• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.243-252
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• 1998

This study was conducted to investigated the short-term effects of early weaning and protein intake on organ and cell growth, nitrogen metabolism and physiological functions of rats. Five groups of early weaned rats separated from the dam on the 15th day postpartum were each given one five diets consisting of either one of the three levels of casein-low(8%), -normal (16%), and -high(32%), or a normal level (16%) of isolated soy protein(ISP) or egg yolk protein, for 7 days. The normal weaned rats were fed maternal breast milk for three weeks from birth. On the 22nd day postpartum , all the rats were sacrificed . The weight gain of the early weaned rats, especially the ones fed high protein, was observed to be significantly lower than that of the normal weaned rats. By the 15th day, of early weaning and especially in the ISP-fed rats, the total DNA contents of liver and kidney, which may be said to represent an index of cell numbers, significantly decreased, but their fresh and dry weight and protein/DNA ratio, allegedly representing an index of cell size, significantly increased , not affecting the cell number and cell size of brain. There were no differences in total serum protein and albumin concentrations between early and normal weaned rats. In the early weaned rats observed , the serum urea N and $\alpha$-amino N concentrations significantly increased in high protein-fed rats, and decreased in low protein-fed rats. Another observation was that no significant difference was noticed as regards to serum GOT activity, total bilirubin, uric acid, and creatinine concentration, which may represent indices of liver and kidney functions, among rat groups, GPT activity was an exception . These results suggest that premature weaning and the quality and quantity of dietary protein significantly affect organ and cell growth and nitrogen metabolism but does not seriously affect physiological functions in the neonatal development of rats.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.47-55
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• 1996

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a parkinson-plus syndrome characterized clinically by supranuclear ephthalmoplegia, pseudobulbar palsy, axial rigidity, bradykinesia, postural instability and dementia. Presence of dementia and lack of cortical histopathology suggest the derangement of cortical function by pathological changes in subcortical structures in PSP, which is supported by the pattern of behavioral changes and measurement of brain metabolism using positron emission tomography. This study was done to examine whether there are specific changes of regional cerebral perfusion in PSP and whether there is a correlation between severity of motor abnormality and degree of changes in cerebral perfusion. We measured regional cerebral perfusion indices in 5 cortical and 2 subcortical areas in 6 patients with a clinical diagnosis of PSP and 6 healthy age and sex matched controls using $^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO SPECT. Compared with age and sex matched controls, only superior frontal regional perfusion index was significantly decreased in PSP (p<0.05). There was no correlation between the severity of the motor abnormality and any of the regional cerebral perfusion indices (p>0.05). We affirm the previous reports that perfusion in superior frontal cortex is decreased in PSP. Based on our results that there was no correlation between severity of motor abnormality and cerebral perfusion in the superior frontal cortex, nonmotoric symptoms including dementia needs to be looked at whether there is a correlation with the perfusion abnormality in superior frontal cortex.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.102-112
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• 2011

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of chronic exposure by welders to manganese (Mn) through an analysis of the degree of brain activity in different activities such as cognition and motor activities using the neuroimaging technique of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The neurotoxic effect that Mn has on the brain was examined as well as changes in the neuro-network in motor areas, and the usefulness of fMRI was evaluated as a tool to determine changes in brain function from occupational exposure to Mn. Methods: A survey was carried out from July 2010 to October 2010 targeting by means of a questionnaire 160 workers from the shipbuilding and other manufacturing industries. Among them, 14 welders with more than ten years of job-related exposure to Mn were recruited on a voluntary basis as an exposure group, and 13 workers from other manufacturing industries with corresponding gender and age were recruited as a control group. A questionnaire survey, a blood test, and an fMRI test were carried out with the study group as target. Results: Of 27 fMRI targets, blood Mn concentration of the exposure group was significantly higher than that of the control group (p<0.001), and Pallidal Index (PI) of the welder group was also significantly higher than that of the control group (p<0.001). As a result of the survey, the score of the exposure group in self-awareness of abnormal nerve symptoms and abnormal musculoskeletal symptoms was higher than those of the control group, and there was a significant difference between the two groups (p<0.05, respectively). In the correlation between PI and the results of blood tests, the correlation coefficient with blood Mn concentration was 0.893, revealing a significant amount of correlation (p<0.001). As for brain activity area within the control group, the right and the left areas of the superior frontal cortex showed significant activity, and the right area of superior parietal cortex, the left area of occipital cortex and cerebellum showed significant activity. Unlike the control group, the exposure group showed significant activity selectively on the right area of premotor cortex, at the center of supplementary motor area, and on the left side of superior temporal cortex. In the comparison of brain activity areas between the two groups, the exposure group showed a significantly higher activation state than did the control group in such areas as the right and the left superior parietal cortex, superior temporal cortex, and cerebellum including superior frontal cortex and the right area of premotor cortex. However, in nowhere did the control group show a more activated area than did the exposure group. Conclusions: Chronic exposure to Mn increased brain activity during implementation of hand motor tasks. In an identical task, activation increased in the premotor cortex, superior temporal cortex, and supplementary motor area. It was also discovered that brain activity increase in the frontal area and occipital area was more pronounced in the exposure group than in the control group. This result suggests that chronic exposure to Mn in the work environment affects brain activation neuro-networks.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.393-398
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• 2019

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The association between tea consumption and risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) remains controversial. This study aimed to determine whether tea consumption has an effect on CHD risk in Chinese adults. SUBJECTS/METHODS: In this hospital-based case-control study, 267 cases of CHD and 235 non-CHD controls were enrolled. Blood samples from all cases were examined. Cardiac function indices (left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension, lactate dehydrogenase, and creatine kinase of the muscle or brain type), blood lipid index (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), and blood coagulation function indices (fibrinogen and activated partial thromboplastin time) were recorded. Tea consumption of study participants was assessed by a specifically designed questionnaire. The baseline characteristics of the study populations were recorded, and CHD-related biomarkers were detected. Differences in baseline characteristics of the study participants were examined using t-tests for continuous variables and chi-squared tests for categorical variables. Unconditional logistic regression was used to measure the association between tea and CHD. RESULTS: There were significant differences in cardiac function indices, blood lipid index, and blood coagulation indices between CHD cases and controls (P < 0.05). We found tea consumption reduced CHD risk in female participants (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.484, 95% CI: 0.242-0.968, P = 0.0403). Regarding the type of tea consumed, the risk of CHD was reduced in women who drank partially fermented tea (adjusted OR = 0.210, 95% CI: 0.084-0.522, P = 0.0008). Analytic results for the amount of tea consumed per unit time showed CHD risk was reduced in women who consumed 1-2 cups of tea per day (adjusted OR = 0.291, 95% CI: 0.131-0.643, P = 0.0023). A tea-drinking frequency of > 6 days/week was beneficial for CHD prevention (adjusted OR = 0.183, 95% CI: 0.049-0.679, P = 0.0112). When analyzed according to the duration of tea consumption, the risk of CHD was reduced in participants who had been drinking tea for 10-20 years (adjusted OR = 0.360, 95% CI: 0.137-0.946, P = 0.0382). CONCLUSIONS: Tea consumption is associated with a reduced risk of CHD in female but not male populations in Guangzhou.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.9
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• pp.593-599
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• 2007

Background: The correlation between levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and the effect of pulmonary resection on the right ventricle of the heart is not yet widely known. This study aims to assess the relationship between the change in hemodynamic values of the right ventricle and increased BNP levels as a compensatory mechanism for right heart failure following pulmonary resection and to evaluate the role of the BNP level as an index of right heart failure after pulmonary resection. Material and Method: In 12 non small cell lung cancer patients that had received a lobectomy or pnemonectomy, the level of NT-proBNP was measured using the immunochemical method (Elecsys $1010^{(R)}$, Roche, Germany) which was compared with hemodynamic variables determined through the use of a Swan-Garz catheter prior to and following the surgery. Echocardiography was performed prior to and following the surgery, to measure changes in right ventricular and left ventricular pressures. For statistical analysis, the Wilcoxon rank sum test and linear regression analysis were conducted using SPSSWIN (version, 11.5). Result: The level of postoperative NT-proBNP (pg/mL) significantly increased for 6 hours, then for 1 day, 2 days, 3 days and 7 days after the surgery (p=0.003, 0.002, 0.002, 0.006, 0.004). Of the hemodynamic variables measured using the Swan-Ganz catheter, the mean pulmonary artery pressure after the surgery when compared with the pressure prior to surgery significantly increased at 0 hours, 6 hours, then 1 day, 2 days, and 3 days after the surgery (p=0.002, 0,002, 0.006, 0.007, 0.008). The right ventricular pressure significantly increased at 0 hours, 6 hours, then 1 day, and 3 days after the surgery (p=0.000, 0.009, 0.044, 0.032). The pulmonary vascular resistance index [pulmonary vascular resistance index=(mean pulmonary artery pressure-mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure)/cardiac output index] significantly increased at 6 hours, then 2 days after the surgery (p=0.008, 0.028). When a regression analysis was conducted for changes in the mean pulmonary artery pressure and NT-proBNP levels after the surgery, significance was evident after 6 hours (r=0.602, p=0.038) and there was no significance thereafter. Echocardiography displayed no significant changes after the surgery. Conclusion: There was a significant correlation between changes in the mean pulmonary artery pressure and the NT-proBNP level 6 hours after a pulmonary resection. Therefore, it can be concluded that changes in NT-proBNP level after a pulmonary resection can serve as an index that reflects early hemodynamic changes in the right ventricle after a pulmonary resection.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.240-251
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• 2012

Assessment regarding the nutritional status of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients is important because their nutritional status influences the outcome of disease. The purpose of this study investigated the dietary habits, dietary quality, and quality of life for Korean PD patients according to their nutritional status. Seventy PD patients were recruited from K University Hospital (KMC IRB#0918-07) from February 2010 to October 2011. To diagnose PD, the United Kingdom Parkinson's Society Brain Bank standards were used by a neurology physician. The participants were interviewed and assessed using various tools, including a general questionnaire, anthropometrics, questionnaires for dietary habits, dietary diversity score (DVS), dietary variety score (DVS), diet quality index-international (DQI-I), beck depression inventory (BDI), the Korean version of mini mental state examination (K-MMSE), and 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36). The results of the study were as follows: 1) Most of the PD patients (69.0%) were at risk of malnutrition, and 8.5% and 22.5% of the subjects were malnourished and well-nourished, respectively. 2) Clinical symptoms (swallowing and chewing difficulties) were obvious, and the quality of diet (DDS, DVS, DQI-I) was low in the malnourished group (p < 0.01). 3) The malnourished group had significantly lower scores regarding SF-36 (quality of life) as well as that of cognitive function (p < 0.05). 4) The nutritional status of PD patients was significantly correlated with their depression (p < 0.05) and quality of life (p < 0.01). These results indicate that appropriate nutritional management will improve the nutritional status and quality of life as well as the cognitive function in Parkinson's disease patients.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.119-133
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• 1998

Attentional processes facilitate cognitive and behavioral performance in several ways. Attention serves to reduce the amount of information to receive. Attention enables humans to direct themselves to appropriate aspects of external environmental events and internal operations. Attention facilitates the selection of salient information and the allocation of cognitive processing appropriate to that information. Attention is not a unitary process that can be localized to a single neuroanatomical region. Before the cortical registration of sensory information, activation of important subcortical structures occurs, which is called as an orienting response. Once sensory information reaches the sensory cortex, a large number of perceptual processes occur, which provide various levels of perceptual resolution of the critical features of the stimuli. After this preattentional processing, information is integrated within higher cortical(heteromodal) systems in inferior parietal and temporal lobes. At this stage, the processing characteristics can be modified, and the biases of the system have a direct impact on attentional selection. Information flow has been traced through sensory analysis to a processing stage that enables the new information to be focused and modified in relation to preexisting biases. The limbic and paralimbic system play significant roles in modulating attentional response. It is labeled with affective salience and is integrated according to ongoing pressures from the motivational drive system of the hypothalamus. The salience of information greatly influences the allocation of attention. The frontal lobe operate response selection system with a reciprocal interaction with both the attention system of the parietal lobe and the limbic system. In this attentional process, the search with the spatial field is organized and a sequence of attentional responses is generated. Affective, motivational and appectitive impulses from limbic system and hypothalamus trigger response intention, preparation, planning, initiation and control of frontal lobe on this process. The reticular system, which produces ascending activation, catalyzes the overall system and increases attentional capacity. Also additional energetic pressures are created by the hypothalamus. As psychophysiological measurement, skin conductance, pupil diameter, muscle tension, heart rate, alpha wave of EEG can be used. Event related potentials also provide physiological evidence of attention during information process. NI component appears to be an electrophysiological index of selective attention. P3 response is developed during the attention related to stimulus discrimination, evaluation and response.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.295-308
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• 2023

Purpose: This study evaluated the validity and reliability of Shively and colleagues' self-efficacy for HIV disease management skills (HIV-SE) among Korean participants. Methods: The original HIV-SE questionnaire, comprising 34 items, was translated into Korean using a translation and back-translation process. To enhance clarity and eliminate redundancy, the author and expert committee engaged in multiple discussions and integrated two items with similar meanings into a single item. Further, four HIV nurse experts tested content validity. Survey data were collected from 227 individuals diagnosed with HIV from five Korean hospitals. Construct validity was verified through confirmatory factor analysis. Criterion validity was evaluated using Pearson's correlation coefficients with the new general self-efficacy scale. Internal consistency reliability and test-retest were examined for reliability. Results: The Korean version of HIV-SE (K-HIV-SE) comprises 33 items across six domains: "managing depression/mood," "managing medications," "managing symptoms," "communicating with a healthcare provider," "getting support/help," and "managing fatigue." The fitness of the modified model was acceptable (minimum value of the discrepancy function/degree of freedom = 2.49, root mean square error of approximation = .08, goodness-of-fit index = .76, adjusted goodness-of-fit index = .71, Tucker-Lewis index = .84, and comparative fit index = .86). The internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α = .91) and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = .73) were good. The criterion validity of the K-HIV-SE was .59 (p < .001). Conclusion: This study suggests that the K-HIV-SE is useful for efficiently assessing self-efficacy for HIV disease management.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.114-118
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• 1997

Purpose: Functional MR imaging is the method of demonstrating changes in regional cerebral blood flow produced by sensory, motor, and any other tasks. Functional MR of visual cortex is performed as a patient stares a photic stimulation, so adaptable photic stimulation is necessary. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether the size of photic stimulator can affect the degree of visual cortex activation. Materials and Methods: Functional MR imaging was performed in 5 volunteers with normal visual acuity. Photic stimulator was made by 39 light-emitting diodes on a plate, operating at 8Hz. The sizes of photic stimulator were full field, half field and focal central field. The MR imager was Siemens 1.5-T Magnetom Vision system, using standard head coil. Functional MRI utilized EPI sequence (TR/TE= 1.0/51. Omsec, matrix $No.=98{\times}128$, slice thickness=8mm) with 3sets of 6 imaging during stimulation and 6 imaging during rest, all 36 scannings were obtained. Activation images were obtained using postprocessing software(statistical analysis by Z-score), and these images were combined with T-1 weighted anatomical images. The activated signals were quantified by numbering the activated pixels, and activation a index was obtained by dividing the pixel number of each stimulator size with the sum of the pixel number of 3 study using 3 kinds of stimulators. The correlation between the activation index and the stimulator size was analysed. Results: Mean increase of signal intensities on the activation area using full field photic stimulator was about 9.6%. The activation index was greatest on full field, second on half field and smallest on focal central field in 4. The index of half field was greater than that of full field in 1. The ranges of activation index were full field 43-73%(mean 55%), half field 22-40 %(mean 32%), and focal central field 5-24%(mean 13%). Conclusion: The degree of visual cortex activation increases with the size of photic stimulator.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.11-21
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• 2005

The present study was aimed at investigating the effect of swimming training on brain function after focal cerebral ischemia in rats. Therefore, this study was examined on neurogenesis in dentate gyrus of hippocampus using 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) to label proliferating cells and assessed the neurological response following focal cerebral ischemia in rats using neurological motor behavioral test. In an observer-blinded fashion, twenty male Sprague-Dawley (280~310 g, 7 weeks old) rats were divided into four groups: MCAO plus swimming group (ME, $n_1$=5), MCAO plus control group (MC, $n_2$=5), SHAM plus swimming group (SE, $n_3$=5), SHAM plus control group (SC, $n_4$=5). The results of this study were as follows: 1) The limb placing time before and after swimming in the ME group were significantly longer than the MC group (p<.05), the SE group were significantly longer than the SC group (p<.01). 2) The balance beam scores before and after swimming in the ME group was higher than the SE group, the MC group was higher than the SC group but was not significantly different (p>.001). 3) The foot fault index before and after swimming training in ME group was significantly lower (i.e., improved) than the MC group (p<.001) and the SE group (p<.001), the SE group was significantly lower (i.e., improved) than the SC group (p<.001). 4) The mean number of BrdU-positive cells in the dentate gyrus in the ME group was significantly higher than the MC group (p<.001) and the SE group (p<.01). The MC group and the SE group was significantly higher than the SC group (p<.001). 5) There was significantly correlation between limb placing time and number of BrdU-positive cells on swimming training, there was positive correlation (r=.807, p<.0001) and between foot fault index and BrdU-positive cells number, there was negative correlation (r=-.503, p<.05). However, between balance beam scores and BrdU-positive cells number, there was no correlation. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that the role of swimming training improves behavioral motor function probably by enhancing cell proliferation in that hippocampus. This study provides a model for investigating the stroke rehabilitation that underlies neurogenesis and functional ability.