• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.3173-3181
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• 2015

Background: It has been hypothesized that IL-18 (pro-) and IL-10 (anti-) inflammatory genetic variants at -607 C/A-137G/C and -819C/T,-592C/A, respectively, may generate susceptibility and severity risk with various modes of tobacco exposure in prostate carcinoma (PCa) patients. IL-18 is a pro-inflammatory cytokine expressed on various cells including prostate gland elements, and is a key mediator of immune responses with anti-cancerous properties. IL-10 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine that is associated with tumour malignancy which causes immune escape. Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted with 540 subjects, comprising 269 prostate carcinoma patients and 271 controls. Genotyping was performed by PCR-RFLP and confirmed by real time PCR probe-based methods. Results: The findings indicated that the mutant heterozygous and homozygous genotype CC and GC+CC showed significant negative associations (p=0.01, OR=0.21; 95% CI: 0.08-0.51 and p=0.011, OR=0.43; 95% CI: 0.22-0.81, respectively) thus, less chance to be diagnosed as cancer against GG genotype of tobacco smoking patients. In addition, a heterozygous GC genotype at the same locus of IL-18 pro-inflammatory cytokine may aggravate the severity (OR=2.82; 95%CI 1.09-7.29 :p=001) so that patients are more likely to be diagnosed in advanced stage than with the GG wild homozygous genotype. Our results also illustrated that anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) genetic variants, although showing no significant association with susceptibility to cancer of the prostate, may gave profound effects on severity of the disease, as -819 TC (OR=4.60; 95%CI 1.35-15.73), and -592 AC (OR=5.04; 95%CI 1.08-25.43) of IL-10 in tobacco chewers and combined users (both chewers and smokers) respectively, are associated with diagnosis in more advanced stage than with other variants. Conclusions: We conclude that promoter genetic variants of IL-18 and IL-10 with various modes of tobacco exposure may affect not only susceptibility risk but also severity in prostate cancer.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.1249-1254
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• 2000

A study was conducted to evaluate the replacement value of Leucaena leucocephala and Gliricidia sepium as nitrogen sources in commercial type supplements for dairy goats. Six crossbred $(Toggenburg{\times}Saanen)$ goats at late stage of lactation were allocated to three dietary treatments in a double $3{\times}3$ Latin square design. The animals were offered rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) hay ad libitum and supplemented with either Leucaena-based concentrate (LBC), Gliricidia-based concentrate (GBC) or commercial based concentrate (CC). Voluntary food intake, milk yield and composition and changes in live weight were measured. The total dry matter (DM) intake was higher (p<0.05) in goats fed GBC than CC (1385 vs 1331 g/d). The DM intake for LBC (1343 g/d) was similar to CC (1331 g/d). The DM intake of hay was also higher (p<0.05) in goats fed GBC (834 g/d) than those receiving LBC or CC (789, 782 g/d, respectively). Animals supplemented with GBC recorded positive (11 g/d) weight gain while the other groups lost weight (13, 19 g/d) for LBC and CC respectively, although these differences were not statistically significant (p>0.05). The composition of milk were: butterfat 58, 49 and 55 g/kg; crude protein 37.0, 35.4 and 36.1 g/kg; lactose 33, 29 and 30 g/kg; Ash 8.5, 8.5 and 7.9 g/kg and total solids 136.5, 121.9 and 129.0 g/kg, for goats fed LBC, GBC and CC respectively. There were no differences in the composition of milk due to these dietary treatments. At the end of performance trial, a digestibility trial was conducted using 6 female goats allocated to the three treatments (LBC, GBC and CC) in an incomplete randomized block design and each goat received a different supplement in each of two successive periods. There were no differences in nutrient digestibility except for DM, which was higher (p<0.05) in CC compared to the other treatments (615, 622, 720 g/kg for LBC, GBC and CC, respectively). Economic analysis showed that CC diet was more expensive (0.20 US$/kg) and had a lower margin over supplementation (0.11 US$) compared to LBC and GBC (0.13 vs 0.12 US$/kg and 01.5 vs 0.12 US$, respectively). It is concluded that the Leucaena and Gliricidia could contribute as nitrogen sources in compounded diet supplements without any detrimental effects on production in dairy goats.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.155-164
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• 2007

This study is to find out effective defensive type by analysis on differences among three different defence types of the body lock technique in the ground wrestling. The subjects are 5 athletes who are in 60kg weight class. To get the kinematic analysis seven ProReflex MCU-240(Motion Capture Unit), infrared rays cameras, which was produced by Qualisys, were used to get a two-dimensional coordinate. Following are the analysis result from kinematic factors such as time element, speed element and angular element. 1. During position of ground wrestling, the average necessary time until defender's hip joint touches the mat for Phase1 was $0.34{\pm}0.14sec$ at side position was the shortest space of time out of three types, and Phase2 was $0.21{\pm}0.02sec$ at front position was the shortest space of time out of three types. Moreover, side defence position was the shortest for total average necessary time with $0.78{\pm}0.05sec$. 2. The movement change for hip joint was $57.21{\pm}20.17cm$ for front, $43.35{\pm}7.13cm$ for rear, and $18.67{\pm}10.24cm$ for side at Phase1 and $42.08{\pm}17.56cm$ for side, $16.61{\pm}6.34cm$ for front, and $1.48{\pm}1.29cm$ for rear at Phase2. 3. Movement speed of hip joint at defensive type were most effective in success and fail rate at Phase 1 and its frontal average speed was fastest with $1.01{\pm}0.23m/s$ following by $0.52{\pm}0.15m/s$ for side, and $0.62{\pm}0.15m/s$ for rear. The average for total change of speed is $0.79{\pm}0.32m/s$ for front, $0.78{\pm}0.17m/s$ for side, and $0.49{\pm}0.08m/s$ for rear. 4. The joint angle gets smaller in a order by rear, front, and side for the size of hip joint angle and knee angle for different defensive type. 5. As a result of one-way ANOVA on linear velocity for hip joint in frontal defence(phase1) was significance ($\alpha$=.05), but phase 2 was not significance. Synthetically, analyzing on differences among three different defence types which were front, rear, and side of the body lock technique in the ground wrestling, front defensive type was the most effective. In future, there should be more studies regarding on defence at not a laboratory study but a field study to help out wrestler to pertinent techniques to improve the game of wrestling.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.1034-1038
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• 2007

To examine the difference of health-related quality of life (QoL) of obese patients between before and after treatment of Korean traditional medicine. This study was assessed in 18 obese-women (age 29.72${\pm}$7.38) treated by acupuncture and herbal medicine using SF-36 quality of life questionnaire between January and July 2006, a 36 item instrument yielding 8 dimensions (Social functioning, Role limitation-Physical, Role limitation-Emotion, Mental health, Vitality, Bodily pain, and General health) and a total score. Their weight was measured by Inbody 3.0 (Biospace co. Korea). QoL and body composition was assessed twice at baseline (B) and 4 weeks after treatment. Auricular acupuncture and electrical needle stimulation to abdomen, thigh, and arm fat was used twice a week and complex herb formula was prescribed according to their constitution and symptoms for 4 weeks. Herb medication was taken 2 times a day. Respective variables were analyzed with Wilcoxon signed ranks test and the level set for statistical significance was p <0.05. The mean of the body weight (P=0.000;B64,68${\pm}$6.86, 4 WKs 60.47${\pm}$5.69), fat percentage (P=0.000;B33.14${\pm}$4.86, 4 WKs 30.16${\pm}$5.34), body mass index (P=0.000;B25.18${\pm}$2.44, 4 WKs 23.46${\pm}$2.09) and fat weight (P=0.000;B21.66${\pm}$5.06, 4 WKs 18.41${\pm}$4.57) of some obese patients decreased significantly between before and after treatment for 4 weeks. Physical functioning (P=0.48;B27.06${\pm}$3.17, 4 WKs 28.00${\pm}$1.71), Mental health (P=0.01 ;B18.83${\pm}$5.25, 4 WKs 22.00${\pm}$3.73), Vitality (P=0.028;B13.89${\pm}$3.03, 4 WKs 15.44${\pm}$2.53), Bodily pain (P=.0014;B8.84${\pm}$1.75, 4 WKs 10.15${\pm}$1.78), and the total scores (P=0.001;B104.99${\pm}$12.60, 4 WKs 114.58${\pm}$11.11) of SF-36 were increased significantly after treatments. These data show some differences in QoL and BMI between before and after treatment on obesity and suggest that the treatment with acupuncture and herbal medicine have a positive impact on several domains of QoL of some obese patients. Further randomized clinical trials (RCTs) including follow-up are needed to examine whether acupuncture and herb medicine have a positive effect on QoL of treatment group compared with control group.

• Design & Manufacturing
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.23-29
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• 2021

The specific strength of magnesium alloy is four times that of iron and 1.5 times that of aluminum. For this reason, its use is increasing in the transportation industry which is promoting weight reduction. At room temperature, magnesium alloy has low formability due to Hexagonal closed packed (HCP) structure with relatively little slip plane. However, as the molding temperature increases, the formability of the magnesium alloy is greatly improved due to the activation of other additional slip systems, and the flow stress and elongation vary greatly depending on the temperature. In addition, magnesium alloys exhibit asymmetrical behavior, which is different from tensile and compression behavior. In this study, a jig was developed that can measure the plane deformation behavior on the surface of a material in tensile and compression tests of magnesium alloys in warm temperature. A jig was designed to prevent buckling occurring in the compression test by applying a certain pressure to apply it to the tensile and compression tests. And the tensile and compressive behavior of magnesium at each temperature was investigated with the developed jig and DIC equipment. In each experiment, the strain rate condition was set to a quasi-static strain rate of 0.01/s. The transformation temperature is room temperature, 100℃. 150℃, 200℃, 250℃. As a result of the experiment, the flow stress tended to decrease as the temperature increased. The maximum stress decreased by 60% at 250 degrees compared to room temperature. Particularly, work softening occurred above 150 degrees, which is the recrystallization temperature of the magnesium alloy. The elongation also tended to increase as the deformation temperature increased and increased by 60% at 250 degrees compared to room temperature. In the compression experiment, it was confirmed that the maximum stress decreased as the temperature increased.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.263-268
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• 2022

Health care workers (HCWs) are more than ten times more likely to be infected with coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) than the general population, thus demonstrating the burden of COVID-19 among HCWs. Factors that expose HCWs to a differentially high-risk of COVID-19 acquisition are important to elucidate, enable appropriate public health interventions to mitigate against high risk and reduce adverse outcomes from the infection. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize and critically analyze the existing evidence on SARS-CoV-2 risk factors among HCWs. With no geographical limitation, we included studies, in any country, that reported (i) the PCR laboratory diagnosis of COVID-19 as an independent variable (ii) one or more COVID-19 risk factors among HCWs with risk estimates (relative risk, odds ratio, or hazard ratio) (iii) original, quantitative study design, and published in English or Mandarian. Our initial search resulted in 470 articles overall, however, only 10 studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. Out of the 10 studies included in the review, inadequate/lack of protective personal equipment, performing tracheal intubation, and gender were the most common risk factors of COVID-19. Based on the random effects adjusted pooled relative risk, HCWs who reported the use of protective personal equipment were 29% (95% CI: 16% to 41%) less likely to test positive for COVID-19. The study also revealed that HCWs who performed tracheal intubations were 34% (95% CI: 14% to 57%) more likely to test positive for COVID-19. Interestingly, this study showed that female HCWs are at 11% higher risk (RR 1.11 95% CI 1.01-1.21) of COVID-19 than their male counterparts. This article presents initial findings from a living systematic review and meta-analysis, therefore, did not yield many studies; however, it revealed a significant insight into better understanding COVID-19 risk factors among HCWs; insights important for devising preventive strategies that protect them from this infection.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.199-208
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• 2022

Purpose : The study aimed to examine gender-differences in muscle tone, elasticity, and stiffness of the erector spinae in young and old subjects. This study also aimed to assess the effect of aging on muscle tone, elasticity, and stiffness of the erector spinae in men and women, and compare the trend of the aging effect between the two gender groups. Methods : With the muscle in the relaxed state and subjects in the prone position, a myotonometer was used to quantify muscle tone, elasticity, and stiffness, of the erector spinae in 102 participants[46 males (29 young subjects, aged 22.48±2.23 years and 17 old subjects, aged 76.35±3.71 years), 56 females (40 young subjects, aged 20.38±1.43 years and 16 old subjects, aged 74.56±5.40 years)]. Results : The tone and stiffness of the erector spinae muscles were greater in men than in women for both age groups (p<.001-.01), while elasticity did not show a significant difference between men and women. For the direction of change, both male and female groups showed significantly increased tone and stiffness, and decreased elasticity with increasing age (p<.001). For age-related changes, a different tendency was observed between men and women. Men showed a greater increase in tone than women with aging. in contrast, both men and women exhibited a similar decrease or increase in elasticity and stiffness. Conclusion : Gender-differences in the erector spinae in terms of muscle tone and stiffness were observed. Regardless of the age, men had higher muscle tone and stiffness than women, but not elasticity. The erector spinae muscles showed age-related changes in all aspects of muscle tone, elasticity, and stiffness, in both men and women. Notably, men presented greater variation than women in the amount of increase of muscle tone with aging. These findings have implications for musculoskeletal therapeutic approaches, and gender-customized tuning may be indicated for designing exercise interventions to prevent and manage gender-sensitive muscular injuries or diseases and frailty.

• Korean Circulation Journal
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• v.54 no.9
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• pp.549-561
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• 2024

Background and Objectives: The efficacy of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) may depend on renal function, and this raises theoretical concern over its effects on cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: This systematic review and updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) compared cardiovascular outcomes of patients with T2DM and CKD treated with SGLT2i to placebo. PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane were systematically searched. Prespecified subgroup analyses were performed in strata of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of <45 mL/min/1.73 m² and 45 to 59 mL/min/1.73 m². Results: Nine RCTs comprising 29,146 patients were selected. Average follow-up ranged from 0.75 to 4.2 years. SGLT2i were shown to reduce the risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 0.88; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.79-0.97; p=0.01), the composite of cardiovascular mortality or hospitalizations for heart failure (HHF: HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.65-0.78; p<0.001), cardiovascular mortality (HR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.76-0.98; p=0.02), HHF (HR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.55-0.71; p<0.001), major adverse cardiovascular events (HR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.77-0.94; p=0.002), stroke (HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.59-0.97; p=0.03), and myocardial infarction (HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.67-0.91; p=0.001). These findings were consistent over strata of eGFR, albeit with a lower incidence of stroke in patients treated with SGLT2i with eGFR <45 mL/min/1.73 m² (p-value for interaction=0.04). Conclusions: Compared with a placebo, patients with T2DM and CKD treated with SGLT2i experience a reduction in all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and HHF.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.151-157
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• 2005

Sheep production is affected by genetic and non-genetic factors. A knowledge of these factors is essential for efficient management and for the accurate estimation of breeding values. The objective of this study was to establish the non-genetic factors which affect birth weight and weaning weight in Dorper, Mutton Merino and indigenous Sabi sheep breeds. A total of 2,625 birth and weaning weight records from Grasslands Research Station collected from 1991 through 1993, were used. The records were collected from indigenous Sabi (939), Dorper (807) and Mutton Merino (898) sheep. A mixed classification model containing the fixed effects of year, birth status and sex was used for identification of non-genetic factors. Sire within breed was included as a random effect. Two factor interactions and three factor interactions were important in indigenous Sabi, Mutton Merino and Dorper sheep. The mean birth weights were 4.37${\pm}$0.04 kg, 4.62${\pm}$0.04 kg and 3.29${\pm}$0.04 kg for Mutton Merino, Dorper and Sabi sheep, respectively. Sire had significant effects (p<0.05) on birth weight in Mutton Merino and indigenous Sabi sheep. Year of lambing had significant effects (p<0.05) on birth weight in indigenous Sabi, Mutton Merino and Dorper sheep. The effect of birth status was non significant in Dorper and Mutton Merino sheep while effect of birth status was significant on birth weight in indigenous Sabi sheep. In Indigenous Sabi sheep lambs born as singles (3.30${\pm}$0.05 kg) were 0.23 kg heavier than twins (3.07${\pm}$0.05 kg), in Mutton Merino lambs born as singles (3.99${\pm}$0.08 kg) were 0.07 kg heavier than twins (3.92${\pm}$0.08 kg) and in Dorper lambs born as singles (4.41${\pm}$0.04 kg) were 0.02 kg heavier than twins (4.39${\pm}$0.04 kg). On average males were heavier than females (p<0.05) weighing (3.32${\pm}$0.04 kg vs. 3.05${\pm}$0.07 kg) in indigenous Sabi, 4.73${\pm}$0.03 kg vs. 4.08${\pm}$0.05 in Dorper and 4.26${\pm}$0.07 kg vs. 3.66${\pm}$0.09 kg in Mutton Merino sheep. Two way factor interactions of sire*year, year*sex and sex*birth status had significant effects (p<0.05) on birth weight in indigenous Sabi, Mutton Merino and Dorper sheep while the effect of year*birth status was non significant on birth weight in Indigenous Sabi sheep. The three way factor interaction of year*sex*birth status had a significant effect (p<0.01) on birth weight in indigenous Sabi and Mutton Merino. Tupping weight fitted as a covariate had significant effects (p<0.001) on birth weight in indigenous Sabi, Mutton Merino and Dorper sheep. The mean weaning weights were 17.94${\pm}$0.31 kg, 18.19${\pm}$0.28 kg and 14.39${\pm}$0.28 kg for Mutton Merino, Dorper and Indigenous Sabi sheep, respectively. Effects of sire and sire*year were non significant on weaning weight in Dorper and Mutton Merino while year, sex and sex*year interaction had significant effects (p<0.001) on weaning weight. On average males were heavier than females (p<0.001) at weaning. The respective weaning weights were 18.05${\pm}$0.46 kg, 18.68${\pm}$0.19 kg, 14.14${\pm}$0.15 kg for males and 16.64${\pm}$0.60 kg, 16.41${\pm}$0.31 kg, 12.64${\pm}$0.32 kg for females in Mutton Merino, Dorper and Indigenous Sabi sheep. Lambs born as singles were significantly heavier at weaning than twins, 0.05 kg, 0.06 kg and 0.78 kg for Mutton Merino, Dorper and Indigenous Sabi sheep, respectively. Effect of tupping weight was highly significant on weaning weight. The three way factor interaction year*sex*birth status had a significant effect (p<0.01) on weaning weight. Correction for environmental effects is necessary to increase accuracy of direct selection for birth weight and weaning weight.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.17-38
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• 1999

The effects of Sahyangsohapwon on the affective reactivity of rats were studied with open-field behavior. Sample group was treated with the medicine for 8 weeks, whereas control group was treated with the vehicle. The effects of Sahyangsohapwon on the enhancement of learning and memory of AD model rats were studied with two-way avoidance task. Sample group electrically lesioned on nbM(nucleus basalis of Meynert) was treated with the medicine for 8 weeks, whereas control group with nbM lesion and sham group with the sham operation were treated with the vehicle. 1. In the open-field behavior task, the start latency from start box was measured $27.08{\pm}7.51sec$ in control group, $23.15{\pm}5.98sec$ in sample group. Rats in sample group showed a tendency of shortened latency going out to a strange place compared with those in control group, but with no statistical significance(p>0.05). 2. In the open-field behavior task, the number of locomotion crossing the grid lines was measured $84.54{\pm}3.55$ in control group, $116.93{\pm}6.41$ in sample group. There was an increased locomotion in sample group compared with control group with statistical significance(p<0.01). This can be interpreted as rats in sample group showed lowerd anxiety under a strange environment. 3. In the open-field behavior task, the rearing number was measured $7.46{\pm}0.57$ in control group, $10.13{\pm}0.95$ in sample group. There was an increased rearing in sample group compared with control group with statistical significance(p<0.05). This can also be interpreted as rats in sample group showed lowerd anxiety under a strange environment. 4. In the open-field behavior task, the number of crossing behavior was measured $5.54{\pm}1.50$ in control group, $9.20{\pm}1.67$ in sample group. There was a increasing tendency of crossing behavior in sample group compared with control group, but with no statistical significance(p<0.05). 5. In the open-field behavior task, the total activity was measured $97.54{\pm}4.70$ in control group, $136.27{\pm}792$ in sample group. There was an increased total activity in sample group compared with control group with statistical significance(p<0.01). This can also be interpreted as rats in sample group showed lowerd anxiety under a strange environment. 6. In the analysis of effects on the learning and memory in AD model rats with two-way avoidance task, the response latency was measured $6717{\pm}134msec$ in the 1st session, $5416{\pm}160msec$ in the 2nd session, $5252{\pm}148msec$ in the 3rd session in control group. It was measured $6724{\pm}155msec$ in the 1st session, $4642{\pm}139msec$ in the 2nd session, $4914{\pm}148msec$ in the 3rd session in sample group and $4357{\pm}144msec$ in the 1st session, $3125{\pm}115msec$ in the 2nd session, $3091{\pm}98msec$ in the 3rd session in sham group. There were differences between sham group and nbM lesioned groups with statistical significance in post hoc analysis(p<0.000). And in the 2nd session, there was a reduction of latency in sample group compared with control group with statistical significance (p<0.000). This showed that sample group had better learning capacity than control group. 7. In the analysis of effects on the learning and memory in AD model rats with two-way avoidance task, the number of avoidance response was measured $5.85{\pm}1.41$ in the 1st session, $14.23{\pm}2.89$ in the 2nd session, $15.69{\pm}2.56$ in the 3rd session in control group. It was measured $7.92{\pm}1.94$ in the 1st session, $16.83{\pm}2.29$ in the 2nd session, $15.42{\pm}2.81$ in the 3rd session in sample group and $14.38{\pm}1.62$ in the 1st session, $22.88{\pm}0.89$ in the 2nd session, $23.88{\pm}1.64$ in the 3rd session in sham group. There were differences between sham group and nbM lesioned groups with statistical significance in post hoc analysis(p<0.001). But between control and sample group, there was no significant difference. With the experimental results above, Sahyangsohapwon can be supposed to have the enhancing effects on the affect reactivity and learning with memory of AD model rats induced by electrolyte injury of nbM.