• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.92-100
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• 2021

Purpose: Rapid detection of etiologic organisms is crucial for initiating appropriate therapy in patients with central nervous system (CNS) infection. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of the BioFire^® Meningitis/Encephalitis (ME) panel in detecting etiologic organisms in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from febrile infants. Methods: CSF samples from infants aged <90 days who were evaluated for fever were collected between January 2016 and July 2019 at the Seoul National University Children's Hospital. We performed BioFire^® ME panel testing of CSF samples that had been used for CSF analysis and conventional tests (bacterial culture, Xpert^® enterovirus assay, and herpes simplex virus-1 and -2 polymerase chain reaction) and stored at -70℃ until further use. Results: In total, 72 (24 pathogen-identified and 48 pathogen-unidentified) CSF samples were included. Using BioFire^® ME panel testing, 41 (85.4%) of the 48 pathogen-unidentified CSF samples yielded negative results and 22 (91.7%) of the 24 pathogen-identified CSF samples yielded the same results (enterovirus in 19, Streptococcus agalactiae in 2, and Streptococcus pneumoniae in 1) as those obtained using the conventional tests, thereby resulting in an overall agreement of 87.5% (63/72). Six of the 7 pathogen-unidentified samples were positive for human parechovirus (HPeV) via BioFire^® ME panel testing. Conclusions: Compared with the currently available etiologic tests for CNS infection, BioFire^® ME panel testing demonstrated a high agreement score for pathogen-identified samples and enabled HPeV detection in young infants. The clinical utility and cost-effectiveness of BioFire^® ME panel testing in children must be evaluated for its wider application.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.25-37
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• 1985

Four points on the basal body temperature (B.B.T.) curve was correlated with the estimated time of ovulation, as determined by serial ultrasound in 50 induced menstrual cycles from 22 subjects. The time of ovulation was estimated by measuring the maximal diameter of follicles and observing the morphologic changes within the ovary from follicle to corpus luteum. The results were as following; 1. The diameter of the follicle measured at the day before disappearance was 21.1 mm on an average (S.D.: 2.14). The average follicular growth for 4 days before ovulation was measured at a rate of 2.8 mm/day, and rapid growth of follicle was observed 3.1 mm/day at the day before. 2. The changes associated with rupture of the follicles were the followings, in order of frequency; decrease in size(94%), disappearance of follicles(64%), fluid in the Cul-de-Sac(26%) and increased internal echoes(16%). 3. Only 20 of 50 cycles, exhibited a BBT dip and correlated with the estimated time of ovulation by ultrasound in 2 of which cases(10%). BBT nadir, 30 of 50 cycles, correlated in 5(16.7%). The first day of hyperthermic plateau(FDHP) and BBT coverline was exhibited in all cycles, correlated in 41(82%) and 35(70%) cases. 4. The relationship between the diameter of dominant dominant follicle, measured by ultrasound, and the basal body temperature curve were as following. During cycles in which dip was observed on the BBT curve, the follicular diameter were 10.5${\pm}$2.12 mm on 4 days prior to the point (D-4), and 12.5${\pm}$2.12 mm (D-3), 15.5${\pm$2.12 mm (D-2), 17.0${\pm}$1.41 mm (D-1) and 21.5${\pm}$2.12 mm just prior to the dip (D-0). In the nadir; 9.6${\pm}$1.67 mm (N-4), 12.8${\pm}$1.79 mm (N-3), 16.2${\pm}$1.92 mm (N-2), 18.2${\pm}$2.17 mm (N-1) and 21.4${\pm}$2.61 mm (N-0). In the First day of Hyperthemic Plateau (FDHP); 9.8${\pm}$1.36 mm (F-4), 12.4${\pm}$1.41 mm (F-3),15.1${\pm}$1.57 mm (F-2), 18.1${\pm}$1.67 mm (F-1) and 21.2${\pm}$2.25 mm (F-0). In the BBT coverline endopint; 9.9${\pm}$.39 mm (C-4), 12.5 ${\pm}$1.44 mm (C-3), 15.2${\pm}$1.64 mm (C-2), 18.0 ${\pm}$1.69 mm (C-1), and 21.2${\pm}$2.31 mm (C-0). 5. The relationship between the ultrasonographic signs of ovulation and the basal body temperature curve were as following. The BBT dip correlated with the ovulation in 2 cases, which revealed decrease in follicular diameter (100%), fluid pattem in the Cul-de-Sac (1 case, 50%) and complete disappearance of follicle (1 case, 50%). In the nadir (5 cases); the ultrasonographic signs of ovulation were decrease in follicular diameter (5 cases, 100%), fluid pattern in the Cul-de-Sac (1 case, 20%) and complete disappearance of follicle (3 cases, 60%). In the First day of Hyperthermic Plateau (41 cases); decrease in follicular diameter (40 cases, 97.6%), fluid pattern in the Cul-de-Sac (11 cases, 26.8%), appearance of internal echo and thickening of the wall (6 cases, 14.6%) and com plete disappearance of follicle (28 cases, 68.3%). In the BBT coverline endpoint (35 cases); decrease in follicular diameter (33 cases, 94.3%), fluid pattern in the Cul-de Sac (9 cases, 25.7%), appearance of internal echo and thickening of the wall (5 cases 14.3%) and complete disappearance of follicle (20 cases, 57.1%).

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.835-840
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• 2018

Quantitative determination of the protein expression levels is one of the most important parts in assessment of the safety of foods derived from genetically modified (GM) crops. Overexpression of AtCYP78A7, a gene encoding cytochrome P450 protein, has been reported to improve tolerance to abiotic stress, such as drought and salt stress, in transgenic rice (Oryza sativa L.). In the present study, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit for diagnosing AtCYP78A7 protein including AtCYP78A7-specific monoclonal antibody was developed. GST-AtCYP78A7 recombinant protein was induced and purified by affinity column. Four monoclonal antibodies (mAb 6A7, mAb 4C2, mAb 11H6, and mAb 7E8) against recombinant protein were also produced and biotinylated with avidin-HRP. After pairing test using GST-AtCYP78A7 protein and lysate of rice samples, mAb 4C2 and mAb 7E8 were selected as a capture antibody and a detecting antibody, respectively, for ELISA kit. Product test using rice samples indicated that percentages of detected protein in total protein were greater than 0.1% in AtCYP78A7-overexpressing transgenic rice (Line 10B-5 and 18A-4), whereas those in negative control non-transgenic rice (Ilpum and Hwayoung) were less than 0.1%. The ELISA kit developed in this study can be useful for the rapid detection and safety assessment of transgenic rice overexpressing AtCYP78A7.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.203-214
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to estimate the concentrated distribution area of nutria (Myocastor coypus) and potential suitable habitat and to provide useful data for the effective management direction setting. Based on the nationwide distribution data of nutria, the cross-validation value was applied to analyze the distribution density. As a result, the concentrated distribution areas thatrequired preferential elimination is found in 14 administrative areas including Busan Metropolitan City, Daegu Metropolitan City, 11 cities and counties in Gyeongsangnam-do and 1 county in Gyeongsangbuk-do. In the potential suitable habitat estimation using a MaxEnt (Maximum Entropy) model, the possibility of emergency was found in the Nakdong River middle and lower stream area and the Seomjin riverlower stream area and Gahwacheon River area. As for the contribution by variables of a model, it showed DEM, precipitation of driest month, min temperature of coldest month and distance from river had contribution from the highest order. In terms of the relation with the probability of appearance, the probability of emergence was higher than the threshold value in areas with less than 34m of altitude, with $-5.7^{\circ}C{\sim}-0.6^{\circ}C$ of min temperature of the coldest month, with 15-30mm of precipitation of the driest month and with less than 1,373m away from the river. Variables that Altitude, existence of water and wintertemperature affected settlement and expansion of nutria, considering the research results and the physiological and ecological characteristics of nutria. Therefore, it is necessary to reflect them as important variables in the future habitable area detection and expansion estimation modeling. It must be essential to distinguish the concentrated distribution area and the management area of invasive alien species such as nutria and to establish and apply a suitable management strategy to the management site for the permanent control. The results in this study can be used as useful data for a strategic management such as rapid management on the preferential management area and preemptive and preventive management on the possible spreading area.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.271-281
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• 2001

The characteristics of the heavy metal contamination in the soils affected by the tailings of the Palbong mine have been studied. The soils in the studied area consist mostly of loam by the particle size analysis, but a little of it, located near the stream, consist of loamy sand to sandy loam, finally to loam downward. The organic contents of soils are significantly low aoom 2 percent and the pH is in acidic ranging 6.0 $\pm$ 0.1. The samples of the parent rocks, the normal soils, the tailings and the channel deposits from the studied area were chemically analysed. From the result, the heavy metal concenlration of the soils is a little Jow compared with that of the parent rocks, shows the hydrologic process of the surface and the groundwater. The contamination of the tailings from the ore mining are high in lead, copper and arsenic. In the channel deposits the concenlrations of lead and copper are abnormally high but that of arsenic is uniquely low. And most of heavy metal contamination are decreased with the distance from the mine. It is caused by the properties of the surface and the ground water during the process of the heavy metal migration. The correlation-coefficient between sand and silt contents and the concentrations of Cd, Cu and Pb are significant but the amounts of As and Hg are increased with the clay contents. The dispersion of the heavy metals with the distance shows that the concentrations of them in the soils sampled at distance of 100 m to 200 m along the stream started near the Palbong mine are extremely high compared with those from other distances. These discrepancies are significant in Cd, Cu, Pb and Hg, but low in As. All the samples contain below detection limit of Cr+6 In the present stream water the concentrations of the heavy metals are not detected. So, it is interpreted that the concentrations in the soils are caused by the activities of the mining during the operation and have been continued by the dispersion from the tailings since after the closure of the mining, especially by the surface and ground water. The concentrations are diminished with the distance from the mining site, but in the interval of 800-2000 m increases abruptly. In the soil samples counted on the dispersion direction by wind, the lowering of the concentration is relatively uniform with the distance from the mining site. So, the rapid increase of the heavy metal concentrations is presumed to have been caused by the ground-water movement. In the migration of the heavy metals, the groundwater conditions, such as pH, Eh, the contents of colloidal particles, and Mn and Fe oxides are closely involveo. Integrating with these factors, it is interpreted that the groundwater conditions which have caused the heavy metal contamination of the studied area are those that the pH is about 3 in oxidized conditions, the contents of the colloidal particles are low, and Mn and Fe oxides are not involved in the migration of the heavy metals. Meanwhile, the vegetables growing on the soils in the studied area are not affected by the contamination of the heavy metals.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.287-291
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• 2010

In this study, a simple and rapid pre-treatment method based on liquid extraction was applied for the simultaneous determination of three macrolides (spiramycin, tylosin, and tilmicosin) residues. In these studies, the stock farm products was used as a matrix sample. When the liquid extraction method was compared with the solid phase extraction (SPE) method, the former showed higher recovery percentages and simpler steps than the latter. The macrolids were separated using a reverse-phase C18 ($250\;mm{\times}4.6\;mm$, $5\;{\mu}m$) column and a gradient elution with mobile phases consisting of phosphate buffer (pH 2.5) and acetonitrile. Tylosin and tilmicosin were detected at 288 nm and spiramycin was detected at 232 nm. The average recovery percentage ranged between 83.0-90.2% for samples spiked with the three macrolids at 50 and 100 ng/g The validation results showed that the limit of detection (7 (spiramycin), 12 (tilmiconsin), 12 (tylosin) ng/g)) was under the regulatory tolerances and the linearity from calibration curves was satisfactory for determining the multi-residue of three macrolids in farm products. Monitoring samples were collected at the main cities in Korea as Seoul, Busan, Deajeon, Incheon, Deagu, and Gwangju. Microlide antibiotics were not detected in most samples.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.261-270
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• 1989

The present study is intended to observe the chronologic changes of experimental sparganosis by histopathological observation and detection of circulating anti-sparganum IgG antibody using ELISA. Each of 25 mice was infected with aye spargana, and they were examined after 1, 2, 4, 10 weeks or 6 months from infection. The followings are summarized results. - 1. The plerocercoids were detected in the subcutaneous tissue of the trunk, neck or axilla, but a few often extended into the skeletal muscle. The recovery rates were 72% at the first week, 80% at the second week, 95% at the fourth week, 92% at the tenth week and 100% at .the sixth month. The larvae grew slowly in both length and weight until 6 months. 2. Histopathologically, most of the larvae were observed alive in the soft tissue or skeletal muscle. Numerous eosinophils, neutrophils, Iymphocytes and plasma cells were infiltrated focally around the worms by the second week, but they surrounded the worms to form a layer of inflammatory reaction after 4 weeks of infection. Also histiocytes and fibroblasts began to appear around the inflammatory cells at 4 weeks. After 10 weeks, the worms encircled by a thin fibrous layer were found. After 6 months, the worms were surrounded by either fibrous tissue or active inflammatory cells. The inflammation looked more severe in the tracks left by the worms, rather than around the worms. 3, The level of anti-sparganum IgG antibody in the serum showed an increase by the fourth week, and a rapid and continuous increase was observed thereafter by the tenth week after infection. The high level of the IgG antibody was maintained up to 6 months forming a plateau curve. The present results suggest that the tissue reaction and antibody production in subcutaneous sparganosis become distinctive by the fourth week after infection.

• Atmosphere
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.20-42
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• 2002

Based on the "Mid to Long Term Plan for Space Development", a project to launch COMeS (Communication, Oceanography, and Meteorological Satellite) into the geostationary orbit is undergoing. Accordingly, KMA (Korea Meteorological Administration) has defined the meteorological missions and prepared the user requirements to fulfill the missions. To make a realistic user requirements, we prepared a first draft based on the ideal meteorological products derivable from a geostationary platform and sent the RFI (request for information) to the sensor manufacturers. Based on the responses to the RFI and other considerations, we revised the user requirement to be a realistic plan for the 2008 launch of the satellite. This manuscript introduces the revised user requirements briefly. The major mission defined in the revised user requirement is the augmentation of the detection and prediction ability of the severe weather phenomena, especially around the Korean Peninsula. The required payload is an enhanced Imager, which includes the major observation channels of the current geostationary sounder. To derive the required meteorological products from the Imager, at least 12 channels are required with the optimum of 16 channels. The minimum 12 channels are 6 wavelength bands used for current geostationary satellite, and additional channels in two visible bands, a near infrared band, two water vapor bands and one ozone absorption band. From these enhanced channel observation, we are going to derive and utilize the information of water vapor, stability index, wind field, and analysis of special weather phenomena such as the yellow sand event in addition to the standard derived products from the current geostationary Imager data. For a better temporal coverage, the Imager is required to acquire the full disk data within 15 minutes and to have the rapid scan mode for the limited area coverage. The required thresholds of spatial resolutions are 1 km and 2 km for visible and infrared channels, respectively, while the target resolutions are 0.5 km and 1 km.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.9
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• pp.976-985
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• 2005

Purpose : Although influenza is one of the most important causes of acute respiratory tract infections in children, effective antiviral therapies are not common and there are only a few clinical studies on treatment of influenza in children. We evaluated the efficacy of oseltamivir in the treatment of naturally aquired influenza in children during the first half of 2004 in Busan. Methods : From January 2004 to June 2004, throat swabs and nasal washes were performed and cultured for the isolation of influenza virus and tested by rapid antigen detection test(QuickVue influenza test) in children with suspected influenza infections. The children who responded positively to the QuickVue influenza test, we divided into two groups : an oseltamivir treatment group and a control group. We compared their clinical symptoms(including fever duration) and diagnosis. The medical records of patients with influenza virus infection were reviewed retrospectively. Results : A total of 621 individuals were suspected of influenza infection. Influenza viruses were isolated in 79(17.2 percent) out of 621 patients examined. QuickVue influenza tests were positive in 181 cases. The treatment group(83 individuals) received oseltamivir twice daily for 5 days, and the control group(99 individuals) were administered only symptom relief medicine. There was no differences between the two groups in clinical diagnosis and symptoms. Oseltamivir treatment reduced the fever duration and other respiratory symptoms. There were no adverse events associated with oseltamivir treatment. Conclusion : Our data suggest that oral oseltamivir treatment reduces the fever duration and other respiratory symptoms of acute influenza without side effects in children.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.323-330
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• 2015

Alkaptonuria, a rare inherited metabolic disease, is characterized by a lack of homogentisate dioxygenase and accumulation of homogentisic acid (HGA), leading to homogentisic aciduria, arthritis, and ochronosis. In this study, a rapid analytical method, without an expensive and tedious solid phase extraction step, was developed to quantify HGA in plasma using GC-MS. HGA-spiked pooled plasma samples were subjected to liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) with ethyl acetate, followed by trimethylsilyl derivatization (TMS) and GC-MS quantification using selected ion monitoring. The formation of TMS derivative of the 1 carboxylic and 2 hydroxyl functional groups was performed by reacting BSTFA (with 10% TMCS) for 5 min at 80 ℃. For selected ion monitoring, quantification and confirmation ions were determined based on specific ions (m/z 384, m/z 341 and m/z 252) of the TMS derivative of HGA. Calibration curves of pooled normal plasma specimens showed a linear relationship in the range of 1-100 ng/µL. The precision and accuracy were within a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 1 to 15% and a bias of -5 to 25%. Recoveries were obtained in the range of 99-125% and 95-115% for intra-day and inter-day assay, respectively, at 2, 20 and 80 ng/µL. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.4 ng/µL and 4 ng/µL, respectively. No homogentisic acid was excreted from normal Korean plasma samples. Collectively, the results from the present study suggest that this method could be useful for routine diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of alkaptonuria patients with excellent sensitivity and rapidity.