• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.3-19
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• 2001

Recent basic and clinical studies demonstrate a major role for neural plasticity in the etiology and treatment of depression and stress-related illness. The neural plasticity is reflected both in the birth of new cell in the adult brain(neurogenesis) and the death of genetically healthy cells(apoptosis) in the response to the individual's interaction with the environment. The neural plasticity includes adaptations of intracellular signal transduction pathway and gene expression, as well as alterations in neuronal morphology and cell survival. At the cellular level, repeated stress causes shortening and debranching of dendrite in the CA3 region of hippocampus and suppress neurogenesis of dentate gyrus granule neurons. At the molecular level, both form of structural remodeling appear to be mediated by glucocorticoid hormone working in concert with glutamate and N-methyl-D-aspartate(NMDA) receptor, along with transmitters such as serotonin and GABA-benzodiazepine system. In addition, the decreased expression and reduced level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF) could contribute the atrophy and decreased function of stress-vulnerable hippocampal neurons. It is also suggested that atrophy and death of neurons in the hippocampus, as well as prefrontal cortex and possibly other regions, could contribute to the pathophysiology of depression. Antidepressant treatment could oppose these adverse cellular effects, which may be regarded as a loss of neural plasticity, by blocking or reversing the atrophy of hippocampal neurons and by increasing cell survival and function via up-regulation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding proteins(CREB) and BDNF. In this article, the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie stress, depression, and action of antidepressant are precisely discussed.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.107-114
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• 2008

Objectives : The aim of this study is to investigate the association between obesity indices(body mass index, weight, waist-hip ratio and waist circumference) in adolescents and the carotid intima-media thickness (C-IMT) in early adulthood. We also wanted to identify the best predictor for C-IMT among these obesity indices. Methods : This study used community-based prospective cohort study, known as the Kangwha Study, and the data we used were from subjects who were 16-years old in 1996 (defined as "adolescence") and 25 years-old in 2005 (defined as "early adulthood"). The 256 subjects (113 men and 143 women) who were used for analysis participated in both follow-ups, and they underwent B-mode ultrasonography of the carotid arteries at the early adulthood follow-up. Obesity indices were defined as the body mass index, weight, waist-hip ratio and waist circumference. The C-IMT was defined as the mean of the maximal IMT of each common carotid artery. The C-IMT and obesity indices associations were evaluated via multivariable regression, logistic regression and the receiver-operator characteristic curve analyses. Results : In men, all the obesity indices in adolescence were showed to have statistically significant positive association with C-IMT in early adulthood. However, no such relationship was showed in women. On multiple regression and logistic regression analysis, the waist-hip ratio showed the biggest relationship with the C-IMT among the 4 obesity indices. However, there were no statistical significant differences and no best predictor was found. For the women, the obesity incidences and C-IMT showed no relationships. Conclusions : This study suggested that obesity in adolescence was related to an increase C-IMT in healthy young Korean men.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.98-104
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• 2012

Objectives: A positive association between serum albumin levels and metabolic syndrome has been reported in observation studies, but it has not been established in the Korean population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between serum albumin levels and the presence of metabolic syndrome among a sample of apparently healthy Korean adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed data of 3189 community-dwelling people (1189 men and 2000 women) who were aged 40 to 87 years and were living in a rural area in Korea. Serum albumin levels were classified into quartile groups for each sex. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines with an adjusted waist circumference cut-off value ${\geq}90\;cm$ for men and${\geq}85\;cm$ for women). An independent association between serum albumin levels and metabolic syndrome was assessed by multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: Higher serum albumin levels were associated with increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome. The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of the prevalence of metabolic syndrome for the highest versus the lowest serum albumin quartiles was 2.81 (1.91 to 4.14) in men and 1.96 (1.52 to 2.52) in women, after adjusting for age, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and physical activity. When each metabolic abnormality was analyzed separately, higher serum albumin levels were significantly associated with hypertriglyceridemia and hyperglycemia in both sexes, and with abdominal obesity in men. Conclusions: These results suggest that higher serum albumin levels are positively associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome in Korean adults.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.748-752
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• 2014

Background Gynecomastia is benign enlargement of breast tissue in males and is fairly common. Mastectomy not only helps in improving the shape of anterior chest, but can also improve the location of nipple. Therefore, a principle element of mastectomy design is defining the normal location of nipple based on major anatomical reference points. Here, the nipple location was compared for before and after gynecomastia surgery. In addition, the same was also compared between male patients undergoing gynecomastia surgery and control group of subjects without gynecomastia. Methods We retrospectively analyzed gynecomastia patients who underwent conventional subcutaneous mastectomy. Preoperative and postoperative anatomical landmark distances and chest circumferences were measured and compared to the same anthropometric data from 20 healthy adult male controls. Results Nipple locations were compared among 13 patients and 20 controls. The mean weight of resected breast tissue was 246 g, and overall patient satisfaction grade was 4.3 out of 5. In the patient group, the slopes for the height-distance from the sternal notch to the nipple and chest circumference-distance between the mid-line of the sternum and the nipple were 0.175 and 0.125 postoperatively, respectively. The slopes of the control group were 0.122 and 0.177, respectively; these differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusions Nipple positions were considerably lower in patients with gynecomastia than in control subjects. Subcutaneous mastectomy was associated with mild elevations, but postoperative locations were still lower compared to controls. Further efforts are needed to improve the location of postoperative nipple-areola complex in patients with gynecomastia.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.265-269
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• 1983

A comparison was made of a new serological method, thin layer immunoassay (TIA), and an established method, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), in the detection and quantiacation of antibodies in clonorchiasis. Saline extract of Iyophilized Clonorchis sinensis adult worm was used as antigen, and TIA by the method of Elwing et at. (1976) and ELISA by Voller et at. (1974) were performed. Using sera from known clonorchiasis cases,100% of the sera tested were Positive by TIA and 88.35 by ELISA. TIA produced false positive results in 14 out of 36 cases, which were 10 amoebiasis cases, 16 paragonimiasis cases and 10 healthy controls. ELISA. however, produced a small number of false positives, 7 out of 55 cases. There was correlation between Immunoglobulin G level in sera and ELISA value (correlation coefficient, 0.69), whereas no correlation between Immunoglobulin G level and TIA result. The Performance of TIA and ELISA was not correlated in the results using homologous antigen.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.63-68
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• 2014

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the position changes with tilt table on autonomic nervous system using heart rate variability analysis. METHODS: Fourty healthy adult males volunteered in this study. The low frequency, high frequency and low frequency/high frequency ratio and mean heart rate, standard deviation of all normal R-R intervals, root mean square of successive differences, heart rate variability index were measured at the tilt table angle of $0^{\circ}$, $45^{\circ}$ and $90^{\circ}$ with pulsoximeter. Data were analyzed one-way ANOVA and LSD post hoc test. RESULTS: The mean heart rate, low frequency and low frequency/high frequency ratio increased significantly at higher angle of tilt table(p<.05). The root mean square of successive differences, heart rate variability index decreased significantly at lower angle of tilt table(p<.05). The standard deviation of all normal R-R intervals, high frequency decreased at higher angle of tilt table did not show significant difference. CONCLUSION: The symphathetic activity increased significantly at higher angle of tilt table. The parasymphathetic activity decreased at higher angle of tilt table, but the difference were not significant. The autonomic adaptation, balance and heart rate variability decreased significantly at higher angle of tilt table. Based on these results, in the treatment of patients with a change in posture precedence should be carefully treated. Further studies are necessary to determine the most safety and effective methods.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.71-76
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• 2016

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare isometric contraction of deltoid middle fiber between elastic band and light dumbbell on various shoulder abduction angle. And this study intends to examine the compare with isometric contraction on deltoid middle fiber in various abduction angle of shoulder joint. METHODS: The participants of this study were Korean healthy adult in their 20s (n=60). The 8 channel surface electromyography was used to measure activity of the deltoid middle fiber at isomeric contraction on various abduction angle: $0^{\circ}$, $30^{\circ}$, $60^{\circ}$, $90^{\circ}$, $120^{\circ}$ of shoulder joint using elastic band: red color Theraband and dumbbell: 2kg. The data used in the analysis of the present study was the root mean square. RESULTS: The deltoid middle fiber activation was not significantly different between elastic band and dumbbell at each abduction angle. The deltoid middle fiber activation significantly increased as more to increased shoulder abduction angle in elastic band and dumbbell. CONCLUSION: The elastic band and dumbbell was to provide the similarly load to the deltoid middle fiber isometric contraction on all of the shoulder abduction angle. The deltoid middle fiber activation increased as more to increased shoulder abduction angle in elastic band and dumbbell. These results may be an important reference in development of exercise on shoulder joint.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.686-692
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• 2010

Computed tomography (CT) is considered as gold standard in evaluating pancreatitis in human, but there have been only a few studies in veterinary field. Balthazar CT severity index (CTSI) used to assess the severity of acute necrotizing pancreatitis in human could be applicable to dogs, because the severity of acute pancreatitis depends on the area of pancreatic necrosis in dogs more than in human. In this study, 25 adult, clinically healthy beagle dogs were used. CT examinations was performed in normal pancreas, positive control group and acute necrotizing pancreatitis induced by autologous bile injection. Balthazar CTSI was applied to canine acute necrotizing pancreatitis in contrastenhanced CT image and compared with the result of histopathologic examination. The Hounsfield unit (HU) of normal canine pancreas was $52.44{\pm}4.58$ and the density was significantly decreased in acute necrotizing pancreatitis (P < .05). In contrast-enhanced CT examination, pancreatic density was decreased significantly and this area was compatible to pancreatic necrosis. Balthazar CTSI showed positive correlation with histopathologic evaluation with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 88.89%. Balthazar CTSI can be applied to evaluate the severity of acute necrotizing pancreatitis in dogs.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.610-622
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• 2010

The proportion of overweight and obese individuals in the United States has been continuously increasing up to recently. Many studies related to obesity have concentrated on jurisdictional levels of aggregation, making it very difficult to dearly illustrate at risk regions. In other words, little research has been conducted in relation to spatial patterns considering spatial dependency and heterogeneity by spatial autocorrelation models over space. In response, this research analyzes spatial patterns between overweight/obesity and risk factors, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, over space. Specifically, the Moran''s I and Geary''s C will be conducted for global and local measures. What is more, the Ordinary Least Square (OLS) linear regression and Geographically Weighted Regression methods will be applied to identify spatial dependency and spatial heterogeneity. Data provided by the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) have Body-Mass Index (BMI) rates, containing 4 rates of under, healthy, overweight, and obesity. In addition, high blood pressure and diabetes rates in the United States will be used as independent variables. Lastly, we are confident that this research will be beneficial for a decision maker to make a prevention plan for obesity.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.855-862
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• 2010

Among the known interferon-induced antiviral mechanisms, the Mx pathway is one of the most powerful pathways. The Mx protein has direct antiviral activity and inhibits a wide range of viruses by blocking an early stage of the viral replication cycle. Cloning, characterization, and expression of Mx in vivo and in vitro have been conducted. The chicken Mx gene spans 21 kb and is made up of 14 exons and 13 introns, of which the promoter region was analyzed. The real-time PCR results showed that Mx expression was increased in chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEF) after 12- and 24-h induction with polyI: C. Induction of Mx expression by poly I: C in vivo revealed tissue-specific patterns among the chicken tissues tested. A trace expression of Mx was detected in healthy chicken liver tissues from adult chickens without inducement; the expression levels in the liver, heart, and gizzard were higher than in the muscle and kidney. This is the first report to demonstrate the expression of a glutathione-S-transferase-tagged-Mx fusion protein of 75 KDa, as well as the biological activity tested by SDS-PAGE and western blotting.