• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.39.1-39.15
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• 2023

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination may non-specifically alter the host immune system. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 vaccination on hepatitis B surface Ag (HBsAg) titer and host immunity in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. Consecutive 2,797 CHB patients who had serial HBsAg measurements during antiviral treatment were included in this study. Changes in the HBsAg levels after COVID-19 vaccination were analyzed. The dynamics of NK cells following COVID-19 vaccination were also examined using serial blood samples collected prospectively from 25 healthy volunteers. Vaccinated CHB patients (n=2,329) had significantly lower HBsAg levels 1-30 days post-vaccination compared to baseline (median, -21.4 IU/ml from baseline), but the levels reverted to baseline by 91-180 days (median, -3.8 IU/ml). The velocity of the HBsAg decline was transiently accelerated within 30 days after vaccination (median velocity: -0.06, -0.39, and -0.04 log₁₀ IU/ml/year in pre-vaccination period, days 1-30, and days 31-90, respectively). In contrast, unvaccinated patients (n=468) had no change in HBsAg levels. Flow cytometric analysis showed that the frequency of NK cells expressing NKG2A, an NK inhibitory receptor, significantly decreased within 7 days after the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine (median, -13.1% from baseline; p<0.001). The decrease in the frequency of NKG2A⁺ NK cells was observed in the CD56^dimCD16⁺ NK cell population regardless of type of COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 vaccination leads to a rapid, transient decline in HBsAg titer and a decrease in the frequency of NKG2A⁺ NK cells.

• Journal of Korean Medical Science
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• v.33 no.50
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• pp.299.1-299.13
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• 2018

Background: Sarcopenia is associated with a poor prognosis in patients with liver cirrhosis. However, it is not known whether the rate of skeletal muscle depletion is also associated with a poor prognosis. We investigated the prognostic impact of the rate of skeletal muscle depletion in patients with liver cirrhosis. Methods: We included retrospectively all patients with liver cirrhosis who underwent both multiple computed tomography scans and hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) measurements. Results: A total of 131 patients with liver cirrhosis were enrolled. The mean age of the patients was 53.7 years and alcoholic liver disease was the most common cause (61.8%). Sixty-four patients (48.9%) were diagnosed with sarcopenia. The median changes in skeletal muscle area per year (${\Delta}SMA/y$) were -0.89%. During a median follow-up period of 46.2 months (range, 3.4-87.6), 45 patients (34.4%) died. In multivariate analyses, age, Child-Pugh score, HVPG, presence of sarcopenia and ${\Delta}SMA/y$ were independently associated with mortality. Cumulative mortality was significantly higher in patients with ${\Delta}SMA/y$ < -2.4% than those with ${\Delta}SMA/y{\geq}-2.4%$ (log-rank test, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Both the presence and rate of change of sarcopenia are independently associated with long-term mortality in patients with liver cirrhosis.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 2022

In this study, we performed numerical analysis for 1 kWe SOFC stack of internal manifold types according to the different manifold sizes to verify the influence of the flow uniformity into each cell. To simulate the flow phenomena in the stack, the continuity and momentum conservation equations including the standard k-𝜺 turbulent model for the steady-state conditions were applied. From the calculation results, we verified that the pressure drop from inlet pipes to outlet pipes decreased to a log scale as the manifold size increased in the internal manifold types. Also, we found that the flow uniformity increased on an exponential scale as the manifold size increased. In addition, the calculation results showed that the flow uniformity gradually improved as the fuel and oxygen utilization increased.

• Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.169-177
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• 2023

BACKGROUND: Acute worsening of cardiac function frequently leads to kidney dysfunction. This study aimed to identify clinical and imaging parameters associated with impaired kidney function in patients with acute decompensated heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). METHODS: Data from 131 patients hospitalized with acute decompensated HFrEF (left ventricular ejection fraction, < 40%) were analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups according to the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) at admission (those with preserved kidney function [GFR ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m²] and those with reduced kidney function [GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m²]). Various echocardiographic parameters and perirenal fat thicknesses were assessed by computed tomography. RESULTS: There were 71 patients with preserved kidney function and 60 patients with reduced kidney function. Increased age (odds ratio [OR], 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.12; p = 0.005), increased log N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide (OR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.14-2.66; p = 0.010), and increased perirenal fat thickness (OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.10-1.29; p < 0.001) were independently associated with reduced kidney function, even after adjusting for variable clinical and echocardiographic parameters. The optimal average perirenal fat thickness cut-off value of > 12 mm had a sensitivity of 55% and specificity of 83% for kidney dysfunction prediction. CONCLUSIONS: Thick perirenal fat was independently associated with impaired kidney function in patients hospitalized for acute decompensated HFrEF. Measurement of perirenal fat thickness may be a promising imaging marker for the detection of HFrEF patients who are more susceptible to kidney dysfunction.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.547-561
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• 2015

Objectives In this study, we divided Korean asthma patients into excess syndrome or deficiency syndrome groups according to clinical phenotype. Genetic analysis was conducted to investigate the association of exonic SNPs in the CD46 gene polymorphism with the clinical phenotype based on the differentiation syndrome of the bronchial asthma patients.Methods There were 95 healthy patients (control group) and 53 asthma patients. (The deficiency syndrome group included 24 and the excess syndrome group 29). We searched the exonic areas of the CD46 gene in the NCBI website SNPs with <0.01 minor allele frequency (MAF) and <0.01 heterozygosity. We finally selected two SNPs: rs138843816, Ser13Phe and rs7144, 3’-UTR. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was calculated using SNPStats.Results There were significant differences in the codominant 1 model and the dominant model between the healthy group and the asthma group. There were significant differences between deficiency syndrome group and the excess syndrome group in the genotype frequencies and in the codominant 1 model, the dominant model, and the log-additive model. The allele frequency of rs7144C showed a significant difference between the deficiency syndrome group and the excess syndrome group. Two-SNP haplotype analysis showed a significant difference in frequency in the deficiency syndrome group and in the excess syndrome group. There were significant differences between the healthy group and the excess syndrome group in the codominant 1 model, the dominant model, and the log-additive model. The frequency of the rs7144 C allele exhibited a significant difference in the demonstration. SNP haplotype analysis between the healthy group and the excess syndrome group showed a significant difference in the frequency of the CT haplotype and the CC haplotype.Conclusions The results indicate that two CD46 SNPs (rs138843816, Ser13Phe and rs7144, 3′–UTR) might be associated with the symptomatic excess syndrome in Korean asthma patients.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.10 no.3 s.35
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• pp.259-265
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• 2005

The purpose of this study is for designing a illegal query detection system using Winpcap library for unauthorized access by internal person. The illegal query detection can be possible detecting the data in out of access control or searching illegal data by plagiarizing other user ID. The system used in this paper collects packets and analyzes the data related to SQL phrase among them, and selects the user's basic information by comparing the dispatch of MAC address and user's hardware information constructed previously. If the extracted information and user's one are different, it is considered as an illegal query. It is expected that the results of this study can be applied to reducing the snaking off unprotected data, and also contributed to leaving the audit records using user's access log which can be applied to the pattern analysis.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.495-503
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• 2018

Oak mushroom is cultivated using logs and sawdust media as substrates. In this study, fungi were isolated during a monitoring of indoor air in the oak mushroom cultivation houses located in Cheongyang-gun of Chungnam, Geoje-gun of Gyeongnam, Gumi-si of Gyeongbuk, Jangheung-gun of Jeonnam and Yeoju-si of Gyeongggi-do. Identification of the fungi based on morphology and molecular analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region and 28S rDNA, translation elongation factor translation elongation factor 1 a gene, and ${\beta}-tubulin$ gene revealed that six fungi, Cenangium acuum, Neopestalotiopsis surinamensis, Metarhizium marquandii, Periconia macrospinosa, Trichoderma petersenii, and Trichoderma paratroviride that have not been recorded previously in Korea.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.62 no.5
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• pp.389-397
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• 2007

Background B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) has been shown to be strong mortality predictors in a wide variety of cardiovascular syndromes. Little is known about BNP in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We studied whether BNP can predict mortality in patients with ARDS. Method Echocardiographic study was done to all patients with ARDS, and we excluded patient with low ejection fraction (less than 50%) or showing any features of diastolic dysfunction. 47 patients were enrolled between December, 2003 and February, 2006. Parameters including BNP were obtained within 24h hours at the time of enrollment. Result Mean BNP concentrations and APACHE II scores differed between the survivors and nonsurvivors (BNP, $219.5{\pm}57.7pg/mL$ vs $492.3{\pm}88.8pg/mL$; p=0.013, APACHE II score, $17.4{\pm}1.6$ vs $23.1{\pm}1.3$, p=0.009, respectively). With the use of the threshold value for BNP of 585 pg/mL, the specificity for the prediction of mortality was 94%. The threshold value for APACHE II of 15.5 showed sensitivity of 87%. 'APACHE II + $11{\times}logBNP$' showed sensitivity 63%, and specificity 82%, using threshold value for 46.14. Conclusion BNP concentrations and APCHE II scores were more elevated in nonsurvivors than survivors in patients with ARDS who have normal ejection fraction. BNP can predict mortality. Further study should be done.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.84 no.3
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• pp.182-187
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• 2021

Background: Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a non-invasive marker for eosinophilic airway inflammation and a good predictor of response to corticosteroids. There is a need for a reliable and accurate measurement method, as FeNO measurements have been widely used in clinical practice. Our study aimed to compare two FeNO analyzers and derive a conversion equation for FeNO measurements in adults. Methods: We included 99 participants who had chief complaints of chronic cough and difficulty in breathing. The participants underwent concurrent FeNO measurement using NIOX VERO (Circassia AB) and NObreath (Bedfont). We compared the values of the two devices and analyzed their correlation and agreement. We then formulated an equation to convert FeNO values measured by NObreath into those obtained by NIOX VERO. Results: The mean age of the participants was 51.2±17.1 years, with a female predominance (58.6%). Approximately 60% of the participants had asthma. The FeNO level measured by NIOX VERO (median, 27; interquartile range [IQR], 15-45) was significantly lower than that measured by NObreath (median, 38; IQR, 22-58; p<0.001). There was a strong positive correlation between the two devices (r=0.779, p<0.001). Additionally, Bland-Altman plots and intraclass correlation coefficient demonstrated a good agreement. Using linear regression, we derived the following conversion equation: natural log (Ln) (NObreath)=0.728×Ln (NIOX VERO)+1.244. Conclusion: The FeNO values of NIOX VERO and NObreath were in good agreement and had positive correlations. Our proposed conversion equation could help assess the accuracy of the two analyzers.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.63-71
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• 1996

A total of 546 UBV photoelectric observations of AG Per was carried out from January to December in 1993 at Chungbuk National University Observatory. With our observations, UBV light curves were constructed, three minimum times of JDHel. 2449284.213, JDHel. 2449360.060, and JDHel. 2449363.192 were determined. The phase displacement of secondary minimum time $\delta$=-0.046 were determined and orbital eccentricity e=0.071 was calculated. Forty-five times of minimum light (including ours) were collected from the literature and plotted on O-C diagram. We analyzed these data and apsidal motion period of U=76.17 (years) was obtained. Using e and U for AG Per, the internal structure constant, log k2, was found to be -2.13.