• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.64 no.6
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• pp.995-1003
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• 2021

Objective : People are living longer and the elderly population continues to increase. The incidence of degenerative spinal diseases (DSDs) in the elderly population is quite high. Therefore, we are facing more cases of DSD and offering more surgical solutions in geriatric patients. Understanding the significance and association of frailty and central sarcopenia as risk factors for spinal surgery in elderly patients will be helpful in improving surgical outcomes. We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of prospectively collected data to assess the impact of preoperative central sarcopenia, frailty, and comorbidity on surgical outcome in elderly patients with DSD. Methods : We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent elective spinal surgery performed from January 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020 at our hospital. We included patients aged 65 and over who underwent surgery on the thoracic or lumbar spine and were diagnosed as DSD. Central sarcopenia was measured by the 50th percentile of psoas : L4 vertebral index (PLVI) using the cross-sectional area of the psoas muscle. We used the Korean version of the fatigue, resistance, ambulation, illnesses, and loss of weight (K-FRAIL) scale to measure frailty. Comorbidity was confirmed and scored using the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). As a tool for measuring surgical outcome, we used the Clavien-Dindo (CD) classification for postoperative complications and the length of stay (LOS). Results : This study included 85 patients (35 males and 50 females). The mean age was 74.05±6.47 years. Using the K-FRAIL scale, four patients were scored as robust, 44 patients were pre-frail and 37 patients were frail. The mean PLVI was 0.61±0.19. According to the CD classification, 50 patients were classified as grade 1, 19 as grade 2, and four as grade 4. The mean LOS was 12.35±8.17 days. Multivariate stepwise regression analysis showed that postoperative complication was significantly associated with surgical invasiveness and K-FRAIL scale. LOS was significantly associated with surgical invasiveness and CCI. K-FRAIL scale showed a significant correlation with CCI and PLVI. Conclusion : The present study demonstrates that frailty, comorbidity, and surgical invasiveness are important risk factors for postoperative complications and LOS in elderly patients with DSD. Preoperative recognition of these factors may be useful for perioperative optimization, risk stratification, and patient counseling.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.260-269
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• 2021

BACKGROUND: Diquat dibromide is a fast-acting nonselective herbicide and plant growth regulator. In this study, in order to understand the possibility of unintentional pesticide contamination in the following crops, the phytotoxicity and transition of diquat dibromide residue in soil into the following crops such as pepper, radish, lettuce and corn have been assessed through phytotoxicity trial and residual evaluation in the unintentional contamination of the higher residual diquat dibromide. METHODS AND RESULTS: The pepper, radish, lettuce and corn were cultivated in the sandy soil and loam soil where the 35 mg/kg and 90 mg/kg diquat dibromide were applied, respectively. Mild growth inhibition symptoms were observed in radish, lettuce and corn crops at the 90 mg/kg- diquat dibromide treatment on the 30 day of cultivation. Diquat dibromide was analyzed using liquid chromatography QTRAP (LC-MS/MS). The recovery rates of diquat dibromide from soil and crop were determined within range from 89.1 to 116.4% with relative standard deviation less than 14.7%. Diquat dibromide residues in soil were found to be 23.90-30.22 and 69.59-82.57 mg/kg from the 35 mg/kg and 90 mg/kg of diquat dibromide-treated soil, respectively after 30 days of crop cultivation. This result implicates that diquat dibromide did not convert to metabolites and remained mostly in the soil, even though it was partially decomposed during crop cultivation. In addition, the diquat dibromide in pepper and radish that were grown for 47 days, and lettuce and corn that were cultivated for 30 days were detected to be 0.01 mg/kg or less in the sandy loam and loam soil where the 90 mg/kg diquat dibromide was applied. CONCLUSION(S): Diquat dibromide did not cause severe phytotoxicity in the following crops as well as it did not uptake and distribute to the following crops, even though it was considered to be residual in the soil.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.368-379
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• 2021

Two virulence factors of Helicobacter pylori, cagA and vacA, have been known to play a role in the development of severe gastric symptoms. However, they are not always associated with peptic ulcer or gastric cancer. To predict the disease outcome more accurately, it is necessary to understand the risk of severe symptoms linked to other virulence factors. Several other virulence factors of H. pylori have also been reported to be associated with disease outcomes, although there are many controversial descriptions. H. pylori isolates from Koreans may be useful in evaluating the relevance of other virulence factors to clinical symptoms of gastric diseases because the majority of Koreans are infected by toxigenic strains of H. pylori bearing cagA and vacA. In this study, a total of 116 H. pylori strains from Korean patients with chronic gastritis, peptic ulcers, and gastric cancers were genotyped. The presence of virulence factors vacAs1c, alpA, babA2, hopZ, and the extremely strong vacuolating toxin was found to contribute significantly to the development of severe gastric symptoms. The genotype combination vacAs1c/alpA/babA2 was the most predictable determinant for the development of severe symptoms, and the presence of babA2 was found to be the most critical factor. This study provides important information on the virulence factors that contribute to the development of severe gastric symptoms and will assist in predicting clinical disease outcomes due to H. pylori infection.

• The Korean Journal of Blood Transfusion
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.310-319
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• 2018

Background: Research on next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based HLA typing is active. To resolve the phase ambiguity and long turn-around-time of conventional high resolution HLA typing, this study developed a NGS-based high resolution HLA typing method that can handle large-scale samples within an efficient testing time. Methods: For HLA NGS, the condition of nucleic acid extraction, library construction, PCR mechanism, and HLA typing with bioinformatics were developed. To confirm the accuracy of the NGS-based HLA typing method, the results of 192 samples HLA typed by SSOP and 28 samples typed by SBT compared to NGS-based HLA-A, -B and -DR typing. Results: DNA library construction through two-step PCR, NGS sequencing with MiSeq (Illumina Inc., San Diego, USA), and the data analysis platform were established. NGS-based HLA typing results were compatible with known HLA types from 220 blood samples. Conclusion: The NSG-based HLA typing method could handle large volume samples with high-throughput. Therefore, it would be useful for HLA typing of bone marrow donation volunteers.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.241-246
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• 2019

To understand the characteristics of paralytic shellfish poisoning in a major production area of the bay scallop Argopecten irradians in Korea, the seasonal variation and anatomical distribution of paralytic shellfish toxin (PST) were determined in bay scallops collected from the Gyeongnam coast of Korea from March to May 2018. PST levels in bay scallops in the survey area showed remarkable seasonal variation. PST was first detected at a level of 0.42 mg/kg on April 2, 2018, and the highest toxin level (3.15 mg/kg) was recorded on April 12. Among the tissues of bay scallops, the highest proportion of PST was found in the viscera ($54.9%{\pm}17.8%$), followed by the adductor ($22.8%{\pm}10.9%$), gonads ($8.9%{\pm}4.6%$), gills ($7.1%{\pm}3.7%$), and mantle ($6.3%{\pm}.8%$). In addition, with higher PST levels in the whole tissues of bay scallops, the proportion of PST in the viscera increased, whereas those in the mantle, gill, and gonad tissues decreased. In a high-toxicity group with more than 2.0 mg/kg PST in the whole tissues, the proportion of PST in the viscera was $71.8%{\pm}6.7%$.

• Korean Circulation Journal
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• v.48 no.11
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• pp.1002-1011
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• 2018

Background and Objectives: The prognostic impact of left axis deviation (LAD) on clinical outcomes in acute heart failure syndrome (AHFS) with left bundle branch block (LBBB) is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic significance of axis deviation in acute heart failure patients with LBBB. Methods: Between March 2011 and February 2014, 292 consecutive AHFS patients with LBBB were recruited from 10 tertiary university hospitals. They were divided into groups with no LAD (n=189) or with LAD (n=103) groups according to QRS axis <-30 degree. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Results: The median follow-up duration was 24 months. On multivariate analysis, the rate of all-cause death did not significantly differ between the normal axis and LAD groups (39.7% vs. 46.6%, adjusted hazard ratio, 1.01; 95% confidence interval, 0.66, 1.53; p=0.97). However, on the multiple linear regression analysis to evaluate the predictors of the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), presence of LAD significantly predicted a worse LVEF (adjusted beta, -3.25; 95% confidence interval, -5.82, -0.67; p=0.01). Right ventricle (RV) dilatation was defined as at least 2 of 3 electrocardiographic criteria (late R in lead aVR, low voltages in limb leads, and R/S ratio <1 in lead V5) and was more frequent in the LAD group than in the normal axis group (p<0.001). Conclusions: Among the AHFS with LBBB patients, LAD did not predict mortality, but it could be used as a significant predictor of worse LVEF and RV dilatation (Trial registry at KorAHF registry, ClinicalTrial.gov, NCT01389843).

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.34-41
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• 2019

Platelet aggregation is essential for the formation of a hemostatic plug in the case of blood vessel damage. On the other hand, excessive platelet aggregation may cause cardiovascular disorders, such as thrombosis, atherosclerosis, and myocardial infarction. Scopoletin, which found in the root of plants in the genus Scopolia or Artemisia, has anti-coagulation and anti-malaria effects. This study examined the effects of scopoletin on human platelet aggregation induced by collagen. Scopoletin had anti-platelet effects via the down-regulation of thromboxane $A_2$ ($TXA_2$) production and intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ mobilization ($[Ca^{2+}]_i$), which are aggregation-inducing molecules produced in activated platelets. On the other hand, scopoletin increased both the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) levels, which are known as intracellular $Ca^{2+}$-antagonists and aggregation-inhibiting molecules. In particular, scopoletin increased the potently cAMP level more than cGMP, which led to suppressed fibrinogen binding to ${\alpha}IIb/{\beta}_3$ in collagen-induced human platelet aggregation. In addition, scopoletin inhibited collagen-elevated adenosine triphosphate (ATP) release in a dose-dependent manner. The results suggest that aggregation amplification through granule secretion is inhibited by scopoletin. Therefore, scopoletin has potent anti-platelet effects and may have potential for the prevention of platelet-derived vascular diseases.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.309-312
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• 2019

Comamonas sp. NLF-7-7 was isolated from biofilter of wastewater treatment plant. The whole-genome sequence of Comamonas sp. NLF-7-7 was analyzed using the PacBio RS II and Illumina HiSeqXten platform. The genome comprises a 3,333,437 bp chromosome with a G + C content of 68.04%, 3,197 total genes, 9 rRNA genes, and 49 tRNA genes. This genome contained pollutants degradation and floc forming genes such as sulfur oxidization pathway (SoxY, SoxZ, SoxA, and SoxB) and floc forming pathway (EpsG, EpsE, EpsF, EpsG, EpsL, and glycosyltransferase), respectively. The Comamonas sp. NLF-7-7 can be used to the purification of wastewater.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.115-125
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• 2019

Background: Glycyrrhiza radix (licorice root) have been used as an oriental medicine material for long time, and its protective effects on oxidative stress, inflammation and cognition deficit have been recently reported. However, the cultivation of Glycyrrhiza species as medicinal crops is associated with some problems such as low productivity and early leaf fall, etc. To resolve this problems, Glycyrrhiza cultivars have been developed by direct hybridization of each Glycyrrhiza species by Korean researchers. The present study was conducted to compare the Glycyrrhiza cultivar radix (Dagam, Sinwongam and Wongam) for their anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, and cognition improvement effects and levels of liquiritin, isoliquiritigenin and licochalcone in order to select an excellent cultivar as a material resource. Methods and Results: For evaluating the inhibitory efficacies of the Glycyrrhiza cultivar extracts on oxidative stress and inflammation in BV2 cells, we measured their reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and nitric oxide (NO) release after treating them with lipopolysccharide. The scavenging activities on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and peroxynitrite ($NOO^-$) radicals were evaluated. Cell proliferation and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) inhibition were analyzed. The total phenol, liquiritin, isoliquiritigenin and licochalcone A content in the extracts of the three culivars were quantified. Furthermore, the correlation coefficient between the activities and contents of total phenol, liquiritin, isoliquiritigenin and licochalcone A were also calculated. The results indicated that Sinwongam exhibited potent anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and NMDAR inhibititory activities. Sinwongam also showed higher total phenol and licochalcone A contents than the other cultivars. Among the three cultivars, Dagam exhibited a positive effects on NO release inhibition, cell proliferation and contents of liquiritin and isoliquiritigenin. Conclusions: Sinwongam is expected to be the most useful resource as a functional material for anti-oxidation/anti-inflammation and cognition improvement among the three studied licorice cultivars.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.111-118
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• 2021

Objectives: The necessity of samples for analysis requested by working environment monitoring institutes (WMIs) has grown recently. The collection of samples of a few chemical substances requested by WMIs is allowed under the current occupational safety and health act in Korea, leading to an expansion of samples for analysis requested by institutes (SRIs). The objective of this study was to identify the number of institutes for analyzing requested samples (IARS), SRIs, and their participation in a non-mandatory proficiency test. Methods: Questionnaires were completed by all WMIs. The collected information was quantity of analysis equipment, sorting of chemicals from SRIs, and the number of SRIs. This was compared in terms of the participation in the non-mandatory proficiency test. Results: All WMIs in Korea responded to the survey, establishing a 100% response rate. There were 52 (29%) IARS among the 179 WMIs in Korea. The total number of samples of acid for ion chromatograph (IC) analysis requested by WMIs was 21,165, which is the most. Even the number of IARS for crystalline silicon oxide was less than other top-five IARS. The total amount of samples was 13,863, which was the second most. The calculated participation score for IARS was significantly higher than other WMIs (p<0.001). According to participation in the non-mandatory proficiency test by type of substance, such as crystalline silicon oxide and formaldehyde among IARS, the number of SRIs from those IARS was significantly higher than IARS that did not participate in the proficiency test (p<0.05). Conclusions: IARS had a high frequency of participation in the non-mandatory proficiency test and the number of SRIs at IARS participating in the proficiency test was higher among IARS. With the revision of the occupational health and safety act in Korea, the number of IARS participating in the non-mandatory proficiency test might increase.