• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.103-109
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• 1981

In order to determine the dose-response relationship of ethanol on blood pressure and renal function, 2 doses of ethanol were intubated into albino rats. For a direct measurement of arterial blood pressure, a polyethylene catheter(PE 10) was implanted in the abdominal aorta, and the other end of the catheter was pulled out of the back of the neck. The experiment was conducted after the rats recovered from the surgery. After emptying their bladders, the rats were placed in a metabolism cage. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was measured and arterial blood samples were collected through the catheter. Following the collection of the control urine sample, 1 ml of 10 g% (low dose), or 30 g% (high dose) of ethanol/100 g BW was intubated. 1 ml of water/100 g BW was intubated into the control group. MAP and blood samples were taken every hour, and urine samples were collected every 90 min for 3 hours. Blood alcohol concentrations reached a peak at 1 hour (low dose: $105.0{\pm}7.5$, high dose: $214.7{\pm}20.2\;mg%$) and decreased linearly thereafter. Following alcohol ingestion, MAP began to decrease at 15 min and remained at a significantly low level thoughout the 3 hours experimental period(low dose: $112{\pm}2{\rightarrow}102{\pm}4$, high dose: $117{\pm}2{\rightarrow}100{\pm}8\;mmHg$). Urine Flow increased markedly during the first 90 min of ethanol ingestion (low dose: $0.88{\pm}0.20{\rightarrow}1.04{\pm}0.22$, high dose: $0.56{\pm}0.11{\rightarrow}1.35{\pm}0.18\;ml/1.5\;hr$) and decreased during the second 90 min period(low dose: $0.25{\pm}0.06$, high dose: $0.22{\pm}0.06\;ml/1.5\;hr$). Urine flow of the control group decreased gradually during the experiment $(0.88{\pm}0.10{\longrightarrow}0.59{\pm}0.09{\rightarrow}0.45{\pm}0.09\;ml/1.5\;hr)$. These results indicate that the blood-pressure-lowering and diuretic effects of ethanol are dose-related: higher doses of ethanol produce a greater decrease in blood pressure and greater diuresis.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.160-174
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• 2005

Despite the decrease in the number of children due to low birth rate, the domestic children's apparel market has been achieving steady growth as family income is rising thanks to more opportunities for working women, parents spend more on their children, and they prefer brand products that make their children look special. In addition, the market is suffering from hard competition as large enterprises have joined the race. The present study purposed to survey the children's apparel market in Korea, which is in a transitional period, and to contribute to the development of the market with Korean brands. For this purpose, we analyzed the characteristics of children's apparel brands in the 21st century based on the current state of the domestic children's apparel market and, based on the findings, forecasted the future trend of children's apparel brands, suggested improvements for expected problems, proposed standards for coping with changes such as diversification, high quality and differentiation in the children's apparel market, and provided consumers with information on how to purchase products. According to the result of analyzing the characteristics of children's apparel brands in the 21st century, brands are categorized largely into four types - life cultural brands, functional product brands, character brands and brands advancing to China. Life cultural brands equipped with all necessities for children are expanding, and with the deepening social problems of environmental pollution and the reduction of the child population, functional products made of environment-friendly materials are spreading widely, targeting infants and children. Furthermore, for extending age targets and diversifying products, children's apparel is using characters. The use of characters is expected to have a considerable effect on the growth of brands because children are more subjective as consumers than before and they are more easily persuaded with characters. Domestic children's apparel brands advancing to China have a high expectation of success in overcoming the limitation of the local market that has reached its peak and growing into global brands. Korean apparel makers are struggling to overcome the depressed domestic market, to recover consumers' consumption, to cope with market opening, to pursue high value of sensibility and to expand the seniors' market, etc. In this situation, future trends of children's apparel brands will be the expansion of family brands, brand totalization, quality price, niche market (pre-teen market), etc. In response to these trends, we made the following suggestions for improvement. 1. Children's apparel brands are evolving into family brands as well as into total brands through voluming. Today, however, apparel makers are advancing to the children's apparel market with the concept of adults' apparel and, as a result, children's apparel is merely adults' apparel of reduced size, having problems in design, color and materials. Thus, apparel makers must develop design considering the wide range of size and the characteristics of children's apparel, strengthen sourcing abilities to create revenues, and make thorough survey of customers to find common denominators between adults' apparel and children's apparel considering that characteristic that the target class is different from the buyer class. Furthermore, they must make active investments in human resources, develop outstanding products through advanced planning and design, and support marketing techniques and management systems to stores. 2. As the declining birth rate will continue to have a negative effect on the market, it may be difficult to expand the market size but there is still a margin for growth through high-sensibility and high-quality products. The competitiveness of brands is determined by their market shares. Accordingly, concepts should be specialized according to lifestyle, customers' diverse needs should be satisfied, and cross-coordination should be achieved within a brand. 3. Considering Korean parents who do not spare investment in their children despite shrinking consumption, functional products must be high value-added goods that can enhance efficiency. However, in the current situation of the infants' apparel industry where a textile manufacturer supply its products to multiple brands, it is difficult to develop unique products only based on materials. Thus, it is considered urgent to appeal to consumers not by relying on materials only but by finding methods of applying their own characters to children's dress.

• The Journal of Natural Sciences
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• v.1
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• pp.115-198
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• 1987

The present studies were undertaken to elucidate the influence of auxins, auxin-like substance-ethychlozate ("Figaron"),and pH and sort of rooting media on rooted propagation of certainornamental woody plant cuttings, and to see possible changes in internal compositions characterizing after root-promoting treatment as the cutting stage proceeded. The experimental check-up srevealed and summarized as seen in the following;I. Effect of three different auxin treatments on rooting cuttings: 1) Promotive influence of auxin varied according to different concentration levels, hours of dipping treatment of the auxins, and kind of plants. The greatest effect was obtained for Forsythia ksreana with NAA and IBA, for Ligustrurn obtusifolium var. variegatum with NAA and ethychlozate, for Hydrangea macrophylla, Magnolia kobus, and Magnolia liliflora with NAA, lBA and ethychlozate also. The most effective level of the promotive agents was found 200mg/l for NAA, 1000mg/l for IBA, and 200mg/l for ethychlozate. For Weigela florida and Gardenia jasminoides, range of the most effective level was shown relatively wide spread. 2) NAA was more effective at its optimal level of the rooting agent than ethychiozate for Weigela florida, Viburnum awabuki, Forsythia koreana, Acer palmatum 'Nomura', Bouga invillea glabra, Elaeagnus umbellata, Prunus tomentosa, Ligustrum obtusifolium, Pyracantha coccinea, Cestrum noctu rnum, Hydrangea macrophylla, Codiaeum variegatum, Rhododen dron lateritium, and Ilex crenata var. macrophylla, and yet ethychlozate was found either as equally as effective or more so than NAA for Zebrina pendula, Hibiscus syriacus, Fatshedera lizei, Schefflera arboricola, Campsis grandiflo ra, Ixora chinensis, Euonymus japonica, and Magnolia liliflora. On the contrary, no the auxin effect was noted with Lagerstroemia indica, Trachelospermum asiaticum, and Syringa vulgaris. This probably indicates that these species are genetically different for the auxin response.II. Effect of different pH and sorts of cutting media on rooting cuttings: 1) Bougainvillea showed best in rooting for the number and dry weight at pH 6.5, more with ethychlozate than NAA, while Ligustrum did at pH 5.0 more with NAA than ethychlozate. pH 4.0 medium resulted in the best rooting for Rhododendron with NAA, more than ethychlozate. 2) Use of cutting medium with peat: perlite: vermiculite = 1:1:1 showed to give the greatest rooting percent and dry weight, apart from considering the number of roots. This apparently meant the fact that cutting medium has more to do with root growth than root differentiation. Rhododendron yet showed results with cutting media that use of peat: perlite = 2:1 mixed is more effective on rooting than using peat alone.III. Effect of auxinic treatments on rooting cuttings and change in some cutting compositions: 1) Under the climatic conditions of July having temperature $26.3\pm$$2.4^{\circ}C$for cutting bed, new roots of Magnolia started to show up generally 20 days after the cutting was made, whereas Cestrum did much earlier than that, namely 14 days after. 2) Although total carbohydrate content of Magnolia cuttings showed no marked change without auxin treatment, it did so with the treatment, especially 30 days after the start of cutting. Cestrum cuttings demonstrated a gradual in crease in total carbohydrate content as rooting took place, and the content became reduced more with auxin than with out, just about when rooting proceeded to 14 days after the start of cutting. 3) Magnolia generally showed an increase in total nitrogen content as rooting proceeded more, and Cestrum showed a decrease in total nitrogen of cuttings. The auxin treatment exhibited no pertinent relation with change in plant nitro gen when rooting is promoted with auxin treatment. 4) An abrupt drop of total sugar and reducing sugar was noticed as Magnolia rooting started, and this reduction was parti cularly outstanding with auxin treatment. Starch content also was decreased in the later stage of cutting with auxin treatment, and was rather increased without auxin. Although sugar content soon increased as cutting started with auxin treatment in the case of Cestrum, it became reduced after rooting took place. 5) Total phenol content increased with rooting, and this was especially true when rooting started. This increase was reversed somehow regardless of auxin treatment. A decrease in phenol of Magnolia was found more striking with auxin than without in the later stage of the cutting period. 6)Avena coleoptile test for auxin-like substances presented the physiologically active factor is more in easy-to-root Magnolia liliflora than hard-to-root Magnolia kobus, and the activity of auxin-like substances was much increased with auxin treatment. The increase in the growth promoting substances was markedly pronounced when rooting just started. The active growth substances decreased in the later stage of cutting, and certain inhibitory substances started appearing. Cestrum also showed physiologically similar growth promoting substances accompanying auxin-like active substances if auxin is treated, and some strong inhibitory substances seemed to appear in the later stage of cutting. 7) Mung-bean-rooting test indicated biologically that endogenous growth substances in Magnolia all promoted mung-bean rooting, and activity of the growth substances apparently stimulated mung-bean rooting with auxin more than without. Here auxin treatment seemed to give a rise to an increased activity of endogenous growth substances in cuttings. This activity was found much greater with either NAA or IBA than ethychlozate, and showed its peak of the activity when rooting first started taking place. Certain inhibitory substances for Avena coleoptile growth strongly promoted mung-bean rooting, and it was also much like in the case of Cestrum.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.208-220
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• 2019

The seasonality of leaf fall has important implications for understanding the response of trees' phenology to climate change. In this study, we quantified the leaf fall pattern with a model to estimate the timing and speed of leaf litter according to species and considered the nutrient use strategy of canopy species. In the autumns of 2015 and 2016, leaf litter was collected periodically using 36 litter-traps from the deciduous forests in Gwangneung and sorted by species. The seasonal leaf fall pattern was estimated using the non-linear regression model of Dixon. Additionally, the resorption rate was calculated by analyzing the nitrogen concentration of the leaf litter at each collection time. The leaf litter generally began in early October and ended in mid-November depending on the species. At the peak time (T50) of leaf fall, on average, Carpinus laxiflora was first, and Quercus serrata was last. The rate of leaf fall was fastest (18.6 days) for Sorbus alnifolia in 2016 and slowest (40.8 days) for C. cordata in 2015. The nitrogen resorption rates at T50 were 0.45% for Q. serrata and 0.48% for C. laxiflora, and the resorption rate in 2015 with less precipitation was higher than in 2016. Since falling of leaf litter is affected by environmental factors such as temperature, precipitation, photoperiod, and $CO_2$ during the period attached foliage, the leaf fall pattern and nitrogen resorption differed year by year depending on the species. If we quantify the fall phenomena of deciduous trees and analyze them according to various conditions, we can predict whether the changes in leaf fall timing and speed due to climate change will prolong or shorten the growth period of trees. In addition, it may be possible to consider how this affects their nutrient use strategy.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.481-492
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• 2019

The Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has held "Travel Week" since 2014 to encourage the people to take a vacation and disperse the seasonal tourism demand that is concentrated in summer in Korea. As part of the program, the Korea National Park Service has also operated the participatory lowland exploration program that offers nature-themed attractions and enjoyment in national parks across the country during the "Travel Week" since 2018. The purpose of this study was to investigate the satisfaction with the program and intention to participate again of participants in the "National Park Spring Week Program" which is held in national parks during the "Travel Week." We conducted a self-report survey of 1,281 participants in the "2019 National Park Spring Week Program" held in 18 national parks across the country. The analysis of responses on the difference in the participants' satisfaction and intention to participate again according to the awareness in advance of the "2019 National Park Spring Week Program" showed that the average satisfaction and intentional to participate again of those who were aware of the program before visiting national parks were statistically significantly higher than those who were not. As for the type of national parks, those who participated in "maritime and coastal national parks" and "historical national parks" showed the statistically significantly higher satisfaction and intention to participate again than those who participated in "urban national parks." As for the type of the programs, those who participated in "cultural performance" and "exploration experience" showed the statistically significantly higher satisfaction than those who participated in "exhibition," "PR booth," and "campaign." Those who participated in "cultural performance" and "exploration experience" showed the statistically significantly higher intention to participate again than those who participated in "exhibition" and "PR booth." This study is expected to provide basic data for establishing a policy to improve exploration services in response to the increasing number of visitors to national parks in spring and fall as well as the peak season of summer.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.601-610
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• 2022

P. tenebrifer (PT) belongs to the Diptera order and Stratiomyidae family. Recently, insect industry have been focused as food, animal feed and environmental advantages. γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and melatonin have been associated with regulating sleep and depression. GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter and is synthesized via biotransformation of monosodium glutamate (MSG) to GABA by lactic acid bacteria. In this study, we first used a GABA-enhanced PT extract, wherein GABA was enhanced by feeding MSG to PT. The underlying mechanisms preventing stress and insomnia were investigated in a corticosterone (CORT)-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and chronic restraint stress (CRS)-exposed mouse model, as well as in pentobarbital (45 mg/kg)-induced sleep behaviors in mice. In the present study, the GABA peak was detected in high-performance liquid chromatography-evaporative light scattering detector (HPLC-ELSD) analysis and showed in Ptecticus tenebrifer water extract (PTW) but not in non-PTW extract. The results showed that PTW and Ptecticus tenebrifer with 70% ethanol extract (PTE) exerted neuroprotective effects by protecting against CORT-induced downregulation of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) expression. In addition, PTW (300 mg/kg) significantly reduced CORT levels in CRS-exposed mice. Furthermore, PTW (100 and 300 mg/kg) significantly reduced sleep latency and increased total sleep duration in pentobarbital (45 mg/kg)-induced sleeping behaviors, which was related to serum melatonin levels. In conclusion, our results suggest that PTW exerts anti-stress and sleep-enhancing effects by regulating serum CORT and melatonin levels.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.52-61
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• 2013

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of pergola's shading on the thermal comfort index in the summer. The 3 type of pergolas($4m{\times}4m{\times}h2.7m$) which were screened overhead(I)/overhead west(II)/overhead west north(III) plane with reed blind for summer shading and winter wind break, were constructed on the 4th floor rooftop. Thereafter the meteorological variables(air temperature, humidity, radiation, and wind speed) of pergola I, III and rooftop were measured from 14 to 16 August 2013(1st experiment), those of pergola I, II and rooftop were measured from 26 to 28 August 2013(2nd experiment). The effects of pergola's shading on the radiation environment and mean radiant temperature($T_{mrt}$), standard effective temperature($SET^*$) were as follows. The maximum 1 h mean values of differences ${\Delta}$ of the sums of shortwave radiant flux densities absorbed by the human body (${\Delta}K_{abs,max}$) between pergola I, III and nearby sunny rooftop were $-119W/m^2$, $-158W/m^2$, those between pergola I, II and rooftop were $-145W/m^2$, $-159W/m^2$. The maximum 1 h mean values of differences ${\Delta}$ of the sums of long wave radiant flux densities absorbed by the human body (${\Delta}L_{abs,max}$) between pergola I, III and nearby sunny rooftop, were $-15W/m^2$, $-17W/m^2$, those between pergola I, II and nearby rooftop, were $-8W/m^2$, $-7W/m^2$. The response of the direction dependent long wave radiant flux densities $L_1$ on the pergola's shading turned out to be distinctly weaker as compared to shortwave radiant flux densities $K_1$. The pergola's shading leads to a lowering of $T_{mrt}$ and $SET^*$. The peak values of $T_{mrt}$ absorbed by the human body were decreased $16^{\circ}C$ and $21.4^{\circ}C$ under pergola I and III as compared to that of nearby rooftop in the 1st experiment. Those were decreased $18.8^{\circ}C$ and $20.8^{\circ}C$ under pergola I and II as compared to that of nearby rooftop in the 2nd experiment. The peak values of $SET^*$ absorbed by the human body were decreased $2.9^{\circ}C$ and $2.6^{\circ}C$ under pergola I and III as compared to that of nearby rooftop in the 1st experiment. Those were decreased $3.5^{\circ}C$ and $2.6^{\circ}C$ under pergola I and II as compared to that of nearby rooftop in the 2nd experiment. The relative $SET^*$ decrease in pergola II, III compared to nearby sunny rooftop $SET^*$ were lower than that in pergola I, revealing the influence of the wind speed. Therefore it is essential to design pergola to maximize wind speed and minimize solar radiation to achieve comfort in the hot summer. The $SET^*$ under pergola I, III were exceeded $28.7^{\circ}C$ and $30.4^{\circ}C$ which were the upper limit of thermal comfort and tolerable zone during all most daytimes in the 1st experiment(maximum air temperature $37.5^{\circ}C$). The $SET^*$ under pergola I was exceeded $28.7^{\circ}C$ which was the upper limit of thermal comfort zone at 13h, that under pergola II was exceeded $28.7^{\circ}C$ from 8h to 14h, meanwhile the $SET^*$ under pergola I, II were within thermal tolerable zone during most daytimes in the 2nd experiment(maximum air temperature $34.4^{\circ}C$). Therefore to ensure the thermal comfort of pergola for summer hottest days, pergola should be shaded with not only reed blind but also climbing and shade plants. $T_{mrt}$ and $SET^*$ were suitable index for the evaluation of pergola's shading effects and outdoors.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.299-311
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• 1995

Platelets resemble monoaminergic neurons in several respects, i.e. the uptake of 5-HT and its inhibition, the subcellular storage and release of 5-HT, and the metabolism of aromatic amines brought about by monoamine oxidase. And the 5-HT content of rabbit platelets is well known to be about 40 times higher than that of human platelets. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the influences of amitriptyline (AMT) and sertraline (SRT) on the aggregation, contents of signaling second messengers, and protein phosphorylations of rabbit platelets in response to thrombin, 0.25 unit/ml, comparing with those of chlorpromazine (CPZ). Thrombin-induced aggregation was inhibited by SRT $(IC50:4.37{\times}10^{-5}\;M)$, CPZ $(IC50:5.76{\times}10^{-5}\;M)$, and AMT $(IC50:1.15{\times}10^{-4}\;M)$, respectively, and the aggregation by A23187 $(1.0\;{\mu}M)$ or PMA (320 nM) was also inhibited by SRT, CPZ, and AMT. AMT, SRT, and CPZ had little affects on basal contents of platelet $TXB_2$ and $PGE_2$, but all of them inhibited the thrombin-induced increase of $TXB_2$. Thrombin did not change the platelet contents of cAMP and cGMP. CPZ, AMT, and SRT produced the slight decrease of basal cAMP content, and their effects were not affected by thrombin-treatment. But SRT and AMT moderately increased the basal cGMP content, and the cGMP content of thrombin-stimulated platelets was gradually increased by the pretreatment with SRT, AMT, and CPZ. Particularly, the SRT-dependent increase of the cGMP content was notable. Platelet $Ins(1,4,5)P_3$ content was rapidly increased up to a plateau within 10 sec after thrombin-stimulation, AMT, SRT, and CPZ increased the basal $Ins(1,4,5)P_3$ content, and the thrombin-dependent increase was enhanced by pretreatment with CPZ and AMT, but was blunted by SRT. Platelet $[Ca^{2+}]_i$, was rapidly increased up to a peak level within 20 sec after thrombin-stimulation. The increase of $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ was sisnificantly inhibited by AMT, SRT, and CPZ. Thrombin- or PMA-induced phosphorylations of platelet $41{\sim}43\;kDa$ and 20 kDa proteins were significantly inhibited by AMT, SRT, and CPZ. These results suggest that the antiplatelet activities of AMT and CPZ may be considerably attributed to the inhibition of protein kinase C activity, and the activity of SRT may be associated with the inhibitory effect on the thrombin-induced increase of $Ins(1,4,5)P_3$ and the increasing effect on the cGMP content of ptatelets. Therefore, it seems to be evident that AMT and SRT may produce their antidepressant activity, at least, partly through the inhibition of protein kinase C activity or the increase of resting $Ins(1,4,5)P_3$, content and in case of SRT, to a lesser extent, via the increase of cGMP in the brain.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.428-438
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• 1995

The gelatinization properties of corn and waxy corn starch doughs were examined at various moisture contents, heating temperatures and heating times. The onset temperatures of gelatinization with 1% CMC using Brabender Amylograph were $64^{\circ}C$ for both corn and waxy corn starch. In the gelatinization properties using DSC, onset temperature$(T_o)$, maximum peak temperature$(T_p)$, completion temperature$(T_c)$ and enthalpy of the corn starch were $68.15^{\circ}C,\;74.01^{\circ}C,\;85.65^{\circ}C$ and $3.2\;cal/gram$ respectively. While those of the waxy corn starch were $68.24^{\circ}C,\;75.43^{\circ}C,\;93^{\circ}C$ and $4.2\;cal/gram$ respectively. In enzymatic analysis, when the moisture content increased from 36% to 52% and heating temperature from $60^{\circ}C$ to $100^{\circ}C$, the gelatinization degree of starch dough increased from about 10% to about 62%. The gelatinization degree of waxy corn starch dough was $15{\sim}20%$ higher than that of corn starch dough under the same gelatinization conditions. The regression equations of gelatinization degree (Y) of starch dough in the range of $36{\sim}52%$ moisture content $(X_1)\;60{\sim}100^{\circ}C$ heating temperature $(X_2)\;and\;0{\sim}2.0$ min heating time $(X_3)$ were examined using response surface analysis. The regression equation of corn starch dough was: $Y=28.659+8.638\;X_}+15.675\;X_2+7.770\;X_3-1.620\;{X_1}^2+10.790\;X_1X_2-4.220\;{X_2}^2+0.510\;X_1X_3+1.980\;X_2X_3-6.850\;{X_3}^2\;(R^2=0.9714)$ and that of waxy corn starch dough was: $Y=32.617+12.535\;X_1+20.470\;X_2+8.608\;X_3+4.093\;{X_1}^2+13.550\;X_1X_2-4.467\;{X_2}^2+1.560\;X_1X_3+2.160\;X_2X_3-9.527\;{X_3}^2$\;(R^2=0.9621)$. As the moisture content, heating temperature and heating time increased, the reaction rate constant(k) of gelatinization increased. The greatest reaction rate constant was observed at initial 0.5 min heating time of 1st gelatinization stage. At the heating temperature of $90^{\circ}C$, gelatinization of starch dough was completed almost in the initial 0.5 min heating time. The reaction rate constant of waxy corn starch dough was higher than that of corn starch dough under the same gelatinization conditions. At the 52% moisture content, the regression equation between reaction rate constant(k) and heating temperature(T) for corn starch dough was $log\;k=11.1140-4.1226{\times}10^3(1/T)$ (r=-0.9520) and that of waxy corn starch dough was $log\;k=10.1195-3.7090{\times}10^3(1/T)$ (r=-0.9064).

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.58 no.5
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• pp.498-506
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• 2005

Background : This study compared the bronchodilator efficacy and safety of tiotropium inhalation capsules ($18{\mu}g$ once daily) with a ipratropium metered dose inhaler (2 puffs of $20{\mu}g$ q.i.d.) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Method : After the initial screening assessment and a two-week run-in period, patients received either tiotropium $18{\mu}g$ once daily or ipratropium $40{\mu}g$ four times daily over a period of 4 weeks in a double blind, double dummy, parallel group study. The outcome measures were the lung function, the daily records of the peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), the patients' questionnaire, and the use of concomitant salbutamol. The forced expiratory volume in one second ($FEV_1$) and the forced vital capacity (FVC) were measured 5 minutes before inhalation, and 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 hours after inhaling the study drug on days 0, 14 and 28. Result : In 16 centers, 134 patients with a mean (SD) age of 66 (7) years and a predicted $FEV_1$ of 42 (12)% were analyzed. The trough $FEV_1$ response was significantly higher in the tiotropium group than in the ipratropium group after a four-week treatment period. The weekly mean morning PEFR of the tiotropium group was consistently higher than that of the ipratropium group during the 4-week treatment period with differences ranging from 12.52 to 13.88 l/min, which were statistically significant. Tiotropium was well tolerated by the COPD patients during the 4-week treatment period and had a similar safety profile to ipratropium. Conclusion : This study shows that tiotropium administrated once daily has a superior bronchodilator effect with a similar safety profile in treating COPD patients compared with ipratropium, inhaled four times daily.