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The Effects of the Revised Elderly Fixed Outpatient Copayment on the Health Utilization of the Elderly (노인외래정액제 개선이 고령층의 의료이용에 미친 영향)

  • Li-hyun Kim;Gyeong-Min Lee;Woo-Ri Lee;Ki-Bong Yoo
    • Health Policy and Management
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    • v.34 no.2
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    • pp.196-210
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    • 2024
  • Background: In January 2018, revised elderly fixed outpatient copayment for the elderly were implemented. When people ages 65 years and older receive outpatient treatment at clinic-level medical institutions (clinic, dental clinic, Korean medicine clinic), with medical expenses exceeding 15,000 won but not exceeding 25,000 won, their copayment rates have decreased differentially from 30%. This study aimed to examine the changes of health utilization of elderly after revised elderly fixed outpatient copayment. Methods: We used Korea health panel data from 2016 to 2018. The time period is divided into before and after the revised elderly fixed outpatient copayment. We conducted Poisson segmented regression to estimate the changes in outpatient utilization and inpatient utilization and conducted segmented regression to estimate the changes in medical expenses. Results: Immediately after the revised policy, the number of clinic and Korean medicine outpatient visits of medical expenses under 15,000 won decreased. But the number of clinic outpatient visits in the range of 15,000 to 20,000 won and Korean medicine clinic in the range of 20,000 to 25,000 won increased. Copayment in outpatient temporarily decreased. The inpatient admission rates and total medical expenses temporarily decreased but increased again. Conclusion: We confirmed the temporary increase in outpatient utilization in the medical expense segment with reduced copayment rates. And a temporary decrease in medical expenses followed by an increase again. To reduce the burden of medical expense among elderly in the long run, efforts to establish chronic disease management policies aimed at preventing disease occurrence and deterioration in advance need to continue.

Structure of the Phytoplanktonic communities in Jeju Strait and Northern East China Sea and Dinoflagellate Blooms in Spring 2004: Analysis of Photosynthetic Pigments (봄철 제주해협과 동중국해 북부해역에서 식물플랑크톤의 광합성 색소분석을 이용한 군집 분포 특성과 dinoflagellate 적조)

  • Park, Mi-Ok;Kang, Sung-Won;Lee, Chung-Il;Choi, Tae-Seob;Lantoine, Francois
    • The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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    • v.13 no.1
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    • pp.27-41
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    • 2008
  • Distribution characteristics of phytoplankton community were investigated by HPLC and flow cytometry in Jeju Strait and the Northern East China Sea (NECS) in May 2004, in order to understand the relationship between physical environmental factors and distribution pattern of phytoplankton communities. Based on temperature and salinity data, three distinct water masses were identified; warm and saline Tsushima Warm Current (TWC), which is flowing from northwest of Jeju Island, warm and low saline water at the center of Jeju Strait, which is originated from China Coastal Water (CCW) and relatively cold and high saline water originated from Yellow Sea at the bottom of the Jeju Strait. At Jeju Strait, less saline water (<33 psu) of 15 km width occupied surface layer up to 20 m which located at 20 km offshore and strong thermal front between warm and saline water and cold and less saline water was found in the middle of the Jeju Strait. Vertical transect of temperature and salinity at the NECS also showed that low saline (<33 psu) water occupied the upper 20 m layer and cold and saline water was present at the eastern part. Chl a was measured as $0.06{\sim}3.07\;{\mu}g/L$. Spring bloom of phytoplankton was recognized by the high concentrations of Chl a at the low saline water masses influenced by the CCW and subsurface chlorophyll maximum layer appeared between $20{\sim}30\;m$ depth, which was at thermocline depth or below. Abundances of Synechococcus and picoeukaryote were $0.2{\sim}9.5{\times}10^4\;cells/mL$ and $0.43{\sim}4.3{\times}10^4\;cells/mL$, respectively. Dinoflagellate, diatom and prymnesiophyte were major groups and minor groups were chlorophyte+prasinophyte, chrysophyte, cryptophyte and cyanophyte. Especially high abundance of dinoflagellate was identified by high concentration (>1\;{\mu}g/L$) of peridinin at the bottom of the thermocline, which showed an outbreak of red tide by high density of dinoflagellates. Abundances of picoeukaryote in Jeju Strait were about $5{\sim}10$ times higher than abundance measured in Kuroshio water and showed a good correlation with Chl b (Pras+Viola), which implies the most of population of picoeukaryote was composed of prasinophytes. Prochlorococcus was not detected at all, which suggests that Kuroshio Current did not directly influenced on the study area. Based on the strong negative correlations between biomass of phytoplankton (Chl a) and temperature+salinity, the primary production and biomass of phytoplankton in the study area were controlled by the nutrients supply from CCW.

Analysis of promising countries for export using parametric and non-parametric methods based on ERGM: Focusing on the case of information communication and home appliance industries (ERGM 기반의 모수적 및 비모수적 방법을 활용한 수출 유망국가 분석: 정보통신 및 가전 산업 사례를 중심으로)

  • Jun, Seung-pyo;Seo, Jinny;Yoo, Jae-Young
    • Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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    • v.28 no.1
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    • pp.175-196
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    • 2022
  • Information and communication and home appliance industries, which were one of South Korea's main industries, are gradually losing their export share as their export competitiveness is weakening. This study objectively analyzed export competitiveness and suggested export-promising countries in order to help South Korea's information communication and home appliance industries improve exports. In this study, network properties, centrality, and structural hole analysis were performed during network analysis to evaluate export competitiveness. In order to select promising export countries, we proposed a new variable that can take into account the characteristics of an already established International Trade Network (ITN), that is, the Global Value Chain (GVC), in addition to the existing economic factors. The conditional log-odds for individual links derived from the Exponential Random Graph Model (ERGM) in the analysis of the cross-border trade network were assumed as a proxy variable that can indicate the export potential. In consideration of the possibility of ERGM linkage, a parametric approach and a non-parametric approach were used to recommend export-promising countries, respectively. In the parametric method, a regression analysis model was developed to predict the export value of the information and communication and home appliance industries in South Korea by additionally considering the link-specific characteristics of the network derived from the ERGM to the existing economic factors. Also, in the non-parametric approach, an abnormality detection algorithm based on the clustering method was used, and a promising export country was proposed as a method of finding outliers that deviate from two peers. According to the research results, the structural characteristic of the export network of the industry was a network with high transferability. Also, according to the centrality analysis result, South Korea's influence on exports was weak compared to its size, and the structural hole analysis result showed that export efficiency was weak. According to the model for recommending promising exporting countries proposed by this study, in parametric analysis, Iran, Ireland, North Macedonia, Angola, and Pakistan were promising exporting countries, and in nonparametric analysis, Qatar, Luxembourg, Ireland, North Macedonia and Pakistan were analyzed as promising exporting countries. There were differences in some countries in the two models. The results of this study revealed that the export competitiveness of South Korea's information and communication and home appliance industries in GVC was not high compared to the size of exports, and thus showed that exports could be further reduced. In addition, this study is meaningful in that it proposed a method to find promising export countries by considering GVC networks with other countries as a way to increase export competitiveness. This study showed that, from a policy point of view, the international trade network of the information communication and home appliance industries has an important mutual relationship, and although transferability is high, it may not be easily expanded to a three-party relationship. In addition, it was confirmed that South Korea's export competitiveness or status was lower than the export size ranking. This paper suggested that in order to improve the low out-degree centrality, it is necessary to increase exports to Italy or Poland, which had significantly higher in-degrees. In addition, we argued that in order to improve the centrality of out-closeness, it is necessary to increase exports to countries with particularly high in-closeness. In particular, it was analyzed that Morocco, UAE, Argentina, Russia, and Canada should pay attention as export countries. This study also provided practical implications for companies expecting to expand exports. The results of this study argue that companies expecting export expansion need to pay attention to countries with a relatively high potential for export expansion compared to the existing export volume by country. In particular, for companies that export daily necessities, countries that should pay attention to the population are presented, and for companies that export high-end or durable products, countries with high GDP, or purchasing power, relatively low exports are presented. Since the process and results of this study can be easily extended and applied to other industries, it is also expected to develop services that utilize the results of this study in the public sector.

Epidemiological Studies of Clonorchiasis. - I. Current Status and Natural Transition of the Endemicity of Clonorchis sinensis in Gimhae Gun and Delta, a High Endemic area in Korea (간흡충증(肝吸虫症)의 역학(疫學) - I. 고도유행지(高度流行地) 김해지방(金海地方)에 있어서의 간흡충감염(肝吸虫感染)의 현황(現況)과 자연추이(自然推移))

  • Kim, D.C.;Lee, O.Y.;Lee, J.S.;Ahn, J.S.;Chang, Y.M;Son, S.C.;Moon, I.S.
    • Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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    • v.8 no.1
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    • pp.44-65
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    • 1983
  • As a part of the epidemiological studies of clonorchiasis, this study was conducted to evaluate the current endemicity and the natural transition of the Clonorchis infection in Gimhae Gun and delta area a high endemic area in Korea in recent years, prior to the introduction of praziquantel which will eventually influence the status of the prevalence. The data obtained in this study in 1983 were evaluated for natural transition of the infection in comparison with those obtained 16 years ago in 1967 by the author(Kim, 1974). The areas of investigation, villages and schools surveyed, methods and techniques used in this study were the same as in 1967, except for the contents of the questionnaire for raw freshwater fish consumption by the local inhabitants. 1) The prevalence rate of clonorchiasis in the general population of the villages was 48.1% on the average out of a total of 484 persons examined. The average of those of the riverside-delta area was 65.2% and 43.0% in the inland area. Among the schoolchildren, the prevalence rate was 8.2% on the average out of a total of 1,423 examined. By area, the prevalence rate was 10.8% in the riverside delta area and 2.8% in the inland area. By sex, difference in the prevalence was seen only in the inhabitants of the inland area showing 52.4% in the male and 33.5% in the female. 2) In the natural transition of the infection, the prevalence rate among the inhabitants has decreased from 68.8% in 1967 to 48.1% in 1983, and in the schoolchildren from 56.4% in 1967 to 8.2% in 1983. The reduction rate was higher in the riverside-delta area than in the inland area. 3) In the prevalence rate by age, 11.9% was first seen in the 5-9 age group and the rate gradually increased up to 75.0% in the 50-59 age group. By sex, the rate was higher in the male than in the female in the 20-29 age group and over. 4) In the natural transition of the prevalence rate by age, the reduction rate of the infection during the past 16 years was greater in the younger age groups up to the 40-49 age group and reached the same level in the age group 50-59. Reduction was seen again in the age group over 60s. By sex, the reduction rate was greater in the female than in the male in the 20-29 age group and over. By area, the reduction rate was greater in the riverside delta area than in the inland area, particularly in the young age groups. 5) In the intensity of the infection among the cases, the mean egg out-put per mg feces per infected cases(EPmg) in the inhabitants was 6.3. EPmg of those of the river-side-delta area was 15.4 and that of the in-land was 2.8. On the other hand, in the schoolchildren, EPmg was 3.2, and no difference was seen between the two areas, the river-side-delta area and the inland area. 6) In the transition of the intensity of the infection by area, EPmg among the inhabitants inexplically increased from 7.8 in 1967 to 15.4 in 1983. This was probably caused by uneven specimen collection in the process of sampling the population. EPmg of the inhabitants in the inland area and those of the schoolchildren of both riverside delta and inland areas showed a similar decrease in the past 16 years. 7) The intensity of the infection by age showed a relatively low level in the 20-29 age group and below, and EPmg 5.1-9.5 was seen in the 30-39 age group and over. Sex, Epmg was 5.8 in the male and 4.7 the female. By in 8) In the transition of the intensity of the infection, EPmg decreased from 6.2 in 1967 to 5.4 in 1983. By age, in contrast to the figures of 1967 in which EPmg gradually increased with some fluctuation from 1.1 in the 0-4 age group to peak 10.5 in the 50-59 age group, in 1983 lower intensity of the infection was seen in the age group from 10-14 to 20-29 with the EPmg range of 0.6-2.7. 9) In the distribution of the clonorchiasis cases by the range of EPmg value, 43.2% of the cases were in 0.1 0.9 and 34.6% in 1.0-4.9. As a whole by cumulative percent, 44.6% of them were under 0.9 as light infection and 86.1% of them under 9.9 up to moderate infection. By sex, no difference was seen in Epmg. 10) In the transition of the distribution by the range of Epmg, the cases were distributed up to the range 80.0-99.9 in 1967 and to 60.0-79.9 in 1983. By cumulative percent, in the range of 0.1-0.9 and less, light infection, 34.3% of them were distributed in 1967 and 44.6% in 1983 with about 10% increase. In the range of 5.0-9.9 and less, up to moderate infection, 83.2% in 1967 and 86.1% in 1983 of the cases were seen, respectively. 11) The practice of raw freshwater fish consumption among the inhabitants seems to have decreased in recent years. Those who admitted to raw freshwater fish consumption in the last two years among the infected inhabitants were 59.3%, although 86.8% of them professed to have experience with raw freshwater fish consumption. 31.7% of those who have had experience of the raw freshwater fish consumption denied any further consumption in recent years. From an interview of 543 school-children, 24.1% of them admitted to an experience of raw freshwater fish consumption. However, those who have practised in the past two years comprized 17.9%. Those who denied raw freshwater fish consumption in recent years among those who had such experience were 26.0% out of 131 interviewed. The rate of raw freshwater fish consumption in both inhabitants and schoolchildren were higher in the male than in the female. On the contrary, the rate of those who did not practise in recent years among those who had experience of raw freshwater fish consumption was higher in the female than in the male. 12) The major reason for the reduction of raw freshwater fish consumption among the local inhabitants was the risk of the fluke infection. However, it has become apparent that such change of taste has resulted from water pollution impact which has affected throughout the areas of the freshwater systems in this locality since last several years. 13) In animal survey, Clonorchis infection was seen in 14.8% of 88 dogs examined and 3.7% of 27 house rats examined. It was noted that populations of dogs and cats have increased in the villages surveyed. Although the prevalence rate was lower in the present survey than those of 1967, the significance of the animals as the reservoir host has not changed. 14) Prevalence rate of Clonorchis infection by cercariae in the first intermediate host, Parafossarulus manchouricus, was 0.6% out of 517 snails examined. The infection rate was lower in comparison with 2.3% out of 2,124 examined in 1967. Moreover, sharp decreases in number and distribution of the intermediate host snails in many watershed areas of the huge freshwater systems in this locality seemed to reduce transmission of Clonorchis in connection with the intermediate host stage of its life cycle. 15) Clonorchis infection in the second intermediate fish hosts was relatively low. The mean number of Clonorchis metacercaria per fish in Pseudorasbora parva was 517 in 1983, whereas it was 1943 in 1968 through 1969. Environmental water pollution has also caused the decreased fish population density in these areas, and this has also apparently affected to the practice of raw freshwater fish consumption among the local inhabitants. 16) In conclusion, endemicity of Clonorchis infection in Gimhae Gum and delta area of the Nagdong River has sharply decreased during the past 16 years. The major cause of the regressive transition of the infection was the water pollution of the land water systems of this locality. The pollution has upset the ecosystems comprizing of the intermediate hosts of Clonorchis in many areas, and also affected to a significant extent to the discontinuance of the local inhabitants for raw freshwater fish consumption.

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Morbidity Pattern and Medical Care Utilization Behavior of Residents in Urban Poor Area (도시 영세지역 주민의 상병양상과 의료이용행태)

  • Kang, Pock-Soo;Lee, Kyeong-Soo;Kim, Chang-Yoon;Kim, Seok-Beom;SaKong, Jun;Chung, Jong-Hak
    • Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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    • v.8 no.1
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    • pp.107-126
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    • 1991
  • The purpose of the study was to assess the morbidity pattern and the medical care utilization behavior of the urban residents in the poor area. The study population included 2,591 family members of 677 households in the poor area of Daemyong 8 Dong, Nam-Gu, Taegu and 2,686 family members of 688 households, near the poor area in the same Dong, were interviewed as a control group. On this study the household interview method was applied. Well-trained interviewers visited every household in the designated area and individually interviewed heads of households or housewives for general information, morbidity condition, and medical care utilization with a structured questionnaire. Individuals were interviewed from 1 to 30 December 1988. The major results were summarized as follows : The proportion of the people below 5 years of age was 4.2% of the total study population and 5.5% were above 65 years of age in the poor area. This was slightly higher than in the control area. The average monthly income of a household in the poor area was 403,000 won versus 529,000 won in the control area. Fifty-eight percent of the residents in the poor area and sixty-one percent in the control area were medical security beneficiaries, but the proportion of medical aid beneficiaries was 7.8% in the poor area and 4.6% in the control area. The 15-day period morbidity rate of acute illnesses was 57.1 per 1,000 in the poor area and 24.2 per 1,000 in the control area. Respiratory disease is the most common acute illness in both areas. The most frequently utilized medical facility was the pharmacy among the patients with acute illnesses in the poor area. Among them 58.1% visited pharmacy initially while 38.4% of the patients in the control area visited a clinic. Among persons with illnesses during the 15 days 8.8% in the poor area and 4.6% in the control area did not seek any medical facility. Mean duration of utilization of medical facilities was 3.5 days in the poor area and 3.3 days in the control area. Initially of the medical facilities in Daemyong 8 Dong, The pharmacy in the poor area and the clinic in the control area were most commonly utilized. The most common reason for visiting the hospital was 'regular customers' in the poor area and 'geographical accessibility' in the control area. The one year period morbidity rate of chronic illness in the poor area was 83.0 per 1,000 population and 28.0 per 1,000 in the control area. Disease of nervous system was the most common chronic illness in the poor area while cardiovascular disease in male and gastrointestinal disease in female were most prevalent in the control area. The most frequently utilized medical facility was the pharmacy among the patients with chronic illnesses in the poor area. Among them 24.2% visited the pharmacy initially while 34.7% of the patients in the control area visited the out-patient department of the hospital within a 15-day period. Among the patients with chronic illnesses 34.9% in the poor area and 16.0% in the control area did not seek any medical facility. Mean duration of utilization of medical facilities was 9.2 days in the poor area and 9.9 days in the control area within a 15-day period. Initially of the medical facilities in Daemyong 8 Dong, the pharmacy in the poor area and the hospital in the control area were most commonly utilized. The most common reason for visiting the hospital, clinic, health center or pharmacy in the poor area was 'geographical accessibility' while the reason for visiting herb clinic was 'good result' and 'reputation' in both areas.

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A Study on Urinary Cadmium Concentration and Renal Indices of Inhabitant in an Abandoned Mine Area (폐광지성(廢鑛地城) 주민(住民)의 요중(尿中) 카드뮴 농도(濃度)와 현기능평가(賢機能評價))

  • Park, Jung-Duck;Park, Chan-Byung;Choi, Byung-Sun;Kang, Eun-Yong;Hong, Yeon-Pyo;Chang, Im-Won;Chun, Byung-Yeol;Yeh, Min-Hae
    • Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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    • v.31 no.3 s.62
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    • pp.424-439
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    • 1998
  • Urinary cadmium is used as a sensitive indicator for internal Cd dose, and increased excretion of $N-acetyl-\beta-D-glucosaminidase(NAG)$, $\beta_2-microglobulin(MG)$ and total protein are useful indices for renal dysfunction by chronic exposure to Cd. The target group was 184 inhabitant(82 men and 102 women) in an abandoned mine area known as exposure to low level Cd. The control group was took 160 individuals(64 men and 96 women) in Cd not-exposed area. Urinary Cd concentration was significantly higher in the target group than the control. The geometric mean of urinary Cd for male was $2.56{\mu}g/\ell,\;2.80{\mu}g/g$ creatinine and $2.50{\mu}g/S.G.$ in the target group and $1.19{\mu}g/\ell,\;1.36{\mu}g/g$ creatinine and $1.17{\mu}g/S.G.$ in the control. For female $2.69{\mu}g/\ell,\;3.94{\mu}g/g$ creatinine and $2.63{\mu}g/S.G.$ in the target group and $1.27{\mu}g/\ell,\;1.97{\mu}g/g$ creatinine and $1.25{\mu}g/S.G.$ in the control, respectively. In addition, urinary Cd of the target group had affected by the period of residence and dietary habit for the rice and the vegetables from the target area. These findings suggest the chronic exposure to Cd of the target population. Mean excretion of urinary NAG, $\beta_2-MG$ and total protein were not significant between two groups. In the target group, urinary NAG activity and total protein were significantly correlated with urinary Cd, but $\beta_2-MG$ was not related. Urinary excretion of NAG, $\beta_2-MG$ and total protein were significantly increased in $10\leqq$ than in <2 of urinary Cd level. In $2\sim10$ group of urinary Cd level, the excretion of NAG significantly increased while not showed for $\beta_2-MG$. In present study, urinary excretion of NAG was relatively sensitive than $\beta_2-MG$ in chronic exposure population to low level Cd.

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Analysis of Urinary Mass Screening for Elementary, Middle and High School Children Over a 3-year Period(1995-1997) in Seoul (서울지역내 초.중.고 학생들에 실시된 3년 동안의($1995{\sim}1997$) 집단뇨검사 결과 분석)

  • Kang Ho-Seok;Lee Chong-Guk
    • Childhood Kidney Diseases
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    • v.3 no.2
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    • pp.161-169
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    • 1999
  • Purpose : The urinary mass screening program for the detection of proteinuria in school aged population has been performed in Seoul since 1981. Systematic evaluation in corporation with the Seoul School Health Center for students with proteinuria identified in the mass screening has been performed from 1987. The results of urinary mass screening up to 1994 was reported. I report here the results of urinary mass screening from 1995 to 1997 and compare them with previous results and attempt to reveal the significance of urinary mass screening. Objects and Methods : In the 3-year period between 1995 and 1997, annually about 460,000 students comprising 3 different age groups; 5th grade of elementary school, 2nd grade of middle school and 2nd grade of high school were chosen, corresponding to the approximate ages of 11, 14, and 17 years, respectively. These subjects accounted for 26% of total school aged children in Seoul. The screening program was carried out in 3 steps. The 1st test was performed with dipstick at school and the 2nd at the Seoul School Health Center. Those students who showed proteinuria in the 1st and 2nd tests were referred to the hospital. Laboratory examinations including renal biopsies were performed to those students with pathologic proteinuria to clarify the incipient renal diseases. Results : 1) The prevalence of asymptomatic proteinuria was 0.28% in the 1st test. It peaked at the group of 14 years old as 0.34%, compared with 0.26% at the group of 11 years old and 0.24% at the group of 17 years old. It reached to 0.26% in male and 0.30% in female. 2) 25 percent of those having proteinuria at the first test were positive at the second test. 3) The proportion of patients with proteinuria by 3rd test were as follows; 25% of transient proteinuria, 55% of orthostatic proteinuria, 6% of constant proteinuria, 12% of proteinuria with hematuria, and 2% of transient proteinuria with isolated hematuria. Pathologic proteinuria were totaled as 20%. The prevalence of renal diseases among the age group of 7-18 years old was estimated to be 1.4 per 10,000. 4) Renal biopsy performed on 38 children with proteinuria at the third test revealed IgA nephropathy in 17(44%), focal segmental glomerusclerosis in 5(13%), minimal change disease in 4(11%), membranoproliferative glomeronephritis in 3(8%), $Henoch-Sch\"{o}nlein$ purpura nephritis in 3(8%), and others in 6(16%). Therefore, the prevalence of IgA nephropathy among the age group of 7-18 years old was estimated to be 0.64 per 10,000. 5) The prevalence of chronic renal failure was estimated to be 5.7 per 1 million of 7 to 18 years age group. Conclusions : 1) The prevalence of proteinuria in the first screening test was 0.28% and finally only 5% of them showed the pathologic proteinuria at the third test. 2) The prevalence of IgA nephropathy and chronic renal failure were 0.63 per 10,000 and 5.7 per 1 million, respectively among school-aged children in Seoul.

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The Ability of Anti-tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha(TNF-${\alpha}$) Antibodies Produced in Sheep Colostrums

  • Yun, Sung-Seob
    • 한국유가공학회:학술대회논문집
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    • 2007.09a
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    • pp.49-58
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    • 2007
  • Inflammatory process leads to the well-known mucosal damage and therefore a further disturbance of the epithelial barrier function, resulting abnormal intestinal wall function, even further accelerating the inflammatory process[1]. Despite of the records, etiology and pathogenesis of IBD remain rather unclear. There are many studies over the past couple of years have led to great advanced in understanding the inflammatory bowel disease(IBD) and their underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms. From the current understanding, it is likely that chronic inflammation in IBD is due to aggressive cellular immune responses including increased serum concentrations of different cytokines. Therefore, targeted molecules can be specifically eliminated in their expression directly on the transcriptional level. Interesting therapeutic trials are expected against adhesion molecules and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-${\alpha}$. The future development of immune therapies in IBD therefore holds great promises for better treatment modalities of IBD but will also open important new insights into a further understanding of inflammation pathophysiology. Treatment of cytokine inhibitors such as Immunex(Enbrel) and J&J/Centocor(Remicade) which are mouse-derived monoclonal antibodies have been shown in several studies to modulate the symptoms of patients, however, theses TNF inhibitors also have an adverse effect immune-related problems and also are costly and must be administered by injection. Because of the eventual development of unwanted side effects, these two products are used in only a select patient population. The present study was performed to elucidate the ability of TNF-${\alpha}$ antibodies produced in sheep colostrums to neutralize TNF-${\alpha}$ action in a cell-based bioassay and in a small animal model of intestinal inflammation. In vitro study, inhibitory effect of anti-TNF-${\alpha}$ antibody from the sheep was determined by cell bioassay. The antibody from the sheep at 1 in 10,000 dilution was able to completely inhibit TNF-${\alpha}$ activity in the cell bioassay. The antibodies from the same sheep, but different milkings, exhibited some variability in inhibition of TNF-${\alpha}$ activity, but were all greater than the control sample. In vivo study, the degree of inflammation was severe to experiment, despite of the initial pilot trial, main trial 1 was unable to figure out of any effect of antibody to reduce the impact of PAF and LPS. Main rat trial 2 resulted no significant symptoms like characteristic acute diarrhea and weight loss of colitis. This study suggested that colostrums from sheep immunized against TNF-${\alpha}$ significantly inhibited TNF-${\alpha}$ bioactivity in the cell based assay. And the higher than anticipated variability in the two animal models precluded assessment of the ability of antibody to prevent TNF-${\alpha}$ induced intestinal damage in the intact animal. Further study will require to find out an alternative animal model, which is more acceptable to test anti-TNF-${\alpha}$ IgA therapy for reducing the impact of inflammation on gut dysfunction. And subsequent pre-clinical and clinical testing also need generation of more antibody as current supplies are low.

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Management of Recycled Nutrient Resources using Livestock Waste in Large-Scale Environment-Friendly Agricultural Complex (광역친환경농업단지의 경축순환자원 양분관리)

  • Moon, Young-Hun;Ahn, Byung-Koo;Cheong, Seong-Soo
    • Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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    • v.45 no.2
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    • pp.177-184
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    • 2012
  • This experiment was carried out to investigate soil properties and the requirement of livestock manure compost in a large-scale environment-friendly agricultural complex (EFAC), Gosan, Wanju-gun, Jeonbuk. Total cultivation area of major crops was 2,353 ha. This complex area included different types of environment-friendly cropping sections (402.9ha) and livestock farming including 21,077 Korean beef cattle, 1,099 dairy cow, and 32,993 hog. Amount of livestock waste carried in to Resource Center for Crop and Livestock Farming (RCCLF) was 32 Mg per day and the production of manure compost was 9,600 Mg per year. The manure contained 1.4% total nitrogen (T-N), 2.7% phosphorus as $P_2O_5$, 2.1% potassium as $K_2O$, 0.9% magnesium as MgO, 2.5% calcium as CaO. Amount of compost used in the EFAC was 6,588 Mg per year. Soil pH values in the EFAC were varied as follows: 78.1% of paddy field soil, 58.2% of upland soil, 60.3% of orchard field soil, and 62.1% of greenhouse soil were in proper range. For the content of soil organic matter, 41.7% of paddy field soil, 46.5% of upland soil, 40.5% of orchard field soil, and 81.4% of greenhouse soil were higher than proper range. The content of available phosphorus was mostly higher than proper value on the different fields except upland soil. The contents of exchangeable $K^+$, $Ca^{2+}$, and $Mg^{2+}$ were also exceeded in the orchard field and greenhouse soils. In addition, microbial population, especially aerobic bacteria, in the EFAC was higher than that in regular farming land.

Revision of an iodine database for Korean foods and evaluation of dietary iodine and urinary iodine in Korean adults using 2013-2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (한국인 상용 식품의 요오드 데이터베이스 업데이트와 이를 활용한 한국 성인의 요오드 섭취량 및 배설량 평가: 2013-2015 국민건강영양조사자료를 이용하여)

  • Choi, Ji Yeon;Ju, Dal Lae;Song, YoonJu
    • Journal of Nutrition and Health
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    • v.53 no.3
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    • pp.271-287
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    • 2020
  • Purpose: Variations in the iodine contents of foods is critical for estimating the iodine intake. This study aimed to update the iodine database of common Korean foods and evaluated the iodine intake in Korean adults. Methods: A list of 855 Korean foods was selected for the updated iodine database. The updated database was established with Version 1 and 2 by applying an average or minimum value for the imputed values. The iodine intake was estimated in 5,927 Korean adults using the data from the 2013-2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Results: The analytical values in the updated database were 166 (19.4%), followed in order by 318 (37.2%), 247 (28.9%), and 124 (14.5%) for the adapted, imputed, and missing values, respectively. The median of dietary iodine intake was 352.1 ㎍/day (± 2,166.1) and 343.4 ㎍/day (± 2,161.9) in Version 1 and 2 among the total population. The contribution rates of each food group to the iodine intake were 55.7% for seaweeds, which showed a similar trend in Version 2. When subjects were divided by consumption of seaweeds, the median iodine intake was 495.7 ㎍ in the consumer group, which was almost double (241.2 ㎍) that of the non-consumer group. The proportion of subjects who consumed below the Estimated Average Requirement of iodine was 11.0% in the non-consumer group. In contrast, 11.6% in the consumer group of seaweed consumed above the Upper Level of iodine. When the dietary iodine and urinary iodine were examined, the regression coefficient was 0.11718 in Version 1 and 0.11512 in Version 2 after adjusting for age and sex. Conclusion: This study presented the variation of iodine intake in Korean adults by applying different versions of the iodine database. As the iodine intake can vary due to the highly variable concentrations in the major food sources, an iodine database is necessary to be monitored, and caution should be taken when the database is used in research.