• Korean journal of aerospace and environmental medicine
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.38-44
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• 2021

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the prevalence of fatigue and its associated factors leading to the fatigue among Korean commercial airline pilots. Methods: An anonymous, web-based questionnaire collecting data on sleep related characteristics was completed by airline pilots. The final 1,029 samples of completed questionnaires were analyzed. The association of the risk factors with fatigue was determined using logistic regression analysis. Results: The prevalence of fatigue was 60% (Fatigue Severity Scale index≥3.2), disturbed sleep 28% (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index≥9), daytime sleepiness 17% (Epworth Sleepiness Scale≥10), and sleep apnea (Berlin Questionnaire≥2) 11%. The fully adjusted logistic regression showed that quality of life (odds ratio [OR]=0.16, confidence interval [CI]=0.11-0.24), daytime sleepiness (OR=1.26, CI=1.18-1.34), sleep quality (OR=1.44, CI=1.29-1.61), mental workload (OR=1.10, CI=1.05-1.14), vigorous physical activity (OR=0.82, CI=0.72-0.92), late starts (OR=1.25, CI=1.06-1.46) and average weekly flying hours (OR=1.02, CI=1.00-1.03) were associated with higher levels of fatigue. Conclusion: Lower quality of life, disturbed sleep, more subjective sleepiness, shorter sleep duration, higher mental workload, less vigorous physical activity, frequent late starts, and longer flying hour were shown to be risk factors for fatigue in airline pilots. These findings should be taken into account in the development of sleep and fatigue countermeasures for airline pilots.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.553-559
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• 2015

The purpose of this research is to develop a gait assistive device to enhance the gait stability and training efficiency of stroke patients. The configuration of this device is mainly composed of a motored wheel and a single cane whose lower end is attached to a motored wheel frame. A patient can feel haptic information from continuous ground contact from the wheel while walking through the grip handle. In addition, the wheeled cane can avoid using excessive use of the patient's upper limb for weight support and motivate the patient to use a paralyzed lower limb more actively. Moreover, the proposed device can provide intuitive and safe user interaction by integrating a force sensor and a tilt sensor equipped to the cane frame, and a switch sensor at the cane's handle. The admittance control has been implemented for the patient to change the walking speed intuitively by using the interaction forces at the handle. A hemi-paretic stroke patient participated in the walking assistive experiments as a pilot study to verify the effectiveness of the proposed haptic cane system. The results showed that the patient could improve walking speed and muscle activations during walking with a constant speed mode of the haptic cane. Moreover, the patient could maintain the preferred walking speeds and gait stability regardless of the magnitude of resistance forces with the admittance control mode of the haptic cane. The proposed robotic gait assistive device with a simple and intuitive mechanism can provide efficient gait training modes to stroke patients with high possibilities of widespread utilizations.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.35-47
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• 1992

Hydrogel coated ring shaped ocular inserts (containing the antibiotic, tylosin tartrate) were used in an evaluation of the effectiveness of polymeric ocular drug release devices for treating infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis. The in vivo experiments represent the first experiments using hydrogel ocular inserts containing an antibiotic for treating infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis. In the infection tests, ten calves. were challenged with $2.4{\times}10^8{\sim}1.6{\times}10^9$ Moraxella bovis (a bacterium) colonies per eye following two ten minute ultraviolet radiation eye preconditioning exposures. Ninety five percent of the eyes (19 of 20 eyes) were successfully infected by this method. All infected eyes were monitored for the presence of the bacteria quantitiatively, and clinical observations were made for 14 days. The test was performed by three consecutive steps: 1) inoculation with 2 ultraviolet (UV) radiations, 2) growth of bacterial colonies and 3) treatment with medicated ring-shaped devices. The first. bacteriological measurements after 2 UV exposures were performed at day 3 of the tests. At day 7 after inoculation of both eyes of a calf with M. bovis, a medicated or a non-medicated ring-shaped device was inserted into each eye of a calf. The eye receiving the non-medicated ring was taken as a control for comparison with the eye that received a medicated ring. During the next 7 day period following a medicated ring insertion, the number of bacteria in the treated eyes dropped dramatically to negligible levels (0 to 30 colony forming units/swab), while the control eyes which received a non-medicated ring still exhibited a relatively high number of bacteria ($10^3\;to\;10^6$ colony forming units/swab). The number of bacteria was significantly reduced by the antibiotic released from the medicated ocular insert.

• Korean journal of aerospace and environmental medicine
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.83-85
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• 2020

In commemoration of Vol. 30, Issue 3, our journal prepared five review articles and one original paper. The global outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 has impacted our society, and especially the aviation and travel industries have been severely damaged. Kwon presented the aviation medical examination regulations related to COVID-19 announced by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport of the Republic of Korea. Lim summarized various efforts of airlines to overcome the crisis in the aviation industry. He also discussed the management of these aircraft as the number of airplanes landing for long periods increased. Finally, he suggested various quarantine guidelines at airports and onboard aircraft. COVID-19 has had a profound impact on mental health as well as physical effects. Kim investigated the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and suggested ways to manage the stress caused by it. The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a technology in which devices communicate with each other through wired or wireless communication. Hyun explained the current state of the technology of the IoT and how it could be used, especially in the aviation field. In the area of airline service, various situations arise between passengers and crew. Therefore, role-playing is useful in performing education to prepare and respond to passengers' different needs appropriately. Ra introduced the conceptual background and general concepts of role-playing and presented the actual role-play's preparation process, implementation, evaluation, and feedback process. For a fighter to fly for a long time and perform a rapid air attack, air refueling is essential, which serves refueling from the air rather than from the aircraft base. Koo developed a questionnaire based on the HFACS (Human Factors Analysis and Classification System) model and used it to conduct a fighter pilot survey and analyze the results.

• Korean journal of aerospace and environmental medicine
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.45-50
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• 2021

Background: Obesity is a major public health problem that is causally related to serious medical conditions. In this study, the public health implications of obesity based on body mass index (BMI) with anthropometric measures among adults in the Republic of Korea and Japan in 2019 were compared. Methods: A simple cross-section, nationally representative of the raw data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2019 between Korea and Japan were used. We analyzed the data of those categorized as obese with a BMI of ≥25 kg/m² according to the World Health Organization Expert Consultation. Results: The average values of BMI based on body height and body weight among males and females in Korea were 24.6±0.08 and 23.3±0.09, respectively; those in Japan were 23.9±0.08 and 22.6±0.08, respectively. The measured anthropometric values were obviously higher in Korean than in Japan (P<0.01). The prevalence rates (PRs) of obesity by sex in Korea were 41.4% among males and 27.3% females; those in Japan were 32.5% among males and 22.0% among females. The statistically significant results showed that the total obesity rate was higher in males than in females in both countries (P<0.01). The PRs of obesity in Korea were 41.4% in males and 27.3% in females; those in Japan were 32.5% in males and 22.0% in females. The statistically significantly PR of total obesity among Korean adults was greater than that among Japanese adults (P<0.01). Conclusion: The PR of obesity in Korea relative to that in Japan showed a gradually increasing trend. Obesity is a major problem, especially in the pilot group. Reducing the prevalence of obesity among pilots is important for reducing in-flight medical incapacitation and ensuring flight safety. Obesity management is necessary to prevent obesity-related diseases and promote pilot health.

• Korean journal of aerospace and environmental medicine
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.96-100
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• 2019

The present study analyzed all of exotic malaria (EM) cases reported in the Republic of Korea (Korea) and Japan from 2015 to 2017 to assess the trends of incidence overtime to review the risk factors for travelers visiting malaria-endemic countries. We investigated 162 cases of EM in Korea with a cumulative incidence rate (CIR) of 0.105 per 100,000 populations nationwide and the CIR of the oversea travelers was 0.238 per 100,000 travelers, respectively. During the same period in Japan, 152 cases of EM in nationwide with a CIR of 0.041 and in the oversea travelers with a CIR of 0.297 were observed. When compared, the CIR of EM in nationwide was much higher than that in Japan (P<0.01), but a CIR of imported by travelers in Korea was lower than that in Japan (P<0.01).

• International Journal of Vascular Biomedical Engineering
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2004

Circulatory disease is the number two cause of death next to cancer in Korea, while the cardiovascular disease alone is the number one cause of death in the US. In the present article, some background, current status and future prospects of biomedical engineering esearch on circulatory disorders are discussed in terms of the origin of atherosclerosis, computational fluid dynamics and medical imaging techniques, clinical treatments and fluid dynamics, advances in stents, hemodynamic analysis of artificial heart, and artificial blood. In particular, the importance of close collaboration of medicine and fluids engineering is emphasized.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.105-110
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• 2013

Objectives: The mass media play a crucial role in risk communication regarding climate change. The aim of this study was to investigate the trend in journalistic reports on climate change in the daily newspapers of Korea. Methods: We selected 9 daily newspapers in Korea, which according to the ABC Association, represented 77% of newspaper circulation, out of a total of 44 Korean daily newspapers. The collected articles were from 2009 to 2011. All of the articles were sorted into the following 8 categories: greenhouse gas, climate change conventions, sea level rise, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change synthesis reports, expected damage and effect, use of fossil fuels, global warming, and mitigation or adaptation. A chi-squared test was done on the articles, which were counted and classified into cause, effect, and measurement of climate change according to the newspaper's majority or minority ownership structure. Results: From the 9 selected newspapers, the number of articles on climate change by month was greatest in December 2009. Generally, the articles vague about climate change (lack of precise data, negative or skeptical tone, and improper use of terminology) were much more common than the articles presenting accurate knowledge. A statistical difference was found based on ownership structure: the majority-owned newspapers addressed the cause of climate change, while the minority-owned newspapers referred more to climate change measurement. Conclusions: Our investigation revealed that generally Korean daily newspapers did not deliver accurate information about climate change. The coverage of the newspapers showed significant differences according to the ownership structure.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.465-472
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• 2018

Our aim was to determine the detection rate of respiratory viruses (RVs) in feces of patients with acute viral respiratory infection (AVRI) and the detection rate of diarrheal viruses (DVs) in nasopharyngeal samples from patients with acute viral gastroenteritis. The relationships between the presence of fecal RVs or nasopharyngeal DVs and their impacts on the clinical severity were also investigated. A total of 144 fecal specimens were collected from AVRI patients and 95 nasopharyngeal specimens were collected from acute viral gastroenteritis patients. Clinical characteristics and laboratory profiles were compared between subgroups on the basis of the presence or absence of virus in the specimens. The detection rate of RVs in feces was 17.4% (25/144), whereas the detection rate for viruses identical to the respiratory pathogen was 10.4% (identical group, 15/144). Within the identical group, adenovirus (86.7%, 13/15) was most commonly found. Patients in the identical group showed statistically higher values for C-reactive protein, mean age, increased frequency of vomiting, and decreased frequency of chest film involvement and cough (p < 0.05). The detection rate of nasopharyngeal DVs among acute viral gastroenteritis patients was 19.0% (18/95), and in the identical group it was 15.8% (15/95). Norovirus group II and enteric adenovirus were the major pathogens detected in the identical group. There were no significant differences in clinical characteristics and laboratory profiles between the subgroups. In conclusion, the major pathogens of fecal RV and nasopharyngeal DV were adenovirus and norovirus group II, respectively. However, their relationship with the clinical symptoms or disease severity is unclear.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.493-503
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• 2022

Forkhead transcription factor 3a (Foxo3a) is believed to be a tumor suppressor as its inactivation leads to cell transformation and tumor development. However, further investigation is required regarding the involvement of the activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3)-mediated Tat-interactive protein 60 (Tip60)/Foxo3a pathway in cancer cell apoptosis. This study demonstrated that Chelidonium majus upregulated the expression of ATF3 and Tip60 and promoted Foxo3a nuclear translocation, ultimately increasing the level of Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) protein. ATF3 overexpression stimulated Tip60 expression, while ATF3 inhibition by siRNA repressed Tip60 expression. Furthermore, siRNA-mediated Tip60 inhibition significantly promoted Foxo3a phosphorylation, leading to blockade of Foxo3a translocation into the nucleus. Thus, we were able to deduce that ATF3 mediates the regulation of Foxo3a by Tip60. Moreover, siRNA-mediated Foxo3a inhibition suppressed the expression of Bax and subsequent apoptosis. Taken together, our data demonstrate that Chelidonium majus induces SKOV-3 cell death by increasing ATF3 levels and its downstream proteins Tip60 and Foxo3a. This suggests a potential therapeutic role of Chelidonium majus against ovarian cancer.