• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.213-221
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• 2017

Baicalein, a natural flavonoid obtained from the rhizome of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, has been reported to have anticancer activities in several human cancer cell lines. However, its antimetastatic effects and associated mechanisms in melanoma cells have not been extensively studied. The current study examined the effects of baicalein on cell motility and anti-invasive activity using mouse melanoma B16F10 cells. Within the noncytotoxic concentration range, baicalein significantly inhibited the cell motility and invasiveness of B16F10 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Baicalein also reduced the activity and expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9; however, the levels of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 and -2 were concomitantly increased. The inhibitory effects of baicalein on cell motility and invasiveness were found to be associated with its tightening of tight junction (TJ), which was demonstrated by an increase in transepithelial electrical resistance and downregulation of the claudin family of proteins. Additionally, treatment with baicalein markedly reduced the expression levels of lipopolysaccharide-induced phosphorylated Akt and the invasive activity in B16F10 cells. Taken together, these results suggest that baicalein inhibits B16F10 melanoma cell migration and invasion by reducing the expression of MMPs and tightening TJ through the suppression of claudin expression, possibly in association with a suppression of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt signaling pathway.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.421-430
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• 2020

This study aimed to investigate whether mass drug administration (MDA) intervention has an equivalent effect on reducing the prevalence and intensity of Schistosoma haematobium infection regardless of the baseline values. A repeated cross-sectional survey was performed targeting students of 12 primary schools in Al Jabalain and El Salam districts of White Nile State, Sudan, at both 1 week before and 8 months after the MDA. Prior to the baseline survey, schoolaged children in Al Jabalain had received MDA interventions twice in 4 years, while those in El Salam had not. The baseline prevalence was 9.1% in Al Jabalain and 35.2% in El Salam, which were reduced to 1.8% and 5.5% at 8 months after the MDA, respectively. The corresponding reduction rates were 80.3% and 84.4%, not significant difference between both districts. However, changes in the geometric mean intensity (GMI) of egg counts were significantly different between both districts. The baseline GMIs were 14.5 eggs per 10 ml of urine (EP10) in Al Jabalain and 18.5 EP10 in El Salam, which were reduced to 7.1 and 11.2 EP10 after treatment, respectively. The corresponding reduction rates were 51.0% and 39.5%. In conclusion, MDA interventions were found to bring about similar relative reduction in prevalence regardless of the baseline value; however, the relative reduction in infection intensity was more salient in the district with a low baseline value for both prevalence and intensity. This clearly points to the importance of repeated MDA interventions in endemic areas, which will eventually contribute to schistosomiasis elimination.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.8-16
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• 2018

Purpose: In this study, the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients admitted for viral croup were analyzed to evaluate disease severity based on the organism that caused the infection. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 302 patients who were admitted to the Department of Pediatrics at the Wonju Severance Hospital between May 2013 and December 2016 for viral croup. Patients who showed positive results on multiplex polymerase chain reaction were subsequently diagnosed with respiratory virus infection. The Westley scoring system was used to evaluate the severity of viral croup. Results: Of the 302 patients, 149 were admitted due to severe viral croup, including 88 boys and 61 girls, with a boy-to-girl ratio of 1.44:1. About 110 cases of parainfluenza virus infection have been reported, which accounted for almost half of the total cases. The other identified viruses included influenza virus, human rhinovirus, and respiratory syncytial virus. Analysis of the association between severe viral croup and causative pathogen revealed that only parainfluenza type 2 virus showed a significantly high risk. Parainfluenza type 2 virus did not show an age-based difference in frequency but showed relatively a higher frequency of infections during the summer and fall. Conclusions: In this study, parainfluenza virus type 2 was the only virus associated with severe viral croup. To facilitate proper preventive management, treatment, and prognosis evaluation of viral croup, prospective and multicenter studies should assess the additional variables and the severity of the virus. Additionally, further studies should be conducted to assess age-dependent influences, as well as the regional and seasonal incidence of viral infection.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.309-315
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• 2001

Objective : To develop a boner understanding of the relationship between weight status and the prevalence of obesity related diseases in the Korean population. Methods : The 1998 Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey was used and 10,880 persons who had previously taken health examinations were selected for study. The Korean Society for the Study of Obesity's classification of weight status was used. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, osteoarthritis, chronic heart disease, stroke were included as obesity related disease. A logistic regression model was developed to estimate the prevalence odds ratio by obesity class adjusted for demographic and socioeconomic factors and we converted the odds ratio to a prevalence ratio using the base line prevalence of disease to aid in the interpretation of the ratios. Results : The prevalence of obesity was 26.3% based on the KSSO classification $(BMI\geq25)$. A graded increase in the prevalence ratio was observed with increasing severity of overweight and obesity for all health outcomes with the exception of chronic heart disease in men and stroke in both men and women. With normal weight individuals as the reference, for men who were younger than 50 years, the prevalence ratios were highest for hypertension BMI<23-25: 1.70(95% CI=1.41-2.05), 25$BMI\geq30$: 4.83(95% CI=3.70-5.84). The prevalence ratios for dyslipidemia were as high as hypertension, but were lower than hypertension for diabetes mellitus and osteoarthritis. Prevalence ratios generally were greater in younger adults. The prevalence of having 2 or more obesity related diseases increased with weight status category, except in people who were older than 50 years. Conclusions : Based on results, obesity is an increasingly important health problem in Korea and the disease burden increases according to weight status. For Korean adults, the strongest relationship was seen between weight status and hypertension and dyslipidemia. In older people the impact of excess weight and obesity is stronger than that seen in younger people. Increased efforts in the study of obesity and prevention and treatment of obesity and obesity related disease are required.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.150-154
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• 2007

Objectives : The aim of this study is to identify factors determining the purchase of private health insurance under the mandatory National Health Insurance(NHI) system in Korea. Methods : The data were collected by the National Cancer Center in Korea. It includes cancer patients who were newly diagnosed with stomach (ICD code, C16), lung(C33-C34), liver (C22), colorectal cancer(C18-C20) or breast(C50) cancer. Data were gathered from the hospital Order Communication System (OCS), medical records, and face-to-face interviews, using a structured questionnaire. Clinical, socio-demographic and private health insurance related factors were also gathered. Results : Overall, 43.9% of patients had purchased one or more private health insurance schemes related to cancer, with an average monthly premium of \65,311 and an average benefit amount of \19million. Females, younger aged, high income earners, national health insurers and metropolitan citizens were more likely to purchase private health insurance than their counterparts. Conclusions : About half of Korean people have supple-mentary private health insurance and their benefits are sufficient to cover the out-of-pocket fees required for cancer treatment, but inequality remains in the purchase of private health insurance. Further studies are needed to investigate the impacts of private health insurance on NHI, and the relationship between cancer patients' burden and benefits.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.124-132
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• 1990

It has been reported that hematoma is one of the most crucial factors in fracture healing since callus formation is disturbed by washing out the hematoma near a fracture site. However, it is not clear why the hamatoma is important and how it plays a role during the fracture healing. In order to investigate the role of hematoma in the process of fracture healing, the osteogenic potential by subperiosteal transplantation have been studied. Experimental fractures by operation were made at the mid-shaft of the tibia in New Zealand white rabbits. Removal of hematoma at the fracture site was done after 2 and 3 days from experimental fracture, and the removed hematoma was transplanted into the subperiosteal area at the mid-shaft of the ulna of each rabbit. As control groups, we have performed 3 different procedures 1) the hematoma was transplanted into the muscular layers at the thigh and forearm; 2) autologous blood clots were transplanted into the subperiosteal area of the ulna; and 3) sham operation without a transplantation into the subperiosteal area. After transplantation, serial bone scintigraphy and simple radiography were performed at 4 days, 1 week, and 2 weeks to detect an abnormality. The results of bone scintigraphy were positive in 5 of 6 experimental group. However, all in three control groups were negative. Histological observation of the positive bone revealed new bone formation with trabeculation. These results suggest the hematoma in fracture site has osteogenic potential in the subperiosteal area which can be demonstrable by bone scintigraphy and histologic findings. Therefore, it is considered that hematoma of the fracture site plays an important role in the process of fracture healing. Further biochemical investigation using various experimental models is mandatory to apply this preliminary result to the treatment of clinical delayed union or nonunion.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.33-42
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• 2008

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma(HNSCC) is notorious for its poor outcome and increasing incidence. But, the studies of cytogenetic analysis in HNSCC are relatively rare, because of difficulties in culturing solid tumor cells and complexity in chromosomal DNA abberations associated with the lesions. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the location of chromosomal aberrations in Korean HNSCC cell lines (SNU-1041, 1066, and 1076) with comparative genomic hybridization(CGH) and array based CGH(array-CGH). Chromosomal gains of 3q23-q27, 5p13-p15.3, 7p21-pter, 8q11.2-q12, 8q21.1-qter, 9q22-q34, 16q22-q24, and 20q11.2-qter, as well as chromosomal losses on 3p10-p14 were found in all 3 SNU cell lines. Losses on 3p15- p23, 4q22-q27, 4q31.3-qter, 6q14-q15, 7q31-q34, 8p12-pter, 18q21-q23, and 21q11.2-q12 were observed in 2 of 3 cell lines. In array-CGH, many genes were altered including gains of PIK3CA, MYC, EVI1, MAD1L1 genes and losses of SERPIN genes. These aberrations of gene and chromosome coincide with other results of study, generally. These data about the patterns of chromosomal aberrations could be a basic step for understanding more detailed genetic events in the carcinogenesis and also provide information for diagosis and treatment in HNSCC.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.43-46
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• 2008

Hypophayngeal cancers are usually diagnosed in advanced stages and in many cases, they need total pharyngocervical esophagectomy and surgical reconstruction. Among many surgical reconstructive methods, jejunal free flap has anatomical and functional advantages such as tubed nature, peristaltic activity, excellent blood supply. In this study we analysed the surgical procedure and complications of jejunal free flap after total pharyngo-cervical esophagectomy. 20 cases performed jejunal free flap from 1995 to 2007 at Severance Hospital were reviewed. According to time of onset, early and late complications were reviewed. Surgical procedure was reviewed with operation record. Oral diet tolerance was reviewed on the basis of pharyngogram and subjective symptoms. The most common complication was stricture, and it occurred in 40% of cases and 63% of them were managed with conservative care. As early complication, fistula formation was all managed with conservative care. Oral feeding tolerance after jejunal free flap was 65% and 7 patients were tolerable to general diet. In our study, stricture was the most common complication and its management is important in post op oral diet tolerance.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.41-46
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• 2001

Background : Many analgesics are used to relieve the pain of various causes. Among these, $Myprodol^{(R)}$, a combination analgesic with codeine, ibuprofen and paracetamol, was recently used as a new analgesics. This study was performed to survey the kinds of diseases, side effects and pain relief effect of $Myprodol^{(R)}$ in clincal practice. Methods : This retrograde study surveyed the medical records of 183 patients treated with $Myprodol^{(R)}$ at Pain Clinic, Pusan National University Hospital. From medical records, the disease entities, the pain characteristics, duration of $Myprodol^{(R)}$ medication, the analgesic effect and side effects were evaluated. Results : $Myprodol^{(R)}$ is used in the treatment of cancer pain (64.3%) and non-cancer pain (35.7%). Among side effects of $Myprodol^{(R)}$ medication, nausea with vomiting, constipation and generalized edema were common in cancer pain, but epigatric pain was common in non cancer pain. $Myprodol^{(R)}$ was more effective in non cancer pain than cancer pain. Conclusions: $Myprodol^{(R)}$ was used in cancer and non-cancer pain patients. In cancer pain patients, $Myprodol^{(R)}$ was effective in early cancer pain but, not effective in advanced cancer. $Myprodol^{(R)}$ was also used and effective in non-malignant benign chest pain, lumbago, post-operative pain.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.9
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• pp.188-195
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• 2016

This study is a cross sectional, descriptive research that utilized the Korean version of the BHCC (Behavior Health Care Competency) measurement tools to compare and contrast the BHCC level between nurses stationed in psychiatric and general ward departments. The research subjects were selected from 6 hospitals that have at least 300 beds located in Seoul city and Gyeonggi Province. There were a total of 190 nurses, consisting of 90 nurses from the psychiatric ward department and 100 nurses from the general ward department. The comparison demonstrated that nurses from psychiatric ward department showed a higher BHCC compared to general department nurses in most items. In the case of psychiatric ward nurses, compared to general ward nurses, the assessment was 5.29 times higher, the intervention was 6.06 times higher and the proper use of resources was 2.63 times higher. On the other hand, the treatment recommendation had no influence. Accordingly, education and training for general ward nurses should be improved and hospital administrators should pay more attention in conducting the BHCC education for the general ward nurses and on fostering education experts to develop related programs.