in electronic printing processes and various computer printers during past few years, set new targets and requirements for modern paper quality. Most of these paper grades of today have relatively high filler content, are moderately or heavily calendered , and have many coating layers for the best appearance and performance. In practice, this means that many of the traditional quality assurance methods, mostly designed to measure papers made of pure. native pulp only, can not reliably (or at all) be used to analyze or rank the quality of modern papers. Hence, introduction of new measurement techniques is necessary to assure and further develop the paper quality today and in the future. Paper formation , i.e. small scale (millimeter scale) variation of basis weight, is the most important quality parameter of paper-making due to its influence on practically all the other quality properties of paper. The ideal paper would be completely uniform so that the basis weight of each small point (area) measured would be the same. In practice, of course, this is not possible because there always exists relatively large local variations in paper. However, these small scale basis weight variations are the major reason for many other quality problems, including calender blacking uneven coating result, uneven printing result, etc. The traditionally used visual inspection or optical measurement of the paper does not give us a reliable understanding of the material variations in the paper because in modern paper making process the optical behavior of paper is strongly affected by using e.g. fillers, dye or coating colors. Futhermore, the opacity (optical density) of the paper is changed at different process stages like wet pressing and calendering. The greatest advantage of using beta transmission method to measure paper formation is that it can be very reliably calibrated to measure true basis weight variation of all kinds of paper and board, independently on sample basis weight or paper grade. This gives us the possibility to measure, compare and judge papers made of different raw materials, different color, or even to measure heavily calendered, coated or printed papers. Scientific research of paper physics has shown that the orientation of the top layer (paper surface) fibers of the sheet paly the key role in paper curling and cockling , causing the typical practical problems (paper jam) with modern fax and copy machines, electronic printing , etc. On the other hand, the fiber orientation at the surface and middle layer of the sheet controls the bending stiffness of paperboard . Therefore, a reliable measurement of paper surface fiber orientation gives us a magnificent tool to investigate and predict paper curling and coclking tendency, and provides the necessary information to finetune, the manufacturing process for optimum quality. many papers, especially heavily calendered and coated grades, do resist liquid and gas penetration very much, bing beyond the measurement range of the traditional instruments or resulting invonveniently long measuring time per sample . The increased surface hardness and use of filler minerals and mechanical pulp make a reliable, nonleaking sample contact to the measurement head a challenge of its own. Paper surface coating causes, as expected, a layer which has completely different permeability characteristics compared to the other layer of the sheet. The latest developments in sensor technologies have made it possible to reliably measure gas flow in well controlled conditions, allowing us to investigate the gas penetration of open structures, such as cigarette paper, tissue or sack paper, and in the low permeability range analyze even fully greaseproof papers, silicon papers, heavily coated papers and boards or even detect defects in barrier coatings ! Even nitrogen or helium may be used as the gas, giving us completely new possibilities to rank the products or to find correlation to critical process or converting parameters. All the modern paper machines include many on-line measuring instruments which are used to give the necessary information for automatic process control systems. hence, the reliability of this information obtained from different sensors is vital for good optimizing and process stability. If any of these on-line sensors do not operate perfectly ass planned (having even small measurement error or malfunction ), the process control will set the machine to operate away from the optimum , resulting loss of profit or eventual problems in quality or runnability. To assure optimum operation of the paper machines, a novel quality assurance policy for the on-line measurements has been developed, including control procedures utilizing traceable, accredited standards for the best reliability and performance.

• 전자공학회논문지 IE
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.21-27
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• 2006

This paper is for the segmentation and volume calculation of the white matter and gray matter from brain MRI. We segment white matter, gray matter and CSF from the Brain image in the normal and abnormal person, and calculate the volume of segmented tissue. In this paper, we present a new method of extracting white matter, gray matter and CSF and calculation its volume from MR images for brain. And we have developed the determining method of threshold that can extract white matter and gray matter from MR image for brain through the analysis of gray values represented by ratio of each component. We proposed the calculation method of volume for white matter and gray matter by using number of extracted pixels in each slice. This algorithm input CSF/Head volume ratio and age of patient and calculates discriminant value through discriminant expression, classifies normal and abnormal using calculated discriminant value. As a result, we could blow that white matter and gray matter volume decrease and CSF volume increase as we grow gold.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 1998

Clustered microcalcifications on X-ray mammograms are an important sign for early detection of breast cancer. This paper proposes a computer-aided diagnosis method for the detection of clustered microcalcifications and marking their locations on digitized mammograms. The proposed detection method consists of the region of interest (ROI) selection, the film-artifact removal, the surrounding texture analysis method for the detection of clustered microcalcifications, which is based on the second-order histogram in two nested surrounding regions on the current pixel. This paper also describes the effectiveness of the proposed film-artifact removal filter in terms of the classification performance with the receiver operating-characteristics(ROC) analysis. A three-layer backpropagation neural network is employed as a classifier. The appropriate marking for the locations of clustered microcalcifications can be used to alert radiologists to locations of suspicious lesions.