• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.38-45
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• 2005

The feasibility of stimulating in situ aerobic cometabolic activity of indigenous microorganisms was investigated in a trichloroethylene (TCE)-contaminated aquifer. A series of single-well natural drift tests (SWNDTs) was conducted by injecting site groundwater amended with a bromide tracer and combinations of toluene, oxygen, nitrate, ethylene and TCE into an existing monitoring well and by sampling the same well over time. Three field tests, Push-pull Transport Test, Drift Biostimulation Test, and Drift Surrogate Activity Test, were performed in sequence. Initial rate of toluene degradation was much faster than the rate of bromide dilution resulting from natural groundwater drift, indicating stimulation of indigenous toluene-oxidizing microorganisms. Transformation of ethylene, a surrogate probing overall activity of TCE transformation, was also observed, and its transformation results in the production of ethylene oxide, suggesting that some tolueneoxidizing microorganisms stimulated may express a orthomonooxygenase enzyme. Also in situ transformation of TCE was confirmed by greater retardation of TCE than bromide after the stimulation of toluene-oxidizing microorganisms. These results indicate that, in this environment, toluene and oxygen additions stimulated the growth and aerobic cometabolic activity of indigenous microorganisms expressing orthomonooxygenase enzymes. The simple, low-cost field test method presented in this study provides an effective method for conducting rapid field assessments and pilot testing of aerobic cometabolism, which has previously hindered application of this technology to groundwater remediation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.149-155
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• 1992

This study was carried out to find out the effect of dietary intake on cognitive function retardation in old age using dietary survey and cognitive function test. The subjects were 332 men of 50-94 years old and their activities of daily living were very similar. The cognitive function was tested by Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE)-K which was translated from MMSE, and the 24-hour recall method was used for dietary survey. Scoring of MMSE-K was a little different from MMSE, that is, in case of no education, one to four points were added to exclude the effect of education which has been considered as a confounder by many researchers. The number of subjects belonging to below 23 of MMSE-K score was increased by increasing age. Even though points were added in case of no education, the ratio of below 23 MMSE-K score group was diminished by increasing education. Therefore, education seems not to be a confounder but a independent variable on cognitive function. Income, past occupation, family type, self-evaluated health status did not play any effect on cognitive function significantly. On the other hand, the correlation between each nutrients and the score of cognitive function test showed that the more consumption of vitamin A and protein, the higher cognitive function score was obtained. In case of iron and Ca, even though it was not statistically significant, there was a tendency of increasing cognitive function score by increasing the intake of those nutrients. This study suggests that micronutrient intakes might be more related to cognitive function than macronutrients.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.73-77
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• 2012

Purpose: Fragile X carrier detection before or at early pregnancy through a wide screening program may not only confer a risk of having offspring with Fragile X syndrome (FXS), but may also confer a risk for Fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency and Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome. However, prior to the implementation of such a program, the carrier prevalence in a population and the availability of effective screening test should be evaluated. The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of premutation carriers and to evaluate the feasibility of screening test. Materials and Methods: The blood samples were obtained from 8,641 pregnant women with no family history of mental retardation. We performed a three-primer CGG repeat primed (RP) PCR using the AmplideX$^{TM}$ FMR1 PCR kit (Asuragen, Inc. Austin, TX, USA). Samples showing full mutation alleles were reflexed to Southern blot analysis for methylation status and sizing. Results: Among the 8,641 women, we found 8 premutation carriers (1:1,090, 0.09%) and 46 women with an intermediate allele (1:190, 0.53%). No woman was found to carry the fully mutated allele. All the detected alleles were within the CGG repeat range of 8-117. Among the 8,641 samples, 29 and 30 CGG repeats represent 66.6% of all cases. The CGG RP PCR method provides robust detection of expanded alleles and resolves allele zygosity, thus minimizing the number of samples that require Southern blot analysis. Conclusion: This is the first study that has focused on the prevalence of FXS premutation carriers and FMR1 allele distribution in normal pregnant women. These data have important implications for population-based fragile X carrier screening in Korea.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.103-111
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• 2011

Objectives : This study of oral health problems was conducted to 311 students in Special Schools in order to inquire into the state of their oral health behaviors, to find out the main obstacles against dental services, to secure dental reasonable basis for oral health promotion. Methods : A questionnaire survey was conducted in the Special School of the 311 students in the area of the metropolitan Seoul. By means of Chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test, oral hygiene habits for each type of the subjects, the contents of dental care services, the prerequisites to improve oral health, were inquired. To evaluate the effects to the current oral health status of types of disability, 2-way ANOVA was practiced. Results : The handicapped with Visual impairment, mental retardation, multiplicity with disabilities, answered negatively in their own oral health status. 47.4% of the deaf can do brush for theirselves without the inconvenience, but in other types of disability they showed that they were helped by others. Subjects did not use the secondary oral hygiene necessaries because, except brain damage, almost of types of disability impeded the convenient use. 60 to 88.2 percent of the total respondents were the recent visitors to dental clinique within 1 year, and the most common motives of the visiting dentist, is a routine medical examination, their movements to the dentist in all types of disabilities, needed helps of others. Most of them received medical treatment at a private dentist, the handicapped preferred the private care and place(49.8%). Only in the case of the brain disorders, extremely much of the disabled answered that they were needed the preventive treatment, and the another cases of disability were largely needed the treatment of the decayed teeth. To improve the oral health of the people with disabilities, at the opening of the clinics and hospitals over a certain size, the mandatory medical facilities for the care of the disabled should be preceded and followed by the improvement of dental insurance system so as to reduce the burdens of the cost of dental care. Conclusions : The improvement of oral health policy for the disabled are needed inevitably: Development of secondary oral hygienic easy to use for the disabled, the building systems of medical dental hospital with the disabled facilities, by the improvement of the insurance system, the reduction of the burden of payments.

• Asian Journal of Turfgrass Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.129-134
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• 2012

Research was focused on the improvement of poor drainage problems on golf course fairway which had not been performed soil test or properly amended during the course construction. The analysis of the drainage problem basically was caused by a deterioration of soil physical properties by the top layer compaction. The soil hardness reached about 3,000 Kpa around 5~6 cm of soil profile. The slow infiltration speed to subsoil by the compaction was caused directly a poor drainage capacity. However, the properly amended sand soil showed an apparent value of 1,500 Kpa through the subsoil. The water content test showed a similar result that higher rate of 20~30% and ideal rate of 8~12% at poor drainage area and successfully amended area, respectively. However, an imported topsoil media which had higher content of silt and clay from a trans-planted sod had made a heterogeneous soil profile and that caused a poor drain capacity by a low infiltration rate. Those drainage problems triggered to buildup a reduced soil layer by poor soil gas exchange. The soil environment of deoxidation enhanced anaerobic microbial population and induced methane gas build-up to 55 ppm, and that resulted an adverse effect on turf growth by root growth retardation, consequently.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.263-277
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• 1998

Conventional high-dose antipsychotics tend to result in more side effects, negative symptoms and dysphoria, and at the same time lower the cognitive function which is already impaired in most schizophrenics. Florid psychotic symptoms, negative symptoms and cognitive impairment greatly impede psychosocial performance and eventual reintegration into society. The reduction of symptom and the improvement of cognitive funtions and social skills are therefore central to the psychiatric rehabilitation process. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dose-reduction effects of antipsychotics on chronic schizophrenics prescribed conventional high-dose antipsychotics more than 1,500mg equivalent of chlorpromazine. Fifty-one chronic schizophrenics who maintained high-dose antipsychotics for more than three months were randomly assigned to two groups : 20 patients comprised the dose-maintaining group and 31 patients made the dose-reduction group. Over a sixteen weekperiod Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS), Extrapyramidal Symptom(EPS), Nurses' Observation Scale for Inpatient Evaluation(NOSIE-30), Continuous Performance Test(CPT), Quality of Life(QOL), and haloperidol/reduced haloperidol blood levels were determined at the base line and after 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16 weeks to evaluate the dose reduction effects of high-dose antipsychotics. The results were as follows : 1) Dose-reduction is highly effective in reducing positive and negative symptoms, and general psychopathology. Effects were most prominent at 8, 12, 16 weeks. Among the dose reduction group, positive symptoms in positive symptom group and negative symptoms in negative symptom group were more reduced. 2 Extrapyramidal symptoms showed no significant difference between two groups. But the EPS was reduced time after time within two groups. 3) Hit rates of Continuous Performance Test, which indicate attentional capacity, increased significantly after dose reduction. 4) Haloperidol and reduced haloperidol blood levels decreased until the 4th week, after which they were constant. 5) Total scores of Nurses' Observation Scale for Inpatient Evaluation were unchanged between the two groups. But among the indices, social interest and personal neatness were improved in the dose-reduction group and retardation was aggrevated in the dose-maintaining group. 6) Total quality of life scores were unchanged between two groups. But in the dose maintaining group, satisfaction scores of attention, autonomy, and interpersonal relationship decreased progressively. These findings suggest that the dose reduction of antipsychotics for chronic schizophrenics on programs of high-dose antipsychotics were effective. Dose reduction should therefore be implemanted to spread the rehabilitation and improve quality of life for chronic schizophrenics.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.97-110
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• 2018

The application of sprayed waterproofing membrane with high adhesion and ductility is considered to be promising as a measure for repair and reinforcement of a tunnel structure. Therefore, a powder-type and one-component membrane prototype with high tensile and bond strengths was made in this study. Then, its reinforcement effect on a shield segment was evaluated by carrying out a series of full-scale loading tests of segment specimens on which the membrane was sprayed. From the tests, it was confirmed that the initial cracking loads increased by approximately 34% due to cracking retardation by membrane coating. Even though the increase of failure loads were not so high as cracking loads, the strain-softening behaviors were observed from specimens coated by the membrane. Therefore, it is expected that the membrane coated on the inner surface of a lining might be effective in preventing its brittle failure.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.71-79
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• 2014

This study was performed to test the combustive properties of Medium Density Fibreboards (MDFs) treated with chemicals of the bis-(dimethylaminomethyl) phosphinic acid (DMDAP), N,N-dimethylethylenediaminomethyl-bis-phosphonic acid (DMDEDAP), piperazinomethyl-bis-phosphonic acid (PIPEABP), and methylpiperazinomethyl-bis-phosphonic acid (MPIPEABP). MDFs were painted in three times with 15 wt% solution of the bis-(dimethylaminomethyl) phosphinic acid and alkylenediaminoalkyl-bis-phosphonic acids at the room temperature, respectively. After drying MDF treated with chemicals, combustive properties and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) contents were examined by the cone calorimeter (ISO 5660-1), test for flame retardant (NEMA Notice No. 2012034), and gas chromatography (KS M ISO 11890-2), respectively. It was indicated that the MDFs treated with chemicals showed the longer time to combustion time (CT) = (442~492) s than that of virgin plate by reducing the burning rate except for CT treated with DMDAP. In adition, the MDFs treated with chemicals showed both of the higher char area (44.33~61.33) kg/kg and char length (10.33~11.67) cm than those of virgin plate. Especially, the MDFs treated with chemicals showed the higher mean volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (0.188~0.333) g/L than that of virgin plate within the prescribed limits. Thus, It is supposed that the combustion- retardation properties were improved by the partial due to the treated chemicals in the virgin MDF.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.9
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• pp.1778-1788
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• 2024

The disturbance of brain biochemical substances serves as a primary cause and aggravating factor of depression. This study aimed to investigate the principal components of Picea mariana and its effect on reserpine-induced depression mice,w ith its relationship with brain central transmitters and related proteins. The main constituents of P. mariana essential oil (PMEO) were analyzed by GC-MS spectrometry. The quiescent time in the tail suspension test (TST) and forced swim test (FST), along with the weight change of the mice was detected. The number of normal neurons was quantified through Nissl staining. Immunohistochemistry was employed to determine the levels of 5HT-_1A and 5HT-_2A in the brain. Western blotting was utilized to detect 5HT-_2A, CRF and TrkB protein levels. RTqPCR was used to detect the mRNA levels of 5HT-_1A, 5HT-_2A, TrkB, CRF, and BDNF. The main active ingredients of PMEOs were (-) -bornyl acetate (44.95%), γ-Terpinene (14.17%), and β-Pinene (10.12%). PMEOs effectively improved the retardation and weight loss due to anorexia in depression-like mice. This improvement was associated with an increase in the number of normal neurons. After administering different doses of PMEOs, the levels of 5HT-_1A, 5HT-_2A, CRF, and TrkB were found to be increased in brain tissue. RT-qPCR revealed that the mRNA levels of CRF, 5HT-_1A, and 5HT-_2A were generally upregulated, whereas TrkB and BDNF were downregulated. PMEO can effectively alleviate depression induced by reserpine, which may be attributed to its regulation of 5HT-_1A, 5HT-_2A, CRF and TrkB protein expression, thus reducing brain nerve injury.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.9
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• pp.924-928
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• 2005

Purpose : Treatment efficacy for children with speech and language delay has been the subject of considerable debate in recent years. We evaluated the clinical features of children with delayed speech and language and their prognoses according to their etiologies after 6 months of speech and language therapy. Methods : From January, 2000 to March, 2004, we retrospectively reviewed 56 children with speech and language delay who were administered speech and language therapy for 6 months in Uijongbu St. Mary's Hospital. Results : Of 56 cases, the proportion of developmental language disorder was 66.1 percent, structural malformation 19.6 percent, mental retardation 12.5 percent, hearing defect 1.8 percent. The ratio of male to female was 4.6 : 1 and the most frequent age group was over 47 months. The mean age of first spontaneous words with useful meaning was 15.9 months. The mean gestational age of the subjects was 39.8 weeks. The proportion of full-term infants was 96.4 percent and of premature infants was 3.6 percent. As for the birth order, the proportion of the first baby was 51.8 percent, the one of second babies it was 42.9 percent, and percent of third babies it was 7.1 percent. After 6 months of language intervention, 32.4 percent of patients with developmental language disorder showed normal linguistic development. All the patients with mental retardation showed sustained language and speech delay. As for the patients with structural malformations, five out of 11 patients showed normal linguistic development. Conclusion : The relatively advanced old age of majority of participants in this study suggests the necessity of screening test for language delay in this local community.