• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.214-227
• /
• 2013

Computed tomographic scan as a screening procedures in asymptomatic individuals has seen a steady increase with the introduction of multiple-raw detector CT scanners. This report provides a brief review of the current controversy surrounding CT cancer screening, with a focus on the radiation induced cancer risks and clinical efficacy. 1. A large study of patients at high risk of lung cancer(the National Lung Screening Trial[NLST]) showed that CT screening reduced cancer deaths by 20%(1.33% in those screened compared with 1.67% in those not screened). The rate of positive screening tests was 24.2% and 96.4% of the positive screening results in the low-dose CT group were false-positive. Radiation induced lung cancer risk was estimated the most important in screening population because ERR of radiation induced lung cancer does not show the decrease with increasing age and synergistic connection between smoking and radiation risk. Therefore, the radiation risk may be on the same order of magnitude as the benefit observed in the NLST. Optimal screening strategy remain uncertain, CT lung cancer screening is not yet ready for implementation. 2. Computed tomographic colonography is as good as colonoscopy for detecting colon cancer and is almost as good as colonoscopy for detecting advanced adenomas, but significantly less sensitive and specific for smaller lesions and disadvantageous for subsequent therapeutic optical colonoscopy if polyps are detected. The average effective dose from CT colonography was estimated 8-10 $mS{\nu}$, which could be a significant dose if administered routinely within the population over many years. CT colonography should a) achieve at least 90% sensitivity and specificity in the size category from 6 and 10 mm, b) offer non-cathartic bowl preparation and c) be optimized and standardized CT parameters if it is to be used for mass screening. 3. There is little evidence that demonstrates, for whole-body scanning, the benefit outweighs the detriment. This test found large portion of patient(86~90.8%) had at least one abnormal finding, whereas only 2% were estimated to have clinically significant disease. Annual scans from ages 45 to 75 years would accrue an estimated lifetime cancer mortality risk of 1.9%. There is no group within the medical community that recommends whole-body CT. No good studies indicate the accuracy of screening CT, at this time. The benefit/risk balance for any of the commonly suggested CT screening techniques has yet to be established. These areas need further research. Therefore wild screening should be avoided.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.55 no.6
• /
• pp.579-588
• /
• 2003

Background : The hospital-acquired pneumonia is the most common nosocomial infection. Recently, the Acinetobacter baummannii infections are rapidly increasing, especially the frequency of Multi-drug resistant A. baumannii. Therefore we assessed clinical features and prognosis of patients in the ICU with Multi-drug resistant A. baumannii from the sputum culture using the Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score(CPIS). Method : The medical records of 43 patients with Multi-drug resistant A. baumannii from sputum culture who were suspected had clinically pneumonia and admitted to the ICU from January 2000 to July 2002 were retrospectively analyzed. Results : 19 patients were CPIS greater than 6 and 24 patients were CPIS less than or equal to 6. Mean age for the former was $71{\pm}11$ years old, and the latter was $61{\pm}19$ years old. The mean APACHE II score on admission and on sputum study was not different between two groups($17.4{\pm}5.7$ vs $18.5{\pm}6.1$, p=0.553, $20{\pm}6$ vs $17{\pm}8$, p=0.078). But the mortality rate was 73.7% for the former, and 16.7% for the latter(p<0.001). Conclusion : In ICU patients who had clinically suspected pneumonia with sputum culture positive for Multi-drug resistant A. baumannii, the mortality was significantly higher if CPIS was greater than 6.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.294-306
• /
• 1995

There has recently been increasing interest in the use of NMDA receptor antagonists as potential neuroprotective agents for the treatment of ischemic stroke. To evaluate the neuroprotective effect of the selective non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 in focal cerebral ischemia, local cerebral glucose utilization (ICGU) was examined in 15 neuroanatomically discrete regions of the conscious rat brain using the 2-deoxy-D[$^{14}C$] glucose quantitative autoradiographic technique 24 hr after left middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Animals received MK-801 (5 mg/kg i.v.) or saline vehicle before (20-30 min) or after (30 min) MCAO. Both pretreatment and posttreatment of MK-801 increased occluded/non-occluded ICGU ratio in 7 and 5 of the 15 regions measured, respectively (most notably in cortical structures). Following MK-801 pretreatment, there was evidence of widespread increases in ICGU not only in the non-occluded hemisphere (12 of the 15 areas studied) but also in the occluded hemisphere (13 of the 15 areas studied), while MK-801 postreatment did not significantly increase ICGU both in the normal and occluded hemispheres. These data indicate that MK-801 has a neuroprotective effect in focal cerebral ischemia and demonstrate that MK-801 provides widespread alterations of glucose utilization in conscious animals.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
• /
• v.25 no.3 s.68
• /
• pp.139-149
• /
• 1986

These experiments were performed to investigate the effects of sublethal doses of fungicides (validamycin A 3 Sp and neoasozin 6.5 Lq) and insecticides (diazinon 34Ec and decamethrin 1Ec) on the possible ways to the resurgence of brown planthoppers (BPH) (Nilaparvata lugens $St{\aa}l$). The possible factors tested in this experiment were fecundity of BPH, longevity, egg-hatchability, amount of honeydew excreted, population build-up following the pesticide treatments in the next generation, and hopperburn rate of potted rice plants. Among the insecticides tested, the applications of diazinon and decamethrin in rice fields may induce the BPH resurgence and accelerate the hopperburn of rice plants through stimulating the fecundity, increasing the adult longevity, promoting the feeding activity and causing the positve population build-up of the BPH

• Korean journal of applied entomology
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.269-277
• /
• 2002

Ecological studies on entomopathogenic nematodes are required to increase control efficacy against target insect pests and to obtain basic information for mass production. Thus, effect of temperature and nematode concentration on infectivity and reproduction of Steinernema carpocapsae Pocheon and that of exposure time and soil depth on infectivity were examined using Galleria mellonella larvae. Infectivity and reproduction were examined at five temperatures, 13, 18, 24, 30 and 35$^{\circ}C$ with seven concentrations, 0, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80 and 160 infective juveniles (IJs)/larva. Temperature and nematode concentration influenced infectivity and reproduction of S. carpocapsae Pocheon. Although G. mellonella larvae were killed by S. carpocapsae Pocheon at all given temperatures and nematode concentrations, mortality was higher at 24$^{\circ}C$ than other temperatures. Lethal time of G. mellonella by S. carpocapsae Pocheon was shorter with increasing temperature and nematode concentrations. S. carpocapsae Pocheon was not established in G. mellonella at 13 and $35^{\circ}C$. Time for the first emergence from G. mellonella cadaver was longer $18^{\circ}C$ (about 20 days) than 24 and $30^{\circ}C$ (about 5 days). The highest number of progenies was obtained at $24^{\circ}C$ with 80IJs/1arva, i.e., $18.8$\times$10^4$IJs were produced from a larva. In the exposure time assay, G. mellonella death was recorded in 10 minutes when 300 IJs were inoculated per larva. When S. carpocapsae Pocheon was inoculated at the rate of $10^{9}$ IJs/ha to G. mellonella at the depth of 0, 2, 5 and 10 cm of sand columns, 100% mortality and similar sex ratio were observed but number of established IJs in cadaver was decreased with deepening the soil depth. The results indicated that optimum temperature for infectivity and reproduction of S. carpocapsae Pocheon was $24^{\circ}C$ In addition, S. carpocapsae Pocheon was effective to target insects within 5 cm from the soil surface.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.228-232
• /
• 2007

Slow-release fertilizers (SRF) have been used to reduce nutrient loss through increasing fertilizer efficiency and to save labor. Several SRFs were developed for rice plant in Korea, but there is few for horticultural crop plants. Two slow-release complex fertilizers, 100T and 150T, which made for controlling nitrogen release time up to 100 and 150 days, respectively, were selected for the incubation test cto evaluate nitrogen (N) release rate in soil. The N of urea selected as the control was completely released within a week after application. Sixty three and 53% of total N were released from 110T and 150T of slow release fertilizers within 8th weeks after application, respectively. For pepper cultivation CF110 and CF150, new slow-release complex fertilizer, were made of mixing 40% of conventional fertilizer and 60% of 110T and 150T, respectively, based on the amount of recommended fertilizer for pepper cultivation $(N-P_2O_5-K_2O=190-112-149\;kg\;ha^{-1})$, and were totally applied before pepper transplanting in the field as the basal fertilizer. Inorganic N $(NH_4^+-N+NO_3^--N)$ concentration in soil was higher in the CF110 treatment than in the control (NPK) at all period of pepper cultivation. In the CF150 treatment concentration of inorganic N in soil was low compared to control up to 8th weeks after transplanting. However, there was no difference in plant height and nutrient content of pepper leave between CF110 treatment and the control. In comparison, plant height was significantly lower in CF150 than the control and CF110 treatments. Around 4% of fresh pepper yield was increased in CF110 compared to the control, but it was decreased to about 2% by CF150 treatment. Conclusively, CF110 form could be recommended as a slow release fertilizer for pepper cultivation.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.112-116
• /
• 2006

To investigate the protective effect of saponin from red ginseng extract, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo--dioxin (TCDD) was exposed to female guinea pigs and then femur weights was measured. Forty eight female guinea pigs ($820{\pm}25\;g$) were divided into 6 groups. Normal control group (NC) received vehicle and saline; only TCDD-treated group (TT) received TCDD ($5.0\;{\mu}g/kg$, single dose) intraperitoneally; pretreated group of saponin 10 (PE 10) received 10 mg/kg of saponin i.p. for 4 weeks from 1 week before TCDD-exposure; pretreated group of saponin 20 (PE 20) also received 20 mg/kg of saponin i.p. for 4 weeks from 1 week before TCDD-exposure. While, post-treated group of saponin 10 (CE 10) received 10 mg/kg of saponin i.p for 3 weeks after TCDD-exposure. Post-treated group of saponin 20 (CE 20) received 20 mg/kg saponin i.p for 3 weeks after TCDD-exposure. Body weight of TT group was significantly decreased after TCDD-exposure. However, body weight in all saponin-treated groups increased throughout the experimental period, although the increasing rate was slower than that of NC group. Body weights of PE 10 and 20 groups showed more higher increase than those of CE groups during the experimental period. Decrease of femur weights in female guinea pigs by TCDD intoxification was significantly recovered by the saponin treatment. Decrease of $Ca^{2+}$ level of femurs in female guinea pigs exposed TCDD also recovered by the treatment of saponin from red ginseng extract. Especially, PE20 group showed the highest increase of the $Ca^{2+}$ level in femur among the saponin treated groups. These results suggest that ginseng saponin might be a useful protective agent against femur damage caused to decrease of $Ca^{2+}$ by TCDD.

• Food Science and Preservation
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.335-344
• /
• 2015

The objective of this study was to determine the rheological characteristics and sensory evaluation of yanggaeng by using the functional properties of Momordica charantia. Dried Momordica charantia was roasted at $180^{\circ}C$ to remove its bitter taste. The results of the study were as follows : The phenolic compound of Momordica charantia was $6.30{\pm}0.17mg/g$ in water extracts, which was the highest extractive rate. The anti-oxidant activity of non-roasted and roasted samples was determined in various phenolic concentrations at $50{\sim}200{\mu}g/mL$. The DPPH activities of non-roasted and roasted Momordica charantia water and ethanol extracts were 74.06~92.71% and 86.06~94.07%, respectively. The ABTS were 36.26~98.03% and 67.02~99.60% in water and ethanol extracts, respectively. The anti-oxidant protection factor of water and ethanol extracts were 2.19~2.25 PF and 2.20~2.36 PF respectively, and TBARS were 13.81~40.97% and 23.32~82.47%, respectively. The anti-oxidant activity of ethanol extracts was higher than that of water extracts at low phenolics concentration of $50{\mu}g/mL$, while the roasted sample was higher than the sample that was not roasted. The ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibition activity of non-roasted Momordica charantia ethanol extracts was higher than that of water extracts, showing that there were increasing pattern depending on the increases in the phenolics concentration of Momordica charantia. The texture, such as hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, chewiness and color changed in proportion to the concentration of Momordica charantia powder. Moreover sensory characteristics, such as color, flavor, taste, texture and overall acceptability of the non-roasted sample changed in proportion to the concentration of Momordica charantia powder. However, in the roasted sample, the sensory characteristics was improved at a lower concentration (below 1%). Thus, when the yanggang was prepared by Momordica charantia powder as a minor ingredient, it would be desirable to add it after roasting, in consideration of its functional and sensory properties, and at appropriate concentration on below 1%.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
• /
• v.19 no.5
• /
• pp.617-627
• /
• 2006

The wild plants of the studied area in the Gosan recreational forest was listed 327 taxa: 99 families, 252 genera, 289 species,1 subspecies, 34 varieties and 3 forms. Based on the list of the rare plants by the Forest Research Institute, 2 taxa were recorded in the studied areas; Lilium distichum (Presevation priority order: No. 159), Aristolochia contorta (No. 151) and based on the list of Korean endemic plants, 4 taxa were recorded; Cephalotaxus koreana, Carex okamotoi, Salix purpurea var. japonica, Weigela subsessilis. Specific plant species by floral region were total 21 taxa; 2 taxa (Asperula lasiantha, Lonicera subhispida) in class III, 4 taxa (Lilium distichum, Potentilla dickinsii, Caryopteris incana, Ligularia fischeri) in class II, 15 taxa (Hosta capitata, Alnus hirsuta, Ribes mandshuricum, Cayratia japonica, Vaccinium oldhami, etc.) in class I. The naturalized plants in this site were 12 families, 28 genera, 31 species, 1 varieties, 32 taxa and naturalization rate was 9.8%. So, wild plants disturbing ecosystem like Ambrosia artemisiifolia var. elatior have been increasing and it needs continuing control and conservation measures on the plant ecosystem.

• Polymer(Korea)
• /
• v.30 no.6
• /
• pp.498-504
• /
• 2006

A suspension polymerization of styrene In aqueous phase was employed to study if polystyrene particles ranging from 1 to $20{\mu}m$ can be produced. Hydrophobic silica was selected as a stabilizer and azo-bisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator. Polymerization reaction was carried out at a selected temperature in the range of $65{\sim}95^{\circ}C$. Stabilizer concentration was varied from 0.17 to 3.33 wt% compared to the water while the concentration of the initiator was raised from 0.13 to 6.0 wt% compared to the monomer. Dispersion of hydrophobic silica into the water phase was achieved by precise control of pH. Optimum dispersion of silica was obtained at pH 10. Average particle diameter decreased with increasing amounts of stabilizer concentration initially, exhibiting the minimum average diameter at 1.67 wt% of stabilizer concentration, after which it started to Increase. It is speculated that an excessive presence of stabilizer encouraged a secondary reaction in the reaction medium, which led to particle agglomeration, and as a result an increase in average particle diameter. Molecular weight was found to be independent of stabilizer concentration between 0.13 and 1.00 wt% whereas, it increased when stabilizer concentration exceeded 1.67 wt%. Variation of molecular weight was probably caused by the reduced activity and efficiency of initiator due to the high concentration of silica, and the secondary reaction in the reaction medium, as well. An increase in the Initiator concentration and/or reaction temperature resulted in an increase in both reaction rate and particle diameter. Consequently, we have confirmed that spherical polystyrene particles with $1{\sim}20{\mu}m$ in diameter can be prepared by careful selection of the concentration of stabilizer, initiator, pH and reaction temperature.