• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.59 no.6
• /
• pp.262-270
• /
• 2016

Purpose: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) leads to right ventricular failure (RVF) as well as an increase in pulmonary vascular resistance. Our purpose was to study the effect of sildenafil on right ventricular remodeling in a rat model of monocrotaline (MCT)-induced RVF. Methods: The rats were distributed randomly into 3 groups. The control (C) group, the monocrotaline (M) group (MCT 60 mg/kg) and the sildenafil (S) group (MCT 60 mg/kg+ sildenafil 30 mg/kg/day for 28 days). Masson Trichrome staining was used for heart tissues. Western blot analysis and immunohistochemical staining were performed. Results: The mean right ventricular pressure (RVP) was significantly lower in the S group at weeks 1, 2, and 4. The number of intra-acinar arteries and the medial wall thickness of the pulmonary arterioles significantly lessened in the S group at week 4. The collagen content also decreased in heart tissues in the S group at week 4. Protein expression levels of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2)-associated X, caspase-3, Bcl-2, interleukin (IL)-6, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), endothelin (ET)-1 and ET receptor A (ERA) in lung tissues greatly decreased in the S group at week 4 according to immunohistochemical staining. According to Western blotting, protein expression levels of troponin I, brain natriuretic peptide, caspase-3, Bcl-2, tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, IL-6, MMP-2, eNOS, ET-1, and ERA in heart tissues greatly diminished in the S group at week 4. Conclusion: Sildenafil alleviated right ventricular hypertrophy and mean RVP. These data suggest that sildenafil improves right ventricular function.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.1-13
• /
• 2016

Objectives : We conducted a survey aimed at developing a personal health record application for the treatment of atopic dermatitis in Korean medicine .Methods : We conducted a survey on Korean medicine doctors who attended the Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology conference 2016. The questionnaire was based on priority of usage of the diagnostic indices and tools, and intention to use the personal health record application for treatment of atopic dermatitis in the clinic.Results : Data were collected from 50 Korean medicine doctors. Ninety-six per cent of respondents replied that they were willing to use the personal health record application for treating atopic dermatitis. Among the diagnostic indices related to atopic dermatitis, Korean medicine doctors regarded the following as important in the order of priority, i.e., condition of skin, lifestyle, risk factors, symptoms other than those of skin, past history, family history and medical history, results of tongue, pulse, and abdomen investigation, and constitution. These results did not vary with the purpose of diagnosis, and the results were consistent with those obtained with the intention to use diagnostic. Over 50% of respondents replied that they use immunoglobulin E, scoring atopic dermatitis, and visual analogue scale among the diagnostic tools.Conclusions : Our survey was conducted on clinicians who are the intended users of the personal health record application for the treatment of atopic dermatitis; hence, the results of this study can be helpful for developing a useful personal health record application for atopic dermatitis in the clinic.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.36-45
• /
• 2008

Purpose: This study was to estimate the prevalence of dementia in order to estimate the associations of dementia with its risk factors in the community elderly. Methods: The multistage random cluster sampling method was used to select the subjects. The response rate was 94.3%. For the 1st stage screening survey, the Korean-version Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) and the Bathel Index of activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) were used as primary screening tools. At the 2nd stage. diagnoses were confirmed according to the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CBR) and Computer Tomogram (CT). Results: Age-sex adjusted prevalence (%) [95% CI] of dementia was 6.25% [4.47-7.83] (male 4.21% [2.40-6.02]; female 8.28% [5.71-10.85]). Four statistically significant risk factors of the dementia were identified: age 70-74 (OR=1.367), age 75-79 (OR=1.712), age 80-84 (OR=2.465), age 85 over (OR=7.363) illiteracy (OR=3.827); unconsciousness after head injury (OR=3.383), and no exercise (OR=2.188). Hosmer and Lemeshow goodness-of-fit index of dementia risk model was E (legit of dementia)= -4.337+$0.312^*Age(70{\sim}74)+0.538^*Age(75{\sim}79)+0.902^*Age(80{\sim}84)+1.996^*Age$(85over)+$1.342^*$Illiteracy+$1.219^*$Unconsciousness after head trauma+$0.783^*$No exercise. We confirmed that the overall prevalence of dementia in adults aged 65 and older was 94.3%. The risk factors of dementia were explained by age, illiteracy unconsciousness after head trauma and no exercise. Conclusion: These data have been used to estimate the incidence of dementia in elderly community population and to manage the possible role of risk factors as predictors of dementia.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.28 no.8
• /
• pp.1247-1259
• /
• 2018

Raspberries are polyphenol-rich fruits with the potential to reduce the severity of the clinical signs associated with obesity, a phenomenon that may be related to changes in the gut microbiota. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of raspberry supplementation on the fecal microbiota using an in vivo model of obesity. Obese diabetic db/db mice were used in this study and assigned to two experimental groups (with and without raspberry supplementation). Fecal samples were collected at the end of the supplementation period (8 weeks) and used for bacterial 16S rRNA gene profiling using a MiSeq instrument (Illumina). QIIME 1.8 was used to analyze the 16S data. Raspberry supplementation was associated with an increased abundance of Lachnospiraceae (p = 0.009), a very important group for gut health, and decreased abundances of Lactobacillus, Odoribacter, and the fiber degrader S24-7 family as well as unknown groups of Bacteroidales and Enterobacteriaceae (p < 0.05). These changes were enough to clearly differentiate bacterial communities accordingly to treatment, based on the analysis of UniFrac distance metrics. However, a predictive approach of functional profiles showed no difference between the treatment groups. Fecal metabolomic analysis provided critical information regarding the raspberry-supplemented group, whose relatively higher phytosterol concentrations may be relevant for the host health, considering the proven health benefits of these phytochemicals. Further studies are needed to investigate whether the observed differences in microbial communities (e.g., Lachnospiraceae) or metabolites relate to clinically significant differences that can prompt the use of raspberry extracts to help patients with obesity.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SC
• /
• v.40 no.5
• /
• pp.341-349
• /
• 2003

A real time interactive controller (spectrometer) for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system has been developed using high speed digital signal processors (DSP). The controller generates radio frequency (rf) waveforms and audio frequency gradient waveforms and controls multiple receivers for data acquisition. By employing DSPs having high computational power (e.g., TMS320C670l) real time generation of complicated gradient waveforms and interactive control of selection planes are possible, which are important features in real-time imaging of moving organs, e.g., cardiac imaging. The spectrometer was successfully implemented at a 1.5 Tesla whole body MRI system for clinical application. Performance of the spectrometer is verified by various experiments including high- speed imaging such as fast spin echo (FSE) and echo planar imaging (EPI). These high-speed imaging techniques reduce measurement time, however, usually intensify artifact if there is any systematic phase error or jitter in the synchronization between the transmitter, receiver, and gradients.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.31-40
• /
• 2008

Purpose: The probiotic effects of lactic acid bacteria have widely been researched in diverse human pathogens, but only a few effects are reported against oral pathogens. The antimicrobial effects of the Enterococcus faecium 7413 isolated from Korean infants on the 9 pathogen including 6 oral streptococci were investigated the clinical use of the antimicrobial peptide for oral microflora control. Materials and Methods: E. faecium 7413 was identified by morphological, biochemical tests and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. Inhibitory effects of culture supernatants were determined for their ability to grow on agar plate containing pathogenic bacteria. Result: The culture supernatant of Enterococcus faecium 7413 showed inhibitory effects on oral pathogens, namely Streptococcus pyogenes KCTC 3556, S. pneumoniae KCTC 5080, S. mutans ATCC 25175, S. anginosus ATCC 33397, S. constellatus KCTC 3268, S. intermedius ATCC 27823 and Shigella flexneri KCTC 2008. Whereas it did not affect the multiplication of E. coli strains, KCTC 1041 and ATCC 43894. Conclusion: The data obtained in this study could be useful for future development of effective probiotics allowing prevention for oral pathogens.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.119-128
• /
• 1988

It has been suggested that the presence of periovarian adhesions might impair the ovarian response to gonadotropins. Total 136 patients who underwent IVF-ET from February to June 1988(88-1 and 88-2 series) at SNUH were classified into three groups according to total ovarian access score, sum of each ovarian availability, estimated by diagnostic laparoscopy : group I(N=43,0%-50%), group II(N=49, 50%-150%) and group III(N=44, 150%-200%). To evaluate the effects of periovarian adhesions on follicular development in controlled ovarian yperstimulation for IVF-ET, serum E2 levels on the day of hCG dministration (Day 0) and the day after hCG administration (Day+1), the number of ovarian follicles with mean diameter${\geqq}$12mm on Day 0, and the number of oocytes retrieved by transvaginal aspiration were measured and compared among groups. There were no significant differences in age of patients, cancellation rate due to inadequate ovarian response, serum E2 levels, the number of ovarian follicles, the number of oocytes retrieved, and oocytes retrieval rate per follicle. In the same patients(N=31) in group II in whom the difference in ovarian availability between two ovaries is more than 50%, there was also no significant difference in the number of ovarian follicles between them. These data suggest that pelvic adhesions including periovarian adhesions have no adverse effects on the ovarian response to gonadotropins stimulation and the outcome of IVF-ET.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.98 no.1
• /
• pp.82-87
• /
• 2009

Therapeutic uses of forest are recently discussed as an alternative clinical or psychological program for diverse population. This study was to performed to investigate the influence of the therapeutic forest program on unmarried mothers' depression and self-esteem. From April to July of 2008, total 24 programs were performed to 70 unmarried women in Unmarried Mothers' House in Kyunggi-do. The results of data analyses indicated that there were significant improvements in their depression and self-esteem levels after their participation in the programs.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
• /
• v.10 no.11
• /
• pp.491-500
• /
• 2019

The purpose of this study analyzed the overall attitude and perception of course evaluation of nursing students, and suggested improvement direction of course evaluation. The sample consist of 428 A-university students in J province. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS 23.0 program using ANOVA, t-test, and $Scheff{\acute{e}}$ test. As a result, it was confirmed that nursing students participated in course evaluation with a careful and correct response attitude, and course evaluation result was reliable. The instructor should share the process of improving the class by reflecting the evaluation results so that the students can recognize the purpose and importance of course evaluation. In addition, it suggested that it is necessary to develop items of a course evaluation reflecting the characteristic of nursing such as clinical practice courses and to revise the evaluation system.

• Journal of Biomedical and Translational Research
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.79-85
• /
• 2018

Echocardiography is one of the most useful diagnostic techniques for differentiating heart disease as well as mitral valve lesion. Forty client-owned small breed dogs (weight, 2.3-13.2 kg) aged between 8-17 years with myxomatous mitral valve degeneration (MMVD) were included in the present study. The diagnosis of MMVD in dogs was made based on the clinical signs, chest radiography data, and echocardiographic findings. Echocardiographic examinations were conducted in accordance with recommended standards for dogs. M-mode, Doppler, and 2D echocardiography were performed in left and right lateral recumbency. 2D echocardiography was used to measure LA and Ao diameter from 2D short axis at the level of the aortic valve. In the comparison of conventional echocardiography indices in dogs with different stages of heart failure with MMVD, significant differences were observed in E/A ratio (p=0.005), EDV (p<0.001), EDVI (p<0.001), E-peak velocity (p= 0.001), ESV (p=0.028), ESVI (p=0.004), LA (p<0.001), LA/Ao Ratio (p<0.001), LVIDd (p<0.001), LVIDd/Ao Ratio (p<0.001), LVIDs (p=0.036), LVIDs/Ao Ratio (p=0.002), and MR Velocity (p=0.026). In addition, distinct correlations were found in EDV (r=0.712), LA/Ao ration (r=0.830), LVIDd (r=0.724), and LVIDd/Ao ratio (r=0.759). This study found that known conventional echocardiographic indices, including EDV, LA/Ao ratio, LVIDd dimension, and LVIDd/Ao ratio correlated with the severity of MMVD in point of significant differences and distinct correlations.