• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제38권4호
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• pp.337-343
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• 2021

Background: Chromogranin A (CgA) levels have been reported to predict mortality in patients with heart failure. However, information on the prognostic value and clinical availability of CgA is limited. We compared the prognostic value of CgA to that of previously proven natriuretic peptide biomarkers in patients with acute heart failure. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 272 patients (mean age, 68.5±15.6 years; 62.9% male) who underwent CgA test in the acute stage of heart failure hospitalization between June 2017 and June 2018. The median follow-up period was 348 days. Prognosis was assessed using the composite events of 1-year death and heart failure hospitalization. Results: In-hospital mortality rate during index admission was 7.0% (n=19). During the 1-year follow-up, a composite event rate was observed in 12.1% (n=33) of the patients. The areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curves for predicting 1-year adverse events were 0.737 and 0.697 for N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and CgA, respectively. During follow-up, patients with high CgA levels (>158 pmol/L) had worse outcomes than those with low CgA levels (≤158 pmol/L) (85.2% vs. 58.6%, p<0.001). When stratifying the patients into four subgroups based on CgA and NT-proBNP levels, patients with high NT-proBNP and high CgA had the worst outcome. CgA had an incremental prognostic value when added to the combination of NT-proBNP and clinically relevant risk factors. Conclusion: The prognostic power of CgA was comparable to that of NT-proBNP in patients with acute heart failure. The combination of CgA and NT-proBNP can improve prognosis prediction in these patients.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제33권3호
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• pp.149-157
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• 2018

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of treating dairy cattle with exogenous human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), five (5) days post artificial insemination (AI) on serum progesterone (P4) concentration and pregnancy rate. In this experiment, five days after AI, cows were assigned randomly to two groups namely: a) treated group (67) which were administrered with 1500 IU hCG (Chorulon) and b) control group (61), which received no treatment. On day 5, 10, 15 and 20 after the artificial insemination, blood samples from a total of 8 cows (4 from each group) were collected and were analyzed for serum P4 concentration. Cows were detected for estrus according to standing heat by visual observation. Cows that were detected still in estrus after days 18-24 were re-inseminated and recorded as not pregnant (open). Pregnancy diagnosis was conducted by ultrasonographic examination and transrectal palpation of the uterus on approximately 60 days in cows that observed to be not in estrus. The conception rate in hCG treated and control groups were 52.5 and 36.1%, respectively. The results proved that there were no significant differences in conception rate between two groups (p=0.0568). However, pregnancy rates were reduced by hCG treatment. Average serum P4 concentrations did not differ between Hcg-treated and control groups on day 5 (0.377 versus 0.375 ng/ml). On day 20 serum P4 concentrations were greater in the treated group compared with the control group (3.085 versus 2.010 ng/ml). The treatment with hCG seemed to increase P4 level compared with the control. In conclusion, the results of this study showed that 1500 IU of hCG administered on 5 day post AI increased conception rate in dairy cows. This was supported by the results on serum P4 concentration which was greater in hCG treated group.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.153-162
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• 1991

The present study was undertaken to clarify the role of calcium ion as a factor for the maturation of follicle-enclosed mouse oocytes. Follicles were isolated with two sharp needles under a stereomicroscope from mouse(ICR) ovaries which were treated PMSG 5 IU 45 hours previously. Isolated follicles were cultured for 14-16 hours in an organ culture system at $37^{\circ}C$, 5% $CO_2$ in air and in a 100% humidified incubator by treatment of hCG, EDTA and $^{45}Ca^{++}$. Culture medium was Modified Hank's Balanced Salt Sol. (MHBS) and addition of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) was made into two doses level 0.4 IU and 0.8IU from the stock sol. and also $^{45}Ca^{++}$ was treated in the culture medium. To explain the role of calcium, calcium chelating agent EDTA was treated to the culture of the mouse follicle-enclosed oocytes. Two observations were made in the present study; nucleus phase and $^{45}Ca^{++}$ uptake into the oocyte. HCG induced oocyte maturation in the follicle about two folds as much as the control group, whereas there is no difference in oocyte maturation between 0.4 IU and 0.8 IU of hCG. Optimum level of hCG seems to be 0.4 IU/ml in the mouse follicle culture. HCG stimulated $^{45}Ca^{++}$ uptake into the oocyte of the follicles by two folds. $^{45}Ca^{++}$ uptake in the control group is about 2.5 folds in comparison of the EDTA(1.71mM) treated group. However, calcium uptake in the EDTA treated groups tends to increase depending on the decrease of EDTA concentration. These observations suggest that firstly, hCG stimulates maturation of the oocyte of the follicle, secondly, $Ca^{++}$ influx is induced by hCG and thirdly, $Ca^{++}$ influx by the treatment of EDTA decreases as a dosage-dependent process. This $Ca^{++}$ uptake may take place by the changes of permeability which was induced by hCG treatment. That is, $Ca^{++}$ influx may trigger the resumption of oocyte maturation. It is further necessary in the future study how this $Ca^{++}$ uptake is induced by hCG and increases permeability of the follicle and oocyte.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.67-73
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• 2014

본 연구는 안정 시 고지방식이 흰쥐의 골격근에서 PPAR-${\delta}$, PPAR-${\gamma}$ 그리고 PGC-$1{\alpha}$ 단백질 발현에 손바닥선인장 보충이 미치는 효과에 대하여 연구하였다. SD계 수컷 흰쥐 16마리를 무작위로 대조군(CG, n=8)과 실험군(EG, n=8)으로 분류하였다. 8주 동안 대조군은 고지방식이를 부하하였으며, 실험군은 5% 손바닥선인장을 보충식이하였다. 본 실험결과, 복부지방과 고환부 지방 중량은 EG군이 CG군에 비해 유의하게 낮게 나타났다(p<0.01). 또한 혈당, 중성지방, 총콜레스테롤의 농도도 EG군이 CG군에 비해 유의하게 낮게 나타났다(p<0.01). 한편, 골격근에서 PPAR-${\gamma}$와 PGC-$1{\alpha}$ 단백질 발현은 EG군이 CG군에 비해 유의하게 높게 나타났다(p<0.05). 이상의 결과로부터 손바닥선인장 보충이 고지방식이 흰쥐의 혈당과 중성지방 농도의 감소와 골격근에서 PPAR-${\gamma}$와 PGC-$1{\alpha}$ 단백질 발현을 증가시킴으로서 체지방을 감소시켜 체중증가 억제에 긍정적인 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제26권2호
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• pp.97-104
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• 2011

This study was carried out to confirm the effects of luteotrophin, human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), and an anti-luteolytic agent, flunixin meglumin (FM), on pregnancy rates in Hanwoo with in vitro produced (IVP) embryo transfers (ET), and to research the effects on the estrus cycle. Treatments included hCG and FM administration 3~10 minutes prior to ET. Also, pregnancy rates were compared with lidocane treatment and FM treatment prior to ET. The results are shown below. 30-day pregnancy rate was 76.7% in the hCG-treated group and 75.7% in the FM-treated group. Both rates were higher than the 70% rate for the control group. 42-day pregnancy rate was 76.7% in the FM-treated group. This was higher than 66.7% recorded for both the hCG-treated and control groups. The pregnancy rate of the hCG-treated group was high at Day 30 (76.7%) but low at Day 40 (66.7%), and there were no differences from the FM-treated and control groups. The recurrent estrus rate of infertile individuals at 2 weeks after ET was 36.4% in the hCG-treated group, under 71.4% in the FM-treated group and 80.0% in the control group. The non-pregnancy rate of individuals without recurrent estrus was 18.2% in the hCG-treated group, which was higher than the 0% rate in both the FM-treated and control groups. The pregnancy rates were higher in the FM-treated group than the Lidocane-treated group with 72.3% versus 67.5% in the heifers and 48.9% versus 43.6% in the cows. From the above results, the FM treatment proved more effective than the hCG treatment and no treatment whatsoever in increasing pregnancy rates after ET. In addition, hCG treatment was shown to be undesirable due to the deviations it caused in the reproductive physiology of the hCG-treated recipients. Therefore, in our study, the FM treatment resulted in a higher pregnancy rate than either lidocaine treatment or no-treatment in the trials of ET.

• Journal of Information Processing Systems
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• 제16권5호
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• pp.1169-1182
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• 2020

The ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm is a classical metaheuristic optimization algorithm. However, the conventional ACO was liable to trap in the local minimum and has an inherent slow rate of convergence. In this work, we propose a novel combinatorial ACO algorithm (CG-ACO) to alleviate these limitations. The genetic algorithm and the cloud model were embedded into the ACO to find better initial solutions and the optimal parameters. In the experiment section, we compared CG-ACO with the state-of-the-art methods and discussed the parameter stability of CG-ACO. The experiment results showed that the CG-ACO achieved better performance than ACO_R, simple genetic algorithm (SGA), CQPSO and CAFSA and was more likely to reach the global optimal solution.

• 여성건강간호학회지
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.21-27
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• 2007

Purpose: This study examined the effects of Self-foot reflexology(SFR) on fatigue and sleep states in clinical women nurses. Method: This study was a nonequivalent pretest-posttest quasi-experimental. Women nurses were assigned to an experimental group (EG, n=20) or a control group (CG, n=20). The EG participated in SFR for a total of 40 minutes, 2 times per week during 4 weeks on their Rt & Lt feet. The CG did not receive SFR during the research period. The EG & CG had never before received SFR, and they had no open wounds or fractures. Data was analyzed using the $x^2$-test, and t-test by the SPSS version 12.0 program at a 5% significant level. Results: The score of fatigue in the EG was significantly lower than that of the CG and the score of sleep states in the EG was also significantly higher than that of the CG. Conclusion: The findings show that the score of fatigue decreased and sleep states increased in the study. Therefore, we should consider SFR as an intervention on clinical nurses. However, it is still needed to verify its effects through more intensive study.

• 한국가축번식학회지
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.157-164
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• 1992

This stduy was carried out to obtain basic information available on ovulation, spawning, fertilization rate, hatching rate, and deformity rate after hCG injection in cyprinid loach, Misgurnus mizolepis. The results obtained in these experiments were as follows: 1. Ovulation and spawning occurred simultaneously and spawing was completed within 1 hour after ovulation. 2. More than 80% of fertilization rates appeared within 12 hours at 21$^{\circ}C$, 8 hours at $25^{\circ}C$, and 4 hours at 29$^{\circ}C$, respectively, following the onset of spawing. Afterwards, the fertilization rates of released eggs sharply decreased in three different water temperatures. 3. More than 70% of hatching rates appeared within 8 hours at 21$^{\circ}C$, 6 hours at $25^{\circ}C$, and 2 hours at 29$^{\circ}C$, respectively, following the onset of spawing. Afterwards, hatching rates of spawned eggs abruptly decreased in three different water temperatures. 4. The deformity rates of hatched larvae were high at $25^{\circ}C$, 8 hours following the onset of spawing. 5. Based on the developmental ability of oocytes, the optimum time of fertilization was 4 hours (stage 5) following the onset of spawing.

• 융합경영연구
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• 제5권1호
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• pp.1-20
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• 2017

An increasing number of researchers are finding that 'poor' CG is a leading factor in dismal performance, manipulated financial reports, and unhappy stakeholders. Undoubtedly, qualified, trained and mature Chartered Forensic Accountants (CFA's) can prove to be a valuable asset to the corporate sector, and gradually help to improve their CG system. The fundamental objective of this study is to find out "how can we integrate the expertise of the FA to improve the overall CG scenario prevalent in India?" This is a preliminary investigation of the necessary skills, educational and training requirements for CFA's to improve CG system. During 2011-12, a questionnaire-based survey was conducted in the NCR of India using a sample size of 120 practicing chartered accountants, accounting academics, and potential users of FA services. Results indicate that potential practitioners, academics and users agree that "critical thinking, written & oral communication, legal knowledge, auditing skills, deductive analysis, investigative flexibility, analytical proficiency and unstructured problem-solving are the most important skills required for the CFAs." Moreover, we found that all of the skills investigated in this study are 'potentially' important for the CFAs, which the educators at the Universities should use as an overall guide while designing their FA curriculum."

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제32권2호
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• pp.90-97
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• 2015

Background: Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) can cause serious adverse effects. To reduce the occurrence of CIN related computed tomography (CT) in emergency patients, we assessed the respective roles of serum creatinine (SCr) alone and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) as an early predictor for CIN related CT. Methods: For patients with SCr <1.5 mg/dL who underwent CT in emergency department (ED) between September 2012 and October 2013, we assessed the prevalence of CIN and its adverse effects. The Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study (MDRD) and Cockcroft-Gault (CG) formula was used for the calculation of eGFR. Practical calculation was performed by electronic medical record (EMR) system for MDRD and internet calculating service for CG. And we investigated the prevalence of CIN in eGFR $<60mL/min/1.73m^2$ before CT. Results: A total of 1,555 patients were enrolled. The prevalence of CIN after CT was 4.6% and it showed correlation with renal deterioration, increased in-hospital mortality, and prolonged hospitalization. Despite baseline SCr <1.5 mg/dL, among enrolled patients, 11.3% as MDRD equation and 29.5% as CG formula were $<60mL/min/1.73m^2$ and in this condition, the prevalence of CIN was significantly high (odds ratio was 2.87 [1.64-5.02] as MDRD equation and 2.03 [1.26-3.29] as CG formula). Conclusion: Just SCr <1.5mg/dL was not appropriate to recognize preexisting renal insufficiency, but eGFR using MDRD equation was useful in predicting the risk of CIN related CT in ED. Using EMR, calculation of eGFR can be easier and more convenient.