• 한국환경성돌연변이발암원학회지
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.56-62
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• 2003

The liver progenitor cells could form a potential target cell population fore both tumor-initiating and -promoting chemicals. Induction of drug-metabolizing and antioxidant enzymes, including AhR-dependent CYP1A1, NQO-1 and AKR1C9, was detected in the rat liver epithelial WB-F344 "stem-like" cells. Additionally, WB-F344 cells express a functional, wild-type form of p53 protein, a biomarker of genotoxic events, and connexin 43, a basic structural unit of gap junctions forming an important type of intercellular communication. In this cellular model, two complementary assays have been established for detection of the modes of action associated with tumor promotion: inhibition of gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) and proliferative activity in confluent cells. We found that the PAHs and PCBs, which are AhR agonists, released WB-F344 cells from contact inhibition, increasing both DNA synthesis and cell numbers. Genotoxic effects of some PAHs that lead to apoptosis and cell cycle delay might interfere with the proliferative activity of PAHs. Contrary to that, the nongenotoxic low-molecular-weight PAHs and non-dioxin-like PCB congeners, abundant in the environment, did not significantly affect cell cycle and cell proliferation; however both groups of compounds inhibited GJIC in WB-F344 cells. The release from contact inhibiton by a mechanism that possibly involves the AhR activation, inhibition of GJIC and genotoxic events induced by environmental contaminants are three important modes of action that could play an important role in carcinogenic effects of toxic compounds. The relative potencies to inhibit GJIC, to induce AhR-mediated activity, and to release cells from contact inhibition were determined for a large series of PAHs and PCBs and their metabolites. In vitro bioassays based on detection of events on cellular level (deregulation of GJIC and/or proliferation) or determination of receptor-mediated activities in both ?$stem-like^{\circ}{\times}$ and hepatocyte-like liver cellular models are valuable tools for detection of modes of action of polyaromatic hydrocarbons. They may serve, together with concentration data, as a first step in their risk assessment.

• 대한지역사회영양학회지
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.61-73
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• 2023

Objectives: Prophylactic vaccines against high-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPVs) hold promise to prevent the development of higher grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN 2+) and cervical cancer (CC) that develop due to HR-HPV genotypes that are included in HPV vaccines, but women will continue to develop CIN 2+ and CC due to HR-HPV genotypes that are not included in the quadrivalent HPV vaccine (qHPV) and 9-valent HPV vaccine (9VHPV). Thus, the current vaccines are likely to decrease but not entirely prevent the development of CIN 2+ or CC. The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence and determinants of CIN 2+ that develop due to HR-HPVs not included in vaccines. Methods: Study population consisted of 1476 women tested for 37 HPVs and known to be negative for qHPVs (6/11/16/18, group A, n = 811) or 9VHPVs (6/11/16/18/31/33/45/52/58, group B, n = 331), but positive for other HR-HPVs. Regression models were used to determine the association between plasma concentrations of micronutrients, socio-demographic, lifestyle factors and risk of CIN 2+ due to HR-HPVs that are not included in vaccines. Results: The prevalence of infections with HPV 31, 33, 35 and 58 that contributed to CIN 2+ differed by race. In group A, African American (AA) women and current smokers were more likely to have CIN 2 (OR = 1.76, P = 0.032 and 1.79, P = 0.016, respectively) while in both groups of A and B, those with higher vitamin B12 were less likely to have similar lesions (OR = 0.62, P = 0.036 and 0.45, P = 0.035, respectively). Conclusions: We identified vitamin B12 status and smoking as independent modifiable factors and ethnicity as a factor that needs attention to reduce the risk of developing CIN 2+ in the post vaccination era. Continuation of tailored screening programs combined with non-vaccine-based approaches are needed to manage the residual risk of developing HPV-related CIN 2+ and CC in vaccinated women.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• 제17권1호
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• pp.103-121
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the entire world population in many ways. This study aimed to analyze the patterns of changes in eating, food purchasing and preparation, physical activity, and subjective health after COVID-19 outbreak by various sociodemographic factors and to understand the factors associated with changes in subjective health. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A cross-sectional survey using a representative sample from Seoul was used for the analysis. The data collection was conducted from September to October 2020. A total of 3,833 citizens aged more than 18 years old participated in the Seoul Food Survey. Descriptive statistics and generalized ordinal logistic regression models were used to understand the changes in health behaviors, health indicators, and subjective general health by various socioeconomic status. RESULTS: It was shown that the changes in household income, food expenditure, food consumption and physical activities differed significantly by age, education, occupation, income, weight, and food security status. Low-income and food-insecure households were affected more severely by the pandemic. Older age, household food insecurity, income reduction, increased home cooking and frequency of having instant foods, decreased physical activity and weight gain were significant factors explaining worse perceived health during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that focusing on older populations and low-income families with food insecurity should be prioritized during infectious disease outbreaks. In addition, the role of physical activities and instant food consumption in explaining perceived health should be investigated further in this prolonged battle with the pandemic situation.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제31권2호
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• pp.161-167
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• 2023

Despite the various medications used in clinics, the efforts to develop more effective treatments for depression continue to increase in the past decades mainly because of the treatment-resistant population, and the testing of several hypotheses- and target-based treatments. Undesirable side effects and unresponsiveness to current medications fuel the drive to solve this top global health problem. In this study, we focused on neuroinflammatory response-mediated depression which represents a cluster of depression etiology both in animal models and humans. Several meta-analyses reported that proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were increased in major depressive disorder patients. Inflammatory mediators implicated in depression include type-I interferon and inflammasome pathways. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of neuroinflammatory cascades underlying the pathophysiology of depression, we introduced hycanthone, an antischistosomal drug, to check whether it can counteract depressive-like behaviors in vivo and normalize the inflammation-induced changes in vitro. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment increased proinflammatory cytokine expression in the murine microglial cells as well as the stimulation of type I interferon-related pathways that are directly or indirectly regulated by Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) activation. Hycanthone treatment attenuated those changes possibly by inhibiting the JAK-STAT pathway and inflammasome activation. Hycanthone also ameliorated depressive-like behaviors by LPS. Taken together, we suggest that the inhibitory action of hycanthone against the interferon pathway leading to attenuation of depressive-like behaviors can be a novel therapeutic mechanism for treating depression.

• 대한약침학회지
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.326-343
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• 2022

Neurological disorders represent a substantial healthcare burden worldwide due to population aging. Acorus gramineus Solander (AG) and Acorus tatarinowii Schott (AT), whose major component is asarone, have been shown to be effective in neurological disorders. This review summarized current information from preclinical and clinical studies regarding the effects of extracts and active components of AG and AT (e.g., α-asarone and β-asarone) on neurological disorders and biomedical targets, as well as the mechanisms involved. Databases, including PubMed, Embase, and RISS, were searched using the following keywords: asarone, AG, AT, and neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, depression and anxiety, epilepsy, and stroke. Meta-analyses and reviews were excluded. A total of 873 studies were collected. A total of 89 studies were selected after eliminating studies that did not meet the inclusion criteria. Research on neurological disorders widely reported that extracts or active components of AG and AT showed therapeutic efficacy in treating neurological disorders. These components also possessed a wide array of neuroprotective effects, including reduction of pathogenic protein aggregates, antiapoptotic activity, modulation of autophagy, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, regulation of neurotransmitters, activation of neurogenesis, and stimulation of neurotrophic factors. Most of the included studies were preclinical studies that used in vitro and in vivo models, and only a few clinical studies have been performed. Therefore, this review summarizes the current knowledge on AG and AT therapeutic effects as a basis for further clinical studies, and clinical trials are required before these findings can be applied to human neurological disorders.

• 응용통계연구
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• 제36권4호
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• pp.337-347
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• 2023

표본설계는 개체 혹은 집락을 층으로 나눈후 층별로 독립적으로 표본추출하는 층화추출을 종종 채택한다. 층화 전략은 크게 층구분과 표본할당으로 구성되는데 이는 조사연구에서 반복적으로 고려되는 중요한 주제이다. 조사연구에서는 층화다단추출 방식의 복합표본설계를 채택하고 있지만 층효과 혹은 층효율성과 관련하여서 표본론 교재들에서 주로 단순추출에 대해서 다루어지고 있다. 본 연구는 이단추출에 대한 기존 층효율성 측도를 살펴보며 설계효과모형을 적용한 추가적인 층효율성 측도들을 제안하였다. 제안된 측도들을 활용하여 제4기 국민환경기초조사의 고등학교 대상 표본설계의 층화전략에 대해 평가하였다.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.40-54
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• 2023

Background: Based on the increase in the needs for convalescent rehabilitation medical services in Korea, this study aims to calculate the needs for rehabilitation services and examine its determinants for 229 regions. Methods: Claim data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service were used to estimate patients who need to receive rehabilitation services, and data from various sources were also used for analysis. The number of cases and incidence rates of hospitalization related to convalescent rehabilitation were calculated to estimate the needs for services by region, and the results were visualized via a map. Multivariate regression and fixed effects regression using panel data were performed to identify the determinants of regional variation of the incidence rate. Results: First, the incidence rate of rural areas such as Jeolla-do, Gyeongsang-do, and Chungcheong-do was higher than urban areas (metropolitan cities). Second, the population, proportion of the elder, medical aid recipients, financial independence, traffic deaths, smoking, diabetes rate, and medical infrastructure correlated significantly with the incidence rate. Third, 'rho' values which mean the fraction of variance due to individual terms in panel data regression models were 0.965 and 0.976, respectively. Conclusion: The incidence rate of hospitalizations was correlated with most independent variables in this study and there is a gap between urban and rural areas. These regional disparities are fixed in our society. An improved regional convalescent rehabilitation system is suggested to cover the entire area including rural areas with a high rate of aging.

• 토지주택연구
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.1-17
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• 2023

초고령사회 진입을 앞두고 우리나라는 노인인구의 급속한 증가로 노인주거 문제가 중요한 이슈로 떠오르고 있다. 특히, 노인인구의 살던 곳에서 노후 맞이하기(Aging in Place: AIP)는 노인복지의 지향점으로 꾸준히 제시되고 있다. 이에 본 연구는 2008-2020년 고령화연구패널 자료와 임의효과 로지스틱 회귀분석 모형을 사용하여 자녀와의 교류가 노인 주거이동에 미치는 영향을 실증 분석하였다. 연구 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 자녀와의 교류가 수도권과 비수도권에 무관하게 노인인구의 주거이동을 촉진시킬 확률이 높다는 점을 발견하였다. 둘째, 연령이 증가할수록 자녀와의 교류는 노인인구의 주거이동을 더욱 촉진시키는 경향을 보였으나, 그 영향력은 연령과 변수에 따라 일정치 않게 나타났다. 셋째, 자녀와의 교류 변수들의 상호작용 효과를 통해 노인인구의 주거이동을 더욱 촉진시킬 가능성이 높아짐을 확인하였다. 본 연구는 자녀와의 교류가 노인인구의 주거 안정성을 증진 시켜 독립적인 정주 환경을 구성할 수 있는지, 즉 노인인구의 살던 곳에서 노후 맞이하기 측면에서 정책적 시사점을 제시한다.

• 한국병원경영학회지
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.44-65
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• 2023

Purposes: As super-aging population and low fertility rates are threatening the sustainability of the National Health Insurance funds, enhancing the efficiency of hospital management is paramount. In the past, studies analyzing the efficiencies of hospitals primarily made inter-hospital comparisons, but it is important to assess hospitals' internal efficiency and develop improvement measures in order to attain practical improvements in hospital efficiencies. The purpose of this study is to analyze the efficiencies of specialists by medical specialty in a hospital in order to provide foundational data for efficient hospital management. Methodology/Approach: We used the activity-based costing (ABC) data and hospital statistical data from one tertiary hospital in Seoul to analyze the efficiency of specialists by medical specialty. Efficiency was analyzed and compared among specialists using the data envelopment analysis developed by Charnes, Cooper, and Rhodes (DEA-CCR) model and the slacks-based measure (SBM) models. The input variables were labor cost, material cost, and operational expenses, and the output variables were the number of outpatients, number of inpatients, outpatient revenue, and inpatient revenue. Findings: First, there was a marked deviation in efficiency across specialists. Second, there was a marked deviation in efficiency across medical specialties. Third, there was little difference in efficiency according to the specialist's sex, age, and job position. Fourth, the SBM model produced more conservative results and better explained efficiency parameters than the CCR model. Practical Implications: The efficiency of a specialist was more influenced by their medical specialty than their personal characteristics, namely sex, age, and job position. Therefore, Further research is needed to analyze the efficiencies of each subspecialty and identify factors that contribute to the variations in efficiencies across medical specialties, such as clinical practices and fee structures.

• The Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics
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• 제15권6호
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• pp.315-332
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• 2023

PURPOSE. This study aimed to investigate whether the accuracy of intraoral scanners is influenced by different scanning strategies in an in vitro setting, through a systematic review and meta-analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS. This review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 standard. The following PICOS approach was used: population, tooth impressions; intervention, the use of intraoral scanners with scanning strategies different from the manufacturer's instructions; control, the use of intraoral scanners following the manufacturers' requirements; outcome, accuracy of intraoral scanners; type of studies, in vitro. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across various databases including Embase, SciELO, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The inclusion criteria were based on in vitro studies that reported the accuracy of digital impressions using intraoral scanners. Analysis was performed using Review Manager software (version 5.3.5; Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen, Denmark). Global comparisons were made using a standardized mean difference based on random-effect models, with a significance level of α = 0.05. RESULTS. The meta-analysis included 15 articles. Digital impression accuracy significantly improved under dry conditions (P < 0.001). Moreover, trueness and precision were enhanced when artificial landmarks were used (P ≤ 0.02) and when an S-shaped pattern was followed (P ≤ 0.01). However, the type of light used did not have a significant impact on the accuracy of the digital intraoral scanners (P ≥ 0.16). CONCLUSION. The accuracy of digital intraoral scanners can be enhanced by employing scanning processes using artificial landmarks and digital impressions under dry conditions.