• Title/Summary/Keyword: Intensity limit

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A Pharmacogenomic-based Antidepressant Treatment for Patients with Major Depressive Disorder: Results from an 8-week, Randomized, Single-blinded Clinical Trial

  • Han, Changsu;Wang, Sheng-Min;Bahk, Won-Myong;Lee, Soo-Jung;Patkar, Ashwin A.;Masand, Prakash S.;Mandelli, Laura;Pae, Chi-Un;Serretti, Alessandro
    • Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience
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    • v.16 no.4
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    • pp.469-480
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    • 2018
  • Objective: Pharmacogenomic-based antidepressant treatment (PGATx) may result in more precise pharmacotherapy of major depressive disorder (MDD) with better drug therapy guidance. Methods: An 8-week, randomized, single-blind clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and tolerability of PGATx in 100 patients with MDD. All recruited patients were randomly allocated either to PGATx (n=52) or treatment as usual (TAU, n=48) groups. The primary endpoint was a change of total score of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 (HAMD-17) from baseline to end of treatment. Response rate (at least 50% reduction in HAMD-17 score from baseline), remission rate (HAMD-17 score ${\leq}7$ at the end of treatment) as well as the change of total score of Frequency, Intensity, and Burden of Side Effects Ratings (FIBSER) from baseline to end of treatment were also investigated. Results: The mean change of HAMD-17 score was significantly different between two groups favoring PGATx by -4.1 point of difference (p=0.010) at the end of treatment. The mean change in the FIBSER score from baseline was significantly different between two treatment groups favoring PGATx by -2.5 point of difference (p=0.028). The response rate (71.7 % vs. 43.6%, p=0.014) were also significantly higher in PGATx than in TAU at the end of treatment, while the remission rate was numerically higher in PGATx than in TAU groups without statistical difference (45.5% vs. 25.6%, p=0.071). The reason for early drop-out associated with adverse events was also numerically higher in TAU (n=9, 50.0%) than in PGATx (n=4, 30.8%). Conclusion: The present study clearly demonstrate that PGATx may be a better treatment option in the treatment of MDD in terms of effectiveness and tolerability; however, study shortcomings may limit a generalization. Adequately-powered, well-designed, subsequent studies should be mandatory to prove its practicability and clinical utility for routine practice.

A Study on Experimental Prediction of Landslide in Korea Granite Weathered Soil using Scaled-down Model Test (축소모형 실험을 통한 국내 화강암 풍화토의 산사태 예측 실험 연구)

  • Son, In-Hwan;Oh, Yong-Thak;Lee, Su-Gon
    • Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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    • v.20 no.6
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    • pp.439-447
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    • 2019
  • In this study, experiments were conducted to establish appropriate measures for slopes with high risk of collapse and to obtain results for minimizing slope collapse damage by detecting the micro-displacement of soil in advance by installing a laser sensor and a vibration sensor in the landslide reduction model experiment. Also, the behavior characteristics of the soil layer due to rainfall and moisture ratio changes such as pore water pressure and moisture were analyzed through a landslide reduction model experiment. The artificial slope was created using granite weathering soil, and the resulting water ratio(water pressure, water) changes were measured at different rainfall conditions of 200mm/hr and 400mm/hr. Laser sensors and vibration sensors were applied to analyze the surface displacement, and the displacement time were compared with each other by video analysis. Experiments have shown that higher rainfall intensity takes shorter time to reach the limit, and increase in the pore water pressure takes shorter time as well. Although the landslide model test does not fully reflect the site conditions, measurements of the time of detection of displacement generation using vibration sensors show that the timing of collapse is faster than the method using laser sensors. If ground displacement measurements using sensors are continuously carried out in preparation for landslides, it is considered highly likely to be utilized as basic data for predicting slope collapse, reducing damage, and activating the measurement industry.

Analysis of Volatile Organic Compounds in Sediments Using HS-GC/MS - Confirmation of Matrix Effects in External and Internal Standard Methods - (HS-GC/MS를 이용한 퇴적물 중 휘발성유기화합물 분석 - 외부 및 내부표준방법에서 매질영향 확인 -)

  • Shin, Myoung-Chul;Jung, Da-som;Noh, Hye-ran;Yu, Soon-ju;Seo, Yong-Chan;Lee, Bo-Mi
    • Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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    • v.37 no.6
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    • pp.510-519
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    • 2021
  • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in sediments, which can cause human health problems, have been monitored in Korea since 2014. Measured VOC concentrations can be affected by matrix type and the volatility of target substances. In this study, (1) VOCs volatility and the influence of matrix interference were confirmed, and (2) internal standards (IS) method was applied to improve analytical method. For these purposes, method detection limit (MDL), calibration linearity, precision and accuracy of VOCs were compared in various matrices using the IS. Some of VOCs in sediments showed different peak areas and reduced rates compared to water matrix. It was suggested that adsorption properties of sediments hindered the migration to vapor during heat pretreatment in headspace method. A calibration curve was created in clean sand. Recovery rates for the calibration curve method and IS applying method were 64.1~83.1% and 99.1~119.3%, respectively. Relative standard deviations ranged from 11.1% to 21.6% for the calibration curve method and those for IS ranged 4.7% to 13.7%. In case of real sediment, calibration curve and 1,2-Dichlorobenzene-d4 (ODCB) among IS were not suitable. The average recovery rate of Fluorobenzene (FBZ) increased by 56.4% and Relative Standard Deviation (RSD) by 4.7%. However, the recovery rate was increased in the samples with large values of igniting intensity. This study confirmed that influence of the matrix of VOCs in sediment, and addition of IS materials improved precision and accuracy. Although IS corrects volatilization and adsorption, it is recommended that more than two types of IS should be added rather than single.

Mountain Meteorology Data for Forest Disaster Prevention and Forest Management (산림재해 방지와 산림관리를 위한 산악기상정보)

  • Keunchang, Jang;Sunghyun, Min;Inhye, Kim;Junghwa, Chun;Myoungsoo, Won
    • Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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    • v.24 no.4
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    • pp.346-352
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    • 2022
  • Mountain meteorology in South Korea that is covered mountains with complex terrain is important for understanding and managing the forest disaster and forest ecosystems. In particular, recent changes in dryness and/or rainfall intensity due to climate change may cause an increase in the possibility of forest disasters. Therefore, accurate monitoring of mountain meteorology is needed for efficient forest management. Korea Forest Service (KFS) is establishing the Automatic Mountain Meteorology Observation Stations (AMOS) in the mountain regions since 2012. 464 AMOSs are observing various meteorological variables such as air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, precipitation, soil temperature, and air pressure for every minute, which is conducted the quality control (QC) to retain data reliability. QC process includes the physical limit test, step test, internal consistency test, persistence test, climate range test, and median filter test. All of AMOS observations are open to use, which can be found from the Korean Mountain Meteorology Information System (KoMIS, http://mtweather.nifos.go.kr/) of the National Institute of Forest Science and the Public Data Portal (https://public.go.kr/). AMOS observations with guaranteed quality can be used in various forest fields including the public safety, forest recreation, forest leisure activities, etc., and can contribute to the advancement of forest science and technology. In this paper, a series of processes are introduced to collect and use the AMOS dataset in the mountain region in South Korea.

A Pilot Establishment of the Job-Exposure Matrix of Lead Using the Standard Process Code of Nationwide Exposure Databases in Korea

  • Ju-Hyun Park;Sangjun Choi;Dong-Hee Koh;Dae Sung Lim;Hwan-Cheol Kim;Sang-Gil Lee;Jihye Lee;Ji Seon Lim;Yeji Sung;Kyoung Yoon Ko;Donguk Park
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.13 no.4
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    • pp.493-499
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    • 2022
  • Background: The purpose of this study is to construct a job-exposure matrix for lead that accounts for industry and work processes within industries using a nationwide exposure database. Methods: We used the work environment measurement data (WEMD) of lead monitored nationwide from 2015 to 2016. Industrial hygienists standardized the work process codes in the database to 37 standard process and extracted key index words for each process. A total of 37 standardized process codes were allocated to each measurement based on an automated key word search based on the degree of agreement between the measurement information and the standard process index. Summary statistics, including the arithmetic mean, geometric mean, and 95th percentile level (X95), was calculated according to industry, process, and industry process. Using statistical parameters of contrast and precision, we compared the similarity of exposure groups by industry, process, and industry process. Results: The exposure intensity of lead was estimated for 583 exposure groups combined with 128 industry and 35 process. The X95 value of the "casting" process of the "manufacture of basic precious and non-ferrous metals" industry was 53.29 ㎍/m3, exceeding the occupational exposure limit of 50 ㎍/m3. Regardless of the limitation of the minimum number of samples in the exposure group, higher contrast was observed when the exposure groups were by industry process than by industry or process. Conclusion: We evaluated the exposure intensities of lead by combination of industry and process. The results will be helpful in determining more accurate information regarding exposure in lead-related epidemiological studies.

A Genetically Encoded Biosensor for the Detection of Levulinic Acid

  • Tae Hyun Kim;Seung-Gyun Woo;Seong Keun Kim;Byeong Hyeon Yoo;Jonghyeok Shin;Eugene Rha;Soo Jung Kim;Kil Koang Kwon;Hyewon Lee;Haseong Kim;Hee-Taek Kim;Bong-Hyun Sung;Seung-Goo Lee;Dae-Hee Lee
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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    • v.33 no.4
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    • pp.552-558
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    • 2023
  • Levulinic acid (LA) is a valuable chemical used in fuel additives, fragrances, and polymers. In this study, we proposed possible biosynthetic pathways for LA production from lignin and poly(ethylene terephthalate). We also created a genetically encoded biosensor responsive to LA, which can be used for screening and evolving the LA biosynthesis pathway genes, by employing an LvaR transcriptional regulator of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 to express a fluorescent reporter gene. The LvaR regulator senses LA as a cognate ligand. The LA biosensor was first examined in an Escherichia coli strain and was found to be non-functional. When the host of the LA biosensor was switched from E. coli to P. putida KT2440, the LA biosensor showed a linear correlation between fluorescence intensity and LA concentration in the range of 0.156-10 mM LA. In addition, we determined that 0.156 mM LA was the limit of LA detection in P. putida KT2440 harboring an LA-responsive biosensor. The maximal fluorescence increase was 12.3-fold in the presence of 10 mM LA compared to that in the absence of LA. The individual cell responses to LA concentrations reflected the population-averaged responses, which enabled high-throughput screening of enzymes and metabolic pathways involved in LA biosynthesis and sustainable production of LA in engineered microbes.

Looking into Child-rearing Experience of Mothers from Multicultural Families through the Grounded Theory Paradigm Model (근거이론 패러다임 모형으로 다문화가정 어머니의 자녀양육경험 들여다보기)

  • Oh, Ok Sun ;Kim, Sung Bong
    • Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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    • v.18 no.2
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    • pp.235-260
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    • 2012
  • This study was aimed at looking into and understanding child-rearing experience of mothers from multicultural families based on the grounded theory, one of the qualitative research methods. For this, twelve mothers from multicultural families were selected and data were collected through in-depth interviews with them and then analyzed through the open coding, axial coding and selective coding. The analysis suggested that main phenomena mothers from multicultural families experienced are the conflict of child-rearing and educational crisis, and the confused identity of parenting. These main phenomena had much to do with contextual factors such as economic hardship, lower level of the Korean language, cultural differences, prejudices and ignorance. The severeness of conflict and crisis of child-rearing and the intensity of identity confusion for parenting depended on arbitral conditions such as family bonds, positive expectation for the future of their children, and the help of supportive systems. Mothers were dealing with difficulties of child-rearing through action and interaction of resignation and denial, introspection and the intention to overcome difficulties, and the capacity building. As a result, mothers from multicultural families acknowledged that there is a limit to their position and roles they can play and tried to change in order to resolve problems related to their children, positioning themselves for more active lives in Korean society. Through discussion based on the findings of the study, this study can help better understand child-rearing experience of mothers from multicultural families and suggest several directions for future researches on multicultural families.

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Deep Learning-Based Assessment of Functional Liver Capacity Using Gadoxetic Acid-Enhanced Hepatobiliary Phase MRI

  • Hyo Jung Park;Jee Seok Yoon;Seung Soo Lee;Heung-Il Suk;Bumwoo Park;Yu Sub Sung;Seung Baek Hong;Hwaseong Ryu
    • Korean Journal of Radiology
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    • v.23 no.7
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    • pp.720-731
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    • 2022
  • Objective: We aimed to develop and test a deep learning algorithm (DLA) for fully automated measurement of the volume and signal intensity (SI) of the liver and spleen using gadoxetic acid-enhanced hepatobiliary phase (HBP)-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to evaluate the clinical utility of DLA-assisted assessment of functional liver capacity. Materials and Methods: The DLA was developed using HBP-MRI data from 1014 patients. Using an independent test dataset (110 internal and 90 external MRI data), the segmentation performance of the DLA was measured using the Dice similarity score (DSS), and the agreement between the DLA and the ground truth for the volume and SI measurements was assessed with a Bland-Altman 95% limit of agreement (LOA). In 276 separate patients (male:female, 191:85; mean age ± standard deviation, 40 ± 15 years) who underwent hepatic resection, we evaluated the correlations between various DLA-based MRI indices, including liver volume normalized by body surface area (LVBSA), liver-to-spleen SI ratio (LSSR), MRI parameter-adjusted LSSR (aLSSR), LSSR × LVBSA, and aLSSR × LVBSA, and the indocyanine green retention rate at 15 minutes (ICG-R15), and determined the diagnostic performance of the DLA-based MRI indices to detect ICG-R15 ≥ 20%. Results: In the test dataset, the mean DSS was 0.977 for liver segmentation and 0.946 for spleen segmentation. The Bland-Altman 95% LOAs were 0.08% ± 3.70% for the liver volume, 0.20% ± 7.89% for the spleen volume, -0.02% ± 1.28% for the liver SI, and -0.01% ± 1.70% for the spleen SI. Among DLA-based MRI indices, aLSSR × LVBSA showed the strongest correlation with ICG-R15 (r = -0.54, p < 0.001), with area under receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.932 (95% confidence interval, 0.895-0.959) to diagnose ICG-R15 ≥ 20%. Conclusion: Our DLA can accurately measure the volume and SI of the liver and spleen and may be useful for assessing functional liver capacity using gadoxetic acid-enhanced HBP-MRI.

Establishment of a Method for the Analysis of Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS를 이용한 설사성패류독소의 분석조건 확립)

  • Lee, Ka-Jeong;Suzuki, Toshiyuki;Kim, Poong-Ho;Oh, Eun-Gyoung;Song, Ki-Cheol;Kim, Ji-Hoe
    • Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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    • v.41 no.4
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    • pp.458-463
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    • 2009
  • To establish and validate a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the rapid and accurate quantitation of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) toxins, we compared the results from different mobile phases and columns used for their analysis and collision energies for MS/MS experiments. Clear peaks of okadaic acid (OA) and dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX1) were obtained by using a mobile phase comprising aqueous acetonitrile containing 2 mM ammonium formate and 50 mM formic acid. The collision energies were optimized to facilitate the most sensitive detection for each toxin, namely, OA, DTX1, pectenotoxin-2 (PTX2), or yessotoxin (YTX). Further, the maximum ion response was obtained at a collision energy of 48 V for OA and DTX1. We compared the analytical performance of $C_8$ and $C_{18}$ columns. A wide range of toxins namely, OA, DTX1, PTX2, and YTX, except DTX3, were detected by both the columns. Although DTX3 was only detected by the $C_8$ column, we found that the $C_{18}$ column was also suitable for the quantitation of OA and DTX1 the toxins responsible for inducing diarrhea. The limit of detection of OA and DTX1 by the established LC-MS/MS conditions was 1 ng/g, and the limit of quantitation of the toxins under the same conditions was 3 ng/g. The process efficiencies were 91-118% for oysters (Crassostrea gigas) and 96-117% for mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) further, we observed no significant effect of matrix during the ionization process in LC-MS/MS. The comparison between mouse bioassay (MBA) and LC-MS/MS yielded varying results because low concentrations of OA and DTX1 were detected by LC-MS/MS in some shellfish samples, which provided positive results on MBA for DSP. The analysis time required by MBA for DSP analysis can be reduced by LC-MS/MS.

Drainage Performance of Various Subsurface Drain Materials- (배수개선공법개발에 관한 연구(I) -각종 지하배수용 암거재료의 배수성능-)

  • 김철회;이근후;유시조;서원명
    • Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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    • v.21 no.3
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    • pp.104-120
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    • 1979
  • I. Title of the Study Studies on the Development of Improved Subsurface Drainage Methods. -Drainage Performance of Various Subsurface Drain Materials- II. Object of the Study Studies were carried out to select the drain material having the highest performance of drainage; And to develop the water budget model which is necessary for the planning of the drainage project and the establishment of water management standards in the water-logged paddy field. III. Content and Scope of the Study 1. The experiment was carried out in the laboratory by using a sand tank model. The drainage performance of various drain materials was compared evaluated. 2. A water budget model was established. Various parameters necessary for the model were investigated by analyzing existing data and measured data from the experimental field. The adaptability of the model was evaluated by comparing the estimated values to the field data. IV. Results and Recommendations 1. A corrugated tube enveloped with gravel or mat showed the highest drainage performance among the eight materials submmitted for the experiment. 2. The drainage performance of the long cement tile(50 cm long) was higher than that of the short cement tile(25 cm long). 3. Rice bran was superior to gravel in its' drain performance. 4. No difference was shown between a grave envelope and a P.V.C. wool mat in their performance of drainage. Continues investigation is needed to clarify the envelope performance. 5. All the results described above were obtained from the laboratory tests. A field test is recommended to confirm the results obtained. 6. As a water balance model of a given soil profile, the soil moisture depletion D, could be represented as follows; $$D=\Sigma\limit_{t=1}^{n}(Et-R_{\ell}-I+W_d)..........(17)$$ 7. Among the various empirical formulae for potential evapotranspiration, Penman's formular was best fit to the data observed with the evaporation pans in Jinju area. High degree of positive correlation between Penman;s predicted data and observed data was confirmed. The regression equation was Y=1.4X-22.86, where Y represents evaporation rate from small pan, in mm/100 days, and X represents potential evapotranspiration rate estimated by Penman's formular. The coefficient of correlation was r=0.94.** 8. To estimate evapotranspiration in the field, the consumptive use coefficient, Kc, was introduced. Kc was defined by the function of the characteristics of the crop soil as follows; $Kc=Kco{\cdot}Ka+Ks..........(20)$ where, Kco, Ka ans Ks represents the crop coefficient, the soil moisture coefficient, and the correction coefficient, respectively. The value of Kco and Ka was obtained from the Fig.16 and the Fig.17, respectively. And, if $Kco{\cdot}Ka{\geq}1.0,$ then Ks=0, otherwise, Ks value was estimated by using the relation; $Ks=1-Kco{\cdot}Ka$. 9. Into type formular, $r_t=\frac{R_{24}}{24}(\frac{b}{\sqrt{t}+a})$, was the best fit one to estimate the probable rainfall intensity when daily rainfall and rainfall durations are given as input data, The coefficient a and b are shown on the Table 16. 10. Japanese type formular, $I_t=\frac{b}{\sqrt{t}+a}$, was the best fit one to estimate the probable rainfall intensity when the rainfall duration only was given. The coefficient a and b are shown on the Table 17. 11. Effective rainfall, Re, was estimated by using following relationships; Re=D, if $R-D\geq}0$, otherwise, Re=R. 12. The difference of rainfall amount from soil moisture depletion was considered as the amount of drainage required. In this case, when Wd=O, Equation 24 was used, otherwise two to three days of lag time was considered and correction was made by use of storage coefficient. 13. To evaluate the model, measured data and estimated data was compared, and relative error was computed. 5.5 percent The relative error was 5.5 percent. 14. By considering the water budget in Jinju area, it was shown that the evaporation amount was greater than the rainfall during period of October to March in next year. This was the behind reasonning that the improvement of surface drainage system is needed in Jinju area.

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