• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.417-423
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• 2007

Serological surveillance programs in animal populations are becoming increasingly important to estimate prevalence of a specific disease and subsequently to document disease-free status in a region or a country. For these purposes, the programs need to be based on both theoretical and economical aspects from the designing phase. From Aujeszky's disease (AD)-eradication program point of view, group of animals (aggregates, herds) not individual animal is the more important sampling unit of concern. In this study the authors therefore attempted to compute an appropriate sample size tailored to a current surveillance program against AD, assuming that the goal of this program is either herd-level prevalence estimation or documentation of AD-freedom. For prevalence estimation, assuming a finite population with imperfect sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of ELISA kit for AD diagnosis, the number of herds present, expected herd prevalence, and desired accuracy for a certain level of confidence, sample size was estimated at herd-level in the first stage and individual animal-level in the second stage. A two-stage sampling design was used to calculate a sample size to indicate AD-freedom. In this instance, the computation was based on the possible detection of a predetermined prevalence at a certain herd-level Se and Sp. This study indicated that the sample size varied with predetermined confidence, tolerance, Se and Sp at herd- and animal-level, and within- and among-herd prevalence. In general, smaller sample size was required to estimate AD prevalence than to document of AD-freedom. Compared to individual-based samples, two-stage sampling strategy requires a larger sample size to show disease-freedom. Statistical considerations including herd-level test characteristics when designing surveillance program also are further discussed.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.258-263
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• 2013

The primary goal of this study was to compute sample sizes required to achieve the each aim of a variety of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) surveillance programs, using a statistically valid technique that takes the following factors into account: sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of diagnostic test system, desired minimum detectable prevalence, precision, population size, and desired power of the survey. In addition, sample sizes to detect FMD if the disease is present and also as proof of freedom were computed. The current FMD active surveillance programs consist of clinical, virological, and serological surveillance. For the 2012 serological surveillance, annual sample sizes (n = 265,065) are planned at four separate levels: statistical (n = 60,884) and targeted (n = 115,232) at breeding pig farms and slaughter house, in together with the detection of structural proteins (SP) antibodies against FMD (n = 88,949). Overall, the sample size was not designed taking the specific aims of each surveillance stream into account. The sample sizes for statistical surveillance, assuming stratified two-stage sampling technique, was based to detect at least one FMD-infected case in the general population. The resulting sample size can be used to obtain evidence of freedom from FMD infection, not for detecting animals that have antibodies against FMD virus non-structural proteins (NSP). Additionally, sample sizes for targeted surveillance were not aimed for the population at risk, and also without consideration of statistical point of view. To at least the author's knowledge, sampling plan for targeted, breeding pig farms and slaughter house is not necessary and need to be included in the part of statistical surveillance. Assuming design prevalence of 10% in an infinite population, a total of 29 animals are required to detect at least one positive with probability of 95%, using perfect diagnostic test system (Se = Sp = 100%). A total of 57,211 animals needed to be sampled to give 95% confidence of estimating SP prevalence of 80% at the individual animal-level with a precision of ${\pm}5%$, assuming 800 herds with an average 200 heads per farm, within-farm variance of 0.2, between-farm variance of 0.05, cost ratio of 100:1 of farm against animals. Furthermore, 779,736 animals were required to demonstrate FMD freedom, and the sample size can further be reduced depending on the parameters assumed.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.18-24
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• 2011

Background: We evaluated the efficacy of Cox-maze IV procedure using bipolar irrigated radiofrequency ablation and cryothermy in chronic atrial fibrillation associated with valvular heart disease. Material and Methods: From November 2005 to June 2009, ninety four patients have undergone valvular heart surgery with Cox-maze IV procedure. Preoperative duration of atrial fibrillation was $7.6{\pm}6.5$ years and follow-up duration was $22.7{\pm}12.3$ months. Results: There were two (2.1%) postoperative deaths not related to maze procedure. Two cerebrovascular accidents, five low cardiac output syndromes and two permanent pacemaker implantations have occurred after surgery. Preoperative ejection fraction on echocardiography was $55.3{\pm}8.1%$ and ejection fraction of postoperative six month was $54.7{\pm}6.5%$. Left atrial size of preoperative and postoperative were $61.5{\pm}11.6\;mm$ and $53.1{\pm}8.4\;mm$ at each. Freedom from atrial fibrillation rate at postoperative six-month was 80.7% and the cases of recurrence of atrial fibrillation after six months were three (3.3%). Risk factors for failure or recurrence of maze procedure were old age (p=.010) and preoperative moderate or severe tricuspid regurgitation (p=.033). Conclusion: The Cox-maze IV procedure using RFBP2 and cryothermy is quite safe and freedom from atrial fibrillation at postoperative 6 month was 82.5%. Risk factors for failure or recurrence of atrial fibrillation after Cox-maze IV were old age and preoperative over moderate tricuspid regurgitation.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.332-339
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• 2012

The components of Magnolia officinalis have well known to act anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and neuroprotective activities. These efficacies have been sold many products as nutritional supplement extracted from bark of Magnolia officinalis. Thus, to assess and compare neuroprotective effect in the nutritional supplement (Magnolia $Extract^{TM}$, Health Freedom Nutrition LLC, USA) and our ethanol extract of Magnolia officinalis (BioLand LTD, Korea), we investigated memorial improving and anti-Alzheimer's disease effects of extract products of Magnolia officinalis in a transgenic AD mice model. Oral pretreatment of two extract products of Magnolia officinalis (10 mg/kg/day in 0.05% ethanol) into drinking water for 3 months ameliorated memorial dysfunction and prevented $A{\beta}$ accumulation in the brain of Tg2576 mice. In addition, extract products of Magnolia officinalis also decreased expression of ${\beta}$-site APP cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1), amyloid precursor protein (APP) and its product, C99. Although both two extract products of Magnolia officinalis could show preventive effect of memorial dysfunction and $A{\beta}$ accumulation, our ethanol extract of Magnolia officinalis (BioLand LTD, Korea) could be more effective than Magnolia $Extract^{TM}$ (Health Freedom Nutrition LLC, USA). Therefore, our results showed that extract products of Magnolia officinalis were effective for prevention and treatment of AD through memorial improving and anti-amyloidogenic effects via down-regulating ${\beta}$-secretase activity, and neuroprotective efficacy of Magnolia extracts could be differed by cultivating area and manufacturing methods.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.235-241
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• 2017

Background: The Ross/Ross-Konno procedure is considered a good option for irreparable aortic valve disease in pediatric patients because of its hemodynamic performance and potential for growth of the pulmonary autograft. This study is a review of the long-term results of our 20-year experience with the Ross and Ross-Konno operations in a single institution. Methods: Between June 1995 and January 2016, 16 consecutive patients (mean age, $6.0{\pm}5.9years$; range, 16 days to 17.4 years) underwent either a Ross operation (n=9) or a Ross-Konno operation (n=7). The study included 12 males and 4 females, with a median follow-up period of 47 months (range, 6 to 256 months). Results: There were no cases of in-hospital or late mortality. Six reoperations were performed in 5 patients. Four patients underwent right ventricular-pulmonary artery (RV-PA) conduit replacement. Two patients underwent concomitant replacement of the pulmonary autograft and RV-PA conduit 10 years and 8 years after the Ross operation, respectively. The rate of freedom from adverse outcomes of the pulmonary autograft was 88% and 70% at 5 and 10 years, respectively. The rate of freedom from valve-related reoperations was 79% and 63% at 5 and 10 years, respectively. Conclusion: Pulmonary autografts demonstrated good durability with low mortality. The Ross/Ross-Konno procedure is a good option that can be performed safely in pediatric patients with aortic valve disease, even in a small-volume center.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.12
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• pp.3542-3546
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• 2014

Relationship between molecular freedom of amyloidogenic protein and its self-assembly into amyloid fibrils has been evaluated with ${\alpha}$-synuclein, an intrinsically unfolded protein related to Parkinson's disease, by restricting its structural plasticity through an end-to-end disulfide bond formation between two newly introduced cysteine residues on the N- and C-termini. Although the resulting circular form of ${\alpha}$-synuclein exhibited an impaired fibrillation propensity, the restriction did not completely block the protein's interactive core since co-incubation with wild-type ${\alpha}$-synuclein dramatically facilitated the fibrillation by producing distinctive forms of amyloid fibrils. The suppressed fibrillation propensity was instantly restored as the structural restriction was unleashed with ${\beta}$-mercaptoethanol. Conformational flexibility of the accreting amyloidogenic protein to pre-existing seeds has been demonstrated to be critical for fibrillar extension process by exerting structural adjustment to a complementary structure for the assembly.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.186-196
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• 2015

This research comprehended the fundamental cause of elderly nursing home residents' negative feelings of loneliness, depression, fear, and loss of self-usefulness as existential issue, since they already went through loss, death of loved ones, geriatric disease and disability. The purpose of this research is to explore how existentialism and existential psychotherapy theory of Irvin D. Yalom can be applied to nursing home environment design, and to suggest design directions. Based on his framework of human's ultimate interest, death, freedom followed by responsibility, isolation, and meaninglessness, interior design suggestions and applicable spaces were presented. Four cases from Australia, Denmark, Japan and Korea were analyzed according to design suggestions to grasp the current situation and to draw further proposition. The conclusions are as follows. (1)Environment should support nursing home residents to resolve existential issues. (2)Death is the least supported issue on all of the cases. Environmental elements that can induce residents to think and discuss on death, hospice program and space for memorial service is necessary. (3)Regarding to freedom, the environment should support resident's disability to maintain independence as much as possible and residents autonomy and decision should be respected. Single/double rooms, motorized bed, free and safe usage of kitchen and garden are necessary. (4)For isolation, Space and time for meditation should be provided. (5)To find meaning of life, environment should support residents in both physical and cognitive aspect so that they can contribute to others. Space for hobby is necessary for continued creativity and self-realization.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.474-482
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• 2019

Disease monitoring in wild aquatic animals is necessary to obtain information about disease occurrence, disease agents, and the transmission of diseases between wild and cultured species. In this study, we monitored viral diseases in wild marine fish and crustacea caught by trawl in Korea in April and October 2018. We monitored the viral diseases in 977 fish from 39 different species and 287 crustacea from 14 different species. In fish, we collected kidney and spleen to detect viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV), red sea bream iridovirus (RSIV), marine birnavirus (MABV), hirame rhabdovirus (HRV), and lymphocystis disease virus (LCDV). In crustacea, we monitored white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV), taura syndrome virus (TSV), infectious myonecrosis virus (IMNV), yellowhead disease virus (YHDV), and white tail disease virus (WTDV) using pleopods, pereiopods, gills, muscle, and hepatopancreases. Although none of the viral diseases tested in this study were detected in the samples, these results will help disease control between aquaculture species and wild aquatic animals.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.60-62
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• 2013

Quadrangular resection is the gold standard technique for correction of the posterior leaflet prolapse in mitral valve disease. Prompted by the idea that the anterior leaflet of the tricuspid valve corresponds to the posterior leaflet of the mitral valve in its structure and function, we conducted a quadrangular resection of the anterior leaflet of the tricuspid valve in a case of tricuspid endocarditis. Tricuspid regurgitation was well corrected, and the durability of the repair was proven by the patient's freedom from cardiac events for the following 8 years.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.218-228
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• 2021

Due to their high degree of freedom to transfer and acquire light, fiber optics can be used in the presence of strong magnetic fields. Hence, optical sensing and imaging based on fiber optics can be integrated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnostic systems to acquire valuable information on biological tissues and organs based on a magnetic field. In this article, we explored the combination of MRI and optical sensing/imaging techniques by classifying them into the following topics: 1) functional near-infrared spectroscopy with functional MRI for brain studies and brain disease diagnoses, 2) integration of fiber-optic molecular imaging and optogenetic stimulation with MRI, and 3) optical therapeutic applications with an MRI guidance system. Through these investigations, we believe that a combination of MRI and optical sensing/imaging techniques can be employed as both research methods for multidisciplinary studies and clinical diagnostic/therapeutic devices.