• BMB Reports
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.209-216
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• 2015

Stress is now recognized as a universal premorbid factor associated with many risk factors of various chronic diseases. Acute stress may induce an individual's adaptive response to environmental demands. However, chronic, excessive stress causes cumulative negative impacts on health outcomes through "allostatic load". Thus, monitoring the quantified levels of long-term stress mediators would provide a timely opportunity for prevention or earlier intervention of stressrelated chronic illnesses. Although either acute or chronic stress could be quantified through measurement of changes in physiological parameters such as heart rate, blood pressure, and levels of various metabolic hormones, it is still elusive to interpret whether the changes in circulating levels of stress mediators such as cortisol can reflect the acute, chronic, or diurnal variations. Both serum and salivary cortisol levels reveal acute changes at a single point in time, but the overall long-term systemic cortisol exposure is difficult to evaluate due to circadian variations and its protein-binding capacity. Scalp hair has a fairy predictable growth rate of approximately 1 cm/month, and the most 1 cm segment approximates the last month's cortisol production as the mean value. The analysis of cortisol in hair is a highly promising technique for the retrospective assessment of chronic stress. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(4): 209-216]

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.1-7
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• 2022

Purpose: The present study concentrates on the issues that affected the employees directly and acted as stress factors. These stress factors affect how the employees perform while undertaking their duties. Furthermore, this study evaluated how the involvement of the corporate counsel affected the company by enhancing the productivity of the employees. Research design, data and methodology: The research design of this research is a literature content analysis and method for data handling should be described, and the resultant combination of the studies should include the consistency measures for every meta-analysis. Specify any risk assessment of bias that may impact the cumulative evidence, such as the publication bias and the selective reporting within studies. Results: The finding shows that change in the location of employees' organizational restructuring and the introduction of new technologies also contributed to significant organizational stress factors. These results show a substantial correlation between the magnitude of the adjustments' effects on employees' performance. Conclusions: The current study strongly concludes that counselors, through their prowess, can analyze and evaluate the stress factors that are evident among the employees and in the organization. Some of these factors may be office layout, organizational codes of ethics, organization rules, and employees' personal challenges.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 2012

Dyslipidemia, mainly characterized by high triglyceride (TG) and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, is an important etiological factor in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Considering the relationship between childhood obesity and CVD risk, it would be worthwhile to evaluate whether previously identified lipid-related variants in adult subjects are associated with lipid variations in a childhood obesity study (n = 482). In an association analysis for 16 genome-wide association study (GWAS)-based candidate loci, we confirmed significant associations of a genetic predisposition to lipoprotein concentrations in a childhood obesity study. Having two loci (rs10503669 at LPL and rs16940212 at LIPC) that showed the strongest association with blood levels of TG and HDL-C, we calculated a genetic risk score (GRS), representing the sum of the risk alleles. It has been observed that increasing GRS is significantly associated with decreased HDL-C (effect size, $-1.13{\pm}0.07$) compared to single nucleotide polymorphism combinations without two risk variants. In addition, a positive correlation was observed between allelic dosage score and risk allele (rs10503669 at LPL) on high TG levels (effect size, $10.89{\pm}0.84$). These two loci yielded consistent associations in our previous meta-analysis. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that the genetic architecture of circulating lipid levels (TG and HDL-C) overlap to a large extent in childhood as well as in adulthood. Post-GWAS functional characterization of these variants is further required to elucidate their pathophysiological roles and biological mechanisms.

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.193-205
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• 1999

This study was carried out to identify the important risk factors for reduced bone mass of postmenopausal RA patients and to develop discriminant function which can classify postmenopausal RA patients with either reduced or normal bone mass. Through the literature review, individual characteristics such as age, body weight, height, age of menarche, duration of menopause, gravity, parity, and breast feeding period and factors of life style such as milk consumption exercise habit, alcohol intake, cigarette smoking, coffee consumpt ion , disease activity, corticosteroid therapy were identified as influencing factors of reduced bone mass in RA patients Sixty eight postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis aged between 42 and 76 were selected among those who checked bone mineral density in lumbar spine and femur from october, 1998 to Apr il, 1999 at Dong-a university hospital in Pusan. Assessment of disease activity, duration of disease and corticosteroid therapy were made by the same rheumatologist and included Ritchie articular index, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein on measuring bone mineral density. Cumulative steroid dosage was calculated from the daily dosage multiplied by t h e number of days received. The information of other risk factor including health assessment score, individual characteristics and life style factors were collected by questionnaire. Bone mineral density(BMD) was measured using DXA at lumbar spine and femoral Ward's triangle. Discriminant function(regression equation) was developed for estimating the likelihood of the presence or absence of reduced bone mass. The results are as follows: Among the subjects, thirteen(19.1%) exhibited osteoporosis in lumbar spine and twenty four(35.3%) exhibited osteoporosis in femoral Ward's triangle. For lumbar spine, the variables significant were age, body weight, health assessment score, while for femoral Ward's triangle, age, body weight, duration of disease. But disease activity and corticosteroid therapy were not signigicant to distinguish reduced bone mass from normal bone mass. When the discriminant function was evaluated by comparing the observed out come with predicted out come, the discriminant function correctly classified 85.4% of patients with reduce bone mass and 63.0% of patients with normal bone mass in the lumbar spine and 100% of patients with reduced bone mass and 9.1% of patients with normal bone mass in the femoral Ward's triangle. In summary, we found that osteoporosis in postmenopausal women with RA is more evident at the femur than the lumbar spine. Also the important discriminant factors of reduced bone mass postmenopausal women with RA were age, body weight , duration of disease and health disability. In nursing situation, the efforts to improve of functional capacity of postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis should be considered to prevent osteoporosis and fractures. Also we recommend those postmenopausal women with RA who are classified as a group of the reduced bone mass in the discriminant function should examine the bone mineral density to further examine the usefulness of this discriminant function.

• 한국무역상무학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.06a
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• pp.45-72
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• 2006

The Equator Principles are a set of voluntary environmental and social guidelines for ethical project finance. These principles commit banks and other signatories to not finance projects that fail to meet these guidelines. The principles were conceived in 2002 on an initiative of the International Finance Corporation and launched in 2003. Since then, dozens of major banks have adopted the Principles, and with these banks among them accounting for more than three quarters of all project loan market volume the Principles have become the de facto standard for all banks and investors on how to deal with potential social and environmental effects of projects to be financed. While regarding the Principles an important initiative, NGOs have criticised the Principles for not producing real changes in financing activities and for allowing projects to go through that should have been screened out by the Principles, such as the Sakhalin-II oil and gas project in Russia. In early 2006, a process of revision of the principles was begun. The Equator Principles state that endorsing banks will only provide loans directly to projects under the following circumstances: - The risk of the project is categorized in accordance with internal guidelines based upon the environmental and social screening criteria of the International Finance Corporation (IFC). - For all medium or high risk projects (Category A and B projects), sponsors complete an Environmental Assessment, the preparation of which must meet certain requirements and satisfactorily address key environmental and social issues. - The Environmental Assessment report addresses baseline environmental and social conditions, requirements under host country laws and regulations, applicable international treaties and agreements, sustainable development and use of renewable natural resources, protection of human health, cultural properties, and biodiversity, including endangered species and sensitive ecosystems, use of dangerous substances, major hazards, occupational health and safety, fire prevention and life safety, socio-economic impacts, land acquisition and land use, involuntary resettlement, impacts on indigenous peoples and communities, cumulative impacts of existing projects, the proposed project, and anticipated future projects, participation of affected parties in the design, review and implementation of the project, consideration of feasible environmentally and socially preferable alternatives, efficient production, delivery and use of energy, pollution prevention and waste minimization, pollution controls (liquid effluents and air emissions) and solid and chemical waste management. - Based on the Environmental Assessment, Equator banks then make agreements with their clients on how they mitigate, monitor and manage those risks through an 'Environmental Management Plan'. Compliance with the plan is required in the covenant. If the borrower doesn't comply with the agreed terms, the bank will take corrective action, which if unsuccessful, could ultimately result in the bank canceling the loan and demanding immediate repayment. - For risky projects, the borrower consults with stakeholders (NGO's and project affected groups) and provides them with information on the risks of the project. - If necessary, an expert is consulted. The Principles only apply to projects over 50 million US dollars, which, according to the Equator Principles website, represent 97% of the total market. In early 2006, the financial institutions behind the Principles launched stakeholder consultations and negotiations aimed at revising the principles. The draft revised principles were met with criticism from NGO stakeholders, who in a joint position paper argued that the draft fails by ignoring the most serious critiques of the principles: a lack of consistent and rigorous implementation.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.182-190
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• 2023

Elbow traumas represent a relatively common condition in clinical practice. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding the most accurate tests for screening these potentially serious conditions and excluding elbow fractures. The purpose of this investigation was to analyze the literature concerning the diagnostic accuracy of clinical tests for the detection or exclusion of suspected elbow fractures. A systematic review was performed using the Preferred Reporting Items for a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Diagnostic Test Accuracy Studies (PRISMA-DTA) guidelines. Literature databases including PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Diagnostic Test Accuracy, Cochrane Library, the Web of Science, and ScienceDirect were searched for diagnostic accuracy studies of subjects with suspected traumatic elbow fracture investigating clinical tests compared to imaging reference tests. The risk of bias in each study was assessed independently by two reviewers using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 checklist. Twelve studies (4,485 patients) were included. Three different types of index tests were extracted. In adults, these tests were very sensitive, with values up to 98.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 95.0%-99.8%). The specificity was very variable, ranging from 24.0% (95% CI, 19.0%-30.0%) to 69.4% (95% CI, 57.3%-79.5%). The applicability of these tests was very high, while overall studies showed a medium risk of bias. Elbow full range of motion test, elbow extension test, and elbow extension and point tenderness test appear to be useful in the presence of a negative test to exclude fracture in a majority of cases. The specificity of all tests, however, does not allow us to draw useful conclusions because there was a great variability of results obtained.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.41.1-41.23
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• 2021

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of various local anesthesia (LA) in vital asymptomatic teeth. Materials and Methods: Randomized controlled trials comparing pulpal anesthesia of various LA on vital asymptomatic teeth were included in this review. Searches were conducted in the Cochrane CENTRAL, MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE, ClinicalTrials.gov, Google Scholar and 3 field-specific journals from inception to May 3, 2019. Study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment using Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool were done by 2 independent reviewers in duplicate. Network meta-analysis (NMA) was performed within the frequentist setting using STATA 15.0. The LA was ranked, and the surface under the cumulative ranking (SUCRA) line was plotted. The confidence of the NMA estimates was assessed using the CINeMA web application. Results: The literature search yielded 1,678 potentially eligible reports, but only 42 were included in this review. For maxillary buccal infiltration, articaine 4% with epinephrine 1:100,000 was more efficacious than lidocaine 2% with epinephrine 1:100,000 (odds ratio, 2.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.14-3.89). For mandibular buccal infiltration, articaine 4% with epinephrine 1:100,000 was more efficacious than various lidocaine solutions. The SUCRA ranking was highest for articaine 4% with epinephrine when used as maxillary and mandibular buccal infiltrations, and lidocaine 2% with epinephrine 1:80,000 when used as inferior alveolar nerve block. Inconsistency and imprecision were detected in some of the NMA estimates. Conclusions: Articaine 4% with epinephrine is superior when maxillary or mandibular infiltration is required in vital asymptomatic teeth.

• Journal of Korean Academic Society of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.5-18
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• 2019

Purpose: Frailty is associated with an increased risk of adverse health outcomes. We aimed to review the relationships between frailty and health outcomes in community-dwelling Korean elderly individuals. Methods: Whittemore and Knafls' framework for conducting integrative reviews was used. PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and six Korean databases were searched. For analysis, the study included articles written in English and Korean published between January 1960 and June 2018. Of the total 1,488 studies found in the databases, we analyzed 15 studies that met the quality of the evaluation criteria. Results: The prevalence of frailty in Korean elderly individuals ranged from 6.5% to 11.7% when divided into three levels of frailty. The health outcomes assessed in relation to frailty were divided into five domains: quality of life, physical health, psychosocial health, health behavior, and health care quality. Frailty was negatively associated with all five domains. Conclusions: Our study suggested that nurses should be aware of the limitations in the physical and cognitive functions of frail elderly individuals and provide tailored interventions for Korean elderly individuals. Furthermore, a large-scale study is needed to develop the Korean model of the frailty assessment tool and to verify the conceptual model of this study.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.296-302
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• 2011

Insect-resistant transgenic rice was developed by inserting the mCry1Ac1 a modified gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). For biosafety assessment, we studied the effects on survival of cantor Daphnia magna, a commonly used as a model organism in ecotoxicological studies. D. magna fed on Bt rice and its near non-genetically modified (GM) counterparts (Nakdong) grown in the same environment (100% ground rice suspension). The Bt rice was comfirmed to have the insertion of T-DNA and protein expression by the polymerase chain reaction and ELISA analysis. Feeding study showed similar cumulative immobility and abnormal response of D. magna between Bt rice and non-GM counterparts. 48 h-$EC_{50}$ values of Bt rice and non-GM rice showed 4,429 and 2,889 mg/L respectively. The rice no observed effect concentration (NOEC) values for D. magna was suggested 1,000 mg/L. We conclude that the tested Bt-rice and Nakdong similar cumulative immobility for D. magna the widely used model organism. We found out that there is strong possibility that the growth of Bt rice didn't affect to non-target insects.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.901-907
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• 2012

Objective: Cumulative evidence suggests that MLH1, the key component in the mismatch pathway, plays an important role in human cancers. Two potential functional polymorphisms (-93G>A and I219V) of MLH1 have been implicated in cancer risk. The aim of this meta-analysis was to summarize the evidence for associations. Methods: Eligible studies were identified by searching the electronic literature PubMed, ScienceDirect and Embase databases for relevant reports and bibliographies. Studies were included if of case-control design investigating MLH1 polymorphisms (-93G>A and I219V) and cancer risk with sufficient raw data for analysis. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were used to evaluate the strength of associations. Results: Our meta-analysis from 33 published case-control studies showed the variant A allele of -93G>A polymorphism to be associated with increased risk in all genetic models (AA vs. GG: OR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.03-1.44), especially among non-Asians (AA vs. GG: OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.04-1.58). For the I219V polymorphism, however, there was no main effect associated with overall cancer risk in any genetic model. Conclusions: The meta-analysis suggested that the MLH1 -93G>A polymorphism may be a biomarker of cancer susceptibility. Large sample association studies and assessment of gene-to-gene as well as gene-to-environment interactions are required to confirm these findings.