• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.1795-1803
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• 2011

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease accompanies the rise in the prevalence of obesity, diabetes and the tendency toward high-fat dietary habits. Specifically, the higher prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in men and postmenopausal women seems to be caused by the protective effects of estrogen against liver fibrosis, or lack thereof. There are no effective preventive therapies for liver diseases because the mechanisms underlying the progression of fatty liver diseases to chronic liver diseases and the protective effects of estrogen against fibrogenesis remain unclear. Recently, it has been reported that the hedgehog signaling pathway plays an important role in the progression of chronic liver diseases. Hedgehog, a morphogen regulating embryonic liver development, is expressed in injured livers but not in adult healthy livers. The level of hedgehog expression parallels the stages of liver diseases. Hedgehog induces myofibroblast activation and hepatic progenitor cell proliferation and leads to excessive liver fibrosis, whereas estrogen inhibits the activation of hepatic stellate cells to myofibroblasts and prevents liver fibrosis. Although the mechanism underlying the opposing actions of hedgehog and estrogen on liver fibrosis remain unclear, the suppressive effects of estrogen on the expression of osteopontin, a profibrogenic extracellular matrix protein and cytokine, and the inductive effects of hedgehog on osteopontin transcription suggest that estrogen and hedgehog are associated with liver fibrosis regulation. Therefore, further research on the estrogen-mediated regulatory mechanisms underlying the hedgehog-signaling pathway can identify the mechanism underlying liver fibrogenesis and contribute to developing therapies for preventing the progression of fibrosis to chronic liver diseases.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.3 s.260
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• pp.220-225
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• 2006

Background: Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is an uncommon, benign, self-limited disorders that usually occurs in young adults without any apparent precipitating factors or disease. The purpose of this study was to review our experience in dealing with this entity and describe a reasonable course of assessment and management. Material and Method: A retrospective case series was conducted to identify adults patients with SPM who were diagnosed and treated in a single institution between 2001 and 2005. Result: Fifteen patients were identified who included 14 men and 1 women with a mean age of 26 years. Presenting symptoms were chest pain in 12 patients ($80\%$), dyspnea in 5 patients ($33\%$), and throat discomfort in 4 patients ($26\%$). Two cases were associated with use of inhalational drugs and 3 cases were associated with exercise. The predisposing factors were asthma, excessive exercise, and vomiting in spontaneous pneumomediastinum. The physical findings were subcutaneous emphysema in 10 patients ($77\%$). Chest radiography and computerized tomography were the diagnostic methods in all cases with CT scan revealing six cases with associated pulmonary abnormalities. Esophagogram and flexible bronchoscopy were selectively used. Fifteen patients ($100\%$) were admitted to the hospital. Their mean hospital stay was 3 days. All patients were conservatively treated. In a follow-up of 3 years no complications or recurrences were observed. Conclusion: Most simple spontaneous pneumomediastinum cases were benign diseases and most of them ($77\%$) had shown typical chest pain, dyspnea and subcutaneous emphysema. Inhalational drug use was not a major cause of SPM; however, increased use of bronchoinhalers was a suspicious cause of SPM.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.185-195
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• 1991

Seventy four patients with pituitary adenoma received radiation therapy (RT) on the pituitary area using 6 MV linear accelerator during the past 7 years at the Division of Radiation Therapy, Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic University Medical College. Thirty nine were men and 35 were women. The age ranged from 7 to 65 years with the mean being 37 years. Sixty five ($88\%$) patients were treated postoperatively and 9 ($12\%$) primary RT, To evaluate the effects of RT, we analyzed the series of endocrinologic studies with prolactin (PRL), growth hormone (GH), adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), leuteinizing hormone (LH), follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) etc after RT. All but one with Nelson's syndrome showed abnormal neuroradiologic changes in the sella turcica with invasive tumor mass around supra- and/or parasella area. The patients were classified as 23 ($29\%$) prolactinomas and 20 ($26\%$) growth hormone (GH) secreting tumors, and 6 ($8\%$ ACTH secreting ones consisting of 4 Cushing's disease and 2 Nelson's syndrome. Twentynine ($37\%$) had nonfunctioning tumor and four ($5\%$) of those secreting pituitary tumors were mixed PRL-GH secreting tumors. The hormonal level in 15 ($65\%$) of 23 PRL and 3 ($15\%$) of 20 GH secreting tumors returned to normal by 2 to 3 years after RT, but five PRL and five GH secreting tumors showed high hormonal level requiring bromocriptine medication. Endocrinologic insufficiency developed by 3 years after RT in 5 of 7 panhypopituitarisms, 4 of seven hypothyroidisms and one of two hypogonadisms, respectively. Fifteen ($20\%$) patients were lost to follow up after RT.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.44-65
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• 2018

This study examined the costumes of the characters in the painting titled Hig yongru Banghwoedo, which was designated as National Treasure No. 1879 in September 2015, and is currently kept in the Dongguk University Museum. The painting depicts a social gathering of Joseon aristocrats held at the higyongru, or watch tower, of the Gwangjumok, a government office, in 1567. It is characterized by the delicate illustration of the government officials, the main characters of the gathering, and the hyangri, ajeon, najang, chorye, akgong, and yeogi, the lower-class employees of the office. In order to investigate the costumes they wore, diverse materials including literature, costume artifacts, and paintings were used as reference sources. The scope of the study was limited to the characters' headdress and gown, and the accessories attached to the former. The study of men's clothing revealed that officials wore a samo and a red dalryeong as basic attire. In addition, it is presumed that they wore a belt indicating their official rank in the hierarchy, and a pair of black shoes. Retired officials wore a heuklip wrapped in horsehair or silk fabric with a red jing-nyeong and a doah. The hyangri wore a heukjukbanglip on their head, as well as a white jing-nyeong and a belted doah. In the Goryeo period, the banglip was a type of official headdress worn by members of the aristocratic elite ranked immediately below the king, but in Joseon it was demoted as the official headgear of the hyangri class, which was confirmed through Higyongru Banghwoedo. The ajeon wore a heuklip on their head, and a white jing-nyeong and a doah at the waist. As a rule, the najang wore a chogun on the head, and a banbieui on cheolrik and chungmokdai, but the najang in Higyongru Banghwoedo are depicted wearing a chogun and a cheolrik without a banbieui. Also, the chorye wore a heuklip wrapped in hemp cloth with a red cheolrik, whereas the akgong wore a somoja and a red cheolrik. Female entertainers, both adults and children, are depicted in the painting as either serving the aristocrats, dancing, or playing a musical instrument, wearing their hair in a voluminous, round, high bun, and dressed in a red daiyo, a hwangjangsam with a straight or reclined collar, and a belt. Notably, the donggi, i.e. young gisaeng, are shown wearing their hair in two short braids, and ddressed in a red gown with a y-shaped collar, or po.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.123-131
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• 2018

Purpose: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is mostly asymptomatic but can be detrimental to certain hosts. We investigated changes of CMV seroprevalence in Koreans before and after the year 2000. Methods: We reviewed laboratory values of patients who were tested for CMV immunoglobulin G (IgG) at Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea, from January 1995 to December 2015. Changes in seroprevalence were analyzed by gender, age, region, and tested year period (period 1, 1995-2005 vs. period 2, 2006-2015). Results: Overall CMV seropositivity was 94.1% (10,900/11,584). There was no significant difference for CMV seropositivity among the two periods (94.2% vs. 94.1%) (P=0.862). CMV seropositivity in the 11 to 20-year age group in period 2 (78.8%) was significantly lower than that of period 1 (89.9%) (P=0.001). The seropositivity of individuals aged 31-40 years (97.4%) was significantly higher than that of younger age groups (P<0.001) and lower than that of older age groups (P<0.001). Of 2,441 females of reproductive age (from 15 to 49), CMV seropositivity was 97% (2,467/2,441). The seropositivity in women aged 20-24-years was higher than that of men in the same age group (97.6% vs. 85.6%, P=0.003). No significant difference was observed among different regions. Conclusions: Overall CMV seropositivity of Koreans was estimated to be 94% and the average seropositivity of reproductive women was 97%. Monitoring of the changes in seroprevalence including the reproductive age group is needed in the future.

• Laboratory Medicine Online
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.57-63
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• 2011

Background: ABO antibody titration is useful for the evaluation of ABO-incompatible bone marrow or solid organ transplantations, yet the results quite vary between different test methods used. We compared the results of microcolumn agglutination and tube methods. Methods: Anti-A and anti-B isoagglutionin titers were determined in 63 healthy individuals (23 O, 20 A, and 20 B blood groups) using 4 different methods: immediate spin tube (tube), microcolumn agglutination without anti-human globulin (AHG) (CAT), tube with AHG (tube-AHG) and microcolumn agglutination with AHG (CAT-AHG). Results: The median (range) titers of anti-A and anti-B in group O individuals by tube, CAT, tube-AHG, and CAT-AHG methods were 64 (8-512), 64 (8-512), 128 (8-2,048), and 128 (16-2,048); 64 (16-128), 128 (16-256), 128 (16-512), and 256 (16-512), respectively. The median (range) titers of anti-A in group B and anti-B in group A individuals by the four methods were 64 (16-128), 128 (8-128), 128 (8-256), and 256 (8-256); 64 (8-128), 64 (8-128), 32 (8-128), and 64 (8-256), respectively. The isoagglutinin titer measured by CAT-AHGmethod was the highest. The titers measured by CAT and CAT-AHG methods were 0-1 titer higher than those by tube and tube-AHG methods, respectively. Whatever method was used, the isoagglutinin titers were higher in women than in men. Conclusions: CAT-AHG was the most sensitive method among the four methods tested. Since AHG titer values are critical for the clinical management and CAT has less manual procedures than tube method, CAT-AHG method could be used for the standardization of ABO antibody titration in different institutions.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.3
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• pp.54-70
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• 1993

According as the automation of clerical work(OA ; Office Automation) develops, the use of VDT(Visual or Video Display Terminal) is increasing suddenly. But, in proportion to the spread of office automation(OA tendency), the self-conciousness syptom attendant upon the work is appearing also (Kim, Jung Tae, Lee, Young Ook, 1990). The apparatuses of office enable the clerical workers to be convenient and perform mass businesses. But, they are increasing the opportunity to be exposed to VDT syndrom, techno stress, computer terminal disease, pain by muscle strain(RSI), bradycausia of noise nature, and electromagnetic waves, etc. which are referred to as the new type of occupational diseases to the workers. It is the real situation that the workers to use VDT is complaining of the physical inconvenience sense in the recent newspaper and literature, it is the point of time that the sydrome to come from VDT use and computer terminal disease, etc. must be classified into the occupational disease(Lee, Kwang Young 1990, Lee, Kyoo Hak 1990, Lee, Won Ho 1991, Lee, Si Young 1991, Lee, Joon 1991, Choi, Young Tae 1991, Heo, Seung Ho 1989). In addition, it is the real situation that the scientifitic study result about the scope that electromagnetic waves has influence on the human body has not been suggested yet, and criticism on the stable exposure permission standard about electromagnetic waves to be emitted from VDT and on the problem in the health about electromagnetic waves is continuing. (IEEE Spectrum, 1990). In addition according to the experience of nursery business of industry field, it is the real situation that the patients who consult complaining of physical and mental inconvenience sence, among the users of apparatus of office automation, are reaching 10% of the patients coming to doctor's room. Therefore, it is necessary to confirm the self-consciousness symptom that the clerical workers complain of multilaterally with the actual state examination about the use of the apparatuses of offices automaton. Thus, this study was tried as th basic data for the cosultation and education for the maintenance and furtherance of the health of workers as the nurse of industry field, by confirming the contents of self-consciousness symptom attendant upon the use of the apparatus for office outomation making the financial institution in which the spparatus for office automation in most frequently used as the subject, and by examining whether there is the difference according to the subject of study, the data were collected, by using the questionnaire method, making 200 workers who consented to the study participation as the subject, among the persons who have spent over 3 months since they used the apparatuses for office automation and didn't receive the treatment in hospital due to the clerical disease for recent 3 years. The period of data collection was from Oct. 9, 1991 to Oct. 12. As for the measurement instrument about the complaint if self-consciousness symptom attendant upon the use of apparatuses fo office automation, the question item on the complaint symptom of health problem attendant upon the treatment of VDT that Kim(1991) developed and on CMI health problem and the question items on the fatigue degree due to industry were used by previous examination to 25 persons. Collected data were analyzed with the statistical method such as percentage, arithmetic mean, Person correlation coeffient, Kai square verfication, t-test, ANOVA, etc. by using SPSS/PC+ program, and the result is as follows : 1. The self-consciousness symptom that the clerical workers complained of most frequetly appeared high in 'My eyes are tired'(99.4%), 'I feel fatigue and weariness'(99.4%), 'I feel that my head is heavy5(90.0%), 'eyesight fell'(88.8%), 'I have a stiff neck'(88.8%), 'I fell pain in the shoulder'(85.0%), 'I feel cold and painful in the eyes'(76.9%), 'I feel the dry sense of eyeball'(76.2%), 'My nerves are edgy, and I an fretful, (75.6%), 'I feel pain in the waist'(73.2%) and 'I fell pain in the back'(72.8%). It emerged that the subject use the apparatuses for office automation complained of self-consciousness symptoms related to visual symptoms and musculoskeletal symptoms. 2. As for the general feature of examination subjects, the result to see the distribution by classifying into sex, age, school career, use career of apparatuses for office automation, skillfulness degree of the use of apparatus for office automation, use hours of the apparatuses for office automation per 1 day, type of business of the apparatus for office automation, rest hours during the use of apparatus for office automation, satifaction degree of business of office automation, and work circumstance, etc. emerged as follows : As for the sex of subjects, the distribution showed that men were 58.8% and women were 41.3%, Age was average 26.9. As the distribution of school career, the distribution showed that4below the graduation of high school' was 58.8%, 'graduation from junior college-university' was 35.0%, and 'over graduate school' was 6.3%. In the question to ask the existence or non-existence of experience of health consultation in connection with the work of office automation, the response that I had the consultation exprience and I feel the necessity emergerd as 90.1% And, the case that the subject who didn't wear the glasses or lens before using the OA apparatus wear glasses or lens after using OA apparatus emerged as 28.3% of whole. As for the existence or non-existence of use career of OA apparatus, the case under 3 years was highest as 52. 7%. As for the skillfulnness degree about the use of apparatus for office automation, most of them are skillful with the fact that 'common' was 44.4%, 'skill' was 42.5%, and 'unskillful' was 13.1% As for the use average hours of the apparatus for office automation per 1 day, the distribution showed that the case under 3-6 hours was 33.1%, the case under 6-9 hours was 28.1%, the case under 3 hours was 30.6%, and the case over 9 hours was 8.1% Main OA business and the use hours for 1 day showed in the order of keeping and retrieval, business of information transmission(162min), business of information transmission(79.3 min), business of document framing(55.5 min), and business of duplication and printing(25.4min). as for the rest during the use of apparatus for affice automation, that I take rest occasion demands the major portion, but that I take after completing the work emerged as 33.8%. Though the subiness gets to be convenient by the use of the apparatus for of office automation, respondents who showed the dissatisfaction about the present OA business emergd high as 78.1%. The work circumstances of each office was good with the fact that the temperature of office was 21.8, noise was average 42.7db, and the illumination was average 364.4 lx, in the light of ANSi/HFS 100 Standard. 3. Sight syptom, musculoskeletal symptom, skin and other symptoms showed the significant difference according to the extent of skillfulness of the apparatus for office automation. All the symptoms exept skin symptom showed the difference according to the use hours of the apparatus for office automation. All the question items exept the sytoms of digestive organs and the rest hours during the apparatus for office automation showed the signicant difference. The question item which showed the signicant difference from the satisfaction degree of present OA business showed the significant difference from all the question item classified into 6 groups. But, age and school career didn't significant difference from the complaint of any self-consciousness symptoms.