• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.83-95
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• 2016

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major medical challenge affecting around 200 million people worldwide. The main site of HCV replication is the hepatocytes of the liver. HCV is a positive enveloped RNA virus from the flaviviridae family. Six major HCV genotypes are implicated in the human infection. In developed countries the children are infected mainly through vertical transmission during deliveries, while in developing countries it is still due to horizontal transmission from adults. Minimal nonspecific and brief symptoms are initially found in approximately 15% of children. Acute and chronic HCV infection is diagnosed through the recognition of HCV RNA. The main objective for treatment of chronic HCV is to convert detected HCV viremia to below the detection limit. Children with chronic HCV infection are usually asymptomatic and rarely develop severe liver damage. Therefore, the benefits from current therapies, pegylated-Interferon plus ribavirin, must be weighed against their adverse effects. This combined treatment offers a 50-90% chance of clearing HCV infection according to several studies and on different HCV genotype. Recent direct acting antiviral (DAA) drugs which are well established for adults have not yet been approved for children and young adults below 18 years. The most important field for the prevention of HCV infection in children would be the prevention of perinatal and parenteral transmission. There are areas of focus for new lines of research in pediatric HCV-related disease that can be addressed in the near future.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.189-198
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• 2021

Objective: To estimate the projected cancer risk attributable to diagnostic cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) performed under different exposure settings for orthodontic purposes in children and adults. Methods: We collected a list of CBCT machines and their specifications from 38 orthodontists. Organ doses were estimated using median and maximum exposure settings of 105 kVp/156.8 mAs and 130 kVp/200 mAs, respectively. The projected cancer risk attributable to CBCT procedures performed 1-3 times within 2 years was calculated for children (aged 5 and 10 years) and adult (aged 20, 30, and 40 years) male and female patients. Results: For maximum exposure settings, the mean lifetime fractional ratio (LFR) was 14.28% for children and 0.91% for adults; this indicated that the risk to children was 16 times the risk to adults. For median exposure settings, the mean LFR was 5.25% and 0.58% for children and adults, respectively. The risk of cancer decreased with increasing age. For both median and maximum exposure settings, females showed a higher risk of cancer than did males in all age groups. Cancer risk increased with an increase in the frequency of CBCT procedures within a given period. Conclusions: The projected dental CBCT-associated cancer risk spans over a wide range depending on the machine parameters and image acquisition settings. Children and female patients are at a higher risk of developing cancer associated with diagnostic CBCT. Therefore, the use of diagnostic CBCT should be justified, and protective measures should be taken to minimize the harmful biological effects of radiation.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.67 no.3
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• pp.227-252
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• 2015

This study conducted in-depth interviews of seven parents with autistic adults and analyzed them using qualitative case study methods in order to understand overall meaning of care experiences of parents with autistic adult children. Thus, four key topics which are 'experience of embracement', 'experience of anticipation', 'experience of despair', 'experience of resistance' were constructed. Under these key topics, 12 subcategories which are 'accepting reality', 'positive experience', 'gradual improvement', 'desire to provide better quality of life', 'expectation towards the society', 'strenuous lives', 'psychological exhaustion', 'predicted anxiety', 'defensive attitude', 'distrust of social welfare', 'confronting injustice', 'active behaviors' were constructed. According to the analysis, care experiences of parents with autistic adults are not segmentary, but they are intertwined which make them more dynamic. Thus, easing their despair, empowering positiveness to them, and assisting them to have healthy resistant voice are needed to support the parents with autistic adults. Based on the analysis, we suggest an intervention plan to support autistic adults and their parents.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.199-220
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of 'The Reading with Library' program in the national library for Children and Young Adults. For this study, data was collected through surveys with 590 children in 46 institutions that participated in '2009 The Reading with Library'program. The study mainly focused on three factors - Children's Self-Esteem, Sociality, and Reading Ability and Questionnaire surveyed. The study revealed that 42(91.3%) among 46institutions showed improvement in the Children's Self-Esteem, Sociality, and Reading Ability test. As the result, 11 institutions (23.9%) were influenced by the program.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.235-244
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to examine the elderly generation's understanding of game information and for recognition of computer based games as a recreation activity for the mid-to late adults. This study investigated game use and personal thoughts about the influences of computer games on each generation. The study was conducted by survey with the subjects being 242 adults aged 40 to 72 living in Busan and Kyung-nam area. Findings indicated that 43.5% of adults used computers to access games. The purposes for computer use were: business, searching portal sites, and games. 44.8% of adults knew about game information education. 67.4% of adults who had someone as a game information resource reported that their children provided the game information. Most adults used arcade games and recognized the influences of game information as positive to adults and the elderly but negative to children and adolescents. Finally, the adults aged "after mid-life" who knew about game information education showed higher ego-integrity and psychological well-being. These findings have implications for the development of elderly education programs aimed at promoting quality of life for older adults.

• Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.233-237
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• 2018

Background: Obesity is a complex, medical condition causally contributing to many chronic diseases and a number of efforts have been made to find the associated markers for novel prevention and treatment of obesity. Our study was to evaluate the relationship between gut immune response and obesity and overweight with use of fecal calprotectin (FC) both in adult and children groups. Methods: Fecal samples were obtained from 74 subjects: 14 non-obese and overweight children (PN), 13 obese and overweight children (PO), 20 non-obese and overweight adults (AN), and 27 obese and overweight adults (AO). FC was measured using a commercial Legend Max quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (BioLegend). Mann-Whitney U-test was used for statistical analysis. Results: Median FC concentration was $7.9{\mu}g/g$ (range, $1.9-28.9{\mu}g/g$) for PN, $5.0{\mu}g/g$ (range, $2.6-29.6{\mu}g/g$) for PO, $9.5{\mu}g/g$ (range, $0.8-28.9{\mu}g/g$) for AN, and $10.0{\mu}g/g$ (range, $1.6-25.6{\mu}g/g$) for AO, respectively. In both adults and children age groups, the FC showed no statistically significant difference between AO and AN or PO and PN. However, FC showed statistically significant difference (P<0.05) between AO and PO while not significant between AN and PN. Conclusion: FC level in AO was significantly higher than that in PO, suggestive of different pathophysiologic mechanism between children obesity and adults obesity.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.27-38
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to investigate how the children show their theory of mind in making stories. Eleven children of age 6, twelve children of age 9, and eleven undergraduates made their stories using the picture book “Frog, where are you?”. All of the stories were audiotaped, parsed with clauses, and were coded into mental & para-mental categories. Results showed that the children used less mind-related terms, like belief, intent, desire, and emotion, than the adults did. And the children talked primarily about the characters' intent of the mind, whereas the adults expressed other mental processes. But there were no differences between age 6 and age 9, in expressing the theory of mind.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.468-471
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• 2009

Objective : The adolescent presentation of tethered cord syndrome (TCS) is well-recognized, but continues to pose significant diagnostic and management controversies. The authors conducted a retrospective study of clinical outcomes after surgical intervention in 24 school-aged children, adolescents, and young adults with TCS. Methods : All 83 patients with a lipomyelomeningocele (LMMC) underwent untethering surgery for caudal cord tethering between 1987 and 2007. The clinical charts and follow-up data were reviewed. Of these patients, 24 school-aged children, adolescents, and young adults with TCS were studied with respect to the clinical, radiologic, pathologic features, and surgical outcomes. Results : Untethering procedures were performed in 24 patients (age range, 7-25 years) for TCS of various origins (lipoma, lipomyelomeningocele, and tight filum terminale). Specific circumstances involving additional tugging of the already tight conus, and direct trauma to the back precipitated the onset of symptom in 50% of the patients. Diffuse and non-dermatomal leg pain, often referred to the anorectal region, was the most common presenting symptom. Progressive sensorimotor deficits in the lower extremities, as well as bladder and bowel dysfunction, were also common findings, but progressive foot and spinal deformities were noted less frequently. The most common tethered lesions were intradural lipomas, thickened filum and fibrous band adhesions into the placode sac. The surgical outcome was gratifying in relation to pain and motor weakness, but disappointing with respect to resolution of bowel and bladder dysfunction. Of the 24 patients with TCS, pre-operative deficits improved after surgery in 14 (58.3%). remained stable in 8 (33.4%). and worsened in 2 (8.3%). Conclusion : The pathologic lesions of tethered cord syndrome in school-aged children, adolescents, and young adults, are mostly intradural lipomas and tight filum. It is suggested that the degree of cord traction results in neurologic dysfunction in late life due to abnormal tension, aggravated by trauma or repeated tugging of the conus during exercise. Early diagnosis and adequate surgical release might be the keys to the successful outcome in school-aged children, adolescents, and young adults with TCS.

• Journal of the Korean Society for information Management
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.99-118
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• 2011

This study evaluated the core project operations of the National Library for Children & Young Adults to provide suggestions for its key functions and project operations plan. For this purpose, we conducted a survey for children's librarians and a focus group interview with the directors of children's libraries. The result showed that the overall functions were considered important and the contributions of the core project operations were rated positively. Among the core projects, 'Reading Promotion Program for Children' appeared to contribute most, while the most needed areas were contents development and continuous support for the reading promotion program for young adults. In addition, the need for diverse contents development, instructors and education tools were suggested for continuing education program, along with strengthening policy development and research functions.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.58-75
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• 1998

Background : In Korea, the rational use of antibiotics are rarely controlled, and their patterns of utilization are not understood. In order to reduce the excessive use and to improve the appropriate use of antibiotics, it is necessary to accurately determine present uses of antibiotics in hospitals. Methods : Analysis of the use of prescription drugs was performed on NFMI(National Federation of Medical Insurance) 1994 medical expense claim data. A stratified sampling by types of hospitals, departments, and diseases was obtained from 1994 August data. Patients with secondary diseases were excluded. In this study, 2,697 adults with URI, 6,397 children with URI, 704 adults with bronchitis, and 1,838 children with bronchitis were included. Results : Most patients were prescribed medication (95.2-99.6%). Of the patients prescribed medication, more than 85% of URI patients and more than 91% of bronchitis patients were prescribed antibiotics. Antibiotics expenses accounted for 14% of total medical expenses in adults and 9% of total medical expenses in children. In adults with URI, antibiotics expenses accounted for 52% of drug expenses. Of the patients prescribed antibiotics, average number of antibiotics used was 1.6-1.7. For patients who are prescribed antibiotics, drug expenses were 62-97% greater than patients not prescribed antibiotics. When children were prescribed antibiotics, the highest price of drugs prescribed were 3.4-fold greater. In addition, the number of drugs prescribed also increased by more than one. Elderly patients, more than 60 years, were prescribed antibiotics less frequently. Children less than 10 years and elderly patients greater than 60 years old were prescribed fewer antibiotics than other patients. And they were prescribed medications for longer days than other patients. Conclusion : This study demonstrated that the average rate of prescribing antibiotics was higher in Korea than other countries. Measures to reduce overuse of antibiotics and to improve the appropriate prescription of antibiotics must be considered for cost effective treatment and overall health of people.