• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.60-68
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• 2019

Objectives : The association between thyroid-related hormones and cognitive function has been controversial. The purpose of this study is to compare the levels of thyroid-related hormones in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Furthermore, we investigated the relationship between thyroid-related hormones and cognitive function. Methods : From January 2011 to December 2018, we retrospectively reviewed 105 patients who were diagnosed with AD and MCI by visiting a dementia clinic at Ilsan Paik Hospital. Thyroid-related hormones [triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)] was measured using chemiluminescent immunoassay. An independent sample t-test was performed to analyze the mean value of thyroid-related hormones in patients of AD and MCI. To investigate whether thyroid-related hormones correlate significantly with Global deterioration scale (GDS), Clinical dementia rating (CDR) and scores of each The Korean version of the consortium to establish a registry for Alzheimer's disease items, we conducted a partial correlation analysis with geriatric depression scale-Korean version (GDS-K) scores as covariates. Results : There was no significant difference in the mean serum T3, T4 and TSH levels between patients of the AD and the MCI, but the Construction Praxis Test (CPT) showed a significant positive correlation with the serum TSH concentration (p-value=0.004). Conclusions : In our study, the positive correlation between serum TSH level and the CPT associated with executive function was found to be helpful in understanding the association between thyroid-related hormones and the pathophysiology of dementia. Prospective studies in regard of the pathophysiology of thyroid-related hormones on cognitive function will be necessary in the future.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.42-49
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• 2019

Objectives : Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is a life-saving therapy for patients with terminal liver disease. Many studies have focused on recipients rather than donors. The aim of this study was to assess the emotional status and personality characteristics of LDLT donors. Methods : We evaluated 218 subjects (126 male, 92 female) who visited Daegu Catholic University Medical Center from August 2012 to July 2018. A retrospective review of their preoperative psychological evaluation was done. We investigated epidemiological data and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 questionnaire. Subanalysis was done depending on whether subjects actually underwent surgery, relationship with the recipient, and their gender. Results : Mean age of subjects was $32.19{\pm}10.91years$. 187 subjects received LDLT surgery (actual donors) while 31 subjects didn't (potential donors). Donor-recipient relationship included husband-wife, parent-children, brother-sister etc. Subjects had statistical significance on validity scale L, F, K and all clinical scales compared to the control group. Potential donors had significant difference in F(b), F(p), K, S, Pa, AGGR, PSYC, DISC and NEGE scales compared to actual donors. F, D and NEGE scales were found to be predictive for actual donation. Subanalysis on donor-recipient relationship and gender also showed significant difference in certain scales. Conclusions : Under-reporting of psychological problems should be considered when evaluating living-liver donors. Information about the donor's overall psychosocial background, mental status and donation process should also be acquired.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.23-32
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• 2019

Objectives: Insomnia is not only the most common sleep-related disorder, but also is one of the most important. Knowledge of the comorbidities of insomnia is essential for proper treatment including pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods to prevent disease chronification. This study aimed to determine sleep clinic patients' knowledge of insomnia. Methods: This study recruited 44 patients (24 males and 20 females; mean age $54.11{\pm}16.30years$) from the sleep clinic at National Center for Mental Health. All subjects were asked to complete a self-report questionnaire about their reasons for visiting a sleep clinic and about their knowledge of treatment and comorbidities of insomnia. Results: The reasons for visiting the sleep clinic were insomnia symptoms of daytime sleepiness, irregular sleeping time, nightmares, snoring, and sleep apnea, in that order. Of the responders, 72.7% had a comorbidity of insomnia, and 22.7% showed high-risk alcohol use. In addition, 70.5% of responders chose pharmacological treatment of insomnia as the first option and reported collection of information about treatment of insomnia mainly from the internet and medical staff. More than half (52.3%) of the respondents reported that they had never heard about non-pharmacological treatments of insomnia such as cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT-I) or light therapy. The response rate about comorbidities of varied, with 75% of responders reporting knowledge of the relation between insomnia and depression, but only 38.6% stating awareness of the relation between insomnia and alcohol use disorder. Of the total responders, 68.2% were worried about hypnotics for insomnia treatment, and 70% were concerned about drug dependence. Conclusion: This study showed that patients at a sleep clinic had limited knowledge about insomnia. It is necessary to develop standardized insomnia treatment guidelines and educational handbooks for those suffering from insomnia. In addition, evaluation of alcohol use disorders is essential in the initial assessment of sleep disorders.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.61-77
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• 2019

If a new utility tunnel is planned for high density existing urban areas in Korea, a rational decision-making process such as the determination of optimum design capacity by using the feasibility evaluation system based on quantitative evaluation indexes and the economic evaluation is needed. Thus, the previous study presented the important weight of individual higher-level indexes (3 items) and sub-indexes (16 items) through a hierarchy analysis (AHP) for quantitative evaluation index items, considering the characteristics of each urban type. In addition, an economic evaluation method was proposed considering 10 benefit items and 8 cost items by adding 3 new items, including the effects of traffic accidents, noise reduction and socio-economic losses, to the existing items for the benefit cost analysis suitable for urban utility tunnels. This study presented a quantitative feasibility evaluation method using the important weight of 16 sub-index items such as the road management sector, public facilities sector and urban environment sector. Afterwards, the results of quantitative feasibility and economic evaluation were compared and analyzed in 123 main road sections of the Seoul. In addition, a comprehensive evaluation method was proposed by the combination of the two evaluation results. The design capacity optimization program, which will be developed by programming the logic of the quantitative feasibility and economic evaluation system presented in this study, will be utilized in the planning and design phases of urban community zones and will ultimately contribute to the vitalization of urban utility tunnels.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.60-68
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• 2019

Limonium tetragonum, an edible halophyte that grows on salt marshes in Korea, is thought to possess various health benefits (e.g., antioxidant, antitumor, and hepatoprotective). In the present study, different solvent partitioned subfractions, water ($H_2O$), buthanol (n-BuOH), 85% aqueous methanol (85% aq. MeOH), and hexane (n-hexane), from crude extract of L. tetragonum were tested for their ability to prevent adipogenesis in differentiating 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. The treatment of differentiating 3T3-L1 preadipocytes with L. tetragonum subfractions (LTFs) resulted in suppressed adipogenesis and reduced expression of adipogenesis-related transcription factors such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma ($PPAR{\gamma}$), CCAATT/enhancer-binding protein alpha ($C/EBP{\alpha}$), and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c) at both mRNA and protein levels. In addition, the LTF treatment notably decreased the levels of phosphorylated p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in association with $PPAR{\gamma}$-linked adipogenesis. Among all the tested LTFs, $H_2O$ and n-hexane were the most effective in lowering lipid accumulation and regulating the adipocyte differentiation via $PPAR{\gamma}$ pathway. Taken together, the results indicated that the $H_2O$ and n-hexane LTFs contain bioactive compounds that may exhibit significant antiadipogenesis activity by downregulation of the $PPAR{\gamma}$ pathway and inactivation of the MAPK signal pathway in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.161-167
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• 2020

Objectives : Although the seasonality of suicide is a well-known phenomenon, little is reported about the seasonality of non-suicidal self-injury. The purpose of this study was to identify the seasonality of wristcutting behavior and to examine its relationship with meteorological factors. Methods : To identify the presence of seasonality, we investigated whether there was a difference in the average number of visits per month to an emergency room (ER) of an urban hospital for 226 patients with wrist-cutting behavior enrolled between December 2014 and May 2019. To ascertain significant meteorological factors, we used the multiple Poisson regression using generalized additive model with time, monthly temperature, monthly sunshine hour, and atmospheric pressure in the prior month as explanatory variables. Results : In males, the average number of monthly visits to the ER for wrist cutting behavior differed by month and was the highest in September (male : p=0.048, female : p=0.21, total : p=0.28). As a result of multiple regression analysis, the average number of patients admitted to the ER for wrist cutting behavior was related to the interaction between atmospheric pressure in the prior month and temperature in males (p=0.010), and showed a positive correlation with sunlight in females [p=0.044, β=4.70×10-3, 95% CI=(1.19×10-4, 9.27×10-3)]. Conclusions : Wrist cutting behavior shows seasonality in male, which is associated with changes in meteorological variables.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.185-193
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• 2020

Objectives : The aim of this study was to develop and to verify the Korean version of the Eating Disorder Diagnosis Scale DSM-5 (K-EDDS) as a web-based diagnostic system, which enables rapid diagnosis of patients for early intervention. Methods : A total of 119 persons participated in the study, including patients with eating disorders (n=38) and college students (n=81). Along with the paper-and-pencil SCOFF, all participants completed the web-based K-EDDS, the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionaire (EDE-Q), and the Clinical Impairment Assessment Questionnaire (CIA). The semi-structured interview using the Eating Disorder Examination Interview (EDE) was conducted for participants with two or more SCOFF scores. Within two weeks, the web-based K-EDDS, the EDE-Q, and the CIA were re-tested. Results : In the exploratory factor analysis, four factors were extracted : body dissatisfaction, binge behaviors, binge frequency and compensatory behaviors. The four subscales of the web-based K-EDDS had significant correlation with each of the four subscales of the EDE-Q. The internal consistency of the web-based K-EDDS was highly satisfactory (Cronbach's alpha=0.93). The diagnostic agreement between the web-based K-EDDS and the EDE was excellent (96.83%), and the web-based K-EDDS's test-retest diagnostic agreement was fairly good (92.86%). The web-based K-EDDS and the CIA also showed significant differences between patients and general population, supporting discriminant validity. Conclusions : This study suggested that the web-based K-EDDS is a valid tool for assisting diagnosis of eating disorders based on DSM-5 in clinical and research fields.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.177-184
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• 2020

Objectives : Postpartum depression is known to occur in 10-15% of mothers. The concentration of cytokine varies depending on stress, depression, pregnancy and general medical conditions. We hypothesized that the concentration of cytokines may be related to reproduction and childbirth, and that women with postpartum depression would show alterations in cytokines levels. Methods : A total of 104 pregnant women were selected as subjects, and 60 non-pregnant women were selected as normal controls. Symptoms of depression were evaluated in the pregnant study subjects using the diagnostic criteria outlined in the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). The pregnant subjects were divided into three groups perinatal non-depression controls (n=61), postpartum depression-recovery (n=18), and postpartum depression (n=25). Results : The plasma concentration of TGF-β1, IGF-1 was higher in the pregnant group than in non-pregnant controls (TGF-β1 ; p<0.01, IGF-1 ; p=0.026). At 24 weeks of pregnancy and 6 weeks of delivery, there were no significant differences in the plasma concentration of TGF-β1, IGF-1, β-NGF, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IFN-γ, TNF-α between the three groups. There was no statistically significant difference in all three groups during the course of depression in pregnant women. Conclusions : This study found significant difference in plasma cytokines concentrations between non-pregnant controls and perinatal non-depression controls.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.126-134
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• 2020

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate the needs for return-to-work support of cancer survivors and related factors in patients with cancer and their caregivers. Methods : 182 patients and 114 caregivers were recruited. Distress Thermometer and Problem List and scale ranging 0~10 measuring the degree of needs for return-to-work support were utilized. The needs for return-to-work support between the patient group and caregiver group (patient's needs evaluated by the caregiver) were compared, and related factors were investigated using logistic regression analysis. Results : 34.6% and 28.1% of patients and caregivers reported return-to-work support of cancer survivors is "very necessary". The degree of needs was 6.60±3.365 points in the patient group and 6.17±3.454 points in the caregiver group, with no significant difference (p=0.282). The needs for return-to-work support evaluated by patients was high when they underwent surgery (OR=2.592, p=0.007), has fertility problems (OR=6.137, p=0.025), has appearance problems (OR=2.081, p=0.041), or has fatigue (OR=2.330, p=0.020). The needs for return-to-work support of patients evaluated by caregivers was high when patients treated with breast cancer (vs respiratory cancer, OR=13.038, p=0.022 ; vs leukemia/lymphoma, OR=4.517, p=0.025 ; vs other cancer, OR=13.102, p=0.019), has work/school problems (OR=4.578, p=0.005), or has depression (OR=3.213, p=0.022). Conclusions : The degree of needs for return-to-work support of cancer survivors was high, and factors related to the needs were different between the two groups. This suggests that return-to-work support of cancer survivors is required, and clinical characteristics, the distress of patients, and differences between patients and their caregivers should be considered in establishing a support plan.

• (The) Research of the performance art and culture
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• no.34
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• pp.315-353
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• 2017

This study examined the music policies of the three kings, Seongjong, Jungjong, and Injo, who were in power for about 200 years from the late 15th century to the early 17th century. These three kings deserve attention in musical history for different reasons. Sungjong published "Gugjooryeui"(1474), "Gyeong-gugdaejeon"(1476), and "Aghaggwebeom"(1493), the typical etiquette books, law books, and musical books that take the most important position in the history of Joseon, so his direction of music policy deserves attention. Jungjong was the king who rose to the throne after there was a revolt against Yeonsangun's tyranny. Injo ascended to the throne by starting a military coup d'etat himself. One may wonder how the aspect of music policies developed by a king, who was crowned by a revolt, is different from other cases. As each of these three kings had different background of enthronement and the contents of music policies in the royal family also developed with different emphasis, this study examined each aspect separately. Sungjong emphasized the importance of music and regarded it important to cultivate officials who know music. To this end, he gave a special order to Yejo(the office of protocol) and this study tried to clarify the contents first. In addition, this study examined the process, contents, and meaning of various modification works related to the revision of the lyrics used in the ceremonies. Jungjong supplemented the institutional aspects of music. This is the result of expressing the will to correct the anomalous and reckless music policies of the period of Yeonsangun. In addition, many words in the lyrics had been about Buddhist doctrines and love songs between male and female, so there were efforts to reform these. As for the period of Injo, this study examined the music policies that were made in the process of resolving the crisis after the war. It was a time when court musicians were scattered after two times of war and it was not possible to hold the national ritual properly, so music policies in this period were different from the ones in stable era. This study covered discussions on the measures to collect lost instruments and scattered musicians. It also looked at how the restoration effort was made in the situation that the music used in ancestral rites was abolished.