Correction of alveolar cleft with bone grafting has become a well-established step in the integral management of cleft lip and palate patients. Secondary bone graft at mixed dentition is a widely accepted protocol and iliac bone graft is recommended as the gold standard by a multitude of cleft centers. However, grave morbidities of the iliac donor site have discouraged cleft surgeons from adopting this reliable method. In this study, percutaneous bone biopsy set was used to avoid the morbidities of conventional iliac bone graft. Iliac bone graft was performed on 20 patients with alveolar cleft during the period from January 1995 to February 1999. The tube saw of the bone biopsy set was introduced through a small incision of less than 1 cm, and cancellous bone cores were harvested from the iliac crest. After the pericoronal incision, a wide gingival mucoperiosteal flap was elevated at both sides of the cleft. A soft tissue pocket that was created by closure of the nasal and palatal lining was filled with harvested bone cores. Medial transposition and water-tight closure of both gingival mucoperiosteal flaps provided coverage of the bone graft. During the follow-up period from 5 to 50 months (mean, 29 months), completion of the goals of the alveolar bone graft was observed. There was no serious complication except for one case the exposure of the bone graft, and this was resolved spontaneously. Bone harvest with a percutaneous bone biopsy set enables early ambulation by reducing postoperative pain, and it may be faster and simpler than any other method introduced so far. Furthermore, blood loss was minimal, while the scar was small and acceptable. Iliac bone graft with percutaneous bone biopsy is a reliable method for correction of the alveolar cleft and it has many advantages over conventional iliac bone graft and other sources of bone.
Biopsy* ; Bone Transplantation ; Cicatrix ; Cleft Lip ; Dentition, Mixed ; Early Ambulation ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Pain, Postoperative ; Palate ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants

To investigate the growth response of various crop species to mycorrhizal inoculation, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were applied to Glycine max, Vigna angularis, Senna tora, Hordeum vulgare var. hexastichon. Zea mays, Sorghum bicolor, Allium tuberosum, Solanum melongena, and Capsicum annuum. The biomass of the inoculated crops was measured every two weeks for the 12-week growth period. By measuring biomass, we calculated the mycorrhizal responsiveness of the nine crop species. Among the nine crop species, four species showed a significant response to mycorrhizal inoculation. The shoot biomasses of V. angularis, C. annuum, A. tuberosum, and S. tora significantly increased with mycorrhizal inoculation.
Biomass ; Capsicum ; Chive ; Fungi ; Hordeum ; Solanum melongena ; Sorghum ; Soybeans ; Zea mays

Fungi of the genus Tuber are ectomycorrhizal fungi that form a symbiotic relationship mainly with oak and hazel trees. Tuber spp. exhibit a highly selective host plant preference; thus, for cultivation purposes it is important to select an appropriate host plant for successful mycorrhization. In addition, as mycorrhizal characteristics differ according to Tuber spp., it is necessary to understand the differences in mycorrhizae according to the fungal species. Tuber huidongense and Tuber himalayense were recently discovered in Korea; therefore, we used spore suspensions from these two species to inoculate two species of oak trees, Quercus acutissima and Quercus dentata, to compare colonization rates and morphologies of the mycorrhizae. The colonization rates demonstrated that the different Tuber spp. favored different host plant species. In addition, unique morphological and anatomical characteristics were observed for T. huidongense and T. himalayense depending on the host species. These findings can lead to new economically important agricultural activities related to truffle cultivation in Korea.

Members of the genus Tuber are ectomycorrhizal fungi; this genus includes more than 180 species worldwide. In the present study, the optimal pH, temperature, and medium suitable for the mycelial growth of the Korean truffle, Tuber koreanum, were determined. Mycelium of T. koreanum, isolated from fruiting bodies collected in Korea, was used to investigate the effects of these environmental factors. The results showed that malt extract agar and potato dextrose agar were the most suitable for the mycelial growth of T. koreanum when cultured at a pH of 6.0 at 25 C for 30 days.

Endophytic fungi occupy various ecological niches, which reinforces their diversity. As few studies have investigated the endophytic fungi of alpine conifers, we focused on four species of alpine conifers in this study—Abies nephrolepis, Pinus pumila, Taxus cuspidata var. nana, and Thuja koraiensis—and examined them for endophytic fungi. A total of 108 endophytic fungi were isolated. There were four taxa in A. nephrolepis, 12 in P. pumila, 18 in T. cuspidata var. nana, and 17 in T. koraiensis; these were divided into five classes: Agaricomycetes (3.2%), Dothideomycetes (29.0%), Leotiomycetes (15.0%), Sordariomycetes (41.9%), and Orbiliomycetes (1.6%). The most prevalent fungi were Sydowia polyspora (22.7%) and Xylariaceae sp. (22.7%) in P. pumila, Phomopsis juglandina (16.1%) in T. cuspidata var. nana, and Thuja-endophytes sp. 1 (70.0%) in T. koraiensis. However, there was no dominant species growing in A. nephrolepis. Some host plants were analyzed using next-generation sequencing. We obtained 4618 reads for A. nephrolepisand 2268 reads for T. koraiensis. At the genus level, the top three endophytic fungi were Ophiostomataceae_uc (64.6%), Nectriaceae_uc (15.5%), and unclassified organism (18.0%) in A. nephrolepis and Nectriaceae_uc (41.9%), Ophiostomataceae_uc (41.8%), and Magnaporthaceae_uc (9.2%) in T. koraiensis. Our results show that there are different communities of endophytic fungi among different host plants, even if the host plants are in the same region. Such ecological niches are important in terms of the ecological restoration of alpine conifers.

The truffle and ectomycorrhizal roots formed by Tuber sp. were collected from the rhizosphere of Quercus aliena in Korea. The morphological characteristics of the ascoma, and molecular phylogenetic analysis using sequences from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large subunit (LSU) of ribosomal DNA, translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF), and RNA polymerase second largest subunit (RPB2) regions confirmed the distinct morphology of the truffle. This truffle belongs to a monophyletic clade among the other Tuber species in the phylogeny. This study describes the truffle, Tuber koreanum, as a new species reported from Korea.

Background: Since the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, nonpharmacological interventions (NPIs) such as extensive and comprehensive hand hygiene, mask-wearing, and social distancing have been implemented globally. This study aimed to investigate changes in respiratory viruses other than severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) that occurred following the implementation of these NPIs. Methods: From January 2018 to December 2021, influenza-like illness patient specimens and specimens from the Korea Influenza and Respiratory Viruses Surveillance System were analyzed at the Incheon Metropolitan City Institute of Public Health and Environment.Oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal swab samples from respiratory infection patients were transferred in a virus transport medium at 4°C. After RNA or DNA extraction, respiratory virus-specific genes for human influenza virus (IFV), adenovirus (ADV), parainfluenza virus (PIV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human rhinovirus (hRV), human coronavirus, human bocavirus, and human metapneumovirus were detected by individual real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results: A total 3,334 samples were collected. After NPI was implemented, the detection of respiratory viruses other than SARS-CoV-2 decreased overall. The yearly detection rate of respiratory viruses was decreased from 69.5% (399/574) in 2018 and 73.3% (505/689) in 2019 to 19.8% (206/1,043) in 2020 and 34.9% (365/1,028) in 2021. The epidemic was more prominent in respiratory viruses such as IFV and RSV, which were considered dominant viruses, especially those with viral envelopes. Among viruses that were not considered dominant, hRV showed no clear change before and after NPI, while PIV showed a rapid increase compared to the existing dominant viruses between October–December 2021, after the increase in the number of gatherings started at the end of September and the “Relaxing COVID19 and mitigation policy,” which was implemented on November 1. Conclusion NPI seems to have influenced the isolation and transmission of respiratory viruses in South Korea. In the future, additional studies focusing on the isolation and transmission patterns of respiratory viruses following NPI are needed.

PURPOSE: The application of laparoscopic surgery in children has expanded tremendously in recent years. However, the feasibility of the technique is somewhat controversial. We summarize our experience of laparoscopy in children and describe the surgical techniques used in these cases. METHODS: Between June 2001 and May 2004, 58 children (33 male, 25 female) underwent laparoscopic surgery at the Department of Surgery, Daegu Fatima hospital. All the clinical data was collected retrospectively. RESULTS: The laparoscopic procedures for each indications were a laparoscopic reduction for a barium reduction failed intussuception (n=15), laparoscopic appendectomy for acute appendicitis (n=30), laparoscopic splenectomy for symptomatic hereditary spherocytosis (n=4), laparoscopic salphin-go-ophorectomy for torsion of parovarian cyst and ovarian tumor (n=2), laparoscopic diverticulectomy for symptomatic Meckel's diverticulum (n=2), laparoscopic Hellor myotomy and Dor fundoplication for achalasia (n=1), diagnostic purpose for peritoneal tuberculosis (n=2) and the laparoscopic removal of a foreign body in the peritoneal cavity (n=2). The mean age was 7.9 years (range from 4 months to 14 years). In intussusception, the laparoscopic reduction was successful in 12 patients (80%), with a conversion to an open procedure occurring in 3 cases (20%). There were no other open con-versions. There were no postoperative wound complications except for two wound problems in patients with acute perforated appendicitis. The operative time and duration of the hospital stay was suitable. CONCLUSION: The laparoscopic procedure in various disorders of infants and children is safe and avoids the necessity of open surgery under the appropriate indication.
Appendectomy ; Appendicitis ; Barium ; Child* ; Conversion to Open Surgery ; Daegu ; Esophageal Achalasia ; Female ; Foreign Bodies ; Fundoplication ; Humans ; Infant ; Intussusception ; Laparoscopy* ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Meckel Diverticulum ; Operative Time ; Parovarian Cyst ; Peritoneal Cavity ; Peritonitis, Tuberculous ; Retrospective Studies ; Splenectomy ; Wounds and Injuries

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate clinical and radiological factors that may predict high-grade vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) in patients with febrile urinary tract infection (UTI). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed medical records of 446 patients diagnosed with febrile UTI from March 2008 to February 2017. All patients underwent renal-bladder ultrasonography (RBUS), 99mTc dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) renal scan, and voiding cystourethrography (VCUG), and were divided in to 3 groups: a high-grade VUR group (n=53), a low-grade VUR group (n=28), and a group without VUR (n=365). RESULTS: The recurrence and non-Escherichia coli infection rates in febrile UTI were significantly higher in the high-grade VUR group than in the other two groups (P<0.05). RBUS showed that hydronephrosis and ureter dilatation were more frequent in the high-grade VUR group than in the other groups (P<0.05). In the high-grade VUR group, a renal cortical defect was more likely to appear as multiple defects, and the difference in bilateral renal scan uptake between both kidneys was larger than in the other two groups (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Recurrent UTI, non-E. coli UTI, abnormal findings on RBUS such as hydronephrosis and ureter dilatation, and abnormal findings in the DMSA renal scan such as multiple renal cortical defects and greater uptake difference were associated with high-grade VUR. VCUG should be selectively performed when RBUS and/or DMSA renal scan reveal significant abnormalities.
Child* ; Dilatation ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Kidney ; Medical Records ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Succimer ; Technetium Tc 99m Dimercaptosuccinic Acid ; Ultrasonography ; Ureter ; Urinary Tract Infections* ; Urinary Tract* ; Vesico-Ureteral Reflux*

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate clinical and radiological factors that may predict high-grade vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) in patients with febrile urinary tract infection (UTI). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed medical records of 446 patients diagnosed with febrile UTI from March 2008 to February 2017. All patients underwent renal-bladder ultrasonography (RBUS), 99mTc dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) renal scan, and voiding cystourethrography (VCUG), and were divided in to 3 groups: a high-grade VUR group (n=53), a low-grade VUR group (n=28), and a group without VUR (n=365). RESULTS: The recurrence and non-Escherichia coli infection rates in febrile UTI were significantly higher in the high-grade VUR group than in the other two groups (P<0.05). RBUS showed that hydronephrosis and ureter dilatation were more frequent in the high-grade VUR group than in the other groups (P<0.05). In the high-grade VUR group, a renal cortical defect was more likely to appear as multiple defects, and the difference in bilateral renal scan uptake between both kidneys was larger than in the other two groups (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Recurrent UTI, non-E. coli UTI, abnormal findings on RBUS such as hydronephrosis and ureter dilatation, and abnormal findings in the DMSA renal scan such as multiple renal cortical defects and greater uptake difference were associated with high-grade VUR. VCUG should be selectively performed when RBUS and/or DMSA renal scan reveal significant abnormalities.
Child* ; Dilatation ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Kidney ; Medical Records ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Succimer ; Technetium Tc 99m Dimercaptosuccinic Acid ; Ultrasonography ; Ureter ; Urinary Tract Infections* ; Urinary Tract* ; Vesico-Ureteral Reflux*