• Urogenital Tract Infection
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.58-65
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• 2018

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between uropathogens of infants with febrile urinary tract infection (UTI) and vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). Materials and Methods: We analyzed 308 infants hospitalized for febrile UTI between January 2010 and December 2015, and assessed the voiding cystourethrography (VCUG). The medical records, including clinical symptoms, laboratory findings, urinalysis, urine culture tests, ultrasound (US), dimercaptosuccinic acid scan, and VCUG, were retrospectively obtained. The incidences of VUR and high-grade VURs (III, IV, and V) were analyzed in 4 groups categorized by uropathogens and renal US findings. Results: The mean age of 308 infants was $3.29{\pm}2.18months$. The male-to-female ratio was 3.46:1. In urine culture tests, 267 infants (86.69%) showed single bacterial uropathogen; Escherichia coli in 241 infants (78.25%) and non-E. coli uropathogens in 26 infants (8.44%). Multiple distinctive microorganisms were identified as causative uropathogens in 41 infants (13.31%). Abnormal findings of US and VCUG were identified in 216 and 64 patients, respectively. In 308 infants, the incidences of VUR and high-grade VUR were not different among the 4 groups. In 239 male infants, the incidences of high-grade VUR were higher in patients with non-E. coli single or multiple uropathogen and with abnormal US findings (p=0.042). Conclusions: In male infants with non-E. coli uropathogen or multiple uropathogens and with abnormal US findings at febrile UTI, there was an increased chance of finding high-grade VURs on subsequent VCUG tests.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.320-329
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• 2021

Background: Smoking exposure may be objectively assessed through specific biomarkers. The most common biomarker for smoking is cotinine concentration in urine, and setting an optimal cut-off point can accurately classify smoking status. Such a cut-off point for Korean adolescents has never been studied. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine a cut-off point for urinary cotinine concentration for the discrimination of smoking in adolescents. Methods: Participants were adolescents aged 13~18 years who participated in the third cycle of the Korean National Environmental Health Survey. We used urine samples to confirm the level of cotinine concentrations. Smoking status was determined by self-reported questionnaire. We identified the optimal cotinine cut-off point for discriminating smoking status using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Results: Of the 904 participants, 28 (3.1%) were smokers, among whom 20 (71.4%) were male. The median urinary cotinine concentrations in smokers was 218 ㎍/L (male: 215 ㎍/L, female: 303 ㎍/L), and that in non-smokers was 1.31 ㎍/L (male: 1.46 ㎍/L, female: 1.18 ㎍/L). We found significant differences in urinary cotinine concentration according to smoking status and sex (p<0.001). Urinary cotinine concentrations performed well for identifying smoking adolescents [area under the curve: 0.954 (male: 0.963, female: 0.908)]. The cut-off that optimally distinguished smokers from non-smokers was 39.85 ㎍/L (sensitivity: 89.3%, specificity: 97.4%). Male [39.85 ㎍/L (sensitivity: 90.0%, specificity: 94.9%)] had a different optimal cut-off point than female [26.26 ㎍/L (sensitivity: 87.5%, specificity: 99.6%)]. Conclusions: This study determined a cut-off point for urinary cotinine of 39.85 ㎍/L (male: 39.85 ㎍/L, female: 26.26 ㎍/L) to distinguish smokers from non-smokers in adolescents.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.209-218
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• 2022

This study sought to measure the absorption of commercially available urinary incontinence panty by applying a method of measuring the maximum saline amount of adult diapers in an international standard. The subject was 15 products from 3 brands on the market, and the SPSS 27.0 program was used for analysis. As a result of measuring the maximum absorption of commercial incontinence panty, it was found that the maximum absorption of product B was the highest and the maximum absorption of product C was the lowest. Even though the product was marked with the same absorption amount, it showed differences in the same product of the same brand, and it also showed differences depending on the brand. The reflux amount of the injected physiological saline and the urinary incontinence panty showed a positive (+) correlation, and as the amount of the injected physiological saline increased, the reflux amount of the urinary incontinence panty increased. It was analyzed that the time when the leakage begins and the amount of leakage have a negative (-) correlation. In future research, it is believed that the development of functional pads that can increase absorption and reduce reflux and leakage should be carried out.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.378-384
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• 2009

There are differences of Cadmium (Cd) urinary concentration which is considered as indicator of renal tubular dysfunction in other countries, so we have reviewed domestic epidemiological data and suggested Korean health based guidance value (HBGV) for Cd to improve an efficiency of risk management. We decided to apply the WHO calculation model which considered the relationship between dietary intake and Cd concentration in urine sample. It is determined that Cd concentration 2.5 ug/g creatinine in urine as the prevalence of renal tubular dysfunction based on epidemiological data, because there is no renal tubular dysfunction and injury/lesion such as proteinuria at the concentration of 11.63 ug/g creatinine which is the highest Cd concentration in urine from the domestic epidemiological data. It is identified that the ratio between the Cd dietary consumption (8.3~10.4 ug/day) and Cd urinary concentration (0.38 ug/g creatinine) in Korean adult who predicting never been exposed to Cd are 21.8~27.3 and then it is applied to the corresponding model suggested by WHO. Also it is applied that 10% of bioavailability and 50% of excretion rate of absorbed to body (the ratio is 24) were assumed. The estimate of daily Cd consumption level which begins tubular dysfunction is 1 ug/kg bw/day, so we suggest the Korean provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) as 7 ug/kg bw/week.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.204-216
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• 2008

Purpose: Meta-analysis of this study was to analyze the character of adolescent smoking cessation programs, to calculate the effect size according to variables and to compare the weighted mean effect sizes on adolescent smoking cessation programs in Korea. Methods: Twenty two studies for meta-analysis were selected from dissertations, theses, articles and research papers that had been published from 1995 to 2003. The selected studies had a randomized or nonequivalent control group in a pretest-post test design and had reported statistical value to calculate the effect size. Results: The mean number of sessions was 6.5. The education time per each session varied from 40 to 150 min and the most applied theories were Bandura's social-cognitive theory and the cognitive-behavioral theory. Smoking-knowledge, smoking-attitudes and smoking-amount showed high effects on the first post test after mediating adolescent smoking cessation programs according to the criteria of Cohen. The effect size of urine-cotinine found no homogeneity on the first post test, but it was significantly effective on the second post test. Conclusion: Adolescent smoking cessation programs analyzed in this study were relatively effective in smoking abstinence.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.1315-1322
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• 2006

The following study describes the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) based screening and confirmation analysis of urinary androgenic steroids. Four commercially available solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridges, Serdolit PAD-1, Sep-pak $C_{18}$, amino-propyl, and Oasis HLB, and three different extractive organic solvents, diethyl ether, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), and n-pentane, were tested for sample preparation. Overall, Oasis HLB combined with MTBE extraction provided the highest recoveries in 39 of 46 total androgenic steroids examined and it showed a good extraction yield (>82.1%) for polar steroids, such as metabolites of fluoxymesterone, oxandrolone, and stanozolol, which gave a poor recovery in both n-pentane (9.2-64.3%) and diethyl ether (22.2-73.6%) extractions. All SPE sorbents tested showed potential, because they were efficient in extraction for most or selective steroids. When applied to positive urine samples based on the results obtained, the present method allowed selective and sensitive analysis for detection of urinary androgenic steroids. The experiments showed that the high-resolution MS method is clearly more efficient than the low-resolution MS technique for the detection of many urinary steroids. However, comprehensive sample clean-up procedures also might be needed especially in confirmation analysis to increase detectability.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.80-85
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• 2017

Methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) is an autosomal recessive metabolic disorder characterized by an abnormal accumulation of methylmalonyl-CoA and methylmalonate in body fluids without hyperhomocysteinemia. Cardiac disease is a rarely known lethal complication of MMA, herein, we report a Korean neonate diagnosed with MMA on the basis of biochemical and genetic findings, who developed cardiomyopathy, resulting in sudden death. The patient presented vomiting and lethargy at 3 days of age. Initially, the patient had an increased plasma propionylcarnitine/acetylcarnitine concentration ratio of 0.49 in a tandem mass spectrometry analysis and an elevated ammonia level of $537{\mu}mol/L$. Urine organic acid analysis showed increased excretion of methylmalonate. Subsequent sequence analysis of the methylmalonyl-CoA mutase (MUT) gene revealed compound heterozygous mutations c.323G>A (p.Arg108His) in exon 1 and c.1033_1034del (p. Leu345Serfs*15) in exon 4, the latter being a novel mutation. In summary, this is the first case of MMA and cardiomyopathy in Korea that was confirmed by genetic analysis to involve a novel MUT mutation.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.122-129
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• 2017

Methamphetamine addiction is a critical issue due to the lack of effective pharmacotherapy and high potential for relapse. Nevertheless, there are no distinct biomarkers for diagnosis or prognosis for methamphetamine addiction. In the present study, a rat model for methamphetamine self-administration was established and alteration of urinary metabolites by methamphetamine addiction was investigated by the targeted metabolite analysis using mass spectrometry. Rat urine samples were collected at three time points (before and after addiction and after extinction) from the methamphetamine-addicted group as well as the age-matched control group. The collected samples were prepared using AbsoluteIDQ p180 kit and analyzed using flow injection analysis (FIA) - or high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) - tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The levels of lysine, acetylornithine and methioninesulfoxide were distinctively altered depending on the status of metheamphetamine addiction or extinction. In particular, the level of acetylornithine was reversely changed from addiction to extinction, for which further studies could be useful for biomarker discovery or mechanistic studies for methamphetamine addiction.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.43-51
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• 2010

Objectives : We investigated the repeated-dose toxicity of Wenpitang-Hab-Wulingsan(WHW), a Korean traditional medicine prescribed with twelve herbs, which has been used for the treatment of renal disease. Methods : WHW extract prepared by GLP company. WHW was supplemented by gavage at 0, 100, 500 and 1000 mg/kg/day for 13-week consecutive days. We recorded the clinical signs of toxicity, body weight, organ weights, hematology, gross and histological changes in target organs rats and clinical chemistry analysis for all rats. Results : WHW extract at all doses was shown no mortality or abnormal clinical signs in rats during at the observation period. Furthermore, there was no difference in body weight and food-take consumption, organ weight, gross pathological findings, and urine analysis among the groups of rats treated with different doses of WHW extract. The hematological analysis and clinical blood chemistry data were revealed no toxic effects from WHW-treated rats. Conclusions : The results suggest that WHW extract in rats is a wide margin of safety on a acute toxicity.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.1-12
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• 2002

Objectives : Assuming That the Characteristic of Meridian System Has Been Similar to This of Electric Potentials in Human Body and That Measurements of Electric Potential at Well and Sea Points in Branches of the Twelve Meridians Will Be Representative of Measurements of the Twelve Meridians, to Measure the Electric Potentials in Healthy Volunteers(HG), Patients Diagnosed As a Cerebral Infarction(CG), a Arrhythmia(AG), a Other Intervertebral Disc Disorder(IG), and a Joint Disorder(JG), and Then to Find Out the Characteristic of Biophysical Meridian System, Finally to Compare with the Results of the Electric Potential in Those Groups. Methods : We Selected Who HG Were Diagnosed by a Blood Test, Urine Examination and Differentiation of Syndromes by Five Viscera among Volunteers, CG by CT and Wind-Syndrome Caused by Hyperactivity of the Liver-Yang, AG by EKG, CT, and Deficiency or the Heart Blood, IG by X-ray or CT and Pain in Waist, and JG by X-ray and Knee Pain. Their Electric Potential of Well and Sea Points in the Meridians Were Measured by hysiograph. Results and Conclusions : Measurements Were Analyzed by Factor Analysis, Analysis of Variance, and Logistic Regression Model, We Obtained That Most of the Results, In Conclusion, Hold Good for the Classical Meridian Doctrine.