• Applied Microscopy
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.93-102
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• 2007

Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) was known as one of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced products of macrophage. Macrophages play an important role in the development of inflammatory responses by secreting an array of cytokines and chemokines in a tissue microenvironment. To identify the function and relationship between potent growth factors and SLPI after LPS stimulation, we conducted reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blots for the detection of mRNA and protein expression of SLPI and growth factors such as VEGF, PDGF, bFGF after 100 ng LPS stimulation on the RAW264.7 cells. The result of RT-PCR was showed SLPI mRNA expression was increased from 60 min to 48h in RAW 264.7 cells after incubation with LPS. VEGF and PDGF mRNA was expressed highly at initial stage by LPS stimulation. The mRNA of bFGF and type I collagen was very weakly expressed after LPS stimulation. SLPI protein level was increased likely the mRNA levels in RAW 267.7 cells. Additionally, phase contrast and scanning electron microscopic observation demonstrated that the LPS induce the change of morphology of the RAW264.7 cells. From these results, it suggest that expression of SLPI by LPS treatment may associate with VEGF and PDGF expression in RAW264.7 cells.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.116-125
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• 2020

Objectives : Self-poisoning is the leading cause of visits to the emergency departments after a suicide attempts. This study is aimed to compare the patient characteristics according to the category of drugs ingested by the patients who attempted suicide. Methods : All medical charts were retrospectively reviewed from patients who visited the emergency center, at Seoul Medical Center, due to intentional self-poisoning from April of 2011 to July of 2019. We investigated the information regarding the subtype and quantity of the intoxication drug, how it was obtained, suicidal history, and psychiatric history, as well as, sociodemographic information. Variables were compared between prescription drug (PD) and non-prescription drug (NPD) poisoning groups. Results : The mean age of the NPD poisoning group was significantly lower than that of the PD poisoning group. The patient ratio of those enrolled in national health insurance and living with spouses were significantly higher in the NPD poisoning group. Compared to the NPD poisoning group, the PD poisoning group had a higher incidence of mental illnesses, underlying diseases and ratio of involuntary visit to the emergency department. Among the prescription drugs, the benzodiazepine poisoning group had a higher rate of self-prescription than the non-poisoning group, while the zolpidem poisoning group had a higher rate of the using someone else's prescription than other drugs. Each single drug poisoning group (benzodiazepine, zolpidem, and antidepressant single-agent) had a higher rate of no mental illness than each of the mixed-poisoning group. Conclusions : Guidelines for regulating non-prescription drugs are needed as a matter of suicide prevention. Also, this study suggests that clinicians need to be careful when issuing prescriptions and should suicidal risk according to patients' characteristics, duration of follow-up and type of drug packaging.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.697-708
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• 1999

Background : Leukotriene (LT) $C_4$, $D_4$, and $E_4$, the main components of slow-reacting substance of anaphylaxis (SRS-A), have been suggested to play an important role in bronchial asthma such as antigen-induced bronchoconstriction, airway hyperreactivity, and pulmonary eosinophil accumulation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of treatment with the cysteinyl-LTs (cys-LTs) antagonist, pranlukast on allergen-induced guinea pig asthma model. Methods : Guinea pigs of treatment and placebo groups were sensitized by subcutaneous injection of ovalbumin(OVA) and challenged by inhalation of aerosolized OVA (1% weight/volume OVA). Normal control group did not sensitize with OVA. Oral ingestion of pranlukast and normal saline to the treatment and placebo groups was performed. In the treatment and placebo groups, airway resistance was measured before and after oral ingestion. Serum $LTC_4$ and eosinophilic infiltration of the bronchiolar and peribronchiolar tissues were measured after ingestion in the treatment and placebo groups. Results : Allergen-induced airway constriction developed in 20 (8 in treatment group, 12 in placebo group) among 35 guinea pigs. Airway resistance was significantly decreased at 3 and 6 minutes after OVA challenge in the pranlukast treatment group. In the placebo group, there was no difference of airway resistance between before and after saline ingestion. Serum $LTC_4$ levels showed 348.4 pg/ml in the treatment group, 373.9 pg/ml in the placebo group, and 364.4 pg/ml in the control group. There were no statistically significant difference between treatment and placebo group (p=0.232), and treatment and control group (p=0.501). Eosinophilic infiltrations in the peribronchiolar region per one-microscopic field ($\times$400 high power fields) demonstrated 7.06 in the treatment group, 19.2 in the placebo group, and 4.50 in the control group. There was significant decrement of eosinophilic infiltration in the treatment group which was compared with placebo group (p=0.001). Conclusion : These results demonstrate that pranlukast, a cys-LTs receptor antagonist, can attenuate allergen induced early-phase bronchoconstriction and eosinophilic infiltration in the bronchiolar tissues.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.1012-1021
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• 1998

Background : It is known that airway inflammation is present in most patients with asthma, but the relationship between symptoms and the severity and nature of airway inflammation has not been established. Cough variant asthma is defined as an asthma in which the dominant symptom is cough, and the condition can be successfully treated with inhaled steroids. This study was performed to evaluate the time course of bronchial responsiveness according to an inhaled anti-inflammatory therapy and the factors which affect the resolution of bronchial responsiveness, and an efficacy of nedocromil to cough asthma. Method: A prospective study for the investigation of bronchial responsiveness according to an inhaled anti-inflammatory treatment in sixty-one cough asthmatics was performed. Twenty-three entered budesonide ($400{\mu}g{\times}2/day$), twenty-two entered nedocromil ($4mg{\times}2/day$) and sixteen patients entered combined group. The bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) was estimated by methacholine challenge test using counted breath method. The symptom was estimated by 'symptom score'. Reevaluation of BHR and symptom was performed at 2 month after treatment, and if BHR was not resoluted at this time, regarded as a non-responder, and then follow-up of BHR and symptom was performed at 4- and/or 6 month after treatment. Results: The improvement of BHR and symptom was significant in 2 month (p<0.05), but there was no change of them during follow-up period of 4- and/or 6 month in non-responders. In comparison of allergic markers such as serum total IgE, peripheral eosinophil count and skin test reactivity between responders and non-responders, there was no difference in each other. However, in comparison of other factors such as cumulative pack-years, symptom duration, age, gender, and the initial degree of PC20, there was a significant difference in each other(p<0.05). The percent of patients with the resolution of BHR in 2 month was not different in each group(p=0.95). There was no significant difference in the degree of improvement of BHR and symptom in each group. Conclusion: Bronchial responsiveness and symptom was not significantly improved in non-responders during follow-up period of 4- and/or 6 month. The effect of inhaled nedocromil was equivalent to that of inhaled steroid in cough asthmatics, and the response to combined treatment is not superior to that achieved by either of these agents used alone.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.180-193
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• 2014

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is an inflammatory skin disease and regarded as a prototype of T-cell mediated delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions. Aroma Oil Complex (AOC) is composed of lavender true oil, chamomile roman oil and tea tree oil. This study was performed to assess the effects of AOC in a canine model of ACD. ACD was induced on the back of dogs induced by sensitization and repeated application by 2,4-dinitro-1-chlorobenzene (DNCB). Topical treatment of AOC was applied once a day for 8 days and skin biophysical parameters including transepidermal water loss (TEWL), skin hydration, skin thickness and erythema index, were measured every two days during experimental periods. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry were performed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect. In skin biophysical parameters, TEWL, skin hydration, skin thickness and erythema index were significantly increased, with a maximum increase appeared on day 2 (p<0.05). After the completion of AOC treatment, skin biophysical parameters were significantly reached those of baseline in a time-dependent manner (p<0.05). In histopathology, marked increases of epidermal thicknesses were induced after DNCB challenge with numerous inflammatory cell infiltrations and edematous changes, decreases of connective tissue occupied regions in dermis. In addition, marked increases of cytokine - tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) and interferon-${\gamma}$ (IFN-${\gamma}$)-immunoreactivities in the dermis and of apoptotic markers - caspase-3 and PARP-immunoreactivities in the epidermis were observed in DNCB control as compared with intact control, respectively (p<0.01). The decrease of infiltrated inflammatory cells and related decreases of pro-inflammatory cytokine immunoreactivities were observed in AOC treated skin (p<0.01). Based on these findings, AOC may have anti-inflammatory and alleviatory effects in the allergic contact dermatitis.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea CI
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• v.43 no.6 s.312
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• pp.34-42
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• 2006

As art analytic method to uncover interesting patterns hidden under a large volume of data, data mining research has been actively done so far in various fields. However, current state-of-the-arts in data mining research have several challenging problems such as being too ad-hoc. The existing techniques are mostly the ones designed for individual problems, so there is no unifying theory applicable for more general data mining problems. In this paper, we address the problem of classification, which is one of significant data mining tasks. Specifically, our objective is to evaluate radial basis function (RBF) model for classification tasks and investigate its usefulness. For evaluation, we analyze the popular Monk's problems which are well-known datasets in data mining research. First, we develop RBF models by using the representational capacity based learning algorithm, and then perform a comparative assessment of the results with other models generated by the existing techniques. Through a variety of experiments, it is empirically shown that the RBF model has not only the superior performance on the Monk's problems but also its modeling process can be controlled in a systematic way, so the RBF model with RC-based algorithm might be a good candidate to handle the current ad-hoc problem.

• Water for future
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.35-47
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• 1980

An algorithm is developed to derive a representative I hr-unit hydrograph through an analysis of rainfall-runoff relations of a watershed as a closed system. For the base flow seperation of a flood hydrograph the multi-deflection method is proposed herein, which gace better results compared with those by the existing empirical methods. A modified $\Phi$index method is also proposed in this stidy to determine the time distribution rainfall excess of a rainstorm, which is essetially a modification of the commonly used $\Phi$index method of rainfall seperation. With the so-obtained rainfall excess hyetograph and the direct runoff hydrograph a trial and error computation of the ordinates of 1 hr-unit hydrograph was executed in such a manner that the synthesized flood hydrograph closely approximates the observed one, thus resulting a unit hydrograph of a piecewise exponential function type. To verify the validity of this study the 1 hr-unit hydrographs for the Imha and Dongchon in Nagdong River basin, and Yongdam in Geum River basin were derived by this algorithm, and the results were compared with those by the conventional synthetic unit hydrograph method and the Nakayasu method. Besides, the validity of this stiudy was also tested by comparing the observed hydrograph with the one computed by applying the unit hydrograph to a specific rainfall event. To generalize the result of this study a computer program, consisited of a main and three subprograns (for rainfall excess estimation, convolution summation, and sorting), is developed as a package, which is believed to be applicable to other watersheds for the similar purpose as those in this study.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.58-72
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• 1985

A histopathological study was carried out on the duodenum of mice and rats experimentally infected by F. seoulensis. Each mouse was infected with 500 metacercariae and killed after 1, 2, 3 days, 1 and 2 weeks from infection. Each rat was given 1, 000 metacercariae and was examined after 1, 2 and 4 weeks from infection. The duodenal tissue sections of mice and rats were stained with hematoxylin eosin, and PAS stained for the rats of 1 week group. The pathological findings are summarized as below. 1. There were no differences in mucosal findings between the mice and the rats, and between the location of duodenum, 1 and 5 em distal to the pylorus. 2. Each worm embraced a villus exclusively with its foliate fore body which was inserted into the intervillous spaces. The fluke pinched villous epithelia using its oral and ventral suckers. The tribocytic organ destroyed the villous epithelia deeply up to the stroma after 3 days from infection. 3. Apparent villous changes were observed in the mice after 3 days from infection. Villous changes were shortening, widening, blunting or fusion. The villous stroma showed edema, microscopic hemorrhage, capillary congestion, dilatation of lymphatics and inflammatory cell infiltration. The cells were lymphocytes, plasma cells, eosinophils and giant cells. Rarely submucosal and trans:nural inflammation was encountered.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.21-31
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• 2009

The characteristics, intensity and direction of groundwater.surface water interactions are controlled by groundwater head gradients, hydraulic conductivity and by the riverbed geometry. As a result of the spatial heterogeneity of these factors and the subsequent variability of the impact of these interaction processes, the water balance is also characterized by highly variable spatial patterns and temporal dynamics. However, spatially detailed studies concerning the spatio-temporal variability of the extent and intensity of surface-groundwater interactions have been limited to the investigation of cross-sections or small stream reaches. Thus, the extensive study on the watershed based interaction between surface water and groundwater is to be analyzed. In this study, the intensity and the spatial extent of interactions along the stream were found by using integrated SWAT-MODFLOW model. This integrated modeling approach was applied to Anyangcheon watershed in Korea. The effluent stream characteristics were found in the watershed, namely, baseflow was annually discharged except heavy rainy periods. The intensity and the spatial extent of surface-groundwater interactions in different sub-watersheds were found on a daily basis. The influential extent of surface-groundwater interaction become larger as the watershed elevations are lower.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.25 no.2 s.49
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• pp.209-221
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• 1995

The purpose of this study was to obtain the lingual morphology(angulation, inclination, horizontal and vertical contour) and lingual arch form of Korean adult with normal occlusion in order to provide the basic datas for lingual brackets and ideal lingual archwire. Dental models of thirty person with normal occlusion(Male : 16, Female :14) were selected for this study. Crown angulation, inclination. horizontal and vertical contour of lingual surfaces from Lt. 1st molar to Rt 1st molar of both upper and lower arch were measured. Lingual arcform was studied from copied papers of dental models attached Fujita lingual bracket. The results of this study were summarized as follows: 1. The average angulation and inclination of lingual surfaces of all tooth types for Korean adults with normal occlusion were obtained. 2. The average horizontal and vertical contour of lingual surfaces of all tooth types were obtained. 3. There were similar figures in horizontal and vertical contour of lingual surfaces between upper and lower molars, upper and lower premolars, upper and lower canines, upper central and lateral incisors and lower central and lateeral incisors respectively. It was possible that the use of those contour of bracket bases in common. 4. The average of lingual archform was provided, which was arch-shaped from canine to canine, linear along the premolars and molars with small offset bend between them, and where canines and premolars met, it was bent in a crank- shape. 3. There was no difference between lingual archform of male and that of female, although lingual archform of female was smaller than that of male in lower arch.