• Journal of Medicine and Life Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.56-61
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• 2018

Advances in medical technology has enabled better management of complicated and chronic wounds. Negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is a novel dressing technique that uses negative pressure to drain exudates and blood from wounds. NPWT increases local blood flow and promotes reduction of edema and wound healing and is suitable for a variety of wounds. It is associated with few adverse effects and shows excellent efficacy and cost-effectiveness. NPWT promotes rapid growth of granulation tissue and wound contraction; thus, it is more advantageous than general dressings as it reduces the size skin of grafts or flaps required for repair, and patients with chronic wounds can be treated as outpatients. We investigated the general usage and mechanism of NPWT, its clinical applications and adverse effects.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.206-213
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• 2021

Background: Tracheoesophageal fistula (TEFs) is a rare condition that requires complex surgical treatment. We analyzed the surgical outcomes of TEF reported in the literature and at Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital using standardized techniques. Methods: This retrospective study included 8 patients diagnosed with acquired benign TEF between March 2010 and December 2019. The surgical method was determined based on the size of the fistula observed within the endoscope. Results: TEF occurred in 7 patients (87.5%) after intubation or tracheostomy and in 1 patient (12.5%) after esophageal surgery due to conduit necrosis. For tracheal management, 5 and 2 patients underwent tracheal resection and end-to-end anastomosis and primary repair, respectively. The median length of resection was 2.5 cm (range, 1.3-3.4 cm). For esophageal management, 6 patients underwent primary repair and 1 patient underwent esophageal diversion. One patient underwent TEF division with a stapler. Interposition of a muscle flap was performed in 2 patients. TEF recurrence, esophageal stenosis, and dehiscence or granulation occurred in 1, 1, and 2 patients, respectively. A long-term tracheostomy tube or T-tube was used in 2 patients for >2 months. Conclusion: Although TEF surgery is complex and challenging, good results can be achieved if surgical standards are established and experience is accumulated.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.35-39
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to report the effect of Jaungo and acupuncture and debridement for severe pressure ulcer in the elderly. Two Elderly patients with stage 4 pressure ulcer in the sacral region were eligible to participate in this study. Dressing using Jaungo was applied twice a day, and acupuncture was applied 4 times a week along the boundary between the normal epidermis and the pressure ulcer granulation tissue in contact with the pressure ulcer interface. Debridement was performed after partial or total removal, if necessary, under the judgment of the attending physician.In both cases, stage 4 pressure sores in the sacrum covered with crusts were cured in 193 days and 223 days, respectively, and no side effects were reported during treatment. This study shows that Jaungo and acupuncture and debridement may represent effective to treat pressure ulcer. but further studies are needed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Sciences Society Conference
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• 2020.10a
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• pp.221-221
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• 2020

Curcumin, a hydrophobic polyphenol derived from turmeric, has been used a food additive and as a herbal medicine for the treatment of various diseases. In the present study, we found the functional role of a nanosphere loaded with curcumin (CN) in the promotion of the motility of human umbilical cord blood derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCB-MSCs) during the wound closure. We found that the efficacy of hUCB-MSCs migration induced by CN was 1000-fold higher than that of curcumin powder. CN significantly increased the motility of hUCB-MSCs by activating c-Src, which is responsible for the phosphorylation of protein kinase C (PKC) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). CN induced the expression levels of α-actinin-1, profilin-1 and filamentous-actin, as regulated by the phosphorylation of nuclear factor-kappa B during its promotion of cell migration. In a mouse skin excisional wound model, we found that transplantation of UCB-MSCs pre-treated with CN enhances wound closure, granulation, and re-epithelialization at mouse skin wound sites. These results indicate that CN is a functional agent that promotes the mobilization of UCB-MSCs for cutaneous wound repair.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2024

Biological nutrient removal is gaining increasing attention in wastewater treatment plants; however, it is adversely affected by low temperatures. This study examined temperature effects on nutrient removal and morphological stability of the granular and denitrifying phosphorus accumulating organisms (PAO and DPAO, respectively) using sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) at 5, 10, and 20 ℃. Lab-scale SBRs were continuously operated using anaerobic-anoxic and anaerobic-oxic cycles to develop the PAO and DPAO granules for 230 d. Sludge granulation in the two SBRs was observed after approximately 200 d. The average removal efficiency of soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) and PO₄^3--P remained >90% throughout, even when the temperature dropped to 5 ℃. The average removal efficiency of NO₃^--N remained >80% consistently in DPAO SBR. However, nitrification drastically decreased at 10 ℃. Hence, the removal efficiency of NH₄⁺-N was decreased from 99.1% to 54.5% in PAO SBR. Owing to the increased oxygen penetration depth at low temperatures, the influence on nitrification rates was limited. The granule in DPAO and PAO SBR was observed to be unstable and disintegrated at 10 ℃. In conclusion, morphological characteristics showed that changed conversion rates at low temperatures in aerobic granular sludge altered both nutrient removal efficiencies and granule formation.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.343-351
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• 2023

Diabetic foot is one of the most devastating consequences of diabetes, resulting in amputation and possibly death. Therefore, early detection and vigorous treatment of infections in patients with diabetic foot are critical. This review seeks to provide guidelines for the therapy and rehabilitation of patients with moderate-to-severe diabetic foot. If a diabetic foot infection is suspected, bacterial cultures should be initially obtained. Numerous imaging studies can be used to identify diabetic foot, and recent research has shown that white blood cell single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography has comparable diagnostic specificity and sensitivity to magnetic resonance imaging. Surgery is performed when a diabetic foot ulcer is deep and is accompanied by bone and soft tissue infections. Patients should be taught preoperative rehabilitation before undergoing stressful surgery. During surgical procedures, it is critical to remove all necrotic tissue and drain the inflammatory area. It is critical to treat wounds with suitable dressings after surgery. Wet dressings promote the formation of granulation tissues and new blood vessels. Walking should begin as soon as the patient's general condition allows it, regardless of the wound status or prior walking capacity. Adequate treatment of comorbidities, including hypertension and dyslipidemia, and smoking cessation are necessary. Additionally, broad-spectrum antibiotics are required to treat diabetic foot infections.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.754-760
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• 2023

Background/Aims: Endoscopic vacuum therapy (EVT) can heal a variety of defects within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract via applying negative pressure, which reduces the defect size, aspirates the infected fluid, and promotes granulation tissue. Here we present our experience with EVT as it relates to both spontaneous and iatrogenic upper GI tract perforations, leaks, and fistulas. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at four large hospital centers. All patients who underwent EVT between June 2018 and March 2021 were included. Data on multiple variables were collected, including demographics, defect size and location, number and intervals of EVT exchanges, technical success, and hospital length of stay. Student t-test and the chi-squared test were used to analyze the data. Results: Twenty patients underwent EVT. The most common defect cause was spontaneous esophageal perforation (50%). The most common defect location was the distal esophagus (55%). The success rate was 80%. Seven patients were treated with EVT as the primary closure method. The mean number of exchanges was five with a mean interval of 4.3 days between exchanges. The mean length of hospital stay was 55.8 days. Conclusions: EVT is a safe and effective initial management option for esophageal leaks and perforations.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.526-531
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• 2003

KR-31378 is a new drug candidate intended for the use in the prevention of ischemia-reperfusion damage. The objective of this preformulation study was to determine the physicochemical properties of KR-31378. The n-octanol to water partition coefficients of KR-31378 were 0.0504 at pH 3 and 0.8874 at pH 10. Accelerated stability of KR-31378 in solution and solid state was studied at 5, 40, $60^{\circ}C$. The stability testing indicated that the t90 for the drug in solid was estimated to be 2 years and 128.6 days at $25^{\circ}C$, while the that in aquesou solution was 68.6 days at $25^{\circ}C$. The KR-31378 was also found to be unstable under the relative humidity of 76%, probably because of the hygroscopic nature of the drug. In order to study compatibility of KR-31378 with typical excipients, potential change in differential scanning calorimetry spectrum was studied in 1:1 binary mixtures of KR-31378 and Aerosil, Avicel, Eudragit, lactose, PEG, talc, CMC, PVP, starch. As a result, CMC, PVP, and starch were found to be incompatible with KR-31378, indicating the addition of these excipients may complicate the manufacturing of the formulation for the drug. Particle size distribution of KR-31378 powder was in the size range of 9-93 $\mu$ m with the mean particle size of 37.9 $\mu$ m. The flowability of KR-31378 was apparently inadequate, indicating the granulation may be necessary for the processing of the drug to solid dosage forms. Crystallization of the drug with a number of organic solvents did not lead a crystalline polymorphism. In addition, dissolution of the drug from the powder was adequately rapid at $37^{\circ}C$ in water.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.67-71
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• 1993

This study was carried out to develop the soil conditioner and/or the absorbent of high CEC with the natural zeolite poeder whose price was very low. The $SiO_2/Al_2O_3$ ratio & CEC of the natural zeolite were 6.78 and 67.5me/100g respectively. The CEC of the post-reaction product which was treated with 3N-NaOH and $Na_2O/Al_2O_3$ ratio. 9.5 for 8hours was about 200me/100g, which was the highest value than any other treatments. The dominant clay minerals were clinoptilolite, mordenite and smectite in natural zeolite, while phillipsite in the post-reaction product.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.17-21
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• 2004

Background Insertion of tracheal stent in the treatment of benign tracheal & bronchial disease has increased since the introduction of expandable metallic stent. Material & Methods : Between Jan, 1995 and Feb. 2004, eight patients who had benign tracheo-bronchial disease underwent insertion of expandable metallic tracheal stent. We retrospectively analyzed stent insertion indications, complications, and following the result. Results : Surgical indications were post-intubation tracheal stenosis (1 case), tracheal stenosis following tracheal surgery (2 cases), tracheo-esophageal fistula (2 cases), broncho-pleural fistula(1 case), left main bronchus stenosis following bronchoplasty (1 case), and left main bronchus stenosis due to mediastinal repositioning (1 case). Expandable metallic tracheal stent was inserted in five patients to resolve dyspnea caused by airway obstruction, and to prevent recurrent pneumonia in three patients. The complication developed in 6 patients $75\%$; 3 cases of distal stenosis due to growth of granulation tissue, and one case each of tearing of posterior membrane, aggravation of tracheo-esophageal fistula, and airway partial obstruction due to stent migration. The stent was removed in 5 patients and tracheal surgery (tracheal resection and end to end anastomosis with primary repair of esophagus, pericardial patch tracheo-bronchoplasty, tracheal repair and omental wrapping) was performed in 3 patients. Conclusion Insertion of self expandable metallic stent in benign tracheo-bronchial disease is an effective means of relieving dyspnea for only a short period, and it did not increase the long term survival. Better means of treatment of benign tracheo-bronchial stenosis in necessary.