• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.489-499
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• 1999

Background: The patient with bronchiectasis may have obstructive ventilatory impairment combined with mild restrictive ventilatory impairment due to fibrosis of surrounding lung parenchyme and pleural adhesions caused by chronic recurrent pulmonary infections. Since hyperinflation or emphysematous change can be occured in bronchiectasis, pulmonary functions such as lung volumes and diffusing capacity may also vary with associated emphysema. Methods: For the evaluation of lung volumes and diffusing capacity in bronchiectasis with respect to the anatomic types and severity of bronchiectasis, a total of 40 cases comprising 24 cases of tubular, and 16 cystic type of bronchiectasis were analyzed retrospectively. Correlation between lung functions and extent of bronchiectasis or associated emphysema detected in HRCT were also evaluated. Results: Vital capacity(VC) tended to decrease in cystic type than in tubular type. As the severity of bronchiectasis became serious, the VC were significantly reduced, whereas the total lung capacity(TLC), residual volume(RV) and its ratio to the total lung capacity(RV/TLC) had no significant difference. Lung clearance index(LCI) was significantly increased in cystic type than in tubular type, whereas the slope of phase III in single breath nitrogen curve($\triangle$N2/L) was not significantly changed regard to the type and severity of bronchiectasis. DLCO and DLCO/VA reflecting diffusing capacity were significantly decreased in cystic type and also as the severity of bronchiectasis became serious. The correlation coefficient of VC, DLCO and LCI with the extent of bronchiectasis were -0.322, -0.339 and 0.487, respectively, whereas other parameters were not significantly correlated with the extent of bronchiectasis. VC and DLCO correlated negatively with the extent of emphysema while RV, RV/TLC, LCI and $\triangle$N2/L correlated positively. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the reduction of VC and diffusing capacity or uneven distribution of inspired gas in bronchiectasis are related to both the extent of bronchiectasis and associated emphysema while increased residual volume be related to the extent of associated emphysema alone.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.157-163
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• 2006

[ $\underline{Purpose}$ ]: To evaluate the role of postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy in rectal cancer, we retrospectively analyzed the treatment outcome of patients with rectal cancer taken curative surgical resection and postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. $\underline{Materials\;and\;Methods}$: A total 46 patients with AJCC stage II and III carcinoma of rectum were treated with curative surgical resection and postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. T3 and T4 stage were 38 and 8 patients, respectively. N0, N1, and N2 stage were 12, 16, 18 patients, respectively. Forty patients received bolus infusions of 5-fluorouracil ($500\;mg/m^2/day$) with leucovorin ($20\;mg/m^2/day$), every 4 weeks interval for 6 cycles. Oral Uracil/Tegafur on a daily basis for $6{\sim}12$ months was given in 6 patients. Radiotherapy with 45 Gy was delivered to the surgical bed and regional pelvic lymph node area, followed by $5.4{\sim}9\;Gy$ boost to the surgical bed. The follow up period ranged from 8 to 75 months with a median 35 months. $\underline{Results}$: Treatment failure occurred in 17 patients (37%). Locoregional failure occurred in 4 patients (8.7%) and distant failure in 16 patients (34.8%). There was no local failure only. Five year actuarial overall survival (OS) was 51.5% and relapse free survival (RFS) was 58.7%. The OS and RFS were 100%, 100% in stage N0 patients, 53.7%, 47.6% in N1 patients, and 0%, 41.2% in N2 patients (p=0.012, p=0.009). The RFS was 55%, 78.5%, and 31.2% in upper, middle, and lower rectal cancer patients, respectively (p=0.006). Multivariate analysis showed that N stage (p=0.012) was significant prognostic factor for OS and that N stage (p=0.001) and location of tumor (p=0.006) were for RFS. Bowel complications requiring surgery occurred in 3 patients. $\underline{Conclusion}$: Postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy was an effective modality for locoregional control of rectal cancer. But further investigations for reducing the distant failure rate are necessary because distant failure rate is still high.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.83-99
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• 2005

To evaluate environmental charateristics of the South Sea and East China Sea on summer, water and sediment quality were measured in June 2001-2003. Surface layer was affceted by Warm water originated from the high temperature and salinity-Tsushima Warm Current, on the other hand, Yellow Sea Cold Water was spread to the bottom layer in the south-western part of the Jeju island, and salinity at stations near the Yangtze River was decreased below 29psu because of a enormous freshwater discharges. Thermocline-depth was formed at about 10m, and chlorophyll maximum layer was existed in and below the thermocline. COD(Chemical Oxygen Demand), TN(Total Nitrogen), and TP(Total Phosphorus) concentrations showed seawater quality grade II in surface layer of the most area, but concentrations of such as COD, Chl. a, TSS(Total Suspended Solid), and nutrients were greatly increased in the effect area of Yangtze River discharges. Correlations between dissolved inorganic nitrogen, Chl. a and salinity were negative patterns strongly, in contrast, those of inorganic phosphorus, COD and Chl. a were positive, which indicates that phytoplankton biomass and phosphorus are considered as important factors of organic matter distribution and algal growth, respectively. in the study area. The distribution of ignition loss, COD, and $H_2S$ of surface sediment were in the ranges of 2.61-8.81%, $0.64-11.86mgO_2/g-dry$, and ND-0.25 mgS/g-dry, respectively, with relatively high concentration in the eastern part of the study area. Therefore, to effective and sustainable use and management of this area, continuous monitoring and countermeasures about major input sources to the water and sediment, and prediction according to the environmental variation, are necessary.

• The Journal of Korean society of community based occupational therapy
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.33-44
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• 2018

Objective : This study aims to review research trends in driving rehabilitation for the disabled in South Korea since 2000 suggesting research directions for clinicians and researchers. Methods : Fifty eight articles in 16 journals listed in accredited or candidate journal lists of National Research Foundation of Korea from January, 2000 to December, 2016 were reviewed. 'Driving rehabilitation' and 'driving for disabled' were used as search terms. Descriptive statistics were used to classify articles according to study methodology, levels of evidence, study participants, research topics, and academic associations or official journals. Results : Fifty percent of analyzed researches have been published since 2012. Twenty-two studies (37.9%) were published as group comparison and correlational research. Only seven studies (12.1%) were included in evidence level I. There were 19 studies (38.8%) conducted with brain-injured patients among 49 studies including participants. The Korean Society of Occupational Therapy Journal, having published 15 studies (25.9%) about driving rehabilitation, ranked first among the analyzed journals. In research topic, 15 (25.9%) studies were performed about clinical evaluation. Conclusion : The present study showed that the quality of driving rehabilitation-related studies has been increasing, but more intervention-based researches need to be carried out and it is also necessary to carry out various researches in related fields in order to establish efficient driving rehabilitation in Korea.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.1256-1262
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• 1997

Background : Leukocyte-endothelial adhesion molecules have been implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory disease. ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and E-selectin are cell surface adhesion molecule on vascular endothelial cells. They are up-regulated by inflammatory cytokines and regulate the adhesion and migration of leukocytes across the endothelium. Tuberculosis, a granulomatous disorder is an infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The clinical manifestations of tuberculosis are dependent on the cellular immune response to tubercule bacilli. Circulating adhesion molecules are probably formed by cleavage and release into the circulation of the extracellular domain of the membrane bound form. The elevated levels of circulating adhesion molecules have been reported in numerous disease state. To evaluate their role as markers of disease activity in tuberculosis, we measured a sE-selectin, sVCAM-1 and sICAM-1 levels in the serum with severities of mild, moderate and far advanced pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods : The control and test groups were divided as follows. Group I : control(n=5), Group II : patients with mild pulmonary tuberculosis(n=12), Group III : pateints with moderate pulmonary tuberculosis(n=20), Group IV : patients with far advanced pulmonary tuberculosis(n=19). Serum sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and sE-selectin were measured by ELISA kit Results : Serum soluble adhesion molecules are elevated in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, Circulating ICAM-1 levels were significantly elevated in patients with moderate and far advanced pulmonary tuberculosis when compared with control group. When compared with control group, serum sVCAM-1 levels showed significant elevation in patients with mild, moderate and far advanced pulmonary tuberculosis. Serum sE-selectin levels were significantly elevated in patients with far advanced pulmonary tuberculosis when compared with control group. Conclusion : These results suggest that sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, and sE-selectin may be invloved in the pathogenesis of tuberculosis. And, particularly, sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 may be useful markers of the disease activity.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.261-268
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• 2005

Objective: To compare the clinical results and pregnancy outcomes of in vitro fertilization (IVF) between GnRH antagonist cycles and GnRH agonist (GnRH-a) cycles including flare-up and long protocol in women with advanced age. Materials and Methods: Retrospective clinical study. From January 2001 to September 2003, IVF cycles of female patient 37 years over were included in this study. GnRH-a long protocol (62 cycles, 61 patients) and GnRH antagonist multi-dose flexible protocol (66 cycles, 51 patients) were compared with the control group of GnRH-a flare-up protocol (151 cycles, 138 patients). IVF cycles for non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA), endometriosis III, IV and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) were excluded in this study. Clinical results such as total gonadotropin dose, serum E2 on hCG administration, the number of retrieved oocytes and the pregnancy outcomes - clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), implantation rate (IR) and live birth rate (LBR) per embryo transfer - were compared. Results: There were significant differences in the total dose of gonadotropin (GnRH-a flare-up vs. GnRH-a long vs. GnRH-antagonist; 41.8 vs. 54.7 vs. 24.8), serum E2 on hCG administration (1787.2 vs. 1881.6 vs. 788.0), the numbers of retrieved oocytes (8.1 vs. 11.1 vs. 4.5) and endometrial thickness (9.1 vs. 10.4 vs. 8.0) which were significantly lower in GnRH-antagonist cycles. But pregnancy outcomes shows no significant differenced in CPR (25.0% vs. 35.8% vs. 24.5%), IR (11.7% vs. 12.3% vs. 10.1%) and LBR (15.8% vs. 28.3% vs. 15.1%) Conclusion: In women with advanced age, GnRH-antagonist cycles can result in comparable pregnancy outcomes to GnRH-a cycles including flare-up and long protocol. GnRH-a long protocol show higher CPR, IR and LBR than GnRH antagonist multi-dose flexible protocol and flare-up protocol without significant differences.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.922-929
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• 2019

Objective: Mutations in low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), which encodes a critical protein for cholesterol homeostasis and lipid metabolism in mammals, are involved in cardiometabolic diseases, such as familial hypercholesterolemia in pigs. Whereas microRNAs (miRNAs) can control LDLR regulation, their involvement in circulating cholesterol and lipid levels with respect to cardiometabolic diseases in pigs is unclear. We aimed to identify and analyze LDLR as a potential target gene of SSC-miR-20a. Methods: Bioinformatic analysis predicted that porcine LDLR is a target of SSC-miR-20a. Wild-type and mutant LDLR 3'-untranslated region (UTR) fragments were generated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and cloned into the pGL3-Control vector to construct pGL3 Control LDLR wild-3'-UTR and pGL3 Control LDLR mutant-3'-UTR recombinant plasmids, respectively. An miR-20a expression plasmid was constructed by inserting the porcine premiR-20a-coding sequence between the HindIII and BamHI sites in pMR-mCherry, and constructs were confirmed by sequencing. HEK293T cells were co-transfected with the miR-20a expression or pMR-mCherry control plasmids and constructs harboring the corresponding 3'-UTR, and relative luciferase activity was determined. The relative expression levels of miR-20a and LDLR mRNA and their correlation in terms of expression levels in porcine liver tissue were analyzed using reverse-transcription quantitative PCR. Results: Gel electrophoresis and sequencing showed that target gene fragments were successfully cloned, and the three recombinant vectors were successfully constructed. Compared to pMR-mCherry, the miR-20a expression vector significantly inhibited wild-type LDLR3'-UTR-driven (p<0.01), but not mutant LDLR-3'-UTR-driven (p>0.05), luciferase reporter activity. Further, miR-20a and LDLR were expressed at relatively high levels in porcine liver tissues. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that porcine liver miR-20a and LDLR levels were significantly negatively correlated (r = -0.656, p<0.05). Conclusion: LDLR is a potential target of miR-20a, which might directly bind the LDLR 3'-UTR to post-transcriptionally inhibit expression. These results have implications in understanding the pathogenesis and progression of porcine cardiovascular diseases.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.17-21
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• 1974

This study was performed to find out the organic matter content, and what is more, the relation between its content and major morphological properties of cultivated upland soils in Korea. The results were as follows. 1. The average organic matter content of cultivated upland soils was 1.73 percent, mostly ranging from 0.6 to 2.5 percent. 2. Examining the organic matter content by subgroup of cultivated upland soils. It was found 13 percent in volcanic ash yellowish brown Cambisols and 6.3 percent in Humic yellowish brown Entisols, Fluventic yellowish brown Entisols was found 1.0 percent, lowest one. The average organic matter content of Entisols, Cambisols, and Argillisols was 1.1, 2.1, and 1.8 percent respectively. 3. According to organic matter content by texture of profile, the average content of sandy soils was 1.0 percent; 1.5 percent in coarse loamy soils; and 1.8 percent in fine loamy soils. The organic matter content increased with an increased clay content in coarse texture group, but there was no significant difference between fine loamy and clayey soil group. This tendency was also observed in surface soil texture. 4. In the relation between slope and organic matter content, its content in flat area was 1.3 percent that is rather low compared to 1.6 percent of sloping area. Especially, cultivated upland soils ranging brown 15 to 30 percent in slope were 1.8 percent which is relatively high. 5. The organic matter content have nothing to do with suitability groups. Itss ontent of I, II, III, IV and V class was 1.3, 1.6, 1.7, 1.2 and 2.0 percent respectively.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.7
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• pp.497-503
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• 2003

Pulmonary aspergillosis usually results from the colonization of the existing lung lesions by chronic pulmonary diseases, such as tuberculosis. Most cases of pulmonary aspergilloma have been treated surgically for many years because it is a potentially life-threatening disease causing massive hemoptysis. Here we reviewed our results from the last 10 years. Material and Method: We reviewed 31 cases surgically treated from Aug. 1992 to Jul. 2002. retrospectively. This investigation is designed to illustrate the peak age incidence, sex ratio, chief complaints, preoperative study, anatomic location of operative site, postoperative pathologic finding and postoperative complications. Result: The peak age Incidence laid in the 3rd and 4th decade of 20 cases (64.5%). The most common complaint was hemoptysis in 27 cases (87.1%). The 31 cases had a history of treatment with anti-tuberculous drugs under impression of pulmonary tuberculosis. The 19 cases (61.3%) showed the so-called “Air-meniscus sign” on the preoperative chest X-ray. In the 31 cases (100%) on the chest computed tomography. as a preoperative diagnostic modality, positivity was shown in 37.9%, 83.3% was shown on the fungus culture of sputum for Aspergillus, serum immunodiffusion test for A. fumigatus, respectively. The anatomical location of aspergilloma was mainly in the upper lobe in 19 cases (61.3%) and the majority of cases were managed by lobectomy. The postoperative pathologic findings showed that 31 cases (100%) were combined with tuberculosis. The postoperative complications include empyema, prolonged air leakage, remained dead space, postoperative bleeding and these numbers of cases is 3 cases (9.7%), 2 cases (6.45%), 2 cases (6.45%), 1 case (3.23%), respectively. one case was died postoperatively due to massive beeding, and asphyxia. Conclusion: Compared with the previous study, there is no significant difference in results. Preoperative chest computed tomography and immunodiffusion test were more commonly available and showed high positivity. Operations often became technically difficult because of pleural space obliteration, indurated hilar structures, and poor expansion of the remaining lung, which were more prominent in the patients with complex aspergillosis. In such cases, medical treatments and interventional procedures like bronchial artery embolization are preferred. However, cavernostomy is also recommanded with few additional morbidity because of its relatively less invassiveness. Early surgical intervention is the recommended management for patients with simple aspergilloma considering the Row surgical mortality and morbidity in recent days.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.79-85
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• 1991

This study reports on the physical and chemical properties of the whole soils (<2mm) derived from five major rocks of granite, granite-gneiss, limestone, shale, and basalt in Korea. The properties were considered from the kind and frequency distribution of rock-forming minerals in the parent rocks. In particle size distribution, sand fractions were high in the soils from granite-gneiss, silt fractions mainly, in the residual soils from limestone, shale, and basalt. And clay fractions were particularly high in the colluvial soil from limestone and the old alluvial soil from basalt. pH, extractable Ca and Mg, and cation exchange capacity of the soils derived from limestone might be considered to be high due to the presence of sand and/or silt-sized calcite and dolomite inherited from the parent rocks. However, the soils derived from granite and granite-gneiss, being abundant in feldspars, quartz, and micas, showed a tendency to the contrary. A soil from shale composing of high quartz tended to have pH. extractable Ca, base saturation, and low exchangeable Al. In total element analysis, the soils derived from parent rocks with high contents of (i) orthoclase and micas, (ii) biotite, primary chlorite, and augite, and (iii) carbonate minerals and plagioclase as a rock-forming mineral showed a tendency to decrease the contents of $K_2O$, $Fe_2O_3$ and MgO, and CaO in comparison with those of their parent rocks.