• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.57-67
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• 2011

In this study, we investigated the correlation between the administration of various antiviral agents and the alternation of specific biomarkers induced by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Eligible subjects diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B were prescribed with antiviral drugs at the Gastroenterology Internal Medicine Department of E University Hospital in Daejeon between May 2004 and September 2009. Lamivudine was prescribed to 66 out of 100 patients. Of the 12 patients, 6 (50.0%) showed a change from being HBe-antigen-positive to being HBe-antigen-negative. Of the 39 patients, 23 (59.0%) showed higher than 40 IU/L alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Of the 65 patients, 41 (63.1%) showed HBV DNA decrease of 1 log, and were prescribed with Lamivudine. Adefovir was prescribed to 3 out of 100 patients. Of the 12 patients, 1 (8.3%) showed a change from being HBe-antigen-positive to being HBe-antigen-negative, and was prescribed with Adefovir. Entecavir was prescribed to 19 (19.0%) out of 100 patients. Of the 12 patients, 3 (25.0%) showed a change from being HBe-antigen-positive to being HBe-antigen-negative. Of the 12 patients, 3 (125.8%) showed higher than 40 IU/L ALT. Of the 65 patients, 14 (21.5%) showed HBV DNA decrease of 1 log, and were prescribed with Entecavir. Clavudine was prescribed to 7 out of 100 patients. Of the 12 patients, 1 (8.3%) showed a change from positive HBe antigen to negative HBe antigen. Of the 39 patients, 5 (12.8%) showed higher than 40 IU/L ALT. Of the 65 patients, 6 (9.2%) showed HBV decrease of 1 log, and were prescribed with Clavudine. These results do not show a statistically significant correlation between drugs and biomarkers. Data on combination therapy using Lamivudine and Adefovir show no statistically significant difference between drugs and biomarkers. Medications for periodic inspection was not correlated to HBe-antigen-negative conversion, ALT, and HBV DNA. HBV DNA was significantly reduced in patients with high levels of AST(aspartic acid aminotransferase) and ALT before treatment. In addition, the decrease of HBV DNA after 12 months of treatment was less frequently observed in patients treated with Lamivudine compared with other drugs. This result is associated with Lamivudine resistance. Although the association of drugs with diagnostic markers and the correct choice of treatment is difficult to determine, these results may be useful for further research on diagnosis and treatment of the hepatitis B virus.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.63 no.5
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• pp.417-422
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• 2007

Background: It is not known with certainty whether patients with persistently positive sputum smear results who have also had negative sputum culture results require prolongation of treatment for tuberculosis in order to avoid an increased risk of eventual relapse. The purpose of the present study was to retrospectively describe the treatment characteristics and evaluate the appropriate duration of treatment in these patients. Methods: Sixty of 69 patients with sputum smear positive and culture negative tests at 5 months after first line anti-tuberculous chemotherapy from 2002 to 2003 were retrospectively analyzed. Exclusion criteria included incomplete treatment or resistance to rifampicin or two additional antibiotics, as determined by a drug susceptibility test (DST). Results: Smear conversion of the study subjects was observed after $8.3{\pm}2.3$ months treatment, and the patients were culture negative after $2.0{\pm}0.8$ months. The relapse rates of the study subjects were 3.8, 10.0, and 25.8% after 1, 2, and 5 years of anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy, respectively. The relapse rates were not significantly affected by a series of risk factors such as age, sex, presence of diabetes, a sputum culture examination after 2 months treatment, previous treatment history, chest radiograph, and duration of the treatment (P>0.05). Conclusion: Regimen change is not required for patients with persistent smear positive but culture negative tests in the fifth month for first line antituberculous treatment. However, a further study will be needed to clarify the high relapse rate in this specific group of patients.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.20-31
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• 2005

Objectives:This study was designed to investigate the characteristics of personality changes and emotional distress using the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) in patients with traumatic brain injury(TBI), divided into mild (MTBI) and severe (STBI) groups according to the severity of injury. Methods:The subjects were consisted of 25 patients with MTBI, 25 patients with STBI, and 25 normal controls. They were interviewed with the PAI. The data were analyzed by ${\chi}^2$ test, analysis of variance and Tukey test. Results:The results were the followings. First, Negative Impression in validity scales was elevated above cutoff point(T score 70) in both MTBI and STBI groups. Second, the clinical scales of which scores elevated above the cutoff point were Somatic Complaints, Anxiety, Anxiety-Related Disorders, Depression, and Schizophrenia in the MTBI, and Somatic Complaints and Depression in the STBI. Third, the clinical subscales above the cutoff point were Conversion, Somatization, Health Concerns, Affective Anxiety, Physiological Anxiety, Traumatic Stress, Cognitive Depression, Affective Depression, Physiological Depression, Thought Disorder, and Affective Instability in the MTBI, and Health Concerns, Cognitive Depression, Affective Depression, and Physiological Depression in the STBI. Fourth, Suicide Ideation in treatment scales was the only scale above the cutoff point in the MTBI and the others of the treatment and interpersonal scales in the MTBI and all of these scales of the STBI were not elevated above the cutoff point. Fifth, the scales of which scores showed significant difference between the MTBI and the STBI were Somatic Complaints, Anxiety, Depression, and Suicide Ideation, the subscales were Conversion, Somatization, Health Concerns, Affective Anxiety, Physiological Anxiety, Physiological Depression, and Psychotic Experiences. Conclusion:These results suggest that the patients with MTBI had more somatic and anxiety symptoms, depressed mood, and suicidal ideation than the patients with STBI. These characteristics are generally consistent with clinical observation and findings from previous studies of the patients with TBI, and the PAI seems to be a beneficial adjunctive assessment tool for the evaluation of patients with traumatic brain injury.

• Environmental Sciences Bulletin of The Korean Environmental Sciences Society
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.139-148
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• 2000

A mass balance/photochemical modeling approach was used to evaluate the sea-to-air dimethyl sulfide (DMS) fluxes in tropical regions and part of the Southern Ocean. The flux determinations were based on 10 airborne observations by ACE 1 transit flights (i.e., Flights 4-9 and 29-32). The DMS flux values for the tropical regions ranged from 1.0 to 7.4 $\mu$mole/$m^2$/day with an average estimate of 4.2$\pm$2.3 $\mu$mole/$m^2$/day. The seasonal variations in the DMS flux predicted for the equatorial Pacific Ocean based on atmospheric DMS measurements were not entirely consistent with those derived from seawater DMS measurements were not entirely consistent with those derived from seawater DMS measurements reported in previous literature. Inhomogeneities in the DMS flux field were found to cause significant shifts in the atmospheric DMS levels even in the same sampling location. Accordingly, no definitive statement can be made at this stage regarding systematic differences or agreements in the DMS flux estimates from the two approaches. Moreover, this study strongly suggests that DMS oxidation is the most likely dominant source of SO$_2$in tropical regions, which is also supported by another set of compiled observations. Finally, these SO$_2$observations indicate that, when significant data was available for both the boundary and buffer layers, the vertical SO$_2$gradient between these two zones was primarily negative.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.249-253
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• 2019

Various factors negatively affect poultry production, including a multitude of avian pathogens. Among them, Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) and Mycoplasma synoviae (MS) cause world-wide economic losses in the poultry industry. Although respectively, MG and MS induce chronic respiratory disease and synovitis in poultry, these pathogens often manifest as clinically inapparent infections and many countries are therefore having difficulties effectively eradicating them. In this study, five broiler breeder farms in Korea were investigated for the presence of Mycoplasma infection from 2016 to 2018. Serum samples were collected for detection of antibodies to mycoplasma species using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Additionally, the production index and feed conversion rate of broilers were recorded. According to this investigation, broiler breeder farms in 2018 were serologically negative for Mycoplasma infection with broilers exhibiting a high production index and low feed conversion rate. Thus, eradicating mycoplasma in poultry farms is critical for improving chick quality and overall poultry production.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.157-162
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• 2018

A feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of supplementation with four phosphorus (P) additives [mono-calcium phosphate (MCP), dicalcium phosphate (DCP), tricalcium phosphate (TCP) and magnesium hydrogen phosphate (MHP)] on the growth, feed utilization and whole body mineral composition of juvenile olive flounders Paralichthys olivaceus. A basal diet without P supplementation was prepared as a negative control and four supplemental P sources were added at a level of 2%. Triplicate groups of fish (initial mean body weight 11 g) were fed one of the experimental diets to apparent satiation twice a day, at 08:30 and 18:00 for 10 weeks. The final body weights of fish fed the experimental diets ranged from 29.4 g (DCP) to 34.2 g (MCP) and did not differ significantly (P>0.05) among treatments. Similar tendencies were found for all parameters including weight gain (%), specific growth rate (SGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein efficiency ratio (PER), feed intake (FI) and survival rate (SR). The hematocrit (%), hemoglobin (g/dL), serum inorganic P and whole body mineral composition did not differ significantly different (P>0.05) among the treatments. Therefore, dietary P addition is not necessary for juvenile olive flounder fed a fish meal-based diet.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.161-172
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• 2017

This study was conducted to determine the effect of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC) as a dietary probiotic and evaluated the most suitable feeding interval for this probiotic on growth performance, carcass yield, and meat quality parameters in broiler chickens. In total, 1,050 one-day-old Cobb 500 chicks were randomly assigned to one of seven dietary treatment groups, in a $2{\times}3$ factorial arrangement with 3 SC dosages (0.6%, 1%, and 1.4%) and two feeding intervals [long term (LT) for 35 days and short term (ST) for 28 days after hatching], with a negative control diet (NC; 0% SC). Triplicate experiments were performed with 50 birds per cage. Broilers fed a diet including SC showed increased (p<0.01) daily gain and feed efficiency compared to the control. Further, broilers fed the 1.4% SC supplemented diet showed a significantly increased (p<0.01) average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to broilers fed the 0.6% and 1% SC incorporated diets. Similarly, broilers fed an LT SC diet showed a greater (p<0.01) increase in ADG and FCR compared to broilers fed an ST SC diet. Moreover, broilers fed an LT SC diet displayed a reduced (p<0.05) meat pH, gizzard weight, and increased (p<0.05) meat water-holding capacity compared to broilers fed an ST SC diet. Broilers fed the 1.4% SC supplemented diet showed increased (p<0.05) thigh muscle weight compared to broilers fed the 0.6% and 1% SC supplemented diets. In conclusion, broilers fed LT SC diets showed improved growth performance and carcass quality parameters compared to broilers fed ST SC diets, and the NC diet, from hatching to day 35.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.314-321
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• 2015

We performed three sets of feeding trials to establish the optimal feed size (Exp-I), stocking density (Exp-II), and dissolved oxygen level (DO) (Exp-III) for olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus. In Exp-1, four replicate groups of fish ($53.6{\pm}0.9g$) were fed commercial diets with three particle sizes (small, medium, and large). In Exp-II, fish ($30.0{\pm}0.1g$) were reared at four stocking densities (1.8, 3.5, 5.3, and $7.1kg/m^3$). In Exp-III, fish ($187{\pm}1.48g$) were reared under two different DO levels (2-3 and 6-7 mg/L). In Exp-I, fish fed the large-particle diet gained significantly more weight and had a lower feed conversion ratio than fish fed the small- and medium-particle diets. In Exp-II, fish reared at 1.8 and $3.5kg/m^3$ gained slightly more weight and had lower feed conversion ratios than fish reared at 5.3 and $7.1kg/m^3$, although these differences were not significant. In Exp-III, negative effects were observed in the low DO groups. Therefore, under our experimental conditions, the optimal feed particle size, stocking density, and DO level for olive flounder were 9-9.4 mm, $3.5kg/m^3$, and 6-7 mg/L, respectively.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.816-821
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• 2019

A counter-type time-to-digital converter was designed using a dual edge T flip-flop. The time-to-digital converter was designed with a $0.18{\mu}m$ CMOS process at a supply voltage of 1.5 volts. In a typical time-to-digital converter, when the period of the clock is T, a conversion error corresponding to the period of the clock occurs due to the asynchronism between the input signal and the clock. However, the clock of the time-to-digital converter proposed in this paper is generated in synchronization with the start signal which is the input signal. As a result, conversion errors that may occur due to asynchronization of the start signal and the clock do not occur. The flip-flops constituting the counters are composed of dual-edge flip-flops operating at the positive and negative edges of the clock to improve the resolution.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.99-109
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• 2021

Objectives: Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the treatment of herbal medicine for patients with COVID-19 asymptomatic infections. Method: In English, search engines such as 'PubMed', 'Science Direct', and 'Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL)' were used. In Chinese, search engines such as 'China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI)' and Wanfang were used. The keywords for the search engines were 'COVID-19', 'asymptomatic infection', 'Korean Medicine', 'traditional Chinese medicine', 'herbal medicine', and etc. Only clinical studies using herbal medicine for patients without fever or respiratory symptoms were selected. We excluded the cases that do not fit the research topic. Results: A total of 5 studies were finally selected. Among them, four of them used integrated herbal medicine and Western medicine, and one of the studies treated exclusively for herbal medicine. There were a total of seven prescriptions for herbal medicine used in the study. Outcome variables were used as following: lab test, nucleic acid conversion time, hospitalization period, chest CT, and etc. In the RCT study, herbal medicine and Western medicine decreased nucleic acid conversion time, average hospitalization time compared to the control group, but it was not statistically significant. No other adverse reactions were reported in all studies. Conclusion: According to the results, integrated herbal medicine and Western medicine might be an effective treatment for patients with COVID-19 asymptomatic infection reducing hospitalization period, time of nucleic acid turning negative. No severe adverse effects were reported. However, it is thought that better-designed research will be needed in the future.