• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.29-41
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• 2001

Background : The appearance of multiple-drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains has been seriously compromising successful control of tuberculosis. Rifampin-resistance, caused by mutations in the rpoB gene, can be indicative of multiple-drug-resistance, and its detection is of great importance. The present study aimed to develop an oligonucleotide chip for accurate and convenient screening of drug-resistance. Methods : In order to detect point mutations in the rpoB gene, an oligonucleotide chip was prepared by immobilizing specific probe DNA to a microscopic slide glass by a chemical reaction. The probe DNA that was selected from the 81 bp core region of the rpoB gene was designed to have mutation sites at the center. A total of 17 mutant probes related to rifampin-resistance including 8 rifabutin-sensitive mutant probes were used in this study. For accurate determination, wild type probes were prepared for each mutation position with an equal length, which enabled a direct comparison of the hybridization intensities between the mutant and wild type. Results : Mycobacterial genomic DNA from clinical samples was tested with the oligonucleotide chip and the results were compared with those of the drug-susceptibility test in addition to sequencing and INNO-LiPA Rif. TB kit test in some cases. Out of 15 samples, the oligonucleotide chip results of 13 samples showed good agreement with the rifabutin-sensitivity results. The two samples with conflicting result also showed a discrepancy between the other tests, suggesting such possibilities as existence of mixed strains and difference in drug-sensitivity. Further verification of these samples in addition to more case studies are required before the final evaluation of the oligonucleotide chip can be made. Conlcusion : An oligonucleotide chip was developed for the detection of rpoB gene mutations related to drugsusceptibility. The results to date show the potential for using the oligonucleotide chip for accurate and convenient screening of drug-resistance to provide useful information in antituberculosis drug therapy.

• Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
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• 1983.05a
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• pp.11.2-11
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• 1983

Vocal nodules and polyps are much more frequent in singers, public speakers, teachers and actors. Voice trauma and voice misuse, at times associated with mild inflammatory reaction, appear to be important in their etiology. It is generally agreed that vocal cord nodules and polyps are inflammatory in nature and they arise in the subepithelial layer of loose connective tissue of the vocal cord. Since the junction of anterior and middle thirds of the membranous cord and has the greatest amplitude of vibration. This is the site of predilection for vocal cord nodules. The author performed laryngomicrosurgery for 70 cases of vocal nodules and polyps at Ewha Womans University Hospital during the period of 5 years. The result obtained were as follows ; 1) Surgical excision is not necessarily the best approach because vocal nodules in the early stages will resolve with the simplest voice therapy. 2) In children, surgery is rarely indicated because most nodules in children regress during adolescence. 3) For patients who use their voices professionally, voice therapy is indicated for three months. 4) If after three month of conservative treatment the cord lesion does not improve and the patient it still dissatisfied with his voice, laryngomicrosurgery can then be considered. 5) The small cuffed endotracheal tube in the interarytenoid space helps to keep the cords immobile and in an abducted position. 6) Removal of the nodule shoule be started by gentle retraction posteriorly and as soon as a tear appears anterior to the nodule. 7) On occasion it is preferable to start the dissection with a siccle knife while the nodule is held on the stretch. 8) Voice rest should be maintained for a week following which the free edges of the cords are usually healed.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.10
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• pp.1407-1414
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• 2012

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is an effective regimen that has been found to prevent these diseases in postmenopausal women. However, HRT is accompanied by an increased risk of unfavorable outcomes. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of Eisenia Bicyclis extract on lipids in ovariectomized rats. Fifty 7-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to four groups: sham-operated rats (SHAM), ovariectomized rats (OVX-CON), and ovariectomized rats that were treated with Eisenia bicyclis extracts. The extract-treated diets were fed to the rats for 6 weeks after operation. Antioxidant effects were measured by DPPH free radical scavenging activity. Antioxidant activity of the ethanol extract increased in a dose-dependent manner and was about 55.9% in a concentration of 100 ${\mu}g/ml$. We measured the total cholesterol content, triglyceride content, HDL-cholesterol content, LDL-cholesterol content, atherosclerotic index, cardiac risk factor in serum, and anti-platelet aggregation and blood rheology. The total cholesterol and triglyceride concentration in serum increased for the OVX-control group, but supplementation with the E. bicyclis extract caused these factors to decrease. Notably, the serum LDL-cholesterol concentration in the OVX-EB200 group was significantly lower than the OVX-CON group. In addition, the blood passage times in rats that received the E. bicyclis extract were more rapid than the times in the untreated group (OVX-CON). Microscopic evaluation revealed that whole blood passed more smoothly through the microchannels in rats in the E. bicyclis extract supplement groups. Our results clarified the effects of E. bicyclis extract on serum lipid content in ovariectomized rats, and consequently we expect positive effects from providing E. bicyclis extract to postmenopausal women with cardiovascular disease.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.183-195
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare the flexural strength of CAD/CAM denture base resins with conventional denture base resins based on their thicknesses. Materials and Methods: For the conventional denture base resins, Lucitone 199^® (C-LC) was used. DIOnavi - Denture (P-DO) and DENTCA Denture Base II (P-DC) were taken for the 3D printing denture base resins. For the prepolymerized PMMA resins, Vipi Block Gum (M-VP) and M-IVoBase^® CAD (M-IV) were used. The final dimensions of the specimens were 65.0 mm x 12.7 mm x 1.6 mm / 2.0 mm / 2.5 mm. The 3-point bend test was implemented to measure the flexural strength and flexural modulus. Microscopic evaluation of surface of fractured specimen was conducted by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). After testing the normality of the data, one-way ANOVA was adopted to evaluate the differences among sample groups with a significance level of P = 0.05. The Tukey HSD test was performed for post hoc analysis. Results: Under the same thicknesses, there are significant differences in flexural strength between CAD/CAM denture base resins and conventional denture base resins except for P-DO and C-LC. M-VP showed higher flexural strength than conventional denture base resins, P-DC and M-IV displayed lower flexural strength than conventional denture base resins. Flexural modulus was highest in M-VP, followed by C-LC, P-DO, P-DC, M-IV, significant differences were found between all materials. In the comparison of flexural strength according to thickness, flexural strength of 2.5 mm was significantly higher than that of 1.6 mm in C-LC. Flexural strength of 2.5 mm and 2.0 mm was significantly higher than that of 1.6 mm in P-DC and M-VP. In M-IV, as the thickness increases, significant increase in flexural strength appeared. SEM analysis illustrates different fracture surfaces of the specimens. Conclusion: The flexural strength of different CAD/CAM denture base resins used in this study varied according to the composition and properties of each material. The flexural strength of CAD/CAM denture base resins was higher than the standard suggested by ISO 20795-1:2013 at a thickness of 1.6 mm or more though the thickness decreased. However, for clinical use of dentures with lower thickness, further researches should be done regarding other properties at lower thickness of denture base resins.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.133-144
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• 2004

A model and a measure which can evaluate the risk of rear end collision are developed. Most traffic accidents involve multiple causes such as the human factor, the vehicle factor, and the highway element at any given time. Thus, these factors should be considered in analyzing the risk of an accident and in developing safety models. Although most risky situations and accidents on the roads result from the poor response of a driver to various stimuli, many researchers have modeled the risk or accident by analyzing only the stimuli without considering the response of a driver. Hence, the reliabilities of those models turned out to be low. Thus in developing the model behaviors of a driver, such as reaction time and deceleration rate, are considered. In the past, most studies tried to analyze the relationships between a risk and an accident directly but they, due to the difficulty of finding out the directional relationships between these factors, developed a model by considering these factors, developed a model by considering indirect factors such as volume, speed, etc. However, if the relationships between risk and accidents are looked into in detail, it can be seen that they are linked by the behaviors of a driver, and depending on drivers the risk as it is on the road-vehicle system may be ignored or call drivers' attention. Therefore, an accident depends on how a driver handles risk, so that the more related risk to and accident occurrence is not the risk itself but the risk responded by a driver. Thus, in this study, the behaviors of a driver are considered in the model and to reflect these behaviors three concepts related to accidents are introduced. And safe stopping distance and accident occurrence probability were used for better understanding and for more reliable modeling of the risk. The index which can represent the risk is also developed based on measures used in evaluating noise level, and for the risk comparison between various situations, the equivalent risk level, considering the intensity and duration time, is developed by means of the weighted average. Validation is performed with field surveys on the expressway of Seoul, and the test vehicle was made to collect the traffic flow data, such as deceleration rate, speed and spacing. Based on this data, the risk by section, lane and traffic flow conditions are evaluated and compared with the accident data and traffic conditions. The evaluated risk level corresponds closely to the patterns of actual traffic conditions and counts of accident. The model and the method developed in this study can be applied to various fields, such as safety test of traffic flow, establishment of operation & management strategy for reliable traffic flow, and the safety test for the control algorithm in the advanced safety vehicles and many others.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.192-202
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to examine the viability of PDL cells in rat molars by using in vivo MTT assay, which was used to compare fast cryopreservation group by liquid nitrogen $(-196^{\circ}C)\;with\;4^{\circ}C$ cold preservation group. A total of 74 Sprague-Dawley white female rats of 4 week-old with a body weight of 100 grams were used. The maxillary left and right, first and second molars were extracted as atraumatically as possible under ketamine anesthesia. Ten teeth of each group were divided as six experimental groups depending upon the preservation. Cryopreservation groups were Group 1 (5% DMSO 6% HES in F medium) Group 2 (10% DMSO in F medium), Group 3 (5% DMSO 6% HES in $Viaspan^(R)$). Group 4 (10% DMSO in $Viaspan^(R)$) which were cryopreserved for 1 week and cold preservation groups were Group 5 (F medium) , Group 6 ($Viaspan^(R)$) at $4^{\circ}C$ for 1 week. Immediate extraction group was used as a control. After preservation and thawing, the in vivo MTT assay was processed. Two way ANOVA and Duncan's Multiple Range Test was performed at the 95 % level of confidence, Another 2 teeth of each group were treated as the same manner and frozen sections $10{\mu}m$ thick for microscopic observation. The value of optical density obtained after in vivo MTT analysis was divided by the value of eosin staining for tissue volume standardization. Group 1, 2 had significantly higher optical density than Group 3 and 4 which had the lowest OD value. Group 6 had higher OD value than in Group 5 (P<0.05). Histological findings of periodontal ligament cell, after being stained with MTT solution were consistent with the in vivo MTT assay results. In this study, the groups which were frozen with DMSO as a cryoprotectant and the groups with F medium showed the best results.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.621-630
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• 2021

This study evaluated cracks and climate monitoring in Ipseok-dae columnar joints and Jigong Neodeol rock blocks in Mudeungsan National Park. The rocks' state of cracking and their surface temperatures were measured alongside air temperature, relative humidity, and wind velocity. The maximum crack behavior in Ipseok-dae was 0.367 mm at one point, and showed a slight tendency at other points. One in Jigong Neodeol was within 0.15 mm and showed a stable state with little change. The surface temperature of the Ipseok-dae columnar joints was higher on the side exposed to sunlight than on the shaded side. All blocks of Jigong Neodeol rock showed similar temperatures. The air temperature showed a similar distribution for both rock types. The air temperature showed a similar distribution for both Ipseok-dae and Jigong Neodeol. The relative humidity was mostly between 20% and 60% in Ipseok-dae and was between 20 and 70% in Jigong Neodeol. Both areas had low wind speeds, with maxima of 5 m/s in Ipseok-dae and 3 m/s in Jigong Neodeol. As a result, it is evaluated that crack behavior in Ipseok-dae columnar joints and Jigong Neodeol rock blocks have maintained a very stable state so far. The surface temperature, temperature, relative humidity, and wind velocity of the two areas showed small difference depending on the season, indicating that they were affected to some extent by the season. From a long-term perspective, this can continuously affect the deformation of the Ipseok-dae columnar joints or Jigong Neodeol rock blocks. Therefore, in order to accurately evaluate their stability, it is considered that the current microscopic delamination and exfoliation or the propagation and expansion of cracks should be continuously measured.

• Laboratory Medicine Online
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.100-104
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• 2011

Background: Malaria is a problematic disease in Korea, and microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained blood smear has been used as the gold standard for its diagnosis. However, this technique is time-consuming and has low sensitivity in samples with low numbers of malarial parasites (<20 parasites/μL). Here, we evaluated the performance characteristics of the LG Advansure^TM Malaria P.f./P.v. real-time QPCR (LG life sciences, Korea). Methods: Blood samples from 173 persons who visited Korea University Ansan Hospital were evaluated. QPCR was performed in 73 malaria patients and 100 healthy subjects by using the LG Advansure Malaria P.f./P.v. real-time QPCR^R kit, and the results were compared with those of microscopy. The detection limit of this kit was determined by serial dilution of Plasmodium-infected blood with normal blood (blood not infected with Plasmodium). Results: Among the 73 patients that were microscopically confirmed to have malaria (Plasmodium vivax infection, N=70, P. falciparum infection, N=3), 69 patients were diagnosed with P. vivax infection and 3 were diagnosed with P. falciparum infection by LG Advansure^TM Malaria P.f./P.v. realtime QPCR. Both the tests indicated absence of infection in the 100 healthy subjects. The detection limit of LG Advansure^TM Malaria P.f./P.v. real-time QPCR was 0.1 parasite/μL. Conclusions: LG Advansure^TM Malaria P.f./P.v. real-time QPCRis a very sensitive and specific technique and can be used as a confirmatory test for malaria.