• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.81-90
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• 2011

Purpose: This study is to understand how community members perceive past life recollection and preparation for death. Methods: Using a questionnaire, we surveyed 160 adult residents of one of the districts (gu) in Seoul, Korea. Descriptive statistics were used. Results: Participants chose their 30s and 40s as the most difficult time in their lives. The most painful experience was "an illness of a family member", followed by "trouble with a spouse", and "trouble with children". As for the most difficult social experience, "sense of loss in life" was ranked the highest. Personally, the happiest time was "accomplishment of a goal", while it was "happiness through children" in family relationship and "contribution to society through my career" in social life. As for the most regrettable experience, personally "having lived without purpose" was the highest, "not meeting my parents' expectation more" in family relationship; "not providing sufficient education" in relationship with children; "not having an occupation that I wanted" in work life, and "lack of social skills" in social life. More than 87% of the surveyed showed a positive attitude about the system of the do not resuscitate (DNS) order. For a situation where participants were supposed to have an incurable disease, "I want to be notified of the true condition" and "I want to write a will and advanced directives" ranked high, receiving more than 3.1 points out of 4. Conclusion: These results demonstrate the need for death education to provide people with an opportunity to accept their regrettable experiences in the past as part of their life. Also, this study suggests the importance of writing advanced directives for people to prepare for "death with dignity" how it can help their decision to be better respected.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.157-166
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• 2007

This experiment was performed to evaluate the ultrastructural responses of the absorptive cells in the appendix of the mouse, inoculated with Ehrlich carcinoma cells in the inguinal area, following administration of BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin). Healthy adult ICR mice weighing 25 gm each were divided into normal and experimental groups (experimental control group and BCG treated group). In the experimental groups, each mouse was inoculated with $1{\time}10^7$ Ehrlich carcinoma cells subcutaneously in the inguinal area. From next day after inoculations, 0.5mL of saline or BCG (0.5 mL/25gm B.W.: $0.03{\times}10^8{\sim}0.32{\times}10^8CFU$) were injected subcutaneously to the animals every other day. The day following the last injection, each mouse was sacrificed. Pieces of the tissue were taken from the appendix, prefixed with 2.5% glutaraldehyde-1.5% paraformaldehyde solution, followed by post-fixation with 1% osmium tetroxide solution. The ultrathin sections were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate. In the normal control, experimental control and BCG treated mice, general morphology of the absorptive cells of appendix were similar. But myelin figures and intramitochondrial dense granules were more frequently observed in the absorptive cells of BCG treated mice than normal control ones. Above results show that BCG did show slight ultrastructural alterations in the absorptive cell of the appendix. These results that BCG may slightly suppress function of the absorptive cells of the appendix.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Food Science of Animal Resources Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.89-119
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• 2004

This study was conducted to isolate lactobacilli having probiotic characteristics to be used as health adjuncts with fermented milk products. Acid tolerant strains were selected in Lactobacilli MRS broth adjusted to pH 4.0 from 80 healthy persons (infants, children and adults). And bile tolerant strains were examined in Lactobacilli MRS broth in which 1.0% bile salt was added. By estimation above characteristics, the strains No. 27, which was isolated from adult feces, was selected and identified as Lactobacillus salivarius subsp. salivarius based on carbohydrate fermentation and 16S rDNA sequencing. It was used as a probiotic strain in fermented milk products. The pH of fermented milk decreased from pH 6.7 to 5.0 and titratable acidity increased from 0.3% to 1.0% by L. salivarius subsp. salivarius (isolation strain 20, 35, and 37), when incubated for 36 h at $37^{\circ}C$. The number of viable cell counts of fermented milk was maximized at this incubation condition. The SDS-PAGE evidenced no significant change of casein but distinct changes of whey protein were observed by isolated L. salivarius subsp. salivarius for titratable acidity being incubated by $0.9{\sim}1.0%$ at $37^{\circ}C$. All of the strains produced 83.43 to 131.96 mM of lactic acid and 5.39 to 26.85 mM of isobutyric acid in fermented products. The in vitro culture experiment was performed to evaluate ability to reduce cholesterol levels and antimicrobial activity in the growth medium. The selected L. salivarius subsp. salivarius reduced $23{\sim}38%$ of cholesterol content in lactobacilli MRS broth during bacterial growth for 24 hours at $37^{\circ}C$. All of the isolated L. salivarius subsp. salivarius had an excellent antibacterial activity with $15{\sim}25$ mm of inhibition zone to E. coli KCTC1039, S. enteritidis KCCM3313, S. typhimurium M-15, and S. typhimurium KCCM40253 when its pH had not been adjusted. Also, all of the isolated L. salivarius subsp. salivarius had partial inhibition zone to E. coli KCTC1039, E. coli KCTC0115 and S. enteritidis KCCM3313 when it had been adjusted to pH 5.7. The selected strains were determined to have resistances of twelve antibiotic. Strains 27 and 35 among the L. salivarius subsp. salivarius showed the highest resistance to the antibiotics. Purified ${\alpha}$-galactosidase was obtained by DEAE-Sephadex A-50 ion exchange chromatography, Mono-Q ion exchange chromatography and HPLC column chromatography from L. salivarius subsp. salivarius 27. The specific activity of the purified enzyme was 8,994 units/mg protein, representing an 17.09 folds purification of the original cell crude extract. The molecular weight of enzyme was identified about 53,000 dalton by 12% SDS-PAGE. Optimal temperature and pH for activity of this enzyme were $40^{\circ}C$ and 7.0 respectively. The enzyme was found to be stable between 25 and $50^{\circ}C$. ${\alpha}$-galactosidase activity was lost rapidly below pH 5.0 and above pH 9.0. This enzyme was liberated galactose from melibiose, raffinose, and stachyose, and also the hydrolysis rate of substrate was compound by HPLC. These results indicated that some of the L. salivarius subsp. salivarius (strain 27 and 35) are considered as effective probiotic strains with a potential for industrial applications, but the further study is needed to establish their use as probiotics in vivo.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.31 no.1 s.84
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• pp.63-69
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• 2001

Cleft lip and/or palate(CLP) is the most common congenital deformity in the craniofacial region. For a practical public health system for these patients it is necessary to have an understanding on the prevalence of CLP. However, it was difficult to estimate the exact number of CLP patients due to problems in sample selection, higher miscarriage and still birth rate, difficulty in classification, and adoptions to foreign countries. Therefore this study was to estimate the prevalence of CLP and the rate of orthodontic treatment, which is usually necessary in cleft lip and/or palate patients. The samples consisted of 218,322 Korean male adults from Seoul, Kwangju, Taegu and Pusan, all born in 1979. The screening method for recognizing the CLP patients was proceeded in steps and the results are as follows. 1. The prevalence of cleft lip and/or palate in Korean male adults born in 1979 was 0.65 out of the 1000 samples. 2. In the anteroposterior aspect of the 1000 samples, the prevalence of cleft lip, cleft lip and palate, and cleft palate was 0.26, 0.36 and 0.03 respectively. 3. In the transverse aspect of the 1000 samples, the prevalence of left, right and bilateral cleft was 0.35, 0.16, 0.12 respectively. The cleft in the left showed a much higher prevalence than in the rirht, while bilateral cleft showed a lower prevalence than unilateral cleft. 4. The orthodontic treatment rate of Korean male adults among cleft lip and/or palate Patients was $35\%$, and it was in the order of cleft lip and Palate, cleft lip, and cleft Palate, being $67\%,\;29\%\;and\;29\%$ respectively. The orthodontic treatment rate in patients with the more severe cleft lip and palate was higher than in patients solely having cleft lip or cleft palate.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.210-217
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• 2018

Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects quality of life and nutrition. Several studies have demonstrated a link between periodontal disease and low bone density, and vitamin D is expected to have a beneficial effect on periodontal disease as well as on bone mineral density and anti-inflammatory effects. The purpose of this study was to identify the association between periodontal disease and vitamin D because the results are different in some studies and there is a lack of research in Korea. In this study, we conducted a multiple linear regression analysis of 8,783 subjects among 23,626 subjects who were older than 20 years of age, who had serum vitamin D levels and periodontal disease, who had three years of the National Health and Nutrition Survey that was conducted in Korea from 2012 to 2014. We examined the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and periodontal disease. Tooth loss and vitamin D levels were negatively correlated (${\beta}=-0.028$, p=0.008). In addition, the prevalence of periodontal disease was found to be higher in men younger than 50 years of age with lower vitamin D levels (Q1: 1.769 [1.125~2.782], Q2: 1.182 [0.743~1.881], Q3: 0.676 [0.400~1.881]; p=0.001). Low vitamin D levels and periodontal disease are common diseases in primary care. Vitamin D supplementation is expected to have favorable effect on periodontal disease and falls, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and cancer. Therefore, patients with periodontal disease may benefit from periodic vitamin D management to improve quality of life as well as to manage periodontal disease. In addition, as shown in this study, not only elderly individuals, but also men younger than 50 years of age are related to periodontal disease, so there should be interest in controlling the levels of vitamin D in adults.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.12-25
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• 2003

Objectives：As increasing number of new antidepressants have been being introduced in clinical practice, pharmacological understanding has been broadened. These changes mandate new information and theories to be incorporated into the treatment process of children with depressive disorders. In light of newly coming knowledge, this review intended to recapitulate the characteristics of new antidepressants and to consider the pivotal issues to develope guidelines for the treatment of depression in childhood and adolescence. Methods：Searching the Pub-Med online database for the articles with the key words of 'new', 'antidepressants' and 'children' ninety-seven headings of review articles were obtained. The author selected the articles of pertinent subjects in terms of either treatment guideline or psychopharmacology of new antidepressants. When required, articles about the clinical effectiveness of individual antidepressants were separatedly searched. In addition, the safety information of new antidepressants was acquired by browsing the official sites of the United States Food and Drugs Administration and Department of Health and Human Services. Results：1) For the clinical course, treatment phase, and treatment outcome, the reviews or treatment guidelines adopted the information from adult treatment guidelines. 2) Systematic and critical reviews unambiguously concluded that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors(SSRIs) excelled tricyclic antidepressants( TCAs) for both efficacy and side effect profiles, and were recommend for the first-line choice for the treatment of children with depressive disorders. 3) New antidepressants generally lacked treatment experiences and randomized controlled clinical trials. 4) SSRIs and other new antidepressants, when used together, might result in pharmacokinetic and/or pharmacodynamic drug-to-drug interaction. 5) The difference of the clinical effectiveness of antidepressants between children and adults should be addressed from developmental aspects, which required further evidence. Conclusion：Treatment guidelines for the pharmacological treatment of childhood and adolescence depression could be constructed on the basis of clinical trial findings and practical experiences. Treatment guidelines are to best serve as the frame of reference for a clinician to make reasonable decisions for a particular therapeutic situation. In order to fulfill this role, guidelines should be updated as soon as new research data become available.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.232-239
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• 1997

Purpose: The incidence of hepatitis A virus(HAV) infection has markedly decreased in the last 20 years due to industrialization and improvements in the standard of living and hygiene in Korea. The reduction in seroprevalence rates indicates infection potential for young adult population, and a need for vaccinations in high-risk adults and children groups has been suggested. In this study we evaluated the seroprevalence rates and natural infection rates of hepatitis A in children and adolescent to obtain the basic data for vaccination of hepatitis A. Methods: A total of 334 children and adolescent subjects below 20 years old in Kyonggi-do province were examined for HAV antibody and seroprevalence rates in each age group was investigated. In 584 elementary school students residing in Kyonggi-do province, serum samples collected in 1993 and 1996 from the same subjects for investigation of natural seroconversion rates. Method of testing antibody was enzyme immunoassay. Results: 1) The seropositive rate of HAV in 334 subjects aged below 20 years old was 5.4%. According to age, the seropositive rates were 27.3% in infant group, 0.0% in 1~4 year-old group, 0.0% in 5~9 year-old group, 2.9% in 10~14 year-old group and 15.0% in 15~19 year-old group. 2) In the study of 584 elementary school children, only one subject showed seropositive in 1993, and in 1996 three different subjects showed seropositive results(0.5%); the natural seroconversion rate during 3 years was 0.5%. 3) The seroprevalence rates of below 20 year-old subjects reported in previous studies were 63.8% in 1979 and 47.3% in 1989 while the present study showed the rate at 5.4%. Conclusion: Since natural antibody formation is rarely occurring, there is a high risk for apparent hepatitis A infection in adults. Therefore vaccination in high risk groups is essential at present, and in order to reduce the chance for hepatitis A infection in adults, vaccination in children may be needed.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.1151-1157
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• 1998

Many type II diabetic patients use folk remedies to. treat diabetes in Korea. The physiology, pathology, usage, and prescriptions of folk remedies are not well established, and the effects of those remedies were handed down by word of mouth of experienced persons. Most of these remedies can cause unexpected side effects if consumed in large amounts since patients lack scientific backgrounds and the precise effects as well as the possible side effects have not been proven. The purpose of this survey was to investigate the prevalence of diabetic f31k remedies used by adult diabetic patients who use diet therapy to treat diabetes. This information can be used for a basic scientific approach to diabetic f31k remedies. The results of the survey were as follows : 1) Thiry-nine patients(53.4%) out of a total of 75 patients, answered that they used folk remedies. 2) There were 54 kinds of folk remedies f3r diabetes, and the most popular ones are silk worm powder, red jinseng, silkworm pupa, raw lentils, and cabbage, that to accounted for 97.4% of the experienced group. 3) The most common way to be exposed to folk remedies were recomnendations by friends and relatives, and through the mass communication such as TV, newspaper, magazine. As fir as the effects of the flok remedies goes, 17% answered that they experienced positive effects in controlling blood glucose levels and 5.7% reported negative effects. Moreover, 17.1% answered that they experienced side effects like stomach ache and bloating. 4) The 82.9% of the experienced group answered that they used silkworm powder, which was the most popular one in folk remedies. 5) 75% of the experienced group patients showed positive responses to folk remedies, saying that they will try new folk remedies if introduced. Even 66.7% of inexperienced group showed their interest saying that they will try new folk remedies.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.85 no.1
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• pp.37-46
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• 2022

Background: Although respiratory tract infection is one of the most important factors triggering acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AE-COPD), limited data are available to suggest an epidemiologic pattern of microbiology in South Korea. Methods: A multicenter observational study was conducted between January 2015 and December 2018 across 28 hospitals in South Korea. Adult patients with moderate-to-severe acute exacerbations of COPD were eligible to participate in the present study. The participants underwent all conventional tests to identify etiology of microbial pathogenesis. The primary outcome was the percentage of different microbiological pathogens causing AE-COPD. A comparative microbiological analysis of the patients with overlapping asthma-COPD (ACO) and pure COPD was performed. Results: We included 1,186 patients with AE-COPD. Patients with pure COPD constituted 87.9% and those with ACO accounted for 12.1%. Nearly half of the patients used an inhaled corticosteroid-containing regimen and one-fifth used systemic corticosteroids. Respiratory pathogens were found in 55.3% of all such patients. Bacteria and viruses were detected in 33% and 33.2%, respectively. Bacterial and viral coinfections were found in 10.9%. The most frequently detected bacteria were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9.8%), and the most frequently detected virus was influenza A (10.4%). Multiple bacterial infections were more likely to appear in ACO than in pure COPD (8.3% vs. 3.6%, p=0.016). Conclusion: Distinct microbiological patterns were identified in patients with moderate-to-severe AE-COPD in South Korea. These findings may improve evidence-based management of patients with AE-COPD and represent the basis for further studies investigating infectious pathogens in patients with COPD.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.278-295
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• 2022

Purpose: This study was undertaken to revise and update the Nutrition Quotient (NQ) for Korean adults, a tool used to evaluate dietary quality and behavior. Methods: The first 31 items of the measurable food behavior checklist were adopted based on considerations of the previous NQ checklist, recent literature reviews, national nutrition policies, and recommendations. A pilot survey was conducted on 100 adults aged 19 to 64 residing in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province from March to April 2021 using a provisional 26- item checklist. Pilot survey data were analyzed using factor analysis and frequency analysis to determine whether checklist items were well organized and responses to questions were well distributed, respectively. As a result, the number of items on the food behavior checklist was reduced to 23 for the nationwide survey, which was administered to 1,000 adults (470 men and 530 women) aged 19 to 64 from May to August 2021. The construct validity of the developed NQ (NQ-2021) was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis, linear structural relations. Results: Eighteen items in 3 categories, that is, balance (8 items), moderation (6 items), and practice (4 items), were finally included in NQ-2021 food behavior checklist. 'Balance' items addressed the intake frequencies of essential foods, 'moderation' items the frequencies of unhealthy food intakes or behaviors, and 'practice' items addressed eating behaviors. Items and categories were weighted using standardized path coefficients to calculate NQ-2021 scores. Conclusion: The updated NQ-2021 appears to be suitable for easily and quickly assessing the diet qualities and behaviors of Korean adults.