• Development and Reproduction
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.435-440
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• 2013

Previous studies, including our own, have demonstrated that the intratesticular injection of hypertonic saline (20%) decreased serum testosterone level which was similar to the surgical castration in the rat, showing the state of chemical castration. In the present study, we further verify the efficacy of this less invasive method as an alternative of surgical orchidectomy in the andrological field. Sterilized 20% saline was directly injected into the adult male rats (750 ${\mu}l$ per testis). The tested rats were divided into 3 groups including intact group (intact), orchidectomy group (ORX) and saline injection group (SAL) after bilateral orchidectomy was performed at the same day of injection. All rats were sacrificed at 4 weeks after injection. The reproductive organs (testes, epididymis, seminal vesicles and prostates) were collected and used for DNA and protein pattern analyses. Also, patho-histological studies on the testes were performed. In contrast to the intact group, similar DNA damages of testis and seminal vesicle were appeared in ORX group and SAL group. The DNA degradations seemed to be the results of necrosis rather than apoptosis. In the protein pattern analysis, all the testing tissues exerted similar patterns in the ORX group and the SAL group compared to the those of intact group. Patho-histological studies revealed that severe degenerative changes in testicular seminiferous tubules and massive infiltration of immune cells in SAL group. The present study confirmed that direct injection of hypertonic saline into the testis caused the equivalent biochemical changes in the accessory sex organs as shown in the orchidectomized animals. These results suggest that hypertonic saline injection model could be a useful castration model which can substitute for surgical castration when its safety is secured through further study in the future.

• Journal of The Korean Association of Information Education
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.399-411
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• 2011

In the existing researches about the Internet and mobile phone addition for primary and secondary school students, the major addiction testing measurements are personal parameters such as obsession, self-efficacy, and self-control and environmental parameters such as parents, friends, schools, community factors, and mass media. Those researches have focused on the interaction objects between a student and him/herself, parents, friends, schools, or society. While the importance of time perspective has increased recently, there have rarely been the research that had focused on it in education arena. In this paper, we analyze how time perspective influences the Internet and mobile phone addiction levels of primary and middle school students. In order to do that, we surveyed 619 primary and middle school students and analyzed the results in this paper. And then, we renew the relative importance among existing factors for the two addictions and propose the way to prevent the two addictions.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.419-437
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• 1998

Nurses use a nursing process. that is a scientific approach method. in order to understand the clients' condition and to solve their problems. Professional nurses have accepted the nursing process as a standard framework for nursing activities, and the first step of the nursing process is nursing assessment. The purpose of this study was to develop a nursing assessment tool for emergency patients. Assessment is a first step in the nursing process, and scientific assessment helps to better understand the patients. Thus the development of an assessment tool for emergency patients will improve of nursing quality and advance to efficacy of emergency room(ER) management. The study involved the development of a conceptual framework, preliminary tool, content validity verification process. and reliability verification process. The conceptual framework was developed through a review of the literature. and preliminary tool was developed from the conceptual framework that based on care flow sheet' developed James A. Haley. The preliminary tool was evaluated for validity and reliability by seven experts, one ER nurse manager, two ER head nurses, two emergency medicine doctors. and two ER charge nurses and by ten nurses with one to five year careers in ER nursing. The results of this study was as follows 1. The conceptual framework which was developed was composed of three parts. They were triage criteria, first assessment and secondary assessment. 2. The preliminary tool which was developed had 31 items based on the conceptual framework. 3. To test expert validity a 4-point scale was used. items which had gained 3-4 points from six persons of the seven experts were selected. All 31 items from the preliminary tool were selected. 4. The reliability test was done by ten nurses educated in the use of the assessment tool. Two pairs of nurses simultaneously assessed the same patients. A total agreement percentile was calculated and result was 87.3% agreement. 5. After the validity and reliability testing. the final emergency patient nursing assessment tool was finalized with 31 items. and a check-list for the responses. This study concludes that the tool which was developed is both valid and reliable will advance quality care for emergency patients. This emergency nursing assessment tool was also found to be an adequate tool for assessment of emergency patients.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.12-23
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• 2020

Edible films containing antimicrobial agents can be used as safe alternatives to preserve food products. Essential oils are well-recognized antimicrobials. However, their low water solubility, volatility and high sensitivity to oxygen and light limit their application in food preservation. These limitations could be overcome by embedding these essential oils in complexed product matrices exploiting the encapsulation efficiency of β-cyclodextrin. This study focused on the maximization of β-cyclodextrin production using cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) and the evaluation of its encapsulation efficacy to fabricate edible antimicrobial films. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize CGTase production by Brevibacillus brevis AMI-2 isolated from mangrove sediments. This enzyme was partially purified using a starch adsorption method and entrapped in calcium alginate. Cyclodextrin produced by the immobilized enzyme was then confirmed using high performance thin layer chromatography, and its encapsulation efficiency was investigated. The clove oil/β-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes were prepared using the coprecipitation method, and incorporated into chitosan films, and subjected to antimicrobial testing. Results revealed that β-cyclodextrin was produced as a major product of the enzymatic reaction. In addition, the incorporation of clove oil/β-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes significantly increased the antimicrobial activity of chitosan films against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans. In conclusion, B. brevis AMI-2 is a promising source for CGTase to synthesize β-cyclodextrin with considerable encapsulation efficiency. Further, the obtained results suggest that chitosan films containing clove oils encapsulated in β-cyclodextrin could serve as edible antimicrobial food-packaging materials to combat microbial contamination.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.40-59
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• 1994

The introduction of lithium salts for the treatment of mood disorder by Code in 1949 was a major therapeutic breakthrough. Yet it is far from the universal therpeutic agent in the treatment of mood disorders. Indeed, some acutely manic patients do not respond adeqately to lithium and some individuals experience breakthrough affective episodes during lithium maintenance. In the last decode, it has become c1ear that a significant number of patients with more highly recurrent disorders may require alternative or enhanced forms of prophylactic treatment. For these reasons, a variety of other drugs hove been employed for the treatment and prophylaxis of mood disorders. Efforts to develop new pharmacologic strategies for mood disorder hove included a diverse array of medications, ranging from potent benzodiazepines to novel neuroleptics and from anticonvulsants to calcium channel blockers. The anticonvulsants appear particularly useful in cases of dysphoric mania and rapid cycling state, subforms of bipolar disorder that respond quite poorly to conventional treatments. Among all of these new pharmacologic strategy, carbamazepine and sodium valproate have received the broadest clinical applications as maintenance therapies. The data documenting the short-term antimanic effectiveness of the calcium channel blocker verapamil and benzodiazepins such as clonazepam and lorazepam appear also promising. A number of other theoretically interesting, as well as clinically relevant therapies, which are not presently employed routinly, hove also been studied, including 2 blocker clonidine, atypical antipsychotic clozapine, cholinomimetics, 5-HT enhancers, thyroid and magnesium preparations. Now prophylaxis in mood disorder remains a considerable therapeutic challenge. Controlled testing of the prophylactic efficacy of compounds such as carbamazepine, valproic acid, and the calcium channel blockers represent important next step in the clinical trials for mood disorder.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.51-56
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• 2005

The detection of high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV) allows us to predict the presence and future development of cervical intraepitheliallesion. In this study, we compared Hybrid Capture II and DNA chip methods for detection of HPV in cervical swab samples. And we evaluated the clinical efficacy and diagnostic performance of HPV DNA chip and Hybrid Capture II for detecting HPV in cervical neoplastic lesions. Seventy four patients were classified into three groups according to their histologic diagnosis: Group I (nonspecific chronic cervicitis), Group II (low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL); koilocytosis, and mild dysplasia), and Group III (high-grade SIL;, moderate, severe dysplasia and in situ carcinoma). Cytologic diagnosis were based on the Bethesda System. Hybrid Capture II and DNA chip methods were performed to detect HPV. In 41 of the 74 cervical samples $(55.4\%)$, HPV DNAs were detected by Hybrid Capture II. In Group III, HPV-positive cases were detected in 15 $(20.3\%)$ of 74 patients by Hybrid Capture II. 25 patients with ASCUS cytology were histopathologically examined: 9 cases $(36\%)$ were Group II. In 18 patients with low-grade SIL cytology, 13 cases $(72.2\%)$ were Group II and 3 cases $(16.7\%)$ were Group III. 12 cases $(92.3\%)$ were Group ill of 13 patients with high-grade SIL cytology. The sensitivity of each test was $82\%$ in Hybrid Capture II and $53.9\%$ in DNA chip test. And the specificity was $74.3\%,\;85.7\%$ in Hybrid Capture II and DNA chip. In conclusion, Hybrid Capture II test is more sensitive than DNA chip in detecting women with cervical neoplastic lesions. Especially, in diagnosing of ASCUS, Hybrid Capture II test is more sensitive. Therefore, Hybrid Capture II test for cancer-associated HPV DNA is a viable option in the management of women with ASCUS.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.1216-1225
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• 2014

Biofilm-related infections of Candida albicans are a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients, especially those with immunocompromised status. Options of the antifungal drugs available for successful treatment of drug-resistant biofilms are very few, and as such, new strategies need to be explored against them. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of phenylpropanoids of plant origin against planktonic cells, important virulence factors, and biofilm forms of C. albicans. Standard susceptibility testing protocol was used to evaluate the activities of 13 phenylpropanoids against planktonic growth. Their effects on adhesion and yeast-to-hyphae morphogenesis were studied in microplate-based methodologies. An in vitro biofilm model analyzed the phenylpropanoid-mediated prevention of biofilm development and mature biofilms using XTT-metabolic assay, crystal violet assay, and light microscopy. Six molecules exhibited fungistatic activity at ${\leq}0.5mg/ml$, of which four were fungicidal at low concentrations. Seven phenylpropanoids inhibited yeast-to-hyphae transition at low concentrations (0.031-0.5 mg/ml), whereas adhesion to the solid substrate was prevented in the range of 0.5-2 mg/ml. Treatment with ${\leq}0.5mg/ml$ concentrations of at least six small molecules resulted in significant (p < 0.05) inhibition of biofilm formation by C. albicans. Mature biofilms that are highly resistant to antifungal drugs were susceptible to low concentrations of 4 of the 13 molecules. This study revealed phenylpropanoids of plant origin as promising candidates to devise preventive strategies against drug-resistant biofilms of C. albicans.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.1563-1572
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• 2018

Gold nanoparticles (AuNP) and their conjugates have been gaining a great deal of recognition in the medical field. Meanwhile, extended-spectrum ${\beta}$-lactamases (ESBL)-producing bacteria are also demonstrating a challenging problem for health care. The aim of this study was the biosynthesis of AuNP using Rosa damascenes petal extract and conjugation of ceftriaxone antibiotic (Cef-AuNP) in inhibiting ESBL-producing bacteria and study of in vitro anticancer activity. Characterization of the synthesized AuNP and Cef-AuNP was studied. ESBL-producing strains, Acinetobacter baumannii ACI1 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PSE4 were used for testing the efficacy of Cef-AuNP. The cells of MCF-7 breast cancer were treated with previous AuNP and Cef-AuNP at different time intervals. Cytotoxicity effects of apoptosis and its molecular mechanism were evaluated. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy established the formation of AuNP and Cef-AuNP. Transmission electron microscope demonstrated that the formed nanoparticles were of different shapes with sizes of 15~35 nm and conjugation was established by a slight increase in size. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of Cef-AuNP against tested strains were obtained as 3.6 and $4{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. Cef-AuNP demonstrated a decrease in the MIC of ceftriaxone down to more than 27 folds on the studied strains. The biosynthesized AuNP displayed apoptotic and time-dependent cytotoxic effects in the cells of MCF-7 at a concentration of $0.1{\mu}g/ml$ medium. The Cef-AuNP have low significant effects on MCF-7 cells. These results enhance the conjugating utility in old unresponsive ceftriaxone with AuNP to restore its efficiency against otherwise resistant bacterial pathogens. Additionally, AuNP may be used as an alternative chemotherapeutic treatment of MCF-7 cancer cells.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.364-371
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• 2016

Objective: With the introduction of third-generation light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in dental practice, it is necessary to compare their bracket-bonding effects, safety, and efficacy with those of the second-generation units. Methods: In this study, 80 extracted human premolars were randomly divided into eight groups of 10 samples each. Metal or polycrystalline ceramic brackets were bonded on the teeth using second- or third-generation LED light-curing units (LCUs), according to the manufacturers' instructions. The shear bond strengths were measured using the universal testing machine, and the adhesive remnant index (ARI) was scored by assessing the residual resin on the surfaces of debonded teeth using a scanning electron microscope. In addition, curing times were also measured. Results: The shear bond strengths in all experimental groups were higher than the acceptable clinical shear bond strengths, regardless of the curing unit used. In both LED LCU groups, all ceramic bracket groups showed significantly higher shear bond strengths than did the metal bracket groups except the plasma emulation group which showed no significant difference. When comparing units within the same bracket type, no differences in shear bond strength were observed between the second- and third-generation unit groups. Additionally, no significant differences were observed among the groups for the ARI. Conclusions: The bracket-bonding effects and ARIs of second- and third-generation LED LCUs showed few differences, and most were without statistical significance; however, the curing time was shorter for the second-generation unit.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.53-60
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• 2002

Neurosensory dysfunction of the injured inferior alveolarnerve(IAN) is a common and distrssing consequence of traumatic or iatrogenic injury. Conventional neurosensory testing has been used to detect and monitor sensory impairments of the injured IAN. However, these tests had low reliability and are not qualitative at best because they are based on solely on the patient's subjective assesment of symptoms. Consequently, there is need for more reliable, sensitive, and objective test measures to document and to monitor sensory dysfunction of the trigeminal nerve. This study was to investigate DITI's (digital infrared thermographic imaging) potential as a diagnostic alternative for evaluating of the nerve injures and sensory disturbance. Subjects were 30 patients who had been referred to Ewha Medical Center due to sensory disturbance of the lower lip and chin followed after unobserved inferior alveolar nerve injuries. The patients were examined by clinical neurosensory tests as SLTD (static light touch discrimination), MDD (moving direction discrimination), PPN (pin prick nociception) and DITI (digital infrared thermographic imaging). The correlation between clinical sensory dysfunction scores(Sum of SLTD, MDD, PPN, NP, Tinel sign) and DITI were tested by Spearman nonparametric rank correlation anaylsis & Kruskal-Wallis test, Wilcoxon 2-sample test. This study resulted in as follows; (1) The difference of thermal difference between normal side and affected side was as ${\Delta}-3.2{\pm}0.13$. (2) The DITI differences of the subjects presenting dysesthesia of the lip and chin were correlated significantly with the neurosensory dysfunction scores(r=0.419, p=0.021)and SLTD (r=0.429, p<0.05). (3) The MDD, PPN, NP, Tinel sign, duration, gender were not correlated with DITI(p> 0.05). Therefore, the DITI(digital infrared thermographic imaging) can be an option of the useful objective diagnostic methods to evaluate the injured inferior alveolar nerve and sensory dysfunction of trigerminal nerve.