• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2017

The objective of the present study was to determine the expression of genes associated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced stressor in two breeds of chickens: the Korean native chicken (KNC) and the White Leghorn chicken (WLH). Forty chickens per breed, aged 40 weeks, were randomly allotted to the control (CON, administered the saline vehicle) and LPS-injected stress groups. Samples were collected at 0 and 48 h post-LPS injection, and total RNA was extracted from the chicken livers for RNA microarray and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analyses. In response to LPS, 1,044 and 1,193 genes were upregulated, and 1,000 and 1,072 genes were downregulated in the KNC and WLH, respectively, using a ${\geq}2$-fold cutoff change. A functional network analysis revealed that stress-related genes were downregulated in both KNC and WLH after LPS infection. The results obtained from the qRT-PCR analysis of mRNA expression of heat shock 90 (HSP90), 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR), activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP1), and X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) were confirmed by the results of the microarray analysis. There was a significant difference in the expression of stress-associated genes between the control and LPS-injected KNC and WLH groups. The qRT-PCR analysis revealed that the stress-related $HSP90{\alpha}$ and HMGCR genes were downregulated in both LPS-injected KNC and WLH groups. However, the HSP70 and $HSP90{\beta}$ genes were upregulated only in the LPS-injected KNC group. The results suggest that the mRNA expression of stress-related genes is differentially affected by LPS stimulation, and some of the responses varied with the chicken breed. A better understanding of the LPS-induced infective stressors in chicken using the qRT-PCR and RNA microarray analyses may contribute to improving animal welfare and husbandry practices.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.133-139
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• 2004

Objective: To investigate the association of FSH receptor (FSHR) polymorphism at position 680 with outcomes of controlled ovarian hyper-stimulation for IVF-ET in Korean women. Design: Genetic polymorphism analysis. Materials and Methods: The FSHR polymorphism was analyzed by PCR-RFLP in 172 ovulatory women below the age of 40 year. Patients with polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis, or previous history of ovarian surgery were excluded. Results: Genotype distribution was 41.9% for the Asn/Asn, 47.7% for the Asn/Ser, and 10.5% for the Ser/Ser FSHR genotype group. There was no difference in age of subjects and infertility diagnosis between genotype groups. When the patients were grouped according to their FSHR genotype, the basal levels of FSH (day 3) were significantly different among the three groups ($6.0{\pm}0.3\;IU/L$ (mean $\pm$ SEM), $5.8{\pm}0.3\;IU/L$, and $8.6{\pm}1.2\;IU/L$ for the Asn/Asn, Asn/Ser, and Ser/Ser groups, respectively, p=0.002). The Ser/Ser group showed a higher total doses of gonadotropins required to achieve ovulation induction, and a lower serum estradiol levels at the time of hCG administration compared with other two groups, but the differences were of no statistical significance. The numbers of oocytes retrieved were significantly different among the three groups ($8.6{\pm}0.8$, $9.9{\pm}0.6$, and $6.3{\pm}0.9$, for the Asn/Asn, Asn/Ser, and Ser/Ser groups, respectively, p=0.049). Clinical pregnancy rates were 42.4%, 25.9%, and 29.4% for the Asn/Asn, Asn/Ser, and Ser/Ser groups, respectively. Conclusion: Homozygous Ser/Ser genotype of FSHR polymorphism at position 680 was associated with decreased ovarian response to gonadotropin stimulation for IVF-ET.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.11 s.256
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• pp.761-772
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• 2005

Background: Following the implantation of heart valve prostheses, it is important to maintain therapeutic INR to reduce the risk of thromboembolism. The objective of this study was to suggest a practical dosing guideline for Korean outpatients with prosthetic heart valves managed by a pharmacist-run anticoagulation service (ACS). Material and Method: A retrospective chart review was completed for all patients enrolled in the ACS at Seoul National University Hospital from March, 1997 to September, 2000. Patients who were at least 6 months post-valve replacement and had nontherapeutic INR value (less than 2.0 or greater than 3.0) were included. The data on 688 patients (1,782 visits) requiring dosing adjustment without any known drug or food interaction with warfarin were analyzed. The amount of adjusted dose and INR changes based on the INR at the time of the event were calculated. Aortic valve replacements (AVR) patients and mitral or double valve replacement (MVR/DVR) patients were evaluated separately. Result: Two methods for the warfarin dosage adjustment were suggested: Guideline I (mg-based total weekly dose (TWD) adjustment), Guideline II (percentage-based TWD adjustment). The effectiveness of Guideline 1 was superior to Guideline II overall in patients with both AVR and MVR/DVR. Conclusion: The guideline suggested in this study could be useful when the dosage adjustment of wafarin is necessary in outpatients with mechanical heart valves.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.3395-3402
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• 2015

Background: Preoperative 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-based chemoradiotherapy is a standard treatment for locally advanced colorectal cancer (CRC). However, CRC cells often develop chemoradiation resistance (CRR). Recent studies have shown that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plays critical roles in a myriad of biological processes and human diseases, as well as chemotherapy resistance. Since the roles of lncRNAs in 5-FU-based CRR in human CRC cells remain unknown, they were investigated in this study. Materials and Methods: A 5-FU-based concurrent CRR cell model was established using human CRC cell line HCT116. Microarray expression profiling of lncRNAs and mRNAs was undertaken in parental HCT116 and 5-FU-based CRR cell lines. Results: In total, 2,662 differentially expressed lncRNAs and 2,398 mRNAs were identified in 5-FU-based CRR HCT116 cells when compared with those in parental HCT116. Moreover, 6 lncRNAs and 6 mRNAs found to be differentially expressed were validated by quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR). Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis for the differentially expressed mRNAs indicated involvement of many, such as Jak-STAT, PI3K-Akt and NF-kappa B signaling pathways. To better understand the molecular basis of 5-FU-based CRR in CRC cells, correlated expression networks were constructed based on 8 intergenic lncRNAs and their nearby coding genes. Conclusions: Changes in lncRNA expression are involved in 5-FU-based CRR in CRC cells. These findings may provide novel insight for the prognosis and prediction of response to therapy in CRC patients.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.351-363
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• 2014

Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop a reliable measurement tool to assess the urban food environment, particularly focusing on food stores in Korea. Methods: The items for the measurement tool were selected through systematic literature reviews and adjusted to the Korean food environment. A total of 25 food stores in an urban area were recruited for the pilot test to evaluate the time required for completion of the survey, ease of response, willingness to participate, difficulties in conducting the survey, and appropriateness, and 34 food stores were recruited for assessment of the reliability of the tool using percent agreement and kappa value. Results: The measurement tool is composed of questions regarding food store characteristics, accessibility, and food availability. On average, 26 minutes was required to survey a single food store, and the subjects and interviewers answered that the process was not difficult for the survey. The percent agreement for the inter-rater and test-retest reliability ranged from 93.9~98.8% and 91.9~97.9, respectively. The kappa values ranged from 0.78 to 0.97, which was very high. Percent agreement and kappa value of food with healthy option were lower than those of the general food in the inter-rater reliability (p = 0.0027, p = 0.0095 respectively) as well as in the test-retest reliability (p = 0.0081, p = 0.0290, respectively), although they were still high enough (86.4~98.0% for percent agreement, 0.64~0.96 for kappa value). Conclusion: The newly developed measurement tool for assessment of food store environment appears to be feasible and reliable; therefore, it can be applied to research on the association between food environment and dietary behaviors as well as health outcomes.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.79-82
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• 1993

From October 1989 to March 1992, ten patients diagnosed as primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma were treated with radiation therapy at Asan Medical Center. To obtain pathologic diagnosis, five patients had stereotactic biopsy and the others underwent craniotomy & tumor removal. According to the classification by International Working Formulation, seven of 10 patients showed diffuse large cell types and the remaining 3 had diffuse mixed cell types. Computed tomographic scans of the brain disclosed solitary (6 cases) or multiple (4 cases) intracranial lesions. All patients received 4000 cGy/20 fx to the whole brain followed by an additional 2000 cGy/10 fx boost to the primary lesion. Six patients with initial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF involvement were treated with whole brain irradiation and intrathecal Methotrexate (IT-MTX) chemotherapy. One of them received an additional spinal irradiation after 3 cycles of IT-MTX chemotherapy because of MTX induced arachnoiditis. One patient received 3 cycles of systemic chemotherapy prior to rodiation therapy and one received 5 cycles of salvage chemotherapy for recurrence. With a median follow up time of 8 months, all patients were followed from 7 to 26 months. Radiologically seven patients showed complete remission and the remaining three showed partial remission at one month after radiotherapy. The 1 and 2 year survival rate was $86{\%}\;and\;69{\%}$ respectively. Until now, two patients expired at 7 and 14 months. These patients developed extensive CSF seeding followed by local failure. Considering initial good response to radiation therapy and low incidence of extraneural dissemination in primary CNS lymphoma, we propose to increase total tumor dose to the primary lesion by hyperfractionated radiotherapy or stereotactic radiosurgery. For the patients with CSF involvement at diagnosis, we propose craniospinal irradiation with IT MTX chemotherapy.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.75-84
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• 1994

The need for assessment of ureteric function in the patient with an obviousely dilated ureter has increased particularly with the added spectrum of asymptomatic patients presenting with hydrone-phrosis and hydroureter on antenatal and perinatal ultrasound. To assess the influence of ureteral status on kidney washout during $^{99m}Tc$-DTPA diuretic renography, ureteral images were reviewed in 80 children referred for hydronephrosis. A scintigraphically abnormal ureter was defined as an intense and continuous image of > 10 min during diuretic renography. Out of them, a total of 16 nephroureteral systems in 12 children with scintigraphically abnormal ureter were analyzed. A diuretic washout index using response half time (t1/2) by linear fitting after lasix injection, was determined on renal (Kt1/2) and ureteral (Ut1/2) curves (diuretic renogram vs. diuretic ureterogram). Diuretic ureterogram curve patterns corresponding to normal (type I), obstructive (II) and non-obstructive (III) cases were described. Compared with X-ray data, diuretic renography was highly sensitive (88%) and specific (99%) for detecting any ureteral abnormality. Despite an obstructive Kt1/2 (>20 min), no patient with an abnormal ureter underwent therapy at the ureteropelvic junction because the hydronephrosis regressed after surgery at the lower level. Our data indicate that the abnormal ureter findings during diuretic renography have to be recognized before therapy for children with hydeonephrosis.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.682-689
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• 2019

The Korean flowering cherry is a popular tree. However, the trees have started to defoliate early, including those in Gurye. Thus, it is necessary to identify the causes of the early defoliation and how to manage them. Therefore, the purpose of this study was threefold: 1) to investigate the early defoliation of flowering cherry trees, 2) to identify the differences in growth and flowering of the trees in response to treatment, and 3) to suggest an optimal treatment for the trees. The experiment was conducted in Gurye at a site 3km long with 102 flowering cherry trees along a street. There were three treatments: control, an environmentally friendly insecticide and a disinfectant(treatment 1), and an environmentally friendly insecticide, a disinfectant, and irrigation (treatment 2). The trees in Gurye were compared to trees on Jeju Island. The defoliation rates of the flowering cherry in Gurye were significantly higher than those on Jeju Island at each measurement time. Within Gurye, the defoliation rate was significantly higher in the trees of the control than in the two treatments and only the trees in the control from Gurye had shot-hole disease. Post-treatment, twigs collected from the control during April showed significantly poorer growth, lower numbers of flowering buds per twig, and lower numbers of foliar buds. The trees given treatment 1 showed significantly greater growth, number of total buds, flowering buds per twig, and density of buds than the trees given treatment 2. After analyzing the correlations, it was established that early defoliation led to poorer growth, affecting the flowering of the trees.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.52-61
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• 2006

Background: Korean ginseng (KG) has been used as a general tonic, and for voiding dysfunction for a long time in oriental society. However, scientific basic studies on the use of KG, have been rare, especially for voiding and erectile dysfunction. This study was performed to investigate the effects of KG on voiding and erectile function by examining the effects of total saponin (TS) on the bladder, urethral and penile cavernosal smooth muscle. Materials and methods: To examine the effects of TS, NewZeland white rabbits were used to obtain tissue strips from the smooth muscle of the bladder, proximal urethra and corpus cavernosum. Adult Sprague Dawley rats were used to examine the changes in urodynamic findings and penile erection after administration of TS. Results: In proximal urethral strips, the rate of relaxation of the proximal urethra was increased from $9.0{\pm}2.9$ to $33.7{\pm}4.8%$ in a dose-dependent manner when the concentration of TS was added accumulatively from 0.25 mg/ml to 4.0 mg/ml (p<0.05). However, no significant response was observed in the bladder strips within these concentration ranges. For the corpus cavernosal strips, the rate of relaxation ranged from $5.8{\pm}2.1$ to $36.7{\pm}5.8%$, increasing in a dose-dependent manner when TS was increased from 1.0 mg/ml to 4.0 mg/ml (p<0.05). After administration of 0.1 ml of TS (32 mg/ml) in the rat, the bladder pressure was $37.5{\pm}8.5$ mmHg at $52.1{\pm}7.0$ sec. during isovolumetric bladder contraction, showing no significant differences from $35.7{\pm}7.8mmHg$ and $50.7{\pm}7.2$ sec, respectively, before treatment. However, when 0.1 ml of TS (32 mg/ml) was administered, the relative reduction of urethral pressure was $6.9{\pm}0.5mmHg$ at $62{\pm}7.5$ sec, which was significantly higher compared to $4.6{\pm}1.1mmHg$ at $45{\pm}10$ sec before treatment (p<0.05). For the cavernosal injection study, the change in intracavernosal pressure (${\Delta}ICP$) was examined after administering 0.1 ml of TS. The cumulative additions of TS at concentrations from 0.5 mg/ml to 32 mg/ml increased ${\Delta}ICP$ from $1.3{\pm}0.5$ to $21.3{\pm}7.8mmHg$ in a dose-dependent manner (p<0.05). The duration of tumescence was from $0.3{\pm}0.1$ to $5.2{\pm}0.2$ min, showing dose-dependent increase (p<0.05). Furthermore, the cumulative addition of TS at concentrations from 0.5 mg/ml upto 32 mg/ml did not cause any significant change in systemic blood pressure. Conclusion: These results suggest that ginseng improves voiding functions, which is mainly achieved by TS relaxing the proximal urethra, the most important part of the bladder outlet function. In addition, ginseng safely induced a penile erection hemodynamically by relaxing the corpus cavernosum.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.344-351
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to obtain the basic data for developing more advanced courses on character education by surveying and analyzing the perception and demands of character education of university students and further, to provide useful information for creating institutional protocol on character education. The study was conducted from April 2018 to May 2018 on students attending the departments of non-health science and health science university students. A total of 206 students participated in this study, and all the students in the non-health science and health science departments were found to be highly aware of the need for character education, its importance and the possibility of personality development through learning. Students from all the departments showed high levels on average in terms of self-understanding according to their personality abilities, and especially their high levels of 'consideration' and 'responsibility'. For the differences in perception of self-efficacy, the lowest level of recognition was for 'will' and the average values were not high. In their response to personality level, all students answered that their personality was 'high' (42.1%), and that the personality education courses at the schools they are currently attending were 'not satisfied' with both the non-health science and health science students. As a result, there were higher results overall for the health science students than that for the non-health science students, but there were not many significant differences. To this end, education institutes will have to prepare conditions for university students to cultivate their expertise in character, while at the same time helping them grow into human beings with the qualities demanded by society. In addition, the government should establish curriculums and content by accurately identifying the needs of character education and devising concrete measures for their implementation, and by more faithfully considering quantitative and qualitative context types for the content base of character education.