• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2010

Neutrophils play an important role in the human immune system for protection against such microorganisms as a protozoan parasite, Trichomonas vaginalis; however, the precise role of neutrophils in the pathogenesis of trichomoniasis is still unknown. Moreover, it is thought that trichomonal lysates and excretory-secretory products (ESP), as well as live T. vaginalis, could possibly interact with neutrophils in local tissues, including areas of inflammation induced by T. vaginalis in humans. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of T. vaginalis lysate on the fate of neutrophils. We found that T. vaginalis lysate inhibits apoptosis of human neutrophils as revealed by Giemsa stain. Less altered mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and surface CD16 receptor expression also supported the idea that neutrophil apoptosis is delayed after T. vaginalis lysate stimulation. In contrast, ESP stimulated-neutrophils were similar in apoptotic features of untreated neutrophils. Maintained caspase-3 and myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) in neutrophils co-cultured with trichomonad lysate suggest that an intrinsic mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis was involved in T. vaginalis lysate-induced delayed neutrophil apoptosis; this phenomenon may contribute to local inflammation in trichomoniasis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.10
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• pp.1445-1454
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• 2014

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), a disease that spread widely in the world during late 2002 to 2004, severely threatened public health. Although there have been no reported infections since 2004, the extremely pathogenic SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV), as the causative agent of SARS, has recently been identified in animals, showing the potential for the re-emergence of this disease. Previous studies showed that 27 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) mutations among the spike (S) gene of this virus are correlated closely with the SARS pathogenicity and epidemicity. We have developed a SNP DNA microarray in order to detect and genotype these SNPs, and to obtain related information on the pathogenicity and epidemicity of a given strain. The microarray was hybridized with PCR products amplified from cDNAs obtained from different SARS-CoV strains. We were able to detect 24 SNPs and determine the type of a given strain. The hybridization profile showed that 19 samples were detected and genotyped correctly by using our microarray, with 100% accuracy. Our microarray provides a novel method for the detection and epidemiological surveillance of SARS-CoV.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.222-230
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• 2003

Once the medical knowledge-based system has been developed, it is essential to investigate the knowledge sources of the system because knowledge sources can affect the performance of the system in great deal. This paper presents the method and the results of the reliability test done on the medical knowledge-based system CLINAID. A knowledge source tested is Cardiovascular body system data used in CLINAID. The reliability test will be done by investigating structural relationships revealed by fuzzy relational method between the components of the knowledge sources of individual body systems using syndromes as its main component. These partitions are going to be compared with the syndromes elicited from the medical experts. This paper also reports the outcome of the computations using 7 implication operators performed on Cardiovascular body system data.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 1996

This study was to evaluate the antitumor and immunopotentiation effects of Manda Enzyme (ME). Oral administration of ME (0.2ml/mouse) to tumor bearing mice significantly prolonged survival rate compared to the control group with the prolongation ratio of 40%. The inhibition ratios for the first and the second experiments were 51.8% and 26.4%, respectively. Only the spleen index was significantly increased in the MEF-treated group, but not in the control group. Gamma globulin level of the MEF-treated group was elevated when mice were injected with sarcoma-180 cells on the left groin. Activities of natural killer (NK) and lymphokineactivated killer (LAK) cells were observed by $^{51}Cr-release$ method. Activities of NK cell against YAC-1 cells were significantly increased in the MEF treated group. And LAK cell activities against P815 cells were also significantly increased in the experimental group. These observations, therefore, suggest that ME may have an anticancer effect and immunopotentiating effect in vivo.

• Transactions of the KSME C: Technology and Education
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.23-52
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• 2017

Bio-fusion and medical device industry is the multidisciplinary engineering application technology industries, which are fused, such as electricity, electronics, machinery, materials. It aims to improve the quality of human life by using bio-fusion and medical devices, and is an important industry recognition and brand power for the product. However, there is a period that is required from the development of products with technology-dependent industries. Therefore, it is necessary to have continuous effort for industrial investment in research and development at the national level including technical support, institutional support, and human resources.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Oriental Medical Informatics
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2007

Korean medicine industry general means all industry activities related to Korean medicine. It covers material resources such as herbs and products made herbs, medical instruments, Korean medical servics and related information service based on Korean medicine theories. Also according to industrial strategy, Korean medicine industry was to define and branch. The industrial strategy of Korean medicine industry was based on kowledge, high-end, intensive techology, and global denand. By the industrial strategy of Korean Medicine industry, a study on the optimal industry construction of Korean medicine industry was standardizaition in the basic research and promoted bouds, efficiency in the group industrial, detention of global fund and global technology, and intenational division of product process. It is the optimal industry construction of Korean medicine industry by the industrial strategy of Korean medicine industry. At once adjustment to the optimal industry construction of Korean medicine industry by the industrial strategy of Korean medicine industry was internationalization in the positive adjustment.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.60-65
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• 2019

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are one of the families of pattern recognition receptors (PRR) operating in the innate immunity. TLRs have the ability to recognize relatively conserved microbial components, which are generally referred to as pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). The activation of TLRs signaling leads to the activation of $NF-{\kappa}B$ and the expression of pro-inflammatory gene products such as cytokines and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). To evaluate the therapeutic potential of pristimerin, which is a naturally occurring triterpenoid compound from Celastraceae plants, iNOS expression induced by MALP-2 (TLR2 and TLR6 agonist), Poly[I:C] (TLR3 agonist), or LPS (TLR4 agonist) were examined. Pristimerin suppressed the iNOS expression induced by MALP-2, Poly[I:C], or LPS. These results suggest that pristimerin can modulate TLRs signaling pathways leading to decreased inflammatory gene expression.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.333-342
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• 2016

Background: The use of therapeutic materials based on new health technology has increased in recent years in the field of medicine, raising concerns for medical practitioners regarding increased spending on the new therapeutic materials amid the rapid population ageing and increase of chronic diseases in Korea. While therapeutic materials have significant importance in the health care system, they have not been given appropriate attention in the academic world of Korea. The purpose of this study is to identify factors that affect the growth of expenditure on therapeutic materials and to derive implications for an effective management considering the diversity of therapeutic materials. Methods: Using the claims data of the National Health Insurance Services, specific utilization patterns of groups of therapeutic materials in the middle classification level of Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service from 2007 to 2014 were analyzed. Four categories (J5083: drug eluting coronary stent, D0302: nonmetallic anchor, K6014: gauze, K6023: gauze) that exhibit unique patterns with respect to price and volume were selected. Then, decomposition analysis was performed to identify the largest contributor to the spending growth by dividing the products into existing, new, and abandoned products for the period between 2010 and 2013. Results: The effect of new products had larger impact on spending growth than the effect of core items in drug eluting coronary stent (J5083) and nonmetallic anchor (D0302). In addition, existing products in general included items priced relatively lower when compared with another item manufactured by the same company. In the gauze category, however, existing products had the largest impact on expenditure and the effect of volume was greater than that in other categories. Conclusion: This study provides evidence that appropriate management measures classified by the characteristics of therapeutic materials are required for therapeutic materials pricing and reassessment in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.223-230
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• 1993

Antineoplastic activity against human gastric, colon and hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines were measured in 100 extracts from 80 medicinal plants using MTT (3-[4, 5-dimethyl thiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) method. Seventeen extracts from fourteen plants, all of which have previously been reported to have antineoplastic effect, had $IC_{50}$(50% inhibitory concentration) values of less than $230{\;}{\mu}g/ml$ in at least one of the three cell lines. Extracts from remaining sixty-six medicinal plants failed to show significant cytotoxic effect at the concentration of less than $230{\;}{\mu}g/ml$.

• Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.107-120
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• 2020

This study analyzed the competitiveness of major export industries following the FTA between Korea and five Central American countries. Findings revealed that Korea mainly exports industrial products such as ships, automobiles and parts, steel, and electronic devices, and it imports raw materials and agricultural products such as coffee and copper, indicating a complementary trade structure. Similarly, the trade specialization index analysis revealed that Korea specialized in exporting industrial products such as ships, automobiles, steel, and machinery, and in importing primary products such as copper and coffee. Products such as ships, steel, and machinery, which are major export items to Central America, are expected to further strengthen their competitiveness due to tariff cuts. In addition, it is expected that the demand for medicines and medical supplies could increase in future due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study attempted to present implications for establishing export strategies by analyzing the competitiveness of Korea's major export industries in the Central American market, in accordance with the Korean-Central American FTA. These findings could be used as basic data for future entry into South America as a bridgehead in the Central American market.