• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.356-363
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• 2010

Background: Connexin 43-mediated gap junctional communication plays an important role in atherosclerosis. Numerous studies have demonstrated a correlation between mitral valve annular calcification and atherosclerotic disease. However, the relevance of connexin 43 to mitral valve disease remains unclear. We hypothesized that the mechanism contributing to mitral valve disease is associated with alterations in cell-to-cell communication mediated by changes in Connexin 43 expression. Material and Method: Twenty male New Zealand rabbits were divided into two groups: animals in group 1 (n=10) were fed a normal chow diet, whilst those in group 2 (n=10) received a diet containing 1% cholesterol for 12 weeks. After sacrificing the animals, the mitral valves were excised and analyzed with immunohistochemical staining and Real-time Reverse Transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (real time RT-PCR). Result: Myofibroblasts and macrophages were found concentrated within the endothelial layer on the ventricular side of the leaflet in the cholesterol diet group. Immunohistochemial staining showed elevated expression of connexin43 in the cholesterol diet group. Real-time RT-PCR revealed increased connexin43 mRNA levels in mitral valves from hypercholesterolemic animals. Conclusion: Our finding that connexin43 expression is increased in mitral valves of hypercholesterolemic rabbits suggests that alterations in cell-to-cell communication via connexin43 containing gap junctions play a role in the development of mitral valve disease in hypercholesterolemia.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.314-320
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• 1999

Purpose : Paclitaxel is a chemotherapeutic agent with potent microtubule stabilizing activity that arrests cells in $G_2$-M phase. Because $G_2$ and M are the most radiosensitive phase of the cell cycle, paclitaxel has potential role as a cell-cycle specific radiosensitizer. This study was peformed to see the effects of paclitaxel on the radiation-induced damage of gastric mucosa of the rat. Materials and Methods : The rats were divided into the three groups i.e., paclitaxel alone group, radiation alone group and, a combination of paclitaxel and radiation in combined group. A single intraperitoneal infusion of paclitaxel (10 mg/kg) was done in paclitaxel alone group. In radiation alone group, a single fraction of irradiation (8 Gy, x-ray) to the whole abdomen and, a combination of a single fraction of irradiation (8 Gy, x-ray) to the whole abdomen was given 24 hrs after paclitaxel infusion In combined group of paclitaxel and radiation. The incidence of mitosis and apoptosis as well as histologic changes of the gastric mucosa were evaluated at 6 hrs, 24 hrs, 3 days and 5 days after treatment. Results : The number of the mitosis was not increased by paclitaxel infusion. The incidence of the apoptosis was similar from 6 hrs to 3 days after paclitaxel infusion and was decreased at 5 days. Paclitaxel induced minimal glandular dilatation and cellular atypia of gastric mucosa at 24 hrs and 3 days. In irradiation group, the incidence of apoptosis was $6.0\%$ in 6 hrs and $1.25\%$ in 24 hrs after irradiation and minimal glandular dilatation and cellular atypia were noted throughout the experimental period. The incidence of apoptosis in the combined group of paclitaxel and irradiation ($4.5\%$) was significantly higher than irradiation alone group ($1.25\%$) at 3 days (p<0.05). Conclusion : Paclitaxel had no mitotic on mitotic arrest in gastric mucosa of the rat. Increased number of apoptosis in combined paclitaxel and irradiation group suggested the additive effects of paclitaxel on irradiation.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.342-347
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• 2009

We sought to improve the methods for washing fresh raw ginseng. The quality of ginseng surface-washed by different methods was evaluated during storage at 10C and $20^{\circ}C$. The raw ginseng surface-washing method was a full-cone spray-type procedure using water and air. The water for decontamination had an electrolysis value of 80 ppm, also known as electrolysis water $2^{\circ}C$ water and water containing 5 ppm chlorine dioxide, were also used for decontamination. The Hunter color (${\Delta}E$) of ginseng washed with water withan electrolysis value of 80 ppm, or water with 5 ppm chlorine dioxide, was greater than that seen after other washing methods were used. The weight loss after washing with 5 ppm chlorine dioxide water was similar to that seen after washing with $2^{\circ}C$ water or 80 ppm electrolysis water. Reductions in total microorganism levels, and counts of yeasts and molds, assayed 10 days after washing with 5 ppm chlorine dioxide water were greater than seen after use of other sterilization methods. Quality maintenance on storage, at both 10C and 20C, after washing with 80 ppm electrolysis water, was better than that noted after other sterilization methods. The moisture content of washed ginseng was similar under all storage conditions tested.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.259-265
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• 2009

To develop an effective anti-hangover product, hot-water extracts of 25 medicinal herbs were screened for inhibition or activation of alcohol dehydrogenase(ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase(ALDH), and 12 herbs were selected for further study. Chosen medicinal herb extracts(CMHEs) were fermented by Lactobacillus delbruechii subspecies lactis for 10 days at $35^{\circ}C$ after saccharification with nuruk(malt inoculated by 5 types of microbs) for 72 hours at $35^{\circ}C$ and both CMHEs and fermented CMHEs(FCMHEs) were explored for anti-hangover effects in vitro. We found significant ADH inhibition by hot-water extracts of Pueraria thunbergiana, Hovenia dulcis Thunb, Lycium chinense, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Acanthopanax sessiliflorus, Liriope platyphylla, and Ixeris dentata, and significant ALDH activation by extracts of Acanthopanax sessiliflorus, Lycium chinense, Ixeris dentata, and Polypori umbellati of the Polyporaceae. The ADH effects on CMHE and FCMHE were -20.22% and -62.63% of control values, and the ALDH effects 173.20% and 280.17%, respectively. In rats given 20%(v/v) alcohol(15 mL/kg), FCMHEs significantly decreased blood acetaldehyde concentrations on 3 hours after ethanol administration, in a dose-dependent manner(p<0.05). Notably, blood acetaldehyde concentrations were markedly reduced in animals given FCMHEs(400 mg/kg) compared to levels seen in rats receiving CADB(commercial alcohol detoxification beverage). Thus, anti-hangover effects were promoted by fermentation of certain medicinal herb extracts.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.193-201
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• 2007

We used $^6Li$ and $^7Li$ MAS NMR to investigate the fate and local environments of Li in the interlayer of clay minerals such as hectorite, Woming-montmorillonite, beidellite, and lepidollite at room and high ($250^{\circ}C$) temperature. Although $^6Li$ NMR spectra show narrower peaks than those of $^7Li$ NMR, S/N ratio is low and there are no obvious differences in chemical shifts suggesting that it is difficult to apply $^6Li$ NMR to have information on the local environments of Li in the clay interlayers. $^7Li$ NMR spectra, however, show changes in the peak width and quadrupole patterns providing information on the local environments of Li in the interlayer even though changes in the chemical shift are not observed. In montmorillonite, two different local environments of Li are observed; one has a narrow peak with typical quadrupole patterns whereas another has a broad peak without those of the patterns. Changes in the peak width is also observed from broad to narrow in the $^7Li$ NMR spectra for beidellite but not for hectorite at high temperature. Our results suggest that the peak width change in the broad peak is attributed to the coordination changes in the water molecules around Li which is tightly bonded on the basal oxygen of Si tetrahedra as inner-sphere complexes. The narrow peak in montmorillnoite can be assigned to the Li bended as outer-sphere complexes.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.95-110
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• 2006

The treatment for oral and maxillofacial carcinoma with chemotherapeutic agents is evaluated by many effective methods to reduce the tumor mass and cancer cell proliferation. However these chemotherapy have many serious side effects, such as bone marrow suppression, renal toxicity, G-I troubles. Therefore a possible approach to develop a clinically applicable chemotherapeutic agent is to screen anticancer activity of Taxol which is known to have very little side effect and have been used to breast cancer and ovarian carcinoma. Taxol is a new anti-microtubular anti-cancer agent extracted from the bark of the Pacific yew, Taxus brevifolia. Paclitaxel(Taxol) acts by promoting tubulin polymerization and over stabilizing microtubules agianst depolymerization. Despite the constant improvements of methods of the cancer treatment especially chemotherapy, the rate of cancer metastasis and recurrent are not decreased. Thus the investigation of new drug which have very little side effect and a possible clinically application continues to be a high priority. Considering that the Taxol have shown very effective chemotherapeutic agent with relatively low toxicity in many solid tumors, it deserves to evaluate its efficacy in oral squamous cell carcinoma. In this study, to investigate the in-vivo and in-vitro anti-cancer efficacy of Taxol in oral squamous cell carcinoma and lastly, the potency of Paclitaxel in the clinical application for oral cancer was evaluated. In vivo study, after HN22 cell line were xenografted in nude mice, the growth of tumor mass was observed, 3 mg/Kg taxol was injected intraperitoneally into nude mice containing tumor mass. The methods of these study were measurement of total volume of tumor mass, histopathologic study, immunohistochemical study, drug resistance assay, growth curve, MTT assay, flow cytometry, cDNA microarray in vivo and in vitro. The results were obtained as following. 1. The visual inspection of the experimental group showed that the volume of the tumor mass was slightly decreased but no significant difference with control group. 2. Ki-67 index was decreased at weeks 4 in experimental group. 3. Microscopic view of the xenografted tumor mass showed well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma and after Taxol injection, some necrotic tissue was seen weeks 4. 4. The growth curve of the tumor cells were decreased after 1day Taxol treatment. 5. According to the MTT assay, HN22 cell line showed relative drug resistancy above $5\;{\mu}g/ml$ concentrations of Taxol. 6. In drug resistance assay, the decrease of cell counts was seen relatively according to concentration. 7. In Flow cytometry, G2M phase cell arrests were seen in low concentration of the Taxol, while S phase cell arrests were seen in high concentration of the Taxol. 8. Using cDNA microarray technique, variable gene expression of ANGPTL4, TXNRD1, FAS, RRAGA, CTGF, CYCLINEA, P19, DUSP5, CEBPG, BTG1 were detacted in the oral squamous cell carcinoma cell after taxol treatment. In this study paclitaxel is effective against oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines in vitro, but week effect was observed in vivo. So we need continuous study about anticancer effect of taxol in vivo in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.279-286
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• 2001

Objective: To elucidate 1) whether there are any differences in the urine concentrations of steroid hormone metabolites between patients with leiomyoma and normal controls 2) the correlation between urinary profiles of steroid hormones and leiomyomas of the uterus according to their type, location, volume, and weight. Materials of Methods : The study population consisted of 37 premenopausal patients with uterine leiomyoma and the control group consisted of 25 premenopausal normal volunteer women without uterine leiomyoma. Confirmation of the existence of uterine leiomyoma was done by ultrasonography and histopathological examination after surgery. The volume of the leiomyoma was estimated by trans-abdominal and/or trans-vaginal ultrasonography. The Leiomyomas were divided into 3 types (subserosal, intramural and submucosal). Seventeen patients had subserosal type of leiomyoma, 10 with the intramural type and 10 with the submucosal type. The locations of the leiomyoma were also divided into 3 groups (fundus, body and isthmus). Seventeen patients showed a fundus location, 10 in body, and 10 in isthmus. We compared urinary profiles of the endogenous steroids between patients with leiomyomas and normal controls, and also investigated the relationship between urinary profiles of the endogenous steroids and leiomyomas according to their type, location, volume and weight by using highly sensitive Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) system. Results: The mean ages of the patients with leiomyomas and the control group were $43.1{\pm}5.6$ and $40.6{\pm}7.2$ years, the weights were $63.4{\pm}7.3$ and $59.4{\pm}8.1\;kg$, and their heights were $155.4{\pm}4.8$ and $159.3{\pm}4.8\;cm$ respectively. Seventeen patients had subserosal, 10 had intramural, and 10 had submucosal leiomyomas. There were 17 patients with leiomyoma located in fundus, 10 in body and 10 in isthmus. $17{\beta}$-estradiol, 5-AT, 11-keto ET, $11{\beta}$-hydroxy An, $11{\beta}$-hydroxy Et, THS, THA, THE, a-cortolone, a-cortol, $\beta$-cortol, $11{\beta}$-OH Et/$11{\beta}$-OH An and E2/E1 were significantly increased in patients with leiomyoma than in the control group. $17{\beta}$-estradiol was significantly increased in the intramural and the submucosal types than in the subserosal type. There was no significant difference in the concentrations of urinary steroids according to the locations of leiomyomas. There was no significant relationship between the concentration of urinary steroids and the volume of the leiomyomas. $17{\beta}$-estradiol significantly decreased as the weight of uterus increased (r=-0.322, p=0.04). Conclusion: The concentrations of steroid hormone metabolites were generally increased in patients with leiomyoma but were not significantly related to the volume and weight of the leiomyomas. Our study suggests that steroid hormones may be involved in the initiation of leiomyomas but may not be involved in their progression. In addition, the concentrations of steroid hormone metabolites are not related to the leiomyoma type and location.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 2000

Objectives: It is been reported that sleep patterns change significantly during the adolescent years. In Korea, the sleep patterns of adolescents have not been investigated systematically. The authors performed preliminary study about sleep patterns of middle and high school students in Seoul before nationwide study. Methods: The authors selected one of middle and high schools located in typical middle class area in Seoul. The study was performed during the periods when examination or vacation did not affect the sleep cycle. Fifty to one hundred male and female students were selected from one school year each. One of investigators explained the purposes and methods of this study to the students and gave additional explanation to the teachers in charge. We designed a questionnaire for subjects to describe the nap time, bedtime, sleep latency, total sleep time, rise time and sleep efficiency, and the students recorded sleep logs for seven days including weekend. Eight hundred three students answered the questionnaires. Among them, we selected the subjects who recorded sleep logs at least three days and filled up the questionnaires completely. Finally, seven hundred seventy one subjects were included in this study. Weekend was defined as the time from Saturday morning to Sunday morning, and Sunday sleep patterns were treated separately. Results: Across the six school years, school-night bedtimes were delayed one hundred twenty four minutes and school-ight rise times were advanced by thirty five minutes. School-night total sleep times were decreased by one hundred fifty eight minutes, and weekend bedtimes were delayed by one hundred twenty five minutes. The students tended to oversleep on weekends, and the mean of weekend oversleep was ninety six minutes. But, bedtime in weekends was not delayed. Daytime sleep, sleep latency and sleep efficiency were not changed greatly across six school years. Total sleep time of female students was decreased significantly between third middle school year and first high school year, but time of male students was decreased between first and second high school year. Conclusion: It is supposed that sleep deficiency of middle and high school students in Seoul was due to delayed bedtimes and advanced rise times across the school years.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.219-227
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• 1992

Background: Acute and chronic airway inflammation are important in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma. Corticosteroids have proved to be very effective in the management of asthma. Although the mechanism by which they produce this effect is still debated, suppression of the inflammatory response is thought to be the most likely. Although inhaled steroids are known to be safe and have less side effects than oral steroids, the extent which inhaled steroids have beneficial and the detrimental effects in the treatment of asthma has remained open to question. Budesonide is a recently developed corticosteroid for inhalation treatment with a strong local effect combined with rapid inactivation in the systemic circulation. We set out to look in more detail at the time course of change in bronchial reactivity, clinical symptoms and the effects on the adrenal function during 6 weeks of treatment with budesonide (800 ug per day). Methods: Clinical symptoms, pulmonary function test, histamine $PC_{20}$, serum ACTH and cortisol (8 AM and 4 PM) were measured in 23 allergic asthmatic patients before and after 6 weeks of treatment with budesonide. Results: 1) Pulmonary function test; PEFR, FEV1 and FVC after 6 weeks of treatment with budesonide were higher than those before treatment. 2) Clinical symptoms; Clinical symptoms were significantly improved after 3 weeks and 6 weeks of treatment with budesonide. 3) Histamine provocation; Histamine $PC_{20}$ after 6 weeks of treatment with budesonide was significantly higher than that before treatment. 4) Adrenal function; 6 weeks of budesonide therapy did not significantly affect the level of serum ACTH and cortisol. Conclusion: From these results, it is concluded that budesonide therapy improved the clinical symptoms, pulmonary function and bronchial hyperreactivity after 3 weeks of treatment and the improvement after 6 weeks of treatment was higher than that after 3 weeks of treatment. During 6 weeks of treatment with budesonide, the inhibitory effect on the adrenal function was not obvious.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.143-147
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• 2004

Background : It is important to predict the exercise capacity and dyspnea, as measurements of lung volume, in patients with COPD. However, lung volume changes in response to an improvement in airflow limitation have not been explored in detail. In the present study, it is hypothesized that lung volume responses might not be accurately predicted by flow responses in patients with moderate to severe airflow limitations. Methods : To evaluate lung volume responses, baseline and follow up, flow and lung volumes were measured in moderate to severe COPD patients. The flow response was defined by an improvement in the $FEV_1$ of more than 12.3%; lung volume changes were analyzed in 17 patients for the flow response. Results : The mean age of the subjects was 66 years; 76% were men. The mean baseline $FEV_1$, $FEV_1$/FVC and RV were 0.98L (44.2% predicted), 47.5% and 4.65 L (241.5%), respectively. The mean follow up duration was 80 days. The mean differences in the $FEV_1$, FVC, TLC and RV were 0.27 L, 0.39 L, -0.69 L and -1.04 L, respectively, during the follow up periods. There was no correlation between the delta $FEV_1$ and delta RV values(r=0.072, p=0.738). Conclusion : To appropriately evaluate the lung function in patients with moderate to severe airflow limitations; serial lung volume measurements would be helpful.