• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.170-178
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• 2014

Purpose: Delirium is a common and serious neuropsychiatric complication among terminally ill cancer patients. We investigated risk factors related to the development of delirium among hospice care patients. Methods: Between May 2011 and September 2012, we included patients who were mentally alert and had no psychiatric disease or drug addiction at the hospice ward of two local hospitals. Among them, participants who had been diagnosed with delirium by two doctors according to the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-4th edition) criteria were grouped as Delirium Group. We analyzed results of psychometric and other laboratory tests performed at the time of patient's admission - psychometric tests included cognitive function (mini-mental status examination, MMSE), depression (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI), anxiety, and insomnia (Insomnia Severity Index, ISI). Logistic regression analysis was used to compare delirium and the related factors. Cox's proportional hazard model was performed using significant factors of logistic regression analysis. Results: Of the 96 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 41 (42.7%) developed delirium. According to the logistic regression analysis, primary cancer site, cognitive impairment (MMSE < 24), depression ($BDI{\geq}16$), and insomnia ($ISI{\geq}15$) were significant factors related to delirium. Among the four factors, depression (OR 5.130; 95% CI, 2.009~13.097) and cognitive impairment (OR 5.130; 95% CI, 2.009~13.097) were found significant using Cox's proportional hazard model. Conclusion: The development of delirium was significantly related to depression and cognitive impairment among patients receiving hospice care. It is necessary to carefully monitor depression and cognitive function in hospice care.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.3-19
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• 2010

Anyang-cheon(stream) runs through southern metropolitan area of Seoul to Han-river in Korea. Due to fast growth of Seoul, the water quality and quantity problems in Anyang-cheon have occurred. To cope with the problems, the Integrated Watershed Management program for Anyang-cheon was adopted and a KRW 26.1 billion (USD 21.8 million) pilot project (construction of 4 facilities such as reservoir) is suggested for 4 sub-watersheds of Anyang-cheon, which cost will be shared by the 12 local governments (LG). Three cost division schemes are compared. By Scheme 1, if the cost is borne by the LG in a watershed where the facilities are constructed (no cost division scheme), the LG in I is to bear 0.58% of the total construction cost, LG in watershed II 29.54%, LG in IV 0%, LG in V 69.88%. In particular, LG in IV in this scheme bears no cost because no facility is constructed, even though watershed IV is the major beneficiary of the facility construction. Scheme 2 is to share the cost by length of streams in each sub-watershed and the suggested cost share for each sub-watershed is 13.76% by I, 7.34% by II, 45.87% by IV, and 33.03% by V. However, this cost division scheme is fair only under the false assumption that the bargaining powers of group of LGs are identical. To suggest a better and fair division rule, Shapley Value, a cooperative game solution, is used to suggest Scheme 3. In Scheme 3, Shapley Value measures the summation of average marginal contribution of each player in all possible coalitions as cost division scheme and is known to provide a fair division considering bargaining power. In the context of Anyang-cheon, LGs in upper stream have superior bargaining position. The result suggests the cost division is fair under Scheme 3, when the cost shares are 0.29% by I, 14.77% by II, 50% by IV, and 34.94% by V, respectively.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.81-86
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• 2003

Purpose : Streptococcus pneumoniae remains a leading cause of meningitis, sepsis, pneumonia, and otitis media in children worldwide. Emergence of drug-resistant organism has substantially complicated the therapy of these infections. This study was conducted to determine the clinical features and changing patterns of antibiotic-resistant rates of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Methods : We have retrospectively examined 306 cases of culture proven patients who were admitted to the Department of Pediatrics, Severance hospital, from the year 1991 to year 2000. The type of culture specimen used, presence of penicillin resistance, characteristics according to various presenting diseases and their prevailing year were also examined. Results : The mean age of cases was 7.9 year and the ratio of male to female was 1.6 : 1. The main age group of pneumococcal infection was under 2 years(42%). Systemic infections associated with pneumococci were sepsis(19.3%) and meningitis(9.5%), while local infections presented as pneumonia(29.2%), otitis media(19.3%), exudative tonsillitis(13.3%), and sinusitis(9.2%) in the order of frequency. Seasonal variation was seen in the incidence of pneumococcal infection: high incidence of infection was seen in Spring(Mar.~Apr; 32%), while the incidence was low during summer(Aug.~Sep.; 6%). Penicillin-resistant rate of pneumococci was steadily on the increase since the year 1991(65%) to year 2000(84%). Conclusion : Antibiotic-resistant pneumococci increased during the past decade. For effective prevention of pneumococcal infections, national survey of pneumococcal infections and expanded use of pneumococcal vaccination would be needed.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.797-804
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• 2006

The present study was undertaken to investigate the post-thawed survivability of bovine embryo depending on different dose of ethylene glycol and sucrose. Ovaries were collected at local slaughterhouse and the cumulus-oocyte-complexes aspirated from ovaries were in vitro matured, fertilized and cultured at 39°C in an atmosphere of 5% CO2 incubator. For conventional slow-freezing, d 7 or 8 expanded blastocysts were collected. Embryos were equilibrated in 1.5 M and 1.8 M ethylene glycol(EG) with 0.1 M and 0.3 M sucrose in Dulbecco's phosphate-buffered saline(D-PBS) supplemented with 0.5% bovine serum albumin. Embryos were then loaded individually into 0.25ml-straw and placed directly into cooling chamber of programmable freezer precooled to 󰠏7°C, after 2 min, the straw was seeded, maintained at 󰠏7°C for 8 min, and then cooled to 󰠏35°C at 0.3°C/min, plunged and stored in liquid nitrogen for at least 3 days. For thawing, the straw containing embryos were warmed in air for 10 sec and exposed to 37°C water for 20 sec. Straws were then removed from 37°C water. Rates of blastocyst survive and hatching were evaluated at 24 to 72 h post-warming. No difference of the survivability was shown between 1.5 M and 1.8 M EG (71 and 70%, respectively). Addition of 0.1 M sucrose to 1.5 M and 1.8 M ethylene glycol in the freezing solution did not differ significantly embryo survival (74 and 77%, respectively), whereas survival rates was higher(89%) in freezing solution contained 0.3M sucrose to 1.8M EG compared with 0.3M sucrose to 1.5M EG group(71%). However, there was no difference in the overall total cell number between the two groups (122±1.8 vs 131±1.4, respectively). In conclusion, the results suggest that 0.3 M sucrose in 1.8 M EG may be optimal condition for freezing and thawing methods with in vitro produced embryos and may be applied to on-farm conditions for embryo transfer.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.311-329
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• 1986

The experimental exposure of animals to sources of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) which emit their energy primarily in the UVB region (280-320nm) is known to result in a number of well-described changes in the recipient's immune competence. Two such changes include a depressed capacity to effectively respond immunologically to transplants of syngeneic UVR tumors and a markedly reduced responsiveness to known inducers of delayedtype (DTH) and contact hypersensitivity (CH) reactions. The results of experiments that were designed to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for UVR-induced immunomodulation have implicated: 1) an altered pattern of lymphocyte recirculation, 2) suppressor T cells(Ts), 3) deviations in systemic antigen presenting cell (APC) potential. 4) changes in the production of interleukin-1-like molecules, and 5) the functional inactivation of epidermal Langerhans cells in this process. The exposure of skin to UVR, therefore, causes a number of both local and systemic alterations to the normal host immune system. In spite of this seeming complexity and diversity of responses, our recent studies have established that each of the UVR-mediated changes is probably of equal importance to creating the UVR-induced immunocompromised state. Normal animals were exposed to low dose UVR radiation on their dorsal surfaces under conditions where a $3.0\;cm^2$ area of skin was physically protected from the light energy. Contact sensitization of these animals with DNFB, to either the irradiated or protected back skin, resulted in markedly reduced CH responses. This was observed in spite of a normal responsiveness following the skin sensitization to ventral surfaces of the UVR-exposed animals. Systemic treatment of the low dose UVR recipients with the drug indomethacin (1-3 micrograms/day) during the UVR exposures resulted in a complete reversal of the depressions observed following DNFB sensitization to "protected" dorsal skin while the altered responsiveness found in the group exposed to the skin reactive chemical through directly UVR-exposed sites was maintained. These studies implicate the importance of EC as effective APC in the skin and also suggest that some of the systemic influences caused by UVR exposure involve the production of prostaglandins. This concept was further supported by finding that indomethacin treatment was also capable of totally reversing the systemic depressions in CH responsiveness caused by high dose UVR exposure (30K joules/$m^2$) of mice. Attempts to analyze the cellular mechanisms responsible established that the spleens of all animals which demonstrated altered CH responses, regardless of whether sensitization was through a normal or an irradiated skin site, contained suppressor cells. Interestingly, we also found normal levels of T effector cells in the peripheral lymph nodes of the UVR-exposed mice that were contact sensitized through normal skin. No effector cells were found when skin sensitization took place through irradiated skin sites. In spite of such an apparent paradox, insight into the probable mechanisms responsible for these observations was provided by establishing that UVR exposure of skin results in a striking and dose-dependent blockade of the efferent lymphatic vessels in all peripheral lymph nodes. Therefore, the afferent phases of immune responses can apparently take place normally in UVR exposed animals when antigen is applied to normal skin. The final effector responses, however, appear to be inhibited in the UVR-exposed animals by an apparent block of effector cell mobility. This contrasts with findings in the normal animals. Following contact sensitization, normal animals were also found to simultaneously contain both antigen specific suppressor T cells and lymph node effector cells. However, these normal animals were fully capable of mobilizing their effector cells into the systemic circulation, thereby allowing a localization of these cells to peripheral sites of antigen challenge. Our results suggest that UVR is probably not a significant inducer of suppressor T-cell activity to topically applied antigens. Rather, UVR exposure appears to modify the normal relationship which exists between effector and regulatory immune responses in vivo. It does so by either causing a direct reduction in the skin's APC function, a situation which results in an absence of effector cell generation to antigens applied to UVR-exposed skin sites, inhibiting the capacity of effector cells to gain access to skin sites of antigen challenge or by sequestering the lymphocytes with effector cell potential into the draining peripheral lymph nodes. Each of these situations result in a similar effect on the UVR-exposed host, that being a reduced capacity to elicit a CH response. We hypothesize that altered DTH responses, altered alloresponses, and altered graft-versus-host responses, all of which have been observed in UVR exposed animals, may result from similar mechanisms.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.9
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• pp.924-928
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• 2005

Purpose : Treatment efficacy for children with speech and language delay has been the subject of considerable debate in recent years. We evaluated the clinical features of children with delayed speech and language and their prognoses according to their etiologies after 6 months of speech and language therapy. Methods : From January, 2000 to March, 2004, we retrospectively reviewed 56 children with speech and language delay who were administered speech and language therapy for 6 months in Uijongbu St. Mary's Hospital. Results : Of 56 cases, the proportion of developmental language disorder was 66.1 percent, structural malformation 19.6 percent, mental retardation 12.5 percent, hearing defect 1.8 percent. The ratio of male to female was 4.6 : 1 and the most frequent age group was over 47 months. The mean age of first spontaneous words with useful meaning was 15.9 months. The mean gestational age of the subjects was 39.8 weeks. The proportion of full-term infants was 96.4 percent and of premature infants was 3.6 percent. As for the birth order, the proportion of the first baby was 51.8 percent, the one of second babies it was 42.9 percent, and percent of third babies it was 7.1 percent. After 6 months of language intervention, 32.4 percent of patients with developmental language disorder showed normal linguistic development. All the patients with mental retardation showed sustained language and speech delay. As for the patients with structural malformations, five out of 11 patients showed normal linguistic development. Conclusion : The relatively advanced old age of majority of participants in this study suggests the necessity of screening test for language delay in this local community.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.4773-4780
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• 2014

Background: To investigate the effects of small interference RNA (siRNA) targeting BCR/ABL mRNA on proliferation and apoptosis in the K562 human chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cell line and to provide a theoretical rationale and experimental evidence for its potential clinical application for anti-CML treatment. Materials and Methods: The gene sequence for BCR/ABL mRNA was found from the GeneBank. The target gene site on the BCR/ABL mRNA were selected according to Max-Planck-Institute (MPI) and rational siRNA design rules, the secondary structure of the candidate targeted mRNA was predicted, the relevant thermodynamic parameters were analyzed, and the targeted gene sequences were compared with BLAST to eliminate any sequences with significant homology. Inhibition of proliferation was evaluated by MTT assay and colony-formation inhibiting test. Apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry (FCM) and the morphology of apoptotic cells was identified by Giemsa-Wright staining. Western blotting was used to analyze the expression of BCR/ABL fusion protein in K562 cells after siRNA treatment. Results: The mRNA local secondary structure calculated by RNA structure software, and the optimal design of specific siRNA were contributed by bioinformatics rules. Five sequences of BCR/ABL siRNAs were designed and synthesized in vitro. Three sequences, siRNA1384, siRNA1276 and siRNA1786, which showed the most effective inhibition of K562 cell growth, were identified among the five candidate siRNAs, with a cell proliferative inhibitory rate nearly 50% after exposure to 12.5nmol/L~50nmol/L siRNA1384 for 24,48 and 72 hours. The 50% inhibitory concentrations ($IC_{50}$) of siRNA1384, siRNA1276 and siRNA1786 for 24hours were 46.6 nmol/L, 59.3 nmol/L and 62.6 nmol/L, respectively, and 65.668 nmol/L, 76.6 nmol/L, 74.4 nmol/L for 72 hours. The colony-formation inhibiting test also indicated that, compared with control, cell growth of siRNA treated group was inhibited. FCM results showed that the rate of cell apoptosis increased 24 hours after transfecting siRNA. The results of annexinV/PI staining indicated that the rate of apoptosis imcreased (1.53%, 15.3%, 64.5%, 57.5% and 21.5%) following treamtne with siRNAs (siRNA34, siRNA372, siRNA1384, siRNA1276 and siRNA1786). Morphological analysis showed td typical morphologic changes of apoptosis such as shrunken, fragmentation nucleus as well as "apoptotic bodies" after K562 cell exposure to siRNA. Western blot analysis showed that BCR/ABL protein was reduced sharply after a single dose of 50nmol/L siRNA transfection. Conclusions: Proliferation of K562 cells was remarkbly inhibited by siRNAs (siRNA1384, siRNA1276 and siRNA1786) in a concentration-dependent manner in vitro, with effective induction of apoptosis at a concentration of 50 nmol/L. One anti-leukemia mechanism in K562 cells appeared that BCR/ABL targeted protein was highly down-regulated. The siRNAs (siRNA1384, siRNA1276 and siRNA1786) may prove valuable in the treatment of CML.

• The Journal of Art Theory & Practice
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• no.4
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• pp.123-144
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• 2006

Foreigners who arrived in Korea after the age of enlightenment were Japanese, Chinese and 'Westerners' who were Europeans and Americans. The westerners were diplomats who visited Korea for colonization or for increasing their economical profits by trading after the spread of imperialism, and tourists curious of back countries, artists, explores and missionaries to perform their roles for their religious beliefs. They contacted with Korean cultural and educational people as missionaries and instructors during Japanese colonial period. In 1945, the allied forces occupied Korea under the name of takeover of Japanese colony after Japan's surrender and the relation between foreigners and Korean cultured men enter upon a new phase. For 3 years, American soldiers enforced lots of systems in Korea and many pro-American people were educated. This relationship lasted even after the establishment of the government of Korean Republic and especially, diplomats called as pro-Korean group came again after Korean War. Among them, there were lots of foreigners interested in cultures and arts. In particular, government officials under American Forces who were influential on political circles or diplomats widened their insights toward Korean cultural assets and collected them a lot. Those who were in Korea from the period of independence to 1950s wrote their impressions about Korean cultural assets on newspapers or journals after visiting contemporary Korean exhibitions. Among them, A. J. McTaggart, Richard Hertz and the Hendersons were dominant. They thought the artists had great interests in compromising and uniting the Orient and the West based on their knowledge of Korean cultural assets and they advised. However, it was different from Korean artist's point of view that the foreigners thought Korean art adhered oriental features and contained western contents. From foreigners' point of view, it is hard to understand the attitude Korean artists chose to keep their self-respect through experiencing the Korean war. It is difficult to distinguish their thought about Korean art based on their exotic taste from the Korean artists' local and peninsular features under Japanese imperialism. We can see their thought about Korean art and their viewpoint toward the third world, after staying in Korea for a short period and being a member of the first world. The basic thing was that they could see the potentialities through the worldwide, beautiful Korean cultural assets and they thought it was important to start with traditions. It is an evidence showing Korean artists' pride in regard to the art culture through experiencing the infringement of their country. By writing about illuminating Korean art from the third party's view, foreigners represented their thoughts through it that their economical, military superiority goes with their cultural superiority. The Korean artist's thought of emphasizing Korean history and traditions, reexamining and using it as an original creation may have been inspired by westerners' writings. 'The establishment of national art' that Korean artists gave emphasis then, didn't only affect one of the reactions toward external impact, 'the adhesion of tradition'. In the process of introducing Korean contemporary art and national treasure in America, different view caused by role differences-foreigner as selector and Korean as assistant-showed the fact evidently that the standard of beauty differed between them. By emphasizing that the basis to classify Korean cultural assets is different from the neighborhood China and Japan, they tried to reflect their understanding that the feature of Korean art is on speciality other than universality. And this make us understand that even when Korean artists profess modernism, they stress that the roots are on Korean and oriental tradition. It was obviously a different thought from foreigners' view on Korean art that Korean artists' conception of modernism and traditional roots are inherent in Korean history. In 1950s, after the independence, Korea had different ideas from foreigners that abstract was to be learned from the west. Korea was enduring tough times with their artists' self-respect which made them think that they can learn the method, but the spirit of abstract is in the orient.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.255-276
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• 2015

This paper presents a multi-agent system model of land-use and cover changes, which is developed and applied to the Gariwang-san and its vicinity, located in Pyeongchang and Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon province, Korea. The Land Use Dynamics Simulator (LUDAS) framework of this study is well suited for representing the spatial heterogeneity and dynamic interactions between human and natural environment, and capturing the impacts of forest-opening policy interventions to future socio-economic and natural environment changes. The model consists of four components: (1) a system of human population, (2) a system of landscape environment, (3) decision-making procedures integrating human(or household), environmental and policy information into forest land-use decisions, and (4) a set of policy scenarios that are related to the forest-opening. The results of model simulation by different combination of various forest management scenarios are assessed by the levels of household income, ecosystem service value and income inequality in the study region. As a result, the optimal scenario of forest-opening policies in the study region is to open the forest to local residential community for the purpose of recreation, considering the distinctive topographical feature. The model developed in this research is expected to contribute to a decision support system for sustainable forest management and various land-use policies in Korea.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.650-659
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• 1999

Background/Aims: It is well recognized that all aerobic cells have the protective mechanisms in order to minimize the tissue damage induced by various reactive oxygen species(ROS). Thioredoxin peroxidase(TPX) which has been recently identified and characterized functions to convert peroxide to water. The protein is also found in various subtypes(TPX-A & B, MER5, HS22 and HORF-06) and is known to be ubiquitous in most human cells. Especially, ischemic brain injuries, partial hepatectomy and radiation induced DNA damages. In treating lung cancer, radiation therapy has a major place in the local control and the relief of symptoms, but radiation induced free radical injury and resulting pulmonary fibrosis has been the major drawback of the therapy. However, little is known about the protective mechanisms and biologic modulations against radiation-induced tissue damages. Methods: Eighteen mice were divided into six groups, 3 in each group, and fifteen had received 900cGy of radiation. The mice were sacrificed according to the pre determined time schedule; immediate, 1, 2, 3 and 6 weeks after irradiation. Extracts were made from the lungs of each mice, Western blot analysis of various subtypes of TPX were done after SDS-P AGE. Examination of H & E stained slides from the same irradiated specimens and the control specimens were also performed. Results: No difference in the intensity of the immunoreactive bands in the irradiated lung samples of the mice compared to the unirradiated control was observed regardless of the time intervals, although H & E examination of the sample specimens demonstrated progressive fibrotic changes of the irradiated lung samples. Conclusion: In conclusion, according to our data, it is suggested that various thioredoxin peroxidase subtypes and catalase which are known to be increased in many repair processes may not be involved in the repair of the radiation injury to the lung and subsequent fibrosis.