• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2022

Ginseng has been well-known as a medicinal plant for thousands of years. Bacterial endophytes ubiquitously colonize the inside tissues of ginseng without any disease symptoms. The identification of bacterial endophytes is conducted through either the internal transcribed spacer region combined with ribosomal sequences or metagenomics. Bacterial endophyte communities differ in their diversity and composition profile, depending on the geographical location, cultivation condition, and tissue, age, and species of ginseng. Bacterial endophytes have a significant effect on the growth of ginseng through indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and siderophore production, phosphate solubilization, and nitrogen fixation. Moreover, bacterial endophytes can protect ginseng by acting as biocontrol agents. Interestingly, bacterial endophytes isolated from Panax species have the potential to produce ginsenosides and bioactive metabolites, which can be used in the production of food and medicine. The ability of bacterial endophytes to transform major ginsenosides into minor ginsenosides using β-glucosidase is gaining increasing attention as a promising biotechnology. Recently, metabolic engineering has accelerated the possibilities for potential applications of bacterial endophytes in producing beneficial secondary metabolites.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.95-103
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• 2022

Purpose: This study aims to identify general, workplace, and health-related characteristics of outdoor workers exposed to high temperatures, and to compare the risk of disease according to outdoor high temperature exposure. Methods: This secondary analysis study used the 5th Korean Working Conditions Survey (2017) to identify 4,915 outdoor workers exposed to high temperatures. Results: Outdoor workers exposed to high temperatures were mostly male, elderly, less educated, and daily contract workers. Most of them were engaged in agriculture, forestry and fishing, and construction industries. About 40~50% of them complained of musculoskeletal pain and overall fatigue. The results showed that high temperature exposure increased the risk of illness (hearing problem, skin problem, backache, muscular pains in upper and lower limbs, headache/eyestrain, injuries, depression, and overall fatigue) among workers. Conclusion: High temperature exposure might increase the risk of illness among workers. The results of this study demonstrated that the outdoor workers should be protected from high temperatures.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.25.1-25.12
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• 2023

Adaptation of infections and hosts has resulted in several metabolic mechanisms adopted by intracellular pathogens to combat the defense responses and the lack of fuel during infection. Human tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is the world's first cause of mortality tied to a single disease. This study aims to characterize and anticipate potential antigen characteristics for promising vaccine candidates for the hypothetical protein of MTB through computational strategies. The protein is associated with the catalyzation of dithiol oxidation and/or disulfide reduction because of the protein's anticipated disulfide oxidoreductase properties. This investigation analyzed the protein's physicochemical characteristics, protein-protein interactions, subcellular locations, anticipated active sites, secondary and tertiary structures, allergenicity, antigenicity, and toxicity properties. The protein has significant active amino acid residues with no allergenicity, elevated antigenicity, and no toxicity.

• Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.49-81
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• 2023

South Korea is currently facing many changes and challenges. To make matters worse, society has struggled to function as it did before COVID-19. This study describes the past and current COVID-19 situation to offer lessons on management during and after COVID-19. We provide implications from COVID-19 and the foundation for future disasters by employing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis and indigenous administrative conceptual framework on culture, institution, and instrument to add a circumstance perspective. This study used secondary data from prior research and literature. Resolutions for these policy issues are presented using the strength-opportunity (SO), strength-threat (ST), weakness-opportunity (WO), and weakness-threat (WT) strategies. We suggest utilizing instruments that consider diverse societies and preventing the disease with climate change by collaborating with social institutions. We hope these implications and resolutions will provide insights for the future and other countries.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.426-445
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• 2022

Endometriosis, a common chronic inflammatory disease in female of reproductive age, is closely related to patient symptoms and fertility. Because of its high contrast resolution and objectivity, MRI can contribute to the early and accurate diagnosis of ovarian endometriotic cysts and deeply infiltrating endometriosis without the need for any invasive procedure or radiation exposure. The ovaries, which are the most frequent site of endometriosis, can be afflicted by multiple related conditions and diseases. For the diagnosis of deeply infiltrating endometriosis and secondary adhesions among pelvic organs, fibrosis around the ectopic endometrial gland is usually found as a T2 hypointense lesion. This review summarizes the MRI findings obtained for ovarian endometriotic cysts and their physiologically and pathologically related conditions. This article also includes the key imaging findings of deeply infiltrating endometriosis.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.33-41
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• 1981

To investigate the status of medical accident attack rate and medicare utilization during last 27months from 1st Oct., 1977 to 31st Dec. 1979 in the area under Sam Wha Medicare Insurance Union, the study was carried out through analyzing the medicare records of patients who were enrolled. "The medical accident" in this study was used as the meaning of the state that the people who have been treated morbid condition with insurance money. For the study, 2 doctors and one nurse were mobilized and the results are as follows: 1) The total number of the Medicare Insurance Union members among the 37,044 total population of the study area, (Hea-mi, Unsan, Eumam Myun) were 57, 35 composed of 3,000 males (52.3%) and 27, 35 females (47.7%) in 1977, 3,383 composed of 2,006 males (59.3%) 1,377 females (40.7%) in 1978, 2,573 composed of 1,437 males and 1,336 females (44.2%) in 1979. 2) Total number of medical accident attack cases were 6,774 case (partially overlapped the number of the 1977 with that of the 1978) and average annual medical accident attack rate per 1,000 population was 700.9. 3) Five major disease group in the past three years were disease of the respiratory system (177.7), disease of the digestive system (165.8), disease of the skin and subcutaneous(64.9), symptoms, signs and ill-defined conditions (64.6), any injury and poisoning (51.9). Mental disorders (32.6) was the 6th order disease group. 4) The order of the medical accident attack rate of age group per 1,000 population per year was the year group of 0~4(877.8), 45~64(832.6), 25~44(810.3), 5~14(495.1) 15~24(494.7) 65 and over (460.7). 5) Medical accident attack rate of age group per 1,000 population in the 5 major disease groups were the year group of 45~64 (100.0) in the mental disorders 0~4(525.1) in the disease of the respiratory system 45~64 (328.5) in the disease of the digestive system 0~4 (202.8) in the disease of the skin and subcutanous tissue, 25~44 (98.3) in the accidents and poisoning. 6) Monthly medical accidents attack rate were 87.0 in the winter (Dsc., Jan., Feb.) and 86.2 in the summer (Jun., July, Aug.). So the trend of the medical accidents attack rate during the year was bimount figure. 7) Monthly medical accidents attack rate in the major disease group were highest in Jan., Apr., (31.1) in the disease of the respiratory system, in Jan., Feb., Mar. (24.9) in the disease of the digestive system, in Jan., Jun., Aug. (9.8) in the injury and poisoning. 8) Duration of the treatment of the 93.1% of the total cases were within 5 days. 9) 299 cases (4.5%) of the total number of cases, 6,587 cases were referred to secondary and tertiary medicare facilities. 10) The order of the major 10 kinds of diagnosis of the disease, 6,587 cases during 27 months, were URI and chillness (1,063 cases, 16.1%), gastritis(830 cases, 12. 6%) dermatitis(360 cases, 5.5%), bronchitis(291 cases, 4.4%), neurosis (284 cases, 4.3%), contusion (165 cases, 2.5%), tooth extraction (157 cases, 2.4%), tonsillitis (109 cases, 0.7%), laceration (107 cases, 1.6%), neuralgia (105 cases, 1.6%), arthritis (104 cases, 1.6%), otitis media and mastoiditis (103 cases, 1.6%), so total case were 3,678 cases (55.9%).

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.81-88
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• 2013

Purpose : This study was performed to investigate the epidemiology of enterovirus (EV) infections in children at a secondary hospital during recent 5 years. Methods : We collected the cerebrospinal fluid, stool and throat swab samples from the pediatric patients with suspected EV infections in KEPCO Medical Center, Seoul, Korea from July 2006 to September 2010. EV detection and genotype identification were performed by RT-PCR at Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Results : A total of 386 samples were collected from 277 patients during study period. Ninety-eight patients (35.4%) were diagnosed with EV infections. The RT-PCR positive rate was the highest in throat swab samples (48.3%). The median age of patient was 4.7 years (range, 0.1-12.5 years). Aseptic meningitis (50, 51.0%) was the most common clinical manifestation; herpangina (22, 22.4%) and hand-foot-mouth disease (18, 18.4%). One hundred EVs were isolated from 98 patients and 20 genotypes of EV were identified; Echovirus 30 (28 cases, 28%), Enterovirus 71 (12 cases, 12%), Echovirus 25 (10 cases, 10%), Echovirus 9 (9 cases, 9%) and Coxsackievirus A6 (8 cases, 8%). Aseptic meningitis caused by Echovirus 30 was the most common manifestation in 2008. There was no complicated case caused by Enterovirus 71. Conclusion : This study showed the epidemiology of confirmed EV infection in children from 2006 to 2010. There is a need for continuous surveillance of EV infections and its clinical manifestations.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.95-110
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• 2004

Objectives : Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's diseases are chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract identified mainly for diarrhea, stomachache, hemafecia. The source and pathologic mechanism about ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are still unknown but stress, infection, a genetic factor, environmental factors etc. may be the cause of chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract recently. Methods : Because ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease is recognized as Ha-ri(下痢) or Jang-Byok(腸?) in Oriental Medicine, Rhizoma Coptidis Herbal acupunctures were injected in hapgok $(LI_4)$ which is used to treat intestinal disease in clinic. All animals were subjected to the injection of saline $(300\;{\mu}l,\;500\;{\mu}l)$ for a study control and TNBS $(300\;{\mu}l,\;500\;{\mu}l)$ into the lumen of the colon, 8cm proximal to the anus through the intestine. Rhizoma Coptidis Herbal (20 mg/ml, 0.4 ml) acupuncture solution was injected to the $LI_4$ (both hands) at the secondary injection time of TNBS in rats. And body weight, RBC count, WBC count, total protein, Paw edema rate, rate of protein leakage into CMC-pouch fluid, IgG levels and IgM levels were observed to study the effects of Rhizoma Coptidis Herbal acupuncture in hapgok $(LI_4)$. Results : In results, Rhizoma Coptidis Herbal acupuncture in hapgok $(LI_4)$ on TNBS-induced colitis reduced the rate of weight loss but had no effect on RBC and WBC count. And it reduced total protein concentration, paw edema, rate of protein leakage into CMC-pouch fluid, IgG levels and IgM levels. Conclusion : Data suggest that injection of Rhizoma Coptidis herbal acupuncture solution into hapgok has significant therapeutic effect on the colitis.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.295-304
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• 2002

Objectives : This study was carried out to investigate the cause, magnitude and transmission route of the cholera outbreak in 2001 Methods : The study population were those persons who ingested foods at the restaurant, were confirmed as cholera patients, had symptoms of diarrhea and sewed as workers at the restaurant. A questionnaire survey and microbiological examinations on the microbes isolated from rectal swabs were conducted. Of the cases, 316 food histories were surveyed by an analysis of the restaurant menu. Results : There were 139 confirmed cases of cholera reported in Korea in 2001. Of these, 104 were related to the restaurant. By region, Gyeongsangbuk-do had the highest incidence with 91 cases. Of these 91 cases, 74 had ingested foods at the restaurant, 2 were employees and 3 were secondary infection cases within the families. The results of the odds ratio analysis of the 316 persons having ingested foods at the restaurant were as follows: sandwiches 5.07 (95% CI, 1.85-14.59), soybean curd 2.45 (95% CI, 1.09-5.56), noodles 2.34 (95% CI, 1.24-4.42), steamed squid 2.01 (95% CI, 1.17-3.47) and vinegared rice 1.82 (95%, CI, 1.08-3.09). It was certain the restaurant in question was the cause of the 2001 outbreak. Conclusions : We suspected that more than one restaurant employee contaminated foods served at the restaurant. In addition, eating raw fishes purchased at the Pohang Fisheries infected the employees of the restaurant. There is a possibility that these raw fishes were themselves contaminated by cholera bacilli in the sea.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.349-355
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• 2020

Recently, the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) in respiratory specimens has decreased, and nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) has increased. This study examined the increase in NTM lung disease patients and their age and sex distribution compared to the increase in NTM detection in 132,359 respiratory specimens examined in a Gwangju Secondary Hospital from 2010 to 2019. Furthermore, the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis infection in NTM positive patients was investigated. The positive rates of the mycobacterial culture were 21.9% (1,624/7,403) in 2010 and 17.4% (1,937/11,161) in 2019. The NTM recovery rate increased from 38.0% (617/1,624) in 2010 to 72.4% (1,403/1,937) in 2019. The average diagnosis rate of NTM lung disease in the NTM positive patients was 27.1%. Among them, cases of current pulmonary tuberculosis infection decreased from 44.9% in 2010 to 23.4% in 2019, and cases of previous diagnosis or treatment decreased from 15.8% to 10.7%. Of all NTM lung diseases, 69.0% were in their 60s or older, with more females than males. In the future, according to aging and tuberculosis management policies, NTM detection is expected to increase while MTBC decreases and laboratories must pay close attention to this phenomenon and constantly monitor the test results.