• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.7
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• pp.622-628
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• 2007

Purpose : While pediatric observation units (POU) have become a common practice in hospitals throughout developed countries, there has been no report about POUs in Korea so far. The aims of this study were to analyze our one-year's experience of the POU and to decide which disease entities are suitable for the POU. Methods : All children admitted from March 2006 to February 2007 to the POU at the Department of Pediatrics in Our Lady of Mercy Hospital were included in this study. Data were collected from retrospective reviews of their medical records. Results : There were a total of 1,076 POU admissions. Median age of patients was 2.4 years and median length of hospital stay 14.0 hours. The most common diagnoses were gastroenteritis (42.7%), pharyngotonsillitis (19.1%), bronchiolitis (7.8%), pneumonia (5.5%) and febrile seizure (5.2%). Overall, 7.5% of the POU patients required subsequent inpatient admissions due to hospital stays of longer than 48 hours. The disease entities that were most likely to require inpatient admission were pneumonia (17.0%), febrile seizure (12.5%) and asthma (11.5%). Diseases that allowed successful discharge from the POU were gastroenteritis (4.6%), upper respiratory tract infection (5.8%), such as otitis media and pharygnotonsillitis and seizure disorder (6.4%). Compared with the previous year when the POU was not in operation, there was a statistically significant reduction in the average length of hospital stays (from 4.69 to 3.75 days), as well as a rise in the bed turnover rate (from 78.8 to 98.2 patients/bed). Conclusion : Our study shows that the POU is efficient for the management of children with certain acute illnesses. Based on this study, we suggest that the POU be used as a new modality which links between the outpatient, inpatient, and emergency departments in the field of pediatrics in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.138-152
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• 2014

The objective of the study survey was to determine the effect of marine sand extraction on community composition and rate of recolonization of the meiobenthos following cessation of mining activities. Because of meiobenthic distribution in nature, high abundance, intimate association with sediments, fast reproduction, benthic larva period, sensitivity to pollution and rapid life histories, meiobenthos are widely regarded as ideal organisms to study the potential ecological indicator of natural and anthropogenic stresses. The community structure of meiobenthos was studied at seven stations within sandy tidal and sub tidal zones in Jangbongdo in the Yellow Sea, Korea from Aug. 2006 to Dec. 2007. Meiobenthic samples were collected by three core samples, with a 3.6 cm in diameter, from each sediment sample taken with a Smith-McIntyre Grab. It was found that sand mining often causes complete removal of the sediment and the damage to the habitats of meiobenthos. This study in the effect showed that sand mining resulted in a reduction in total abundance and biomass of meiobenthos in mining area. The finding of this study further showed that initial restoration of abundance and biomass within one year of the cessation of sand mining.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.35-44
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• 2008

Purpose: To evaluate the incidence and prognostic factors of treatment-related pneumonitis in non-small-cell lung cancer(NSCLC) patients treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy(IMRT). Materials and Methods: One-hundred-five patients with NSCLC treated with IMRT between 1 August 2004 and 30 November 2006 were analyzed retrospectively. The mean age of patients was 62.9 years, and squamous carcinomas were confirmed in 81 patients(77%). Sixty-six patients(62.9%) were classified as stage III, and 59 patients had lesions in the right lung. Twenty-seven patients were treated with a dose of 3,060 cGy preoperatively, and 10 patients were given a dose of 5,040 cGy postoperatively. Sixty-eight patients received a dose of 7,020 cGy for curative intent. Sixty-eight patients were treated with the use of the CORVUS planning system and 37 patients were treated with the use of the ECLIPSE planning system. Results: Of 105 patients, 21 patients(20%) had abnormal radiological findings, but only seven patients(6.7%) required treatment for radiation pneumonitis. Six of the seven patients had other serious lesions, including a bronchioesophageal fistula(one patient), recurrence in the treatment field(two patients), brain metastasis(one patient) and lung-to-lung metastasis(two patients); all of these patients died within 19 months after radiation treatment. Sixteen patients(23.5%) that received planning with the CORVUS system had abnormal lung findings. Five patients(13.5%) had abnormal lung findings with the use of the ECLIPSE planning system. Other prognostic factors such as perioperative radiation therapy, a volume over 10% of the V20 volume in the right lung, were also statistically significant. Conclusion: This retrospective analysis suggests that IMRT could be a beneficial treatment modality for the reduction of radiation pneumonitis in NSCLC patients. However, the higher incidence of abnormal radiological findings in perioperative patients treated with relatively lower doses($3,060{\sim}5,040$ cGy) suggest the need for judicious treatment planning in preoperative or postoperative treatment.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.272-279
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• 2007

Purpose : We tried to find out the clinical parameters which predict the outcome of treatment in children with enuresis. Methods : Enuresis patients who visited our hospital during 2003-2007 were included. Parameters such as age, gender, height, weight, minimal voided volume, maximal voided volume, maximum functional bladder capacity, frequency of voiding, urine S,G. before and after sleep were measured and an enuresis diary was also recorded. The reduction in wetting frequencies were classified into three groups; none(<50%), partial(50-90%) and complete(90%) response groups. We also compared the 'initial responders' who showed improvement(${\ge}50%$) during the 2 weeks of evaluation and behavioral therapy to the 'initial non-responders'. Results : Parameters mentioned above showed no significant relation to the treatment out-come. The response rate during the 2 weeks of the evaluation period was 32%(49/151) [complete in 1.3% (2/151), partial in 29.6% (47/151)]. Two-months' treatment responses were complete in 14(40%), partial in 19(54.3%) and none in 2(5.9%) responders(n=35), while they were 10(13.5%), 46(62.2%) and 18(24.3%), respectively in the non-responders(n=73) (P<0.05). Conclusion : We suggest that initial 'responsiveness' can be used as a predictor for good treatment outcome in patients with enuresis.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.123-137
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• 2007

The advent of the Internet and related Web technologies has created an easily accessible link between a firm and its customers, and has provided opportunities to a firm to use information technology to support supplementary after-sale services associated with a product or service. It has been widely recognized that supplementary services are an important source of customer value and of competitive advantage as the characteristics of the product itself. Many of these supplementary services are information-based and need not be co-located with the product, so more and more companies are delivering these services electronically. Net-based customer service, which is defined as an Internet-based computerized information system that delivers services to a customer, therefore, is the core infrastructure for supplementary service provision. The importance of net-based customer service in delivering supplementary after-sale services associated with product has been well documented. The strategic advantages of well-implemented net-based customer service are enhanced customer loyalty and higher lock-in of customers, and a resulting reduction in competition and the consequent increase in profits. However, not all customers utilize such net-based customer service. The digital divide is the phenomenon in our society that captures the observation that not all customers have equal access to computers. Socioeconomic factors such as race, gender, and education level are strongly related to Internet accessibility and ability to use. This is due to the differences in the ability to bear the cost of a computer, and the differences in self-efficacy in the use of a technology, among other reasons. This concept, applied to e-commerce, has been called the "e-commerce divide." High Internet penetration is not eradicating the digital divide and e-commerce divide as one would hope. Besides, to accommodate personalized support, a customer must often provide personal information to the firm. This personal information includes not only name and address, but also preferences information and perhaps valuation information. However, many recent studies show that consumers may not be willing to share information about themselves due to concerns about privacy online. Due to the e-commerce divide, and due to privacy and security concerns of the customer for sharing personal information with firms, limited numbers of customers adopt net-based customer service. The limited level of customer adoption of net-based customer service affects the firm profits and the customers' welfare. We use a game-theoretic model in which we model the net-based customer service system as a mechanism to enhance customers' loyalty. We model a market entry scenario where a firm (the incumbent) uses the net-based customer service system in inducing loyalty in its customer base. The firm sells one product through the traditional retailing channels and at a price set for these channels. Another firm (the entrant) enters the market, and having observed the price of the incumbent firm (and after deducing the loyalty levels in the customer base), chooses its price. The profits of the firms and the surplus of the two customers segments (the segment that utilizes net-based customer service and the segment that does not) are analyzed in the Stackelberg leader-follower model of competition between the firms. We find that an increase in adoption of net-based customer service by the customer base is not always desirable for firms. With low effectiveness in enhancing customer loyalty, firms prefer a high level of customer adoption of net-based customer service, because an increase in adoption rate decreases competition and increases profits. A firm in an industry where net-based customer service is highly effective loyalty mechanism, on the other hand, prefers a low level of adoption by customers.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.257-266
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• 2010

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of feeding whole crop barley silage (WBS) on the growth performance, gain, feed requirement, carcass grade and beef quality of Hanwoo steers in 1999 to 2001. Twenty one steers were allocated, and divided into three treatment groups which fed rice straw only (control), WBS only, and fresh rice straw silage plus WBS during overall period ad libitum. Concentrates were fed at 1.5% level of live-body weight during growing stages, 4~12 months of age, at 1.8% level of live-body weight during early fattening stages, 13~18 months of age, and ad libitum after late fattening stages, 19~27months of age. The production yields of WBS were 17,135 kg as a silage, and 6,011 kg as a dry matter per ha, and the quality of WBS was 2~3 grade, while that of rice straw silage was 4grade. The daily gain with feeding of WBS (0.70 kg) during experimental period was higher than that of control group (0.65 kg), and the concentrate requirement (7.31 kg) per kg gain in WBS was lower than that of control (8.95 kg). The effects of gain and feed efficiency were very distinct during growing stage. i.e., the daily gain of WBS (0.84 kg) was increased by 65% compared to control (0.51 kg), and the concentrate requirement (4.16 kg) per kg gain in feeding of WBS was decreased by 35%, compared to control (6.39 kg). Meat quality with WBS was higher than that of control. Frequency rate of 1 and/or $1^+$ grade, and marbling score of feeding of WBS were 62.5% and 4.38, while those of control were 37.5% and 2.75, respectively. The results of the sensory evaluation showed that Hanwoo beef fed with WBS were better than that of control. In conclusion, feeding of WBS was desirable to improve daily gain, reduction of concentrates, feed efficiency and meat quality of Hanwoo steers.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.17-25
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• 2015

The following experiments were used to evaluate the effect of seeding method and pre-emergence herbicides on weed control and the production of the $sorghum{\times}sudangrass$ [sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] hybrid under field and in vitro conditions. Under the in vitro condition, we evaluated how different kinds of herbicides affect the rate of seed germination and the growth of early seedlings in the $sorghum{\times}sudangrass$ hybrid treated with herbicides. Simazine, alachlor, and methabenzthiazuron were used, and their concentration levels were 0%, 40%, 70%, and 100%. The germination ratio of the seeds was reduced by the application of simazine, methabenzthiazuron, and alachlor compared with the control (distilled water). The alachlor application severely decreased the sorghum germination ratio. However, seed germination was not greatly influenced by the concentration level of the herbicides. Root and shoot length were increased in the following order: control > simazine > methabenzthiazuron > alachlor. Overall, alachlor significantly reduced root length more than shoot length. The differential tolerance of the $sorghum{\times}sudangrass$ hybrid to pre-emergence herbicides by seeding method was then tested under the field condition. The plants were severely injured by the alachlor application, leading to a great reduction in the number of stems. However, for the simazine and methabenzthiazuron applications the number of stems lost was slightly lower than it was for the alachlor and simazine + alachlor applications. In the seeding method, drilling was more effective in reducing herbicide injury than broadcasting. All of the herbicides effectively controlled weeds. The simazine and methabenzthiazuron applications showed a significantly higher dry matter (DM) yield. However, the alachlor and simazine + alachlor applications severely reduced the DM yield. This result suggests that the alachlor application has a significant effect on plant production. Similarly, the total digestible nutrient (TDN) yield was greatly reduced by the alachlor and simazine + alachlor applications. From the results presented above, we concluded that the yield of DM was the highest for broadcasting with no herbicide. and drilling was the most-effective way to reduce herbicide injury. The simazine application was the most-effective herbicide, showing the highest forage yield and TDN yield.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.139-146
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• 2009

This study was designed to examine the effect of aroma massage therapy on lower extremity edema of terminal cancer patients. Methods: A total of thirty-six terminal cancer patients with lower extremity edema were divided into two groups: the aroma massage group received massage with blending oil which was applied from toes to 10 cm above the knee of the subject for 15 to 20 minutes in each turn, while the control group received sham aroma massage (applied with carrier oil only). The circumferences of the fore-foot, ankle and calf were measured before massage and 30 minutes, 2 hours, and 12 hours after massage. The blood pressure, pulse and body temperature were also measured to find the change of subject's physiologic conditions. Results: There were no significant differences in blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature and lower extremity circumferences between two groups. However, edema at each site was slightly improved in the treatment group after the aroma massage therapy, compared to baseline data (P<0.05). In addition, the reduction of lower extremity circumference was maximal at 2 hours in foot, 30 min in right ankle and 12 hours in right calf after aroma massage therapy (P<0.05). Conclusion: Our results suggest that aroma massage therapy is not effective on the lower extremity edema of terminal cancer patients.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.770-780
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• 2009

A new photosensitizer, 9-Hydroxypheophorbide-a (9-HpbD-a), was derived from Spirulina platensis. We conducted a series of experiments, in vitro and in vivo, to evaluate the anticancer effect and mechanism of photodynamic therapy using 9-HpbD-a and 660 nm diode lasers on a squamous carcinoma cell line. We studied the cytotoxic effects of pheophytin-a, 9-HpbD-a, 9-HpbD-a red and 660 nm diode lasers in a human head and neck cancer cell line (SNU-1041). Cell growth inhibition was determined by using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction assay. The effects of 9-HpbD was higher than those of 9-HpbD-a red or pheophytin-a in PDT. We then tested the cytotoxic effects of 9-hydroxypheophorbide-a (9-HpbD-a) in vitro. The cultured SNU-I041 cells were treated with serial concentrations of 9-HpbD-a followed by various energy doses (0, 0.1, 0.5, 3.2 J/$cm^{2}$) and by various interval times (0, 3, 6, 9, 12 hr) until laser irradiation, then MTT assay was applied to measure the relative inhibitory effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT). Optimal laser irradiation time was 30 minutes and the cytotoxic effects according to incubation time after 9-HpbD-a treatment increased until 6 hours, after which it then showed no increase. To observe the cell death mechanism after PDT, SUN-I041 cells were stained by Hoechst 33342 and propidium iodide after PDT, and observed under transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The principal mechanism of PDT at a low dose of 9-HpbD-a was apoptosis, and at a high dose of 9-HpbD-a it was necrosis. PDT effects were also observed in a xenografted nude mouse model. Group I (no 9-HpbD-a, no laser irradiation) and Group II (9-HpbD-a injection only) showed no response (4/4, 100%), and Group III (laser irradiation only) showed recurrence (1/4,25%) or no response (3/4, 75 %). Group IV (9-HpbD-a + laser irradiation) showed complete response (10/16, 62.5%), recurrence (4/16, 25%) or no response (2/16, 12.5%). Group IV showed a significant remission rate compared to other groups (p<0.05). These results suggest that 9-HpbD-a is a promising photosensitizer for the future and that further studies on biodistribution, toxicity and mechanism of action would be needed to use 9-HpbD-a as a photosensitizer in the clinical setting.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.145-154
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• 2011

The study was conducted to investigate the effect of feeding fermented diet including whole crop barley silage on the odor reduction and microbial population change in feces, and the constipation prevention of pregnant sows. The concentration of phenol was not detected in tapioca, beet pulp, wheat bran and lupin seeds, while that of p-cresol was ranged between 9.62 and 52.11 mg/L showing that lupin was highest and tapioca was lowest. It was determined that tapioca and beet pulp were useful feed ingredients to reduce odor due to their lower contents of phenol and indole compounds. Ten pregnant sows were allocated to control group and fermented diet group in 5 sows in each group. They were fed 3.0 kg DM/d of diets for 28 days. Feces was examined and showed that the feces from the fermented diet group was observed with the higher moisture content and the lower hardness than that of the control diet group and the population of E. coli was decreased and the population of lactobacilus was higher than that of the control diet group. The concentrations of p-cresol and skatole were lower than the detection levels at 33% and 67% among the samples of feces of the control group and at 67% and 100% among the samples of the feces of fermented diet group respectively. Thus it is expected that the odor from the feces of pregnant sows fed the fermented diet could be reduced compared with that of control group. Therefore, it is suggested that feeding fermented whole barley diet to pregnant sows improve the function of intestine and reduce the rate of occurrences of constipation and odor levels.