• 대한약침학회지
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.27-37
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• 2023

Objectives: Moroccan Arbutus unedo is an essential medicinal plant; however, little is known about the biological properties of its leaves mentioned in Moroccan traditional medicine. Methods: Various standard experiments were performed to evaluate the phytochemical, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antibacterial, and acute and sub-chronic toxicity characteristics of A. unedo leaves. Results: Phytochemical screening led to the identification of several phytochemical classes, including tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, and anthraquinones, with high concentrations of polyphenols (31.83 ± 0.29 mg GAEs/g extract) and flavonoids (16.66 ± 1.47 mg REs/g extract). Further, the mineral analysis revealed high levels of calcium and potassium. A. unedo extract demonstrated significant antioxidant and anti-diabetic activities by inhibiting α-amylase (1.350 ± 0.32 g/mL) and α-glucosidase (0.099 ± 1.21 g/mL) compared to the reference drug Acarbose. Also, the methanolic extract of the plant exhibited significantly higher antibacterial activity than the aqueous extract. Precisely, three of the four examined bacterial strains exhibited substantial susceptibility to the methanolic extract . Minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC)/minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values indicated that A. unedo harbor abundant bactericidal compounds. For toxicological studies, mice were administered with A. unedo aqueous extract at single doses of 2,000 and 5,000 mg/kg. They did not exhibit significant abnormal behavior, toxic symptoms, or death during the 14-day acute toxicity test and the 90-day sub-chronic toxicity test periods. The general behavior, body weight, and hematological and biochemical status of the rats were assessed, revealing no toxicological symptoms or clinically significant changes in biological markers observed in the mice models, except hypoglycemia, after 90 days of daily dose administration. Conclusion: The study highlighted several biological advantages of A. unedo leaves without toxic effects in short-term application. Our findings suggest that conducting more comprehensive and extensive in vivo investigations is of utmost importance to identify molecules that can be formulated into pharmaceuticals in the future.

• 한국융합학회논문지
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.119-129
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• 2022

자궁경부세포검사는 자궁경부암 선별검사로 널리 사용되어 왔다. 그러나, 위음성 비율이 높아 인유두종바이러스 중합효소연쇄반응 (HPV PCR) 검사로 보완이 제안되고 있다. HPV PCR 검사의 임상적 유용성을 확인하여, 자궁경부암을 예방하는 선별검사의 효과를 알아보고자 한다. 217명의 환자의 데이터를 분석하였고, 높은 HPV 감염률(46.1%)과 분산분석결과 연령 집단간 HPV 감염률에 유의한 차이가 보였다(P=0.015). 특히, 연구기간 중 CIN3 3건 상피세포암 1건이 관찰되었는데, 고위험군 HPV(16, 33)감염이 모두 관찰되었고, 20대와 30대 상피세포 이형성증 진단 환자에서 높은 고위험군 HPV감염이 관찰되었다. 따라서 이 연령대에 대한 광범위한 연구 및 예방 활동이 필요하며, 자궁암 예방을 위한 선별검사로써 세포학적 검사와 함께 HPV PCR 검사가 유용할 것으로 판단된다.

• 예술인문사회 융합 멀티미디어 논문지
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• 제6권4호
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• pp.169-179
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• 2016

이 연구는 특수교사를 대상으로 지적장애학생의 읽기 및 쓰기 지도 실태와 요구도를 알아보고자 하였다. 본 연구를 위해 광주, 대구, 부산 지역에 근무하고 있는 특수교사 71명에게 설문조사를 실시하였다. 연구 결과 특수교사들은 학생의 읽기 및 쓰기 수준을 파악하기 위해 표준화된 검사도구보다 직접 제작한 검사도구를 주로 사용하였다. 학생 지도 시 문제해결 방법과 신뢰하는 정보에 대해서는 자신의 지도 경험과 동료 및 선배의 조언을 이용하였고 학교에서 배운 지식의 활용의 사용빈도는 낮았다. 학생의 읽기 및 쓰기 지도 시 주로 통문자를 통한 지도가 이루어졌으나 교사의 지도경험과 교재의 다양성 또한 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 학생지도를 위한 교육 참여의 요구도에서는 쓰기의 교수방법, 장애특성에 따른 교재 및 교구, 읽기 및 쓰기발달, 읽기 및 쓰기장애에 대한 관심과 요구가 높았다. 학생 지도 시 어려움과 요구도에서는 다양한 교재, 교구의 개발, 충분한 교재 및 검사도구 구비에 대한 요구가 높았다. 지도 시 어려움으로는 읽기, 쓰기에 대한 지식의 부족, 선별/평가도구 부족, 장애 특성에 따른 평가와 지도 등에서 어려움이 나타났다.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.49-73
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• 2013

In this study, the author develops and tests a model that incorporates the mediating effects of two frontline employee psychological variables (emotional exhaustion and intrinsic motivation) based on job demand and resource model. As a form of environmental resource, person-organization fit was proposed as a leading factor of frontline employee boundary spanning behavior through emotional exhaustion and intrinsic motivation. All measures were adapted from or developed based on prior research. Data for the study were collected from a cross-sectional sample of retail bank employees in South Korea. Questionnaires were distributed to 500 frontline employees across several banks. Of these, 322 usable questionnaires were returned. To analyze the data, a structural equation model procedure using LISREL 8.5 was employed. Results show that an employee's perceived fit with his/her organization enhances intrinsic motivation and reduces emotional exhaustion. These mechanisms, in turn, increase the employee's boundary spanning behavior. These results support the notion that person-organization fit should be one of the factors affecting motivation, affect and attachment, and extends such an understanding to a purely service-based environment among customer contact employees. Results also confirms that P-O fit can be viewed as environmental resources, and the JD-R model provides a theoretical base in further studying the antecedent role of P-O fit on frontline employees's boundary spanning behavior through intrinsic motivation and emotional exhaustion. These results suggest that organizations have to do their best to manage P-O fit, be it through employee screening or training and workshops to try and align organization and employee values and objectives. If managers of organizations are positively evaluated by the employees, it will be easier for them to, give things of value to employees, such as sense of direction, values, and recognition, and receive other things in return such as esteem and responsiveness. Consequently, organizational leaders are not only able to manage employee experiences, but also their fit with the organization. Even if a manager cannot control employee P-O fit, this research suggests, that a focus on reducing emotional exhaustion rather than increasing intrinsic motivation seems optimal. This research also supports the idea that motivation has a direct association with a frontline employee's boundary spanning behavior. Even in situations where emotional exhaustion cannot be reduced, organizations may still influence frontline behaviors through motivation.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제22권11호
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• pp.1909-1917
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• 2021

Objective: Muscle quantity and quality can be measured with an automated system on CT. However, the effects of contrast phases on the muscle measurements have not been established, which we aimed to investigate in this study. Materials and Methods: Muscle quantity was measured according to the skeletal muscle area (SMA) measured by a convolutional neural network-based automated system at the L3 level in 89 subjects undergoing multiphasic abdominal CT comprising unenhanced phase, arterial phase, portal venous phase (PVP), or delayed phase imaging. Muscle quality was analyzed using the mean muscle density and the muscle quality map, which comprises normal and low-attenuation muscle areas (NAMA and LAMA, respectively) based on the muscle attenuation threshold. The SMA, mean muscle density, NAMA, and LAMA were compared between PVP and other phases using paired t tests. Bland-Altman analysis was used to evaluate the inter-phase variability between PVP and other phases. Based on the cutoffs for low muscle quantity and quality, the counts of individuals who scored lower than the cutoff values were compared between PVP and other phases. Results: All indices showed significant differences between PVP and other phases (p < 0.001 for all). The SMA, mean muscle density, and NAMA increased during the later phases, whereas LAMA decreased during the later phases. Bland-Altman analysis showed that the mean differences between PVP and other phases ranged -2.1 to 0.3 cm² for SMA, -12.0 to 2.6 cm² for NAMA, and -2.2 to 9.9 cm² for LAMA.The number of patients who were categorized as low muscle quantity did not significant differ between PVP and other phases (p ≥ 0.5), whereas the number of patients with low muscle quality significantly differed (p ≤ 0.002). Conclusion: SMA was less affected by the contrast phases. However, the muscle quality measurements changed with the contrast phases to greater extents and would require a standardization of the contrast phase for reliable measurement.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.624-633
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• 2021

Objective: To evaluate the reliability of CT measurements of muscle quantity and quality using variable CT parameters. Materials and Methods: A phantom, simulating the L2-4 vertebral levels, was used for this study. CT images were repeatedly acquired with modulation of tube voltage, tube current, slice thickness, and the image reconstruction algorithm. Reference standard muscle compartments were obtained from the reference maps of the phantom. Cross-sectional area based on the Hounsfield unit (HU) thresholds of muscle and its components, and the mean density of the reference standard muscle compartment, were used to measure the muscle quantity and quality using different CT protocols. Signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) were calculated in the images acquired with different settings. Results: The skeletal muscle area (threshold, -29 to 150 HU) was constant, regardless of the protocol, occupying at least 91.7% of the reference standard muscle compartment. Conversely, normal attenuation muscle area (30-150 HU) was not constant in the different protocols, varying between 59.7% and 81.7% of the reference standard muscle compartment. The mean density was lower than the target density stated by the manufacturer (45 HU) in all cases (range, 39.0-44.9 HU). The SNR decreased with low tube voltage, low tube current, and in sections with thin slices, whereas it increased when the iterative reconstruction algorithm was used. Conclusion: Measurement of muscle quantity using HU threshold was reliable, regardless of the CT protocol used. Conversely, the measurement of muscle quality using the mean density and narrow HU thresholds were inconsistent and inaccurate across different CT protocols. Therefore, further studies are warranted in future to determine the optimal CT protocols for reliable measurements of muscle quality.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.131-138
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• 2021

Objective: Iterative reconstruction degrades image quality. Thus, further advances in image reconstruction are necessary to overcome some limitations of this technique in low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scan of the chest. Deep-learning image reconstruction (DLIR) is a new method used to reduce dose while maintaining image quality. The purposes of this study was to evaluate image quality and noise of LDCT scan images reconstructed with DLIR and compare with those of images reconstructed with the adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction-Veo at a level of 30% (ASiR-V 30%). Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 58 patients who underwent LDCT scan for lung cancer screening. Datasets were reconstructed with ASiR-V 30% and DLIR at medium and high levels (DLIR-M and DLIR-H, respectively). The objective image signal and noise, which represented mean attenuation value and standard deviation in Hounsfield units for the lungs, mediastinum, liver, and background air, and subjective image contrast, image noise, and conspicuity of structures were evaluated. The differences between CT scan images subjected to ASiR-V 30%, DLIR-M, and DLIR-H were evaluated. Results: Based on the objective analysis, the image signals did not significantly differ among ASiR-V 30%, DLIR-M, and DLIR-H (p = 0.949, 0.737, 0.366, and 0.358 in the lungs, mediastinum, liver, and background air, respectively). However, the noise was significantly lower in DLIR-M and DLIR-H than in ASiR-V 30% (all p < 0.001). DLIR had higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) than ASiR-V 30% (p = 0.027, < 0.001, and < 0.001 in the SNR of the lungs, mediastinum, and liver, respectively; all p < 0.001 in the CNR). According to the subjective analysis, DLIR had higher image contrast and lower image noise than ASiR-V 30% (all p < 0.001). DLIR was superior to ASiR-V 30% in identifying the pulmonary arteries and veins, trachea and bronchi, lymph nodes, and pleura and pericardium (all p < 0.001). Conclusion: DLIR significantly reduced the image noise in chest LDCT scan images compared with ASiR-V 30% while maintaining superior image quality.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제62권1호
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• pp.42-52
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• 2024

Antimalarial drugs are an urgently need and crucial tool in the campaign against malaria, which can threaten public health. In this study, we examined the cytotoxicity of the 9 antimalarial compounds chemically synthesized using SKM13-2HCl. Except for SKM13-2HCl, the 5 newly synthesized compounds had a 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC₅₀) >100 μM, indicating that they would be less cytotoxic than SKM13-2HCl. Among the 5 compounds, only SAM13-2HCl outperformed SKM13-2HCl for antimalarial activity, showing a 3- and 1.3-fold greater selective index (SI) (CC₅₀/IC₅₀) than SKM13-2HCl in vitro against both chloroquine-sensitive (3D7) and chloroquine -resistant (K1) Plasmodium falciparum strains, respectively. Thus, the presence of morpholine amide may help to effectively suppress human-infectious P. falciparum parasites. However, the antimalarial activity of SAM13-2HCl was inferior to that of the SKM13-2HCl template compound in the P. berghei NK65-infected mouse model, possibly because SAM13-2HCl had a lower polarity and less efficient pharmacokinetics than SKM13-2HCl. SAM13-2HCl was more toxic in the rodent model. Consequently, SAM13-2HCl containing morpholine was selected from screening a combination of pharmacologically significant structures as being the most effective in vitro against human-infectious P. falciparum but was less efficient in vivo in a P. berghei-infected animal model when compared with SKM13-2HCl. Therefore, SAM13-2HCl containing morpholine could be considered a promising compound to treat chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum infections, although further optimization is crucial to maintain antimalarial activity while reducing toxicity in animals.

• 대한예방한의학회지
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.55-65
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• 2024

Background : Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant public health issue worldwide, particularly among healthcare workers (HCWs) at high risk of exposure. Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is a state where individuals are infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis but do not show clinical symptoms. Early detection and treatment of LTBI are crucial to prevent progression to active TB. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of LTBI among Korean Medicine (KM) workers in Seoul, South Korea. Methods : This study analyzed 368 adults aged 19 and over working in Korean medicine institutions in Seoul by September 2023. Participants underwent a tuberculin skin test (TST) and completed a survey collecting demographic information, occupation, work duration, smoking status, BCG vaccination, TB history, and comorbidities. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results : The average age of participants was 43.1 years, with an LTBI prevalence rate of 3.5%. Significant risk factors included age and history of TB, Older age and a history of TB were associated with higher LTBI positivity. Conclusion : The study identified the prevalence and risk factors of LTBI among Korean medicine workers in Seoul. The findings highlight the need for targeted LTBI screening and preventive measures, especially for older workers and those with a history of TB. While the prevalence was lower than in other healthcare settings, the results emphasize the importance of regular LTBI testing and prevention education for KM workers. Future large-scale studies are needed to confirm these findings and further understand the relationship between various risk factors and LTBI in KM settings.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제46권9호
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• pp.854-857
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• 2003

목 적 : 단일 제대 동맥을 가진 건강한 신생아의 약 1/3에서 위장관 폐색 및 요로 기형을 동반할 수 있으므로 요로 기형을 발견하기 위해 초음파 검사를 관습적으로 시행하고 있지만 실제초음파 검사상 이상이 발견되는 경우는 드물다. 이에 저자는 단일 제대 동맥을 가진 건강한 신생아에서 신장 초음파 검사의 유용성을 알아보고자 본 연구를 실시하였다. 방 법 : 1995년 1월부터 2002년 7월까지 출생 후 이학적 검사상 단일 제대 동맥이 있는 신생아에서 단일 제대 동맥이면서 증후군의 일부이거나 수술적 치료가 필요한 심각한 질환이 동반된 경우는 제외하고 건강한 신생아 총 30명을 대상으로 하였다. 임상적 배경과 출생 72시간 이후 신장 초음파를 실시하였고, 신장초음파상 이상이 있는 경우 지속적 추적관찰과 더불어 배뇨성 방광요도 조영술 및 technetium-99m-mercaptoacetyl-triglycerine(MAG3) 신스캔 검사를 실시하여 수신증의 크기, 폐쇄의 정도 및 신기능 변화를 분석하였다. 결 과 : 총 30명의 남녀비는 1 : 1이었으며 평균 재태 연령은 $38.0{\pm}2.56$주, 평균 출생 체중은 $2,780{\pm}690g$이었다. 단일 제대동맥을 가진 건강한 신생아 30명 중 신장 초음파상 이상이 발견 된 례는 5명으로 16.7%이었고, 의미 있는 요로 기형은 1명으로 3.3%이었다. 이상이 발견된 5명 중 4명은 경도의 수신증으로 추적 검사상 자연 소실되었고, 1명은 심한 수신증으로 배뇨성 방광 요도 조영술상 역류는 없었고 MAG3 검사상 좌측 신장 기능 저하가 보여 외래 추적 관찰 중이다. 결 론 : 단일 제대 동맥을 가진 건강한 신생아에서 신장 초음파 검사상 발견된 신장 이상은 16.7%로 일반인에서 보이는 신장 이상의 빈도와 큰 차이는 없었고 1명을 제외한 4명(80.0%)에서 자연 소실되었으므로, 비용-이익 면에서 볼 때 단일 제대 동맥을 가진 건강한 신생아에서 관습적으로 신장 초음파 검사를 실시하는 것에 대해 고려해 볼 필요가 있다고 사료된다.