• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.228-236
• /
• 2013

This study was aimed at investigating whether dietary therapy using medicinal enzyme powder is effective in reducing constipation caused by loperamide in rats. Nine-week-old male Sprague Dawley were subdivided into 4 groups: normal diet group (C), loperamide treatment and normal diet (CL), medicinal enzyme powder diet (E), and loperamide treatment and medicinal enzyme powder diet (EL). Constipation was induced by subcutaneous injection of loperamide (1.5 mg/kg) 3 days prior to sacrifice. The treatment with loperamide led to an increase in weight gain, a decrease in the number and wet weight of fecal pellets, and a decrease in intestinal motility. The administration of the medicinal enzyme powder significantly reduced weight gain but increased intestinal mobility compared with the loperamide-treated group. The treatment with loperamide in the normal diet group reduced the activities of both suggesting that constipation may be involved in the low level of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT). Additionally, the loperamide treatment in the medicinal enzyme powder diet group increased the level of GOT, but reduced the level of GPT. Loperamide treatment also reduced cholesterol and increased the atherogenic index (AI) and cardiac risk factors (CRFs). Interestingly, the treatment with the medicinal enzyme powder effectively attenuated both the increase in AI and the reduction in high density lipopretein (HDL)-cholesterol, caused by the treatment with loperamide. Although there were no significant differences in the blood protein level, including hemoglobin and hematocrit, between the normal diet group and the loperamide-treated group, the administration of the medicinal enzyme powder to the loperamide-treated group effectively increased the levels of both hemoglobin and hematocrit. Collectively, the results demonstrate that the medicinal enzyme powder can help to combat the negative events caused by constipation.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.493-513
• /
• 2014

With the development of related technologies, Location-Based Services (LBS) are growing fast and being used in many ways. Past LBS studies have focused on adoption of LBS because of the fact that LBS users have privacy concerns regarding revealing their location information. Meanwhile, the number of LBS users and revenues from LBS are growing rapidly because users can get some benefits by revealing their location information. Little research has been done on how LBS affects consumers' information search behavior in product purchase. The purpose of this paper is examining the effect of LBS information filtering on buyers' uncertainty and their information search behavior. When consumers purchase a product, they try to reduce uncertainty by searching information. Generally, there are two types of uncertainties - knowledge uncertainty and choice uncertainty. Knowledge uncertainty refers to the lack of information on what kinds of alternatives are available in the market and/or their important attributes. Therefore, consumers having knowledge uncertainty will have difficulties in identifying what alternatives exist in the market to fulfil their needs. Choice uncertainty refers to the lack of information about consumers' own preferences and which alternative will fit in their needs. Therefore, consumers with choice uncertainty have difficulties selecting best product among available alternatives.. According to economics of information theory, consumers narrow the scope of information search when knowledge uncertainty is high. It is because consumers' information search cost is high when their knowledge uncertainty is high. If people do not know available alternatives and their attributes, it takes time and cognitive efforts for them to acquire information about available alternatives. Therefore, they will reduce search breadth. For people with high knowledge uncertainty, the information about products and their attributes is new and of high value for them. Therefore, they will conduct searches more in-depth because they have incentive to acquire more information. When people have high choice uncertainty, people tend to search information about more alternatives. It is because increased search breadth will improve their chances to find better alternative for them. On the other hand, since human's cognitive capacity is limited, the increased search breadth (more alternatives) will reduce the depth of information search for each alternative. Consumers with high choice uncertainty will spend less time and effort for each alternative because considering more alternatives will increase their utility. LBS provides users with the capability to screen alternatives based on the distance from them, which reduces information search costs. Therefore, it is expected that LBS will help users consider more alternatives even when they have high knowledge uncertainty. LBS provides distance information, which helps users choose alternatives appropriate for them. Therefore, users will perceive lower choice uncertainty when they use LBS. In order to test the hypotheses, we selected 80 students and assigned them to one of the two experiment groups. One group was asked to use LBS to search surrounding restaurants and the other group was asked to not use LBS to search nearby restaurants. The experimental tasks and measures items were validated in a pilot experiment. The final measurement items are shown in Appendix A. Each subject was asked to read one of the two scenarios - with or without LBS - and use a smartphone application to pick a restaurant. All behaviors on smartphone were recorded using a recording application. Search breadth was measured by the number of restaurants clicked by each subject. Search depths was measured by two metrics - the average number of sub-level pages each subject visited and the average time spent on each restaurant. The hypotheses were tested using SPSS and PLS. The results show that knowledge uncertainty reduces search breadth (H1a). However, there was no significant correlation between knowledge uncertainty and search depth (H1b). Choice uncertainty significantly reduces search depth (H2b), but no significant relationship was found between choice uncertainty and search breadth (H2a). LBS information filtering significantly reduces the buyers' choice uncertainty (H4) and reduces the negative relationship between knowledge uncertainty and search breadth (H3). This research provides some important implications for service providers. Service providers should use different strategies based on their service properties. For those service providers who are not well-known to consumers (high knowledge uncertainty) should encourage their customers to use LBS. This is because LBS would increase buyers' consideration sets when the knowledge uncertainty is high. Therefore, less known services have chances to be included in consumers' consideration sets with LBS. On the other hand, LBS information filtering decrease choice uncertainty and the near service providers are more likely to be selected than without LBS. Hence, service providers should analyze geographically approximate competitors' strength and try to reduce the gap so that they can have chances to be included in the consideration set.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.39-48
• /
• 1977

Radioactive iodine(RAI), principally $^{131}I$, effectively controls hyperthyroidism in the majority of patients. The subsequent development of hypothyroidism, however, has been of increasing concern since it was first pointed out by Chapman and Maloof in 1955. And the steady increase of late hypothyroidism during the passage of time was known with its relation with dosage of RAI. The authors have investigated the development of hypothyroidism in 935 patients with diffuse toxic goiter(DTG) who were treated with ($RAI^{131}I$) at the Seoul National University Hospital from 1960 to 1977 to reveal its relation with the number of RAI treatments, dosage of RAI, age of patients and exophthalmos with the following results. 1) The incidence of hypothyroidism by year after RAI therapy among 631 patients with DTG who were treated with single RAI regimen was 7.4%(1 year), 11.8%(2 year), 16.2%(3 year), 22.1%(4 year) and 25.5%(5 year), and that among 163 patients given multiple RAI treatments was 8.6%(1 year), 10.4%(2 year), 13.3%(3 year), 29.1%(4 year), and 54.1%(5 year)respectively showing much higher year1y increments from 4 years after RAI treatment. in comparison with the former. 2) Among 550 patients in the lower dose group treated with single RAI regimen less than 5.0mCi ($Mean{\pm}S.D.:\;4.3{\pm}0.6mCi$), the incidence of hypothyroidism by year after RAI treatment was 6.8%(1 year), 11.4%(2 year), 15.4%(3 year), while among 81 patients in the higher dose group given single RAI treatment not less than 5.5 mCi ($Mean{\pm}S.D.:\;6.3{\pm}0.5mCi$) it was 12.0%(1 year), 15.4%(2 year) and 20.4%(3 year) respectively. However, the duration till euthyroid state after RAI therapy in the two groups was $5.1{\pm}3.6$ months and $4.8{\pm}2.8$ months respectively showing no statistically signficant difference (p>0.1). 4) The incidence of hypothyroidism after RAI treatment in patients younger than 30 years of age was 4.3%(1 year) and 7.7%(2 year); in patients from 30 years to 49 years of age, 5.8%(1 year) and 11.1%(2 year); and in those older than 50 years, 11.0%(1 year) and 14.4%(2 year). The data revealed rising incidence of hypothyroidism with increase of patients' age. 4) Among 116 patients with exophthalmos the incidence of hypothyroidism by year after RAI treatment was 7.1%(1 year) and 12.1%(2 year) while that among 184 patients without exophthalmos was 7.3%(1 year) and 12.2%(2 year) respectively. With the above data the authors could conclude that the hypothyroidism in patients with DTG who were treated by RAI developed more frequently than reported by others in Korea till now, and increased with the passage of time, the yearly increments from 4 years after RAI treatment increasing markedly in the multiple dose group, and the incidence could be reduced by decreasing the administered RAI doe not increasing the duration till euthyroid state after RAI therapy.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.413-421
• /
• 1999

Purpose: This study was performed to evaluate the usefulness of $^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO-labelled leucocyte scintigraphy for diagnosing prosthetic infection after total knee replacement arthroplasty without the aid of following bone marrow scintigraphy Materials and Methods: The study subjects were 25 prostheses of 17 patients (one man and 16 women, mean age. 65 years) who had total knee replacement arthroplasty. After injection of $^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO-labelled leucocyte, the whole body planar and knee SPECT images were obtained in all patients. The subjects were classified into three groups according to clinical suspicion of prosthetic infection. Group A (n=11) with high suspicion of infection; Group B (n=6) with equivocal suspicion of infection, and Group C (n=8) with asymptomatic contralateral prostheses. Final diagnosis of infection was based on surgical, histological and bacteriological data and clinical follow-up. Results: Infection was confirmed in 13 prostheses (11 in Group A and 2 in Group B). All prostheses in Group A were true positive. There were two true positives, one false positive and three true negatives in Group B, and six true negatives and two false positives in Group C. Overall sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for diagnosis of the infected knee prosthesis were 100%, 75% and 88%, respectively Conclusion: $^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO-labelled leucocyte scintigraphy is a sensitive method for the diagnosis of infected knee prosthesis. However, false positive uptakes even in asymptomatic prosthesis suggest that bone marrow scintigraphy may be needed to achieve improved specificity.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.271-276
• /
• 2002

Purpose: To measure reliable glomerular filtration rate by using the representative values of transplanted renal depths, which are measured with ultrasonography. Materials and Methods: We included 54 patients (26 men, 28 women), with having both renal scintigraphy and ultrasonography after renal transplantation. We measured GFR with Gates' method using the renal depth measured by ultrasonography, and median and mean ones in each patient. We compared GFR derived from ultrasonography-measured renal depth with GFR derived from median and mean renal depths. The correlation coefficients were obtained among GFR derived from ultrasonography-measured renal depths, median and mean renal depths under linear regression analysis. We determined whether GFR derived from median or mean renal depth could substitute GFR derived from ultrasonography-measured renal depth with Bland-Altman method. We analyze the expected errors of the GFR using representative renal depth in terms of age, sex, weight, height, creatinine value, and body surface. Results: The transplanted renal depths range from 3.20 cm to 5.96 cm. The mean value and standard deviation of renal depths measured by ultrasonography are $4.09{\pm}0.65cm$ in men, and $4.24{\pm}0.78cm$ in women. The median value of renal depths measured by ultrasonography is 4.36 cm in men and 4.14 cm in women. The GFR derived from median renal depth is more consistent with GFR derived from ultrasonography-measured renal depth than GFR derived from mean renal depth. Differences of GFR derived from median and ultrasonography-measured renal depth are not significantly different in the groups classified with creatinine value, age, sex, height, weight and body surface. Conclusion: When median value is adapted as a representative renal depth, we could obtain reliable GFR in transplanted kidney simply.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.57-61
• /
• 2015

Purpose We considered the correlation of Ejection Fraction (EF) which was analyzed by Multi Gated Blood Pool Scan (MUGA) and Echocardiography (ECHO) for the patients who were classified according to the condition of cardiac function. Materials and Methods We analyzed the patients (female 60) who were diagnosed with breast cancer and were examined by both MUGA and ECHO. The 30 patients (age: $58.27{\pm}13.48$) who were analyzed into less than 50% to 70% of EF were categorized as normal group and the other 30 patients (age: $53.70{\pm}8.45$) who were analyzed into less than 50% of EF were categorized as abnormal group. Statistical analysis with SPSS ver. 18 was applied. Results Each of the value of mean and standard deviation of normal group was $66.43{\pm}5.80$ (MUGA), $60.50{\pm}4.93$ (ECHO). There was a significant difference (p<0.001). Each of the value of mean and standard deviation of abnormal group was $41.93{\pm}7.58$ (MUGA), $41.70{\pm}11.49$ (ECHO). There was no significant difference (p>0.001). In the result, all 30 cases of normal group showed the same reading. 8 out of 30 cases in abnormal group showed inconsistency of the reading. Conclusion We could confirm the correlation of the EF in MUGA and ECHO statistically. There was difference between abnormal groups from the result of reading. If we are aware of the result according to the different cardiac function categorization, MUGA and ECHO can be used as even more accurate interchangeable test.

• 한국해양학회지
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.250-258
• /
• 1992

The oxygen isotope composition of surface waters in the Bransfield Strait was determined as one extra state variable in order to characterize water masses in the region, since salinity is significantly modified due to the freezing and ice-melting in the polar region. The salinity, temperature, and $\delta$/SUP 18/O values vary from 34.0 to 34.5$\textperthousand$, -.05 to 2.1$^{\circ}C$ and -0.50 t -0.26$\textperthousand$, respectively. The combined effects of evaporation, precipitation, freezing, ice-melting are reflected in the widely scattered data. Although it is small, the distribution of $\delta$/SUP 18/O of the Bransfield Strait is strongly affected by the freezing-ice melting rather than the evaporation-precipitation. The ice melted fresh water which has higher temperature, depleted salinity and nutrients may be injected to the Bransfield Strait from the north. The concentrations of nutrients are decreasing gradually from the north to the south. The waters were characterized by two groups of higher (about 19.4) and lower N/P ratio (about 16.7). The lower N/P ratio is found in the northern part where ice-melted fresh water is injected. and the higher N/P ratio is found in the southern part of the Bransfield Strait. Although more precise work is needed, the deference of N/P ratio can be an evidence of the ice melted water injection to the Bransfield Strait. Chlorophyll a concentrations, in general, increase from northwest (Waddell Sea) to the southeast (Smith and Hosseason Islands). Probably the injection of nutrient depleted fresh water from the ice melting reduce the chlorophyll a concentration.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.78-93
• /
• 2003

To investigate seasonal variation and structure of the microbial community in Kyeonggi Bay, abundance and carbon biomass of nano-and micrzooplankton were evaluated in relation to size fractionated chlorophyll-a concentration, through the monthly interval sampling from December 1997 to November 1998. Communities of nano-and microzooplankton were classified into 4 groups such as heterotrophic nanoflagellate(HNF), ciliates, heterotrophic dinoflagellates(HDF) and zooplankton nauplii. Abundance and carbon biomass of HNF ranged from 380 to 4,370 cells ml-1(average 1,340$\pm$130 cells ml-1) and from 0.63 to 12.4 $\mu\textrm{g}$C 1-1(average 4.35$\pm$0.58 $\mu\textrm{g}$C 1-1), respectively. Abundance and carbon biomass of ciliates ranged from 331 to 44,571 cells ml-1(average 3,526$\pm$544 cells ml-1) and from 1.3 to 119.7 $\mu\textrm{g}$C 1-1(average 13.7$\pm$3.0 $\mu\textrm{g}$C 1-1), respectively. Abundance and carbon biomass of HDF ranged from 88 to 48,461 cells 1-1(average 9,034$\pm$2,347 cells 1-1) and from 0.05 to 54.05 $\mu\textrm{g}$C 1-1(average 6.9$\pm$2.4 $\mu\textrm{g}$C 1-1), respectively. Abundance and carbon biomass of zooplankton nauplii ranged from 5 to 546 indiv. 1-1(average 83$\pm$15 indiv. 1-1) and from 0.17 to 43.2 $\mu\textrm{g}$C 1-1(average 6.3$\pm$1.2 $\mu\textrm{g}$C 1-1), respectively. Eash component of microbial biomass was not different from tidal cycle except tintinnids group. Depth integrated nano-and microzooplankton biomass ranged from 124 to 1,635 mgC m-2(average 585$\pm$110 mgC m-2) and was highest in March and May. The relative contribution of each component to the nano-and microzooplankton showed difference according to seasons. Community structure of nano-and microzooplankton was dominated by planktonic ciliate group. During the study period, carbon biomass of nano-and microzooplankton was strongly positively correlated with size fractionated chlorophylla-a. It implied that prey-predator relationship between microzooplankton and phytoplankton was important in the pelagic ecosystem of Kyeonggi Bay.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.272-286
• /
• 2014

This study was performed to investigate the community structure and health assessment of macrobenthic assemblages in Cheonsu Bay, West Coast of Korea. Total species number was 224 and mean density was $1,940ind./m^2$, both of which were dominated by polychaete worms (111 species and $1,213ind./m^2$). In terms of density, the major dominant species were the bivalve Theora fragilis ($280{\pm}213ind./m^2$), the polychaetes Heteromastus filiformis ($254{\pm}218ind./m^2$), Lumbrineris longifolia ($216{\pm}41ind./m^2$), Mediomastus californiensis ($158{\pm}97ind./m^2$) and the amphipod Eriopisella sechellensis ($167{\pm}100ind./m^2$). As a result of community statistics (cluster analysis and nMDS ordination), the macrobenthic community structure was classified two major groups (inner and mouth of bay) and two stations (station 2 near Ganwol dyke in spring and summer). The Benthic Pollution Index (BPI) and AZTI's Marine Biotic Index (AMBI) were applied to assess the benthic ecological status. During the sampling periods, the BPI Index values varied between 11 (bad status) and 92 (high status). On the other hand, the AMBI Index values was ranged between 1.34 (good status) and 4.39 (poor status). In conclusion, in terms of the mean BPI and AMBI Index values, the ecological status of Cheonsu Bay were moderate status (ecotone stage) and good status, respectively.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.91-108
• /
• 2018

An ecological study on subtidal macrobenthic fauna was conducted from 25 stations in the estuarine area of Wando-Doam Bay, southern coast of Korea during August 2013. A total of 186 species was collected with a mean density of $1,229ind./m^2$ and a mean biomass of $265.7g/m^2$. Polychaetes showed the richest benthic fauna comprising 43% of total fauna, whereas mollusks appeared as density- and biomass-dominant fauna accounted for 45% and 48% of the mean density and biomass, respectively. The number of species and mean faunal density were relatively higher at the stations surrounded by Sinjido, Joyakdo and Gogeumdo showing a gradual decrease toward inner bay stations. Species number and density were negatively correlated with bottom water temperature, but they were positively correlated with both the bottom salinity and DO. The most dominant species in terms of density was a semelid bivalve, Theora fragilis which showed a positive correlation with TOC content of surface sediment and its high density occurred around Gogeum-Sinji-Joyakdo area where dense aquaculture facilities exist. In the bay mouth area, an amphipod species, Eriopisella sechellensis showed its higher density at the stations with low organic content but fine grains. The combination of water temperature, salinity, pH of bottom water, water and sulfur content of the surface sediment could explain 71% of the spatial distribution of macrobenthic fauna from the Bio-Env analysis. From the cluster analysis, the study area consisted of 6 distinct station groups lineated from offshore area toward inner area. Ampharete arctica, Goniada maculata, Eriopisella sechellensis, Theora fragilis, Caprella sp. were identified as the main contributing faunas in classification by the SIMPER analysis. From the value of BPI, the benthic communities at the inner and central Wando-Doam Bay were assessed to be in a normal condition whereas those at the outer Wando harbor and Gogeum-Sinji-Joyakdo area were assessed in a poor or very poor condition due to the high concentration of particulate organic matter might be originated from the nearby dense aquaculture facilities. This study indicated that pristine inner bay has been influenced by the organic material supplied from the outer bay. Thus it is necessary to establish an ecological management plan to reduce organic enrichment of sediment from dense aquaculture facilities in the outer bay.