• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.282-292
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• 2023

Objectives: Bone health in early adulthood, as individuals approach peak bone mass, plays a critical role in preventing osteoporosis later in life. This study aimed to investigate the associations between lifestyle and dietary factors, anthropometric measurements, and urinary bone resorption markers in young adults. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 100 healthy Korean adults (50 men and 50 women) in their 20s and early 30s. Bone mineral density (BMD), anthropometric measurements, dietary intake (24-hour recall), and urinary bone resorption indicators (deoxypyridinoline and N-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen) were analyzed. Variables were compared between the osteopenia and osteoporosis groups (OSTEO group: 30% men and 60% women) and the healthy control group. Results: Men in the OSTEO group were significantly taller than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Women in the OSTEO group had significantly lower body weight and body composition (muscle and body fat) than those in the normal group (P < 0.01). Men in the OSTEO group had a significantly higher intake of animal calcium (Ca) than those in the normal group (P < 0.05). Women in the OSTEO group had significantly higher dietary fiber, vitamin A, Ca, plant Ca, and potassium intake than did those in the normal group (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in caffeinated beverage consumption, eating habits, or urinary bone resorption indicators between the OSTEO and control groups of either sex. Conclusions: In our study of young South Korean adults, we observed low bone density levels, with particularly low BMD in taller men and underweight women. We found a higher nutrient intake in the OSTEO group, indicating the possibility of reverse causality, a phenomenon often found in cross-sectional studies. Therefore, there is a need to further elucidate dietary factors related to osteoporosis in young adults through prospective cohort studies involving a larger population.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.1507-1512
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• 2016

Background: Risk of developing breast cancer increases with short breastfeeding and the use of hormones. The prognosis of breast cancer is better if the tumours are hormone receptor positive. Since breast feeding affects estrogen and progesterone receptors, we wanted to investigate how such reproductive factors as breastfeeding and the use of hormones interact with known prognostic markers and specific tumour characteristics in women with breast cancer. Materials and Methods: A total of 250 women treated for breast cancer from a larger cohort completed a questionnaire on breastfeeding, number and age at births and use of hormones. A logistic regression analysis was made to search for connections between known prognostic markers on the one hand (type of cancer, grade, tumor size, estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor, lymphovascular invasion and DNA-ploidy) and reproductive data, breastfeeding, and hormone use on the other. Results and Conclusions: Hormone use, but not breastfeeding, was significantly associated, also on multivariate analysis, with the prognostic variable lymphovascular invasion, connected to a worse prognosis. No other hormone use or breast feeding correlations with prognostic variables were found.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.18
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• pp.7635-7638
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• 2014

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the value of serum gastric markers to differentiate between patients with precancerous lesions and nonatrophic chronic gastritis. Materials and Methods: Serum samples of 128 patients with dyspepsia who were candidates for endoscopic examination were tested for pepsinogen (PG I and PG II), PG I/II ratio, gastrin 17(G-17), anti-Helicobacter pylori (anti-H pylori ) and anti-CagA antibodies. Two sample t-tests, chi-square tests and Pearson's correlation analyses were used for analysis using SPSS (version 20). Results: PGI, PG I/II ratio values were decreased significantly in the precancerous lesion group (0.05, 0.001 respectively). The frequency of H pylori infection was significantly (p=0.03) different between the two groups ofthe study. Conclusions: We suggest PGI and the PG I/II ratio as valuable markers for screening of premalignant gastric lesions.

• ALGAE
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.57-70
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• 2019

DNA metabarcoding is currently used for large-scale taxonomic identification to understand the community composition in various marine ecosystems. However, before being widely used in this emerging field, this experimental and analytic approach still has several technical challenges to overcome, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) bias, and lack of well-established metabarcoding markers, a task which is difficult but not impossible to achieve. In this study, we present an adapted PCR-free small-organelles enriched metagenomics (SoEM) method for marine biodiversity assessment. To avoid PCR bias and random artefacts, we extracted target DNA sequences without PCR amplification from marine environmental samples enriched with small organelles including mitochondria and plastids because their genome sequences provide a valuable source of molecular markers for phylogenetic analysis. To experimentally enrich small organelles, we performed subcellular fractionation using modified differential centrifugation for marine environmental DNA samples. To validate our SoEM method, two marine environmental samples from the coastal waters were tested the taxonomic capturing capacity against that of traditional DNA metabarcoding method. Results showed that, regardless of taxonomic levels, at least 3-fold greater numbers of taxa were identified in our SoEM method, compared to those identified by the conventional multi-locus DNA metabarcoding method. The SoEM method is thus effective and accurate for identifying taxonomic diversity and presents a useful alternative approach for evaluating biodiversity in the marine environment.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.14-24
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• 2023

Saussurea dorogostaiskii Palib. (Asteraceae) is a critically endangered medicinal plant in Mongolia and Russia. We studied the genetic variation of S. dorogostaiskii from three mountains of northern Mongolia. The genetic profile was assessed in 70 individuals from eight populations using five inter-simple sequence repeat markers, producing 53 loci with 96.4% polymorphism across all bands. Shannon's index (I) and Nei's gene diversity (H) value at the species level of S. dorogostaiskii are 0.25 and 0.17, respectively. An AMOVA showed high genetic variation among the populations (22% of populations and 32% of mountains), consistent with the high genetic differentiation (G_ST = 0.49) and low gene flow (N_m = 0.51) in S. dorogostaiskii populations. Eight populations were clustered into two groups, corresponding to their geographic locations. The low within-population genetic diversity and high genetic differentiation among S. dorogostaiskii populations factor into their endangered designation. This genetic analysis reveals that all populations are equally threatened, and community-based conservation is appropriate for these species.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.51-61
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• 2011

Elevated serum concentration of inflammation markers is known as an independent risk factor of metabolic syndrome (MS) and dietary intake is an important factor to control MS. The purpose of this study was to investigated the hypothesis that inflammatory indices are associated with dietary intake and diet quality index-international (DQI-I) in subjects with MS. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 156 men and 73 postmenopausal women with MS, defined by three or more risk factors of the modified Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Serum levels of high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), adiponectin were examined and nutrients intake and DQI-I were assessed using a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. The total DQI-I score was significantly higher in female subjects ($65.87{\pm}9.86$) than in male subjects ($62.60{\pm}8.95$). There was a positive association between hs-CRP and polyunsaturated fatty acid intake (p < 0.05) and a negative association between adiponectin and lipid (p < 0.05), total sugar (p < 0.01), and total fatty acids (p < 0.05). When the subjects were divided into 5 groups by quintile according to serum adiponectin and hs-CRP level, there was no association between DQI-I score and hs-CRP levels. Moderation score of DQI-I was significantly higher in highest quintile group than the lower quintile groups. Therefore, our results provide some evidence that dietary intake and diet quality are associated with inflammation markers and dietary modification might be a predictor to decrease risk for metabolic syndrome complications. However further research is needed to develop the dietary quality index reflecting the inflammatory change by considering the dietary habit and pattern of Koreans.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.104 no.2
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• pp.187-192
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• 2015

Individuals in the population under a particular environmental condition influencing recurrently for a long time could locally adapted and local adaptation is of a fundamental importance in a breeding program, conservation activities of genetic resources or evolutionary biology. Plants at northern range limits have higher probability of expressing an adaptative genetic trait. The natural community at the northern range limit of Ilex cornuta (Chinese holly) in Buan, Jeollanam-do in Korea was composed of adults of 744 and seedlings of 211 (hereafter Community) and is designated as the Korean Natural Monument (No. 122) by the law. At two adjacent areas to Community, 85 (hereafter Plantation I) and 27 hollies (hereafter Plantation II) were planted respectively for preparations of the next generation. Eighty-five trees were sampled for genetic analysis in the three groups. Fifty-two (36%) of the total 143 amplicons were polymorphic from four AFLP primer combinations. A total of thirteen genotypes was identified and just one genotype was for 52 trees of Community. Seven and five genotypes were shown for Plantation I and II, respectively. There was no identical genotype between Community and Plantation (I or II) or between two plantation groups. Number of private loci was 2 for Community, 6 for Plantation I and 4 for Plantation II. We presumed their genetic backgrounds were quite different with one another and the plantation groups were made independently because they were different not only the genetic compositions but also their ages. Considering the genetic monomorphism by AFLP markers, observations of only male trees and asexual propagation as layerage or cuttage, the hollies in Community might be a genet by root suckering from a single male tree, not the results of selective removal of female trees for ornamental use in the past.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.440-448
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• 2007

The objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness of 16-month milk consumption as a part of the health promotion community program for women in Asan. Subjects included 313 women belonging to the milk group (mean age = 69.1, range $47{\sim}89 y$) and 66 women to the control (mean age=43.6, range $20{\sim}69 y$) group. For those in the milk group, one cup (200 ml) of partially lactose-digested low-fat milk was provided everyday for 16 months. Each subject was interviewed to assess calcium intake by a 24-h recall after fasting blood was obtained for analyzing bone turnover markers, and calcaneus broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) was measured by quantitative ultrasound (QUS) on the left heel before and after the milk supplementation. After 16 months, the calcium intake levels changed from 55% of recommended dietary allowance (RDA) to 85% RDA in the milk group and from 73% RDA to 84% RDA in the control group. BUA were reduced from $67.9{\pm}8.1$ to $64.7{\pm}17.5$ dB/MHz for milk and from $90.4{\pm}13.0$ to $87.2{\pm}15.2$ dB/MHz for control groups. Paired t-test showed the changes of BUA for both groups (-3.24 and -3.15 dB/MHz for milk and control groups, respectively) were significant, but the two groups did not show any differences in absolute changes. When post-BUA was analyzed after age, initial BUA and menopausal status were controlled as covariates in ANCOVA model, the milk group showed significantly (p < 0.05) smaller changes than the control group (-3.50 vs -6.71 dB/MHz, respectively). According to a multiple regression analysis, milk consumption and initial BUA showed significant interaction meaning that those with lower initial BUA showed higher milk effects. We conclude that one-cup a day milk consumption for 16 month can prevent further bone loss and significantly improve calcium intake.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.69 no.6
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• pp.450-455
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• 2010

Background: High cortisol levels are frequently observed in patients with severe infections are of prognostic value in sepsis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of serum cortisol in assessment for the severity of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Methods: This study analyzed the results of 52 CAP subjects admitted in Changwon Fatima Hospital between July 2008 to May 2010. Total serum cortisol, infection markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT) and CURB (Confusion, Uremia, Respiratory rate, Blood pressure)-65 were examined retrospectively. Results: In clinically unstable subjects on admission day 4, baseline serum cortisol, CURB-65, and CRP were elevated significantly compared to those of stable subjects. Area under curve (AUC) of cortisol, CRP, and CURB-65 from ROC curves were 0.847, 0.783, and 0.724 respectively. In the subjects with serum cortisol ${\geq}22.82{\mu}g/dL$, CRP, PCT, CURB-65 score, and mortality were significantly elevated. Conclusion: These findings suggest that measurement of serum cortisol in early stage may provide helpful information in the assessment of CAP severity.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.50-53
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• 2018

Staphylococcus aureus is a well-recognized human pathogen that causes a wide range of infections as a result of its extensive virulence factors. One of these factors is Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL), a potent pore-forming cytotoxin that has been linked to invasive S. aureus infections. PVL is one of the important virulence factors for S. aureus and has been largely recognized as one of the markers for community-acquired methicillin-resistant S. aureus. However, the presence of PVL in methicillin-susceptible S. aureus infections is not widely reported in the literature. Thrombotic sequelae of S. aureus infections associated with PVL expression are uncommon in children. We hereby report two children with thrombotic complications associated with PVL-producing methicillin-susceptible S. aureus. Both patients responded well to antibiotic and anticoagulant therapies, and survived without any long-term sequelae.