• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.25-35
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• 2009

Purpose: The characteristics of hospitalized patients in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), including hospitalization costs (HC) and National Health Insurance (NHI) status were studied. Methods: We gathered the following data from 7 hospitals in Korea during 2006: the distribution of patients according to birth weight (BW), and the duration of the hospital stay according to BW and He. Results: The patients who were admitted to the NICU consisted of high-risk neonates, including low birth weight or premature neonates, which comprised 50% of all neonates admitted to the NICU. The duration of hospitalization was 75-90 days for neonates with BW <1,000 g, 45-60 days for neonates with BW between 1,000 and 1,499 g, and approximately 15 days for neonates with BW between 2,000 and 2,499 g. The portion of the HC covered by the NHI was 77.1%, 22.9% of the total HC was not covered by the NHI (19.5% was included in the list, but not covered by the NHI and 3.4% was not listed, but covered by the NHI). The average total HC per person was 4,360,000 won, and the HC covered and not covered by the NHI were 3,677,000 won and 1,007,000 won, respectively. The mean HC were as follows; 35,000,000 won for a BW <500 g, 18,000,000 won for a BW between 500 and 999 g, 16,000,000 won for a BW between 1,000 and 1,499 g, and 4,200,000 won for a BW between 1,500 and 1,999 g. Conclusion: Not only premature, but also ill neonates were under the care of the NICU. The HC increased as the BW decreased and the hospitalization period increased. The proportion of the patient's financial burden is >25% of the total He. For this matter, additional NHI is needed.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 2010

The seminiferous epithelium, with its division into 12 spermatogenic stages in the mouse, is a very complex tissue. Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) is a representative antioxidant enzyme that is capable of reducing organic hydroperoxides to their corresponding hydroxyl compounds utilizing glutathione and is related to the mammalian spermatogenesis. In this study, a real-time PCR was performed in the stage-specific seminiferous tubules of mouse testes excised by a laser capture microdissection (LCM) in order to quantitate the expression levels of a series of GPx genes including cytosolic GPx (cGPx), gastrointestinal GPx (GI-GPx), plasma GPx (pGPx), and phospholipid hydroperoxide GPx (PHGPx). Frozen sections (10 ${\mu}m$) were obtained from normal adult mouse testes. LCM was used to capture all the cells that were grouped into stages I-V, VII-VIII, and IX-XI in cross-sections of seminiferous tubules. The expression level of PHGPx mRNA was remarkably higher than those of other GPx mRNAs in mouse testes. During spermatogenesis, the expressions of GI-GPx, pGPx, and PHGPx mRNAs were highest on stages VII-VIII, began to decrease after stage XI, and showed a lowest level on stage I-V. However, the expressions of cGPx mRNA were highest on stages VII-VIII, and showed a lowest level on stage XI-XI. These findings indicate that GPx genes are expressed differentially on mouse spermatogenesis and also LCM can be an useful tool in cellular quantitative analysis of testes.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of mustard, which contains allyl isothiocyanate, on ruminal fermentation and methane emission in vitro. To this end, diluted ruminal fluid(30ml) was incubated anaerobically at $39^{\circ}C$ or 6, 12, and 24 h with or without seeds or powdered mustard. Either mustard seed or powdered mustard was weighed and serially (0, 3.33, 5.00, 6.67, and 8.33 g/L) mixed with ruminal fluid. Ammonia-N was increased (P < 0.05) by mustard treatment in a dose dependent manner. Regardless of concentration or form, mustard increased (P < 0.05) total VFA content but decreased (P < 0.01) pH compared to control group. Molar proportion of acetate (A) was decreased (P < 0.05) whereas propionate (P) was increased (P < 0.05) by mustard treatment, thereby A:P ratio was decreased (P < 0.05) compared to control group. Total gas production was increased (P < 0.01) in a linear manner by mustard treatment compared to control group. There was no effect of mustard powder, except 8.33 g/L level at 6 h, on methane emission. However, at 24 h, methane emission was reduced (P < 0.05) by 4.77% and 11.54% with 6.67 g/L and 8.33 g/L of mustard seeds supplementation, respectively. Altogether, these results suggest that mustard seeds containing allyl isothiocyanate may reduce methane production without disturbing ruminal fermentation.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2008

Purpose: For head and neck cancer patients treated with radiation therapy, proper immobilization of intra-oral structures is crucial in reproducing treatment positions and optimizing dose distribution. We produced a man-made tongue immobilization device for each patient subjected to this study. Reproducibility of treatment positions and dose distributions at air-and-tissue interface were compared using man-made tongue immobilization devices and conventional tongue-bites. Materials and Methods: Dental alginate and putty were used in producing man-made tongue immobilization devices. In order to evaluate reproducibility of treatment positions, all patients were CT-simulated, and linac-gram was repeated 5 times with each patient in the treatment position. An acrylic phantom was devised in order to evaluate safety of man-made tongue immobilization devices. Air, water, alginate and putty were placed in the phantom and dose distributions at air-and-tissue interface were calculated using Pinnacle (version 7.6c, Phillips, USA) and measured with EBT film. Two different field sizes (3$\times$3 cm and 5$\times$5 cm) were used for comparison. Results: Evaluation of linac grams showed reproducibility of a treatment position was 4 times more accurate with man-made tongue immobilization devices compared with conventional tongue bites. Patients felt more comfortable using customized tongue immobilization devices during radiation treatment. Air-and-tissue interface dose distributions calculated using Pinnacle were 7.78% and 0.56% for 3$\times$3 cm field and 5$\times$5 cm field respectively. Dose distributions measured with EBT (international specialty products, USA) film were 36.5% and 11.8% for 3$\times$3 cm field and 5$\times$5 cm field respectively. Values from EBT film were higher. Conclusion: Using man-made tongue immobilization devices made of dental alginate and putty in treatment of head and neck cancer patients showed higher reproducibility of treatment position compared with using conventional mouth pieces. Man-made immobilization devices can help optimizing air-and-tissue interface dose distributions and compensating limited accuracy of radiotherapy planning systems in calculating air-tissue interface dose distributions.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.113-125
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• 2007

To know the differences in ionic compositions in rain and snow as well as snow influence on the chemical characteristics of winter precipitation, precipitation samples were collected by the wet-only automatic precipitation sample, in winter(November-February) in the Iksan located in the northwest of Chonbuk from 1995 to 2000. The samples were analyzed for concentrations of water-soluble ion species, in addition to pH and electrical conductivity. The mean pH of winter precipitation was 4.72. According to the type of winter precipitation, the mean pH of rain was 4.67 and lower than 5.05 in snow. The frequencies of pH below 5.0 in rain were about 73%, while those in snow were about 30%. Snow contained 3 times higher concentrations of sea salt ion components originated from seawater than did rain in winter, mainly $Cl^-,\;Na^+$, and $Mg^{2+}$. Neglecting sea salt ion components, $nss-SO_4^{2-}$ and $NO_3^-$ were important anions and $NH_4^+$ and $nss-Ca^{2+}$ were important cations in both of rain and snow. Concentrations of $nss-SO_4^{2-}$ was 1.3 times higher in rain than in snow, while those of $nss-Ca^{2+}$ and $NO_3^-$ were 1.5 and 1.3 times higher in snow, respectively. The mean equivalent concentration ratio of $nss-SO_4^{2-}/NO_3^-$ in winter precipitation were 2.4, which implied that the relative contribution of sulfuric and nitric acids to the precipitation acidity was 71% and 29%, respectively. The ratio in rain was 2.7 and higher than 1.5 in snow. These results suggest that the difference of $NO_3^-$ in rain and snow could be due to the more effective scavenging of $HNO_3$ vapor than particulate sulfate or nitrate by snow. The lower ratio in snow than rain is consistent with the measurement results of foreign other investigators and with scavenging theory of atmospheric aerosols. Although substantial $nss-SO_4^{2-}$ and $NO_3^-$ were observed in both of rain and snow, the corresponding presence of $NH_4^+,\;nss-Ca^{2+},\;nss-K^+$ suggested the significant neutralization of rain and snow. Differences in chemical composition of non-sea salt ions and neutralizing rapacity of $NH_4^+,\;nss-Ca^{2+}$, and $nss-K^+$ between rain and snow could explain the acidity difference of rain and snow. Snow affected that winter precipitation could be less acidic due to its higher neutralizing rapacity.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.201-205
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• 2005

The aim of publishing the Korean Pharmaceutical Codex is to update and set specification of essential drugs for humane health. In accordance with speedy development of new drugs and improvement of science and technology, the need of revision of drug specification through the ICH guidelines and discussions between regulatory agency and pharmaceutical industry for the quality assurance of safer and efficient drugs is getting higher. The first edition of Korean Pharmaceutical Codex was published in 1983. Now, the third revision of the Codex is prepared because of the revision of domestic and foreign Pharmacopeias, changes of drug control environment, improvement of science and technology and so on. The aim of 3th edition is to improve the quality of essential drugs through the setting of the required specifications and discussions between the regulatory agency and pharmaceutical industry.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.203-210
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• 1997

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of steroids and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) on in vitro maturation and ovulation of oocyte in Pseudobagrus fulvidraco. Oocytes were incubated in the media Leibovitz L15 supplemented with the various concentration of $17\alpha,\;20\beta-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one(17\alpha20{\beta}OHP),\;17\alpha-hydroxyprogesterone(17{\alpha}OHP),\;progesterone(P_4),\;estradiol-17\beta(E_2)and\;HCG$. After 60 hours incubation, the maturation ability of oocyte was assessed by the appearance of germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD). GVBD was significantly enhanced by the addition of $17\alpha20{\beta}OHP,\;17{\alpha}OHP,\;P_4\;and\;HCD(P<0.05)$. The highest CVBD was observed when $17\alpha20{\beta}OHP$ and HCG were supplemented to media. When oocytes were cultured for 16 hours in media containing $10\~1,000\;ng/ml\;17\alpha20{\beta}OHP,\;17{\alpha}OHP\;and\;P_4$, the rate of GVBD in oocytes cultured in the medium supplemented with 100 ng/ml $17\alpha20{\beta}OHP(65\%)$ was significantly higher than that with $17{\alpha}OHP\;(40\%)\;and\;P_4(35\%)$. The efforts of $17\alpha20{\beta}OHP$ and HCG on GVBD were assessed by various concentration of these hormones. When oocytes were cultured for 60 hours in various media containing $1\~1,000\;ng/ml\;17{\alpha}20{\beta}OHP\;or\;5\~1,000\;IU/ml$ HCG, the GVBD of oocytes was significantly increased in the medium with $10\~100\;ng/ml\;17\alpha20{\beta}OHP$ and 500 IU/ml HCT. When oocytes were cultured in the various media supplemented with $1\~1,000\;ng/ml\;17\alpha20{\beta}OHP\;or\;5\~1,000\;IU/ml$ HCG for 60 hours, the media with $1\~100\;ng/ml\;17\alpha20{\beta}OHP\;or\;50\~1,000IU/ml$ HCG significantly increased in the rate of ovulation. However supplementation with $1,000\;ng/ml\;17\alpha20{\beta}OHP$or 5 IU/ml HCG did not improve the rate of ovulation compared to controls. This results indicate that supplementation of steroid and HCG except $E_2$ can improve the in vitro maturation and ovulation of oocyte in P. fulvidrac; HCG and $17\alpha20{\beta}OHP$ may be more effective than other steroids on oocyte maturation and ovulation in P. fulvidraco.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.142-147
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• 2008

Nuruk is the Korean traditional Koji that contains various microorganisms and has been used to make the traditional fermented foods including alcoholic beverages. Rhizopus oryzae KSD-815 was isolated from the alcohol-fermenting Nuruk used for manufacturing traditional alcohol. In this study, the authors reported the isolation and identification of four lipids from the Nuruk (Rhizopus oryzae KSD-815) that inoculated wheat with Rhizopus oryzae KSD-815. The dried and powdered Nuruk (Rhizopus oryzae KSD-815) were extracted three times at room temperature with 80% aqueous MeOH. The extracts were partitioned with EtOAc, n-BuOH, and water, successively. The EtOAc extract was suspended in 80% MeOH and partitioned repeatedly with n-hexane. From the n-hexane fraction, four lipids were isolated through the repeated silica gel and ODS column chromatographies. According to the results of physico-chemical data including NMR, GC and MS, the chemical structures of the compounds were determined as linolenic acid methyl ester (1), palmitic acid methyl ester (2), linoleic acid (3), palmitic acid (4). Cytotoxicity was evaluated in huamn breast cancer cells, MDA-MB-231 and human hepatocarcinoma, SK-HEP-1 cells using MTT assay. Exposure of compounds 1 and 3 led to a dose-dependent inhibition of cell viability in both cancer cell lines. In addition, treatment of RAW264.7 cells with compound 3 caused inhibition of lipopolysaccharide/interferon-${\gamma}$-induced nitric oxide production.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.363-369
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• 2003

Purpose : Pharmacologic provocation test of growth hormone(GH) is a non-physiologic method and has several limitations for diagnosing growth hormone(GH) deficiency. Spontaneous GH release studies could be important in understanding the pathophysiology of children with poor growth but normal responses to GH provocation tests. Also, the relationship between nocturnal GH secretions and sleep patterns in short stature children is poorly understood. The aim of this study is to determine whether there are differences in sleep patterns and nocturnal GH secretory profiles between idiopathic short stature children and a normal stature group. Methods : Spontaneous nocturnal GH secretions and sleep patterns were evaluated in 12 prepubertal idiopathic short stature children with normal responses to provocation tests and 9 normal stature controls. Blood samples were taken every 30 minutes from 22:00-06:30 and sleep patterns were analyzed by polysomnography. Results : The mean GH level during sleep was significantly lower in short stature children than in controls. The peak GH level after sleep, coincident with the first slow wave sleep, was lower in the short stature group. The slow wave sleep times of short stature children were decreased compared with those of normal subjects. Conclusion : These results suggest that overnight serial GH sampling is helpful to identify short stature children with subnormal GH secretions, and sleep structure differences may be associated with decreased overnight GH secretions in short stature children.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.935-940
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• 2014

To investigate effect of on sexual maturation in spotted seabass, Lateolabrax maculatus the sexual maturation, photoperiods were established to natural photoperiod, 9L:15D, 11L:13D, 13L:11D and 15L:9D. After rearing for 90 days from August 11 to November 10, gonadosomatic index (GSI) and hormones were analyzed. In the female, GSI was $1.07{\pm}0.09%$ in the natural photoperiod, $1.93{\pm}0.06%$ in 9L:15D, while the GSI of male was $0.75{\pm}0.05%$ in the natural photoperiod, $1.89{\pm}0.12%$ in 9L:15D and $0.22{\pm}0.05%$ in 15L:9D and the lowest in 15L:9D, respectively. The blood estradiol (E2) of female was $226.0{\pm}13.6pg/ml$ in the natural photoperiod, and the highest value of $296.3{\pm}15.0pg/ml$ in 9L:15D. The male $17{\alpha}20{\beta}OHP$ was similar to the female with $196.3{\pm}17.0pg/ml$ in the natural photo period and $133.0{\pm}15.5pg/ml$ in 9L:15D. The testosterone (T) of male was $259.3{\pm}33.1pg/ml$ in the natural photoperiod, but the hightest value of $370.5{\pm}27.5pg/ml$ in 9L:15D. These results provide basic information from sexual maturation of spotted seabass.