• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.1477-1488
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• 2018

This study investigated the muscles, intestines, and gonads of Sulculus diversicolor supertexta to examine the diversity of microbial communities within examples collected from the Jeju Coast. Using different media, initial pure isolation in MA, 1% BHIA, and 1% TSA indicated that the muscles, intestines, and gonads supported more communities, respectively. In analysis of relative similarity with 16s rRNA sequencing, 190 pure colonies were isolated, and further analysis with NBLAST identified 71 species, 39 genera, 25 families, and five phyla. Homogeny with the reference strain was 91-100%. Microbial communities in S. supertexta consisted of gamma and alpha Proteobacteria (48%), Actinobacteria (32.5%), Firmicutes (16.9%), Deinococcus-Thermus (1.3%), and Bacteroides (1.3%). In all tissue, Psychrobacter cibarius in Moraxellaceae was dominant. Alteromonadaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Pasturellaceae, Moraxellaceae, Rhodobacteraceae, Geminicoccaceae, Dietziaceae, Intrasporangiaceae, Microbacteriaceae, Micrococcaceae, Micromonosporaceae, Streptomycetaceae, Aerococcaceae, Bacillaceae, Paenibacillaceae, Planococcaceae, and Staphylcoccaceae were commonly isolated across all tissues, and Flavobacteriaceae, Corynebacteriaceae, Yesiniaceae, Vibrionaceae, Hahellaceae, Pseudomonadaceae were also identified from the intestines. In microbial monitoring of four harmful bacteria, Streptomyces albus (96%) showed antibacterial activity against all four strains, and Agrococcus baldri (99%) and Psychrobacter nivimaris (99%) presented against E. Coli and E. aerogens. In addition, some strains with low homogeny were isolated and further experiments are therefore required, for example to refine the antimicrobial substances including new strain investigations. These additional experiments would aim to establish generic resources for the microbial communities in S. Supertexta and provide basic data for applied microbiological research.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.58 no.5
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• pp.551-558
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• 2020

The flaviviruses are small single-stranded RNA viruses that are typically transmitted by mosquitoes or tick vectors and are etiological agents of acute zoonotic infections. The viruses are found around the world and account for significant cases of human diseases. We investigated population of culicine mosquitoes in central region of Korean Peninsula, Incheon Metropolitan City and Hwaseong-si. Aedes vexans nipponii was the most frequently collected mosquitoes (56.5%), followed by Ochlerotatus dorsalis (23.6%), Anopheles spp. (10.9%), and Culex pipiens complex (5.9%). In rural regions of Hwaseong, Aedes vexans nipponii was the highest population (62.9%), followed by Ochlerotatus dorsalis (23.9%) and Anopheles spp. (12.0%). In another rural region of Incheon (habitat of migratory birds), Culex pipiens complex was the highest population (31.4%), followed by Ochlerotatus dorsalis (30.5%), and Aedes vexans vexans (27.5%). Culex pipiens complex was the predominant species in the urban region (84.7%). Culicine mosquitoes were identified at the species level, pooled up to 30 mosquitoes each, and tested for flaviviral RNA using the SYBR Green-based RT-PCR and confirmed by cDNA sequencing. Three of the assayed 2,683 pools (989 pools without Anopheles spp.) were positive for Culex flaviviruses, an insect-specific virus, from Culex pipiens pallens collected at the habitats for migratory birds in Incheon. The maximum likelihood estimation (the estimated number) for Culex pipiens pallens positive for Culex flavivirus was 25. Although viruses responsible for mosquito-borne diseases were not identified, we encourage intensified monitoring and long-term surveillance of both vector and viruses in the interest of global public health.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.335-342
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• 2014

According to the recent trends in the growing elderly population, the chronically ill have increased. Thus the importance of the health care issues for them has emerged. In this paper, we want to implement a chronic disease management system using smart mobile devices. Proposed chronic disease management system is consisted of the biometric sensor, smart mobile devices, the patient management server, patient management DB, and patient symptoms analysis agent. The biometric sensor detects a biological information. Smart mobile devices receive the patient information from the sensor and transmit the information to the patient management server. The patient management server, patient management DB, and patient symptoms agent analysis agent analyze to process data delivered through a wireless communication network. Bio-signals includes modules of ECG, blood pressure, blood sugar and PPG. We are able to determine the current health status by monitoring measured biometric data through chronically ill health management system. We will focus on the individual service to be appropriate for a patient group in a mobile environment.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.49 no.9
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• pp.379-385
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• 2012

This paper suggests U-healthcare system for individual health management realizing the gateway, client, and Java-based network server by using the vital signal measuring system and android-based mobile platform. This study realized the vital signal measuring system based on the technology to measure the ECG, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, and respiration, etc. And all the information of measurement was transmitted to the mobile gateway using the 3-bite transmission protocol consisting of headers and data. The data transmitted to the mobile gateway was used to examine the mobile client's personal health indexes through the network server. This paper realized and tested the android-based gateway, client, and the broadcasting network server and verified their validity with simulations and actual humans. As a result, the U-healthcare system suggested was proved to be effective in managing each individual's health from short distance and long distance. And it could examine each individual's health conditions in real-time and was found to be advantageous in that it could secure the guardian's mobility.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.233-240
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• 2014

According to the recent increasing trend of the ages, numbers of patients with chronic diseases are increasing and issues for health care are importantly emerged. In this thesis the research implements U-health care system for health care of patients with chronic diseases. The suggested system for health care of patients with chronic diseases composes bio measurement system, mobile gateway and medical information management server, and bio-signals are composed with modules such as electrocardiogram, blood pressure, blood sugar, oxygen saturation if configured as client. Blood sugar check was considered and implemented to be chosen the ways to transmit through bio measurement system or through gateway. Suggested bio measurement system and mobile gateway are transmitted through Bluetooth. The transmitted biodata is searched by observing health check through mobile gateway, by transmitting through network server, and by using client. By implementing bio signal observation system of patients with chronic diseases, present health check is available by monitoring measured bio data, and various bio signals are transmitted in the mobile environment.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.39 no.11
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• pp.807-813
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• 2016

Escherichia coli are important indicator organisms, used routinely for the monitoring of water and food safety. For quick, sensitive and real-time detection of E. coli we developed a 2'F modified RNA aptamer Ec3, by Cell-SELEX. The 31 nucleotide truncated Ec3 demonstrated improved binding and low nano-molar affinity to E. coli. The aptamer developed by us out-performs the commercial antibody and aptamer used for E. coli detection. Ec3(31) aptamer based E. coli detection was done using three different detection formats and the assay sensitivities were determined. Conventional Ec3(31)-biotin-streptavidin magnetic separation could detect E. coli with a limit of detection of $1.3{\times}10^6CFU/ml$. Although, optical analytic technique, biolayer interferometry, did not improve the sensitivity of detection for whole cells, a very significant improvement in the detection was seen with the E. coli cell lysate ($5{\times}10^4CFU/ml$). Finally we developed Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) gap capacitance biosensor that has detection limits of $2{\times}10^4CFU/mL$ of E. coli cells, without any labeling and signal amplification techniques. We believe that our developed method can step towards more complex and real sample application.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.756-767
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• 2007

For the combination of phosphor screens having various thicknesses and a photodiode array manufactured by complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process, we report the observation of image-quality degradation under the irradiation of 45-kVp spectrum x rays. The image quality was assessed in terms of dark pixel signal, dynamic range, modulation-transfer function (MTF), noise-power spectrum (NPS), and detective quantum efficiency (DQE). For the accumulation of the absorbed dose, the radiation-induced increase both in dark signal and noise resulted in the gradual reduction in dynamic range. While the MTF was only slightly affected by the total ionizing dose, the noise power in the case of $Min-R^{TM}$ screen, which is the thinnest one among the considered screens in this study, became larger as the total dose was increased. This is caused by incomplete correction of the dark current fixed-pattern noise. In addition, the increase tendency in NPS was independent of the spatial frequency. For the cascaded model analysis, the additional noise source is from direct absorption of x-ray photons. The change in NPS with respect to the total dose degrades the DQE. However, with carefully updated and applied correction, we can overcome the detrimental effects of increased dark current on NPS and DQE. This study gives an initial motivation that the periodic monitoring of the image-quality degradation is an important issue for the long-term and healthy use of digital x-ray imaging detectors.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.60-65
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• 2016

Purpose: The necessity for precise manipulation of bioparticles has greatly increased in the fields of bioscience, biomedical, and environmental monitoring. Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is considered to be an ideal technique to manipulate bioparticles. The objective of this study is to develop a DEP microfluidic device that can trap fluorescent beads, which mimic bioparticles, at the low voltage and frequency of the sinusoidal signal supplied to the microfluidic device. Methods: A DEP microfluidic device, which is composed of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) channels and interdigitated electrode networks, is fabricated to trap fluorescent beads. The geometry of the interdigitated electrodes is determined through computational simulation. To determine the optimum voltage and frequency of the sinusoidal signal supplied to the device, the experiments of trapping beads are conducted at various combinations of voltage and frequency. The performance of the DEP microfluidic device is evaluated by investigating the correlation between fluorescent intensities and bead concentrations. Results: The optimum ratio of the widths between the negative and positive electrodes was 1:4 ($20:80{\mu}m$) at a gap of $20{\mu}m$ between the two electrodes. The DEP electrode networks were fabricated based on this geometry and used for the bead trapping experiments. The optimum voltage and frequency of the supplied signal for trapping fluorescent beads were 15 V and 5 kHz, respectively. The fluorescent intensity of the trapped beads increased linearly as the bead concentration increased. The coefficient of determination ($R^2$) between the fluorescent intensity and the bead concentration was 0.989. Conclusions: It is concluded that the microfluidic device developed in this study is promising for trapping bioparticles, such as a cell or virus, if they are conjugated to beads, and their concentration is quantified.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.65-77
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• 2005

Present article reviews about clinical pharmacology of mycophenolic acid (MPA), the active form of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), as widely used component of immunosuppressive regimens in the organ transplantation field. MMF, used alone or concomitantly with cyclosporine or tacrolimus, has approved in reducing the incidence of acute rejection and has gained widespread use in solid organ such as kidney, heart and liver transplantation. The application of MPA and development of MMF has shown a considerable impact on immunosuppressive therapy for organ transplantation as a new immunosuppressive agent with different mechanism of action from other drugs after early 1990s. In particular aspect, use of MMF, a morpholinoethyl ester of MPA, represented a significant advance in the prevention of organ allograft rejection as well as allograft and patient survival. In considering MMF clinical data, it is important to note that there is a strong correlation between high MPA area under curve(AUC) values and a low probability of acute allograft rejection. Individual trials have shown that MMF is generally well tolerated and revealed that MMF decreased the relative risk of developing chronic allograft rejection compared with azathioprine. Recent clinical investigations suggested that improved effectiveness and tolerability will results from the incorporation of MPA therapeutic drug monitoring into routine clinical practice, providing effective MMF dose individualization in renal and heart transplant patients. Therefore, MMF has a selective immunosuppressive effect with minimal toxicity and has shown to be more effective that other agents as next step of immunosuppressive agents and regimens that deliver effective graft protection and immunosuppression along with a more favorable side effect.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.55-58
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• 2003

Astromicin is an aminoglycoside antiviotic that is structually different from conventional aminoglycosides. Astromicin has been shown to be active against aerobic Gram-negative bacilli. The pharmacokinetics of astromicin were determined in 12 healthy volunteers ($65.5\pm5.23\;kg$ of body weight) following a 30-min continuous intravenous infusion at a dose of 200 mg. The plasma and urine samples were collected up to 24 h and drug concentrations were measured by a bioassay using Bacillus subtilis. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by fitting individual concentration-time curve to a one-exponential decay model. The plasma levels were $16.9\pm1.68\;and\;1.05\pm0.346\l{\mu}g/ml$ at 0 h and 8 h after the infusion, respectively. The elimination half-life of astromicin was $1.86\pm0.360\;h$ The volume of distribution was $0.182\pm0.0164\;L/kg$, and the total body clearance was $5.25\pm1.74\;L/h$. These pharmacokinetic parameters were similar to these of gentamicin, tobramycin, and amikacin. Therefore, it is recommended that therapeutic drug monitoring of astromicin could be conducted in a similar fashion as the other aminoglycosides.