• Title/Summary/Keyword: Blood Characteristics

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The General Characteristics and Risk Factors Study According to Onset Time in Acute Stroke Patients (급성기 중풍환자의 발병시간에 따른 특성 및 위험인자 연구)

  • Kim, Mi-Young;Kim, Young-Jee;Lee, Seung-Yeop;Choi, Won-Woo;Leem, Jung-Tae;Kim, Chang-Hyun;Min, In-Kyu;Park, Sung-Week;Jung, Woo-Sang;Moon, Sang-Kwan;Park, Jung-Mi;Ko, Chang-Nam;Cho, Ki-Ho;Kim, Young-Suk;Bae, Hyung-Sup
    • The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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    • v.29 no.4
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    • pp.1011-1024
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    • 2008
  • Objectives : The aim of this study was to assess the distribution of general characteristics and risk factors according to onset time in acute stroke patients. Methods : We studied hospitalized patients within 4 wks after the onset of stroke who were admitted to the Department of Internal Medicine at Kyunghee University Oriental Medical Hospital, Kyunghee University East-West Neo Medical Hospital, Kyungwon University Songpa Oriental Medical Hospital, Kyungwon University Incheon Oriental Medical Hospital, and Dongguk University Ilsan Oriental Medical Hospital from April 2007 to August 2008. The 24-hour day was divided into quartiles (6:00 to 12:00, 12:00 to 18:00, 18:00 to 24:00 and 24:00 to 6:00). We analyzed the general characteristics and risk factors according to onset time in acute stroke patients. Results : 468 subjects were included into the final analysis. 1. The most common time period for ischemic stroke onset was between 6:00 and 12:00. It demonstrated a 50% excess risk between 6:00 and 12:00. 2. On the demographic variables of the patients, the rate of hypertension was significantly higher from 18: 00 to 24: 00 than 24:00 to 6:00. 3. There was no significant difference of stroke type, Sasang constitution, or lifestyle between times. 4. According to the blood test, high density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly higher at 24:00 to 6:00 and lower at 12:00 to 18:00 than other time-groups. 5. The patients diagnosed with metabolic syndrome were significantly more at 12:00 to 18:00 and fewer at 24:00 to 6:00. 6. Hypertension and coffee drinking showed close relationship with patients whose stroke occurred while awake in multivariate analysis. Conclusions : The above results showed that the overall tendency of acute stage cerebral infarction patients varied according to their onset time. These results can be utilized in the future as a basis material.

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A Study on the Ambivalent Characteristic Displayed in Niki de Saint Phalle's Assemblages and Shooting Paintings by Looking Into Her Trauma (니키 드 생 팔의 트라우마를 통해 살펴본 아상블라주와 사격회화의 양면적 특성)

  • Yoo, Ka-Eun
    • The Journal of Art Theory & Practice
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    • no.6
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    • pp.77-99
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    • 2008
  • The purpose of this study is to show that the reason behind the ambivalent characteristic displayed in Niki de Saint Phalle's works is in her trauma and how such characteristic can be extracted from her works. During her creative years, Saint Phalle worked on various materials from different genres such as assemblages, shooting paintings, a series on Bride and Monster, 'Nana', 'Tarot Garden'and public sculptures. One commonality found among her various works is the ambivalent characteristic that contains contrasting elements simultaneously. Saint Phalle suffered a terrible psychological damage inflicted by her parents during her childhood. Specifically, she was sexually assaulted by her father and emotionally neglected by her mother, the trauma that affected her for the rest of her life. As a result, she came to develop extreme love- hate relationships with her parents and this became the main reason for the ambivalent characteristic displayed in her works. The love-hate relationship Saint Phalle developed can be identified through various researches done on the subject of the affect of sexual assault. It is common for incest victims to develop ambivalent feelings towards the perpetrator and Saint Phalle was no exception. Dissociation disorder and a snake well explain the trauma from her father. It is a generally accepted belief in the field of psychology that dissociation disorder commonly occurs to children who experience incest. And dissociation disorder is similar to the characteristic of ambivalence in the sense that a single entity contains more than two contrasting elements at the same time. In addition, the amputated doll objects used in her assemblages coincide with the expression of body detachment of people with dissociation disorder. These facts clearly indicate that the trauma from her father is showing through in her works. A snake is a subject matter that reflects the ambivalent tendency of Saint Phalle that resulted from her trauma. She remembers her father's rape as an image of a snake which is related to a phallic symbol in mythology or art reflecting her trauma. Moreover, she displays a similar pattern of ambivalent emotion like love and hate or fear towards a snake and her father. This is also confirmed by her portrayal of a snake as a monster or reversely as a creature with fundamental vitality in her works. The lack of affection from her mother can be explained by her mother's maternal deprivation. It appears that Saint Phalle's mother possessed all the causes for maternal deprivation such as maternal separation, personality disorder and inappropriate attitude towards child rearing. Especially, a study that shows mother's negative attitude towards child breeding tends to increase dissociation experience of children is another important evidence that supports Saint Phalle's dissociation tendency. These traces of Saint Phalle's trauma are clearly revealed in her assemblages and shooting paintings. The violent objects in her assemblages such as a hammer, razor, nail represent the rage and defensiveness towards her father. The objects such as fragments of broken plates of feminine patterns, pots and mirrors that her mother used symbolize the affection towards her mother. On the other hand, the destructed objects can be interpreted as her hate and resentment towards her mother. Shooting paintings contain her extreme fury and hate. Things such as acts of shooting and the image associated with blood after shooting are blunt expressions of her bursts of emotions. I have tried to define and classify the ambivalent characteristics shown in her assemblages and shooting paintings as hate, rage, violence, calm, love and pleasure according to the frame of Thanatos and Eros. Out of the six, hate, rage, violence and clam are associated with Thanatos while love and pleasure are associated with Eros and they correspondingly form an ambivalent structure. These ambivalent characteristics can be found in her assemblages and shooting paintings. The objects in her assemblages such as a razor, saw, hammer imply hate, rage, violence and the silence felt throughout her works represent calmness. And, as mentioned, the feminine objects can be seen as symbolizing love. In shooting paintings, hate, rage, violence can be found in the use of force and in the traces of watercolor after shooting, and a sense of pleasure in her feelings of catharsis after her shooting. Moreover, a shielded calmness can be found on the plywood all covered with plaster before the shooting. This study looked into the ambivalent characteristic of Saint Phalle's works by examining her trauma to find its correlation, and a meaning of this study can be found from the fact that it refocused the origin of Saint Phalle who is generally known as a feminist artist. Additionally, a meaning of the study can be found also from the fact that it examined the ambivalent characteristics of her works through a frame of Thanatos and Eros.

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The Etiologic Agents and Clinical Outcomes of Adult Community-acquired Pneumonia in Jeju (제주지역 성인 지역사회획득 폐렴의 원인균 및 임상양상)

  • Jeon, Bong-Hee;Kim, Miok;Kim, Jeong Hong;Shin, Sang Yop;Lee, Jaechun
    • Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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    • v.66 no.5
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    • pp.358-364
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    • 2009
  • Background: The appropriate empirical antimicrobial choice in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) should be advocated by community-based information on the etiologic pathogens, their susceptibility to antimicrobials, clinical characteristics and outcomes. Jeju is a geographically isolated and identical region in Korea. However, there is no regional reference on adult CAP available. This study investigated the etiologic agents and clinical outcomes of adult patients diagnosed with CAP in Jeju, Korea, to help guide the empirical antimicrobial choice. Methods: A prospective observational study for one year in a referral hospital in Jeju, Korea. Patients diagnosed with CAP were enrolled with their clinical characteristics. Microbiological evaluations to identify the etiologic agents in the adult patients with CAP were performed with blood culture, expectorated sputum smear and culture, antibody tests for mycoplasma, chlamydophila, and antigen tests for legionella and pneumococcus. The clinical outcomes of the initial empirical treatment were analyzed. Results: Two hundred and three patients with mean age of 64 and 79 females were enrolled. Ten microbials from 90 cases (44.3%) were isolated and multiple isolates were confirmed in 30. Among the microbial isolates, S. pneumoniae (36.3%) was the most common, followed by M. pneumoniae (23.0%), C. pneumoniae (17.0%), S. aureus (9.6%) and P. aeruginosa (5.9%). The initial treatment failure (23.8%) was related to the isolation of polymicrobial pathogens, elevated inflammatory markers, and the presence of pleural effusion. Among the 30 isolates of S. pneumoniae, 16 (53.3%) were not susceptible to penicillin, and 19 isolates (63.3%) to erythromycin and clarithromycin. However, 29 isolates (96.7%) were susceptible to levofloxacin and ceftriaxone. Conclusion: S. pneumoniae, M. pneumoniae, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa are frequent etiologic agents of adult CAP in Jeju, Korea. The clinical characteristics and antibiotic resistance should be considered when determining the initial empirical antimicrobial choice. Respiratory quinolone or ceftriaxone is recommended as an empirical antimicrobiotic in the treatment of adult CAP in Jeju, Korea.

Growth Performance, Humoral Immune Response and Carcass Characteristics of Broiler Chickens Fed Alkali Processed Karanj Cake Incorporated Diet Supplemented with Methionine

  • Panda, K.;Sastry, V.R.B.;Mandal, A.B.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.18 no.5
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    • pp.677-681
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    • 2005
  • A study was conducted to see the effect of dietary incorporation of alkali (1.5% NaOH, w/w) processed solvent extracted karanj cake (SKC) supplemented with methionine on growth performance, humoral immune response and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens from 0 to 8 weeks of age. One hundred and twenty, day- old broiler chicks were wing banded, vaccinated against Marek' disease and distributed in a completely randomized design (CRD) into 3 groups of 40 chicks each, which was further replicated to 4 and fed on diet containing soybean meal and those of test groups were fed diets containing alkali (1.5% NaOH) treated SKC partially replacing soybean meal nitrogen of reference diet (12.5%) without or with supplementation of methionine (0.2%). Individual body weight of chicks and replicate-wise feed intakes were recorded at weekly intervals throughout the experimental period. Feed consumption from 1 to 14, 28, 42 and 56 d of age was recorded for each replicate and feed conversion efficiency (weight gain/feed intake) for the respective period was calculated. Mortality was monitored on daily basis. On 28$^{th}$ day of experimental feeding, two birds of each replicate in each dietary group (8 birds/diet) were inoculated with 0.1 ml of a 1.0% suspension of sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and the antibody titre (log 2) was measured after 5 days by the microtitre haemmagglutination procedure. After 42 days of experimental feeding, a retention study of 4 days (43-47 d) duration was conducted on all birds to determine the retention of various nutrients such as DM, N, Ca, P and GE. On 43$^{rd}$ day of experimental feeding, one representative bird from each replicate of a dietary treatment (4/dietary group) was sacrificed, after fasting for two hours with free access to water, through cervical dislocation to observe the weight of dressed carcass, primal cuts (breast, thigh, drumstick, back, neck and wing), giblet (liver, heart and gizzard), abdominal fat and digestive organs. The body weight gain of chicks fed reference diet and those fed diet incorporated with NaOH treated SKC (12.5% replacement) with or without methionine supplementation was comparable during 0 to 4 weeks of age. However, dietary incorporation of alkali processed SKC replacing 12.5% nitrogen moiety of soybean meal resulted in growth retardation, subsequently as evidenced by significantly (p<0.05) lowered body weight gain during 0 to 6 weeks of age in birds fed diet incorporated with alkali processed SKC at 6.43% without methionine as compared to those supplemented with methionine or reference diet. Dietary incorporation of alkali (1.5% NaOH) processed SKC replacing 12.5% of soybean meal nitrogen in the diet of broiler chickens had no adverse effect on feed conversion ratio during all the weeks of experimental feeding. The humoral immune response (HIR) as measured by the antibody titre in response to SRBC inoculation was comparable among all the dietary groups. No significant difference in the intake and retention of DM, N, Ca, P or GE was noted among the chicks fed reference and alkali processed SKC incorporated diets with or without methionine supplementation. None of the carcass traits varied significantly due to dietary variations, except the percent weight of liver and giblet. The percent liver weight was significantly (p<0.05) higher in the birds fed diet incorporated with alkali processed SKC as compared to that in other two groups. Thus solvent extracted karanj cake could be incorporated after alkali (1.5% NaOH, w/w) processing at an enhanced level of 6.43%, replacing 12.5% of soybean meal nitrogen, in the broiler diets up to 4 weeks of age, beyond which the observed growth depression on this diet could be alleviated by 0.2% methionine supplementation.

Effects of Plant Protein Source Containing Multienzyme on Performance and Milk Characteristics in Sow (포유모돈에 있어 복합효소제 함유 식물성 단백질 공급원이 생산성과 돈유성상에 미치는 영향)

  • Kim, H.J.;Cho, J.H.;Chen, Y.J.;Yoo, J.S.;Shin, S.O.;Huang, Y.;Kim, I.H.
    • Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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    • v.49 no.6
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    • pp.745-752
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    • 2007
  • A total of thirty sows(Landrace×Yorkshire) were used to determine the effects of plant protein source containing multienzyme on performance, nutrients digestibility and milk characteristics. A feeding trial was conducted for 21 days from parturition to weaning. Experimental diets were supplied for 1 week before the parturition day and throughout the experimental period. Dietary treatments included: 1) Control(CON; basal diet), 2) CGLT(included corn gluten) and 3) FSPM(included fermented soy protein containing multienzyme). Through the entire experimental period, backfat loss and return-to-estrus intervals were not affected by the treatments(P>0.05). Nitrogen digestibility was increased significantly(P<0.05) in FSPM treatment compared to CON treatment. Blood urea nitrogen(BUN) concentration was increased significantly (P<0.05) in FSPM treatment compared to CON treatment. At the initial  period, total protein content of milk was higher significantly(P<0.05) in FSPM treatment compared to CGLT treatment and at the final period, total fat content of milk was higher significantly(P<0.05) in FM treatment compared to CON treatment. Rectal temperature showed similar tendency of change among treatments. The final piglet body weight, weight gain and ADG were higher significantly in FSPM treatment compared to CON treatment. On diarrhea rate in piglet, just one piglet occurred in CGLT treatement. In conclusion, 2.5% dietary plant protein source containing multienzyme suppelmentation improved N digestibility, BUN concentration, fat and protein contents in milk and weight gain in piglet.

Clinical characteristics of Epstein-Barr virus infection detected by polymerase chain reaction in children less than 15 years old (15세 이하의 어린이에서 중합효소 연쇄반응으로 검출된 Epstein-Barr 바이러스 감염의 임상적 특성)

  • Na, Jong-In;Kim, Ok Lan;Seoung, Do-kyoung;Yoo, Seung-Taek;Lee, Chang Woo;Choi, Doo-Young;Oh, Yeon-Kyun;Cho, Ji-Hyun;Kim, Jong-Duck
    • Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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    • v.51 no.11
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    • pp.1191-1197
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    • 2008
  • Purpose : Previously, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection was diagnosed by serological examination; currently, many EBV antigen detection methods have been developed and applied clinically for diagnosing EBV infection. To delineate the clinical characteristics of EBV infection, clinical and laboratory findings were evaluated for patients who tested positive in EBV polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Methods : EBV PCR was conducted in 352 patients admitted to the pediatric ward from January 2004 to December 2006, with more than 2 clinical signs such as fever (${\geq}37.5^{\circ}C$), exudative throat infection, lymphadenopathy, hepatitis of unknown etiology, and splenomegaly. The EBV viral gene was detected by PCR in 115 patients (32%), and the clinical characteristics of these patients were evaluated. Laboratory findings such as leukocytosis, thrombocytopenia, atypical lymphocyte, and alteration in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in peripheral blood were examined. The EBV-specific immunoglobulin M antibody (EBV-IgM Ab) was also tested. Results : Most of the children were younger than 8 years (89%), and the male to female ratio was 1.3:1. Exudative throat infection and fever (${\geq}37.5^{\circ}C$) were observed in all patients. Cervical lymph node enlargement was seen in 36 patients (31 %); leukocytosis ($WBC{\geq}10,000/mm^3$), in 54 patients (47%); and atypical lymphocyte (${\geq}20%$), in 28 patients (24%). EBV-IgM Ab was positive in 33 patients (29%). The younger patients had higher ALT levels and higher incidence of positive EBV-IgM Ab than the older patients. Conclusion : The cumulative number of patients diagnosed to have EBV infection by PCR increased markedly for those under 8 years. ALT was higher and EBV-IgM Ab was detected more in younger patients with EBV infection.

A Study about Clinical Characteristics of Methicillin Resistant-Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus Infections in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (신생아 중환자실에서 Methicillin Resistant-Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus 감염에 대한 임상적 고찰)

  • Yoon, Soon Hwa;Sung, Tae Jung;Shin, Seon Hee;Kim, Sung Koo;Lee, Kon Hee;Yoon, Hae Sun
    • Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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    • v.11 no.1
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    • pp.112-120
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    • 2004
  • Purpose : Methicillin Resistant-Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus(MR-CNS) infection has become an increasingly important cause of morbidity in NICU infants. We investigated the c linical characteristics of MR-CNS sepsis. Methods : This study included 40 neonates with MR-CNS sepsis who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University from January 1998 to July 2002. MR-CNS sepsis was defined as MR-CNS recovery from blood with clinical symptoms and signs of infection. Retrospective analyses of the medical records of patients with MR-CNS sepsis were performed. The analyses included demographic findings, clinical features, hospital courses, risk factors for infection including invasive procedures and mortality. Results : From 1998 to 2002, there were 40 cases of MR-CNS sepsis, comprising 17.7% of late onset infections in NICU of Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital. The male/female ratio was 1.5 : 1. The mean gestational age of infected babies was $32.4{\pm}4.3$ weeks at birth. And the first positive MR-CNS culture was done in the day $10.6{\pm}9.3$ after birth. Clinical symptoms such as fever, dyspnea, cyanosis, grunting, bradycardia, vomiting and diarrhea were frequent in MR-CNS. Mechanical ventilation was applied in 12 cases and catheter was inserted in 11 cases. The mortality(12.5%) directly attributable to MR-CNS sepsis was similar to other late onset infections. Conclusion : MR-CNS is a pathogen responsible for most late onset and nosocomial infections. And it will be life-threatening in high-risk neonate. Awareness of increasing infections due to MR-CNS in NICU is important not only for infection control but also placing a great limit in use of antibiotics and invasive procedures, especially in premature infants.

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Growth Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Two Different Broiler Strains by Different Levels of Metabolizable Energy (사료 내 대사 에너지 수준 차이가 계통이 다른 육계의 성장과 도체 특성에 미치는 영향)

  • Kim, Jong-Seol;Kwon, Jung-Taek;Kim, Je-Hun;Oh, Sung-Taek;Lee, Bo-Keun;Zheng, Lan;Jung, Moon-Sung;An, Byoung-Ki;Kang, Chang-Won
    • Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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    • v.39 no.3
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    • pp.195-205
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    • 2012
  • The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different levels of dietary ME on growth performance and carcass characteristics in two different strains of broiler chicken. A total of one thousand, 1-day-old A strain and R strain male chicks were randomly assigned into 8 treatments in a $2{\times}4$ factorial arrangement. They were fed iso-nitrogenic (CP 21%) crumbled diets formulated to contain metabolizable energy (ME) 2,950 to 3,250 kcal/kg in increment of 100 kcal/kg in the starter phase (1 to 21d) and iso-nitrogenic (CP 19%) pelleted diets containing same ME levels as in the finishing phase (22 to 38d). The body weight (BW) gain of chicks fed the lower ME diets (2,950 or 3,050 kcal/kg) were higher than those of the higher ME groups. The dietary energy level showed significant effects on feed intake and feed conversion rate (FCR) from 1 to 38 days of age (p<0.05). With the increment of dietary energy, feed intake tended to be reduced, whereas FCR was improved in the two strains of broiler chickens. The lowest FCR was observed at 3,250 kcal/kg diet groups in both of the two strains from 1 to 38 days of age. Feed intake and BW gain during 38 days were significantly affected by the strain factor. Increasing dietary energy up to 3,250 kcal/kg had no effect on the relative weights of breast meat and abdominal fat. The dietary energy and strains showed significant effects on the dressing percentage. There were no significant differences in various blood profiles except for GPT activity.

The Effects of Supplemental Levels of Bamboo Vinegar Liquids on Growth Performance, Serum Profile, Carcass Grade, and Meat Quality Characteristics in Finishing Pigs (죽초액 첨가수준이 비육돈의 육생산성, 혈액성상, 도체성적 및 육질특성에 미치는 영향)

  • Kook, K.;Jeong, J.H.;Kim, K.H.
    • Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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    • v.47 no.5
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    • pp.721-730
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    • 2005
  • Effects of levels of Bomboo Vinegar Liquids(BVL) on growth performance, serum profile and meat quality in employing 90 pigs were investigated. Ninety pigs were allocated into 3 groups and fed by dietary levels of BVL 0(control), 2.0 and 4.0% were included in experimental diets of each of the groups. Concentrated diet was supplemented with 2.0 and 4.0% BVL. The results showed that the daily weight gains and the feed conversion increased significantly(p<0.05) in 2.0% BVL and the feed intake increased slightly. The glucose and the cholesterol contents at the serum decreased significantly(p<0.05) in 2.0 and 4.0% BVL. On the other hand the total protein concentration and the blood urea nitrogen(BUN) increased significantly(p<0.05) in 4.0% BVL. The carcass weight increased significantly(p<0.05) in 4.0% BVL, and back fat thickness had decreased significantly(p<0.05) in 2.0 and 4.0% BVL. The carcass grade tended to increase in 2.0 and 4.0% BVL. The total fat content of loin tended to increase in 2.0 and 4.0% BVL while the cholesterol content decreased significantly(p<0.05). The pH had lower slightly in 2.0 and 4.0% BVL, the lightness and the yellowness of the meat color had higher significantly(p<0.05) while the redness decreased. Shear force values had lower significantly(p<0.05) in 2.0 and 4.0% BVL. For the fatty acid composition, the saturated fatty acids decreased significantly(p<0.05) in 2.0 and 4.0% BVL while unsaturated fatty acids(oleic acid and linoleic acid) increased significantly(p<0.05). For the sensory evaluation, 2.0 and 4.0% BVL had a significant(p<0.05) effect of diminishing the odor and improving the appearance. The taste was also significantly(p<0.05) improved. In conclusion the 2.0% BVL had a positive effect on the feeding performance, the carcass grade and the meat quality characteristics therefore 2.0% BVL is the appropriate supplemental levels of BVL for finishing pigs.

Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Taste Disorders (미각 장애 환자의 임상적 특성에 관한 연구)

  • Lee, Eun-Jin;Park, Won-Kyu;Nam, Jin-Woo;Yun, Jong-Il;Kho, Hong-Seop
    • Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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    • v.34 no.4
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    • pp.341-351
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    • 2009
  • There is tremendous variability in the ways patients present with taste problems. Because of complex and multifactorial etiological background, it is not simple to evaluate patients with taste disorders. Accurate assessment of patients' status by prudent, thorough history taking and symptom analysis is the most essential for exact diagnosis of taste disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with taste problems as a primary complaint. Consecutive series of 50 patients (12 males and 38 females, mean age $53.6\;{\pm}\;14.7$ years) were included for the present study. All subjects were requested to complete a comprehensive questionnaire. Clinical evaluation procedures included oral examination, interview, questionnaire analysis, panoramic radiography, blood test and measurement of salivary flow rate. The obtained results were as follows: 1. Among the patients, 36 patients (72%) complained of oral mucosal pain or burning sensation. Of these patients, 18 patients (36%) were diagnosed as burning mouth syndrome. 2. Nineteen patients (38%) complained of subjective oral dryness. The flow rate of unstimulated whole saliva was less than 0.1 mL/min in 14 patients (28%) and 17 (34%) had a stimulated whole salivary flow rate of less than 0.5 mL/min. 3. Among the types of taste disorders, hypogeusia, the most frequently reported, was found in 25 patients (50%), dysgeusia in 18 patients (36%), phantogeusia in 15 patients (30%), hypergeusia in 10 patients (20%), and ageusia in 5 patients (10%). Nineteen patients (38%) reported more than one type of taste disorder and the most frequent combination was dysgeusia + hypogeusia (n=6, 12%). 4. Based on data from the medical and dental histories and examinations, the patients were assigned to 12 probable causal categories. Taste disorders due to oral mucosal diseases and idiopathic taste disorder were the most frequent (n=9; 18%, each), followed by psychogenic taste disorder (n=8; 16%), drug-induced taste disorder (n=7; 14%), and taste disorder due to dry mouth (n=6; 12%). These 5 categories of taste disorder accounted for 78% of all cases in this study.