• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.217-226
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• 2010

The lower limb orthosis with a pneumatic rubber actuator, which is intended for the assistance and the enhancement of muscular activities of lower limbs was developed in this study. Compared to other knee extension assistive devices being developed by other researchers, our device is designed especially for the elderly people and intended only for slight assistance so that the subjects can keep their muscular strength. For the effectiveness of system, muscular activities of major muscles in lower limbs during sit-to-stand (STS) and squat motion were measured and analyzed. Subjects were performed the STS and squat motion with and without lower limb orthosis. We made comparison muscular activities between with and without lower limb orthosis. Lower limb orthosis was controlled using muscular stiffness force feedback that is controlled by muscular activities of the measured muscle from force sensor. For analysis of muscular activities, electromyography of the subjects was measured during STS and squat motion, and these were measured using MP 150(BIOPAC Systems, Inc.). Muscles of interest were rectus femoris(RF), vastus lateralis(VL), vastus medialis(VM) and vastus intermedius(VI) muscles in lower limbs of the right side. A biodex dynamometer was used to measure the maximal concentric isokinetic strength of the knee extensors of wearing and not wearing orthosis on right side. The test were performed using the concentric isokinetic mode of test with the velocity set at 60°/s for muscles around the knee joints. The experimental result showed that muscular activities in lower limbs wearing orthosis using muscular stiffness force of a vastus medialis muscle was reduced and knee extension torque of an knee joint wearing lower limb orthosis was increased. With this, we confirmed the effectiveness of the developed lower limb orthosis.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.185-192
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• 2010

The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of stabilization for army firing range soil highly contaminated with Pb (total Pb: 29,000 mg/kg) using calcined waste oyster shells. The calcination was conducted to activate quicklime from calcite. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of calcination, both natural oyster shells (NOS) and calcined oyster shells (COS) were applied to the Pb contaminated soil. Stabilization was conducted by mixing the contaminated soil with oyster shell media at 5-20 wt% and cured for 28 days. Following 28 days of curing, Pb leachability was measured based on the Korean Standard Test method (0.1 N HCl extraction). The treatment results showed that the COS treatment outperformed the NOS treatment. All of the NOS treatments failed to meet the Korean warning standard of 100 mg/kg. However, the Pb concentrations were significantly reduced to 47 mg/kg and 3 mg/kg upon 15 wt% and 20 wt% COS treatments, respectively which passed the Korean warning standard. Moreover, -#20 mesh materials were more effective than the -#10 mesh materials in effectively reducing Pb leachability. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) results indicated that Pb immobilization was strongly linked to Al and Si.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.205-210
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• 2012

Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate clinical profile, efficacy, and safety of long-term treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in Korean autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) patients. Methods Effectiveness was assessed through a retrospective review of self-reported target symptom improvement at the last follow-up visit. Changes in illness severity and improvement were measured using the Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) of illness and Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I) Scales. Tolerability was assessed through a review of the reason for discontinuation of SSRI and documented adverse events. Results A total of 21 ASDs patients (aged 9 to 19 years) treated with SSRI during July 2010 to July 2011 in department of child and adolescent psychiatry of Seoul National Hospital were identified. The mean duration of SSRI treatment was 47.9 (standard deviation = 36.9) months (range 0.7-114.5), and the mean fluoxetine equivalent dosage of SSRIs was $27.1{\pm}10.8$ mg. Nineteen (90.5%) patients were using concomitant medication. We found that SSRIs were prescribed for symptoms of agitation, stereotyped behavior, aggression, depression, impulsivity and self-injury in ASDs. Ten patients (47.6%) reported improvement in their target symptom after SSRI treatment based on CGI-I scores (CGI-I ${\leq}$ 2). The side effects were reported in 5 patients (23.8%) ; vomiting (n = 2, 9.5%), excessive mood elevation (n = 1, 4.8%), insomnia (n = 1, 4.8%), somnolence (n = 1, 4.8%) and decreased appetite (n = 1, 4.8%). Self-injurious behavior was reported in one patient (4.8%). Conclusions The results of this study suggest that SSRIs may be used effectively in children and adolescents diagnosed with ASDs. However, safety issues need to be considered carefully when choosing SSRIs for treatment. Future controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.449-458
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• 2001

This is a test report of system efficiency for the moving-actuator type Bi-ventricular assist device (AnyHear $t^{MT}$ ) Seoul National University). $AnyHeart^{TM}$), as an energy converter. utilities a brushless DC motor(S/M 566-26A. Sierracin/ Magnedyne, Carlsbad, CA. U.S.A.) generating their pendulous motion in the epicyclic gear train. It is necessary to know about the overall efficiency of the system. The system is subdivided into three parts: motor part, actuator part and blood sac part (including valves, etc.) according to system mechanism. The motor was operated with a variable range of torque. angular speed and width of voltage Pulse In this report. $AnyHeart^{TM}$ is focused on the efficiency of the motor and actuator parts. 4 $\ell/min$ pump output. which is normal condition of $AnyHeart^{TM}$ system, the total system efficiency is 8%, which is composed of 50%, 85% and 17% efficiency (motor Part, actuator Part and blood sac Part) respectively. In the analyzed result. applied input voltage on normal condition of $AnyHeart^{TM}$ is determined. Also speed Profile with considering filling state of blood sac is Provided. In the test of the in vitro mock circulation. some experimental results are Provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Presented approach.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.102 no.4
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• pp.530-536
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• 2013

This study aimed to analyze and compare results from psychological relaxations by using profile of mood state (POMS) and Malondialdehyde (MDA) level as a scale of oxidative damage before and after walking in the forest and on the street. 29 participations (15 men and 14 women) walked in the forest and on the street for 30 minutes of each for two days. The participations filled a questionnaire for POMS and conducted an heart rate variability test, oxidative damage test (MDA as biological marker through a urine test) before and after walking. To compare the psychological states after walking in the two difference places, walking in the forest showed statistically more meaningful results in the section of tension, depression, anger, fatigue, confuse and total mood disturbance (p<0.01) than walking on the street. According to the MDA results, a concentration of MDA showed significant increase after walking on the street (p=0.014). On the contrary to this, a concentration of MDA tended to decrease after walking in the forest (p=0.076). The study showed that the psychological states were more stable and oxidative damages were more decreasing after walking in the forest than walking on the street. In the conclusion, MDA would be biological indicator for assessing the effect of alleviation on the oxidative stress after walking in the forest.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.310-315
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• 1999

The feasibility of an absorbent biofilter system was examined for rural wastewater treatment. Hydraulic loading rates varied from 50 to 250 cm/day. Effluent of the septic tank was fed into the absorbent biofilter, and small ventilation fan was provided to supply air at the rate of 250 L/min to aerate the biofilter. The biofilter system demonstrated high removal rates for $BOD_5$ and TSS at the loading rate of 150 cm/day, generally meeting the Korean effluent water quality standard of 20 mg/L applicable to both. The nutrient removal was less satisfactory than the results of $BOD_5$ and TSS, but it was within the expected range of biological treatment processes. Considering the abnormally high influent concentration of nutrients during the experiment, better performance results could have been obtained if ordinary domestic wastewater was used. The system performance was not significantly affected by the hydraulic loading up to 150 cm/day, which is far more than the loading limit of the sand filter systems. Maintenance requirement was minimal, and no problems with noise, odor, flies or sludge arose. Since the biofilter system can be operated at a distance, operation in remote rural area and multi-system connected to one control office might be advantageous to the rural area. Overall, considering the cost-effectiveness, stable performance, and minimum maintenance, the biofilter system was thought to be a competitive alternative to treat wastewater in Korean rural communities.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.288-292
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• 1999

It was previously reported that cobalt(II) effectively suppresses the postharvest gravitropic response of snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus L.) (Kim et al. (1997) Agric. Chem. and Biotechnol. 40, 567-571). In this study, several factors affecting the suppression of the gravitropic response by cobalt ion were examined. When flower stalks of snapdragon were pretreated with several different cobalt salts, cobalt nitrate turned out to be the most effective not only in reducing the response but also in preserving the flower quality. We also tested the effects of various detergents which were added to cobalt(II) solution, finding that Tween-40 was the best among the tested with respect to the effectiveness as well as the flower quality. Based on these results, we optimized a protocol for the chemical treatment; that is, a suppressor solution containing 10 mM $CO(NO_3)_2$ and 0.05% Tween-40 was directly sprayed on the gravitropically sensitive region of cut flowers of snapdragon. The suppressor treatment gave rise to a significantly improved results when the flower stalks were stored at a lower temperature after the chemical treatment.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.45 no.1 s.142
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• pp.1-7
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• 2006

Effectiveness of Orius strigicollis (Poppius) and Amblyseius cucumeris (Oudemans) as natural enemies against thrips were evaluated on greenhouse green pepper, sweet pepper and cucumber respectively. Control efficacy was calculated by the formula, $(D_{control}-D_{treatment})/D_{control}{\times}100$, where $D_{control}$ is the average density of thrips on the plots in which any natural enemy was not released and $D_{treatment}$ is the average density of thrips on the plots in which natural enemies were released respectively. As a result, control efficacies of O. strigicollis against Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) on green pepper and sweet pepper were $14.3{\sim}99.5%$ and $21.6{\sim}98.3%$, respectively. In addition, control efficacy of it against Thrips palmi Kany on cucumber was 61.2-74.4%. Control efficacies of A. cucumeris against F. occidentalis on green pepper and sweet pepper were $12.9{\sim}38.3%$ and $17.1{\sim}87.0%$, respectively. Control efficacy of it against T. palmi on cucumber was $90.4{\sim}97.4%$. Field evaluation showed that the prompt applications of natural enemies were effective to reduce the density of thrips. In detail, to control F. occidentalis effectively on green pepper and sweet pepper in spring season, five to six individuals of O. strigicollis per crops should be released three to six times continuously. To control T. palmi effectively on cucumber in autumn, more than 100 individuals of A. cucumeris per crop should be released four times repeatedly.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.176-196
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• 2016

Purpose: We sought to evaluate the effectiveness of bone substitutes in circumferential periimplant defects created in the rabbit tibia. Methods: Thirty rabbits received 45 implants in their left and right tibia. A circumferential bone defect (6.1 mm in diameter/4 mm depth) was created in each rabbit tibia using a trephine bur. A dental implant ($4.1mm{\times}8.5mm$) was installed after the creation of the defect, providing a 2-mm gap. The bone defect gaps between the implant and the bone were randomly filled according to the following groups: blood clot (CO), particulate Bio-Oss$^{(R)}$ (BI), and Bio-Oss$^{(R)}$ Collagen (BC). Ten animals were euthanized after periods of 15, 30, and 60 days. Biomechanical analysis by means of the removal torque of the implants, as well as histologic and immunohistochemical analyses for protein expression of osteocalcin (OC), Runx2, OPG, RANKL, and TRAP were evaluated. Results: For biomechanics, BC showed a better biological response ($61.00{\pm}15.28Ncm$) than CO ($31.60{\pm}14.38Ncm$) at 30 days. Immunohistochemical analysis showed significantly different OC expression in CO and BC at 15 days, and also between the CO and BI groups, and between the CO and BC groups at 60 days. After 15 days, Runx2 expression was significantly different in the BI group compared to the CO and BC groups. RANKL expression was significantly different in the BI and CO groups and between the BI and BC groups at 15 days, and also between the BI and CO groups at 60 days. OPG expression was significantly higher at 60 days postoperatively in the BI group than the CO group. Conclusions: Collectively, our data indicate that, compared to CO and BI, BC offered better bone healing, which was characterized by greater RUNX2, OC, and OPG immunolabeling, and required greater reversal torque for implant removal. Indeed, along with BI, BC presents promising biomechanical and biological properties supporting its possible use in osteoconductive grafts for filling peri-implant gaps.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.339-348
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• 2013

Translational research (TR) as high quality research can accelerate collaboration strongly between biotechnology-based researchers and clinical-research experts for overcoming diseases. TR facilitates basic science translated to clinical efficacy and effectiveness from bench (basic science) to bedside (clinical practice) for the enhancement of human health. Disease-oriented TR programs were defined as unilateral, bilateral and multilateral TR in this patent performance analysis. Patent performance was measured in a R&D project on Health and Medical Technology to enhance the productivity of R&D investment on disease-oriented TR in Health Technology (HT). Patent Map (PM) analysis and Bibliometrics were conducted to collect information for the assessment of research patents of TR programs. Futhermore, PIAS (Patent Information Analysis System) and Thinklear programs were applied for quantitative and qualitative analysis successfully. These indicate that multi-dimensional analysis of patent performance for disease-oriented TR could promote the connection of R&D-IP (Research and Development-Intellectural Property) and R&BD (Research and Business Development) supporting system significantly.