• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.11-17
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• 2005

Background : Interferon-gamma ($IFN-{\gamma}$) is essential in the immune response to mycobacterial infections, and a complete or partial deficiency in the $IFN-{\gamma}$ receptor 1 ($IFN{\gamma}R1$) or the $IFN-{\gamma}$ receptor 2 ($IFN{\gamma}R2$) have been reported to confer susceptibility to a disseminated infection with nontuberculous mycobacteria. However, similar mutations in the $IFN-{\gamma}$ receptor have not been specifically examined in the patients with clinical tuberculosis. Methods : This study searched for mutations in the $IFN-{\gamma}$ receptor gene that resulted in a partial $IFN-{\gamma}$ receptor deficiency in six patients with disseminated tuberculosis. The previously identified $IFN{\gamma}R1$ and $IFN{\gamma}R2$ coding regions were sequenced after amplification. Results : There was no partial $IFN{\gamma}R1$ deficiency including a homozygous recessive missense mutation causing an amino-acid substitution in the extracellular domain of the receptor (I87T) and a hotspot for small deletions (818delT, 818del4, 818insA) found in any of the patients. In addition, a partial $IFN{\gamma}R2$ deficiency of the homozygous missense mutation (R114C) was not found in any of the patients. Conclusion : Genetic defects causing a partial $IFN-{\gamma}$ receptor deficiency were not identified in our patients with disseminated tuberculosis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.380-388
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• 2005

Background : Acute drug intoxication has recently become an important issue in the social and clinical areas. There are various complications associated with acute drug intoxication such as pneumonia, but the process is was not fully understood. The aim of this study was to analyze our cases of pneumonia associated with acute drug intoxication and to determine the associated risk factors. Methods : Forty four cases out of 237 patients, who were acute drug intoxicated from May 2000 to Feb. 2005, were diagnosed with pneumonia at the Konyang University hospital. These cases were analyzed by a retrospective review of their medical records. Results : The incidence of pneumonia in acute drug intoxication was 18.6%. There was no gender difference in terms of the incidence, but the age group with the highest incidence was in the $5^{th}$ decade (22.5%) followed by the $7^{th}$ decade (17.9%). Most common drug of associated with pneumonia was organophosphate insecticides, and the others were herbicides. Suicidal attempts were the most common motive of intoxication. The incidence of pneumonia was increased in old age (${\beta}=0.128$, p<0.05). A drowsy or comatous mental status was an independent risk factors of pneumonia (${\beta}=-0.209$, p=0.006). A longer hospital duration was also a risk factor for pneumonia (${\beta}=0.361$, p<0.001). The intubated state, intensive care unit care and longer duration of admission correlated with the course of pneumonia in acute drug intoxicated patients (p<0.05). The culture study revealed MRSA to be most common pathogen. Conclusion : The incidence of pneumonia associated with acute drug intoxication was higher in the older aged patients, those with a decreased initial mental status and a longer hospital duration. The number of days in the intensive care unit and intubation were associated prognostic factors for pneumonia in acute drug intoxication patients.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.77-90
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• 2004

Purpose: The purpose of this review Is to provide an update on novel radiation treatments for head and neck cancer Recent Findings: Despite the remarkable advances In chemotherapy and radiotherapy techniques, the management of advanced head and neck cancer remains challenging. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) Is an appealing target for novel therapies In head and neck cancer because not only EGFR activation stimulates many important signaling pathways associated with cancer development and progression, and importantly, resistance to radiation. Furthermore, EGFR overexpression Is known to be portended for a worse outcome in patients with advanced head and neck cancer. Two categories of compounds designed to abrogate EGFR signaling, such as monoclonal antibodies (Cetuxlmab) and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (ZD1839 and 051-774) have been assessed and have been most extensively studied In preclinical models and clinical trials. Additional TKIs In clinical trials include a reversible agent, Cl-1033, which blocks activation of all erbB receptors. Encouraging preclinical data for head and neck cancers resulted In rapid translation Into the clinic. Results from Initial clinical trials show rather surprisingly that only minority of patients benefited from EGFR inhibition as monotherapy or In combination with chemotherapy. In this review, we begin with a brief summary of erbB- mediated signal transduction. Subsequently, we present data on prognostic-predictive value of erbB receptor expression in HNC followed by preclinlcal and clinical data on the role of EGFR antagonists alone or in combination with radiation In the treatment of HNC. Finally, we discuss the emerging thoughts on resistance to EGFR biockade and efforts In the development of multiple-targeted therapy for combination with chemotherapy or radiation. Current challenges for investigators are to determine (1 ) who will benefit from targeted agents and which agents are most appropriate to combine with radiation and/or chemotherapy, (2) how to sequence these agents with radiation and/or cytotoxlc compounds, (3) reliable markers for patient selection and verification of effective blockade of signaling in vivo, and (4) mechanisms behind intrinsic or acquired resistance to targeted agents to facilitate rational development of multi-targeted therapy, Other molecuiar-targeted approaches In head and neck cancer were briefly described, Including angloenesis Inhibitors, farnesyl transferase inhibitors, cell cycle regulators, and gene therapy Summary: Novel targeted theraples are highly appealing in advanced head and neck cancer, and the most premising strategy to use them Is a matter of intense Investigation.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.157-164
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• 2017

Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) is a perennial plant of the genus Stevia, originated in South America. It stores many forms of glycosides, mainly stevioside and rebaudioside A, in which steviol is the basic structure. Steviol glycosides, widely used as sweeteners, are superior to sugar in sweetness. Recently, it has been reported that steviol glycosides are involved not only in the skin whitening and anti-inflammatory effect but also in enhancing skin barrier function through tight junction regulation. Thus, we examined anti-inflammatory effect of rebaudioside A and tried to identify its potential for improving atopic dermatitis as cosmetic ingredients. To investigate the anti-inflammatory effect, cell viability and mRNA expression level of inflammation-related cytokines were measured using mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cells. Cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8) assay was carried out to measure cell viability and the maximum concentration without cytotoxicity was set to $250{\mu}M$. A quantitative real-time RT-PCR method was used for the study of the inflammatory suppression of rebaudioside A. Rebaudioside A inhibited expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) up to 47% and COX-2 up to 41% compared to LPS treated condition. NO synthesis was decreased by rebaudioside A. Also, mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-$1{\alpha}$, IL-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6 in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells was decreased to 40%, 45% and 59%, respectively, as a concentration-dependent manner. In conclusion, rebaudioside A inhibited the inflammatory response by regulation of cytokine gene expression. From these results, we expect that steviol glycoside, such as rebaudioside A, can be used as a material for improving atopic dermatitis in the future.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.444-454
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• 2017

There are many ongoing studies of infectious diseases as the major factor responsible for global declining of the amphibian population. Although some point out the amphibian rearing facilities like frog farms as one of the important sources of harboring and spreading amphibian infectious pathogens in the wild, there have been few related studies in South Korea. In this study, we investigated the bacterial and fungal colonies on the skin and in the internal organs of frogs and tadpoles collected inside and outside of Dybowski's brown frog farms in Inje, Goesan, and Gongju to compare the difference according to the region and between inside and outside the farm. We also intended to classify the bacteria collected from the tadpoles into species by analyzing 16s rDNA gene sequences. The result showed that the number of bacterial colonies found in the skin and gut of frogs and the number of fungal colonies found in the skin and liver of frogs collected in Goesan was significantly greater than those in the frogs in Inje. However, there was no difference between the frogs collected inside and outside of farms in both regions. In the case of tadpoles, the number of fungal colonies in the tadpoles collected from Gongju was greater than that in the tadpoles collected from Inje. The comparison of inside and outside frog farms showed that there were more bacterial colonies on the skin of the tadpoles collected from inside than outside the frog farm in Inje and more bacterial colonies in the organs of the tadpoles collected from outside than inside the farm in Gongju. The frogs with higher condition factor (body weight/snout-vent length*100) showed fewer bacterial colonies on the skin and fewer fungal colonies in the heart, but there were no significant relationships in tadpoles. We identified the total of 15 genera and four phyla of bacteria, but the difference according to regions and between inside and outside farm was not evident. The result of this study indicates that the different conditions according to the locality of farm and between inside and outside farm cause the difference in the population sizes of bacterial and fungal colonies and that it can affect the overall health condition of Dybowski's brown frogs in the farm. Moreover, the result suggests that effective disease control in the facility is greatly necessary to ensure successful operation of amphibian rearing facility and to prevent the possible spread of diseases from the facility to the wild.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.189-197
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• 2020

This study was conducted to compare the production performance and stress response of chickens kept in the conventional cages and floor pens. 491 female White Leghorns were used in this study, and their production characteristics and stress response indicators were analyzed from 34 to 43 weeks of age. The results showed that there was no significant difference in survival rate, hen-day egg production, and body weight between the chickens kept in the conventional cages and those kept in the floor pens. The chickens kept in the conventional cages had a significantly higher egg weight and egg quality compared with those kept in the floor pens (P<0.01). The amount of telomeric DNA in lymphocytes was significantly higher in the chickens kept in floor pens than in those kept in conventional cages (P<0.05). The heterophil-lymphocyte ratio, HSP-90β gene expression level, and DNA damage rate significantly increased in chickens kept in the conventional cages, as compared to the chickens kept in floor pens (P<0.01). In conclusion, there seems to be no difference in the production performance between chickens kept in conventional cages and those kept in floor pens. Furthermore, chickens kept in conventional cages had higher stress response values than those kept in floor pens for all stress response indicators. Therefore, conventional cage types are considered to be a more stressful environment for chickens than floor pens, regardless of the production performance of the chickens.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.367-377
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• 2009

Halitosis is a generally accepted marker of diseases in the oral cavity and of systemic and gastrointestinal disorders. Based on these authors' previous findings (that (1) there is a close association between H. pylori infection and halitosis; (2) Korea red ginseng may suppress the colonization of H. pylori, fight H. pylori-induced cytotoxicity, and impose significant anti-inflammatory actions in patients with chronic gastritis; and (3) H. pylori infection is linked with the generation of significant levels of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs), and the levels of VSCs correlate significantly with H. pylori-associated mucosal damages), in the current study, the authors documented the molecular mechanisms of Korea red ginseng's efficacy in ameliorating halitosis. When the RAW 264.7 cells were treated with the $H_2S$ releasing compound NaHS, the mRNA expression of cystathionine ${\gamma}$-lyase (CSE), IL-6, COX-2, and iNOS were more significantly induced compared with the vehicle-treated group. The cytoskeletal components of ezrin's and moesin's mRNA expressions were elevated by NaHS treatment accompanied by the activation of MAPK, p38, and ERK. Korea red ginseng pretreatment reduced both the NaHS-induced CSE expression and the proinflammatory genes (e.g., IL-6, COX-2, and iNOS) in a concentration-dependent manner. The ERM expression and the phosphorylation of p38 were also significantly reduced by Korea-red-ginseng pretreatment. Overall, Korea red ginseng pretreatment imposed significant anti-inflammatory effects through the downregulation of the NaHS-triggered proinflammatory gene expression, CSE, and ERM mRNA expression. Korea red ginseng could thus be said to be a key remedy of halitosis and to be effective in relieving gastric inflammation.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.98-106
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• 2016

This paper has attempted to reexamine current international circumstance and the meaning of regionality and discover the practical design strategy in the process of observing the trend of contemporary landscape architecture from the perspective of regionality. Contemporary landscape architecture has started to discover possibility in the local value and create identity. This tendency can be classified as follows: First, regionality is re-examined as a medium which can integrate nature, culture and city. As a concept which contains time and spatial continuity, landscape is a matter of the identity of land and area. Second, regionality has been reinterpreted and recreated by designers. Landscape designers attempt to restore the past memories and traces instead of adding a new concept after erasing previous physical features. This design attitude has spatialized time continuity. Third, site is seen as a palimpsest, not tabula rasa in contemporary landscape architecture. It has been attempted to visually materialize the natural and ecological processes and spatial features. Fourth, site is approached in a tectonic approach instead of analytical approach. It is attempted to organize and restore the geological and archeological memories and ecological processes. Differentiation has emerged as a critical design strategy in contemporary landscape architecture. However, regionality is also formed through an interaction with continuity as well as through differentiation. In this sense, the following possibilities can be reviewed as practical design strategies to realize regionality: First, a terra-tectonic approach discovers and selects possibility in the site and expresses the site, creating practical possibility which strengthens regionality. If the memory and conditions of the site are different, the identity would different as well. Second, continuity of region itself is a gene pool with comparative advantage. As a rough sketch of design, it acts as a loose conformity on designers' experience and practice. Of course, this approach is not absolute with some limitations. It is necessary to explore practical strategies.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.893-900
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• 2015

In this study, we evaluated the antidiabetic effect of a submerged culture of Ceriporia lacerata mycelium (CL01) on hematological indices, as well as protein and mRNA expression of the insulin-signaling pathway, in db/db mice. After CL01 was administrated for 4 weeks, blood glucose levels decreased consistently, and plasma insulin and c-peptide levels each decreased by roughly 55.8%, 40% of those in the negative control (p<0.05). With regard to HOMA-IR, an insulin resistance index, insulin resistance of the CL01-fed group improved over that of the negative control group by about 62% (p<0.05). In addition, we demonstrated that the protein expression levels of pIR, pAkt, pAMPK, and GLUT4 and the mRNA expression levels of Akt2, IRS1, and GLUT4 in the muscle cells of db/db mice increased in the CL01-fed group compared to the corresponding levels in the control group. These results demonstrate that CL01 affects glucose metabolism, upregulates protein and gene expression in the insulin-signaling pathway, and decreases blood glucose levels effectively by improving insulin sensitivity. More than 90% of those who suffer from type 2 diabetes are more likely to suffer from hyperinsulinemia, hypertension, obesity, and other comorbidities because of insulin resistance. Therefore, it is possible that CL01 intake could be used as a fundamental treatment for type 2 diabetes by lowering insulin resistance, and these results may prove be useful as basic evidence for further research into the mechanisms of a cure for type 2 diabetes.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.707-713
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• 2017

The objective of this study was to select yogurt starter from Korean traditional fermented foods. The 2 strains (KM24, KM32) among 50 strains of isolated lactic acid bacteria selected as starter based on milk clotting ability, antimicrobial activity against various pathogens, tolerance in artificial gastric and bile juice and growth in 10 % skimmed milk. The strains were identified as Lacobacillus plantarum (KM32) and Pediococcus pentosacesus (KM24) by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Viable cell number of yogurt fermented with mixed strains (KM24 and KM32) was 9.66 log CFU/mL after fermentation for 48 h and maintained $10^9CFU/mL$ during fermentation for 72 h at $37^{\circ}C$. The pH and titratable acidity of mixed cultured yogurt were 4.25% and 0.83% after fermentation for 48 h at $37^{\circ}C$, respectively. The physico-chemical characteristics of mixed cultured yogurt after fermentation for 48 h were $38.45{\mu}g/mL$ (polyphenol content), 48.57% (DPPH radical scavenging activity) and 465.40 cp (viscosity), respectively. The mixed cultured yogurt maintained $10^9CFU/mL$ of lactic acid bacteria during storage 10 days at $4^{\circ}C$. The viable cell number of yogurt prepared with mixed culture(KM32+KM24) maintained higher and than that of control (L. casei) during storage. These results indicated the potential use of selected strains (KM32+KM24) isolated from kimchi as a yogurt starter with strong acid tolerance and probiotics properties.