• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.203-212
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• 2014

Objectives: The aim of this study is to bring new light on TalYeong-SilJeong (exhaustion of Yeonggi and loss of Essence) through the verification of both the original intention of Hwangjenaegyeong and the conceptual variation afterwards. Methods: Of various East Asian medical texts, those inferring to TalYeong-SilJeong includeing Hwangjenaegyeong itself were closely examined under the aspect of its conception. Results: TalYeong-SilJeong was suggested as the first representative tool and accurate diagnostic method of questioning in order to determine the mental state of a patient. However, medical scholars have suggested different levels of meaning. Some used the term for the broad coverage of mental illnesses, understanding Hwangjenaegyeong's discrimination as symbolic gesture, while others projected an unchallenged value on it and weaved it into the concrete set of a disease. Conclusions: The treatment of TalYeong-SilJeong is suggested according to the varying viewpoints of each medical text. By understanding multiple layers of the conception beyond, a clinician is expected to gain an exuberant image of conception on the one hand and an insight for more effective treatment on the other hand.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.197-201
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• 2018

There is a general consensus that many health care problems are attributable to the structural defects of the health care delivery system in Korea. The basic policy aimed to address these problems is to reform the delivery system so as that it incorporates two core principles: (1) stratification of medical care institutions into primary, secondary, and tertiary care providers according to the capability to perform specialized and complex services; (2) patients seeking care starting from the primary care provider and, if necessary, to be referred to the other provider step by step. This policy has been consistently pursued for about 30 years, but the achievement is far from success. Thus it is believed that the feasibility of the policy should be questioned. Starting from this question, based upon the observation of the current structure of the delivery system and its expected changes, the reform policy was discussed focusing on the assessment of its feasibility from both practical and theoretical viewpoints. The discussion leads to cast doubt on the policy for its possibility of making planned changes and producing expected desirable effects. Therefore it is advisable to investigate a wide range of alternative strategies and models for improving health care delivery.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.54-63
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the working status and Standard Shiftwork Index (SSI) between night shift-fixed nurses and rotating shift nurses. Methods: Participants were 367 nurses working as registered nurses at 7 different medical institutions. The data were collected from August 8, 2016 to September 30, 2016. Results: Night shift fixed nurses were more satisfied with work schedule than rotating shift nurses. Rotating shift nurses reported higher SSI scores, such as chronic fatigue, musculoskeletal problems, than night shift fixed nurses. In SSI's sub-items, rotating shift nurses reported higher scores, such as the amount of sleep, feeling well after sleep, heartburn or stomach-ache and heartbeat irregularities, than night shift fixed nurses. Conclusion: The results indicated that night shift fixed system might be an effective method to improve nurses' work satisfaction. It is necessary to figure out any suitable night shift fixed system based on the characteristics of each nursing organization. The SSI might be an useful tool to measure the nurses' satisfaction in reference to their work shift.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.92-98
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• 2004

A cDNA microarray experiment is one of the most useful high-throughput experiments in medical informatics for monitoring gene expression levels. Statistical analysis with a cDNA microarray medical data requires a normalization procedure to reduce the systematic errors that are impossible to control by the experimental conditions. Despite the variety of normalization methods, this. paper suggests a more general and synthetic normalization algorithm with a control gene set based on previous studies of normalization. Iterative normalization method was used to select and include a new control gene set among the whole genes iteratively at every step of the normalization calculation initiated with the housekeeping genes. The objective of this iterative normalization was to maintain the pattern of the original data and to keep the gene expression levels stable. Spatial plots, M&A (ratio and average values of the intensity) plots and box plots showed a convergence to zero of the mean across all genes graphically after applying our iterative normalization. The practicability of the algorithm was demonstrated by applying our method to the data for the human photo aging study.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.151-155
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• 2014

In November 2013, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent a warning letter to 23andMe, Inc. and ordered the company to discontinue marketing of the 23andMe Personal Genome Service (PGS) until it receives FDA marketing authorization for the device. The FDA considers the PGS as an unclassified medical device, which requires premarket approval or de novo classification. Opponents of the FDA's action expressed their concerns, saying that the FDA is overcautious and paternalistic, which violates consumers' rights and might stifle the consumer genomics field itself, and insisted that the agency should not restrict direct-to-consumer (DTC) genomic testing without empirical evidence of harm. Proponents support the agency's action as protection of consumers from potentially invalid and almost useless information. This action was also significant, since it reflected the FDA's attitude towards medical application of next-generation sequencing techniques. In this review, we followed up on the FDA-23andMe incident and evaluated the problems and prospects for DTC genetic testing.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.64-68
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• 2011

Monomelic amyotrophy (MA), also known as Hirayama disease, occurs mainly in young men and manifests as weakness and wasting of the muscles of the distal upper limbs. Here, we sought to identify a genetic basis for MA. Given the predominance of MA in males, we focused on candidate neurological disease genes located on the X chromosome, selecting two X-linked candidate genes, androgen receptor (AR ) and ubiquitin-like modifier activating enzyme 1 (UBA1). Screening for genetic variants using patients' genomic DNA revealed three known genetic variants in the coding region of the AR gene: one nonsynonymous single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP; rs78686797) encoding Leu57Gln, and two variants of polymorphic trinucleotide repeat segments that encode polyglutamine (CAG repeat; rs5902610) and polyglycine (GGC repeat; rs3138869) tracts. Notably, the Leu57Gln polymorphism was found in two patients with MA from 24 MA patients, whereas no variants were found in 142 healthy male controls. However, the numbers of CAG and GGC repeats in the AR gene were within the normal range. These data suggest that the Leu57Gln polymorphism encoded by the X-linked AR gene may contribute to the development of MA.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.277-281
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• 2013

RNA analysis has become a reliable method of body fluid identification for forensic use. Previously, we developed a combination of four multiplex quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) probes to discriminate four different body fluids (blood, semen, saliva, and vaginal secretion). While those makers successfully identified most body fluid samples, there were some cases of false positive and negative identification. To improve the accuracy of the identification further, we tried to use multiple markers per body fluid and adopted the NanoString nCounter system instead of a multiplex qRT-PCR system. After measuring tens of RNA markers, we evaluated the accuracy of each marker for body fluid identification. For body fluids, such as blood and semen, each body fluid-specific marker was accurate enough for perfect identification. However, for saliva and vaginal secretion, no single marker was perfect. Thus, we designed a logistic regression model with multiple markers for saliva and vaginal secretion and achieved almost perfect identification. In conclusion, the NanoString nCounter is an efficient platform for measuring multiple RNA markers per body fluid and will be useful for forensic RNA analysis.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.289-291
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• 2013

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the leading cause of cancer mortality among women worldwide. The molecular understanding of HPV proteins has significant connotation for understanding their intrusion in the host and designing novel protein vaccines and anti-viral agents, etc. Genomic, proteomic, structural, and disease-related information on HPV is available on the web; yet, with trivial annotations and more so, it is not well customized for data analysis, host-pathogen interaction, strain-disease association, drug designing, and sequence analysis, etc. We attempted to design an online reserve with comprehensive information on HPV for the end users desiring the same. The Human Papillomavirus Proteome Database (hpvPDB) domiciles proteomic and genomic information on 150 HPV strains sequenced to date. Simultaneous easy expandability and retrieval of the strain-specific data, with a provision for sequence analysis and exploration potential of predicted structures, and easy access for curation and annotation through a range of search options at one platform are a few of its important features. Affluent information in this reserve could be of help for researchers involved in structural virology, cancer research, drug discovery, and vaccine design.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.105-113
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• 2019

The commercial pilot retirement age has continued to 65 since the International Civil Aviation Organization(ICAO) amended the recommended age limit from 60. The target of this review is to analyse whether aged pilots have an increased age-dependent risk of medical incapacitation. Medical in-flight incapacitation is actually very rare event and the demonstrated annual incapacitation rate provides an acceptable risk within the criteria known as 1% safety rule for a pilot undertaking air transport operations while some controversies exist. There is a possibility that the accident rate has decreased due to the improved skill by increasing pilot's age. At the decision of flight or not for elderly airline pilot the interacting factors of personal health status, piloting experience and new flight environments should be considered to define job limit criteria than mere the age. Results of a survey led by airline pilot association in Korea shows 65% of airline pilots are willing to fly without any age limit and 87% agreed that age limit is worthy to extend beyond current standard on the basis of medical examinations. Only 11% agreed to maintain current age limit.

• Journal of Korean Medical classics
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.67-77
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• 2007

Through the translation and comparative study of the enriching blood and nourishing vital essence(補陰血方劑) in "The Elimination & Supplement about the Famous Prescription Comments(刪補名醫方論)" of "The Golden Mirror of Medicine(醫宗金鑑)" with "The Famous Prescription Comments on Ancient and Modern Times(古今名醫方論)", we confirmed that about 50% of the sentences from "The Elimination & Supplement about the Famous Prescription Comments(刪補名醫方論)" were quoted in "The Famous Prescription Comments on Ancient and Modern Times(古今名醫方論)", and that many of the text were not quoted unchanged, but were revised and supplemented. In organization, the prescription with the fewer number of component drugs is given first, followed by that with more component drugs, and that with similar component drugs is explained subsequently to facilitate understanding. In the prescription notes, it is emphasized that when enriching blood, the invigorative method(補氣法) is very important and that cold or pungent herb should be very carefully used.