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

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.137-152
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• 2006

This study is for chemical relationships between ginsengs(2, 3 and 4 yr) and soils from three representative soil types of Keumsan, shale(SL), phyllite(PH) and granite(GR). In the weathered soils, the GR is mainly high. Positive relationships are dominant, and negative correlations are shown in the Y-Nb and Nb-Ta pairs. In the field soils, the GR is high while the SL is low. Regardless of the localities, available correlation relationships are dominant in the GR, and dominant in the 3 year area. In the host rocks, high element contents are shown in the GR. Positive relationships, regardless of the localities, are shown in the Zr-Hf, Ta, Nb-Ta and Hf-Ta pairs. In the ginsengs, chemical contents are distinctive with the different ages. Positive relationships are shown in the Y-Nb pair of the SL, Rb-Y pair of the PH, and Rb-Sr pair of the GR. Relative ratios(GR/SL and GR/PH) of the ginsengs suggest that ginsengs from the GR are higher than those of SL and PH while in the comparisons between PH and SL, 2 year ginsengs are high in the SL and 4 year ginsengs are high in the PH. Relative ratios between weathered and field soils (weathered/field) suggest high element contents in the weathered soils from the SL and PH and in the relative ratios(weathered soil/host rock), high element contents in weathered soils. Relative ratios between field soils and ginsengs(field soil/ginseng), regardless of the ages, show several ten and hundred times, suggestive of high contents in the soils. Comparisons with the overall average contents of each area show differences of several ten to hundred times in the SL and PH, and of several to ten times in the GR. These relationships suggest that contents of the ginsengs from the GR are more similar to the soils relative to those of SL and PH.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.187-191
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• 2007

In this study a research was conducted with 108 adolescents sent to three reformatories in D city to investigate their recognition of oral health so that they could assess their knowledge of oral health and improve oral health through correct oral health education. For this purpose, after the primary survey from June 13 to 28, 2006, oral health education was implemented through audio-vidual teaching aids and tooth-brushing training using one toothbrush per person, followed by the secondary survey using the same questionnaire. The research obtained the following results. 1. As for recognition of the concept of dental caries, the answer that it was a disease developing on teeth increased from 75.0% before oral health education to 82.4% after the education, which showed statistically significant differences (p < 0.001). 2. As for recognition of a preventive agent for dental caries, the answer that it was fluorine increased from 34.3% before oral health education to 75.0% after the education, which showed statistically significant differences (p < 0.001). 3. As for recognition of a good tooth-brushing method, the answer that it was a rotating method increased from 21.3% before oral health education to 95.4% after the education. 4. As for recognition of the amount of time for tooth-brushing, the answer that it was three minutes increased from 58.3% before oral health education to 88.9% after the education, which showed statistically significant differences (p < 0.001). 5. As for recognition of effects of smoking on oral health, the answer that it was bad increased from 65.7% before oral health education to 93.5% after the education. 6. As for recognition after oral health education for improving oral health, "completely agree" (78.7%) comprised the largest percentage (p < 0.001) for "teeth are important for health"; "completely agree" (76.9%) comprised the largest percentage (p < 0.001) for "correct tooth-brushing serves to prevent an oral disease"; "completely agree" (37.0%) comprised the largest percentage (p < 0.001) for "scaling is necessary to prevent a gingival disease"; "completely agree" (77.8%) comprised the largest percentage (p < 0.001) for "non-smoking is good for dental health"; "completely agree" (62.0%) comprised the largest percentage (p < 0.001) for "a seasonal medical check-up should be taken by all means".

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.305-312
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• 2008

This study was attempted to look into relation between job stress and job satisfaction perceived by clinical dental hygienists and the influencing factors for providing fundamental data to increase their job satisfaction. For this, mailed correspondence examination was conducted with questionnaire for dental hygienists who are engaged in dental hygiene duties at dental clinics in Seoul between June 19 and July 24, 2008. Total 180 questionnaires were distributed, and among these, 156 questionnaires were included in analysis except for 24 questionnaires having incomplete answers. The findings of this study are as follows: 1. The total mean of dental hygienists' job stress was found to be 3.46 points out of 5 points, and that of their job satisfaction to be 2.99. 2. For relation between general characteristics and job stress of dental hygienists, significant difference was found just in the motive to select dental hygienist (p < 0.001) and the expected period of engagement in dental hygienist duties (p < 0.05). 3. For relation between general characteristics and job satisfaction of dental hygienists, significant difference was found just in job experience(p < 0.05), current position (p < 0.05), average salary (p < 0.001), and the expected period of engagement in dental hygienist duties (p < 0.01). 4. For correlation between job stress and job satisfaction, negative correlation was shown generally (r=-0.222), such that the more was job stress, the less was job satisfaction. 5. As a result of multiple regression analysis to look into the job stress factors influencing dental hygienists' job satisfaction, it was found that the factors of excessive workload(p < 0.05) and improper treatment(p < 0.01) most influenced job satisfaction, and the descriptive power on the job stress factors influencing their job satisfaction was found to be 24.1%.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.378-385
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• 2013

Although dental hygiene has haven a special domain of knowledge and its own business territory, people have misunderstandings about dental hygienists as nurses or nirses' aides in Korea. Inadequate knowledge could make negative results for university applicants to choose department of dental hygiene. This study was aimed to compare major and job satisfaction of students and graduates in dental hygiene and nursing for objective comparison and suggestion for dental hygiene. The subjects were 98 dental hygiene students, 113 nursing students, 53 dental hygienists, and 53 nurses by convenience sampling in Daejeon. The questionnaire consisted of satisfaction of college life, social identity, career path and job. ANOVA with Tukey post-hoc analysis was used with SPSS 20.0 program. Although dental hygiene students scored lower than nursing students in satisfaction of college life, social identity, career path and job, dental hygienists, nurse and dental hygiene students didn't have different satisfaction of job. Dental hygienists scored the lowest in relation with clinical work and major curriculum, and sexual discrimination. Nurses scored the lowest in working condition and salary. Dental hygienists and dental hygiene students had lower scores in information and advice of career path, entrance to graduate school, stable work, family's pride of my major, social position and so on. We suggested the community of dental hygiene should try to promote dental hygienists to public, the community of dentists should give the stable working condition, and the department of dental hygiene should improve the major curriculum to relate with clinical work.

• Clean Technology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.112-118
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• 2018

Thermo-responsive polymers that exhibit phase transition in response to temperature change can be used as materials for smart windows because they can control solar light transmission depending on the outside temperature. The development of thermo-responsive polymers for smart windows that can be used over a wide temperature range is desirable. To obtain high performance smart windows materials, three-dimensional thermo-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) gels were prepared by free radical polymerization from monomer N-isopropylacrylamide, N, N'-methylenebis acrylamide (MBAm) as a crosslinking agent, ammonium persulfate (APS) as a strong oxidizing agent/tetramethylene diamine as a catalyst, and a mixture of two solvents (water/glycerol). This study examined the effect of glycerol content on the lower critical solution temperature (LCST), freezing temperature and the solar light transmittance of crosslinked PNIPAm gel films. The LCST and freezing temperature of PNIPAm gel films were found to be significantly decreased from 34.3 and $6.3^{\circ}C$ to 28.2 and $-6.5^{\circ}C$ with increasing glycerol content from 0 wt% to 10 wt%, respectively. It was found that the transparent PNIPAm gel films at $25^{\circ}C$ (temperature < LCST) were converted to translucent gels at higher temperature ($45^{\circ}C$) (temperature > LCST). These results suggested that the crosslinked PNIPAm gel materials prepared in this study could have high potential for application in smart glass materials.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.140-147
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• 2010

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a member of the mosquito-borne flaviviruses, causes epidemics of viral encephalitis in the Southeastern Asia. JEV is a small enveloped virus with a positive-sense RNA genome; the infectious virion consists of three structural proteins, namely capsid, membrane (M; a mature form of its prM precursor), and envelope proteins. Here, we investigated a role of the charged residues found at the N-terminus of the JEV M protein in virus production. Using an infectious JEV cDNA, we generated two mutant cDNAs, Mm1 and Mm2, by charged-to-alanine substitution for $E^9$ and $K^{15}K^{16}E^{17}$ residues of the M protein, respectively. By transfection of wild-type or each of the two mutant RNAs transcribed from the corresponding cDNAs, we found that Mm2, but not Mm1, had a ~3-log decrease in virus production, even though a comparable amount of all three structural proteins were produced in transfected cells. Interestingly, the prM protein expressed in Mm2 RNA-transfected cells was not recognized by the polyclonal antiserum raised against the N-terminal 44 amino acids of the wild type M protein, but reacted to the antiserum raised against the corresponding region of the mutant Mm2. Our results indicate that three charged residues ($K^{15}K^{16}E^{17}$) in JEV M protein play a role in virus production. Two polyclonal antisera specifically recognizing the wild-type or Mm2 version of the M protein would provide a useful reagent for the functional study of this protein in the virus life cycle.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2004

Purpose : Evaluate the efficacies and toxicities of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT), with or without intraluminal brachytherapy (ILB), using a retrospective analysis in esophageal carcinomas with respect to survival. Materials and Methods : From April 1995 to July 2001, a total of 65 patients, diagnosed with an esophageal carcinoma, were treated by CCRT, with 21 also treated by ILB after CCRT. External radiotherapy was peformed using 6 or 10 MV X-rays, with a dose range of $46.8~\69.6$ Gy (median; 59.4). The ILB was peformed using high-dose-rate brachytherapy with Ir-192. The fractionation of ILB was 3 Gy by 4, or 5 Gy by 2 fractions. Cisplatin $(75\;mg/m^2)$ was given on each first day of weeks 1, 5, 9 and 13, and 5-FU $(1,000\;mg/m^2)$ as a continuous infusion for the first 4 days of each course. Results : The median survival time of all patients was 15 months, and the 1, 2 and 3-year survival rates were 55.4, 29.2 and $20.7\%$, respectively. The 2-year survival rates of the patients with and without ILB were 33.3 and $27.3\%$, respectively (p=0.80). The 2-year survival rates of the patients with a complete, partial and no response were 44.1, 13.8 and $0\%$, respectively (p=0.02). The response to treatment was the only significant factor affecting the overall survival from a multivariate analysis. Conclusion : This study has shown that the survival outcomes of CCRT were much better than previous results with radiotherapy alone. However, the addition of ILB after CCRT showed no advantage over that of CCRT alone.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.205-210
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• 2010

Purpose: To evaluate the predictive factors for treatment response and prognostic factors affecting survival outcomes after concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for patients with anal squamous cell carcinoma. Materials and Methods: Medical records of forty two patients with histologically confirmed analsquamous cell carcinoma, who had complete CCRT between 1993 and 2008, were reviewed retrospectively. Median age was 61.5 years (39~89 years), and median radiotherapy (RT) dose was 50.4 Gy (30.0~64.0 Gy). A total of 36 patients had equal to or less than T2 stage (85.7%). Fourteen patients (33.3%) showed regional nodal metastasis, 36 patients (85.7%) were treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) plus mitomycin, and the remaining patients were treated by 5-FU plus cisplatinum. Results: The median follow-up time was 62 months (2~202 months). The 5-year overall survival, loco regional relapse-free survival, disease-free survival, and colostomy-free survival rates were 86.0%, 71.7%, 71.7%, 78.2%, respectively. Regarding overall survival, the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status and complete response were found to be significant prognostic factors on univariate analysis. For multivariate analysis, only the ECOG performance status was significant. No significant factor was found for locoregional relapse-free survival or disease-free survival and similarly for treatment response, no significant factor was determined on logistic regression analysis. There were 7 patients who had local or regional recurrences and one patient with distant metastasis. The only evaluable toxicity in all patients was radiation dermatitis of perianal skin (grade 3), which developed in 4 patients (9.5%) and grade 2 in 22 patients (52.4%). Conclusion: This study revealed that patients with a performance score of ECOG 0-1 survived significantly longer than those with a poorer score. Finally, there was no significant predicting factors tested for treatment response.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.145-150
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• 2007

Purpose: To investigate the degree and effect of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression on the survival of patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GM). Materials and Methods: Between 1997 and 2006, thirty consecutive GM patients treated with surgery and postoperative radiotherapy (dose range: $44{\sim}65.1$ Gy, median dose: 61.2 Gy) were included in the study. Three patients were excluded that discontinued radiotherapy before receiving a dose of 40 Gy due to mental deterioration. The expression of the COX-2 protein in surgical specimens was examined by immunohistochemical analysis. Survival analysis and verification were performed with respect to sex, age, performance status, resection extent, radiotherapy dose, and degree of COX-2 expression using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log rank test. Results: The median length of follow-up was 13.3 months (range:$6{\sim}83$ months). Staining for COX-2 was positive in all patient samples. Staining for COX-2 that was positive for over 75% of the tumor cells was found in 24 patients. Staining for COX-2 that was positive in less than 25% of tumor cells was found in 3 patients (10.0%), staining for COX-2 that was positive in 25 to 50% of tumor cells was found in 1 patient (3.3%), staining for COX-2 that was positive in 50 to 75% of tumor cells was found in 2 patients (6.7%) and staining for COX-2 that was positive in 75 to 100% of tumor cells was found in 24 patients (80.0%). The median survival and two-year survival rate were 13.5 months and 17.5%, respectively. The survival rate was influenced significantly by the degree of resection (tumor removal by 50% or more) and radiotherapy dose (59 Gy or greater) (p<0.05). The median survival of patients with staining for COX-2 that was positive in less than 75% of tumor cells and in at least 75% of tumor cells was 15.5 and 13.0 months, respectively (p>0.05), and the two-year survival for these groups was 33.3 and 13.3%, respectively (p>0.05). Conclusion: The absence of a statistical correlation between the degree of COX-2 expression and survival in GM patients, despite the high rate of COX-2 positive tumor cells in the GM patient samples, requires further studies with a larger series to ascertain the prognostic value of the degree of COX-2 expression in GM patients.