• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.248-255
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• 2017

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the craniofacial patterns of Korean children with snoring and adenotonsillar hypertrophy (ATH) could be categorized into characteristic clusters according to age. Methods: We enrolled 236 children with snoring and ATH (age range, 5-12 years) in this study. They were subdivided into four age groups: 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, and 11-12 years. Based on cephalometric analysis, the sagittal and vertical skeletal patterns of each individual were divided into Class I, II, and III, as well as the normodivergent, hypodivergent, and hyperdivergent patterns, respectively. Cluster analysis was performed using cephalometric principal components in addition to the age factor. Results: Three heterogeneous clusters of craniofacial patterns were obtained in relation to age: cluster 1 (41.9%) included patients aged 5-8 years with a skeletal Class I or mild Class II and hyperdivergent pattern; cluster 2 (45.3%) included patients aged 9-12 years with a Class II and hyperdivergent pattern; and cluster 3 (12.8%) included patients aged 7-8 years with a Class III and hyperdivergent pattern. Conclusions: This study found that the craniofacial patterns of Korean children with snoring and ATH could be categorized into three characteristic clusters according to age groups. Although no significantly dominant sagittal skeletal discrepancy was observed, hyperdivergent vertical discrepancy was consistently evident in all clusters.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.86-97
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• 1997

Background : It is a primary goal for hospital personnel to improve the quality of patient care. In Korea the concept of quality assurance has been spread over the last five years. Many hospitals have implemented quality assurance programs that fit their own philosophy and needs. As a result, they are supposed to have different experiences and attitudes toward quality assurance. To investigate their diversity will be helpful to have a direction to the future and to enhance the quality assurance activities in Korean hospitals. Objectives : The aim of this study is to obtain information about hospital personnel's attitude and opinion toward quality assurance in hospitals. Methods : A questionnaire was developed which consisted of five parts; the general characteristics of respondent, the concepts of quality assurance, need for quality assurance program, current status of quality improvement activities, and participation in programs. Using the registry of Korean hospitals, 102 hospitals with more than 400 beds were selected. Questionnaires were mailed to hospital staffs of each hospital; top managers, clinical department heads, registered nurses, medical recorders, and administrators. Results : Of 2038 questionnaires sent, 877 were returned, giving response rate of 44%. Most respondents(70%) regarded quality assurance as efforts to provide patient with care in highest quality and to improve effectiveness or resource utilization. Ninety-nine percent of respondents agreed to need for quality assurance in their hospitals. There were current quality improvement programs implemented in the department of 553 respondents(62%), and most of the(85%) have participated in at least one program. Lack of motivation was pointed out as a barrier to implement the programs. Conclusion : Although most respondents have known of the concept and need for quality assurance, this study suggests that education and motivation of hospital personnel be needed to activate the quality assurance programs in hospitals.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.721-724
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• 2009

Meningococcal infections can be associated with abnormalities of the complement system, which contains 5 terminal complement proteins. Furthermore, deficiencies in 1 of these 5, complement component 7 (C7), leads to the loss of complement lytic function, and affected patients show increased susceptibility to recurrent meningococcal meningitis and systemic Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection. In September 2003, an 11-year-old female patient presented at our outpatient department with high fever, lower leg pain, headache, and petechiaes. She rapidly progressed to coma but later achieved full recovery due to prompt treatment. Her final diagnosis was meningococcal sepsis and arthritis. Her elder brother also had a similar bacterial meningoencephalitis history, which encouraged us to perform analyses for complement component and gene mutations. Resultantly, both the brother and sister were found to have the same mutation in the C7 gene. Subsequently, vaccinations of the meningococcal vaccine meningococcal vaccine ($Menomune^{(R)}$) were administered. However, in September 2006, the brother expired due to acute micrococcus meningoencephalitis. At present, the 16-year-old female patient is healthy. Here, we report a Korean family with a hereditary C7 deficiency with susceptibility to meningococcal infections due to C7 gene mutation.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.95-108
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• 2014

Cosmetics are products used over long periods by the public, and their safety is very important. Contact dermatitis induced by cosmetics is the result of an inflammatory response of the skin to direct irritancy. The initial event that this inflammatory response is observed is the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In this study, the anti-inflammatory activities of extracts from Korean herb medicines were investigated using RAW264.7 macrophage. Among the fifty one extracts tested, the ethanol extracts from Biotae Orientalis Folium, Biotae Orientalis Folium (roasted), Cyperi Rhizoma, Nepetae Spica, Benincasae Semen, Dioscoreae Rhizoma, Dioscoreae Rhizoma (roasted), Mori Ramulus, Pini Ramulus and Alismatis Rhizoma reduced the cytotoxicity and inhibited the productions of Nitric oxide (NO) and cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1${\beta}$, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$n lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 macrophage. Additionally, they didn't induce the skin irritation when tested the human patch test. Overall, the result of this study suggests that the extracts of the ten Korean herb medicines are useful cosmetic agents for preventing the skin irritation.

• Journal of Technologic Dentistry
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.89-112
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• 2000

Although dental laboratory technicians are prone to be exposed to various work-related health hazardous materials such as dusts, chemicals, etc., the prevalence and nature of work-related health problems of them have not been a matter of great concern in the field of occupational health service in Korea. The purpose of the present investigation was to describe a collected profile of subjective health symptoms and their attributable factors in Korean dental laboratory technicians. A questionnaire listing five groups of health symptoms and five health symptom-related factors was mailed to randomly selected 1,900 dental laboratory technicians. Among them, 1,344 dental laboratory technicians filled out the questionnaires and returnde them. Five groups of health symptoms included musculoskeletal symptom, dermal symptoms, respiratory symptoms, eys symptoms, and ear symptoms. Five health symptom-related factors were occupational environment-related health risk factors, work history, health related habits and status, use of personal protective equipment and general characteristics. Detailed parameters of health risk factors were work posture, vibration, and chemical or physical hazards such as dust, fume, vapor, solvent, light, and noise for occupational environment-related factors; work place, area, number of employees, work hours, career, work part, and work load for work history; Broca's index, hours of sleep, eating, smoking, alcohol, exercise, health examination, and self assessed health status for health habits and status; face masks, goggles, and so on for use of personal protective equipment, and; age, sex, marital status, and education for general characteristics. Before the start of main survey, a pilot survey was carried out for validity and reliability tests of the questionnaire. All the data obtained were coded and analyzed with PC/SAS 6.12 program. The prevalence of health symptoms was the highest in musculoskelton (87.3%), and followde by eyes (78.9%), respiratory organs (64.3%), ears (57.8%), and skin (52.2%) in descending order. Statistically significant risk factors by multiple logistic regression analyses were sex, health examination, self assessed health status, and hand/finger posture in musculoskeletal symptoms; sex, self assessed health status, career, acid gas, and hand contact with resin mixture in deraml symptoms; Broka's smoking, exercise, self assessed health status, and face mask in respiratory symptoms; sex, hours of sleep, self assessed health status, work hours, work load, plaster dust, inadequate lighting, and goggle in eys symptoms, and eating, smoking, self assessed health status, and work load in ear symptoms. With the above considerations in mind, prevalence of subjective symptoms among Korean dental laboratory technicians was relatively high, and they were attributable to most of the occupational environment-related factors, work history, use of personal protective equipment, health habits and status, and general characteristics. Particularly, it is suggested that health promotion programs for promoting self- assessed health status and smoking cessation, preventive measures for protection of the female technicians’health, and reducing work load be necessary, since those factors were associated with more than one subjective symptom.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.536-545
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• 2005

This study was conducted to investigate osteopenia and osteoporosis prevalence of radius and tibia using Quantitative Ultrasound (QUS) and to identify affecting factors of osteoporosis. A total of 4,340 women aged 40 - 69 years, living in Ansung (rural) and Ansan (mid-sized) area, and free of illnesses affecting bone metabolism participated in the community-based cohort study. Among them 4,059 subjects measured radius bone density and 4,089 measured tibia. The T-score threshold, defined as < -1.0 and $\le$-2.5, was used to identify subjects with osteopenia and osteoporosis by WHO criteria. The crude prevalence of osteoporosis in radius and tibia was $8.4\%$ and $23.3\%$ respectively; after adjustment for age, it changed $6.3\%$ and $18.8\%$. In simple logistic regression analysis, the prevalence of osteoporosis increased by aging, non-marital status, low education, low income. Otherwise, high intakes of Ca/P, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, and vitamin E were decreased osteoporosis prevalence. Compared to the normal BMI (body mass index) group 08.5 $\le$ BMI < 23), the odds ratio (ORs) of the low BMI group (BMI < 18.5), and high BMI groups (BMl25-30, BMI $\ge$ 30) were significantly increased. The OR of osteoporosis decreased across increasing quartiles of intakes of Ca, P and Ca/P. Therefore, maintaining normal BMI and increasing Ca intake and Ca/P ratio may have a beneficial effect on bone health of Korean women.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.99-131
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• 2011

To strengthen the protection of human research subjects and human materials, the Korean Ministry of Health and welfare proposed the amendment bill of Bioethics and Safety Law(2010) to the Congress. It includes so many meaningful clauses. According to the bill, the scope that this act shall apply will be expended to the research involving human subjects and human materials. In the bill, there are the principles of this act; the protection of the life, health, and dignity of the human subjects, the obtaining of the adequate informed consent, the protection of the human subject's information confidentiality and the human subject's privacy, the assessment and minimizing of the risks involved and the guarantee of the safety for the human subjects, the preparation of the special protection program for the vulnerable human subjects, and so on. According to the bill, Institutional Bioethics Review Board(the same as Institutional Review Board) will be responsible for the auditing and monitoring on the research that was approved by IBRB, conducting the education program for the researchers, IBRB members and administrative staffs, preparing of the special protection program for the vulnerable human subjects, and forming the guidelines for the researchers as well as the review of the research protocols. And the State and local governments shall take necessary measures to support the expending of the social infrastructure. In addition to, IBRB will have to be assessed and to be gained the accreditation by the Korean Ministry of Health and welfare. So, if Bioethics and Safety Law is amended, it will contribute enormously to enhance the level of the human research subjects protection. Also, if this Law is amended, IBRB will play a major role for the conduct of the ethically, scientifically, and legally proper research. But now, as a matter of fact, the capability of IBRB members and IBRB office members is not enough to charge of this role because some people and some organizations does not know the importance of IBRB exactly. In spite of, IBRB shall be able to this role to protect the human subjects and to develop the level of the research On the international level. Therefore, the State, local governments and the Organization shall back up the administrative and financial terms of the IRB and IRB Office.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.63-71
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• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of the study is to investigate the relationship between bone mineral density and remaining teeth in Korean adults. Methods: Using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(KNHANES) 5th Year 1(2010), 1,985 adults over 50 years old having bone mineral density test were selected. Male adults were 883, and female adults were 1,102. The raw data consisted of general characteristics of the subjects, bone density data, and oral examination data. The questionnaire consisted of general health survey, laboratory examination study, and nutrition study. Data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0 program for multiple regression analysis, ANOVA, t-test. The variables included general characteristics of the subjects, health behavior, diet habit, and oral health behavior. General characteristics consisted of gender, age, residence area, education level, marital status, monthly income, and vocation. Health behavior consisted of smoking, alcohol drinking, body mass index(BMI), physical activity, and mental health. Diet habit consisted of frequency of meal, milk, coffee, and calcium ingestion. Oral health behavior consisted of frequency of tooth brushing, use of oral health care devices, and oral examination. Systemic diseases were measured by the questionnaire for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia. Bone density was measured in T-score of femoral bone, neck of femur, and lumbar vertebrae. Bone density was classified into normal($T-score{\geq}-1.0$), osteopenia(-2.5 < T-score < -1.0), and osteoporosis ($T-score{\leq}-2.5$). The remaining teeth were measured by the differences between normal teeth and missing teeth. Results: Smoking and age are the most influencing factors on the number of remaining teeth and bone density(p<0.01)(p<0.05). Those who had higher bone density, younger age, and nonsmoker significantly had more remaining teeth. Those who were men, diabetic, lowly educated women, and low birth weighted persons tended to have less number of teeth(p<0.01). Conclusions: The study suggested that there were significant differences between men and women according to the oral health management behavior and systemic disease control. Proper management of the oral health and good quality of bone mineral density can reserve the remaining teeth through the whole life.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.178-192
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• 2020

Objectives: The present study aimed to compare the impacts of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and behavioral treatment (BT) on weight loss and psychological outcomes among patients with three different subtypes of obesity: simple obesity, obesity with binge eating disorder, and obesity with depression. Methods: Embase, PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Research Information Sharing Service, and Korean Studies Information Service System were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials conducted on or before May 2020, that used CBT to treat obesity. Methodological quality was assessed using Cochrane's risk of bias tool 2 and publication bias was evaluated through the funnel plot using the trim and fill method, Egger's test, and Begg and Mazumdar rank correlation test. A meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects model and the standardized mean difference with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to determine effect size. Results: Twenty-one randomized controlled trials with a total of 22 intervention arms and 2,590 patients were included. Our study results revealed that the effects of CBT, compared with BT, on weight loss distinctly differed across all patient subgroups. In the simple obesity group, CBT was more effective than BT (Hedges' g=0.138, CI=0.012~0.264); however, in the obesity with binge eating disorder group, BT was more effective than CBT (Hedges' g=-0.228, CI=-0.418~-0.038); in the obesity with depression group, the effect of CBT was not statistically different from that of BT (Hedges' g=0.276, CI=-0.307~0.859). Further studies with larger sample sizes are required to confirm the outcomes observed in this study. Conclusions: Our results indicated that the effects of CBT on obesity treatment vary based on patient subtype. Therefore, our findings suggest that CBT or BT should be selectively recommended as a treatment strategy for different obesity subtypes.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.121-136
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• 2022

Purpose : Marine therapy is an activity that promotes public health such as constitution improvement, immunity improvement, and anti-aging by utilizing marine therapeutic resources such as seawater, mud, seaweed, salt and sea climate. In Europe developed countries, the marine therapy industry has been developing for centuries, with France, Germany, and Israel leading the way. Currently, it has achieved great industrial achievements and is of great help in improving the human health. The purpose of this study is to investigate how marine therapeutic resources benefit to human health, as well as how to study and utilize their efficacy. We analyzed previous research articles related to the effects of marine therapeutic resources. Methods : The study included a total of 830 published literatures in the last 20 years from the Republic of Korea and other contries. PubMed and Google Scholar were utilized to collect the foreign source while the local scientific publications were accessed through the Korean Education and research Information Service (KERIS) and Korean studies Information Service System (KISS). The keywords used to search foreign literature were "marine therapy", "Thalassotherapy", "seawater", "deep seawater", "saline groundwater", "sand therapy", "mud therapy", "hydrotherapy", "seaweed", "Sun light", "sea salt", "marine animal", and "marine microorganisms" were combined, and for the domestic literature, the keywords were "marine therapy", "marine therapeutic resources", "seawater", and "sand". Results : A total of 830 research papers were found as a result of searching for domestic and international papers related to marine therapeutic resources. The collected documents were classified into 175 seawater resources, 259 marine mineral resources, 41 marine environment, and 355 marine organisms. The efficacy of each marine therapeutic resources was analyzed. By resources type, there were about 213 papers on the efficacy of seaweed, followed by about 175 papers on seawater, 142 on microorganisms, 124 on mud/peat, and sand, salt, minerals and others are appeared in order (Table 1). Conclusion : Korea has the highest marine biodiversity index, excellent tidal flats, four distinct seasons, and various sea environments of the East sea, Yellow sea, South sea and Jeju sea. For this reason, Korea has a much more diverse marine therapeutic resources than other advanced countries in the marine therapy industry. prebiously, we thought that the sea was only valuable as a shipping port and fishery industry. But now, it been shown that the ocean can become a new industrial field which can contribute to human health and well-being by providing healing and therapy to people through the gift of marine resources.