• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.165-174
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• 1999

Background: Coal-worker's pneumoconiosis(CWP) is radiologically divided into two major groups: simple pneumoconiosis (SP), in which small, rounded or irregular opacities smaller than 1cm are observed, and progressive massive fibrosis(PMF), which is characterized by opacities larger than 1cm. SP has a life expectancy equivalent to miners with no radiographic evidence of CWP, but PMF is associated with more obvious impairments of ventilatory capacity and premature death. But only minority of workers develop PMF when exposed to dust concentrations similar to those experienced by workers who develop only SP. In this study, immune status in patients with CWP were evaluated by measurement of the serum immunoglobulin levels between control, SP and PMF groups. Method: Coal workers selected for this study were emplyees of the Tae-Baek and Dong-Hae Hospital. All the patients were men of 45-76 years old and the mean duration of exposure to coal dust were 23.2 years. By X-ray examination, 51 patients were classified in SP, 59 in PMF category. The normal controls examined were 58 men of 26-70 years old. Serum Ig levels were estimated by using Nephelometer(Behring Nephelometer : Germany) and serum were collected 51 in SP, 49 in PMF and 57 cases in control group. Results: The levels of IgG were increased but the levels of IgM were decreased with increasing age in control groups. There were no statistical difference of immunoglobulin levels between smokers and nonsmokers in control groups. There were no statistical difference of immunoglobulin levels between Control, SP and PMF groups. Multiple regression analysis were undertaken to determine the statistical significance of the apparent trends and estimate the effects associated with age, smoking habit and radiological category of CWP. According to this analysis, the levels of IgG were decreased significantly in SP group and had decreasing tendancy, but not statistically significant in PMF group. Conclusion : From the observations described, CWP patients had decreased IgG concentration compared to control gorup. Therefore, there was some relation between CWP and immunoglobulin concentration.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.63-80
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• 2013

Reflecting the recent trends and needs of gifted education, this study set out to compare and analyze mathematically gifted elementary students and common students in self-efficacy and career attitude maturity, understand the characteristics of the former, and provide assistance for career education for both the groups. The subjects include 237 mathematically gifted elementary students and 221 common students in D Metropolitan City. The research findings were as follows: First, mathematically gifted elementary students turned out to have higher self-efficacy than common students at the significance level of .01 in the three self-efficacy subfactors, namely confidence, self-regulated efficacy, and task difficulty preference. The findings indicate that mathematically gifted elementary students have much confidence in themselves and strong faith in themselves, thus forming a habit of preferring a relatively high-level task by taking self-management and task difficulty into proper consideration. Second, mathematically gifted elementary students showed higher overall career attitude maturity than common students. There was significant difference at the significance level of .01 in decisiveness and preparedness between the two groups and significant difference at the significance level of .05 in assertiveness. However, there was no statistically significant difference in purposefulness and independence between the two groups. Finally, there were positive correlations at the significance level of .01 between all the subfactors of self-efficacy and those of career attitude maturity in all the subjects except for self-regulated efficacy and purposefulness, between which there were positive correlations at the significance level of .05. The mathematically gifted elementary students showed positive correlations between more subfactors of self-efficacy and career attitude maturity than common students. Given those findings, it is necessary to take differences in self-efficacy and career attitude maturity between mathematically gifted elementary students and common students into account when organizing and running a curriculum. The findings confirm the importance of providing students with various experiences fit for them and point to a need for helping mathematically gifted elementary students maintain a high level of self-efficacy and guiding them through career education with more appropriate career attitude maturity improvement programs.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.298-304
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• 2010

Nutrient uptake by plants and drainage ratio in culture beds can affect ion balance and concentrations of nutrient solutions in electrical conductivity (EC)-based closed-loop soilless culture. This study was conducted to analyze ion concentration changes with time and drainage ratio under EC-based nutrient control in closed-loop soilless culture for sweet pepper plants (Capsicum annum L. 'Boogie'). At first experiment, ion concentrations of the nutrient solution were periodically analysed while collected drainage was being reused by mixing with fresh nutrient solution at a dilution rate of EC $2.2\;dSm^{-1}$. Changes in ion concentrations of $K^+$, $Ca^{2+}$, $Mg^{2+}$, $NO_3^-$, $SO_4^{2-}$, and $PO_4^{3-}$ were 1.13, 5.35, 0.92, 0.9, 1.10, $0.19\;meq{\cdot}L^{-1}$, respectively. Ion balance such as $K^+$ : $Ca^{2+}$ and $SO_4^{2-}$ : $NO_3^-$ were mainly affected during the recirculation of nutrient solution. At second experiment, ion concentrations and EC of drainage were compared before and after replenishment under different four drainage ratios of 7%, 16%, 39%, and 51%. Ion ratios of the recirculated nutrient solutions such as $K^+$ : $Ca^{2+}$ for cation and $SO_4^{2-}$ : $NO_3^-$ for anion were investigated. ECs of drainage decreased with increase of drainage ratio and each ion concentration showed the same trends as EC did. Ion balances in drainage with drainage ratio were a little different from each other, but each ratio could be corrected by replenishment process. The ion balance at 7% drainage ratio was closest to initial ratio and followed by 16%, 51%, and 39% in the order. Ion balance such as $K^+$ : $Ca^{2+}$ and $NO_3^-$ : $PO_4^{3-}$ were mainly affected the correction process.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.162-166
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• 2008

Purpose : It has been previously reported that for patients with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia was previously recognized that overt illness is unusual under the age of three and the peak incidence of illness occurs in school-aged children. However, a higher incidence of this illness in younger children has been recently noted. Thus we investigated the incidence of M. pneumoniae pneumonia. Methods : The study subjects were 414 children who were diagnosed with M. pneumoniae pneumonia from January 2004 to December 2006 at Myong Ji Hospital were enrolled. The diagnostic criteria consisted of an anti-mycoplasma antibody (AMA) titer greater than 1: 320 or a four-fold rise in the titer at follow up. Results : The age distribution was as follows: before 2 years of age: 58 patients (14%), 2-4 years of age 157 patients (37.9%) and 5-15 years of age 199 patients (48.1%). The yearly incidence for the children before 5 years of age was 52 (44%), 49 (44.6%) and 114 (61.3%), respectively. The distribution according to the antibody titer was as follows; 1: 320 in 130 patients, 1:640 in 63 patients and greater than 1:1,280 in 221 patients. The hospital stay according to the antibody titer was not significant according to either age or the AMA titers. Conclusion : M. pneumoniae pneumonia showed a peak incidence in preschool children with a higher prevalence in children under the age of three than was previously recognized. The emergence of M. pneumoniae pneumonia as a cause of community acquired pneumonia in younger children calls for an epidemiologic study to investigate the changes of the pathogens in this age group and to recommend the proper treatment.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.224-231
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• 2010

Purpose: Hospital readmissions have recently increased due to early hospital discharge and increased trends in breast-feeding. Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia can lead to fatal permanent neurological sequelae without appropriate management. Early detection and intervention are critical. We evaluated the clinical features, risk factors, and brain MRI findings of Korean newborns with idiopathic nonhemolytic hyperbilirubinemia to determine the optimal management policy. Methods: A retrospective review of the medical records of 79 newborns with idiopathic nonhemolytic hyperbilirubinemia was performed at the NICU of the Kyungpook National University Hospital from January 2006 to September 2009. All patients were 35 or more weeks of gestation, and their peak level of serum total bilirubin was more than 20 mg/dL. Results: The mean gestational age was $38^{+3}{\pm}1^{+4}$ weeks, and the mean age on admission was 8.8$\pm$4.0 days. The mean body weight (3,105$\pm$479 g) was decreased by 2.8$\pm$6.4 percent compared to the mean birth weight (3,174$\pm$406 g). There were no statistically significant differences for the peak serum bilirubin level or the duration and effects of phototherapy between the patients with and without risk factors, which included: breastfeeding, cephalohematoma, subdural hemorrhage, and/or ABO incompatibility. Patients were grouped according to change of body weight. Group I consisted of patients that gained weight compared to birth weight, and group II of patients that lost weight compared to birth weight. There were significant differences in the peak serum total bilirubin level between the two groups. Thirty nine patients had brain MRI evaluation; 21 patients had bilateral symmetric signal intensity increases in the globus pallidus compared to adjacent corticospinal tract and putamen on T1-weighted images. Conclusion: Bilirubin encephalopathy is preventable with early screening and proper management. Parents require instruction on feeding practices and follow-up to prevent complications from idiopathic nonhemolytic hyperbilirubinemia.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2002

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a nuclear medicine imaging modality that consists of systemic administration to a subject of a radiopharmaceutical labeled with a positron-emitting radionuclide. Following administration, its distribution in the organ or structure under study can be assessed as a function of time and space by (1) defecting the annihilation radiation resulting from the interaction of the positrons with matter, and (2) reconstructing the distribution of the radioactivity from a series of that used in computed tomography (CT). The nuclides most generally exhibit chemical properties that render them particularly desirable in physiological studies. The radionuclides most widely used in PET are F-18, C-11, O-15 and N-13. Regarding to the number of the current PET Centers worldwide (based on ICP data), more than 300 PET Centers were in operation in 2000. The use of PET technology grew rapidly compared to that in 1992 and 1996, particularly in the USA, which demonstrates a three-fold rise in PET installations. In 2001, 194 PET Centers were operating in the USA. In 1994, two clinical and research-oriented PET Centers at Seoul National University Hospital and Samsung Medical Center, was established as the first dedicated PET and Cyclotron machines in Korea, followed by two more PET facilities at the Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Ajou Medical Center, Yonsei University Medical Center, National Cancer Center and established their PET Center. Catholic Medical School and Pusan National University Hospital have finalized a plan to install PET machine in 2002, which results in total of nine PET Centers in Korea. Considering annual trends of PET application in four major PET centers in Korea in Asan Medical Center recent six years (from 1995 to 2000), a total of 11,564 patients have been studied every year and the number of PET studies has shown steep growth year upon year. We had 1,020 PET patients in 1995. This number increased to 1,196, 1,756, 2,379, 3,015 and 4,414 in 1996,1997,1998,1999 and 2000, respectively. The application in cardiac disorders is minimal, and among various neuropsychiatric diseases, patients with epilepsy or dementia can benefit from PET studios. Recently, we investigated brain mapping and neuroreceptor works. PET is not a key application for evaluation of the cardiac patients in Korea because of the relatively low incidence of cardiac disease and less costly procedures such as SPECT can now be performed. The changes in the application of PET studios indicate that, initially, brain PET occupied almost 60% in 1995, followed by a gradual decrease in brain application. However, overall PET use in the diagnosis and management of patients with cancer was up to 63% in 2000. The current medicare coverage policy in the USA is very important because reimbursement policy is critical for the promotion of PET. In May 1995, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) began covering the PET perfusion study using Rubidium-82, evaluation of a solitary pulmonary nodule and pathologically proven non-small cell lung cancer. As of July 1999, Medicare's coverage policy expanded to include additional indications: evaluation of recurrent colorectal cancer with a rising CEA level, staging of lymphoma and detection of recurrent or metastatic melanoma. In December of 2001, National Coverage decided to expand Medicare reimbursement for broad use in 6 cancers: lung, colorecctal, lymphoma, melanoma, head and neck, and esophageal cancers; for determining revascularization in heart diseases; and for identifying epilepsy patients. In addition, PET coverage is expected to further expand to diseases affecting women, such as breast, ovarian, uterine and vaginal cancers as well as diseases like prostate cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.195-205
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• 2007

This study was conducted to determine effects of probiotics on performance, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen retention in Korean black goats fed two diets differing in forage to concentrate (F:C) ratio (30:70 and 70:30), for the establishment of their more efficient feeding management system. The probiotics employed in this trial were mixtures of different microbial species, which consisted of Lactobacillus casei, Bacillus subtilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Aspergillus oryzae and Streptomyces griseus. Additional levels of probiotics to each F:C ratio (70:30 or 30:70) were 0 and 0.2%, respectively. Thus, twelve Korean black male goats were allotted to treatments in four groups of three goats per treatment and then they were housed in individual metabolism cages with a randomized complete block design for 21 days. Dry matter (DM) intakes were not affected by dietary F:C ratio and probiotics. Digestible DM amounts were significantly (p<0.05) decreased with increasing levels of dietary forage, but they were not affected by probiotics addition. Dry matter intakes per metabolic body weight and their ratio per body weight had a similar trend to DM intakes with no significant difference by F:C ratio and probiotics addition. The nutrient digestibility was significantly (p<0.05) increased with decreasing levels of forage in the diet, but it was not affected by probiotics addition. Urinary nitrogen loss was significantly (p<0.05) decreased with decreasing levels of dietary forage, but there was no significant difference between probiotics-supplemented and unsupplemented groups within the same F:C ratio. On the contrary, nitrogen retention was decreased with increasing levels of dietary forage, and probiotics supplementation to two diets differing in F:C ratio showed slightly increasing trends in the nitrogen retention. From the above results, probiotics supplementation to two diets differing in F:C ratio did not have the significant influence on feed intakes, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen retention. Consequently, these parameters of Korean black goats were dominated rather by F:C ratio than by dietary probiotics.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.1445-1452
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• 2002

The present experiment was carried out to study the utilization of substrates in the mammary gland of crossbred Holstein Friesian during feeding on different types of roughage. Sixteen pregnant crossbred Holstein heifers consisted of two breed types of eight animals each; Holstein Friesian${\times}$Red Sindhi (50:50=50%HF) and Holstein Friesian${\times}$Red Sindhi (87.5:12.5=87.5%HF). Animals were divided into four groups of the same breed type in each group which were fed with either rice straw treated with 5% urea or pangola hay (Digitaria decumbens) as the source of roughage throughout the experiments. Four consecutive experimental periods were carried out in late pregnancy (20-23 days before parturition), early lactation (30 days postpartum), mid-lactation (120 days postpartum) and late lactation (210 days postpartum). Measurement of mammary blood flow in combining with measurement of AV difference was performed for the mammary uptake of substrates. In the period of lactation, udder blood flow was nearly three times higher than that of late pregnant period (p<0.05) in both 50%HF and 87.5%HF feeding on either hay or urea treated rice straw. During mid- and late lactation of both groups of 87.5%HF animals, mammary blood flow and milk yield showed decrease when compared to those during the early lactating period while the trends for persistency were apparent in both groups of 50%HF animals throughout experimental periods. The mean arterial plasma concentrations of glucose, acetate, $\beta$-hydroxybutyrate and free glycerol in each group remained constant throughout experimental periods. During late pregnancy in all groups, the AV difference and extraction ratio of glucose, $\beta$-hydroxybutyrate and triacylglycerol across the mammary gland markedly lowered (p<0.05), which coincided with a lower net uptake by the mammary gland in comparison to the early lactating period. The mean arterial plasma concentration, AV difference and extraction ratio for acetate showed no significant differences between late pregnancy and the early lactating period. The AV difference of free glycerol showed apparent release from mammary tissue during late pregnancy in all groups. In mid- and late lactation, the mammary uptake for glucose, acetate and $\beta$-hydroxybutyrate in both groups of 87.5%HF animals showed apparent decrease as compared to that in the early lactating period, whereas no appearances were observed in 50%HF animals feeding either hay or urea treated rice straw. The mean arterial plasma concentrations for free fatty acid (FFA) and triacylglycerol (C16 to C18) were higher in late pregnancy than in early lactation in both types of crossbred animals. The values of AV difference and the net uptake by the mammary gland for FFA were variable during late pregnancy and lactating periods in all groups. There were no significant differences for AV difference, extraction ratio and net uptake of triacylglycerol during lactation advance in both groups of 50%HF and 87.5%HF animals feeding either hay or urea treated rice straw. These results suggest that the adaptations to either hay or urea treated rice straw by the mammary gland of crossbred HF animals allow for an adequate nutrient supply during pregnancy and lactation. There is no difference in the mode of mammary uptake of substrates in the same crossbred animals in response to feeding hay or urea treated rice straw. The differences in utilizing nutrients by the mammary gland for milk production between 87.5%HF and 50%HF animals would be dependent on changes in both intra-mammary factors and extra-mammary factors.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.149-157
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• 2006

The objective of this research was to know useful genetic characteristics for breeding program of corn. These materials were inbreds after selfing of six or eight generations and had useful genetic informations. The emergence of Danyang Waxy Corn was faster than those of other inbred lines at 2~3 days in field conditions. The plant height of Dangyang Waxy Corn was the highest at 8 days after emergence. However the plant height of New Dangjin was the shortest with 6.25cm at 8 days after emergence, the fresh weight of New Dangjin was 0.046g at 2 days after emergence but that of Dangyang was the heaviest with 0.180g. The fresh weight of 9 inbred lines had more increments in 2 days after emergence. The mean values of dry weight also showed similar trends in 9 inbred lines. The shoot dry weight of inbred lines, Dangyang and New Dangjin was 0.045g and 0.018g at 8 days after emergence, respectively. The root length of inbred line, Dangyang, was the longest with 64.4cm at 8 days after emergence. But the root length of New Dangjin was the shortest with 20.4cm at 8 days after emergence. The fresh weight of endosperm was 0.35g at 2 days after emergence and 0.26g at 8 days after emergence in Dangyang Waxy Corn, because of reduced nutrition of endosperm.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1-23
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• 1987

To investigate the forest structure of Mt. Bukhan. ranging from Seoul to Kyongkido, twenty plots were set up by the vegetation physiognomy and vegetation analysis was carried out. According to the leading dominant tree species in canopy stratum, forest communities were classified into three large groups of natural forest communities, semi-natural forest communities and artificial forest communities, and each of them covered 82.64, 7.03, and 5.71% of Mt. Bukhan area, respectively. Pure or mixed natural forest communities of Pinus densiflora and Quercus mongolica were major forest communities and covered 70.8% of Mt. Bukhan area. The important planted tree species were Robinia pseudoacacia, Pinus rigida, and Alnus birsuta and they were mainly planted at the southern slope and roadside. The degree of human disturbance of vegetation of 8, 7, and 6 area covered 82.64, 0, and 12.74%, respectively. According to forest dimensions, most of forest communities were young aged forests of which mean DBH was 20cm and canopy height below 10m. However, a few mature forest communities of Pinus densiflora or Quercus mongolica were found in the small area. The range of Shannon's species diversity of major natural forest communities, pure or mixed forest communities of Pinus densiflora and Quercus mongolica was 1.085~1.242. According to stand dynamic analysis by DBH class distribution, the present Quercus mongolica communities arid Robinia pseudoacacia communities may last long their present forest structure and most of other communities may be succeeded to Quercus mongolica communities, however, a few communities invaded by Robinia pseudoacacia and Quercus aliena-Quercus acutissima communities may be succeeded to Robinia pseudoacacia communities and Quercus aliena communities, respectively. DCA was the most effective method of this study. DCA ordination were showed that successional trends of tree species seem to be from Pinus densiflora through Quercus serrata. Prunus sargrntii. Sorbus alnifolia to Q. mongolica. Fraxinus mandsburica, F. rhynchophylla in the upper layer and from Zanthoxylum schinifolium, Lespedeza crytobotrya trough Rhus trichocarpa. Rh. verniciflua. Rhododendron mucronulatum. Rh. schlippenbachii to Acer pseudo-sieboldianus. Magnolia sieboldii, Euonymus sieboldianus.