• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제55권1호
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• pp.89-93
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• 2017

The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence and risk factors of fascioliasis in yaks, Bos grunniens, from 3 counties of Gansu Province in China. A total of 1,584 serum samples, including 974 samples from white yaks from Tianzhu, 464 from black yaks from Maqu, and 146 from black yaks from Luqu County, were collected and analyzed using ELISA to detect IgG antibodies against Fasciola hepatica. The overall F. hepatica seroprevalence was 28.7% (454/1,584), with 29.2% in white yaks (284/974) and 27.9% in black yaks (170/610). The seroprevalence of F. hepatica in yaks from Tianzhu, Luqu, and Maqu was 29.2%, 22.6%, and 29.5%, respectively. Female yaks (30.9%) had higher F. hepatica seroprevalence than male yaks (23.4%). Also, F. hepatica seroprevalence varied by different age group from 24.1% to 33.8%. Further, the seroprevalence ranged from 21.8% to 39.1% over different seasons. Interestingly, the season and age of yaks were associated with F. hepatica infection in yaks in the investigated areas. These findings provided a basis for further studies on this disease in yaks from 3 counties of Gansu Province in northwestern China, which may ultimately support the development of effective control strategies of fascioliasis in these areas.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.102-108
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• 2020

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: In Oriental medicine, certain foods may be beneficial or detrimental based on an individual's constitution; however, the scientific basis for this theory is insufficient. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of body constitution, based on the Sasang type of Korean traditional medical classification system, on the bioavailability of soy isoflavones of Cheonggukjang, a quick-fermented soybean paste. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A pilot study was conducted on 48 healthy Korean men to evaluate the bioavailability of isoflavone after ingestion of food based on constitution types classified by the Sasang typology. The participants were classified into the Taeeumin (TE; n = 15), Soyangin (SY; n = 15), and Soeumin (SE; n = 18) groups. Each participant ingested 50 g of Cheonggukjang per 60 kg body weight. Thereafter, blood was collected, and the soy isoflavone metabolites were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Ntrikinetic analysis of individual isoflavone-derived metabolites was performed. RESULTS: Our nutrikinetic analysis identified 21 metabolites derived from isoflavones in the blood samples from 48 healthy Korean men (age range, 21-29 years). Significant differences were observed in the time to maximum concentration (T_max) and elimination half-life (t_1/2) for nine metabolites among the three groups. The T_max and t_1/2 of the nine metabolites were higher in the SE group than in the other groups. Moreover, the absorption rates, as determined by the area under the plasma-level curve (AUC) values of intact isoflavone, were 5.3 and 9.4 times higher in the TE group than in the SY and SE groups, respectively. Additionally, the highest AUC values for phase I and II metabolites were observed in the TE group. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that isoflavone bioavailability, following Cheonggukjang insgestion, is high in individuals with the TE constitution, and relatively lower in those with the SE and SY constitutions.

• 한국산학기술학회논문지
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• 제19권1호
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• pp.466-476
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• 2018

본 연구는 보건진료전담공무원의 개인 심성, 직무연속성, 직무만족 및 전문직업성의 관계를 파악하고 나아가 전문직업성에 미치는 요인을 규명하기 위한 서술적 조사연구이다. 본 연구는 2017년 8월 20일부터 9월 25일까지 G도에 소재하고 있는 보건진료소에 근무하는 보건진료전담공무원을 대상으로 하였으며, 153부를 최종 분석에 사용하였다. 수집된 자료는 IBM SPSS Statistics 20.0 프로그램을 이용하여 기술통계, t-test, ANOVA, Scheffe test, Pearsons's correlation coefficients, stepwise multiple regression을 통해 분석하였다. 연구결과 대상자의 일반적 특성에 따른 전문직업성 정도의 차이는 월소득(F=6.951, p<.001), 근무경력(F=5.245, p=.002), 보건진료전담공무원 선택동기(F=3.676, p=.004)에서 통계적으로 유의한 차이를 나타냈다. 주요 변수 간의 관계에서 전문직업성은 개인 심성(r=.573, p<.01), 직무연속성(r=.496, p<.01) 및 직무만족(r=.539, p<.01)과 유의한 정적 상관관계를 나타내었다. 일반적 특성, 개인 심성, 직무연속성, 직무만족이 전문직업성에 미치는 영향을 파악하기 위해 다중회귀분석을 실시한 결과, 보건진료전담공무원의 전문직업성과 가장 높은 관련요인은 직무만족(${\beta}=.320$, p<.001), 개인 심성(${\beta}=.291$, p<.001), 월 소득(${\beta}=.283$, p<.001) 및 직무연속성(${\beta}=.176$, p=.009) 순으로 나타났고, 이들 변인들의 총설명력은 49.6%이었다. 본 연구결과를 바탕으로 보건진료전담공무원의 전문직업성을 강화시킬 수 있는 개인차원과 조직차원에서의 융복합적 프로그램 개발과 정책적 지원이 바람직하다고 본다.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• 제46권3호
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• pp.226-238
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• 2013

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are essential fatty acids because humans cannot synthesize them de novo and must obtain them in their diet. Fish and fish oil are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids, including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Significant evidence of the beneficial role of dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids in blood flow has been reported and putative mechanisms for improvement of blood flow include anti-thrombotic effects, lowered blood pressure, improved endothelial function, and anti-atherogenic effects. Edible oils containing omega-3 fatty acids were registered as functional ingredients in the Korea Health Functional Food Code. Although omega-3 fatty acids have been evaluated by the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) based on scientific evidence, periodic re-evaluation may be needed because emerging data related to omega-3 fatty acids have accumulated. Therefore, in this study, we re-evaluated scientific evidence for the effect of omega-3 fatty acids as a functional ingredient in health functional food on improvement of blood flow. A comprehensive literature search was conducted for collection of relevant human studies using the Medline and Cochrane, KISS, and IBIDS databases for the years 1955-2012. Search keywords were used by combination of terms related to omega-3 fatty acids and blood flow. The search was limited to human studies published in Korean, English, and Japanese. Using the KFDA's evidence based evaluation system for scientific evaluation of health claims, 112 human studies were identified and reviewed in order to evaluate the strength of the evidence supporting a relation between omega-3 fatty acids and blood flow. Among 112 studies, significant effects on improvement of blood flow were reported in 84 studies and the daily intake amount was ranged from 0.1 to 15 g. According to this methodology of systematic review, we concluded that there was possible evidence to support a relation between omega-3 fatty acid intake and blood flow. However, because inconsistent results have recently been reported, future studies should be monitored.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제24권6호
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• pp.623-629
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• 2016

(1S,2S,3E,7E,11E)-3,7,11,15-cembratetraen-17,2-olide (LS-1), a marine cembrenolide diterpene, has anticancer activity against colon cancer cells such as HT-29, SNU-C5/5-FU (fluorouracil-resistant SNU-C5) and SNU-C5. However, the action mechanism of LS-1 on SNU-C5 human colon cancer cells has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we investigated whether the anticancer effect of LS-1could result from apoptosis via the modulation of $Wnt/{\beta}$-catenin and the TGF-${\beta}$ pathways. When treated with the LS-1, we could observe the apoptotic characteristics such as apoptotic bodies and the increase of sub-G1 hypodiploid cell population, increase of Bax level, decrease of Bcl-2 expression, cleavage of procaspase-3 and cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase in SNU-C5 cells. Furthermore, the apoptosis induction of SNU-C5 cells upon LS-1 treatment was also accompanied by the down-regulation of $Wnt/{\beta}$-catenin signaling pathway via the decrease of GSK-$3{\beta}$ phosphorylation followed by the decrease of ${\beta}$-catenin level. In addition, the LS-1 induced the activation of TGF-${\beta}$ signaling pathway with the decrease of carcinoembryonic antigen which leads to decrease of c-Myc, an oncoprotein. These data suggest that the LS-1 could induce the apoptosis via the down-regulation of $Wnt/{\beta}$-catenin pathway and the activation of TGF-${\beta}$ pathway in SNU-C5 human colon cancer cells. The results support that the LS-1 might have potential for the treatment of human colon cancer.

• 한국산학기술학회논문지
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• 제19권6호
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• pp.240-251
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• 2018

본 연구는 요양병원 간호사의 도덕적 고뇌와 도덕적 민감성의 정도, 상관관계, 도덕적 고뇌에 영향을 미치는 요인 및 도덕적 고뇌의 경험상황을 파악하기 위해 시행되었다. 연구대상자는 G도에 소재한 6개의 요양병원에 근무하는 간호사 180명으로, 자료수집은 2016년 3월 21일부터 4월 8일까지 시행하였으며 SPSS win 23.0 프로그램을 이용하여 분석하였다. 대상자의 도덕적 고뇌정도는 평균 3.57점, 도덕적 민감성정도는 평균 4.82점이었으며, 도덕적 고뇌와 도덕적 민감성 간에는 유의한 정적 상관(r=.494, p<.001)이 있었다. 요양병원 간호사의 도덕적 고뇌에 영향을 주는 변인은 도덕적 민감성과 윤리적 딜레마 경험여부로 나타났다. 대상자의 도덕적 고뇌 상황 경험은 간호의 질이 보장되지 않은 부적절한 간호행위와 관련된 상황, 비윤리적인 인권문제와 관련된 상황, 부족한 간호 인력과 관련된 상황, 조직 및 국가 차원의 지원 부족과 관련된 상황 등에서 경험한 것으로 나타났다. 따라서 요양병원 간호사의 도덕적 고뇌를 감소시키기 위해서는 도덕적 민감성과 윤리적 문제해결능력을 함께 향상시킬 수 있는 중재방안이 마련될 필요가 있다.

• 대한암한의학회지
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.5-11
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• 2015

Objective : The objective of this study was to investigate the anti-tumor activity of the complexed herbal formula, Haeamdan (HAD). Methods : Seven Cancer cell lines, LoVo, MCF-7, AGS, Sarcoma 180, HL-60, NCI-H69, LL/2, were prepared and the cytotoxicity was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-dephenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. HAD was applied with various concentrations from 0.1 to 1.0 mg/ml to figure out the appropriate dosage. ICR male mice were intraperitoneally implanted with Sarcoma 180 and divided into 8 species for each group. Control group was treated with normal saline, positive control group was treated with cyclophosphamide 8mg/kg, and experimental group was treated with HAD 1g/kg. Results : Among seven cancer cell lines, HAD exhibited strong cytotoxic activities to followed four cancer cell lines, that is, Sarcoma 180, HL-60, NCI-H69, and LL/2. These cytotoxic activity was expressed under 0.50 mg/ml of IC50 under 0.1~1mg/ml of OBW. When Sarcoma 180 cancer cell was implanted in ICR male mice and treated with the HAD, HAD prolonged the median overall survival for 3.6 days, from 17.5 to 21.1 days. Conclusion : HAD showed strong cytotoxicity to the cancer cells, Sarcoma 180, HL-60, NCI-H69, on in vitro study and it showed anti-tumor activity in vivo with the peritoneal cancer mice by prolonging the median survival for 3.6 days. Further researches would be expected to support the anti-tumor efficacy of HAD.

• Journal of Construction Engineering and Project Management
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• 제5권1호
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• pp.11-19
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• 2015

This paper presents optimized artificial neural networks (ANNs) claims prediction and decision awareness framework that guides owner organizations in their pre-bid construction project decisions to minimize claims. The framework is composed of two genetic optimization ANNs models: a Claims Impact Prediction Model (CIPM), and a Decision Awareness Model (DAM). The CIPM is composed of three separate ANNs that predict the cost and time impacts of the possible claims that may arise in a project. The models also predict the expected types of relationship between the owner and the contractor based on their behavioral and technical decisions during the bidding phase of the project. The framework is implemented using actual data from international projects in the Middle East and Egypt (projects owned by either public or private local organizations who hired international prime contractors to deliver the projects). Literature review, interviews with pertinent experts in the Middle East, and lessons learned from several international construction projects in Egypt determined the input decision variables of the CIPM. The ANNs training, which has been implemented in a spreadsheet environment, was optimized using genetic algorithm (GA). Different weights were assigned as variables to the different layers of each ANN and the total square error was used as the objective function to be minimized. Data was collected from thirty-two international construction projects in order to train and test the ANNs of the CIPM, which predicted cost overruns, schedule delays, and relationships between contracting parties. A genetic optimization backward analysis technique was then applied to develop the Decision Awareness Model (DAM). The DAM combined the three artificial neural networks of the CIPM to assist project owners in setting optimum values for their behavioral and technical decision variables. It implements an intelligent user-friendly input interface which helps project owners in visualizing the impact of their decisions on the project's total cost, original duration, and expected owner-contractor relationship. The framework presents a unique and transparent hybrid genetic algorithm-ANNs training and testing method. It has been implemented in a spreadsheet environment using MS Excel$^{(R)}$ and EVOLVERTM V.5.5. It provides projects' owners of a decision-support tool that raises their awareness regarding their pre-bid decisions for a construction project.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제30권7호
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• pp.938-943
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• 2017

Objective: Qingyu pig, a Chinese indigenous pig breed, exhibits two types of coat colour phenotypes, including pure black and white with black spotting respectively. Melanocortin receptor 1 (MC1R) and agouti signaling protein (ASIP) are two widely reported pivotal genes that significantly affect the regulation of coat colour. The objectives of this study were to investigate whether the polymorphisms of these two genes are associated with coat colour and analyze the molecular mechanism of the coat colour separation in Qingyu pig. Methods: We studied the phenotype segregation and used polymerase chain reaction amplification and Sanger sequencing to investigate the polymorphism of MC1R and ASIP in 121 Qingyu pigs, consisting of 115 black and 6 white with black spotted pigs. Results: Coat colour of Qingyu pig is associated with the polymorphisms of MC1R but not ASIP. We only found 2 haplotypes, $E^{QY}$ and $E^{qy}$, based on the 13 observed mutations from MC1R gene. Among which, $E^{qy}$ presented a recessive inheritance mode in black spotted Qingyu pigs. Further analysis revealed a g.462-463CC insertion that caused a frameshift mutation and a premature stop codon, thus changed the first transmembrane domain completely and lost the remaining six transmembrane domains. Altogether, our results strongly support that the variety of Qingyu pig's coat colour is related to MC1R. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that black coat colour in Qingyu pig was dominant to white with black spotted phenotype and MC1R gene polymorphism was associated with coat colour separation in Qingyu pig.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제43권2호
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• pp.133-138
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• 2016

Objective: To determine the incidence of embryo retention (ER) in the transfer catheter following embryo transfer (ET) in blastocyst transfer and investigate whether retransferring retained embryos has an impact on reproductive outcomes in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization-ET. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the records of 1,131 blastocyst transfers, which comprised 223 single blastocyst transfer (SBT) and 908 double blastocyst transfer (DBT) cycles. Each SBT and DBT group was classified depending on whether ET was performed without retained embryos in the catheter during the first attempt (without-ER group) or whether any retained embryos were found following ET (ER group) for the purpose of comparing reproductive outcomes in a homogenous population. Results: The overall incidence of finding retained embryos was 2.8% (32/1,131). There were no retained embryos in SBT cycles. In DBT cycles, implantation rates (30.0% vs. 26.6%), positive ${\beta}-hCG$ rates (57.2% vs. 56.2%), clinical pregnancy rates (45.3% vs. 46.9%), and live birth rates (38.9% vs. 43.8%) were not significantly different between the without-ER and ER groups. There were no significant differences in the mean birth weight (g) $2,928.4{\pm}631.8$ vs. $2,948.7{\pm}497.8$ and the mean gestational age at birth ($269.3{\pm}17.2days$ vs. $264.2{\pm}25.7days$). A total of nine cases of congenital birth defects were found in this study population. Eight were observed in the without-ER group and one in the ER group. Conclusion: Our results suggest that retransfer of retained embryos does not have any adverse impact on reproductive outcomes in blastocyst transfer cycles. Furthermore, our results support finding that SBT might be advantageous for decreasing the incidence of retained embryos in catheters.