• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.302-309
• /
• 2019

BACKGOURND/OBJECTIVES: Vascular inflammation is an important feature in the atherosclerotic process. Recent studies report that leaves and branches of Carpinus turczaninowii (C. turczaninowii) have antioxidant capacity and exert anti-inflammatory effects. However, no study has reported the regulatory effect of C. turczaninowii extract on the arterial inflammatory response. This study therefore investigated modulation of the arterial inflammatory response after exposure to C. turczaninowii extract, using human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (HAoSMCs). MATERIALS/METHODS: Scavenging activity of free radicals, total phenolic content (TPC), cell viability, mRNA expressions, and secreted levels of cytokines were measured in LPS-stimulated (10 ng/mL) HAoSMCs treated with the C. turczaninowii extract. RESULTS: C. turczaninowii extract contains high amounts of TPC ($225.6{\pm}21.0mg$ of gallic acid equivalents/g of the extract), as well as exerts time-and dose-dependent increases in strongly scavenged free radicals (average $14.8{\pm}1.97{\mu}g/mL$ $IC_{50}$ at 40 min). Cell viabilities after exposure to the extracts (1 and $10{\mu}g/mL$) were similar to the viability of non-treated cells. Cytokine mRNA expressions were significantly suppressed by the extracts (1 and $10{\mu}g/mL$) at 6 hours (h) after exposure. Interleukin-6 secretion was dose-dependently suppressed 2 h after incubation with the extract, at $1-10{\mu}g/mL$ in non-stimulated cells, and at 5 and $10{\mu}g/mL$ in LPS-stimulated cells. Similar patterns were also observed at 24 h after incubation with the extract (at $1-10{\mu}g/mL$ in non-stimulated cells, and at $10{\mu}g/mL$ in the LPS-stimulated cells). Soluble intracellular vascular adhesion molecules (sICAM-1) secreted from non-stimulated cells and LPS-stimulated cells were similarly suppressed in a dose-dependent manner after 24 h exposure to the extracts, but not after 2 h. In addition, sICAM-1 concentration after 24 h treatment was positively related to IL-6 levels after 2 h and 24 h exposure (r = 0.418, P = 0.003, and r = 0.524, P < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that C. turczaninowii modulates the arterial inflammatory response, and indicates the potential to be applied as a therapeutic use for atherosclerosis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.81-86
• /
• 2021

Background and Objectives Therapies have been reported to treat the glottal gap previously. However, these voice therapies showed the limits because many techniques focused only on one among breathing, resonance and phonation. In addition patients often have difficulties visiting hospital frequently. 'Gliding and humming' is vocal training technique that readjusts total vocal patterns such as breathing, resonance and phonation. This technique can be easily applied during short term sessions. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of voice therapy with 'gliding and humming' for patients with glottic gap during short-term treatment sessions. Materials and Method Twenty-three patients with glottal gap were selected. Of all patients, 14 patients had sulcus vocalis and 12 patients had muscle tension dysphonia (MTD). Voice therapies were performed 1.9 sessions in average. GRBAS, jitter, shimmer, noise to harmonic ratio, semitone range, closed quotient_vowel and maximum phonation time were compared before and after the therapies. In addition, changes of glottal gap and MTD severity were evaluated. Results Statistically significant improvement was observed. MTD improvement was observed only among the patients with glottal gap improvement. Also sulcus vocalis group showed the statistically significant improvement. Conclusion 'Gliding and humming' was effective to the patients with glottic gap and sulcus vocalis. Also, among patients who have both glottic gap and MTD, the data suggests that voice therapy for glottic gap also makes improvement in MTD.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.72-78
• /
• 2005

Objectives : This study is to investigate the clinical characteristics of psychiatric consultation for children and adolescents in a general hospital. Methods : Hospital records of 302 children and adolescents who were referred for psychiatric consultation in a general hospital over 4 years were reviewed and analyzed. Results : The mean referral rate for psychiatric consultation for school age children and adolescents was $2.15\%$. While more girls were referred in middle and high school age group, more boys were referred in pre-school age group. Fifty percent of the consultation was requested from department of internal medicine and pediatrics. Main reason for requesting psychiatric consultation was fur the assessment of the patients from psychiatric point of view $(31.1\%)$, followed by the management of depression $(11.6\%)$ and anxiety $(11.3\%)$. Most frequently rendered psychiatric services for the treatment was psychosocial education and supportive therapy $(21.2\%)$. Conclusion : There are differences in clinical nature of psychiatric consultation and referral patterns between adult patients and child and adolescent patients. Future research is needed to strengthen the services for child and adolescent psychiatric consultation.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.234-241
• /
• 2007

Biological amendments consisting of suspensions of selected microorganisms are often used in conjunction with various organic materials for amending soils to improve soil quality and plant growth. The effects of the biological amendment on chemical and biological properties of soil were investigated for a biological amendmentalone and when combined with different organic materials includingmunicipal compost (MC), poultry litter (PL), and cover crops (red clover (RC) and spring oats). A liquid preparation of a biological amendment called Effective Microorganisms was sprayed on the tested plots three times over a two-year period. Effective Microorganisms alone did not influence pH, K, or organic matter content in soil. However, increases in P in PL-treated soils in fall of both years andCa in MC-treated soil in fall 2001, and decreases in Ca, Mg, and cation exchange capacity (CEC) in RC-planted soil were associated with EM. Increased dehydrogenase(DH) activitiesassociated with Effective Microorganismswere only detected in July (P=0.0222) and October (P=0.0834) for RC-planted soils in the first year. Fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolysisappeared to be enhanced by Effective Microorganisms in soils untreated or treated with MC and oatsbut only sporadically during the sampling period. FDA hydrolysis in both PL- and RC-treated soils as well as DH activity in PL-treated soils decreased with Effective Microorganisms treatment. Effective Microorganisms did not influence substrate utilization patterns expressed by the BIOLOG assay. We conclude that Effective Microorganisms effects on soil chemical and biological properties varied depending on the added organic materials. Effective Microorganisms periodically increased soil DH activity and FDA hydrolysis with RC and with MC plus oats, respectively.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.19
• /
• pp.8069-8073
• /
• 2014

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequent cancers worldwide, with a high mortality. Most patients present with late stage disease, when the treatment options are limited to systemic chemotherapy. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the significance of p53 and EGFR expression in HCC, and to determine whether these two markers correlate with conventional parameters of prognosis. Materials and Methods: Our study included a total of 45 patients, diagnosed histopathologically with HCC. Clinicopathological data including sex, age, tumor necrosis, tumor size, histologic grading, tumor stage, the presence of cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis, were recorded from the Institute database. Three independent microscopic fields were selected for each sample and all the tumor cells within each microscopic field were counted, and then the positive percent of p53 cells were calculated. Three staining patterns were recognized: diffuse, heterogenous and focal. The intensity of EGFR staining was scored on a scale of 0-3+: 0 no staining; 1+ when a weak membrane staining was observed; 2+ when membrane staining is more intense than in 1+, but less than 3+, and 3+ when intense dark brown staining delineated the membrane. To determine the relationship between EGFR expression and p53, we performed double staining in the same HCC specimens. Results: By immunohistochemical staining, p53 protein was detected in tumor cell nuclei in 20 HCCs (44%). We found a significant correlation between the intensity of p53 expression and the histological grade (p=0.008). EGFR expression was detected in 17 (38%) cases, linked to histological grade (p=0.039). Moreover, the intensity of p53 expression was significantly correlated with EGFR intensity (p=0.014). Conclusions: Our results suggest that overexpression of p53 and EGFR plays an important role in hepatocarcinogenesis and contributes to more advanced disease. These markers are not only valuable predictors of prognosis in HCC, but they are also rational targets for new anti-tumor strategies.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.603-608
• /
• 2016

Background: The investigation of mutation patterns in oncogenes potentially can make available a reliable mechanism for management and treatment decisions for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). This study concerns the rate of KRAS and BRAF genes mutations in Iranian metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients, as well as associations of genotypes with clinicopathological features. Materials and Methods: A total of 1,000 mCRC specimens collected from 2008 to 2012 that referred to the Mehr Hospital and Partolab center, Tehran, Iran enrolled in this cross sectional study. Using HRM, Dxs Therascreen and Pyrosequencing methods, we analyzed the mutational status of KRAS and BRAF genes in these. Results: KRAS mutations were present in 33.6% cases (n=336). Of KRAS mutation positive cases, 85.1% were in codon 12 and 14.9% were in codon 13. The most frequent mutation at KRAS codon 12 was Gly12Asp; BRAF mutations were not found in any mCRC patients (n=242). In addition, we observed a strong correlation of KRAS mutations with some clinicopathological characteristics. Conclusions: KRAS mutations are frequent in mCRCs while presence of BRAF mutations in these patients is rare. Moreover, associations of KRAS genotypes with non-mucinous adenocarcinoma and depth of invasion (pT3) were remarkable.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.44 no.6
• /
• pp.888-895
• /
• 2015

For effective utilization of butter clam shell as a natural calcium resource, the optimal conditions for preparation of calcium acetate (BCCA) with high solubility were determined using response surface methodology (RSM). The polynomial models developed by RSM for pH, solubility, and yield were highly effective in describing the relationships between factors (P<0.05). Increased molar ratio of calcined powder (BCCP) from butter clam shell led to reduction of solubility, yield, color values, and overall quality. Critical values of multiple response optimization to independent variables were 2.70 M and 1.05 M for acetic acid and BCCP, respectively. The actual values (pH 7.04, 93.0% for solubility and 267.5% for yield) under optimization conditions were similar to predicted values. White indices of BCCAs were in the range of 89.7~93.3. Therefore, color value was improved by calcination and organic acid treatment. Buffering capacity of BCCAs was strong at pH 4.88 to 4.92 upon addition of ~2 mL of 1 N HCl. Calcium content and solubility of BCCAs were 20.7~22.8 g/100 g and 97.2~99.6%, respectively. The patterns of fourier transform infrared spectrometer and X-ray diffractometer analyses from BCCA were identified as calcium acetate monohydrate, and microstructure by field emission scanning electron microscope showed an irregular form.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.335-343
• /
• 2022

BACKGROUND: Antibiotics used in animal husbandry for disease prevention and treatment have resulted in the rapid progression of antibiotic resistant bacteria which can be introduced into the environment through livestock feces/manure, disseminating antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs). In this study, fecal samples were collected from the livestock farms located in Jeju Island to investigate the relationship between microbial communities and ARGs. METHODS AND RESULTS: Illumina MiSeq sequencing was applied to characterize microbial communities within each fecal sample. Using quantitative PCR (qPCR), ten ARGs encoding tetracycline resistance (tetB, tetM), sulfonamide resistance (sul1, sul2), fluoroquinolone resistance (qnrD, qnrS), fluoroquinolone and aminoglycoside resistance (aac(6')-Ib), beta-lactam resistance (bla_TEM, bla_CTX-M), macrolide resistance (ermC), a class 1 integronsintegrase gene (intI1), and a class 2 integrons-integrase gene (intI2) were quantified. The results showed that Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were dominant in human, cow, horse, and pig groups, while Firmicutes and Actinobacteria were dominant in chicken group. Among ARGs, tetM was detected with the highest number of copies, followed by sul1 and sul2. Most of the genera belonging to Firmicutes showed positive correlations with ARGs and integron genes. There were 97, 34, 31, 25, and 22 genera in chicken, cow, pig, human, and horse respectively which showed positive correlations with ARGs and integron genes. In network analysis, we identified diversity of microbial communities which correlated with ARGs and integron genes. CONCLUSION(S): In this study, antibiotic resistance patterns in human and livestock fecal samples were identified. The abundance of ARGs and integron genes detected in the samples were associated with the amount of antibiotics commonly used for human and livestocks. We found diverse microbial communities associated with antibiotics resistance genes in different hosts, suggesting that antibiotics resistance can disseminate across environments through various routes. Identifying the routes of ARG dissemination in the environment would be the first step to overcome the challenge of antibiotic resistance in the future.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.867-881
• /
• 1998

The studies were carried out to investigate the phygiological changes in deep hypothermia in rabbits. Sixty rabbits were continuously cooled with femoral arterio-venous bypass circulation to rectal temperatures of $34.0{\pm}0.3^{\circ}C$(mild hypothermia), $30.0{\pm}0.3^{\circ}C$(moderate hypothermia), and $25.0{\pm}0.3^{\circ}C$(deep hypothermia). The results obtained in these experiments were summarized as follows : In mild, moderate, and deep hypothermia, MAP, HR, RR, pH, $pCO_2$, $pO_2$, $Na^+$, $K^+$, HCT, PLT, glucose, L-lactate, BUN, and creatinine were analyzed. During hypothermia, a statistically significant decrease of MAP occurred between $30^{\circ}C$ and early $25^{\circ}C$(Start) of rectal temperature while significant increases occurred between baseline($38.7^{\circ}C$) and $30^{\circ}C$. Significant decreases of HR and RR were observed in the rabbits, particularly those changes appeared to similar patterns in proportion to hypothermia. Significant decreases of pH occurred between $34^{\circ}C$ and $25^{\circ}C$, and significant increases of $pO_2$ and $pCO_2$ were observed continuously in the hypothermic rabbits. The hypothermia had no significant effect on blood $Na^+$ and serum creatinine. Blood $K^+$ significantly decreased from $3.1{\pm}0.5$(baseline) to $2.6{\pm}0.6mmol/l$($34^{\circ}C$) with the hypothermia for about 30 minutes, and significantly increased from $2.4{\pm}0.6$($25^{\circ}C$(S)) to $2.7{\pm}0.5mmol/l$($25^{\circ}C$(E)) with the hypothermia for 2 hrs. HCT significantly increased to $34^{\circ}C$, thereafter, continuously increased to $25^{\circ}C$(Start, End). PLT increased to $34^{\circ}C$, thereafter, continuously decreased to $25^{\circ}C$(Start, End). Also PLT decreased significantly from 414.3($30^{\circ}C$) to $308.8{\times}103/mm^3$($25^{\circ}C$, Start). Significant increases of blood glucose and L-lactate occurred between $30^{\circ}C$ and $25^{\circ}C$ (Start, End). Slight increase of serum BUN continuously appeared with the hypothermia. These results, such as characteristic changes of the significant decrease of pH and PLT at $34^{\circ}C$, the significant decrease of MAP at $30^{\circ}C$, and the significant increase of glucose and l-lactate at $30^{\circ}C$, suggest that homeostasis of rabbits to hypothermia rapidly decreases at $34{\sim}30^{\circ}C$ of rectal temperature. Therefore, we suggest that, during the period with the rapidly decreased homeostasis, the very carefully control and treatment need to recover hypothermic animals under the circumstances of the various hypothermic experiments and emergency medicine.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
• /
• v.4 no.3
• /
• pp.109-117
• /
• 2001

Objective : There has been no known report on the pain shock after administering Korean bee-venom therapy. Three accounts of pain shock were observed at the Sangji university affiliated Oriental medicine clinic from July 2001 through September 2001. This thesis will inform clinical progression and cautions on administering Korean bee-venom therapy. Methods: We were able to witness different patterns of pain shock during the treatment of degenerative knee joint, progressive oral paralysis, and A.L.S. In order to reduce heat toxicity of the bee venom, needling points were first massaged with the ice for 10 minutes before injecting $0.1{\sim}0.2cc$ of the bee venom. Points of injection were ST36, LI11, LI4 and others. Pain shock occurred after injecting on inner xi-an, outer xi-an and LI4. The phenomena associated with pain shock was recorded in chronological order and local changes were examined. Results: Through examining 3 patients with the pain shock, we managed to observe clinical progression, duration, and time linked changes on specific regions. We also managed to determine sensitive needling points for the pain shock. Conclution: Following results were obtained from 3 patients with the pain shock caused by Korean bee-venom therapy from July 2001 to September 2001. 1. Either positive or negative responses were shown after the pain shock. For case 1, extreme pain was accompanied with muscular convulsion and tremble, ocular hyperemia, delirium, stiffening of extremities, and hyper ventilation which all suggest positive responses. For case 2 and 3, extreme pain was accompanied with facial sweating, asthenia of extremities, pallor face, dizziness, weak voice, and sleepiness which are the signs of negative responses. 2. The time required to recover to stable state took nearly an hour (including sleeping time) and there was no side effect. 3. Precautions required to prevent the pain shock includes full concentration from the practitioner, accurate point location, precise amount of injection, physiological condition and psychological stability of the patient 4. Coping with the pain shock should be similar with a needle shock, and since extreme pain is accompanied, sufficient psychological rest must be provided. 5. Pain shock occurs because the patient cannot tolerate stimulation on the needling point. Thus, symptoms were similar to the needle shock in addition to excruciating pain. Further investigation and research must be done to have better understanding of an immune response and the pain shock associated with Korean bee-venom therapy.