• BMB Reports
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• 제52권10호
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• pp.595-600
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• 2019

Cardiac fibrosis is a common feature in chronic hypertension patients with advanced heart failure, and endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) is known to promote Angiotensin II (Ang II)-mediated cardiac fibrosis. Previous studies have suggested a potential role for the transcription factor, ETS-1, in Ang II-mediated cardiac remodeling, however the mechanism are not well defined. In this study, we found that mice with endothelial Ets-1 deletion showed reduced cardiac fibrosis and hypertrophy following Ang II infusion. The reduced cardiac fibrosis was accompanied by decreased expression of fibrotic matrix genes, reduced EndMT with decreased Snail, Slug, Twist, and ZEB1 expression, as well as reduced cardiac hypertrophy and expression of hypertrophy-associated genes was observed. In vitro studies using cultured H5V cells further confirmed that ETS-1 knockdown inhibited $TGF-{\beta}1$-induced EndMT. This study revealed that deletion of endothelial Ets-1 attenuated Ang II-induced cardiac fibrosis via inhibition of EndMT, indicating an important ETS-1 function in mediating EndMT. Inhibition of ETS-1 could be a potential therapeutic strategy for treatment of heart failure secondary to chronic hypertension.

• 통합자연과학논문집
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• 제4권1호
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• pp.38-43
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• 2011

The recent global warming may be estimated to give lots of impacts to the human society and biosphere of influencing climate change included by the natural climate variations through the human activity which can directly and/or indirectly play a major role of total atmospheric composition overall. Therefore it currently appears evidences such as hot wave, typhoon, and biosphere disturbance, etc. over the several regions to be influenced by global warming due to increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere through inducing forest destruction, fossil fuel combustion, greenhouse gases emission, etc. since industrial revolution era. Through the working group report of IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) for climate change was analyzed by the individual country's current status and figure out the important issues and problems related to the future trend of climate change science with advanced countries preparedness and research, In this study, the first working group report of IPCC focuses on those aspects of the current understanding of the physical science of climate change that are judged to be most relevant to policymakers. As this report was assessed and analyzed by including the progress of climate change science, the role of climate models and evolution in the treatment of uncertainties. This consists of the changes in atmospheric constituents(both aerosols and gases) that affect the radiative energy balance in the atmosphere and determine the Earth's climate, considering the interaction between biogeochemical cycles that affect atmospheric constituents and climate change, including aerosol/cloud interactions, the extensive range of observations snow available for the atmosphere and surface, for snow, ice, and frozen ground and for the oceans, respectively and changes in sea level, the paleoclimate perspective and assessment of evidence for past climate change and the extension, the ways in which physical processes are simulated in climate models and the evaluation of models against observed climate, the development plans and methods of improving expert and building manpower urgently and R&D fund expansion in detail for climate change science in Korea will be proposed.

• 멤브레인
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• 제31권2호
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• pp.101-119
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• 2021

깨끗한 물에 대한 수요는 우리 사회가 인간의 삶을 개선하기 위해 점점 더 진보되고 수준 높은 기술을 개발함에도 불구하고 모든 현대 사회에 존재한다. 그러나 지구 기후 변화가 전 세계 여러 지역에서 더욱 극적인 영향을 미치기 시작하면서 폐수를 처리하거나 인체 건강에 해로운 박테리아, 미생물, 바이러스 및 기타 용매를 제거하기 위해 저렴하고 효과적인 방법에 대한 요구가 계속되고 있고 그 어느 때보다 중요하다. 폴리아닐린(PANI), 폴리(비닐리덴 플루오라이드)(PVDF) 등으로 구성되어 있는 합성막은 잘 구축되어 있고 막의 특성과 성능에 관한 정보를 수집하기 위해 광범위하게 연구되었지만 최근 연구에 따르면 이러한 합성막을 전류에 전도성 있게 만드는 것으로 나타났다. 다른 물질로 막을 도핑하거나 탄소 동소체와 같은 전도성 물질을 막 표면에 통합함으로써 기공 크기의 조정 가능성, 더 나은 방오성과 항균성을 허용함으로써 이러한 막의 성능을 증가시키는 것으로 나타났다. 본 총설에서는 현대의 전기 전도성 막을 기존 막과 비교하고 전기장 하에서의 성능 향상과 물여과 및 폐수 처리 응용 분야에서의 잠재력에 대해 논의한다.

• Journal of Breast Cancer
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.371-381
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• 2018

Purpose: Immune suppression is common in patients with advanced breast cancer but the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon have not been sufficiently studied. In this study, we aimed to identify B7 family members that were able to predict the immune status of patients, and which may serve as potential targets for the treatment of breast cancer. We also aimed to identify microRNAs that may regulate the expression of B7 family members. Methods: The Cancer Genome Atlas data from 1,092 patients with breast cancer, including gene expression, microRNA expression and survival data, were used for statistical and survival analyses. Polymerase chain reaction and Western blot were used to measure messenger RNA and protein expression, respectively. Luciferase assay was used to investigate direct microRNA target. Results: Bioinformatic analysis predicted that microRNA (miR)-93, miR-195, miR-497, and miR-340 are potential regulators of the immune evasion of breast cancer cells, and that they exert this function by targeting CD274, PDCD1LG2, and NCR3LG1. We chose CD274 for further investigations. We found that miR-195, miR-497, and CD274 expression levels were inversely correlated in MDA-MB-231 cells, and miR-195 and miR-497 expressions mimic inhibited CD274 expression in vitro. Mechanistic investigations demonstrated that miR-195 and miR-497 directly target CD274 3' untranslated region. Conclusion: Our data indicated that the level of B7 family members can predict the prognosis of breast cancer patients, and miR-195/miR-497 regulate CD274 expression in triple negative breast cancer. This regulation may further influence tumor progression and the immune tolerance mechanism in breast cancer and may be able to predict the effect of immunotherapy on patients.

• Annals of Coloproctology
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• 제34권6호
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• pp.286-291
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• 2018

Purpose: Stage-IIIC colon cancer is an advanced disease; however, its oncologic outcomes and prognostic factors remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to determine the predictors of disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with stage-IIIC colon cancer. Methods: From a multicenter database, we retrospectively enrolled 611 patients (355 men and 256 women) who had undergone a potentially curative resection for a stage-IIIC colon adenocarcinoma between 2003 and 2011. The primary endpoint was the 5-year DFS. Results: The median age was 62 years; 213 and 398 patients had right-sided colon cancer (RCC) and left-sided colon cancer (LCC), respectively. The 5-year DFS in all patients was 52.0%; median follow-up time was 35 months (range, 1-134 months). A multivariate Cox regression revealed that female sex (hazard ratio [HR], 1.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19-1.90; P < 0.01), right-sided tumor location (HR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.29-2.11; P < 0.01), lymphatic invasion (HR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.08-2.15; P < 0.01) and a high (${\geq}0.4$) metastatic lymph node ratio (HR, 3.72; 95% CI, 2.63-5.24; P < 0.01) were independent predictors of worse 5-year DFS. Female patients with RCC were 1.79 fold more likely to experience recurrence than male patients with LCC. Conclusion: Female sex and right-sided tumor location are associated with higher tumor recurrence rates in patients with stage-IIIC colon cancers. Aggressive treatment and close surveillance should be planned for patients in these groups.

• Archives of Hand and Microsurgery
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• 제23권4호
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• pp.223-229
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• 2018

목적: 무지 수근중수 관절염(thumb carpometacarpal joint arthritis)에 대한 관절성형술로 대다각골을 제거한 후 중수골을 안정시키는 여러 방법이 소개되어 있다. 현수 봉합 관절성형술은 덜 침습적이면서 술식이 쉬운 장점이 있다. 본 연구는 무지 수근중수 관절염 환자에서 이 술식을 이용하여 수술한 결과를 알아보고자 한다. 방법: 무지 수근중수 관절염으로 진단받고 현수 봉합 관절성형술을 시행한 환자 12명을 대상으로 후향적으로 연구하였다. 시각통증척도, 수술만족도, DASH (disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand) 점수를 조사하였고, 단순방사선 검사에서 대다각골 공간 비율을 계측하였다. 결과: 평균 추시 기간은 23개월이었다. 수술 전후 통증 점수는 7.0에서 2.9로 유의하게 감소하여 호전을 보였고 (p<0.05), 수술만족도는 평균 6.9였다. 그러나 수술 전후 DASH 점수는 유의한 차이가 없었다(p=0.06). 평균 대다각골 공간 비율은 수술 전 0.45, 수술 직후 0.33, 마지막 추시 시 0.23이었다. 결론: 현수 봉합 관절성형술은 수술 결과가 만족스럽고, 다른 술식과 비교하여 중수골 침강에 의한 대다각골 공간의 감소도 큰 차이가 없어 진행된 무지 수근중수 관절염 환자에서 유용하게 사용될 수 있을 것으로 생각한다.

• Annals of Coloproctology
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• 제34권6호
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• pp.292-298
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• 2018

Purpose: This study compared the perioperative clinical outcomes of reduced-port laparoscopic surgery (RPLS) with those of conventional multiport laparoscopic surgery (MPLS) for patients with sigmoid colon cancer and investigated the safety and feasibility of RPLS performed by 1 surgeon and 1 camera operator. Methods: From the beginning of 2010 until the end of 2014, 605 patients underwent a colectomy for sigmoid colon cancer. We compared the characteristics, postoperative outcomes, and pathologic results for the patients who underwent RPLS and for the patients who underwent MPLS. We also compared the clinical outcomes of single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) and 3-port laparoscopic surgery. Results: Of the 115 patients in the RPLS group, 59 underwent SILS and 56 underwent 3-port laparoscopic surgery. The MPLS group included 490 patients. The RPLS group had shorter operating time ($137.4{\pm}43.2minutes$ vs. $155.5{\pm}47.9minutes$, P < 0.001) and shorter incision length ($5.3{\pm}2.2cm$ vs. $7.8{\pm}1.2cm$, P < 0.001) than the MPLS group. In analyses of SILS and 3-port laparoscopic surgery, the SILS group showed younger age, longer operating time, and shorter incision length than the 3-port surgery group and exhibited a more advanced T stage, more lymphatic invasion, and larger tumor size. Conclusion: RPLS performed by 1 surgeon and 1 camera operator appears to be a feasible and safe surgical option for the treatment of patients with sigmoid colon cancer, showing comparable clinical outcomes with shorter operation time and shorter incision length than MPLS. SILS can be applied to patients with favorable tumor characteristics.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제57권4호
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• pp.341-357
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• 2019

Acanthamoeba, one of free-living amoebae (FLA), remains a high risk of direct contact with this protozoan parasite which is ubiquitous in nature and man-made environment. This pathogenic FLA can cause sight-threatening amoebic keratitis (AK) and fatal granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE) though these cases may not commonly be reported in our clinical settings. Acanthamoeba has been detected from different environmental sources namely; soil, water, hotspring, swimming pool, air-conditioner, or contact lens storage cases. The identification of Acanthamoeba is based on morphological appearance and molecular techniques using PCR and DNA sequencing for clinico-epidemiological purposes. Recent treatments have long been ineffective against Acanthamoeba cyst, novel anti-Acanthamoeba agents have therefore been extensively investigated. There are efforts to utilize synthetic chemicals, lead compounds from medicinal plant extracts, and animal products to combat Acanthamoeba infection. Applied nanotechnology, an advanced technology, has shown to enhance the anti-Acanthamoeba activity in the encapsulated nanoparticles leading to new therapeutic options. This review attempts to provide an overview of the available data and studies on the occurrence of pathogenic Acanthamoeba among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members with the aim of identifying some potential contributing factors such as distribution, demographic profile of the patients, possible source of the parasite, mode of transmission and treatment. Further, this review attempts to provide future direction for prevention and control of the Acanthamoeba infection.

• 자원환경지질
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• 제51권6호
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• pp.485-492
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• 2018

국내에서는 연간 약 30만톤의 굴패각이 발생하고 있어 이를 대규모로 활용할 수 있는 방안이 필요한 실정이다. 최근에는 굴패각을 소성하여 유기물을 분해시키고, $CaCO_3$를 CaO로 전환하여 습식탈황제로 활용하는 방안이 적절한 대안으로 고려되고 있다. 이에 본 연구에서는 소성에 따른 굴패각의 광물학적 특성변화(표면적, 상전이, 표면상태 등)를 관찰하고 석회석의 그것과 비교하였다. 굴패각은 판상 및 주상의 입자들의 집합체로 구성되어 조직이 치밀한 석회석 보다는 같은 입도에서 훨씬 큰 비표면적을 갖는다. 굴패각은 석회석보다는 낮은 온도에서 상전이가 일어남을 확인하였다. 석회석은 소성 후에 비표면적이 급격히 증가하는 결과를 보였지만, 굴패각은 소성 후에는 비표면적이 오히려 줄어드는 현상이 관찰되었다. 이러한 현상은 굴패각에 소량 포함된 Na가 용제로 작용하여 소성시 굴패각의 용융을 야기하고 이로 인하여 입자들이 낮은 온도에서 소결됨으로써 나타난 현상으로 추측된다. 아울러, 소결된 표면이 나머지 부분을 에워쌈으로써, 온도를 높이고 열처리시간을 늘려도 일부는 상전이되지 아니하는 현상도 관찰되었다. 이러한 현상에 대한 효과를 탈황의 관점에서 고찰하는 추가 연구가 필요해 보인다.

• 한국치위생학회지
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• 제19권1호
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• pp.19-31
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• 2019

Objectives: The aim of this study was to propose a standardized guideline for clinical training courses among dental hygiene departments of colleges in Korea. This study comparatively evaluated periods and durations of the curricula and specific domains, credits and hours of clinical training classes, and institutions providing practical lessons, and calculated the total credits and hours. Methods: From August 15 to September 15, 2017, a literature review was conducted in dental hygiene departments of 82 schools around the country in order to investigate the current conditions of clinical training in each educational system. Furthermore, 5 colleges were selected from each type of educational system, and their credits and hours for clinical training were analyzed in subjects of practical training for clinical dental hygiene, practical training for dental clinic, practical training for local community dental health, clinical training, and pre-clinical level practical training. The total credits and hours were calculated on the basis of analysis results. Results: The findings revealed that the hours of clinical training classes and hours per credit for practical training in the dental hygiene departments as well as the practical training institutions varied between the colleges. In some cases, the hours of practical training were not indicated. Standardized clinical training in the dental hygiene department was allotted 675 hours, whereas practical training in local community dental health studies was allotted 105 hours, which totaled to 780 allotted hours. Conclusions: There was a significant difference among the colleges in terms of the current conditions of clinical training in the dental hygiene department. The literature review revealed that a total of 780 hours was allotted to clinical training, and this was significantly more than the standard (500 hours) set by the. Moreover, these clinical training hours were lower than in advanced countries or other health and medical treatment occupations. Therefore, efficient improvement is required in order to provide a timely guideline for clinical training.