• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.6 s.275
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• pp.407-413
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• 2007

Background: The brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) level has been reported in some studies to be associated with the occurrence of atrial fbrillation (AF). The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential usefulness of the BNP level as a predictor of the occurrence of postoperative (postop) AF and to assess the relationship of the BNP level with the onset of AF and the restoration of sinus rhythm. Material and Method: From January 1, 2005 to February 28, 2006, 82 patients without a history of atrial arrhythmia that had undergone cardiac surgery were enrolled in the study. Blood samples for plasma BNP were drawn daily for all these patients from the preoperative (preop) day to the 7th postop day. The patient records were reviewed and postop EKGs were checked daily for AF until the time of discharge. Result: Patients were divided into two groups based on development of postop AF. Postoperative AF developed in 26 patients (31.7%). There was no significant statistical difference in age, sex distribution, preop left ventricle ejection fraction, hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, or the use of beta blockers between the non-postop AF and postop AF group. More patients in the AF group had undergone valve surgery (39.3% versus 76.9%, p=0.002). The preop left atrium size was significantly larger in the AF patients ($43.8{\pm}10.3 mm$ versus $49.8{\pm}11.5 mm$, p=0.029). The preop plasma BNP levels were higher in the postop AF patients ($144.1{\pm}20.8 pg/mL$ versus $267.5{\pm}68 pg/mL$, p=0.034). In the postop AF group, the plasma BNP level was the highest on the 3rd postop day. Postop AF developed in most patients by the 3rd postop day; restored sinus rhythm developed by the 7th postop day. Conclusion: Elevated plasma BNP levels may lead to the occurrence of postop AF in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Patients who have a high risk of postop AF should be considered for aggressive prophylactic antiarrhythmic therapy.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.18-26
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• 2006

Purpose : Empirical antimicrobial treatment is indicated before bacteriological results are available for young children with febrile UTI to minimize renal scarring. To ensure appropriate therapy, knowledge of the prevalence of causative organisms and their susceptibility patterns to antimicrobials is mandatory. We performed a retrospective analysis investigating the local prevalence and resistance patterns of uropathogens, primarily E. coli, isolated from community-acquired UTIs. Methods : A total of 103 positive urine cultures from children with febrile UTI collected at Bundang CHA General Hospital from February 2004 to February 2005 were analyzed. Inclusion criteria were fever higher than $37.5^{\circ}C$, significant bacteriuria with single strain growth of at least 10s colony forming units/mL urine, and leukocyturia >5/HPF. Results : E. coli(89.3%) was the leading uropathogen followed by Enterococcus spp.(3.9%) Klebsiella spp.(2.9%), Citrobctcter spp.(1.9%) and Enterobacter spp.(1.9%). E. coli strains revealed a low proportion of antimicrobial susceptibility to ampicillin(AMP; 27.2%) ampicillinsulbactam(AMS; 34.8%) and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole(SXT; 65.2%). Susceptibility patterns to cephalosporins were as follows; cefazolin(1st generation; 91.3%), cefoxitin(2nd; 100%), ceftriaxone(3rd; 97.8%) and cefepime(4th; 97.8%). Three E. coli isolates produced ex tended - spectrum beta-lactamase(ESBL). Conclusion : Empirical treatment with AMP, AMS and SXT, which are commonly used in pediatric clinics, is not recommended for childhood UTI due to high incidence of resistance. The high level of susceptibility to cephalosporins makes these drugs reasonable alternatives. However the emergence of ESBL-producers, even though they are quite few, may have an impact on cephalosporin treatment in the future. (J Korean Soc Pediatr Nephrol 2006;10:18-26)

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.976-982
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• 1998

The effects of the glycoprotein (PAG) isolated from Pteridium aquilinum on the immune function was examined in mice. PAG was intraperitoneally administered into BALB/C mice for 14 days and the antibody forming ability to hen egg lysozyme (HEL) and the blastogenic responses of splenocytes were measured. PAG treatment significantly increased antibody formation to HEL in a dose-dependent manner. Blatogenesis of splenocytes in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS, B-cell specific mitogen) or phytohemagglutinin (PHA, T-cell specific mitogen) was also increased after treatment with PAG, indicating that the PAG increases both humoral and cellular immunities. To examine whether the immune function of PAG was via a direct effect on the lymphocytes, splenocytes were isolated from BALB/C mice, exposed to various concentrations of PAG in vitro and the blastogenic responses were measured. In vitro exposure to PAG significantly increased blastogenesis of splenocytes to LPS up to $500{\;}{\mu}g/kg$, whereas the blastogenic response to PHA was not altered by PAG treatment. To identify the fraction responsible for the increase in the immune function, the effect of periodate digest, pronase digest or purified polysaccharide on the antibody production to HEL was examined. Crude protein fraction of PAG significantly increased the antibody formation to HEL. On the other hand, both crude and purified polysaccharide fractions did not have any effects on the antibody production ability. These data indicated that 1) PAG increased both humoral and cellular immune functions, 2) the increase in humoral immunity was probably via a direct action of PAG on lymphocytes and 3) the protein portion of PAG was responsible for the increase in humoral immunity.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.128-134
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• 2006

Antioxidant activities of methanol extracts from sarcocarp and seed of Zizyphus jujuba var. inermis Rehder were investigated in vitro. Contents of total polyphenols in methanol extracts from sarcocarp and seed were 98.83, $138.99\;{\mu}g/mg$, respectively. Radical-scavenging activities of methanol extracts were examined using ${\alpha},{\alpha}-diphenyl-{\beta}-picrylhydrazyl$ and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radicals, and hydrogen peroxide assay. Inhibition effects of methanol extracts on peroxidation of linoleic acid were examined by ferric thiocyanate and thiobarbituric acid methods. Both sarcocarp and seed of Zizyphus jujuba var. inermis Rehder showed relatively high antioxidant activities in various systems.

• Korean Journal of Breeding Science
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.56-60
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• 2009

A new naked oat cultivar Daeyang (Avena sativa L.) was developed by Department of Rice and Winter Cereal Crop, NICS, RDA in 2007. It was derived from a cross between 'FLX446-1-84-Q1'. and 'SO92004-B-3-3-5-7'. The FLX446-1-84-Q1, a naked oat cultivar from USA, is early heading and has good seed quality, while the SO92004-B-3-3-5-7, a covered oat breeding line, has a high yield with large grain. Subsequent generations were handled in a bulk method and pedigree selection program, and the SO97013-B-16-4 was selected based on agronomic performance in 2001. The line showed both high yield and good husking rate of seed in the yield trial tested at Suwon from 2002 to 2003, being designated as Gwiri51. The Gwiri51 was subsequently evaluated for winter hardiness, earliness, and yield in four locations, Gimje, Iksan, Jeongeup, and Jinju, from 2004 to 2007 and was designated as "Daeyang" and released. Its heading date was May 8 and maturing time was June 14 in a paddy field condition. The new cultivar Daeyang had 97 cm of culm length and 25.2 cm of spike length, 644 spikes per $m^2$, 65 grains per spike, 30.3 g of 1,000-grain weight, and 635 g of test weight. Daeyang showed better winter hardiness than that of the check cultivar 'Sunyang', and similar seed quality to the check cultivar in respect to percent content crude protein and $\beta$-glucan. However, it showed higher husking rate than the check cultivar. Grain yield of Daeyang in the regional yield trial for 4 years were averaged 4.18 MT $ha^{-1}$, which was 20% higher than that of the check cultivar Sunyang. Fall sowing cropping is recommended only in a south area where daily minimum mean temperatures are averaged higher than $-4^{\circ}C$ in January, and should be excluded in mountain area where frost damage is presumable.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.438-479
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• 2021

Basic information such as flora and their distribution are the key factors to consider for preserving plant diversity on a regional level. The number of plant species identified through a survey is closely related to the survey area and the number of habitats distributed within the survey area. In this study, we surveyed the flora of Mt. Maryong-san (PH) and Mt. Daeso-san (YH) located in Uljin-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, six and nine times, respectively. We planned to include a variety of habitats in the survey routes. As a result, we identified a total of 594 taxa composing of 112 families, 349 genera, 548 species, 10 subspecies, 34 varieties, and 2 formulas in the Mt. Maryong-san (PH) area and a total of 434 taxa composing of 89 families, 270 genera, 400 species, 9 subspecies, and 25 varieties in the Mt. Daeso-san (YH) area. Of the plants observed in the 21 habitats, the plants distributed in the transition zone around the valley and the dry grassland accounted for the highest proportion. The traditional graveyards located on the coast also served as the major habitat for the distribution of some plant species. In the two graveyards, 19 taxa of endemic plant species were surveyed. Moreover, the identified floristic target species included 1 taxon for grade V, 11 taxa for grade IV, and 24 taxa for grade III. A total of 77 taxa of naturalized plants were identified, and four of them were invasive alien plants as designated by the Ministry of Environment. The differences in the plants distributed in the area of Mt. Maryong-san (PH) and Mt. Daeso-san (YH) were mainly due to the difference in the size of each habitat distributed within the survey area. Moreover, it was judged that the entire vicinity of Mt. Daeso-san (YH) was not connected to the surrounding mountains and was an isolated area surrounded by farmland and residential areas.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.35-42
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• 2020

17β-estradiol (E₂) is a natural hormone secreted by ovary, and continuously discharged from household and livestock wastewater into aquatic environment. Due to its strong estrogenic activity, it has adverse effects on development and reproduction in crustacean as an endocrine disrupting chemical. Although ecdysteroid signaling pathway play a key role in development in crustacean, little information on transcriptional modulation of ecdysteroid-related genes in response to E₂ is available in small crustacean. Here, we investigated the acute toxicity of E₂ to obtain 24-h LC_x values in the brackish water flea Diaphanosoma celebensis. Time-dependent expression patterns of seven ecdysteroid pathway - related genes (CYP314a1, EcRA, EcRB, USP, ERR, Vtg, VtgR) were further examined using quantitative real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). As results, 24-h LC₅₀ and LC₁₀ values were 9.581 mg/l and 4.842 mg/l, respectively. The mRNA expression of CYP314a1, EcRA, USP, VtgR was significantly up-regulated at 12 or 24 h after exposure to E₂. These findings indicate that E₂ can affect their molting and reproduction by modulating the expression of ecdysteroid pathway - related in D. celebensis. This study will be useful for better understanding of molecular mode of action of endocrine disrupting chemicals on molting process in small crustacean.

• Food Engineering Progress
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.318-325
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• 2017

Alcoholic steatosis is a fundamental metabolic disorder and may precede the onset of more severe forms of alcoholic liver disease. In this study, we isolated enzymatichydrolysate from Semisulcospira libertine by alcalase hydrolysis and investigated the protective effect of Semisulcospira libertine hydrolysate on liver injury induced by alcohol in the mouse model of chronic and binge ethanol feeding (NIAAA). In an in vitro study, the hydrolysate protects HepG2 cells from ethanol toxicity. Liver damage was assessed by histopathological examination, as well as by quantitating activities of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). After the administration of S. libertina hydrolysate, fat accumulation and infiltration of inflammatory cells in liver tissues were significantly decreased in the NIAAA mouse model. The elevated levels of serum AST, ALT, and ALP activities, along with the lipid contents of a damaged liver, were recovered in experimental mice administrated with S. libertina hydrolysate, suggesting its role in blood enzyme activation and lipid content restoration within damaged liver tissues. Moreover, treatment with S. libertine hydrolysate reduced the expression rate of cyclooxygenase (COX-2), interleukin $(IL)-1{\beta}$, and IL-6, which accelerate inflammation and induces tissue damage. All data showed that S. libertine hydrolysate has a preventive role against alcohol-induced liver damages by improving the activities of blood enzymes and modulating the expression of inflammation factor, suggesting S. libertine hydrolysate could be a commercially potential material for the restoration of hepatotoxicity.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.135-141
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• 2022

Thymosin β-4 (TB4) is a small peptide composed of 43 amino acids. To obtain sufficient biologically active mouse TB4 economically, we cloned and overexpressed this gene in an Escherichia coli system. With the isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside induction of the E. coli transformant, TB4 fusion protein with intein- and chitin-binding domain was successfully expressed in the soluble fraction within the E. coli cell. The TB4-intein - chitin-binding domain fusion protein was purified from the soluble fraction of E. coli cell lysate. The affinity chromatography with chitin beads and dithiothreitol-mediated intein self-cleavage reaction releases the TB4 peptide into the stripping solution. Sodium dodecyl sulphate - polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blot analyses were used to confirm that the recombinant TB4 peptide was produced with the expected size of 5 kDa. We found that the recombinant TB4 stimulated cell migration in the transwell plate chamber assay. After 18 hr of the treatment of the recombinant TB4 with 1 ng/ml concentration, the migration of the HT1080 cell was increased by 20% compared with that of the chemically synthesized TB4. The recombinant TB4 was also observed to promote the healing of a wound area in C57BL/6 mice by as high as 35% compared with that of the chemically synthesized TB4. These results suggest that the recombinant TB4 has better biological activity for cell migration and wound healing than that of the chemically synthesized TB4 peptide.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.69-87
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• 2003

Background : LB20304(gemifloxacin) is a new fluoroquinolone antibacterial agent with excellent activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive organisms. In vitro studies using clinical isolates have shown gemifloxacin to be highly active against penicillin-resistant strains of S. pneumoniae and in contrast to other reference quinolones, gemifloxacin retained good activity against clinical isolates of S. pneumoniae that were resistant to other members of the quinolone class. Therefore, gemifloxacin is thought to be effective in treating acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis(AECB). The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral gemifloxacin at doses of 160mg or 320mg once daily for 7 days for the treatment of AECB in Korean adult population. Methods : This was a randomized, multicenter, double-blind, parallel group Phase II study to assess the clinical and antibacterial efficacy and safety of oral gemifloxacin for the treatment of AECB. Treatment Group A (67 patients) took oral gemifloxacin 160mg once daily for seven days and treatment Group B (70 patients) took oral gemifloxacin 320mg once daily for seven days. Results : The demographic profiles of the two treatment groups were similar. The clinical response at follow-up was 84.2% in the gemifloxacin 160-mg group, and 88.7% in the gemifloxacin-320 mg group, showing no statistically significant difference between two treatment groups(p=0.49). The clinical response at the end of therapy was 96.5% in the 160-mg group, and 96.4% in the 320-mg group. The bacteriological response at the end of therapy and follow-up were 81.8% and 78.9%, respectively, in the 160-mg group, and 86.4% and 84.2%, respectively, in the 320-mg group, showing no statistically significant difference between two treatment groups(p=0.68 and 0.68, respectively). S. pneumoniae(12 isolates) and H. influenzae(10 isolates) were the most prevalent pathogens. The MICs were lower for gemifloxacin than other quinolones against these key pathogens, and for S. pneumoniae, the MICs for gemifloxacin were considerably lower(${\leq}0.03$ ug/mL) than those for other quinolones, beta-lactams and macrolides. In the period on-therapy plus 30 days post-therapy, a total of 18 patients(26.9%) in the gemifloxacin 160mg group and 22 patients(31.4%) in the 320mg group reported at least one adverse event(AE). The most frequently reported AE was abdominal pain(3/67 patients, 4.5%) in the gemifloxacin 160mg group and increased level of hepatic enzyme(5/70 patients, 7.1%) in the 320mg group. The overall AE profiles for the two treatment groups were similar. Two out of 67 patients(3.0%) in the gemifloxacin 160mg group and 1/70 patients(1.4%) in the 320mg group reported at least one serious AE, however, none of which was considered by the investigator to be of suspected or probable relationship to study medication. Conclusion : The results of this study showed that gemifloxacin at doses of 160mg or 320mg once daily for 7 days in the treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis(AECB) in adult Koreans was a very effective and safe treatment both clinically and bacteriologically.