• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.141-152
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• 2023

Objective: We performed a meta-analysis of epidemiological results for the association between occupational exposure as a firefighter and cancer as part of the broader evidence synthesis work of the IARC Monographs program. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted to identify cohort studies of firefighters followed for cancer incidence and mortality. Studies were evaluated for the influence of key biases on results. Random-effects meta-analysis models were used to estimate the association between ever-employment and duration of employment as a firefighter and risk of 12 selected cancers. The impact of bias was explored in sensitivity analyses. Results: Among the 16 included cancer incidence studies, the estimated meta-rate ratio, 95% confidence interval (CI), and heterogeneity statistic (I²) for ever-employment as a career firefighter compared mostly to general populations were 1.58 (1.14-2.20, 8%) for mesothelioma, 1.16 (1.08-1.26, 0%) for bladder cancer, 1.21 (1.12-1.32, 81%) for prostate cancer, 1.37 (1.03-1.82, 56%) for testicular cancer, 1.19 (1.07-1.32, 37%) for colon cancer, 1.36 (1.15-1.62, 83%) for melanoma, 1.12 (1.01-1.25, 0%) for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, 1.28 (1.02-1.61, 40%) for thyroid cancer, and 1.09 (0.92-1.29, 55%) for kidney cancer. Ever-employment as a firefighter was not positively associated with lung, nervous system, or stomach cancer. Results for mesothelioma and bladder cancer exhibited low heterogeneity and were largely robust across sensitivity analyses. Conclusions: There is epidemiological evidence to support a causal relationship between occupational exposure as a firefighter and certain cancers. Challenges persist in the body of evidence related to the quality of exposure assessment, confounding, and medical surveillance bias.

• 한국노년학
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.1239-1261
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• 2010

The main purposes of the study were to identify factors affecting health-related quality of life of elderly stroke survivors, and to suggest social work interventions for improving their quality of life. The participants were 328 elderly stroke survivors over 55 years old recruited from 18 long-term care hospitals and 13 nursing care facilities in Chung-Nam Province, Korea. The data was collected through a direct survey method from Dec. 16, 2008 to Jan. 17, 2009. Statistical analysis revealed that the overall health-related quality of life among participants was relatively low, especially in the social relationships domain. As a result of hierarchical multiple regression analysis, depression emerged as the most significant predictor of elderly stroke survivors' health-related quality of life, followed by financial burden in future, activities of daily living, acceptance of disability, comorbidity, and major financial supporter(spouse). Health-related quality of life of elderly stroke survivors in long-term care facilities was affected by a variety of variables from disease-related factors to environmental ones. Particularly psychosocial variables were the most powerful factors to predict HRQOL of elderly stroke survivors. Based on the results, social work implications were discussed in the context of developing clinical strategies to alleviate elderly stroke survivors' health-related quality of life in long-term care facilities. Living with chronic illness and disability is a great challenge to the elderly. Most of all long-term residence in care facilities can cause deterioration of quality of life in old age. From now on, studies on health-related quality of life of elderly with chronic illness and disability should be activated in social work field.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.15-26
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• 2023

Purposes: Evaluate the level of mental health of administrative workers in medical institutions during the COVID-19 epidemic, and check the relationship. Methodology: It targeted 183 administrative workers at medical institutions located in Jeollabuk-do. The data survey method used a self-filled questionnaire, and the data collection period was 30 days from November 16, 2021 to December 16, 2021. A comparative analysis was conducted to find out the correlation between the subjects' biological factors, environmental factors, lifestyle factors, job related factors and depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and job stress. Findings: As an influencing factor of depression, it was found that the longer the working period, the higher the depression, and the higher the position, job satisfaction, and the total amount of smoking, the lower the depression. Due to the effect on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, the higher the total amount of smoking, the higher the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after effects, and the higher the organizational commitment and job satisfaction, the lower the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder aftereffects. It was found that organizational commitment had the highest influence on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. As an influencing factor on job stress, it was found that the higher the job related factors was job satisfaction and organizational commitment, the lower the job stress. Practical Implications: Variables such as moderate physical activity, alcohol consumption, total smoking, working period, position, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment were identified as factors influencing depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and job stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.227-235
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• 2024

Hepatocyte damage caused by medications or herbal products is one of the important problem when these compounds are chronically administrated. Thus, improving hepatocyte survival during treatment offers a wide range of opportunities. Valproic acid (VPA), a branched short-chain fatty acid derived from naturally occurring valeric acid, is commonly used to treat epilepsy and seizures. Although VPA exerts numerous effects in cancer, HIV therapy, and neurodegenerative disease, its effects on the liver and its mechanism of action have not been fully elucidated. Here, we demonstrated that VPA caused moderate liver cell toxicity and apoptosis. Interestingly, VPA treatment increased transcription levels of PPAR alpha (PPAR-α) and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) in murine (Hepa1c1c7) hepatoma cells in a time and concentration dependent manner. VPA-induced FGF21 expression was significantly weaker under PPAR-α silencing condition than in cells transfected with non-targeting control siRNA. Subsequent experiments showed that cell viability was significantly lowered when the FGF21 signaling pathway was blocked by FGF receptor antagonist. Finally, we further determined that AMPK phosphorylation was not responsible for VPA-induced FGF21 expression and PPAR-a increments. These results indicate that increases of FGF21 expression alleviate VPA-induced hepatic toxicity, thereby making FGF21 a potential biomarker for predicting liver damage during VPA treatments.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.25.1-25.16
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• 2021

Asthma is a heterogeneous disease whose development is shaped by a variety of environmental and genetic factors. While several recent studies suggest that microbial dysbiosis in the gut may promote asthma, little is known about the relationship between the recently discovered lung microbiome and asthma. Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) have also been shown recently to participate in asthma. To investigate the relationship between the lung microbiome, ILCs, and asthma, we recruited 23 healthy controls (HC), 42 patients with non-severe asthma, and 32 patients with severe asthma. Flow cytometry analysis showed severe asthma associated with fewer natural cytotoxicity receptor (NCR)⁺ILC3s in the lung. Similar changes in other ILC subsets, macrophages, and monocytes were not observed. The asthma patients did not differ from the HC in terms of the alpha and beta-diversity of the lung and gut microbiomes. However, lung function correlated positively with both NCR⁺ILC3 frequencies and microbial diversity in the lung. Sputum NCR⁺ILC3 frequencies correlated positively with lung microbiome diversity in the HC, but this relationship was inversed in severe asthma. Together, these data suggest that airway NCR⁺ILC3s may contribute to a healthy commensal diversity and normal lung function.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.227-240
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• 2005

Health promotion has more comprehensive approaches in recent years. Nevertheless we accept the concept of health promotion differently, we are agree on that community is the most important field in health promotion which includes population at the aspect of health policy, individual skill and, environment. And there are a number of different approaches to health promotion. In them, 'population approaches' and 'high -risk group approaches' has the most different characteristics. 'Population approaches' is equally important or more important than 'individual approaches' for maintaining and promoting population health. Almost part of this article contents is the summary of the guideline and population strategy of health promotion in Korea, 1999 - 2005. Community based health promotion program should be reinforced, integrated, comprehensive, collaborative through efficiently utilizing community resources. Recent new orientation of community health program is integrated health program, we can find this orientation at Ottawa charter 1986. Comprehensive approaches with the determinant factors for health are essential task. Physical activity is a key health determinant. The population-health approach suggests that educating people about physical activity is not enough. Individual behavior changes are important too, but need to be balanced with strategies for environmental change. Population strategy with physical activity for health promotion should be developed through improving social and physical supportive environment, linking and integrating community resources between public and private sectors in national, regional and local level. Continuous public education and social marketing should be provided through collaborating with community physical activity organization, facilities, work-places and school for increasing concern of all the people of community about physical activity. Governments, agencies and citizens should held and participate to building movement. And the strategy that various 'active for life' program should be developed, delivered, maintained and reinforced continuously. Basically, adequate and sufficient financing, developing human resources, policies and legislation would be provided and supported fully too. At last, research development and knowledge exchange are required domestically and internationally. In Korea, we had classified the category of strategic priority of physical activity programs by environmental support, life-course approach, high-risk group approach and disease group approach for physical activity program based on community health center. Community based core programs for physical activity that includes infrastructure building and establishment of supporting environment, community campaign, health promotion education and public service announcement, physical activity programs for elderly and obesity, exercise prescription program.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.156-162
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• 2008

Salmonellosis is a major bacterial zoonosis that causes a variety of disease syndromes, self-limited enteritis to fatal infection in animals and food-borne infection and typhoid fever in humans. Recently, the emergence of multidrug resistant strains of Salmonella spp. causes more serious problems in environment and public health. The present study was investigated the antibacterial effect of Houttuynia cordata ethanol extract(HCEE) for murine salmonellosis. In the cytotoxic effect of HCEE on RAW 264.7 cells, there was no detectable effect with any concentrations between 25 and 100 ${\mu}g/ml$ after 8 h incubation. The bacteriocidal effect of HCEE was not showed on a Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium(S. typhimurium). HCEE makes morphological change of the RAW 264.7 cells, and there was significant decreased bacterial uptake and intracellular replication within Salmonella infected cells. And further nitric oxide(NO) production of Salmonella infected RAW 264.7 cells with HCEE was decreased comparing to RAW 264.7 cells without HCEE until 8 h post infection. Oral administration of HCEE showed a therapeutic effect for S. typhimurium infected BALB/c mice. The mortality of HCEE treated mouse was 80% until 12 days, while that of HCEE untreated mouse was 100 % until 8 days after lethal dose of S. typhimurium infection. These data suggested that HCEE has a potency treatment for intracellular replicative pathogen including salmonellosis, brucellosis, tuberculosis, listeriosis etc., and the application of HCEE makes new strategies for safety medicine development without antibiotic resistance bacterial appearance and residue problem in food and solves the public health problem from antibiotic mis- and over use.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.70-77
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• 2013

BACKGROUND: Nitroxoline is an antibiotic agent. It is used for the treatment of the second bacterial infection by the colibacillosis, salmonellosis and viral disease of the poultry. When the nitroxoline is indiscreetly used, the problem about the abuse of the antibiotics can occur. Therefore, this study presented the residue analytical method of nitroxoline in food for the safety management of animal farming products. METHODS AND RESULTS: A simple, sensitive and specific method for nitroxoline in chicken muscle by high performance liquid chromatograph with PDA was developed. Sample extraction with acetonitrile, purification with SPE cartridge (MCX) were applied, then quantitation by HPLC with C18 column under the gradient condition with 0.1 % tetrabutylammonium hydroxide-phosphoric acid and methanol was performed. Standard calibration curve presented linearity with the correlation coefficient ($r^2$) > 0.999, analysed from 0.02 to 0.5 mg/L concentration. Limit of quantitation in chicken muscle showed 0.02 mg/kg, and average recoveries ranged from 72.9 to 88.1 % in chicken muscle. The repeatability of measurements expressed as coefficient of variation (CV %) was less than 12 % in 0.02 and 0.04 mg/kg. CONCLUSION(S): Newly developed method for nitroxoline in chicken muscle was applicable to food inspection with the acceptable level of sensitivity, repeatability and reproducibility.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.24-32
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• 1999

To develope appropriate soil base for planting on the artificial ground, 9 kinds of soil types(varying the components and mixing ratios) and 3 levels of soil depths(10cm, 15cm, 20cm) were chosen. And their plant growing effects were tested and analysed from the test plant Zoysia japonica. The results of the research are as follows. 1. Among the 9 type of soil mixtures, the "sandy loam" soil type gave the worst effects on germination, disease contamination and ground covering. 2. The soil types like VSH(vermiculite20%+sand70%+humus sawdust10%), VSS(vermiculite 40%+sand 50%+humus sawdust 10%) and VS(vermiculite 70%+sand 30%), where vermiculite and sand were added to, show better germination effect promoted from the better condition of aeration and saturation. 3. The plant growing effects(leaf length and ground covering ratio) was evident under the soil types like VSH(vermiculite20%+sand70%+humus sawdust10%) and VSS(vermiculite40%+sand50%+humus sawdust10%), where organic matters were added to. 4. Vermiculite added soil types effect fast leaf decolorization on the tested Zoysia japonica plant, on the contrary to organic matter mixed soil types including SCS(sandy loam 50%+carbonized rice husk30%+sand20%) and SHS(sandy loam 50%+humus sawdust30%+sand20%) with which green leaves subsist longer. S. Soil depth effect to plant growth was found. And a favorable covering rate was accomplished even at the soil depth of 15cm - the limit soil depth for grass survival - from the soil types where organic matters were mixed to. From this result, the soil depth limit for plant survival could be said to be shall owed if appropriate soil type were based.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.409-415
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• 2005

To control Phytophthora blight of red pepper biologically caused by Phytophthora capsici, we developed Trichoderma harzianum DYMC for commercial product. DYMC was storage at room temperature and was investigated their population every 3 months for 1 year. For investigating the dynamic population of T. harzianum in the pot soils, we applied powder and suspension applications with DYMC, and then investigated for 95 days. The efficacy of powder and suspension applications of DYMC for control of Phytophthora blight of red pepper and plant growth were investigated for 50 days in greenhouse experiment. The population of T. harzianum was decreased at the room temperature for 1 year but there was not statistically significance. After soil treated in the pot with DYMC, the population of Trichoderma spp. was the highest when DYMC powder at 5 g was applied to mix with pot soil, and the population was deceased significantly among treatment means as time goes by ($R^2=0.76$, F=10.5960, P=<.0001). Incidence of Phytophthora blight of, red pepper was significantly reduced among treatment means on 50th day after treated with DYMC ($R^2=0.82$, P=16.4758, P=<.0001). Disease control value was the highest at 62.5% when DYMC powder at 5 g was applied to mix with pot soil. No significant difference (P=0.05) of effects of plant and root growth showed by treated with DYMC on 60th day, except stem. Mixing the application of DYMC powder with soil to control Phytophthora blight of red pepper was greater than suspension application to dilute with water. DYMC could be used as an effective biocontrol agent to control Phythophthora blight of red pepper.