• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.65 no.4
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• pp.301-307
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• 2008

Background: The triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) is an activating receptor that is expressed on the surface of neutrophils and mature monocytes when stimulated with several microbial components, which can amplify the inflammatory response. This study analyzed the prognostic value of the sTREM-1 levels in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Methods: The bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and blood was collected prospectively from 32 patients with ARDS, 15 survivors and 17 nonsurvivors. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to measure the sTREM-1. The following data was obtained: APACHE II score, Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score (CPIS), BAL fluid analysis, C-reative protein. Mortality in the ICU was defined as the end point. Results: The serum sTREM-1 level was significantly higher in the nonsurvivors than survivors ($54.3{\pm}10.3pg/ml$ vs. $22.7{\pm}2.3pg/ml$, p<0.05). The sTREM-1 level in the serum, but not in the BAL fluid, was an independent predictor of the ICU mortality (OR: 22.051, 95% CI: 1.780~273.148, p<0.016), and a cut-off value of ${\geq}33pg/ml$ yielded a diagnostic sensitivity of 71% and specificity of 93%. Conclusion: The serum sTREM-1 level may be a useful predictor of the outcome of ARDS patients.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.63 no.1
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• pp.45-55
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• 2020

Objective : Fibrin sealants have been used for hemostasis, sealant for cerebrospinal fluid leakage, and adhesive barrier in neurosurgery. Further, as its clinical use and role of an effective drug delivery vehicle have been proposed. This study was performed to measure antibacterial activity and continuous local antibiotic release from different concentrations of vancomycin-impregnated fibrin sealant in vitro. Methods : Antibacterial activity was investigated by disk diffusion test by measuring the diameter of the growth inhibition zone of bacteria (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, ATCC29213) from vancomycin-embedded fibrin sealant disc diluted at five different concentrations (C1-C5; 8.33, 4.167, 0.83, 0.083, and 0.0083 mg/disc, respectively). Continuous and conditioned release of vancomycin concentration (for 2 weeks and for 5 days, respectively) were also measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. To mimic the physiologic wound conditions with in vitro, conditioned vancomycin release in phosphate buffer solution (PBS) was measured and replaced PBS for five consecutive days, half a day or completely daily. Results : In the disk diffusion test, the mean diameters of bacterial inhibition zone were 2.54±0.07 cm, 2.61±0.12 cm, and 2.13±0.15 cm (C1, C2, and C3 respectively) but 1.67±0.06 cm and 1.23±0.15 cm in C4 and C5, respectively. Continuous elution test elicited the peak release of vancomycin from the fibrin sealant at 48 hours, with continued release until 2 weeks. However, conditioned vancomycin release decreased to half or more on day 2, however, the sustainable release was measured over the therapeutic dose (10-20 ㎍/mL) for 5 days and 4 days in assays of half and total exchange of PBS. Conclusion : This study suggests that fibrin sealant can provide an efficient vehicle for antibiotic drug release in a wide range of neurosurgical procedures and the safe and effective therapeutic dose will be at the concentration embedded of 4.167 mg/disc or more of vancomycin.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.80 no.1
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• pp.35-44
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• 2017

Background: Isolation of M. tuberculosis (MTB) is required in cases of Tuberculous pleural effusion (TBPE) for confirming diagnosis and successful therapy based on drug sensitivity test. Several studies have focused on predictors of MTB culture positivity in TBPE. However, the clinical role of loculated TBPE as a predictor of MTB cultivation from TBPE remains unclear. The aim of this study was to examine possible predictors including loculation of TBPE of MTB culture positivity in TBPE. Methods: We retrospectively examined associations between clinical, radiological, microbiological, and laboratory characteristics and positive MTB culture from TBPE to determine a potent predictor of culture positivity. Results: From January 2011 to August 2015, 232 patients with TBPE were identified. Of these, 219 were finally analyzed. Among them, 69 (31.5%) were culture positive for MTB in TBPE and 86 (39.3%) had loculated TBPE. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, the loculation of TBPE was independently associated with culture positivity for MTB in TBPE (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 40.062; 95% confidence interval [CI], 9.355-171.556; p<0.001). In contrast, the lymphocyte percentage of TBPE (adjusted OR, 0.934; 95% CI, 0.899-0.971; p=0.001) was inversely associated with culture positivity for MTB in TBPE. Conclusion: In clinical practice, identification of loculation in TBPE is easy, reliable to measure, not uncommon and may be helpful to predict the possibility of positive mycobacterial culture.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.39 no.9
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• pp.751-759
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• 2015

In this study, we investigate the Characteristics of the flowfields of a circular cylinder having a small triangular prism at the upstream side. We measure the fluid force on the circular cylinder and obtain a visualization of the flow fields using particle image velocimetry (PIV). The experimental parameters employed were the width ratios (H/B = 0.2~0.6) of the triangular prisms to the circular cylinder's diameter, and the gap ratios (G/B = 0~3) between the circular cylinder and the triangular prism. We observed that the drag reduction rate and Strouhal number of the circular cylinder increased and then decreased with G/B in the case of the same H/B. The drag reduction rate increased with H/B in the case of the same G/B. In the case where the circular cylinder had a small triangular prism, the stagnation regions were represented in the upstream and downstream sides of the circular cylinder.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.20-26
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• 2018

This study was conducted to develop a device for measuring the air flow by space variation through monitoring program, which acquires data by each point from each environmental sensor located in the greenhouse. The distribution of environmental factors(air temperature, humidity, wind speed, etc.) in the greenhouse is arranged at 12 points according to the spatial variation and a large number of measurement points (36 points in total) on the X, Y and Z axes were selected. Considering data loss and various greenhouse conditions, a bit rate was at 125kbit/s at low speed, so that the number of sensors can be expanded to 90 within greenhouse with dimensions of 100m by 100m. Those system programmed using MATLAB and LabVIEW was conducted to measure distributions of the air flow along the greenhouse in real time. It was also visualized interpolated the spatial distribution in the greenhouse. In order to verify the accuracy of CFD modeling and to improve the accuracy, it will compare the environmental variation such as air temperature, humidity, wind speed and $CO_2$ concentration in the greenhouse.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 1996

The C-reactive protein(CRP) from ascitic and pleural fluid was purified using calcium dependent affinity chromatography of CNBr activated Sepharose-4B covalently coupled to p-diazonium phenylphosphorylcholine(DPPC) and hydroxylapitite chromatography. Polyclonal antibody was prepared from rabbit by immunizing the purified CRP. Specific immunoglobulin G was isolated using affinity chromatography and coupled to microparticles. A sensitive microparticle-based immunoassay was developed to measure CRP within 3 mins. The detection range was between 0.5mg/dl) and 20mg/dl in serum, showing strong response in the range of 0.7~2.9 mg/dl, weak response in 5.0~13.2 mg/dl and zone phenomenon over 28mg/dl. The average value of CRP in 74 samples was 3.8mg/dl and most of the values were lower than 10mg/dl .The CRP values of serum samples were determined by our microparticle-based immunoassay, and were compared with those obtained using the other commercial products(B Co., France and I Co., Japan). Good correlations were shown between the values obtained by our developed microparticle-based immunoassay system and those by other commercial products. All performance characteristics evaluated make our developed microparticles-based immunoassay suitable for a simple, rapid, and reliable screening of CRP in serum.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.54-63
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• 2010

Domestic construction companies suffer from the difficulty in financing in the wake of economic slump at home and abroad. In the periods of this economic slump, which hit the nation REITs, the facilitator of fluid financing and the stimulating of construction economic, has increasingly been expanded since its introduction in 2001. But, REITs relatively falls behinds any other nations, in terms of its growth speed and marketing volume. The purpose of this research thesis is to suggest the method for composing a portfolio using Markowitz portfolio selection models for stimulating REITs. Main contents are as follows. First, the thesis made the comparative analysis on profit increase in REITs investment in application of models by Markowitz and REITs derivatives from 2007/07/03 to 2008/07/21 during investment analysis periods. The result showed that total profits by Markowitz model amounted to about 10 percent higher than average profits of REITs derivatives. Second, this thesis made the analysis on sensitivity of data-gathering and portfolio change periods of the existing profits, in order to measure the both periods and yield optimum profits. The six month data-collecting periods of profits accounted for some 16% higher profits than profits of REITs derivatives. In case when the two week periods of portfolio change accounted for some 11% higher profits than profits of REITs derivatives.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Medical Physics Conference
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• 2002.09a
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• pp.400-403
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• 2002

The fundamental experiments for measuring soft x-ray characteristics from the vacuum capillary are described. These experiments were primarily performed in order to generate line spectra such as x-ray lasers. The generator consists of a high-voltage power supply, a polarity-inversion ignitron pulse generator, a turbo-molecular pump, and a radiation tube with a capillary. A high-voltage condenser of 200 nF in the pulse generator is charged up to 20 kV by the power supply, and the electric charges in the condenser are discharged to the capillary in the tube after closing the ignitron. During the discharge, weakly ionized plasma forms on the inner and outer sides of a capillary. In the present work, the pump evacuates air from the tube with a pressure of about 1 mPa, and a demountable capillary was developed in order to measure x-ray spectra according to changes in the capillary length. In this capillary, the anode (target) and cathode elements can be changed corresponding to the objectives. The capillary diameter is 2.0 mm, and the length is adjusted from 1 to 50 mm. When a capillary with aluminum anode and cathode electrodes was employed, both the cathode voltage and the discharge current almost displayed damped oscillations. The peak values of the voltage and current increased when the charging voltage was increased, and their maximum values were -10.8 kV and 4.7 kA, respectively. The x-ray durations observed by a 1.6 ${\mu}$m aluminum filter were less than 30 ${\mu}$s, and we detected the aluminum characteristic x-ray intensity using a 6.8 ${\mu}$m aluminum filter. In the spectrum measurement, two sets of aluminum and titanium electrodes were employed, and we observed multi-line spectra. The line photon energies seldom varied according to changes in the condenser charging voltage and to changes in the electrode element. In the case where the titanium electrode was employed, the line number decreased with corresponding decreases in the capillary length. Compared with incoherent visible light, these rays from the capillary were diffracted and diffused greatly after passing through two slits.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.373-381
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• 2016

In this study, we investigate the characteristics of the drag reduction of a circular cylinder having a detached splitter plate at the wake side. We measure the fluid force on a circular cylinder and visualize the field using particle image velocimetry (PIV) with a high Reynolds number, Re = 10,000. The experimental paraeters used were the width ratios (H/B = 0.5~1.5) of splitters to the prism width and the gap ratios (G/B = 0~2) between the prism and the splitter plate. The drag-reduction rate of the circular cylinder increased with H/B in the case of the same G/B, and it increased and then decreased with G/B in the case of the same H/B. The vortices of the opposite direction on the upper and lower sides of the detached splitter plate were generated by installing the plate. Reverse flow was caused by the vortices at the wake region of the circular cylinder, and the drag of the circular cylinder was decreased by the reverse flow.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.43-49
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• 2015

Objectives : In this study, the anti-stress effects of ethanolic extract of Opuntiaficus-indica (OF70E) were investigated. Methods : To determine the effects of OF70E on physical stress, changes in whole-body cortisol level or behavior were monitored in zebrafish. After treatment with 0.9% saline or OF70E for 6 min, all fish underwent net handling stress (NHS), which induced physical stress. And then, we conducted open field test (OFT) or sacrificed fish for collecting body fluid from whole-body. We used the cortisol enzyme-linked immunoassay kit to measure the amount of cortisol in each zebrafish sample. Results : In result, compared with normal group which were not treated by NHS, whole-body cortisol levels were significantly increased in stressed-control group. Compared with control group, pretreatment with OF70E at concentrations of 25, 50 and 100 mg/L for 6min significantly inhibited the increase of whole-body cortisol levels induced by NHS(p<0.05). To anti-stress effects of OF70E on behavior, we conducted OFT after the induction of NHS following pretreatment of OF70E. As results of OFT, compared with unstressed-normal group, distance moved was significantly decreased by induction of NHS in stressed-control group (p<0.05). OF70E-pretreatment blocked decreases of distance moved increased by NHS (p<0.05). And meandering movement, immobility and turn angle were significantly increased by NHS in stressed-control group compared with unstressed-normal group (p<0.05). OF70E-pretreatment prevented the increases of meandering movement immobility and turn angle by NHS (p<0.05). Conclusions : In conclusion these results suggest that OF70E-pretreatment may prevent stress responses.