• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.94-100
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• 2001

Background: It is doubtful that aging causes deteriorated glucose metabolism and insulin resistance of skeletal muscle. Some researchers had different results about it. So we have studied the mechanism responsible for the abnormal glucose tolerance associated with aging in rapidly growing and matured rats. Materials and Methods: Animals were used S.D. rats. Growing rats were 7 weeks old (BW: 160-190 gm) and matured rats were 28 weeks old (BW: 420-525 gm). Results: Fasting blood glucose and plasma insulin levels were significantly elevated in matured rat compared with growing rats. And during oral glucose tolerance test the glucose level was also significantly elevated in matured rats. These results confirmed an insulin resistant state of aging. Insulin levels at 30 minutes of oral glucose tolerance test was significantly elevated in growing rat. But at 120 minutes it was maintained at higher level in matured rats than in growing rats. It suggested the possibility of increased insulin secretion by initial stimulation of beta-cells in growing rats, and increased secretion and decreased catabolic rate of insulin in matured rats. Glucose uptake rate of soleus muscle in matured rats was lower than that of growing rats, but the difference was not statistically significant. The dose(insulin)-responsive(glucose uptake) curve of soleus muscle was only slightly deviated to the right side. Conclusion: Glucose metabolism of rat skeletal muscle was worsened by aging. The data of glucose uptake experiments suggested the possibility of insulin resistance of skeletal muscle in matured rats. but the mechanism of insulin resistance of skeletal muscle need further studies.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.91-111
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• 2017

Purposes of this study, summoning thoughts and activities of Toynbee Hall of the UK and Hull House of the US held in between the end of 19C and the early 20C, are two folded: first, it is to examine the momentum and aims for which 'social' work was progressively established at that time; second, it is to look for implications for today's social work practice through understanding their characteristic activities and the context in which 'social' work was devised as an alternative in the two nations. The study method mainly relies on literature review, but further goes on to analyze the spirit of the age when settlement house was constructed as a welfare space and activities, leadership demonstrated in there, and to draw meanings for today, in terms of three dimensions: aim and location, professionality and education, and social action. Some of useful findings are: first, the COS and settlement house need to be considered in a continuum of socially responsive remedies against poverty and social work practice was developed in the process of 'suggestion-performance-critique-alternative suggestion-emergence of social work', rather than contrasting the two as opposite roots of social work practice. Second, settlement house was a socially constructed welfare space that contained intersectional dynamics of class, gender, personal vs. social, private vs. public, surrounding poverty issue. Third, besides differences between the two settlements, both purported for public goods and well-being and tried to realize the 'social' in that society. Lastly, this study explored historical meanings of settlement house as the welfare space with critical questions and discussed implications for social work practice today.

• Journal of Legislation Research
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• no.44
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• pp.387-433
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• 2013

Understanding the concepts of health and medical practice are significant because they are the basis of health and medical policy and law. How legislators, policy makers, and the public perceive those concepts defines the direction of legislation and policy making. This study aims to show the changes of the concepts by reviewing the history of major Statutes relating to health and medicine. Alongside medicalization of human conditions and daily activities, the concepts of health and medical practice also expanded. On the other hand, as technologies of health and medicine have specialized and segmented, the large portion of public services of the past is now provided by the private sector. We argue that the actual laws and decisions by the judiciary should be responsive to social and scientific changes, which may cause the changes of the perceptions of health and medical practice. By doing so, they not only can have actual legal force but also even initiate a movement for establishing new medical policy or law.

• Korean Journal of Legislative Studies
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.37-79
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• 2017

The major purpose of this paper is to analyze the evolution of the presidential system in South Korea during the past three decades ever since the country's democratization in 1987 from the comparative institutional perspective. As imperial presidentialism during the so-called three Kim's era(1987-2003) disappeared right after the political retirement of the three Kims in 2003, then president-centered presidentialism emerged during the post-three Kim's era, since the country's recent three presidents possessed their relatively low-level of partisan power in terms of their control of National Assemblies and their respective presidents' parties during their presidencies. South Korea has now a strong possibility to transform the current president-centered presidentialism into the American-style separatist presidential system in the near future, since the country's National Assembly has continuously been making its efforts to function as an effective governing body being compatible with the American Congress. In addition, the country's judiciary branch has effectively been playing a political role like the US supreme court ever since the country's democratization in 1987. It is also emphasized that South Korea's civic society is currently playing as a guardian of democracy through its effective and responsive political participations in many public sectors for promoting civic liberties, public welfare, and other democratic values. South Korea now needs to carry out constitutional revisions, political reforms of legislative system, party system, and electoral system as well as correct some contradictory political understandings and habits in a way to transform the current president-centered presidentialism into American-style separatist presidential system in the near future.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.962-967
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• 2010

The influences of the different mixture of urea fertilizer and pig manure compost as a nitrogen (N) source on Chinese cabbage yield, N uptake, and N agronomic efficiency (AE) were evaluated in two soils having different soil fertility levels. Increasing urea application level was very effective to improve yield and N uptake of Chinese cabbage, and the highest yield was obtained by urea fertilization alone in two soils. On the other hand, the lowest yield and N uptake was obtained from compost alone application in two soils. There was no significant difference in terms of the nitrogen AE between low and high fertility soils that were fully applied with urea. The AE values of Chinese cabbage applied by compost alone were significantly higher in the soil having a low fertility (28.8 g $g^{-1}$) than that in soil with high fertility (16.2 g $g^{-1}$), suggesting that N in compost was more responsive in improving the yield of Chinese cabbage in low fertility soils.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.42
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• pp.14.1-14.11
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• 2020

Background: The purpose of this study is to introduce our modified disc plication technique using MITEK mini anchors and to evaluate the clinical outcome for patients with internal derangement (ID) of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Patients and methods: We evaluated 65 joints in 46 patients, comprised 32 women and 14 men, who first visited the Asan Medical Center from December 2012 to December 2016. The age of the patients ranged from 14 to 79 years, with a mean age of 36.6 years. The patients presented with joint problems including pain, joint noise, and mouth opening limitation (MOL). Patients who met our inclusion criteria underwent unilateral or bilateral disc repositioning surgery with our minimally invasive disc plication technique using MITEK mini anchors and No. 2-0 Ethibond^® braided polyester sutures. The variables taken into account in this study were the range of maximum mouth opening (MMO), painful symptoms (evaluated with the visual analog scale, VAS), and the type of noise (click, popping, crepitus) in the TMJ. Results: Preoperative examination revealed painful symptoms in 50.7% (n = 35) of the operated joints (n = 69) and the presence of clicks in 56.5% (n = 39). Postoperative examination revealed that 4.3% (n = 3) of the operated joints had painful symptoms with lower intensity than that in the preoperative condition. Additionally, 17.4% (n = 12) had residual noise in the TMJ, among which two were clicking and the other 10 had mild crepitus. The intensity of the postoperative residual noise was significantly decreased in all cases compared to that in the preoperative condition. Among patients with MOL below 38 mm (n = 18), the mean MMO was 31.4 mm preoperatively and 44.2 mm at 6 months postoperatively, with a mean increase of 13.8 mm. A barely visible scar at the operation site was noted during the postoperative observation period, with no significant complications such as facial palsy or permanent occlusal disharmony. Conclusion: Subjective symptoms in all patients improved following the surgery. TMJ disc plication using MITEK mini anchors with our minimally invasive approach may be a feasible and effective surgical option for treating TMJ ID patients who are not responsive to conservative treatment.

• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.44
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• pp.7-28
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• 2016

This study examines the sociocultural background of negritude by delving into Caseríos, Reggaeton, and $Trigue{\tilde{n}}os$, which are interrelated with the racism deeply embedded in Puerto Rican society. These terms have also been discussed in relation to the ideological discourse of racial democracy, which has caused Puerto Rican people to be blind to silenced inequality and hegemonic racial policies. Caseríos, housing projects for the poor urban class, are targeted by the state - sponsored project 'Mano Dura'. Due to the policing, control and surveillance of this anticrime project, Caseríos became perceived even more as residential communities of violence, poverty, and insecurity generally connected to the stigmatization of blackness. Reggaeton emerged as a mega hit genre of transnational Puerto Rican music in the 2000s, which in turn, drew attention to both the afrodiaspora in New York and the urban musical power in the Island. This musical genre serves to highlight the meaningfulness of black heritage in the national cultural identity of Puerto Rico. $Trigue{\tilde{n}}idad$ has recently become a common racial cultural term that embraces a broader racial paradigm of mestizaje. This term can function as an alternative concept of blackness, but it has not yet been transformed into enough cultural politics to resist ongoing racial democracy. The three terms intrinsically address both the uprooted racism and potential methods of challenging it. This paper argues the necessity of stronger and more responsive cultural politics to defy the pervasiveness and invisibility of racial discrimination in Puerto Rico.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.125-134
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• 2019

Background: Excessive stress causes varied physiological and psychological disorders including male reproductive problems. Here, we attempted to investigate the protective effects of Korean Red Ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer; KRG) against sub-acute immobilization stress-induced testicular damage in experimental rats. Methods: Male rats (age, 4 wk; weight, 60-70 g) were divided into four groups (n = 8 in each group): normal control group, immobilization control group, immobilization group treated with 100 mg/kg of KRG daily, and immobilization group treated with 200 mg/kg of KRG daily. Normal control and immobilization control groups received vehicle only. KRG (100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg) was mixed in the standard diet powder and fed daily for 6 mo. Parameters such as organ weight, blood chemistry, sperm kinematic values, and expression levels of testicular-related molecules were measured using commercially available kits, Western blotting, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results: Data revealed that KRG restored the altered testis and epididymis weight in immobilization stress-induced rats significantly (p < 0.05). Further, KRG ameliorated the altered blood chemistry and sperm kinematic values when compared with the immobilization control group and attenuated the altered expression levels of spermatogenesis-related proteins (nectin-2, cAMP responsive element binding protein 1, and inhibin-${\alpha}$), sex hormone receptors (androgen receptor, luteinizing hormone receptor, and follicle-stimulating hormone receptor), and antioxidant-related enzymes (glutathione S-transferase m5, peroxiredoxin-4, and glutathione peroxidase 4) significantly in the testes of immobilization stress-induced rats. Conclusion: KRG protected immobilization stress-induced testicular damage and fertility factors in rats, thereby indicating its potential in the treatment of stress-related male sterility.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.180-188
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• 2019

Auxin plays a crucial regulatory role in plant growth and development processes. Three major classes of auxin-responsive transcription factors controlled by the Auxin/indole-3-acetic acid (Aux/IAA), Gretchen Hagen 3 (GH3), and small auxin up RNA (SAUR) genes regulate auxin signaling. Aux/IAA, in particular, encodes short-lived nuclear proteins that accumulate rapidly in response to auxin signaling. In this study, we isolated a PagAux/IAA1 gene from poplar (Populus alba ${\times}$ P. glandulosa) and investigated its expression characteristics. The PagAux/IAA1 cDNA codes for putative 200 amino acids polypeptide containing four conserved domains and two nuclear localization signals (NLSs). Utilizing Southern blot analysis, we confirmed that a single copy of the PagAux/IAA1 gene was present in the poplar genome. The expression of this gene is specific to leaves and flowers of the poplar. PagAux/IAA1 expressed in the early exponential growth phase of cell-cultured in suspension. PagAux/IAA1 expression level reduced in drought and salt stress conditions, and the presence of plant hormones such as abscisic acid. However, expression enhanced in cold stress, cambial cell division, and presence of plant hormones such as gibberellic acid and jasmonic acid. Thus, these results suggest that PagAux/IAA1 participates in cold stress response as well as developmental processes in the poplar.

• Korean Journal of Anesthesiology
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• v.71 no.6
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• pp.467-475
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• 2018

Background: The Quality of Recovery-40 (QoR-40) is a widely-used, self-rated, and self-completed questionnaire for postoperative patients. The questionnaire is intended to elicit information from each patient regarding the quality of recovery during the postoperative period. It is noteworthy, however, that an official Korean version of the QoR-40 (QoR-40K) has not been established. The purpose of this study was to develop the QoR-40K by translation and cultural adaptation process and to evaluate the validity and reliability of the QoR-40K. Methods: After pre-authorization from the original author of the QoR-40, the translation procedure was established and carried out based upon Beaton's recommendation to create a QoR-40K model comparable to the original English QoR-40. Two hundred surgical patients were enrolled, and each completed the questionnaire during the preoperative period, on the third day, and 1 month after surgery. The QoR-40K was compared with the visual analogue scale (VAS) and another health-related questionnaire, the Short-form Health Survery-36 (SF-36). The method of validation for QoR-40K included test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and level of responsiveness. Results: Spearman's correlation coefficient for test-retest reliability was 0.895 (P < 0.001), and Cronbach's alpha of the global QoR-40K on the third day after surgery was 0.956. A positive correlation was obtained between the QoR-40K and the mental component summary of SF-36 (${\rho}=0.474$, P < 0.001), and a negative correlation was observed between QoR-40K and VAS (${\rho}=-0.341$, P < 0.001). The standardized responsive mean of the total QoR-40K was 0.71. Conclusions: The QoR-40K was found to be as acceptable and reliable as the original English QoR-40 for Korean patients after surgery, despite the apparent differences in the respective patients' cultural backgrounds.