• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2017

Objectives: By the end of the 2000s, the economic situation in many European countries started to deteriorate, generating financial uncertainty, social insecurity and worse health status. The aim of the present study was to investigate how the recent financial crisis has affected the lifestyle health determinants and behaviours of older adults living in the Mediterranean islands. Methods: From 2005 to 2015, a population-based, multi-stage convenience sampling method was used to voluntarily enrol 2749 older adults (50% men) from 20 Mediterranean islands and the rural area of the Mani peninsula. Lifestyle status was evaluated as the cumulative score of four components (range, 0 to 6), that is, smoking habits, diet quality (MedDietScore), depression status (Geriatric Depression Scale) and physical activity. Results: Older Mediterranean people enrolled in the study from 2009 onwards showed social isolation and increased smoking, were more prone to depressive symptoms, and adopted less healthy dietary habits, as compared to their counterparts participating earlier in the study (p<0.05), irrespective of age, gender, several clinical characteristics, or socioeconomic status of the participants (an almost 50% adjusted increase in the lifestyle score from before 2009 to after 2009, p<0.001). Conclusions: A shift towards less healthy behaviours was noticeable after the economic crisis had commenced. Public health interventions should focus on older adults, particularly of lower socioeconomic levels, in order to effectively reduce the burden of cardiometabolic disease at the population level.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.81-93
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• 2021

Objectives: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is condition of cognitive decline shown in transition from normal aging to dementia. Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture (HPP) is a treatment that combines effects of medication and acupuncture by injecting Hominis placenta into acupoints. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of HPP for MCI. Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-center clinical trial. Eligible patients were randomly allocated to either the HPP group or the placebo group. HPP or saline as placebo was administered to participants for eight weeks. Changes in symptoms were observed. The primary outcome was difference in mean change of Korean Version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K) score between the HPP group and the placebo group. Cognitive function, overall status of mood and sleep, and quality of life (QoL) were also assessed. Safety assessment and economic analysis were then conducted. Results: Thirty participants were enrolled. One participant in the placebo group dropped out. The score of MoCA-K increased after treatment. Its mean change was smaller in the HPP group than in the control group. HPP ameliorated Global Deterioration Scale and Korean Dementia Rating Scale subtests for attention, organization, and memory compared to the placebo. However, none of them was significantly different between the two groups. Mood, sleep, and QoL all improved more in the HPP group than in the placebo group, although differences between the two groups were not statistically significant. There was no adverse event probably related to the drug. HPP treatment needed KRW 345,000 more than the placebo group in improving Geriatric Quality of Life scale-Dementia score by one point for one year. Conclusions: Although HPP treatment did not significantly improve cognition, it changed behavioral and psychological symptoms in MCI.

• International Journal of Stem Cells
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.342-355
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• 2023

Background and Objectives: Osteoblasts are derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) and play important role in bone remodeling. While our previous studies have investigated the cell subtypes and heterogeneity in osteoblasts and BMMSCs separately, cell-to-cell communications between osteoblasts and BMMSCs in vivo in humans have not been characterized. The aim of this study was to investigate the cellular communication between human primary osteoblasts and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Methods and Results: To investigate the cell-to-cell communications between osteoblasts and BMMSCs and identify new cell subtypes, we performed a systematic integration analysis with our single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) transcriptomes data from BMMSCs and osteoblasts. We successfully identified a novel preosteoblasts subtype which highly expressed ATF3, CCL2, CXCL2 and IRF1. Biological functional annotations of the transcriptomes suggested that the novel preosteoblasts subtype may inhibit osteoblasts differentiation, maintain cells to a less differentiated status and recruit osteoclasts. Ligand-receptor interaction analysis showed strong interaction between mature osteoblasts and BMMSCs. Meanwhile, we found FZD1 was highly expressed in BMMSCs of osteogenic differentiation direction. WIF1 and SFRP4, which were highly expressed in mature osteoblasts were reported to inhibit osteogenic differentiation. We speculated that WIF1 and sFRP4 expressed in mature osteoblasts inhibited the binding of FZD1 to Wnt ligand in BMMSCs, thereby further inhibiting osteogenic differentiation of BMMSCs. Conclusions: Our study provided a more systematic and comprehensive understanding of the heterogeneity of osteogenic cells. At the single cell level, this study provided insights into the cell-to-cell communications between BMMSCs and osteoblasts and mature osteoblasts may mediate negative feedback regulation of osteogenesis process.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.63-68
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• 2016

Objectives Haenyeo are Korean professional women breath-hold divers in Jeju island. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of depressed Haenyeo group, compared to non-Haenyeo depressed group. Methods This study included 75 Haenyeo and 340 non-Haenyeo with depressive disorders recruited from the Dementia Early Detection Program in Jeju island. Structural diagnostic interviews were performed using the Korean version of Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. All patients completed the questionnaires, including the Subjective Memory Complaints Questionnaire (SMCQ), the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15), and the Blessed dementia scale. Depression was evaluated by the Korean version of short form the Geriatric Depression Scale (K-SGDS) and cognition was assessed by the Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) assessment packet. Results Although the mean scores of the K-SGDS were similar between Haenyeo and non-Haenyeo depressed groups, the Haenyeo group showed a higher mean score on the PSQ-15 (p < 0.001, ANCOVA adjusting for age, the K-SGDS and education). The Haenyeo group showed poorer performance on the Korean Version of Frontal Assessment Batter (p < 0.001), the Mini-Mental State Examination in the Korean version of the CERAD Assessment Packet (p < 0.018), the word fluency test (p < 0.001), and the word list memory test (p = 0.012) in ANCOVA adjusting for age and education. The mean SMCQ score was higher in the Haenyeo depressed group than in the non-Haenyeo depressed group. Conclusions The Haenyeo depressed group shows cognitive dysfunction, especially frontal lobe dysfunction, compared to the non-Haenyeo depressed group, indicating the Haenyeo depressed group may have more severe frontolimbic dysfunction due to chronic exposure to hypoxia. The Haenyeo depressed group suffers more somatic symptoms than the non-Haenyeo depressed group.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2006

Objectives: We studied to find out the relevant relationship between the type of residence and the level of mental depression among aged people. Methods: The authors surveyed 156 people who are over 65 in a small city. Here are three groups: 50 persons who live in the facility for the aged. 72 persons who live with their family and 34 persons who live alone. We developed the questionnaire and the severity of depressive symptoms was measured using Korean Form of Geriatric Depression Scale (KGDS) score. Results: Positive rate of depressive disorders among the aged people was 43.6%. Positive rate of depressive disorders among the aged who live in the facility for the aged was 42.0% and that persons who live with their family was 9.7%. It's more likely to be their gender, the marital status, schooling, going out and pocket money that affect on their mental depression. According to the multiple logistic regression, the odds ratios of the persons who live in the facility for the aged versus persons who live with their family and pocket money in a month were significant (p<0.05). Conclusions: The research shows that the mental depression in the aged people is more serious in the facility for the aged and also significantly related to their pocket money.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.99-119
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• 2006

Objectives: This study intends to understand the difference within group of social support level and the effect of social support to health behaviors and health status of the elderly by selecting the old of local society as target. Methods: Data were obtained from self-administered questionnaire of 8,688 persons, older than 65 years, living in a community. We measured the sociodemographic characteristics, social support(family support, other support, quality of support), physical health state(subjective health status, number of chronic disease), physical function state(activities of daily living; ADL, instrumental activities of daily living; IADL), cognition state(mini-mental state examination-Korean; MMSE-K) and depression state(short form of geriatric depression scale; SGDS), health behaviors(smoking, drinking, exercise, eating habit). Univariate, multinominal logistic regression and covariance structure analysis were employed to analyze factors affecting on the social support of the elderly. Results: When considering the degree of social support by the sociodemographic characteristics of the older adults, the family support, other support and quality of support is better when the old is male, young, high education and self-reported living status is good and it has significance statistically. When considering the relation between social support and health status, the family support, other support and quality of support is better when the old's subjective and objective physical health status is good. The family support, other support and quality of support is better when the old's subjective health status is better. The other support and quality of support is better when the old's ADL(activities of daily living) and IADL(instrumental activities of daily living) are good. The family support, other support and quality of support is better when the old's cognitive function and depression state is better. When considering the relation between social support and health behaviors, in case of smoking and drinking, the quality of support, family support and other support is better when the old smokes and drinks rather than the old does not. In case of exercise and eating habit, the family support, other support and quality of support is better when the old exercises and eats regularly rather than the old does not. It has significance statistically. From the result of performing covariance structure analysis by structural equation modeling(SEM) with two endogenous variable(health behaviors and health status) and one exogenous variable(social support), factor loading of health status is 0.74 and factor loading of health behaviors is 0.05. The social support explains health status of 55.4% and health behaviors of 2.9%. Conclusions: This study has the meaning that it finds the difference of social support generating from inside of the group for the old residing in city and country and specifies the effect that the difference of social support influences to health status and health behaviors. From now on, in the development of health improvement strategy of the olds, it is necessary to approach from inclusive aspect while considering psychosocial factor such as social support and social economical factor as well as health status.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.45-53
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• 2013

Objectives Non-major depression with fewer symptoms than required for a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-4th edition diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) has consistently been found to be associated with functional impairment. In this study, we aim to estimate the cognitive impairment and the quality of life in elderly patients with subsyndromal depression (SSD) compared with non-depressive elderly (NDE). Methods The Korean version of Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview was administered to 194 outpatients with depression and 108 normal controls. SSD is defined as having five or more current depressive symptoms with core depressive symptoms (depressive mood or loss of interest or pleasure) during more than half a day and more than seven days over two weeks. Depression was evaluated by the Korean form of Geriatric Depression Scale of a 15-item short version. Global cognition was assessed by Mini-Mental State Examination in the Korean version of CERAD assessment packet (MMSE-KC). Subjective cognitive impairment was assessed by the Subjective Memory Complaint Questionnaire. Quality of life was evaluated by the Korean Version of Short-Form 36-Item Health Survey. Results The mean score of the MMSE-KC in the SSD group was lower than that in the NDE group with adjustment for age, gender, and education [F = 4.270, p = 0.04, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA)]. If we defined those having Z-score of MMSE-KC < -1.5 as a high risk group of cognitive impairment, the odds ratio for the high risk group of cognitive impairment was 1.86 [95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.04-3.34] in SSD and 7.57 (95% CI 3.50-16.40) in MDD compared to NDE. The scores of physical component summary (F = 9.274, p = 0.003, ANCOVA) and mental component summary (F = 53.166, p < 0.001, ANCOVA) in the SSD group were lower than those in the NDE group with adjustment for age, gender, and education. Conclusions The subjects with SSD, as well as those with MDD, showed impairment of global cognition and also experienced low quality of life in both physical and mental aspects, compared to the NDE group.

• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.96-106
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• 1997

In Chinese medicine, the activities of removing and solving the inner cause are called the regimen in preventing the disease and the good condition of mind emphasizes us to practice ourselves the doctrine of regimen of the mind to promote the health and long life of the living body, in other words, it means we should have clean mind, less desire, less thought, less agony and widely open our emotion and will, and it also means the raising of good nature, the moral cultivation, and we can be healthy when we live by good virtus as the root of regiem. The meaning of the Qi has been expanded more and more since its origination throught the process of practice and perception of man. 1) Matter is changed to the smoke when burned, the energy of water becomes the rain in the sky and the rain raises all living creatures by making them wet. Throught these changes of circulation, men could realize the energy to be the common and original matter of forming all the creatures. 2) The direction of showing the breathing of men in and out has been expended. 3) It was widely understood as the meaning of showing vitality of men, and it was the original root of chinese medicine. 4) It was expended to be showing spirit of nature such as the sun, moon, star, sky, land, mountain and the moral spirit of men as peacefullness. By the original meaning of the word of energy expanded to the wider side of sky, land, men and things, nature, society, man and the moral spirit could get the unified basis of the matter. As the above, the word of Qi has been used in wider meaning at this time from the past. In other words, all things in the universe come into being and extinct by the chang of motion of the Qi and it is recognized to be the living activity in human body. The Qi-kong based on this energy and the motion applied to our daily life are very extensive (Lee, Hye - lung, 1997). Here are the summaries of the effect of the Qi-kong ; 1) The physical constitution is strenthened, physiological function is prosperous and we are free from various geriatric disease and psychosomatic disease not to mention the cold and indigestion. 2) It maintains the clear spirit, elevates intelligence, strengthens the spiritual power and demonstrates the potentiality at the amximum. 3) It maintain beautiful figure and clean skin never losing the charm but full of energy and vitality. 4) It keeps the balanced body never suffering from the unbalance of the bones, various and neuralgia. 5) It maintain the spiritual comfort, the natural posture in everything and real happiness (Lee, Hye-Jung, 1997 : Suh, Yong Kyu, 1989). Chinese medicine mentions the motion by Qi with Qi - kong. But the motion does not require special method in Western medicine. I t is the only way of living of our ancestor indaily life. It is maintaining the healthy lifr by training the Qi, and it is the motion of being with the nature with the open mind in breathing rather than artificially restricting our daily life, it is the motion of the body.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.303-308
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• 2019

Non-traumatic acute myelopathy caused by cervical disc herniation is rare. To date, no case has been reported to be caused by extrusion cervical disc herniation, unrelated to patient posture during surgery. Here, we report the case of a 65-year-old male patient with cervical myelopathy who underwent subsequent arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery under general anesthesia; non-cervical spine surgery. Ed. Notes: I am unable to understand the insertion of the highlighted phrase. Please delete if not required, or revise the sentence appropriately. Patient showed acute postoperative tetraplegia in spite of optimal anesthetic management. He showed no limitation of neck movement at pre-operative airway evaluation, and had no history of trauma to the cervical spine. During surgery, there had been no overextension or twisting of the neck, including at the time of anesthetic induction by tracheal intubation. However, cervical disc herniation causing spinal canal cord compression was detected in the postoperative magnetic resonance imaging, which probably resulted in tetraplegia of the patient. Motor and sensory functions were recovered after 21 days of conservative treatment, including steroid pulse intravenous therapy without any surgical intervention. In this report, the disease is described after reviewing other reported cases; furthermore, we also discuss the pathophysiology of the disease. Based on our report, we propose that under general anesthesia, clinicians should pay attention to the possibility of pre-existing cervical disease, even in non-cervical spine surgeries of geriatric patients.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2010

Objectives : It is necessary that the international classification of diseases (ICD) be examined in order to comprise the third revision of the Korean Classification of Disease on Oriental Medicine (KCD-OM) and disease classification in the oriental internal medicine field. It is essential that the selection, classification and definition of disease and pattern names of oriental concepts in internal medicine be clear. Since 2008, the fifth revision of the Korean Classification of Disease (KCD-5) has been used in Korea. It was required to use the reference classification from the Oriental medicine area based on the ICD-10. Methods : In this review, the necessity for, meaning of and content of the third revision are briefly described. The ICD system was reviewed and KCD-OM was reconstructed. How diagnosis in the oriental internal medicine area had changed is discussed. Review and Results : In 1973, the disease classification of oriental medicine was established the basis on the contents of Dongeuibogam. It was irrespective of the ICD. As to the classification system in the Oriental internal medicine field, systemic disease was comprised of wind, cold, warm, wet, dryness, heat, spirit, ki, blood, phlegm and retained fluid, consumptive disease, etc. Diseases of internal medicine comprised a system according to the five viscera and the six internal organs and followed the classification system of Dongeuibogam. The first and second revisions were of the classification system based on the curriculum in 1979 and 1995. In 1979, in the first revision, geriatric disease and idiopathic types of disease were deleted, and skin disease was included among surgery diseases. This classification was expanded to 792 small classification items and 1,535 detailed classification items to the dozen disease classes. In 1995, in the second revision, it was adjusted to 644 small classes and 1,784 detailed classification items in the dozen disease classes. KCD-OM3 did KCD from this basis. It added and comprised the oriental medical doctor's concept names of diseases considering the special conditions in Korea. KCD-OM3 examined the KCD-OMsecond revised edition (1994). It improved the duplex classification, improper classifications, etc. It is difficult for us to separate the disease names and pattern names in oriental medicine. We added to the U code and made one classification system. By considering the special conditions in Korea, 169 codes (83 disease name codes, 86 pattern name codes) became the pre-existence classification and links among 306 U codes of KCD-OM3. 137 codes were newly added in the third revision. U code added 3 domains. These are composed of the disease name (U20-U33, 97 codes), the disease pattern name (U50-U79, 191 codes) and the constitution pattern name of each disease (U95-U98, 18 codes). Conclusion : The introduction of KCD-OM3 conforms to the diagnostic system by which oriental medical doctors examine classes used with the basic structure of the reference classification of WHO and raises the clinical study and academic activity of the Korean oriental medicine and makes the production of all kinds of nation statistical indices possible. The introduction of KCD-OM3 promotes the diagnostic system by which doctors of Oriental medicine examine classes using the association with KCD-5. It will raise the smoothness and efficiency of oriental medical treatment payments in the health insurance, automobile insurance, industrial accident compensation insurance, etc. In addition, internationally, the eleventh revision work of the ICD has been initiated. It needs to consider incorporating into the International Classification of Diseases some of every country's traditional medicine.