• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.240-247
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• 2018

This study was carried out to determine the levels of lead and cadmium as found in nine agricultural products (n = 578) sold in Korea, and to estimate the risk to human health that is summarily associated with their intake. The concentrations of Pb and Cd were measured using an ICP-MS after microwave digestion in this study. The average contents of Pb and Cd were measured as 0.014 and 0.017 mg/kg for barley, 0.006 and 0.005 mg/kg for mung bean, 0.008 and 0.007 mg/kg for kidney bean, 0.010 and 0.004 mg/kg for green bean, 0.008 and 0.001 mg/kg for pineapple, 0.016 and 0.002 mg/kg for apricot, 0.015 and 0.002 mg/kg for Japanese apricot, 0.021 and 0.002 mg/kg for plum and 0.019 and 0.003 mg/kg for jujube, respectively. The levels of Pb and Cd in the study samples were less than the maximum residual levels established by the European Union (EU), CODEX, and the Korea Food Code. As we have seen, the daily dietary exposures of Pb and Cd from these agricultural products for the general population were noted as 0.067% of PTWI ($25{\mu}g/kg$ b.w./week) and 0.28% of PTMI ($25{\mu}g/kg$ b.w./month), respectively. In line with the study conclusions, these results suggest that the current dietary intakes of Pb and Cd from these agricultural products in Korea have no appreciable risk effects on health for humans as noted in this experiment.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.195-201
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• 1996

Ninety-six isolates of Edwardsiella tarda recovered from outbreaks of Edwardsiellosis in cultured eels(Anguilla japonica) in Kunsan, were examined for drug susceptibility, distribution and transferabilities of R plasmid. All of the E. tarda isolates examined were sensitive to gentamicin(GM), streptomycin(SM), norfloxacin(NF), and amikacin(AK). But most isolates were resistant to sulfadimethoxine(SD, 86 strains), ampicillin(AM, 84 strains), penicillin G(PM, 80 strains), nalidixic acid (NA, 67 strains), oxytetracycline(OT, 44 strains), and oxolinic acid(OA, 37 strains). Twenty different combinations of drug resistance patterns were observed : the frequently encountered pattern was SD-AM-PM-NA-OA(16 strains), SD-AM-PM-NA(14 strains), SD-AM-PM-NA-OT-OA(12 strains), SD-AM-PM-OT(10 strains), and SD-AM-PM-NA-OT(8 strains). Transferable R plasmids were found out to be carried in 78 out of 94 resistant strains, indicating that these isolates carry conjugally transferable R plasmids associated with single or multiple drugs. The frequently observed transferarble R plasmids were AM(8 strains), AM-PM-NA(8 strains), Am-SD(6 strains), PM(6 strains), and SD(6 strains) These results suggest that high dose of various antibacterials might have already been introduced to eel culture system leading to the acquirement of multi-drug resistance to wide range of antibacterials.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.141-148
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• 2006

Surveys of radioactive contamination were performed for imported foodstuffs in 2003. The following samples among imported foodstuffs were selected from markets and Korea Food and Drug Administration(KFDA); the imported samples from country associated with the Chernobyl nuclear accident, the samples produced around the nuclear power plants or nuclear tests, the foodstuffs reported as radioacitive contamination materials in foreign country. After pretreatments such as drying and homogenization, samples were analyzed. The $^{137}Cs$ radionuclide was only measured among the regulation radionuclides($^{137}Cs,\;^{134}Cs,\;^{131}I$) of food code. All foodstuffs except Inonotus Obliquus(Chaga mushooms) are less than 17.0 Bq/kg or below the minimum detectable activity(MDA). The activity concentrations of Chaga mushrooms from Russia ranged up to 131.25 Bq/ltg which is almost 35 % of the maximum permitted level of food code. The fraction of imported foodstuffs having meaningful radioactivity is small, however, the radioactive contamination survey of imported foodstuffs is still needed.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.93-106
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• 2003

Objective : To investigate the possible molecular mechanism(s) of melittin as a candidate of anti-cancer drug, we examined the effects of the compound on the growth of human lung carcinoma cell line A549. Methods: MTT, morphological changes, DAPI staining, Western blot, RT-PCR and in vitro prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) accumulation assays were performed. Results: The anti-proliferative effect by melittin treatment in A549 cells was associated with morphological changes such as membrane shrinking and cell rounding up. Melittin induced apoptotic cell death in a concentration-dependent manner, which was associated with inhibition or degradation of apoptotic target proteins such as ${\beta}$-catenin, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase(PARP) and phospholipase $C-{\gamma}1(PLC-{\gamma}1)$. Melittin treatment inhibited the expression of cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2) and accumulation of PGE2 in aconcentration-dependent fashion. In addition, Melittin treatment induced the down-regulation of telomerase reverse transcriptase(hTERT) and proto-oncogene c-myc expression of A549 cells. Conclusions: Taken together, these findings suggest that melittin-induced inhibition of human lung cancer cell proliferation is associated with the induction of apoptotic cell death via regulation of several major growth regulatory gene products, and melittin may have therapeutic potential in human lung cancer.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.228-236
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• 2011

배경: 약물로 인한 Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD)는 널리 알려져 있으며 우리나라에서 항생제와 프로톤 펌프 억제제 소모량을 고려할 때 질환 치료과정에서의 CDAD 발생빈도 및 CDAD 유발 이전에 투여한 약물의 사용빈도와 CDAD의 치료방법을 조사할 필요성이 있다. 방법: 경상대학교 병원에서 2011년 1월부터 6월까지의 입원환자를 대상으로 대변 독소 검사에 의해 CDAD로 판명된 환자의 성별, 연령분포, 질환명, 입원병동, 재발률을 조사하였으며 CDAD 판명이전에 투여한 약제 및 CDAD 판명후 치료약제를 조사하였다. 결과: 연구기간 동안 CDAD 대변 독소 검사 의뢰된 환자수는 1,500명이었으며 CDAD 양성은 111명(9.3%)이었고, 재발은 29명(26.1%)이었다. CDAD를 주소로 입원한 환자는 17명 (15.3%)이었고, 나머지는 입원기간 중에 발생하였다. CDAD 양성인 환자의 연령대는 60대에서 32.4% (36/111명) 이었고, 내과병동에서 34.2%를 나타내었고, 재발률은 외과계 병동에서 41.4%로 가장 높게 나타났다. CDAD 환자의 17% (19/111명)은 항암제 투여 동안 발생하였으며 CDAD 발생 전 사용약물로는 세팔로스포린계 항생제가 162회로 가장 빈번하게 사용 되었으며, 히스타민2 수용체길항제 107회, 스테로이드 82회, 비 스테로이드 항염제 79회, 프로톤 펌프 억제제 77회, 하제 59회, 항암제가 33회 처방되었다. CDAD 치료약제로는 8종의 약제가 241회 처방 되었으며 metronidazole이 99회로 가장 빈번하게 사용되었고, vancomycin이 37회로 나타났다. 결론: 입원환자에 있어서 CDAD양성은 특히 고령의 암환자가 많아 항암제 투여 시에는 CDAD 발생에 주의해야 할것으로 보인다. CDAD의 치료약제로는 metronidazole이 vancomycin 보다 많이 사용되는 것으로 나타났다.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.195-200
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• 2016

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common and life-threating condition in cancer patients. Low molecular weight heparins (LMWH), such as dalteparin, are recommended in the treatment of VTE. Also, rivaroxaban, an orally administered direct factor Xa inhibitor, was approved for the treatment of VTE. It showed similar efficacy to standard therapy (LMWH or warfarin) and was associated with significantly lower rates of major bleedings. However, in the real world, bleeding has been reported to occur frequently in cancer patient receiving rivaroxaban. The goal of this research was to analyze bleeding risks between rivaroxaban and dalteparin for treatment of VTE in cancer patients. Methods: Medical records of oncology patients who were treated with rivaroxaban or dalteparin for VTE from July 2012 to June 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Data collected were as follows: age, sex, weight, height, cancer types and stages, ECOG (eastern cooperative oncology group) PS (performance score), VTE types, concurrently used medications, study drug information (dose and duration of therapy), INR (international normalized ratio), PT (prothrombin time), and platelet counts. Bleeding was classified into major bleedings, clinically relevant non-major bleedings, and minor bleedings. Results: A total of 399 patients were included in the study. Of these patients, 246 were treated with rivaroxaban and 153 with dalteparin. Bleeding rates were significantly higher in the rivaroxaban group than in the dalteparin group (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.09, 95% CI 1.22-3.60) after adjusting for confounders. In addition, rivaroxaban remained independently associated with 1.78-fold (95% CI 1.14-2.76) shorter time to bleeding compared to dalteparin after adjusting other factors known to be associated with poor outcomes. Conclusion: This study suggested that rivaroxaban was associated with an increased risk of bleedings in cancer patients.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.308-313
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• 1997

Ceftriaxone, an effective third generation cephalosporin with a wide range of antimicrobial activity, has become widely used by pediatricians for a variety of bacterial infections including meningitis. It has been associated with the development of sludge or stone in the gallbladder of some patients treated with this drug. Ceftriaxone associated biliary sludge has unusual acoustic characteristics and resembles gallstone. The sludge can cause symptoms such as cramping abdominal pain, and disappears after stopping ceftriaxone administration. Because of these seemingly confusing observations, it is important for the clinicians to recognize these findings that ceftriaxone treatment can cause. We report a case of ceftriaxone associated biliary sludge in Korean children. A 6-year-old girl who was treated for meningitis with ceftriaxone (100mg/kg/day) developed cramping upper abdominal pain from 5th hospital day. Physical examination, liver function tests and X-ray revealed no specific abnormal findings. But abdominal ultrasound revealed high amplitude echogenic sludge with prominent post-acoustic shadow in gallbladder and its diameter was 1.5cm. We stopped ceftriaxone administration and tried conservative care. Abdominal cramping pain subsided after 3 days of ceftriaxone removal. Second abdominal ultrasound confirmed the disappearance of sludge at 3 weeks later.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.16-22
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• 2021

[Purpose] Exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH) is a well-known condition among endurance athletes at low altitudes. The incidence of EAH during ultramarathons at high altitudes warrants further investigation. This prospective observational study was conducted on the participants of the Leadville Trail 100 run, a 161-km race held at a high altitude (2,800 m-3,840 m). [Methods] Venous blood samples were collected before and immediately after the race. The participants completed an electronic survey after the race. Our main outcome measure was the post-race serum sodium ([Na⁺]) level. [Results] Of the 672 athletes who started the race, 351 (52%) successfully completed the event within the 30-hour cut-off. Post-race blood samples were collected from 84 runners (66 finishers). Both pre- and post-race blood samples were collected from 37 participants. Twenty percent of the post-race participants had EAH. Only one post-race participant had a [Na⁺] level of <130 mmol/L. All participants with EAH were asymptomatic. One participant had an abnormal pre-race [Na⁺] level (134 mmol/L). Female participants had a significantly higher rate of EAH than male participants (40% vs. 16%; p=0.039). Age, body mass index, weight changes, race completion status, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use, and urine specific gravity were not associated with the development of EAH. Lower postrace [Na⁺] levels were associated with higher serum creatine kinase values (R²=0.1, p<0.005). [Conclusion] High altitude (3,840 m peak) does not appear to enhance the incidence of EAH after an ultramarathon footrace. This suggests that ambient temperature (low temperatures reduce risk), sex (female predilection), endurance running, and overhydration are more prominent risk factors for EAH than high altitude.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.476-485
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• 2024

Background/Aims: Sedation has become a standard practice for patients undergoing gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy. However, considering the serious cardiopulmonary adverse events associated with sedatives, it is important to identify patients at high risk. Machine learning can generate reasonable prediction for a wide range of medical conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors associated with sedation during GI endoscopy and develop a predictive model for hypoxia during endoscopy under sedation. Methods: This prospective observational study enrolled 446 patients who underwent sedative endoscopy at the Korea University Ansan Hospital. Clinical data were used as predictor variables to construct predictive models using the random forest method that is a machine learning algorithm. Results: Seventy-two of the 446 patients (16.1%) experienced life-threatening hypoxia requiring immediate medical intervention. Patients who developed hypoxia had higher body weight, body mass index (BMI), neck circumference, and Mallampati scores. Propofol alone and higher initial and total dose of propofol were significantly associated with hypoxia during sedative endoscopy. Among these variables, high BMI, neck circumference, and Mallampati score were independent risk factors for hypoxia. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the random forest-based predictive model for hypoxia during sedative endoscopy was 0.82 (95% confidence interval, 0.79-0.86) and displayed a moderate discriminatory power. Conclusions: High BMI, neck circumference, and Mallampati score were independently associated with hypoxia during sedative endoscopy. We constructed a model with acceptable performance for predicting hypoxia during sedative endoscopy.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.270-281
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• 2010

Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) is necessary to neonates in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for survival and growth because of impossible of enteral feeding. Long-term TPN can be associated with a broad spectrum of hepatobiliary disorder, ranging from mild hepatic dysfunction to severe end-stage liver disease. Cholestasis developed most commonly in neonate, ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is widely used in adult with cholestatic and non-cholestatic liver diseases but there have been limited data on the effects in neonate with PNAC. This study was performed retrospectively to review all medical histories of the total 30 neonates with was administrated UDCA for treatment to parenteral nutrition associated cholestasis (PNAC) at Chungbuk National University Hospital NICU from April 2002 to December 2008. UDCA was administrated at bilirubin is over 2 mg/dl. The criterias for drug evaluation were included hepatic biochemical marker such as direct bilirubin, total bilirubin, AST, ALT, ALP and GGT, TPN therapy period, cholestasis development period, UDCA treatment period, UDCA dosage and adverse effect. In the results, Post-UDCA treatment significant was decreased direct bilirubin, total bilirubin, AST and ALP (p<0.05), and was decreased GGT (p>0.05) and slightly was increased ALT (p>0.05). Reffective timect biDCA was appear at mean $10.5{\pm}1.3$ days, iDCA administration period was mean $64.4{\pm}5.9$ days, cholestasis period was mean $71.9{\pm}6.4$ days and UDCA dosage was mean $22.9{\pm}0.9$ mg/kg/day. Common adverse effects is diarrhea, 5 patients arised mild diarrhea but it possible also related with increased enteral feeding. In conclusion, iDCA can decrease direct bilirubin that major parameter t bcholestasis and oher hepatic biochemical makers. UDCA is effective on PNAC without any serious side effect and cost-effective. Although no greatly shortening cholestasis period, but can protect to develop into severe liver disease and other complication or death. Based on these result, UDCA is recommended for treatment of cholestasis at direct bilirubin is over 2 mg/dl.