• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.365-370
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• 2008

This study was performed to investigate the influence of extracts from mixed culture with Tricholoma matsutake mycelium and Cordyceps militaris mycelium on hypoglycemia in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Experimental animals were divided into 7 groups : normal control group(NC), diabetes control group (DC), positive control group(PC), non-fermented OCM(oriental medicine & cereal medium) extracts group (UM), crude polysaccharide of non-fermented OCM extracts group (UME), fermented OCM extracts group (UF), crude polysaccharide of fermented OCM extracts group (UFE). NC, DC groups were orally administered saline, PC group was orally administered acarbose. UM, UME, UF, UFE groups were orally administered each extract once a day for 14days. Blood glucose level was lower in the all administering OCM extract groups (UM, UME, UF, UFE) than in the diabetes group(p<0.05), and specially UF, UFE groups were similar to tendency of PC group. ALT, ALP activity in OCM groups were not significantly lowered than PC group(p<0.05). AST activity was not different with PC group. The results of this study show that extracts from mixed culture with Tricholoma matsutake mycelium and Cordyceps militaris mycelium may have a beneficial effect on the hypoglycemia.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.95-103
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• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide multifaceted interventions for nurses and to confirm changes in their knowledge, perception, and actual practice on the adequate storage, conditions, and transportation of culture specimens. Methods: A one-group pretest-posttest experimental design was conducted with 41 nurses in two general wards of a tertiary acute care hospital in Seoul. Multifaceted interventions including education, feedback, posting guidelines and reminders, and improvement in specimen management accessibility were provided from May 2019 to January 2020. Outcomes were measured before and after the interventions. Knowledge and perception of the nurses were evaluated using self-reported questionnaires and actual practice by observation. Results: After the interventions, the average knowledge score on transportation time was significantly increased (Z= -4.89, p< .001). However, the knowledge score on storage methods was not significantly increased. The perception score was significantly increased (t= -3.19, p= .003). The proportion of specimen storage times, places, and conditions managed properly was significantly increased from 43.0% (46/107) to 77.1% (84/109) (p< .001). The average transportation time of blood samples to the laboratory significantly decreased from 3 hours 36 minutes (± 1 hour 52 minutes) to 3 hours 1 minute (± 1 hour 41 minutes) (t= 2.51, p= .013). The percentage of blood culture specimens arriving within 2 hours was increased significantly from 22.9% to 39.2% (χ²= 6.90, p= .009). Conclusion: The interventions were effective. However, some specimens remained in the ward longer than expected after the interventions. This requires further interventions.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.279-284
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• 2017

The results of rapid antimicrobial susceptibility test (AST) in blood cultures were obtained by inoculating the bacteria directly into the VITEK MS and the VITEK 2 systems without subculturing in the blood culture positive medium. The obtained results were compared with the results using a standard method to evaluate their reliability and accuracy. The direct AST results in blood culture positive specimens were 97.9% (1,936/1,978), consistent with the standard AST results. Gram-positive bacteria showed a concordance rate of 97.2% (1,051/1,081), a very major error rate of 0.5% (5/1,081), a major error rate of 0.1% (1/1,081), and a minor error rate of 2.2% (24/1,081). Staphylococcus epidermidis was the main cause of discordance, and gentamicin (N=9) and fusidic acid (N=8) showed high errors. The overall concordance rate and minor error among the Gram-negative bacteria were 98.6% (885/897) and 1.4% (12/897), respectively. Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the major causative bacteria of Gram-negative bacteria. Among them, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (N=3) showed high error. Direct AST met the CLSI criteria and shortened the reporting time by 24 hours; however, we found that there was a need to perform an addition test via disk diffusion for antimicrobials with very large errors. These results suggest that the method of direct AST in blood culture positive medium may be very useful in efficiently treating patients.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1353-1362
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• 2023

Various methods are being attempted to resolve the inconvenience of blood glucose meters used to check blood sugar levels. In this paper, we attempted to estimate blood sugar levels non-invasively using machine learning technology from spectral data acquired using a near-infrared sensor. The non-invasive blood glucose meter used in the study has a total of six near-infrared ray emitters, including visible rays, and a light receiver that receives them. It is a device created to collect spectral data on specific parts of the human body, such as the fingers. To verify whether there was a significant difference depending on blood sugar level, we attempted to estimate blood sugar level through machine learning algorithms. As a result of applying five machine learning algorithm techniques to the collected data and adjusting various hyper parameters, it was confirmed that the support vector regression algorithm showed the best performance.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.167-177
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• 2003

Purpose : To know the trends of antimicrobial susceptibility is critical for antimicrobial treatment. We studied the organisms isolated from blood, urine, stool, and cerebrospinal fluid from 1997 to 2001 to reveal the trends of their antimicrobial susceptibility. Methods : We conducted a retrospective study with isolates obtained from 0~18 year old outpatients and inpatients from 1997 to 2001 at Department of Pediatrics, Hanil general hospital. We gathered the data through the laboratory test files and the origin of microorganisms cultured from blood, urine, stool and cerebrospinal fluid and their antimicrobial susceptibility. Results : Microorganisms were isolated from 226(3.3%) out of 6,974 blood cultures, 365 (8.0%) out of 4,549 urine cultures, 50(1.9%) out of 2,593 stool cultures and 9(1.4%) in 655 cerebrospinal fluid cultures. The most frequently isolated organisms from blood cultures was Staphylococcus epidermidis(33.5%) which was followed by Staphylococcus aureus(19.7%), Escherichia coli(13.8%), and Burkholderia cepacia(9.0%). Among the urine cultures, E. coli was the most common(74.7%) which was followed by Group D Enterococcus(11.3%), Klebsiella pneumoniae(7.1%) and Proteus mirabilis(2.5%). The positive stool cultures all yield Salmonella species. Group D Salmonella was obtained most frequently. Among the positive cerebrospinal fluid cultures, Group B Streptococcus was isolated most frequently. Among the 40 cases of S. aureus in blood cultures, 27 cases were methicillin-resistant. The rates of susceptibility for amikacin, ceftizoxime and ceftriaxone of E. coli isolated from blood cultures were 80%, 100% and 60% in 1997 and 60%, 80% and 60% in 2001. The rates of susceptibility for amikacin, ceftizoxime and ceftriaxone of K. pnumoniae isolated from urine cultures. were 80%, 100% and 80% in 1997 and 50%, 83% and 50% in 2001 Enterococcus was isolated from 6.7% to 15.8% and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus was observed in 17% of Group D Enterococcus isolated from urine cultures. The rates of susceptibility for amikacin, ceftizoxime and ceftriaxone of Group D Salmonella were 96%, 96% and 92% during the study period. Conclusion : Among the blood cultures S. epidermidis, S. aureus, E. coli and B. cepacia were isolated in order of frequency and among the urine cultures E. coli, Group D Enterococcus, K. pneumoniae and P. mirabilis were isolated in order of frequency. During the study period there was no big difference in major organisms isolated from blood and urine. The methicillin-resistant S. aureus was observed in 67% of S. aureus isolated from blood cultures but vancomycin-reistant S. aureus or vancomycin intermediate resistant S. aureus was not observed. The rates of susceptibility to amikacin and the third generation cephalosporin of E. coli isolated from blood cultures and K. pneumoniae from urine cultures have decreased. The isolation rates of Group D Enterococcus and vancomycin resistant Enterococcus have increased.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.11 no.spc
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• pp.163-174
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• 2005

The purpose of this paper is to review eight researchers on the trust and mistrust of Korean society, and to suggest the tasks of psychological researches in terms of cultural psychological perspective. In traditional Korean culture, feeling of trust is emerged from the family relationship formed by the blood ties based on father-son relation. In this respect, the meaning of trust might be different from that of western culture, which is emerged from the market relationship formed by the contract based on husband-wife relation. Now, the Korean family seems to be disorganized rapidly, so in this sense, it is suggested that recent Korean society might be the trust-absent society rather than the mistrust society. Also, it is suggested that further psychological researches must be performed in the serious consideration of the indigeneous characteristics of Korean culture.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.123-127
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• 1996

Purpose : The most patients with acute streptococcal pharyngitis lack of classic clinical manifestations, therefore diagnostic laboratory test such as the throat culture or a rapid antigen detection test are frequently employed in primary practices of developed countries. We'd like to know the accuracy of the throat swab culture as gold standard for diagnosis of streptococcal infection with studying the discordant and concordant rate of duplicate culture. Methods : The study included 89 normal school children (boys:50, girls:39) who were attending Uljin primary school in Uljin, Kyong Sang Buk Do on March 1996. We obtained simultaneous 2 times of throat swab from each subject, and plating and streaking on 5-7% of sheep blood agar separately. We counted the characteristic beta-hemolytic colonies after overnight incubation. Results : 1) The carrier rate of beta-hemolytic streptococci at first culture is 25.1% and second one is 29.2%. 2) Ten out of 89(11.2%) is discordant in duplicate culture. 3) Culture containing less than 50 colonies of beta-hemolytic streptococci (+2) in first culture is 70.4%, second one is 85.7%. 4) Number of colonies is less than 50 in all ten discordant children. Conclusions : The discordant rate of duplicate throat swab cullture for beta-hemolytic streptococci is 11.2%, even if the subjects are normal school children. About 5% of individuals harboring beta-hemolytic streptococci in the pharynx may be missed by a single throat culture. If we are trying to examine the patients with pharyngitis, the discordant rate will be much lower than this results.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.407-412
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• 1992

In order to obtain basic data concerning the treatment of canine demodicosis, 8 Doberman Pinschers were infected with Demodex canis. The clinical signs, were examined after infection, and their hematological and blood chemical values were determined, along with four non-infected control dogs of same breed. The number of white blood cells, especially the number of band neutrophils was significantly higher(p<0.01) in the infected than in the non-infected control dogs. This result indicated that the first episode of secondary infection should be treated with an appropriate antibiotics based on the culture and sensitivity test. The red blood cell counts, packed cell volume, hemoglobin contents, and serum albumin levels were significantly lower (p<0.01~0.001) in the infected than in the non-infected control dogs. These results suggested that the infected dogs had an anemia due to malnutrition. Thus, the infected dogs should be on a well balanced, high protein diet.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.187-194
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• 2018

Eritadenine (EA), derived from Lentinus edodes (LE), reduced low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglyceride (TG), and phospholipids in bloods, and fatty acid depositions in animals and humans. Previously, we reported that EA inhibited angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity in vitro. Now, we report that EA reduced blood pressures in spontaneous hypertension rats (SHR). EA-containing LE mycelial culture enzyme extract (EA-LEMSCEE) was prepared from LE mycelial solid cultures and the hot-water extract of LE fruit bodies. Both EA and EA-LEMSCEE inhibited ACE activity in immortalized human umbilical endothelial cells (EA.hy926). EA-LEMSCEE treatments (7.5 mg/kg, 22.5 mg/kg) significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure in SHR. At five weeks of treatment, EA-LEMSCEE treatment significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure, similar to the positive control (captopril, CP; 4 mg/kg) treatment. In addition, the LEMSCEE without EA decreased systolic and diastolic blood pressures compared to the control, but not significant. EA-LEMSCEE decreased renin and ACE activities, and angiotensin II (Ang II) contents in SHR compared to the control. After five weeks of treatment, the effect of EA-LEMCEE was similar to that of CP. These results indicate that EA and EA-LEMSCEE reduce blood pressure by inhibiting the renin and ACE activity of SHR. Furthermore, these results imply that EA or EA-LEMSCEE could be used as an antihypertension agent in humans.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.108-115
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• 2018

In the present study, results of the identification of Gram-positive bacilli (GPB) were analyzed by using the MALDI-TOF MS technique to score each 2-year blood culture at a university hospital. In addition, 16S rRNA sequence analyses and MALDI-TOF MS results are compared to targeting strains that had been isolated two or more times within the same patient, to evaluate the usefulness of MALDI-TOF MS in GPB identification. According to the cut-off (${\geq}1.7$) criteria, there were 410 (57.5%) reliable strains and 303 (42.5%) non-identified strains among the GPB identification results of 713 strains, using a microflex MALDI Biotyper (Bruker Daltonik GmbH, Bremen, Germany). The isolation appeared most often in the following order: Corynebacterium striatum, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Paenibacillus urinalis, and Listeria monocytogenes. Nearly three-fourths, 66 out of 89 (74.2%) of the strains for Corynebacterium striatum; 44 out of 60 (73.3%) strains for Bacillus cereus; and all (25 out of 25, 100%) Listeria monocytogenes strains were identified by their high scores of 2.0 or higher. Most (293 strains out of 303) non-identified strains were strains isolated only once and not significant as infectious bacilli. A total of 43 out of 50 (86.0%) strains matched and were able to be identified based on the 16 rRNA sequencing comparison results of strains that were isolated twice or more within the same patient and significant as infection bacilli. Non-matching among 5 out of 7 strains was not identified, even with MALDI-TOF MS. In conclusion, GPB can be identified in blood cultures using MALDI-TOF MS. This can be done accurately with ease, rapidly, and at a low cost. It is also thought to be helpful in GPB diagnosis and treatment.