• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.39-43
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• 2022

Plasmodium vivax exhibits dormant liver-stage parasites, called hypnozoites, which can cause relapse of malaria. The only drug currently used for eliminating hypnozoites is primaquine. The antimalarial properties of primaquine are dependent on the production of oxidized metabolites by the cytochrome P450 isoenzyme 2D6 (CYP2D6). Reduced primaquine metabolism may be related to P. vivax relapses. We describe a case of 4 episodes of recurrence of vivax malaria in a patient with decreased CYP2D6 function. The patient was 52-year-old male with body weight of 52 kg. He received total gastrectomy and splenectomy 7 months before the first episode and was under chemotherapy for the gastric cancer. The first episode occurred in March 2019 and each episode had intervals of 34, 41, and 97 days, respectively. At the first and second episodes, primaquine was administered as 15 mg for 14 days. The primaquine dose was increased with 30 mg for 14 days at the third and fourth episodes. Seven gene sequences of P. vivax were analyzed and revealed totally identical for all the 4 samples. The CYP2D6 genotype was analyzed and intermediate metabolizer phenotype with decreased function was identified.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.492-505
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• 2022

Purpose: This study was undertaken to examine the perception of Korean consumers regarding soybean meat. Using the Dietary Identify Questionnaire (DIQ), the data obtained were analyzed to identify various factors related to a plant-based diet. Methods: A consumer survey was conducted from June 1^st to 30^th, 2021, targeting 260 Korean consumers over the age of 20 years. Subjects were asked to answer six questions related to the perception of soybean meat. Of the 52 items present in the DIQ, 33 items were verified and reconstructed. All data were analyzed using the SPSS statistics (ver.25). Results: The subjects were divided into two groups, 'passive consuming group' and 'active consuming group', based on their perception of soybean meat. Demographic analysis according to the perception of soybean meat showed significant differences in age, marital status, academic background, and family members. The DIQ was categorized into 7 types: prosocial motivation, out-group regard, centrality, public regard, personal motivation, strictness, and private regard. Comparing by perception about soybean meat, significant differences were obtained between both groups for 'prosocial motivation (p < 0.01)', 'centrality (p < 0.01)', 'private norm (p < 0.05)', and 'personal motivation (p < 0.001)'. The 'passive consuming group' showed relatively low scores in all 4 factors. Conclusion: In the future, the results of this study can be applied to define the meaning of vegan in Korea. We believe our results will provide basic marketing data for the plant-based meat market. This will help expand the soybean meat market for a sustainable life for consumers, which is based on various needs such as health and the environment.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.140-150
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• 2009

Purpose: We investigated the efficacy of electroacupuncture therapy in obese Korean women in order to make basic guidelines for the use of oriental medicine in treating obesity. Methods: Forty women were divided into two groups and each was treated 12 times: 1) one group was treated using electroacupuncture (EA) involving auricular acupuncture and physical treatment, without exercise (EA group, n=10), and 2) the other group was treated using electroacupuncture and exercise (EA plus exercise group, n=30). The EA was applied to subcutaneous fat tissue manually. Body weight was evaluated every visit and body composition was checked at the $1^{st}$ and $12^{th}$ visits. Statistical comparisons were made using SPSS13.0. We compared the weight loss, body mass index (BMI), and body composition before and after treatment using the pairedt-test. The correlations between weight loss and BMI and age were examined. Results: After the $12^{th}$ treatment, both groups showed significant reductions in body weight, BMI, body fat, and body fat percentage. The weight loss averaged 4.58${\pm}$3.87% in the EA group and 4.69${\pm}$3.10% in the EA plus Exercise group. The reduction in skeletal muscle was significant in the EA group, but not significant in the EA plus Exercise group. The speed of the weight loss was correlated with age using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Based on BMI, normal and obese subjects in the EA plus Exercise group had significant reductions in body weight, BMI, body fat, and body fat percentage; the obese subjects also had a significant reduction in skeletal muscle. Conclusion: Combined EA therapy may be effective for weight reduction. Age and BMI were related to weight loss using EA therapy.

• 한국노년학
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.815-830
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• 2010

This study is a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest study to determine the effects of a make up program on the self-esteem and anxiety of the elderly female dementia patients. This research was done between April 13th and May 1st, 2009. The subjects were 41 dementia patients in an elderly hospital in Honam Area. Twenty dementia patients in the experimental group got the make up measures during the two week experimental period and twenty one dementia patients in the contrast group didn't get any measure during the two week period. Make up measures were given to the experimental group 10 times for the two week period. This study used the self-esteemscale which was developed by Rosenberg(1965) and was translated and modified by Jeon Pyung Je(1974) into Korean. The anxiety status scale which this study used was developed by Spielberger(1970) and was translated and modified by Kim Jeong Taek(1991) into Korean. Collected data were analyzed with SPSS Win 12.0. T-test and multivariate analysis were done to test the hypothesis. This study also used a method of observation. The results of this study are following. After the two week make up measures, the experimental group had more self esteem and less anxiety status than the contrast group. The differences were statistically significant. The result of the observation also supported the research hypothesis. Based on this result, we suggest the make up program as an appropriate and useful nursing care intervention program for female dementia patients.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.1172-1184
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• 2021

Objective: The purposes of this study were to analyze the radiation doses for pediatric abdominopelvic and chest CT examinations from university hospitals in Korea and to establish the local diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) based on the body weight and size. Materials and Methods: At seven university hospitals in Korea, 2494 CT examinations of patients aged 15 years or younger (1625 abdominopelvic and 869 chest CT examinations) between January and December 2017 were analyzed in this study. CT scans were transferred to commercial automated dose management software for the analysis after being de-identified. DRLs were calculated after grouping the patients according to the body weight and effective diameter. DRLs were set at the 75th percentile of the distribution of each institution's typical values. Results: For body weights of 5, 15, 30, 50, and 80 kg, DRLs (volume CT dose index [CTDI_vol]) were 1.4, 2.2, 2.7, 4.0, and 4.7 mGy, respectively, for abdominopelvic CT and 1.2, 1.5, 2.3, 3.7, and 5.8 mGy, respectively, for chest CT. For effective diameters of < 13 cm, 14-16 cm, 17-20 cm, 21-24 cm, and > 24 cm, DRLs (size-specific dose estimates [SSDE]) were 4.1, 5.0, 5.7, 7.1, and 7.2 mGy, respectively, for abdominopelvic CT and 2.8, 4.6, 4.3, 5.3, and 7.5 mGy, respectively, for chest CT. SSDE was greater than CTDI_vol in all age groups. Overall, the local DRL was lower than DRLs in previously conducted dose surveys and other countries. Conclusion: Our study set local DRLs in pediatric abdominopelvic and chest CT examinations for the body weight and size. Further research involving more facilities and CT examinations is required to develop national DRLs and update the current DRLs.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.288-297
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• 2024

Objectives: This study explored the prevalence and predictors of alcohol and cannabis co-use among 9263 Filipino adolescents, using data from the 2019 Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional secondary analysis of the GSHS, targeting adolescents aged 13-17 years and excluding cases with incomplete data on alcohol and cannabis use. Our analysis employed the bivariate chi-square test of independence and multivariable logistic regression using Stata version 18 to identify significant predictors of co-use, with a p-value threshold set at 0.05. Results: The weighted prevalence of co-users was 4.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.4 to 5.3). Significant predictors included male sex (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 4.50; 95% CI, 3.31 to 6.10; p<0.001) and being in a lower academic year, specifically grade 7 (aOR, 4.08; 95% CI, 2.39 to 6.99; p<0.001) and grade 8 (aOR, 2.20; 95% CI, 1.30 to 3.72; p=0.003). Poor sleep quality was also a significant predictor (aOR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.29 to 2.44; p<0.001), as was a history of attempted suicide (aOR, 5.31; 95% CI, 4.00 to 7.06; p<0.001). Physical inactivity was associated with lower odds of co-use (aOR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.33 to 0.62; p<0.001). Additionally, non-attendance of physical education classes (aOR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.06 to 2.05; p=0.021), infrequent unapproved parental checks (aOR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.80; p=0.024), and lower parental awareness of free-time activities (aOR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.45 to 0.87; p=0.005) were associated with higher odds of co-use. Factors not significantly linked to co-use included age group, being in grade 9, always feeling lonely, having no close friends, being bullied outside school, and whether a parent or guardian understood the adolescent's worries. Conclusions: The findings highlight the critical need for comprehensive interventions in the Philippines, addressing not only physical inactivity and parental monitoring but also focusing on sex, academic grade, participation in physical education classes, sleep quality, and suicide attempt history, to effectively reduce alcohol and cannabis co-use among adolescents.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.30-41
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• 2022

Objective: Computed tomography enterography (CTE) and magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) are considered substitutes for each other for evaluating Crohn's disease (CD). However, the adequacy of mixing them for routine periodic follow-up for CD has not been established. This study aimed to compare MRE alone with the mixed use of CTE and MRE for the periodic follow-up of small bowel inflammation in patients with CD. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively compared two non-randomized groups, each comprising 96 patients with CD. One group underwent CTE and MRE (MRE followed by CTE or vice versa) for the follow-up of CD (interval, 13-27 months [median, 22 months]), and the other group underwent MRE alone (interval, 15-26 months [median, 21 months]). However, these two groups were similar in clinical characteristics. Three independent readers from three different institutions determined whether inflammation had decreased, remained unchanged, or increased within the entire small bowel and the terminal ileum based on sequential enterography of the patients after appropriate blinding. We compared the two groups for inter-reader agreement and accuracy (terminal ileum only) using endoscopy as the reference standard for enterographic interpretation. Results: The inter-reader agreement was greater in the MRE alone group for the entire small bowel (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]: 0.683 vs. 0.473; p = 0.005) and the terminal ileum (ICC: 0.656 vs. 0.490; p = 0.030). The interpretation accuracy was higher in the MRE alone group without statistical significance (70.9%-74.5% vs. 57.9%-64.9% in individual readers; adjusted odds ratio = 3.21; p = 0.077). Conclusion: The mixed use of CTE and MRE was inferior to MRE alone in terms of inter-reader reliability and could probably be less accurate than MRE alone for routine monitoring of small bowel inflammation in patients with CD. Therefore, the consistent use of MRE is favored for this purpose.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.53-70
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• 2024

Background: The conventional deadlift is a popular exercise for enhancing trunk, core, and lower extremity strength. However, its use in sports medicine is constrained by concerns of lumbar injuries, despite evidence supporting its safety and rehabilitative benefits. To optimize muscle activation using resistive bands in variable resistance therapy, we explored their feasibility in the deadlift. Design: Comparative experimental design Methods: Surface electromyography recorded muscle activity in the trunk and lower extremities during lifting, with normalization to the isometric Floor Lift using Maximal Voluntary Contraction. Kinematics were measured using inclinometer sensors to track hip and trunk sagittal plane angles. To prevent fatigue, each subject only used one of the three pairs of bands employed in the study. Results: Our study involved 45 healthy subjects (mean age: 30.4 ± 6.3 years) with similar baseline characteristics, except for years of lifting and strength-to-years-of-lifting ratio. Various resistance band groups exhibited significantly higher muscle activity than conventional deadlifts during different phases. The minimal resistance band group had notably higher muscle activity in the trunk, core, and lower extremity muscles, particularly in the end phase. The moderate resistance band group showed increased muscle activity in the mid-and end-phases. The maximum resistance band group demonstrated greater muscle activity in specific muscles during the early phase and overall higher activity in all trunk and lower extremity muscles in the mid and end phases of the deadlift (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our findings provide valuable insights into muscle activation with various resistance bands during deadlift exercise in clinical and gym settings. There appears to be a dose-response relationship between increased resistance bandwidth, external load, myoelectric activation, and range.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.1300-1310
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• 2019

Objective: To measure the diagnostic accuracy of percutaneous transthoracic needle lung biopsies (PTNBs) on the basis of the intention-to-diagnose principle and identify risk factors for diagnostic failure of PTNBs in a multi-institutional setting. Materials and Methods: A total of 9384 initial PTNBs performed in 9239 patients (mean patient age, 65 years [range, 20-99 years]) from January 2010 to December 2014 were included. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of PTNBs for diagnosis of malignancy were measured. The proportion of diagnostic failures was measured, and their risk factors were identified. Results: The overall accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were 91.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 90.6-91.7%), 92.5% (95% CI, 91.9-93.1%), 86.5% (95% CI, 85.0-87.9%), 99.2% (95% CI, 99.0-99.4%), and 84.3% (95% CI, 82.7-85.8%), respectively. The proportion of diagnostic failures was 8.9% (831 of 9384; 95% CI, 8.3-9.4%). The independent risk factors for diagnostic failures were lesions ≤ 1 cm in size (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.86; 95% CI, 1.23-2.81), lesion size 1.1-2 cm (1.75; 1.45-2.11), subsolid lesions (1.81; 1.32-2.49), use of fine needle aspiration only (2.43; 1.80-3.28), final diagnosis of benign lesions (2.18; 1.84-2.58), and final diagnosis of lymphomas (10.66; 6.21-18.30). Use of cone-beam CT (AOR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.13-0.75) and conventional CT-guidance (0.55; 0.32-0.94) reduced diagnostic failures. Conclusion: The accuracy of PTNB for diagnosis of malignancy was fairly high in our large-scale multi-institutional cohort. The identified risk factors for diagnostic failure may help reduce diagnostic failure and interpret the biopsy results.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.167-172
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• 2024

In major wars of the 21st century, drones are expanding beyond surveillance and reconnaissance to include land and air as well as sea and underwater for purposes such as precision strikes, suicide attacks, and cognitive warfare. These drones will perform multi-domain operations, and to this end, they will continue to develop by improving the level of autonomy and strengthening scalability based on the High-Low Mix concept. Recently, drones have been used as a major means in major wars around the world, and there seems to be a good chance that they will evolve into game changers in the future. North Korea has also been making significant efforts to operate reconnaissance and attack drones for a long time. North Korea has recently continued to engage in provocations using drones, and its capabilities are gradually becoming more sophisticated. In addition, with the recent emergence of new strategic Drones, wartime and peacetime threats such as North Korea's use of these to secure surveillance, reconnaissance and early warning capabilities against South Korea and new types of provocations are expected to be strengthened. Through this study, we hope to provide implications by analyzing the capabilities of North Korea's strategic Drones, predicting their operation patterns, and conducting active follow-up research on the establishment of a comprehensive strategy, such as our military's drone deployment and counter-drone system solutions.