• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.357-366
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• 2017

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the influence of various factors on preterm labor symptoms (PLS) and preterm birth (PB). Methods: This prospective cohort study included 193 women in the second stage of pregnancy. Multiple characteristics including body mass index (BMI), smoking, and pregnancy complications were collected through a self-report questionnaire. Pregnancy stress and PLS were each measured with a related scale. Cervical length and birth outcome were evaluated from medical charts. Multiple regression was used to predict PLS and logistic regression was used to predict PB. Results: Multiple regression showed smoking experience, pregnancy complications and pregnancy specific stress were predictors of PLS and accounted for 19.2% of the total variation. Logistic regression showed predictors of PB to be twins (OR=13.68, CI=3.72~50.33, p<.001), shorter cervix (<25mm) (OR=5.63, CI=1.29~24.54, p<.05), BMI >25 ($kg/m^2$) (OR=3.50, CI=1.35~9.04, p<.01) and a previous PB (OR=4.15, CI=1.07~16.03, p<.05). Conclusion: The results of this study show that the multiple factors affect stage II pregnant women can result in PLS or PB. And preterm labor may predict PB. These findings highlight differences in predicting variables for pretrm labor and for PB. Future research is needed to develop a screening tool to predict the risk of preterm birth in pregnant women.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.62-66
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• 2011

Deletions of 14q including band 14q32.33 are uncommon. Patients with terminal deletions of chromosome 14 usually share a number of clinical features. By molecular techniques (array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), we identified a young girl with 0.3 Mb terminal 14q32.33 deletion. Review of the nine cases with pure terminal 14q32.3 deletions described to date documented that our observation is the smallest terminal 14q deletion ever reported. The phenotype of our patient is much less severe than the phenotypes of the patients reported previously. We report our experience in examining the clinical, behavioral, and cognitive findings in a 5-year-old girl studied with chromosomal microarray hybridization and reviewed previously reported patients with 14q32 deletions.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.826-831
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• 2003

ADP-ribose pyrophosphatase (ADPRase) hydrolyzes ADP-ribose (ADPR) into AMP and ribose-5'-phosphate. It is classified into two groups, $Mg^{2+}$-dependent and $Mg^{2+}$-independent ADPRase, depending on its $Mg^{2+}$requirement. Here, we purified $Mg^{2+}$-dependent ADPRase from rabbit liver and examined what factors affect $Mg^{2+}$ requirement. The purified enzyme showed a single band with the molecular weight of 34 kDa on SDS-PAGE both in the presence and absence of 2-mercaptoethanol. The molecular weight of the native enzyme calculated by gel filtration was 68 kDa, indicating that ADPRase is a dimer made up of two identical subunits. $Mg^{2+}$-dependent ADPRase with the highest ADPR affinity had a $K_m$ of 160$\pm$10 $\mu$M and a pH optimum of around pH 9.5. Treatment of the purified ADPRase with heated cytosol fractions at 37$^{\circ}C$ for 3 h caused some changes in the chemical properties of the enzyme, including an increase in molecular weight, a decrease in solubility, and a loss of $Mg^{2+}$-dependency. The molecular weight of the cytosol-treated ADPRase measured by gel filtration was over 420 kDa, suggesting, for the first time, that ADPRase could be polymerized by undefined cytoplasmic factors, and that polymerization is accompanied by changes in the solubility and metal ion dependency of the enzyme.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.255-278
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• 1992

Based on recent 27 document, reported in Huang Ti Nei Ching, the following results concering the tongue and Tongue-acupuncture were obtained: 1. It was observed that the tongue has direct or indirect connection with the Heart meridian, the Liver meridian, the Spleen meridian, the Kidney meridian, the Triple energizer meridian and the Stomach meridian. 2. The Tongue-acupunccture, needlingon tongue, is one of new acupunctures treating general disorder and 31 acu-points have been found; 17 points on the upper part and 14 points on the lower part of the tongue. 3. The Tongue-acupuncture is employed by dividing the tongue into threeregions; Sangcho area(下焦穴), Jungcho area(中焦穴) and Hacho area(下焦穴). Each region cures its own corresponding symptoms. 4. The upper part of the tongue is divided into 4 regions by the sidelines along with Chuy Cheon(聚泉), So Jang Hyul(小腸穴) and Dae Jang Hyul(大腸穴). Sangcho area(上焦穴) includes Sim Hyul(心穴), Pye Hyul(肺穴), Sang Gi Hyul(上肢穴) and Jungcho area(中焦穴) includes Ui Hyul(胃穴), Bi Hyul(脾穴), Dam Hyul(膽穴) and Hacho area(下焦穴) includes Gan Hyul(肝穴), Bang Kwang Hyul(膀胱), Sin Hyul(腎穴) and the inner region includes Yim Hyul(陰穴), Ha Gi Hyul(下肢穴), on The lower part of the tongue, there are aec Hyul(額穴), Mok Hyul(目穴), Bi Hyul(鼻穴), I Hyul(耳穴), In Hu Hyul(咽喉穴) in contrast with the face above the center of the tongue as well as Gi Maek Hyul(支脈穴), Hae Chun Hyul(海泉), Gyum Gin Ok Aek(金津玉液), Seol Ha Hyul(舌下穴), Seol Gu(舌柱), Joa Chun Hyul(佐泉穴), Sin Gyun Hyul(神根穴), Jung Gu(中矩), Aek Bang Hyul(液旁穴). 5. The Tongue-acupuncture can be applied to the disease internal medicine, surgery, ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology, gynecology, musculoskeletal system, symptomatology.

• BMB Reports
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.291-298
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• 2020

Tumor angiogenesis is an essential process for growth and metastasis of cancer cells as it supplies tumors with oxygen and nutrients. During tumor angiogenesis, many pro-angiogenic factors are secreted by tumor cells to induce their own vascularization via activation of pre-existing host endothelium. However, accumulating evidence suggests that vasculogenic mimicry (VM) is a key alternative mechanism for tumor vascularization when tumors are faced with insufficient supply of oxygen and nutrients. VM is a tumor vascularization mechanism in which tumors create a blood supply system, in contrast to tumor angiogenesis mechanisms that depend on pre-existing host endothelium. VM is closely associated with tumor progression and poor prognosis in many cancers. Therefore, inhibition of VM may be a promising therapeutic strategy and may overcome the limitations of anti-angiogenesis therapy for cancer patients. In this review, we provide an overview of the current anti-angiogenic therapies for ovarian cancer and the current state of knowledge regarding the links between microRNAs and the VM process, with a focus on the mechanism that regulates associated signaling pathways in ovarian cancer. Moreover, we discuss the potential for VM as a therapeutic strategy against ovarian cancer.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.142-147
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• 2011

Objective: This study was performed to evaluate testicular sperm chromatin condensation using aniline blue-eosin (AB-E) staining and its effects on IVF-ET. Methods: Chromatin condensation was analyzed using AB-E staining in 27 cases of testicular sperm extraction. There were 19 cases of obstructive azoospermia (OA) and 8 cases of non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) in IVF-ET. Mature sperm heads were stained red-pink whereas immature sperm heads were stained dark blue. The percentage of sperm chromatin condensation was calculated from the ratio of the number of red-pink sperm to the total number of sperm analyzed. Results: The overall percentages of chromatin condensation in OA and NOA were $31.1{\pm}11.2%$ and $26.3{\pm}14.4%$, respectively. The fertilization rate was significant higher in OA than NOA ($p$ <0.05); however, the rates of good embryos and clinical pregnancy did not show statistical differences. In OA and NOA, statistical differences were not observed in the rate of chromatin condensation, fertilization, good embryos, and clinical pregnancy between the pregnant group and non-pregnant group. Conclusion: Chromatin condensation is less stable than OA and showed a low fertilization rate in NOA. While there were no significant differences in chromatin condensation results between NOA and OA, we propose that a pattern of decreased chromatin condensation in NOA is one of the factors of low fertilization results requiring further study.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.1-10
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• 2014

Objective : The purpose of this study is to assess the communication and medical interview level of the students in the college of korean traditional medicine using Standardized Patients(SP). Method : 35 students of 5th grade in the college who are doing their clinical practice class participated and conducted medical interview on standardized infertile female patient. SP and professor who observed the interview evaluated the students' communication skill and medical interview level using the assessment sheet composed of 23 questions. Results : 1. Satisfaction of SP was 1.66 of 3. In the communication section, students conducted well in appropriate voice and no inappropriate interruption but they didn't show good practice in considerate physical examination, understandable explanation relatively. 2. The scores that were acquired by students in informing the time required, obtaining agreement at initiating and closing, family history taking, checking mental status and physical examination 2 were low in the medical interview section. 3. There were some differences in the communication and medical interview scores by the students' sex (p<.01), age(p<.05) and medical camp experience(p<.05). But we couldn't find any evidence about the relation between character type and the communication and medical interview scores(p>.62). Conclusion : On the whole, students who participated this study had difficulties in building relationship with patient and conducting medical interview. They need to improve their ability in those fields by appropriate education before their graduation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.895-900
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• 2019

Ultrasound is known to be harmless to the human body and is widely used in obstetrics and gynecology to confirm the diagnosis and development status of fetus. Diagnosis Although long - term use of ultrasound may cause changes in body temperature, studies on the uterine temperature changes due to ultrasound have been lacking. The purpose of this study was to investigate the change of temperature according to ultrasonic scanning time using a self - produced uterine model phantom. Ultrasound equipment and a 4MHz convex probe were used to construct the uterine model phantom similar to the human uterus using acrylic and pig uterus, which are tissue equivalents. Three probe type thermometers were installed to measure the inside of the acrylic water tank, the uterus, and the atmospheric temperature. The temperature of the uterine phantom was ascertained by measuring the temperature of the subject for 6 hours, 361 times. In this study, the possibility of human body temperature elevation due to ultrasound could be confirmed and this study will be used as the basic data of ultrasonic heat absorption study.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.294-301
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• 2013

In this study, we examined the hepatic anti-steatosis activity of carnosic acid (CA), a phenolic compound of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) leaves, as well as its possible mechanism of action, in a high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice model. Mice were fed a HFD, or a HFD supplemented with 0.01% (w/w) CA or 0.02% (w/w) CA, for a period of 12 weeks, after which changes in body weight, blood lipid profiles, and fatty acid mechanism markers were evaluated. The 0.02% (w/w) CA diet resulted in a marked decline in steatosis grade, as well as in homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index values, intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IGTT) results, body weight gain, liver weight, and blood lipid levels (P < 0.05). The expression level of hepatic lipogenic genes, such as sterol regulating element binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), liver-fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP), stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1), and fatty acid synthase (FAS), was significantly lower in mice fed 0.01% (w/w) CA and 0.02% (w/w) CA diets than that in the HFD group; on the other hand, the expression level of ${\beta}$-oxidation-related genes, such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\alpha}$ (PPAR-${\alpha}$), carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT-1), and acyl-CoA oxidase (ACO), was higher in mice fed a 0.02% (w/w) CA diet, than that in the HFD group (P < 0.05). In addition, the hepatic content of palmitic acid (C16:0), palmitoleic acid (C16:1), and oleic acid (C18:1) was significantly lower in mice fed the 0.02% (w/w) CA diet than that in the HFD group (P < 0.05). These results suggest that orally administered CA suppressed HFD-induced hepatic steatosis and fatty liver-related metabolic disorders through decrease of de novo lipogenesis and fatty acid elongation and increase of fatty acid ${\beta}$-oxidation in mice.

• Kidney Research and Clinical Practice
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.338-346
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• 2018

Background: The most common cause of acute kidney injury (AKI) in pregnancy is preeclampsia. Serum cystatin C (CysC) is a potential biomarker of early kidney damage as its levels are not disturbed by volume status changes in pregnancy, and serum CysC levels could serve as a replacement for conventionally used creatinine. In this study, we investigated the serum levels of CysC in severe preeclampsia cases and the associations between CysC levels and poor obstetric outcomes. Methods: Our cohort included severe preeclampsia patients with a normal serum creatinine level. Creatinine was measured to calculate estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) based on the Cockcroft and Gault, Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study (MDRD), and Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equations, while CysC was measured to calculated eGFR based on a CysC-based equation. We then evaluated the correlations between serum CysC level, eGFR, and obstetric outcomes. Results: Twenty-six patients were evaluated of which 38.5% delivered preterm and 30.8% had low-birth weight babies. Unlike creatinine-based eGFR and CysC-based eGFR, serum CysC demonstrate significant negative correlation with gestational age. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that serum CysC is a potential biomarker of preterm delivery with a cut-off serum level of 1.48 mg/L with 80% sensitivity and 75% specificity. Conclusion: GFR estimation using CysC is likely to be inaccurate in pregnancy. However, we found a significant correlation between preterm delivery and serum CysC level. Our results suggest that serum CysC level has the potential to predict preterm delivery in severe preeclampsia patients.