• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2018.05a
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• pp.148-148
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• 2018

Land subsidence caused by excessive groundwater pumping is a serious hydro-geological hazard. The spatial variability in land use, unbalanced groundwater extraction and aquifer characteristics are the key factors which make the problem more difficult to monitor using conventional methods. This study uses the European Space Agency (ESA) Sentinel satellites to investigate and monitor land subsidence varying with different land covers and groundwater use in the arid Quetta valley, Pakistan. The Persistent Scattering Differential Interferometry of Synthetic Aperture Radar (PS-DInSAR) method was used to develop 28 subsidence interferograms of the study area for the period between 16 Oct 2014 and 06 Oct 2016 using ESA's Sentinel-1 SAR data. The uncertainty of DInSAR result is first minimized by removing the dynamic effect caused by atmospheric factors and then filtered using the radar Amplitude Dispersion Index (ADI) to select only the stable pixels. Finally the subsidence maps were generated by spatially interpolating the land subsidence at the stable pixels, the comparison of DInSAR subsidence with GPS readings showed an R 2 of 0.94 and mean absolute error of $5.7{\pm}4.1mm$. The subsidence maps were also analysed for the effect of aquifer type and 4 land covers which were derived from Sentienl-2 multispectral images. The analysis show that during the two year period, the study area experienced highly non-linear land subsidence ranging from 10 to 280 mm. The subsidence at different land covers was significantly different from each other except between the urban and barren land. The barren land and seasonally cultivated area show minor to moderate subsidence while the orchard and urban area with high groundwater extraction rate showed excessive amount of land subsidence. Moreover, the land subsidence and groundwater drawdown was found to be linearly proportional to each other.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.165-172
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• 1999

In the present work , the transport mechanism of a capsaicin derivative, DA-5018, through blood-brain barrier (BBB) has been investigated to evaluate the feasibility of potential drug development. The result of pharmacokinetic parameters obtained from the intravenous injection of plasma volume marker,$[3^H]RSA$ and $[{14}^C]DA-5018$, indicated that both AUC, area under the plasma concentration curve and VD, volume of distribution in brain of $[3^H]RSA$ agreed with those reported ($1620{\pm}10 $percentage injected dose minute per milliliter (%IDmin/ml) and $12.0{\pm}0.1{\mu}l/g$, respectively). Elimination half-life and AUC of $[{14}^C]DA-5018$is corrected by the PHLC analysis, 19.6$\pm$1.2 min and 7.69$\pm$0.85% IDmin/ml, respectively. The metabolic rate of $[{14}^C]DA-5018$was very rapid. The blood-brain barrier permeability surface area (PS) product of $[{14}^C]DA-5018$ was calculated to be 0.24$\pm$0.05 $\mu$l/min/g. The result of internal carotid artery perfusion and capillary depletion suggested that [14C]DA-5018 pass through BBB with the time increasingly. Investigation of transport mechanism of $[{14}^C]DA-5018$ using agonist and antagonist suggested that vanilloid (capsaicin) receptor did not exist in the BBB, and nutrient carrier system in the BBB has no effect on the transport of DA-5018. In conclusion, despite the fact that penetration of DA-5018 through BBB is significant, the intact drug found in the brain tissue is small because of a rapid metabolism. Therefore, for the central analgesic effect of DA-5018, the method to increase the metabolic stability in plasma and the brain permeability should be considered.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.188-197
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• 2021

Objective: PD-1 inhibitors have demonstrated improved health outcomes in cancer patients. PD-1 inhibitors are well-tolerated and associated with immune-related adverse events. The objectives of this study are to analyze use patterns of PD-1 inhibitors in patients with cancer and to investigate the incidence of thyroid-related adverse reactions in patients treated with PD-1 inhibitors. Methods: The study included patients who had been administered PD-1 inhibitors (either nivolumab or pembrolizumab) at the Samsung Medical Center between October 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017. Data was collected from electronic medical records and tested using Mann-Whitney tests and Chi-Square tests for statistical significance. Associations between PD-1 inhibitors and incidence of adverse events were tested using Cox regression for age, gender, BMI, ECOG PS and medication. Results: Two hundred fifteen patients were identified as eligible for analyses. Thyroid-related adverse events occurred in 20% of patients (n=43). Thyroid function tests (TFTs) was performed in 109 patients (50.7%). Positive results of PD-L1 testing were found in 53.2% of the 94 patients who had the test. Approved doses of nivolumab (3 m/kg) and pembrolizumab (200 mg) were administered in 70.4% and 53% of patients, respectively. The analysis of risk factor of thyroid-related adverse reaction did not show statistically significant differences (Cox regression). Conclusion: Thyroid-related adverse events are common in patients treated with PD-1 inhibitors and hypothyroidism is the most frequent adverse reaction. Routine TFTs monitoring is strongly recommended to evaluate thyroid function in real-world clinical practice.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.2046-2056
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• 2018

Phospholipase D has great commercial value due to its transphosphatidylation products that can be used in the food and medicine industries. In order to construct a strain for use in the production of PLD, we employed a series of combinatorial strategies to increase PLD expression in Bacillus subtilis WB600. These strategies included screening of signal peptides, selection of different plasmids, and optimization of the sequences of the ribosome-binding site (RBS) and the spacer region. We found that using the signal peptide amyE results in the highest extracellular PLD activity (11.3 U/ml) and in a PLD expression level 5.27-fold higher than when the endogenous signal peptide is used. Furthermore, the strain harboring the recombinant expression plasmid pMA0911-PLD-amyE-his produced PLD with activity enhanced by 69.03% (19.1 U/ml). We then used the online tool \RBS Calculator v2.0 to optimize the sequences of the RBS and the spacer. Using the optimized sequences resulted in an increase in the enzyme activity by about 26.7% (24.2 U/ml). In addition, we found through a transfer experiment that the retention rate of the recombinant plasmid after 5 generations was still 100%. The final product, phosphatidylserine (PS), was successfully detected, with transphosphatidylation selectivity at 74.6%. This is similar to the values for the original producer.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.64 no.7
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• pp.355-363
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• 2021

Background: Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is a common renal disorder in children attributed to podocyte injury. However, children with the same diagnosis have markedly variable treatment responses, clinical courses, and outcomes, suggesting molecular heterogeneity. Purpose: This study aimed to explore the molecular responses of podocytes to nephrotic plasma to identify specific genes and signaling pathways differentiating various clinical NS groups as well as biological processes that drive injury in normal podocytes. Methods: Transcriptome profiles from immortalized human podocyte cell line exposed to the plasma of 8 subjects (steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome [SSNS], n=4; steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome [SRNS], n=2; and healthy adult individuals [control], n=2) were generated using microarray analysis. Results: Unsupervised hierarchical clustering of global gene expression data was broadly correlated with the clinical classification of NS. Differential gene expression (DGE) analysis of diseased groups (SSNS or SRNS) versus healthy controls identified 105 genes (58 up-regulated, 47 down-regulated) in SSNS and 139 genes (78 up-regulated, 61 down-regulated) in SRNS with 55 common to SSNS and SRNS, while the rest were unique (50 in SSNS, 84 genes in SRNS). Pathway analysis of the significant (P≤0.05, -1≤ log2 FC ≥1) differentially expressed genes identified the transforming growth factor-β and Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription pathways to be involved in both SSNS and SRNS. DGE analysis of SSNS versus SRNS identified 2,350 genes with values of P≤0.05, and a heatmap of corresponding expression values of these genes in each subject showed clear differences in SSNS and SRNS. Conclusion: Our study observations indicate that, although podocyte injury follows similar pathways in different clinical subgroups, the pathways are modulated differently as evidenced by the heatmap. Such transcriptome profiling with a larger cohort can stratify patients into intrinsic subtypes and provide insight into the molecular mechanisms of podocyte injury.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.251-260
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• 2021

As the aging population of the world grows, senior-friendly foods are becoming increasingly popular. In this study, the quality characteristics of domestic commercial senior-friendly foods were investigated and compared to the standard specifications of the Food Code and KS H4897. Herein, 18 samples of domestic commercial senior-friendly foods were utilized to analyze their appearance, physical properties (hardness and viscosity), nutritional value (protein, vitamin, mineral and dietary fiber), digestion rate, and hygiene indicator bacteria. When compared to the hardness standards of the Food Code all 18 samples were found to be satisfactory; however, when compared to the nutritional standard (at least three types of nutrients must be above the minimum), only five products, HG-7, DW-1, PS-1, OH-1 and OH-2, were found to be satisfactory. In addition, when the 18 samples were compared to the Korean Industrial Standard (2020), all 18 products were found to be satisfactory for physical properties and hygiene standards; furthermore, all samples, excluding HB-2, were suitable for nutritional standards (at least one type of nutrient must be above the standard).

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.7
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• pp.2592-2598
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• 2022

Research groups in the field of PET instrumentation are studying time-of-flight(TOF) technology to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of PET images. Scintillation light transport and collection plays an important role in improving the coincidence resolving time(CRT) of PET detector based on a pixelated crystal array. Four crystal arrays were designed by the different optical reflection configuration such as external reflectors and surface treatment on the CRT and compared with the light output, energy resolution and CRT. The design proposed in the study was composed of 8 × 8 LYSO crystal array consisted of 3 × 3 × 15 mm³ pixels. The entrance side was roughened while the other five surfaces were polished. Four sides of all crystal pixels were wrapped with ESR-film, and the entrance surface was covered by Teflon-tape. The design provided an excellent timing resolution of 210 ps and improved the CRT by 16% compared to the conventional method using a polishing treatment and ESR-film. This study provided a method for improving the light output and CRT of a pixelated scintillation crystal-based brain TOF PET detector. The proposed configuration might be an attractive detector design for TOF brain PET requiring fast timing performance with high cost-effectiveness.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.77-96
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• 2017

This paper attempts to analyze the influences of Korean global retailer's service marketing mix on local customers' satisfaction and their loyalty behaviors. Based on a literature review, three hypotheses are putting forward. The data from 139 customers in Weihai, China were used to test these hypotheses. This paper used Structural Equation Modeling to identify the relationship among the service marketing mix, the customer satisfaction and the customer loyalty behaviors. According to the empirical analysis, this study showed satisfactory data-fit of the proposed model and supported two of the three hypotheses. The empirical results indicated that the service marketing mix factors except the promotion factor take significant effect on the local customer satisfaction, and this in turn have influence on the customer loyalty behaviors. The result shows that Korean global retailers will need to leverage service marketing mix strategically when entering China. Practical implications of these findings needs to be considered for the global retailer to establish an effective marketing strategy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.90-97
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• 1982

Two hundred one patients of ventricular septal defect, which were operated at Seoul National University Hospital, were analysed on clinical background during the period from January, 1975 to December, 1980. The results were as follows: 1. Of the 201 patients, 118 patients were male [58.7%] and 83 patients were female [41.3%]. Their age ranged from 15 months to 40 years, and the mean age was 8.7 years. 40% of the patients were between 4 and 8 years. 2. The most common symptoms showed frequent U RI and exertional dyspnea. 3. On Kirklin`s anatomical classification, type I constituted 26.9%, type II 58.2%, type III 12.4%, and type IV 1.0%. We showed marked increased incidence of type I VSD as compared to Caucasians* 4. 46 cases were associated with other congenital cardiac diseases. They were PDA [13 cases], AI[11 ], ASD[6], PS[10], MI[4], and Double aortic arch [1]. 5. In 128 patients, who had complete hemodynamic data and were not associated with other congenital cardiac diseases, an attempt was made to correlate the EKG findings with the hemodynamic data, and defect size with the hemodynamic data. The children had variable distribution of PA syst. pr. and Rp/Rs. But most of adults had $R_P$/$R_S$of 0.15 or less. As $P_P$/$P_S$increased, the rate of operative complication increased also. 6. When a normal EKG pattern was present, $Q_P$/$Q_S$and $R_P$/$R_S$and $P_P$/$P_S$were relatively low. When EKG findings were LVH pattern, there was diastolic volume overload to left ventricle. As RVH, there was systolic pressure overload to right ventricle. And as BVH, there was mixed pattern of diastolic volume overload to left ventricle and systolic pressure overload to right ventricle. 7. Among patients in defect was less than 1 $cm^2$ per $M^2$ of BSA, $Q_P$/$Q_S$was less than 2:1, and $R_P$/$R_S$less than 0.25, and PAsyst. pr. less than 50 mmHg, and $P_P$/$P_S$was less than 0.5. But patients with the defect greater than 1 $cm^2$ per $M^2$ of BSA had no correlationship between $Q_P$/$Q_S$, $R_P$/$R_S$, PAsyst. pr. and defect size in each other. Most of patients with the defect greater than 2 $cm^2$/$M^2$ BSA, $R_P$/$R_S$was greater than 0.5. 8. Operative mortality rate was 9.5% [19 cases] among 201 patients. And complication rate including mortality rate was 22.9% [46 cases].

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.26-31
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• 2015

Objectives: This study used semiology based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to investigate vital energy (Qi) behavior in women with abdominal myofascial pain syndrome (AMPS). Methods: Fifty women diagnosed with chronic pelvic pain (CPP) secondary to AMPS were evaluated by using a questionnaire based on the theories of "yin-yang," "zang-fu", and "five elements". We assessed the following aspects of the illness: symptomatology; specific location of myofascial trigger points (MTrPs); onset, cause, duration and frequency of symptoms; and patient and family history. The patients tongues, lips, skin colors, and tones of speech were examined. Patients were questioned on various aspects related to breathing, sweating, sleep quality, emotions, and preferences related to color, food, flavors, and weather or seasons. Thirst, gastrointestinal dysfunction, excreta (feces and urine), menstrual cycle, the five senses, and characteristic pain symptoms related to headache, musculoskeletal pain, abdomen, and chest were also investigated. Results: Patients were between 22 and 56 years old, and most were married (78%), possessed a elementary school (66%), and had one or two children (76%). The mean body mass index and body fat were 26.86 kg/cm2 (range: 17.7 - 39.0) and 32.4% (range: 10.7 - 45.7), respectively. A large majority of women (96%) exhibited alterations in the kidney meridian, and 98% had an altered gallbladder meridian. We observed major changes in the kidney and the gallbladder Qi meridians in 76% and 62% of patients, respectively. Five of the twelve meridians analyzed exhibited Qi patterns similar to pelvic innervation Qi and meridians, indicating that the paths of some of these meridians were directly related to innervation of the pelvic floor and abdominal region. Conclusion: The women in this study showed changes in the behavior of the energy meridians, and the paths of some of the meridians were directly related to innervation of the pelvic floor and abdominal region.