• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.253-263
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• 2018

Purpose: With increasing life expectancy, the presence of comorbidities has become a major concern in elderly patients who require surgery. However, little is known about the impact of different comorbidities on the outcomes of laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG). In this study, we investigated the impact of comorbidities on postoperative complications in patients undergoing LTG for gastric carcinoma. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the cases of 303 consecutive patients who underwent LTG for gastric carcinoma between 2005 and 2016. The associations between each comorbidity and postoperative complications were assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: A total of 189 patients (62.4%) had one or more comorbidities. Hypertension was the most common comorbidity (37.0%), followed by diabetes mellitus (17.8%), chronic viral hepatitis (2.6%), liver cirrhosis (2.6%), and pulmonary (27.1%), ischemic heart (3.3%), and cerebrovascular diseases (2.3%). The overall postoperative morbidity and mortality rates were 20.1% and 1.0%, respectively. Patients with pulmonary disease significantly showed higher complication rates than those without comorbidities (32.9% vs. 14.9%, respectively, P=0.003); patient with other comorbidities showed no significant difference in the incidence of LTG-related complications. During univariate and multivariate analyses, pulmonary disease was found to be an independent predictive factor for postoperative complications (odds ratio, 2.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-4.64), along with old age and intraoperative bleeding. Conclusions: Among the various comorbidities investigated, patients with pulmonary disease had a significantly higher risk of postoperative complications after LTG. Proper perioperative care for optimizing pulmonary function may be required for patients with pulmonary disease.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.8-15
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• 2011

Genus Nicotiana has 76 species including N. tabacum. These plants are used not only as a material for cigarette manufacturing but also as ornamental plant, medicinal plant, poisonous substance plant, and bug repellent plant. N. tabacum is used as a main material for cigarette manufacturing with N. rustica. N. sylvestris and N. alata is used as ornamental plants because of their beautiful flowers and N. rustica is used for bug repellent or pesticide because of its high concentration of nicotine. N. glauca, a tree tobacco, is used for bio-fuel production. N. tabacum is used as a popular model plant system for degeneration, regeneration, and transformation. N. benthamiana is also used as a model system for foreign gene expression by agroinfiltration. The transformation ability of tobacco plant is a good target for molecular farming. Hepatitis B virus envelop protein, E. coli heat-labile enterotoxin, diabetes autoantigen, and cholera toxin B subunit were produced using tobacco plants. Secondary metabolites of tobacco include nicotine, anabasine, nornicotine, anatabine, cembranoid, solanesol, linoleic acid, rutin, lignin and sistosterol, and they are used for various medicine productions which cannot be produced by organic synthesis for their complicated structures. In conclusion, we have to understand the applicability of tobacco plant in detail and study to enlarge the usage of the plants.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.169-175
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• 1989

To study the role of mutant precore region in expression and secretion of hapatitis B viral core antigen, we have cloned core antigen gene(HBc) with or without precore region in geterologous expression vectors containing SV40 promoter, yeast promoter, and lambda $P_{L}$ promoter. In COS cells transfected with plasmid containing C-gene with precore region, antigens were detected in both cell extract and cultured medium. However, in the cells transfected with plasmids containing C-gene without precore or with mutated precore region by one nucleotide (T) addition at the nucleotide 1,821, HBcAg was detected only in cell extracts. These results support that the mutation by one nucleotide addition shifted the initiation codon of precore region to 53 nucleotides upward and the elongated precore region also played a major role in the secretion of HBcAg in mammalian cells. In the case of yeast and E. coli, HBcAg was detected only in cell extracts in spite of the presence of precore region, which suggest that precore region could not affect HBcAg secretion in these system.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.383-397
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• 2012

The incidence of zoonoses in Korea has recently increased. But the study for high risk group such as pig farmers to zoonoses has not been conducted in Korea. Thus we reviewed the articles in order to obtain basic data for zoonoses among pig farmers, especially in rural communities. Pigs are one of the most important domestic livestock in Korea not only from economic standpoint but also from standpoint of food. Pigs also represent a potential reservoir for many novel pathogens, therefore may transmit these to humans via direct contact, vectors such as mosquitos, or contaminated meat. The zoonoses associated with pigs can be classified into bacterial pathogen, viruses and so on. Bacterial zoonoses include brucellosis, leptospirosis, listeriosis, enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli infection, pasteurellosis, salmonellosis, yersiniosis, tuberculosis, anthrax, necrobacillosis, swine erysipelas, erysipeloid, melioidosis, Streptococcus suis infection, Clostrium difficile infection, and campylobactor infection. Viral zoonoses consist of Japanese encephalitis, swine influenza, Nipah virus, Reston ebolavirus, and hepatitis E virus infection. Other type of zoonoses include actinomycosis, toxoplasmosis and Taenia solium infection. These zoonoses were important in Korean health policy but lately they have been overlooked. For effective health policy, we need to study zoonoses associated with pigs, and clinicians and veterinarians must care deeply about these zoonoses.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.584-593
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• 1983

Esophageal reconstruction was performed in 344 patients with irreversible stricture of the esophagus resulting from caustic burns at National Medical Center from 1959 to 1982.There were 113 males and 231 females, and ranging from 2.5 to 58 years of age, and mean age was 26.5 years, and 25 cases were less than 10 years old. Caustic materials were 286 [83.2%] alkali and 50[14.5%] acid. The most frequent stricture site was upper thoracic esophagus as 56.7%, and the next was cervical as 31.4%, and lower, 11.9%. The stomach was involved in 10.8% totally, and hypopharyngeal stricture was also noticed in 3.2%, and in 3 cases, hypopharyngeal reconstruction was needed due to extensive scar change. In 329 of total 344 cases, colon interposition was performed without resection of the strictured esophagus except 4 cases which were complicated T-E fistula or perforation, and most of them, about 10-15 cm of terminal ileum with right half of the colon was used as the graft. The left colon with anti-peristalsis was used as graft only in 30 cases. The most common postoperative complication was anastomotic leak as 16.7% of total cases, and it was 12.5% from neck, 3.3% from ileocolostoma and 0.9% from cologastrostoma. Next common complication was neck stenosis [8.8%], aspiration pneumonia [6.4%], and graft necrosis [3.9%] in order. Overall operative mortality was 5.5% [14/329], and main causes of death were graft necrosis, sepsis due to anastomotic leak, gastric bleeding, and intestinal obstruction. Besides of colon interposition, according to shape or level of the stricture, plastic repair or segmental resection and direct anastomosis was done in 9, and 1 of them were complicated stenosis at the anastomotic site. In lower stricture, esophagogastrostomy was done in 10 cases, and 1 case expired due to hepatitis, and anastomotic stenosis was occurred in 2 cases at 1.5 months and 2.4 years later. During follow-up of 298 cases colon interposition from 6 months to 22 years, 82.6% was excellent, and 2.9% was complained of mild discomfort, and 4 cases were dead laterly, but 3 of them were not related to reconstruction.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.306-310
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• 2009

Mass mortality was occurred in adult koi carp(Cyprinus carpio) at a private pond near Samchunpo city in the early November, 2007. Its water temperature was $11^{\circ}C$ and turbidity was very high. The fishes diseased were shown widely distributed hemorrhages, deep ulcerations on the whole body surface and severe erosions in the all fins. In necropsy, excess ascitic fluid was observed and spleen and kidney affected were enlarged. In microscopic observation, it was examined widely distributed severe dermal ulceration, multifocal gill lamella hyperplasia, severe fibrinous pericarditis, multifocal nephritis and hepatitis. The bacteria suspected were isolated using tryptone soya agar and identified as motile Aeromonas hydrophila as results of biochemical tests using API 20E and 20NE. According to previous reports, A. hydrophila infection were mainly occurred in fingerling at high temperature. However, this case exhibited that A. hydrophila infection can develop on adult koi carp even in the winter season.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.203-208
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• 2005

Scoparone is a major component of the shoot of Artemisia capillaris (Compositae), which has been used for the treatment of hepatitis and biliary tract infection in oriental countries. In the present study we observed that, scorparone exhibited no cytotoxic effect in unstimulated macrophages, but reduced the release of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin $E_2\;(PGE_2)$ upon stimulation by IFN-${\gamma}$/LPS or LPS. The inhibitory effects were found to be in conjuction with the suppression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in IFN-${\gamma}$/LPS stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Moreover, scoparone also attenuated the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$, interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6 in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. These results suggest that scoparone decreases the production of the inflammatory mediators such as NO and $PGE_2$ in macrophages by inhibiting iNOS and COX-2 expression.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.20-25
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• 2002

We performed a basic experiment for rapid, on-line, real-time measurement of HBsAg by using a surface plasmon resonance biosensor to quantify the recognition and interaction of biomolecules. We immobilized the anti-HBsAg polyclonal antibody to the dextran layer on a CM5 chip surface which was pre-activated by N-hydroxysuccinimide for amine coupling. The binding of the HBsAg to the immobilized antibody was measured by the mass increase detected by the change in the SPR signal. The binding characteristics between HBsAg and its antibody followed typical monolayer adsorption isotherm. When the entire immobilized antibody was interacted, there was no additional, non-specific binding observed, which suggested the biointeraction was very specific as expected and independent of the ligand density. No significant steric hindrance was observed at 17.6 nm/$mm^2$ immobilization density. The relationship between the HBsAg concentration in the sample solution and the antigen bound to the chip surface was linear up to ca. $40\mu\textrm{g}$/mL, which is much wider than that of the ELISA method. It appeared the antigen-antibody binding was increased as the immobilized ligand density increased, but verification is warranted. This study showed the potential of this biosensor-based method as a rapid, simple, multi-sample, on-line assay. Once properly validated, it can serve as a more powerful method for HBsAg quantification replacing the current ELISA method.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.169-174
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• 2002

Objective : To investigate gamma-Glutamyltransferase (${\gamma}-GTP$) and its related factors in male industrial workers. Method : Five hundred and tony male workers without heart disease, diabetes mellitus, renal disease, hepatitis, and other liver diseases were surveyed in October 1998. Blood samples were collected to test for ${\gamma}-GTP$, total-cholesterol and fasting blood glucose. A self-administered questionnaire survey on life style was also done. Results : The total geometric mean value of ${\gamma}-GTP$ was 30.6 U/L. According to a univariate analysis: age, BMI(body mass index, $kg/m^2$), alcohol consumption, current smoking, stress, diastolic blood pressure, and blood total cholesterol were significantly associated with ${\gamma}-GTP$(p<0.05). From a multiple regression analysis: BMI, alcohol consumption, current smoking, diastolic blood pressure and total-cholesterol were significantly related to ${\gamma}-GTP$(p<0.05). Coffee consumption was negatively related to ${\gamma}-GTP$, but not significantly. Conclusion : We recommend that a change in health behavior (i.e. reducing alcohol intake, controlling BMI and not smoking) is necessary to decrease ${\gamma}-GTP$ in male workers.

• Journal of Korean Medical Science
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• v.33 no.51
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• pp.324.1-324.6
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• 2018

Oxysterol $7{\alpha}$-hydroxylase deficiency is a very rare liver disease categorized as inborn errors of bile acid synthesis, caused by CYP7B1 mutations. As it may cause rapid progression to end-stage liver disease even in early infancy, a high index of suspicion is required to prevent fatal outcomes. We describe the case of a 3-month-old boy with progressive cholestatic hepatitis and severe hepatic fibrosis. After excluding other etiologies for his early liver failure, we found that he had profuse urinary excretion of $3{\beta}$-monohydroxy-${\Delta}^5$-bile acid derivatives by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis with dried urine spots on filter paper. He was confirmed to have a compound heterozygous mutation (p.Arg388Ter and p.Tyr469IlefsX5) of the CYP7B1 gene. After undergoing liver transplantation (LT) from his mother at 4 months of age, his deteriorated liver function completely normalized, and he had normal growth and development until the current follow-up at 33 months of age. We report the first Korean case of oxysterol $7{\alpha}$-hydroxylase deficiency in the youngest infant reported to undergo successful living donor LT to date.