• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• /
• v.35
• /
• pp.4.1-4.11
• /
• 2023

Background: Shift work has been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) based on several evidences. The classic risk factors of CVD include age, hypertension, smoking, obesity and diabetes. Recently, the serum homocysteine level has been reported to be a valuable indicator of CVD risk. This study aimed to determine the variation in serum homocysteine level as a cardiovascular risk indicator among female workers according to shift work. Methods: The data of regular health examination of workers at an electronic manufacturing services company in Yeongnam region, South Korea in 2019 were examined in this study. The investigation was based on a cross-sectional study conducted on 697 female workers (199 day workers and 498 shift workers). The sociodemographic and biochemical characteristics were compared between day workers and shift workers. Through a logistic regression analysis, the odds ratio (OR) of the increased serum homocysteine level in relation to shift work was determined. Results: Compared to female day workers, female shift workers showed significantly higher level of serum homocysteine (8.85 ± 2.16 vs. 9.42 ± 2.04 μmol/mL; p = 0.001). The OR of day workers against shift workers was 1.81 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.25-2.63). With the adjustment of variables that may influence the level of serum homocysteine, the adjusted OR was 1.68 (95% CI: 1.09-2.60). Conclusions: The serum homocysteine level was significantly higher in shift workers than in day workers. It is thus likely to be a useful predictor of CVD in shift workers.

• Annals of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.380-387
• /
• 2023

Backgrounds/Aims: In 2019, the grading and staging system for neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) was significantly changed. In this study, we report the clinicopathological characteristics and surgical outcomes of patients with extrahepatic biliary NENs who underwent curative resection with or without adjuvant treatment. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed a database of 16 patients who developed NENs, neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC), and mixed endocrine non-endocrine neoplasms (MiNENs) after curative resection. Among them, eight patients had ampulla of Vater (AoV) tumors, and eight patients had non-AoV tumors. Results: G1 and G2 were more frequently observed in the AoV group than in the non-AoV group (12.5% and 62.5%, respectively). In contrast, NEC and MiNEN were more common in the non-AoV group (50.0%). High Ki-67 index (> 20%) and perineural invasion (PNI) were more frequently observed in the non-AoV group. Advanced age (> 65 years), mitotic count > 20 per 2 mm², and Ki-67 index > 20% were strongly correlated with patient survival (p = 0.018, 0.009, and 0.044, respectively). Advanced age (> 65 years) and mitotic count > 20 per 2 mm² were significantly correlated with disease recurrence (p = 0.033 and 0.010, respectively). Conclusions: AoV and non-AoV tumors had significant differences in the histologic grade, Ki67, and PNI. Patients with non-AoV tumors had an increased risk for survival and recurrence than those in the AoV group. For extrahepatic biliary NENs, early detection of tumors, adequate surgery, and aggressive adjuvant treatment for high-risk patients are important to achieve long-term survival and prevent disease recurrence.

• Clinical Nutrition Research
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.199-217
• /
• 2023

People with higher genetic predisposition to obesity are more susceptible to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and healthy plant-based foods may be associated with reduced risks of obesity and other metabolic markers. We investigated whether healthy plant-foods-rich dietary patterns might have inverse associations with cardiometabolic risk factors in participants at genetically elevated risk of obesity. For this cross-sectional study, 377 obese and overweight women were chosen from health centers in Tehran, Iran. We calculated a healthy plant-based diet index (h-PDI) in which healthy plant foods received positive scores, and unhealthy plant and animal foods received reversed scores. A genetic risk score (GRS) was developed based on 3 polymorphisms. The interaction between GRS and h-PDI on cardiometabolic traits was analyzed using a generalized linear model (GLM). We found significant interactions between GRS and h-PDI on body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.02), body fat mass (p = 0.04), and waist circumference (p = 0.056). There were significant gene-diet interactions for healthful plant-derived diets and BMI-GRS on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (p = 0.03), aspartate aminotransferase (p = 0.04), alanine transaminase (p = 0.05), insulin (p = 0.04), and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (p = 0.002). Adherence to h-PDI was more strongly related to decreased levels of the aforementioned markers among participants in the second or top tertile of GRS than those with low GRS. These results highlight that following a plant-based dietary pattern considering genetics appears to be a protective factor against the risks of cardiometabolic abnormalities.

• Clinical Nutrition Research
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.283-292
• /
• 2023

The aim of this study was to investigate whether dairy intake was associated with the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease and the probability of hospitalization of patients. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 141 patients with COVID-19 with an average age of 46.23 ± 15.88 years. The number of men (52.5%) participating in this study was higher than that of women. The association between dairy intake and COVID-19 was evaluated by multivariable logistic regression analysis. The risk of hospitalization in the highest tertile of dairy intake was 31% lower than in the lowest tertile (odds ratio [OR], 0.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.37-1.25, p trend = 0.023). Higher milk and yogurt intake was associated with a reduced risk of hospitalization due to COVID-19. Patients in the third tertiles were about 65% (p for trend = 0.014) and 12% (p for trend = 0.050) less likely to be hospitalized than those in the first tertile, respectively. Dairy consumption, especially low-fat ones, was associated with a lower risk of hospitalization due to COVID-19 and lower severity of COVID-19.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.57 no.1
• /
• pp.37-46
• /
• 2024

Objectives: The objective of this study was to characterize mental health issues among Vietnamese healthcare workers (HCWs) and to identify related factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 990 HCWs in 2021. Their mental health status was measured using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale. Results: In total, 49.9%, 52.3%, and 29.8% of respondents were found to have depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively. The multivariable linear regression model revealed that factors associated with increased anxiety scores included depression scores (β, 0.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.39 to 0.51) and stress scores (β, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.41 to 0.52). Factors associated with increased depression scores included being frontline HCWs (β, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.10 to 1.10), stress scores (β, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.45 to 0.56), and anxiety scores (β, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.47), while working experience was associated with reduced depression scores (β, -0.08; 95% CI, -0.16 to -0.01). Factors associated with increased stress scores included working experience (β, 0.08; 95% CI, 0.00 to 0.16), personal protective equipment interference with daily activities (β, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.07 to 1.00), depression scores (β, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.48 to 0.59), and anxiety scores (β, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.39 to 0.50), while age was associated with reduced stress scores (β, -0.12; 95% CI, -0.20 to -0.05). Conclusions: Specific interventions are necessary to enhance and promote the mental health of HCWs so they can successfully cope with the circumstances of the pandemic.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.16-32
• /
• 2024

Background: Exercise equipments and assistive devices for the disabled are being developed, but improvements for usability are still needed. The purpose of this study was to improve and utilize the developed exercise equipment and assistance devices by conducting usability test for people with spinal cord injury. Design: Cross-sectional Study. Methods: Scenarios and usability indicators were derived by conducting a preliminary usability test, 5 non-disabled men and women aged 19 or older. In the scenario, a total of 9 tasks were sequentially performed, including 2 tasks of entry and exit, 5 tasks of assistance devices and weight stack adjustment, and 2 tasks of pre exercise and exercise. The usability indicators were task success (success or fail), execution time (sec), safety, and convenience. For safety, 7 questions (Likert scale, 1~5 point) related to safety, stability and hazard were derived, and for convenience, the system usability scale (SUS score) was used (range: 0~100, 50 percentile rank is 68 point). Results: As a result of the usability test of people with spinal cord injury, there was a large variation among subjects in the task of adjusting the position of the pulley and support in the execution time (11.64~25.44 seconds), and one person failed to adjust the pulley. The safety level showed a lower score (score = 3 points) than other items in the item of entrapment or skin pressure, and in the case of SUS, the average score was 64.5 points, which was close to the acceptable level. Conclusion: Through the usability test, it was confirmed that exercise equipment for the disabled needs improvement in operability, pinching, and pressure, and that it is necessary to develop an assistive device that provides unrestrained posture information (biofeedback) to maintain correct posture during exercise.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.55 no.12
• /
• pp.4357-4366
• /
• 2023

MARS-KS, a domestic regulatory confirmatory code of Republic of Korea, had been developed by integrating RELAP5/MOD2 and COBRA-TF. The integration of COBRA-TF allowed to extend the capability of MARS-KS, limited to one-dimensional analysis, to multi-dimensional analysis. The use of COBRA-TF was mainly focused on subchannel analyses for simulating multi-dimensional behavior within the reactor core. However, this feature has been remained as a legacy without ongoing maintenance. Meanwhile, MARS-KS also includes its own multidimensional component, namely MULTID, which is also feasible to simulate three-dimensional convection and diffusion. The MULTID is capable of modeling the turbulent diffusion using simple mixing length model. The implementation of the turbulent mixing is of importance for analyzing the reactor core where a disturbing cross-sectional structure of rod bundle makes the flow perturbation and corresponding mixing stronger. In addition, the presence of this turbulent behavior allows the secondary transports with net mass exchange between subchannels. However, a series of assessments performed in previous studies revealed that the turbulence model of the MULTID could not simulate the aforementioned effective mixing occurred in the subchannel-scale problems. This is obvious consequence since the physical models of the MULTID neglect the effect of mass transport and thereby, it cannot model the void drift effect and resulting phasic distribution within a bundle. Thus, in this study, the turbulence mixing model of the MULTID has been improved by means of the inter-channel mixing model, widely utilized in subchannel analysis, in order to extend the application of the MULTID to small-scale problems. A series of assessments has been performed against rod bundle experiments, namely GE 3X3 and PSBT, to evaluate the performance of the introduced mixing model. The assessment results revealed that the application of the inter-channel mixing model allowed to enhance the prediction of the MULTID in subchannel scale problems. In addition, it was indicated that the code could not predict appropriate phasic distribution in the rod bundle without the model. Considering that the proper prediction of the phasic distribution is important when considering pin-based and/or assembly-based expressions of the reactor core, the results of this study clearly indicate that the inter-channel mixing model is required for analyzing the rod bundle, appropriately.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.71-81
• /
• 2024

Purpose: This study aims to identify research trends in papers related to the elderly and the disabled published in the journal of Korean society for school & community health education from 2000 to 2023 and seek the direction of the academic development of this journal in the future. Method: A total of 26 articles related to the elderly and the disabled, who are vulnerable groups, were analyzed by year by analyzing the specific subjects, research themes, research design, data collection methods, and keywords of papers published from 2000 to 2023. Results: Looking at the research subjects, studies on the elderly (18 studies) accounted for a larger proportion than studies on the disabled (8 studies). Research themes in the field of healthy living practices for the elderly (44.4%) and research in the field of mental health management (37.5%) for the disabled accounted for a high proportion. The design of research were mostly quantitative and cross-sectional studies. Data collection is mostly based on secondary data. In studies targeting the elderly, keywords appeared in the following order: 'Health' and 'Elderly'. And research targeting the disabled appeared in the following order: 'Disabilities', 'Health', and 'COVID-19'. Additionally, research on the elderly and the disabled has recently shown an increasing trend. Conclusion: Research on the elderly and the disabled has been conducted in line with the purpose of the Korean society for school & community health education, However, In terms of quantitative expansion and qualitative research, research themes, research designs, and data collection methods must be diversified. Methods, public perception. Additionally, research on vulnerable groups that fit the public health promotion and health education paradigm is needed.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.349-358
• /
• 2024

This study conducted a literature analysis to examine the overall trend of speech-language pathology in discourse research, focusing on studies on the topic of discourse from 2010 to 2023. Twenty-five papers were selected and analyzed in terms of research status, research subjects (age and subject type), and research methods (type and task). As a result, first, looking at the annual status of discourse research, it was confirmed that it is increasing starting from 2015 compared to 2010 to 2014. Second, the age of the research subjects and the types of experimental and control groups in the experimental study were examined. First, when analyzing the age of the subjects, research was actively conducted on school-age subjects (12 studies, 48.00%). When looking at the analysis of the types of experimental group subjects, the Normal group was the most (4 studies (19.04%)), and the control group subject type was also conducted with Normal as the control group (13 studies (61.90%)). It was the most. Third, in the analysis of research methods, it was found that the research type was very biased towards experimental studies, with 21 studies (84.00%). The type of research in terms of time was cross-sectional studies, which accounted for a high proportion of 21 studies (84.00%), and the research project used to evaluate discourse ability with a high proportion was discourse production, with a total of 12 studies (48.00%). This study comprehensively looked at discourse-related research related to language development and language disorders and sought to identify recent trends and the direction in which discourse-related research should move. The analysis of this study was limited to domestic papers. In follow-up research, we hope to understand the flow of research and discuss it, including overseas research related to discourse.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.69-84
• /
• 2024

Objective : This study aimed to categorize the lifestyles of older adults into two types - healthy and unhealthy, and use machine learning to identify the personal values that influence these lifestyles. Methods : This cross-sectional study targeting middle-aged and older adults (55 years and above) living in local communities in South Korea. Data were collected from 300 participants through online surveys. Lifestyle types were dichotomized by the Yonsei Lifestyle Profile (YLP)-Active, Balanced, Connected, and Diverse (ABCD) responses using latent profile analysis. Personal value information was collected using YLP-Values (YLP-V) and analyzed using machine learning to identify the relative importance of personal values on lifestyle types. Results : The lifestyle of older adults was categorized into healthy (48.87%) and unhealthy (51.13%). These two types showed the most significant difference in social relationship characteristics. Among the machine learning models used in this study, the support vector machine showed the highest classification performance, achieving 96% accuracy and 95% area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The model indicated that individuals who prioritized a healthy diet, sought health information, and engaged in hobbies or cultural activities were more likely to have a healthy lifestyle. Conclusion : This study suggests the need to encourage the expansion of social networks among older adults. Furthermore, it highlights the necessity to comprehensively intervene in individuals' perceptions and values that primarily influence lifestyle adherence.