• Health Policy and Management
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.120-127
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• 2014

Background: Since December 2010, online computerized prospective drug utilization review (pDUR) has been implemented in Korea. pDUR involves the review of each prescription before the medication is dispensed to the individual patient. The pDUR is performed electronically by Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA), which is a Korean governmental agency, and then HIRA provides medical institutions and pharmacies with information that can be helpful to them in preventing potential drug problems such as drug/drug interactions or ingredient duplication. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the Korean pDUR implementation on the proportion of drug-drug interactions (DDIs) using claims data from HIRA. Methods: A before-after comparison of the prevalence of DDIs between prescription was conducted, using HIRA administrative claims data of medical institution from January 2010 to December 2011. The analysis unit was the prescription issued and pairs before and after. The main outcome measures were the proportion of DDIs within- (control group) or between- physician encounters. To examine the difference, a paired t-test was applied. Results: We found that DDIs proportion between prescription decreased significantly (t=3.04, p=0.0026) after the implementation of pDUR, whereas there is no significant reduction within prescription (t=1.15, p=0.2518). With respect to the prevalence of DDIs between drug groups, the most dramatic reduction was occurred between 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors and anti-fungal agents. Conclusion: It seems effective that giving a direct feedback to prescribers by a prospective DUR. Further research is needed to assess the impact of DUR to final outcomes such as hospitalization.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.1125-1129
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• 2008

Polypropylene (PP)/corn starch master batch(starch-MB) blends with different PP compositions of 90, 80, 70, and 60 wt% were prepared by melt compounding at $200^{\circ}C$, using lab scale Brabender mixer. The chemical structures, thermal properties and non-isothermal crystallization behavior of the PP/starch-MB blends were investigated by FT-infrared spectrometry (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). The fabrication of the PP/starch-MB blend was confirmed by the existence of hydroxy group in FT-IR spectrum. There was no district change in melting temperature and melting enthalpy, and TGA curve indicates a decrease in degradation temperature with starch-MB content. The non-isothermal crystallization process was analyzed using by Avrami equation. The Avrami exponents were in the range of 2.71-3.97 for PP and 1.48-1.99 for PP/starch-MB blonds. The activation energies calculated by Kissinger method were 233 kJ/mol for PP, 484 kJ/mol for PP90, 541 kJ/mol for PP80, 553 kJ/mol for PP70, and 422 kJ/mol for PP60.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.482-488
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• 2001

Platinum group metals (pgm) are useful to many industries such as chemical, dental and medical, petroleum, refining, electrical and electronic, and automotive. Researchers at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and PGM Recovery Ltd. have developed jointly an environmentally sound and metallurgically efficient process for extracting these metals from secondary sources. Once these metals have been dissolved in the leach liquor, the individual metals mainly platinum, palladium, and rhodium, should be separated in order to recover the individual metals with high purity. During this investigation, solvent extraction has been chosen as the method used to achieve the separation and extraction of platinum, palladium, and rhodium from the leach liquor. There were three solutions used throughout this procedure: 1) Synthetic solution (200 ppm Pt 80 ppm Pd 20 ppm Rh; 300 ppm Pt, 180 ppm Pd 50 ppm Rh), and 2) Auto catalyst leach liquors (100 ppm Pt, 30 ppm Pd, 20 ppm Rh). The solvents investigated included Lix 84(2-hydroxy-5-nonylacetonphenone oxime in a mixture with 5-dodecylsalicyloxime), Lix 84-I, ACORGA CLX-50 (diester of pyridine 3,5 dicarboxylic acid), and di-hexyl sulfide. The extraction values achieved using ACORGA CLX-50, Lix 84, and Lix 84-I were respectively Pt (25%, 0% 0%), Pd (100%, 99.8%, 95.3%), and Rh (99.1%, 35.5%, 4.25%). The stripping processes for the Lix 84, and Lix 84-I were proven to be more involved than others. The solutions were required to be simultaneously heated and stirred. The percentages acquired through these processes yielded unsatisfactory results. The stripping procedure for the ACORGA CLX-50 was easier to execute, yet the percentage recovered from this process was also unsatisfactory. Overall the di-hexyl sulfide has proved to be the most successful organic for this procedure. The average percent extracted for palladium was excellent with 99.9% - 100% with very little Platinum and rhodium extracted. The ability of stripping palladium in ammonia solution was also found to be excellent.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.1728-1736
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• 2006

The effects of green tea (Camellia sinensis) waste silage and supplemental polyethylene glycol (PEG) on rumen fermentation and blood components were studied in cattle. Six Holstein steers were fed three diets in a 3${\times}$3 Latin square design, replicated twice. One diet was a control with no added silage, and the other two diets were supplemented (20% of the dry matter) with green tea waste silage either with (PEG) or without PEG (tea). Most of the fermentation parameters including major volatile fatty acids (VFA) were not affected by the diet treatments. The concentrations of high density lipoprotein cholesterol in the PEG group and urea nitrogen in the tea and PEG groups were greater than those in the control before morning feeding. The plasma 6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid equivalent concentration was not different before morning feeding, but 3 h after morning feeding, its concentrations in both the tea and PEG groups were higher than in the control. Although the concentration of plasma vitamin A in the animals was not affected by feeding green tea waste silage, the concentrations of plasma vitamin E were significantly higher in the tea and PEG groups than in the control, both before and 3 h after morning feeding. The results from the present study suggest that feeding diets containing 20% of the dietary dry matter as green tea waste silage to Holstein steers has no negative impact on their ruminal fermentation, and increases their plasma antioxidative activity and concentration of vitamin E.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.240-246
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• 2015

Formation of a strong 3-dimensional interfacial network structure via chemical reaction between hydroxyl group on silica surface and NR chain by the addition of bis(triethoxysilylpropyl)tetrasulfide (TESPT) into silica-filled NR compound was observed by using Py-GC/MS and SEM. Addition of TESPT into silica-filled NR compound decreased scorch time ($t_{10}$) due to increased sulfur content, and reduced cure rate index (CRI) via continuous reaction between sulfur atoms in TESPT, which acted as a sulfur donor, and activators and/or accelerators. Addition of TESPT in the compound improved processability and mechanical properties of the compound. Overall, we observed that the addition of TESPT into the silica-filled NR compound formed a silica-TESPT-NR network, and thus the degree of crosslinking was increased resulting in improved mechanical properties.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.379-387
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• 2004

When an organism is exposed to various toxicants chronically, reactive oxygen species(ROS) are accumulated and eventually result in several biological effects from gene expression to cell death. In the present study we investigated the oxidative damage of 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin(TCDD) and/or benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) in C100 cells. C100 cells treated with TCDD(30 nM) and B(a)P($3{\mu}M$) underwent diverse oxidative stress as determined through thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances(TBARS) formation, DNA fragmentation, DNA single strand break(SSB) assay, immunohistochemical staining of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine(8-OHdG), and mRNA expressions of antioxidant enzymatic genes such as Cu/Zn-SOD gene, GPx(glutathione peroxidase 5) gene, and catalase gene. Lipid peroxidation in C100 cells was determined through measuing the formation of TBARS. For theat, the cells were pretreated with TCDD(30 nM) and/or B(a)P($3{\mu}M$) for 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 days. TBARS formation was increased in TCDD(30 nM) and B(a)P($3{\mu}M$) and mixture($30nM\;TCDD+3{\mu}M\;B(a)P$) and positive control treatment groups comparing to the controls. Mixture treatment induced more DNA fragmentation than the single treatment group at day 6. Also, SSB in all treatment groups was clearly observed when compared with the negative control group. As with the expression of antioxidant enzyme, GPx 5mRNA, B(a)P alone and mixture($30nM\;TCDD+3{\mu}M\;B(a)P$) treatment were higher comparing to those of the negative control and TCDD treatment groups. Our results suggest that exposure of C100 cells to mixture of TCDD and B(a)P leads to significant oxidative damage comparing to the exposures to the individual chemicals. Mechanisms of action are discussed. Additional studies are needed to elucidate the detailed mechanism of mixture-induced toxicity.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.167-172
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• 2004

In the human skin, vitamin C (L -ascorbic acid) that is well known as the activated materials has effects that is skin anti-aging and wrinkle repair by giving impetus to collagen biosynthesis and anti-oxidation, and that is the sun screen, a wound recovering, inhibition melanogenesis and so on. In spite of its effects, vitamin C has the defects of the skin stimulation and easily oxidized instability by water, air, heat and light. For solving their matters, many investigation is advanced and its results are synthesized the various vitamin C derivatives. And yet they have not solved the unstable property of vitamin C and were still insufficient for the comparing with the effect of the pure vitamin C itself. In this study, in order to prepare vitamin C derivative of being improved the stability and to apply vitamin C effect in the skin, we prepared new vitamin C derivative, phytosphingosine ascorbate, by using phytosphingosine, one of sphingolipids, which have a distinguished skin affinity. Phytosphingosine ascorbate can be prepared as the ionic bond between amine group (-NH$_2$) of phytosphingosine and hydroxy group (-OH) of vitamin C by way of the relatively simple reaction. So the structure and properties of the synthesized phytosphingosine ascorbate was confirmed the use of elemental analysis (C 58.3 : H 9.3 : N 2.8 : O 29.5), MALDI TOF-MS (Mw=492.58), Ultraviolet spectra (268.5nm), lH NMR, FT-IR spectra, thermal analysis (m.p=l54$^{\circ}C$), HPLC and so on. And we could confirm the anti-bacterial and anti-oxidation effects. Based on these results, we could confirm to prepare a new material that was expected of both effects of vitamin C and phytosphingosine and that is improved properties of vitamin C.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.902-915
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• 2022

Objective: Diet acidification supplementation is known to influence intestinal morphology, gut microbiota, and on phosphorus (P) utilization of broilers. Alterations in intestinal barrier and microbiota have been associated with systemic inflammation and thus regulating bone turnover. Hence the effect of acidifier addition to drinking water on tibia mass and the linkages between intestinal integrity and bone were studied. Methods: One-d-old male broilers were randomly assigned to normal water (control) or continuous supply of acidified water (2% the blend of 2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutyric acid, lactic, and phosphoric acid) group with 5 replicates of 10 chicks per replicate for 42 d. Results: Acidification of drinking water improved the ash percentage and calcium content of tibia at 42 d. Broilers receiving acidified water had increased serum P concentration compared to control birds. The acidified group showed improved intestinal barrier, evidenced by increased wall thickness, villus height, the villus height to crypt depth ratio, and upregulated mucin-2 expression in ileum. Broilers receiving drinking water containing mixed organic acids had a higher proportion of Firmicutes and the ratio of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, as well as a lower population of Proteobacteria. Meanwhile, the addition of acidifier to drinking water resulted in declined ileal and serum proinflammatory factors level and increased immunoglobulin concentrations in serum. Concerning bone remodeling, acidifier addition was linked to a decrease in serum C-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase reflecting bone resorption, whereas it did not apparently change serum alkaline phosphatase activity that is a bone formation marker. Conclusion: Acidified drinking water increased tibia mineral deposition of broilers, which was probably linked with higher P utilization and decreased bone resorption through improved intestinal integrity and gut microbiota and through decreased systemic inflammation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.4393-4398
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• 2013

Background: Chromosomal translocations are genetic aberrations associated with specific non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) subtypes. This study investigated the differential gene expression profile of Egyptian NHL cases based on a microarray approach. Materials and Methods: The study included tissue samples from 40 NHL patients and 20 normal lymph nodes used as controls. Total RNA was extracted and used for cDNA microarray assays. The quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction was used to identify the aberrantly expressed genes in cancer. Results: Significant associations of 8 up-regulated and 4 down-regulated genes with NHL were observed. Aberrant expression of a new group of genes not reported previously was apparent, including down-regulated NAG14 protein, 3 beta hydroxy-delta 5-c27 steroid oxi-reductase, oxi-glutarate dehydrogenase (lipo-amide), immunoglobulin lambda like polypeptide 3, protein kinase x linked, Hmt1, and caveolin 2 Tetra protein. The up-regulated genes were Rb binding protein 5, DKFZP586J1624 protein, protein kinase inhibitor gamma, zinc finger protein 3, choline ethanolamine phospho-transferase CEPT1, protein phosphatase, and histone deacetylase-3. Conclusions: This study revealed that new differentially expressed genes that may be markers for NHL patients and individuals who are at high risk for cancer development.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.141-151
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• 1979

The selective absorption of metal ions by chelating agent-loaded resins was studied in aqueous media. The resins were prepared by loading the conventional anion exchange resin, Dowex 1-X8 (50 to 100 mesh) with chelating agents containing sulfonic group, such as 8-hydroxy-quinoline-5-sulfonic acid (HQS) and 7-nitroso-8-hydroxyquinoline-5-sulfonic acid (NHQS). The stability of the resin was markedly influenced by the following factors; (1) the affinity and concentration of anions in the external solution, (2) the pH of the media. The optimum conditions for the absorption of metal ions were determined with respect to the pH, shaking time, and the effect of anion concentration in the medium. Under the optimum condition the order of the absorption of metal ions such as Fe(Ⅲ), Cu(Ⅱ), Pb(Ⅱ), and Zn(Ⅱ) was in accord with that of the stability constants of the chelates. The total capacities of the resins were found in the range of 0.6∼1.6 mmole metal per gram.