• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.9
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• pp.1244-1248
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• 2008

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is a very important drug transporter, which plays an important role in drug disposition and represents an additional mechanism for the development of multidrug resistance. Flavonoids, a major class of natural compounds widely present in foods and herbal products, have been shown to be P-gp inhibitors. The objective of the present study was to identify new chemosensitizer candidates through the screening of various herbal extracts. The inhibitory effects of herbal extracts on P-gp activity were assessed by measuring accumulation of calcein AM using P-gp overexpressed L-MDR1 cells. Curcuma longa showed the most potent inhibition on P-gp function. The inhibitory potential of P-gp was in the order: Curcuma longa > Curcuma aromatica > Ageratum conizoids > Zanthoxylum planispinum > Zedoariae rhizome > Rakta chandan > Dalbergia odorifera > Caesalpinia Sappan > Aloe ferox. To identify individual constituents with inhibitory activity, the herbal extracts were analyzed by LC/MS/MS. Several flavonoids such as curcumin, a well-known P-gp inhibitor, were identified through mass spectral library search. These in vitro data indicate that herbal extracts contain constituents that can potently inhibit the activities of P-gp and suggest that these herbal extracts should be examined for potential chemosensitizer in vivo.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.3687-3693
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• 2012

Objective: The current meta-analysis was performed to address a more accurate estimation of the association between glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) codon 105 polymorphism and risk of gastric cancer (GC), which has been widely reported with conflicting results. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify all the relevant studies. Fixed or random effect models were selected based on the heterogeneity test. Publication bias was estimated using Begg's funnel plots and Egger's regression test. Results: A total of 20 studies containing 2,821 GC cases and 6,240 controls were finally included in the analyses. Overall, no significant association between GSTP1 polymorphism and GC risk was observed in worldwide populations. However, subgroup analysis stratified by ethnicity showed that GSTP1 polymorphism was significantly associated with increased risk of GC in Asians (G vs. A, OR = 1.273, 95%CI=1.011-1.605; GG vs. AA, OR=2.103, 95%CI=1.197-3.387; GG vs. AA+AG, OR =2.103, 95%CI=1.186-3.414). In contrast, no significant association was found in Caucasians in any genetic models, except for with AG vs. AA (OR=0.791, 95%CI=0.669-0.936). Furthermore, the GSTP1 polymorphism was found to be significantly associated with GC in patients with H. pylori infection and in those with a cardiac GC. Subgroup analysis stratified by Lauren's classification and smoking status showed no significant association with any genetic model. No studies were found to significantly influence the pooled effects in each genetic mode, and no potential publication bias was detected. Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggested that the GSTP1 polymorphism might be associated with increased risk of GC in Asians, while GSTP1 heterozygote genotype seemed to be associated with reduced risk of GC. Since potential confounders could not be ruled out completely, further studies are needed to confirm these results.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.3917-3925
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• 2012

Background: The relationship between postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) and invasive breast cancer has been extensively investigated, but that with breast carcinoma in situ (BCIS) has received relatively little attention. The aim of our present study was to review and summarize the evidence provided by longitudinal studies on the association between postmenopausal HT use and BCIS risk. Methods: A comprehensive literature search for articles published up to May 2012 was performed. Prior to performing a meta-analysis, the studies were evaluated for publication bias and heterogeneity. Relative risk (RR) or odds ratio (OR) values were calculated using 14 reports (8 case-control studies and 6 cohort studies), published between 1986 and 2012. Results: There was evidence of an association between ever postmenopausal estrogen use and BCIS based on a random-effects model (RR = 1.25, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.01, 1.55). However, we found no strong evidence of an association between ever postmenopausal estrogen combined with progesterone use and BCIS using a randomeffects model (RR = 1.55, 95% CI = 0.95, 2.51). Furthermore, our analysis showed a strong association between "> 5 years duration" of estrogen or estrogen combined with progesterone use and BCIS. Furthermore, current use of any HT is associated with increased risk of BCIS in cohort studies. Additional well-designed large studies are now required to validate this association in different populations.

• Spatial Information Research
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.65-73
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• 2010

Recently, the importance of the ocean has been increasing internationally as the new source for mineral resources following the exhausted land resources that arc becoming scarce. On a long-term aspect, growth of nations by gaining competitiveness on marine resources was considered a paradigm. Because dominating the development right of marine resources came up as the main concern. South Korea has also been interested in marine resources and this is the reason why massive amounts of marine exploration data arc annually created through surveying and drilling around the Korean Peninsula. but the data has not been systematically managed very well because of its economic costs. Therefore, this research is mainly focused on systematical data managing methods. For Systematical data management. the exploration data is integrated and organized by using XML tables. This can be a systematical data management. because the methods release dependency between data and system, and it also enables to update existing data and renew the data. In the future, the constructed database from this study could definitely contribute to enhancing data management. As well, the developed system in this research can provide various spatial analysis and searching techniques to enable easier data provision of various exploration areas. Furthermore. this will be very useful to extend functions of the system and to adopt other types of DBMS. In addition, the spatial analysis and search function of location based service can be utilized through GIS. and it can support sustainable and systematic management in a long term.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.100-117
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• 2003

Background In Sasang Constitutional Medicine (SCM), human beings are classified into four constitutions: Taeyangin, Taewnin, Soyangin, and Soeumin. SCM presents various lifestyles and treatments for each constitution. The problem of SCM is that its diagnosis is so subjective that the result of the diagnosis depends on the doctor. In order to solve this problem, multiple approaches have been objectively researched. To use a questionnaire is the most common method among the different approaches. Since there are a few problems in the Questionnaire for the Sasang Constitution Classification II (QSCC II), which in recent days has been used frequently, the necessity of a new questionnaire has arisen. Objective The purpose of this study is to develop a new questionnaire for the objectivity of the Sasang Constitution Classification by complementing the existing questionnaire. Methods In order to search for the existing questionnaire's problems, I first compare the ratio of the amount of questions regarding external appearance to that of questions of mental characteristics and physiologic & pathologic symptoms in QSCCII and QSCCII +. We created the new questionnaires by reinterpreting ${\ulcorner}Dongyi$ Soose $Bowon{\lrcorner}$ through SCM professors' and medical residents' discussion and by adding some items related to the diagnosis about the constitution from other SCM books and clinical experience. Results 1. The new questionnaire for the Sasang Constitution Classification is self-reported questionnaire based on a multiple choice system of 4 questions. 2. The new questionnaire for the Sasang Constitution Classification consists of 28 questions, which include 7 questions about external appearance, 4 questions about mental characteristics, and 17 questions about physiologic & pathologic symptoms. 3. The new questionnaire for the Sasang Constitution Classification consists of 24 questions of Taeyangin, 28 of Taeumin, 28 of Soyongin, 28 of Soeumin. 4. We will have to verify validity and reliability of new questionnaire for rhe Sasang Constitution Classification.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.37-45
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• 2017

Recently the global epidemic problem of obesity has stimulated intense interest in the study of physiological mechanisms using animal models as a way to gain crucial data required for translation to human studies. Panax ginseng has been reported to have anti-obesity or antidiabetic effects in many animal studies; however, there have been few studies investigating human obesity. Herein, we will assess and examine the evidence supporting the anti-obesity effect of Panax ginseng in animal models with respect to anthropometric and metabolic outcomes. We will include controlled, comparative studies assessing the effect of Panax ginseng in preclinical studies of obesity. Panax ginseng will be administered during or following the induction of experimental obesity. The primary outcome measure will be anthropometric assessment and the secondary outcome measures will include adipose tissue weight, total amount of food consumed and metabolic parameters. We will search MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus without language, publication date, or other restrictions. Ethical approval will not be necessary as the data collected in this study will not be individual patient data, consequently there will be no concerns about violations of privacy. After finishing the whole procedure, the results will be disseminated by publication in a peer-reviewed journal or presented at a relevant conference. This protocol has been registered on the Collaborative Approach to Meta-Analysis and Review of Animal Data from Experimental Studies (CAMARADES) website (http://www.camarades.info).

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.500-506
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• 1999

We designed and fabricated a bidirectional optical transceiver module for low cost access network. An integrated chip forming a pin-PD on an 1.3 urn FP-LD was assembled by flip-chip bonding on a Si optical bench, a single mode fiber with an angled end facet was aligned passively with the integrated chip on V-groove of Si-optical bench. Gaussian beam theory was applied to evaluate the coupling coefficients as a function of some parameters such as alignment distance, angle of fiber end facet, vertical alignment error. The theory is also used to search the bottle-neck between transmittance and receiving coupling efficiency in the bi-directional optical system. Tn this paper, we confirmed that reduction of coupling efficiency by the vertical alignment error between laser beam and fiber core axis can be compensated by controlling the fiber facet angle. In the fabrication of sub-module, a'||'&'||' we made such that the fiber facet have a corn shape with an angled facet only core part, the reflection of transmitted laser beam from the fiber facet could be minimized below -35 dE in alignment distance of 2: 30 /J.m. In the same condition, transmitted output power of -12.1 dEm and responsivity of 0.2. AIW were obtained.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.122-127
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• 2016

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) is a multidrug-resistant(MDR) strain. (+)-Usnic acid(UA) is uniquely found in lichens, and is especially abundant in genera such as Usnea and Cladonia. UA has antimicrobial activity against human and plant pathogens. Therefore, UA may be a good antibacterial drug candidate for clinical development. In search of a natural products capable of inhibiting this multidrug-resistant bacteria, we have investigated the antimicrobial activity of UA against 17 different strains of the bacterium. In this study, the effects of a combination of UA and permeable agents against MRSA were investigated. For the measurement of cell wall permeability, UA with concentration of Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid(EDTA) was used. In the other hand, Sodium azide($NaN_3$) was used as inhibitors of ATPase. Against the 17 strains, the minimum inhibitory concentrations(MICs) of UA were in the range of $7.81-31.25{\mu}g/ml$. EDTA or $NaN_3$ cooperation against MRSA showed synergistic activity on cell wall. UA and in combination with EDTA and $NaN_3$ could lead to the development of new combination antibiotics against MRSA infection.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.106-118
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• 2002

In recent years, synthetic and systematic management with conservation-oriented strategy for Baekdu-daegan, which is the greatest chine as well as the major ecological axis of the Korean Peninsula, is being required to cope adequately with the various kinds of developmental urge. For this, spatially definite zoning for the managerial area on Baekdu-daegan has to be completed first. This study is to take into consideration the traditional concepts of stream and watershed as well as the actual disturbance on Daegan area, and to propose the process for reasonably establishing the managerial boundary adjacent to the Ridges. The case site with topographically diverse characteristics was selected, and the analyses on watershed, road network and land use were carried out using the digital maps and Landsat TM images. Based on these analyses results, the managerial boundaries as alternatives from the Ridges were produced by watershed expansion process, and used for tracing the changes of road occupancy rate and the areal ratio of various land use types to the relevant watersheds to search out the adequate managerial boundary. The results show that watershed expansion process could be effective tool for establishing the managerial boundary, and the fourth expanded watershed would be included for the adequate managerial boundary of the case site.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Telematics and Electronics S
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• v.36S no.12
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• pp.85-96
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• 1999

In a number of predictive video compression standards, the motion is compensated by the block-based motion compensation (BMC). The effective motion field used for the prediction by the BMC is obviously discontinuous since one motion vector is used for the entire macro-block. The usage of discontinuous motion field for the prediction causes the blocky artifacts and one obvious approach for eliminating such artifacts is to use a smoothed motion field. The optimal procedure will depend on the type of motion within the video. In this paper, several procedures for the motion vectors are considered. For any interpolation or approaches, however, the motion vectors as provided by the block matching algorithm(BMA) are no longer optimal. The optimum motion vectors(still one per macro-block) must minimize the of the displaced frame difference (DFD). We propose a unified algorithm that computes the optimum motion vectors to minimize the of the DFD using a conjugate gradient search. The proposed algorithm has been implemented and tested for the affine transformation based motion compensation (ATMC), the bilinear transformation based motion compensation (BTMC) and our own filtered motion compensation(FMC). The performance of these different approaches will be compared against the BMC.