• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
• /
• v.47
• /
• pp.107-147
• /
• 2001

In the 1990s, with enacting of the laws on the family violence in Korea, agencies such as helpline 1366, counseling center and shelter for the female victims have been rapidly increasing in number. Also police and medical center have been viewed as having major responsibility for delivering services and social workers in community welfare center and public social worker have been expected play a role in community-based delivery systems for the female victims. The purpose of this study is to measure the level of the inter agency coordination and to find out the factors affecting the inter-agency coordination in family violence and to make policy implications for a better delivery system. The data were obtained from a social survey of family violence agencies, counselling center/shelter/helpline 1366, police, medical center, social workers of community center and of public sector in Seoul and Kyeongi area. The major results are as follows: 1) the level of inter-agency coordination is low, specially the referal cases of police and medical center is very poor. 2) The type of inter-agency coordination is referals and information sharing among agencies. 3) the factors affecting inter-agency coordination is agency type, wills and efforts of agency, information sharing, experience of family violence education. The current findings suggest that the delivery system to promote inter-agency coordination efforts and for police and medical center, social worker in private and public agency to respond promptly and properly would be built up.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.23 no.5
• /
• pp.39.1-39.15
• /
• 2023

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination may non-specifically alter the host immune system. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 vaccination on hepatitis B surface Ag (HBsAg) titer and host immunity in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. Consecutive 2,797 CHB patients who had serial HBsAg measurements during antiviral treatment were included in this study. Changes in the HBsAg levels after COVID-19 vaccination were analyzed. The dynamics of NK cells following COVID-19 vaccination were also examined using serial blood samples collected prospectively from 25 healthy volunteers. Vaccinated CHB patients (n=2,329) had significantly lower HBsAg levels 1-30 days post-vaccination compared to baseline (median, -21.4 IU/ml from baseline), but the levels reverted to baseline by 91-180 days (median, -3.8 IU/ml). The velocity of the HBsAg decline was transiently accelerated within 30 days after vaccination (median velocity: -0.06, -0.39, and -0.04 log₁₀ IU/ml/year in pre-vaccination period, days 1-30, and days 31-90, respectively). In contrast, unvaccinated patients (n=468) had no change in HBsAg levels. Flow cytometric analysis showed that the frequency of NK cells expressing NKG2A, an NK inhibitory receptor, significantly decreased within 7 days after the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine (median, -13.1% from baseline; p<0.001). The decrease in the frequency of NKG2A⁺ NK cells was observed in the CD56^dimCD16⁺ NK cell population regardless of type of COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 vaccination leads to a rapid, transient decline in HBsAg titer and a decrease in the frequency of NKG2A⁺ NK cells.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.130-139
• /
• 2017

$CXCR5^+$ T follicular helper (Tfh) cells are associated with aberrant autoantibody production in patients with antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases including lupus. Follicular regulatory T (Tfr) cells expressing CXCR5 and Bcl6 have been recently identified as a specialized subset of $Foxp3^+$ regulatory T (Treg) cells that control germinal center reactions. In this study, we show that retroviral transduction of CXCR5 gene in $Foxp3^+$ Treg cells induced a stable expression of functional CXCR5 on their surface. The Cxcr5-transduced Treg cells maintained the expression of Treg cell signature genes and the suppressive activity. The expression of CXCR5 as well as Foxp3 in the transduced Treg cells appeared to be stable in vivo in an adoptive transfer experiment. Moreover, Cxcr5-transduced Treg cells preferentially migrated toward the CXCL13 gradient, leading to an effective suppression of antibody production from B cells stimulated with Tfh cells. Therefore, our results demonstrate that enforced expression of CXCR5 onto Treg cells efficiently induces Tfr cell-like properties, which might be a promising cellular therapeutic approach for the treatment of antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.341-347
• /
• 2000

Background : One-quarter of Koreans are either students or school employeeS. Therefore, school health programs for them have high levels of cost-benefit. School health programs, though, are focused on services such as vaccination and physical examination according to administrational regulations without systemic planning. Futhermore, college health programs run autonomously, not under the supervision of the Ministry of Education. It is my intention to analyse the current status of college school health service centers and use the basic data so generated to model how they might operate at an optimal level of efficiency. Methods : I intended to investigate all 29 colleges in Seoul except some specialized colleges such as theological schools in the two-month period of August and September, 1999. I used the telephone interview method to ask questions relating to personal composition, medical equipment in use, annual expenditure and the provision of school health services. School health services were composed of three items; health servies, health education and a healthy school environment. Results : 27 college health service centers were surveyed. The median number of medical personal in each center was 2, the range was 1-31. 7 centers(25.9%) have only nurses with no doctors. Annual expenditures of 11 centers(50.1%) was less than 10 million won, 19 center(70.4%) were maintained by support from their college. Thirteen centers(48.1%) provided doctor's examinations, 6 centers(22.2%) provided dental care services, laboratory services were provided by seven centers(25.9%). Some 81.5% of the centers had vaccination programs and 44.5% had health education programs. There was no school environment program except insecticide provisions. College health service centers with school doctors differed from centers without school doctors in terms of medical equipment range, annual expenditures and annual case loads. Conclusion : The structure and function of college health service centers in Seoul are diverse. However, no center has a well-organized school health plan.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• /
• v.38
• /
• pp.6.1-6.8
• /
• 2016

Background: Intravenous bisphosphonates have been used in metastatic breast cancer patients to reduce pathologic bone fracture and bone pain. However, necrosis of the jaw has been reported in those who received intravenous bisphosphonates. Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) is caused by dental extraction, dental implant surgery, and denture wearing; however, it occurs spontaneously. The purpose of this study was to report BRONJ in metastatic breast cancer patients. Methods: Consecutive 25 female patients were referred from the Department of Oncology from 2008 to 2014 for jaw bone discomfort. Staging of breast cancer, history of bisphosphonate infusion, etiology of BRONJ, and treatment results were reviewed. Average age of the patients was 55.4 years old (38-74). Twelve maxillae and 16 mandibles were involved. Conservative treatments such as irrigation, antibiotic medication, analgesics, and oral gargle were applied for all patients for the initial treatment. Patients who had sequestrum underwent debridement and primary closure. Results: The etiologies of BRONJ were dental extraction (19 cases), dental implant (2 cases), and endodontic treatment (1 case). However, three patients did not have any risk factors to cause BRONJ. Three patients died of progression of metastasis during follow-up periods. Surgical debridement was performed in 21 patients with success in 18 patients. Three patients showed recurred bone exposure and infection after operation. Conclusions: Prevention of the BRONJ is critical in metastatic breast cancer patients. Conservative treatment to reduce pain, discomfort, and infection is recommended for the initial therapy. However, if there is a sequestrum, surgical debridement and primary closure is the key to treat the BRONJ.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
• /
• v.60 no.3
• /
• pp.135-148
• /
• 2018

Reservoir sedimentation is a major environmental issue, and various sediment load controls and plans have been proposed to secure clean and safe water resources. The objectives of this study were to estimate soil loss in the upper basins and predict sediment deposition in Ipjang reservoir using hydrologic and hydraulic model. To do so, SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) and EFDC (Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code) was used to estimate soil loss in two upper basins and to predict spatial distribution and amount of sediment deposition in the Ipjang reservoir, respectively. The hydrologic modeling results showed that annual average soil loss from the upper basins was 500 ton. The hydraulic modeling results demonstrated that sediment particles transported to the reservoir were mostly trapped in the vicinity of the reservoir inlet and then moved toward the bank over time. If long-term water quality monitoring and sediment survey are performed, this study can be used as a tool for predicting the dredging amount, dredging location and proper dredging cycle in the reservoir. The study findings are expected to be used as a basis to establish management solutions for sediment reduction.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.16 no.5
• /
• pp.661-666
• /
• 2006

The present study represents the investigation of in vitro immunopotentiating activities of cellular fractions of major lactic acid bacteria found in kimchi (KLAB) and bifidobacteria. The macrophage cells, RAW264.7, were stimulated with heat-killed whole-cell, cell-wall, and cytoplasmic fractions of four strains of KLAB (Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Leuconostoc citreum, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Lactobacillus sake) and two strains of bifidobacteria (Bifidobacterium longum and Bifidobacterium lactis) each, and then the production of nitric oxide (NO) and cytokines including tumor necrosis $factor-\alpha\;(TNF-\alpha)$ and interleukin-6 (IL-6) was measured by Griess and ELISA assays, respectively. Heat-killed wholecell and cell-wall fractions-but not the cytoplasmic fraction-from all strains of KLAB significantly increased the production of NO in RAW264.7 cells, and all fractions from bifidobacteria exerted similar effects. In the production of $TNF-\alpha$, heat-killed whole-cell and cell-wall fractions of L. plantarum showed the strongest effect, followed by L. sake and B. lactis, whereas other KLAB fractions did not exert any effect. In the production of IL-6, only whole-cell and cell-wall fractions of L. plantarum were effective. These results, taken together, indicate that L. plantarum might playa critical role in the immunopotentiating activities of kimchi.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.9 no.5
• /
• pp.576-581
• /
• 1999

Effects of signal sequences, protein sizes and dissolved oxygen on the secretion of human lysozyme from a recombinant yeast were experimentally characterized. The systems consisted of Saccharomyces cerevisiae host SEY2102 that was transformed with two different plasmids. These plasmids were identical with an exception to the plasmid pMC614, which contained the native yeast MFα1 sequence and the plasmid pMC632 with the non-native rat α-amylase signal sequence. The expression of human lysozyme was controlled by the ADHI promoter. The native yeast MFαl signal sequence was more efficient than the non-native rat α-amylase signal sequence in directing the secretion of human lysozyme. Lysozyme secreted with the α-amylase signal was retained inside the cells and released to the medium very slowly, thereby causing a lower cell growth rate and a decreased product secretion rate. Lysozyme was secreted more efficiently than invertase, which is an order of magnitude bigger in molecular size compared to lysozyme, which was under the direction of the MFαl signal sequence, suggesting that protein sizes may affect the secretion efficiency. When expressed in anaerobic conditions in the medium where the ADHI promoter was derepressed, the amount of lysozyme secreted was about twice higher than that of the aerobic culture. However, the secretion rates were identical. This result showed that the dissolved oxygen level may affect the efficiency of protein secretion only, and not the secretion rate of the product protein.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.24 no.5
• /
• pp.538-550
• /
• 2008

Radon is an invisible, odorless, and radioactive gas. It is formed by the disintegration of radium, which is a decay product of uranium. Some amounts of radon gas and its products are present ubiquitously in the soil, water, and air. Particularly high radon levels occur in regions of high uranium content. Although radon is permeable into indoor environment not only through geological features (bed rock and permeability) but also through the construction materials and underground water, the radiation from the geological features is generally main exposure factor. So there can be a problem in a certain space such as the underground and/or relatively poor ventilation condition. In this study, a GIS technique was used in order to investigate spatial distribution of radon measured from sub- way stations of 1 thru 8 in Seoul, Korea in 1991, 1998, 2001, and 2006. Spatial analysis was applied to reproduce the radon distribution. We utilized spatial analysis techniques such as inverse distance weighted averaging (IDW) and kriging techniques which are widely used to relate between different spatial points. To validate the results from the analyses, the jackknife technique for an uncertainty test was performed. When the number of measuring sites was less than 100 and also when the number of omitted sites increased, the kriging technique was better than IDW. On the other hand, when the number of sites was over 100, IDW technique was better than kriging technique. Thus the selection of analytical tool was affected sensitives by the analysis based on the number of measuring sites.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.14-22
• /
• 2017

Coffee consumption has been increased all around world as well as in South Korea. Coffee by-products occurred from the coffee consumption also have been rapidly increased, but the technology and methods to handle the by-product have not been much developed, resulting the severe environmental problems in soil and water. In order to solve this environmental problem, using the coffee by-product, eco-friendly and cheap methods for the recycling have been actively discussed and suggested. In this article, we discussed the types and characters of the coffee by-product and investigated the trend about the methods for utilizing the coffee by-product. In addition, we figured out the current status of coffee waste in Seoul, South Korea and discussed plans that Seoul government is working on to handle the coffee waste.