• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.158-166
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• 2013

Background: Colorectal cancer shows a significant increase in South Korea due to westernization of diet, lack of dietary fiber, drinking and smoking, irregular defecation. There are surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy in treatment of colorectal cancer. There may be a medication errors in the process of chemotherapy because of its high toxicity, narrow therapeutic index and the health status of cancer patients. Consequently medication errors can cause increasing the risk of death, prolonging hospital stay and increasing the cost. Among medication errors on medication use process, prescribing errors are of particular concern due to higher risk of serious consequences. It is important for pharmacist to prevent the prescribing errors before reaching patient. Therefore we analyzed the prescriptions of colorectal cancer, classified prescribing errors, suggested guideline to reduce prescribing errors and verified the importance of pharmacist's role in prevention of medication errors activity. Methods: We collected the numbers of prescriptions of colorectal cancer(n=2,373) through anti cancer management program and EMR and analyzed the errors of prescriptions by categories from Oct 1st 2011 to Sep 30th 2012 at Chungbuk National University Hospital. We reviewed the prescriptions as follows - patients' characteristics, the result of test, previous prescriptions, characteristics of antineoplastic agents and patients' allergy, drug sensitivity, adverse events. Prescriptions are classified into inpatient and outpatient and analyzed the errors of prescriptions by categories (dosage form, dose, input, diluents, regimen, product). Results: Total prescription number of inpatient and outpatient of colorectal cancer was 1,193 and 1,180 and that of errors was 107(9%) and 22(1.9%), respectively. In case of errors of categories, the number of errors of dosage form is 69 and 8, errors of dose is 15 and 5, errors of input is 9 and 9 in inpatient and outpatient prescriptions, respectively. Errors of diluents is 8, errors of regimen is 3, errors of product is 3 in only inpatient prescriptions. In case of errors of categories by inpatient department, the number of errors of dosage form is 34 and 35, errors of dose is 7 and 8, errors of input is 6 and 3, errors of diluents is 4 and 4, errors of regimen is 2 and 1, errors of product is 2 and 1 in SG and HO, respectively. In case of outpatient department, the number of errors of dosage form is 8 in HO, errors of dose is 5 in HO, errors of input is 5 and 4 in SG and HO, respectively. Conclusions: The rate of errors of inpatient is higher than that of outpatient. Junior doctors are engaged in prescriptions of inpatient and pharmacist need to pay attention to review all prescriptions. If prescribing errors are discovered, pharmacist should contact the prescriber and correct the errors without delay. The guideline to reduce prescribing errors might be upgrading software of anti cancer management program, education for physicians as well as pharmacists and calling prescriber's attention to preventing recurrence of errors.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.638-645
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• 2019

Objectives: For the risk management of airborne fungal diseases, our aim was to evaluate airborne fungi and study the toxicity associated with fungal allergic diseases using fungal species native to Korea. Methods: Fungi were isolated from outdoor air samples collected from Seoul, Incheon, Cheonan, Gwangju, Ulsan, Busan, and Jeju and tested for their cytotoxicity potential and their ability to induce proliferation and secretion of macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC) in human mast cells (HMC-1). Results: More than 18 species of fungi were collected from outdoor air in Korea over one year, and the strains were identified and systematically analyzed. The results showed that the Cladosporium (59%) and Alternaria (22%) strains are the most common in outdoor air. Three of the collected strains (Fusarium, Trichoderma, and Penicillium) showed mild toxicity in cells involved in allergic inflammation, and twelve induced cell proliferation in HMC-1 cells. More importantly, many strains (Edgeworthia, Trametes, Emmia, Irpex, Talaromyces, Penicillium, Periconia, Epicocum, Bipolaris) induced the MDC protein in activated HMC-1 cells. Conclusion: Nineteen percent of the tested strains caused cytotoxicity in mast cell lines, whereas, most of the non-toxic strains contributed to cell activity. Among the tested strains, more than 80% increased the expression of MDC protein, which contributes to the severity of atopic dermatitis, asthma, and rhinitis. It is, in fact, one of the markers for these conditions. Therefore, airborne fungus could be considered as an important marker for environmental risk management for allergic diseases in Korea.

• The Journal of Society for e-Business Studies
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.159-171
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• 2018

The imported foods, which are imported and sold domestically, are on the rise every year, and the scale is expected to be larger, including processing the imported raw materials. However, the origin of raw materials is indicated when declaring cargo for finished products of agricultural products, but the standardization of inspection information management system for raw materials is insufficient. In addition, there is a growing concern about the presence of residual pesticides or radioactivity in raw materials or products, and customer want to know production history information when purchasing agrifoods. It manages the hazard analysis of imported agricultural products, but most of them are global issues such as microorganisms, residual pesticides, food additives, and allergy components, etc. Therefore, it is necessary to share among the logistics entities in the entire transportation process the related data. Additionally, to do this, it needs to design an architecture and standardize business model. In this paper, it defines the architecture and the work-flow that occurs between the business process for collecting, processing, and processing information for tracking the status of imported agricultural products by steps, and develops XML message with UBL and the extracted conceptual information model. It will be easy to exchange and share information among the logistics entities through the defined standard model and it will be possible to establish visibility, reliability, safety, and freshness system for transportation of agricultural products requiring real-time management.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.65-87
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• 2011

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to perform basic study on environmental and respiratory diseases in Ulsan and vicinities. Also, this study evaluated the actual state of environmental disease and health education at middle and high schools in Ulsan and surroundings. Methods: For this study, we conducted a survey on the health of the general public, environmental effects, and investigated the characteristics of environmental disease, health and hygiene education, etc. The populations of this study were middle and high school students in Ulsan, Korea. This study investigated the knowledge of environmental disease and health education at schools in Ulsan and vicinities from November 2009 to December 2009. All statistical calculations were performed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows, and gained the following results by implementing Frequency Analysis, Cross-tabulation Analysis and ANOVA. Results: As more and more environmental diseases are increased, the interest of the people has been increasing on this. The incidence rates of asthma and atopy were represented the top 25% of the country in Korea. The source of heavy metal, PAHs and VOCs in Ulsan includes the Petrochemical Complex at Nam-gu and Ulju-gun, the Nonferrous Metal Industrial Complex at Onsan-eup, Ulju-gun, and the Heavy Industrial Complex at Dong-gu and Buk-gu. Especially, there are a number of fossil fuel combustion facilities such as waste incineration plants and boilers at Nam-gu and the Onsan Industrial Complex. It may help greatly to investigate the characteristics of environmental pollutants such as environmental air pollutant and indoor contaminant to better manage the local student's health. Conclusions: It has been revealed that the hazardous chemicals and environmental contaminants are main substances of cause for asthma, atopy, dermatitis, and allergy disease. Therefore, through with collecting basic data such as environmental disease of inhabitants, health education, conscious and knowledgeable level in parents of students and students, We have to exert to improve knowledge and prevention with health life in school through development of health education program systematically for preventing of environmental disease.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.141-154
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• 2020

Purpose: Atopic dermatitis (AD), a typical chronic disease in children, is an allergy disease that is highly associated with food. Thus, attention to food intake is needed to prevent and manage it. Therefore, we analyzed differences in food and nutrient intakes depending on AD status in under 12-year-old children. Methods: A total of 2,690 participants were enrolled in this study from the combined 2013-2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Subjects were divided into an AD group and normal group (non-AD group). General characteristic, food and nutrients intakes, and prevalence of insufficient and excessive nutrient intake were analyzed using χ² test and regression analyses. The AD odds ratio (OR) for insufficient and excessive nutrient intakes was analyzed using multiple logistic regression analyses. Results: Food and nutrient intakes were not significantly different between the AD and non-AD groups. However, the ratio of calcium intake to recommended nutrient intake was about 70% in both groups, which can be attributed to the overall lack of calcium intake among Korean children. There were no differences in energy or nutrient intakes between the groups, but compared with Korean Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans, the appropriate intake ratios of fat and vitamin C in the AD group were higher than those in the non-AD group. The AD OR decreased when fat was consumed at above appropriate levels and vitamin C was consumed at lower or excess levels. Conclusion: In children, AD may be related to the nutrient intake ratio of fats and vitamin C, and we speculate that these results were affected by dietary restrictions for AD management.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.324-333
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• 2018

The aim of this study was to investigate the latent classes and predictors of chronic diseases such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, arthritis, thyroid disease, depression, atopy, allergy, and diabetes. The subjects of this study were Korean citizens who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2014. Stratified cluster sampling method was used with a sample size of 7,550. Latent hierarchy analysis was applied to this data. Four classes were identified. Class 1 consisted of participants with hypertension and diabetes. Class 2 consisted of participants with atopy and allergies. Class 3 consisted of participants with dyslipidemia, arthritis, thyroid disease, and depression. Class 4 consisted of participants without any chronic diseases. In comparing Class 1 to Class 4, age, physical activity, self-management, obesity, and presence of high cholesterol were found to be significant. In comparing Class 2 to Class 4, gender, age, and education level were significant. When Class 3 was compared to Class 4, gender, age, pain and discomfort, as well as high cholesterol were found to be significant. Diabetes and hypertension should be treated as comorbid conditions, applying integrated treatments involving effective drug treatment, diet, and physical activity programs. Atopy was found to be strongly correlated with allergies. Thyroid disease was found to coexist with dyslipidemia and arthritis, along with having a strong correlation to depression. Age-appropriate preventive measures can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.1170-1178
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• 2018

The anti-inflammatory effect of brown alga Ecklonia cava is well known, and several phlorotannins have also been reported. In this study, major active components for anti-allergy and anti-inflammation were identified by NMR and MS analysis, and the levels of effectiveness were compared. Six major phlorotannins-phloroglucinol, eckol, eckstolonol, triphlorethol-A, phlorofucofuroeckol A, and dieckol-were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction of E. cava. In order to analyze the major active substances in E. cava, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergic effects were evaluated for the six separate substances. Antioxidant capacities of each phlorotannin were evaluated using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radicals, where phlorofucofuroeckol A and triphlorethol-A had the highest radical scavenging capacity in respective radical scavenging assays. Phlorofucofuroeckol A exhibited the highest inhibition of nitric oxide production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells among phlorotannins tested. Dieckol inhibited the release of ${\beta}-hexosaminidase$, a marker for the release of histamine in mast cells, in a dose-dependent manner in antigen-stimulated RBL-2H3 mast cells. Additionally, no cytotoxicities were observed at 1 and $2{\mu}g/ml$ in both phlorofucofuroeckol A and dieckol. These results suggest that phlorofucofuroeckol A and dieckol may play a key role in allergic inflammatory reactions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.82 no.6
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• pp.1581-1588
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• 2021

Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) has emerged as a social issue as e-cigarette use is rapidly increasing worldwide and is related to many deaths in the United States. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of EVALI in South Korea of a 24-year-old man with acute respiratory symptoms and a history of e-cigarette use. Chest CT revealed diffuse bilateral ground-glass opacities with subpleural sparing, airspace consolidation, and centrilobular micronodules as typical patterns of EVALI with organizing pneumonia and diffuse alveolar damage. Infection was excluded with meticulous laboratory examinations, and the patients' illnesses were not attributed to other causes. EVALI was diagnosed by meeting the diagnostic criteria with consistent clinico-radiologic findings through a multidisciplinary approach. Radiologists should have good knowledge of EVALI radiologic findings and play a cardinal role in the proper diagnosis and management of EVALI.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.559-573
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• 1997

Background : Asthma causes recurrent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and cough. These symptoms are usually associated with widespread but variable airflow limitation that is partly reversible either spontaneously or with treatment. The inflammation also causes an associated increase in airway responsiveness to a variety of stimuli. Method : Of the 403 adult bronchial asthma patients enrolled from March 1992 to March 1994 in Allergy Clinics of Severance Hospital in Yonsei University, this study reviewed the 97 cases to evaluate the treatment effects and to analyse prognostic factors. The patients were classified to five groups according to treatment responses ; group 1 (non control group) : patients who were not controlled during following up, group 2 (high step treatment group) : patients who were controlled longer than 3 months by step 3 or 4 treatment of "Global initiative for asthma, Global strategy for asthma management and prevention" (NHLBI/WHO) with PFR(%) larger than 80%, group 3 (short term control group) : patients who were controlled less than 1 year by step 1 or 2 treatment of NHLBI/WHO, group 4 (intermediate term control group) : patients who were controlled for more than 1 year but less than 2 years by step 1 or 2 treatment of NHLBI/WHO, group 5 (long term control group) : patients who were controlled for more than 2 years by step 1 or 2 treatment of NHLBI/WHO. Especially the patients who were controlled more than 1 year with negatively converted methacholine test and no eosinophil in sputum were classified to methacholine negative conversion group. We reviewed patients' history, atopy score, total IgE, specific IgE, methacholine PC20 and peripheral blood eosinophil count, pulmonary function test, steroid doses and aggrevation numbers after treatment. Results : On analysis of 98 patients, 20 cases(20.6%) were classified to group 1, 26 cases(26.8%) to group 2, 23 cases(23.7%) to group 3, 15 cases(15.5%) to group 4, and 13 cases(13.4%) to groups 5. There were no differences of sex, asthma type, family history, smoking history, allergic rhinitis and aspirin allergy among the groups. In long term control group, asthma onset age was younger, symptom duration was shorter, and initial pulmonary function was better. The long term control group required lower amounts of oral steroid. had less aggrevation during first 3months after starting treatment and shorter duration from enrollment to control Atopy, allergic skin test, sputum and blood eosinophil, total IgE, nonspecific bronchial responsiveness was not significantly different among the groups. Seven out of 28 patients who were controlled more than 1 years showed negatively converted methachloine test and no eosinophils in the sputum. The mean control duration was $20.3{\pm}9.7$ months and relapse did not occur. Conclusion : Patients who had asthma of onset age younger, shorter symptom duration, better PFT, lower treatment initial steps, lower amounts of steroid needs and less aggravation numbers after starting treatment were classified in the long term control groups compared to the others.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.80 no.2
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• pp.169-178
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• 2017

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of our new video-assisted asthma education program on patients' knowledge regarding asthma and asthma control. Methods: Adult asthmatics who were diagnosed by primary care physicians and followed for at least 1 year were educated via smart devices and pamphlets. The education sessions were carried out three times at 2-week intervals. Each education period lasted at most 5 minutes. The effectiveness was then evaluated using questionnaires and an asthma control test (ACT). Results: The study enrolled 144 patients (mean age, $56.7{\pm}16.7years$). Half of the patients had not been taught how to use their inhalers. After participating in the education program, the participants' understanding of asthma improved significantly across all six items of a questionnaire assessing their general knowledge of asthma. The proportion of patients who made errors while manipulating their inhalers was reduced to less than 10%. The ACT score increased from $16.6{\pm}4.6$ to $20.0{\pm}3.9$ (p<0.001). The number of asthmatics whose ACT score was at least 20 increased from 45 (33.3%) to 93 (65.3%) (p<0.001). The magnitude of improvement in the ACT score did not differ between patients who received an education session at least three times within 1 year and those who had not. The majority of patients agreed to the need for an education program (95.8%) and showed a willingness to pay an additional cost for the education (81.9%). Conclusion: This study indicated that our newly developed education program would become an effective component of asthma management in primary care clinics.