• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제21권3호
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• pp.278-285
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• 1998

The microdilution assay recommended by NCCLS (National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards) is one of the standardized methods of antibiotic susceptibility test. This method has been widely used clinically to obtain MIC values of antibiotics on pathogenic microorganisms. It is more convenient, rapid and simple to test many samples than other test methods such as agar diffusion assay and broth macrodilution assay. The screening of antimicrobial agents from microbial extracts is too laborious in its process. Therefore, a number of screening methods having more simple procedure have been developed. In our laboratory, we applied microdilution assay for screening the antimicrobial agents. This assay showed dose-response results and was more sensitive than disc diffusion assay in our system. We tested 200 samples of microbial extracts originated from 100 microbial strains and selected several samples as potential candidates. In this report, we show that the microdilution assay is more convenient method in screeing of antibiotic susceptibility than those previously reported.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제16권9호
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• pp.1362-1368
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• 2006

A new constitutive episomal expression vector, pGAPZ-E, was constructed and used for initial screening of eukaryotic target gene expression in Pichia pastoris. Two reporter genes such as beta-galactosidase gene and GFPuv gene were overexpressed in P. pastoris. The expression level of the episomal pGAPZ-E strain was higher than that of the integrated form when the beta-galactosidase gene was used as the reporter gene in P. pastoris X33. The avoiding of both the integration procedure and an induction step simplified the overall screening process for eukaryotic target gene expression in P. pastoris. Nine human protein targets from the Core 50, family of Northeast Structural Genomics Consortium (http://www.nesg.org), which were intractable when expressed in E. coli, were subjected to rapid screening for soluble expression in P. pastoris. HR547, HR919, and HR1697 human proteins, which had previously been found to express poorly or to be insoluble in E. coli, expressed in soluble form in P. pastoris. Therefore, the new episomal GAP promoter vector provides a convenient and alternative system for high-throughput screening of eukaryotic protein expression in P. pastoris.

• Educational Technology International
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.157-181
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• 2022

Scale scores for cognitive domains have been used as an important indicator for both academic achievement and clinical diagnosis. For example, in education, Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) has been used to measure student's capability in academic learning. In a clinical setting, Cognitive Impairment Screening Test utilizes items measuring cognitive ability as a dementia screening test. We demonstrated a procedure of generating cognitive ability test items similar as in CogAT but the theory associated with the generation is totally different. When creating cognitive test items, we applied automatic item generation (AIG) that reduces errors in predictions of cognitive ability but attains higher reliability. We selected two cognitive ability test items, categorized as a time estimation item for measuring quantitative reasoning and a paper-folding item for measuring visualization. As CogAT has widely used as a cognitive measurement test, developing an AIG-based cognitive test items will greatly contribute to education field. Since CLASS is the only LMS including AIG technology, we used it for the AIG software to construct item models. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the item generation process using AIG implemented within CLASS, along with proving quantitative and qualitative strengths of AIG. In result, we confirmed that more than 10,000 items could be made by a single item model in the quantitative aspect and the validity of items could be assured by the procedure based on ECD and AE in the qualitative aspect. This reliable item generation process based on item models would be the key of developing accurate cognitive measurement tests.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.667-674
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• 2015

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignancy in Malaysia, where data are limited regarding knowledge and barriers in regard to CRC and screening tests. The aim of the study was to assess these parameters among Malaysians. Materials and Methods: The questionnaires were distributed in the Umra Private Hospital in Selangor. The questionnaire had four parts and covered social-demographic questions, respondent knowledge about CRC and colorectal tests, attitude towards CRC and respondentaction regarding CRC. More than half of Malay participants (total n=187) were female (57.2%) and 36.9% of them were working as professionals. Results: The majority of the participants (93.6%) never had a CRC screening test. The study found that only 10.2% of the study participants did not consider that their chances of getting CRC were high. A high percentage of the participants (43.3%) believed that they would have good chance of survival if the cancer would be found early. About one third of the respondents did not want to do screening because of fear of cancer, and concerns of embarrassment during the procedure adversely affected attitude to CRC screening as well. Age, gender, income, family history of CRC, vegetable intake and physical activity were found to be significant determinants of knowledge on CRC. Conclusions: The major barriers identified towards CRC screening identified in our study were fear of pain and embarrassment. The findings have implications for understanding of similarities and differences in attitude to CRC amongst elderly patients in other cultural/geographic regions.

• 방사선산업학회지
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• 제17권1호
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• pp.45-59
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• 2023

The transport calculation for a wide variety of radionuclides contained in high-level radioactive waste, especially spent nuclear fuel, is computationally difficult, and input data collection for this also take a considerable amount of time. Accordingly, considering limited resources, it is possible to reduce the calculation time while minimizing impact on accuracy by including only radionuclides important to calculation result through applying some criteria among potential radiation source terms that may release into environment. In this paper, therefore, we reviewed and analyzed the screening process performed to select radionuclides to be considered in the safety assessment for the KBS-3 type repository in Sweden and Finland. In both countries, it was confirmed that a list of radionuclides was selected by comprehensively considering screening criteria such as radioactivity inventory, half-life, radiotoxicity, risk quotient, and transport properties, and etc. A comparison of radionuclides included in the radiological safety assessment in both countries suggests that most of nuclides are considered in common, and a few nuclides considered only in one country are due to differences in decay chain treatment or spent fuel types. As of now, since most of information on the disposal facility in Korea has not been determined, it is necessary to comprehensively model release and transport of all radionuclides considered in Sweden and Finland when performing the radiological safety assessment. Based on these results, we derived the screening concept of selecting a list of radionuclides to be considered in the radiological safety assessment for the domestic KBS-3 type geological disposal facility, and this result is expected to be used as technical basis for confirming conformity with the safety objective. In a more detailed evaluation reflecting domestic characteristics in the future, it would be desirable to consider only radionuclides selected in accordance with the screening procedure. However, further research should be conducted to determine the quantitative limit for each criteria.

• 한국응용곤충학회지
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.45-50
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• 1985

Bacillus thuringiensis 변종(變種)들로부터 Extrachromosomal DNA를 추출분리(抽出分離)코저 종래(從來)의 방법(方法)을 보완(補完)하여 적용(適用)한바 분자량(分子量)의 크기가 1 Megadalton에서 135 Megadalton에 이르는 plasmid들을 분리(分離)함에 보다 효과적(效果的)이었고 또 이 plasmid들을 이용(利用), 제한효소(制限酵素)에 의(依)한 유전자배열작성(遺傳子配列作成) 및 gene Cloning을 하는데 비교적(比較的) 안정(安定)된 많은 양(量)의 세포용해물(細胞溶解物)을 얻을 수 있었다. 파리목과 나비목에 각기(各其) 독성(毒性)이 다른 Bacillus thuringiensis 6개(個) 변종(變種)으로부터 plasmid들을 분리(分離)한 결과(結果) 분자량(分子量)이 큰 50 Megadalton 이상(以上)의 plasmid들이 공시(供試) 된 모든 변종(變種)으로부터 추출(抽出)되었으며 이들 plasmid의 수(數)를 보면 israelensis로부터 8개(個) kurstaki로부터 10개(個) $aizawa{\ddot{u}}$로부터 13개(個) dendrolimus로부터 2개(個), finitimus로부터 1개(個) 그리고 yunnanensis로부터 6개(個)가 각각(各各) 검출(檢出)되었다. 공시(供試)된 변종중(變種中) 4개(個)의 변종(變種)으로부터는 2 Megadalton 이하(以下)의 적은 plasmid들도 추출(抽出)되었다.

• 품질경영학회지
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• 제27권1호
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• pp.35-45
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• 1999

A process monitoring procedure using a correlated variable is presented when a lower specification limit is given on the performance variable. Every item is inspected with a variable correlated with the performance variable. When an item is rejected in the screening inspection, the process is checked for change using the mean and variance of measurements of the correlated variable for n preceding items including the rejected one. The performance variable is assumed to be normally distributed. A linear relationship between the performance and surrogate variables is assumed with normally distributed error term. The monitoring procedure is designed so that the prespecified outgoing quality can be attained.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권14호
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• pp.5523-5528
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• 2014

Objective: To evaluate the implementation of screening colonoscopy amongst first-degree relatives (FDRs) of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) in Turkey. Materials and Methods: A total of 400 first-degree relatives (mean(SD)age: 42.5(12.7) years, 55.5% were male) of 136 CRC patients were included in this cross-sectional questionnaire based survey. Data on demographic characteristics, relationship to patient and family history for malignancy other than the index case were evaluated in the FDRs of patients as were the data on knowledge about and characteristics related to the implementation of screening colonoscopy using a standardized questionnaire form. Results: The mean(SD) age at diagnosis of CRC in the index patients was 60.0(14.0) years, while mean(SD) age of first degree relatives was 42.5(12.7) years. Overall 36.3% of relatives were determined to have knowledge about colonoscopy. Physicians (66.9%) were the major source of information. Screening colonoscopy was recommended to 19.5% (n=78) of patient relatives, while 48.7% (n=38) of individuals participated in colonoscopy procedures, mostly (57.9%) one year after the index diagnosis. Screening colonoscopy revealed normal findings in 25 of 38 (65.8%) cases, while precancerous lesions were detected in 26.3% of screened individuals. In 19.0% of FDRs of patients, there was a detected risk for Lynch syndrome related cancer. Conclusions: In conclusion, our findings revealed that less than 20% of FDRs of patients had received a screening colonoscopy recommendation; only 48.7% participated in the procedure with detection of precancerous lesions in 26.3%. Rise of awareness about screening colonoscopy amongst patients with CRC and first degree relatives of patients and motivation of physicians for targeted screening would improve the participation rate in screening colonoscopy by FDRs of patients with CRC in Turkey.

• BMB Reports
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• 제39권1호
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• pp.55-60
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• 2006

We describe a phage display strategy, based on the differential resistance of proteins to denaturant-induced unfolding, that can be used to select protein variants with improved conformational stability. To test the efficiency of this strategy, wild-type and two stable variants of ${\alpha}_1$-antitrypsin (${\alpha}_1AT$) were fused to the gene III protein of M13 phage. These phages were incubated in unfolding solution containing denaturant (urea or guanidinium chloride), and then subjected to an unfavorable refolding procedure (dialysis at $37^{\circ}C$). Once the ${\alpha}_1AT$ moiety of the fusion protein had unfolded in the unfolding solution, in which the denaturant concentration was higher than the unfolding transition midpoint ($C_m$) of the ${\alpha}_1AT$ variant, around 20% of the phage retained binding affinity to anti-${\alpha}_1AT$ antibody due to a low refolding efficiency. Moreover, this affinity reduced to less than 5% when 10 mg/mL skimmed milk (a misfolding-promoting additive) was included during the unfolding/refolding procedure. In contrast, most binding affinity (>95%) remained if the ${\alpha}_1AT$ variant was stable enough to resist unfolding. Because this selection procedure does not affect the infectivity of M13, the method is expected to be generally applicable to the high-throughput screening of stable protein variants, when activity-based screening is not possible.

• Perspectives in Nursing Science
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.61-71
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• 2020

Purpose: This mixed method study aimed to investigate patients' level of anxiety and their experience of this before undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). Methods: A total of 125 patients answered a questionnaire assessing their pre-EGD level of anxiety, and a total of 17 patients participated in individual interviews regarding their experience of EGD-related anxiety. The SPSS Software program was used for survey data analysis and content analysis was used for qualitative data. Results: The mean anxiety score was 40.00±9.86 and the factors related to anxiety levels were being female (p<.001) and being a relatively young age (20-30 years old, p=.004). There were no significant differences shown in level of anxiety according to the purpose EGD was performed for: screening, diagnosis, or disease follow-up. In the qualitative analysis, however, patients who underwent a follow-up procedure as a result of stomach cancer exhibited more complicated feelings of anxiety and helplessness than others. For those who underwent EGD for diagnostic reasons, they worried about the test results and were concerned about possible life changes after diagnosis. Those for whom EGD was performed for screening purposes expressed concern only in the event of EGD complications. Conclusion: This study explored the nature of pre-EGD anxiety according to the purpose of the procedure. Nurses and doctors should be aware that patients undergoing EGD may have different levels and experiences of pre-procedure anxiety.