• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.999-1006
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• 2018

Obesity is epidemic worldwide and has reportedly been linked to the progression of several metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. The natural products are decreasing the side effects of medicines used for obesity and also have health benefits dut to their numerous bioactive compounds. In this context, Artemisia scoparia is a widespread plant that has been suggested as possessing various types of bioactivity. In this study, the crude extract from A. scoparia (ASE) was tested for its ability to suppress adipogenesis in mouse 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes. The molecular pathway by which ASE affects differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells was also investigated. The introduction of ASE to differentiating 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes resulted in suppressed adipogenesis, as confirmed by decreased intracellular lipid accumulation. The differentiating cells treated with 10 and $100{\mu}g/ml$ of ASE showed 21.9 and 29.0% less lipid accumulation, respectively, than untreated adipocytes. In addition, the results indicated that ASE treatment lowered the expression of the adipogenesis-related factors $PPAR{\gamma}$, $C/EBP{\alpha}$, and SREBP-1c. Furthermore, treating with ASE notably decreased levels of phosphorylated p38, ERK, and JNK in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. These results indicate that ASE exhibits significant anti-adipogenesis activity by downregulating the MAPK and $PPAR{\gamma}$ pathways during the differentiation of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes. Therefore, A. scoparia may be a potential source of natural products against obesity.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.95-108
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• 2020

A coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new global health problem. The Korean government is pursuing to gain its future growth engines and promoting short-term economic stimulation by investing in research and development (R&D) to improve national technological capabilities that can respond to the spread of the global epidemic. It is required to need knowledge information to establish the direction of future national planning thru understanding the status quo of R&D investment in terms of research fields. Four corona-related R&D fields were drawn on the basis of analyzing major nations' R&D funding data (USA, EU etc.) and two differentiated R&D fields were added through comparative analysis with domestic R&D projects. Domestic and foreign research organization-the research title-the scale of the research funding-the project period were presented in terms of the suggested 6(7 details) R&D research fields. Meanwhile R&D projects that have featured in the convergence of interdisciplinary were provided. This study proved the excellence of coronavirus detection and on-site diagnostic capabilities that are currently globally highlighted by deriving differentiated research fields from the domestic competitive advantage fields related to corona viruses and also suggested intensive investment research fields.

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.145-151
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• 1997

An unusual young fruit rot of apple caused by two species of Phytophthora was epidemic from late May to early July of 1996 in Andong, Uisung and Chungwon areas of Korea. The disease spread to over 30 apple orchards in the areas and percent of the infected tree and fruit was ca. 10~90% and 1`15%, respectively. Water soaking lesions or spots on leaves and shoot blight were also developed by the pathogen. Among 39 isolates collected, 25 were identified as P. cactorum and the others were as zp. cambivora on the basis of their distinctive morphological characters. While the former fungus was homothallic, all isolates of the latter were A1 mating types. Koch's postulate was fulfilled. Both fungi showed strong pathogenicity not only to young fruits, leaves and shoots of apple but also to those of pear and peach. Several vegetables tested did not show symptoms even by wound inoculation. An Occurrence of young fruit rot of apple caused by Phytophthora has not been reported in Korea, especially, P. cambivora has not been recorded previously as the causal agent of the disease in the world.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.123-131
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• 2017

Norovirus causes frequent epidemic viral gastroenteritis in Korea. The team for the control of noroviral foodborne outbreaks (NOROTECL) executed a project to trace the cause of norovirus contamination in agricultural products and environmental samples to reduce norovirus outbreaks in Korea. Between January and November in 2015, the contaminations by norovirus and indicator microorganisms such as coliforms, Escherichia coil and male specific coliphage (MSC) were examined in 80 agricultural products, 80 soil samples, 78 human feces samples, 3 animal feces samples, 80 agricultural water samples and 80 river water samples. Semi-nested PCR and DNA sequencing revealed 18 genogroup I and 3 genogroup II noroviruses in a total of 18 samples. These noroviruses were validated by real-time (RT)-PCR analysis. For indicator microorganisms, coliform and E. coli were respectively detected in agricultural products (68, 1%), soils (88, 7%), human feces (44, 12.8%), animal feces (67, 67%), agricultural waters (74, 30%) and river waters (96, 51%). The MSC results revealed 14 positive samples.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.168-174
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• 2001

Purpose : There was an epidemic of aseptic meningitis in Korea for 3 years from 1996 to 1998. In this study, we reported the time of outbreak, age and sex distribution, clinical manifestations, laboratory data, and complications of the children with aseptic meningitis. Methods : We reviewed clinical records of 192 aseptic meningitis patients who had been admitted to Pohang St. Mary's Hospital from 1996 to 1998. Results : Aseptic meningitis occurred most frequently in July and August. The ratio of male to female was 1.91 : 1, and the most prevalent age was 1 to 5 years of age. The main symptoms were fever, vomiting, headache in this order of frequency. Peripheral blood showed leukocytosis(WBC > $10,000/mm^3$) in 44.3% of the cases. CSF examination showed WBC count were less than $500/mm^3$ in 88.0%, protein levels less than 40 mg/dL in 61.5%, and glucose levels more than 40 mg/dL in 94.3% of the cases. We did not isolate the causative viral agents. Conclusion : Aseptic meningitis was prevalent in children in the Pohang area from 1996 to 1998. Clinical manifestations and CSF profiles of aseptic meningitis patients showed no great difference compared to other reported.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.27 no.4 s.48
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• pp.693-709
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• 1994

This epidemiologic study was carried out to investigate cauuse and magnitude of food-poisoning like epidemic occurred among inhabitants of a village who have eaten dead cow's meat near Kyongju in February of 1994, around lunar new year, The investigation consisted of interview survey on all inhabitants of 77 households (111 males and 119 females) and their visitors (40 males and 35 females), skin test with anthraxinum (Russian product), study on clinical characteristics for the patients hospitalized, and microbiologic examination on microbes isolated from cow's meat, patient and soils of dead cow's barn. The results obtained are as followings; 1. The proportion of the inhabitants who ingested the dead cow's meat was 36.4%. The incidence rate of the disease was 65.1% for males, 41.7% for females and the cases were distributed evenly for all age groups. The group ingested raw meat showed higher incidence than the group ingested cooked meat. There was no case among people who did not eat the meat. 2. The most clinical symptoms were significantly more frequent among cases than non-cases : sore throat (57%), nausea (51%), fever (47%), indigestion (43%), cough (41%), anorexia (41%), abdominal distention (41%), and abdominal pain (39%) were the major symptoms among cases. 3. Among 29 cases hospitalized out of total 61 cases, three patients, all old and feeble persons, deceased from the disease resulting in 4.9% fatality rate among total patient and 10.3% among hospitalized. Septicemia and meningitis were the causes of the deaths. 4. Three strains isolated from patients, and three strains from dead cow's meat and soil revealed typical microbiologic characteristics of Bacillus Anthracis, which also proved to be fatal to experimentally infected mice.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.31 no.3 s.62
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• pp.540-563
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• 1998

This Study has been carried out to make a recommendation for the next amendment of the Infectious Disease Prevention Act with a specific focus on the kind of notifyable disease. Korean, Japanese, German, U.S, English and French acts on infectious diseases prevention were reviewed, compared with and analized in regards of numbers and kinds of notifyable infectious diseases and their tendency of amendments. An criteria was designed to assess the level of validity of diseases to be designated in the act. Four items, the fatality (greater than 10% or not), the possibility to make a big epidemic, the availability of efficient vaccination and the usefulness of isolation, are used in the assessment. This index is applied to the diseases in Korean and other countries' Infectious Disease Prevention Acts. Results are as follows: 1. The Korean Infectious Disease Preventon Act has a unique way of classifying the notifyable infectious disease, that is, the first, the second and the third class. But the author cannot find the basis of classification. No other countries reviewed have the similar classification. 2. The ten diseases, cholera, plague, yellow fever, diphtheria, typhoid fever, poliomyelitis, rabies, tetanus, malaria, and meningococcal meningitis are designated as the notifyable diseases not only in Korea but also in Japan, Germany, United States, England and france. 3. Thirty seven diseases including small pox, Lassa fever, anthrax, influenza, German measles, Legionellosis, infection with E. coli O157:H7, Q-fever, brucellosis, Lyme disease are designated as legal disease at least one of the above mentioned countries. 4. The Korea has been coped with the change of the infectious disease occurrence for last fifty years in amendment of the Infectious Disease Prevention Act. 5. Japan has a special infectious surveillance system composed of 3,880 clinics throughout the whole country. 6. Germany has classified infectious diseases in five categories which are based on seriousness of disease. Any confirmed death, cases and suspected cases in class I should be reported within 24 hours. But only confirmed death and cases in class II, but not suspected cases, are reportable in Germarny. 7. Plague, bacillary dysentery, pertussis, mumps, Japanese encephaltis and Korean hemorrhagic fevers are diseases with high credits validity index among Korean legal disease. 8. German measles, anthrax, E. coli O157 : H7 infection, Lassa fever, Q-fever, brucellosis are high in validity index among those which are not designated in Korea but designated in other countries. In conclusion, the Korean Infectious Disease Prevention Act has well been coped with the changes of infectious disease occurrence for last fifty years, but the classification basis and the validity of diseases to be designated as legal diseases is worth reevaluating.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.67-73
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• 2008

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is the most economically important viral infectious disease in pig populations worldwide. This study was conducted to better understand the epidemic and dynamics of PRRS virus (PRRSV) on each farm and to evaluate the risk of PRRSV infection in Korea. Interviews with pig farmers were carried out to obtain PRRS vaccination programmes in 60 pig farms throughout Korea. Blood samples were also collected from the 59 pig farms to investigate outbreak patterns of each farm. Vaccination against PRRS was performed in 16.7% farms for breeding pigs and 8.3% of farms for nursery pigs. According to the seroepidemiological analysis, 56 (94.9%) out of 59 farms were considered to be affected by PRRSV infection. The results revealed that 68.9% of sows tested were seroconverted and interestingly, gilt herds had the highest seropositive rate (73%), suggesting that gilts may play a key role in PRRSV transmission in sow herds. Among the PRRS-affected piglet herds, 33 (55.9%), 14 (23.7%) and 6 (10.2%) farms were initially infected with PRRSV during the weaning, suckling and nursery period, respectively. It seems likely, therefore, that PRRSV infection predominantly occurs around the weaning period in piglet herds. Based on antibody seroprevalence levels in both sow and piglet groups, we were able to classify patterns of PRRSV infection per farm unit into 4 categories; category 1 (stable sow groups and non-infected piglet groups), category 2 (unstable sow groups and non-infected piglet groups), category 3 (stable sow groups and infected piglet groups), and category 4 (unstable sow groups and infected piglet groups). Our data suggested that 43 (72.9%) farms were analysed to belong to category 4, which is considered to be at high-risk for PRRS outbreak. Taken together, our information from this study will provide insight into the establishment of an effective control strategy for PRRS on the field.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.555-562
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• 2016

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Childhood obesity has become a global epidemic. Development of effective and sustainable programs to promote healthy behaviors from a young age is important. This study developed and tested an intervention program designed to promote healthy eating and physical activity among young children in South Korea by adaptation of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Mission X (MX) Program. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The intervention program consisted of 4 weeks of fitness and 2 weeks of nutrition education. A sample of 104 subjects completed pre- and post- surveys on the Children's Nutrition Acknowledgement Test (NAT). Parents were asked for their children's characteristics and two 24-hour dietary records, the Nutrition Quotient (NQ) at baseline and a 6-week follow-up. Child weight status was assessed using Korean body mass index (BMI) percentiles. RESULTS: At baseline, 16.4% (boy: 15.4%; girl: 19.2%) of subjects were overweight or obese (based on $BMI{\geq}85%tile$). Fat consumption significantly decreased in normal BMI children ($48.6{\pm}16.8g$ at baseline to $41.9{\pm}18.1g$ after intervention, P < 0.05); total NQ score significantly increased from 66.4 to 67.9 (P < 0.05); total NAT score significantly improved in normal BMI children (74.3 at baseline to 81.9 after the program), children being underweight (from 71.0 to 77.0), and overweight children (77.1 at baseline vs. 88.2 after intervention, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The 6-week South Korean NASA MX project is feasible and shows favorable changes in eating behaviors and nutritional knowledge among young children.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.728-739
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• 2020

Using webometric big data, this study examines the diversity of online information sources about the novel coronavirus causing the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, it focuses on some 28 countries where confirmed coronavirus cases occurred in February 2020. In the results, the online visibility of Australia, Canada, and Italy was the highest, based on their producing the most relevant information. There was a statistically significant correlation between the hit counts per country and the frequency of visiting the domains that act as information channels. Interestingly, Japan, China, and Singapore, which had a large number of confirmed cases at that time, were providing web data related to the novel coronavirus. Online sources were classified using an N-tuple helix model. The results showed that government agencies were the largest supplier of coronavirus information in cyberspace. Furthermore, the two-mode network technique revealed that media companies, university hospitals, and public healthcare centers had taken a positive attitude towards online circulation of coronavirus research and epidemic prevention information. However, semantic network analysis showed that health, school, home, and public had high centrality values. This means that people were concerned not only about personal prevention rules caused by the coronavirus outbreak, but also about response plans caused by life inconveniences and operational obstacles.