• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.197-202
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• 2008

In our previous publication we compared the gene expression profiles on hepatotoxicants exposure to assess the comparability between in vivo and in vitro test systems. We investigated global gene expression from both mouse liver and mouse hepatic cell line treated with thioacetamide (TAA) and identified several common genes. In this study, we selected genes to validate them as potential biomarkers for hepatotoxicity on the relevance of in vitro and in vivo system. Three up-regulated, aquaporin 8 (Aqp8), glutathione peroxidase 1 (Gpx1), succinate-CoA ligase, GDP-forming, alpha subunit (Suclg1) and two down-regulated, DnaJ (Hsp40) homolog subfamily C member 5 (Dnajc5) and tumor protein D52 (Tpd52) genes were tested for their effects in vitro. For characterization of gene function, short interfering RNA (siRNA) for each gene was synthesized and transfected in mouse hepatic cell line, BNL CL.2. Cell viability, mRNA expression level and morphological alterations were investigated. We confirmed siRNA transfection against selected five genes induced down-regulation of respective mRNA expression. siRNA transfection in general decreased cell viability in different degrees and induced morphological changes such as membrane thickening and alterations of intracellular structures. This suggests that these genes could be associated with TAA-induced toxicity. Furthermore, these genes may be used in the investigation of hepatotoxicity for better understanding of its mechanism.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.22 no.2 s.26
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• pp.248-258
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• 1989

As a result of cost-benefit analysis by making a macroscopic approach to the health screening projects conducted 4 times since 1950 for the insured people of the Korea Medical Insurance Corporation, the following conclusions were reached. 1. The direct costs put into the health screening project, and the time costs which were paid by examinees or calculated in terms of social costs have been estimated. The results is that the lowest estimation was 10,337 million won and the highest 15,141 million won when a minimum of 1.5 hours of time spent and a maximum 4 hours were applied. 2. In terms of the psychiatric benefits, the lowest estimation was 5,341 million won while the highest was 5,585 million won. 3. In terms of the benefits for each kind of diseases, the lowest estimation of 37,188 million won and highest estimation of 74,383 million won have been calculated for the liver diseases. And for the cardiovascular diseases, the minimum estimation was 14,475 million won while the maximum was 20,532 million won. In case of pulmonary tuberculosis, with external effect benefits being included, the estimation ranged from the minimum of 1,649 million won to the maximum of 1,832 million won. And the estimation of benefits for diabetes mellitus and renal diseases ranged from 89 million won to 92 million won and from 4,567 million won to 7,598 million won respectively. 4. In comparing costs and benefits, as a results of comparing each highest and lowet estimation a range of minimum 46,708 million won and maximum 98,071 million won of benefits has been gained.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.31 no.3 s.62
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• pp.395-403
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• 1998

To estimate the incidence rate of coronary heart disease in Korea, of all residents in Taegu city aged 25 or above, those who had an acute MI or a fatal coronary event between 1 July 1996 and 30 June 1997 were registered. Seven hundreds and eight patients were registered during the study period(685 were identified at hospital and 23 were autopsy cases). Age-standardized annual incidence rate of men in city area was 93 per 100,000(95% CI; 61-142) and 35% CI; 16-67) in women(100 in men and 20 in women aged 35-64). The incidence was rapidly increased after age 40 in men, however, in women after age 60. Twenty-eight-days case fatality rate was 45% in men and 47% in women. However, in the age group of 45-59 case fatality rate in women was two times higher than that in men. In conclusion, crude annual incidence rate of CHD in city area was 73 per 100,000 in men and 33 in women. The age-standardized annual incidence of CHD in men(93 per 100,000) was 2 times higher than that in women (33 per 100,000) in Korea.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.83-88
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• 2009

Poly(ether block amide) (PEBA)/poly(dimethyl-siloxane) (PDMS) blend membranes (PEBA : PDMS = 5 : 2, 6 : 1 wt%) were prepared through the solution-casting and phase inversion process in order to demonstrate their superior performance in carbon dioxide separation. PDMS and PEBA (4033) were also prepared by the same method using n-butanol as a solvent. To study the gas permeation properties, the membranes were characterized with SEM and tested with carbon dioxide and nitrogen at $35^{\circ}C$ and pressure ranging from 3 to 5 atm. In conclusion, PEBA/PDMS blend membranes were shown to have selectivity for $CO_2/N_2$ separation that is 4 to 5 magnitudes greater than that of PDMS membrane at 3 atm.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.243-249
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• 2011

To reduce manufacturing costs of crystalline silicon solar cells, silicon wafers have become thinner. In relation to this, the properties of the aluminium-back surface field (Al-BSF) are considered an important factor in solar cell performance. Generally, screen-printing and a rapid thermal process (RTP) are utilized together to form the Al-BSF. This study evaluates Al-BSF formation on a (111) textured back surface compared with a (100) flat back surface with variation of ramp up rates from 18 to $89^{\circ}C$/s for the RTP annealing conditions. To make different back surface morphologies, one side texturing using a silicon nitride film and double side texturing were carried out. After aluminium screen-printing, Al-BSF formed according to the RTP annealing conditions. A metal etching process in hydrochloric acid solution was carried out to assess the quality of Al-BSF. Saturation currents were calculated by using quasi-steady-state photoconductance. The surface morphologies observed by scanning electron microscopy and a non-contacting optical profiler. Also, sheet resistances and bulk carrier concentration were measured by a 4-point probe and hall measurement system. From the results, a faster ramp up during Al-BSF formation yielded better quality than a slower ramp up process due to temperature uniformity of silicon and the aluminium surface. Also, in the Al-BSF formation process, the (111) textured back surface is significantly affected by the ramp up rates compared with the (100) flat back surface.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.36-42
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• 2007

Purpose: To assess the epidemiology and the clinical features of Glufosinate herbicide in Korea. Methods: Data was prospectively collected during 1 year since August 2005 from 38 hospital in Korea. We analyzed the epidemiologic characters and clinical manifestations of Glufosinate poisoning. In addition, the characteristics of patients with severe central nervous system toxicity were separately analyzed to find poor prognosis relating factors. Results: During study periods, there were 715 persons of poisoning of herbicides and insecticides. 6.3% (45 persons) of the agricultural chemicals poisoning had Glufosinate poisoning. There were 36 cases of suicide attempts and 7 cases of accidental exposure, The major of poisoning route was oral ingestion (44 cases). 28.9 % of the study patients had not toxic symptoms. The most common symptoms were gastrointestinal symptoms relating surfactant irritation. 67.7% of central nervous symptoms occurred lately. 10 persons showed severe central nervous system toxicity. 4 persons of them showed poor outcomes (1 death, 3 hopeless discharged). Complications of respiratory failure and renal failure related with poor outcome. Conclusion: Majority of patients ingested Glufosinate for suicide attempt. 22.2% of patients with Glufosinate poisoning showed delayed serious central nervous system toxicity. Early supportive care of altered mentality may prevent late respiratory complications and improve the outcomes.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.157-163
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• 2011

Recently a variety of high technologies for radiation therapy (IMRT, SRS,. 3D-RT, etc.) has been developed. For the cervical and rectal cancer, 3field or 4field radiotherapy have been applied to the patients. In the case of two-dimensional treatment, one of the most typical side-effects is skin burn due to the radiation irradiation. In general the skin dose is evaluated by only a single measurement during the whole treatment period. In this study, however, skin dose was measured in each radiation treatment and the total skin dose was accumulated in a glass dosimeter through all the cases. After simulating the skin dose from treatment planning system, the results were compared with the actual skin doses. The results showed a good agreement between two data sets. Even though there are certain amount of errors caused by the patient movement along the treatment, the difference between actual dose and simulated dose was within the accepted range of error.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.522-527
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• 2001

We present a case of recurrent extraventricular neurocytoma with malignant glial differentiation in left temporoparietal area. A 37-year-old man with presentation of generalized seizure had undergone biopsy of brain tumor in left parietal area in 1987, which revealed extraventricular neurocytoma and radiotherapy was followed. Postoperative course was uneventful until eleven years after biopsy, when he became gradually aphasic and right hemiplegic. Brain CT and MRI revealed enlargement of tumor with peritumoral edema and calcifications. He underwent subtotal tumor removal in 1998. Microscopic examination of second biopsy specimen revealed presence of large areas composed of anaplastic glial cells with frequent mitosis, nuclear pleomorphism, large eosinophilic cytoplasm and eccentric nuclei, resembling gemistocytes, which were strongly immunoreactive to glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP) but not to synaptophysin(SNP). Also focal areas of neuronal cells were found, which were immunoreactive to SNP but not to GFAP. These histologic findings imply that this recurred tumor was a high grade, mixed tumor with divergent differentiation of neuronal and astrocyte lineage. We report a rare case of extraventricular cerebral neurocytoma with malignant glial differentiation with review of the literature.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.38 no.8
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• pp.1090-1096
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• 2009

This study is to develop wine with germinated brown rice and red pepper (Capsicum annuum) and to make effective use of the rice and red pepper. The results of alcohol fermentation were as follows. pH 5.5 was decreased to 4.5$\sim$5.1 during fermentation. The total acidity was changed from 0.56% in initial fermentation to 0.96$\sim$1.42% in after fermentation. Reducing sugar was changed from 0.27% in initial fermentation to 1.33$\sim$1.40% at the end of the fermentation. The ethanol content was 16.6$\sim$17.0% at the end of the fermentation. The addition of 10$\sim$50% red pepper did not have influence on the fermentation. From Hunter's L, a, and b values, a (redness) and b (yellowness) value were increased according to content of red pepper addition. The major volatiles were ethyl acetate, 1-propanol, 2-methyl-1-propanol, 3-methyl-butanol and benzeneethanol. Capsaicin content in the samples of red pepper addition was the highest in 50% and the lowest in 10%. In sensory evaluation, the wine with 20% red pepper had the highest acceptance scores in all of the properties examined than those of other samples.

• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.703-708
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• 2005

We cloned and expressed human pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP) phosphatase, the coenzymatically active form of vitamin $B_6$, in Escherichia coli using pET15b vector. Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) were generated against purified human brain PLP phosphatase in mice, and four antibodies recognizing different epitopes were obtained, one of which inhibited PLP phosphatase. The binding affinities of these four mAbs to PLP phosphatase, as determined using biosensor technology, showed that they had similar binding affinities. Using the anti-PLP phosphatase antibodies as probes, we investigated their cross-reactivities in various mammalian and human tissues and cell lines. The immunoreactive bands obtained on Western blots had molecular masses of ca. 33 kDa. Similarly fractionated extracts of several mammalian cell lines all produced a single band of molecular mass 33 kDa. We believe that these PLP phosphatase mAbs could be used as valuable immunodiagnostic reagents for the detection, identification, and characterization of various neurological diseases related to vitamin $B_6$ abnormalities.