• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.146-151
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• 2009

Purpose : To evaluate magnetic resonance (MR) imaging features of non-surgically treated tuberculous spondylitis and to evaluate the relationships between these features and clinical outcomes. Materials and Methods : Data from ten patients (male:female=6:4, mean age=45 years) with clinically proven tuberculous spondylitis who were treated nonsurgically over three months were analyzed retrospectively from 2000 to 2007. MRI was performed at least three times for each patient, at baseline, every three or six months, and at the end of treatment. All images were analyzed by two radiologists. Results : The mean follow-up period for the MR examination was 10.1 months (range, 4-17 months). Six patients had clinically complete resolution of tuberculous spondylitis with medication treatment only. Four patients were treated with surgical management alongside medication. All ten patients were divided into two groups by clinical outcome; six patients with complete treatment and four patients with incomplete treatment. In the complete treatment group, follow-up MR findings showed a loss of subligamentous spread of abscesses, decreased size of abscesses, no interval changes in vertebral body heights, and fatty changes in spinal lesions. MR findings in the incomplete treatment group showed bone marrow edema extension to adjacent vertebra, extension of the abscesses, and decreased height of the vertebral bodies. Conclusion : During the nonsurgical management of tuberculous spondylitis, MR imaging may play a role in predicting patient response to antituberculous drug treatment.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.14-30
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to evaluate trophic conditions of various Korean reservoirs using Trophic State Index (TSI) and predict the reservoir conditions by empirical models. The water quality dataset (2000, 2001) used here were obtained from the Ministry of Environment, Korea. The water quality, based on multi-parameters of dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), suspended solid (SS), Secchi depth (SD), chlorophyll-${\alpha}$ (CHL), and conductivity largely varied depending on the sampling watersheds and seasons. In general, trophic conditions declined along the longitudinal axis of headwater-to-the dam and the largest seasonal variations occurred during the summer monsoon of July-August. Major inputs of TP occurred during the monsoon (r=0.656, p=0.002) and this pattern was similar to solid dynamics of SS (r=0.678, p<0.001). Trophic parameters including CHL, TP, SD, and TN were employed to evaluate how the water systems varies with season. Trophic State Index (TSI, Carlson, 1977), based on TSI (CHL), TSI (TP), and TSI (SD), ranged from mesotrophic to eutrophic. However, the trophic state, based on TSI (TN), indicated eutrophic-hypereutrophic conditions in the entire reservoirs, regardless of the seasons, indicating a N-rich system. Overall, nutrient data showed that phosphorus was a primary factor regulating the trophic state. The relationships between CHL (eutrophication index) vs. trophic parameters (TN, TP, and SD) were analysed to develop empirical models which can predict the trophic status. Regression analyses of log-transformed seasonal CHL against TP showed that the value of $R^2$ was 0.31 (p=0.017) in the premonsoon but was 0.69 (p<0.001) during the postmonsoon, indicating a greater algal response to the phosphorus during the postmonsoon. In contrast, SD had reverse relation with TP, CHL during all season. TN had weak relations with CHL during all seasons. Overall, data suggest that TP seems to be a good predictor for algal biomass, estimated by CHL, as shown in the empirical models.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.623-629
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• 2006

Purpose : The mortality rate of neonatal sepsis has been decreased, however, the incidence has not significantly decreased because of increased invasive procedures. This study was designed to make guidelines for choosing antibiotics by analyzing the causative microorganisms and their antibiotics sensitivity test according to the onset of neonatal sepsis. Methods : One hundred seven cases of culture proven sepsis in 89 patients admitted to the NICU of Chonnam University Hospital from Jan. 2000 to Dec. 2004, were enrolled. By reviewing the medical records, clinical data, laboratory findings, causative organisms and their antibiotics sensitivity, and mortality were analyzed. Results : The incidence of neonatal sepsis was 1.7 percent and more prevalent in premature and low birth weight infants. 85.4 percent of neonatal sepsis was late onset. Almost all microorganisms(92.9 percent) were gram-positive in early onset, however, two thirds were gram-positive and one third were gram-negative and Candida in late onset. Gram-negative organisms and Candida were more prevalent in patients who had central line. Gram-positive organisms were sensitive to vancomycin, teicoplanin, and gram-negative were sensitive to imipenem, and cefotaxime. Conclusion : Neonatal sepsis was more prevalent in premature and low birth weight infants. More than 90 percent were gram-positive in early onset, however, one third was gram-negative and Candida in late onset. The first choice of antibiotics were a combination of third generation cephalosporin and clindamycin in early onset, and third generation cephalosporin and glycopeptide in late onset. If there is no response to antibiotics treatment, the use of antifungal agents should be considered.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.1584-1592
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• 2000

Three hundred nursery pigs were used in two growth assays (avg initial BW of 6.5 and 6.0 kg, respectively) to determine the effects of sodium sulfite ($Na_2SO_3$) as an extrusion aid for soy products used in diets for weanling pigs. In Exp. 1, treatments were arranged as $3{\times}2$ factorial with main effects of soy product [soybean meal (SBM), extruded SBM, and dry-extruded whole soybeans (DEWS)] and concentration of $Na_2SO_3$ (0 and 10 g/kg of soy product). The extruded SBM and DEWS treatments were processed in a dry extruder ($Insta-Pro^{(R)} $, Triple F Nutrition, Des Moines, IA) with barrel temperatures and throughputs of $169^{\circ}C$ and 578 kg/h, and $147^{\circ}C$ and 598 kg/h, respectively. All diets were formulated to 3.5 Mcal/kg DE, with 0.92% lysine for d 0 to 14, and 0.76% lysine for d 14 to 28. For d 0 to 14, there was a tendency for pigs fed diets with $Na_2SO_3$ to have greater ADG (p<0.08), and pigs fed SBM to have greater ADFI (p<0.02), thus pigs fed the extruded soy products has 15% greater gain/feed than those fed SBM (p<0.007). For d 14 to 28, there were no differences in ADG or gain/feed among pigs fed diets with SBM and those fed diets with the extruded soy products (p>0.15). However, pigs fed DEWS had greater ADG than pigs fed extruded SBM, and pigs fed $Na_2SO_3$ had greater ADG and ADFI compared to those not fed $Na_2SO_3$ (p<0.02 and 0.08, respectively). The positive response in ADG and gain/feed to the addition of $Na_2SO_3$ resulted with SBM and extruded SBM treatments, and not with DEWS (interaction effect, p<0.04). Overall (d 0 to 28), pigs fed DEWS had greater ADG (p<0.01) and gain/feed (p<0.08) than pigs fed extruded SBM. Also pigs fed diets with $Na_2SO_3$ had greater ADG, ADFI, and gain/feed compared to those fed diets without $Na_2SO_3$ (p<0.002, 0.04, and 0.04, respectively). Exp. 2 was designed as a $2{\times}3$ factorial with main effects of soy product (SBM and DEWS) and concentration of $Na_2SO_3$ (none, 7.5, and 15.0 g/kg of soy product). As in Exp. 1, all diets were formulated to 3.5 Mcal/kg DE, with 0.92% lysine for d 0 to 13, and 0.76% lysine for d 13 to 53. At a constant processing temperature (148 to $149^{\circ}C$, $Na_2SO_3$ increased throughput of the extruder (578, 595, and 602 kg/h for the 0, 7.5, and 15.0 g/kg additions, respectively). For d 0 to 13, treatment had no effect on ADG or ADFI, but gain/feed decreased for pigs fed SBM with increasing concentrations of $Na_2SO_3$, and increased for pigs fed DEWS with increasing concentrations of $Na_2SO_3$ (SBM vs DEWS sulfite quadratic interaction, p<0.03). For d 13 to 35, pigs fed DEWS had greater ADG (p<0.01) and gain/feed (p<0.001) than pigs fed SBM. Also, ADFI decreased and gain/feed increased with increasing concentrations of $Na_2SO_3$ (linear effects, p<0.04 and 0.01, respectively). Overall, pigs fed the diets with DEWS had greater ADG and gain/feed than pigs fed SBM (p<0.003 and 0.002, respectively), and $Na_2SO_3$ tended to decrease ADFI and increase gain/feed (linear effects, p<0.07 and 0.06, respectively). In conclusion, pigs fed DEWS had greater rate and efficiency of gain than pigs fed SBM. Also, adding $Na_2SO_3$ prior to extrusion increased yield and feed efficiency.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.425-438
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• 2009

We reevaluate the Burton equation (Burton et al. 1975) of predicting Dst index using high quality hourly solar wind data supplied by the ACE satellite for the period from 1998 to 2006. Sixty magnetic storms with monotonously decreasing main phase are selected. In order to determine the injection term (Q) and the decay time ($\tau$) of the equation, we examine the relationships between $Dst^*$ and $VS_s$, ${\Delta}Dst^*$ and $VS_s$, and ${\Delta}Dst^*$ and $Dst^*$ during the magnetic storms. For this analysis, we take into account one hour of the propagation time from the ACE satellite to the magnetopause, and a half hour of the response time of the magnetosphere/ring current to he solar wind forcing. The injection term is found to be $Q(nT/h)\;=\;-3.56VS_s$ for $VS_s$ > 0.5mV/m and Q(nT=h) = 0 for $VB_s\;{\leq}\;0.5mV/m$. The $\tau$ (hour) is estimated as $0.060Dst^*\;+\;16.65$ for $Dst^*$ > -175nT and 6.15 hours for $Dst^*\;{\leq}\;-175nT$. Based on these empirical relationships, we predict the 60 magnetic storms and find that the correlation coefficient between the observed and predicted $Dst^*$ is 0.88. To evaluate the performance of our prediction scheme, the 60 magnetic storms are predicted again using the models by Burton et al. (1975) and O'Brien & McPherron (2000a). The correlation coefficients thus obtained are 0.85, the same value for both of the two models. In this respect, our model is slightly improved over the other two models as far as the correlation coefficients is concerned. Particularly our model does a better job than the other two models in predicting intense magnetic storms ($Dst^*\;{< \atop \sim}\;-200nT$).

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.155-164
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• 2002

Hypertension is the most frequent disease of chronic circulatory diseases and major intermediate cause or risk of the cerebrovascular disease which is a leading cause of death in Korea. Therefore, management of hypertension is an important issue in Korean healthcare. Especially, therapeutic compliance of hypertensives is very important because the hypertensive patients should receive anti-hypertensive treatment as long as the condition exists. However, many patients drop out of treatment, which is a major problem that needs to be solved through a hypertension control program. This study was carried out to provide basic data and counter measule for the hypertension control program in the community which aimed to keep the patients receiving treatment continuously. In order to investigate compliance of hypertensive patients during three months follow-up and the rate of control of hypertension, the data were collected during February, 2001, by reviewing medical records of 295 hypertensive patients who had been registered to Gunnam-myeon health subcenter before November, 2000. The author also study the dropout reasons by interviewing 58 patients among 68 dropout patients. The results were as follows: 1. Among the 295 subjects, 108(36.6%) were male and 187(63.4%) were female. Statistically, female hypertensives had a higher mean age than male(64.6 vs 66.3, p<0.05). 2. The 54.9% of the patients took anti-hypertensive medicine continuously for the past three months. And 19.3% had drug intermittently, and 25.8% dropped out of treatment. 3. Among several variables, such as sex, age, health insurance, the time taken from a patient's village to the health subcenter, only the last one was found to be significantly related to therapeutic compliance in the contingency table analysis. 4. The dropout reasons by multiple response were as follows, 'no symptom or no problem' (23.9%), 'change to other hospitals'(19.4%), 'geographical barrier'(17.9%), 'change to a neighborhood drugstore' (14.9%), 'immobility'(7.5%), 'economic barrier'(6.0%), 'unsatisfactory services of the health subcenter'(4.4%). 5. The mean blood pressure of 295 subjects was $144.9{\pm}12.9/86.88{\pm}8.6mmHg$. 6. The 32.5% of the subjects were controlled below 140/90mmHg. Conclusions: In order to improve the low rates of treatment and control of hypertension in rural hypertensives, a more active and systematic hypertension control program, including out-reaching follow-up management, is required in rural area. Especially, for health education of hypertensive patients, emphasis should placed on correcting wrong attitude toward hypertension.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.224-233
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• 2005

Purpose: This study was conducted to provide basic data for developing an effective strategy for cancer pain management by comparing the levels of barriers to pain management of metastatic or advanced cancer patient and their nurses. Methods: The subject of this study were 155 patients who were treated for metastatic or advanced cancer at one of three hospitals in Seoul from January 2004 to January 2005, and 153 nurses who take care of those patients. The levels of barriers to pain management were measured using a tool developed by Gunnarsdottir et al. (2002), 27 questions on a six point scale. The levels of stresses were measured using a tool modified from a stress response measurement reported by Goh Gyung-bong et al. (2000), 27 questions on a five point scale. The levels of barriers in cancer patients were analyzed using t-test and ANOVA, while the data obtained from patients and nurses were compared by t-test. Results: Higher levels of barriers to pain management were found in three groups: 'less than middle school,' 'not treated with anti-cancer chemotherapy,' and 'ECOG of 2.' The level (2.55) of barriers to pain management in the patient group was higher than that (1.76) of the nurse group. Both of the two groups had high levels of barriers in two variables: 'There is a danger of becoming addicted to pain medicine.' and 'Using pain medicine blocks your ability to know if you have any new pain.' There was not a significant difference in the levels of stresses between the two groups. Conclusion: It was found that, for effective cancer pain management practices, it would be necessary to provide cancer patients and their nurses with education and training about pain management and related barriers.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.287-296
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• 2014

Chicken eggs undergo various physiological changes during egg maturation. To study genes associated with the egg maturation in pre-ovulation (immature) and post-ovulation (mature), we compared gene expression patterns between in the immature egg and mature egg using RNA sequencing data. Mature and immature eggs were obtained from a Heuksaek Jaerae-jong of Korean native chicken. Total RNAs obtained from the eggs were sequenced by Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform, and the generated sequence reads were mapped to Galgal4 reference sequence assembly using Tuxedo Protocol. From the comparison of the RNA sequencing data, 315 genes were differentially expressed between mature and immature eggs, and 46 genes were only detected in immature egg. Further gene ontology (GO) analysis was performed for the differentially expressed genes using DAVID, showing that 29 and 28 GO terms were independently clustered from mature and immature, respectively. From those clustered GO terms, genes related to germ cell development, sex differentiation and defense response to bacterium were mainly expressed in the immature egg, while genes related to regulation of apoptosis, steroid metabolic process and lipid homeostasis were mainly detected in the mature egg. Our results could contribute to understand egg maturation before and after ovulation, and develop genetic markers for improving egg quality and productivity.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.137-142
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• 2008

Purpose: Interferon is a widely used treatment for chronic hepatitis B in children. However, additional treatment options are needed because more than 50% of hepatitis B patients are unresponsive to interferon. Although lamivudine is widely used to treat hepatitis B, there are few studies on the effect of lamivudine in hepatitis B patients unresponsive to interferon. Methods: Eight interferon unresponsive patients (6 males and 2 females) were treated with lamivudine (3 mg/kg/day, maximum 100 mg/day) from 6~12 months after interferon treatment was discontinued among 33 children with chronic hepatitis B. They were treated with interferon (interferon ${\alpha}$-2b, 10 MU/$m^2$ or pegylated interferon $1.5{\mu}g/kg$) for 6 months from January 2000 to December 2007 at the Pusan National University Hospital. The medical records were analyzed retrospectively. Results: The age at treatment with interferon and lamivudine was 4.9${\pm}$3.1 and 6.1${\pm}$3.2 years, respectively. The serum ALT level before treatment with interferon was 148.1${\pm}$105.8 IU/L and the log HBV-DNA PCR mean value was 6.95${\pm}$0.70 copies/mL. The serum ALT level after treatment with interferon was 143.1${\pm}$90.4 IU/L and the log HBV-DNA mean PCR value was 6.46${\pm}$2.08. HBeAg negativization occurred in 2 patients. For all patients, normalization of the serum ALT levels and HBeAg seroconversion (except 2 patients with HBeAg negativization) occurred at 7.4${\pm}$2.1 and 7.9${\pm}$2.1 months respectively after lamivudine treatment. The HBV-DNA PCR became negative in 7 patients (87.5%) at 2.4${\pm}$2.8 months. Complete response was achieved in 7 patients and no recurrence was observed in 2 patients for 3 years after the completion of treatment. Five patients are still under treatment for a mean treatment duration of 24.4${\pm}$9.1 months. In one patient, viral breakthrough occurred and the treatment was stopped. Conclusion: The number of patients was small, however, lamivudine treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B who were unresponsive to interferon was highly effective.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.11 s.256
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• pp.761-772
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• 2005

Background: Following the implantation of heart valve prostheses, it is important to maintain therapeutic INR to reduce the risk of thromboembolism. The objective of this study was to suggest a practical dosing guideline for Korean outpatients with prosthetic heart valves managed by a pharmacist-run anticoagulation service (ACS). Material and Method: A retrospective chart review was completed for all patients enrolled in the ACS at Seoul National University Hospital from March, 1997 to September, 2000. Patients who were at least 6 months post-valve replacement and had nontherapeutic INR value (less than 2.0 or greater than 3.0) were included. The data on 688 patients (1,782 visits) requiring dosing adjustment without any known drug or food interaction with warfarin were analyzed. The amount of adjusted dose and INR changes based on the INR at the time of the event were calculated. Aortic valve replacements (AVR) patients and mitral or double valve replacement (MVR/DVR) patients were evaluated separately. Result: Two methods for the warfarin dosage adjustment were suggested: Guideline I (mg-based total weekly dose (TWD) adjustment), Guideline II (percentage-based TWD adjustment). The effectiveness of Guideline 1 was superior to Guideline II overall in patients with both AVR and MVR/DVR. Conclusion: The guideline suggested in this study could be useful when the dosage adjustment of wafarin is necessary in outpatients with mechanical heart valves.