• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.56-62
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• 2021

Madecassoside, an active ingredient extracted from Centella asiatica, is used for treatment of various skin disorders in humans. However, the effect of madecassoside on the skin of dogs and cats has not been studied yet. The purpose of this study was to evaluate clinical efficacy of topical madecassoside cream in dogs and cats with skin diseases. A total of twenty-one dogs and ten cats with various skin diseases were included in the study. The 1% topical madecassoside cream was applied to the animal's skin lesion at least once a day for 7 days, and the skin condition was evaluated before the application of madecassoside cream (day 0) and 7 days after the application (day 7). The skin condition was scored by five clinical indices: canine atopic dermatitis extent and severity index-4 (CADESI-4), coat condition, pruritus, scale, and general condition. In dogs, all five clinical indices (CADESI-4, coat condition, pruritus, scale, and general condition) were significantly decreased on day 7 compared to those on day 0 (p < 0.0001, p < 0.05, p < 0.001, p < 0.01, and p < 0.05, respectively). In cats, the CADESI-4 and scale were significantly decreased on day 7 compared to those on day 0 (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). No adverse effects were observed during the trial period in the dogs and cats included in this study. The results of this study demonstrate that the topical madecassoside cream is applicable to skin lesions in dogs and cats.

• The Korean Journal of Blood Transfusion
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.229-239
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• 2018

The circulatory system is closely related to the inter-relationship between the anatomy of the heart and blood vessels, and the fluid dynamic properties of blood. The physical properties of blood, which affect blood flow, are called hemorheologic factors. Hemorheologic factors, such as blood viscosity and erythrocyte aggregation, are influenced mainly by hematocrit. A higher hematocrit level results in an increase in blood viscosity, erythrocyte aggregation, which impedes the circulation itself, and tissue oxygenation. An excess of serum ferritin causes injury to vascular endothelial cells and erythrocytes via oxygen free radicals. In addition, an excess of blood can aggravatee the adverse effects of the hemorheologic parameters and induce atherogenesis, microcirculatory disturbances, and major cardiovascular events. A preventive and therapeutic approach with a phlebotomy or blood donation has been stimulated by the knowledge that blood loss, such as regular donations, is associated with significant decreases in key hemorheologic variables, including blood viscosity, erythrocyte aggregation, hematocrit, and fibrinogen. Major cardiovascular events have been improved in regular blood donors by improving blood flow and microcirculation by decreasing the level of oxidative stress, improving the hemorheologic parameters, and reducing the serum ferritin level. Confirmation of the positive preventive and therapeutic effects of blood donations on cardiovascular disease by a well-designed and well-controlled Cohort study may be good news to patients with cardiovascular disease or at risk of these diseases, as well as patients who require a transfusion.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.134-140
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• 2019

A feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary fish meal replacement by a blend of lysine cell mass, corn protein concentrate and poultry by-product meal on the growth and blood chemistry of the starry flounder Platichthys stellatus. The fish meal replacer (FMR) was prepared to have the same level of protein as fish meal (FM). With a commercial diet as a positive control, five experimental diets (basal, FM42, FM32, FM22 and FM12) were formulated to contain 52% protein and 10% lipid. The dietary FM levels decreased from 52% (basal) to 42, 32, 22 and 12% with concomitant increase in the FMR to 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50%, respectively. Juvenile starry flounder with an average body weight of 177.3 g were randomly distributed in each (30 fish/tank) of 18 plastic tanks ($139{\times}99{\times}54cm$). After a 45-day feeding trial, the survival rate ranged from 95.6% (FM22) to 100% (control and FM42), while the weight gain of the fish groups varied from 49.7 to 58.4 g. The results clearly revealed that starry flounder can grow well on a diet containing low FM (12%) with a high level of FMR (50%) without any adverse effects.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.258-267
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• 2019

Purpose: Upper respiratory tract infections are major causes of the common cold throughout the world. Cordyceps militaris (C. militaris) is a well-known functional food for its anti-fatigue and immunomodulating activities. On the other hand, there are no reports on the protective effect against upper respiratory tract infections (URI). This study was a 12 week randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trial in healthy volunteers. Methods: A total of 100 subjects 20 ~ 70 years of age with a history of at least two colds in the year were enrolled in the study. The participants were required to record any adverse events and rate any cold-related incidents in a diary during the investigation period. The efficacy end point was the symptoms and incidence of URI, and changes in cytokines, IgA and natural killer (NK) cell activity. Results: The Cordyceps militaris group over 12 weeks showed no significant impact on the incidence and symptomatology of URI compared to the placebo group. On the other hand, the experimental group showed significantly higher NK cell activity (p = 0.047) and IgA level (p = 0.035) compared to the placebo group. The NK-cell activity and IgA level were increased significantly by Cordyceps militaris over 12 weeks. Conclusion: The results suggest the possible beneficial immunomodulating effects, but the protective effects on URI could not be demonstrated under these conditions. Additional research will be needed to determine the efficacy and mechanisms of Cordyceps militaris function.

• Mood & Emotion
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.140-151
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• 2018

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to examine effects of adjunctive aripiprazole versus bupropion, on depressive symptoms of female depression. Methods : Sixty six female patients with major depressive disorders were enrolled from a six-week, randomized prospective open-label multi-center study. Participants were randomized to receive aripiprazole (2.5-10 mg/day) or bupropion (150-300 mg/day). Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale, 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating scale (HAM-D17), Iowa Fatigue Scale, Drug-Induced Extrapyramidal Symptoms Scale, Psychotropic-Related Sexual Dysfunction Questionnaire scores, and Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) were obtained at baseline and after one, two, four, and six weeks. Changes on individual items of HAM-D17 were assessed as well as on composite scales (anxiety, insomnia and drive), and on four core subscales that capture core depression symptoms. Results : Overall, both treatments improved depressive symptoms, without causing serious adverse events. There were significant differences in the HAM-D17 total score (p=0.046) and CGI-S (p=0.004), between aripiprazole and bupropion augmentation, favoring aripiprazole over bupropion. Aripiprazole revealed significantly greater effect size in depressed mood (p=0.006), retardation (p=0.005), anxiety psychic (p=0.032), and general somatic symptom (p=0.01). Conclusion : While both treatments were effective, results of this study suggested that aripiprazole may be preferable, in treating general and core symptoms of female depression.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.11-15
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• 2019

The effects of red yeast rice powder on physicochemical properties of chicken thigh meat sausage were investigated. Control sausages were prepared with 1.2% NPS (nitrite pickling salt). Others samples were prepared with 1%, 2%, and 3% red yeast rice powder and 1.2% NaCl. With increasing red yeast rice powder content, the pH of uncooked and cooked samples generally decreased. In addition, lightness, and yellowness decreased with increasing content of red yeast powder (P<0.05), whilst redness increased with increasing content of red yeast powder in sausage samples (P<0.05). In addition, the samples with red rice powder showed more than 3 times higher redness compared to samples with 1.2% NPS, regardless of addition level. No significant difference in cooking yield among the treatments. The hardness of samples increased with increasing red yeast rice powder content, while the cohesiveness of samples containing red yeast rice powder was less than those observed for the control. Consequently, red yeast rice powder can be used to improve redness in sausages without adverse effect on cooking yield.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.225-232
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• 2019

Thymus vulgaris L. is widely used as an ingredient in cooking and in herbal medicine. However, there is little information about its toxicity. The present study was performed to evaluate the acute and repeated 28-day oral dose toxicity of thyme essential oil in rats. For the acute toxicity test, two groups of three rats were used. The rats received a single dose of essential oil: 300 or 2,000 mg/kg of body weight (bw). The rats were observed individually during the first four hours, and then daily until day 14. For the toxicity test with repeated doses, four groups of 10 rats were used. Doses of 100, 250, and 500 mg/kg/day were tested for 28 days. At the end of the experiment, blood was collected and the animals were sacrificed. Histopathological examination showed that in the lungs of rats given the 2,000 mg/kg bw dose, polymorph nuclear infiltrates, hemosiderin macrophages, and interstitial space thickening were present. In the repeated dose study, all rats survived the 28-day treatment period and apparently showed no signs of toxicity. The hematological and biochemical parameters were not altered. The histopathological study of the organs showed severe changes in the lung, with the dose of 500 mg/kg/day; in the other organs, no alterations were observed or the changes were slight. The body weight was only altered in male rats given the 500 mg/kg dose. The relative weight of the organs did not show any significant changes. Our studies revealed that the essential oil of Thymus vulgaris has moderate oral toxicity according to the results of the acute test, whereas the results of the 28-day oral toxicity test suggest that the no-observed-adverse effect level (NOAEL) is greater than 250 mg/kg/day.

• Informatization Policy
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.3-35
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• 2019

In the fourth industrial revolution age, because of advance in the intelligence information technologies, the various roles of AI have attracted public attention. Starting with Google's Alphago, AI is now no longer a fantasized technology but a real one that can bring ripple effect in entire society. Already, AI has performed well in the medical service, legal service, and the private sector's business decision making. This study conducted an exploratory analysis on the possibilities and issues of AI-driven policy decision making in the public sector. The three research purposes are i) could AI make a policy decision in public sector?; ii) how different is AI-driven policy decision making compared to the existing methods of decision making?; and iii) what issues would be revealed by AI's policy decision making? AI-driven policy decision making is differentiated from the traditional ways of decision making in that the former is represented by rationality based on sufficient amount of information and alternatives, increased transparency and trust, more objective views for policy issues, and faster decision making process. However, there are several controversial issues regarding superiority of AI, ethics, accountability, changes in democracy, substitution of human labor in the public sector, and data usage problems for AI. Since the adoption of AI for policy decision making will be soon realized, it is necessary to take an integrative approach, considering both the positive and adverse effects, to minimize social impact.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.127-138
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• 2019

Objectives : This study was carried out in order to toxicity and safety of Drosera Rotundifolia L. pharmacopuncture in BALB/c mice. Methods : In order to investigate toxicity and safety of Drosera Rotundifolia L. pharmacopuncture, BALB/c mice were chosen in these studies and injected to ST36. In 50% Lethal Dose (LD 50) study, mice were divided into 8 groups. Doses of pharmacopuncture at 300, 600, 1,200, 2,400, 3,600, 4,800, 6,000, 7,200 mg/kg were given to the each group. we observed mortality and toxic signs for 7 days after injection. In single-dose toxicity, mice were divided into 4 groups. Doses of pharmacopuncture, 300, 600, 1,200 mg/kg, were administered to the experimental group. And a dose of normal saline, 0.2 ml was administered to the control group. We observed mortality and toxic signs for 14 days after injection. In repeated-dose toxicity for 4 weeks, mice were divided in 4 groups. Doses of pharmacopuncture, 150, 300, 600 mg/kg, were administered to the experimental group. And a dose of normal saline, 0.2 ml, was administered to the control group. We observed mortality, toxic signs, body weight, hematological values et al. Results : The LD 50 of Drosera Rotundifolia L. pharmacopuncture was 4,800 mg/kg. In single-dose toxicity, no deaths, no toxic signs occurred in any of groups. In repeated-dose toxicity for 4 weeks, no deaths, no toxic signs occurred in any of groups. Conclusions : No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) of Drosera Rotundifolia L. pharmacopuncture injection for 4 weeks was more than 600 mg/kg.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Educational Facilities
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.3-12
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to examine the degree of appropriateness of using design quality indicators for the educational building, and complements for design quality indicators. For doing this, each items of the Korean educational building design indicator was validated by teachers, school staff and an education officer. First, School Personnel and Teachers considered indicators for the classroom designed for general subjects as being valid. However, in terms of indicators for the outside space, they thought of them as not being valid. In particular, it seemed that school staff would have a passive attitude toward the open of the school facility for the local society. It is judged that there happens an adverse effect caused by the open of the school facility for the local society in the educational environment of the school. Second, Education Office Supervisors thought that eco-friendly indicators, LED lighting, an outer wall, and widows and doors had a high validity. On the contrary, he viewed the validity of a rainwater retention basin as being low, which was likely because he rarely had expertise on the construction. When it comes to the indicator of technology capability, ultrahigh-speed information network was seen as being valid, and the indicator of economic feasibility had high validity on maintenance and durability. Third, compared to groups of Teachers and School Personnel, the group of education officers presented high validity of indicators. Validity of indicators might be differently showed because different items on indicators were measured. However, it is speculated that Education Office Supervisors mostly acknowledged the validity of indicators. Fourth, a majority of Teachers, School staff, and Education Office Supervisors were favor of the system of the evaluation accreditation for school facilities since it played a guide role in improving the quality of school. In order to settle the system of the evaluation accreditation for school facilities, it is most important that institutions in the local society which are publicly reliable should participate in the phase of designing the system of the evaluation accreditation for school facilities. In sum, overall respondents agreed with the system of the evaluation accreditation for school facilities but were aware that reliable organizations in public would need to take part in planning the system of the evaluation accreditation for school facilities from the beginning.