• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.9
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• pp.1590-1598
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• 2008

Cell proliferation and differentiation are critical processes in a developing fetal rat brain, during which programmed cell death (PCD) also plays an important role. One of the decisive factors for PCD is Bcl-2 family proteins, where Bax induces cell death, whereas Bcl-2 acts as an inhibitor of PCD. As maternal drinking is known to cause fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) or malformation of the fetal brain during pregnancy, the objective of the present study was to investigate whether maternal ethanol exposure alters the PCD-related Bax and Bcl-2 protein expression during fetal brain development. Pregnant female rats were orally treated with 10% ethanol and the subsequent expressions of the Bax and Bcl-2 proteins examined in the fetal brain, including the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain, from gestational day (GD) 15.5 to GD 19.5, using Western blots, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry. With regard to the ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax proteins (Bcl-2/Bax), the Bax protein was dominant in the forebrain and midbrain of the control GD 15.5 fetuses, except for the hindbrain, when compared with the respective ethanol-treated groups. Moreover, Bcl-2 became dominant in the midbrain of the control GD 17.5 fetuses when compared with the ethanol-treated group, representing an alternation of the natural PCD process by ethanol. Furthermore, a differential expression of the Bcl-2 and Bax proteins was found in the differentiating and migrating zones of the cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, and cerebellum. Thus, when taken together, the present results suggest that ethanol affects PCD in the cell differentiation and migration zones of the prenatal rat brain by modulating Bax and Bcl-2 expression in an age- and area-dependent manner. Therefore, this is the first evidence that ethanol may alter FAS-associated embryonic brain development through the alteration of Bax and Bc1-2 expression.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.389-396
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• 2003

Maternal nutritional status has been shown to influence pregnancy outcomes. And the elevated maternal plasma homocysteine concentrations have been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. We investigated the effects of maternal serum levels of B vitamins and homocysteine, and the C677T MTHFR (5, 10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase) polymorphism on pregnancy outcomes. In 177 pregnant women of 24-28 wks of gestation, the MTHFR gene mutation, serum B vitamins and homocysteine concentrations were measured, and their pregnancy outcomes were investigated from medical records. The birth length, and 1- and 5-min Apgar scores of neonates in the T/T mothers were 45.4 $\pm$ 9.3 cm, 7.6 $\pm$ 3.2 and 8.5 $\pm$ 3.8, respectively, which were significantly lower than those in the C/T (48.6 $\pm$ 3.3 cm, 9.0 $\pm$ 0.2, 10.0 $\pm$ 0.2) or the C/C mothers (49.4 $\pm$ 1.9 cm, 9.0 $\pm$ 0.2, 10.0 $\pm$ 0.0). The birth weight, birth length and the gestational age of neonates at delivery from hyperhomocysteinemic mothers whose homocysteine levels higher than 15 $\mu$ mol were 2.5 $\pm$ 1.3 kg, 43.9 $\pm$ 9.0 cm, 35.4 $\pm$ 6.3 wk, respectively, which were significant lower than those from normohomocysteinemic mothers (3.1 $\pm$ 0.6 kg, 48.8 $\pm$ 3.6 cm, 38.5 $\pm$ 2.5 wk). The birth weight and birth length of neonates in mothers whose PLP levels were below the median were significantly lower than those from mothers with the PLP levels above the median. The 1- and 5-min Apgar scores of neonates were lower in mothers with the T/T MTHFR genotype than those with the C/T or C/C only when the serum PLP levels were below the median. The 1-, 5 min Apgar scores and birth length of neonates were lower in mothers with the T/T MTHFR genotype than those with the C/T or C/C only when the serum FMN levels were below the median. In conclusion, maternal B vitamin status, homocysteine and the C677T MTHFR genotype seem to have played an important role on pregnancy outcomes.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.22-33
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• 1989

Rapid socio-cultural and economic changes in the country has brought with it changes in the society's value system. For a traditional society that is increasingly being exposed to modernization but where sex norms are still very restrictive, the adolescent sexual mores takes on added significance. Adolescents are caught between two opposing forces, the changing environment that allows for freer and liberal mores and the traditional society that cannot keep pace with the changing environment and therefore demands resistance to changes. This paper focuses on problems of adolescent sexuality in this country and considers the countermeasures for the existing problems. Amongst the problems are: (a) increasingly younger age of the adolescents who start sexual intercourse (b) non-use of contraception, (c) unwanted pregnancies, (d) increase in the number of induced abortion and (e) increase in the number of unwanted children and unmarried mothers. The Korean adolescent's sexual behavior seems to follow that of the developed countries. In other words, many western modes of life and sexual values seem to bave been copied in Korea and yet Korean adolescents lack in their knowledge of sex related matters such as reproductive physiology and contraception. Among middle and high school students, female students are reported to have less knowledge on sex than male students according to a 1988 survey by KIPH. Even among the unmarried famale factory workers, only 42.5 percent replied they know of the condom, and 25.1 percent and 23.1 percent said they had knowledge of spermicide and menstrual regulation respectively. However, 14.9 percent and 13.9 percent reported that they had a knowledge of the loop and female sterilization respectively according to the 1984 study by KIPH. Among the middle school students 0.8 percent said they had experience in sexual intercourse, while 7.3 percent of the high school students reported having had sexual intercourse. The sexual intercourse experience rate among the unmarried female factory workers is 37.8 percent. Among those female factory workers with sexual experience, 46.7 percent had more than one sex partners. Only 39.1 percent of male students and 18.9 percent of female students among those with sexual intercourse experience have used contraceptives. mostly condoms and oral pills 45.1 percent of female factory workers with sexual intercourse experience used contraceptives such as pills, condoms and rhythm methods. The pregnancy experience rate among the female factory workers who had experience in sexual intercourse is 29.5 percent, which is 11.1 percent among the total respondents. Out of the 102 pregnant female workers, 98 workers(96.1 percent) terminated their pregnancy by induced abortion and 2 workders(2 percent) in natural abortion, while 1 worker(1 percent) was in pregnancy and another 1 worker had normal birth that was subsequently sent to orphanage. In order to cope with the problem of adolescent sexuality, a drastic and strong policy measures should be taken by the government. The most effective countermeasure to the adolescent sexual problems appears to the education. The sex and population education in the school is very much in need. In addition, sex education program through mass media and at the job sit-should be promoted for a healthy development of adolescents' sexual behavior. Also, the existing national family planning program, which has focused on the married couples, should be extended to the unmarried people in its scope and contents of the program.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.39-47
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• 1992

This study was surveyed among 1136 respondent of high school girls in seoul from Feb. 6, till Feb. 22, 1992 for the purpose of analysing the smoking of high school girls and its factor. The data was analied by X²-test and Multiple Regression and shows the following. 1. Out of 1,136 respondent, the current smokers were found to be 176, 15.5% and the former smokers were 204, 18.0%. This implies that 23.5% of high school girls seoul have experience smoking. 2. For the first smoking time in both smoking group and former smokers, it shows that the third grade of middle school lead the lists. 36.9% (65) of the smokers and 37.3(75)of former smokers experienced the first smoking at that time. 70.5%(124) of the smoking group have the intention to stop smoking and the first reason of it is health problem, 65.6%(75). 3. For the type of the school the smoking rate rages from 2.7%(7) of literary part in day time to 25.3%(97) of vocational part in evening time and the rate of smoking experience shows from 9.9%(26) literary part in day time to 25.3%(97) of vocational part in evening time. This data show that literary part in day time has the lowst rate while vocational part in eveing time the highest rate. 4. Compared with non smoker group, smoking group and former smoking group spent more money (P<0.001) and felt dissatisfied with school life and didn't have good school records. 5. Smoking group and former smokers have more boy friends than non smoking group and in most cases their boy friend have smoking habits (P<0.001) and it is the same with their gril friend (P<0.001). 6. Compared with non smoker group, smoking group and former smokers lack of their parents' interest (P<0.001). But whether it is strict or free there is little difference among the three group. 7. For smoking group and former smoking group, in most cases their parent, brother and sister tend to smoke and especially their sisters' smoking has much influence on their smoking in comparison with non-smokers. 8. Compared with non-smoker group, smoking group and former smoking group tend to think less of the harm of smoking. In regard with health problem, more smoking group and former smokers think that smoking can relieve the stress (P<0.001), and more non-smokers know that when a pregnant woman smokes, it can cause the lack of supply of Oxygen{P<0.01). 9. Smoking group and former smoking group have more positive attitude towards smoking than non-smokers and tend to agree to their boy and girl friends' smoking(P<0.001).

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.227-234
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• 2007

Recent epidemiologic studies show that gestational exposure to air pollution adversely affects pregnancy outcomes including low birth weight in preform birth. In this study, we evaluated the effect of air pollutants on LBW (low birth weight) on firstborn fetus throughout the gestational period using the birth cohort between 1999 and 2003 in Seoul. Using birth cohort data from the National Statistics Office of Korea we identified 288,346 firstborn births (excluded missing data on lack of information for birth weight and discordance between residential and certificated address from a total of 316,451) during 1999 to 2003 with complete covariate (gender, parity, date of birth, gestational age, parental age and educational level, maternal occupation etc.) and maternal residential history data. Our subjects were defined as more than 37 weeks and less than 44 weeks of completed gestation and we identified 5,457 persons (1.89%) by low birth weight (<2.5 kg) in this study. Using logistic regression, we estimated the risk of mean (entire pregnancy and trimester period) air pollution concentrations for CO, $O_3,\;PM_{10},\;NO_2\;and\;SO_2$. In terms of trimester-specific exposure, we found that some air pollutants exposure in each trimester would increase the risk for LBW. Results also showed that the effect size of air pollutants exposure during the first and third trimester is higher than during the second trimester. In all trimester, the estimated risk of LBW was 1.831 (95% CI=1.573-2.132) with unit increase for CO, 1.139 (95% CI=1.107-1.172) for 50, and 1.009 (95% CI=1.001-1.017) for $O_3$. Our results suggest that exposure during the gestation period to relatively low levels of some air pollutants may be associated with a reduction in birth weight on first-born fetus. These findings implicate the effective risk management strategies should be applied to minimize the public health impacts for pregnant women.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.306-316
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• 2007

This study have a object to found out the effects of oriental herb medicine, Antaeeum, to dams of rats and their offsprings. The Antaeeum was savaged to female Sprague-Dawley rats at a dose of 5 mg/kg/day for 3 weeks during gestation periods. Dams of rat were sacrificed at 20th day of gestation, and were observed major internal and reproductive organs. Approximately live fetuses in the 20th days of gestation were selected randomly and examined with stereo microscopes. Others offsprings were fixed with 95% ethanol for skeletal examinations. The fixed fetuses were stained with alcian blue and alizarin red S to observe skeletal variations or malformations. Maternal body weight of Antaeeum treated dams have a tendency of increasing compared with control dams. There were no significant difference in internal and reproductive organs of weight or findings. The spleenic organ relative weight of treated dams were decreased compared with the control significaltly (p<0.05). There were no significant changes between two groups in blood chemistry and hematological values. There were no significant changes in number of corpus luteum, implantation, live fetuses and implantation rate, delivery rate, late resorption rate and sex ratio. But in the Antaeeum treated group showed lower early resorption rate than that of the control dams. Fetal body weight and number of fetus a dam at Antaeeum treated group were higher than that of control group. The fetuses of dams treated with Antaeeum didn't induced external malformations. Vertebral and sternal variations were observed in Antaeeum group, but compared with the control, those variations were not significant. The ossification numbers of rib, cervical, thoracic, and lumber were normal. Fetuses treated with Antaeeum to the dams showed no significant difference in the number of caudal vertebra (P>0.01). From these results, it can be concluded that Antaeeum showed no toxicity effects on maternal side especially on body weight, early resorption rate, and number of live fetuses. Also there were no significant changes on maternal organ weights except spleen, hematological data, reproductive organs. Although skeletal variations were examined at vertebra and sternum, this Antaeeum could not induced significant choses in bone malformation.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.480-490
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• 2018

Objective: This study aimed to report the level of extremely low frequency-magnetic field (ELF-MF) emitted by portable hand-held fans (HHF) and to discuss the methodologies for determining the health risk of ELF-MF for HHF products. Method: ELF-MF was monitored at eight locations by distances in the vicinity of HHFs. A total of 13 HHF brands on the market were randomly selected. A portable ELF-MF monitor MDEX II was used to measure the ELF-MF level in the range of 40-800 Hz with a resolution of $0.01{\mu}T$. This study also examined the frequency results of a total of 45 HHF products investigated by the Korean Ministry of Science and ICT (KMSICT). Results: ELF-MF higher than $0.3{\mu}T$ was found to be emitted at a distance of less than 20 cm from 12 HHF. ELF-MF emitted from four products was found to exceed the reference level ($83.3{\mu}T$ based on 60 Hz) recommended by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). KMSIT reported that the principle frequency emitted from the HHFs ranged from 54 Hz to 284 kHz, without the level of LEF-MF. Unscientifically, the KMSICT used the reference level by ICNIRP as the chronic level and concluded that all HHFs are safe with a basis of 1.2-36.0% less than the reference level. Conclusion: The HHF emitted much higher levels of ELF-MF than $0.3-0.4{\mu}T$, which is regarded as the reference level for childhood leukemia. The risk of HHF should be examined in terms of whether they can be used by the general public, including children and pregnant woman.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.3-12
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• 2001

Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) are important components of brain phospholipds and play important role (s) in brain function. In rats, the maximum brain growth occurs during the period of lactation even though it happens during the third trimester of gestation in human. Since milk contained docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) even through the maternal diet had no DHA and/or a very small amount of its precursor, $\alpha$-linolenic acid ($\alpha$-LnA), an emphasis was given to maternal adipose tissue as a reservoir of this fatty acid. We, therefore, investigated the mesenteric and subcutaneous adipose tissues for their fatty acid composition in dams reared with different fat diets. Diets containing various amounts of $\omega$6 and $\omega$3 fatty acids were given to adult female rats (200-250g) throughout the pregnancy and lactation periods. Diets were composed of 10% (wt/wt) corn oil (CO), soybean oil (SO), perilla seed oil (PO) containing about 60% $\alpha$-LnA, or fish oil (FO) rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and DHA. The fatty acid ompositions of mesenteric and subcutaneous fat were measured and evaluated at Day-2 and Day-15 after parturition. In general, major characteristics of dietary fatty acid composition was reflected on the fatty acid composition of adipose tissues. Dietary fatty acid composition was reflected more on mesenteric fat as compared to subcutaneous fat. Mesenteric fat was found to contain less arachidonic acid (AA) and mesenteric fats of CO, SO and PO groups contained less DHA than did the subcutaneous fat. The P/M/S ratios of adipose tissues were similar between experimental groups while dietary P/M/S ratios differed significantly. It was noticeable that a small proportion of DHA was found in the adipose tissues of animals of CO, SO and PO groups (Day-2) and in SO and PO groups (Day-15), the groups which do not contain DHA in their diets. The percentage of DHA in mesenteric fat o CO, SO and PO groups decreased as lactation continues, while the proportion of DHA in FO group increased. Adipose tissues of FO group had higher DHA/EPA ratio as compared to the diet. Considering the fact that the body contains a large amount of adipose tissues, our present finding suggests that the adipose tissue can serve as a reservoir of DHA for pregnant and lactating rats.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.202-211
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• 2015

This study attempts to deduce the necessity and validity of complexation, and suggests complexation through complexation suitability evaluations as follows. First, the concept and current state of leisure facilities for the elderly and elementary facilities and architectural complexation were investigated through theoretical considerations. Second, the target schools for complexation of 'elementary school-leisure facility for the elderly' were selected. The aspects of facility introduction of an elementary school, teacher support facility, convenience facility for the disabled, safety and security facilities as well as school facility accessibility were investigated on the basis of the data attained from theoretical considerations. Third, the feasibility of complexation of leisure facilities for the elderly was reviewed, based on the investigated data on complexation-targeted elementary school. Regarding school building and support facilities, with a focus on leisure programs for the elderly, the availability and number of rooms, extra numbers of regular classrooms and the room condition were assessed on the basis of the analysis of operational perspective of each facility. The convenience facilities for the disabled were examined by classifying them into interventional facility in consideration of facilities for the elderly, pursuant to the provisions in the convenience promotion assurance act for the disabled, elderly and pregnant women. Safety and security facilities were evaluated in an effort to assess the safety issue of the elderly and children. The result of the evaluation of the 6 elementary schools in Seong-buk county based on the above-mentioned four measurement standards shows that they scored 107~124 points out of the total 155 points, with the average of 118.5 points. This is more than the medium score and shows the possible complexation of the elementary school facilities as the leisure facilities for the elderly, and at the same time it may lead each school to find out the elements conducive to enhancing the complexation as a result of the evaluation. Through the evaluation data, I expect that we contribute to promoting the process of the evaluation of the appropriateness of complexation and the efficient complexation.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.85-90
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• 2018

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a global health concern and can cause serious complications such as miscarriage, premature birth, and pelvic infection in pregnant women. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and information on the epidemiologic trends are critical. However, studies of STI trends in Cheonan, South Korea, have not been conducted since 2012. We examined the STI trends in the Cheonan area after 2012. From January 2011 to September 2017, 3,362 cervical swab specimens from female patients were sampled at the Dankook University Hospital and analyzed by multiplex PCR. Of the 3,362 specimens, 1,281 were positive for pathogens (38.92%). A total of 1,893 pathogens were detected. Ureaplasma urealyticum, Mycoplasma hominis, and Chlamydia trachomatis were the most frequent pathogens, accounting for 36.29% (687/1,893), 30.16% (571/1,893), and 19.97% (378/1,893) of the pathogen-positive samples, respectively. In the 2009-2012 analysis, M. hominis was identified as the predominant pathogen in STI samples, whereas U. urealyticum was identified as the major pathogen in this study. In many countries, including South Korea and the United States, the rate of STIs is increasing, while a decreasing trend was observed in Cheonan.