• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.131-135
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• 2006

A commercial ion chamber matrix was examined the characteristics and its performance for radiotherapy qualify assurance. The device was the I'mRT 2D-MatriXX (Scanditronix-Wellhofer, Schwarzenbruck, Germany). The 2D-MatriXX device consists of a 1020 vented ion chamber array, arranged in $24{\times}24cm^2$ matrix. Each ion chamber has a volume of $0.08cm^3$, spacing of 0.762 cm and minimum sampling time of 20 ms. For the investigation of the characteristics, dose linearity, output factor, short-term reproducibility and dose rate dependency were tested. In the testing of dose linearity. It has shown a good signal linearity within 1% in the range of $1{\sim}800$cGy. Dose rate dependency was found to be lower than 0.4% (Range: 100-600 Mu/min) relative to a dose rate of 300 Mu/min as a reference. Output factors matched very well within 0.5% compared with commissioned beam data using a ionization chamber (CC01, Scanditronix-Wellhofer, Schwarzenbruck, Germany) in the range of field sizes $3{\times}3{\sim}24{\times}24cm^2$. Short-term reproducibility (6 times with a interval of 15 minute) was also shown a good agreement within 0.5%, when the temperature and the pressure were corrected by each time of measurement. in addition, we compared enhanced dynamic wedge (EDW, Varian, Palo Alto, USA) profiles from calculated values in the radiation planning system with those from measurements of the MatriXX. Furthermore, anon-uniform IMRT dose fluence was tested. All the comparison studies have shown good agreements. In this study, the MatriXX was evaluated as a reliable dosimeter, and it could be used as a simplistic and convenient tool for radiotherapy qualify assurance.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.239-248
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• 2001

The purpose of this study was to analyze risk factors for nosocomial pneumonia in patients admitted to NS ICU, and to provide a basic data to decrease respiratory nosocomial infection rate engendered from medical environments in NS ICU. The study site was the NS ICU at a university hospital located in Seoul, Korea. The subjects were 31 patients diagnosed with nosocomial pneumonia, who were selected from the initial list of 300 potential subjects who had been a) admitted between September 1999 and January 2000, and September 2000 and January 2001, b) resided at the NS ICU over 72 hours. The diagnostic standard of nosocomial pneumonia was based on the nosocomial infection guides of C university hospital. The data were analyzed using frequencies and logistic regression analysis. The sputums obtained from the subjects were cultivated and causal viruses were separated. The results were as follows: 1. The nosocomial pneumonia rate was $10.3\%$. There were 7 types of causal viruses separated from the sputum. and the most prevalent type of virus was MRSA as $62.2\%$. 2. The factors significantly influencing the incidence of nosocomial pneumonia included age, the residential duration at the NS ICU, GCS scores, diabetes mellitus, insertion of tracheal tube and its duration, tracheostomy and its length of insertion, the use of artificial ventilator and the length of its use, and the insertion of naso-gastic tube. The most significant risk factor among these was the insertion of tracheal tube (odds ratio=18.684. $95\%$ CI=6.849-50.974), followed by the use of tracheostomy (odds ratio=15.419, $95\%$ CI=6.615-35.942), the insertion of naso-gastric tube (odds ratio=14.875, $95\%$ CI=6.396-34.595), and the use of artificial ventilator (odds ratio=13.000. $95\%$ CI=5.633­30.001). 3. Regarding the use of the mechanical aids, the insertion of tracheal tube resulted in 12.968 times increase of the nosocomial pneumonia rate, and the use of artificial ventilator lead 6.714 times increase of the nosocomial pneumonia rate. One point increase of the GCS score resulted in the 1.210 times increase of the nosocomial pneumonia rate. For patients who had tracheal tube, tracheostomy, and artificial ventilator, one day increase of their residential duration at NS ICU lead 1.073 times increase of the nosocomial pneumonia rate. 4. In terms of duration of the mechanical aid usage, one day increase in the use of artificial ventilator engendered 1.080 times increase in the nosocomial pneumonia rate. One day increase of the residential duration at the NS ICU lead 1.604 times increase in the nosocomial pneumonia rate. As one point of the GCS score increased, 0.876 times decrease of the nosocomial pneumonia rate was reported. These study findings show that the risk factors significantly influencing the incidence of nosocomial pneumonia include the use of tracheal tube, tracheostomy, naso-gastic tube, and artificial ventilator. It is recommended that nurses working at NS ICU should pay more attention to the patients with these factors as the risky group for the nosocomial pneumonia, and thus make more active efforts to provide nosocomial pneumonia prevention strategies for them. In further studies patients admitted to the different types of ICUs such as internal medicine or surgery unit ICU will be also included, and more wide investigation of nosocomial pneumonia risk factors will be conducted through one-year longitudinal follow up.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.12
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• pp.1701-1707
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• 2016

The present study investigated the anti-obesity effect of pine cone (PC, Pinus koraiensis) supercritical extract in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. Male C57BL/6J mice were treated with HFD, HFD+catechin, and HFD+PC [two different doses, 20 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) and 100 mg/kg b.w.] in each AIN93G supplement for 8 weeks. Treatment of HFD mice with both low and high doses of PC significantly reduced body weight gain compared to HFD mice. Liver weight of mice was reduced in both the low and high dose PC-supplemented groups (24.19% and 19.83%, respectively). Total adipose tissue weight of mice was reduced in both the low and high dose PC-supplemented groups (45.54% and 62.66%, respectively). Serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol were reduced in the low and high dose PC-supplemented groups, and ratios of HDL cholesterol to LDL cholesterol increased by 94.55% in the high dose PC-supplemented group. Serum leptin was significantly reduced in the low and high dose PC-supplemented groups (28.14% and 62.72%, respectively). These results were supported by genetic expression of protein and enzymes related to lipid metabolism assessed by real-time PCR. There was significant reduction of lipid regulatory transcription factors such as $PPAR-{\gamma}$, C/EBP, and SREBP and lipid enzymes such as fatty acid synthesis and lipoprotein lipase in the low and high dose PC-supplemented groups. However, there was no statistical difference between low and high dose PC treatments. These results suggest that pine cone supercritical extract supplementation is able to regulate serum lipid profiles by reducing total cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL cholesterol levels, followed by regulation of expression of lipid metabolic factors, resulting in reduction of weight gain in HFD-induced obese mice.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.137-147
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• 2014

Cortex ulmi pumilae, the cortex of Ulmus davidiana var. japonica, has been used in traditional folk medicine for its anti-inflammatory effect. Although its various bioactivities such as anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-cancer, have been reported, the anti-adipogenic activity of cortex ulmi pumilae remains unclarified. In the present study, we investigated the effect of cortex ulmi pumilae extract on adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Treatment with cortex ulmi pumilae extract significantly reduced the formation of lipid droplets and triglyceride content in a dose-dependent manner; this is associated with an inhibition of the adipogenic transcription factors, CCAAT/enhancer binding protein ${\alpha}$ ($C/EBP{\alpha}$), $C/EBP{\beta}$, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\gamma}$ ($PPAR{\gamma}$). In addition, cortex ulmi pumilae extract treatment during the early stage of adipogenesis showed more efficient anti-adipogenic activity than treatment during other stages of adipogenesis. Cortex ulmi pumilae extract also inhibited cell proliferation and induced G1 arrest of 3T3-L1 cells in the early stage of adipogenesis. This was associated with upregulated expression of Cdk inhibitor p21 and downregulated expression of cyclin E and phospho-Rb, indicating that cortex ulmi pumilae extract blocks mitotic clonal expansion by cell cycle regulation. Taken together, these results suggest that cortex ulmi pumilae extract possesses anti-adipogenic activity through the inhibition of adipocyte differentiation by blocking mitotic clonal expansion.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.11
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• pp.1245-1252
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• 2016

As a research of inflammation inhibitory activity using natural resource, the inflammation inhibitory activity by purified active compound from Rhododendron mucronulatum flower was experimented. Rhododendron mucronulatum flower components were purified and separated with Sephadex LH-20 and MCI gel CHP-20 column chromatography, Purified compound was confirmed as myricetin by $^1H-NMR$, $^{13}C-NMR$ and Fast atom bombardment (FAB)-Mass spectrum to have inhibition activity on inflammatory factors secreted by Raw 264.7 cells in response to lipopolysaccharide stimulation. Myricetin inhibited nitric oxide (NO) expression in a concentration dependent manner, approximately 40% inhibition was observed at a concentration of $50{\mu}M$. The inhibition effect of myricetin on inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 protein expression was 20% and 80%, respectively, at a concentration of $25{\mu}M$. Myricetin also inhibited expression of the inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$, interleukin $(IL)-1{\beta}$, IL-6 and prostaglandin $E_2(PGE_2)$ in a concentration dependent manner; a concentration of $50{\mu}M$, 70%, 80%, 80% and 95% inhibition was observed, respectively. Therefore myricetin isolated from Rhododendron mucronulatum flowers is expected to have an anti-inflammatory effect in Raw 264.7 cell induced by lipopolysaccharides. The results can be expected myricetin from Rhododendron mucronulatum flower to use as functional resource for anti-inflammatory activity.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.496-502
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• 2004

The development of sesame varieties which contain high contents of lignan compounds has been progressed in Korea. This study was carried out to get the basic information for the breeding of high quality sesame varieties and the development of health functional food sources using lignan compounds from sesame. The contents of sesamin and sesamolin were $4.08\pm1.74$ and $2.47\pm0.68mg/g$, respectively, from sesame cultivated in 2002 and those were $4.08\pm1.51$ and $2.48\pm0.69mg/g$, respectively, from sesame cultivated in 2003. The content of sesamine was high in the order of Danbaek (6.22 mg/g), Seongbun (5.94 mg/g), Namda (5.83 mg/g), and Naman (5.59 mg/g) producted in 2002 and Seongbun (6.27 mg/g), Dasak (5.53 mg/g), Danbaek (5.50 mg/g), chinbaek (5.45 mg/g), and Seodun (5.41 mg/g) producted in 2003. The content of sesmoline was high in the order of Hwangbaek (3.27 mg/g), Seongbun (3.26 mg/g), Annam (3.22 mg/g), Hanseom (3.17 mg/g), and Danbaek (3.16 mg/g) producted in 2002, and Seongbun (3.21 mg/g), Seodun (3.14 mg/g), Pungan (3.10 mg/g), Naman (3.09 mg/g), and Danbaek (3.04 mg/g) producted in 2003. The contents of sesamin and sesamolin of Yangbaek, which has used as a standard variety for sesame breeding, were relatively lower than in any other varieties. These resluts suggest that Yangbaek is not the proper variety as a standard variety for development of high quality sesame. In conclusion, proper good variety as a standard variety for sesame breeding must be determined after careful consideration on the major quality factors including crude oil and lignan compounds as well as agricultural characteristics to develop high quality sesame varieties containing high contents of lignan compounds.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.102-110
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• 1999

Objectives : The alcohol dependence in elderly people has been prevalent because of increase in geriatric population. However, it is difficult to find out alcohol dependence in the aged, because they have less specific clinical features as compared with adult alcoholics. The aims of this study were to screen alcohol dependence among elderly Koreans and to know the clinical characteristics of Korean delerly alcoholics. Methods : The questionnaires translated into Korean such as Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test(MAST-K), the Brief MAST and the MAST-Geriatirc Version (MAST-KG) were used to screen alcohol dependence in the elderly alcoholic inpatients aged over 60(N=43), adult alcoholic inpatients within 20-59 Yrs of age(N=60), which were compared with age matched normal healthy aged(N=18) or adult controls(N=45). The demographic data such as sex, age, education, occupation, socioeconomic status, marital status, numbers of children, dwelling and religion as well as alcohol history such as duration of alcohol drinking, onset age, family history, impulsivity, somatic illness and motivation were also obtained to identify characteristic features of Korean aged alcoholics by structured interviews. Results : 1) The aged alcoholics had the charateristic features of more in males, lower age, low education levels, more in blue-collar workers, lower socioeconomic class, more in single, few babies, more living alone, having no religion without statistical significance. 2) The onset age of alcohol dependence was significantly higher in the aged alcoholics($45.3{\pm}13.6Yrs$) than in the adult alcoholics($27.7{\pm}8.7Yrs$)(p<0.0001). The duration of problematic alcohol drinking was significantly longer in the aged alcoholics($22.0{\pm}15.1Yrs$) than in adult alcoholics($14.2{\pm}8.4Yrs$)(p<0.01). Otherwise, there were no significant difference between aged and adult alcoholics in the family history, imulsivity, somatic illness and motivation. 3) The mean score of the MAST-K was significantly higher in the aged alcoholics($20.6{\pm}5.4$) than in the normal aged($6.7{\pm}4.4$)(p<0.0001), which was significantly lower than in the adult alcoholics($26.2{\pm}8.0$) and in normal adult controls($9.5{\pm}3.2$)(p<0.05). The mean score of the Brief MAST was significantly lower in the aged alcoholics($9.3{\pm}3.5$) than in the adult alcoholics($14.5{\pm}6.6$)(p<0.0001). The mean score of the MAST-KG was significantly higher in the aged alcoholics($10.6{\pm}3.5$) than in the normal aged($4.8{\pm}4.3$)(p<0.0001). The former was significantly lower than in the adult alcoholics($12.9{\pm}4.3$)(p<0.005), and the mean score was $4.5{\pm}2.8$ in normal adult controls. 4) The items which showed statistically significant differences between aged alcoholics and normal aged controls could be found in 10 items of the MAST-K(items 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 14, 17, 21, 22 and 23), 2 items of the Brief MAST(items 2 and 9), and 7 items of the MAST-KG(items 6, 13, 18, 19, 22, 23 and 24)(p<0.01). Conclusions : The scores of the MAST-K, the Brief MAST and the MAST-KG were significantly lower in the aged alcoholics than those in the adult alcoholics (p<0.05). The statistically significant differences between aged alcoholics and normal aged controls could be found in 10 items of the MAST-K, 2 items of the Brief MAST and 7 items of the MAST-KG. Therefore, a briefer rating scales around 10 items are needed to screen alcohol dependence among Korean elderly people.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.534-540
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• 2007

In this study, waxy rice starch was chemically modified using phosphorous oxychloride ($POCl_3$, 0.002-0.008%). Then the physicochemical properties of resulting cross-linked waxy rice starches were investigated in order to reduce the steeping time of Yukwa (a Korean oil-puffed rice snack) processing. The swelling powers of the cross-linked waxy rice starch samples were higher than the native waxy rice starch at temperatures above $60^{\circ}C$, and their increases were proportional to the $POCl_3$, concentration. The solubility of the cross-linked waxy rice starch was lower (1.6-3.4%) than the native waxy rice starch (2.7-6.1%). However, the moisture sorption isotherm of the cross-linked waxy rice starch was not significantly different from the native waxy rice starch. The rapid visco analyze. (RVA) pasting temperatures $(65.4-67^{\circ}C)$ of the cross-linked waxy rice starch were lower than those of the native starch $(67^{\circ}C)$. The RVA peak viscosities (287-337 RVU) of the cross-linked waxy rice starch were higher than that of native starch (179 rapid visco units (RVU)), and increased with increasing $POCl_3$ concentration. For the differential scornning calorimeter thermal characteristics, although Tc shifted toward higher temperatures with cross-linking, the To, Tp, and amylopectiin melting enthalpy of the cross-linked waxy rice starch showed no differences compared to the native waxy rice starch. The X-ray diffraction patterns of both the native and cross-linked waxy rice starches showed typical A-type crystal patterns, suggesting that cross-linking mainly occurs in the amorphous regions of starch granules. Therefore, the cross-linking reaction did not change the crystalline region, but altered the amorphous region of the waxy rice starch molecules, resulting in changes of solubility and RVA pasting properties in the cross-linked waxy rice starch. In summary, since cross-linked waxy rice starch has a high puffing efficiency and no browning reaction, it may be applicable for Yukwa processing without a long steeping process.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.274-278
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• 2010

Potato late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans was the most constrain disease at potato cultivation areas. The mating type distribution and fungicides response of P. infestans were investigated to elucidate the changes of pathogen from Gangwon province. On the fungal isolates in 2006, 58.7% were A1 mating type and 41.3% were A2 mating type. In 2007, A1 mating type isolates increased to 93.3% and A2 mating type isolates were collected from Jinbu areas as much as 6.7%. About 234 isolates analysed for metalaxyl response, the results was resistance 73.7%, intermediate 18.8% and sensitive 7.5% in 2006. And it was resistance 59.4%, intermediate 4.0% and sensitive 36.6% in 2007. It meant that mating type distribution and fungicide response were very different over the collection sites. Minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) of dimethomorph examined with 126 isolates in 2006 and 106 isolates in 2007. MIC over $1.0\;{\mu}g/ml$ was 56.3% in 2006 and it was 3.8% in 2007. The average $EC_{50}$ value of P. infestans was $0.37\;{\mu}g/ml$ in 2006, but it decreased to $0.12\;{\mu}g/ml$ in 2007. Fungicides response and pathogenesis of P. infestans should be monitored continuously to enhance the chemical efficacy at potato fields.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.270-280
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• 1983

Agar-gel Diffusion test (AGD), Counterimmunoelectrophoresis(CIEP) and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay(ELISA) were examined with the sera of skin test positives for paragonimiasis. The crude antigen (Paragcnimus whole worm extracts: protein concentration, 7.56mg/m1) and human sera were used in AGD and CIEP. And in ELISA test, diluted antigen with 1:40, 000 of crude antigen and diluted sera with 1:100, 1:200 were used in the test. The positive identical ratio between AGD and CIEP reactions is 985 and negative identical ratio is 100%. One or three precipitin bands are observed in AGD. One to seven precipitin bands are also revealed in CIEP. Especially, deeply stained bands are observed in CIEP than those of AGD. The positive identical ratios between AGD and ELISA tests are 96% in 1:100 diluted sera, and 94% in 1:200 diluted sera. But the negative identical ratios between AGD and ELISA tests are 97% and 99% respectively in 1:100 and 1:200 diluted sera. The positive identical ratios between CIEP and ELIEA tests are 98% and 96% respectively in 1:100 and 1:200 diluted sera, but also 97% and 99% in 1:100 and 1:200. Control sera, such as clonorchiasis, amoebiasis and toxoplasmcsis, revealed all negatives with Paragonimus antigen in AGD, CIEP and ELISA tests. By above results, ELISA was mcst sensitive, next CIEP and AGD, But AGD test apprars to be more useful when used to crude antigen without cross rfacticn with other parasitic infections. CIEP test is basically equal in terms of precipitin reaction, but CIEP is able to be detected more sensitively and rapidly though less simple in handiwork than AGD. Consequently, three methods for inlmunological tests of paragonimiasis have gccd correlations with one another. Also, each of these has both merits and demerits in iymunolcgical test for paragonimiasis. But the ELISA test was proved to be the most sensitive and convenient tool for mass screening test, especially in cacti of using purified antigen.