• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.227-232
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• 2002

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease characterized by diverse clinical manifestations and autoantibody production, which is known to be strongly influenced by genetic factors. Previous studies have revealed the associations of SLE with HLA class II alleles and antiphospholipid antibody system (anticardiolipin antibody (aCL) and anti-${\beta}_2$ glycoprotein I antibody (anti-${\beta}_2$ GPI)). Therefore, we studied the associations of HLA class II alleles with SLE and antiphospholipid antibody system. Methods: The genotyping for HLA-DRB1 and DQB1 alleles were performed in 61 SLE patients and 100 controls by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-sequence specific oligonucleotide probe method. ELISA tests for aCL and anti-${\beta}_2$ GPI were performed in 39 of the 61 SLE patients. The results were evaluated statistically by Chi-square test. Results: The frequencies of the HLA-$DRB1^*15$ and $DQB1^*06$ in SLE patients were significantly higher than those in controls. HLA-$DRB1^*12$ was significantly lower in SLE patients than controls. Nine of 39 patients were positive for aCL (IgG) and three were positive for aCL (IgM). One of 39 patients were positive for anti-${\beta}_2$ GPI (IgG) and none of them positive for anti-${\beta}_2$ GPI (IgM). Association of aCL with HLA class II alleles was not observed in our study. Conclusion: According to our results, it was found that HLA-$DRB1^*15$ and $DQB1^*06$ were associated with genetic susceptiblility and $DRB1^*12$ was associated with resistance to SLE in Korean population. No Association of aCL with HLA class II alleles was observed and the positive rate for anti-${\beta}_2$ GPI was very low.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2015

Recently, several researches on the development of new economical anchor systems have been performed to support floating structures. This study focused on the group suction piles, which connect mid-sized suction piles instead of a single suction pile with large-diameter. The group suction pile shows the complex bearing behavior with translation and rotation, so it is difficult to apply conventional design methods. Therefore, the numerical modeling technique was developed to evaluate the horizontal bearing capacity of the group suction piles in clay. The technique models suction piles as beam elements and soil reaction as non-linear springs. To analyze the applicability of the modeling, the horizontal load-movement curves of the proposed modeling were compared with those of three-dimensional finite element analyses. The comparison showed that the modeling underestimates the capacity and overestimate the displacement corresponding to the maximum capacity. Therefore, the correction factors for the horizontal soil resistance was proposed to match the bearing capacity from the three-dimensional finite element analyses.

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.61-76
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• 1998

Various kinds of reinforced soil methods have been developed by many researchers or companies for their economic merits mainly. These methods have generally used sandy soils which have high permeability as embanking or backfill material. That is because, if poor embanking materials, especially like a clayey soil which has very low permeability, are used in a reinforced soil embanking, and if excessive pore water pressure is produced by external factors, the friction resistance between reinforcing members and Boils decrease, as a result possible damage or collapse of the body of a reinforced embankment. In fact, clayey Boils can also be used as a embanking materials with reinforcement which has high permeable capacity, and are expected to be able to dissipate the excess pore water pressure effectively. In this study reinforcing effects have been examined through a serries of direct shear tests in which clayey soils are reinforced with nonwoven geotextiles of which permeability is very high and tensile strength is relatively weaker than geogrids which are usually used in reinforced soil wall. Even though such nonwoven geotextile are used as reinforcement of high saturated clayey soils. the test results show the possibility that nonwoven geoteztiles could be used as a reinforcement for reinforced soil walls effectively.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.340-346
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• 2012

Background: Amphotericin B is a mainstay in the treatment of many systemic fungal infections due to its wide antifungal spectrum and low incidence of resistance. However, the use of amphotericin B is limited by its nephrotoxicity. Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the incidence and risk factors of renal adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of conventional amphotericin B (Fungizone$^{(R)}$). In addition, we compared the changes of serum creatinine (SCr) between patients who remained conventional amphotericin B and patients who were switched to liposomal amphotericin B after occurrence of renal adverse reactions. Methods: Adult hospitalized patients who reported renal adverse reactions caused by conventional amphotericin B from January 2011 to July 2012 at pharmacovigilance center in Yonsei University Healthcare System included in this study. ADRs scored as 'doubtful' in Naranjo probability ADR scale were excluded. We retrospectively analyzed patients' basic clinical characteristics, concurrent diseases or nephrotoxic drugs in order to find variables that can correlate with occurrence of renal ADRs. Changes in SCr were compared between conventional amphotericin B group and liposomal amphotericin B group. Results: A total of 231 ADRs after administration of conventional amphotericin B in 75 patients were reported to pharmacovigilance center and assessed their severities as 'possible', 'probable', or 'definite'. Renal adverse reaction was the most common ADR with incidence rate of 42% (96 of 231 ADRs). Mean change in SCr from baseline was 0.26 mg/dL (change % 37.8) and statistically significant (p=0.000). Simple correlations analysis revealed that the number of concurrent diseases and number of nephrotoxic drugs were positively correlated with changes in SCr, but these results were not statistically significant. Among 43 patients who remained amphotericin B after occurrence of renal ADRs, 27 patients was administered conventional amphotericin B and 16 patients changed to liposomal amphotericin B. Mean change in SCr in amphotericin B group was 0.23 mg/dL (32.75%), whereas mean change in SCr in liposomal amphotericin B group were -0.28 mg/dL (19.38%) and difference between two groups was statistically significant (p=0.003). The numbers of patient with SCr elevation more than 30% were 9 (33.3%) in amphotericin B group and 2 (12.5%) in liposomal amphotericin B group (Odd Ratio=3.50, 95% Confidence Interval 0.65-18.85; p=0.130). Conclusion: An analysis of ADRs due to amphotericin B administration revealed significant mean changes in SCr from baseline. Switching to liposomal amphotericin B showed significant decrease in SCr compared with conventional amphotericin B.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.73-80
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• 2013

Polymer cement slurry (PCS) made from organic polymer dispersion and cement has good adhesion to steel, waterproofness and acid resistance due to being of polymer films formed in cement slurry. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the mix design conditions at early curing age of PCS-coating material effected on improvement in bond strength of coated rebar. The test pieces are prepared with two types of polymer dispersions such as St/BA and EVA, four polymer-cement ratios, two types of cement, four coating thicknesses and three curing ages, and tested for the bond strength test. From the test results, in general, bond strength of PCS-coated rebar is better than that of uncoated rebar and epoxy-coated rebar. It is also high bond strength at curing ages of 7-day or less, and coating thicknesses of $75{\mu}m$ and $100{\mu}m$. The maximum bond strength of PCS-coated rebar at curing age of 3-hour is almost same as that of curing age of 1-day and 7-day. The maximum bond strength of PCS-coated rebar with ultra high-early strength cement and St/BA at polymer-cement ratio of 80%, and coating thickness of $100{\mu}m$ is about 1.52 and 1.58 times respectively, the strength of uncoated rebar and epoxy-coated rebar. It is apparent that the curing age, coating thickness, type of polymer and cement are very important factors to improve the bond strength of PCS-coated rebar to cement concrete. We can have basic information that PCS-coated rebar with curing age at 3-hour and coating thickness of $100{\mu}m$ can replace epoxy-coated rebar.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.148-169
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• 1994

The concept of biologic attachment of load-bearing implants has developed over the past decades as an alternative to the difficulties associated with long term implantation using mechanical fixation and bone cement. The choice of implant material is also as critical an element as site preparation or insertion procedure. The properties of implants that affect host tissue responses are not limited to chemical composition alone, but also include shape, surface characteristics, site of implantation, and mechanical interaction with host tissues. Initial mechanical interlocking prevents micromotion and may be a prerequisite for direct bone apposition. A hard tightening of screws does not necessarily mean a stronger fixation and final tightening of the fixtures is dependent on the experience of the operator. Removal torque is lower than insertion torque. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in the removal torques at the bone-implant interface of polished and sandblasted Titanium. This experiment will give insight into important factors that must be considered when interpreting in vivo screwing forces on implants during the connection of the transmucosal abutments. We evaluated the significance of different surface textures by comparison of the withdrawal forces necessary for removal of otherwise identical rough and polished implants of Titanium and also evaluated interfacial response on the light microscopic level to implant surface. And the priority of the area of insertion on osseointegration were evaluated. 9 Titanium implants - among them, 3 were for the developmental - of either a smooth or rough surface finish were inserted in the dog mandible in the right side. 3 months later Kanon Torque Gauge was used to unscrew the implants. The results were as follows : 1. No significant difference was seen in the removal torque due to variation in surface treatment, 23 Ncm for the sandblasted and 23.33 Ncm for the polished surface (p>0.05). 2. Implants in the anterior (25 Ncm) mandible showed better resistance to unscrewing in comparison to ones in the posterior (18 Ncm) region (p<0.05). 3. Developmental fixtures (22 Ncm) had similar pullout strength to the control group (p>0.05).

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.835-843
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• 2020

Obesity, the world's leading metabolic disease, is a serious health problem in both industrialized and developing countries. Natural substances are of great interest in preventative medicine, especially in the field of metabolic syndromes-from insulin resistance to obesity and diabetes. In the present study, we investigated the effect of A. pullulans SM-2001 Extract (Polycan^®) on the adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and the anti-obesity effect of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Although β-glucan has been found to have health benefits in the regulation of the immune system and blood cholesterol levels, its role in obesity has not been fully investigated. Polycan^® suppressed lipid accumulation and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) activity without affecting cell viability in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and adipocytes. Polycan^® also inhibited cellular lipid accumulation through down-regulation of transcription factors, such as PPARγ and C/EBPα, and induced dose-dependent phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-a cellular energy sensor-while the total AMPK protein content remained unchanged. Taken together, this shows that the activation of AMPK by Polycan^® in adipocytes plays a critical role in Polycan^®-induced inhibition of adipocyte differentiation. Our results show that Polycan^® has an anti-obesity action in vitro, suggesting a potential novel preventative agent for obesity and other metabolic diseases.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.6 no.5
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• pp.365-378
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• 2015

Herein, the preparation of anion exchange membrane (AEM) from brominated poly(2,6-dimethyl 1,6-phenylene oxide) BPPO and dimethylaniline (DMA) by phase-inversion process is reported. Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) are prepared by varying the DMA contents. Prepared AEMs show high thermal stability, water uptake (WR) around 202% to 226%, dimensional change ratios of 1.5% to 2.6% and ion exchange capacities (IECs) of 0.34 mmol/g to 0.82 mmol/g with contact angle of $59.18^{\circ}$ to $65.15^{\circ}$. These membranes are porous in nature as confirmed by SEM observation. The porous property of membranes are important as it could reduce the resistance of transportation of ions across the membranes. They have been used in diffusion dialysis (DD) process for recovery of hydrochloric acid (HCl) from the mixture of HCl and ferrous chloride ($FeCl_2$). Presence of $-N+(CH_3)_2C_6H_5Br^-$ as a functional group in membrane matrix facilitates its applications in DD process. The dialysis coefficients of hydrochloric acid ($U_H$) of the membranes are in range of 0.0016 m/h to 0.14 m/h and the separation factors (S) are in range of 2.09 to 7.32 in the $HCl/FeCl_2$ system at room temperature. The porous membrane structure and presence of amine functional group are responsible for the mechanism of diffusion dialysis (DD).

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.6673-6680
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• 2013

Objective: Insulin resistance (IR) is an established risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC). Given that CRC and IR physiologically overlap and the calpain-10 gene (CAPN10) is a candidate for IR, we explored the association between CAPN10 and CRC risk. Methods: Blood samples of 400 case-control pairs were genotyped, and the lifestyle and dietary habits of these pairs were recorded and collected. Unconditional logistic regression (LR) was used to assess the effects of CAPN10 SNP43 and SNP19, and environmental factors. Both generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) and the classification and regression tree (CART) were used to test gene-environment interactions for CRC risk. Results: The GA+AA genotype of SNP43 and the Del/Ins+Ins/Ins genotype of SNP19 were marginally related to CRC risk (GA+AA: OR = 1.35, 95% CI = 0.92-1.99; Del/Ins+Ins/Ins: OR = 1.31, 95% CI = 0.84-2.04). Notably, a high-order interaction was consistently identified by GMDR and CART analyses. In GMDR, the four-factor interaction model of SNP43, SNP19, red meat consumption, and smoked meat consumption was the best model, with a maximum cross-validation consistency of 10/10 and testing balance accuracy of 0.61 (P < 0.01). In LR, subjects with high red and smoked meat consumption and two risk genotypes had a 6.17-fold CRC risk (95% CI = 2.44-15.6) relative to that of subjects with low red and smoked meat consumption and null risk genotypes. In CART, individuals with high smoked and red meat consumption, SNP19 Del/Ins+Ins/Ins, and SNP43 GA+AA had higher CRC risk (OR = 4.56, 95%CI = 1.94-10.75) than those with low smoked and red meat consumption. Conclusions: Though the single loci of CAPN10 SNP43 and SNP19 are not enough to significantly increase the CRC susceptibility, the combination of SNP43, SNP19, red meat consumption, and smoked meat consumption is associated with elevated risk.

• Clean Technology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.293-299
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• 2007

Direct coating of catalyst layer on the $Nafion^{(R)}$ membrane has been optimized in the process of fabrication of membrane electrode assembly (MEA) to enhance the performance of direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). In this method, the contact resistance at the interface of the catalyst layer and the membrane was found to be low. The effect of catalyst loading, thickness of membrane and the gas diffusion layer (GDL) with or without the presence of micro-porous layer (MPL) on the performance of the MEA was also investigated. The MEA fabricated by the above-mentioned method exhibited a performance of $147\;mW/cm^2$ and $100\;mW/cm^2$ at $80^{\circ}C$ and $60^{\circ}C$, respectively, with the catalysts loading of $4\;mg/cm^2$.