• Health Policy and Management
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.462-471
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• 2021

Background: The purpose of this study was to identify the association between participation in social activities and mortality rates for those aged 45 aged and older in Korea. Methods: In this study, the 1st to 6th Korea Longitude Study of Aging was used to analyze 10,217 people excluding missing values among middle and old age groups aged 45 or older. The scope of social activities was classified into "religious gatherings," "religious gatherings," "leisure/cultural/sports-related organizations," and "clubs/hometowns/religious associations," and analyzed using a chi-square test and Cox proportional risk model. Results: In the case of non-participating groups in religious activities, the mortality rate was 1.24 times higher (hazard ratio [HR], 1.24; p=0.000) than those of the participating group. The non-participating group of social gatherings had a 1.27 times higher mortality rate (HR, 1.27; p<0.0001) than the participating group. In addition, the mortality rate of non-participating groups related to leisure/cultural/sports was 1.79 times higher (HR, 1.79; p=0.000). The mortality rate of the group that did not participate in the alumni association/festival/folklore society was 1.51 times higher than that of the participating group (HR, 1.51; p<0.0001). As a result of correcting the control variable to analyze the relationship between the number of participants in social activities and the mortality rate, the mortality rate of the group participating in one or less social activities was 2.26 times higher (HR, 2.26; p<0.0001) compared to the four or more social activity participating groups, and the mortality rate of the 1-3 social activities was 1.64 times higher (HR, 1.64; p<0.0001). Conclusion: As a result of the study, it was found that participation in social activities of the middle-aged and elderly groups was effective in reducing mortality, and in particular, it was found that there was a strong relationship with mortality in less than one social activity group. Therefore, it is intended to provide an academic basis for lowering the mortality rate of the group in line with the continuous improvement of domestic social activity participation conditions, and through this, this study can be expected to serve as a policy and institutional basis for lowering the mortality rate of the group.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.796-805
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• 2021

Hepatic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress contributes to the development of steatosis and insulin resistance. The components of unfolded protein response (UPR) regulate lipid metabolism. Recent studies have reported an association between ER stress and aberrant cellular lipid control; moreover, research has confirmed the involvement of sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs)-the central regulators of lipid metabolism-in the process. However, the exact role of SREBPs in controlling lipid metabolism during ER stress and its contribution to fatty liver disease remain unknown. Here, we show that SREBP-1c deficiency protects against ER stress-induced hepatic steatosis in mice by regulating UPR, inflammation, and fatty acid oxidation. SREBP-1c directly regulated inositol-requiring kinase 1α (IRE1α) expression and mediated ER stress-induced tumor necrosis factor-α activation, leading to a reduction in expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1-α and subsequent impairment of fatty acid oxidation. However, the genetic ablation of SREBP-1c prevented these events, alleviating hepatic inflammation and steatosis. Although the mechanism by which SREBP-1c deficiency prevents ER stress-induced inflammatory signaling remains to be elucidated, alteration of the IRE1α signal in SREBP-1c-depleted Kupffer cells might be involved in the signaling. Overall, the results suggest that SREBP-1c plays a crucial role in the regulation of UPR and inflammation in ER stress-induced hepatic steatosis.

• Korea Real Estate Review
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.105-114
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• 2018

According to Statistics Korea, South Korea has entered the realm of the "aging society" with the rapid development of the country's population. Researchers anticipate that the extremely high (73%) ratio of real estate property to total assets for mid-age to aged households in South Korea that do not have a fixed income may cause serious problems in the future. For example, the real estate market in South Korea may be bombarded with properties listed for sale, causing the average property price to drop due to the abundant supply. Although this prediction may be reasonable, this concept has excluded the idea of pension (which is crucial as it can be considered a consistent and fixed income) due to the limited amount of available data thereon; as such, it is important to include this factor to improve the pertinent research. Thus, this research was conducted using the data from the $3^{rd}$ and $5^{th}$ Korea Retirement and Income Study. For the study results, it was found that variables such as net asset, gender, education, and number of family members have the same impact as that found in the previous studies. To extend from here, two new factors were introduced: the existence of pensions and the amount of pension received by a household. From there, it was found that the existence of a consistent and fixed income such as a pension has led to an increase in housing consumption, the area of interest of the authors.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.164-171
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• 2021

Purpose: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a prodromal stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Brain atrophy in this disease spectrum begins in the medial temporal lobe structure, which can be recognized by magnetic resonance imaging. To overcome the unsatisfactory inter-observer reliability of visual evaluation, quantitative brain volumetry has been developed and widely investigated for the diagnosis of MCI and AD. The aim of this study was to assess the prediction accuracy of quantitative brain volumetry using a fully automated segmentation software package, NeuroQuant^®, for the diagnosis of MCI. Materials and Methods: A total of 418 subjects from the Korean Brain Aging Study for Early Diagnosis and Prediction of Alzheimer's Disease cohort were included in our study. Each participant was allocated to either a cognitively normal old group (n = 285) or an MCI group (n = 133). Brain volumetric data were obtained from T1-weighted images using the NeuroQuant software package. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to investigate relevant brain regions and their prediction accuracies. Results: Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that normative percentiles of the hippocampus (P < 0.001), amygdala (P = 0.003), frontal lobe (P = 0.049), medial parietal lobe (P = 0.023), and third ventricle (P = 0.012) were independent predictive factors for MCI. In ROC analysis, normative percentiles of the hippocampus and amygdala showed fair accuracies in the diagnosis of MCI (area under the curve: 0.739 and 0.727, respectively). Conclusion: Normative percentiles of the hippocampus and amygdala provided by the fully automated segmentation software could be used for screening MCI with a reasonable post-processing time. This information might help us interpret structural MRI in patients with cognitive impairment.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.183-190
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to determine the change trend of emergency department visits among elderly patients with chronic diseases. Using the National Emergency Department Information System data, from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2019, the selected patient data were evaluated for the emergency department discharge main diagnosis codes for eight chronic diseases. The incidence of elderly chronic diseases, emergency department visits, and admission rates were analyzed. Since 2014, there has been a consistent increase in the number of elderly patients visiting the emergency department, especially among those aged over 85 years. The number of emergency department visits among the elderly chronically ill patients also increased, with a significant increase in ischemic heart disease and arthrosis cases. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in the number of chronically ill patients in each year from 2014-2019 (P<0.001). With respect to the trend of admission rates to the emergency department by chronic disease, most diseases showed an increasing trend (P<0.001). however, hyperlipidemia showed a continuous decreasing trend in all age groups since 2014 (P<0.001). Among the elderly chronically ill patients, a greater increase in the admission rate following emergency department visits was noted in those over 85 years of age, with a significant difference in all diseases, except for hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and tuberculosis (P<0.001). As the aging population grows, the emergency department admission rates among the elderly chronically ill patients will rise rapidly. This could create issues with respect to the use and consumption of emergency medical resources. Hence, it is necessary to manage chronic diseases effectively in the elderly.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.221-229
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• 2020

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-oral microbial activity and anti-inflammatory effects of rosmarinic acid (RA) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells on a titanium (Ti) surface during osseointegration, and to confirm the possibility of using RA as a safe natural substance for the control of peri-implantitis (PI) in Ti-based dental implants. Methods: A disk diffusion test was conducted to confirm the antimicrobial activity of RA against oral microorganisms. In order to confirm the anti-inflammatory effects of RA, inflammatory conditions were induced with 100 ng/ml of LPS in MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells on the Ti surface treated with or without 14 ㎍/ml of RA. The production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in LPS-stimulated MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells on the Ti surface was confirmed using an NO assay kit and PGE2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis were performed to confirm the expression of interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in total RNA and protein. Results: RA showed weak antimicrobial effects against Streptococcus mutans and Escherichia coli, but no antimicrobial activity against the bacteria Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and the fungus Candida albicans. RA reduced the production of pro-inflammatory mediators, NO and PGE2, and proinflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-1β, in LPS-stimulated MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells on the Ti surface at the protein and mRNA levels. Conclusion: RA not only has anti-oral microbial activity, but also anti-inflammatory effects in LPS-stimulated MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts on the Ti surface, therefore, it can be used as a safe functional substance derived from plants for the prevention and control of PI for successful Ti-based implants.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.96-103
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• 2021

Background: We aimed to investigate the effect of Citrous limon extract (CLE) on oxidative stress-induced cytotoxicity and nitric oxide (NO) generation and the tooth bleaching effect of CLE as a substitute for hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and determine the feasibility and application of CLE as a safe and effective natural tooth bleaching agent. Methods: The protective effect of CLE on H₂O₂-induced cytotoxicity in Raw264.7 macrophages was investigated by the MTT assay. The inhibitory effect of CLE on the generation of H₂O₂-induced NO was confirmed by the NO assay, and the changes in inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein expression were confirmed by western blotting. Stained bovine teeth were treated with/without 15% and/or 35% CLE and H₂O₂, 15% sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) for 3 hours, and were irradiated with/without bleaching light (BL) for 15 minutes. The color change of the treated bovine tooth surface was measured using a colorimeter. Results: The viability of Raw264.7 cells treated with each concentration of CLE and 500 μM H₂O₂ significantly increased as CLE increased, and NO generation and iNOS protein expression were significantly reduced in cells treated with 300 ㎍ CLE+/500 μM H₂O₂+ and 300 ㎍ CLE+/500 μM H₂O₂+/150 ㎍ NaHCO₃+. The bleaching effect of 35% CLE+ was higher than that of 15% CLE+ and 15% NaHCO₃+, and the effect was similar to that of 15% H₂O₂+. The 35% CLE+/15% NaHCO₃+ showed the greatest bleaching effect and was higher than that of the groups irradiated with the BL. The greatest bleaching effect was observed with 35% CLE+/15% NaHCO₃+, followed by 35% H₂O₂+/BL+. Conclusion: CLE inhibited oxidative stress-induced cytotoxicity and NO generation in Raw264.7 cells and, could replace H₂O₂, which causes side effects and risks in teeth breaching treatment. It showed greatest teeth bleaching effect when combined with NaHCO₃. CLE is an effective and safe natural tooth bleaching substitute.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.567-577
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• 2022

Recently, the prevalence of ischemic diseases, such as ischemic heart disease, cerebral ischemia, and peripheral arterial disease, has been continuously increasing due to the aging population. The current standardized treatment for ischemic diseases is reperfusion therapy through pharmacotherapy and surgical approaches. Although reperfusion therapy may restore the function of damaged arteries, it is not effective at restoring the function of the surrounding tissues that have been damaged due to ischemia. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a new treatment strategy that can safely and effectively treat ischemic damage and restore the function of surrounding tissues. To overcome these limitations, stem cell-based therapy to regenerate the damaged region has been studied as a promising strategy for ischemic vascular diseases. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be isolated from diverse tissues and have been shown to be promising for the treatment of ischemic disease by regenerating damaged tissues through immunomodulation, the promotion of angiogenesis, and the secretion of various relevant factors. Moreover, new approaches to enhancing MSC function, such as cell priming or enhancing transplantation efficiency using a 3D culture method, have been studied to increase stem cell therapeutic efficacy. In this review, we provide various strategies by which MSCs are used to treat ischemic diseases, and we discuss the challenges of MSC transplantation, such as the differentiation, proliferation, and engraftment of MSCs at the ischemic site.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.644-651
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• 2022

The skin is the largest organ of the human body and protects the inside of the body. Ultraviolet rays cause various inflammatory reactions in the skin, including photoaging and oxidative damage. The purpose of this study is to investigate the protective effect of Saponaria extract by irradiating UVB on fibroblasts. In this study, the effectiveness of Saponaria showing protective activity against UVB-induced cytotoxicity, oxidative cell death, and NO and PGE₂ production was evaluated. HS68 cells were irradiated with UVB(120 mJ/cm²) and treated with Saponaria extract at various concentrations of 100, 200, and 400 ㎍/mL for 24 hours. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by ultraviolet B were detected using a spectrofluorometer after DCF-DA staining. Lipid peroxidation was also analyzed by measuring the level of 8-isoprostane secreted into the culture medium. As a result, treatment with Saponaria extract effectively inhibited UVB-induced cytotoxicity. Oxidative cell damage was mediated by PGE₂ in UVB-induced HS68 fibroblasts, which was significantly inhibited by Saponaria extract treatment. In addition, it was evaluated that the protective effect of these extracts was mediated by the inhibition of intracellular ROS production and lipid peroxidation in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest that Saponaria extract can be used as an anti-aging functional material because it inhibits skin damage mediated by oxidative stress caused by UVB and exhibits a cellular protective effect.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.266-274
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• 2022

Background Many authors have researched ways to optimize fat grafting by looking for a technique that offers safe and long-term fat survival rate. To date, there is no standardized protocol. We designed a "hydraulic system technique" optimizing the relationship among the quantity of injected fat, operative time, and material cost to establish fat volume cutoffs for a single procedure. Methods Thirty-six patients underwent fat grafting surgery and were organized into three groups according to material used: standard, "1-track," and "2-tracks" systems. The amount of harvested and grafted fat as well as material used for each procedure was collected. Operating times were recorded and statistical analysis was performed to establish the relationship with the amount of treated fat. Results In 15 cases the standard system was used (mean treated fat 72 [30-100] mL, mean cost 4.23 ± 0.27 euros), in 11 cases the "1-track" system (mean treated fat 183.3 [120-280] mL, mean cost 7.63 ± 0.6 euros), and in 10 cases the "2-tracks" one (mean treated fat 311[220-550] mL, mean cost 12.47 ± 1 euros). The mean time difference between the standard system and the "1-track" system is statistically significant starting from three fat syringes (90 mL) in 17.66 versus 6.87 minutes. The difference between the "1-track" system and "2-tracks" system becomes statistically significant from 240 mL of fat in 15 minutes ("1-track") versus 9.3 minutes for the "2-tracks" system. Conclusion Data analysis would indicate the use of the standard system, "1-track," and "2-tracks" to treat an amount of fat < 90 mL of fat, 90 ÷ 240 mL of fat, and ≥ 240 mL of fat, respectively.