• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.137-143
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• 2023

This study was conducted to analyze factors affecting the length of stay in children with injuries by determining relationships between length of stay and characteristics of children(aged 0 to 12) with injuries. 7,804 patients aged 0 to 12 who participated in the Korea Nation Hospital Discharge In-Depth Injury Surveys, got a diagnosis of sequelae of injuries and of other consequences of external causes(S00-T98), and were discharged between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2020 were investigated. A frequency analysis, independent samples t-test, and ANOVA were performed. Also, to identify factors affecting the length of stay, a regression analysis was performed. The average length of stay for the patients investigated in this study was 5.5 days. The length of stay for school-age children(aged 7 to 12) and children who had either public or private coverage was higher than that for preschoolers(aged 0 to 6) and children who didn't have public or private coverage, respectively. The length of stay for children admitted to a hospital in a rural area(Jeolla-do or Gyeongsang-do) was higher than that for children admitted to a hospital in a metropolitan area and the length of stay for children admitted to a hospital that had 100-299 hospital beds was relatively long. However, children who first visited a hospital for outpatient care stayed relatively short in hospital and children who had been burned or injured in traffic crashes stayed relatively long in hospital. Children who got a secondary diagnosis and had a principal procedure or who died after being discharged were in hospital for a long time. The findings of this study shall be useful, as they identified characteristics related to the length of stay for Korean children with injuries and factors that determine the length of stay for those children by analyzing the national dataset, or more specifically, the data from the Korea National Hospital Discharge In-Depth Injury Surveys. The risk of child injuries can be easily reduced by taking actions to prevent them and providing safety education programs. The present study has provided essential baseline data for the provision of aggressive care for child injuries and the establishment of a range of policies for child injury prevention.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.619-627
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• 2004

Background : Corticosteroids in combination with cytotoxic drugs are the mainstays of therapy for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). However, there has been no regimen showing any survival benefit. The aim of this study was to describe a short-term clinical experience on interferon gamma-1b (IFN-${\gamma}1b$) therapy for IPF, as an antifibrotic agent. Methods : Medical records of 27 patients who were treated with IFN-${\gamma}1b$ (2 million IU, 3 times a week, subcutaneous injection) were retrospectively reviewed. Treatment response was assessed using ATS/ERS criteria in 17 patients who received IFN-${\gamma}1b$ for more than 6 months. In addition, we compared the efficacy of IFN-${\gamma}1b$ therapy with that of cyclophosphamide${\pm}$prednisolone therapy (n=26). Results : The median age of IFN-${\gamma}$ treated group (M:F=19:8) was 59 years (44-74 years). Compared to the patients who showed a stable response at 6 months (n=12), the deteriorated group (n=5) had worse baseline lung function (FVC, $55.4{\pm}11.3%$ vs. $70.7{\pm}10.9%$, p=0.019; DLco, $50.3{\pm}7.3%$ vs. $76.9{\pm}19.6%$, p=0.014). Lower baseline $PaO_2$ on room air breathing was observed in the deteriorated group ($68.6{\pm}7.8mmHg$ vs. $91.4{\pm}6.6mmHg$ p=0.001). Subcutaneous IFN-${\gamma}1b$ did not show better efficacy than prednisolone. Five patients discontinued IFN-${\gamma}$ because of severe side effects. ARDS developed in one patient, who eventually died. Conclusion : The administration of IFN-${\gamma}1b$ is not desirable for patients diagnosed with IPF with poor lung function. Long-term and large-scaled clinical studies are needed for its efficacy in IPF.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.745-757
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• 1994

Superovulatory treatment with exogenous gonadotropins adversely affects the uterus through the disruption of the delicate balance of ovarian steroids (estrogens, progestins, androgens). To examine the uterine effects of this treatment, 189 rats were given 4IU, 20IU or 40IU pregnant mare',s serum gonadotropin(PMSG) at 28 days of age and sacrificed every 24h until day 10(D10) post injection. Long term uterine effects were examined in 12 rats treated with 4IU or 40IU PMSG and killed on D30. Adult rat uteri were examined to provide a reference for comparisons. Morphological and histological changes of control (4IU) uteri mimicked those of the adult on a comparable time-course form D2 to D5. Administration of superovulatory doses(20IU, 40IU) of PMSG produced stromal hypertrophy by D2 and focal papillary hyperplasia of the luminal epithelia by D3. Levels of $17{\beta}$-estradiol following 20IU and 40IU PMSG treatment were significantly(p<0.05, p<0.005) elevated above those of controls after D1. Androgen levels of both groups(20IU, 40IU) significantly p<0.05, p<005 increased from baseline on D1 and were maximum between D2 and D3. In the 20IU PMSG group, the hyperplasia gradually regressed after D3 and was absent by D10. The hyperplasia in the 40IU PMSG group, however, had become extensive by D6. It is suspected that preceding elevated levels of estrogen may be responsible for this progressive change. On D 4, the levels of $17{\beta}$-estradiol reached a maximum, which was significantly(p<0.001) greater than both the controls and 20IU PMSG-treated rats. Between D6 and D10, the hyperplasia in 40IU PMSG-treated rats partially regressed. Examination of uteri from D30 revealed no evidence of the hyperplasia. It is suggested that previous exposure to high levels of estrogen and androgens, secondary to superovulation, is possible cause for the observed hyperplasia.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.43-54
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• 2007

Silicone hydrogel contact lenses developed as a continuous-wear modality are now used as a daily-wear contact lenses. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical performance in a group of successful long-term wearers of conventional hydrogel contact lenses when refitted with daily wear $O_2OPTIX$ silicone hydrogel lenses. Sixty-two wearers ($30.7{\pm}19.9$ months of prior lens wear) among sixty-five soft lens wearers refitted with $O_2OPTIX$ silicone hydrogel lenses were participated in this study finally. Subjective symptoms were scored and objective signs were graded using CCLRU scales during the study period. 98% of subjects were successfully refitted with the one base curve of $O_2OPTIX$, and 33.9% of subjects were needed more or less lens powers compared with their habitual lenses. Subjects reported a concurrent reduction in dryness, redness and tiredness compared with their habitual lenses and both subjective and objective evaluations showed that dryness, tiredness, itchiness, bulbar and limbal hyperemia were decreased and significantly decreased particularly for those subjects with greater baseline symptoms (p<0.0001). But corneal staining was increased and was seen in many subjects during the study (p<0.0001). Refitting existing soft contact lens wearers with silicone hydrogel contact lens could result in a decreased in dryness, redness and tiredness, particularly more effective for those subjects with greater baseline of those symptoms. When patients using conventional hydrogel materials switch to a silicone hydrogel material, the potential for increased corneal staining should be considered and over-refraction should be needed to give a best vision.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.83-92
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• 1994

Paroxetine is a potent and selective serotoin re-uptake inhibitor. It is well known as an effective and safe antidepressant and increasingly used for neurotic or non-psychotic depression with anxiety symptoms. The present study assessed antidepressant and antianxiety efficacy and tolerability of paroxetine against placebo in child-adolescent and adult depressive neurosis patients. 232 subjects aged 8-55 years and meeting DSM-III-R criteria for depressive neurosis or dysthymia were divided into 8 subgroups according to their sex and age(8-11 yeard old, 12-17 years old, 18-35 years old and 36-55 years old subgroup in each male and female group). In each subgroup, the randomly assigned half of the patients were treated with paroxetine(10-30mg/day) and the others with placebo for the first 2 weeks in double blind fashion. After 1 week of drug-washout period, paroxetine and placebo groups were crossed over. The depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed with Hamilton Depression Scale(HDS) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAS) at baseline and every 1 week during the trial periods. The levels of reduction in HDS and HAS scores from baseline after 2-week trial were compared between paroxetine- and placebo- treated periods by paired t-test. In all the 8 subgroups, statistically significant differences between paroxetine and placebo were found on the antidepressant efficacy after 2-week treatment. The antidepressant efficacy of paroxetine compared to placebo was most prominent in child and adolescent female groups. On anxiety symptoms, paroxetine was also significantly more effective than placebo. The antianxiety efficacy of paroxetine compared to placebo was most prominent in male and female child groups and young adult female group aged 18-35 years. As for the adverse effects of paroxetine, 3 out of 232 subjects reported mild indigestion and abdominal pain. however, in all the 3 cases, the symptoms improved without reduction of dosage or discontinuation of the drug. In conclusion, paroxetine showed significantly higher antidepressant and antianxiety efficacy compared to placebo in child-adolescent and adult depressive neurosis patients after 2-week treatment. Further trials of paroxetine in depressive neurosis are warranted to elucidate the long-term antidepressant and antianxiety efficacy of paroxetine.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.585-593
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• 2000

Background : International consensus guidelines have recently been developed to improve the assessment and management of asthma. One of the major recommendation of these guidelines is that asthma severity should be assessed through the recognition of key symptoms, such as nocturnal waking, medication requirements, and objective measurements of lung function. Differential classification of asthma severity would lead to major differences in both long term pharmacological management and the treatment of severe exacerbation. Methods : This study examined the relationship between the symptom score and measurements of $FEV_1$ and PEF when expressed as a percentage of predicted values in asthmatics (n=107). Results : The correlation of $FEV_1$ % with PEFR% was highly significant (r=0.83, p<0.01). However, there was agreement in terms of the classification of asthma severity in 76.6% of the paired measurements of $FEV_1$ % and PEFR%. Agreement in the classification of asthma severity was also found in 57.1% of the paired analysis of $FEV_1$ % and symptom score. 39% of the patients classified as having moderate asthma on the basis of $FEV_1$ % recording would be considered to have severe asthma if symptom score alone were used. Low baseline $FEV_1$ and high bronchial responsiveness were associated with a low degree of perception of airway obstruction. Conclusion : The relationships between the symptom score, PEFR and $FEV_1$ were generally poor. When assessing asthma severity, age, duration, $PC_{20}$, and baseline $FEV_1$ should be considered.

• Proceedings of The Korean Society of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology Conference
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• 2014.10a
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• pp.1-24
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• 2014

This study uses geo-spatial crop modeling to quantify the biophysical impact of weather extremes. More specifically, the study analyzes the weather extreme which affected maize production in the USA in 2012; it also estimates the effect of a similar weather extreme in 2050, using future climate scenarios. The secondary impact of the weather extreme on food security in the developing world is also assessed using trend analysis. Many studies have reported on the significant reduction in maize production in the USA due to the extreme weather event (combined heat wave and drought) that occurred in 2012. However, most of these studies focused on yield and did not assess the potential effect of weather extremes on food prices and security. The overall goal of this study was to use geo-spatial crop modeling and trend analysis to quantify the impact of weather extremes on both yield and, followed food security in the developing world. We used historical weather data for severe extreme events that have occurred in the USA. The data were obtained from the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In addition we used five climate scenarios: the baseline climate which is typical of the late 20th century (2000s) and four future climate scenarios which involve a combination of two emission scenarios (A1B and B1) and two global circulation models (CSIRO-Mk3.0 and MIROC 3.2). DSSAT 4.5 was combined with GRASS GIS for geo-spatial crop modeling. Simulated maize grain yield across all affected regions in the USA indicates that average grain yield across the USA Corn Belt would decrease by 29% when the weather extremes occur using the baseline climate. If the weather extreme were to occur under the A1B emission scenario in the 2050s, average grain yields would decrease by 38% and 57%, under the CSIRO-Mk3.0 and MIROC 3.2 global climate models, respectively. The weather extremes that occurred in the USA in 2012 resulted in a sharp increase in the world maize price. In addition, it likely played a role in the reduction in world maize consumption and trade in 2012/13, compared to 2011/12. The most vulnerable countries to the weather extremes are poor countries with high maize import dependency ratios including those countries in the Caribbean, northern Africa and western Asia. Other vulnerable countries include low-income countries with low import dependency ratios but which cannot afford highly-priced maize. The study also highlighted the pathways through which a weather extreme would affect food security, were it to occur in 2050 under climate change. Some of the policies which could help vulnerable countries counter the negative effects of weather extremes consist of social protection and safety net programs. Medium- to long-term adaptation strategies include increasing world food reserves to a level where they can be used to cover the production losses brought by weather extremes.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.469-483
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• 2020

The results of long-term groundwater level and quality monitoring can be used not only as the basic data for evaluating the impact of various disasters including climate change and establishing responses, but also as key data for predicting and managing geological disasters such as earthquakes. Some countries use groundwater level and quality monitoring for researches to predict earthquakes and to assess the impacts of the earthquake disaster. However, a few cases in Korea report on individual groundwater quality factors (i.e., dissolved ions) observed before and after the earthquakes, being different from other countries. To establish the abnormality criteria for groundwater quality in Pohang, groundwater samples were collected and analyzed five times from 14 agricultural or private wells existing in Shingwang-myeon and Heunghae-eup. As a result of the analysis, it was found that Ca2+ was the dominant cation in Shingwang-myeon, while Na+ was the dominant cation in Heunghae-eup. The elevated NO3- concentration in Shingwang-myeon is contributed to the agricultural activity in the area. A high concentration of Fe was detected in a well on Heunghae-eup; the concentration exceeded the drinking water standard by nearly 100 times. Relatively higher dissolved ions were observed in the groundwater of Heunghae-eup, and it is considered as the result of the flow velocity difference and water-rock reaction accompanying the difference in bedrock and sediment characteristics. The groundwater of Shingwang-myeon appeared to be most affected by the weathering of granite and silicates, while that of Heunghae-eup was mainly affected by the weathering of silicates and carbonate. The background concentrations (baselines) of groundwater Shingwang-myeon and Heunghae-eup was identified through the survey; however, the continuous monitoring is required to monitor the possible changes and the repeatability of seasonal variation.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.30 no.1 s.56
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• pp.45-59
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• 1997

It has been known that there is a tracking phenomenon in the level of serum lipids. However, no study has been performed to examine the change and tracking of serum lipids in Korean adolescents. The purpose of this study is to examine the changes of serum lipids in Korean adolescents from 12 to 16 years of age, and to examine whether or not there is a tracking phenomenon in serum lipids level during the period. In 1992 serum lipids(total cholesterol(TC), triglyceride(TG), LDL cholesterol(LDL-C), HDL cholesterol(HDL-C)) were measured in 318 males, 365 females who were 12 years of age in Kangwha county, Korea. These participants have been followed up to 1996 and serum lipids level were examined in 1994 and 1996. Among the participants 162 males and 147 females completed all three examinations in fasting state. To examine the effect of eliminating adolescents with incomplete data, we compared serum lipids, blood pressure and anthropometric measures at baseline between adolescents with complete follow-up and adolescents who were withdrawn. To examine the change of serum lipids we compared mean values of serum lipids according to age in males and females. Repeated analysis of variance was used to test the change according to age. We used three methods to examine the existence of tracking. First, we analyzed the trends in serum lipids over 4-year period within quartile groups formed on the basis of the first-year serum lipids level to see whether or not the relative ranking of the mean serum lipids among the quartile groups remained in the same group for 4-year period. Second, we quantified the degree of tracking by calculating Spearman's rank correlation coefficient between every tests. Third, the persistence extreme quartile method was used. This method divides the population into quartile groups according to the initial level of blood lipids and then calculates the percent of the subjects who stayed in the same group at follow-up measurement. The decreases in levels were noted during 4 years for TC, LDL-C, primarily for boys. The level of HDL-C decreased between baseline and first follow-up for both sexes. Tracking, as measured by both correlation coefficients and persistence extreme quartiles, was evident for all of the lipids. The correlation coefficients of TC between baseline and 4 years later in boys and girls were 0.55 and 0.68, respectively. And the corresponding values for HDL-C were 0.58 and 0.69. More than 50% of adolescents who belonged to the highest quartile group in TC, HDL-C and LDL-C at the baseline were remained at the same group at the examination performed 2 years later for both sexes. The probabilities of remaining at the same group were more than 35% when examined 4 years later. The tracking phenomenon of TG was less evident compared with the other lipids. Percents of girls who stayed at the same group 2 years later and 4 years later were 42.9% and 25.7%, respectively. It was evident that serum lipid levels tracked in Korean adolescents. Researches with longer follow-up would be needed in the future to investigate the long-term change of lipids from adolescents to adults.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.73.2-74
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• 2015

The gas cloud G2 falling toward Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, is supposed to provide valuable information on the physics of accretion flows and the environment of the black hole. We observed Sgr A* with four European stations of the Global Millimeter Very Long Baseline Interferometry Array (GMVA) at 86 GHz on 1 October 2013 when parts of G2 had already passed the pericenter. We searched for possible transient asymmetric structure - such as jets or winds from hot accretion flows - around Sgr A* caused by accretion of material from G2. The interferometric closure phases (which are zero if the spatial brightness distribution of the target is symmetric, and deviate from zero otherwise) remained zero within errors during the observation time. We thus conclude that Sgr A* did not show significant asymmetric (in the observer frame) outflows in late 2013. Using simulations, we constrain the size of the outflows that we could have missed to ${\approx}2.5$ mas along the major axis, ${\approx}0.4$ mas along the minor axis of the beam, corresponding to approximately 232 and 35 Schwarzschild radii, respectively; we thus probe spatial scales on which the jets of radio galaxies are suspected to convert magnetic into kinetic energy. As probably less than 0.2 Jy of the flux from Sgr A* can be attributed to accretion from G2, one finds an effective accretion rate ${\eta}M{\leq}1.5{\times}10^9kg/s{\approx}7.7{\times}10^{-9}M_{earth}/yr$ for material from G2. Exploiting the kinetic jet power-accretion power relation of radio galaxies, one finds that the rate of accretion of matter that ends up in jets is limited to $M{\leq}10^{17}kg/s{\approx}0.5M_{Earth}/yr$ less than about 20% of the mass of G2. Accordingly, G2 appears to be largely stable against loss of angular momentum and subsequent (partial) accretion at least on time scales ${\leq}1$ year.