• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.28-36
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• 2022

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines in children aged 5-11 years, a rapid systematic review was conducted on published clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccines and studies that analyzed real-world data on adverse events after COVID-19 vaccination. Methods: A systematic search was conducted on medical literature in international (Ovid-MEDLINE) and pre-published literature databases (medRxiv), followed by handsearching up to January 4, 2022. We used terms including COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and vaccines, and the certainty of evidence was graded using the GRADE approach. Results: A total of 1,675 studies were identified, of which five were finally selected. Among the five studies, four consisted of data from clinical trials of each of the four types of COVID-19 vaccines (BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, CoronaVac, and BBIBP-CorV). The remaining study consisted of real-world data on the safety of the BNT162b2 vaccine in children aged 5-11 years. This systematic review identified that COVID-19 vaccines in recipients aged 5-11 years produced a favorable immune response, and were vaccines were effective against COVID-19. The safety findings for the BNT162b2 vaccine in children and early adolescents aged 5-11 years were similar to those data noted in the clinical trial. Conclusions: There is limited data on COVID-19 vaccines in children aged 5-11 years. Consequently continuous and comprehensive monitoring is necessary for the evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.293-302
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• 2016

The use of folk medicine has been widely embraced in many developed countries under the name of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine (TCAM) and is now becoming the mainstream in the UK and the rest of Europe, as well as in North America and Australia. Diversity, easy accessibility, broad continuity, relatively low cost, base levels of technological inputs, fewer side effects, and growing economic importance are some of the positive features of folk medicine. In this framework, a critical need exists to introduce the practice of folk medicine into public healthcare if the goal of reformed access to healthcare facilities is to be achieved. The amount of information available to public health practitioners about traditional medicine concepts and the utilization of that information are inadequate and pose many problems for the delivery of primary healthcare globally. Different societies have evolved various forms of indigenous perceptions that are captured under the broad concept of folk medicine, e.g., Persian, Chinese, Grecian, and African folk medicines, which explain the lack of universally accepted definitions of terms. Thus, the exchange of information on the diverse forms of folk medicine needs to be facilitated. Various concepts of Wind are found in books on traditional medicine, and many of those go beyond the boundaries established in old manuscripts and are not easily understood. This study intends to provide information, context, and guidance for the collection of all important information on the different concepts of Wind and for their simplification. This new vision for understanding earlier Chinese medicine will benefit public health specialists, traditional and complementary medicine practitioners, and those who are interested in historical medicine by providing a theoretical basis for the traditional medicines and the acupuncture that is used to eliminate Wind in order to treat various diseases.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.7749-7755
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• 2013

Nutritional status and dietary intake play a significant role in the prognosis of breast cancer and may modify the progression of disease. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of nutritional status on the quality of life of Iranian breast cancer survivors. Cross-sectional data were collected for 100 Iranian breast cancer survivors, aged 32 to 61 years, attending the oncology outpatient clinic at Golestan Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran. Nutritional status of subjects was assessed by anthropometric measurements, Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) and three non-consecutive 24-hour diet recalls. The European Organization of Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life form (EORTC QLQ-C30) was used to assess quality of life. Ninety-four percent of the survivors were well-nourished, 6% were moderately malnourished or suspected of being malnourished while none were severely malnourished. Prevalence of overweight and obesity was 86%. Overall, participants had an inadequate intake of vitamin D, E, iron and magnesium according to dietary reference intake (DRI) recommendations. Survivors with better nutritional status had better functioning scales and experienced fewer clinical symptoms. It appears important to provide educational and nutritional screening programs to improve cancer survivor quality of life.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.168-173
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• 2002

Gastrointestinal infections kill over two million people each year, and pathogen contamination of livestock causes many cases of food poisoning. Two candidate intestinal probiotic strains, L. rhamnosus GR-1 and L. fermentum RC-14 were found to inhibit the growth of Salmonella typhi, Shigella dysenteriae, E. coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, L. innocua, Enterococcus faecalis, and Bacteroides fragilis. In a series of mouse experiments, L. rhamosus GR-1 and L rhamnosus GG protected against S. typhimurium infection and translocation to the liver and spleen, reduced mortality and induced intestinal phagocytic and immunoglobulin responses. In a second series of experiments, the combination of L. rhamnosus GR-1 and L. fermentum RC-14 was superior to L. rhamnosus GG and placebo in protecting the mice from the lethal effect of salmonella. In summary, the use of combinations of probiotic lactobacilli as dietary supplements or foods could be considered for people at high risk of salmonella intestinal infection. Given the post-infection complications that can arise, such natural methods warrant further exploration especially given the increasing problem of antibiotic resistance and the lack of alternative measures available to many developing countries.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.126-134
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• 2020

Objectives: Cancer diagnoses have a tremendous impact on individuals and communities, drawing intense public concern. The objective of the current research was to examine news coverage and content related to cancer-related issues in Korean newspapers. Methods: Primarily using the database system of the Korea Press Foundation, we conducted a content analysis of 2806 articles from 9 Korean daily newspapers during a recent 3-year period from 2015 to 2017. Thematic categories, the types of articles, attitudes and tone, and the number of sources in each article were coded and classified. Results: Many news articles dealt with a diverse range of themes related to cancer, including general healthcare information, the latest research and development, specific medical institutions and personnel, and technology and products, which jointly accounted for 74.8% of all articles. Those thematic categories differed markedly in terms of article type, tone, and the number of cited sources. News articles provided extensive information about healthcare resources, and many articles seemed to contain advertising content. However, the content related to complex social issues such as National Health Insurance did not include enough information for the reader to contextualize the issues properly or present the issues systematically. Conclusions: It can be assumed that the media exert differential influence on individuals through news coverage. Within the present reporting framework, the availability and usefulness of information are likely to depend solely on individuals' capabilities, such as financial and health literacy; this dependency has a negative impact on knowledge gaps and health inequities.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.513-522
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• 2020

Purpose: This study aimed to utilize concept analysis to obtain a better understanding of the concept of "continuity of care" in chronic diseases. Methods: The concept of continuity of care was analyzed using the Walker and Avant method. Covering literature in English from 1930 to 2018, the data sources included CINAHL Complete, Academic Search Complete, MEDLINE, PsyARTICLES, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and the Cochrane Library. Results: A comprehensive definition of concept of continuity of care was developed based on a systematic search and synthesis. The key defining attributes were identified as (a) care over time, (b) the relationship between an individual patient and a care team, (c) information transfer, (d) coordination, and (e) meeting changing needs. The antecedents of continuity of care were having a chronic disease, inexperienced with disease management, a poorly coordinated healthcare system, and medical care limitations. The consequences of continuity of care were decreasing hospital admissions, reducing costs, reducing emergency room visits, improving the quality of life, improving patient satisfaction, and delivering good healthcare. Conclusion: The thorough concept analysis provides insight into the nature of "continuity of care" in chronic diseases and also helps ground the concept in healthcare.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.91-98
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• 2014

Primary gastric lymphoma (PGL) is derived from mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) and it differs from nodal lymphoma in histologic features and biologic behavior. Recent studies have showed that Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori ) infection is closely related to the development of low grade gastric lymphoma, and eradication of the infection induces regression of the tumor. H. pylori infection is known to be important to the development of gastric MALT lymphoma. The aim of this study was to elucidate the histopathological behavior of PGL according to the concept of MALT and to compare the predictive value of tests frequently used for diagnosis of H. pylori. The histological features of gastric lymphoma arising from MALT are the replacement of glands by uniform dense infiltration of centrocyte-like cells in the lamina propria and lymphoidepithelial lesion. H. pylori-associated histologic changes of neutrophilic infiltration, lymphoid follicle or aggregates formation and intestinal metaplasia, and H. pylori immunoreactivity were analyzed. Detection of H. pylori in chronic active gastritis and peptic ulcer suggests a possible role of H. pylori in the pathogenesis. Giemsa, Toluidine blue and Long H&E stains were used in H. pylori detection. Histopathological examination of gastric biopsy specimens revealed lymphoepithelial lesions pathognomonic of MALT lymphoma, and immunohistochemical staining for CD20 was diffusely positive. CD3 was positive in reactive T cells. PAX-5 was negative except the follicle. Bcl-2, cytokeratin, Ki-67, and c-myc were positive. The findings may indicate a predictable transition of low grade to high grade, and c-myc may be used as a valuable marker before molecular pathology diagnosis.

• Healthcare Informatics Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.292-299
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• 2018

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to assess the frequency of use, and preferences regarding information and communication technologies (ICTs) among Ecuadorian patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing hemodialysis. Methods: We conducted an anonymous cross-sectional survey-based study from January 2016 to April 2017, involving 393 patients with end-stage renal disease from 9 hemodialysis centers, in which they rated their use and preferences of various ICTs through a modified version of the Michigan Questionnaire. The questionnaire collected information regarding demographics, patients' interest in obtaining health-related information through ICTs, and interest in using ICTs as a potential way to communicate with their healthcare providers. A chi-square test for association and adjusted regression analyses were performed. Results: Among all patients who participated, 64.3% reported owning a cellphone, with less than a third reporting active Internet connection. The most used ICT for obtaining information about CKD and/or hemodialysis was web-based Internet, followed by YouTube. SMS was rated the highest to receive and seek health-related information, followed by Facebook. Younger age and higher levels of education were associated with a higher overall usage of ICTs. Finally, more than half of the patients reported interest in using WhatsApp for communicating with their healthcare providers. Conclusions: Understanding the preferences of ICTs among patients with CKD undergoing hemodialysis could help to improve their outcomes through the potential uses and benefits of ICTs. Further research is needed to assess their role in improving the care of patients with chronic diseases.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2016.10a
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• pp.803-806
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• 2016

'Pokemon Go',which is game program, provides a clue to solve the problem of healthcare in the sense of leading changes in behavior of the users. 'Pokemon Go'is a spin-off of the $Pok{\acute{e}}mon$ game series and uses Augmented Reality(AR) technology. AR, which can be said to complement the real world, has been used in many fields such as medical applications, broadcasting, manufacturing, the mobile sector as a wide range of technologies. In particular, the medical field as area of the active application from the start of AR, provides a great help in medical fields, that is accurate medical diagnosis and prevention of unnecessary dissection by synthesizing the patient information and the image of actual patient on three-dimensional data of the sensor such as MRI or ultrasonic wave. In this study, we analyze the VR technology trends, application examples, and the future of VR and AR based medical services in healthcare.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.31.1-31.7
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• 2018

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in the nonobese population is not low. However, the identification and risk mitigation of MS are not easy in this population. We aimed to develop an MS prediction model using genetic and clinical factors of nonobese Koreans through machine learning methods. A prediction model for MS was designed for a nonobese population using clinical and genetic polymorphism information with five machine learning algorithms, including naïve Bayes classification (NB). The analysis was performed in two stages (training and test sets). Model A was designed with only clinical information (age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol consumption status, and exercise status), and for model B, genetic information (for 10 polymorphisms) was added to model A. Of the 7,502 nonobese participants, 647 (8.6%) had MS. In the test set analysis, for the maximum sensitivity criterion, NB showed the highest sensitivity: 0.38 for model A and 0.42 for model B. The specificity of NB was 0.79 for model A and 0.80 for model B. In a comparison of the performances of models A and B by NB, model B (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.69, clinical and genetic information input) showed better performance than model A (AUC = 0.65, clinical information only input). We designed a prediction model for MS in a nonobese population using clinical and genetic information. With this model, we might convince nonobese MS individuals to undergo health checks and adopt behaviors associated with a preventive lifestyle.