• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.238-242
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• 2021

Through diversification of 4th industries and transportation and globalization, tourism was developed for medical purposes, not limited to touring tourist attractions. The trend of medical tourism in Korea is shifting from large and medium-sized hospitals to professional medical services in one area of small hospitals rather than professional medical services. However, small hospitals lack medical coordinators and interpretation services, and tourists who visit Korea for treatment lack information on small hospitals. Therefore, a platform is needed to match small hospitals with medical tourists. In this study, using Platform as a Service (Paas) in cloud computing, clinic administrators can access the app to introduce information about their hospitals with simple manipulations. Tourists also want to propose a customized platform to select the right area for them to check information about small-scale hospitals and choose the treatment and tourist attractions they wants. In this study, using Platform as a Service (Paas) in cloud computing, clinic administrators can access the app to introduce information about their hospitals with simple manipulations.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.571-581
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• 2020

There are large, medium, and small items in the evaluation test for medical interpreter professionals personnel and the criteria and level are not clear, which may cause confusion for those preparing for the test. Therefore, we would like to suggest that the qualification requirements for the medical translation ability test and the criteria for the evaluation items are consistent with the medical system in Korea. The survey on the medical interpreter competency test conducted was collected from domestic and foreign data, compared with similar test and overseas test. We also examined the perception of the test by experts with experience in developing and interpreting the medical interpretation test. As a result, in the 'International Culture' evaluation category, 'Language-oriented culture' was changed to 'Medical-oriented culture' and 'Interpretation ethics' was changed to 'Medical interpretation ethics'. In the evaluation items of the hospital system, the 'Medical Dispute Mediation Act', which is 「ACT ON MEDIATION OF MEDICAL DISPUTES」 of the middle item was changed the 「ACT ON REMEDIES FOR INJURIES FROM MEDICAL MALPRACTICE AND MEDIATION OF MEDICAL DISPUTES」 and the Act also reduced the four items related to the 'Medical Tourism Law' to two and added the 「ACT ON SUPPORTING THE ADVANCEMENT OF MEDICAL OVERSEAS AND ATTRACTING FOREIGN PATIENTS」. If the Medical Interpretation Proficiency Test is prepared in accordance with the medical culture of Korea, it is expected that there will be a stable opportunity for professionals who pass the examination to act as experts.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.72 no.5
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• pp.409-415
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• 2012

Background: The isolation of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) has been increasing in South Korea. To date, however, the cause of this increase has not been determined, and it remains unclear whether the use of liquid media has contributed to this increase. The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors associated with NTM isolation and the impact of liquid media on NTM culture. Methods: Mycobacterial smear/culture results of respiratory specimens (sputum and bronchial aspirates), obtained during the years 2002, 2005, and 2010, were retrieved and analyzed retrospectively. Results: During the years 2002, 2005, and 2010, 83,096 sputum specimens were collected from 31,104 patients, and were cultured for mycobacteria, using solid media only in the 2002 and 2005 specimens and both solid and liquid media in the 2010. Of these, 3,516 (4.2%) specimens were smear-positive for acid-fast bacilli (AFB). The annual rate of NTM among positive culture specimens increased from 21% in 2002 to 57.8% in 2010 (p<0.001), as did the proportion of NTM, among AFB smear- and culture-positive specimens, from 12.2% in 2002 to 45.2% in 2010 (p<0.001). In 2010, the NTM culture rate was higher in the liquid than in the solid media (13.9% vs. 8.4%, p<0.001). The NTM rate among AFB-positive specimens was higher in patients aged >50 than ${\leq}$50 years. Conclusion: The rate of NTM isolation has steadily been increasing at the hospital in South Korea, likely due in part to the use of liquid media for the culture.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.195-199
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• 2018

Zinc is necessary for normal functions in the immune system. The objective of the study is to examine the effect of zinc on the chemotactic activity of porcine peripheral blood polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs). A modified Boyden chamber was used to determine the directional migration distance of PMNs. Various concentrations of zinc showed no chemotactic activity to PMNs. However, culture supernatant from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) treated with zinc remarkably increased the chemotactic activity of PMNs when compared with culture supernatant from PBMCs treated without zinc. Culture supernatant from PBMCs treated without zinc also increased the migration distance of PMNs relative to vehicle control (medium alone). Increasing effect in chemotactic activity of PMNs by culture supernatant from PBMCs treated with zinc was inhibited by treatment of porcine anti-interleukin (IL)-8 polyclonal antibody (pAb). This effect was not affected by heat treatment ($4-85^{\circ}C$). This corresponded with heat stable physical characteristics of IL-8. These results suggest that zinc can upregulate the chemotaxis of PMNs, which is primary mediated by IL-8 chemotactic factor released from PBMCs treated with zinc.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.269-274
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• 2013

This study was performed to evaluate the effects of fibroblast co-culture on in vitro maturation (IVM) of prepubertal mouse preantral follicles. The intact preantral follicles were obtained from the ovaries of 12-14 day old mice and these were cultured individually in ${\alpha}$-minimal essential medium (${\alpha}$-MEM) supplemented with 5% fetal bovine serum (FBS), $100mIU/m{\ell}$ recombinant follicle stimulating hormone (rFSH), 1% insulin-transferrin-selenium, $100{\mu}g/ml$ penicillin and $50{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ streptomycin as base medium for 12 days. A total of 200 follicles were cultured in base medium co-cultured with mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) (MEF group) (n=100) or only base medium as control group (n=100). Survival rate of follicles on day 12 of culture were significantly higher in the MEF group of 90.0%, compared with 77.0% of the control group (p=0.021). Follicle diameters on day 6 and 8 of the culture period were significantly larger in the MEF group than those in the control group (p=0.021, p=0.007, respectively). Estradiol levels in culture media on day 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 of the culture period were significantly higher in the MEF group (p=0.043, p=0.021, p=0.006, p<0.001 and p=0.008, retrospectively). Our data suggest that MEF cell co-culture on IVM of mouse preantral follicle increases survival rate and promotes follicular growth and steroid production.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.83-87
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• 1999

Since the blastocyst is broken and spreads out on a flat plastic culture dish (two dimensional culture) during in vitro development, it has been difficult to study the implantation process. It also has been difficult to analyse the interactions between endometrial epithelial and stromal cells because of the lack of a long-term in vitro model which can stimulate in vivo characteristics, as these cells eventually fail to proliferate or cease to express differentiated functions. Recently nontransformed cell lines, CUE-P and CUS-V2, derived from rat endometrial epithelium and stroma were reported. In this study, morphology of CUE-P and CUS-V2 was examined and oxytocin gene expression by CUE-P cells was demonstrated by RT-PCR. The CUE-P cells have a cuboidal morphology and CUS-V2 cells resemble fibroblast and exhibit a spindle-like morphology. In RT-PCR, same size of PCR products of oxytocin gene at hypothalamus, uterus and CUE-P cells were demonstrated. These results showed three dimensional culture system could be made by using the new cell lines.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.259-269
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• 2022

Objective: Animal-free scaffolds have emerged as a potential foundation for consistent, chemically defined, and low-cost materials. Because of its good potential for high biocompatibility with reproductive tissues and well-characterized scaffold design, we investigated whether polyglycolic acid (PGA) could be used as an animal-free scaffold instead of natural fibrin-agarose, which has been used successfully for three-dimensional human endometrial cell culture. Methods: Isolated primary endometrial cells was cultured on fibrin-agarose and PGA polymers and evaluated various design parameters, such as scaffold porosity and mean fiber diameter. Cytotoxicity, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and immunostaining experiments were conducted to examine cell activity on fabricated scaffolds. Results: The MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay and SEM results showed that endometrial cells grew and proliferated on both scaffolds. Immunostaining showed cytokeratin and vimentin expression in seeded cells after 7 days of culture. On both scaffolds, an epithelial arrangement of cultured cells was found on the top layer and stromal arrangement matrix on the bottom layer of the scaffolds. Therefore, fibrin-agarose and PGA scaffolds successfully mimicked the human endometrium in a way suitable for in vitro analysis. Conclusion: Both fibrin-agarose and PGA scaffolds could be used to simulate endometrial structures. However, because of environmental and ethical concerns and the low cost of synthetic polymers, we recommend using PGA as a synthetic polymer for scaffolding in research instead of natural biomaterials.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.41-46
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• 2003

Difficulties associated with bioartificial liver (BAL) preservation limit not only the commercialization of BAL, but also its clinical trials. In this study, the possibility of cold preservation of BAL cartridges containing porcine hepatocytes was examined at 4$^{\circ}C$. In an in vitro perfusion culture System, BAL cartridges maintained cytochrome P450 metabolic function for at least 50 days. However, all BAL cartridges completely lost their ammonia eliminating ability when stored at 4$^{\circ}C$. We a1so studied the effect of cell density on the maintenance of BAL liver function In a highly differentiated and healthy state. As expected, BALs containing a larger number of hepatocytes demonstrated higher metabolic functions. When metabolic functions were compared per gram of hepatotytes, no large differences were observed between devices containing different densities of hepatocytes. Decreased cell density did not Successfully prolong BAL function. The viability and function of isolated hepatotytes highly depend on the culture conditions, such as cell density, substrata, culture media, and additives to the culture media. Perfusion culture of BAL cartridges at 4$^{\circ}C$ gave a promosing result with respect to the maintenance of P450 activity. However, as indicated by the rapid loss of ammonia metabolic activity, many factors still remain to be optimized for preservation of BAL keeping high metabolic functions for a longer time.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 2016

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate the association between elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and urosepsis in children with acute pyelonephritis (APN). Methods: We retrospectively identified all children who were managed in our hospital with APN during a decade period. In our study a diagnosis of APN was defined as having a positive urine culture and a positive (99m)Tc-dimercaptosuccinic acid scintigraphy. We compared those with elevated ALT and those with normal ALT according to the following variables: age, gender, duration of fever prior to admission, presence of hypotension, C-reactive protein (CRP), creatinine, presence of anemia, white blood cells count, platelet count, blood culture result, and grades of vesicoureteral reflux. In addition, the correlation between elevated ALT and positive blood culture was analyzed in detail. Results: A total of 996 children were diagnosed with APN, of which 883 were included in the study. ALT was elevated in 81 children (9.2%). In the analysis of demographic characteristics, the number of children with elevated ALT was higher in children between 0 to 3 months, boys, and in those with positive blood culture (p=0.002, 0.036, and 0.010, respectively). In multivariate analysis of variables associated with positive blood culture, age younger than 3 months, elevated ALT, elevated CRP, and elevated creatinine showed statistical significance (p=0.004, 0.030, 0.043, and 0.044, respectively). Conclusion: Our study demonstrates the association between elevated ALT and increased prevalence of urosepsis in addition to elevated CRP, elevated creatinine, and age younger than 3 months in children with APN.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.59-71
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• 2022

Objective : This study examines the historical changes of Ssangwha-'tang', traditional restorative medicine, to a type of tea in tea rooms(Da-bang) named Ssangwha-'cha' in the modern era in South Korea. The goal is to understand how traditional Korean medical culture has been related to the food culture of everyday life. Method : We analyzed traditional medical texts, newspaper articles and advertisements, literary works, and folk song lyrics in which Ssangwha-tang and Ssangwha-cha are mentioned. Results : Ssangwha-tang used to be mentioned as a medicine to tonify 'Yang' energy(Bo-yang) in traditional medical texts from the late Goryeo dynasty to the mid-Joseon dynasty. Since the late Joseon dynasty, it has also been prescribed for cold, as the tonifying method(Bo-beop) gradually prevailed from the royal family to the public. Since then, Ssangwha-tang has been more popular with the public, with the emergence of the patent medicine(Mae-yak) market since the Opening port period and the Colonial period. As the number of Da-bang sharply increased nationwide amid the period of the country's liberation, Ssangwha-tang has been included in the Da-bang menu served as Ssangwha-cha, corresponding to the increasing demands of the public and government policy that tends to favor traditional beverages over coffee. Conclusion : The historical process in which Sssangwha-tang, a type of herbal medicine, became also considered as tea, Ssangwha-cha, provides an example of how Korean traditional medical culture emphasizing the tonification of the body is interconnected with the daily lives of the public and food culture.