• Mycobiology
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.331-338
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• 2014

To examine the effects of water stress and Cenangium ferruginosum (CF) on the fungal endophytic community of needles of Pinus koraiensis (PK), fungal endophytes isolated from the needles of 5-year-old PK seedlings were compared before and after exposure to water stress conditions and artificial inoculation with CF ascospores. Artificial CF inoculation was successfully confirmed using PCR with CF-specific primers (CfF and CfR). For comparison of the degree of water deficit in water-stressed and control groups of PK seedlings infected with CF, the water saturation deficit and water potential were measured. Lower water potential estimates were found in the water-stressed seedlings than in the control group. The fungal endophytes isolated from the second-year needles of non-water-stressed seedlings before and after CF inoculation revealed that primary saprobes were approximately 30% and 71.7%, respectively, and the remaining endophytes were rot fungi or pathogens. Sixty days after CF inoculation, diverse fungal endophytes in the first-year needles were isolated from the water-stressed seedlings. However, some fungal endophytes isolated from the non-water-stressed seedlings were also identified. Fungal endophytes in the second-year needles of the water-stressed and non-water-stressed seedlings were approximately 8% and 71.7% of saprobes, respectively, and the remaining endophytes were rot fungi or pathogens. On the basis of the results, we conclude that water deficit and CF can have an effect on fungal endophytic communities in the needles of PK seedlings.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.185-189
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• 2020

Immunogenicity of dendritic cell-derived exosomes stimulated with Toxoplasma gondii lysates (TLA exo), mixed with cholera toxin as an adjuvant, was investigated in mice immunized via 2 mucosal routes (ocular vs intranasal). BALB/c mice were injected 3 times with TLA exo vaccine at 2 week interval, and the levels of IgG in serum and IgA in tear, saliva, feces, and vaginal wash were measured. To observe the expression of T. gondii-specific B1 gene, mice infected with ME49 T. gondii cysts were immunized with TLA exo or PBS exo (not stimulated with TLA), and their brain tissues were examined. The mice vaccinated via intranasal route elicited significantly higher humoral and mucosal immune responses compared with mice treated with PBS alone. Also, mice immunized via ocular route (by eyedrop) induced significantly higher T. gondii-specific IgG in serum and IgA in tear and feces in comparison with PBS controls. B1 gene expression was significantly lower in TLA exo vaccinated mice than in PBS or PBS exo vaccinated mice. These results demonstrated that ocular immunization of mice with TLA exo vaccine has the potential to stimulate systemic or local antibody responses. This study also highlighted an advantage of an eyedrop vaccine as an alternative for T. gondii intranasal vaccines.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.387-395
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• 2022

Objectives: This study was designed to investigate the difference between genuine and pseudo-halitosis in terms of clinical characteristics. Methods: We recruited 51 halitosis patients who visited the halitosis clinic at Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital from March 2020 to March 2022. We classified the halitosis patients into two groups, genuine and pseudo halitosis, based on oral chroma and evaluated the status of hyposalivation using the drainage method, stress levels using heart rate variability (HRV) parameters, and Ryodoraku. Results: Comparing the genuine halitosis group and the pseudo halitosis group, there was no significant difference in the status of hyposalivation and HRV parameters. However, Ryodoraku was significantly different between genuine and pseudo halitosis. Compared to the genuine halitosis group, the pseudo halitosis group showed a significantly higher value of total average (TA) of Ryodoraku. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that there is a significant difference in Ryodoraku between genuine halitosis and pseudo halitosis, so when approaching pseudo halitosis patients, we should consider their excitability of the sympathetic nervous system and metabolic function status.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.130-142
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• 2009

This study compared FTIR with XRD method for the analysis of quartz by % recovery, coefficient of variation (CV) and influence of the interference. the results were as the following. 1. In FTIR method, the coefficient of determination ($r^2$) was 0.9998 in a calibration curve of $695\;cm^{-1}$, and the limit of detection was $4.9{\mu}g/sample$. 2. The highest recovery was $799\;cm^{-1}$ (98.2%). 3. The CVpooled of the FTIR method was approximately 10% in three wave numbers. 4. The analysis of qualitative and quantitative for quartz is difficult with mixed cristobalite and iron oxide. 5. In XRD method with rotating sample holder and LynxEye detector, the coefficient of determination was 0.9996 in a calibration curve, and the limit of detection was $5.9{\mu}g/sample$. 6. The recovery and CV pooled were 104.3%, and 11 %, respectively. 7. In muffle furnace ashing, the quartz weight decreased to 34% when the maximum weight of the iron oxide was more than eight times. In conclusion, the accuracy (% recovery) and precision (CV) of FTIR and XRD method for analyzing $\alpha$-quartz were similar. FTIR method was a disadvantage for sample matrix because it indicates possibility of interference. However, XRD method distinguished specific crystalline forms of silica, and the majority of silicate minerals. In addition, XRD method recommend filter dissolution to pretreatment method.

• Journal of Korean Medical classics
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.61-76
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• 2020

Objectives : To study the pediatric contents in the 『Maijing』, the most comprehensive compilation of pulse theory. Methods : First, the original meaning was understood comprehensively through careful translation of the original text. Next, the original texts from which 『Maijing』 quoted certain verses were traced. Then, contents of 『Maijing』 were analyzed through comparison with contents from later period texts such as 『Beijiqianjinyaofang』, 『Zhubingyuanhoulun』, 『Xiaoeryaozhengzhijue』, 『Zhengzhizhunsheng』. Results : The study of pediatric contents of Wangshuhe's 『Maijing·Chapter9·Determining Pediatric Diseases 9th』 revealed that he set the standards of 'normal pulse' in terms of number of pulsation and pulse xiang[脈象] differently for children compared to adults. He summarized the most common disease patterns to be wind epilepsy[風癎], indigestion of breast milk[乳不消], and fright seizure[客忤氣], and described the pulses that reflected these conditions's physical characteristics. He also described the pulse and symptom patterns of 'growth fever[變蒸]' and 'heat in bone part[骨間有熱]' based on his observation, which contents were quoted and developed in 『Zhubingyuanhoulun』 and 『Xiaoeryaozhengzhijue』. For other miscellaneous pediatric conditions, he quoted prior texts such as 『Lingshu』 while adding words or making modifications to better reflect characteristics of children based on his observations in clinical pediatrics. Conclusions : It is concluded that 『Maijing·Chapter9·Determining Pediatric Diseases 9th』 not only describes pulse diagnostics but reflects in its contents pediatric theories and clinical knowledge of the Jin(晉)period, which affected pediatrics development of following periods.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.36-47
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• 2002

Over thousands of years oriental traditional medicine has developed a theoretical and practical approach to treat and prevent diseases and to promote people's health in China and Korea. In China, the integration of traditional Chinese medicine into the national healthcare system began in the late 1950s. This was in response to national planning needs to provide comprehensive healthcare services. On contrary to China, South Korea established the parallel operation of two independent medical systems in 1952. Hence there has been a political conflict between oriental and modern medicine over issues of fee, the ability to sell and prescribe herbal medicines, and the licensing of practitioners in traditional medicines. Given this background. This study is to compare peoples' attitudes and opinions for oriental traditional medicine by ethnicity (Chinese, Korean-Chinese and Korean). Chinese and Korean-Chinese were more used and satisfied with traditional medicine treatment and traditional practitioners compared with Koreans. The proportion of Koreans who reported the cost of traditional treatments was expensive was higher than those of Chinese and Korean Chinese. Most of Chinese, Korean-Chinese, and Koreans reported that they would use traditional medicine: 1) when they would have some disease to be treated best through traditional medicine; and 2) when traditional practitioner had a reputation and lots of experiences for those diseases. Most Korean people reported that oriental and western practitioners should cooperate each other to improve the quality of care. Therefore, policy framework including integration of traditional and western medicine, regulation, etc. is needed. In addition, research is needed to determine which diseases is treated best through traditional medicine.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.24-34
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• 2014

Background: Bankrupted households have recently been increased due to excessive medical expenditure in Korea. They have not been protected from economic risk when household's member has severe diseases that need a lot of money for treatment. Purpose of this study examines policy effect by comparing unmet needs' change of policy object households and non-object groups. Methods: We used Korea Health panel 2nd 4th data collected by Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs and National Health Insurance Service. Analysis subjects were 381 households (pre-policy) and 393 households (post-policy) that had cancer and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Since it was major concern that estimates benefit strengthening policy started by certain time, we setup comparing households which had diabetes, hypertension disease. Comparison subjects were 393,247 households, respectively and we evaluated policy effect using difference in difference (DID) model. Results: Although unmet needs of policy object households were higher than non-object groups, policy execution variable affected negative direction. But interaction-term which shows pure effect of policy was not statistically significant. We utilized multi-DID model to examine factors affecting unmet needs causes. Copayment assistance policy did not significantly affect households that responded to 'economic reason,' and 'no have time to visit' for unmet needs causes. Conclusion: The second copayment assistance policy did not significantly give positive effect to beneficiary households than non-beneficiary groups. When we consider that primary purpose of public insurance guarantee high medical expenditure occurred by unexpected events, it needs to deliberate on switch of benefit strengthening policy that can assist vulnerable people. Also, we suggest that government forward a policy covering non-reimbursable medical expenses as well as switch of benefit strengthening direction because benefit policy do not affect non-covered medical cost which accounts for quarter of total health expenditure.

• Journal of Korean Medical classics
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.17-26
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• 2018

Objectives : This paper studies Zhushang, which is the name of a disease found in excavated books. Zhusang is the first disease listed in Wushierbingfang, which is a medical textbook excavated at Mawangdui, and Zhusang was followed by diseases such as Jinshang and Renshang. The paper studies what disease each of the word is refering to in terms of graphonomy, and compared the difference of their treatment from other classical texts. Methods : The scope of the study of this paper includes the excavated textbooks that seem to contain any disease related to Zhusang, and the two major text books of these are Wushierbingfang and Wuweihandaiyijian. Then Shennongbencao jing, which is the one of the earlier books on herbology, and Bencao gangmu, which was written based on the former, wer used to make comparisons. Parts in Donguibogam that seem to be related to the parts in the excavated texts were also compared. The study was done by first performing historical research on the names of the diseases in the excavated books, and compared them with the contents of the classical texts. Results : The Zhushang discovered in Wushierbingfang refers to wounds caused by metal or wood. It was interesting how they created a word for diseases depending on the cause. Only Jinshang is found in Wuweihandaiyijian, and the fact that different causes gave way to different names tells us that they had corresponding treatment. The categorization of Zhushang, Jinshang, and Renshang is corresponded better in Donguibogam than Chinese medical books.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.92-100
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• 2012

Objectives: The French National Occupational Diseases Surveillance and Prevention Network (RNV3P) is a French network of occupational disease specialists, which collects, in standardised coded reports, all cases where a physician of any specialty, referred a patient to a university occupational disease centre, to establish the relation between the disease observed and occupational exposures, independently of statutory considerations related to compensation. The objective is to compare the relevance of disproportionality measures, widely used in pharmacovigilance, for the detection of potentially new disease ${\times}$ exposure associations in RNV3P database (by analogy with the detection of potentially new health event ${\times}$ drug associations in the spontaneous reporting databases from pharmacovigilance). Methods: 2001-2009 data from RNV3P are used (81,132 observations leading to 11,627 disease ${\times}$ exposure associations). The structure of RNV3P database is compared with the ones of pharmacovigilance databases. Seven disproportionality metrics are tested and their results, notably in terms of ranking the disease ${\times}$ exposure associations, are compared. Results: RNV3P and pharmacovigilance databases showed similar structure. Frequentist methods (proportional reporting ratio [PRR], reporting odds ratio [ROR]) and a Bayesian one (known as BCPNN for "Bayesian Confidence Propagation Neural Network") show a rather similar behaviour on our data, conversely to other methods (as Poisson). Finally the PRR method was chosen, because more complex methods did not show a greater value with the RNV3P data. Accordingly, a procedure for detecting signals with PRR method, automatic triage for exclusion of associations already known, and then investigating these signals is suggested. Conclusion: This procedure may be seen as a first step of hypothesis generation before launching epidemiological and/or experimental studies.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.93-101
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• 2024

Objective: This study compared the status of chronic diseases among immigrants and the Korean population. Methods: This study was conducted on 153 immigrants living in Gwangju Metropolitan City in 2022. For comparison, 459 Koreans were selected using the 2021 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). A survey was conducted on the management status of hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia using a questionnaire. Results: Immigrants were significantly more likely to have hypertension (50.3% vs. 24.2%, p<0.001) and diabetes (19.0% vs. 11.5%, p=0.002) than Koreans. In awareness, immigrants had significantly lower rates of hypertension (57.1% vs. 73.0%, p=0.031) and hyperlipidemia (immigrants 25.4% vs. 44.5%, p=0.006). In treatment rates, immigrants had significantly lower rates of hypertension (40.3% vs. 69.4%, <0.001) and hyperlipidemia (17.9% vs. 39.6%, p=0.003). In control rates, immigrants had significantly lower rates of hypertension (18.2% vs. 62.2%, <0.001) than Koreans. Conclusions: Chronic diseases are common among immigrants, but awareness, treatment, and control rates are low, so education and prevention policies are critical to improving immigrants' access to medical care and raising awareness.