• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.49-55
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• 2007

HCV is a single-stranded RNA virus and more than 1 million new cases are reported annually worldwide. The six major HCV genotypes and numerous subtypes vary in their geographic distribution. It is thought that genetic heterogeneity of HCV may account for some of the differences in disease outcome and response to treatment observed in HCV infected persons. In this study, we determined HCV genotypes among chronic Korean HCV patients and evaluated direct sequence PCR protocols developed. For the study, 232 chronic HCV patient sera were used. HCV RNA was extracted and two pairs of consensus PCR primers were selected in 5'UTR region for amplification of HCV RNA. Amplification products obtained from the HCV positive cases were subjected to automatic sequencing. Sequences were compared with those in GenBank by using the BLAST program. From this study, five HCV genotypes, 1b, 2a, 2b, 2c and 3a were found. HCV genotypes 4, 5 and 6 were not determined. HCV genotype 1b (53.9%, 125/232) and 2a (35.8%, 83/232) were most frequently found. This group was followed by 2b (3.9%, 9/232), 3a (3.4%, 8/232) and 2c (3.0%, 7/232). The data presented here suggest a complex distribution of HCV types and they were well correlated with other reports on Koreans and will be helpful for type-specific follow-up of Korean HCV patients. This study showed that 5'UTR direct sequence analysis is a sensitive and rapid method to identify HCV genotypes.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.27-35
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• 2015

VHSV is a major viral agent that affects freshwater and marine fish, causing serious economic losses in aquaculture in the world. Due to their filter-feeding activity, bivalve mollusks may act as viral transmitters after accumulation of the fish viruses released into seawater from infected fish. Amplification by RT-PCR was carried out to investigate the presence of VHSV in pacific oysters (Crassotrea gigas) and blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), inhabiting regions around aquatic farms in Korea. Primers designed from conserved regions of VHSVs allowed us to detect four different types of VHSV in a single PCR. Twenty two of the eighty four samples showed positive results of VHSV in a 2-step RT-PCR. Using six positive samples from three different regions in Korea, we cloned and sequenced the glycoprotein (G) gene (467-bp long) of VHSVs. Genetic analysis of the VHSVs detected in shellfish in various geographical areas of Korea showed highly restricted results to VHSV type Iva. This was in agreement with the reports showing only a single genotype of VHSV (Iva genotype) in outbreaks in cultured or wild fish in Korea. Consequently, we investigated VHSVs carried by bivalve mollusks inhabiting the vicinity of aquatic farms, and revealed correlationship between the type of viral accumulated in shellfish by filter-feeding, and those detected in disease outbreaks in fish.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.11-21
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• 2009

This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between systemic diseases and oral malodor. The author measured the volatile sulfur compound(VSC) of the patients who visited Pusan National University Health Promote Center for a comprehensive medical testing. The patients were examined gingival bleeding on probing, CPI index, tongue coating. Their systemic diseases were diagnosed by the specialist. 182 patients consisted of 112 males and 70 females. In this study, Oral $Chroma^{(R)}$ was used to measure oral malodor. This equipment could measure the concentration of intraoral VSC (hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, dimethyl disulfide). All data were analylized using Statistical Package for the Social Science $12.0^{(R)}$. The result of this study was the followings. 1. There was significant difference of numbers of patient who visited health care center according to the VSC concentration level and the Community Periodontal Index, bleeding on probing, tongue coating. 2. The subjects with hyperlipidemia showed the high level of $CH_3SH$ concentration (p=0.036). The concentration of $H_2S$ tends to be high in the group with abnormal findings on pulmonary fuction test(p=0.086). The concentration of $CH_3SH$ in the groups with abnormal findings on lipid profile test(p=0.130) and bone mineral density test(p=0.099) and abdominal ultrasonograpy(p=0.088) tends to be higher than the other group. 3. The concentration of $(CH_3)_2S$ in the group with abnormal findings on blood pressure test(p=0.113), hepatitis B virus serology(p=0.069), Abdominal ultrasonograpy(p=0.091) tend to be higher than the other group.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.959-976
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to investigate high school students' ideas related with dinosaur extinction, to classify students' responses types with alternative hypotheses of inconsistent with their ideas, and then to examine their cognitive conflict levels and the degree of ideas change. To investigate students' ideas, we analyzed responses 98 eleventh graders of a high school in Anyang area. The results of this study were as follows: First, most of the students responded a large scale asteroid impact with the cause of dinosaur extinction, and rest of them responded changed Earth's climate accompanying tectonic activity, extreme volcanic activity, shortage of food, disease(virus) and decrease of their habitat. Also, they thought that dinosaur was exterminated not by just one reason but by several complex reasons. Second, the students' responses of alternative hypotheses were classified into six types: rejection, reinterpretation, uncertainty, belief decrease, partial theory change, and theory change. Third, except rejection and reinterpretation types, other four types were arousing of cognitive conflict and the percentage of the students who felt cognitive conflict was 62.3% and that of the students who took the theory change was just 6.1 %.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.32 no.2 s.57
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• pp.111-116
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• 2006

Essential oils have been used extensively in pharmacy, medicine, food, beverages, cosmetics, perfumery and aromatherapy. Although anti-bacteria, anti-virus, alleviation of fever operations and an anti-inflammatory properties have been reported, action mechanisms have not been fully discovered. In the present study, anti-inflammatory activities of thirty three essential oils have been evaluated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated macrophage RAW 264.7 cells by the evaluation of nitric oxide (NO) generation since NO generation is implicated in causal factor of inflammation. Among the tested 33 essential oil, Lemongrass oil showed the most inhibitory effect on LPS-induced NO generation in a dose dependent manner ($IC_{50}$ : $22 {\mu}g/mL$). In further study, it was found that Lemongrass oil inhibited the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase. These results suggest that Lemongrass oil may be useful for improvements of the inflammatory disease such as pimple acne skin.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.117-122
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• 2011

Purpose: Natural history and consequences of the novel 2009 influenza A H1N1(2009 H1N1) infection in immunocompromised pediatric patients are not yet fully understood. In this study, we investigated the clinical features and outcomes of the 2009 H1N1 infection in pediatric patients with hematological and oncological diseases. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 528 patients who had hematological and oncological diseases and who were treated at 7 referral centers located in the Yeungnam region. Among the 528 patients, 27 with definite diagnosis of 2009 H1N1 infection were the subjects of this study. All patients were divided into the following 3 groups: patients who were receiving chemotherapy (group 1), patients who were immunosuppressed due to a nonmalignant hematological disease (group 2), and patients who were off chemotherapy and had undergone their last chemotherapy course within 2 years from the influenza A pandemic (group 3). Results: All 28 episodes of 2009 H1N1 infection were treated with the antiviral agent oseltamivir ($Tamiflu^{(R)}$), and 20 episodes were treated after hospitalization. Group 1 patients had higher frequencies of lower respiratory tract infection and longer durations of fever and hospitalization as compared to those in group 2. Ultimately, all episodes resolved completely with no complications. Conclusion: These results suggest that early antiviral therapy did not influence the morbidity or mortality of pediatric patients with hematological and oncological diseases in the Yeungnam region of Korea after the 2009 H1N1 infection. However, no definite conclusions can be drawn because of the small sample size.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.807-812
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• 2020

In order to prevent the national wide spread of the COVID-19 virus, the government enforces to use an electronic access registration system for public facilities to effectively track and manage the spread. Initially, there was a lot of hassle to write a directory, but recently a system for creating an electronic access list using QR codes, what is called KI-Pass, is mainly used. However, the procedure for generating a QR code is somewhat cumbersome. In this paper, we propose a new electronic access registration system that does not require QR code. This system effectively controls the suspicious visitor by using a mask wearing discriminator which has been implemented using deep learning technology, and a non-contact thermometer package. In addition, by linking the beacon, a short-range wireless communication technology, and the visitor's smartphone application, basic information of the facility visitor is automatically registered to KDCA through the server. On the other hand, the user access information registered in the server is encrypted and stored, and is automatically destroyed after up to 4 weeks. This system is expected to be very effective in preventing the spread of other new infectious diseases as well as responding to the coronavirus which is recording a high spread worldwide.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.483-488
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• 2009

The main objective of this breeding program is to develop high yielding, disease resistance and good processing potato cultivar. 'Gui Valley' is a clonal selection resulting from a cross between 'ND2471-8' and 'Cona'. It has medium plant height and light green foliage. 'Gui Valley' has medium flowering habit and light pink flowers. 'Gui Valley' is a medium maturing potato cultivar and tubers are smooth, yellow skin, light yellow flesh, long-oval tuber shape, distinct red eyes with medium depth and medium dormancy. It has high level of tuber uniformity and good keeping quality. 'Gui Valley' demonstrates resistance to potato virus Y (PVY), soft rot, but moderately susceptible to late blight and common scab. It is also resistant to most of the internal and external physiological disorders particularly dehiscence, hollow heart and internal brown spot. The specific gravity of 'Gui Valley' is significantly higher (1.097) than that of 'Shepody' (1.078). 'Gui Valley' has suitable for processing mainly French fries and chips. This cultivar has high level of tuber uniformity and capable of yielding 37.6 $t{\cdot}ha^{-1}$, which is 18.2% higher than the control potato cultivar 'Shepody' under optimum agronomical practices.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.532-539
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• 2014

Peripheral neuropathy induced by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and antiretroviral therapy is not only difficult to distinguish in clinical practice, but also difficult to relieve the pain symptoms by analgesics because of the severity of the disease at the later stage. Hence, to explore the mechanisms of HIV-related neuropathy and find new therapeutic options are particularly important for relieving neuropathic pain symptoms of the patients. In the present study, primary cultured embryonic rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons were used to determine the neurotoxic effects of HIV-gp120 protein and/or antiretroviral drug dideoxycytidine (ddC) and the therapeutic actions of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) on gp120- or ddC-induced neurotoxicity. DRG neurons were exposed to gp120 (500 pmol/L), ddC ($50{\mu}mol/L$), gp120 (500 pmol/L) plus ddC ($50{\mu}mol/L$), gp120 (500 pmol/L) plus IGF-1 (20 nmol/L), ddC ($50{\mu}mol/L$) plus IGF-1 (20 nmol/L), gp120 (500 pmol/L) plus ddC ($50{\mu}mol/L$) plus IGF-1 (20 nmol/L), respectively, for 72 hours. The results showed that gp120 and/or ddC caused neurotoxicity of primary cultured DRG neurons. Interestingly, the severity of neurotoxicity induced by gp120 and ddC was different in different subpopulation of DRG neurons. gp120 mainly affected large diameter DRG neurons (> $25{\mu}m$), whereas ddC mainly affected small diameter DRG neurons (${\leq}25{\mu}m$). IGF-1 could reverse the neurotoxicity induced by gp120 and/or ddC on small, but not large, DRG neurons. These data provide new insights in elucidating the pathogenesis of HIV infection- or antiretroviral therapy-related peripheral neuropathy and facilitating the development of novel treatment strategies.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.265-274
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• 2016

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are ubiquitous genetic modules that are evolutionally conserved in bacteria and archaea. TA systems composed of an intracellular toxin and its antidote (antitoxin) are currently classified into five types. Commonly, activation of toxins under stress conditions inhibits diverse cellular processes and consequently induces cell death or reversible growth inhibition. These effects of toxins play various physiological roles in such as regulation of gene expression, growth control (stress response), programmed cell arrest, persister cells, programmed cell death, phage protection, stabilization of mobile genetic elements or postsegregational killing of plasmid-free cells. Accordingly, bacterial TA systems are commonly considered as stress-responsive genetic modules. However, molecule screening for activation of toxin in TA system is available as development of antimicrobial agents. In addition, cytotoxic effect induced by toxin is used as effective cloning method with antitoxic effect of antitoxin; consequently cells containing cloning vector inserted a target gene can survive and false-positive transformants are removed. Also, TA system is applicable to efficient single protein production in biotechnology industry because toxins that are site-specific ribonuclease inhibit protein synthesis except for target protein. Furthermore, some TA systems that induce apoptosis in eukaryotic cells such as cancer cells or virus-infected cells would have a wide range of applications in eukaryotes, and it will lead to new ways of treating human disease. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on bacterial TA systems and their applications.