• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.60 no.5
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• pp.540-547
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• 2006

Background : Vital stability and right side heart failure are major prognostic factors of acute pulmonary thromboembolism. While it is important to recognize right side heart failure, it is often difficult in real practice. Recently, several studies have described early diagnostic tools for detecting right side heart failure including echocardiography and biochemical markers. This study, we evaluated the prognostic role of the B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) in an acute pulmonary thromboembolism. Methods : Thirty-four patients with a diagnosis of acute pulmonary thromboembolism were enrolled in the study. The BNP levels were measured and echocardiography was performed at the Emergency Department. Data on the prognostic factors including ventilatory support, vital stability, pulmonary artery pressure, degree of tricuspid valve regurgitation, complications and death was collected from the patients' medical records. The patients with an acute pulmonary thromboembolism were divided into two groups based on the vital stability and the BNP level and the cutoff values and prognostic factors of the two groups were compared. Results : The predictors of the vital stability that influence the prognosis of patients with acute pulmonary thromboembolism were the BNP level, ventilatory support and death. The plasma BNP levels showed a strong correlation with the vital stability, ventilatory support, thrombolytic therapy and death. When the BNP cutoff level was set to 377.5 pg/dl in a ROC curve, the sensitivity and the specificity for differentiating between the groups with stable or unstable vital signs was 100% and 90%, respectively. Conclusion : This study indicates that a measurement of the plasma BNP levels may be a useful prognostic marker in patients with an acute pulmonary thrombo-embolism.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.39-45
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• 2003

Objective : To identify the factors affecting the complete fetal loss following multifetal pregnancy reduction (MFPR). Design: Retrospective clinical study. Methods : A total of 256 consecutive treatments of MFPR in IVF-ET cycles performed between 1992 through 2000 in Samsung Cheil hospital were analyzed. MFPR was done around 8 weeks of gestation by transvaginal ultrasono-guided aspiration in multiple pregnancies and reduced to singleton or twins. Stepwise logistic regression was performed to identify the factors affecting the final outcome of pregnancy after MFPR. Dependent variable was complete fetal loss and the independent variables were maternal age, paternal age, initial number of gestational sac (iGSNO), initial number of fetal heart beat, the number of remaining live fetus after MFPR, and chorionicity. Results: The total survival rate was 87.9%, and total fetal loss rate after MFPR was 12.1%. Total fetal loss occurred within four weeks from MFPR procedure was 1.95%. Total loss occurred after four weeks of procedure and before 24 gestational weeks was 8.2%. Seventy nine percent (202/256) of pregnancies delivered after 34 weeks of gestation. The survival rate of pregnancies reduced to singleton was significantly higher than that of pregnancies reduced to twins (93.5% vs. 86.7%, p<0.05). The mean ($\pm$SEM) gestational age at delivery was $36.2{\pm}1.0$ and $34.1{\pm}0.5$ weeks for pregnancies reduced to singletons and twins, respectively (p=0.065). Logistic regression analysis revealed that the maternal age, the number of initial gestational sac (iGSNO), and the number of remaining live fetus after MFPR significantly affected the rate of total fetal loss (Z = 0.174'age + 0.596'iGSNO + 1.324'remaining fetuses -12.07), (p<0.05). Conclusions: MFPR seems to be a relatively safe and efficient method to improve the obstetric outcome in high order multiple pregnancy. Because the maternal age, the number of initial gestational sac and the remaining live fetuses after MFPR affect the total fetal loss rate, restriction of the number of transferred embryos according to the age and MFPR to singleton fetus could be considered for the better obstetric outcome in IVF pregnancy.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.50-59
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• 1998

Purpose : Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has been involved in several forms of immune-related glomerulopathy but the pathogenic role of HBV infection is not clear. To evaluate the clinicopathological features of HBV-associated glomerulopathy, a clinicopathological analysis and immunohistochemical stain for HBs Ag and HBe Ag were done. Methods : Clinicopathological features of HBV-associated glomerulopathy were analyzed with renal biopsies in 28 HBsAg seropositive patients from April 1990 to February 1997 at Pusan Paik Hospital, and immunohistochemical evaluation for HBsAg and HBeAg was done in renal tissues. Light microscopic, immunofluorescent and electron microscopic examination and immunohistochemical staining for HBsAg (DAKO) and HBeAg (BIONIKE) of renal tissue were performed. Result ; 1. The age distribution was 6 to 73 years old, and eight were children and 20 were adults. Male : female ratio was 3:1. Nineteen (67.9%) and 21 (75.0%) of 28 cases showed hematuria and proteinuria, respectively at the time of biopsy. Sixteen (57.2%) of them had nephrotic syndrome. 2. Liver function test was performed in 11 patients and seven (63.6%) of them showed increased AST and ALT levels. Liver biopsy was done in three patients and revealed findings of chronic active hepatitis. 3. HBV-associated glomerulopathy was membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN) in 10 (35.7%), mesangiopathy in 8 (28.6%), membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) in 7 (25.0%) and minimal change disease in 3 (10.7%) out of 28 cases. 4. Ultrastructurally HBV-associated MGN showed conspicuous subepithelial deposits with intramembranous, mesangial and subendothelial deposits and proliferation of mesangial cells and matrix, which were suggestive of MPGN. In HBV-associated MPGN, intramembranous and subepithelial deposits were scattered. 5. Immunohistochemical staining revealed no expression for HBsAg, but positive reaction for HBeAg along capillary wall in 8 cases (28.6%), of which 3 cases were checked for serum HBeAg, all showed positivity. Conclusion : HBV-associated glomerulopathy showed a wide morphologic spectrum and overlapping ultrastructural features in MGN and MPGN, and the activity of hepatitis B virus may be related to the development of HBV-associated glomerulopathy but further studies are recommended to confirm this relationship.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.173-178
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• 2007

Children may respond differently to the caffeine from adults because they have different physiologic makeup and are functionally immature in terms of hepatic and renal function; this leads to the slower clearance of caffeine in early life. Therefore, children are often assumed to be more susceptible to caffeine effects. Alarge number of food supplements may interfere with these processes, and therefore caffeine exposure may have more serious consequences for children than for adults, irrespective of sensitivity. However, there has never been a national dietary survey on caffeine intakes in children. The purpose of our study was to identify caffeine intakes and beverage sources of caffeine in a representative sample of children in Busan, Korea. Caffeine intakes were based only on beverages included in the Continuing Surveys of Food Intakes by individuals. The caffeine content of the beverages ranged from 2.8 to 65.2mg/100ml for cola, soft drinks, and teas. Caffeine was not completely absent from caffeine-free colas, juice, and milk. In this study, cola-type beverages were an important dietary source of caffeine in the children. Daily caffeine intake for children was estimated to range from 12.5 to 250 mg/day. In general, the acceptable daily intake (ADI) of caffeine should cover the entire population including children. Therefore, special considerations should be needed regarding the consumption of soft drinks containing caffeine to children below the 12 years of age.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.64 no.2
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• pp.102-108
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• 2008

Background: Recently, multidrug-resistant (MDR) A. baumannii has been implicated for a significant proportion of nosocominal pneumonia in many intensive care units (ICUs), and its acquisition may increase mortality and the length of stay in the ICU. Aerosolized colistin has been successfully used in patients with cystic fibrosis, but there is a lack of data regarding the use of aerosolized colistin in patients with nosocomial pneumonia. Methods: We conducted the present study to assess the effectiveness of aerosolized colistin for the treatment of MDR A. baumannii nosocomial pneumonia. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 10 patients who had been hospitalized in the medical ICU and had received aerosolized colistin as a therapy for MDR A. baumannii pneumonia. Results: The mean duration of aerosolized colistin therapy was $12.7{\pm}2.4$ days. Nine (90%) of 10 patients showed a favorable response to the therapy. Follow-up cultures were available for all patients, and the responsible pathogen was completely eradicated. One patient suffered from bronchospasm, which resolved after treatment with nebulized salbutamol. Conclusion: Our results corroborate previous reports that aerosolized colistin may be an effective and safe choice for the treatment of nosocomial pneumonia caused by MDR A. baumannii. Larger prospective controlled clinical studies are warranted to validate further the effectiveness and safety of aerosolized colistin therapy.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.40 no.11
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• pp.1518-1524
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• 2011

This study was investigated the quality characteristics and antioxidant activities of the Rehmanniae radix (Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch. var. purpurea Makino) paste (RRP) and Rehmanniae radix preparata extract (RRPP). RRP and RRPP were made from vacuum concentrates of hot water extracts. The sugar contents of RRP and RRPP were 65.3 and 72.0$^{\circ}Brix$, respectively, whereas the reducing sugar contents were 2.4% and 44.9%. The pH level was lowest in the RRPP. The DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity of RRPP were much higher than those of RRP. Total phenol contents of RRP and RRPP were 2.15 mg/mL and 12.36 mg/mL, respectively. FRAP values of RRP and RRPP were 0.55 mg/mL and 2.02 mg/mL, respectively. Based on these results, it can be concluded that RRPP was the most appropriate in terms of both physicochemical and antioxidative activities.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.156-162
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• 2011

The objective of this study is to evaluate antioxidant activities of black ginseng prepared by nine repeated steaming-drying cycles. Ethanol extracts from each cycle of ginseng showed 33.5~41.0% of yields, 36.2~44.5% of moisture content and $64\sim66^{\circ}Brix$ of soluble solids. As the number of steaming-drying cycles increased, pH decreased, while the absorbance at 420 nm increased remarkably after the 4th cycle. Although the amounts of Rg1 and Rb1 contents quite decreased, the total phenol content of black ginseng (the final cycle of ginseng) was increased to 126%, compared with that of white ginseng. Antioxidant activities, determined by ferric-reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP), 2,2'-azinobis(3 ethybenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activity, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities, increased remarkably as the number of steaming-drying cycles increased. Especially, FRAP value increased 155.6%. Also, $IC_{50}$ values for DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities of the final 9th-cycling product, decreased 4.5 folds and 9.7 folds, respectively, compared with those of white ginseng. Based on these results, it was suggested that antioxidant activities of black ginseng improve according to the increasing number of steaming-drying cycles, which was derived from increase of total phenol content.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.721-729
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• 2017

This study aimed to improve customer perception of Prunus mume through analysis of amygdalin contents according to changes in variety, harvest time, and fermentation conditions. Five Prunus mume domestic cultivars were harvested at five harvest times. We compared cyanogenic glucosides in four types of fruits on the market. For amygdalin contents in seeds and flesh of Prunus mume by variety and harvest time, seeds contained higher amygdalin contents than flesh with time. As Prunus mume ripened, both amygdalin contents in seed and flesh increased. However, the rate of increase gradually decreased. For prunasin contents in Prunus mume, we determined that the dramatic increase in amygdalin from May 3 to 19 was due to amygdalin synthesis from prunasin. Moreover, in the case of fermented Prunus mume, we observed lower amygdalin content as the sugar ratio and fermentation time increased until around 90 days, followed by a decrease. Furthermore, we analyzed alteration of organic acids in Prunus mume and fermented solution based on analysis of amygdalin content in four other market fruits. Amygdalin was detected at $252.37{\pm}2.3$, $22.01{\pm}0.31$, and $8.75{\pm}0.14mg$ per 100 g in plums, peaches, and grape seeds, respectively. In flesh of plums and peaches, amygdalin contents were detected at $84.14{\pm}0.26$ and $7.54{\pm}0.06mg$ per 100 g, respectively. These results suggest scientific improvements for consumption and breeding lines.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.435-442
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• 2020

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of different raising periods (24 and 48 months) on the physico-chemical quality and fatty acid composition of meat from Korean native black goats. In terms of proximate composition, the meat from the 24-month age-group of the goats contained lower moisture and protein content and higher fat and ash content than that from the 48-month age-group. With an increase in age, moisture and protein content increased, whereas fat and ash content decreased. The pH was higher as was the cooking loss in the meat from the 24-month age-group than in the meat from the 48-months age-group (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the water-holding capacity and shear force of the meat from the two breeding periods (p > 0.05). A color analysis showed that the meat from the 24-month age-group had higher L*, a*, and b* values than the 48-month age-group (p < 0.05). The fatty acid composition and palmitic acid content increased with an increase in rearing periods, whereas stearic acid and oleic acid content decreased. The proportion of saturated and unsaturated fatty acid content was lower and higher, respectively, at 24 months of age and 48 months of age (p < 0.05).

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 2011

Purpose : Acinetobacter baumannii is an aerobic, gram negative coccobacillus. Due to its pathogenicity and ability to accumulate diverse mechanisms of resistance, the importance of this organism is increasing. Many reports have targeted adults, and studies of pediatric patients are limited. This study aims to investigate the current status of A. baumannii infection in children. Methods : From January 2001 to December 2008, 505 patients hospitalized with A. baumannii infection were enrolled. Admission records for underlying disease, duration of hospitalization, previous antibiotic use, location of admission, presence of ventilator care, and resistance to antibiotics were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. Results : Hemato-oncological disease and neurological disease were 30.6% and 24.3% of all cases; therefore, these were the most common underlying diseases of patients with A. baumannii infection. Prevalence of A. baumannii infection was 78.1% in patients with previous antibiotic use, which was higher than that of the group not using previous antibiotic. And prevalence of multi-drug resistant and pan-drug resistant A. baumannii infection was 76.4% and 38.3% in patients with ICU care, 76.8% and 38.9% with ventilator care, and these were higher than the others. Rate of resistance to all groups of antibiotics showed a gradual increase to over 50% in 2008. Multi-drug resistant A. baumannii was 63.5% and pan-drug resistant A. baumannii was 48.2% of all cases. Conclusion : Prevalence of A. baumannii infection and resistance to antibacterial agents of A. baumannii is increasing. Adequate use of antibiotics and infection control should be emphasized in pediatric patients.