• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.38 no.10
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• pp.836-846
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• 2005

This study was performed to determine the effect of carotenoid-rich food consumption and smoking on the lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status in human. The subjects consisted of the health 210 middle-aged adults who visited health care center in the Inha University hospital. The blood and urine samples of the subjects were taken to analyze serum lipid profiles, plasma TBARS, total antioxidant status (TAS) and urinary 8-isoprostanes concentration. The anthropometric indices of the subjects were measured. The nutritional intake and the frequency of carotenoid-rich food consumption was determined by semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire survey. HDL-cholesterol level of the smoking subjects was significantly lower than that of the non-smoking subjects in men. In the analysis of the carotenoid-rich food consumption, the frequency of pepper and tomato consumption of the non-smoking subjects was significantly higher than that of the smoking subjects in men. In women, the Sequency of pear and peach consumption of the non-smoking subjects was significantly higher than that of the smoking subjects. HDL-cholesterol level of the high carotenoid rich food consumption group was significantly higher than that of medium and low group in women. TAS of the high carotenoid rich food consumption group was significantly higher than that of medium and low group. In conclusion, carotenoid intakes seemed to be effective to reduce lipid peroxidation and increase antioxidant status in the body. The frequency of the carotenoid-rich food consumption seemed to be lower in the smokers than in the non-smokers. However, further researches consisted of large-scaled and randomized clinical trials are required to determine whether carotenoids have any other beneficial effect in human. (Korean J Nutrition 38(10): 836$\sim$846,2005)

• Journal of Korean Medical Science
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• v.33 no.51
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• pp.324.1-324.6
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• 2018

Oxysterol $7{\alpha}$-hydroxylase deficiency is a very rare liver disease categorized as inborn errors of bile acid synthesis, caused by CYP7B1 mutations. As it may cause rapid progression to end-stage liver disease even in early infancy, a high index of suspicion is required to prevent fatal outcomes. We describe the case of a 3-month-old boy with progressive cholestatic hepatitis and severe hepatic fibrosis. After excluding other etiologies for his early liver failure, we found that he had profuse urinary excretion of $3{\beta}$-monohydroxy-${\Delta}^5$-bile acid derivatives by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis with dried urine spots on filter paper. He was confirmed to have a compound heterozygous mutation (p.Arg388Ter and p.Tyr469IlefsX5) of the CYP7B1 gene. After undergoing liver transplantation (LT) from his mother at 4 months of age, his deteriorated liver function completely normalized, and he had normal growth and development until the current follow-up at 33 months of age. We report the first Korean case of oxysterol $7{\alpha}$-hydroxylase deficiency in the youngest infant reported to undergo successful living donor LT to date.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.122-124
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• 2010

$Basagran^{(R)}$ is a herbicide that is widely used in the field and it acts by interfering with photosynthesis in plants. It consists of bentazone, 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) and surfactants. Bentazone is commonly used, but poisoning due to Bentazone has not been previously reported in Korea. The patients with toxic effects of bentazone show mild to severe symptoms and various complications. We report here on a case of a woman who intentionally ingested 500 ml of $Basagran^{(R)}$ and she was discharged without complication. As soon as the patient visited the emergency department, we started to treat her as if she had organophosphate intoxication because of the cholinergic symptoms. We could not detect the bentazone in her serum and urine, and we could confirm $Basagran^{(R)}$ ingestion only after getting information from her husband. Bentazone poisoning may induce harmful complications like muscle rigidity, rhabdomyolysis, respiratory failure and cardiac arrest. A detailed history taking, an accurate analysis method and early conservative management will be helpful for patients with acute bentazone poisoning.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.26-37
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• 2021

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Hyperuricemic nephropathy is a common cause of acute kidney injury. Resveratrol can ameliorate kidney injury, but the explicit mechanism remains unclear. We investigated the effects of resveratrol on the inflammatory response and renal injury in hyperuricemic rats. MATERIALS/METHODS: A rat model of hyperuricemic nephropathy was established by the oral administration of a mixture of adenine and potassium oxinate. Biochemical analysis and hematoxylin and eosin staining were performed to assess the rat kidney function. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were performed to evaluate the immune and oxidative responses. RESULTS: The expression levels of urine albumin and β2-microglobulin were significantly decreased after resveratrol treatment. In addition, the levels of serum creatinine and uric acid were significantly decreased in the resveratrol groups, compared with the control group. The levels of proinflammatory factors, such as interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α, in kidney tissue and serum were also increased in the hyperuricemic rats, and resveratrol treatment inhibited their expression. Moreover, the total antioxidant capacity in kidney tissue as well as the superoxide dismutase and xanthine oxidase levels in serum were all decreased by resveratrol treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Resveratrol may protect against hyperuricemic nephropathy through regulating the inflammatory response.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.228-234
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• 2020

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States. SPIONs are used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as contrast agents and targeted delivery in nanomedicine using external magnet sources. SPIONs act as an artificial peroxidase (i.e., nanozyme), and these reactions were highly stable in various pH conditions and temperatures. In this study, we report a nanozyme ability of the clustered SPIONs (CSPIONs) synthesized by the oil-in-water (O/W) method and coated with biocompatible poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA). We hypothesize that the CSPIONs can have high sensitivity toward H2O2 derived from the reaction between a fixed amount of glucose and glucose oxidase (GOX). As a result, CSPIONs oxidized a 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) commonly used as a substrate for hydrogen peroxidase in the presence of H2O2, leading to a change in the color of the substrate. We also utilized a colorimetric assay at 417 nm using various glucose concentrations from 5 mM to 1.25 μM to validate β-D-glucose detection. This study demonstrated that the absorbance value increases along with increasing the glucose level. The results were highly repeated at concentrations below 5 mM (all standard deviations < 0.03). Moreover, the sensitivity and limit of detection were 1.50 and 5.44 μM, respectively, in which CSPIONs are more responsive to glucose than SPIONs. In conclusion, this study suggests that CSPIONs have the potential to be used for glucose detection in diabetic patients using a physiological fluid such as ocular, saliva, and urine.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.70-78
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• 2022

Purpose: Cholestasis resulting from cytomegalovirus (CMV)-induced hepatitis manifests in 40% of patients with a CMV infection. Ganciclovir treatment in children with CMV infections has proven to be highly effective. Until now, there are very few studies have identified predictive factors for liver biochemistry improvement after ganciclovir therapy. This study aimed to identify the predictors of liver biochemistry improvement in patients with CMV cholestasis after ganciclovir treatment. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using medical records from Dr. Sardjito General Hospital Yogyakarta, Indonesia from 2013 to 2018. CMV cholestasis was confirmed based on serum CMV IgG and IgM positivity and/or blood and urine CMV antigenemia positivity. Incomplete medical records and other etiologies for cholestasis, such as biliary atresia, choledochal cyst, metabolic diseases, and Alagille syndrome, were excluded. Patient age at cholestasis diagnosis and ganciclovir treatment, duration of CMV cholestasis, history of prematurity, central nervous system involvement, and nutritional status were analyzed and presented as an odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Results: CMV cholestasis with ganciclovir therapy was found in 41 of 54 patients. Multivariate analysis showed that a shorter duration of CMV cholestasis (OR: 4.6, 95% CI: 1.00-21.07, p=0.04) was statistically significant for liver biochemistry improvement after 1 month of ganciclovir treatment. The remaining factors that were analyzed were not significant predictors of liver biochemistry improvement in patients with CMV cholestasis after ganciclovir treatment. Conclusion: A shorter duration of CMV cholestasis is the predictor of liver biochemistry improvement after 1 month gancyclovir treatment.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.147-156
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• 2022

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common infections in different age groups, including children. Bacteria are the main etiological agents of UTIs. The aim of the present study was to isolate, identify, and determine the antibiotic susceptibility of bacteria isolated from children with UTIs from Baghdad, Iraq. Three hundred and two urine samples were collected from children aged 6 months to 12 years. The samples were cultured on blood agar and MacConkey agar. The selected colonies were subjected to biochemical tests and antibiotic susceptibility analysis using the Vitek^® 2 Compact automated microbial identification system. In this sample, 299 bacteria were identified, of which, 267 were gram-negative bacteria, and 32 were gram-positive bacteria. Escherichia coli (56%) was the most commonly isolated gram-negative bacteria, followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (14%), Enterobacter spp. (10.48%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (9.36%), Proteus spp. (7.8%), Acinetobacter baumannii (1.5%), and Morganella morganii (0.37%). Enterococcus faecalis (62.5%) was the most commonly detected gram-positive bacteria, followed by Staphylococcus aureus (37.5%). E. coli and P. aeruginosa were the most antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Among the tested antibiotics, meropenem showed 100% sensitivity, followed by imipenem (97.4%), amikacin (91.8%), and tobramycin (83.5%). In contrast, the high frequencies of resistance were observed with cefixime (93.2%), cefotaxime (78.7%), and ceftriaxone/cefotaxime (71.2%). In conclusion, carbapenems and aminoglycosides are highly recommended for the empirical treatment of UTIs, while, Quinolones, penicillins, and cephalosporins are not suggested. Frequent antibiotics susceptibility testing are warranted to determine the resistance pattern of UTI bacteria.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.51-56
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• 2022

Global efforts to identify groups at high risk for schistosomiasis have mainly concentrated on identifying their geographical distribution. Investigations on the socioeconomic characteristics of high-risk groups are relatively scarce. This study aimed to explore the associations between schistosomiasis among students and their parents' occupations. A nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted targeting 105,167 students in 1,772 primary schools across Sudan in 2017. From these students, 100,726 urine and 96,634 stool samples were collected to test for Schistosoma haematobium and S. mansoni infection. A multi-level mixed effect analysis was used with age and sex as fixed factors, and school as a random factor. The odd ratios (ORs) of practicing open defecation among farmers' children were almost 5 times higher than their counterparts whose parents were government officials (OR=4.97, 95% confidence intervals (CIs): 4.57-5.42, P<0.001). The ORs of contacting water bodies for watering livestock among farmers' children were more than 4 times higher than those of children whose parents were government officials (OR=4.59, 95% CIs: 4.02-5.24, P<0.001). This study shows that schistosomiasis represents a disease of poverty and that farmers' children constituted a high-risk group.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.415-422
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• 1995

Twenty-four flavones were synthesized with various hydroxyl and/or methoxyl groups on A and B rings. Their antimutagenic properties were evaluated against ben:w(a)pyrene (BaP) and a pool of mutagenic urine concentrate (U) using a modified liquid incubation method of Ames test. The tester strain was Salmonella typhimurium TA98+S9 Mix. The antimutagenic activities were calculated by non linear regression analysis and the doses of flavones (in nmoles) required for a 50% reduction of induced revertants with BaP and U were defined as the inhibition doses (TEX>$ID_{508}{\;}and{\;}ID_{508}$ respectively). Seventeen flavones possessed significant antimutagenic activity against BaP. $ID_{508}$ ranged from 15.1 nmoles (F22) to 1000.6 nmoles (F13). Eighteen f1avones showed significant antimutagenic activity against U. $ID_{50U}$ ranged from 23.5 nmoles (F22) to 354.6 nmoles (F3). The 2',3',4'-trihydroxyflavone (F22, $ID_{508}=15.1$ nmoles, $ID_{50U}=23.5$ nmoles) and the 2',3',4',7-tetrahydroxyflavone (F20, $ID_{508}=37.8$ nmoles; $ID_{50U}=62.3$ nmoles) had antimutagenic activities similar to those of chlorophyllin ($ID_{508}=19.6$ nmoles and $ID_{50U}=44.2$ nmoles) and were evaluated against B(alP 7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide. Against this last mutagen, the flavones which included three OH in B ring showed the highest activity and this property seemed independent of the substituent groups on A ring.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.381-394
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to develop an intentional rounding protocol to enhance the clinical competence of nursing students. Methods: An intentional rounding protocol for nursing students' clinical practice was developed following the ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation) model. A convenient sampling method was used to select 23 junior year university nursing students during their clinical practice in adult nursing. The program evaluation included a quantitative assessment (communication and relationship efficacy, empathy, and patient safety competency) and focus group interviews. Results: The intentional rounding protocol focused on the 4Ps (pain, position, potty, and possessions) and encompassed aspects such as level of consciousness, pain management, personal care needs, intravenous injection, oxygen administration, nasogastric/nasoenteric tube care, maintenance of urine collection bags, and the identification of environmental fall risks. Nursing students performed intentional rounding at least twice a day. Following the implementation of this protocol, nursing students demonstrated a significant improvement in communication and interpersonal efficacy. The focus group interviews revealed four main themes: growth of human relationships, acquiring knowledge in and about the clinical field, becoming a nurse, and barriers in reality. Conclusion: The intentional rounding protocol has the potential to enhance nursing students' communication and interpersonal skills during clinical practice and to provide them with positive experiences in nursing clinical education. Therefore, it is recommended that this protocol be incorporated into nursing clinical practice education.