• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.11
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• pp.812-819
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• 2003

Background: Left ventricular dysfunction is one of the important prognostic factors of early mortality and long-term survival after valve operation. We studied the intermediate term results of mitral valve reconstruction in patients with moderate to severe left ventricular dysfunction. Material and Method: Forty four patients who underwent mitral valve reconstruction with a left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) of <45% or less (20∼45%) from April 1995 through July 2001 were reviewed retrospectively. Ages ranged from 10 to 67 years (46∼14 years) and 32 patients were in NYHA class III-IV. The mitral valve diseases were regurgitation (MR) in 28 patients, stenosis(MS) in 10, and mixed lesion in 5. The etiologies of mitral valve disease were rheumatic in 20 patients, degenerative in 14, ischemic in 5, annular dilatation in 2, congenital in 2, and endocarditis in 1. Operatively, all patients had annuloplasty and/or various valvuloplasty techniques, and a total of 52 procedures were concomitantly performed. Total cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic crossclamp time were 160$\pm$57 minutes and 112$\pm$45 minutes respectively. Result: Two operative deaths occurred as a result of left ventricular failure (4.5%). After the mean follow-up of 39 months (range, 10∼83 months), there was no late death. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed no or grade I of MR in 29 patients (72.5%) and no or mild MS in 35 patients (87.5%). The actuarial survival at 5 years was 100%. Four patients required mitral valve replacement due to progressive mitral valvular disease. The actuarial freedom from valve-related reoperation at 5 years was 84$\pm$9%. Conclusion: This study suggests that mitral valve reconstruction in patients with moderate to severe left ventricular dysfunction offers good early and intermediate survival and acceptable freedom from valve-related reoperation, and it is the strategy for effective management for these patients.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.163-172
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• 2007

This study was designed to investigate that inorganic germanium $(GeO_2)$ did not exist in germanium-fortified yeast or obtained to non-detectable value by current analytical methods and equipments. For this purpose, we achieved $GeO_2$ qualitative analysis protocol which could be the scientific basis of the study. Since reddish brown precipitate was formed from the reaction of $GeO_2$ with 1 equiv $NaBH_4$, and dark brown precipitate was also formed from the reaction of $GeO_2$ with 2 equiv $NaBH_4$, $GeO_2$ was qualitatively analyzed by observing these particular colored-precipitates. Because no color change was showed from the reaction between $NaBH_4$ and $SiO_2$, the color change could be caused by charge transfer transition on Ge-O and B binding properties. The reaction between $NaBH_4$ and germanium-fortified yeast did not show any color change and precipitate formation which meant no $GeO_2$ existed in germanium-fortified yeast. The reaction between $NaBH_4$ and supernatant specimen collected from the outside of dialysis membrane (MWCO 1,200 dalton) did not show any color change and precipitate formation. Therefore, we considered that the both germaniums in and outside of the dialysis membrane were organic germaniums. Germanium-fortified yeast which was biosynthesized organic germanium can be applied not only as a new functional material for improving health, prevention and treatment of chronic degenerative diseases including cancers, and the regulation of immune system, but also as a new materials.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.711-718
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• 2008

Dombaeki, a traditional salted shark meat, has been widely used as a customary religious food in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk area of Korea. Two different sharks, Sphyrna zygaena (SZ) and Isurus oxyrinchus (IO) are traditionally used to prepare Dombaeki. Chemical components, lipid classes, fatty acid levels, and sterol compositions of meats prepared from the two sharks were investigated. There were no significant differences in chemical composition between the two dried shark meats. Major amino acids in shark meat were leucine, lysine, arginine, proline, isoleucine, valine, phenylalanine, glutamic acid, and asparagine, which together accounted for about 40% of total amino acids. Levels of amino acids in IO meat were higher than in SZ meat. Major fatty acids in the two shark meats were palmitic ($C_{16:0}$), stearic ($C_{18:0}$), oleic ($C_{18:1}$), arachidonic ($C_{20:4}$), and docosahexanoic (DHA, $C_{22:6}$) acids, which accounted for about 80% of total fatty acids. Notably, IO meat showed higher amounts of DHA (31.8%) and eicosapentanoic acid (EPA, 1.8%) than did SZ meat. The two shark meats showed similar dry weight levels of total lipids, with triacylglycerols, free fatty acids, sterols, and phospholipidscomprising on average 5.0, 2.0, 13.0 and 63.0% of total lipids, respectively. The dominant classes of phospholipids were mainly phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). PC content in the two shark meats was higher than that of PE, although the differencewas not great. The major fatty acids in phospholipids were myristic, palmitoleic, stearic, and docosanoic acids. Total volatile basic nitrogen content and the pH of SZ meat were lower than those of IO meat, whereas the Hunter's 'a' and 'b' values of SZ meat were higher than those of IO meat. These results suggest that shark meat may be useful as a functional food to prevent several degenerative diseases.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.747-753
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• 2019

Cognitive decline is characterized by reduced long-/short-term memory and attention span, and increased depression and anxiety. Such decline is associated with various degenerative brain disorders, especially Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). The increases in elderly populations suffering from cognitive decline create social problems and impose economic burdens, and also pose safety threats; all of these problems have been extensively researched over the past several decades. Possible causes of cognitive decline include metabolic and hormone imbalance, infection, medication abuse, and neuronal changes associated with aging. However, no treatment for cognitive decline is available. In neurodegenerative diseases, changes in the gut microbiota and gut metabolites can alter molecular expression and neurobehavioral symptoms. Changes in the gut microbiota affect memory loss in AD via the downregulation of NMDA receptor expression and increased glutamate levels. Furthermore, the use of probiotics resulted in neurological improvement in an AD model. PD and gut microbiota dysbiosis are linked directly. This interrelationship affected the development of constipation, a secondary symptom in PD. In a PD model, the administration of probiotics prevented neuron death by increasing butyrate levels. Dysfunction of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) has been identified in AD and PD. Increased BBB permeability is also associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis, which led to the destruction of microtubules via systemic inflammation. Notably, metabolites of the gut microbiota may trigger either the development or attenuation of neurodegenerative disease. Here, we discuss the correlation between cognitive decline and the gut microbiota.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.605-614
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• 2022

Two major problems currently threaten human survival on Earth: climate change and the rapid aging of the population in developed countries. Climate change is a result of the increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations in the atmosphere due to the increase in the use of fossil fuels owing to economic and transportation development. The rapid increase in the age of the population is a result of the rise in life expectancy due to the development of biomedical science and technology and the improvement of personal hygiene in developed countries. To avoid irreversible global climate change, it is necessary to quickly transition from the current fossil fuel-based economy to a zero-carbon renewable energy-based economy that does not emit GHGs. To achieve this goal, the dairy and livestock industry, which generates the most GHGs in the agricultural sector, must transition to using low-carbon emission production methods while simultaneously increasing consumers' preference for low-carbon diets. Although 77% of currently available arable land globally is used to produce livestock feed, only 37% and 18% of the proteins and calories that humans consume come from dairy and livestock farming and industry. Therefore, using edible insects as a protein source represents a good alternative, as it generates less GHG and reduces water consumption and breeding space while ensuring a higher feed conversion rate than that of livestock. Additionally, utilizing the functionality of medicinal insects, such as silkworms, which have been proven to have certain health enhancement effects, it is possible to develop functional foods that can prevent or delay the onset of currently incurable degenerative diseases that occur more frequently in the elderly. Insects are among the first animals to have appeared on Earth, and regardless of whether humans survive, they will continue to adapt, evolve, and thrive. Therefore, the use of various edible and medicinal insects, including silkworms, in industry will provide an important foundation for human survival and prosperity on Earth in the near future by resolving the current two major problems.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.44 no.10
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• pp.1439-1449
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• 2015

Prunus persica Flos (PPF) were investigated for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities to find a natural functional food resource preventing degenerative diseases associated with excessive oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. PPF was extracted using ethanol (EtOH) and then sequentially fractioned by hexane (Hx), dichloromethane (DM), ethyl acetate (EA), n-butanol (BtOH), and water (DW). Contents of total phenolics and flavonoids, as well as 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activities were measured. Anti-inflammatory effects in terms of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin (PG) E2, and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ production were also measured using LPS-treated RAW 264.7 macrophages. EtOH extract showed relatively high antioxidant activity with high total phenolic (78.1 mg tannic acid/g) and flavonoid contents (55.3 mg rutin/g). EA fraction contained the highest total phenolic and flavonoid contents (394.6 mg tannic acid/g, 253.7 mg rutin/g), followed by BtOH (128.3 mg tannic acid/g, 93.1 mg rutin/g). EA and BtOH fractions and EtOH extract showed higher DPPH radical and ABTS radical scavenging activities than the others (P<0.05). In LPS-treated RAW 264.7 macrophages, EtOH extract ($200{\mu}g/mL$) showed significantly reduced (P<0.05) NO, PGE2, and TNF-${\alpha}$ production levels to 38.5%, 32.3%, and 48.9% of the control, respectively, as well as reduced iNOS and COX-2 protein expression. DM fraction ($50{\mu}g/mL$) showed significantly reduced (P<0.05) NO, PGE2, IL-6, and TNF-${\alpha}$ production levels to 43.5%, 13.3%, 38.7%, and 41.3% of the control, respectively, and EA fraction ($50{\mu}g/mL$) showed significantly reduced NO, PGE2, IL-6, and TNF-${\alpha}$ production levels to 44.8%, 22.4%, 45.7%, and 62.0% of the control, respectively. Taken together, EtOH extract of PPF showed potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, and EA and BtOH fractions showed comparatively stronger antioxidant activities while DM and EA fractions showed stronger anti-inflammatory activities. It can be concluded that EtOH extract of PPF and its fractions are good candidates as natural resources for the development of anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory functional food products.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.25 no.1 s.37
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• pp.88-100
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• 1992

This study was conducted to assess the effects of implementation of the patient referral system started July 1st, 1989. A comparison on the pattern of outpatient services of the Departments of Internal Medicine, General Surgery, and Pediatrics at the Yeungnam University Hospital was conducted for each one year period before and after implementation of the patient referral system. The pre-implementation period was from July 1, 1988 to June 30, 1989 and the post-implementation period was from July 1, 1989 to June 30, 1990. The information used for this study was obtained from official forms, prepared by the Yeungnam University Hospital, and submitted to the Korean Medical Insurance Cooperatives. After implementation of the patient referral system, the number of outpatient cases in the Department of Internal Medicine decreased 36.1% from 9,669 cases to 6,181 cases a year. Cases in the Department of General Surgery decreased 23.7% from 1,864 cases to 1,422 cases a year. The number of cases in the Department of Pediatrics decreased 36.9% from 3,372 cases to 2,128 cases a year. After implementation of the patient referral system, the average age of cases in the Departments of Internal Medicine and General Surgery was 52.5 and 49.7 years old, respectively. This was a significant increase in comparison with the pre-implementation period. After implementation of patient referral system, the proportion of new outpatients in the Department of Internal Medicine decreased from 24.1% to 14.6%, the Department of General Surgery from 36.0% to 23.4%, and the Department of Pediatrics from 15.5% to 8.3%. The number of visits per case decreased significantly in the Department of Internal Medicine(from 1.74 to 1.61), but there was no significant change in the Departments of General Surgery and Pediatrics. The length of treatment per case increased significantly in all three departments(from 16.1 days to 19.3 days in the Department of Internal Medicine, from 12.0 days to 15.2 days in the Department General Surgery, and 8.9 days to 11.2 days in the Department of Pediatrics). The number of clinical tests per case increased significantly in the Department of Internal Medicine (from 2.2 to 2.5), in the Department of Pediatrics(from 0.8 to 1.1) and increased in the Department of General Surgery(from 6.4 to 6.6). The average medical cost per case decreased from 43,900 Won to 42,500 Won in the Department of Internal Medicine, while the cost increased from 75,900 Won to 78,500 Won in the Department of General Surgery and from 12,700 Won to 13,500 Won in the Department of Pediatrics. In case-mix, the chronic degenerative disease(i. e. hypertension, diabetes mellitus, angina pectoris, malignant neoplasm, and pulmonary tuberculosis) ranked higher and acute infectious diseases and simple cases(i. e. gastritis and duodenitis, haemorrhoids, anal fissure, carbuncle, acute URI, and bronchitis) ranked lower after implementation of the patient referral system compared to before implementation.