• Title/Summary/Keyword: Culture-negative

Search Result 1,949, Processing Time 0.03 seconds

Clinical Implication of Serum TNF-$\alpha$ and IL-1$\beta$ Measurement in Patients with Sepsis (패혈증환자에서 혈청 TNF-$\alpha$ 및 IL-1$\beta$)

  • Kim, Jae-Yeol;Choi, Hyung-Seok;Lee, Choon-Taek;Kim, Young-Whan;Han, Sung-Koo;Min, Kyung-Up;Kim, Yoo-Young;Shim, Young-Soo;Yoo, Chul-Gyu
    • Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
    • /
    • v.49 no.2
    • /
    • pp.217-224
    • /
    • 2000
  • Background : It is well known that when macrophages are stimulated with endotoxin, they produce a wide variety of cytokine mediators, including TNF-$\alpha$ and IL-1$\beta$. However, there is an alteration in the macrophages' responsiveness when they are challenged with repeated bouts of endotoxin, termed "endotoxin tolerance" which is regarded as a self-protective phenomenon from continuous stimulation. In this study, endotoxin tolerance in the peripheral blood monocytes of sepsis patients was evaluated. Methods : Fourteen patients with organism-documented sepsis were included. The severity of illness was evaluated by APACHE II score. Peripheral blood monocytes were isolated from the patients and diluted to $1{\times}10^5$ well. After stimulation with endotoxin (LPS of E. coli O114 : B4, 100 ng/ml), they were incubated at $37^{\circ}C$ in 5% $CO_2$ incubator for 24 hours. Supernatant was collected for the measurement of TNF-$\alpha$ and IL-1$\beta$ with ELISA method. Peripheral blood monocytes of seven healthy volunteers were used as control. Results : The APACHE II score (mean$\pm$SD) of the patients at the time of blood sampling was 12.2$\pm$5.7. The primary infection foci were urinary tract infection, pneumonia, subacute bacterial endocarditis, and catheter related infection, etc. The causative organisms were gram negative rods (10 cases), gram positive cocci (6 cases) with two cases of mixed infection. Serum TNF-$\alpha$ could be measured in 4 cases with 29.9$\pm$27.7 pg/ml. Serum IL-1$\beta$was measurable in only one patient. The TNF-$\alpha$ level of supernatant of cultured peripheral blood monocytes was 2,703$\pm$2,066 pg/ml in patients and 2,102$\pm$1914 pg/ml in controls. The IL-1$\beta$level of supernatant was 884$\pm$1,050 pg/ml in patients and 575$\pm$558 pg/ml in controls. There was no difference of TNF-$\alpha$ and IL-1$\beta$ level between patients and controls. Conclusion : We cannot prove the phenomenon of endotoxin tolerance in this study. Future study needs to be focused on the more severe sepsis patients who were taken for sampling earlier. Addition of serum to the culture medium could be an another valuable option for the success of this study.

  • PDF

Comparison of $^{67}Ga$ Planar Imaging and SPECT for the Evaluation of Activity in Undetermined Minimal Pulmonary Tuberculosis (흉부 X-선상 활동성 미정으로 판독된 경증 폐결핵 환자에서 활동성 판정에 대한 $^{67}Ga$ 평면영상과 SPECT의 비교분석)

  • An, Min;Chang, Won-Kyu;Kim, Kyoung-Gon;Kim, Sung-Min;Kim, Yun-Kwon;Kim, So-Yeon;Kim, Young-Jung;Park, Byung-Yik;Cho, Min-Koo;Lee, Gwon-Jun
    • Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
    • /
    • v.48 no.6
    • /
    • pp.870-878
    • /
    • 2000
  • Background : We have studied the $^{67}Ga$ SPECT to determine the activity of pulmonary tuberculosis, especially in patients with minimal extent of the disease on chest radiographs. Because active minimal pulmonary tuberculosis is sometimes difficult to diagnose by means of initial chest X-ray, sputum examination and $^{67}Ga$ planar imaging, we compared $^{67}Ga$ planar imaging with SPECT to evaluate minimal pulmonary tuberculosis activity. Methods : $^{67}Ga$ planar imagings and SPECTs of 69 patients suspected of minimal pulmonary tuberculosis by the initial chest X-ray were performed and compared to each other. Active pulmonary tuberculosis was defined by a positive AFB smear and/or culture in the sputum and changes shown on the serial chest X-ray findings. Results : 1) $^{67}Ga$ planar imaging imagings showed positive uptakes in 24 patients and no uptakes in 13 patients, patients, which confirms active pulmonary tuberculosis. But SPECT imagings showed positive uptakes in 25 patients and no uptakes in 12 patients. 2) Patients confirmed with inactive pulmonary tuberculosis showed no uptake on $^{67}Ga$ planar imaging. Only one of the 32 patients confirmed as having inactive pulmonary tuberculosis showed positive uptake on $^{67}Ga$ SPECT imaging. Conclusions : According to the results of our study, $^{67}Ga$ planar imaging and SPECT are both sensitive in detecting the activity of minimal pulmonary tuberculosis. The difference between the two methods is not statistically significant, and the negative predictive value of the $^{67}Ga$ SPECT is not higher than that of $^{67}Ga$ planar imaging.

  • PDF

The Correlations between Renminbi Fluctuations and Financial Results of Venture Companies in the Floating Exchange Rate (변동환율제도하의 위안화 환율변동과 벤처기업의 재무성과 간 상관관계 연구)

  • Sun, Zhong Yuan;Chang, Seog-Ju;Na, Seung-Hwa
    • 한국벤처창업학회:학술대회논문집
    • /
    • 2010.08a
    • /
    • pp.139-160
    • /
    • 2010
  • On July 21st in 2005, People's Bank of China (PBOC) turned the currency peg against the U.S. dollar into managed currency system based on a basket of unnamed currencies under China's exchanged rate regime. This change means that China's enterprises are not free from currency fluctuations. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relations between Renminbi fluctuations in the floating exchange rate and financial results of venture companies. The process and outcomes of this study are as follows, First, in order to measure the financial results of venture companies, I choose venture companies in Shandong Province listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) at random and several quarter financial sheets according to safety ratios, profitability ratios, growth ratios, activity ratios. Second, I arrange the daily Renminbi exchange rate data announced from July 21st, 2005 to December 31st, 2008 by PBOC into the quarterly data. Third, in order to confirm the relations between Renminbi fluctuations and financial results of venture companies, I carry out Pearson's correlation analysis. As a result, the revaluation of the Chinese Renminbi has weakly negative effects on debt ratio, total assets turnover ratio and equity turnover ratio in statistics. But the revaluation of the Chinese Renminbi is not related to other financial index in statistics. The result of this study is that the revaluation of the Chinese Renminbi has little influence on the export and import of Chinese venture companies and certifies the fact that Chinese venture companies have much foreign currency assets. In addition to avoid the currency exposure risk, this study shows the effective method about currency exposure risk which adjusts proportion of Renminbi to foreign currency.

  • PDF

Determinants of Insurance Products Cross-selling Performance : Focusing on Career Experience (직업경험을 중심으로 한 보험상품 교차판매 성과의 결정요인 분석)

  • Son, WooCheol;Kang, ShinAe
    • Journal of Service Research and Studies
    • /
    • v.9 no.3
    • /
    • pp.39-60
    • /
    • 2019
  • The purpose of this study is to analyze the determinants of insurance product cross selling performance. For the study, 11 insurance managers and 2 sales managers belonging to A insurance agency were selected and in-depth interviews were conducted. The analysis of the research data was done by the open coding method suggested by Strauss & Corbin(2001). As a result, 84 concepts, 28 subcategories and 10 categories were derived. The ten categories that were determinants of insurance product cross-selling performance were personal characteristics, consultation method, cross-selling ratio, sales culture, education, customer change, customer DB provision, satisfaction, business support system, and customer service. In order to verify the qualitative results, quantitative analysis was emplyed to the actual performance data of insurance planners belonging to A insurance agency during April 2016~March 2019. As a result of the analysis, the age, position, and the number of months worked in the insurance company had a statistically significant effect on the number of life insurance contracts in total insurance contracts and life insurance contracts in total insurance contracts. In addition, the age, position, and the number of months worked in the insurance company had a statistically significant negative impact on the number of non-life insurance contracts in the total number of insurance contracts and the total amount of insurance contracts in total insurance contracts. The result of this study can be an important basic data for the development of educational programs and job support systems for the training of insurance planners. Insurance companies should refer to ten categories derived from qualitative research in order to increase the performance of insurance planners and to promote long-term service. Especially, it is necessary to develop specialized education programs and job support systems so that cross sales that increase the proportion of life insurance sales increase.

Public Park Awareness along with Community Garden Cultivation Participation within an Urban Park (도시공원 내 텃밭 경작 참여 여부에 따른 공원 공공성 인식 연구)

  • Nam Koong, Hee;Kim, Seul-Yea;Kang, Eun-Jee;Kim, Yong-Geun
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
    • /
    • v.43 no.1
    • /
    • pp.120-131
    • /
    • 2015
  • This research aimed at understanding recognition of the park's community garden, public evaluation of it, and user awareness of the public enhancement plan. This was based on the problem that arose in the park community garden as public awareness research along with community garden cultivation participation within the urban park. In order to compare recognition differences along with community garden cultivation participation, the researcher conducted an analysis by dividing research participants into a cultivation participant group and non-participant group. As a result first, the cultivation participant group positively recognized the necessity of the community garden compared to the non-participant group. However, they recognized the community garden as a space for private profit, which threatened the public aspect of the park. Second, as a result of evaluating community garden publicness, the non-participant group which was alienated from community garden use, had a negative opinion about the community garden. Third, as a result of researching awareness of the community garden distribution method and consumption to promote publicness of the community garden, the cultivation participant group recognized the community garden as a space for private profit. Therefore, it is necessary for both groups to be aware of the public value of the community garden among the park users for sustainable management and operation. The significance of this research is the direction in the aspect of users to form, manage and operate the community garden in the urban park without damaging publicness of the park or conflicting between the function of the park and the function of the community garden. Henceforth, the researcher expects that this research can be utilized to maintain publicness of the park in respect of formation of the community garden in the park and management and operation.

A Study on the Social Capital of Marriage Immigrant Women : focused on the neighbourhood community of Filipino immigrant women (결혼이주여성의 사회자본에 관한 연구 - 필리핀 결혼이주여성의 근린공동체를 중심으로 -)

  • Kim, Yeong Kyeong;Lee, Jung Hyang
    • Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
    • /
    • v.20 no.2
    • /
    • pp.163-175
    • /
    • 2014
  • This study is to explain social capital characteristics of Filipino immigrant women at the level of neighborhood. This research targeted Filipino immigrant women in the metropolis, small town and rural area in Korea to find out the relevance of individual property and characteristics of the community and social capital of neighboring communities- school community, cathedral community, etc- through measurement of the participants' recognition. This study reveals that differences exist in the relationship between length of residence and social capital in the school community and the catholic church community. There is a significant positive relationship between length of residence and political factors in the catholic church community, thereby having a better relationship with longer period of stay, while length of residence and confidence show a negative trend in the school community, leading to less confidence. The catholic church community holds a dominant position in homogeneity, cohesion, and the amount of social capital. According to the findings, social capital 'relation' is more closely related to homogeneity of the community, 'norms' to cohesion. 'Relation and norms' and 'confidence and politics' factors are recognized similarly in both communities, thus resulting in the recognition that decision making within the community, the share of value, and observance of social norms approximate a friendly relationship among members, and satisfaction level, emotional support, and confidence among members approach politics that members can talk about their personal matters. It is noted in the research process that the symbolism of the cathedral community as a transnational circuit behavior occurs where collective culture and personal desires of Filipino immigrant women were combined with production of social capital. Filipino immigrant women's awareness of community and social capital appearing in the cathedral community show that not only residence, along with the cultural identity of Filipino immigrant women, but also collective social and cultural characteristics, such as 'family reunion' can not be overlooked. In particular, at this time when discussion and debate on the interculturalism over multiculturalism is heating up, communal spirit and social capital based on the ethnic identity are important in that they can be a crucial path to the cross-cultural interaction with our society, therefore, a study on the social capital of the ethnic community needs to be encouraged and extended to more diverse communities, to the space of the multilayered scale.

  • PDF

Effect of Proteinase Activity on the Cheddar Cheese Quality (단백분해 효소 활성(蛋白分解 酵素 活性)이 Cheddar Cheese의 품질(品質)에 미치는 영향(影響))

  • Kim, Min-Bae
    • Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
    • /
    • v.14 no.2
    • /
    • pp.157-164
    • /
    • 1996
  • This study aimed increase the quality during ripening of Cheddar cheese made with proteinase-negative mutant of Streptococcus lactis KCTC 1913 selected by curing. The degradation of protein during cheese ripening were investigated by electrophoresis and chromatography. The results were summarized as follow ; 1. The number of lactic acid bacteria decreased with the ripening stage, and that of the control cheese decreased faster than that of the cheese made with mutant. 2. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic analysis of cheese caseins revealed no difference between the cheese made with mutant and the control cheese, but differences along with the ripening stage were evident. 3. On Sephadex G-25 column chromatography, the extracts of bitter components from the green cheese and 3 month ripended cheese were fractionated into 3 fractions. With the progress of ripening, bitter peptides were degraded to rather small peptides or free amino acids. 4. Sensory evaluation of the 3 month ripended Cheddar cheese found no significant differences in color but the cheese made with mutant evidenced higher palatability in flavor and better texture than the control cheese. 5. The yields of the cheddar cheese made with mutant was 0.14% higher than that of the control cheese.

  • PDF

Change of Perception and New Methodology of Korean Cartoon Exhibition (한국만화전시의 인식변화와 새로운 방법론)

  • Kim, Jeung-Yeun
    • Cartoon and Animation Studies
    • /
    • s.39
    • /
    • pp.413-450
    • /
    • 2015
  • Although cartoons have been recognized for their great potential and value, they have failed to bloom in Korea. This is because wrong perception and irregular distribution of cartoons have been repeated for the last several years. Presently, however, cartoons are escaping from chronic problems they have had for long and welcoming splendid chances now. From the mid- and late-1990's, there have been large-scale events having cartoons as their theme, and social recognition on cartoons is becoming more and more positive. Their contents are diversified, readers are increased, and they are escaping from stereotypes through harmony with other media. Lately, either large or small exhibitions for cartoons are being planned, and Korean cartoons are going overseas and producing exhibitions there. Particularly, visitors' appreciative eye is getting keener, and they begin to see them not as a genre underestimated as low culture like in the past but as a kind of art on which independent research is being actively conducted. One of the biggest factors that have allowed cartoons to be positioned as visual art is the form of exhibitions that combine them with other genres artistically. Especially the cartoon exhibitions being held these days are aggressively introducing various elements of the cartoon genre through the medium of exhibitions not just as a mere tool of seeing to help understand cartoon writers or works. The genre of cartoons is now regarded as an active subject that can reflect its own unique essence in this rapidly changing cultural environment and extend the range of it itself. The latest cartoon exhibitions are characterized by trans-genre and complex aspects in terms of their direction or organization according to the contents, space, or theme. This trend of cartoon exhibitions implies that they are subdividing, analyzing, and planning various factors not in a horizontal way that was centered around image as in the past. It means that cartoon exhibitions are evolving as a form of mobilizing, combining, and reproducing various methods. Although a number of cartoon exhibitions are being held with a variety of themes, there is still lack of research on cartoon exhibitions concerning their forms and contents. Therefore, this researcher sees cartoon exhibitions as a factor that allows cartoons to escape from negative recognition and examines various cartoon exhibitions, from Seoul International Cartoon Animation Festival to the ones that are recently held, to figure out the meaning of Korean cartoon exhibitions. Furthermore, this researcher will find out the factors of planning and popularity in international exhibitions or personal cartoon exhibitions being presently held and figure out new directions and potentials for Korean cartoon exhibitions based on that. To meet the needs of visitors whose expectations have become even higher, it is needed to try not just previous methods but experimental and original planning as well constantly. To realize that, it is necessary to keep providing a field of opportunity where cartoon works, cartoon writers, and visitors can communicate as in an exhibition. It is expected that this study will trigger research on cartoon exhibitions to be performed multilaterally and produce new discourse on cartoon exhibitions afterwards.

Immunogenicity of Synthetic Peptide Specific for Major Immunogenic Determinat of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (B형간염(型肝炎) 표면항원(表面抗原)의 주면역원(主免疫原) 결정기(決定基)에 특이(特異)한 합성(合成) Peptide의 면역원성(免疫原性)에 관한 연구(硏究))

  • Shin, Kwang-soon;Han, Su-nam
    • Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
    • /
    • v.25 no.1
    • /
    • pp.7-17
    • /
    • 1985
  • Many investigators have been pursuing various attempts so far to produce hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg) vaccines using the techniques such as isolation from plasma of chronic HBsAg carrier, recombinant DNA technique or preparation of synthetic peptides specific for immunogenic determinants. Hepatitis B virus can not grow on any cell lines by the tissue culture technique at the present time. The plasma of chronic HBsAg carrier is expensive and its source is limited. The HBsAg from the recombinant DNA technique gave still very low yield. Another approach, therefore, has been initiated to develop a synthetic hepatitis B virus vaccine. The possible use of several distinct synthetic vaccines in prophylaxis can be facilitated by availability of full synthetic immunogens. Peptides synthesized for potential application as antiviral vaccines have been mostly tested in the form of conjugates with carrier proteins, although the free synthetic peptide can be immunogenic. To understand basic knowledges on the antigenicity and immunogenicity of a synthetic peptide specific for major immunogenic determinant of HBsAg, a nonapeptide, $H_2N^{139}Cys-Thr-Lys-Pro-Thr-Asp-Gly-^{146}Asn-Aba$ COOH, which corresponds to HBsAg amino acid residues 139 to 147, was synthesized by the Merrifield's solid-phase method with a slight modification. The antigenicity and immunogenicity of this specific synthetic peptide were examined comparing with purified plasma-derived natural HBsAg. The results obtained are as follows; 1. The peptide synthesized showed the identical amino acid composition to the theoretical value. The degree of purification and molecular weight were acertained by methods of high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. 2. Using m-maleimidobenzoyl-N-hydroxysuccinimide ester as a conjugating agent, the synthetic peptide was conjugated to rabbit albumin and ${\gamma}$-globulin, tetanus and diphtheria toxoids, and keyhole limpet hemocyanin. Their conjugation yields were 8.3, 9.5, 15.8, 13.5, and 11.2%, respectively. 3. The natural HBsAg was purified from plasma of chronic HBsAg carrier. By the electron microscopic observation of the purified natural HBsAg preparation, no Dane particles were observed and the preparation showed negative DNA polymerase activity. 4. Antigenicity of the synthetic peptide and the plasma-derived natural HBsAg was determined by competition radioimmunoassay using $^{125}I$-natural HBsAg. Their 50% inhibitions appeared as $90{\mu}g/ml$ and $0.12{\mu}g/ml$ for the synthetic peptide and the natural HBsAg, respectively. This indicates that the former was about 750-fold less antigenic than the latter. 5. Immunogenicity of the synthetic peptide was determined by administering the peptide-carrier conjugates into rabbits with and without Freund's complete adjuvant. Regardless the carrier proteins and adjuvant, positive immune responses to the synthetic peptide were observed. The higher antibody titers, however, were shown in the groups administered with Freund's complete adjuvant. 6. Immunizing dose 50% in mice of the various peptide-carrier conjugates was 5.47, 6.00, 65.16, 31.25 and $13.03{\mu}g/dose$ for rabbit albumin and ${\gamma}$-globulin, tetanus and diphtheria toxoids, and keyhole limpet hemocyanin, respectively, while the natural HBsAg showed $0.65{\mu}g/dose$. 7. It was postulated that homologous proteins prefer to heterologous ones as the carriers.

  • PDF

Etiology of Bacteremia in Children with Hemato-oncologic Diseases from a Single Center from 2011 to 2015 (단일 기관에서의 소아 혈액종양 환자에서 발생한 균혈증의 원인균 및 임상 양상: 2011-2015년)

  • Park, Ji Young;Yun, Ki Wook;Kang, Hyoung Jin;Park, Kyung Duk;Shin, Hee Young;Lee, Hoan Jong;Choi, Eun Hwa
    • Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
    • /
    • v.24 no.2
    • /
    • pp.71-78
    • /
    • 2017
  • Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify the pathogens of blood stream infection (BSI) in children with hemato-oncologic disorders, to analyze susceptibility patterns of microorganisms to guide empirical antimicrobial therapy, and to compare temporal trends of the pathogen and antimicrobial susceptibility with those of previous studies. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of children with hemato-oncologic disorders whose blood culture grew pathogens at the Seoul National University Children's Hospital between 2011 and 2015. Results: A total of 167 patients developed 221 episodes of bacteremia. Among 229 pathogens, gram-negative bacteria (GNB) accounted for 69.0% (64.0% in 2002 to 2005, 63.4% in 2006 to 2010); gram-positive bacteria (GPB) accounted for 28.8% (31.3% in 2002 to 2005, 34.6% in 2006 to 2010); and fungus accounted for 2.2%. Among GNB, Klebsiella species (53.2%, 84/158) and Escherichia coli (19.6%, 31/158) were common. Staphylococcus aureus (48.5%, 32/66) and viridans streptococci (21.2%, 14/66) were frequently isolated among GPB. The susceptibilities of oxacillin and vancomycin in GPB were 54.8% and 96.9% (51.5% and 95.5% in 2002 to 2005; 34.1% and 90.5% in 2006 to 2010), respectively, whereas in GNB, the susceptibilities of cefotaxime, piperacillin/tazobactam, and imipenem were 73.2%, 77.2%, and 92.6% (75.9%, 82.8%, and 93.4% in 2002 to 2005; 62.8%, 82.9%, 93.8% and in 2006 to 2010), respectively. There were no significant differences in the proportion of etiologic agents or the antimicrobial susceptibilities between the current study and that of the previous two studies from 2002 to 2010. Overall fatality rate was 13.1%. Conclusions: GNB predominated in BSI among children with hemato-oncologic disorders. The etiology of bacteremia and antimicrobial susceptibility were comparable to those of the previous studies. Thus, piperacillin/tazobactam can be used as the initial empirical antimicrobial agent in febrile neutropenia.