• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2012

Background: Peripheral neuropathy is the most frequent neurological complication in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, related with diverse etiologies including inflammation, opportunistic infection and side effects of medications. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate characteristics of HIV associated neuropathy according to the stage of HIV infection. Methods: In reviewing the medical records of HIV patients who underwent electrodiagnostic studies between 1997 and 2011, total 11 patients (all males; median age, 47 years; range, 28-71 years) with comorbid neuropathy were enrolled. Stage of HIV infection was categorized according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria. Classification of peripheral neuropathy was based on clinical and electrophysiological features. Results: Distal symmetric polyneuropathy was observed in 8 patients (72.7%), inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy in 2 patients (18.1%), and polyradiculopathy in 1 patient (9.1%). Median CD4+ T cell count was $123/mm^3$ (range, $8-540/mm^3$) and 7 patients (60%) had the most advanced HIV disease stage (CDC-C3). There was no neuropathy caused by CMV infection. Conclusions: Distal symmetric polyneuropathy was the most common type of neuropathy in HIV infection, but various forms of neuropathy such as inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and polyradiculopathy were also present. HIV associated neuropathy is more frequently associated with advancing immunosuppression, although it can occur in all stages of HIV infection.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.10 no.12
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• pp.1119-1126
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• 2004

This paper presents optimized structured treatment interruption to reduce medication and establish long-term immune response against HIV-infection. Understanding HIV-related immune system control enables better HIV therapy without using full­treatments. Discrete regimen and continuous regimen characteristics are compared. Controllability of HIV-related immune system is analyzed for better understanding of optimal control in HIV therapy. Using optimal control provides more effective therapy than the full treatment without interruption in terms of controllability analysis. Case studies indicates that the proposed therapy induces long-erm non-progression while preserving high CD4 T-helper cell count and low virus load in HIV-infected patients.

• Journal of applied mathematics & informatics
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• v.18 no.1_2
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• pp.95-112
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• 2005

This work concerns the stabilization of uninfected steady state of an ordinary differential equation system modeling the interaction of the HIV virus and the immune system of the human body. The control variable is the drug dose, which, in turn, affects the rate of infection of $CD4^{+}$ T cells by HIV virus. The feedback controller is constructed by a variant of the receding horizon control (RHC) method. Simulation results are discussed.

• Infection and chemotherapy
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.346-349
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• 2018

In 2015, rapid human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing was implemented in all 25 public health centers in Seoul. During March and December 2015, 20,987 rapid HIV tests were performed, of which 116 (0.5%) were positive. Compared to those of the period before application of the rapid HIV test in place of conventional enzyme immunoassay method, the number of HIV tests performed and the number of positive results increased by sevenfold and twofold, respectively. In conclusion, expansion of the provision of rapid HIV tests in public health centers increased the number of voluntary HIV tests.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.172-179
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• 2018

Background: Insufficient training in infection control and occupational health among healthcare workers (HCWs) in countries with high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) burdens requires attention. We examined the effectiveness of a 1-year Certificate Program in Occupational Health and Infection Control conducted in Free State Province, South Africa in an international partnership to empower HCWs to become change agents to promote workplace-based HIV and TB prevention. Methods: Questionnaires assessing reactions to the program and Knowledge, Attitudes, Skills, and Practices were collected pre-, mid-, and postprogram. Individual interviews, group project evaluations, and participant observation were also conducted. Quantitative data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Qualitative data were thematically coded and analyzed using the Kirkpatrick framework. Results: Participants recruited (n = 32) were mostly female (81%) and nurses (56%). Pre-to-post-program mean scores improved in knowledge (+12%, p = 0.002) and skills/practices (+14%, p = 0.002). Preprogram attitude scores were high but did not change. Participants felt empowered and demonstrated attitudinal improvements regarding HIV, TB, infection control, and occupational health. Successful projects were indeed implemented. However, participants encountered considerable difficulties in trying to sustain improvement, due largely to lack of pre-existing knowledge and experience, combined with inadequate staffing and insufficient management support. Conclusion: Training is essential to strengthen HCWs' occupational health and infection control knowledge, attitudes, skills, and practices, and workplace-based training programs such as this can yield impressive results. However, the considerable mentorship resources required for such programs and the substantial infrastructural supports needed for implementation and sustainability of improvements in settings without pre-existing experience in such endeavors should not be underestimated.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.220-224
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• 2004

Objectives : To investigate the sexual behavioral characteristics and HIV/AIDS knowledge among men who have sex with men(MSM), one of the HIV high risk groups. Methods : A three month survey among individuals who were able to be contacted was carried out over the entire Republic of Korea, between May and August, 2001. 348 individuals completed a self-administered question-naire. The data collected included demographic informa-tion, sexual behavior and AIDS knowledge. Results : Eighty-seven and ninety-two per cent of the 348 MSM were aged 20-39 years and had never been married, respectively. Fifty-five per cent of participants reported at least one sexual contact with women, and a quarter of the MSM surveyed had engaged in high-risk sexual behavior (more than 6 partners) during the previous year. About twenty per cent of the MSM had anal sex as their favorite way of having sex, and seventy-four per cent did not use condoms regularly due to loss of enjoyment, and were more likely to be engaged in risky behaviors. Only ten per cent had a regular HIV test history, and most had obtained knowledge or information on HIV/AIDS through the mass media. Conclusions : A large proportion of the MSM in Korea still remain at an elevated risk for contracting HIV infection. Change in high-risk sexual behaviors will prevent the spread of HIV infection among the MSM population, which requires public health education for preventive interventions, and should be culturally and socially specific in order to be effective.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.753-759
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• 2011

The HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). The process of infection and mutation by HIV can be described by a 3rd order state equation. For this HIV model that includes the dynamics of the mutant virus, we present a parameter estimation scheme using two state variables sporadically measured, out of the three, by employing a genetic algorithm. It is assumed that these non-uniformly sampled measurements are subject to random noises. The effectiveness of the proposed parameter estimation is demonstrated by simulations. In addition, the estimated parameters are used to analyze the equilibrium points of the HIV model, and the results are shown to be consistent with those previously obtained.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.371-382
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• 1999

Nurses are at the forefront of providing hands-on care to patients infected with HIV(Human Immunodeficiency Virus). Therefore, appropriate and sensible infection control precaution should be taken at all times. The purpose of this study is to find out nurse's loaming needs about HIV/AIDS ; and nurse's willingness to perform nursing care to HIV/AIDS patients ; and the degree of fellowing universal precautions in nursing care ; and the degree of knowledge of HIV/AIDS to provide information on the guide for the further continuing education. The respondents of this study were 280 nurses in a university hospital in Kwang-Ju city. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and analyzed by using percentages, means, Pearson's correlation, t-test, ANOVA, Duncan's grouping. The findings were as follows ; 1. The mean age of the nurses was 28.9 years, and the mean duration of their clinical experience was 6.8 years. Majority of the nurses(83.9%) had no experience in taking care of the AIDS patients. 2. The content s nurse's need to learn were showed in order such as clinical manifestations, infection control, patient care, and the mode of transmission of HIV/AIDS. 3. Even though the nurses had quite low knowledge about HIV/AIDS(mean score was 12.2 from the total of 26), they are willing to take care of the AIDS patients (mean score was 39.5 from the total of 60), and the degree of following universal precaution was also not so bad (mean score was 40.8 from the total of 50). 4. Nurses who are over 35 years old and had informal education regarding HIV/AIDS better following universal precautions. Nurses who had over 12 years of clinical experiences have more willingness to perform nursing care to the AIDS patients. Nurses who had experiences in taking care of the AIDS patients were more knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS. These findings suggest that some strategies should be develope to increase the willingness to perform the nursing care to the AIDS patients. And also continuing education program should be develope and run for the clinical nurses so that they can provide effective and appropriate nursing care to the AIDS patients.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.181-192
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• 2001

The purpose of this was to evaluate the level of knowledge about Hepatitis B and AIDS among dental hygiene students at six dental hygiene educational programs in nationwide, compare the findings to those of Song's study. 1703 dental hygiene students surveyed by mail and answered a questionnaire, using the questionnaire used developed by DiClemente el al., on Hepatitis B vaccination, antibody production, experience of unintentional needle stick injuries, experience of surgical operation and blood transfusion, personal risk factors for HBV and HIV, management of HBV and HIV postexposure management et al. The data indicated that dental hygiene students (79.0%) in this study had more HIV vaccination than dental hygiene(74.3%) in Song's study. As for recognition of antibody production after Hepatitis B vaccination, only 34.6% of respondents answered they knew having antibody production and 95% of respondents knew not having antibody production. Over one-half of the respondents (55%) answered they didn't even recognize having antibody production. 52.3 percent of dental hygiene students experienced unintentional needle stick injuries. The findings on the knowledge about Hepatitis B and AIDS were that dental hygienists (76.5 points) received higher mean score than those of dental hygiene students (71.0 points) and that the distribution of right answer rate also showed wider range in dental hygiene students (27.7~97.5%) than those of dental hygienist (41.2~99.5%). There were no statistical differences among dental hygiene education programs. Finding of this study support that the curriculum of dental hygiene program should include instruction on sources and methods of transmission of infectious diseases, risk of virus transmission in the workplace and principles of infection control. Furthermore, infection-control practices should be utilized routinely and their application to dental personnel, management of HBV and HIV postexposure management. Furthermore, for preventing the further spread of infectious diseases (HBV, HIV and AIDS${\cdots}$) caused by bloodborne viruses, imposing an obligation rather than recommendation on Hepatitis B vaccination to all dental personnel and routinely utilizing infection-control guidelines for all dental patients in dental practices (include dental educational programs) should be accomplished by coordination the government agency.

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.62-64
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• 2008

A major hurdle to the development of RNA interference as therapy for HIV infection is the delivery of siRNA to T lymphocytes which are difficult cells to transfect even in vitro. We have employed a single chain antibody to the pan T cell surface antigen CD7 was conjugated to an oligo-9-arginine peptide (scFvCD7-9R) for T cell-specific siRNA delivery in NOD/SCIDIL2${\gamma}$-/- mice reconstituted with human peripheral blood lymphocytes (Hu-PBL). Using a novel delivery, we first show that scFvCD7-9R efficiently delivered CD4 siRNA into human T cells in vitro. In vivo administration to Hu-PBL mice resulted in reduced levels of surface CD4 expression on T cells. Mice infected with HIV-1 and treated on a weekly basis with scFvCD7-9R-siRNA complexes targeting a combination of viral genes and the host coreceptor molecule CCR5 successfully maintained CD4/CD3 T cell ratios up to 4 weeks after infection in contrast to control mice that displayed a marked reduction in CD4 T cell numbers. p24 antigen levels were undetectable in 3 of the 4 protected mice. scFvCD7-9R/antiviral siRNA treatment also helped maintain CD4 T cell numbers with reduced plasma viral loads in Hu-PBL mice reconstituted with PBMC from donors seropositive for HIV, indicating that this method can contain viral replication even in established HIV infections. Our results show that scFvCD7-9R could be further developed as a potential therapeutic for HIV-1 infection.