• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.89-94
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to develop the strain-specific PCR primers for the identification of prevotella inter-media ATCC 49046 which is frequently used in the pathogenesis studies of periodontitis. The Hind III-digested genomic DNA of P. intermedia ATCC 49046 were cloned by random cloning method. The specificity of cloned DNA fragments were determined by Southern blot analysis. The nucleotide sequence of cloned DNA probes was determined by chain termination method. The PCR primers were designed based on the nucleotide sequence of cloned DNA fragment. The data showed that Pig6 DNA probe were hybridized with the genomic DNA from P. intermedia strains (ATCC $25611^T$ and 49046) isolated from the Westerns, not the strains isolated from Koreans. The Pig6 DNA probe were consisted of 813 bp. Pig6-F3 and Pig6-R3 primers, designed base on the nucleotide Sequences Of Pig6 DNA Probe, were 3150 specific to the only both P. intermedia ATCC $25611^T$ and P. intermedia ATCC 49046. In the other hand, Pig6-60F and Pig6-770R primers were specific to the only P. intermedia ATCC 49046. The two PCR primer sets could detect as little as 4 pg of chromosomal DNA of P. intermedia. These results indicate that Pig6-60F and Pig6-770R primers have proven useful for the identification of P. intermedia ATCC 49046, especially with regard to the maintenance of the strain.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.7
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• pp.777-783
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• 2006

Purpose : Urinary tract infection(UTI) is one of the most frequent infections in children. E. coli is the most frequent etiological micropathogen in pediatric community UTI, and E. coli has developed resistance to many antibiotics, highlighting the need for regular surveys of this organism resistant patterns in the community. The aim of this study was to determine the oral antibiotic susceptibility patterns of E. coli, isolated from pediatric patients with uncomplicated community acquired UTI. Methods : E. coli isolates, obtained from pediatric patients with uncomplicated community acquired UTI between October in 2004 to September in 2005. And minimal inhibitory concentrations(MICs) of oral aminopenicillins and beta-lactamase inhibnitors(ampicillin, amoxacillin, ampicillin-sulbactam), oral cephalosporins(cefaclor, cefixime) and sulfa drug(trimethoprime-sulfamethoxazole) were performed according to the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards(NCCLS) guide line. Results : Total 211 organisms were isolated from pediatric out-patients with community UTI. E. coli was the most common organism(89 percent), followed by E. fecalis, Proteus species, S. aureus, M. morganii, and P. aeruginosa. The resistant rates of aminopenicillins and beta-lactamase inhibitors, cefaclor and sulfa drug to E. coli were very high. But, the resistant rate of cefixime was markedly low, and ESBL strains were isolated with small rates. Conclusion : Our study results suggest that aminopenicillins, cefaclor and sulfa drug may not be useful as first line empirical antibiotics to treat pediatric patients with community UTI in Korea. But, 3rd generation cephalosporin such as cefixime can be used as effective second line antibiotics after primary treatment failure, also may be useful as an empirical first line antibiotic. Finally, we conclude that a continuous surveillance study to monitor susceptibility patterns of E. coli in community UTI will be needed for the standard guide lines of empirical oral antibiotic treatment.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.80-83
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• 2008

Purpose : Inguinal hernias are common in children and sometimes are associated with dangerous complications, such as incarceration. There are no established management guidelines for ovarian hernias. We have reviewed the clinical course of ovarian hernias in infants. Methods : We reviewed the medical records of female infants diagnosed with ovarian hernias by ultrasonogram at Kwandong University College of Medicine, Cheil General Hospital, and the Women's Healthcare Center between March 2001 and August 2007. We analyzed the patients gestational age, birth weight, age at the time of detection of the inguinal mass, the patients chief complaints, operative time, post-operative complications, and ultrasonographic findings. Results : Eight female infants had ovarian hernias, four of whom were born prematurely. Seven infants had left-sided ovarian hernias, and one infant had a right-sided ovarian hernia. Five infants underwent surgery and there were no postoperative complications or recurrences. Three girls did not have surgery, and the ovarian hernias regressed spontaneously, with no recurrences or complications. The regression time of inguinal masses ranged from 70-161 days after birth. Conclusion : Physical examination to detect movable masses within the labium major in premature female infants is important because the incidence of premature inguinal hernias is much higher than in term infants. No rational medical treatment plans for female ovarian hernias have been published to date. We cared for three girls with spontaneous regression of ovarian hernias. Pediatricians should be aware whether emergent surgery for ovarian hernias is indicated.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.197-225
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• 2015

The presentation of this paper was triggered by the spread of MERS in Korea in the year 2015. The analysis of the present acts related with MERS is necessary in order to cope efficiently with any probable spread of such infectious diseases as MERS in future. The acts that should be analyzed in this paper include 'Medical Service Act' and 'Infectious Disease Control And Prevention Act' (hereafter, IDCAPA). At first the classification of the infectious diseases in IDCAPA should be referred to. The Act does not properly classify them because the scope of concept of each group of the infectious diseases overlaps each other. This overlap should be removed. The present system in IDCAPA is not proper for the efficient notification and reporting of the infectious disease patients. This is so in some viewpoints including the persons obligated to make the notification and reporting, the persons to whom they should notify and report such patients, and the process of notification and reporting. The efficient approach to the information related with the infectious disease is necessary for the rapid prevention of its spread. Cohort isolation and quarantine of the infectious patients and exposed contacts are the strongest and most efficient steps for the prevention of spread of the infectious diseases. One of the great problems related with such steps would be the conflict of powers or attributions, the likelihood of which is inevitable under the present system of IDCAPA. The IDCAPA distributed the power or attribution to take the steps to the three governments including the central government, the metropolitan government and the primary local government. The power should be concentrated in the central government, which could afford financially to compensate for the huge amount of damages caused likely by the steps. The power to take the steps would be actually just a useless thing for its holder without such financial capacity. The remedy for the victims by the fault of spreader should be approached to in the sense of national wealth. The general principle of tort law could not supply the victims with the sufficient remedy because the damages would be likely too huge for the wealth of such spreader to cope with. In future another parliamentary inspection could reveal another problems in the administration by the government of the MERS event in the year 2015. Any problem caused by defect in the legal system of the control and prevention of the infectious diseases should be taken into consideration when the legal system would be reformed in future.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.131-157
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• 2015

NHIS claimed for damages to doctors that by doing the treatment breaching medical insurance criteria caused by doctors, NHIS paid for medicine cost to pharmacy; as a result, the doctors caused the tort to NHIS. Following consecutive rulings afterwards, NHIS also argued that the medicine cost violating medical law or medical treatment expense paid to medical organizations are both the tort in civil law. NHIS claimed for all the damages, and the Supreme Court confirmed this judgment. However, within our national health insurance system, the subject of insurance payment is NHIS and the subject of medical treatment expense are also NHIS since the treatment expense is also insurance payment by asking the treatment to medical organizations. Further, national health insurance law is not made to control the violation of medical treatment cases; therefore, the breach of medical law cannot be covered by illegality of tort in civil law regarding NHIS. If that is the case, in the case that if the patients are treated according to treatment criteria via the doctors delegated the doctors' permission by Health and Welfare minister, NHIS acquired the benefits to remove the duty to give treatment payment to doctors in civil law; thus, even though the doctors have breached the medical law, NHIS does not have any damages. The fact that supreme court confirmed the ruling that the treatment is the tort in civil law towards NHIS is the judgment not counting the benefits of insurance payment as the subject but only considering the fact that NHIS paid to the doctors and this ruling have gone against the principle under civil code section 750. If the doctors have breached the medical law, the case should be sanctioned by medical law not national health insurance law, and the ruling of supreme court is assumed that they have confused both with the principle of national health insurance law and civil law.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.26 no.2 s.42
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• pp.222-230
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• 1993

Industrial glues, known as 'Bonds' in Korea, contain many kinds of organic solvents, and glue sniffing of youths became one of the social problems in Korea. Mixed exposures to solvents by glue sniffing may induce chronic toxicities different from those by exposures to solvents of single component. To test effects of the glue sniffing on weight gain or central nervous system, two groups of 20 male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to air(control group) or vapors of the glues to narcotic status(exposed group), and weight check, tail flick test, hot plate test, rotarod treadmill test were done on the 14th,24th, 36th, 45th, 53rd, 86th, 102nd, 117th, 134th and 151st days after the first exposure. On the 188th day, their brains were excised and examined by a pathologist. Weight gain, controlled against time change, showed significant difference between the groups, but response times in tail flick test, hot plate tests, and rotarod treadmill test didn't. In pathological examination with blind method, no macroscopic or microscopic differences were found between the two groups. These results suggests that organic lesion in central nervous system may not ensue glue sniffing, but, before firm conclusion, more studies in various exposure conditions should be followed.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.138-144
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• 2010

Purpose: Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), which mediates neovascularization of uterine endometrium may be involved in the neovascularization in the utero-placental circulation. Low numbers of endothelial progenitor colony-forming unit (CFU) in culture are predictive biomarker of vascular disease. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether the number of CFU in preeclampsia differed from that in normal pregnancy. Materials and Methods: Women with singleton normal (n=26) or preeclamptic (n=20) pregnancies were studied during the third trimester. The number of EPCs was quantified by CFU methodology. Plasma levels of angiogenic factors, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), and placental growth factor (PlGF) were determined by enzyme-linked immunoassay. Results: CFU numbers were significantly decreased in the preeclamptic patients compared with the controls (median, 3; range 1-12 vs. 31; 3-81 CFU/well, P<0.001). A majority of the cells comprising individual colonies were positive for endothelial characteristics (Ulex europaeus lectin staining and acetylated low-density lipoprotein uptake). Plasma levels of the sFlt-1 were highly elevated (P<0.001) in patient with preeclampsia compared to controls, whereas PlGF were highly reduced (P=0.004), but these factors did not associate with CFU numbers. Conclusion: Our results suggest that reduced numbers of CFU obtained from maternal peripheral blood may contribute to the development of preeclampsia.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.303-311
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• 2000

Purpose: Thallium behaves similarly to potassium in vivo. Potassium channel opener (K-opener) opens ATP-sensitive $K^+$-channel located at cell membrane, resulting in potassium efflux from cytosol. We have previously reported that K-opener can alter biokinetics of Tl-201 in cultured cells and in vivo. Malignant tumor cells have high Na-K ATPase activity due to increased metabolic activities and dedifferentiation, and differential delineation of malignant tumor can be possible with Tl-201 imaging. K-opener may affect tumoral uptake of Tl-201 in vivo. To investigate the effects of pinacidil (one of the potent K-openers) on the localization of the tumor with Tl-201 chloride, we evaluated the changes in biodistribution of Tl-201 with pinacidil treatment in tumor-bearing mice. Materials and Methods: Baltic mice received subcutaneous implantation of murine breast cancer cells in the thigh and were used for biodistribution study 3 weeks later. $100{\mu}g$ of pinacidil dissolved in $200{\mu}l$ DMSO/PBS solution was injected intravenously via tail vein at 10 min after 185 KBq ($5{\mu}Ci$) Tl-201 injection. Percentage organ uptake and whole body retention ratio of Tl-201 were measured at various periods after injection, and values were compared between control and pinacidil-treated mice. Results: Pinacidil treatment resulted in mild decrease in blood levels of Tl-201, but renal uptakes were markedly decreased at 30-min, 1- and 2-hour, compared to control group. Hepatic, intestinal and muscular uptake were not different. Absolute percentage uptake and tumor to blood ratios of Tl-201 were lower in pinacidil treated mice than in the control group at all time points measured. Whole body retention ratio of Tl-201 was lower in pinacidil treated mice ($58{\pm}4%$ ), than in the control group ($67{\pm}3%$) at 24 hours after with injection of $100{\mu}g$ pinacidil. Conclusion: K-opener did not enhance, but rather decreased absolute tumoral uptake and tumor-to-blood ratios of Tl-201. Decreased whole body retention ratio and renal uptake were observed with pinacidil treatment in tumor-bearing mice.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.373-384
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• 2011

This experiment was conducted to investigate the selection of regional double cropping system for production of organic forage in middle part of Korea and investigated their productivity, feed values and stock carrying capacity. The test results proved the Sorghum${\times}$Sudangrass hybrid was 10.9 $ton{\cdot}ha^{-1}$, the one of Rye + Red clover and Rye + Hairy vetch were the highest one as 3.3 $ton{\cdot}ha^{-1}$ and the relative yield about a Rye is higher in the dry matter yield in the field soil. And as for the relative forage values (RFV), Corn is the most excellent ones as 96.6 but there were no the significant difference between the Sorghum${\times}$Sudangrass hybrid of 84.4 and it. The total digestible nutrient (TDN) content in Rye + Hairy vetch is higher than others as 59.7%. As for the relative feed value, Rye + Red clover is the highest one as 83.8 but there was no significant differences between them. As for the ability to raise livestock in the field soil, the average values of $K_{CP}$ and $K_{TDN}$ are shown as 4.27 head/ha/yr in Sorghum${\times}$Sudangrass hybrid. As for the same crops, the average values of $K_{CP}$ and $K_{TDN}$ showed the highest ones as 1.74 head/ha/yr, in Rye + Red clover but there were no the significant differences. As for the dry matter yield of the rice field soil, organic rice straw was 3.3 $ton{\cdot}ha^{-1}$ and Rye + Red clover significantly showed the highest values as 4.1 $ton{\cdot}ha^{-1}$. In the rice filed soil, the crude protein content of organic rice straw was 3.1% and the TDN content of organic rice straw was 55%. The TDN content in Rye + Red clover was higher than others as 59.7%. As for the relative forage values, Rye + Red clover showed the highest one as 83.8 but there were no significant differences between them. As for the ability to raise livestock in the rice field, the average values of $K_{CP}$ and $K_{TDN}$ in the organic rice straw was 1.04 head/ha/yr and the average values of $K_{CP}$ and $K_{TDN}$ in Rye + Red clover is the highest one as 1.84 head/ha/yr, but there were no significant differences in all of them.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.607-616
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• 2013

Light with two faces, beneficial and harmful effects is an important signal for every living cell. Optimal adaptation to light environment enhances the fitness of an organism and survival in nature. Understandings of light quality and plant growth provide with the economical guides for artificial light sources like LEDs. Compared with those under white light, the 1 week seedlings of Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa) under monochromic red and blue light showed normal development and growth. In contrast to extremely long and etiolated hypocotyls of the seedlings under dark, those under far-red etiolated were extremely short. Based on the microarray analysis, blue light induced the vigorous development and growth and two fold changes of transcripts than red light condition. To have insight of gene products under different light qualities conditions, GO term enrichments were calculated and each gene according to their GO terms were categorized. The blue and red lights affected the expressions of genes related to biological process. Especially, the genes related to metabolic process and developmental process and plastid and chloroplast in the cellular component category were induced under blue light. This study provided the molecular biological evidence for various light qualities on the growing process of B. rapa.