• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.250-257
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• 2007

Functional gastrointestinal disorders affect millions of people of all age regardless of race and sex. There are, however, rare diagnostic methods for the functional gastrointestinal disorders because functional disorders show no evidence of organic and physical causes. Our research group identified recently that the gastrointestinal tract well in the patients with the functional gastrointestinal disorders becomes more rigid than healthy people when palpating the abdominal regions overlaying the gastrointestinal tract. The aim is, therefore, to develop a diagnostic method for the functional gastrointestinal disorders based on quantitative measurement of the rigidity of the gastrointestinal tract well using ultrasound technique. For this purpose, a preliminary ultrasound diagnostic system was developed and verified through phantom tests. The system consisted of transmitter, ultrasonic transducer, receiver, TGC, and CPLD, and verified via a phantom test. For the phantom test, ten soft-tissue specimens were harvested from porcine. Five of them were then treated chemically to mimic a rigid condition of gastrointestinal tract well, which was induced by functional gastrointestinal disorders. Additionally, the specimens were tested mechanically to identify if the mimic was reasonable. The customized ultrasound system was finally verified through application to human subjects with/without functional gastrointestinal disorders(Normal and Patient Groups). It was identified from the mechanical test that the chemically treated specimens were more rigid than normalspecimen. This finding was favorably compared with the result obtained from the phantom test. The phantom test also showed that ultrasound system well described the specimen geometric characteristics and detected an alteration in the specimens. The maximum amplitude of the ultrasonic reflective signal in the rigid specimens $(0.2{\pm}0.1Vp-p)$ at the interface between the fat and muscle layers was explicitly higher than that in the normal specimens $(0.1{\pm}0.0Vp-p)$ (p<0.05). Clinical tests using our customized ultrasound system for human subject showed that the maximum amplitudes of the ultrasonic reflective signals nea. to the gastrointestinal tract well for the patient group$(2.6{\pm}0.3Vp-p)$ were generally higher than those in normal group$(0.1{\pm}0.2Vp-p)$ (p<0.05). These results suggest that newly designed diagnostic system based on ultrasound technique may diagnose enough the functional gastrointestinal disorders.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.35 no.3 s.110
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• pp.216-226
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to test and compare the accuracy and reliability of soft tissue profile predictions generated from two computer software programs (Quick Ceph Image $Pro^{TM}$ (ver 3.0) and $V-Ceph^{TM}$(ver 3.5)) for mandibular set-back surgery. The presurgical and postsurgical lateral cephalograms of 40 patients (20 males and 20 females) were traced on the same acetate paper with the reference taken as the cranial base outline. The presurgical skeletal outlines were digitized onto each computer program and the mandible was moved to mimic the expected surgical procedure with reverence to the mandibular anterior border and lower incisor position of the actual postsurgical skeletal outline. The soft tissue profile was generated and the amount and direction of skeletal movement was calculated with each software. The predicted soft tissue profile was compared to the actual postsurgical soft tissue profile. There were differences between the actual and the predicted surgical soft tissue profile charges in the magnitude and direction, especially the upper lip. lower lip and the soft tissue chin (P<0.05). Quick Ceph had more horizontal measurement errors and thickness errors for the upper lip and lower lip, but V-Ceph had more vertical measurement errors of the lower lip (P<0.05). There was a positive correlation between the prediction errors and the amount of mandibular movements in the vertical position of Sn, the horizontal position of Ls and the upper lip thickness for V-Ceph, and there was a negative correlation in the horizontal position and the thickness of the lower lip for Quick Ceph (P<0.05). However all of the Prediction errors of both imaging softwares were ranged within 3mm, and this was considered to be allowable clinically.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.474-479
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• 2010

We developed laminated cylindrical scaffolds composed of poly(lactide-co-glycolide)(PLGA) and keratin, and investigated their potential for tissue engineering and disk regeneration. The scaffold was designed to have two parts, i.e. inner cylinder and outer disk, to mimic a natural disk. The outer disk was composed of PLGA and the inner cylinder was prepared using PLGA film or PLGA/keratin hybrid film. In this study, we investigated the effects of keratin on the growth and proliferation of annulus fibrous(AF) cells in the cylindrical scaffolds. Scaffolds containing PLGA/keratin films showed a significantly higher cell proliferation and expression of collagen I and II than the counterpart with PLGA films. Keratin containing scaffolds also exhibited an excellent mechanical strength, demonstrating that keratin influences the proliferation of annulus fibrous cells. The results provide valuable information on PLGA/keratin films for tissue engineered disk regeneration.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.196-201
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• 2011

A 73-year-old male presented a six-month history of buttock pain radiating into his thigh. The MRI revealed a large enhancing mass lesion involving the sacrum, with extension into the sacral canal. The tumor markers were measured to distinguish skeletal metastasis of carcinoma from primary bone tumor. The CA 19-9 was elevated. Despite the investigation, the primary site of cancer could not be found. Sacral bone biopsy was done. The pathologic examination revealed necrosis, chronic granulomatous inflammation, and multinucleated giant cells, consistent with tuberculosis. Sacral tuberculosis is rare in patients with no history of tuberculosis. Such solitary osteolytic lesions involving the subarticular region of large joints may mimic bone neoplasms and may be called "tuberculous pseudotumors." This case report intends to emphasize that bone tuberculosis should be a differential diagnosis in the presence of atypical clinical and radiological features. As tuberculous lesions may be mistaken for neoplasms, a small amount of fresh tissue should be sent for culture even if clinical diagnosis of a tumor seems likely. Described herein is a case of sacral tuberculosis mimicking metastatic bone tumor with elevated CA 19-9.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.2569-2574
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• 2015

Necroptosis, also known as "programmed necrosis", has emerged as a critical factor in a variety of pathological and physiological processes and is considered a cell type-specific tightly regulated process with mechanisms that may vary rather greatly due to the change of cell line. Here we used HT-29, a human colon cancer cell line, to establish a necroptosis model and elucidate associated mechanisms. We discovered that cobalt chloride, a reagent that could induce hypoxia-inducible $factor-1{\alpha}(HIF1{\alpha})$ expression and therefore mimic the hypoxic microenvironment of tumor tissue in some aspects induces necroptosis in HT-29 cells when caspase activity is compromised. On the other hand, apoptosis appears to be the predominant death form when caspases are functioning normally. HT-29 cells demonstrated significantly increased RIPK1, RIPK3 and MLKL expression in response to cobalt chloride plus z-VAD treatment, which was accompanied by drastically increased $IL1{\alpha}$ and IL6 expression, substantiating the notion that necrosis can induce profound immune reactions. The RIPK1 kinase inhibitor necrostatin-1 and the ROS scavenger NAC each could prevent necrosis in HT-29 cells and the efficiency was enhanced by combined treatment. Thus by building up a necroptosis model in human colon cancer cells, we uncovered that mechanically RIP kinases collaborate with ROS during necrosis promoted by cobalt chloride plus z-VAD, which leads to inflammation. Necroptosis may present a new target for therapeutic intervention in cancer cells that are resistant to apoptotic cell death.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.47-50
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• 2010

Fibrous dysplasia is a common benign disorder of bone in which normal bone marrow is replaced with fibro-osseous tissue. As PET/CT is increasingly used for the staging of different malignant disease, incidentally found fibrous dysplasia with increased FDG uptake may mimic metastasis. We report on a 46-year-old woman with fibrous dysplasia who underwent PET/CT because of suspected recurrence of breast cancer and was misdiagnosed as a bony metastasis with a focal FDG uptake on left proximal femur. This lesion was interpreted as fibrous dysplasia based on MRI in addition to the plain radiographs. We conclude that MRI in addition to radiography may help to differentiate fibrous dysplasia mimicking metastasis on PET/CT in the patients with malignancy.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.433-439
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• 2013

In this study, human head-mimicking phantom was developed for brain disease treatment study using focused ultrasound. Acoustic parameters of skin, skull and brain were investigated through literature investigation and adequate substitutes according to each tissue were suggested. In the case of skin phantom, construction ratio of glycerol-based TMM phantom was controlled to mimic real skin. The suitability of skull substitutes was evaluated through measurement of acoustic parameters. In the case of brain phantom, transparent egg white phantom was used to observe thermal properties of focused ultrasound. Combined human-head-mimicking phantom using each substitutes was fabricated for development of brain disease treatment protocol. Denaturation of brain phantom according to ultrasonic condition was observed for validation.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Esthetic Dentistry
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.39-48
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• 2015

The critical factors affecting the esthetics of anterior implants can be summarized as following: 1) Correct positioning of implant fixture, 2) Enough amount of alveolar bone, 3) Optimum volume of soft tissue. The position of implant is probably the most important factor in obtaining esthetic treatment outcome. The 3-dimensional orientation of implant is determined by the position on the alveolar ridge and its direction. Clinicians often try to mimic natural teeth when fabricating restorations. During the course of esthetic diagnosis and treatment, however, one should not forget to consider the correlation between facial pattern, lips, gingiva, alveolar ridge, as well as remaining dentition. Since anterior region is biologically unfavorable when compared with posterior region, one minor discrepancy in positioning of implant can cause esthetically undesirable treatment outcome. If one understands the biological and prosthetic meaning of implant' s 3-dimensional position, he or she can achieve superior esthetic outcome in anterior region.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.40-45
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• 2015

Background The eyelid and canthal areas are common locations for cutaneous tumors. The medial canthus includes, among many other apparatuses, the canthal tendon and lacrimal canaliculi, and its characteristic thin and supple skin is hard to mimic and restore using tissue from other regions. Accordingly, reconstruction of the canthal area can prove challenging for surgeons. Although various methods, such as skin grafts and local flaps from adjacent regions, have been utilized for reconstructive purposes, they present known disadvantages. However, we were able to successfully reconstruct both lateral and medial canthal area defects by using orbicularis oculi myocutaneous island flaps. Methods Our study included seven patients who underwent medial or lateral canthal region reconstruction, using orbicularis oculi myocutaneous island flaps, between 2011 and 2014, following either cutaneous tumor excision or traumatic avulsion injury. Results Five patients had basal cell carcinoma, one had squamous cell carcinoma of the eyelid, and one had sustained a traumatic avulsion injury of the eyelid and canthal area. Entire flap loss was not observed in any patient, but one-a heavy smoker-showed partial flap loss, which healed with secondary intention and yielded acceptable results. Donor site morbidity was not observed, and all patients were satisfied with their surgical outcomes. Conclusions The canthal regions can be successfully reconstructed with orbicularis oculi myocutaneous island flaps. These flaps offer several key advantages, including similarity in texture, color, and thickness to the recipient site and a negligible incidence of donor site morbidity.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.56-59
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• 2011

Inflammatory pseudotumor is characterized by the presence of a mass that may mimic malignancy and is composed of spindle cells mixed with variable amounts of extracellular collagen, lymphocytes, and plasma cells It is benign tumor commonly involves lung and orbit and rarely that occurs in the head and neck The cause and pathogenesis of inflammatory pseudotumor still remain controversial. Some bacterial infection or chronic irritation may have prompted some speculation that an initially reactive process can change into an overt neoplastic disease. It tends to affect children and young adults than old ages. We present a case of inflammatory pseudotumor involving the tongue base, in a 73-year-old patient with repeated oral bleeding that aggravated over a few days. Clinical examination showed angiomatous polyp like findings in oropharynx that easy bleeding tendency. CT images showed well defined soft tissue mass with focal enhancement. After surgery, tumor was finally diagnosed inflammatory pseudotumor by histopathologic examinations showed plasma cells and inflammatory cells in variable fibrotic tissues.