• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.165-174
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• 1995

Background: Exercise is one of the most common precipitants of acute asthma encountered in clinical practice. The development of airflow limitation that occurs several minutes after vigorous exercise, i. g. exercise-induced bronchoconstriction(EIB), has been shown to be closely correlated with the nonspecific bronchial hyperresponsiveness, which is the hallmark of bronchial asthma. All previous reports that assessed the correlation of EIB to nonspecific bronchial hyperresponsiveness have focused on airway sensitivity($PC_{20}$) to inhaled bronchoconstrictor such as methacholine or histamine. However, maximal airway narrowing(MAN), reflecting the extent to which the airways can narrow, when being exposed to high dose of inhaled stimuli, has not been studied in relation to the degree of EIB. Methods: Fifty-six children with mild asthma(41 boys and 15 girls), aged 6 to 15 years(mean${\pm}$SD, $9.9{\pm}2.5$ years) completed this study. Subjects attended the laboratory on two consecutive days. Each subject performed the high-dose methacholine inhalation test at 4 p.m. on the first day. The dose-response curves were characterized by their position($PC_{20}$) and MAN, which was defined as maximal response plateau(MRP: when two or three data points of the highest concentrations fell within a 5% response range) or the last of the data points(when a plateau could not be measured). On the next day, exercise challenge, free running outdoors for ten minutes, was performed at 9 a.m.. $FEV_1$ was measured at graduated intervals, 3 to 10 minutes apart, until 60 minutes after exercise. Response(the maximal ${\triangle}FEV_1$ from the pre-exercise value) was classified arbitrarily into three groups; no response((-) EIB: ${\triangle}FEV_1$<10%), equivocal response ($({\pm})$EIB:10%<${\triangle}FEV_1$<20%) and definite response($({\pm})$EIB:${\triangle}FEV_1$>20%). Results: 1) When geometric mean $PC_{20}$ of the three groups were compared, $PC_{20}$ of (+) EIB group was significantly lower than that of (-)EIB group. 2) There was a close correlation between $PC_{20}$ and the severity of EIB in the whole group(r=-0.568, p<0.01). 3) Of the total 56 subjects, MRP could be measured in 36 subjects, and the MRP of these subjects correlated fairly with the severity of EIB(r=0.355, p<0.05) 4) The MAN of (+) EIB group was significantly higher than that of (-)EIB group(p<0.01). 5) The MAN correlated well with the severity of EIB in the whole group(r=0.546, p<0.01). Conclusion: The degree of MAN as well as bronchial sensitivity($PC_{20}$) to methacholine is correlated well with the severity of EIB. The results suggest that the two main components of airway hyperresponsiveness may be equally important determinants of exercise reactivity, although the mechanism may be different from each other. The present study also provides further evidence that EIB is a manifestation of the increased airway reactivity characteristic of bronchial asthma.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.471-476
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• 2014

A kinetic study on aminolysis of 2-chloro-4-nitrophenyl X-substituted-benzoates (2a-k) in 80 mol % $H_2O/_20mol%$ DMSO at $25.0^{\circ}C$ is reported. The Br${\emptyset}$nsted-type plot for the reactions of 2-chloro-4-nitrophenyl benzoate (2g) with a series of cyclic secondary amines curves downward (e.g., ${\beta}_1=0.25$, ${\beta}_2=0.85$ and $pK_a^o=10.3$), which is typical of reactions reported to proceed through a stepwise mechanism with a change in ratedetermining step (RDS). The Hammett plot for the reactions of 2a-k with piperidine consists of two intersecting straight lines, while the corresponding Yukawa-Tsuno plot exhibits an excellent linear correlation with ${\rho}_X=1.15$ and r = 0.59. Thus, it has been concluded that the nonlinear Hammett plot is not due to a change in RDS but is caused by stabilization of substrates through resonance interactions between the electron-donating substituent and the C=O bond. Substrates possessing a substituent at the 2-position of the leaving aryloxide deviate negatively from the curved Br${\emptyset}$nsted-type plot for the reactions of Y-substituted-phenyl benzoates (3a-i), implying that the steric hindrance exerted by the substituent at the 2-position is an important factor which governs the reactivity of Y-substituted-phenyl benzoates.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.90 no.4
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• pp.524-534
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• 2001

The pressure-volume curve parameters were investigated to elucidate the effects of shading treatment on the water relations of the one year old seedlings of Betula platyphylla var. japonica, Betula schmidtii, Zelkova serrata, Acer mono and Prunes sargentii subjected to five levels of artificial shading treatments. The osmotic potentials at full turgor(${\phi}_{{\pi}o}$) measured under full sunlight changed with species and growing season in the ranges of -1.04~-1.27MPa, -1.03~-1.48MPa, -0.94~-1.44MPa in first year treatment, and -0.90~-1.37MPa, -1.05~-1.79MPa, -0.99~-1.30MPa in second year treatment in June, July, and September, respectively. The osmotic potentials at full turgor increased with increment of shading level in the ranges of -0.90~-1.79MPa in full sunlight and -0.58~-1.23MPa in nearly full shading level(E) through the growing seasons in all the species studied. The osmotic potentials at turgor loss point(${\phi}_{{\pi}p}$) measured in full sunlight changed in the ranges of -1.64~-2.11MPa, -1.67~-2.15MPa, -1.47~-2.11MPa, and -1.45~-2.04MPa, -1.30~-2.00MPa, -1.28~-2.33MPa in June, July, and September of first and second years, respectively. Most of ${\phi}_{{\pi}p}$ measurements were lower within about 0.5MPa in comparison with those of ${\phi}_{{\pi}o}$. The measurements of ${\phi}_{{\pi}p}$ also increased with increment of shading level, and the differences in ${\phi}_{{\pi}p}$ among shading levels were generally greater than those in ${\phi}_{{\pi}o}$ by species and by growing season. Most of the osmotic potentials at turgor loss point as like as at full turgor were lowered in July than in June and September. The measurements of relative water content at turgor lass point(RWCp) in full sunlight were in the similar ranges of 81~88%, 71~86%, 75~84%, and 82~87, 72~84%, 76~86% in June, July, and September of first and second years, respectively. The RWCp were a little higher in A. mono and P. sargentii than in B. platyphylla var. japonica, B. schmidtii, and Z. serrata. The RWCp also decreased from 71~88% in full sunlight to 48~77% in nearly full shading treatment with increment of shading level. Even if there were some exceptions by species or by growing season, the shading effects on the changes in some P-V parameters were distinctly observed in the present study. The change in P-V parameters following shading treatment may be presumably inferred on the changes in solute accumulation, membrane elasticity, symplasmic water volume, and so on. But much more experiments should be necessarily continued for getting detailed informations on the physiological mechanism of shading effects relating to the changes in P-V parameters.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.457-467
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• 2013

A quick and simple method for simultaneous determination of the 30 ginsenosides (ginsenoside Ro, Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, Re, Rf, Rg1, 20(S)-Rg2, 20(R)-Rg2, 20(S)-Rg3, 20(R)-Rg3, 20(S)-Rh1, 20(S)-Rh2, 20(R)-Rh2, F1, F2, F4, Ra1, Rg6, Rh4, Rk3, Rg5, Rk1, Rb3, Rk2, Rh3, compound Y, compound K, and notoginsenoside R1) in Panax ginseng preparations was developed and validated by an ultra performance liquid chromatography photo diode array detector. The separation of the 30 ginsenosides was efficiently undertaken on the Acquity BEH C-18 column with gradient elution with phosphoric acids. Especially the chromatogram of the ginsenoside Ro was dramatically enhanced by adding phosphoric acid. Under optimized conditions, the detection limits were 0.4 to 1.7 mg/L and the calibration curves of the peak areas for the 30 ginsenosides were linear over three orders of magnitude with a correlation coefficients greater than 0.999. The accuracy of the method was tested by a recovery measurement of the spiked samples which yielded good results of 89% to 118%. From these overall results, the proposed method may be helpful in the development and quality of P. ginseng preparations because of its wide range of applications due to the simultaneous analysis of many kinds of ginsenosides.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.257-262
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• 2005

Purpose: Gastric emptying scan (GES) is usually acquired up to 2 hours. Our study investigated whether a fraction of meal-retention in the stomach at 120 minutes (FR120) was predicted from the data measured for 90 minutes by using non-linear curve fitting. We aimed at saving the delayed imaging by utilizing mathematical models. Materials and Methods: Ninety-six patients underwent GES immediately after taking a boiled egg with 74 MBq (2 mCi) Tc-99m DTPA. The patients were divided into Group I ($T_{1/2}\;{\leq}90\;min$) and Group II ($90\;min). Group I (n=51) had 21 men and 30 women, and Group II (n=45) 15 men and 30 women. There was no significant difference in age and sex between the two groups. Simple exponential, power exponential, and modified power exponential curves were acquired from the measured fraction of meal-retention at each time (0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 min) by non-linear curve fitting ($MATLAB^{\circledR}$ 5.3) and another simple exponential fitting was performed on the fractions at late times (60, 75, and 90 min). A predicted FR120 was calculated from the acquired functional formulas. A correlation coefficient between the measured FR120 and the predicted FR120 was computed ($MedCalc^{\circledR}$ 6.0). Results: Correlation coefficients(r) between the measured FR120 and the predicted FR120 of each mathematical functions were as follows: simple exponential function (Group I: 0.8558, Group II: 0.5982, p<0.0001), power exponential function (Group I: 0.8755, Group II: 0.6008, p<0.0001), modified power exponential function (Group I: 0.8892, Group II: 0.5882, p<0.0001), and simple exponential function at the late times(Group I: 0.9085, Group II: 0.6832, p<0.0001). In all the fitting models, the predicted FR120 were significantly correlated with the measured FR120 in Group I but not in Group II. There was no statistically significant difference in correlation among the 4 mathematical models. Conclusion: In the cases with $T_{1/2}\;{\leq}90\;min$, the predicted FR120 is significantly correlated with the measured FR120. Therefore, FR120 can be predicted from the data measured for 90 minutes by using non-linear curve fitting, saving the delayed imaging after 90 minutes when $T_{1/2}\;{\leq}90\;min$ is ascertained.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.175-181
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• 1989

Visual assessment of regional wall motion abnormality (RWMA) by gated blood pol scan (GBPS) serves as an useful parameter in the diagnosis, functional evaluation, and follow up in various clinical settings, but are still subject to some inherent limitations. On important problem may be the interobserver as well as intraobsever variation that may well be present due to the subjective nature of the interpretations. This study was carried out to determine the reliability and reproducibility of visual assessments made in GBPSs, and to observe the degree to which the results would be influenced by observer variation. Fifty two patients with coronary heart disease had resting GBPS and contrast ventriculography within 4 days appall. Contrast ventriculography-showed normal wall motion in 6 patients and the remaining 46 had RWMA in one or more segments. The anterior and left anterolateral views of all 52 GBPSs were analyzed by three independent observers, who selected from 5 scales, their level of confidence that there was RWMA in that segment. Reciever operating characteristic (ROC) curves for each analysis was plotted and the area under the curve $(\theta)$ was used as a parameter representing each observer's performance in his interpretations. The findings of contrast ventriculographies were used as the standard for RWMA. The apical and inferoapical segments showed the best correlation with contrast ventriculography ($\theta=0.90-0.94$, 0.81-0.94, respectively), and the inferior wall showed the poorest correlation $(\theta=0.70-0.74)$. The interpretations of the inferior, septal, apical, and posteroinferior, segments showed no difference between the observers, but there was significantly better performance in assessment by observer A compared to that by B or C for the anterolateral segments ($\theta=0.87$, 0.78, 0.76, respectively. p<0.01 for A vs B, p<0.05 for A vs C), as well as when all segments were considered altogether ($\theta=0.88$, 0.83, 0.82, respectively. both p<0.05). This was also true for the infero-apical segment between A and C ($\theta=0.09$, 0.81, p<0.05). The intraobserver variation, however, did not appear significant, with only the inferior segment for observer B showing any significant difference when observer A and B repeated the analysis 10 days latter. There was no difference in assessing dyskinesia, with all observers showing a high performance ($\theta=0.98$, 0.87, 0.97, respectively). The visual assessment of left ventricular ejection fraction by all three observers correlated well with the calculated value from a semiautomated method (Spearman's r = 0.91, 0.83, 0.83. p<0.01, p<0.05, p < 0.05). The assessment of LV and RV size also correlated well between the three observers (Kendall's w = 0.80, 0.51, p<0.01 for both left and right ventricles). The above findings suggest that RWMA visually assessed by GBPS correlates well with that done by contrast ventriculography. And although the observer's experience or skill may influence the results in certain segments, visual analysis of GBPS may serve as a reliable and reproducible means for evaluating ventricular function.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.55-60
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• 2008

Background: Circulating levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) provide prognostic information for patients with heart failure. The aim of our study was to investigate whether preoperative and postoperative BNP levels could predict postoperative complications and outcomes in patients after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Material and Method: Data was collected prospectively on 30 patients (M/F=19/11, age $60.0{\pm}9.6$ years) undergoing conventional CABG during a 1-year period beginning on January 1, 2005. Patients underwent off-pump CABG, and combined surgery was excluded. The BNP assay was performed preoperatively, immediate postoperatively at the intensive care unit (ICU), and 1, 3, 5, and 7days postoperatively. Result: Preoperative BNP levels significantly correlated with preoperative echocardiographic ejection fraction and an ICU stay of 5 days or more (r=-0.4, p=0.028; r=0.39, p=0.031, respectively). A preoperative BNP cut-off value above 263 pg/mL demonstrated high specificity (90.5%) for predicting postoperative complications using the receiver operating characteristics curves. Preoperative and postoperative (7 days) BNP levels were different depending on the abscence (mean BNP=$99{\pm}23\;pg/mL$ vs. $296{\pm}74\;pg/mL$, p<0.05) and presence (mean BNP=$212{\pm}29\;pg/mL$ vs. $408{\pm}23\;pg/mL$, p<0.01). Conclusion: Preoperative BNP levels >263 pg/mL predict postoperative complications in patients receiving CABG.

• The Korean Journal of Ceramics
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.138-142
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• 2000

Thin film $LiNbO_3$MFS (metal-ferroelectric-semiconductor) capacitor showed improved characteristics such as low interface trap density, low interaction with Si substrate, and large remanent polarization. This paper reports ferroelectric $LiNbO_3$thin films grown directly on p-type Si (100) substrates by 13.56 MHz RF magnetron sputtering system for FRAM (ferroelectric random access memory) applications. RTA (rapid thermal anneal) treatment was performed for as-deposited films in an oxygen atmosphere at $600^{\circ}C$ for 60sec. We learned from X-ray diffraction that the RTA treated films were changed from amorphous to poly-crystalline $LiNbO_3$which exhibited (012), (015), (022), and (023) plane. Low temperature film growth and post RTA treatments improved the leakage current of $LiNbO_3$films while keeping other properties almost as same as high substrate temperature grown samples. The leakage current density of $LiNbO_3$films decreased from $10^{-5}$ to $10^{-7}$A/$\textrm{cm}^2$ after RTA treatment. Breakdown electric field of the films exhibited higher than 500 kV/cm. C-V curves showed the clockwise hysteresis which represents ferroelectric switching characteristics. Calculated dielectric constant of thin film $LiNbO_3$illustrated as high as 27.9. From ferroelectric measurement, the remanent polarization and coercive field were achieved as 1.37 $\muC/\textrm{cm}^2$ and 170 kV/cm, respectively.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.1159-1164
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• 2010

Several triterpenoid saponins from root of Pulsatilla koreana Nakai (Ranunculaceae) were studied and their biological activities were reported. It is difficult to analyze triterpenoid saponins using HPLC-UV due to the lack of chromophores. So, evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD) is used as a valuable alternative to UV detection. More recently, a charged aerosol detection (CAD) has been developed to improve the sensitivity and reproducibility of ELSD. In this study, we developed and validated a novel method of high performance liquid chromatography coupled with a charged aerosol detector for the simultaneous determination of four triterpenoid saponins: pulsatilloside E, pulsatilla saponin H, anemoside B4 and cussosaponin C. Analytes were separated by the Supelco Ascentis$^{(R)}$ Express C18 column (4.6 mm ${\times}$ 150 mm, 2.7 ${\mu}m$) with gradient elution of methanol and water at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min at $30^{\circ}C$. We examined various factors that could affect the sensitivity of the detectors, including various concentrations of additives, the pH of the mobile phase, and the CAD range. Linear calibration curves were obtained within the concentration ranges of 2 - 200 ${\mu}g$/mL for pulsatilloside E, anemoside $B_4$ and cussosaponin C, and 5 - 500 ${\mu}g$/mL for pulsatilla saponin H with correlation coefficient ($R^2$) greater than 0.995. The limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 0.04 - 0.2 and 2 - 5 ${\mu}g$/mL, respectively. The validity of the developed HPLC-CAD method was confirmed by satisfactory values of linearity, intra- and inter-day accuracy and precision. This method could be successfully applied to quality evaluation, quality control and monitoring of Pulsatilla koreana.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.88.2-88.2
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• 2010

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have attracted considerable attention on account of their high solar energy-to-conversion efficiencies and low cost processes compared to conventional p-n junction solar cells. The mechanism of DSSC is based on the injection of electrons from the photo excited dyes into the conduction band of the semiconductor electrode. The oxidized dye is reduced by the hole injection into either the hole conductor or the electrolyte. Thus, the light harvesting effect of dye plays an important role in capturing the photons and generating the electron/hole pair, as well as transferring them to the interface of the semiconductor and the electrolyte, respectively. We used the organic fluorescence materials which can absorb short wavelength light and emit longer wavelength region where dye sensitize effectively. In this work, the DSSCs were fabricated with fluorescence materials added $TiO_2$ photo-electrode which were sensitized with metal-free organic dyes. The photovoltaic performances of fluorescence aided DSSCs were compared, and the recombination dark current curves and the incident photon-to-current (IPCE) efficiencies were measured in order to characterize the effects of the additional light harvesting effect in DSSC. Electro-optical measurements were also used to optimize the fluorescence material contents on TiO2 photo-electrode surface for higher conversion efficiency (${\eta}$), fill factor (FF), open-circuit voltage (VOC) and short-circuit current (ISC). The enhanced light harvesting effect by the judicious choice/design of the fluorescence materials and sensitizing dyes permits the enhancement of photovoltaic performance of DSSC.