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Background: Despite advances in neonatal intensive care and surgical procedures, perinatal mortality rates for premature infants with congenital heart disease (CHD) remain relatively high.Purpose: We aimed to describe the outcomes of premature infants with critical CHD and identify the risk factors including the new modified version of the Risk Adjustment for Congenital Heart Surgery (M-RACHS) category associated with in-hospital mortality in a Korean tertiary center.Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of premature infants with critical CHD admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit from January 2005 to December 2016.Results: A total of 78 premature infants were enrolled. The median gestational age (GA) at birth was 34.9 weeks (range, 26.7–36.9 weeks), and the median birth weight was 1.91 kg (range, 0.53–4.38 kg). Surgical or percutaneous intervention was performed in 68 patients with a median GA at birth of 34.7 weeks (range, 26.7–36.8 weeks) and a median birth weight of 1.92 kg (range, 0.53–4.38 kg). The in-hospital survival rate was 76.9% among all enrolled preterm infants and 86.8% among patients who received an intervention. Very low birth weight (VLBW), persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), and M-RACHS category 5 or higher (more complex CHD) were independently associated with in-hospital mortality. For the 68 premature infants undergoing cardiac interventions, independent risk factors for mortality were VLBW, BPD, and CHD complexity. Late preterm infant and age at intervention were not associated with patient survival.Conclusion: For premature infants with critical CHD, VLBW, PPHN, BPD, and M-RACHS category ≥5 were risk factors for mortality. A careful approach to surgical intervention and prenatal care should be taken according to CHD type and neonatal condition.

This article reports five invasive Group B streptococcal (GBS) infections that occurred in a neonatal intensive care unit for about 3 months. This outbreak might have been associated with a prolonged GBS colonized infant and adjacent environmental contaminations. Infection control interventions prevented the additional spread of GBS infections. Keywords: Neonatal intensive care unit, Outbreak, Streptococcus agalactiae

Background: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is caused by prenatal sensitization and postnatal insults to the immature retina. This process can be associated with the postnatal growth of preterm infants. We investigated whether ROP requiring treatment was associated with the postnatal growth failure of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. Method: From a cohort of VLBW infants (birth weight Results: Of 3,133 enrolled infants, 624 (19.9%) were diagnosed with ROP requiring treatment. After PSM, ROP requiring treatment was associated with postnatal growth failure assessed by head circumference (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18–3.09), but not weight (aOR 1.45, 95% CI 0.97–2.17) and length (aOR 1.21, 95% CI 0.81–1.82). Conclusion: ROP requiring treatment was associated with poor head circumference growth, not with weight and length. Our findings suggest that ROP requiring treatment and poor head growth during NICU hospitalization are fundamentally related.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) caused by Fusarium species is a major disease of wheat and barley around the world. FHB causes yield reductions and contamination of grains with trichothecene mycotoxins including; nivalenol (NIV), deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-ADON), and 15-acetylde-oxynivalenol (15-ADON). The objectives of this study were to identify strains of F. graminearum isolated in Korea from 2012-harvested wheat grain and to test the pathogenicity of these NIV- and DON-producing isolates. Three hundred and four samples of wheat grain, harvested in 2012 in Chungnam, Chungbuk, Gyeongnam, Jeonbuk, Jeonnam, and Gangwon provinces were collected. We recovered 44 isolates from the 304 samples, based on the PCR amplification of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rRNA region and sequencing. Our findings indicate that F. asiaticum was the predominant (95% of all isolates) species in Korea. We recovered both F. asiaticum and F. graminearum from samples collected in Chungnam province. Of the 44 isolates recovered, 36 isolates had a NIV genotype while 8 isolates belonged to the DON genotype (3-ADON and 15-ADON). In order to characterize the pathogenicity of the strains collected, disease severity was assessed visually on various greenhouse-grown wheat cultivars inoculated using both NIV- and DON-producing isolates. Our results suggest that Korean F. graminearum isolates from wheat belong to F. asiaticum producing NIV, and both F. graminearum and F. asiaticum are not significantly different on virulence in wheat cultivars.

This study compared the demineralization resistance of teeth treated with silver diamine fluoride (SDF) to that treated with fluoride varnish. A total of 105 healthy bovine incisors were divided into control, fluoride varnish, and SDF groups. The enamel surface density change was then measured by micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) at three depths. The demineralized zone volume was measured on 3D micro-CT images to evaluate the total demineralization rate. The enamel surface morphology was assessed by scanning electron microscope. The enamel density had continuously decreased while demineralization increased in the control and fluoride varnish groups. The enamel density had increased in the SDF group till the 7th day of demineralization treatment and decreased thereafter. However, the decrease in the SDF group was less severe than that in the other groups (p &lt, 0.05). The demineralized enamel volume had increased through treatment and was the highest in the control group, followed by the fluoride varnish and SDF group. The enamel surface morphology was the roughest and most irregular in the control group, followed by the fluoride varnish group and SDF groups.

The allelic variations at the Rht-1, Vrn-1 and Ppd-1 of 410 Korean wheat cultivars, including 111 Korean experimental lines, 238 Korean landraces and 61 North Korean collections, were investigated to provide the information of plant height and heading date and to elucidate the relationship between those traits and allelic variation of these genes because earliness is major consideration in Korean wheat production. All Korean wheats displayed vrn-A1 and Ppd-A1b alleles, while Rht-B1a, Rht-D1a, vrn-B1, Vrn-D1, Ppd-B1b and Ppd-D1a alleles were also predominantly found. Most Korean wheats carried both Rht-B1a and Rht-D1a alleles, both vrn-B1 and Vrn-D1 alleles, or both Ppd-B1b and Ppd-D1a alleles. The Rht-B1a, vrn-D1, Ppd-B1b and Ppd-D1b alleles were found to exhibit longer culm and spike length than their counterpart alleles. The Rht-B1a allele also showed longer spike length than Rht-B1b. Vrn-B1b and vrn-D1 alleles exhibited longer days to heading date than their counterpart alleles at the Vrn-B1 and Vrn-D1 loci. Lines carrying both Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b alleles displayed shorter culm and longer spike length and days to heading date than any other combination of alleles at the Rht-B1 and Rht-D1 loci. In contrast, lines carrying both Ppd-B1b and Ppd-D1b alleles exhibited longer culm and spike length than any other combination of alleles at the Ppd-B1 and Ppd-D1 loci.

The rice stem borer (Chilo suppressalis Walker) was one of the most destructive pest of rice for the 1960s and 1970s in Korea. Recently, it is newly recognized as a potential risk factor to the biomass yield of bioenergy crops. The current research was firstly conducted to investigate overwintering larvae population density and pattern of rice stem borer attacking Miscanthus sacchariflorus cv. Geodae 1 which is referred to as an ideal lignocellulosic bioenergy crop in Korea. Population density of larvae per 1 m 2 in stems and rhizomes at the Miscanthus experimental plots and rates of damage (wormhole, abscission) of M. sacchariflorus cv. Goedae 1 were investigated from October 2012 to March 2013. The population of larvae per 1 m 2 in stems of Miscanthus were 23, 4, 1, and 1 in October, November, December 2012, and January 2013, respectively. Over the same period, the population of larvae in basal stem rots and rhizomes were increased, whereas decreased in stems. Interestingly, the positions of larvae for overwintering in Miscanthus were confirmed to 5~10 cm below the soil surface such as basal stem rot and rhizome, whereas the most common overwintering position known in rice is a part of stem on the ground such as rice straw and rice stubble. It would suggest that the larvae gradually moved to bottom of stems and rhizomes in soil in line with decline in temperature. Moreover, the damage rates of stems per 1 m 2 were up to more than 50% in some places. In conclusion, this might be the first report that rice stem borer could affect the productivity of biomass of Miscanthus in case of mass cultivation. Moreover, it should be necessary to make a decision in insect control management for this bioenergy feedstock and other related crops.

Background and Purpose: The Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) is the ratio of blood pressure in the lower legs to that in the arms. The intima-media thickness (IMT) of extracranial carotid arteries determined by B-mode ultrasound is a measurable index of the presence of atherosclerosis. A low ABI and a high carotid IMT are independently related to increased risk of cardiovascular events. This study examined the association between carotid IMT and ABI in patients with ischemic stroke. Materials and Methods: Retrospectively, 116 hospitalized patients with ischemic stroke were recruited. Using a pulse wave velocity ABI device along with carotid duplex sonography, we measured carotid IMT and ABI and investigated the correlation between average values. Results: There was a significant difference in carotid IMT between the normal and abnormal ABI groups (P=0.0262). The group with an abnormal ABI was more than five times as likely to have increased carotid IMT as the group with a normal ABI (age, sex-adjusted OR 5.67 (95% CI 1.85~17.38)). The ABI and carotid IMT showed a weak inverse linear correlation in patients with ischemic stroke (correlation coefficient ?0.378 after adjusting for age and sex). Conclusion: Our study suggests that an abnormal ABI is associated with a high carotid IMT in patients with ischemic stroke.

Objectives: This study was conducted to analyze the trends of researches regarding children with precocious puberty and their families in South Korea and to find a new way to research in this area. Methods: The 50 selected studies from http://www.riss4u.net for last 28 years were used. These were analyzed by publication type, field and design of study, subject of study, key concept, and subjects and results used in the comparative study. Results: The 34 of 50 studies were articles and 90% of studies were conducted in medical science. There were 27 (54%) quantitative studies and 20 (40%) qualitative researches and descriptive studies were the most frequently used study design. Key concepts related to precocious puberty were classified in 5 sub-theme; disease, diagnosis, treatment, related factor, and psychological factor. GnRH concentrations of the precocious puberty are higher than normal group. Precocious puberty is related to the endocrine disrupting chemicals(Bisphenol A[BPA] & di-2-ethyhexyl phthalate [DEPH]) and diet. Conclusions: There is a steadily growing presence and increasing visibility of precocious puberty literature in recent years. Further research is necessary to use an interdisciplinary approach to deal with physical and psychosocial needs of children with precocious puberty and their families.

Because of its high biomass productivity and nutrient-use efficiency, Miscanthus spp. have emerged as promising bioenergy crops. Polyploidism in Miscanthus species is important because it allows non-native countries to cultivate sterile types, such as triploid M. × giganteus, in order to prevent ecosystem disturbance. Although M. sacchariflorus and M. sinensis are considered to be native to Korea, China, and Japan, accurate information describing the ploidy levels of these species has not yet been well established. To evaluate rough ploidy levels, 215 accessions of Miscanthus species were estimated by relative fluorescence intensities of DAPI-stained nuclei. After evaluation of rough ploidy levels, 20 plants were randomly selected by species and ploidy levels, and ploidy levels were examined by counting chromosomes, estimating propidium iodide-stained DNA content with flow cytometry, and measuring sizes of stomata and caryopsis. Among the 20 plants examined, 3 were diploid and 6 were tetraploid M. sacchariflorus (4.56 ± 0.01 and 8.90 ± 0.14 pg/2C nuclear DNA content, respectively), while 6 were diploid and 3 were triploid M. sinensis (5.40 ± 0.18 and 8.29 ± 0.33 pg/2C nuclear DNA content, respectively). One plant was a putative triploid M. × giganteus having 7.31 pg/2C nuclear DNA content, which was similar to an M. × giganteus plant from Illinois, USA having 7.23 pg/2C nuclear DNA content. We confirmed the occurrence of diploid and tetraploid M. sacchariflorus and M. sinensis plants as well as a putative triploid M. × giganteus native to Korea. Thus, measurement of the size of stomata and caryopsis allowed prediction of ploidy levels in the field and laboratory.

The world demand of renewable bioenergy as an alternative transportation fuel is greatly increasing. Research for bioethanol production is currently being progressed intensively throughout the world. Therefore it will be necessary to develop bioethanol production with cellulosic materials. In this study, the yield of ethanol production was evaluated by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) using sodium hydroxide pretreated sorghum sudangrass hybrids. Composition analysis of 11 varieties of sorghum sudangrass hybrids was performed for selection of excellent variety to efficiently produce bioethanol. The content of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and ash of these varieties were 32~39%, 19~24%, 17~22% and 6~11%, respectively. Among these varieties, 4 varieties of sorghum sudangrass hybrids were selected for the evaluation of ethanol yield and those were pretreated with 1 M NaOH solution at for 30 min using high temperature explosion system. After pretreatment, samples were neutralized with tap water. It contained 52~57% of cellulose. Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) was carried out for 48 h at by Saccharomyces cerevisiae CHY1011 using Green star variety. The yield of ethanol was 92.4% and the amount of ethanol production was estimated at 6206 L/ha.

Purpose: This research analyzed the different factors that influenced smoking cessation motivation. Methods: Subjects were both current and past male adult smokers. Data collection was conducted in four small businesses in Seoul and one public enterprise in Gyeonggi-Province from December 10, 2011 to January 30, 2012. Reasons for Quitting (RFQ) scale which was developed by Curry et al. was used for data collection. There were 350 participants and 324 (93%) questionnaires were used for the statistical analysis. Results: Participant’s level of motivation varied by present smoking, quit attempt, smoking cessation counseling, level of nicotine dependence, stages of smoking cessation, and types of smoking. Participant’s drinking pattern, smoking cessation counseling, social seeking type (G) and stages of smoking cessation had a 13% explanatory power for being motivated to stop smoking. Conclusion: For participants who drink alcohol regularly, who do not participate in smoking cessation counseling and those who are in the pre-contemplation stage for smoking cessation are candidates for future smoking cessation intervention programs or smoking cessation motivation programs.

최근 미성숙 영구치의 치근단 유두에서 존재하는 미분화 줄기세포가 새로 발견되었고 이 줄기세포들은 치근 상아질의 형성에 관여하는 법랑모세포의 근원으로 보여진다. 미성숙 영구치를 다룰때 이 줄기세포들의 보존은 치근의 지속적인 형성을 완성시키게 한다. 따라서 치근단 염증을 동반한 미성숙 영구치에서 치근단의 최소한의 침습으로 임상 및 방사선적 치유 양상을 관찰할 수 있었기에 보고하고자 한다. 본 증례는 조선대학교 치과대학병원 소아치과에 내원한 만 10세 남아(하악 우측 소구치), 만 8세 여아(상악 좌측 소구치)에서 임상 및 방사선 검사결과 치수괴사와 치근단 농양으로 진단된 영구치에서 치근단부위의 기구조작을 제한하고 MTA(Mineral Trioxide Aggregate)를 치수강내에 적용하였다. 정기적으로 관찰한 결과 치근단 농양의 치유와 치근 발육 및 성장의 양상이 관찰되었다. 치수괴사와 치근단 농양을 가진 영구치에서 치근단부위의 치수 및 치유두를 보호함으로써 관찰기간동안 양호한 예후를 보였으며, 이는 어린환자의 미성숙영구치에서 보존적 치수치료의 시도에 대한 보다 많은 임상적 검증 및 장기간의 고찰이 필요할 것이다. 【Recently, undifferentiated stem cells which exist in dental papillae of immature permanent teeth were newly discovered and these stem cells appear to be the origin of ameloblasts associated with the formation of root dentin. When treating immature permanent teeth, the preservation of these stem cells induce the continuous formation of the root. Therefore, it is reported that minimal invasion to periapical region in immature permanent teeth with periapical inflammation resulted in good-healing pattern in clinical and radiographic examination. In this case, a 10 year-old boy(mandibular right premolar) and a 8 year-old girl(maxillary left premolar) who visited the department of pediatric dentistry at Chosun University Dental Hospital were diagnosed with pulp necrosis and periapical abscess in clinical and radiographic examination. Endodontic instrumentation to the periapical region was limited and MTA(Mineral Trioxide Aggregate) was applied into the pulp canal. The periodic checks showed healing of periapical abscess and the development and growth pattern of roots. In permanent teeth with pulp necrosis and periapical abscess, preservation of pulp and dental papillae in the periapical region showed good prognosis during the periodic examinations. Therefore, a lot of clinical examination and long-term evaluation of conservative pulp treatment in immature permanent teeth are expected to be necessary.】

The purpose of the present study was to test the usefulness of dish items selected in developing a dish-based FFQ (DFFQ) to be used for epidemiological studies in Korea. The dietary data of 6817 subjects from the 2001 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used for the analysis. The 24 h recall method was employed for the dietary survey. Initially, ninety-five dish items were selected in developing the DFFQ based on consumption frequency, contribution of selected nutrients and coverage of between-person variations. The usefulness of the selected ninety-five dish items was tested based on their degree of contribution in supplying nutrients in the cumulative percentage contribution (cPC), as well as on their degree of explanation for between-person variation in the cumulative regression coefficient (cMRC). According to the results, the ninety-five selected dish items accounted for an average of 92·3 % of seventeen nutrients consumed by the study subjects based on cPC estimation. The top twenty items among the ninety-five dish items covered 70 to 91 % of the between-person variation for the seventeen nutrients based on cMRC estimation. Thus, the results suggest that the ninety-five items would be useful in developing a FFQ for use in epidemiological studies of Koreans, within less than 10 % underestimation.

In this study, alkaline pretreatment at a bench scale (15-L capacity) was performed to obtain a higher solid residue for the SSF (simultaneous saccharification and fermentation) of Miscanthus sacchariflorus “Goedae-Uksae 1” (GU) under the following conditions: 1 M NaOH concentration, 150 °C, and 60 min residence time. Compositional analysis and scanning electron microscope analysis revealed the pretreatment to be highly effective for achieving delignification and morphological changes. Spiral impellers were used for the rapid liquefaction of pretreated GU into slurry, and no additional nutrients were added to the fermentation mixture to reduce overall process costs. The SSF was subsequently conducted in a laboratory-scale fermenter (5-L capacity) for 108 to 120 h with 12% and 16% glucan containing pretreated GU. Consequently, 62.8 g/L and 81.1 g/L of ethanol were obtained. Based on these data, the theoretical ethanol yields from 1 kg of GU (dry weight base) were estimated at 164.6 to 171.1 g/L.

A CO2-added ammonia explosion pretreatment was performed for bioethanol production from rice straw. The pretreatment conditions, such as ammonia concentration, CO2 loading level, residence time, and temperature were optimized using response surface methodology. The response for optimization was defined as the glucose conversion rate. The optimized pretreatment conditions resulting in maximal glucose yield (93.6 %) were determined as 14.3 % of ammonia concentration, 2.2 MPa of CO2 loading level, 165.1 °C of temperature, and 69.8 min of residence time. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that pretreatment of rice straw strongly increased the surface area and pore size, thus increasing enzymatic accessibility for enzymatic saccharification. Finally, an ethanol yield of 97 % was achieved via simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. Thus, the present study suggests that CO2-added ammonia pretreatment is an appropriate process for bioethanol production from rice straw. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00449-014-1165-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.