• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.73-79
• /
• 2017

Pulse pressure is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The aim of the present study was to assess the association between pulse pressure and metabolic syndrome in Korean men. The study subjects were 8,439 adults aged 40 to 64 years, who underwent health screening examination from January 2012 to December 2014 at the Health Promotion Center of one hospital in Gyeonggi-do for general health check-up. They include the metabolic syndrome absent group (Absent, n=3,078), the pre-metabolic syndrome group (Pre-MetS, n=4,242) and the metabolic syndrome group (MetS, n=1,119). Progressive increase in pulse pressure was demonstrated for increasing components of the metabolic syndrome (P<0.001). The pulse pressure according to the degree of the metabolic syndrome was higher in the pre-MetS and MetS groups compared to the Absent group (P<0.001). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglyceride, fasting glucose, and abdominal obesity positively correlated with pulse pressure (P<0.001).

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.402-408
• /
• 2000

Objectives : To investigate possible seasonal patterns of pre-term birth in Korea. Methods : A total number of 2,669,357 single live births reported to the National Statistical Office from 1995 to 1998 were analyzed. Composite monthly cohorts of ongoing pregnancies were constructed for each month of the year and the probability of pre-term birth was estimated. Results : Increases in the probability of a pre-term birth occurred during winter for the birth of first child and during summer for the birth of second or later child. This seasonal variation was similar among groups divided by sex, residency, age of mother, and education of mother. Conclusions : These findings suggests that some environmental factors related to season may partially explain the incidence of premature births.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.242-252
• /
• 2018

Purpose: Surgical resection for gastric adenocarcinoma is associated with significant post-operative morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic significance of sarcopenia in patients undergoing resection for gastric adenocarcinoma with respect to post-operative morbidity and survival. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on a cohort of consecutive patients who underwent surgical resection for gastric adenocarcinoma between 2008 and 2014. Patient demographics, radiological parameters, and pathological data were collected. OsiriX software (Pixmeo) was used to measure skeletal muscle area, which was normalized for height to calculate skeletal muscle index. Results: A total of 56 patients (41 male, 15 female; mean age, $68.4{\pm}11.9years$) met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 36% (20 of 56) of the patients were sarcopenic pre-operatively. Both sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic patient groups were equally matched with the exception of weight and body mass index (P=0.036 and 0.001, respectively). Sarcopenia was associated with a decreased overall survival (log-rank P=0.003) and was an adverse prognostic predictor of overall survival in multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, 10.915; P=0.001). Sarcopenia was a predictor of serious in-hospital complications in multivariate analysis (odds ratio, 3.508; P=0.042). Conclusions: In patients undergoing curative resection for gastric cancer, there was a statistically significant association between sarcopenia and both decreased overall survival and serious post-operative complications. The measurement and reporting of skeletal muscle index on pre-operative computed tomography should be considered.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.71 no.2
• /
• pp.88-96
• /
• 2011

Background: It is known that cigarette smoke (CS) causes cell death. Apoptotic cell death is involved in the pathogenesis of CS-related lung diseases. Some members of the protein kinase C (PKC) family have roles in cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-induced apoptosis. This study was conducted to investigate the role of PKC epsilon in CSE-induced apoptosis in human lung fibroblast cell line, MRC-5. Methods: Lactate dehydrogenase release was measured using a cytotoxicity detection kit. The MTT assay was used to measure cell viability. Western immunoblot, Hoechst 33342 staining and flow cytometry were used to demonstrate the effect of $PKC{\varepsilon}$. Caspase-3 and caspase-8 activities were determined using a colorimetric assay. To examine $PKC{\varepsilon}$ activation, Western blotting was performed using both fractions of membrane and cytosol. Results: We showed that CSE activated $PKC{\varepsilon}$ by demonstrating increased expression of $PKC{\varepsilon}$ in the plasma membrane fraction. Pre-treatment of $PKC{\varepsilon}$ peptide inhibitor attenuated CSE-induced apoptotic cell death, as demonstrated by the MTT assay (13.03% of control, 85.66% of CSE-treatment, and 53.73% of $PKC{\varepsilon}$ peptide inhibitor-pre-treatment, respectively), Hoechst 33342 staining, and flow cytometry (85.64% of CSE-treatment, 53.73% of $PKC{\varepsilon}$ peptide inhibitor-pre-treatment). Pre-treatment of $PKC{\varepsilon}$ peptide inhibitor reduced caspase-3 expression and attenuated caspase-3, caspase-8 activity compared with CSE treatment alone. Conclusion: $PKC{\varepsilon}$ seem to have pro-apoptotic function and exerts its function through the extrinsic apoptotic pathway in CSE-exposed MRC-5 cells. This study suggests that $PKC{\varepsilon}$ inhibition may be a therapeutic strategy in CS-related lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

• Korean Parent-Child Health Journal
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.119-130
• /
• 2009

Purpose: This study was designed to examine the effects of Therapeutic Play Program on the pre-operative anxiety of the preschoolers. The design of this study is a quasi experimental study of non-equivalent control group pre-test/post-test design. Method: The subjects of this study were the hospitalized preschoolers receiving an operation in C University Hospital. These totalled 60 and were divided into a 30-person-control-group and a 30-person-experimental-group. The data was collected from June 1 to October 5, 2002. The Experimental treatment was carried out according to Therapeutic Play Program developed by Researcher. The instruments used in this study were the observational records for Hospitalized preschooler's Anxiety behavior response, pulse rate, and respiration rate of the preschooler's. The collected data were analyzed with real numbers, percentage, t-test, and $X^2$-test, using SPSS WIN 11.0 program. Result: Hypothesis, "The experimental group provided with a Therapeutic Play Program would show a lower score of the pre-operative anxiety behavior(t=13.79, p=.00), pre-operative pulse(t=4.50, p=.00) and pre-operative respiration rate(t=4.29, p=.00) response than when the control group was not provided", was supported. Conclusion: Therapeutic Play Program is determined to be useful for reducing Pre-operative anxiety of the preschoolers.

• Progress in Medical Physics
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.92-98
• /
• 2013

The experimental verification of treatment planning on the treatment spot is the ultimate method to assure quality of radiotherapy, so in-vivo skin dose measurement is the essential procedure to confirm treatment dose. In this study, glass rod dosimeter (GRD), which is a kind of photo-luminescent based dosimeters, was studied to produce a guideline to use GRDs in vivo dosimetry for quality assurance of radiotherapy. The pre-processing procedure is essential to use GRDs. This is a heating operation for stabilization. Two kinds of pre-processing methods are recommended by manufacturer: a heating method (70 degree, 30 minutes) and a waiting method (room temperature, 24 hours). We equally irradiated 1.0 Gy to 20 GRD elements, and then different preprocessing were performed to 10 GRDs each. In heating method, reading deviation of GRDs at same time were relatively high, but the deviation was very low as time went on. In waiting method, the deviation among GRDs was low, but the deviation was relatively high as time went on. The meaningful difference was found between mean reading values of two pre-processing methods. Both methods present mean dose deviation under 5%, but the relatively high effect by reading time was observed in waiting method. Finally, GRD is best to perform in-vivo dosimetry in the viewpoint of accuracy and efficiency, and the understanding of how pre-processing affect the accuracy is asked to perform most accurate in-vivo dosimetry. The further study is asked to acquire more stable accuracy in spite of different irradiation conditions for GRD usage.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.533-538
• /
• 2012

Background: Tobacco cessation would provide the most immediate benefits of tobacco control to prevent tobacco related disease morbidity and mortality. Methods: A tobacco cessation program involving individual and group behavior therapy was implemented in three stages at a worksite. Tobacco quit rates were assessed at the end of each contact session. Results: Out of the 291 tobacco users identified, 224 participated in the tobacco cessation interventions. At the end of three interventions, 38 (17%) users had successfully quit tobacco use. Presence of clinical oral pre-cancer lesion was found to be associated with quitting (p=0.02). Also tobacco users with oral pre-cancer lesions were around three times more likely to quit than those with no lesions (OR= 2.70 95% C.I= 1.20 - 6.05). Conclusion: Cost effective multi-pronged tobacco cessation approaches, inbuilt into other occupational health and welfare activities, are acceptable and feasible to achieve long term sustainable tobacco cessation programs at worksites.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.111-118
• /
• 2012

Purpose : The purpose of present study was to determine effects of action observation training on upper limb function after stroke. Training was progressed to imitation and intensive training after observation to required action in ADL. Methods : Among the single case study was used to ABA design. pre base line(A) was only collected participant information without intervention in 5 times. action observation intervention(B) was carried out 10 times and 5 times to base lime(A) after intervention. Results : Results indicated that 10-second test, box and block test, manual function test was increased when compared action observation intervention(B) to pre base line(A). Conclusion : To stroke action observation training was evaluated gross manipulation, dexterity and upper limb function in related with ADL. action observation training benefits were maintained after intervention(B) and showed improvement on upper limb function of stroke.

• Journal of Advanced Navigation Technology
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.646-654
• /
• 2011

Recently, the task in which the number of people of the emergency medical technician whom it boards the ambulance is unreasonably insufficient and in which the fire fighter one person gets in the ambulance and which transfers the patient comes into question often. When the emergency patient is generated, it has to transfer to the special hospital in which above anything else, the measure which is quick and exact is needed and where there is the medical device which is suitable for particularly, the patient. This paper implementations the emergency medical system by the smart phone. The implemented system monitors the heart beat of the patient the monitoring among the patient transport with the real-time type. It can grasp the medical history information of the patient, and etc. in the past. And the system provides the emergency hospital which the patient requires and the pre-hospital phase provides the environment in which the disposition which is quick and efficient is possible to the emergency patient.

• Journal of Korean Dental Science
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.1-9
• /
• 2015

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder follow-up and determine the factors that affect the TMJ bone scan hot spot numerical value (bone scan value), and to compare this value to the diagnosis of patients with temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD), their treatment options, and the resolution of their symptoms. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed on 24 patients (four males, 20 females) who received TMD treatment in the Section of Dentistry, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital (Seongnam, Korea) from 2007 to 2014. An analysis of the significance test and correlation between TMD diagnosis, treatment options, a baseline the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) questionnaire, treatment before and after the clinical examination and subjective progress, and TMJ bone scan value change were completed by using SPSS version 12.0. Result: Although only 14 patients had bony factors that caused TMD, the average pre-treatment bone scan value of the all patients was $4.29{\pm}0.31$, which is higher than the finding for osteoarthritis (3.88), and reduced post-treatment bone scan value was found to be without a statistically significant difference (P=0.056). After the treatments, clinical symptoms in 18 patients disappeared, and six patients did not require additional treatment, although they still displayed subjective symptoms. It was observed that the higher the pre-treatment bone scan value, nonspecific physical symptoms, chronic pain index, characteristic pain intensity, disability score, were, the lower the post-treatment bone scan value was. And this reduced post-treatment bone scan value tendency was not shown with the pre-treatment depression index, but there was not a statistical difference. Conclusion: The post-treatment TMJ bone scan value tended to be insignificantly reduced in the 24 patients whose clinical symptoms were improved (P=0.056). Moreover, the TMJ bone scan value showed no relation to the TMD type or its related symptoms.