• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.105-110
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• 2006

A three-layer, feed-forward artificial neural network (ANN) with sixteen input neurons, three hidden neurons, and one output neuron was developed to identify the presence of infectious bronchitis (IB) infection as early as possible in laying hen flocks. Retrospective data from flocks that enrolled IB surveillance program between May 2003 and November 2005 were used to build the ANN. Data set of 86 flocks was divided randomly into two sets: 77 cases for training set and 9 cases for testing set. Input factors were 16 epidemiological findings including characteristics of the layer house, management practice, flock size, and the output was either presence or absence of IB. ANN was trained using training set with a back-propagation algorithm and test set was used to determine the network's capability to predict outcomes that it has never seen. Diagnostic performance of the trained network was evaluated by constructing receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve with the area under the curve (AUC), which were also used to determine the best positivity criterion for the model. Several different ANNs with different structures were created. The best-fitted trained network, IBV_D1, was able to predict IB in 73 cases out of 77 (diagnostic accuracy 94.8%) in the training set. Sensitivity and specificity of the trained neural network was 95.5% (42/44, 95% CI, 84.5-99.4) and 93.9% (31/33, 95% CI, 79.8-99.3), respectively. For testing set, AVC of the ROC curve for the IBV_D1 network was 0.948 (SE=0.086, 95% CI 0.592-0.961) in recognizing IB infection status accurately. At a criterion of 0.7149, the diagnostic accuracy was the highest with a 88.9% with the highest sensitivity of 100%. With this value of sensitivity and specificity together with assumed 44% of IB prevalence, IBV_D1 network showed a PPV of 80% and an NPV of 100%. Based on these findings, the authors conclude that neural network can be successfully applied to the development of a screening model for identifying IB infection in laying hen flocks.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.1384-1392
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• 2015

Sagantang (SGT), a Korean multiherb formula comprising six medicinal herbs, Paeonia lactiflora Pall., Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC, Gardenia jasminoides Ellis, Poria cocos Wolf, Cimicifuga heracleifolia Komarov, and Artractylodes japonica Koidzumi, was recorded in “Dongeuibogam.” The present study investigated the anticancer potential of SGT in AGS human gastric carcinoma cells. The results indicated that SGT treatment significantly inhibited the growth and viability of AGS cells in a dose-dependent manner, which was associated with the induction of apoptotic cell death, as evidenced by the formation of apoptotic bodies, in addition to chromatin condensation and DNA fragmentation, and the accumulation of annexin-V positive cells. The induction of apoptotic cell death by the SGT treatment was associated with up-regulation of Fas protein expression, truncation of Bid, and down-regulation of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein. The SGT treatment also effectively induced the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, which was associated with the activation of caspases (caspase-3, -8, and -9) and degradation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. However, a pan-caspase inhibitor significantly blocked the SGT-induced apoptosis and growth suppression in AGS cells. This study suggests that SGT induces caspase-dependent apoptosis through an extrinsic pathway by upregulating Fas, as well as through an intrinsic pathway by modulating Bcl-2 family members in AGS cells. The results suggest that SGT may be a potential chemotherapeutic agent for the control of human gastric cancer cells. However, further studies will be needed to confirm the potential of SGT in cancer prevention and therapy in an in vivo model and to identify biological active compounds of SGT.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.212-218
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• 2015

In South Korea, various nature-like fishways recently been installed for use by a wide variety of fish species. However, limited attempts have been made to monitor the fish utilization. The present study was conducted to ascertain the frequencies and patterns of utilization of the fishway installed at Beakjae Weir. We collected fish species that use the fishway by installing a fyke net at the exit of the fishway at least once a month from April 2013 to October 2013. Additionally, in order to identify all fish species that can potentially use the fishway, we investigated the fish fauna downstream to Beakjae Weir (mainstream of the Geum River). We found that 10 species belonging to 2 families used the fishway; this accounted for 64% of the total species inhabiting the mainstream. The species that used the fishway most frequently were Microphysogobio jeoni, followed by Squaliobarbus curriculus and Opsariichthys uncirostris amurensis. The highest number of fish using the fishway was observed in August, which was positively correlated with the water temperature (Spearman rank correlation, $r_s$=0.743, P=0.035). The sizes of the fish using the fishway varied widely, with the total body length ranging from 39 mm to 550 mm. Analysis of the time-dependent utilization frequency revealed that most fish used the fishway during the night (20:00~08:00). Compared to other fishways installed along the Geum River, the fishway installed at Beakjae Weir was used by fewer species and fish. This may be attributed to the structural inadequacy of the fishway, thereby resulting in a low attraction efficiency. Therefore, measures should be adopted to enhance the fishway attraction and passage efficiency. The results of this study can be used to ensure efficient operation and management of the Beakjae Weir fishway as well as serve as basic data for developing and building nature-like fishways tailored to Korean situations.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.37-42
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• 2006

The current study was conducted to investigate the effect of types of crate and season on transport condition and mortality, and ultimately to identify the best practice for reducing economic lose. Total loading weight stocking density, transport and lairage times and mortality were surveyed from the management data sheet of two companies for each first week of January, April, August and October, An average loading weight, length of transport and lairage times and mortality were 3.9 ton, 96 min, 478 min and 0.6%, respectively. Mortality after lairage was not significant between two types of crate. In addition, container type crate showed higher loading weight and stocking density than box type one. Spring and winter had significantly higher mortality with 0.7 and 0.8%, respectively, then summer and fell of 0.5%. An interaction between crate type and season on mortality showed that mortality for box type on was higher in spring and winter with 0.8 and 0.7%, respectively, compared to summer and fall of 0,3 and 0.4% respectively. In the case of container type crate, spring, fall and winter had greatly different death into with 0.7, 0.5 and 0.8%, respectively, while there was no difference between spring and summer, and between summer and winter, Mortality after transportation was similar between both crate type, with higher rate for spring and winder than other seasons. The result was likely related to death of exposure due to extended waiting time without heating facility.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.105-110
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• 2011

BACKGROUND: In this study, 5 different treatments such as non-treatment, mixed expeller cake 1.0 N (standard nitrogen fertilizer), rice straw, rice straw+mixed expeller cake 0.5 N, rice straw+mixed expeller cake 1.0 N were performed over 4 cropping seasons over 2 years in order to identify the optimal application rate of mixture of rice straw and mixed expeller cake, organic source in organic cultivation of tomatoes. METHODS AND RESULTS: There was no difference in all treatments in case of 200 mg/kg in the nitrate nitrogen content in soil prior to the first cropping season test under the criteria for nitrogen nutrient based on yield of crops, cultivation without fertilizers seems possible. But in the second cropping season, no treatment and rice straw showed the reduction of yield and in the third cropping season, rice-straw+mixed expeller cake 0.5 N treatment showed the significant difference. The content of nitrate nitrogen in soil prior to cropping seasons was evaluated in 160 mg/kg and standard fertilization such as mixed expeller cake, source of nitrogen, are needed due to the deficiency of nitrogen. In terms of application of organic resources, rice straw showed the effects of improvements on physical properties of soil such as bulk density, cation exchange capacity and humus contents, but the mixed expeller cake did not show any significant differences in improvements on physical properties of soil. CONCLUSION(s): Fertilizer management in organic cultivation of tomatoes is thought to produce the reliable quantity of crops as well as keep the high quality of soils by using the optimal application rate of mixed expeller cake according to the contents of nitrate nitrogen in soil and rice straw which improves the physical properties of soil.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.221-231
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• 2004

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the need for child hospice care programs in families of children with cancer. Methods: The survey of 104 families who were taking care of children with cancer was conducted. This survey was conducted from February 2004 to July 2004 at two general hospitals in Seoul. The data were collected through a self-reporting questionnaire of 22 items. The items were classified into five areas by factor analysis to identify the construct validity. The reliability of the tool was established by Cronbach's alpha as .94 and the data collected were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test and ANOVA. Results: 1) The degree of need for hospice care of the subjects showed a high average of 3.40 (${\pm}3.8$). The need for 'emotional care of children' showed the highest mean (M=3.55), 'management of terminal physical symptoms'(M=3.49), 'control of secondary physical problems' (M=3.41), 'acceptance of the family's difficulty' (M=3.20), 'spiritual care for preparing for death'(M=3.17), respectively. 2) With respect to the demographic characteristics of the subjects, there were statistically significant differences in hospice care needs, according to the child's mother's age (F==4.980, P=.009), whether or not there were cancer patients among their siblings or relatives (t=2.423, P=.017). Conclusion: The family of children with cancer have a heavy burden of ambivalence, especially in relieving the anxiety and fear of their children, communicating about death, and managing physical symptoms. Child hospice care must be provided considering the needs of families of children with cancer. Thus popular needs as well as hospice nurses' higher concern and support for hospice care of children require further education and program development to meet the current demands.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.23-32
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• 2018

Purpose: Little is known regarding the extent to which dying patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) receive life-sustaining procedures and palliative care in U.S. hospitals. We examine hospital cost trends and the impact of palliative care utilization on the use of life-sustaining procedures in this population. Methods: Retrospective nationwide cohort analysis was performed using National Inpatient Sample (NIS) data from 2005 and 2014. We examined the receipt of both palliative care and intensive medical procedures, defined as systemic procedures, pulmonary procedures, or surgeries using the International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision (ICD-9-CM). Results: We used compound annual growth rates (CAGR) to determine temporal trends and multilevel multivariate regressions to identify factors associated with hospital cost. Among 77,394,755 hospitalizations, 79,314 patients were examined. The CAGR of hospital cost was 5.83% (P<0.001). The CAGRs of systemic procedures and palliative care were 5.98% and 19.89% respectively (each P<0.001). Systemic procedures, pulmonary procedures, and surgeries were associated with increased hospital cost by 59.04%, 72.00%, 55.26%, respectively (each P<0.001). Palliative care was associated with decreased hospital cost by 28.71% (P<0.001). Conclusion: The volume of systemic procedures is the biggest driver of cost increase although there is a cost-saving effect from greater palliative care utilization.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.61-76
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• 2007

The purpose of the study is to identify and understand problems existing in the middle school home economics practice rooms in Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. The findings are based on the examination and the analysis of the indoor environment and the condition of the facilities and equipment. Study method employs on-site research and a survey. The on-site research was conducted about temperature, humidity, intensity of illumination, and status of teaching instrument in 10 out of 41 middle schools in Jeju Special Self-Governing Province from August 16 to September 30, 2006. Meanwhile, the survey was implemented by mail for 95 teachers in charge of manual training and home economics education in 41 middle schools in Jeju from November 1 to 23, 2005. 64 questionnaires out of total 95 were collected, including those collected during the period of on-site research. Finally, 61 questionnaires which were effective among the answered ones were used for analysis. Collected materials were analyzed with the SPSS Win.12.0 program for frequency, percentile analysis. In conclusion, the study determines that the condition of the home economics practice rooms of the middle school in JSSGP in terms of temperature, humidity, lighting and ventilation is very inadequate. The structure of the practice room represents an inefficient work flow pattern. Further, the facilities and equipment are in a very poor condition because the facilities are old and the retention rate of teaching tools is low. Therefore, to address these problems, the study suggests that improvements on the facilities and equipment should be made and teaching tools should be replenished in accordance with the industry standard.

• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.337-371
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• 2015

In recent years, aviation safety has been facing new hazards due to the rapidly changing environment in which aircraft operation increasingly finds. Continuously increasing air traffic volume, integration of various cultures from many States, and many other changes are the causal factors of the new risks. To identify such new hazards and risks, the government of the Republic of Korea (ROK) established aviation safety reporting systems in accordance with the international standards of the Convention on International Civil Aviation. However, there are some misunderstandings by the government in operating and by the personnel who take part in these reporting systems. Everybody should understand that aviation safety reporting system is not a punitive measure but a tool for collecting data in order to improve safety. In addition, such a system can be utilized further to promote an improved awareness on the need for a proper safety culture on the part of both the government, the industry and the personnel. This paper includes studies on international standards, relevant regulations in the United States and the United Kingdom. Moreover, this paper proposes to the government of ROK several points to improve their own system, including integration of the existing reporting systems, improvement of reporting items, implementation of safety data taxonomy and the establishment of safety data protection.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.173-182
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• 2002

Background : Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) have usually been considered to be contaminants of colonizers when isolated from respiratory specimens in Korea, where there is a high prevalence of tuberculosis and a low rate of HIV infections. Therefore, there has been few studies on the clinical significance of NTM species in immunocompetent patients were investigated. Methods : Thirty-five NTM isolates, for which species identification was requested by the treating physicians during 1999 at the Asan Medical Center, were retrospectively analyzed. They were identified to the species level by mycolic acid analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography. The medical records of the patients with the NTM isolates were reviewed to identify those patients who met the American Thoracic Society (ATS)'s criteria for mycobacterial pulmonary infection. Their antimicrobial susceptibility data were compared with the clinical outcomes. Results : The NTM were identified as M. intracellulare (6 isolates), M. avium (5), M. abscessus (5), M. gordonae (5), M. terrae complex (4), M. szulgai (2), M. kansasii (2), M. fortuitum (2), M. peregrinum (1), M. mucogenicum (1), M. celatum (1), and M. chelonae (1). All 35 patients showed clinical symptoms and signs of chronic lung disease, but none had a HIV infections; 16 (45.7%) patients were found to be compatible with a NTM pulmonary infection according to the ATS criteria, 5 and 4 cases were affected with M. intracellulare and M. abscessus, respectively; 8 patients had a history of pulmonary tuberculosis. 13 patients received antimycobacterial therapy for an average of 21 months and 9 patients were treated with second-line drugs. Only 4 patients had improved radiologically. Conclusion : A NTM should be considered a potential pathogen of pulmonary infections in immunocompetent patients with chronic pulmonary diseases. Most NTM infections were left untreated for a prolonged period and showed a poor outcome as a result, M. intracellulare and M. abscessus were the two most frequent causes of NTM pulmonary infections in this study. Species identification and antimycobacterial susceptibility tests based on the species are needed for the optimum management of a NTM pulmonary infection in patients.