• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.5-15
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• 2011

Although iron is an essential mineral, excess iron intake during pregnancy may increase oxidative stress in tissues. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of iron overload during pregnancy on iron status and oxidative stress in maternal rats. Ten week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were mated with male rats. Non-pregnant (control) and pregnant rats were fed diets containing normal Fe (35 mg/kg diet), high Fe (350 mg/kg diet), or excess Fe (1,050 mg/kg diet) during pregnancy. Rats were sacrificed on pregnancy day 19. No significant difference in weight gain, diet intake, or litter size was observed according to iron intake levels. Furthermore, serum iron, hemoglobin, and hematocrit were not different among the rats administered the three levels of Fe both in the control and pregnant groups. However, the iron levels were lower in pregnant rats than those in the control. The liver and spleen iron contents increased significantly in the excess Fe group. An increase in liver ferritin levels with increasing iron intake was observed. Protein carbonyl content, as a marker of oxidative stress, increased significantly in liver with increasing iron intake but not malondialdehyde. Glutathione peroxidase activity in the liver of pregnant rats fed excess iron decreased significantly. Bcl-2 protein expression in the liver declined remarkably with increasing maternal iron intake in pregnant rats. Taken together, iron overload during pregnancy had little effect on hematology. However, the deposits of iron in the liver and the decline in antioxidant enzyme activity implied increased oxidative stress in tissues of the excess Fe group. These results suggest that excess iron intake during pregnancy increases oxidative stress in maternal tissues and may also affect fetal tissues.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.124-133
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• 2014

Purpose: The current study was designed for development of a simplified malnutrition screening tool (SMST) for hospitalized patients using readily available laboratory and patient information and for evaluation of its reliability compared to well-established tools, such as PGSGA and NRS-2002. Methods: Anthropometric and biochemical measurements, as well as a few subjective assessments, of 903 patients who were preclassified by their nutritional status according to PGSGA were analyzed. Among them, a combination of factors, including age, BMI, albumin, cholesterol, total protein, hematocrit, and changes in body weight and food intake, were statistically selected as variables for SMST. Results: According to SMST, 620 patients (68.7%) were classified as the normal group and 283 patients (31.3%) were classified as the malnutrition group. Significant differences in age, albumin, TLC, BMI, hemoglobin, hematocrit, total protein, cholesterol, and length of stay were observed between the two groups. For inter-methods reliability, the screening results by SMST were compared with those by PGSGA and NRS-2002. The comparison with PGSGA and NRS-2002 showed 'Substantial agreement' (sensitivity 94.4%, specificity 88.4%, ${\kappa}$ = 0.747) and 'Moderate agreement' (sensitivity 96.1%, specificity 79.5%, ${\kappa}$ = 0.505), respectively, indicating that SMST held high inter-methods reliability. Conclusion: In conclusion, SMST, based on readily available laboratory and patient information and simple subjective assessments on changes in food intake and body weight, may be a useful alternative tool with a simple but reliable risk index, especially in resource-limited domestic hospitals.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.109-118
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• 2013

Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation reduces epidermal hydration, which is paralleled by the reduction of natural moisturizing factors (NMFs). Of various NMFs, free amino acids (AAs) are major constituents generated by filaggrin degradation. In this study, we attempted to determine whether dietary supplementation of royal jelly (RJ) in UV-irradiated mice can alters epidermal levels of hydration, filaggrins, and free AAs as well as of peptidylarginine deiminase-3 (PAD3), an enzyme involved in filaggrin degradation processes. Albino hairless mice were fed either a control diet (group UV+: UV irradiated control) or diets with 1% RJ harvested from different areas in Korea (groups RJ1, RJ2, and RJ3) or imported from China (group RJ4) for six weeks in parallel with UV irradiation. A normal control group (group UV-) was fed a control diet without UV irradiation for six weeks. Reduced epidermal levels of hydration, total filaggrins, and PAD3 were observed in group UV+; in group RJ1, these levels were increased to a level similar to that of group UV-. In addition, profilaggrins, two repeat intermediates (2RI), a precursor with two filaggrin repeats, and filaggrin were increased. Although no alteration of AAs was observed in any of the groups, and glutamate and serine, major AAs of NMF in group RJ1 were higher than in group UV+. Despite the increased levels of PAD3, epidermal levels of hydration, filaggrins, glutamate, and serine in groups RJ2, RJ3, and RJ4 were similar to those in group UV+. Dietary supplementation of RJ1 improves epidermal hydration in parallel with enhanced expression and degradation of filaggrin, but not by increased protein expression of PAD3, along with increased generation of glutamate and serine.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.225-235
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• 2017

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the potential of freeze-dried persimmon powder (Diospyros kaki Thumb.) to protect against dyslipidemia induced by a high-fat/cholesterol diet (HFD) in a rat model. Methods: Fifty Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups: normal control (NC), high-fat/cholesterol control (HC), tannin in HFD (HT, 1% of diet), immature persimmon in HFD (HI, 7% of diet), and mature persimmon in HFD (HM, 7% of diet). Tannin was used as a positive control. Biochemical, molecular, and histopathological changes were observed in the blood and liver. Results: We confirmed that a high fat/cholesterol diet successfully induced dyslipidemia, which was characterized by significantly altered lipid profiles in the plasma and liver. However, oxidized low-density lipoprotein levels, histopathological damage in the liver, and hepatic triglyceride levels were significantly reduced in all HT, HI, and HM groups compared to those in the HF group. In contrast, plasma apolipoprotein B level was significantly reduced only in the HT and HM groups, whereas reduction of the LDL-C level was detected only in the HI group. Although HF-induced sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP) gene expression was significantly reduced in all treated groups, downstream gene expression levels varied among the different groups; significant reduction of fatty acid synthase (FAS) and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMGCR) gene expression was detected only in the HI group, whereas cholesterol $7{\alpha}$-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) gene expression was significantly elevated only in the HM group. Conclusion: Taken together, the data suggest that protection of LDL oxidation and hepatic lipogenesis might be, at least partly, attributed to tannin in persimmons. However, the identified mechanisms varied up to the maturation stage of persimmon. In the case of immature persimmon, modulation of FAS and HMGCR gene expression was prominent, whereas in the case of mature persimmon, modulation of CYP7A1 gene expression was prominent.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.99-147
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• 2016

This paper critically reviews the previous discussion over public engagement with science and technology by Science and Technology Studies literatures with a focus on justification and acceptance. Recent studies pointed out that the "participatory turn" after the late 1990s was followed by confusion and disagreement over the meaning and agency of public engagement. Their discussion over the reproduction of the ever-present boundary between science and society along with so-called late modernity and post-normal science and sometimes through the very processes of public engagement draws fresh attention to the old problem: how can lay participation in decision-making be justified, even if we agree that privileging the position of experts in governance of science and technology is no longer justified? So far STS have focused on two conditions for participatory turn-1) uncertainties inherent in experts' ways of knowing and 2) practicability of lay knowledge. This paper first explicated why such discussion has not been logically sufficient nor successful in promoting a wide and well-thought-out acceptance of public engagement. Then the paper made a preliminary attempt to explain what new types of expertise can support the construction and sustainment of participatory governance in science and technology by focusing on one case of lay participation. The particular case discussed by the paper revolves around the actions of a civil organization and an activist who led legal and regulatory changes in wind power development in Jeju Special Self-governing Province. The paper analyzed the types of expertise constructed to be effective and legitimate during the constitution of participatory energy governance and the local society's support for it. The arguments of this paper can be summarized as follows. First, an appropriate basis of the normative claim that science and technology governance should make participatory turn cannot be drawn from the essential characteristics of lay publics-as little as of experts. Second, the type of 'expertise' which can justify participatory governance can only be constructed a posteriori as a result of the practices to re-construct the boundaries between factual statements and value judgment. Third, an intermediary expertise, which this paper defines as a type of expertise in forming human-nonhuman associations and their new pathways for circulations, made significant contribution in laying out the legal and regulatory foundation for revenue sharing in Jeju wind power development. Fourth, experts' conventional ways of knowing need to be supplemented, not supplanted, by lay expertise. Ultimately, the paper calls for the necessity to extend STS discussion over governance toward following the actors. What needs more thorough analysis is such actors' narratives and practices to re-construct the boundaries between the past and present, facts and values, science and society. STS needs a renewed focus on the actual sites of conflicts and decision-making in discussing participatory governance.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.558-565
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to work related musculoskeletal disorders are a major. Occupational disease of the dental care profession is no exception. The survey was self-reported questionars of 300 dental hygienists that 268 dental hygienists reply to self-reported survey. This study results are as follows: Subjects of research analyzing the degree of physical musculoskeletal disorders pain, shoulder 90.3%, neck 89.2%, leg 83.6%, 81.7% back, hand/wrist/fingers 75.7%, arm/elbow, according to 52.8%. Therefore the work province of the research object people the musculoskeletal disorders appeared different. Generally characteristic was taller dental hygienists lower back pain and were out of less weight, study subjects had neck and arm pain. 29~33 year-old age the shoulder, over the age of 34 the arm/elbow to be high (p<0.05). Working environment to become a career, the more hand/wrist/fingers and the pain increased (p<0.05). The neck, shoulders (p<0.05), arm (p<0.01), waist high in the 3~4 years experience. And leg/foot was in the 1~2 years experience. This increase in working hours had increased pain in the neck but the hand/wrist/finger pain in the small hours of experience in the high pain(p<0.01). Conclusion of the musculoskeletal disorders of the dental hygienists often than the average for this risk is recognized. When it occurs early in treatment can be simple, but time is left to revert to normal when you do not already. Therefore, maintaining proper posture and dental hygienists, pain or fatigue appeared to accumulate immediately treated continued efforts are needed.

• Laboratory Medicine Online
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.13-19
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• 2017

Background: We evaluated a sensitive and quantitative method utilizing fragment analysis of the fms-like tyrosine kinase 3-internal tandem duplication (FLT3-ITD), simultaneously measuring mutant allele burden and length, and verified the analytical performance. Methods: The number and allelic burden of FLT3-ITD mutations was determined by fragment analysis. Serial mixtures of mutant and wild-type plasmid DNA were used to calculate the limit of detection of fragment analysis, conventional PCR, and Sanger sequencing. Specificity was evaluated using DNA samples derived from 50 normal donors. Results of fragment analysis were compared to those of conventional PCR, using 481 AML specimens. Results: Defined mixtures were consistently and accurately identified by fragment analysis at a 5% relative concentration of mutant to wild-type, and at 10% and 20% ratios by conventional PCR and direct sequencing, respectively. No false positivity was identified. Among 481 AML specimens, 40.1% (193/481) had FLT3-ITD mutations. The mutant allele burden (1.7-94.1%; median, 28.2%) and repeated length of the mutation (14-153 bp; median, 49 bp) were variable. The concordance rate between fragment analysis and conventional PCR was 97.7% (470/481). Fragment analysis was more sensitive than conventional PCR and detected 11 additional cases: seven had mutations below 10%, three cases represented conventional PCR failure, and one case showed false negativity because of short ITD length (14 bp). Conclusions: The new fragment analysis method proved to be sensitive and reliable for the detection and monitoring of FLT3-ITD in patients with AML. This could be used to simultaneously assess ITD mutant allele burden and length.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.199-207
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• 2009

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the decidual NK cell populations between increased pre-conceptional peripheral NK cell population and normal pre-conceptional peripheral NK cell population in women with a history of recurrent abortion. Methods: Fourteen women with history of recurrent abortion and elevated pre-conceptional peripheral NK cell, above 15% of peripheral lymphocyte population were included in this study. As a control, twelve women with history of recurrent abortion and their peripheral NK cell percentage showed below 15% were included. Distribution of $CD56^+$ and $CD16^+$ NK cells in paraffin embedded decidual tissues including implantation sites were examined by immunohistochemical staining using anti-CD56, 16 monoclonal antibodies. After immuohistochemical staining, the numbers of decidual NK cells were counted and compared these results between study and control groups. Results: There was significant difference in decidual $CD56^+$ NK cell count ($170.1{\pm}132.1$ vs. $68.3{\pm}66.1$, p=0.02) between increased peripheral $CD56^+$ NK cell group and control group. But, there showed no statistically significant correlation between decidual $CD56^+$ NK cell count and peripheral $CD56^+$ NK cell percentage (r=0.229, p=0.261). Also there was no statistically difference decidual $CD16^+$ NK cell count between study and control group ($25.70{\pm}11.72$ vs. $31.17{\pm}22.67$), and no correlation between decidual $CD16^+$ NK cell and peripheral $CD16^+$ NK cell percentage (r=-1.40, p=0.535). Conclusions: This study shows that decidual $CD56^+$ NK cell are significantly increased in decidua of women exhibiting a history of recurrent abortion with increased $CD56^+$ peripheral NK cell. This study suggests that the percentage of peripheral NK cell reflect the expression of decidual NK cell. Consequently, pre-conceptional peripheral blood NK cell population can be the useful marker for detecting the risk of subsequent miscarriage.

• Asian Journal of Turfgrass Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.229-240
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• 2009

The high temperature and water content in soil profile probably affect the physiological disorder especially on cool-season turfgrasses in warm and humid weather of Korean summer. The purpose of this research was to analyze the effect of soil temperature and water content on the growth and stress response of creeping bentgrass(Agrostis palustris Huds.) under a humid and warm temperature. USGA(United State of Golf Association) green profile in laboratory test, Daily temperature changes were tested under a dried sand, 70% water content of field capacity, and saturated condition at $34^{\circ}C$ of the USGA green in lab. In this test, the dried sand reached to $80^{\circ}C$, however, the surface temperature decrease of $10^{\circ}C$ on the saturated condition. In the thermal properties test in field, thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and soil temperature were increased followed by irrigation practise. In the water-deficient condition, the highest soil temperature was reached temporally right after irrigation, however, the excessive soil water content higher than field water holding capacity showed the highest soil temperature after a while. This result indicated that a heat damage to root system was caused from the thermal conductivity of a high surface soil temperature. The excessive irrigation when a high turf surface temperature should occur a negative result on tufgrass growth, moreover, it would be fatal to root growth of creeping bentgrass, especially when associated with a poor draining system on USGA sand green. Overall, this study shows that high soil temperature with water-excessive condition negatively affects on cool-season grass during the summer season, suggesting that excessive irrigation, over 70% field capacity of soil condition, does not help to reduce soil temperature for summer season in Korea. In the study that cool-season grass were treated with different water content of soil, The soil had higher temperature and more water holding capacity when treatment rate of soil conditioner was increased. The best growth at the normal water condition and the worst state of growth at thee water-excessive condition were observed.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.87-97
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• 2020

The compositions of the phenocrystic feldspars of the Sanbangsan trachyte range from labradorite(An_53.6) to andesine(An_35.4), and of the microphenocrysts and laths range from andesine(An_31.2) to oligoclase(An_18.7). Mantled feldspar which forms a thin rim around the phenocrysts and microphenocrysts, is anorthoclase(Or_20.5An_9.4) to sanidine(Or_49.2An_1.4). Phenocrystic plagioclase, which shows a distinct zonal structure, represents an oscillatory zoning in which the An content of the zone repeatedly increases or decreases between andesine (An_39.3) and labradorite (An_51.3) from the core toward the rim, and the rim of the phenocrysts is surrounded by alkali feldspar(Or_31.9-39.4Ab_63.2-57.0An_4.9-3.7), showing the antirapakivi texture. Microphenocryst which does not represent the antirapakivi texture, shows the normal zoning with a decreasing An content (An_36.4→An_25.6) as it moves outward from the center of a crystal. As a result of X-ray mapping of K, Ca, and Na elements for the feldspar phenocrysts representing the typical zonal structure, shows the oscillatory zoning that six zones show the distinctive compositional differences, and the rims are mantled by alkali feldspar to indicate the antirapakivi texture. The groundmass is composed of K-enriched, Ca-poor alkali feldspar. The antirapakivi texture of feldspar which appears in Sanbangsan trachyte, may have been formed in mixing systems as a result of the juxtaposition of near liquidus melt, rich in alkali feldspar components(trachytic magma), with plagioclase phenocrysts and microphenocrysts already crystallized in a more mafic system.