• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.175-182
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• 2009

Purpose : A number of countries have experienced an increase in pertussis during the past decade. In particular, there has been an increase in the incidence rate among adolescents and adults. To learn more about the current epidemiology of pertussis, we studied the prevalence and clinical characteristics of pertussis in children in Cheonan, South Korea. Methods : We collected nasopharyngeal aspirates of 118 patients who were treated for respiratory symptoms at Dankook Univeristy Hospital between March 2008 and September 2009. We performed multiplex PCR for detection of Bordetella pertussis in those aspirates. Results : Of the 118 patients, 10 (8%) were positive by PCR for B. pertussis. Six episodes occurred during the period July to September 2009. Nine of the 10 patients were less than 3 months old. Seven of them had not received DTaP vaccine. The mean duration of coughing before diagnosis was 10.9${\pm}$5.2 days. Ten patients (100%) had paroxysmal cough and 8 (80%) had post-tussive vomiting. Only one patient had fever. One who had complications that include pneumonia, atelectasis and pneumomediastinum developed an absolute increase in leukocyte count (84,400/$mm^3$). There was a statistically significant relation between vaccine being received and development of complications (P =0.033). Conclusion : We suspect that there was an epidemic of pertussis between July and September 2009. Further investigation by a pediatric or nationwide surveillance system is needed to monitor the changing epidemiology for pertussis.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.245-254
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• 2002

Objective : To test if the intake of $H_2$ receptor antagonists ($H_2$-RAs) increases the risk of gastric cancer in the elderly. Methods : The source population for this study was drawn from the responders to a questionnaire survey administered to the Korea Elderly Pharmacoepidemiological Cohort (KEPEC), who were beneficiaries of the Korean Medical Insurance Corporation, were at least 65 years old, and residing in Busan in 1999. The information on $H_2$-RAs exposure was obtained from a drug prescription database compiled between inn. 1993 and Dec. 1994. The cases consisted of 76 gastric cancer patients, as confirmed from the KMIC claims data, the National Cancer Registry and the Busan Cancer Registry. The follow-up period was from Jan. 1993 to Dec. 1998. Cancer free controls were randomly selected by 1:4 individual matching, which took in to consideration the year of birth and gender. Information on confounders was collected by a mail questionnaire survey. The odds ratios, and their 95% confidence intervals, were calculated using a conditional logistic regression model. Results : After adjusting for a history of gastric ulcer symptoms, medication history, and body mass index, the adjusted OR (aOR) was 4.6 (95% CI=1.72-12.49). The odds ratio of long term use (more than 7 days) was 2.3 (95% CI=1.07-4.82). The odds ratio of short term use was 4.6 (95% CI=1.26-16.50). The odds ratio of parenteral use was 4.4 195% CI=1.16-17.05) and combination use between the oral and parenteral routes (aOR, 16.8; 95% CI=1.21-233.24) had the high risk of gastric cancer. The aOR of cimetidine was 1.7 (95% CI=1.04-2.95). The aOR of ranitidine was 2.0 (95% CI=1.21-3.40). The aOR of famotidine was 1.7 (95% CI=0.98-2.80). Conclusion : The intake of $H_2$-RAs might increase the risk of gastric cancer through achlorhydria in the elderly.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.208-214
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• 2000

Objectives : Face-to-face interviews were conducted to investigate the relationship between blood pressure and the impairment of cognitive function in rural elderly (N=932) aged 60-64 in Dalsung County, April to September in 1996 Methods : Impairment of cognitive function was defined as a score of less than 23 by the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSEK). Blood pressure was measured once in each subject using a portable automatic sphygmomanometer. Results : By univariate logistic regression on males, no category of systolic blood pressure bore statistical significance. Groups with diastolic blood pressures of, less than 80 mmHg, 90-94 mmHg, and more than 95mmHg had odds ratios of more than one compared with the reference group (80-89 mmHg). This was most significant in the group with blood pressures lower than 80 mmHg, which had a statistically significant odds ratio of 1.68 (95% confidence interval CI; 1.02-2.75). No category of blood pressure was statistically significant in females. Multivariate logistic regression for males, with adjustment for age, educational attainment, smoking, alcoholic drinking, body mass index, atherosclerotic disease, and antihypertensive medication use, did not alter the odds ratios significantly in terms of systolic blood pressure. However, the group with diastolic blood pressure of less than 80 mmHg had an increased odds ratio of 2.01 (95% CI; 1.15-3.52) compared with the reference group. In females, systolic blood pressure did not alter the odds ratio, but the group with a diastolic blood pressure of less than 80 mmHg had a statistically significant odds ratio of 0.57 (95% CI; 0.37-0.89). Conclusions : These results suggest that the relationship between blood pressure and cognitive function status is stronger diastolic than systolic blood pressure and that there is a complex relationship between blood pressure and cognitive function by sex.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.171-175
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• 2008

The influence of rice bacterial leaf blight (BLB) disease incidence on yield and quality of Nampyung, Gang-baek and Iksan493 was investigated in three areas, Gimje, Yeongam and Jangheung, frequently found BLB infested rice. The infection rate of Nampyung, susceptible to BLB disease, was higher ($23{\sim}93%$) than Gang-baek ($2{\sim}15%$) and Iksan493 ($2{\sim}6%$), have resistant gene Xa7 and xa5, respectively. BLB disease incidence was severely found in Gimj and then yield of Nampyung was reduced 65% (352 kg/10a) compared to Iksan493 (540 kg/10a) due to the decrease in the ripen grain filling, brown/rough ratio and 1,000 grain weight. There was no difference of rice yield among Nampyung, Gangbaek and Iksan493 in Yeongam and Jangheung. The occurrence time of disease in Yeongam and Jangheung was later than Gimje and BLB disease was less infected in these areas. BLB infected rice grain showed inferior grain appearance and taste index to sound grain. independent of rice with resistant gene. In Yeongam and Jangheung, Gangbaek and Iksan493 cultivated showed lower ratio of white color to belly than Nampyung. Iksan493 showed better grain appearance and lower ratio of white core to belly than Gangbaek. In protein content of rice grain, the range of Gangbaek and Iksan493 was $6.9{\sim}9.8%$, but Nampyung showed unstable ranged from undetermined to 9.0%.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.193-200
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• 2008

Blending of eggshell powder into soil as ratio of 1:5, 1:10, 1:15, 1:20, and 1:25 did not affect seed germination rates of several crops including Chinese cabbage. The blending increased pH of distilled water and decreased the viability of resting spores of Plasmodiophora hrassicae. The ratio of non-viable resting spores in eggshell-blending water was over five times higher than in distilled water of the same pH. Chinese cabbage (cv. 'Norangbom') grew more in eggshell-blended soil than in non-treated soil, but other crops grew less. Leaf numbers and above ground growth of Norangbom increased to around 150% and 470%, respectively, in soil blended with $1:20{\sim}1:15$ of eggshell powder. Even though the optimum sizes of eggshell powder were $0.8{\sim}2.0mm$ for growth and smaller than 0.4 mm for inhibition of clubroot disease of Chinese cabbage, there was no statistical difference among the sizes. Soil pH was above 8.0 in all eggshell treatments without any statistical difference among them. Eggshell powder blending to 1:20 showed lower control efficacy, 58.5%, than registered fungicide 'Hokanna (flusulfamide)', 78.5%. However, Chinese cabbage of that blending ratio recorded the highest growth among the treatments. Therefore, blending of eggshell powder into clubroot-contaminated soil may make culture of Chinese cabbage possible by growth-increasing, even though eggshell powder could not inhibit clubroot disease entirely.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.115-120
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• 2010

In this study, changes in virus disease occurrence and yield were monitored in conventional cropping system(rice-barley) and soybean-barley double cropping system in virus-prone area for 5 years. Also, changes in the density of Polymyxa graminis, a fungal vector, was investigated. In assay tests, mixed infection of Barley yellow mosaic virus (BaYMV) and Barley mild mosaic virus (BaMMV) was observed. Disease severity was in the range of 7~9 in conventional cropping system. In continuous cropping of soybean-barley and 3-yearfallow land, disease severity also was around 7. However, disease severity was reduced to medium level (5) when barley cultivation was paused for one or two years in soybean-barley cropping. When barley cultivation was paused for a year, the density of P. graminis, a fungal vector for BaYMV and BaMMV, reduced in barley root and soil. Similarly, barley growth was also enhanced by adopting fallow seasons. Compared with the fifth year of conventional cropping, the number of tillers per $m^2$ was increased by 158 when barley cultivation was paused for an year in soybean-barley cropping. When soybean and barley were cultivated continuously or complete fallow period was extended to three years, plant height and the number of tillers of barley were decreased. Yield components of barley in soybean-barley cropping were superior to those in rice-barley cropping. Compared with the fifth year of conventional cropping and soybean-barley cropping, culm length of barley was 1.3~2.3 cm higher and the number of tillers per $m^2$ was 36~90 higher when barley cultivation was paused for one or two years. However, those in continuous cropping of soybean-barley and 3-year-fallow land were lower compared with conventional cropping. Similarly, yield was increased when barley cultivation was paused for one or two years in the third, forth, and fifth years when compared with conventional cropping.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.72-76
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• 2009

It was investigated the responses of BaYMV resistant genes to Korean BaYMV(Barley yellow mosaic virus) strains. BaYMV was distributed dominantly with about 51% detection ratio among the three investigated virus such as BaYMV, BaMMV(Barley mild mosaic virus) and SBWMV(Soil-borne wheat mosaic virus) in ELISA test. Double infection with BaYMV and BaMMV was detected also higher as 38.8%, however, BaMMV sole infection ratio was lower with only 1.4%. The 11 BaYMV resistant genes were tested their responses to four Korean BaYMV strains, BaYMV-N, H, I and M. Generally, rym 3 genes showed resistant to Korean BaYMV strains and rym 4m and 5a also was better. Three genes, rym 1+5(Mokusekko-3), rym 3(Ea 52, Baitori) and rym 5a(Solan) showed resistant responses to BaYMV-N type. In -H strain test, seven genes that rym 2(Mihori Hadaka 3), rym 3(Ea 52, Haganemugi, Baitori), rym 4m(Diana, Franka), rym 5a(Solan), rym 7(Hor 3365), rym 9(Bulgarian 347), rym 12(Jochiwon Covered 2) were considered as resistant. The three genes that rym 1+5, rym 3 and rym 5a was effective to -I strain, and rym 3, rym 4m and rym 5a showed resistant to -M strain.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.83-87
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• 2009

Direct Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method that combines biological and enzymatic amplification of PCR targets was developed for the detection of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines on soybeen seeds without DNA isolation. Primers Xag F1 and Xag R1 were designed to specifically amplify a 401 bp fragment of the glycinecin A gene of X axonopodis pv. glycines. Xag F1 and Xag R1 were used to carry out the PCR analysis with genomic DNA from 45 different bacterial strains including phylogenetically related bacteria with X axonopodis pv. glycines, and other bacterial strains of different genus and species. The PCR assay using this set of primers were able to detect X axonopodis pv. glycines with DNA concentration as low as 200 fg and $1.8{\times}10^3$ cfu/ml. The Xag was detected from the seed samples incubated for 2 hrs with shaking and the intensity of the band was increase with the incubation time of seeds. The Direct PCR assay method without DNA isolation makes detection of X. axonopodis pv. glycines on soybean seeds easier and more sensitive than other conventional methods. The developed seed assay using direct PCR method will be useful for the specific detection of X. axonopodis pv. glycines in soybean seed samples.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.65-73
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• 2008

Because main barley straw management is changing these days from off-fields to burning that may relate to air quality concerning the global warming, this study was conducted to investigate the effects of barley-straw management practices on greenhouse gas emissions during rice cultivation in rice-barley double cropping system. The treatments were barley straw burning, off-field usage of barley straw and incorporation of barley straw in paddy fields. Laboratory experiment showed that burning of barley straw at the rate of $4.5Mg\;ha^{-1}$ emitted GHGs in the amounts of 4,607, 19.5, and $0.9kg\;ha^{-1}$ of $CO_2$, $CH_4$, and $N_2O$, respectively. During the rice cultivation of the rice-barley double cropping system, the highest GHG emission by evaluated close-static chamber method was observed from the soil incorporation of barley straw with 387 and $1.0kg\;ha^{-1}$ of $CH_4$ and $N_2O$, respectively. The GHGs emissions from the barley straw burning and off-field usage treatments were 233 and $160kg\;ha^{-1}$ for $CH_4$ and 0.80 and $0.79kg\;ha^{-1}$ for $N_2O$, respectively. The barley straw burning treatment showed the greatest GHGs emission among barley straw management practices in rice-barley double cropping system when considering GHGs emissions both during burning and from paddy fields during the cropping seasons. As a result, the GHGs emissions recorded in the barley straw incorporation to soil and off-field usage treatments were 22.4 and 66.8%, respectively, less than sum of GHGs emissions from the burning of barley straw and from paddy fields during rice cultivation.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.303-308
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• 2002

Purpose : To determine the optimal radiation dose in a localized non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the head and neck in the treatment setting for combined chemoradiotherapy. Materials an Methods :Fifty-three patients with stage I and II diffuse large ceil non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the head and neck, who were treated with combined chemoradiotherapy between 1985 and 1998 were retrospectively reviewed. The median age was 49 years, and the male-to-female ratio was approximately 1.6. Twenty-seven patients had stage 1 disease and 26 had stage II. Twenty-three patients had bulky tumors $(\geq5\;cm)$ and 30 had non-bulky tumors (<5 cm). The primary tumors arose mainly from an extranodal organ $(70\%)$, most cases involving Waldeyer's ring $(90\%)$. All patients except one were initially treated with $3\~6$ cycles of chemotherapy, which was followed by radiotherapy. Radiation was delivered either to the primary tumor area alone $(9\%)$ or to the primary tumor area plus the bilateral neck nodes $(91\%)$ with a minimum dose of 30 Gy $(range\;30\~60\;Gy)$. The failure patterns according to the radiation field were analyzed, and the relationship between the dose and the in-field recurrence was evaluated. Results : The 10-year overall survival and the 10-year disease free survival rates were similar at $75\%\;and\;76\%$, respectively. A complete response (CR) after chemotherapy was achieved in 44 patients $(83\%)$. Subsequent radiotherapy showed a CR in all patients. Twelve patients $(23\%)$ had a relapse of the lymphoma after the initial treatment. Two of these patients had a recurrence inside the radiation field. No clear dose response relationship was observed and no significant prognostic factors for the in-field recurrences were identified because of the small number of in-field recurrences. However, for patients with tumors <5 cm in diameter, there were no in-field recurrences after a radiation dose 30 Gy. The 2 in-field recurrences encountered occurred in patients with a tumor $\geq5\;cm$. Conclusion .A dose of 30 Gy is sufficient for local control in patients with a non-bulky (<5 cm), localized, diffuse large cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma when combined with chemotherapy. An additional boost dose in the primary site is recommended for patients with bulky tumors $(\geq5\;cm)$.