• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.52 no.2
• /
• pp.107-116
• /
• 2002

Background: Matrix metalloproteinases(MMP) are essential enzymes for tumor invasion and metastasis. Among the MMP family, elevated MMP-9 and stromelysin-3(STR-3) expression have been reported to be poor prognostic factors in lung cancer patients. To evaluate the possibility of a molecular diagnosis of lung cancer using peripheral blood, the mRNA expression level of MMP-9 and STR-3 was measured using a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in patients with lung cancer. Methods : Ninety six patients(44 patients with lung cancer, 19 pulmonary infection, and 33 control) were included. To detect MMP-9 and STR-3 mRNA expression, RT-PCR was performed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. ELISA was also used to measure the serum level of MMP-9. Results : MMP-9 was expressed more frequently in patients with a pulmonary infection(18/19, 94.7%) compared to lung cancer patients(26/44, 59.1%) or the controls (23/33, 69.7%) (p=0.018). On the other hand, STR-3 expression was observed more frequently in patients with lung cancer(37/44, 84.1%) compared to the lung infection patients(8/19, 42.1%) or control(20/33, 60.6%) (p=0.003). Among the lung cancer patients, MMP-9 was expressed more frequently when a tumor invaded the lymph nodes(17/24, 70.8%) compared to when a tumor did not(3/13, 23.1%) (p=0.005). The MMP-9 and STR-3 expression levels had no relationship with age, sex, tumor size, distant metastasis, or tumor histology. The serum MMP-9 concentration was not higher in lung cancer patients compared to patients with a pulmonary infection or the control subjects. Conclusion : STR-3 may be used as a diagnostic marker in the peripheral blood of lung cancer patients using RT-PCR. Further studies to evaluate the clinical significance of elevated STR-3 expression in lung cancer patients is recommended.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.182-192
• /
• 2011

Purpose : Atopic findings may be associated with severity of pneumonia in 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) infection, which could suggest a possible association between atopic findings and the severity of viral infections. Thus, we studied association between atopic findings and severity of disease in children with H1N1 influenza infection. Methods : A retrospective study was performed in 74 children admitted in a single tertiary institute and confirmed as H1N1 patients by reverse transcriptase (RT) - polymerase chain reaction (PCR). They were divided into 2 groups according to the severity of pneumonia. We evaluated whether the atopic finding is risk factor between the two groups. Results : Children with severe pneumonia had higher percentages of serum eosinophilia (88% vs 40%, P <0.001), asthma (65% vs 35%, P =0.011), allergic rhinitis (71% vs 40%, P =0.009), and IgE level (P =0.007). We found positive correlations between aeroallergen sensitizations and severity of pneumonia (82% vs 53%, P =0.007). Conclusion : Among patients with H1N1 pneumonia, asthma and atopic findings are risk factors for severity of pneumonia.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.35-44
• /
• 2018

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of a trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) among healthy Korean children and adolescents. Methods: From October to December 2008, 65 healthy patients aged 6 months to 18 years who visited Korea University Ansan Hospital for influenza vaccination were enrolled in this study. We measured the hemagglutinin inhibition antibody titers at baseline and 30 days after vaccinating enrollees with split influenza vaccine and calculated the seroprotection rates, geometric mean titers, and seroconversion rates. Local and systemic adverse events were assessed after vaccination. Results: The seroprotection rates against all three viral strains (A/H1N1, A/H3N2, B) were 87.7%, 89.2%, and 89.2% (${\geq}70%$), respectively; seroconversion rates were 44.6%, 73.8%, and 63.1% (${\geq}40%$), respectively; and seroconversion factors were 4.5, 8.4, and 10.5 (>2.5), respectively. The TIV immunogenicity was acceptable according to the CPMP (Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products) criteria. Although 48 patients (73.8%) reported one or more adverse events, no severe adverse events such as anaphylaxis and convulsion were observed. Forty-two patients (64.6%) reported a local skin reaction, including redness (29.2%), pain (43.1%), or swelling (41.5%) of the injected site, and 26 (40.0%) reported a systemic reaction: fatigue (23.1%), myalgia (20.0%), headache (10.8%), arthralgia (10.8%), chills (9.2%), or fever (7.7%). Conclusions: This study shows that the immunogenicity of the TIV vaccine is acceptable. As there were no serious adverse events aside from local reactions and mild systemic reactions, this vaccine can be safely used among healthy Korean children and adolescents.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.28-42
• /
• 2016

Objectives : The author tried to find out reasons why and how hysteria(and conversion disorder) patient numbers, which were so prevalent even a few decades ago, have decreased and the phenotype of symptoms have changed. Methods : The number of visiting patients diagnosed with conversion disorder and their phenotype of symptoms were investigated through chart reviews in a psychiatric department of a University hospital for the last 12 years. Additionally, the characteristics of conversion disorder patients visiting the emergency room for last 2 years were also reviewed. Those results were compared with previous research results even if it seemed to be an indirect comparisons. The research relied on Briquet P. and Charcot JM's established factors of the vicissitudes of hysteria(and conversion disorder) which has been the framework for more than one hundred and fifty years since hysteria has been investigated. Results : The author found decreased numbers and changes of the phenotype of the hysteria patients(and conversion disorder) over the last several decades. The decreased numbers and changes of the symptoms of those seemed to be partly due to several issues. These issues include the development of the diagnostic techniques to identify organic causes of hysteria, repeated changes to the symptom descriptions and diagnostic classification, changes of the brain nervous functions in response to negative emotions, and the influence of human evolution. Conclusions : The author proposed that the evolutionary brain discord reaction theory explains the causes of disappearance of and changes to symptoms of hysteria(conversion disorder). Most patients with hysteria(conversion disorder) have been diagnosed in the neurological department. For providing more appropriate treatment and minimizing physical disabilities to those patients, psychiatrists should have a major role in cooperating not only with primary care physicians but with neurologists. The term 'hysteria' which had been used long ago should be revived and used as a term to describe diseases such as somatic symptom disorder, functional neurological symptoms, somatization, and somatoform disorders, all of which represent almost the same vague concept as hysteria.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
• /
• v.42 no.6
• /
• pp.427-436
• /
• 2018

In this study, experimental and numerical analysis were performed on the survivability of a long pipe-type buoy structure in waves. The buoy structure is an articulated tower consisting of an upper structure, buoyancy module, and gravity anchor with long pipes forming the base frame. A series of experiment were performed in the ocean engineering basin of KRISO with the scaled model of 1/ 22 to evaluate the survivability of the buoy structure at West Sea in South Korea. Survival condition was considered as the wave of 50 year return period. Additional experiments were performed to investigate the effects of current and wave period. The factors considered for the evaluation of the buoy's survival were the pitch angle of the structure, anchor reaction force, and the number of submergence of the upper structure. Numerical simulations were carried out with the OrcaFlex, the commercial program for the mooring analysis, with the aim of performing mutual validation with the experimental results. Based on the evaluation, the behavior characteristics of the buoy structure were first examined according to the tidal conditions. The changes were investigated for the pitch angle and anchor reaction force at HAT and LAT conditions, and the results directly compared with those obtained from numerical simulation. Secondly, the response characteristics of the buoy structure were studied depending on the wave period and the presence of current velocity. Third, the number of submergence through video analysis was compared with the simulation results in relation to the submergence of the upper structure. Finally, the simulation results for structural responses which were not directly measured in the experiment were presented, and the structural safety discussed in the survival waves. Through a series of survivability evaluation studies, the behavior characteristics of the buoy structure were examined in survival waves. The vulnerability and utility of the buoy structure were investigated through the sensitivity studies of waves, current, and tides.

• Animal cells and systems
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.103-113
• /
• 1999

Many in-depth reviews related to regulations of prolactin secretion are available. We will, therefore, focus on controversial aspects using personal opinion in this review. The neuroendocrine control of prolactin secretion from the anterior pituitary gland involves multiple factors including prolactin-release inhibiting factor (PIF) and prolactin releasing factor (PRF). The PIF exerts a tonic inhibitory control in the physiological conditions. The PIF should be able to effectively inhibit prolactin release or a lifetime, but the inhibitory action of dopamine cannot be sustained for a long period of time. Perifusion of a high concentration of dopamine (l ,000 nM) could not sustain inhibitory action on prolactin release but when a small amount of ascorbic acid (0.1 mM) is added in a low concentration of dopamine (3 nM) solution, prolactin release was inhibited for a long period. Ascorbate is essential for dopamine action to inhibit prolactin release. We have, therefore, concluded that the PIF is dopamine plus ascorbate. The major transduction system for dopamine to inhibit prolactin release is the adenylyl cyclase system. Dopamine decreases cyclic AMP concentration by inhibiting adenylyl cyclase, and cyclic AMP stimulates prolactin release. However, the inhibitory mechanism of dopamine on prolactin release is much more complex than simple inhibition of CAMP production. The dopamine not only inhibits cyclic AMP synthesis but also inhibits prolactin release by acting on a link(s) after the CAMP event in a chain reaction for inhibiting prolactin release. Low concentrations of dopamine stimulate prolactin release. Lactotropes are made of several different subtypes of cells and several different dopamine receptors are found in pituitary. The inhibitory and stimulatory actions induced by dopamine can be generated by different subtype of receptors. The GH$_4$ZR$_7$ cells express only the short isoform (D$_{2s}$) of the dopamine receptor, as a result of transfecting the D$_{2s}$ receptors into GH$_4$C$_1$ cells which do not express any dopamine receptors. When dopamine stimulates or inhibits prolactin release in GH$_4$ZR$_7$ cells, it is clear that the dopamine should act on dopamine D$_{2s}$ receptors since there is no other dopamine receptor in the GH$_4$ZR$_7$. Dopamine is able to stimulate prolactin release in a relatively low concentration while it inhibits in a high concentration in GH$_4$ZR$_7$. These observations indicate that the dopamine D$_2$ receptor can activate stimulatory and/or inhibitory transduction system depending upon dopamine concentrations.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
• /
• v.2 no.3
• /
• pp.64-69
• /
• 1998

New thirty derivatives of 5,6-dihydro-2-trifluoromethyl-1,4-oxathiin carboxanilide as substrate(S) were synthesized and their fungicidal activities in vivo against rice sheath blight(Rhizoctonia solani) and wheat leaf rust(Puccinia recondita) were examined. The structure activity relationships(SAR) between the activities($pI_{50}$) and a physicochemical parameters of substituents(X) at the phenylcarbamoyl group were analyzed using the adaptive regression analysis method. The 3-methoxy, 11, 3-isopropyloxy, 13 and 3-isopropyl substituent, 25 as X on the phenylcarbamoyl group exhibited the most highest fungicidal activity against the two fungi. The fungicidal potency of the (S) against Puccinia recondita was higher than Rhizoctonia solani. In case of Rhizoctonia solani, the molecular hydrophobicity(${\pi}>0$) and resonance effect(R<0) by meta-alkyl substitutents with electron donating were important factors in determining fungicidal activity. And the HOMO energy(HOMO>0), ABSQ, sum of absolute values of the atomic charges on each atom and specific polarizability(Sp.Pol<0) of (S) were significantly influential towards fungicidal activity against Puccinia recondita.. The interaction between (S) and receptor agonist from the based on SAR studies proceeds through charge-control reaction, and conditions to show higher activity has been also discussed.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.64-69
• /
• 1999

This study was carried out the removal of Cr(VI) which was known to the toxic pollutant in industry using the process of UV and TiO$_2$ photocatalyst in a circular type reactor. In this experiment, the series of photocatalytic process for the removal of Cr(VI) has been selected as a model reaction in a circular type reactor in order to obtain the basic data on the influence of various experimental parameters such as circulation flow rate, pH of solution, initial Cr(VI) light illumination and TiO$_2$ dosage, and salicylic acid concentration. The results of this study were as follows; 1. With both UV light illumination and TiO$_2$ present, Cr(VI) was more effectively eliminated than with either UV or TiO$_2$ alone. 2. As the circulation flow rate of solution increased, the removal efficiency of Cr(VI) was increased. However, over 2.4 l/min of circulation flow rate, the efficiency wa limited. 3. A increase in the photocatalytic removal of Cr(VI) was noticed with decreasing pH. 4. An increase in the photocatalytic removal of Cr(VI) was noticed with decreasing Initial Cr(VI) concentration and first order kinetics was observed from the result at different initial concentration of Cr(VI). 5. Photocatalytic removal efficiency of Cr(VI) increased with increasing TiO$_2$ dosage. However, over 1.0 g/l of TiO$_2$ dosage, the efficiency reached a plateau. 6. As low concentration of saliculic acid were added, there was an increase in the removal efficiency of Cr(VI). However, over 300 mg/l of salicylic acid, the efficiecy was decreased. It eas found that application of photocatalysis to water treatment that contains both Cr(VI) and salicylic acid was possible.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.547-555
• /
• 2014

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the association between subjective distress symptoms and argon welding among workers in Gyeongnam Province shipyard. Method: 31 argon and 29 non-argon welding workers were selected as study subjects in order to measure concentrations of personal dust, welding fumes and other hazardous materials such as ZnO, Pb, Cr, FeO, MnO, Cu, Ni, $TiO_2$, MgO, NO, $NO_2$, $O_3$, $O_2$, $CO_2$, CO and Ar. An interviewer-administered questionnaire survey was also performed on the same subjects. The items queried were as follows: age, height, weight, working duration, welding time, welding rod amounts used, drinking, smoking, and rate of subjective distress symptoms including headache and other symptoms such as fever, vomiting and nausea, metal fume fever, dizziness, tingling sensations, difficulty in breathing, memory loss, sleep disorders, emotional disturbance, hearing loss, hand tremors, visual impairment, neural abnormality, allergic reaction, runny nose and stuffiness, rhinitis, and suffocation. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software, version 18. Data are expressed as the mean ${\pm}SD$. An ${\chi}^2$-test and a normality test using a Shapiro wilk test were performed for the above variables. Logistic regression analysis was also conducted to identify the factors that affect the total score for subjective distress symptoms. Result: An association was shown between welding type (argon or non-argon welding) and the total score for subjective distress symptoms. Among the rate of complaining of subjective distress symptoms, vomiting and nausea, difficulty breathing, and allergic reactions were all significantly higher in the argon welding group. Only the concentration of dust and welding fumes was shown to be distributed normally after natural log transformation. According to logistic regression analysis, the correlations of working duration and welding type (argon or non-argon) between the total score of subjective distress symptoms were found to be statistically significant (p=0.041, p=0.049, respectively). Conclusion: Our results suggest that argon welding could cause subjective distress symptoms in shipyard workers.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.365-370
• /
• 2013

In this study, contents of limestone in cement manufactured by six domestic plants for Portland cement were investigated in terms of the strength and its relation to the $CO_2$ emission due to limestone material and its physical properties in cement manufacturing process. the relationship among CaO content, compressive strength, and $CO_2$ emission was surveyed for the limestone quantity in decomposition reaction and the loss of limestone quantity contained in each cement. As a result of $CO_2$ emission calculation for unit cement, it was found that the $CO_2$ emission due to decomposition of limestone was occupied 67% of total emission quantity. Furthermore, there was a difference in $CO_2$ emission quantity depending on the cement manufacturing process management. Also, it was shown that fossil fuel usage and material loss had a major influence as main factors of $CO_2$ emission. An increase in the CaO content in cement resulted in an increase in the compressive strength. On the contrary, CaO content and compressive strength were reduced with the growth of loss quantity of limestone. It was verified that the material and process management were more effective than CaO yield in cement manufacturing for $CO_2$ emission with the growth of $CO_2$ emission quantity. Pozzolanic materials such as PFA and GGBS in concrete mix affected the price, $CO_2$ emission and development of strength of concrete.