• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.54 no.10
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• pp.405-408
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• 2011

Purpose: In autumn 2009, the swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) virus spread throughout South Korea. The aims of this study were to determine the clinical characteristics of children infected by the 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus, and to compare the rapid antigen and realtime polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of patients ${\geq}18$ years of age who presented to Soonchunhyang University Hospital in Seoul with respiratory symptoms, including fever, between September 2009 and January 2010. A real-time PCR test was used to definitively diagnose 2009 H1N1 influenza A infection. Medical records of confirmed cases were reviewed for sex, age, and the time of infection. The decision to perform rapid antigen testing was not influenced by clinical conditions, but by individual factors such as economic conditions. Its sensitivity and specificity were evaluated compared to real-time PCR test results. Results: In total, 934 patients tested positive for H1N1 by real-time PCR. The highest number of patients (48.9%) was diagnosed in November. Most patients (48.2%) were aged between 6 and 10 years. Compared with the H1N1 real-time PCR test results, the rapid antigen test showed 22% sensitivity and 83% specificity. Seventy-eight patients were hospitalized for H1N1 influenza A virus infection, and fever was the most common symptom (97.4%). Conclusion: For diagnosis of 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus infection, the rapid antigen test was inferior to the real-time PCR test in both sensitivity and specificity. This outcome suggests that the rapid antigen test is inappropriate for screening.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.96-103
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• 2016

The influenza A (H1N1) virus, also known as swine flu is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality since 2009. There is a need to explore novel anti-viral drugs for overcoming the epidemics. Traditionally, different plant extracts of garlic, ginger, kalmegh, ajwain, green tea, turmeric, menthe, tulsi, etc. have been used as hopeful source of prevention and treatment of human influenza. The H1N1 virus contains an important glycoprotein, known as neuraminidase (NA) that is mainly responsible for initiation of viral infection and is essential for the life cycle of H1N1. It is responsible for sialic acid cleavage from glycans of the infected cell. We employed amino acid sequence of H1N1 NA to predict the tertiary structure using Phyre2 server and validated using ProCheck, ProSA, ProQ, and ERRAT server. Further, the modelled structure was docked with thirteen natural compounds of plant origin using AutoDock4.2. Most of the natural compounds showed effective inhibitory activity against H1N1 NA in binding condition. This study also highlights interaction of these natural inhibitors with amino residues of NA protein. Furthermore, among 13 natural compounds, theaflavin, found in green tea, was observed to inhibit H1N1 NA proteins strongly supported by lowest docking energy. Hence, it may be of interest to consider theaflavin for further in vitro and in vivo evaluation.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.16-22
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• 2011

Purpose: Hand washing has received renewed emphasis in recent years as Swine flu epidemic threaten health of public. This study aimed to describe measures used to prevent new types of influenza (NTI); describe hand washing frequency; and analyze the relationship of hand washing to locus of control, uncertainty, and state anxiety. Methods: One hundred thirty three adults participate in the questionnaire survey in which participants indicated measures they used to prevent NTI, frequency of handwashing for the prevention of NTI. They also responded to questions related to locus of control, uncertainty and state anxiety. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and multiple regression. Results: A majority (66.9%) of the participants indicated that handwashing was an important measure to prevent NTI. Importance of hand-washing was related the highest among the measures they used and it was significantly related to participants who had high score in internal locus of control. Other significant factor to the hand-washing behavior was state anxiety, which explained 6.9% of the frequency. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, majority of participants indicated that handwashing was one of the most important measures to prevent NTI. Nurses need to continue educating public the importance of handwashing and pay attention to personal characteristics such as internal locus of control and anxiety to promote hand-washing.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.145-152
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• 2009

Novel influenza A virus, subtype H1N1 of swine-lineage, has been transmitted rapidly to many regions of the world. Rapid detection of the virus is essential to instigate appropriate patient care and public health management and for disease surveillance. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus in Korea using reverse-transcription real time polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR). Novel H1N1 virus was detected in a total of 8,948 nasopharyngeal samples from patients with influenza-like illness throughout Korea from August to September 2009. RNA was extracted from $300{\mu}l$of sample using an RNA extraction kit (Zymo Research, CA, USA). In the present study, Genekam kit (Genekam, Duisburg, Germany) was used to detect novel H1N1 virus. Novel H1N1 virus was found in 1,130 samples from a total of 8,948 samples (12.6%). The highest frequency was found in 10- to 19-year-olds (M: 29.3% vs. F: 16.4%), followed by 20- to 29-year-olds (M: 17.9% vs. F: 15.4%), 40- to 49-year-olds (M: 6.5% vs. F: 8.1%), 50- to 59-year-olds (M: 6.0% vs. F: 5.5%), and 30- to 39-year-olds (M: 4.6% vs. F: 3.8%). The mean positive rate was higher in men than in women (M: 14.7% vs. F: 7.4%). Novel H1N1 virus showed the lowest prevalence in patients over 60 years old. The positive rate increased daily and showed a significant high peak in mid-September 2009. In 19 provinces of Korea, Cheonan (41.1%), Busan (37.3%), Gangneung (33.3%), Jinju (32.1%), Ulsan (24.6%), Deajeon (23.7%) areas showed high frequencies and other provinces were found less than 10% of novel H1N1 virus. Since reverse-transcription real time PCR assay is rapid, accurate, and convenient, it may assist public health laboratories in detecting novel H1N1 virus. Moreover, these data could be useful for the management of patients with influenza-like illness.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.33.1-33.10
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• 2022

Background: Endemic circulation of human-specific hepatitis E virus (HEV) genotypes 1 and 2 may occult the importance of sporadic zoonotic HEV transmissions in Africa. Increasing numbers of studies reporting anti-HEV antibodies in cattle and the discovery of infectious HEV in cow milk has raised public health concern, but cattle exposure has seldom been investigated in Africa. Objectives: This study aimed at investigating the role of cows in the epidemiology of HEV in Burkina Faso and farmers habits in terms of dairy product consumption as a prerequisite to estimate the risk of transmission to humans. Methods: Sera from 475 cattle and 192 pigs were screened for the presence of anti-HEV antibodies while HEV RNA in swine stools was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Data on mixed farming, dairy product consumption and selling habits were gathered through questionnaires. Results: The overall seroprevalence in cattle was 5.1% and herd seroprevalence reached 32.4% (11/34). Herd seropositivity was not associated with husbandry practice or presence of rabbits on the farms. However, herd seropositivity was associated with on-site presence of pigs, 80.7% of which had anti-HEV antibodies. The majority of farmers reported to preferentially consume raw milk based dairy products. Conclusions: Concomitant presence of pigs on cattle farms constitutes a risk factor for HEV exposure of cattle. However, the risk of HEV infections associated with raw cow dairy product consumption is currently considered as low.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.126-142
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• 2006

A survey was conducted to investigate the relationship between knowledge of perceived food safety and actual food purchase practices among parents of children under the age of seven (N=309) in 2005. The seventeen following perceived food safety items were included in the survey (bovine spongiform encephalopathy, foot and mouth disease, pathogenic avian influenza, swine fever, allergens, GMO, irradiated food, food poisoning bacteria, endocrine disrupter, antibiotics, food additives, carcinogen, natural toxin, agrichemical residues, place of origin, cultivation methods, and heavy metal) Most parents were highly concerned about investigating all food safety topics. Up to 90.0% of the participants recognized the importance of food safety. The public concern has caused a considerable decline in the demand for food afterreceiving news about food safety through mass media, Also, the majority of subjects required correct food safety information.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.581-596
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• 2013

The aim of this study was to identify students' views on the orientation of science and to investigate the relationship between their views and decision-making on socio-scientific issues (SSI). In this study, 27 university students attending a science course were asked to discuss four controversial issues: the Toyota recall, the green car, the global warming and swine influenza (influenza A (H1N1)). The study was comprised of two stages. At the first stage, we examined students' views on the nature of science and on the orientation of science with the open-ended questionnaire based on VNOS and VOSTS. While they held relatively similar views on the nature of science, their views on the orientation of science were distinct as pragmatic, intrinsic, communal and ethical views. At the second stage, to examine the role of their views on the orientation of science in decision-making, we selected four students who had similar views on NOS but different views on the orientation of science. The four students were selected from each group of views on the orientation of science and their decision-making processes were analyzed following grounded theory. Across SSIs, they relied upon their views on the orientation of science as the strategies for decision, though considered different perception, and causal and contextual conditions. This study indicates that understanding students' views on the orientation of science would be helpful for achieving scientific literacy for informed decision.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.281-288
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• 2004

As all other intensively farmed domestic species, most mortality in ostriches is closely to rearing conditions. While ostriches is also highly sensitive to stress, species-specific infectious disease play only a minor role. But investigation of ostrich's disease is not peformed almost in Korea. The study was performed to investigate the titers of antibody for Newcastle disease(ND), Infectious bronchitis(IB), Egg drop syndrome '76(EDS), Avian influenza(AI), salmonellosis, Mycoplasma gallisepticum infection(MG), Mycoplasma synoviae infection(MS), Infectious bursal disease(IBD), Brucellosis, Toxoplasmosis, Japanese encephalitis(JE), Porcine parvovirus infection, Encephalomyocarditis and Porcine reproductive respiratory syndrome (PRRS). The results obtained in the 62 ostrich sera slaughtered in Gyeongbuk province were summarized as follows: The average of antibody positive rates to ND, IB, EDS, AI(H9Nl), JE, Porcine parvovirus infection and Encephalomyocarditis by HI test were $75.8\%,\;100\%,\;0\%,\;0\%,\;51.6\%,\;50\%\;and\;56.5\%$ respectively. The antibody positive rates to salmonellosis, MG, MS by plate agglutination test were $12.9\%,\;25.8\%,\;and\;0\%$ respectively. Antibodies to disease agent such as IBD and AI by agar gel precipitation(AGP) test, Brucellosis by tube agglutination, toxoplasmosis by latex agglutination test and PRRS by IFA were all negative.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2016

In recent years, there were frequent exogenous contagious diseases in Eastasia like SARS(severe acute respiratory syndrome), Avian influenza, Swine influenza, MERS etc. But there are various interpretations about their pathological differentiations and lead to controversy to diagnosis and medicinal use. So there needs universal and consistent understanding methods. Several conclusions are obtained from the research on differentiation theories of various epidemic diseases. Essential elements of differential diagnostic system are pathogen, characters and matters of disease and loci, especially three yin and three yang has close affinity with constitutional features or body shape. Binding these 3 categories, an integrated differentiation 3 dimensional coordinates are made. Out of these, each elements of 3 pathogen-axial lines are related with names of exogenous disease, and those of 3 feature-axial lines are related with 8 principal patterns. And those of 3 locus-axial lines implicating therapeutic method are related with steps and location of exterior and interior, 3 yin 3 yang, Defense, Qi, Nutrient and Blood, five viscera and six bowels and tissues. Additionally, 3 lines of each axis consist of factors which have their own affinity each other, so classification of pathogen, feature, locus of disease has layered interconnectedness. This classification system is included in constitutional features of individual patient. Afterwards, these cognitive structure can be used as a general theory guiding method of therapy, prevention and aftercure healthcare.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.37-45
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• 2012

Recently, the livestock industry in Korea was heavily affected by the outbreak of official livestock diseases such as foot and mouse disease, high pathogenic avian influenza, swine influenza, and so on. It has been established that these diseases are being spread through direct contact, droplet and airborne transmission. Among these transmissions, airborne transmission is very complex in conducting field investigation due to the invisibility of the pathogens and unstable weather conditions. In this study, the airborne transmission was thoroughly investigated inside a pig house by conducting tracer gas ($CO_2$) experiment because experiment with real pathogen is limited and dangerous. This is possible as it can be assumed that the flow is similar pattern very fine particles and gas. In the experiment, the ventilation structure as well as the location of gas emission were varied. The $CO_2$ detection sensors were installed at 0.5 and 1.3 m height from the floor surface. The tracer gas level was measured every second. Results revealed that the direction of spread can be determined by the response time. Response time refers to the time to reach 150 ppm from the gas emission source at each measuring points. The location of the main flow as well as the gas emission was also found to be very important factor causing the spread.