• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.93-112
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• 2019

Calf diarrhea is a common disease in young claves and is still a major cause of productivity and economic loss in livestock farms. Fecal samples from Korean native cattle (n=100) with diarrhea from 64 farms in Gwangju area, Korea from september 2017 to December 2018 were examined for shedding of important protozoan parasitic, viral and bacterial pathogens using culture, rapid test kit and PCR methods. Of 57 (89.1%) of the 64 Korean native cattle farms examined had samples infected with at least one of the investigated pathogens. Among 100 fecal samples, 88 samples were positive for at least one the twelve pathogens and 51 samples were simultaneously positive for two or more pathogens by culture and PCR assay. Bovine group A rotavirus (BRV) was the most common pathogen, found in 43/100 (43.0%) samples on 32/64 (50.0%) farms. Subsequently, kobuvirus (30.0%), pathogenic E. coli (29.0%), bovine parvovirus (17.0%), Giardia spp. (13.0%), Eimeria spp. (10.0%), Clostridium perfringens type A (8.0%), bovine torovirus (8.0%), bovine viral diarrhea virus (6.0%), bovine coronavirus (5.0%), bovine norovirus (2.0%) and Cryptosporidium spp. (2.0%) were detected. Nebovirus, kırklareli virus, bovine adenovirus, Salmonella spp. and intestinal parasites were not detected. Of the 72 calves sampled in this age group, 64 (88.9%) samples were positive for at least one enteropathogen. BRV was identified in 34/72 (47.2%) samples from 27/48 (56.3%) farms. Subsequently, pathogenic E. coli (30.6%), kobuvirus (29.2%), BPaV (22.2%), Giardia spp. (15.3%), Eimeria spp. (9.7%), BVDV (6.9%), Cl. perfringens type A (6.9%), BCoV (4.6%) and Cryptosporidium spp. (2.8%) were detected in fecal samples. A total of ninety-six strains of E. coli were isolated from one hundred fecal samples collected from Korean native cattle with diarrhea. The presence of stx1, stx2, eaeA, LT, STa, STb, ehxA, saa, F4, F5(K99), F6, F17, F18 and F41 genes in the isolates was investigated by PCR. Out of ninety-six E. coli isolates screened for specific genes, 30 strains E. coli were identified to harbor shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) 7 (7.3%), enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) 8 (8.3%), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) 6 (6.3%), enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) 2 (2.1%) and STEC/ETEC hybrid 7 (7.3%). This study provides epidemiological estimates of the prevalence of Korean native cattle's enteropathogens in Gwangju area, Korea, which would be used for cattle farmers and veterinarians to select appropriate therapeutic method.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.312-319
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• 2021

Background: Lumbar herniated intervertebral disc (LHIVD) is a frequently presented condition/disease in Korean medical institutions. In this study, the economics of thread embedding acupuncture (TEA) was evaluated in a randomized controlled trial comparing TEA with sham TEA (STEA). Methods: This economic evaluation was analyzed from a limited social perspective, and the per-protocol set was from a basic analysis perspective. The cost-effectiveness analysis was based on the change in visual analog scale score, and the cost-utility analysis was based on the quality-adjusted life years. The final results were expressed as the average cost-effectiveness ratio and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, and furthermore sensitivity analysis was performed to confirm the robustness of the results observed. Results: The cost-effectiveness analysis showed that TEA was 9,908 won lower than STEA, while the decrease in 100 mm visual analog scale score was 8.5 mm greater in the TEA group compared with the STEA group (p > 0.05). The cost-utility analysis showed that TEA was 9,908 won lower than STEA, while the quality-adjusted life years of TEA was 0.0026 years higher than STEA (p > 0.05). These results were robust in the sensitivity analysis, but were not statistically significant. Conclusion: In treating LHIVD, TEA appeared to have cost-effectiveness and cost-utility compared with STEA. However, there were no significant differences between the groups in terms of cost, effectiveness, and utility indicators. Therefore, results must be interpreted prudently; this study was the 1^st to conduct an economic evaluation of TEA for LHIVD.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.667-675
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• 2020

Objectives: Exposure to fine dust (PM10) could contribute to the occurrence of cardiovascular disease or respiratory abnormalities. Since garlic is known to possess an anti-oxidative stress effect, the present study was performed to evaluate the effect of garlic intake on fine dust-mediated pulmonary toxicity. Methods: Rats were intratracheally instilled with fine dust at 15 mg/kg body weight (BW)/day for five days following five-day intragastric intubation of garlic at 0.7 or 1.4 g/kgBW/day, or 13.1 mg/kgBW/day S-allyl-cysteine (SAC) as a reference component in garlic. Blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were collected. Results: Deposit of fine dust was visually and histopathologically observed in the lungs. Body weight gain during the instillation period was significantly lowered in all the groups instilled with fine dust. Neutrophil numbers in blood were significantly elevated in the fine dust alone group, but this alteration was diminished in the groups administered with garlic. Levels of serum glutathione were lower in the rats instilled with fine dust alone, and this decrease in the glutathione level seems dose-dependently compensated among the groups administered with garlic. Similar findings were observed in the BALF with statistical significance. Typical pulmonary histopathological observation related with inflammation was demonstrated in the lungs of the rats exposed to fine dust alone, whereas such histopathologic findings were not improved in the groups administered with garlic. Conclusion: The present study suggests that garlic intake could alleviate fine dust-mediated pulmonary or systemic toxicities. Further investigation is necessary to delineate the mechanism of garlic-mediated effects on pulmonary function.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.250-255
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• 2020

In order to find if a ferulic acid (FA) can be used as a selection index in cereal breeding for resistance to head blight and mycotoxin production, we analyzed FA in the grains of 80 cultivars of barley, rice, and wheat. FA content ranged 1.66-2.77 mg/g in barley (n=20), 0.56-1.53 mg/g in wheat (n=40), and 0.91-2.13 mg/g in rice (n=20). Among these, 7 cultivars each of barley and wheat with different FA content were tested for head blight and mycotoxin production by 2 Fusarium graminearum and 2 F. asiaticum strains. Mean pathogenicity of the wheat cultivars was significantly less than that of barley with higher FA and among wheat cultivars, there was no correlation between FA content and pathogenicity. Mycotoxin production was also lower in the wheat than in the barley as pathogenicity. However, pathogenicity and toxins produced by F. asiaticum were negatively correlated with FA content in barley. These results indicate that FA is not a resistance factor to head blight by F. asiaticum and F. graminearum or its mycotoxin production in barley and wheat.

• 한국노년학
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.847-863
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• 2008

This study aimed to measure the health literacy among Korean elderly living in the community, and to explore the factors influencing health literacy of the elderly. A descriptive correlational research design was used. The sample consisted of 411 elders who were conveniently selected from the community welfare center users in Seoul and Gyeong-gi province. Data were collected from face-to-face interviews by trained interviewers between January, 7 and February, 4, in 2008. Health literacy was measured by Korean Health Literacy Scale developed by Lee(2008). Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, t-test, and multiple regression were used to analyse the data. In result, the mean score of health literacy was 17.46(${\pm}5.73$) with a range of 0 to 25, 42.8% of elderly had limited health literacy problems. Multiple regression showed that 26.5% of variance in health literacy was accounted for by the combination of education, age, living arrangement, and income. In conclusion, various strategies to improve health literacy in elderly population in the areas of health education and disease management should be needed to reduce health disparities among elderly.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.469-482
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to analyze regional variation factors of hypertension treatment rate in COVID-19 based on the analysis results based on ecological methodology. To this end, data suitable for ecological analysis were collected from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's regional health statistics, local government COVID-19 confirmed cases, National Health Insurance Corporation, Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service's welfare statistics, and Korea Transport Institute's traffic access index. Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were conducted using SPSS Statistics 23 for regional variation and related factors in hypertension treatment rate, and geographical weighted regression analysis was conducted using Arc GIS for regional variation factors. As a result of the study, the overall explanatory power of the calculated geo-weighted regression model was 27.6%, distributed from 23.1% to 33.4% by region. As factors affecting the treatment rate of hypertension, the higher the rate of basic living security medical benefits, diabetes treatment rate, and health institutions per 100,000 population, the higher the rate of hypertension treatment, the lower the number of COVID-19 confirmed patients, the lower the rate of physical activity, and the alcohol consumption. Percentage of alcohol consumption decreased due to COVID-19 pandemic. It was analyzed that the lower the ratio, the higher the treatment rate for hypertension. Based on these results, the analysis of regional variables in the treatment rate of hypertension in COVID-19 can be expected to be effective in managing the treatment rate of hypertension, and furthermore, it is expected to be used to establish community-centered health promotion policies.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.187-195
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• 2021

This study was conducted to identify the characteristics of immune function and inflammatory changes for elderly women, by having them to participate in line dance program. For this purpose, 18 elderly women in their 60s to 70s, living in Y city were selected, and 9 of the participants were randomly assigned to participate in the line dance program for 12-weeks (line dance exercise group), while the other 9 participants were assigned to carry out their daily lives without participating in certain physical activity (control group) for the same period. The subjects' immune function and inflammation were measured using SPSS 24.0 for datafication, and the average and two-way ANOVA analysis were conducted. The result indicates the immunoglobulin, IgA, has increased, but not dramatically. The level of IgG(p<.05), and IgM(p<.05) increase were detected from the line dance exercise group, but not so much from the control group. Inflammation indicator, the CRP(p<.05), were significantly reduced from the line dance exercise group, but not much for the control group. According to the collected data, line dance for the elderly women can be considered as an effective exercise program, and the result shows that inflammation is reduced and immune function is improved. It also implies the needs of active physical activity arbitration to keep the elderly women's health and to prevent the chronic disease in the future.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.29.1-29.12
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• 2022

Several studies have shown associations between irinotecan toxicity and UGT1A genetic variations in colorectal and lung cancer, but only limited data are available for gastric cancer patients. We evaluated the frequencies of UGT1A polymorphisms and their relationship with clinicopathologic parameters in 382 Korean gastric cancer patients. Polymorphisms of UGT1A1*6, UGT1A1*27, UGT1A1*28, UGT1A1*60, UGT1A7*2, UGT1A7*3, and UGT1A9*22 were genotyped by direct sequencing. In 98 patients treated with irinotecan-containing regimens, toxicity and response were compared according to the genotype. The UGT1A1*6 and UGT1A9*22 genotypes showed a higher prevalence in Korean gastric cancer patients, while the prevalence of the UG1A1*28 polymorphism was lower than in normal Koreans, as has been found in other studies of Asian populations. The incidence of severe diarrhea after irinotecan-containing treatment was more common in patients with the UGT1A1*6, UGT1A7*3 and UGT1A9*22 polymorphisms than in controls. The presence of the UGT1A1*6 allele also showed a significant association with grade III-IV neutropenia. Upon haplotype and diplotype analyses, almost every patient bearing the UGT1A1*6 or UGT1A7*3 variant also had the UGT1A9*22 polymorphism, and all severe manifestations of UGT1A polymorphism-associated toxicity were related to the UGT1A9*22 polymorphism. By genotyping UGT1A9*22 polymorphisms, we could identify high-risk gastric cancer patients receiving irinotecan-containing chemotherapy, who would experience severe toxicity. When treating high-risk patients with the UGT1A9*22 polymorphism, clinicians should closely monitor them for signs of toxicity such as severe diarrhea or neutropenia.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.288-294
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• 2021

Purpose: Despite aggressive medical and nutritional management, patients with methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) often suffer from multi-organ damage. Early deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) has emerged as an intervention to prevent disease progression. We investigated the efficacy of living donor LT (LDLT) with a potential carrier of MMA and a small volume of graft in patients with MMA as an alternative to DDLT. Methods: Of five patients (three male, two female; median age 5.7 years; range, 1.3-13.7 years), four underwent carrier LDLT, while one underwent non-carrier auxiliary LDLT. All patients received pre- and post-LT continuous renal replacement therapy and were provided with minimal restriction diet according to serum MMA level after LT. MMA levels in the serum and urine, the incidence of metabolic crisis, and clinical findings before and after LT were compared. Results: The survival rate was 100% during 2.2 years of follow up period after LT. In all five cases, MMA titer in the serum after transplantation decreased with less restrictive diet. Metabolic crisis was not observed during the follow-up period. In addition, no patient showed progression of severe renal impairment requiring hemodialysis. Progression of delayed cognitive development was not observed. Social functioning with improved neuropsychiatric development was observed. Conclusion: This study showed that LDLT achieved improved quality of life with less restrictive diet, therefore it could be a feasible alternative option to DDLT for the treatment of patients with MMA, even with an auxiliary LT.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.843-849
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• 2022

In this study, the probability of secondary carcinogenesis was analyzed by measuring the exposure dose of surrounding normal organs during radiosurgery using a gamma knife. A pediatric phantom (Model 706-G, CIRS, USA) composed of human tissue-equivalent material was set to four tumor volumes of 0.25 cm³, 0.51 cm³, 1.01 cm³, and 2.03 cm³, and the average dose was 18.4 ± 3.4 Gy. After installing the Rando phantom on the table of the gamma knife surgical equipment, the OSLD nanoDot dosimeters were placed in the right eye, left eye, thyroid, thymus gland, right lung, and left lung to measure each exposure dose. The probability of cancer occurrence due to radiation exposure of surrounding normal organs during gamma knife radiosurgery for acoustic schwannoma disease was 4.08 cancers per 100,000 at a tumor volume of 2.03 cm³. This study is expected to be used as useful data in relation to stochastic effects in the future by studying the risk of secondary radiation exposure that can occur during stereotactic radiosurgery.