• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.531-535
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• 2007

Purpose : Indomethacin treatment is successful in about 90% of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in premature infants, but in some, repeated administration or surgical closure is required. The object of the present study is to determine the factors affecting the efficacy of indomethacin treatment and to predict the treatment result. Method : The 29 preterm neonates, admitted to neonatal intensive care unit of Kyunghee university medical center and Eulji university hospital between September 2002 and April 2006 were diagnosed of PDA and treated with indomethacin. The risk factors that might affect the efficacy of treatment were studied retrospectively. Results : The single-administered group was 19 patients out of 29 (65.5%) and among the repeated-administered group, 5 patients (17.2%) had repeated indomethacin administration and the other 5 patients (17.2%) underwent surgery due to reopening of the duct after repeated medical treatment. In repeated-administered group, the diameter of PDA was significantly larger ($3.66{\pm}0.8mm$ vs $2.55{\pm}0.8mm$, P<0.01), especially when larger than 3.5 mm (sensitivity: 70%, specificity: 89%). Also, the mean postnatal age of the first indomethacin administration was significantly delayed in repeated-administered group (19.7 days vs 12.5 days, P<0.05). There were no significant differences in gestational age (32 wk 5 days vs 30 wk 8 days) and in birth weight (1598.9 g vs 1750.5 g). There were no significant differences in associated morbidities. Conclusion : In patients with larger diameter of PDA (>3.5 mm) and older postnatal age (>7 days), the effect of indomethacin was decreased. Therefore in such cases, repeated dose of indomethacin or surgical ligation should be considered earlier.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.303-310
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• 2008

Bovine blood, cell, tissue, and organ are used as raw materials for manufacturing biologics such as biopharmaceuticals, tissue-engineered products, and cell therapy. Manufacturing processes for the biologics have the risk of viral contamination. Therefore viral validation is essential in ensuring the safety of the products. Bovine parainfluenza virus type 3 (BPIV3) is one of the common bovine pathogens and has widely been known as a contaminant of biologics. In order to establish the validation system for the BPIV3 safety of biologics, a real-time RT-PCR method was developed for quantitative detection of BPIV3 contamination in raw materials, manufacturing processes, and final products. Specific primers for amplification of BPIV3 RNA was selected, and BPIV3 RNA was quantified by use of SYBR Green I. The sensitivity of the assay was calculated to be 2.8 $TCID_{50}/mL$. The real-time RT-PCR method was validated to be reproducible and very specific to BPIV3. The established real-time RT-PCR assay was successfully applied to the validation of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell artificially infected with BPIV3. BPIV3 RNA could be quantified in CHO cell as well as culture supernatant. Also the real-time RT-PCR assay could detect 7.8 $TCID_{50}/mL$ of BPIV3 artificially contaminated in bovine collagen. The overall results indicated that this rapid, specific, sensitive, and robust assay can be reliably used for quantitative detection of BPIV3 contamination during the manufacture of biologics.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.29-43
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• 2019

This paper empirically analyzed the relationship between the characteristics of venture business founders and management performance, setting the management strategy as a parameter to provide a suggestion for the survival and development of venture companies that play an important role in the national economy and job creation. Previous studies in Korea have analyzed the relationship between the characteristics of business founders, management strategies and management performance in a single dimension. This paper, however, explained the business performance of a company from a multi-dimensional perspective while setting the characteristics of business founders as independent variables and setting the business strategy of the enterprise as a parameter. The first result of the analysis shows that the characteristics of venture business founders have a positive effect on business performance. In particular, among the characteristics of venture business founders, a progressive spirit has had the greatest impact on business performance. On the other hand, the influence of risk sensitivity was very weak. Second, the characteristics of venture business founders were found to have a positive effect on business strategy. In particular, innovation was an important variable that affected the technological innovation differentiation strategy, and a progressive spirit was the most influential factor in the marketing differentiation strategy. Third, management strategies of venture firms were found to have a positive effect on business performance. In particular, the technology innovation differentiation strategy has a greater impact on business performance than the marketing differentiation strategy. Fourth, it was revealed that management strategy partially has a mediated effect on the relationship between the characteristics of venture business founders and management performance. In other words, it was found that the characteristics of the founders have a direct impact on business performance but if it is linked to management strategy it has an indirect effect on business performance. The results of this study show that business performance improves when venture business founders' personal characteristics and the firms' management strategy are combined.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.246-253
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• 2007

The reproduction toxicity of several pesticides on two Korean water flea was investigated to develop a new standard species used for ecological risk assessment of pesticide. Moina macrocopa and Daphnia sp. were exposed to 4 different types of pesticides over 10 and 21 days, respectively. No-ohserved effect concentration (NOEC) for synthetic pyrethroid, fenpropathrin on Moina macrocopa and Daphnia sp. were 0.17 and $0.06\;{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$, respectively. Diazinon, carbofuran and myclobutanil were in the order of their reproduction toxicity to cladocerans tested. There were large differences between Moina macrocopa and Daphnia sp. in their susceptibility to fenpropathrin, diazinon and carbofuran except myclobutanil. Daphnia sp. is more sensitive than M. macrocopa to pesticides tested. Therefore Daphnia sp. may be a good surrogate species to assess the reproduction effect of pesticides on aquatic invertebrates. M. macrocopa also be a good surrogate species because it is one of the most abundant cladocera in agricultural environment, especially rice paddy in Korea. In addition to it's ecological importance of wide spread distribution, it has also economical importance to make possible to shorten period for reproduction test using M. macrocopa due to it's short life cycle.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.98-104
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• 2012

Objectives : This study aimed to investigate the correlations between neurological and psychiatric symptoms at two weeks after stroke. Methods : For 412 stroke patients, stroke severity was evaluated by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS), disability by the Barthel Index(BI) and modified Rankin Scale(mRS), cognitive function by the Korean Mini-Mental State Examination(K-MMSE), and muscle power by grip strength. Psychiatric symptoms were assessed by Symptom check list-90-Revision(SCL-90-R), consisted of nine symptom domains : Somatization, Obsessive-compulsive, Interpersonal sensitivity, Depression, Anxiety, Hostility, Phobic anxiety, Paranoid ideation, Psychoticism, and Additional items. The correlations between the neurological and psychiatric symptoms were investigated at the time of admission and before discharge(i.e. before and after treatment). Results : At the time of admission, NIHSS score was associated with scores on Phobic anxiety and Additional items ; and scores on BI and mRS were associated with Depression, Phobic anxiety and Additional items. At the time of discharge, NIHSS score was associated with scores on Somatization, Depression, Phobic anxiety, and Additional items ; scores on BI and mRS were associated with scores on Depression, Phobic anxiety and Additional items ; MMSE score was associated with Obsessive-compulsive, Depression, Phobic anxiety, and Additional items ; and grip strength was associated with Somatization, Depression, Anxiety and Additional items. Conclusions : More severe neurological symptoms were associated with higher psychiatric morbidity particularly in depression, phobic anxiety, sleep and appetite disturbance at acute stage of stroke. More intensive psychiatric care and intervention are needed for the high risk group.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.71 no.2
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• pp.120-125
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• 2011

Background: Although the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis has progressively decreased all over the world, drug-resistant tuberculosis is major obstacle in treating tuberculosis. This study was performed to examine the current prevalence and risk factors of drug resistant tuberculosis in a single tertiary hospital in Busan, Korea. Methods: We enrolled 367 patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis on a retrospective basis who had undergone mycobacterium culture and drug sensitivity tests between January 2005 and December 2009. We analyzed all clinical and radiographic parameters to find predictors related to drug resistant tuberculosis. Results: At least one incident of drug resistance was found in 75 (20.4%) patients. Isoniazid (18.8%) was the most frequent resistant drug, followed by rifampin (10.9%), ethambutol (7.1%), streptomycin (4.9%), and fluoroquinolone (2.7%). Resistance to second-line drugs was found in 37 (10.1%) patients. Multidrug resistance and extensively drug resistance was evident in 39 (10.6%) and 4 (1.1%) patients, respectively. Using multiple logistic regression analysis, history of previous treatment including relapse (odd ratio [OR], 11.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.92~26.08; p<0.01), treatment failure (OR, 24.1; 95% CI, 5.65~102.79; p<0.01) and an age of below 46 years-old (OR, 3.8; 95% CI, 1.62~8.65; p<0.01) were found to be independent predictors of multidrug resistant tuberculosis. Conclusion: We found that the prevalence of drug resistant tuberculosis was considerably high. A careful consideration for possible drug resistant tuberculosis is warranted in patients with a history of previous treatment or for younger patients.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.66 no.6
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• pp.444-450
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• 2009

Background: Biomarkers for cancer have several potential clinical uses, including the following: early cancer detection, monitoring for recurrence prognostication, and risk stratification. However, no biomarker has been shown to have adequate sensitivity and specificity. Many investigators have tried to validate biomarkers for the early detection and recurrence of lung cancer. To evaluate plasma G-CSF as such a biomarker, protein levels were measured and were found to correlate with the clinicopathological features of primary lung tumors. Methods: Between December 2006 and May 2008, 100 patients with histologically-validated primary lung cancer were enrolled into this study. To serve as controls, 127 healthy volunteers were enrolled into this study. Plasma G-CSF levels were measured in lung cancer patients using the sandwich ELISA system (R & D inc.) prior to treatment. Results: The mean plasma G-CSF levels were 12.2$\pm$0.3 pg/mL and 46.0$\pm$3.8 pg/mL (mean$\pm$SE) in the normal and in the cancer groups, respectively. In addition, plasma G-CSF levels were higher in patients with early lung cancer than in healthy volunteers (p<.001). Plasma G-CSF levels were higher in patients who were under 65 years old or smokers. Within the cancer group, plasma G-CSF levels were higher in patients with non small cell lung cancer than in patients with small cell lung cancer (p<.05). Overall, plasma G-CSF levels were shown to increase dependent upon the type of lung cancer diagnsosed. In the order from highest to lowest, the levels of plasma G-CSF tended to decrease in the following order: large cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and bronchioloalveolar carcinoma. Plasma G-CSF levels tended to be higher in patients with advanced TNM stage than in localized TNM stage (I, II

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.841-848
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• 2020

In the field of radiation therapy using photon beams and electron beams, since each patient has a different sensitivity to radiation, skin side effects may occur even at the same dose. Therefore, if there is a risk of excessive dose to the skin, a dosimeter is attached to verify whether the correct dose is being investigated. However, since the skin dosimeter checks the attachment site visually by measuring a point dose, it is difficult to confirm an accurate dose distribution. As a result, the measurement and simulation errors of the material HgI₂ in the 6 MV photon beam were 3.73% and 5.24%, respectively, at the minimum thickness of 25 ㎛, and the material PbI₂ was 4.73% and 5.65%, respectively. On the other hand, as a result of the 6 MeV electron beam, the measurement and simulation errors of the material HgI₂ were 1.35% and 1.12%, respectively, at a minimum thickness of 25 ㎛, and the material PbI₂ showed relatively low attenuation error, 1.67% and 1.20%, respectively. Therefore, it was evaluated that the thickness of the photon beam within 25 ㎛ and the electron beam within 100 ㎛ is suitable to have a reduction rate error within 5%. This study presents a new research direction for a flexible dosimeter attached to the human body that is required in clinical practice and the construction conditions of a future skin dosimeter.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.482-489
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• 2010

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine whether hand-measured carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) was a reliable and simple tool that could be used to evaluate the severity of stable coronary artery disease (CAD) with normal high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP). Material and Method: We examined left carotid IMTs in 688 patients with stable CAD and excluded 121 patients with abnormally elevated hs-CRP ($\geq$0.5 mg/dL). We sought to determine the association between risk factors and the severity of stable CAD and carotid IMT in 567 patients who were divided into lower and higher groups based on the median value. Patients underwent a coronary artery angiogram and had at least significant stenosis (>50% of the original luminal diameter involving one or more major coronary artery). Result: Of the 567 patients, 300 (52.9%) were in the lower IMT group and 267 (47.1%) were in the higher IMT group; the median value was 0.76 mm. By multivariable logistic regression analysis, the following groups were different: older age (~49 vs. 70~ years, respectively; OR=6.552), high FBS (~99 vs. 120~ mg/dL; OR=1.713) and severity of CAD (1 vessel vs. 2 vessel disease; OR=1.711, 1 vessel vs. 3 vessel disease; OR=1.714). Conclusion: We conclude that there are correlations between increased carotid IMT and severity of CAD in stable angina patients with normal CRP levels.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 2012

Objectives : This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of victims of bullying and the demographic characteristics of victims, and their related psychopathology, in a Korean nationwide sample of youths in middle and high school over a one month period. Methods : During the autumn of 2009, students in the 7th to 12th grades at 23 secondary schools participated in a nationwide, cross-sectional study. The study subjects completed the Adolescent Mental Health and Problem Behavior Screening Questionnaire-II (AMPQ-II) and Symptom Checklist-90-Revision (SCL-90-R). Based on the data acquired, descriptive statistics, correlation coefficients and multiple logistic regression analysis were performed. Results : Among the 3364 participants, 2272 (67.54%) completed the questionnaire. The prevalence of victimization was 28.9%. Male gender was positively associated with victimization, and grade level was negatively related to victimization. The AMPQ-II bullying score (Factor 4) was significantly (p<.001) and positively correlated to the AMPQ-II student total score (r= 0.50), Worry and thought (Factor 1 ; r=0.38), Mood and suicide (Factor 2 ; r=0.31), Academic and Internet-related problems (Factor 3 ; r=0.24), Rule violations (Factor 5 ; r=0.23), and AMPQ-II teacher total score (r=0.11). Somatization (r=0.23), Obsessive-compulsive behavior (r=0.24), Interpersonal sensitivity (r=0.30), Depression (r=0.33), Anxiety (r=0.26), Hostility (r=0.30), Phobic anxiety (r=0.22), Paranoid ideation (r=0.36), and Psychoticism (r=0.31) results from the SCL-90-R were also found to be positively related to the AMPQ-II bullying score, and remained significant after adjusting for age and gender. A total of 26% of the victims reported suicidal ideations as compared to 9% of non-victims over the month prior to the evaluation ($x^2$=119.595, df=1, p<.001). The multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that the AMPQ-II bullying score significantly increased the risk of suicidal ideation [Exp(b)=1.55, df=1, p<.001] after adjusting for age and gender. Conclusion : School bullying was highly prevalent among Korean middle and high school students. This study provided strong evidence that suicidal ideation and psychopathology were serious problems among the victims of bullying.