• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.8
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• pp.746-752
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• 2007

Purpose : Total hydroperoxide (TH), free radical-mediated oxidation product can be used as a measure of free radical injury. The aim of the present study was to see if preterm newborns are at increased risk for oxidative stress compared with term newborns, and to determine whether oxidative stress during postnatal first 1 week is associated with clinical outcomes in preterm infants. Methods : Serum TH levels of preterm infants (n=39) were compared with those of term infants (n=24) on the postnatal day 1. Among the preterm infants, serum TH levels of uncomplicated group (n=23) were also compared with those of complicated group (n=16) who developed oxygen radical related diseases on the postnatal day 1 and 7. Retrospective analysis was performed to find out risk factors for oxygen radical injuries based on birth history, laboratory data, neuroimaging findings and clinical progress in two preterm groups. Results : Serum TH levels on postnatal day 1 were higher in the preterm infant group than the term infant group. Serum TH levels on postnatal day 1 in the complicated preterm infant group were significantly higher compared with uncomplicated group, but there was no significant difference in serum TH levels on postnatal day 7. Also, there was no significant difference in serum TH levels between uncomplicated preterm infants and term infants. Serum TH level on postnatal day 1 was independently associated with higher morbidity after adjusting for gestational age, Apgar score (5 min), arterial blood gas analysis. Conclusion : Complicated preterm newborns are at increased risk for oxidative stress compared with uncomplicated newborns and term newborns. Oxidative injury during the prenatal or postnatal day 1 is associated with adverse outcomes in preterm infants. Elevated TH levels on postnatal day 1 may have a value to predict clinical outcomes in preterm infants.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.125-139
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to compare and analyze a kinematic characteristics of throwing performance among born visually impaired, postnatal visually impaired and visually correct people through their kinematic characteristics. Another purpose of this study is to prevent injury and improve blind's exercise leadership and physical abilities. Three video cameras were used and each camera's shooting velocity was 60field/sec. Then the longest thrown pose was collected and analyzed by using Kwon 3D ver. 3.1 program. The results obtained from this study were followings; 1. During release, the fastest speed of ball was visually corrected followed by postnatal visually impaired and then born visually impaired. 2. Visually corrected used wrist joint well and had wide body round range with similar motion patterns, however born visually impaired couldn't do this at all. 3. Visually corrected used waist to lead shoulder at Phase 2 while throwing ball, but some of born visually impaired and postnatal visually impaired couldn't use waist to lead shoulder. 4. Visually corrected looked at the way where ball would go, but blinds couldn't look where ball would go. 5. Not like visually corrected who show similar patterns, born visually impaired showed each different patterns and some postnatal visually impaired showed similar patterns with visually corrected. 6. While throwing ball, visually corrected showed flexible weight-movement, postnatal visually impaired were not good as visually corrected, and born visually impaired couldn't do weight-movement at all. Synthetically, this result showed that throwing motions are affected a lot by the time when people became blind.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.182-187
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• 2001

Purpose : To evaluate the clinical significance of antenatally detected mild fetal pelviectasia and the role of voiding cystourethrography (VCUG) Methods : From January 1999 to September 1999, 28 neonates (44 pelviectatic kidneys) with mild fetal pelviectasia (anteroposterial diameter <10 mm) were evaluated by postnatal renal sonography and voiding cystourethrography. Results : Among 44 mild pelviectatic kidneys, 29 ($65.9\%$) kidneys had no pelviectasia and 15 ($34.1\%$) kidneys had persistent mild pelviectasia on postnatal renal sonography. Four ($9.1\%$) kidneys of 3 males ($10.7\%$) without pelviectasia on postnatal renal sonography had vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) on voiding cystourethrography. Vesicoureteral reflux was not correlated with prenatal progression or regression of pelviectasia and was not correlated with postnatal pelviectasia. Conclusion : All neonate with mild fetal pelviectasia need to undergo voiding cystourethrography for early diagnosis of vesicoureteral reflux even though postnatal renal sonography shows no pelviectasia. (J Korean Soc Pediatr Nephrol 2001 ;5 : 182-87)

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.29-32
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• 2016

Purpose: Congenital anomalies of the kidneys and urinary tract (CAKUT) are the most common anomalies identified in newborns. This study aims to demonstrate the prevalence of CAKUT including hydronephrosis diagnosed by antenatal and postnatal ultrasound over a five-year period. Methods: The records of births between May $1^{st}$, 2009 and April $30^{th}$, 2014 at our hospital were collected. The number of infants who underwent renal ultrasound after birth for the detection of CAKUT was counted. The incidence of each type of CAKUT such as hydronephrosis, size abnormality, horseshoe kidney, and Multicystic dysplastic kidney (MCDK) was retrospectively evaluated for antenatal screening and postnatal follow-up examination. Results: During the study period, 33,276 infants were born and 521 neonates underwent postnatal renal ultrasound. 183 cases of CAKUT were detected prenatally and 140 postnatally using ultrasonographic examinations at the following time: (i) 3-7 days postnatally in 123 newborns (87.9%), (ii) during 1-3 months in 11 newborns (7.9%), and (iii) later than 3 months in 6 newborns (4.3%). Among diagnosed CAKUT, hydronephrosis was the most common anomaly with 113 newborns diagnosed prenatally and 46 postnatally. Duplex kidney was the second most common anomaly followed by horseshoe kidney, simple cysts in the kidney and so on. Conclusion: The detection of CAKUT is an important part of the prenatal ultrasound. This study analyzed the prevalence of CAKUT detected on prenatal screening and compared the results to those detected postnatally. Prenatal ultrasound screening fulfills the needs of postnatal examinations and therefore, both antenatal and postnatal sonographic investigations are of vital importance for diagnosis of renal and urinary tract anomalies.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.157-166
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• 2013

This study aimed to investigate whether nociceptin contributes to the alterations in cerebral blood flow (CBF) regulation following postnatal exposure to ethanol in Sprague-Dawley rats. Animals received ethanol twice a day, 2 hr apart, on postnatal 6, 7 and 8 days. The changes in regional CBF (rCBF) in response to the changes in mean arterial blood pressure were determined at 4-, 8-, and 12-week of age by laser-Doppler flowmetry. Hypotension was induced by the gradual withdrawal of blood from arterial catheter, and the reversal of blood pressure was produced by the reinfusion of blood. Expression of nociceptin-like immunoreactivity was determined in dura mater and cerebral cortex using immunohistochemistry. Postnatal exposure to ethanol almost abolished the autoregulation of rCBF in all age groups. Pretreatment with nociceptin but not with [$Nphe^1$]nociceptin(1-13)$NH_2$, a selective competitive nociceptin receptor antagonist, 5 min prior to ethanol administration preserved the autoregulation of rCBF in all age groups. Postnatal exposure to ethanol markedly increased the expressions of nociceptin-like immunoreactivity in the dura mater and cerebral cortex, both of which were significantly inhibited by pretreatment with 7-nitroindazole monosodium salt as well as aminoguanidine 5 min prior to ethanol administration in all age groups. The values of arterial blood gas analysis were not significantly different from the basal levels in all groups. These results suggest that nociceptin deeply contributes to the compensatory mechanisms for the nitric oxide-dependent alterations in CBF autoregulation following postnatal exposure to ethanol.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.62 no.10
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• pp.367-373
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• 2019

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic lung disease of preterm infants with multiple factors affected from prenatal to postnatal periods. Despite significant advances in neonatal care over almost 50 years, BPD rates have not decreased; in fact, they may have even increased. Since more preterm infants, even at periviable gestational age, survive today, different stages of lung development affect the pathogenesis of BPD. Hence, the definition of BPD has changed from "old" to "new." In this review, we discuss the various definitions of BPD, risk factors from the prenatal to postnatal periods, management strategies by phase, and future directions for research.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.249-255
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• 2013

Intercellular interactions are important for the proper development and regulation of tissue function. This is especially necessary in the epididymis, a part of male reproductive tract where sperm become mature and acquire their fertilizing capacity. The caput region of the epididymis consists of several types of cells, including principal, basal, and apical cells. Direct intercellular communication is thus required to precisely regulate the functions of the caput epididymis. In this regard, connexin (Cx) is a molecule that forms channels, which allow the direct exchange of small molecules between cells, enabling intercellular communication. In this study, the expression of Cx isoforms in the caput epididymis at different postnatal ages was determined by using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. Nine of 13 Cx isoforms were detected. The transcript levels of Cx30.3, 31, 31.1, 32, and 40 were highest at 45 days of age, while the expression of Cx43 and 45 gradually decreased with age. A substantial fluctuation of Cx26 expression was detected, with significant decreases before and during puberty, followed by a transient increase at adult-hood and rapid decreases at an old age. A significant increase in Cx37 transcript was observed at 25 days of age, followed by gradual decreases at adult and old ages. These results indicate the significant differential expression of various Cx isoforms in the caput epididymis during postnatal development. It further suggests that the functional regulation and developmental maturation of the caput epididymis are highly related to the postnatal age-related differential expression of Cx isoforms.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.1 no.6
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• pp.707-716
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• 1997

Recent reports revealed that the $Na^+-Ca^{2+}$ exchangers and feet structures of sarcoplasmic reticulum(SR) are located in close vicinity in the specific compartment. Therefore, we investigated the possibility that the $Na^+-Ca^{2+}$ exchanger may decrease the tension development by transporting the $Ca^{2+}$ out of the cell right after it released from SR, on the basis of this anatomical proximity. We exammined the negative force-frequency relationship of the developed tension in the electrically field stimulated left atria of postnatal developing rat(1, 3 day, 1 week and 4 week old after birth). Cyclopiazonic $acid(3{\times}10^{-5}\;M)$ treatment decreased the developed tension further according to postnatal age. $Monensin(3{\times}10^{-6}\;M)$ treatment did not increase the maximal tension in 4 week-old rat, preserving negative staircase, while the negative staircase in the younger rat were flattened. $Ca^{2+}$ depletion in the buffer elicited more suppression of the maximal tension according to the frequency in all groups except the 4 week-old group. The % decrease of the maximal developed tension of 4 week-old group at 1 Hz to that of 0.1 Hz after $Na^+$ and $Ca^{2+}$ depletion was only a half of those of the yonger groups. Taken together, it is concluded that the $Na^+-Ca^{2+}$ exchange transports more $Ca^{2+}$ released from SR out of the cell in proportion to the frequency, and this is responsible for the negative staircase effect of the rat heart.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.195-202
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• 2011

Maintenance of adequate telomere length in developing cells is the most important concern to preserve the integrity of the genome. The length of telomere is strictly regulated by numerous telomere-binding proteins and/or interacting factors. Even though the expression of telomerase in the male reproductive tract has been characterized, developmental expressional profiling of telomerase and other telomere-associated proteins has not been determined in detail. The present study was attempted to examine expression patterns of catalytic subunit (Tert) and RNA component (Terc) of telomerase and two telomerase associated factors, telomerase associated protein 1 (Tep1) and TERF1 (TRF1) interacting nuclear factor 2 (Tinf2) in the testis and seminal vesicle of male rat during postnatal development. The real-time PCR analysis was utilized to quantify mRNA expression of molecules. The abundance of Tep1 mRNA in the testis and seminal vesicle was the highest at 5 months of age. Expressional fluctuation of Tinf2 during postnatal development was found in the testis, while expression of Tinf2 in the seminal vesicle was gradually increased until 5 months of age and then significantly decreased later. mRNA level of Tert gene in the testis was significantly increased at the adult and the elder, while the highest expression of Tert gene in the seminal vesicle was found at 5 months of age. Expression of Terc transcript in the testis and seminal vesicle was the highest at 5 months of age, followed by significant reduction at 1 and 2 years of ages. Such differential gene expression of telomere-associated factors and telomerase components in different male reproductive tissues during postnatal development indicates that maintenance of telomere length would be regulated in tissue- and/or age-specific manners.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.264-273
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• 2006

Elevated maternal plasma homocysteine concentrations have been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Serum homocysteine levels may be affected by the MTHFR genotypes and the nutritional status of B vitamins including vitamin $B_2,\;B_6$, folate and vitamin $B_{12}$. We investigated whether postnatal growth measurements were influenced by maternal MTHFR genotypes and their mid-pregnancy serum vitamin B and homocysteine levels. In 130 pregnant women of 24-28 wks of gestation, the MTHFR genotypes, serum B vitamins and homocysteine concentrations were analyzed. Physical growth status was assessed in their offsprings by measuring height, weight, and head and chest circumferences from birth up to 24 months. Serum homocysteine levels were higher in the subjects with T/T genotype than those with the C/T or C/C. Heights and head and chest circumferences of offsprings from the T/T mothers were significantly lower than those from the C/C or C/T mothers only when the serum homocysteine levels were above the median. The mean height of offsprings from the T/T mothers was significantly lower than those from the C/C and C/T mothers. The mean weight and head circumferences of offsprings born from the mothers whose mid-term pregnancy PLP levels were in the lowest quartile was significantly lower than those from mothers in the highest quartile. Heights and head circumferences of offsprings from the T/T mothers were significantly lower than those from the C/C or C/T mothers only when the serum FAD levels were in the lowest quartile. These results suggest that postnatal growth up to 24 months may be influenced by the maternal C677T MTHFR genotypes, and mid-pregnancy serum homocysteine and vitamin B status.