Background/Aims: Spinal cord injury (SCI) frequently impairs defecation, severely affecting the quality of life. This study examines compensatory neural remodeling after SCI, focusing on basal colonic contractility, neural responses to electrical field stimulation, and alterations in excitatory cholinergic and inhibitory nitrergic pathways. Methods: Female Sprague–Dawley rats underwent either sham surgery or T10 spinal cord transection and were categorized into 3 groups: sham, 1-week post-SCI (acute), and 4-week post-SCI (chronic). Colonic contractility was assessed in an organ bath using electrical field stimulation in the presence of a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor. Neural protein expression was analyzed by immunofluorescence and Western blotting. Results: SCI produced region- and time-dependent impairments in colonic contractility, with distinct alterations in the proximal circular and longitudinal muscles across acute and chronic phases. Neural excitability shifted dynamically, showing enhanced excitatory activity in the proximal longitudinal muscle at 1-week and the distal circular muscle at 4-week post-SCI. Protein analysis revealed increased neuronal nitric oxide synthase in the proximal colon, decreasedsoluble guanylyl cyclase in the distal colon, upregulated muscarinic M3 receptor in the proximal colon, and reduced vaso-active intestinal peptide receptor 1 in both proximal and distal regions. Conclusion SCI induces spatiotemporal remodeling of excitatory and inhibitory neural pathways, contributing to colonic dysmotility and revealing potential targets for therapeutic intervention.

An increasing number of studies have highlighted the impact of sleep on physical and mental health and a corresponding rise in public interest; numbers of polysomnography (PSG) examinations have correspondingly increased. However, research and recommendations concerning safety events that may occur during PSG are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the current status of safety events in sleep laboratories in Korea and gather expert opinions on this matter. Methods: We conducted a web-based survey of Korean sleep experts to explore their opinions on safety events in sleep laboratories. Results: All Korean sleep experts who participated in this study agreed on the need for guidelines concerning safety events that can occur during PSG. Through this survey, they provided insights into the cardiac and pulmonary safety events that may arise during PSG. Conclusions: This study can assist sleep physicians in managing safety events in sleep laboratories currently, and in the future, it may contribute to the development of guidelines for handling safety events during PSG.

Delayed stenosis of the treated artery following mechanical thrombectomy is known to occur in approximately 10% of the patients after the procedure. It is usually asymptomatic, and was frequently found within 1 year after the procedure. Here we report a 58-year-old stroke patient who suffered from recurrent transient ischemic attacks due to a delayed stenosis of the middle cerebral artery 2 years after the mechanical thrombectomy for an abrupt embolic occlusion of the vessel.

PURPOSE: To evaluate effectiveness of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) for transposed brachiobasilic arteriovenous fistula (tBBAVF), and to analyze the factors influencing patency after PTA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 101 patients who underwent operation for tBBAVF from January 2006 to February 2008, we identified 42 patients undergoing PTA. We conducted a retrospective analysis of sequential PTAs in these patients from 2006 to 2017. RESULTS: A total of 100 PTAs were performed. The technical success rate was 93% and the clinical success was 100%. Only ruptures occurred in 12% as minor complications. Primary patency rate was 61%, 29%, 7%, and secondary patency was 91%, 82%, 59% at 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively. Primary patency rate was lower in tBBAVF with rupture (p = 0.024). Secondary patency rate was significantly lower in the diabetes (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION Repetitive PTAs in tBBAVF are acceptable due to excellent secondary patency. Primary patency of tBBAVF is low in patients with rupture. Diabetes itself has a significant effect on secondary patency.

The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical outcomes of the elderly patients with Non ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) compared to non-elderly patients. Patients with NSTEMI and undergoing CABG (n=451) who were registered in the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry between December 2003 and August 2012 were divided into two groups.; the non-elderly group ( < 75 years, n=327) and the elderly group (≥75 years, n=124). In-hospital mortality was higher in the elderly group (4.9% vs. 11.3%, p=0.015), but cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) including cardiac death, myocardial infarction, percutaneous revascularization, and redo-CABG after a one-year follow up were not different between the two groups. Predictors of in-hospital mortality in patients with NSTEMI undergoing CABG were left ventricular (LV) dysfunction (ejection fraction ≤40%) [hazard ratio (HR): 2.76, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.16–6.57, p=0.022] and age (HR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.01–1.10, p=0.047). So elderly NSTEMI patients should be considered for CABG if appropriate, but careful consideration for surgery is required, especially if the patients have severe LV systolic dysfunction.
Aged ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Coronary Vessels ; Death ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Korea ; Myocardial Infarction

Monoclonal anti-enrofloxacin antibody was prepared for a direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and purification system using monoclonal antibody (mAb) coupled magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). The IC50 values of the developed mAb for enrofloxacin (ENR), ciprofloxacin, difloxacin, sarafloxacin, pefloxacin, and norfloxacin were 5.0, 8.3, 9.7, 21.7, 36.0, and 63.7 ng/mL, respectively. The lowest detectable level of ENR was 0.7 ng/mL in the prepared ELISA system. To validate the developed ELISA in the food matrix, known amounts of ENR were spiked in meat and egg samples at 10, 20 and 30 ng/mL. Recoveries for ENR ranged from 72.9 to 113.16% with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 2.42 to 10.11%. The applicability of the mAb-MNP system was verified by testing the recoveries for ENR residue in three different matrices. Recoveries for ENR ranged from 75.16 to 86.36%, while the CV ranged from 5.08 to 11.53%. Overall, ENR-specific monoclonal antibody was prepared and developed for use in competitive to ELISAs for the detection of ENR in animal meat samples. Furthermore, we suggest that a purification system for ENR using mAb-coupled MNPs could be useful for determination of ENR residue in food.
Animals ; Ciprofloxacin ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay* ; Inhibitory Concentration 50 ; Meat ; Nanoparticles* ; Norfloxacin ; Ovum ; Pefloxacin

This study was performed to evaluate the effects of diabetes on short- and mid-term clinical outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Between October 2005 and December 2009, a total of 22,347 patients with AMI from a nationwide registry was analyzed. At the time point of the day 30 after AMI onset, landmark analyses were performed for the development of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), including death, re-infarction and revascularization. In this cohort, 6,131 patients (27.4%) had diabetes. Short-term MACEs, which occurred within 30 days of AMI onset, were observed in 1,364 patients (6.1%). Among the 30-day survivors (n = 21,604), mid-term MACEs, which occurred between 31 and 365 days after AMI onset, were observed in 1,181 patients (5.4%). After adjustment for potential confounders, diabetes was an independent predictor of mid-term MACEs (HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.08-1.45; P = 0.002), but not of short-term MACEs (HR: 1.16; 95% CI: 0.93-1.44; P = 0.167). Diabetes is a poor prognostic factor for mid-term clinical outcomes but not for short-term outcomes in AMI patients. Careful monitoring and intensive care should be considered in diabetic patients, especially following the acute stage of AMI.
Acute Disease ; Aged ; Cardiovascular Diseases/etiology ; Cohort Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/complications/*diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction/*diagnosis/epidemiology/mortality ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Registries ; Survival Analysis ; Time Factors

A 46-year-old Vietnamese woman received embolization therapy in order to control postpartum hemorrhage. Angiography revealed an aberrant ovarian artery arising from the right common iliac artery. Superselective catheterization and subsequent embolization of the aberrant ovarian artery and bilateral uterine arteries were performed. Precise knowledge of the anatomic variations of the ovarian artery is important for successful embolization.
Angiography ; Embolization, Therapeutic/*methods ; Female ; Humans ; Iliac Artery/*radiography ; Middle Aged ; Ovary/*blood supply/*radiography ; Postpartum Hemorrhage/*radiography/*therapy ; Pregnancy ; Vascular Malformations/*radiography/*therapy

OBJECTIVES: Korea is well known for its long work hours amongst employees. Because workers of the manufacturing industry are constantly exposed to extended work hours, this study was based on how long work hours affect their emotional well-being. METHODS: The analysis was done using the secondary Korean Working Condition Survey (KWCS). Long work hours were defined to be more than 48 hours, and they were subcategorized into units of 52 hours and 60 hours. Based on the WHO (five) well-being index, emotional state was subdivided into three groups - reference group, low-mood group, and possible depression group- where 28 points and 50 points were division points, and two groups were compared at a time. Association between long work hours and emotional state was analyzed using binary and multinomial logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Working for extended working hours in the manufacturing industry showed a statistically significant increase (t test p < 0.001) in trend among the possible depression group when compared to the reference group and the low-mood group. When demographical characteristics, health behaviors, socioeconomic state, and work-related characteristics were fixed as controlled variables, as work hours increased the odds ratio of the possible depression group increased compared to the reference group, and especially the odds ratio was 2.73 times increased for work hours between 48-52 and 4.09 times increased for 60 hours or more and both were statistically significant. In comparing the low-mood group and possible depression group, as work hours increased the odds ratio increased to 1.73, 2.39, and 4.16 times, and all work hours from working 48-52 hours, 53-60 hours, and 60 hours or more were statistically significant. Multinomial logistic regression analysis also showed that among the reference group and possible group, the possible depression group was statistically significant as odds ratio increased to 2.94 times in working 53-60 hours, and 4.35 times in 60 hours or more. CONCLUSIONS: Long work hours have an adverse effect on emotional well-being. A more diversified research towards variables that affect long work hours and emotional well-being and how they interact with each other and their relationship to overall health is imperative.
Depression ; Health Behavior ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Odds Ratio