• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1652-1660
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• 2004

Apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs) is essential in atherogenesis, being a factor that modulates its early progression rather than a terminal event in the course of the disease. Various stimuli, including oxide lipoproteins, altered hemodynamic stress and free radical, can induced VSMCs apoptosis in vitro. The protective effects of Sophorae Radix (SR) on apoptotic cell death induced by H₂O₂ were investigated in VSMCs. The viability of VSMCs was markedly decreased by H₂O₂. Sophorae Radix protected the H202-induced apoptotic death of VSMCs, which was characterized as nuclear fragmentation and increase of sub-G0/G1 fraction .. Sophorae Radix decreased the activation of caspase-3 like protease induced by H₂O₂ and recovered control level from H202-induced PARP, Bak, Bcl-XL and mitochondrial membrane potential. These results suggest that Sophorae Radix protected VSMCs apoptotic death induced by H₂O₂ via inactivation of caspase-3 and modulation of mitochondrial function. Also, the expression profile of proteins by using two-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis was screened. Future investigations will need to explore the use of an anti atherosclerotic therapy of Sophorae Radix, which relies on inhibition of the proapoptotic activation of the vascular smooth muscle cells.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.787-799
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• 2018

Accurate and effective mapping is critical step to monitor the spatial distribution and change of flood inundated area in large scale flood event. In this study, we try to suggest methods to use low spatial resolution satellite optical imagery for flood mapping, which has high temporal resolution to cover wide geographical area several times per a day. We selected the Sebou watershed flood in Morocco that was occurred in early 2010, in which several hundred $km^2$ area of the Gharb lowland plain was inundated. MODIS daily surface reflectance product was used to detect the flooded area. The study area showed several distinct spectral patterns within the flooded area, which included pure turbid water and turbid water with vegetation. The flooded area was extracted by thresholding on selected band reflectance and water-related spectral indices. Accuracy of these flooding detection methods were assessed by the reference map obtained from Landsat-5 TM image and qualitative interpretation of the flood map derived. Over 90% of accuracies were obtained for three methods except for the NDWI threshold. Two spectral bands of SWIR and red were essential to detect the flooded area and the simple thresholding on these bands was effective to detect the flooded area. NIR band did not play important role to detect the flooded area while it was useful to separate the water-vegetation mixed flooded classes from the purely water surface.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.328-334
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• 2015

Background: There have been a number of studies on mitral valve replacement and repeated percutaneous mitral balloon valvotomy for mitral valve restenosis after percutaneous mitral balloon valvotomy. However, studies on mitral valve repair for these patients are rare. In this study, we analyzed postoperative outcomes of mitral valve repair for mitral valve restenosis after percutaneous mitral balloon valvotomy. Methods: In this study, we assessed 15 patients (mean age, $47.7{\pm}9.7years$; 11 female and 4 male) who underwent mitral valve repair between August 2008 and March 2013 for symptomatic mitral valve restenosis after percutaneous mitral balloon valvotomy. The mean interval between the initial percutaneous mitral balloon valvotomy and the mitral valve repair was $13.5{\pm}7years$. The mean preoperative Wilkins score was $9.4{\pm}2.6$. Results: The mean mitral valve area obtained using planimetry increased from $1.16{\pm}0.16cm^2$ to $1.62{\pm}0.34cm^2$ (p=0.0001). The mean pressure half time obtained using Doppler ultrasound decreased from $202.4{\pm}58.6ms$ to $152{\pm}50.2ms$ (p=0.0001). The mean pressure gradient obtained using Doppler ultrasound decreased from $9.4{\pm}4.0mmHg$ to $5.8{\pm}1.5mmHg$ (p=0.0021). There were no early or late deaths. Thromboembolic events or infective endocarditis did not occur. Reoperations such as mitral valve repair or mitral valve replacement were not performed during the follow-up period ($39{\pm}16months$). The 5-year event-free survival was 56.16% (95% confidence interval, 47.467-64.866). Conclusion: On the basis of these results, we could not conclude that mitral valve repair could be an alternative for patients with mitral valve restenosis after percutaneous balloon mitral valvotomy. However, some patients presented with results similar to those of mitral valve replacement. Further studies including more patients with long-term follow-up are necessary to determine the possibility of this application of mitral valve repair.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.54-61
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• 2017

Rice yield of South Korea in 2015 was the highest in last 30 years. The future direction of food policy in South Korea can be determined depending on whether the historically highest yield in 2015 can be continued or just one-off event. Therefore, it is necessary to understand whether such a high yield as 2015 can be reoccurred and how often it can occur. This study used the yield monitoring data from National Institute of Crop Science, Rural Development Administration and the meteorological data provided by Korea Meteorological Administration to identify the weather conditions, which could cause high yield, and how often these conditions occurred in the past. Our results showed that significantly high yield in 2015 could occur only when the mean sunshine hours of July and the mean sunshine hours from the end of August to early September are 5.1 hours and 6 hours, respectively. The probability of satisfying these weather conditions was 8/35 (23%) over the past 35 years. And the probability of successive high yield for two years was 1/35 (2.9%). The probability of recurrence of high yield within the next 5 years or 10 years after high yield was 4/35 (11.4%).

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.237-250
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• 2013

At Gosan ABC superstation in Jeju Island, we measured organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) in $PM_{2.5}$ from October 2009 to June 2010 using a Sunset Laboratory Model-4 Semi-Continuous OC/EC Field Analyzer. It employs TOT (Thermal-Optical-Transmittance) method with NIOSH 5040 protocol and enables to continuously monitor OC and EC concentrations with 1-hour time resolution. The mean values of OC and EC for the entire period of measurements were $2.1{\pm}1.4{\mu}g/m^3$ and $0.7{\pm}0.6{\mu}g/m^3$, respectively. The OC/EC ratio was 3 and EC accounted $25{\pm}2.1%$ of total carbon (TC, TC=OC+EC). Although OC and EC showed similar trend in seasonal variation, the ratio of OC to EC was the highest in early summer when temperature was the highest and the air was affected by biomass burning in the southern part of China. In winter, the high OC and EC concentrations were likely influenced by increased coal combustion from residential heating. The high OC and EC concentrations were observed during events such as haze, dust, and the combination of the two. During the haze events, OC and EC were enhanced with increase in $PM_{10}$, $PM_{2.5}$, $SO_2$, and $NO_2$ with broad maxima. When dust occurred, both OC and EC started decreasing after reaching their maxima a couple of hours before $PM_{10}$ maximum. The peak separation of carbonaceous species and aerosol masses with time was more noticeable when haze event was followed by dust plume. These results confirm that OC and EC are key components of haze occurring in the study region.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.72-81
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• 2010

Objectives : Early detection and proper management of distress are known to be important for efficient care in cancer patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of distress and to evaluate its influence on quality of life in subjects with breast cancer. Methods : A total of 95 patients were recruited from a breast cancer patient community of a general hospital in Seoul. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(HADS), the Insomnia Severity Index(ISI), the Impact of Event Scale-Revised(IES-R) and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast(FACT-B) were measured. Results : The prevalence of anxiety, depression, insomnia and posttraumatic stress disorder symptom among breast cancer patients was 26.3%, 26.3%, 13.7%, 24.3%, respectively. Nearly half(47.4%) of total subjects were under one or more significant distress, and they showed significantly lower mean FACT-B total score than patients without distress(82.91 vs. 107.20, p<0.001). Distress was negatively correlated with the quality of life to a significant level even in patients who were in normal range of distress scale scores. Conclusion : These results support the importance of regular screening and proper management of distress for breast cancer patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.743-748
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• 2016

Background: $K^-Ras$ activation is an early event in colorectal carcinogenesis and associated mutations have been reported in about 40% of colorectal cancer patients. These mutations have always been responsible for enhancing malignancy and silencing them is associated with attenuation of tumorigenicity. Among downstream effectors are the RAF/MEK/ERK and the PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. PI3K/Akt signaling leads to reduction of apoptosis, stimulated cell growth and enhanced proliferation. Ellagic acid (EA), a naturally occurring antioxidant, has recently emerged as a promising anti-cancer agent. Purpose: To evaluate the impact of cellular genetic makeup of two colon cancer cell lines with different genetic backgrounds, HCT-116 ($K^-Ras^-/p53^+$) and Caco-2 ($K^-Ras^+/p53^-$), on response to potential anti-tumour effects of EA. In addition, the influence of $K^-Ras$ silencing in HCT-116 cells was investigated. Materials and Methods: Cellular proliferation, morphology and cell cycle analysis were carried out in addition to Western blotting for detecting total Akt and p-Akt (at Thr308 and Ser473) in the presence and absence of different concentrations of EA. Cell proliferation was also assessed in cells transfected with different concentrations of $K^-Ras$ siRNA or incubated with ellagic acid following transfection. Results: The results of the present study revealed that EA exerts anti-proliferative and dose-dependent pro-apoptotic effects. Cytostatic and cytotoxic effects were also observed. p-Akt (at Thr308 and Ser473) was downregulated. Moreover, EA treatment was found to (i) reduce $K^-Ras$ protein expression; (ii) in cells transfected with siRNA and co-treated with EA, pronounced anti-proliferative effects as well as depletion of p-Akt (at Thr308) were detected. Conclusions: Cellular genetic makeup ($K^-Ras^-/p53^-$) was not likely to impose limitations on targeting EA in treatment of colon cancer. EA had a multi-disciplinary pro-apoptotic anti-proliferative approach, having inhibited Akt phosphorylation, induced cell cycle arrest and showed an anti-proliferative potential in HCT-116 cells (expressing mutant $K^-Ras$).

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.213-220
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• 2015

To elucidate the origin and patterns of establishment of insular plants on Ulleungdo Island, maternally inherited chloroplast DNA, which is useful for tracing seed movements, was used. Fagus multinervis, an endemic species that dominated broadleaf deciduous forests on Ulleungdo Island, is an excellent model for such a study. To understand the diversity and spatial distribution of the chloroplast haplotypes of F. multinervis, nucleotide sequences of the psbA-trnH region were determined from 144 individuals sampled throughout the island. Results of a phylogenetic analysis of the region with close relatives of F. multinervis suggest that F. multinervis is sister to a clade of F. japonica and F. engleriana. No haplotype variation was found within F. multinervis. This remarkably low cpDNA haplotype diversity is in contrast to the findings of previous allozyme studies of F. multinervis populations that showed high genetic diversity on Ulleungdo Island. Repeated colonization during the early stage of establishment via birds that migrated from a source area where the F. multinervis cpDNA haplotype was geographically structured may have resulted in the observed pattern of haplotype diversity. Alternatively, long-distance dispersal of seeds of the progenitor of F. multinervis via birds or typhoons to Ulleungdo may have been a single event, whereas the immigration of pollen from the mainland likely occurred frequently. Comparative phylogeographic studies of other species endemic to Ulleungdo Island and their close relatives on the neighboring mainland are necessary for a more complete understanding of the evolution of the island's native species.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.93-118
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• 2014

The Korean Academy of Pediatric Dentistry hosted the $24^{th}$ IAPD Congress in Seoul, Korea on June 12-15, 2013. The main theme of the congress was the "New visions in Pediatric Dentistry" A total number of 1,855 participants, including exhibitors and press from 67 countries, participated in the 24th IAPD Congress. The scientific program consists of 85 invited lectures, 126 oral presentations, and 553 poster presentations. 46 companies and organizations have supported and participated in Seoul IAPD Congress. Overall the congress was a success in terms of high attendance rate from 67 countries over the world. Considering the fact that Korea is located in the far-east, the number of overseas delegates(943) are remarkable. Also it is desirable to have over 100 delegates from developing countries which eventually aim to collaborate worldwide. The scientific program covered a variety of topics and many of the delegates stayed in the session room until the last day of the congress. Although it could have been more beneficial to allot more time for each speaker to discuss further, the program fit the Congress theme "New Visions for Paediatric Dentistry". All social event tickets were sold out early and it attracted participants with interesting program enabling participants to interact and exchange ideas outside of the meeting.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.9
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• pp.4335-4340
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• 2016

Background: Bone metastasis is a single condition but presents with various patterns and severities. Skeletal-related events (SREs) deteriorate overall performance status and reduce quality of life. However, guidelines for early detection and management are limited. This study includes a survey of the prevalence of bone metastasis in cases with common cancers in Thailand as well as a focus on survival patterns and SREs. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted using a database of the Chiang Mai Cancer Registry and the Musculoskeletal Tumor Registry of the OLARN Center, Chiang Mai University. The prevalence of bone metastasis from each type of primary cancer was noted and time-to-event analysis was performed to estimate cancer survival rates after bone metastasis. Results: There were 29,447 cases of the ten most common cancers in Thailand, accounting for 82.2% of the entire cancer registry entries during the study period. Among those cases, there were 2,263 with bone metastases, accounting for 7.68% of entries. Bone metastasis from lung, liver, breast, cervix and prostate are common in the Thai population, accounting for 83.4% of all positive cases. The median survival time of all was 6 months. Of the bone metastases, 48.9% required therapeutic intervention, including treatment of spinal cord and nerve root compression, pathological fractures, and bone pain. Conclusions: The frequency of the top five types of bone metastasis in Thailand were different from the frequencies in other countries, but corresponded to the relative prevalence of the cancers in Thailand and osteophilic properties of each cancer. The results of this study support the establishment of country specific guidelines for primary cancer identification with skeletal lesions of unknown origin. In addition, further clinical studies of the top five bone metastases should be performed to develop guidelines for optimal patient management during palliative care.