• Anxiety and mood
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.1-12
• /
• 2019

Thought-action fusion (TAF) is a tendency to blindly assume causal relations between their thoughts and external reality. On the other hand, cognitive fusion (CF) is a tendency to take internal experiences, such as thoughts and feeling, literally rather than view them as random events. However, these two terms are often confusedly used and, in fact, have conceptual overlaps. Therefore, this study aimed to identify their distinctive features through a comprehensive review of the definition, origin, measurements and clinical implications especially on the understanding of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The cognitive-behavioral concept of TAF is confined to erroneous and maladaptive beliefs about the connection between thoughts and behaviors. The CF is a broader construct that entails taking thoughts and feelings as facts and engaging or struggling with them such that the quality of life is lowered. They also have different theoretical backgrounds, developing processes and therapeutic approaches. From the perspective of the obsessive-compulsive disorder, both concepts have been studied as mid-structures for this illness. Recently, the effectiveness of psychological therapies related to these concepts such as defusion therapy has been tested. However, it is yet still in its infancy. In the future, complementary advances between the two concepts with studies on biological substrates is needed.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.63-77
• /
• 2015

Objectives The combination extract of four kinds of herbs, Gastrodia elata, Liriope platyphylla, Dimocarpus longan, and Salvia miltiorrhiza, has shown to have memory improving effects in mice. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of the herbal mixture for improving working memory as well as microstructural changes in white matter integrity in individuals with subjective memory complaints. Methods Seventy-five individuals with subjective memory complaints were assigned to receive either placebo (n = 15) or herbal mixture (low-dose group, n = 30 and high-dose group, n = 30) supplementation in an 8-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Changes in working memory performance and fractional anisotropy (FA) values reflecting white matter integrity from baseline to 8-week endpoint were assessed. Results The herbal mixture group showed an increase in working memory performance compared to the placebo group (p for interaction = 0.001). In addition, the herbal mixture group showed an increase in FA values in the temporo-parietal regions (corrected p < 0.05), which are crucially involved in working memory function and are among the most affected regions in patients with cognitive impairments. Conclusions Findings from this study indicate that the herbal mixture may be a promising therapeutic option for individuals with subjective memory complaints.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.9-16
• /
• 2006

We investigated the effects of 835-MHz electromagnetic field (EMF), one of the most popular communication frequency band in Korean code-division multiple-access (CDMA) mobile phone system, on cellular signal transduction. For this, we examined the change of intracellular calcium $([Ca^{2+}]_i)$, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and F-actin polymerization after exposure to 835-MHz EMF followed by the treatment of agonists in Rat-2 fibroblast cells. Culture cells were pretreated with serum-tree medium and concomitantly exposed to 835-MHz at specific absorption rate (SAR) of 4.0 W/kg for 24 hr in a specialized designed apparatus based on Transverse Electro Magnetics (TEM) wave theory. Intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ responses to lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) in Rat-2 fibroblast after exposure to 835-MHz EMF were shown to be similar pattern as observed in normal cultured cells. However, the LPA-induced calcium spiking was slightly delayed to 7 sec and sustained thereafter to a little higher ground level under 835-MHz EMF radiation compared to unexposed cells. ROS production level by LPA in the exposed cells was not different from that in control. Furthermore, LPA induced the production of stress fibers with no significant difference in the exposed and unexposed cells. These results suggest that mobile phone radiation (835-MHz, SAR 4.0 W/kg) may not be directly related to signal transduction in Rat-2 fibroblasts except the slight effect of calcium spiking in LPA-induced cells but remain to be further elucidated for possible indirect intervention.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.78-85
• /
• 2012

Whether the $FTO$ polymorphisms interact with environmental factors has not yet been evaluated in associations with metabolic syndrome (MS) risk. The present study investigated the association of the $FTO$ rs9939609 genotypes, body mass index (BMI), and lifestyle-related factors including smoking, alcohol drinking, physical activity, and diet with MS incidence. A population-based prospective cohort study comprised 3,504 male and female Koreans aged 40 to 69 years. At the beginning of the study, all individuals were free of MS and known cardiovascular disease. Incident cases of MS were identified by biennial health examinations during a follow-up period from April 17, 2003 to April 15, 2009. Pooled logistic regression analysis was applied to obtain relative odds (RO) of MS with its 95% confidence interval (CI). After controlling for potential MS risk factors, we observed no association between the rs9939609 genotypes and MS incidence. In analysis stratified by BMI, however, carriers with the $FTO$ risk allele whose BMI is $29kg/m^2$ or greater showed an approximately 6-fold higher RO (95% CI: 3.82 to 9.30) compared with non-carriers with BMI less than $25kg/m^2$. In particular, the association between the rs9939609 variants and MS risk was significantly modified by high BMI (P-value for interaction < 0.05). Such significant interaction appeared in associations with central obesity and high blood pressure among the MS components. Because carriers of the $FTO$ risk alleles who had BMI of $29kg/m^2$ or greater are considered a high risk population, we suggest that they may need intensive weight loss regimens to prevent MS development.

• Biomedical Engineering Letters
• /
• v.8 no.4
• /
• pp.399-404
• /
• 2018

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of a mobile wireless digital automatic blood pressure monitor for clinical use and mobile health (mHealth). In this study, a manual sphygmomanometer and a digital blood pressure monitor were tested in 100 participants in a repetitive and sequential manner to measure blood pressure. The guidelines for measurement used the Korea Food & Drug Administration protocol, which reflects international standards, such as the American National Standard Institution/Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation SP 10: 1992 and the British Hypertension Society protocol. Measurements were generally consistent across observers according to the measured mean ${\pm}SD$, which ranged in $0.1{\pm}2.6mmHg$ for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and $0.5{\pm}2.2mmHg$ for diastolic blood pressure (DBP). For the device and the observer, the difference in average blood pressure (mean${\pm}$SD) was $2.3{\pm}4.7mmHg$ for SBP and $2.0{\pm}4.2mmHg$ for DBP. The SBP and DBP measured in this study showed accurate measurements that satisfied all criteria, including an average difference that did not exceed 5 mmHg and a standard deviation that did not exceed 8 mmHg. The mobile wireless digital blood pressure monitor has the potential for clinical use and managing one's own health.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.41-49
• /
• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of nurses staffing level on patient health outcomes in intensive care units (ICUs) in Korea. Methods: The study was retrospective in nature. Information on patients and their outcomes, as well as nurse cohort data, were obtained from Korea's National Health Insurance Service Database. The observation period was from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2018, and data for 2,964,991 patients were analyzed. Independent variables included patient' age and sex and hospital type, intensivist, and nurses staffing level. Results: The mortality rate in ICUs was significantly higher at tertiary hospitals with a level 3~4 (HR, 1.21; 95% confidence interval, 1.19~1.22) or level 5~9 nurse staffing (HR, 1.31; 95% confidence interval, 1.27~1.34) compare to that of tertiary hospitals with a 1~2 level. 28-day mortality rate was also higher at general hospitals with a level 3~4 (HR, 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.12~1.14), level 5~6 (HR. 1.34; 95% confidence interval, 1.32~1.36), level 7~9 nurse staffing (HR, 1.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.38~1.42), using level 1~2 as reference. Conclusion: Nurses staffing level is a key determinant of healthcare-associated mortality in critically ICUs patients. Policies to achieve adequate nurse staffing levels are therefore required to enhance patient outcomes.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
• /
• v.56 no.2
• /
• pp.105-114
• /
• 2024

Clinical laboratories endeavor to secure quality by establishing effective quality management systems. However, laboratory environments are complex, and single quality control procedures may inadequately detect many errors. Patient-based real-time quality control (PBRTQC) is a laboratory tool that monitors the testing process using algorithms such as Bull's algorithm and several variables, such as average of normal, moving median, moving average, and exponentially weighted moving average. PBRTQC has many advantages over conventional quality control, including low cost, commutability, continuous real-time performance monitoring, and sensitivity to pre-analytical errors. However, PBRTQC is not easily implemented as it requires statistical algorithm selection, the design of appropriate rules and protocols, and performance verification. This review describes the basic concepts, methods, and procedures of PBRTQC and presents guidelines for implementing a patient-based quality management system. Furthermore, we propose the combined use of PBRTQC when the performance of internal quality control is limited. However, clinical evaluations were not conducted during this review, and thus, future evaluation is required.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.41 no.3
• /
• pp.386-389
• /
• 2008

Lung parenchyma is a common organ for metastases of extrathoracic tumors, but endobronchial metastasis is very rare. In this report, we present a case of endobronchial metastases from renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and this was managed by performing operative resection. A 63-year-old man presented with frequent dry cough; he had previously undergone left nephrectomy and postoperative chemotherapy for grade 2 RCC eight years ago. Computed tomography and bronchoscopy showed an endobronchial tumor from the left lower lobe bronchus to the second carina, and this mass was diagnosed as a necrotic tissue with chronic inflammation at biopsy. During the operation, the mass was revealed to be a metastatic renal cell carcinoma on the frozen section diagnosis and there was no mucosal invasion on the resection margin of the left lower lobe bronchus. We performed lobectomy of the left lower lobe with systemic dissection of the mediastinal lymph nodes. The final histopathologic diagnosis of the endobrochial mass was metastatic RCC and any mediastinal lymph node metastasis was not found. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 10 without any postoperative complications.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.123-131
• /
• 2004

We reviewed four types of Attachment intervention, 1) programs that seek to enhance sensitivity, 2) programs designed to alter parents' representations, 3) programs that provide and enhance social support, and 4) programs designed to enhance maternal mental health and well-being, and Project STEEP(Steps Toward Effective and Enjoyable Parenting). We have learned from the these studies that the emotional sensitivity and responsivity are very important factors for the development and treatment of Attachment relationships and the needs of the parents should also be addressed. Our recommendation for future attachment intervention is to design programs 1) that have the flexibility to meet participants' needs, 2) that involve other important people in the participants' lives, 3) that focus on fostering individual strengths, 4) that begin early, and 5) that are intensive and sufficiently long.

• Anxiety and mood
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.45-53
• /
• 2013

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to develop the Korean Strength Scale and to examine its validity and reliability. Methods : The Korean Strength Scale is a self-report questionnaire that measures 25 valued strengths and is comprised of 124 items ; each item had a 0-5 rating on a 6-point scale. In order to test validity and reliability, data were collected from 355 adults. The measures included the Korean Strength Scale, HEXACO Personality Inventory (HEXACO-PI), Satisfaction with life scale (SWLS), Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), and Orientations to Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ). Results : The resulting exploratory factor analysis of the Korean Strength Scale suggested 4 factor structures. The Korean Strength Scale was shown to have acceptable psychometric properties, including acceptable internal-consistency reliabilities, factorial validity, and high convergent correlations. Conclusion : Although there is room on improvement for some facet scales, the Korean Strength Scale appears to be a useful tool for assessing an individual's signature strengths.