• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.149-158
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• 2021

Purpose : Forward head posture (FHP) is one of the most common postural malalignment of the cranio-cervical region. Previous studies have reported that FHP might affect both temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and cervical muscles, but still remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to compare the changes of craniovertebral angle (CVA) and muscle properties after smartphone use in healthy individuals with and without FHP. Methods : Fifteen healthy individuals aged 18 to 22 years were included. CVA was evaluated using Dartfish motion analysis, and the subjects were divided into two groups according to their CVA: a FHP group (n = 7, CVA less than 48 °) and a control group (n = 8, CVA more than 48 °). MyotonPro was used to measure muscle properties of masseter, digastric and sternocleidomastoid muscles (SCM). Each subject underwent 15-minutes of smartphone task (web browsing or video watching) in relaxed sitting posture. CVA and muscles properties were assessed both before and after the smartphone task. Results : There were significant changes in post measurements of CVA between the groups. Masseter muscle showed significant differences in pre and post measurements of all muscle properties, and digastric muscle showed significance only in muscle tone. Amount of changes (post-pre), however, showed no significant difference in this study. Conclusion : 15-minutes of smartphone task did not affect CVA and muscle properties of masseter, digastric and SCM in both groups, however, there were significant changes in pre and post measurements of CVA and some muscle properties of masseter and digastric muscles. Therefore, CVA, masseter and digastric muscles might be significantly changed in a heavy duration of smartphone usage more than 15-minutes. Further studies are needed regarding duration of smartphone task, assessments in other various TMJ muscle groups, and participants with pathological FHP conditions.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.30-43
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• 2024

Purpose : Post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) is characterized by a constellation of mental health, physical, and cognitive impairments, and is recognized as a long-term sequela among survivors of intensive care units (ICUs). The objective of this study was to explore the impact of intensive care experience (ICE) on the development of PICS in individuals surviving critical care. Methods : This secondary analysis utilized data derived from a prospective, multicenter cohort study of ICU survivors. The cohort comprised 143 survivors who were enrolled between July and August 2019. The original study's participants completed the Korean version of the ICE questionnaire (K-ICEQ) within one week following discharge from the ICU. Of these, 82 individuals completed the PICS questionnaire (PICSQ) three months subsequent to discharge from hospital. The influence of ICE on the manifestation of PICS was examined through Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Result : The R² values of the final model ranged from 0.35 to 0.51, while the Q² values were all greater than 0, indicating adequacy for prediction of PICS. Notable pathways in the relationship between the four ICE dimensions and the three PICS domains included significant associations from 'ICE-awareness of surroundings' to 'PICS-cognitive', from 'ICE-recall of experience' to 'PICS-cognitive', and from 'ICE-frightening experiences' to 'PICS-mental health'. Analysis found no significant moderating effects of age or disease severity on these relationships. Additionally, gender differences were identified in the significant pathways within the model. Conclusion : Adverse ICU experiences may detrimentally impact the cognitive and mental health domains of PICS following discharge. In order to improve long-term outcomes of individuals who survive critical care, it is imperative to develop nursing interventions aimed at enhancing the ICU experience for patients.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.121-126
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• 2007

We monitored gold-spotted pond frog (Rana chosenica) populations near the Korea National University of Education in Chungbuk, Korea, from 19 May to 8 August, 2006 to examine the spatial distribution of populations in local areas and to investigate patterns of migration of adult gold-spotted pond frogs from terrestrial hibernation sites to breeding sites, We captured individuals from the largest population using a drift fence with 22 pitfall traps surrounding the breeding site. A total of 22 individuals (19 males and 3 females) were captured between 23 May and 15 June. No peak in breeding migration was detected, but the onset of the breeding migration may correspond with increased humidity. Male body weights were negatively correlated with sampling dates. Seven of 22 individuals were captured at the 4th pitfall trap, which was placed between two culverts. The capture rate per pitfall trap was higher in traps close to the rice field banks (1.44, traps $1{\sim}9$) than in traps facing hilly land (0.33, traps $13{\sim}18$). Comparative data from the Korean frog (Rana coreana), a sympatric species in the study area, were also collected and compared with those of the gold-spotted pond frog.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.4989-4994
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• 2014

Background: It has been reported that COX-2 expression is associated with MMP-2 expression in thyroid and breast cancers, suggesting that MMPs are linked to COX-2-mediated carcinogenesis. Several polymorphisms within the MMP2 promoter region have been reported in cases with oncogenesis and tumor progression, especially in colorectal carcinogenesis. Materials and Methods: This research evaluated risk of association of the SNPs, including genes for COX-2 (AIG transition at +202) and MMP-2 (Crr transition at-1306), with colorectal cancer in 125 patients and 125 healthy controls. Results and Conclusions: Our data confirmed that MMP2 C-1306 T mutations were significantly more common in colon cancer patients than in our control Saudi population; p=O.0121. On the other hand in our study, there was no significant association between genotype distribution ofthe COX2 polymorphism and colorectal cancer; p=0.847. An elevated frequency ofthe mutated genotype in the control group as compared to the patients subjects indeed suggested that this polymorphism could decrease risk in the Saudi population. Our study confirmed that the polymorphisms that could affect the expressions of MMP-2 and COX-2 the colon cancer patients were significantly higher than that in the COX-2 negative group. The frequency of individuals with MMP2 polymorphisms in colon cancer patients was higher than individuals with combination of COX2 and MMP2 polymorphisms. Our study confirmed that individuals who carried the polymorphisms that could affect the expressions ofCOX2 are more susceptible to colon cancer. MMP2 regulatory polymorphisms could be considered as protective; further studies need to confirm the results with more samples and healthy subjects.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.412-418
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• 2017

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Several studies have reported that consumption of Salvia Hispanica L.,commonly known as chia seed, may exert beneficial effects on health outcomes. The main purpose of this study was to examine the influence of chia seed consumption as a mid-morning snack on short-term satiety. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Subjects (n = 24) were tested using a randomized, cross-over design consisting of three mid-morning snacks. Yogurt with no chia seed, yogurt with 7 g chia seed, and yogurt with 14 g chia seed were given to subjects on different test days. After subjects were asked to report visual analog scale (VAS) scores on sensory outcomes, ad libitum lunch was served, and energy intake of individuals was measured. RESULTS: VAS scores indicated that participants reported significantly lower scores for hunger (P = 0.033), prospective food consumption (P = 0.031), amounts of food that could be consumed (P = 0.017), desire for sugary foods (P = 0.015), and higher scores for satiety (P = 0.031) on the test days with 7 g and 14 g chia seed. Energy intake of individuals during ad libitum lunch was significantly lower when they consumed yogurt with 7 g or 14 g chia seed (P = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated that chia seed consumption as a mid-morning snack may induce short-term satiety in healthy individuals.

• Korean Circulation Journal
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• v.52 no.12
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• pp.890-900
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• 2022

Background and Objectives: Some individuals exhibit discrepancies between risk classifications assessed using clinical factors and those obtained by vascular imaging. We aimed to evaluate whether statins provide clinical outcome benefits in patients classified as having low to moderate cardiovascular risk but with carotid plaque. Methods: This was a retrospective propensity score matching study. A total of 12,158 consecutive patients undergoing carotid ultrasound between January 2012 to February 2020 were screened. Individuals with low to moderate cardiovascular risk who were not currently recommended for statin therapy but had carotid plaques were included. Among 1,611 enrolled individuals, 806 (statin group: 403, control group: 403) were analyzed. The primary outcomes were major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs: cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization, and ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack) and all-cause mortality. Results: During the median follow-up of 6.0 years, the incidence of MACCEs did not differ between the groups (6.1 and 5.7/1,000 person-years in the control and statin groups, respectively; adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.95; p=0.90). The incidence of all-cause mortality did not differ (3.9 and 3.9/1,000 person-years, respectively; adjusted HR, 1.02; p=0.97). Kaplan-Meier curves revealed similar rates of MACCEs (log-rank p=0.72) and all-cause mortality (log-rank p=0.99) in the 2 groups. Age and smoking were independent predictors of MACCEs. Subgroups exhibited no differences in clinical outcomes with statin use. Conclusions: Benefit of statin therapy was likely to be limited in low to moderate risk patients with carotid plaques. These results could guide physicians in clinical decision-making regarding cardiovascular prevention.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.310-316
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• 2015

The seasonal and interannual variation in the species composition and abundance of the fish assemblage were studied. Fish samples were collected seasonally over 4 year (2005 to 2008) using pots in the southern coast of East Sea. During the study period, a total of 32 fish species belonging to 24 families were collected. The dominant species were Conger myriaster, Paracentropogon rubripinnis, Liparis tanakae, Parapercis sexfasciata, Eptatretus burgeri and Clupea pallasii pallasii, which accounted for 91.9% of the total number of individuals collected. The number of species, number of individuals, biomass, and diversity fluctuated with season. The peak number of species and number of individuals occurred were in August 2008, whereas the biomass was the highest in August 2005 and diversity was in May 2008. The abundance of dominant species also showed some seasonal and interannual changes. A one-way analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) showed that the fish assemblage in 2008 was significantly different from those of 2005, 2006 and 2007, whereas there was no significant difference among seasons over 4 years.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.2 no.5
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• pp.721-727
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• 1997

This study investigated whether dietary factors are more influential factor than other health behavior such as drinking, smoking and exercise on abnormal serum cholesterol level inspite of Korean dietary pattern differences compared to Europeans and Americans. A double case control study model has been used for the study design. One model consisted of high blood cholesterol cases and control. the other model consisted of low blood cholesterol cased and controls. 5.398 sedentary male workers who had taken medical examinations at a university hospital were used as the study subjects. Out of the study subjects, 36individuals with high blood cholesterol cases and 30 individuals with low blood cholesterol cases were selected. For the 66 individual control selection, the individual control selection, the individuals matching method was adopted. The food frequency method was used to collect the data for assessment of the dietary factors. A standardized questionnaire was used to investigate other health behavior. logistic regression analysis was employed to measure the relative importance between the factors considered. There were no statistically significant differences observed in nutrients consumption or other health behavior among the low, normal and high blood cholesterol groups, An overmatching effect had been suspected as the cause of those findings. However, the results of logistic regression analysis to identify the factors influencing high serum cholesterol showed that odd ratios of dietary factors such as tocopherol(3.0) and saturated fatty acid(1.6) were higher than I. I of smoking and 1.2 of drinking. Similar results were also observed incases of low serum cholesterol. The above findings imply that although the dietary pattern is quite different from that of Europeans and America, the dietary factor is still a significant factor for abnormal blood cholesterol in Koreans. Therefore, the dietary risk factor identified in high fat consumption populations are still relevant for the relatively healthy Korean as guideline for preventive health practices. (Korean J Community Nutrition 2(5) : 721∼727, 1997)

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.167-183
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• 2012

Objective : Average, lowest, highest concentration and exceeding value of legal allowance of As, Cd, Pb, Co, Cr in frequently using 16 oriental herbal medicines in korea(Astragali Radix, Ginseng, Citri Unshii Pericarpium, Aurantii Fructus Immaturus, Angelicae Gigantis Radix, Cnidii Rhizoma, Paeoniae Radix, Rehmanniae Radix Preparata, Zingiberis Rhizoma Crudus, Zizyphi Fructus, Atractylodis Rhizoma Alba, Hoelen, Dioscoreae Rhizoma, Corni Fructus, Schisandrae Fructus, Lycii Fructus) was evaluated according to their origines (korea, china) and property was also discussed according to the medicinally active part and individuals regardless origines. Method : Korean and Chinese herbal medicines were evenly sampled from corresponding country nationwide. Pre-treatment was executed according to the KFDA(Korea Food and Drug Administration) regulation and analysis was performed according to the Korean Environmental Analysis QA/QC. Result : Not much difference was observed according to their origines. However, lowest, highest and percent exceeding value of legal allowance was showed some consistent differences according to the medicinally active part and individuals. Co and Cr was can not be evaluated since their legal regulation was not established yet. Conclusion : The average concentration of As, Cd, Pb, Co, Cr in frequently using 16 oriental herbal medicines in korea showed no noticeable difference according to their origines. Regardless the origin, some consistent differences were observed according to the individuals and medicinally active parts.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.1228-1235
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• 2014

The swine leukocyte antigen (SLA)-DRA locus is noteworthy among other SLA class II loci for its limited variation and has not been investigated in depth. This study was investigated to detect polymorphisms of four exons of SLA-DRA gene and its association with piglet diarrhea in Landrace, Large White and Duroc pigs. No polymorphisms were detected in exon 3, while 2 SNPs (c.178G>A and c.211T>C), 2 SNPs (c.3093A>C and c.3104C>T) and 5 SNPs (c.4167A>G, c.4184A>G, c.4194A>G, c.4246A>G and c.4293G>A) were detected in exon 1, exon 2 and exon 4 respectively, and 1 SNP (c.4081T>C) in intron 3. Statistical results showed that genotype had significant effect on piglet diarrhea, individuals with genotype BC had a higher diarrhea score when compared with the genotypes AA, AB, AC and CC. Futhermore, genotype AC had a higher diarrhea score than the genotype CC in exon 1 (p<0.05); diarrhea scores of genotype AA and BB were higher than those of genotypes AC and CC in exon 2 (p<0.05); individuals with genotype AA had a higher diarrhea score than individuals with genotype AB and BB in exon 4 (p<0.05). Fourteen common haplotypes were founded by haplotype constructing of all SNPs in the three exons, its association with piglet diarrhea appeared that Hap2, 5, 8, 10, and 14 may be the susceptible haplotypes and Hap9 may be the resistant haplotype to piglet diarrhea. The genetic variations identified of the SLA-DRA gene may potentially be functional mutations related to piglet diarrhea.