• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.631-640
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• 2014

The inhibitory effects of Boswellia serrata (BW) extracts on degenerative osteoarthritis were investigated in primary-cultured rat cartilage cells and a monosodium-iodoacetate (MIA)-induced osteoarthritis rat model. To identify the protective effects of BW extract against $H_2O_2$ ($800{\mu}M$, 2 hr) in vitro, cell survival was measured by MTT assay. Cell survival after $H_2O_2$ treatment was elevated by BW extract at a concentration of $20{\mu}g/mL$. In addition, BW extract treatment significantly reduced and normalized the productions of pro-inflammatory factors, nuclear transcription factor ${\kappa}B$, cyclooxygenase-2, tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, and interleukin-6 at a concentration of $20{\mu}g/mL$. Treatment of chondrocytes with BW extract significantly reduced 5-lipoxygenase activity and production of prostaglandin E2, especially at a concentration of $10{\sim}20{\mu}g/mL$. For the in vivo animal study, osteoarthritis was induced by intra-articular injection of MIA into knee joints of rats. Consumption of a diet containing BW extract (100 and 200 mg/kg) for 35 days significantly inhibited the development and severity of osteoarthritis in rats. To determine the genetic expression of arthritic factors in articular cartilage, real-time PCR was applied to measure matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-3, MMP-9, and MMP-13), collagen type I, collagen type II, and aggrecan, and BW extract had protective effects at a concentration of 200 mg/kg. In conclusion, BW extract was able to inhibit articular cartilage degeneration by preventing extracellular matrix degradation and chondrocyte injury. One can consider that BW extract may be a potential therapeutic treatment for degenerative osteoarthritis.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.436-442
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• 2008

Hydroxyproline and Pro-Hyp dipeptide are the digestive products of collagen hydrolysate called collagen peptide. Some suggested that collagen peptides could improve aged or damaged skins, however, the effects of collagen peptides on the skin have not been known. In this study, we investigated the effects of digestive products of collagen peptides, hydroxyproline and Pro-Hyp dipeptide on skin quality using the UV-damaged dorsal skin of hairless mouse as a model system. Female SKH hairless mice were pre-irradiated with UV for 7 weeks, and then hydroxyproline, Pro-Hyp dipeptide were orally administered for 7 weeks with UV irradiation. Wrinkle formation (by replica image), skin elasticity, barrier status (by TEWL, transepidermal water loss), epidermis thickness, and biophysical changes in the stratum comeum (by hematoxylin & eosin staining) were examined. With the oral peptide treatment, effects such as skin barrier maintenance, anti-skin thickening, and recovery of the stratum corneum were observed. These results indicate that oral intake of collagen peptides may have beneficial effects on damaged skin cells.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.209-217
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• 1998

Object：The purpose of this study was to investigate that infection with group $A[{\beta}]$ hemolytic streptococcus may associate the mechanisms that cause or exacerbate the tic symptoms in some cases of Tourette's disorder Method：Fourteen cases with abrupt worsening of tics participated in this study：10 males,4 females. The subjects were divided into two groups composing of the group with increasing level of ASO titer and the group with normal level of ASO titer. The subjects were administered Yale Global Tic Severity Scale(YGTSS). Result：The global severity scores and overall TS impairment rating scores of YGTSS in the group with increasing level of ASO titer were more higher than in the group with normal level of ASO titer Conclusion：These results suggest that increasing level of ASO titer, resulting from group $A[{\beta}]$ hemolytic streptococcal infection has affected worsening the tic symptoms in Touette's disorder.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.99-103
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• 2011

Purpose: Head movement during brain perfusion SPECT (Diamox) scan is a one of important issues which decreases image quality. It also causes repeated scans. This study was designed to evaluate variable factors causing scan failures. Materials and Methods: 676 patients (359 men, 317 women, age average $54.5{\pm}18.4$) for brain perfusion SPECT (Diamox) scan from March, 2010 to Feb. 2011 were used as a subject. Age data and the kind of disease(Moyamoya disease (MMD), None moyamoya disease (NMMD), Cerebral infarction (CI)), test performance outcome (success,failure) were collected. The head movement factors(gender, disease, age, head fixation device) were evaluated by chi-square test and logistic regression analysis Results: The result showed that men had higher scan failure rate than women. Seniors in seventies(men 3.4%, women 1.5%) showed the most highest failure rate. Using head fixation device increased scan success rate up to 94.4~97.7%. The scan success rate is dependent upon gender, head fixation device by chi-square test(${\chi}^2$=3.8 (df=1, p<0.05), ${\chi}^2$=10.4 (df=1, p<0.001)) Gender, disease(CI), head fixation device showed very effective result in logistic regression analysis.(Wald=3.3 (p<0.07), Wald=3.7 (p<0.05), Wald=9.3 (p<0.05) Conclusion: It is demonstrated that gender, disease, using head fixation device is statistically very useful factors. Especially, head fixation device is a main key minimizing repeated scan.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.1377-1384
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• 2011

Astaxanthin (ATX) is a red-orange carotenoid pigment that occurs naturally in a wide variety of living organisms. In this study we investigated the inhibitory effects of ATX on the induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), nitric oxide (NO), proinflammatory cytokines, nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-${\kappa}B$) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. In addition, we tested the superoxide radical scavenging activity of ATX by scavenging assay. iNOS and NF-${\kappa}B$ expressions were determined by immunoblot analysis. Interleukin (IL)-6 and tumour necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) were assayed by ELISA. NO production was monitored by measuring the amount of nitrite. ROS was examined by using the 2', 7'-Dichlorodihydrofluorescin diacetate (DCFH-DA) method. At a concentration of 100 ${\mu}M$, ATX inhibited the expression level of LPS-induced NF-${\kappa}B$, as well as the production of LPS-induced NO and proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-${\alpha}$), by suppressing iNOS expression. In particular, the maximal inhibition rate of IL-6 and TNF-${\alpha}$ production by ATX (100 ${\mu}M$) was 65.2----- and 21.2-----, respectively. In addition, ATX inhibited the LPS-induced transcriptional activity of NF-${\kappa}B$, and this was associated with suppressing the translocations of NF-${\kappa}B$ from the cytosol to the nucleus. Moreover, at various concentrations (25-100 ${\mu}M$), ATX inhibited the intracellular level of ROS. At a concentration of 5 mg/ml, the superoxide radical scavenging activity of ATX was 1.33 times higher than ${\alpha}$-tocopherol of the same concentration. These results showed that ATX inhibited the expression of iNOS and the production of NO and proinflammatory cytokines resulting from ROS production and NF-${\kappa}B$ activation in macrophages. Furthermore, ATX was found to be more effective in superoxide radical scavenging activities compared to ${\alpha}$-tocopherol. These findings are expected to strengthen the position of ATX as anti-inflammatory medicine and antioxidant.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.303-312
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• 2017

The central goal of Gamma Knife radiosurgery(GKRS) is to maximize the conformity of the prescription isodose surface, and to minimize the radiation effect of the normal tissue surrounding the target volume. There are the various kinds of indices related with the quality of treatment plans such as conformity index, coverage, selectivity, beam-on time, gradient index(GI), and conformity/gradient index(CGI). As the best treatment plan evaluation tool, we must check by all means conformity index, GI, and CGI among them. Specially, GI and CGI related with complication of healthy normal tissue is more indispensible than conformity index. Then author calculated and statistically analysed CGI, the newly defined conformity/gradient index as well as GI being applied widely using the treatment planning system Leksell GammaPlan(LGP) and the verification method Variable Ellipsoid Modeling Technique(VEMT). In the study 10 patients with intracranial lesion treated by GKRS were included. Author computed the indices from LGP and VEMT requiring only four parameters: the prescribed isodose volume, the volume with dose > 30%, the target volume, and the volume of half the prescription isodose. All data were analyzed by paired t-test, which is statistical method used to compare two different measurement techniques. No statistical significance in GI at 10 cases was observed between LGP and VEMT. Differences in GI ranged from -0.14 to 0.01. The newly defined gradient index calculated by two methods LGP and VEMT was not statistically significant either. Author did not find out the statistical difference for the prescribed isodose volume between LGP and VEMT. CGI as the evaluation index for determining the best treatment plan is not significant statistically also. Differences in CGI ranged from -4 to 3. Similarly newly defined Conformity/Gradient index for GKRS was also estimated as the metric for the evaluation of the treatment plans through statistical analysis. Statistical analyses demonstrated that VEMT was in excellent agreement with LGP when considering GI, new gradient index, CGI, and new CGI for evaluating the best plans of GKRS. Due to the application of the fast and easy evaluation tool through LGP and VEMT author hopes CGI and newly defined CGI as well as gradient indices will be widely used.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.9
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• pp.203-215
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• 2017

Delirium is an acute confused state associated with poor outcomes among hospitalized long-term care hospital elderly patients. This study was conducted to examine the effects of acomfort promotion program based on Kolcaba's comfort theory for prevention of delirium among elderly patients who have been hospitalized in long-term care hospitals. The study used was a quasi-experimental type, with two groups of patients; those who received their usual care plus comfort nursing intervention (n=34) and those who only received usual care methods. Using the IBMSPSS/PC (Version 21), the homogeneity of the control and intervention group wereevaluated by the chi-squared test and an independent t-test, and all collected data wereanalyzed. Hypotheses were tested by independent t-tests and repeated measures of ANOVA. Delirium occurred at a rate of 2.9% (1/34) in the intervention group and 14% (5/34) -in the control group ($x^2=3.98$, p=0.047). The severity of the delirium in theintervention group was lower than that of the control (t=2.27, p=.027). The duration of delirium was 2days in the intervention group and 2-10days in the control group, indicating delirium in the intervention group lasted for a significantly shorter period ($x^2=3.22$, p=0.048). According to the change of time, the intervention group showed improvement in all areas including comfort scores (F=108.85, p<0.001), anxiety scores (F=63.39, p<0.001), depression scores (F=89.78, p<0.001), quality of sleep scores (F=63.63, p<0.001), and pain scores (F=93.64, p<0.001). In conclusion, elderly patients who were admitted to nursing homes were advised to participate in nursing intervention,which effectivelyprevented delirium based on the Kolcaba's comfort theory of physical, psychological, spiritual, social, cultural and environmental approaches to prevent delirium. Therefore, it is necessary to extend the program for prevention of delirium in the physical, psychological, spiritual, social, cultural, and environmental contexts to prevent delirium in geriatric hospitalized elderly patients.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.149-160
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• 2018

A large number of functional living products are being produced for eco-friendly or health-promoting purposes. In the manufacturing process, such products could be adulterated with raw materials with high radioactivity, such as monazite and tourmaline. Thus, it is essential to manage raw materials and products closely related to the public living. For proper management, an accurate radioactivity data of the processed products are needed. Therefore, it is essential to develop a rapid and validated analytical method. In this study, the concentration of the radioactive $^{238}U$ and $^{232}Th$ in building materials (e.g., tile, cement, paint, wall paper, and gypsum board) and living products (e.g., health products, textiles, and minerals) were determined and compared by ED-XRF and ICP-MS. By comparing the results of both methods, we confirmed the applicability of the rapid screening and precise analysis of ED-XRF and ICP-MS. In addition, $^{238}U$ and $^{232}Th$ levels were relatively lower in building materials than in living products. Particularly, $^{232}Th$ content in 6 of 47 living products exceeded (maximum $8.2Bq{\cdot}g^{-1}$) the standard limit of $^{232}Th$ content in raw material ($1.0Bq{\cdot}g^{-1}$).

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.33 no.6 s.101
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• pp.485-497
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• 2003

The form and function of the craniofacial structure critically depend on genetic information. With recent advances in the molecular technology, genes that are important for normal growth and morphogenesis of the craniofacial skeleton are being rapidly uncovered, shaping up modem craniofacial biology. One of them is fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2). Specific point mutations in the. FGFR2 gene have been linked to Apert syndrome, which is characterized by premature closure of cranial sutures and craniofacial anomalies as well as limb deformities. To study pathogenic mechanisms underlying craniosynostosis phenotype of Apert syndrome, we used a transgenic approach; an FGFR2 minigene construct containing an Apert mutation (a point mutation that substitute proline at the position 253 to arginine; P253R) was introduced into fertilized mouse germ cells by DNA microinjection. The injected cells were then allowed to develop into transgenic mice. We used a bone-specific promoter (a DNA fragment from the type I collagen gene) to confine the expression of mutant FGFR2 gene to the bone tissue, and asked whether expression of mutant FGFR2 in bone is sufficient to cause the craniosynostosis phenotype in mice. Initial characterization of these mice shows prematurely closed cranial sutures with facial deformities expected from Apert patients. We also demonstrate that the transgene produces mutant FGFR2 protein with increased functional activities. Having this useful mouse model, we now can ask questions regarding the role of FGFR2 in normal and abnormal development of cranial bones and sutures.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.59-68
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• 1998

Digital hearing aids offer many advantages over conventional analog hearing aids. With the advent of high speed digital signal processing chips, new digital techniques have been introduced to digital hearing aids. In addition, the evaluation of new ideas in hearing aids is necessarily accompanied by intensive subject-based clinical tests which requires much time and cost. In this paper, we present an objective method to evaluate and predict the performance of hearing aid systems without the help of such subject-based tests. In the hearing impairment simulation(HIS) algorithm, a sensorineural hearing impairment medel is established from auditory test data of the impaired subject being simulated. Also, the nonlinear behavior of the loudness recruitment is defined using hearing loss functions generated from the measurements. To transform the natural input sound into the impaired one, a frequency sampling filter is designed. The filter is continuously refreshed with the level-dependent frequency response function provided by the impairment model. To assess the performance, the HIS algorithm was implemented in real-time using a floating-point DSP. Signals processed with the real-time system were presented to normal subjects and their auditory data modified by the system was measured. The sensorineural hearing impairment was simulated and tested. The threshold of hearing and the speech discrimination tests exhibited the efficiency of the system in its use for the hearing impairment simulation. Using the HIS system we evaluated three typical hearing aid algorithms.