• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.180-192
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• 2010

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility and usefulness of the waist circumference-to-height ratio (WHTR) in screening for obesity in Korean children and adolescents. Methods: Data, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and height, were obtained from the national growth surveys for children and adolescents in 2005. The WHTR was calculated dividing WC by height in subjects 2~18 years of age. Overweight and obese were defined by BMI percentiles for age and gender. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to find out the optimal cutoff values of WHTR that matched BMI-determined overweight and obesity using the STATA program. The area under the curve (AUC), a measure of diagnostic power, of WHTR was compared to WC. The influence of age on WHTR was analyzed by the SAS program. Results: The WHTR significantly decreased with age, and had less correlation with age in the 6~18-year-old age group than the 2~5-year-old age group. Furthermore, the WHTR also had less correlation with age than WC in the 6~18-year-old age group. The AUC of WHTR in identifying overweight and obesity was significantly higher than the AUC of WC in the 6~18-year-old age group. The optimal cutoff values were 0.51 in boys and 0.49 in girls for obesity, and 0.48 in boys and 0.47 in girls for overweight, with all having the AUC>0.9. The optimal cutoff values of WHTR had a higher sensitivity for diagnosing obesity than WC${\geq}$90th percentiles. Conclusion: The WHTR is an easy, accurate, and less age-dependent index with high applicability in screening for obesity in children and adolescents.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.297-306
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• 2010

Tributyltin (TBT), an endocrine disrupting chemical, has been reported to decrease testicular function by causing apoptosis in the testis, but this mechanism is not fully understood. Thus, in this study we examined whether TBT induces adipogenesis of the Leydig cells to find out the correlation between adipogenesis and apoptosis in the testis. Three week old SD male rats were orally administrated with sesame oil, 1 mg/kg of TBT, or 10 mg/kg of TBT daily for 1 week and weighed after administration. The testes obtained on day 8 were weighed and stained with BODIPY and TUNEL kit. Using total RNA extracted from the isolated Leydig cells, adipogenesis and apoptosis-related genes were analyzed by real-time PCR. The testicular weights of the rats treated with 10 mg/kg TBT were significantly decreased compared to those in the control rats treated with sesame oil. As a result of BODIPY staining, the number of Leydig cells stained with BODIPY was increased in the rats treated with 10 mg/kg TBT compared with the control rats. Similar to BODIPY staining results, the TUNEL assay showed that the apoptosis of Leydig cells was increased in TBT treated rats. The results of the gene expression analysis in the Leydig cells showed that the expression of adipogenesis-related genes (PPAR${\gamma}$, aP2, Perilipin, CD36) and apoptosis-related genes (TNFRSF1A, TNFSF10) was increased after TBT administration. The present study demonstrates that TBT induces the expression of adipogenesis-related and apoptosis-related genes in the Leydig cells leading to adipogenesis and apoptosis in the testes. These results suggest that the dysfunction of Leydig cells by TBT exposure may cause a loss in testicular function.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.241-247
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• 2012

Purpose: This study was conducted to assess the association of metabolic syndrome and its components with glaucoma. Methods: We investigated the associations of metabolic syndrome and its components (abdominal obesity, impaired fasting glucose, high blood pressure, and dyslipidemia) with glaucoma using data from 19,162 adults aged 40 or above among the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (2005), IV (2007-9), V (2010). The logistic regression analysis was used for assessing those associations after adjusting demographic, lifestyle, and social economic status and for assessing the association of metabolic medication intakes with glaucoma risks. Results: After adjusting for age and sex, the risk of glaucoma was significantly higher in the subjects with impaired fasting glucose(Odds Ratio (95% confidence interval): 1.78 (1.25, 2.53)) and metabolic syndrome (1.45 (1.01, 2.08)) than subjects without those. These associations increased when additional adjusting for smoking, alcohol use, regular physical activity, income, education status(impaired fasting glucose: 1.89 (1.29, 2.77), metabolic syndrome: 1.52 (1.03, 2.25)). Glaucoma prevalence was borderline significantly increased according to the number of metabolic abnormalities(age and sex adjusted p for trend = 0.055). Use of antihypertensive medication was significantly associated with the risk of glaucoma. Conclusions: Metabolic syndrome and impaired fasting glucose were significantly associated with the increased glaucoma risk. Use of antihypertensive medication was also significantly associated with the increased glaucoma risk.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.77-85
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• 2013

Purpose: The accurate movement of gantry rotation, collimator and correct application of dose rate are very important to approach the successful performance of Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT), because it is tightly interlocked with a complex treatment plan. The interruption and restart of dose delivery, however, are able to occur on treatment by various factors of a treatment machine and treatment plan. If unexpected problems of a treat machine or a patient interrupt the VMAT, the movement of treatment machine for delivering the remaining dose will be restarted at the start point. In this investigation, We would like to know the effect of interruptions and restart regarding dose delivery at VMAT. Materials and Methods: Treatment plans of 10 patients who had been treated at our center were used to measure and compare the dose distribution of each VMAT after converting to a form of digital image and communications in Medicine (DICOM) with treatment planning system (Eclipse V 10.0, Varian, USA). We selected the 6 MV photon energy of Trilogy (Varian, USA) and used OmniPro I'mRT system (V 1.7b, IBA dosimetry, Germany) to analyze the data that were acquired through this measurement with two types of interruptions four times for each case. The door interlock and the beam-off were used to stop and then to restart the dose delivery of VMAT. The gamma index in OmniPro I'mRT system and T-test in Microsoft Excel 2007 were used to evaluate the result of this investigation. Results: The deviations of average gamma index in cases with door interlock, beam-off and without interruption on VMAT are 0.141, 0.128 and 0.1. The standard deviations of acquired gamma values are 0.099, 0.091, 0.071 and The maximum gamma value in each case is 0.413, 0.379, 0.286, respectively. This analysis has a 95-percent confidence level and the P-value of T-test is under 0.05. Gamma pass rate (3%, 3 mm) is acceptable in all of measurements. Conclusion: As a result, We could make sure that the interruption of this investgation are not enough to seriously affect dose delivery of VMAT by analyzing the measured data. But this investigation did not reflect all cases about interruptions and errors regarding the movement of a gantry rotation, collimator and patient So, We should continuously maintain a treatment machine and program to deliver the accurate dose when we perform the VMAT for the many kinds of cancer patients.

• The Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Ultrasound Society
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.68-73
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• 2009

Purpose: We retrospectively studied the outcomes of the shoulder impingement syndrome for the treatment of the ultrasound-guided subacromial bursal steroid injection. Materials and Methods: Sixty-six shoulders of sixty-two patients with shoulder impingement syndrome treated from March, 2006 to April, 2009 were involved in this study. All cases underwent standardized, nonoperative treatment protocol consisting of 5~12 MHz high resolution ultrasound-guided local steroid injection into the subacromial bursa in modified Crass position. The shoulder range of motion, VAS score and impingement signs were evaluated during the initial and 1year visits. After injection, shoulder elevation exercise was encouraged. Statistical analysis with ANOVA model and Tukey's post-hoc test with the significance level at 5% were performed using SAS program. Results: All cases showed improved range of motion without limitation of shoulder function at immediate post-injection, 6-week, 3-month and 1year visits. The average VAS score at one year follow-up decreased to 2.85 from 6.47 before injection. In all cases the impingement signs became negative immediate after injection. However, 6 cases showed positive impingement signs after 6-week, which became negative after reinjection. The range of motion and VAS score were improved at one-year follow-up compared to initial visit (p<0.0001). No complication was noted at all follow-up period. Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided subacromial steroid injection alleviated the need of surgery, because it was successful in all our cases to improve pain and function of the shoulders until one year follow-up period.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.145-153
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• 1999

Authors report the changes of the community structure and secondary succession after fire in Mt. Samma (333 m). Approximately six ha of the red pine (Pinus densiflora) forest and its floor vegetation were burned and cutted down. The vegetation and soil properties were investigated in the burned and unburned sites from April to October, 1998. The dominant species based on SDR₃ in the burned site were Lespedeza cyrtobotrya (96.87), Quercus serrata (77.90), Cyperus amuricus (46.22) and Miscanthus sinensis var. purpurascens (38.33), whereas the dominant species in the unburned site were Pinus densiflora (100.00) and Q. variabilis (66.10) at the tree layer, Q. serrata (100.00) and Zanthoxylum schinifolium (29.64) at the shrub layer., and Q. serrata (76.30) and M. sinensis var. purpurascens (72.84) at the herb layer. The biological spectra based on SDR₃ were Th-D₁-R/sub 5/-e for the burned and H (M)-D₁-R/sub 5/-e type for the unburned site, respectively. The index of similarity (CCs) between the burned and unburned sites was 0.41. The degree of succession (DS) were 609 for the burned and 1168 for the unburned site, respectively. The species diversity (H) and evenness indices (e) of the burned site were lower than those of the unburned site, but the dominance indices (C) was higher in the burned site. In the analysis of soil properties, pH, the content of NO₃/sup -/-N, available phosphrous, and exchangeable cations (K/sup +/, Ca/sup 2+/, Na/sup +/, Mg/sup 2+/) in the burned site were higher than those in the unburned site, whereas the contents of organic matter, total carbon, total nitrogen and NH₄/sup +/-N were lower in the burned site. The results show that dominant species in the burned site change from Miscanthus-Lespedeza→Lespedeza→Quercus and finally to Quercus forest, and the changes of soil properties also affect the early vegetational succession after fire.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.322-327
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• 2007

This study was conducted to analysis the chemical properties of Peunggang river and investigate the effect of irrigation sources on the growth of tomato and cucumber. The salt concentration in Peunggang river was high by $3.22{\sim}3.62dS{\cdot}m^{-1}s$ from March to May and lower gradually from April to February of next year, which was also lower in upper stream than in middle or low stream of Peunggang river. The growth such as plant height, fresh weight and dry weight in tomato and cucumber was better in drain water and tap water irrigation than in PR water (Peunggang river) irrigation. Mean fruit weight was highest in the tap water, and that of cucumber was no significance in the treatments. The number of setting fruit was lower in the PR water than in the treatments, and which was no significance between rain water and tap water. The yield of tomato and cucumber was found to be highest by 10,594 and 11,826 kg/10a in tap water, respectively and also lowest in the PR water among the three treatments. The fruit quality, soluble solids of tomato shows a tendency to increase in the PR water as compared with the other treatment, and the rate of blossom-end rote was higher by 13.6% in the PR water. T-N and P content of tomato and cucumber were no significance in the treatments. Ca content was lowest, but Na content highest in the PR water. It was thought that a rain water and tap water as alternative irrigation source of a PR water were proper.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.249-258
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• 1994

Recently, the importance of toxoplasmosis is raised as a complication in immunosuppressed or AIDS patients. Our study focused on the identification of a variety of Toxoplasma antigens by immunoblotting. Rabbits and BALB/c mice were immunized with Toxoplosmo Iysate (RH strain) , frozen tachyzoites (RH strain) or cysts (Beverly and Fukaya strain) . Blood were collected from ear vein, heart or orbital plexus for detecting the serum antibody levels. For excretory-secretory (E.S) antigens, T gondii (RH) tachyzoite were cultured in CHL (Chinese hamster lung) cells with MEM containing of 5% FCS. After 72hrs, culture supernatant was collected. BALB/c mice were inoculated with RH tachyzoite intraperitoneally and peritoneal fluids were extracted three days later. E.S antigens were detected in culture supernatant and infected mouse peritoneal fluid by EITB. Serum IgG levels in rabbit were 1 :512 of 10 days after primary immunization, 1 : 2,048 of 10 days after secondary immunization, 1: 1,024 of 20 days after secondary immunization by IFAT, respectively. Serum IgG levels of immunized mice were 1:128 after 7 weeks. Tachyzoite antigens of the RH strain were detected 25 protein bands ranging 10 kDa-220 kDa of molecular weights with Coomassie blue stain. Toxoplcsma major antigens corresponding to n of 24 kDa, 27 kDa,30 kDa, 35 kDa, 38 kDa were recognized by IgG and IgM antibodies. Excretory-secretory antigens present in culture supernatant with M. W. of 20, 30 kDa and in infected mouse peritoneal fluid with M.W. of 33 (P30), 45 kDa. When RH tachyzoite antigen was probed with different mice sera immunized with 2 strains of T gondii, the IgG antibody bud of Fukaya and Beverly strain (8 week-serum) is identical to those of RH strain. It is considered that the 30 kDa polypeptide detected in excretory- secretory materials and Iysate was important major antigen of T gondii (RH).

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.116-126
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• 2014

To evaluate the relationship between dynamics of Cyanobacterial bloom and rainfalls, a monthly monitoring of water quality and phytoplankton from the three serial lakes (Lake Ui-am, Lake Chung-pyeong and Lake Pal-dang) in the North Han River System were examined 12 times from May 2012 to March 2013. A dense bloom of cyanobacterium Anabaena spp., was occurred over three lakes in the summer season of 2012. In Lake Ui-am, the Anabaena population appeared in June, showed a peak in July (43,850 cells $mL^{-1}$) and disappeared in November 2012. In Lake Chung-pyeong and Lake Pal-dang, Anabaena population commonly appeared in July, showed the peaks (31,648 cells $mL^{-1}$ and 7,136 cells $mL^{-1}$, respectively) in August, and entirely disappeared in September 2012. Over the three lakes, the phytoplankton community was commonly dominated by diatoms before Monsoon, cyanobacteria during Monsoon, and diatoms after Monsoon, respectively, indicating a Monsoon-dependent succession. A correlation analysis revealed that dynamics of Anabaena population was strongly related with rainfall (r=0.72, r=0.83, r=0.88, P<0.01 for three lakes), and partly with nutrients, inflow and outflow of lakes. Therefore, this study indicates that the outbreak and destruction of Anabaena bloom in North Han River System between 2012 and 2013 was impacted by rainfalls. However, a high density of cyanobacteria in Lake Ui-am remained after Monsoon, and thus, may paroduce bad-order and toxins from phytoplankton.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.15
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• pp.6627-6632
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• 2015

Background: We conducted a study exploring the clinical safety and efficacy of decitabine in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), combined with a complex karyotype. Materials and Methods: From April 2009 to September 2013, a total of 35 patients with AML/MDS combined with a complex karyotype diagnosed in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University were included for retrospective analysis. All patients were treated with decitabine alone ($20mg/m^2$ daily for 5 days) or combination AAG chemotherapy (Acla 20mg qod*4d, Ara-C $10mg/m^2$ q12h*7d, G-CSF $300{\mu}g$ qd, the dose of G-CSF adjusted to the amount in blood routinely). Results: In 35 patients, 15 exhibited a complete response (CR), and 6 a partial response (PR), the overall response rate (CR+PR) being 60% (21 of 35). Median disease-free survival was 18 months and overall survival was 14 months. In the 15 MDS patients with a complex karyotype, the CR rate was 53.3% (8 of 15); in 20 AML patients with complex karyotype, the overall response rate was 65% (13 of 20). The response rate of decitabine alone (22 cases) was 56.5% (13 of 22), while in the combination chemotherapy group (13 cases), the effective rate was 61.5% (8 of 13)(P>0.05). There are 15 patients with chromosome 7 aberration, after treatment with decitabine, 7 CR, 3 PR, overall response rate was 66.7% (10 of 15). Of 18 patients with 3 to 5 kinds of chromosomal abnormalities, 66.7% demonstrated a response; of 17 with more than 5 chromosomal abnormalities, 52.9% had a response. In the total of 35 patients, with one course (23 patients) and ${\geq}$two courses (12 patients), the overall response rate was 40.9% and 92.3% (P<0.05). Grade III to IV hematological toxicity was observed in 27 cases (75%). Grade III to IV infections were clinically documented in 7 (20%). Grades I to II non-hematological toxicity were infections (18 patients), haematuria (2 patients), and bleeding (3 patients). With follow-up until September 2013, 7 patients were surviving, 18 had died and 10 were lost to follow-up. In the 6 cases who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) all were still relapse-free survivors. Conclusions: Decitabine alone or combination with AAG can improve outcome of AML/MDS with a complex karyotype, there being no significant difference decitabine in inducing remission rates in patients with different karyotype. Increasing the number of courses can improve efficiency. This approach with fewer treatment side effects in patients with a better tolerance should be employed in order to create an improved subsequent chance for HSCT.