• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.935-948
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• 2014

As chronic diseases have become more prevalent and problematic, effective cares for major chronic diseases have been a locus of the healthcare policy. In this regard, this study examines how region-specific characteristics affect the prevalence of hypertension in South Korea. To analyze, we combined a unique multi-year data set including key indicators of health conditions and health behaviors at the 237 small administrative districts. The data are collected from the Annual Community Health Survey between 2009 and 2011 by Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other government organizations. For the purpose of investigating regional variations, we estimated using Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) and decision tree model. Our finding first suggests that using the multi-year data is more legitimate than using the single-year data for the geographical analysis of chronic diseases, because the significant annual differences are observed in most variables. We also find that the prevalence of hypertension is more likely to be positively associated with the prevalence of diabetes and obesity but to be negatively associated with population density. More importantly, noticeable geographical variations in these factors are observed according to the results from the GWR. In line with this result, additional findings from the decision tree model suggest that primary influential factors that affect the hypertension prevalence are indeed heterogeneous across regional groups. Taken as a whole, accounting for geographical variations of health conditions, health behaviors and other socioeconomic factors is very important when the regionally customized healthcare policy is implemented to mitigate the hypertension prevalence. In short, our study sheds light on possible ways to manage the chronic diseases for policy makers in the local government.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.205-212
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• 2008

Genetic variation in the human genome occurs on various levels; from the single nucleotide polymorphism to large, microscopically visible chromosome anomalies. It can be present in many forms, including variable number of tandem repeat (VNTRs; e.g., mini- and microsatellites), presence/absence of transposable elements (e.g., Alu elements), single nucleotide polymorphisms, and structural alterations (e.g., copy number variation, segmental duplication, inversion, translocation). Until recently SNPs were thought to be the main source of genetic and phenotypic human variation. However, the use of methods such as array comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) have revealed the presence of copy number variations(CNVs) ranging from kilobases (kb) to megabases (Mb) in the human genome. There is great interest in the possibility that CNVs playa role in the etiology of common disease such as HIV-1/AIDS, diabetes, autoimmune disease, heart disease and cancer. The discovery of widespread copy number variation in human provides insights into genetic variability among populations and provides a foundation for studies of the contribution of CNVs to evolution and disease.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.496-506
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to estimate dietary flavonoids intake of Korean adolescents. Methods: Using data from the 2007-2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a total of 3,957 subjects aged 12-18 were included in this study. We estimated individual daily intake of total flavonoid and six flavonoid classes including flavonols, flavones, flavanones, flavan-3-ols, anthocyanidins, and isoflavones by linking food consumption data with the flavonoids in the commonly consumed food database. The distribution of sociodemographic, health-related, and dietary factors according to flavonoids intake was examined. Results: Average dietary flavonoids intake of the study subjects was 195.6 mg/d in girls, and 189.4 mg/d in boys. The highest flavonoids intake group consumed significantly more fiber, vitamin C, legumes, fruits, and vegetables (p < 0.01) and less fat, grains, meats and dairy foods than other lower consumption groups (p < 0.001). Dietary flavonoid intake showed negative correlation with waist circumference and systolic blood pressure (p < 0.05). Conclusion: This study provided basic data for estimation of flavonoids intake of Korean adolescents. Further research will be required for analysis of the association of flavonoids intake and health-related factors such as cardiovascular risk factors.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.251-260
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to determine the association of the Body Shape Index (ABSI) with suicide ideation and suicide attempts by controlling the body mass index (BMI), as well as general characteristics that may affect suicide. The study has used The Sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2013 to 2015. A total of 13,155 participants were studied, excluding those who had no information on variables that could affect suicidal ideations and suicidal attempts. The chi-squared test and the multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed. The results of the analysis showed that those who had obesity in BMI were more likely to commit suicide and suicide than those who were in 'standard' in BMI. In ABSI, Q3 group was more likely to commit suicide than Q1 group. The number of suicide attempt was significantly higher in the group with Q3 in ABSI than in Q1 group (3.623 times (95% CI 1.027-12.772)). The results of this study suggest that a higher ABSI compared to BMI means that it is possible to make a more extreme choice of suicide attempt rather than suicide ideation.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.451-458
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• 2002

Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disease caused by low bone mass and the decrease of bone density in the microstructure of trabecular bone. Drug therapy(PTH Parathyroid hormone) may increase the trabecular thickness and thus bone strength. Vertebroplasty is a minimally invasive surgery foy the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture. This Procedure includes Puncturing vertebrae and filling with Polymethylmethacrylate(PMMA). Although altering recommended monomer-to-Powder ratio affects material properties of bone cement, clinicians commonly alter the mixture ratio to decrease viscosity and increase the working time. The Purposes of this study were to analyze the effect of 4he monomer-to-powder ratio on the mechanical characteristics of trabecular. In this paper, the finite element model of human vertebral trabecualr bone was developed by modified Voronoi diagram, to analyze the relative effect of hormone therapy and vertebroplasty at the treatment of osteoporotic vertebrae. Trabeuclar bone models for vertebroplasty with varied monomer-to-Powder ratio(0.40∼1.07 ㎖/g) were analyzed. Effective modulus and strength of bone cement-treated models were approximately 60% of those of intact models and these are almost twice the values of hormone-treated models. The bone cement models with the ratio of 0.53㎖/g have the maximum modulus and strength. For the ratio of 1.07㎖/g, the modulus and strength were minimum(42% and 49% respectively) but these were greater than those for drug therapy. This study shows that bone cement treatment is more effective than drug therapy. It is found that in vertebroplasty, using a monomer-to-powder ratio different from that recommended by manufacturer nay significantly not only reduce the cement's material Properties but also deteriorate the mechanical characteristics of osteoporotic vertebrae.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.9-14
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• 2009

The prostate cancer is the critical health problem, increasing of its related death in worldwide. Unfortunately present surgery and chemotherapeutic choices seem to be impossible in curing or controlling prostate cancer, because metastasis occasionally advances even after these potentially curative therapies. Therefore, there is immediate need to alternative chemoprevention and chemotherapeutic agents. Over one hundred species of dried medicinal herbs were tested for proliferation inhibitory effects on prostate cancer cell line, PC-3. One of them, Anthriscus sylvestris was selected because of potent anti-proliferation effect. The dried root of A. sylvestris was extracted with 100% methanol for 2-3 days and its extract was fractionated by using ethyl acetate. And ethyl acetate layer was subjected to column chromatographies on silica gel, reverse phase-18 (RP-18) and Sephadex LH-20, in turn. Finally, the pure compound was obtained by crystallization in methanol at $4^{\circ}C$ for overnight and identified as deoxypodophyllotoxin by NMR spedorscopic and physico-chemical analyses. In addition, it was confirmed that deoxypodophyllotoxin clearly inhibits the proliferation of PC-3 cells in a dose and time-dependent manner.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.119-128
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• 2004

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is a very acute systemic disease in poultry, particularly in chickens and turkeys caused by HPAI viruses. An outbreak of HPAI caused by subtype H5N1, was first reported in a broiler breeder farm on December 10, 2003 in Korea, although there had been twenty one outbreaks of the disease reported in the world before. Since mid-December 2003, eight Asian countries have confirmed outbreaks of HPAI due to the same subtype. The outbreak has also resulted in at least twenty three fatal human cases in Vietnam and Thailand as of May 17, 2004 according to the WHO. Regarding the first outbreak of recent Asian HPAI, it has been suspected that some Asian countries with the exception of Korea and Japan veiled the fact of HPAI outbreaks since the last half of 2003, even though it was first reported in Korea. There have been total nineteen outbreaks of HPAI among chicken and duck farms in 10 provinces in Korea since Dec. 2003 and approximately 5,280,000 birds were slaughtered from 392 farms for eradication of the disease and preemptive culling. The origin of the H5Nl HPAI virus introduced into the country are unknown and still under epidemiological investigation. Current status of outbreaks and characteristics of HPAI will be reviewed and discussed on the basis of genetic, virological, clinicopathological, and ecological aspect, as well as future measures for surveillance and prevention of the disease in Korea.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.194-199
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• 2005

In oder to select an antifungal substance-producing antagonistic bacterium against Fusarium oxysporum casuing fusarium wilt on tomato, strain BK4 was isolated from local soil of Gyeoungbuk and was identified as Bacillus thuringiensis by 16s rDNA analysis, biochemical test, and Mcirolog TM 3.0 System. The antibiotic of B. thuringiensis BK 4 was highly produced at $30^{\circ}C$ in nutrient broth (pH 9.0). The crude antibiotic was even stable at $121^{\circ}C$ and more stable at slight alkalic condition than acid condition. It was also remained $50{\%}$ activity at pH 3.0. B. thuringiensis BK4 showed the inhibition of spore germination and the biocontrol ability against F. oxysporum causing fusarium wilt of tomato in vivo test. According to these results, B. thuringiensis BK4 was enough to use with a microbial agent for biocontrol against fusarium wilt.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.329-334
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• 2004

The electronic nose (E-nose) recently finds its applications in medical diagnosis, specifically on detection of diabetes, pulmonary or gastrointestinal problem, or infections by examining odors in the breath or tissues with its odor characterizing ability. The odor recognition performance of E-nose can be improved by manipulating the sensor array responses of vapors in time-profile forms. The different chemical interactions between the sensor materials and the volatile organic compounds (VOC's) leave unique marks in the signal profiles giving more information than collection of the conventional piecemal features, i.e., maximum sensitivity, signal slopes, rising time. In this study, to use them in vapor recognition task conveniently, a novel time-profile method was proposed, which is adopted from digital image pattern matching. The degrees of matching between 8 different vapors were evaluated by using the proposed method. The test vapors are measured by the silicon-based gas sensor array with 16 CB-polymer composites installed in membrane structure. The results by the proposed method showed clear discrimination of vapor species than by the conventional method.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.883-889
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• 2016

A new lactic acid bacteria with gluten-degrading activity which was isolated from salted sea foods (traditional Korea fermented food), identified as Weissella confusa (99%) by use of API kit and 16S rRNA sequencing, and designated as W. confusa. When the W. confusa cultured for 48 hours at $30^{\circ}C$ in a MRS medium containing 1% gluten, 45% of gluten was founded to be degraded. W. confusa showed 85% of survival rate at pH 3, and 94% tolerance at 0.1% oxgall, which indicates that W. confusa would survive in stomach of human. Experiments on the thermostability was confirmed that it has a stability of 70% in $50^{\circ}C$. W. confusa inhibited the growth of some pathogen, except for S. aureus. Results in this study suggest that using W. confusa for fermentation of grain flour containing gluten would be desirable to prepare the gluten-free foods needed for those who suffer from celia disease and gluten allergy.