• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.159-168
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• 2010

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the expression pattern of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in endometrium and the pathogenesis of endometriosis by investigating VEGF expression patterns and their difference between eutopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis and that of normal controls without endometriosis. Methods: Endometrial sections were obtained from 64 hysterectomy specimens from women under age of 40, who had undergone hysterectomies and had histological evidence of endometriosis, with stage 3 and 4 according to the revised American Society for Reproductive Medicine classification. As for controls, 37 sections were gained from women diagnosed as having cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) of the uterine cervix and without evidence of pelvic endometriosis or adenomyosis during their operation. The VEGF content was evaluated immunohistochemically in the eutopic endometrium from 64 patients with endometriosis and 37 normal controls. Histological semiquantitative score (H-score) was calculated and compared between study group and control group throughout the menstrual cycle. Results: There was no significant difference in the H-score of VEGF in the eutopic endometrium between patients with endometriosis and controls without endometriosis when compared according to the same phase of the cycle, although the H-score of the study group was significantly higher in the secretory phase than the proliferative phase. Conclusion: The VEGF expression in the eutopic endometrium of women with endometriosis was not different from that of women without endometriosis. This study suggests VEGF expression in eutopic endometrium is unlikely associated with the pathogenesis of endometriosis.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.359-369
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• 1997

We studied the expression of the cell surface antigen associated with myeloid and lymphoid leukemias on bone marrow or peripheral blood blast cells from 153 leukemic patients including 61 cases of acute myelogenous leukemias(AML), 46 of acute lymphocytic leukemias(ALL) and 12 of acute leukemias. They were analyzed by direct or indirect immunofluorescence method for reactivity with the monoclonal antibodies to B cells(CD10, CD19, SmIg), T cells(CD2, CD5, CD7, CD3, CD4, CD8), myeloid antigen(CD13, CD14, CD33, CD61) and a nonspecific antigen, HLA-DR. Lymphoid associated markers detected on AML is CD7 32.8%, CD10 14.8%, CD5 13.1%, CD2 6.6% and CD19 1.6%. TdT was positive in 4.9% of AMLs. Hybrid leukemias were 8 cases out 61 AML cases and were mainly composed of monocytic lineage, M4 and M5a. Myeloid markers detected in ALL were CD13 2.2% and CD33 2.2%. In this study, immunologically classified ALLs were composed of 65.2% of CALLA (+) B precursor type, 10.9% of CALLA (-) B precursor pattern, 8.7% of T cell type, 2.2% of B cell type, 4.5% of mixed lymphoid lineage(B&T), 2.2% of undifferentiated leukemia, and 6.5% of hybrid leukemia. Twelve cases of acute leukemias ware finally diagnosed to be 5 cases of hybrid leukemia, 3 cases of B lineage, 3 case of T lineage and 1 case of mixed lymphoid(B&T) leukemia. In summary, we think the best method for typing acute leukemias is by using a combination of FAB classification and immunophenotying.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.3-10
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• 2013

Objectives : Many patients diagnosed with cancer suffer from various psychiatric symptoms such as depression, anxiety and insomnia as well as cancer itself. Patients with cancer are more vulnerable to possible adverse events of psychotropic medications. Although antidepressants are widely used among cancer patients, there is little information about tolerability of antidepressants. This study was conducted to compare tolerability of antidepressants in cancer patients referred for psychiatric consultation. Methods : The participants were cancer patients who had been referred to psychiatrist for their psychiatric symptoms. We retrospectively analyzed the data of patients diagnosed with cancer from 9 general hospitals in Korea. The discontinuation rate for a 6 months period after treatment initiation for three antidepressants(Escitalopram, Mirtazapine, Paroxetine) were compared. Results : Antidepressants were prescribed for 96.3% of subjects and Escitalopram 150(47.2%), Mirtazapine 92(28.9%) and Paroxetine 76(23.9%) were prescribed frequently in order There were no significant differences in discontinuation rates among the three antidepressants during the 6 month period after initiation of pharmacotherapy. But there was a difference in discontinuation rates between inpatients versus outpatients(p<0.0001). Conclusions : In a naturalistic setting for the antidepressant treatment for cancer patients, it seems that there are no differences in discontinuation rates among these three antidepressants. It is therefore essential that such interactions are carefully considered when treating patients of antidepressants who already have cancer.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.1-12
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• 2007

Object of this research is to estimate the effect of myopia correction and safety on reverse geometry contact lens fitting in school children. This research include 53(106eyes) schoolchildren among 7 to 18 years who has low to moderate myopia(-1.00D~-5.00D) and prescribed reverse geometry contact lens for purpose on orthokeratology between January to July 2004 and had 3months full follow up examination. They were tested for slit lamp examinations, BUT(Break up time), direct ophthalmoscopy, retinoscopy, uncorrected visual acuity, best corrected visual acuity, autorefraction, autokeratometry and corneal topography in each examination(1day, 1week, 2weeks, 1, 2, and 3months) of before-and-after lens wearing to find out the effect of myopic correction and side effect. The results came out as follow. The average of uncorrected visual acuity was $0.0938{\pm}0.378$ before lens wear and $0.3136{\pm}0.283$ after 1day lens wear, and there was fast improvement after 1week($0.7925{\pm}0.301$) and little improvement after 2weeks period but still they shows better uncorrected visual acuity(p<0.01). The result of this study, the reverse geometry lens is very useful to correct refractive error and control the progression of myopia temporally among low to moderate myopic patient. The side effects were relatively rare but further study should be necessary with long term lens wear effect on eye health. For the lens prescription, the clinical fitting process had higher rate of success with consideration of eccentricity and corneal topography.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.76-81
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• 2006

Purpose : This study evaluated the clinical characteristics of brain tumors in children according to their location, the parental delay and the doctor's delay between the onset of symptoms and the diagnosis of a pediatric brain tumor. In addition, this study compared the relationship between the pre-diagnostic symptomatic interval and the tumor location. Methods : A retrospective study was undertaken of 45 children with primary brain tumors admitted to Inha Hospital from July, 1986 to June, 2004. A diagnosis of the tumor location was made using brain MRI. Results : The male to female ratio was 1 : 0.67. The median age at diagnosis was 6.0 years in supratentorial tumors, 7.0 years in infratentorial tumors. Twenty four cases(53.3 percent) were located in the supratentorial area, 21 cases(46.6 percent) were located in the infratentorial area. The distribution of supratentorial tumors were 14(58.3 percent) in the cerebral hemisphere and temporal lobe, seven (29.1 percent) in the suprasellar area, and three(12.5 percent) in the pineal gland and posterial lateral ventricle. The distributions of the infratentorial tumors were 12(57.1 percent) in the cerebellar vermis and fourth ventricle, four(19.1 percent) in the brain stem, and five(23.8 percent) in the cerebellar hemisphere. The most common initial symptom was seizure(37.5 percent) in the supratentorial tumor and headache(38.0 percent) in infratentorial tumors. The median pre-diagnostic symptomatic interval (PSI) was 21 days(range 0-240 days). The median PSI with a parental delay in supratentorial tumor was six days(range 1-240 days), and 30 days(range 1-40 days) in the infratentorial tumor. We immediately diagnosed most cases after visiting the hospital. There was no significant relationship between the tumor location and the pre-diagnostic symptomatic interval. Conclusion : The most common symptom of supratentorial tumors and infratentorial tumors was seizure and headache, respectively. Although, the median pre-diagnostic symptomatic interval was shorter than in previous studies, a detailed medical history and a correctly interpreted neurological examination should lead to an earlier diagnosis of pediatric brain tumors.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.407-415
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• 2013

In this study, we investigated the antioxidant activities on HaCaT and the whitening effects on B16F1 melanoma cells of Dendropanax morbifera leaf extract. In an antioxidative activity assay using HaCaT cells, the ethyl acetate ($50{\mu}g/ml$) and aglycone fractions ($25{\mu}g/ml$) of the D. morbifera leaf extract didn't exhibit any characteristics of cytotoxicity. When HaCaT cells were exposed to a single large dose ($800mJ/cm^2$) of UVB, the extracts protected the cells against UVB radiation. When HaCaT cells were treated with 10 mM $H_2O_2$ and $4{\mu}M$ rose bengal, the ethyl acetate ($6.25{\sim}50{\mu}g/ml$) and aglycone ($6.25{\sim}25{\mu}g/ml$) fractions protected the cells against oxidative damage in a concentration dependent manner. When the whitening effects of D. morbifera leaf extract were tested in melanoma B16/F1 cells treated with the a-melanocyte stimulating hormone (${\alpha}$-MSH), the extracts inhibited ${\alpha}$-MSH-stimulated intra/extracellular melanogenesis in a concentration dependent manner. The inhibitory effects of the ethyl acetate and aglycone fractions of D. morbifera leaf extract were 21% and 44% at $25{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. Both are more effective than arbutin (15% at $25{\mu}g/ml$) which is known as a whitening agent. These results indicate that fractions of the D. morbifera leaf can function as cell protectants and natural antioxidants in biological systems, particularly skins exposed to UV radiation by quenching and/or scavenging $^1O_2$ and other ROS, and protecting cells against ROS. In addition, fractions of the D. morbifera leaf can be applied to new whitening cosmetics because of their inhibitory effects on ${\alpha}$-MSH stimulated melanogenesis in B16F1 melanoma cells.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.34 no.12
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• pp.810-820
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• 2012

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) contents in marine sediment and edible fish (4 species) from the estuary near the Yongho wharf in Busan were determined to assess their presence and their potential health risk to the local population through fish consumption was also assessed. Levels of ${\Sigma}PCBs$ and ${\Sigma}DDTs$ in marine sediment were 3.22~197.65 and 1.77~20.27 ng/g dw, respectively. HCHs and endosulfan sulfate concentrations in bottom sediment were 1.42~6.08, 0.56~13.89 ng/g dw, respectively. The bottom sediment in the offshore of the Yongho wharf may be characterized as semi-polluted status with potential adverse marine biological effects in terms of sediment quality guidelines of US NOAA. The mean concentrations of ${\Sigma}PCBs$ in the tissues of olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus), Korean rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii), file fish (Stephanolepis cirrhifer) and abbysal searobin (Lepidotrigla abyssalis) were 67.37, 10.20, 48.26, 22.81 ng/g lw, respectively. DDTs and HCHs were also detected in all fish samples. Lifetime cancer risk and target hazard quotient to local residents due to those fish consumption were found to pose negligible cancer and non-cancer risk.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.656-664
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• 2010

We investigated the levels and distribution patterns of 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 12 Coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (Co-PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the surface sediments from the Nakdong river basin, Korea. The levels of 16 PAHs and 12 Co-PCBs in the river sediment samples ranged from not detected (N.D.)~969.3 ng/g-dry, 4.2~7716.5 pg/g-dry (0.0~10.1 pg-TEQ/g-dry), respectively. Also, the levels of 16 PAHs were from 5.8~2987.2 ng/g-dry and 4.3~461.1 pg/g-dry (0.0~0.6 pg-TEQ/g-dry) for 12 Co-PCBs in the lake sediment samples. Only dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) were detected among target OCPs and the concentration ranged from N.D.~1.5 ng/g-dry in the river sediment samples. These contamination levels were far below the guideline values suggested for environmental quality assessment. Low molecular weight PAHs were dominant in the river sediment samples, while middle and high molecular weight PAHs were dominant among 16 PAHs in the lake sediment samples. PCB-118 and PCB-105 were predominant congeners in the sediment, which were similar to the results obtained from previous studies. With these results, the assessment of potential sources of PAHs and Co-PCBs contamination in the sediments of the Nakdong river basin was performed. The pyrogenic-PAHs originated from combustion of fossil fuel and biomass were related with the PAHs contribution in most of the sediment samples, and Co-PCBs in the sediment samples were related with commercial PCB products.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.321-330
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• 1994

The protective effect of 'ischemic preconditioning (PC)' on ischemia-reperfusion injury of heart has been reported in various animal species, but without known mechanisms in detail. In an attempt to investigate the cardioprotective mechanism of PC, we examined the effects of PC on the myocardial oxidative injuries and the oxygen free radical production in the ischemia-reperfusion model of isolated Langendorff preparations of rat hearts. PC was performed with three episodes of 5 min ischemia and 5 min reperfusion before the induction of prolonged ischemia (30 min)-reperfusion(20 min). PC prevented the depression of cardiac function (left ventricular pressure x heart rate) observed in the ischemic-reperfused heart, and reduced the release of lactate dehydrogenase during the reperfusion period. On electron microscopic pictures, myocardial ultrastructures were relatively well preserved in PC hearts as compared with non-PC ischemic-reperfused hearts. In PC hearts, lipid peroxidation of myocardial tissue as estimated from malondialdehyde production was markedly reduced. PC did not affect the activity of xanthine oxidase which is a major source of oxygen radicals in the ischemic rat hearts, but the myocardial content of hypoxanthine (a substrate for xanthine oxidase) was much lower in PC hearts. It is suggested from these results that PC brings about significant myocardial protection in ischemic-reperfused heart and this effect may be related to the suppression of oxygen free radical reactions.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.394-403
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• 2016

$H_2$ production by chemical looping is an efficient method to convert hydrocarbon fuel into hydrogen with the simultaneous capture of concentrated $CO_2$. This process involves the use of an iron based oxygen carrier that transfers pure oxygen from oxidizing gases to fuels by alternating reduction and oxidation (redox) reactions. The enhanced reactivities of copper oxide doped iron-based oxygen carrier were reported, however, the fundamental understandings on the interaction between $Fe_2O_3$ and CuO are still lacking. In this study, we studied the effect of dopant of CuO to $Fe_2O_3/ZrO_2$ particle on the morphological changes and the associated reactivity using various methods such as SEM/EDX, XRD, BET, TPR, XPS, and TGA. It was found that copper oxide acted as a chemical promoter that change chemical environment in the iron based oxygen carrier as well as a structural promoter which inhibit the agglomeration. The enhanced reduction reactivity was mainly ascribed to the increase in concentration of $Fe^{2+}$ on the surface, resulting in formation of charge imbalance and oxygen vacancies. The CuO doped $Fe_2O_3/ZrO_2$ particle also showed the improved reactivity in the steam oxidation compared to $Fe_2O_3/ZrO_2$ particle probably due to acting as a structural promoter inhibiting the agglomeration of iron species.