• Korean Business Review
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.35-59
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• 2009

The drive for sustainable economic growth for the sub Saharan African region continues to occupy a central place in the debate of how to move the region forward. For decades, governments, policy makers, Non Governmental Organizations and world bodies including the World Bank, IMF, ADB, USIAD and the European Union have engaged policies aimed at bringing solutions to the horrendous poverty crisis to nations of this region. Despite these noble actions and intents, poverty and underdevelopment has prevailed in countries of the region such as Cameroon. Cameroon is mainly an agricultural economy with its products facing declining prices and competition from synthetic substitutes resulting to deficits of balance of trades. This has resulted to borrowing and debt. At the same time, it is a country blessed with an abundance of tourist resources. From the literature review, tourism potency to economic growth is overwhelming. This research was motivated by the quest to find answers to questions such as; why development policies during the last two decades not succeeded in achieving Economic growth in countries of this region particularly Cameroon and why the country/ region still beleaguered by poverty and debt despite haven implemented various economic development plans. In recent years, the role of tourism has become increasingly recognized in its role of economic growth and poverty alleviation. This study attempts to unveil tourism's contribution to economic growth and to push for Tourism development as an al ternative economic growth alternative to Cameroon. Previous economic policies have ignored to tie economic growth within the country's socio-economic, geo-political and environmental circumstances. Findings from this work suggest that any sound economic policy can not afford to ignore the country's stock of both human and fiscal capital. Findings presented herewith validate Tourism as a feasible indigenous economic growth alternative that helps bringing employment, capital investment and protect the environmental ruin.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.175-180
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• 1999

Background: Since 1992, we developed the technique for video endoscopic sympathectomy to treat palmar hyperhidrosis. It was soon proven to be a simple and effective therapy for essential hyperhidrosis. Compensatory hyperhidrosis, however, is the main cause of patient dissatisfaction after video-assisted thoracoscopic sympathectomy. According to many authors, initial satisfaction rate was high(94-98%), but it was declined with time (66%) due to mainly to embarrassing side effects. Material and Method: From January 1992 to February 1998, the thoracoscopic T2 sympathicotomy, T2 sympathectomy and T2-4 sympathectomy were performed in 315 patients suffering from Essential hyperhidrosis in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery in the Respiratory Center of Yongdong Severance Hospital Seoul, Korea. Eighty-nine patients underwent T2 sympathicotomy, and Eighty-eight patients underwent division T2 sympathectomy. Result: All of the treated patients obtained satisfactory alleviation of essential hyperhidrosis. The global rate of compensatory sweating were ; 64.0% in T2 sympathicotomy, 73.8% in T2 sympathectomy and 87.8% in T2-4 sympathectomy. The rate of embarrassing or disabling compensatory sweating was significantly higher in T2 sympathicotomy 15.7%(14/89) and in T2 sympathectomy 32.8%(28/88) than in T2-4 sympathectomy 58.0%(80/138) with significancy in statistic analysis(p<0.05). Video- assisted thoracoscopic sympathectomy is an effective minimally invasive and effective procedure. Conclusion: We suggest that the incidence and degree of compensatory hyperhidrosis was closely related to the extent of thoracic sympathectomy.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.298-305
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• 2018

Rhomboid family member 2 gene (Rhbdf2) is an inactive homologue lacking essential catalytic residues of rhomboid intramembrane serine proteases. The protein is necessary for maturation of tumor necrosis factor-alpha ($TNF-{\alpha}$) converting enzyme, which is the molecule responsible for the release of $TNF-{\alpha}$. In this study, Rhbdf2 knockout (KO) mice were produced by CRISPR/CAS9. To see the effects of the failure of $TNF-{\alpha}$ release induced by Rhbdf2 gene KO, collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), which is the representative $TNF-{\alpha}$ related disease, was induced in the Rhbdf2 mutant mouse using chicken collagen type II. The severity of the CIA was measured by traditional clinical scores and histopathological analysis of hind limb joints. A rota-rod test and grip strength test were employed to evaluate the severity of CIA based on losses of physical functions. The results indicated that Rhbdf2 mutant mice showed clear alleviation of the clinical severity of CIA as demonstrated by the significantly lower severity indexes. Moreover, a grip strength test was shown to be useful for the evaluation of physical functional losses by CIA. Overall, the results showed that the Rhbdf2 gene has a significant effect on the induction of CIA, which is related to $TNF-{\alpha}$.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.34-41
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the reason to select complementary and alternative therapy for terminally ill cancer patients. Methods: The data were collected from 21 terminal cancer patients and families through the in-depth interview. Data analysis were performed by the Colaizzi's phenomenological method (1976). Results: The reason to select complementary and alternative therapy for terminal cancer patients and families was then categorized with 4 elements; Awareness of limitations in contemporary medical treatments, Belief in effectiveness of the CAM, Satisfaction with emotional needs of family members, and Disbelief due to negative attitudes of physicians. The result indicated the following 9 themes expectation for a complete cure, uncertainty in hospital treatments, complementary method for management of side effect of chemotherapy, alleviation of symptoms and life-sustaining, fear for side effects of cancer treatments, belief in earned information, referrals by other, responsibility of family, and dissatisfaction with negatine attitudes of physicians. Conclusion: Physicians should provide a sufficient explanation and try to effectively communicate with clients about hospice and palliative service and the CAM. We strongly realized that concerns about patients' best care and satisfactions with family's needs should be understood.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.137-143
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• 2005

Oriental melons hold at $38^{\circ}C$ for 48 hours before storage increased their soluble solid, titratable acidity, vitamin C contents and ${\alpha}$-tocopherol activity. These heat treated oriental melons maintained lower production of carbon dioxide, ethylene and acetaldehyde and loss of fresh weight than untreated them, called control, during $3^{\circ}C$ MA storage. After 39 days in storage, the last day of storage, visual quality and internal quality, such as firmness, soluble solid, titratable acidity, vitamin C and ${\alpha}$-tocopherol activity, showed higher in heat treated oriental melons. Especially, Ion leakage of flesh, index of chilling injury, increased remarkably in control, so that heat treatment had to alleviate chilling injury in oriental melon. Moreover, while Alternaria rot was shown in control plot after 25 days in $3^{\circ}C$ MA storage, oriental melons treated heat were not appeared any decomposition after 39 days in $3^{\circ}C$ MA storage. As storage life of oriental melon was calculated by regression equation between visual quality and days in storage, that was longer 8 days in heat treated than control. Consequently, heat treatment that was mild, $38^{\circ}C$ and long period, 48 hours, executed before storage, sterilized surface alleviated chilling injury and lengthened storage life in oriental melons.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.47-67
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• 2004

Objectives : In the present study, the effect of Scolopendrid Water-Alcohol Extract (SWAE) applied to acupuncture point BL23 (Shinsu) on the neuropathic pain was examined. A common source of persistent pain in humans is the neuropathic pain. Anti-convulsant drugs are used to treat the neuropathic pain. In the oriental medicine, Scolopendrid was used for long time to treat convulsant syndrome and back pain, etc. Methods : On the bases of the Scolopendrid clinical application, the effect of SWAE applied to the acupuncture point was tested in the rat model of neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain was induced by tight ligation of L5 spinal nerve. When rats developed pain behaviors, One hundred microliter of SWAE was applied into the ipsilateral BL23 point at a dose of 10 mg/ml under enflurane anesthesia. The foot withdraw latency of the hind limb was measured for an indicator of pain level after each manipulation. Results : SWAE injection increased the mechanical threshold of the foot in the rat model of neuropathic pain significantly for the duration of 4h, suggesting a partial alleviation of pain. SWAE applied to BL23 point produced a significant improvement of mechanical sensitivity of the foot lasting for at least 4h. However, neither contralateral BL23 point, ST25 (Chonchu) point, nor LR3 (Taechung) point produce as much increase of mechanical sensitivity as ipsilateral BL23 point. And, this increase of mechanical sensitivity was dose-dependent. The improvement of mechanical threshold was interpreted as an analgesic effect. In addition, the analgesic effect of Scolopendrid 4 mg/kg injection is equivalent to that of gabapentin 50 mg/kg injection. The relations between SWAE-induced analgesia and endogenous nitric oxide(NO), inducible NO synthase (iNOS)/neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) were also examined. Results were turned out that both NO production and nNOS/iNOS protein expression which are increased by nerve injury were suppressed by SWAE injection applied to BL23 point. Conclusions : The data suggest 1) that SWAE produces a potent analgesic effect on the neuropathic pain model in the rat and 2) that SWAE-induced analgesia modulate endogenous NO through the suppression of nNOS/iNOS protein expression.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.242-249
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• 1982

Effects of lime and ameliolating materials on decreasing available soil cadmium were studied, applying the amendments to Cd pre-and post-treated soils. Soil sttreated with Cd were placed in pots and kept under field moisture condition, summer through winter in 1981. The results of soil analysis made 40 to 60 days after the Cd treatment are as follows ; 1. Greater amount of Cd was extracted by 0.1N-HCl or 2% Citric acid than N-AcNH4 solution. More Cd was dissoluted by 0.1-HCl than 2% Citric acid. No Cd was extracted by pure water. Showing a wide variance in the amount of extractable Cd among treatments (amendments), the $N-AcNH_4$ solution seemed to be the most effective extracting solution of available soil cadmium. 2. Calcium hydroxide was the most effective materials in reducing $N-AcNH_4$ extractable Cd, followed by calcium carbonate and calcium silicate. 3. Superphosphate is also effective in reducing exchangeable cadmium. The reduction seemed to be attributed to the precipitation of cadmium phosphate. 4. The exchangeable cadmium by $N-AcNH_4$ was large in the soil pH range of 6.0 and 6.5, and it decreased as the soil pH became far apart from these values. The decrese of exchangeable Cd at low pH seemed to be related to the increase of $Mn^{+{+}}$ and that at the high pH to the precipitation as Cd-hydroxide.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 1993

It is important to improve the germination of grass seeds because they are poor germination under water stress. This experiment was conducted to investigate the response of seeds pre-treated individually with Polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG) and growth regulators(GA$_3$, Kinetin, NAA) on the germination characteristics when two levels of osmotic potential (0, -5 bar) were put to seeds of Orchardgrass. In the untreated seeds, the total germination rate was decreased under water stress, and the mean germination time was delayed. Priming of Orchardgrass seeds using PEG or GA$_3$ resulted in improved germination under water stress(-5 bar), whereas the opposite was true of kinetin or NAA. The response of seeds primed in solutions of either -15 bar PEG or 100 ppm GA$_3$ was particulary marked compared with the untreated seeds. It is suggested that PEG and GA$_3$ may have positive regulatory effects in triggering the system for water stress alleviation. But the inhibitory effect of the water stress was not completely removed by allowing the seeds to pre-treat in solution of PEG or GA$_3$.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.291-295
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• 2004

Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) (RB) is a leguminous shrub native to the mountainous areas of the northwestern Cape Province in South Africa. RB tea infusions are the fermentation products of its leaves and fine sterns, and known to have a high antioxidative activity due to the presence of flavonoids and phenolic acids. We investigated the effects of RB tea on the alleviation of oxidative stress on cultured rat cortical neurons in a hypoxic model. Measurement of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) released into culture media revealed that RB increased cell viabilities in both normoxia (6-18%) and hypoxia (2-24%) dose-dependently (10-100 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml) on 16 days in vitro (3 days after treatment). Visualization of cell morphology by expression of GFP-Hsc70 fusion protein showed that RB (50 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml) reduced the average vacuolated soma from 55.4$\pm$4.59% (no RB addition) to 40.9$\pm$6.3% (RB addition) on 5 days after hypoxia. Our results proves efficacy of RB in the neuroprotection of hypoxic neurons and extend application for RB into the prevention and/or treatment of neuronal damages.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.32 no.2 s.57
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• pp.111-116
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• 2006

Essential oils have been used extensively in pharmacy, medicine, food, beverages, cosmetics, perfumery and aromatherapy. Although anti-bacteria, anti-virus, alleviation of fever operations and an anti-inflammatory properties have been reported, action mechanisms have not been fully discovered. In the present study, anti-inflammatory activities of thirty three essential oils have been evaluated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated macrophage RAW 264.7 cells by the evaluation of nitric oxide (NO) generation since NO generation is implicated in causal factor of inflammation. Among the tested 33 essential oil, Lemongrass oil showed the most inhibitory effect on LPS-induced NO generation in a dose dependent manner ($IC_{50}$ : $22 {\mu}g/mL$). In further study, it was found that Lemongrass oil inhibited the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase. These results suggest that Lemongrass oil may be useful for improvements of the inflammatory disease such as pimple acne skin.