• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.378-382
• /
• 1997

To evaulate the effectiveness and risk factors for shunt failure of the Blalock-Taussig shunt in neonates, we analyzed the 21 neonates who were undergone Blalok-Taussig shunt operation at Dong-A University Hospital from December 1991 to Feburary 1996. We evaluated operative mortality, patency of the shunt. and distortion of pulmonary artery. We also determined the risk factors for the shunt failure. Age at operation was from 1 day to 30 days(mean 11.7 days). We ghts were 2.4 to 4.5kg(mean 3.1 kg). The underlying lesions included severe tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary stenosls or atresia(N=11) and single ventricle varieties with. pulmonary stenosis or atresia(N=10). Prostaglandin El was given in 13 neonates prior to operation. The mean preoperative(prior to prostaglandin El therapy) and postoperative arterial oxygen tension were 30.1 mmHg and 46.3 mmHg respectively(P(0.01). The shunt was performed through a left thoracotomy in 11 patients and through a right thoracotomy In 10. A 5 mm graft was used in 15 patients and a 4 mm graft in 6 patients. The incidence of early shunt occlusion was 9.5%(2 patients). The hospital mortality was 9.5%(2 patients with early shunt occlusion). Univariate analysis revealed that body weight of 2.6 kg or less(p=0.021), pulmonary artery size of 3mm or less(p=0.008), and 4 mm graft (p=0.021) were risk factors predictive of early shunt failure. The patency rate of the shunt in hospital survivors was 100% at mean ollow-up of ll.3 months(There was not death or reoperation related to shunt failure). 10 patients were catheterized during postoperative follow-up. There was no significant distorsion of pulmonary artery. So we concluded that the modified Blalock-Taussig shunt in neonates was excellent in the hospital survivors.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.80-98
• /
• 2002

Taxus cuspidata Sieb selected cultivation as drug, food and decorative plant in Kyong-gi province in Korea. As a manufacturing method, there were extracted from 250g of dried-leaf and 300g of dried-stem with each 200g of BG, PG and water (to 100) mixing for 72 hour at 50$\pm$5$\^{C}$ and then they were filtered by 400-mesh filter. Appearance of extract of leaves was slight brown, pH=5.3$\pm$0.5, gravity was 1.012$\pm$0.05, and a reflective index was 1.375$\pm$0.05. And appearance of extract of stems was slightly dark brown, pH=5.4$\pm$0.5, gravity was 1.016$\pm$0.05, and a reflective index was 1.358$\pm$0.05. It was extracted oil from Taxus seed. Gravity was 0.922$\pm$0.05 and it should be obtained the 27.0$\pm$0.5% of yield. The molecular weight of polysaccharide was about 50,000 to 300,000 dalton and contained 5.0$\pm$1.2% of yield from Taxus fruit. The determinations of total polyphenols in measuring spectropotometer got 0.563% in leaves, and 0.325% in stems, whereas the quantitives of total tannins got 0.054% and 0.037%, respectively. As the effects in Cosmetics by DPPH-method, the antioxidative activities were very strong that the inhibitory ratio showed 75% in leaves and 64% in stems compared with 52% in greentea extract. These are more effective than other plant extracts. The increasing ratio of collagen synthesis rate on the activating fibroblast for extracts of Taxus cuspidata Sieb showed 54.16% (stems) and 33.18% (leaves), To improve the skin elasticity, PPE(porcine pancreatic elastase)-inhibitory activities were strongly effective as 13,7% (stems), 23.5% (leaves) and 66%(seed). Anti-inflammatory acitvity of seed oil was very the above 41% stronger than SG was 24% of anti-Inflammatory as a control sample.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.369-375
• /
• 2015

This study was performed to investigate the physiological activities of Ginkgo biloba sarcotesta extracts before and after heat treatment. G. biloba sarcotesta was heated at $130^{\circ}C$ for 2 h and extracted with water, 70% ethanol and 80% methanol. ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activities increased after heating in the water (14.95 mg AAE/g and 7.36 mg TE/g) and ethanol extracts (12.20 mg AAE/g and 6.23 mg TE/g). ${\alpha}$-Glucosidase inhibitory activity decreased after heating in all but the water extract. Angiotensin converting enzyme I inhibitory activities decreased after heating in all extracts. Nitric oxide production inhibitory activity increased from 12.40~44.55% of the raw sample to 40.76~72.39% of the heated sample at a concentration of $200{\mu}g/mL$. Lipid accumulation inhibitory activities were similar before and after heat treatment. The highest antiproliferative effects on MCF-7 human breast cancer cell lines were observed in 80% methanol extract in the heated sample. Cell viability at concentrations of 25, 50, 100, and $200{\mu}g/mL$ measured 34.88, 17.58, 8.44 and 10.48%, respectively. From the results, the antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of G. biloba sarcotesta extracts increased with heat treatment, and research on the identification of the structure for the active compounds are needed in further studies.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.38-47
• /
• 2024

Background: Korea's population of children and adolescents has decreased by 2.88 million over the past decade and is expected to decline further due to the unprecedented low birth rate. In the fee-for-service compensation system, the decline in the pediatric population relates directly to the profit decrease in the pediatric clinics. This study analyzed whether the worsening profits of pediatric clinics impacted their closure. Methods: We built annual data for pediatric and other department clinics (internal medicine, otolaryngology, and family medicine) using the status of medical institute and health insurance claims data from 2012 to 2022. Then, we analyzed whether institutional variables such as annual profit and regional variables (Herfindahl-Hirschman index, the number of clinics per 100,000, etc.) affected the closure of clinics. The methods used in this study are descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis. Odds ratios for each variable were estimated by generalized estimating equations (GEE). Results: The closure rate of pediatric clinics was 2.66%-7.04% in 2012-2022, which was consistently higher than those of internal medicine, otolaryngology, and family medicine clinics. The profit gap per institution between the pediatric and the other clinics grew from 126 million won in 2012 to 245 million won in 2019. In the GEE analysis, profit decrease compared to the previous year with lower profit was the main factor that increased the closure of pediatric and other department clinics. After adjusting profit-related variables, the decrease in the pediatric population itself did not relate to the closure of pediatric clinics. The number of pediatric clinics or monopolies also did not affect the closure of pediatric clinics. Conclusion: The worsening profit is the crucial factor for the closure of pediatric clinics, while the pediatric population is decreasing. For this reason, it is necessary to actively seek ways to maintain a stable treatment system for children and adolescents.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.58 no.1
• /
• pp.31-42
• /
• 2005

Background : Peroxiredoxins (Prxs) are a relatively newly recognized, novel family of peroxidases that reduce $H_2O_2$ and alkylhydroperoxide into water and alcohol, respectively. There are 6 known isoforms of Prxs present in human cells. Normally, Prxs exist in a head-to-tail homodimeric state in a reduced form. However, in the presence of excess $H_2O_2$, it can be oxidized on its catalytically active cysteine site into inactive oxidized forms. This study surveyed the types of the Prx isoforms present in the pulmonary epithelial, macrophage, endothelial, and other cell lines and observed their response to oxidative stress. Methods : This study examined the effect of exogenous, excess $H_2O_2$ on the Prxs of established cell lines originating from the pulmonary epithelium, macrophages, and other cell lines, which are known to be exposed to high oxygen partial pressures or are believed to be subject to frequent oxidative stress, using non-reducing SDS polyacrylamide electrophoresis (PAGE) and 2 dimensional electrophoresis. Result : The addition of excess $H_2O_2$ to the culture media of the various cell-lines caused the immediate inactivation of Prxs, as evidenced by their inability to form dimers by a disulfide cross linkage. This was detected as a subsequent shift to its monomeric forms on the non-reducing SDS PAGE. These findings were further confirmed by 2 dimensional electrophoresis and immunoblot analysis by a shift toward a more acidic isoelectric point (pI). However, the subsequent reappearance of the dimeric Prxs with a comparable, corresponding decrease in the monomeric bands was noted on the non-reducing SDS PAGE as early as 30 minutes after the $H_2O_2$ treatment suggesting regeneration after oxidation. The regenerated dimers can again be converted to the inactivated form by a repeated $H_2O_2$ treatment, indicating that the protein is still catalytically active. The recovery of Prxs to the original dimeric state was not inhibited by a pre-treatment with cycloheximide, nor by a pretreatment with inhibitors of protein synthesis, which suggests that the reappearance of dimers occurs via a regeneration process rather than via the de novo synthesis of the active protein. Conclusion : The cells, in general, appeared to be equipped with an established system for regenerating inactivated Prxs, and this system may function as a molecular "on-off switch" in various oxidative signal transduction processes. The same mechanisms might applicable other proteins associated with signal transduction where the active catalytic site cysteines exist.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.251-256
• /
• 1981

Silage yield and nutritional values of a locally collected Korean corn line with high tillering and earing characteristics were investigated at plant densities from 2778 to 8333 plants/ l0a. This line and a non-tillering and nonprolific corn as a check were grown at four plant densities and at three planting dates. The Korean local line abbreviated as MET had the highest dry matter per l0a. The highest dry matter of the MET line compared with the check hybrid was due to the highest dry leaf weight of the MET line. The highest dry leaf weight of the MET line was due to the increased number of tillers of the MET line. Other plant parts such as ear weight, kernel weight and cob weight of the MET line were lower than those of the check hybrid. The dry husk weight per l0a of the MET line was higher than that of the check hybrid, probably due to the increased number of ears in the MET line. The total embryo production per 10 a of the MET line was significantly higher than that of the check hybrid. The increased portion of embryo of the MET line is probably responsible for the higher TON values of the MET line. No interaction between variety x planting dates or planting density was found, indicating that the MET line and check hybrid were both the same in effects of planting dates and densities. Both line and hybrid showed the highest dry matter production when the planting density was high and planting dates was early. When silage was made from either MET line or check hybrid the nutritional values in terms of crude protein, crude fat, fiber, and ash contents of the MET line were similar to those of the check hybrid. But the TON of the MET line was higher than that of the check hybrid, while the OCP of the MET line lower than that of the check hybrid. Amino acid contents of the MET line were also comparable to those of the check hybrid, while lysine content of the MET line was 10% higher than that of the check hybrid.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.11-24
• /
• 1979

To characterize elastic and plastic chilling injury, rice seedlings grown at 28/$16^{\circ}C$ day/night temp. under 20K lux (13hrs.) in a phytotron were subjected to a 11/$6^{\circ}C$, 20K lux condition for 2, 4, 6 or 8 days at 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5th leaf-stage, respectively, followed by further growth under 28/$16^{\circ}C$condition till 30th day after seeding. Japonica variety Jinheung and Chulwon No.1 survived almost 100% without any significant , discoloration and death of leaves due to chilling even under the chilling of 8 days at all seedling ages tested. Tongil and Yushin, varieties from Indica x Japonica cross, showed increasing discoloration of leaves and death of plants with increase in chilling intensity. The longest chilling duration shown seedling death less than 5% was 4, 6, 1, 4, 8 days for Tongil, and 6, 6, 1, 2, 2, days for Yushin at 1, 2, 3, 5th leaf-stage, respectively. The degree of discoloration and death of leaves or suppression of height growth was not explicitly related to seedling death or the dry weight reduction. The degree of seedling death or dry weight reduction could differentiate chilling tolerance of varieties and seedling ages, but somewhat differently. Reduction in dry weight due to chilling occurred even without any visible injury or seedling death. These suggest that both the degree of seedling death and reduction in dry weight should be considered in the test of varieties for chilling tolerance. Combined evaluation of seedling death and dry weight reduction indicated the most susceptible seedling age to chilling injury to be 1 to 2nd leaf-stage for Jinheung, 2 to 3rd leaf-stage for Chulwon No.1, 3rd leaf- stage for Tongil and Yushin, respectively.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.48 no.9
• /
• pp.960-968
• /
• 2005

Purpose : This multi-center, open-label, clinical study was designed to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of a trivalent, live, attenuated measles-mumps-rubella(MMR) vaccine, $Priorix^{TM}$ in Korean children. Methods : From July 2002 to February 2003, a total of 252 children, aged 12-15 months or 4-6 years, received $Priorix^{TM}$ at four centers : Han-il General Hospital, Kyunghee University Hospital, St. Paul's Hospital at the Catholic Medical College in Seoul, and Korea University Hospital in Ansan, Korea. Only subjects who fully met protocol requirements were included in the final analysis. The occurrence of local and systemic adverse events after vaccination was evaluated from diary cards and physical examination for 42 days after vaccination. Serum antibody levels were measured prior to and 42 days post-vaccination using IgG ELISA assays at GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals (GSK) in Belgium. Results : Of the 252 enrolled subjects, a total of 199 were included in the safety analysis, including 103 from the 12-15 month age group and 96 from the 4-6 year age group. The occurrence of local reactions related to the study drug was 10.1 percent, and the occurrence of systemic reactions was 6.5 percent. There were no episodes of aseptic meningitis or febrile convulsions, nor any other serious adverse reaction. In immunogenicity analysis, the seroconversion rate of previously seronegative subjects was 99 percent for measles, 93 percent for mumps and 100 percent for rubella. Both age groups showed similar seroconversion rates. The geometric mean titers achieved, 42 days pos-tvaccination, were : For measles, in the age group 12-15 months, 3,838.6 mIU/mL [3,304.47, 4,458.91]; in the age group 4-6 years, 1,886.2 mIU/mL [825.83, 4,308.26]. For mumps, in the age group 12-15 months, 956.3 U/mL [821.81, 1,112.71]; in the age group 4-6 years, 2,473.8 U/mL [1,518.94, 4,028.92]. For rubella, in the age group 12-15 months, 94.5 IU/mL [79.56, 112.28]; in the age group 4-6 years, 168.9 IU/mL [108.96, 261.90]. Conclusion : When Korean children in the age groups of 12-15 months or 4-6 years were vaccinated with GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals' live attenuated MMR vaccine ($Priorix^{TM}$), adverse events were limited to those generally expected with any live vaccine. $Priorix^{TM}$ demonstrated excellent immunogenicity in this population.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.44 no.4
• /
• pp.853-860
• /
• 1997

Background : Chronic cough, defined as a cough persisting for three weeks or longer, is a common symptom for which outpatient care is sought. The most common etiologies of chronic cough are postnasal drip, asthma, and gastroesophageal reflux. Methacholine challenge is a useful diagnostic study in the evaulation of chronic cough, particularly useful in chronic cough patients with asthmatic symptom. Patients with chronic cough may have dysfunction of bronchial and extrathoracic airways. To evaluate if dysfunction of the bronchial and extrathoracic airways causes chronic cough, we assessed bronchial (BHR) and extrathoracic airway (EAHR) responsiveness to inhaled methacholine in patients with chronic cough. Method : 111 patients with chronic cough were enrolled in our study. Enrolled patients had no recorded diagnosis of asthma, bronchopulmonary disease, hypertension, heart disease or systemic disease and no current treatment with bronchodilator or corticosteroid. Enrolled patients consisted of 46 patients with cough alone, 24 patients with wheeze, 22 patients with dyspnea, 19 patients with wheeze and dyspnea. The inhaled methacholine concentrations causing a 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in 1s($PC_{20}FEV_1$) and 25% fall in maximal mid-inspiratory flow ($PC_{25}MIF_{50}$) were used as bronchial and extra thoracic hyperresponsiveness. Results : There were four response patterns to methacholine challenge study : BHR in 27 patients, EAHR in 16 patients, combined BHR and EAHR in 8 patients, and no hyperresponsiveness in 60 patients. In patients with cough alone, there were BHR in 3 patients, EAHR in 9 patients, and combined BHR and EAHR in 2 patients. In patients with wheeze and/or dyspnea, there were BHR in 24 patients, EAHR in 7 patients, and BHR and EAHR in 6 patients. Compared with patients with wheeze and/or dyspnea, patients with cough alone had more common EAHR than BHR. In patients with wheeze and/or dyspnea, BHR was more common than EAHR. Conclusion : These results show that among patients with hyperresponsiveness to methacholine, those with dyspnea and/or wheezing had mainly bronchial hyperresponsiveness, whereas those with chronic cough alone had mainly extrathoracic airway hyperresponsiveness.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.45 no.4
• /
• pp.484-491
• /
• 2016

The present study investigated the effect of Sinetrol-XPur (polyphenolic Citrus spp. and Paullinia cupana Kunth dry extract) and defined the action mode for cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent uncoupling protein (UCP)-2 activation. Leptin-deficient obese mice were treated with two different doses, 100 mg/kg body weight (BW) and 300 mg/kg BW of each AIN93G supplement, for 7 weeks. Treatment of obese mice with both low and high doses of Sinetrol-XPur significantly reduced body weight gain compared to control obese mice. White adipose tissue weight of mice was reduced by 30.96% in high dose-supplemented groups. Serum total cholesterol and triglyceride were reduced by a high dose of Sinetrol-XPur by 20.02% and 30.96%, respectively. Serum level of high density lipoprotein (HDL) was significantly increased by treatment with both doses, as the ratio of HDL to low density lipoprotein increased by 138.78% and 171.49%, respectively. Regarding expression of biochemical factors related to lipid metabolism, fatty acid synthase significantly decreased and UCP-2 increased upon treatment with a high dose of Sinetrol-XPur, but there was no significant difference in lipoprotein lipase and hormone-sensitive lipase. To define cellular mechanism, intracellular cAMP levels in 3T3-L1 adipocytes significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner over the range of $50{\sim}250{\mu}m/mL$. The phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine clearly blocked cAMP, suggesting that Sinetrol-XPur promotes lipolysis of adipocytes through inhibition of cAMP-dependent PDE, resulting in induction of cAMP response element binding protein and UCP-2. These results suggest that Sinetrol-XPur supplementation is a viable option for reducing body weight and fat by improving serum lipid profiles and genetic expression of lipid metabolic factors, especially activation of cAMP-dependent UCP-2.