• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.135-143
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• 2016

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the factors associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) risk in patients with metabolic syndrome (MS). Methods: Patients with MS between 30 and 74 years of age were recruited in an outpatient clinic of a cardiovascular center in Seoul, South Korea. MS and the risk of OSA were evaluated by Berlin questionnaire survey, the medical records of the participants were reviewed and a comprehensive lifestyle survey was performed. SPSS WIN 21.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results: BMI (OR: 1.31, CI: 1.14-1.51, p<.001) and lifestyle score (OR: 0.96, CI: 0.93-0.99, p=.028) were associated with the risk of OSA. Physical activity, weight control and diet were specifically associated with the risk of OSA after controlling for age, gender and BMI. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that lifestyle was an important factor associated with OSA risk in patients with MS.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.488-502
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was conducted to determine the neighborhood environmental factors associated with physical activity among adults living in rural communities. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted with a convenience sample of 201 adults living in three Ri in Y-city, Gyeonggi-do. Data were collected from face-to-face interview by trained interviewers and were analyzed using a zero-inflated negative binominal regression model. Results: Participants reported engaged in moderate or vigorous physical activity was 76.1%; 10.5% of participants reported that they met moderate physical activity recommendations and 14.5% of participants reported that they met vigorous physical activity recommendations. Zero-inflated negative binominal regression analysis showed association of increasing days of physical activity with social cohesion (${\beta}=.130$, p=.005), social network (${\beta}=-.096$, p=.003), and safety for crime (${\beta}=-.151$, p=.036), and no days of physical activity was associated with no attainment of education and marginally associated with increasing BMI. Conclusion: Neighborhood environmental factors including social cohesion, social network, and crime for safety were significantly associated with physical activity of rural adults. Community health nurses should expand an approach for individual behavior change to incorporate rural adults' specific neighborhood environmental factors into physical activity interventions.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.848-857
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• 2016

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate factors affecting frailty by age groups among vulnerable elders in Korea. Methods: In this secondary analysis, data were collected from records for 22,868 elders registered in the Visiting Health Management program of Public Health Centers in 2012. Health behaviors, clinically diagnosed disease, frailty, depression and cognitive condition were assessed. Data were analyzed using stepwise regression to determine the associated factors of frailty by age group. Results: Alcohol consumption, physical activity, number of diseases, DM, CVA, arthritis, urinary incontinence, depression and cognitive condition were found to be factors significantly associated with frailty among the elders aged 65~74 (F=135.66, p <.001). Alcohol consumption, physical activity, CVA, arthritis, urinary incontinence, depression and cognitive condition were found to be factors associated with frailty in the elders aged 75~84 (F=245.40, p <.001). Physical activity, CVA, arthritis, depression and cognitive condition were factors associated with frailty in the elders over 85 years of age (F=96.48, p <.001). Conclusion: The findings show that frailty of elders and associated factors were different by age group, and common factors affecting frailty were physical activity, CVA, arthritis, depression and cognitive condition. Thus, these factors should be considered in the development of intervention program for care and prevention of frailty and program should be modified according to age group.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.85-93
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• 2014

Purpose: Nodal metastasis is the main prognostic factor in the patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). We investigated the association between tumor-associated lymphatics and OSCC characteristics. Methods: Thirty-four specimens were used for the immunohistochemical staining with the antibody for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C, VEGF-D, VEGF receptor (VEGFR)-3, phosphorylated VEGFR-3, D2-40, and matrix metallproteinases (MMPs). We observed the distribution of the lymphangiogenic factors and quantified the degree of expression. We determined lymphatic vessel density (LVD) and lymphatic vessel dilatation with D2-40 immunostaining. We assessed the association of LVD or lymphatic vessel dilatation with tumor progression or tumor differentiation. Results: OSCC cells expressed lymphangiogenic ligands. Lymphangiogenic receptor, VEGFR-3, was expressed and activated in some tumor cells as well as in tumor-associated endothelial cells. LVD was not associated with tumor size or nodal status, but lymphatic vessel dilatation was higher in tumors with nodal metastasis, and also higher in poorly differentiated tumors. In stromal area of OSCC, MMP-1 and MMP-10 were up-regulated and the basement membrane of tumor-associated endothelial cells was destroyed by these collagenases. Conclusion: In the primary tumors with nodal metastasis, especially in poorly differentiated OSCC, tumor cells invaded the dilated lymphatic vessels via ruptured sites. MMP-1 and MMP-10 are important in the lysis of the glycocalyx inside the tumor-associated lymphatic endothelial cells.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.122-130
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• 2010

Abnormal hematological values are associated with various disorders including cancer and cardiovascular, metabolic, infectious, and immune diseases. We report the copy number variations (CNVs) in clinically relevant hematological parameters, including hemoglobin level, red and white blood cell counts, platelet counts, and red blood cell (RBC) volume. We describe CNVs in several loci associated with these hematological parameters in 8,842 samples from Korean population-based studies. The data that we evaluated included four RBC parameters, one platelet parameter, and one associated with total white blood cell (WBC) count, exceeding the genome-wide significance. We show that CNVs in hematological parameters are associated with some loci, different from previously associated loci reported in single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) association studies.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.81-85
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• 2010

The aim of the study was to investigate pig reference families, generated from Korean native pigs (KNP) that were crossed with Yorkshire (YS) breeds, which were used to evaluate genetic markers to select breeding animals with superior pork quality. A set of five candidate genes (PRKAG3, MC4R, CAST, ESR, and PRLR ) was analyzed for association with pork quality traits. PRKAG3 (I199V) SNP genotypes were significantly associated with muscle moisture, protein, and fat contents. The MC4R D298N polymorphism was significantly associated with meat tenderness and color traits. The CAST polymorphism was significantly associated with muscle moisture and crude protein traits. These three genes have been associated with pork quality traits in other pig populations, and some of our results are consistent with earlier studies. In addition, two reproductive candidate genes (ESR and PRLR ) did not have significant associations. These results suggest that further study is warranted to investigate and develop more DNA markers associated with pork quality in our KNP-crossed pig families.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.82-85
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• 2015

Pyothorax-associated lymphoma is a relatively rare type of lymphoma that occurs in patients who have long histories of tuberculous pleuritis or induced pneumothorax. It is a type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of mainly the B-cell phenotype and is strongly associated with Epstein-Barr virus infection. A majority of these cases have been reported in Japan, although some cases have occurred in Western countries. Here, we describe a case of pyothorax-associated lymphoma in a patient with a 30-year history of chronic tuberculous empyema. The patient underwent decortication under the impression of chronic empyema with fistula. The histopathologic diagnosis was a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma associated chronic inflammation.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.59-66
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• 2006

Objectives: This study was performed to identify the socioeconomic factors, the psychosocial factors and the heath behavior factors that have an influence on abdominal obesity, as measured by using the waist circumference. Methods: Data was obtained from individuals aged above 20 years who had their waist circumference measured on the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001, which was a cross-sectional health survey. Results: Regression analysis of the factors that affect abdominal obesity showed that the education level, income, smoking, duration of smoking, drinking consumption, frequency of exercises and sleeping were the associated factors for abdominal obesity. For men, the duration of smoking, education level, income and drinking consumption were the associated factors for abdominal obesity. For woman, the education level, income, duration of smoking, drinking consumption and frequency of exercise were the associated factors for abdominal obesity. Conclusions: Abdominal obesity is a risk factor for morbidity and mortality, and it is associated with chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Based on the findings, it is essential to modify heath behaviors for preventing abdominal obesity, which is a condition associated with the incidence of chronic disease.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.81-88
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• 2016

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Serum ferritin levels are significantly increased after menopause and greatly affect women's health. The aim of this study was to investigate the dietary and non-dietary factors associated with high ferritin levels in postmenopausal women. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Among adult women in 2010-2012, qualified postmenopausal women (n = 3880) were separated into quartiles of serum ferritin. The variable differences among the quartiles of ferritin were determined using either procsurvey chi-square test (${\chi}^2$-test) among categorical variables, or GLM (Generalized Linear Model) among continuous variables. The odds ratio for high ferritin in relation to dietary factors was also determined using procsurvery logistic analysis. RESULTS: Age, obesity, drinking habit, and blood glucose levels were found to be significant indicators of high serum ferritin level after adjusting for all confounding factors. Among the food groups, grain, milk, vegetable, and seaweed intakes were significantly associated with high ferritin levels, but after adjusting for all confounding factors, only grains and vegetables remained significant factors. Among the nutrient groups, calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin C intake were significant factors, but after adjustment, none of the nutrient groups analyzed were associated with a high risk of ferritin. CONCLUSION: Age, obesity, drinking habit, and glucose levels, as well as inadequate intakes of grains and vegetables, were found to be significantly associated with high serum ferritin levels in postmenopausal Korean women.

• Acute and Critical Care
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.230-237
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• 2018

Background: Socioeconomic status (SES) is closely associated with health outcomes, including mortality in critically ill patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU). However, research regarding this issue is lacking, especially in countries where the National Health Insurance System is mainly responsible for health care. This study aimed to investigate how the SES of ICU patients in South Korea is associated with mortality. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of adult patients aged ${\geq}20$ years admitted to ICU. Associations between SES-related factors recorded at the time of ICU admission and 30-day and 1-year mortalities were analyzed using univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses. Results: A total of 6,008 patients were included. Of these, 394 (6.6%) died within 30 days of ICU admission, and 1,125 (18.7%) died within 1 year. Multivariable Cox regression analysis found no significant associations between 30-day mortality after ICU admission and SES factors (P>0.05). However, occupation was significantly associated with 1-year mortality after ICU admission. Conclusions: Our study shows that 30-day mortality after ICU admission is not associated with SES in the National Health Insurance coverage setting. However, occupation was associated with 1-year mortality after ICU admission.