• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.654-658
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• 2002

Purpose : Endocrine and immune systems are connected and interdependent. Adrenal glands play an important role in this network and control the balance between serum levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate(DHEAS) and cortisol. These steroids have an antagonistic effect on the T cell progression into Th1 and Th2 cells and on the induction of correlated interleukins. Therefore we evaluated the role of adrenal androgen and cortisol as immune modulators in Kawasaki disease( KD) with changes of T cell immunity. Methods : From April to August in 2001, we examined serum DHEAS and 24 hour urine free cortisol(F) before administration of immunoglobulin and steroids by radioimmunoassay in 14 KD patients. It's clinical severity was determined by Harada score and coronary lesion. Results : The age of the patient group ranged from 4 months to 4 years; its average age was 2.3 years. Three patients(21.4%) were below 1 year, 2(14.3%) between 1 and 2 years, 5(35.7%) between 2 and 3 years, 4(28.6%) between 3 and 4 years of age. Male to female ratio was 1:1.3. DHEAS was significantly decreased in patients($11.1{\pm}6.0{\mu}g/dL$) more than controls($81.6{\pm}13.3{\mu}g/dL$)(P<0.05). Twenty-four hour urine free cortisol was significantly increased in patients($36.9{\pm}21.9{\mu}g/dL$) more than controls($13.6{\pm}5.5{\mu}g/dL$)(P<0.05). Ratio of DHEAS/F was decreased remarkably in patients($0.33{\pm}0.20$) more than controls($6.65{\pm}2.56$)(P=0.016). There was no difference between ratio of DHEAS/F and Harada score, but its ratio was very low in patients with coronary aneurysm. Conclusion : These data demonstrate that there are changes of DHEAS and cortisol in acute stage of KD and the dis-equilibrium between two steroids may be relevant in the T cell immune response induction of Kawasaki disease. These changes support the use of DHEAS/F ratio as one of the predictive factors of coronary arteries complication.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.75-83
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• 2016

Background: In order to evaluate the effect of pH, known as a critical factor for shaping the biogeographical microbial patterns in the studies by others, on the bacterial diversity, we selected two sites in a similar geographical location (site 1; north latitude 35.3, longitude 127.8, site 2; north latitude 35.2, longitude 129.2) and compared their soil bacterial diversity between them. The mountain soil at site 1 (Jiri National Park) represented naturally acidic but almost pollution free (pH 5.2) and that at site 2 was neutral but exposed to the pollutants due to the suburban location of a big city (pH 7.7). Methods: Metagenomic DNAs from soil bacteria were extracted and amplified by PCR with 27F/518R primers and pyrosequenced using Roche 454 GS FLX Titanium. Results: Bacterial phyla retrieved from the soil at site 1 were more diverse than those at site 2, and their bacterial compositions were quite different: Almost half of the phyla at site 1 were Proteobacteria (49 %), and the remaining phyla were attributed to 10 other phyla. By contrast, in the soil at site 2, four main phyla (Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, and Cyanobacteria) composed 94 %; the remainder was attributed to two other phyla. Furthermore, when bacterial composition was examined on the order level, only two Burkholderiales and Rhizobiales were found at both sites. So depending on pH, the bacterial community in soil at site 1 differed from that at site 2, and although the acidic soil of site 1 represented a non-optimal pH for bacterial growth, the bacterial diversity, evenness, and richness at this site were higher than those found in the neutral pH soil at site 2. Conclusions: These results and the indices regarding diversity, richness, and evenness examined in this study indicate that pH alone might not play a main role for bacterial diversity in soil.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Computer Information Conference
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• 2020.07a
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• pp.497-499
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• 2020

모바일 게임에서의 스타터 팩이란 신규 유저들이 부분유료화 모바일 게임들을 처음 시작하면 쉽게 접할 수 있는 첫 과금요소 중 하나다. 본 논문은 부분유료화 모바일 게임에서의 스타터 팩을 경험해 본 유저들 대상으로 스타터 팩에 대한 인식을 분석하며 게임 개발팀 및 유저들의 입장에서의 서로 윈윈효과를 위해 스타터 팩 기획 구성을 어떻게 해야 하는지에 대한 향후 방향성을 제시한다.

• Proceedings of the Mineralogical Society of Korea Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.38-39
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• 2001

The seasonal changes in pH, Fe, Al and SO$_4$$\^$2-/ contents of acid drainage released from coal mine dumps play a major role in precipitation of metal hydroxides in the Taebaek coal field area, southeastern Korea. Precipitates in the creeks underwent a cycle of the color change showing white, reddish brown and brownish yellow, which depends on geochemical factors of the creek waters. White precipitates consist of Al-sulfate (basaluminite and hydrobasaluminite) and reddish brown ones are composed of ferrihydrite and brownish yellow ones are of schwertmannite. Goethite coprecipitates with ferrihydrite and schwertmannite. Ferrihydrite formed at higher values than pH 5.3 and schwertmannite precipitated below pH 4.3, and goethite formed at the intermediate pH range between the two minerals. With the pH being increased from acid to intermediate regions, Fe is present both as schwertmannite and goethite. From the present observation, the most favorable pH that basauluminte can precipitate is in the range of pH 4.45-5.95. SEM examination of precipitates at stream bottom shows that they basically consist of agglomerates of spheroid and rod-shape bacteria. Bacteria species are remarkably different among bottom precipitates and, to a less extent, there are slightly different chemical compositions even within the same bacteria. The speciation and calculation of the mineral saturation index were made using MINTEQA2. In waters associated with yellowish brown precipitates mainly composed of schwertmannite, So$_4$ species is mostly free So$_4$$\^$2-/ ion with less AlSo$_4$$\^$+/, CaSo$\sub$(aq)/, and MgSo$\sub$4(aq)/. Ferrous iron is present mostly as free Fe$\^$2+/, and FeSo$\sub$4(aq)/ and ferric iron exists predominantly as Fe(OH)$_2$$\^$+/, with less FeSo$\sub$4(aq)/, Fe(OH)$_2$$\^$-/, FeSo$_4$$\^$-/ and Fe$\^$3+/, respectively Al exists as free Al$\^$3+/, AlOH$_2$$\^$-/, (AlSo$_4$)$\^$+/, and Al(So$_4$)$\^$2-/. Fe is generally saturated with respect to hematite, magnetite, and goethite, with nearly saturation with lepidocrocite. Aluminum and sulfate are supersaturated with respect to predominant alunite and less jubanite, and they approach a saturation state with respect to diaspore, gibbsite, boehmite and gypsum. In the case of waters associated with whitish precipitates mainly composed of basaluminite, Al is present as predominant Al$\^$3+/ and Al(SO$_4$)$\^$+/, with less Al(OH)$\^$2+/, Al(OH)$_2$$\^$+/ and Al(SO$_4$)$\^$2-/. According to calculation for the mineral saturation, aluminum and sulfate are greatly supersaturated with respect to basaluminite and alunite. Diaspore is flirty well supersaturated while jubanite, gibbsite, and boehmite are already supersaturated, and gypsum approaches its saturation state. The observation that the only mineral phase we can easily detect in the whitish precipitate is basaluminite suggests that growth rate of alunite is much slower than that of basaluminite. Neutralization of acid mine drainage due to the dilution caused by the dilution effect due to mixing of unpolluted waters prevails over the buffering effect by the dissolution of carbonate or aluminosilicates. The main factors to affect color change are variations in aqueous geochemistry, which are controlled by dilution effect due to rainfall, water mixng from adjacent creeks, and the extent to which water-rock interaction takes place with seasons. pH, Fe, Al and SO$_4$ contents of the creek water are the most important factors leading to color changes in the precipitates. A geochemical cycle showing color variations in the precipitates provides the potential control on acid mine drainage and can be applied as a reclamation tool in a temperate region with four seasons.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.46-53
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• 1996

Background: Endotoxin or lipopolysaccharide(LPS) can prime phagocytic cells such as polymorphonuclear leukocytes, monocytes or animal peritoneal macrophages to generate increased amounts of secretory products such as oxygen free radicals and tumor necrosis factor, which play an important role in developing adult respiratory distress syndrome in gram negative sepsis. Human alveolar macrophages(HAM) are continuously exposed to various stimuli inhaled into the alveoli, and the response to LPS might be different in HAM. Therefore, we investigated the effect of LPS pre-exposure on HAM adhered to plastic surface and A549 cell(type II human alveolar epithelial cell line) monolayer. Methods: HAM were isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from normal lung of the patients with localized lung cancer and esophageal cancer. LPS was exposed to HAM for 2hrs before or after adherence to plastic surface of 24-well Linbro plate and A549 cell monolayer. And then HAM was stimulated with PMA(phorbol myristate acetate) or fMLP(N-formyl-methionylleucyl-phenylalanine). The amount of hydrogen peroxide($H_2O_2$) production in the supernatant was measured on the principle of peroxidase-dependent oxidation of phenol red by hydrogen peroxide. Results: LPS pre-exposure could not enhance $H_2O_2$ production in neither HAM adhered to plastic surface nor one to A549 cell monolayer. But LPS even in the absence of PMA or fMLP stimulation directly increased $H_2O_2$ release in HAM if added after the adherence to A549 cell monolayer. Conclusion: Endotoxin does not prime HAM, but may directly activate HAM adhered to alveolar epithelial cells. Further investagation will be necessary.