• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.45-52
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• 2018

Objectives The objective of this study was to investigate the differences in sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, temperaments, and quality of life between panic disorder (PD) patients with and without major depressive disorder (PD+MDD and PD-MDD patients, respectively). Methods We compared 411 PD-MDD and 219 PD+MDD patients. All patients who were drug-free for at least 1 month were assessed at initial outpatient visits before the administration of medication. The following instruments were used for assessment: the NEO Personality Inventory-Neuroticism (NEO-N) ; the Temperament and Character Inventory-Harm Avoidance (TCI-HA) ; the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) ; the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-Short (IUS); the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-Revised (ASI-R); the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) ; the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI); the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) ; the Generalized Anxiety Disorder for 7 item (GAD-7) ; the Albany Panic and Phobia Questionnaire (APPQ) ; the Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS) ; the Early Trauma Inventory Self Report-Short Form (ETISR-SF) ; the Scale for Suicidal Ideation (SSI) ; the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale Abbreviated Version (WHOQOL-BREF) ; the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) ; and the Short Form health survey (SF-36). Results Compared to the PD-MDD patients, the PD+MDD patients were younger and more likely to be unmarried. They showed higher rates of unemployment, lower levels of education and income, younger age of onset, more previous suicide attempts, a greater incidence of agoraphobia, and more previous treatments. The PD+MDD patients showed significantly higher scores on the NEO-N, the TCI-HA, the STAI, the IUS, the ASI-R, the BDI, the BAI, the PSWQ, the GAD-7, the APPQ, the PDSS, the ETISR-SF, and the SSI. In addition, the PD+MDD patients showed significantly lower quality of life than did the PD-MDD patients. In contrast with previous studies, we observed no significant differences between the two groups in terms of gender, duration until treatment, and psychiatric comorbidities. Conclusions This study showed that the PD+MDD patients have more early trauma experiences, higher levels of anxiety-related temperaments, more severe panic and depressive symptoms, and lower quality of life than the PD-MDD patients.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.196-206
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• 2018

Dramatic increase in global population accompanied by rapid industrialization in developing countries has led to serious environmental, food, energy, and health problems. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has estimated world population will increase to 9.7 billion by 2050 and require approximately 1.7 times more food, and more than 3.5 times energy than that of today. Particularly, sweetpotato is easy to cultivate in unfavorable conditions such as heat, drought, high salt, and marginal lands. In this respect, sweetpotato is an industrially valuable starch crop. To replace crops associated with these food and energy problems, it is necessary to develop new crops with improved nutrients and productivity, that can be grown on marginal lands, including desertification areas using plant biotechnology. For this purpose, exploring useful genes and developing genetically modified crops are essential strategies. Currently, sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] have been re-evaluated as the best health food and industrial crop that produces starch and low molecular weight antioxidants, such as vitamin A, vitamin E, anthocyanins and carotenoids. This review will focus on the current status of research on sweetpotato biotechnology on omics including genome sequencing, transcriptome, proteomics and molecular breeding. In addition, prospects on molecular breeding of sweetpotato on marginal lands for sustainable development were described.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.337-347
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• 2014

There is no known publication about assessment of quality of life (QOL) in Korean HIV patients. We aimed to assess the QOL of HIV patients. We developed Korean version of the WHOQOL-HIV BREF (short forms of WHOQOL-HIV, 31 questions with 6 domains). Survey data from 220 HIV-positive adults were obtained in 14 centers in South Korea. Male were dominant (202/220, 91.8%). Mean age was $40.6{\pm}12.1$. Mean CD4+ T-cell count was $414.9{\pm}226.6/ml$. Overall of WHOQOL-HIV BREF were $53.2{\pm}14.9$ (perfect score=100) (Cronbach's ${\alpha}$ = 0.942). It is similar score comparing to another country (Portugal: 54.75/100, measured by WHOQOL-HIV). Correlations of WHOQOL-HIV BREF score with patients' subjective QOL and with subjective satisfaction were 0.747 (p <0.01) and 0.651 (p <0.01), respectively. WHOQOL-HIV BREF have internal reliability. There is in need of monitoring for QOL of HIV patients in the clinical practice and trials. This survey tool could be used to assess the effect of intervention. Additionally, comparison across countries would be possible and promising.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.128-135
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• 2007

This study was designed to investigate the correlation between the expression rate of p53 and p21 proteins by immunohistochemical staining and tumor prognostic factors including the tumor size, histological differentiation and Dukes' stage of tumor prognostic factors in colon cancer, and to acquire necessary data for the presumption of diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of colon cancer patients. From January 2000 to January 2003 at Hanyang University Guri Hospital, the paraffin blocks of 35 patients diagnosed with colon cancer whose pathologic reports were possible to review were selected. Harris hematoxylin & eosin (H&E) staining and immunohistochemical staining by ABC (Avidin Biotin Conjugate) method were performed. The histological differentiation grade and stage were classified according to the classification of the World Health Organization (WHO) and modified Dukes's stage from H&E staining. The expression rate of p53 and p21 proteins were analyzed by immunohistochemical staining. The results was analyzed statistically by SPSS (Windows version 8.0). As a result, the expression rate of p53 protein was 11.4% (4 cases) in clear differentiation, 48.6% (17 cases) in moderate differentiation, and 17.1% (6 cases) in poor differentiation. In other words, the poorer the differentiation, the higher the expression rate of p53 protein (p<0.05). The expression rate of p21 was 17.1% (6 cases) in clear differentiation, 40.0%(14 cases) in moderate differentiation, and 8.6% (3 cases) in poor differentiation, According to the progression of histological malignant degeneration, the expression rate of p21 protein decreased distinctively (p<0.05). However, the correlation between the two above mentioned proteins and the tumor-size and Dukes' stage was not of statistical significance. In the comparison of the expression rate of p53 protein with that of p21 protein, in 10 cases, p53 protein expression was positive while p21 protein expression was negative, and in 6 cases, p53 protein expression was negative whereas p21 protein expression was positive. Consequently a statistically significant inverse correlation between the expression rate of p53 protein and that of p21 protein was observed (p<0.05). In conclusion, we found a significant correlation between histological differentiation and the expression rate of p53 and p21 proteins (p<0.05), and a significant inverse correlation between the expression rate of p53 protein and that of p21 protein (p<0.05). Also, it could be confirmed that the over expression of p53 and p21 proteins is closely associated with the occurrence of colon cancer and its progress. Therefore, it is thought that this study may be greatly beneficial to the presumption of diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of colon cancer patients.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.28 no.1 s.49
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• pp.175-185
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• 1995

To evaluate the neurobehavioral effects of blood lead, we performed NCTB (Neurobehavioral Core Test Battery) on 59 men who were exposed to lead occupationally. Performance on the tests was studied in relation to three ranges of blood lead $(low,\;0. Workers with high and medium blood lead concentrations showed poorer performances on digit span backward, digit symbol and Benton Visual Retention. After adjustment for age and education, high and medium group showed significantly impaired performance on Benton visual retention and slightly impaired performance on digit span backward. But it showed no different performance on tests between high and medium blood lead group.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.51-55
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• 2007

Backgrounds: Obesity and depression are serious health problem and also constitute cardiovascular disease risk factors. Some studies found an association between obesity and higher rates of depression in women but not in men. The current study examined the association between depressive symptoms and obesity, especially central obesity in Korean women. Methods : The participants were 4,609 Korean women aged 20-85 years. Each individual was assessed for the presence of obesity and central obesity using the criteria suggested by WPRO(World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific). Depressive symptomatology was measured by Beck Depression Inventory(BDI). Results : In obese women, rate of depressed women is significantly higher compared normal group(27.6% VS. 23.2%, p<0.01). The rates of depressed women is higher in women who had central obesity(26.9% VS. 22.7%, p<0.01). Depressed women had higher rates of central obesity(93.2% VS.86.9%, p<0.01). Conclusion Our findings show obesity especially central obesity is associated with depressed women and suggests that further investigation for interaction between depression and obesity is needed.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.11-17
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• 2016

This study is to examine the effect that the degree of alcohol use and the factor of family relationship have on alcohol related problem with elderly people over 65 years old. The study utilized the data from Korea Welfare Panel Study in 2014 published in 2015, which is annually conducted nationwide study. AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test) of the World Health Organization scale to assess the drinking problem in the study was used. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0. Presenting some discussions on the basis of the results of this study is as follows. First, looking at a cross-analysis of gender differences in drinking problems, elderly men and elderly women showed different degrees of alcohol problems. Second, looking at demographic characteristics that influence whether a drinking problem, younger age showed a serious drinking problem. Third, looking at the effect that depression and family relationship have on alcohol problem, depression appeared to have relatively more serious effect than the family relationship. According to the above finding, physical and mental health for healthy aging are important factors of the quality of life so a preventive approach to maintain healthy habits is considered to be essential.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.51-60
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• 2017

Background: In cerebral palsy (CP), parents' quality of life and rearing attitude are considered possible factors that influence patients' quality of life, function level, and performance in daily activities. Despite these facts, little attention has been given to demonstrate a relation between these factors. Objects: This study aimed to demonstrate the relationship between parents' quality of life, functional level, and performance in daily activities, the quality of life of school-aged children with spastic CP. Methods: This study included 24 parents of school-aged children with spastic CP. The KIDSCREEN-52 and World Health Organization quality of life (WHOQOL)-BREF questionnaires (including physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains) were used as research tools to assess the quality-of-life profiles of the children with spastic CP and those of their parents, respectively. In addition, the function levels and performance in daily activities of the children with CP were assessed by using the gross motor function measure (GMFM) and modified Barthel index (MBI). Correlation and multiple regression analyses were performed to clarify the determinants of the quality of life of the children with CP. Results: The KIDSCREEN-52 score correlated with the total score (r=.735, p<.01) and all domains of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire (physical: r=.542, p<.01; psychological: r=.690, p<.01; social: r=.568, p<.01; and environmental: r=.783, p<.01). In addition, significant correlation was found between the KIDSCREEN-52 and MBI scores (r=.411, p<.05), and between the MBI and GMFM scores (r=.427, p<.05). After controlling for age, gender, paralytic type, GMFM, and MBI, the WHOQOL-BREF score ($R^2=.621$), particularly in the environmental domain ($R^2=.699$), remained independently related to the quality of life of the children. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the quality of life of school-aged children with spastic CP can be influenced by the quality of life of their parents. This study provides useful information for future studies to investigate the quality of life of children with CP.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.197-206
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• 2016

Introduction: This study aims to investigate the effects of acupuncture stimulation on the radial artery's pressure pulse wave, along with various hemodynamic parameters, and to explore the possible underlying mechanism of pulse diagnosis in healthy participants in their twenties. Methods and analysis: This study is a prospective, single-arm, exploratory clinical study. A total of 25 healthy participants, without regard to gender, in their twenties will be recruited by physicians. Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants. The participants will receive acupuncture once at ST36 on both sides. The radial arterial pulse waves will be measured on the left arm of the subjects by using an applicable pulse tonometric device (KIOM-PAS). On the right arm (appearing twice), electrocardiogram (ECG), photoplethysmogram (PPG), respiration and cardiac output (CO) signals, will be measured using a physiological data acquisition system (Biopac module), while the velocity of blood flow, and the diameter and the depth of the blood vessel will be measured using an ultrasonogram machine on the right arm (appearing twice). All measurements will be conducted before, during, and after acupuncture. The primary outcome will be the spectral energy at high frequencies above 10 Hz ($SE_{10-30Hz}$) calculated from the KIOM-PAS device signal. Secondary outcomes will be various variables obtained from the KIOM-PAS device, ECG, PPG, impedance cardiography modules, and an ultrasonogram machine. Discussion: The results of this trial will provide information regarding the physiological and the hemodynamic mechanisms underlying acupuncture stimulation and clinical evidence for the influence of acupuncture on the pressure pulse wave in the radial artery. Ethics and dissemination: This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Kyung Hee University's Oriental Medical Center, Seoul, Korea (KOMCIRB-150818-HR-030). The study findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international conferences. Trial registration number: This trial was registered with the Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS) at the Korea National Institute of Health (NIH), Republic of Korea (KCT0001663), which is a registry in the World Health Organization's (WHO's) Registry Network.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.358-367
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• 2021

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as an international health emergency. Current diagnostic tests are based on the reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) method, which is the gold standard test that involves the amplification of viral RNA. However, the RT-qPCR assay has limitations in terms of sensitivity and quantification. In this study, we tested both qPCR and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) to detect low amounts of viral RNA. The cycle threshold (CT) of the viral RNA by RT-PCR significantly varied according to the sequences of the primer and probe sets with in vitro transcript (IVT) RNA or viral RNA as templates, whereas the copy number of the viral RNA by ddPCR was effectively quantified with IVT RNA, cultured viral RNA, and RNA from clinical samples. Furthermore, the clinical samples were assayed via both methods, and the sensitivity of the ddPCR was determined to be equal to or more than that of the RT-qPCR. However, the ddPCR assay is more suitable for determining the copy number of reference materials. These findings suggest that the qPCR assay with the ddPCR defined reference materials could be used as a highly sensitive and compatible diagnostic method for viral RNA detection.