• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.31.1-31.10
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• 2023

Background: With modernization, air pollution has become increasingly serious, and its effects on health have been revealed. As a result, public interest in environmental pollution has become critical for regulating air pollution. In our study, we aim to evaluate the impact of air pollution levels on public attention to environmental issues and examine whether awareness of the residential environment's impact on health acts as a mediator in this relationship. Methods: We conducted an analysis on 400 individuals surveyed in the preliminary feasibility study on adverse health effects in the Pohang Industrial Complex, to examine the relationship between particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) and attention to environmental issues. Logistic regression analysis was performed, and mediation analysis was used to determine whether awareness of the residential environment's impact on health mediated the relationship. Results: The logistic regression analysis results showed that PM2.5 levels were associated with attention to environmental issues (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.1; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3-3.5; p = 0.003) and awareness of health impacts (AOR: 3.4; 95% CI: 1.6-7.1; p = 0.001). The PM2.5 levels showed 9.9% (95% CI: 5.4-14.0) increase in the prevalence of high attention to environmental issues, of which, only 1.0% (95% CI: 0.2-2.3) were mediated by health impact awareness. In the overall analysis, 10% of the total effect of PM2.5 on attention to environmental issues was mediated by health impact awareness. Conclusions: According to this study's results, there was a correlation between air pollution levels and attention to environmental issues. Awareness of the health impacts of air pollution partially mediated the effect of air pollution levels on attention to environmental issues. In future studies, it is recommended to identify other mediators to further understand this structure.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.517-525
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• 2023

The emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MRPA) have become a serious problem worldwide. The involvement of metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) in inducing carbapenem resistance is particularly acute. However, unlike other members of the Enterobacteriaceae genus, new clones of P. aeruginosa are constantly emerging and rapidly replacing previously prevalent dominant clones. Therefore, this study aimed to perform antimicrobial resistance gene analysis, integron gene cassette analysis using DNA sequencing, and plasmid transfer analysis by conjugation to investigate the antimicrobial resistance dynamics of 18 P. aeruginosa strains isolated from various medical samples at a general hospital in Busan from September 2017 to September 2019. All 18 strains showed extensively drug-resistant (XDR) phenotype and were resistant to most antibiotics, except colistin (100%) but were susceptible to aztreonam (22.2%) and ceftazidime (16.6%). Approximately 66.7% of the strains had Class 1 integrons showing various antimicrobial resistances. Notably, IMP-6 ST235 (66.7%), VIM-2 ST357 (16.7%), and IMP-1 ST446(16.7%) were identified. The identification of IMP-1-producing ST446, previously unreported in Korea, is noteworthy considering the emergence and prevalence of another MRPA high-risk clone.

• The Korean journal of internal medicine
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.439-447
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• 2024

Background: Helicobacter pylori infection, prevalent in more than half of the global population, is associated with various gastrointestinal diseases, including peptic ulcers and gastric cancer. The effectiveness of early diagnosis and treatment in preventing gastric cancer highlights the need for improved diagnostic methods. This study aimed to develop a simple scoring system based on endoscopic findings to predict H. pylori infection. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 1,007 patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy at Asan Medical Center from January 2019 to December 2021. Exclusion criteria included prior H. pylori treatment, gastric surgery, or gastric malignancies. Diagnostic techniques included rapid urease and ¹³C-urea breath tests, H. pylori culture, and assessment of endoscopic features following the Kyoto gastritis classification. A new scoring system based on endoscopic findings including regular arrangement of collecting venules (RAC), nodularity, and diffuse or spotty redness was developed for predicting H. pylori infection, utilizing logistic regression analysis in the development set. Results: The scoring system demonstrated high predictive accuracy for H. pylori infection in the validation set. Scores of 2 and 3 were associated with 96% and 99% infection risk, respectively. Additionally, there was a higher prevalence of diffuse redness and sticky mucus in cases where the initial H. pylori eradication treatment failed. Conclusions: Our scoring system showed potential for improving diagnostic accuracy in H. pylori infection. H. pylori testing should be considered upon spotty redness, diffuse redness, nodularity, and RAC absence on endoscopic findings as determined by the predictive scoring system.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.34
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• pp.4.1-4.11
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• 2022

Background: Long working hours are known to account for approximately one-third of the total expected work-related diseases, and much interest and research on long working hours have recently been conducted. Additionally, as the prevalence of prediabetes and the high-risk group for diabetes are increasing worldwide, interest in prediabetes is also rising. However, few studies have addressed the development of type 2 diabetes and long working hours in prediabetes. Therefore, the aim of this longitudinal study was to evaluate the relationship between long working hours and the development of diabetes in prediabetes. Methods: We included 14,258 prediabetes participants with hemoglobinA1c (HbA1c) level of 5.7 to 6.4 in the Kangbuk Samsung Cohort Study. According to a self-reported questionnaire, we evaluated weekly working hours, which were categorized into 35-40, 41-52, and > 52 hours. Development of diabetes was defined as an HbA1c level ≥ 6.5%. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the development of diabetes were estimated using Cox proportional hazards analyses with weekly working 35-40 hours as the reference. Results: During a median follow-up of 3.0 years, 776 participants developed diabetes (incidence density, 1.66 per 100 person-years). Multivariable-adjusted HRs of development of diabetes for weekly working > 52 hours compared with working 35-40 hours were 2.00 (95% CI: 1.50-2.67). In subgroup analyses by age (< 40 years old, ≥ 40 years old), sex (men, women), and household income (< 6 million KRW, ≥ 6 million KRW), consistent and significant positive associations were observed in all groups. Conclusions: In our large-scale longitudinal study, long working hours increases the risk of developing diabetes in prediabetes patients.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.301-311
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• 2024

We developed a small-group training program for in-service teachers focused on scientific modeling. We collected the discourses of the teachers who participated in the activity and analyzed them by type. The training program employed a collaborative approach in which a small group completed tasks and produced outputs based on the theme of 'galaxies and the Universe' to enable practical application in classes. Three in-service science teachers participated in the training program. Their discourses were recorded, transcribed, and classified into types based on individual turns and interaction units. The language expressions of the teachers reflected the unique characteristics of the teaching profession, with each participant having preferred language expression types, albeit with a generally low prevalence of specific language expression types across the participants. Differences in discourse characteristics related to the modeling theme, task presentation method, and model types, revealed that variations in the proportion of interaction unit types during the modeling design, build, and evaluation stages were primarily influenced by the teachers' familiarity with the modeling theme. While the task presentation method also influenced interaction types, model types had little impact on the distribution of interaction types. Considering these findings, training programs on modeling for in-service teachers should include a checklist to encourage sufficient interaction between participants as well as propose proper questions that can be effectively addressed through collaboration.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.14-26
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• 2024

This study investigated the effectiveness of calcium polysulfide (CPS; CaS_x) injection for the in-situ immobilization of cadmium and zinc-contaminated groundwater. The research focused on the impact of CPS injection on groundwater quality parameters, such as dissolved oxygen (DO), oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), and pH, as well as heavy metal precipitate formation and aquifer's microbial community dynamics on a field scale. The results demonstrated that the injected CPS formed a reactive zone, effectively reducing cadmium and zinc concentrations for a limited period. However, contaminant rebound occurred over time, necessitating repeated CPS injections. A single injection of CPS achieved a removal efficiency of 70~99%, lasting approximately 20 days. In contrast, repeated injections sustained the removal effects up to 37 days. Chemical analyses confirmed the precipitation of cadmium and zinc sulfide (CdS and ZnS), which remained stable in the aquifer even 86 days post-injection. Elemental sulfur (S) was detected in a significant quantity, contributing to the observed low DO levels. Microbial community exhibited a shift from an initial prevalence of sulfur-oxidizing and iron-oxidizing bacteria to a later dominance of sulfate-reducing bacteria following the cessation of high DO recycled water inflow, potentially enhancing the formation of CdS and ZnS.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.102-110
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• 1987

One of the familiar medical facility that most people reach easily in Korea is the drug store. In Korea, it is possible to purchase all kinds of common drugs without physician's prescriptions, which caused some problems. In other words, such treatment without professional supervision has led to medical, social and economical problems. In view of the above, this study is aimed at revealing the actual status of long-term use of drugs in some urban residents. Long-term use of drugs is operationally defined as using certain drugs at least once a week for more than 3 months. This survey took the residents of Guro 6-Dong where was one of the target areas for Community Health Development Project managed by Korea University as a target population. A sample of 1,517 residents was selected by the multistage sampling method. The interview was conducted on September 21st and 22nd in 1985. The object of this study was to compare the result with that of the rural area which was obtained by the same method, tools and research team, prior to this study in 1984. The results were as follows; 1) The age-standardization of the study showed that 97 per 1,000 urban residents were actually on long-term drug use. The prevalance of long-term use is high in accordance with aging and low with education level. 2) Out of 1,000 urban samples the most popular item involved in the long-term drug use was antipyretic-analgesic-antiinflammatory drug (26), and next in order was vitamin (23), antibiotics (13), digestives (10) and antacids (7). In the rural samples as for compare, that was antipyretic-analgesic-antiinflammatory drug (100), antacids (36), digestives (23), adrenocortical hormones (12) etc. 3) With antipyrctic-analgesic-antiinflammatory drugs, 50% of the urban samples were taking for more than a year, whereas such were 82.7% of the rural samples. Using such a high percentage of antipyretic-analgesic-antiinflamatory drugs in the rural residents is probably due to the high prevalence rate of musculo-skeletal diseases. 4) The urban long-term drug users of antipyretic-analgesic-antiinflammatory drugs were influenced mostly by the mass media (43.6%), next in order was pharmacist (35.9%) and physician (10.3%). Comparing with the result from the rural areas the role of mass media was much more influencial in the urban areas. 60% of them consulted with pharmacists, 14.3% with physicians and 25.7% had no history of consultation in the urban samples. 5) Considering the incidence of knowing the possible side-effects of each drug, 28.2% of the urban residents had no recognition about side-effects prior to use antipyretic-analgesic-antiinflammatory drugs. In the rural residents, 29.67o had no knowledge about the side-effects before using the drug. 6) For the solution of the above problems, it is necessary to limit the advertisement of some drugs by the parmaceutical company. And therapeutic drugs which may bring on side effects in case of long-term use should not be sold at drug stores without physician's prescription.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.47-57
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• 2015

Sodium is an essential nutrient with very important functions, including regulation of the extracellular fluid volume and active transport of molecules across the cell membranes. Since high levels of dietary sodium are associated with a high prevalence of hypertension, prehypertension, and other adverse effects on health, many national and international health organizations (WHO, FAO, etc.) recommend that sodium intake should be significantly decreased. In developed nations, cheese products, from among many processed foods, can cause high salt intake. Hence, there is an urgent need to reduce the content of salt in cheese processing, using various substitutes of sodium chloride (NaCl). In general, salt (NaCl) has been used as a food preservative to limit and (or) kill the growth of foodborne pathogens and spoilage organisms by decreasing the water activity, and to improve texture and flavor. To maintain public health, the salt content in cheese should be decreased without influencing the physicochemical properties of cheese. Therefore, the objective of this review is to outline the upcoming technologies used to reduce the salt content in different types of cheese using various substitutes.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.266-271
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• 2008

Background: Estimation of the probability of a patient having an acute pulmonary embolism (PE) for patients with a suspected PE are well established in North America and Europe. However, an assessment of the prediction rules for a PE has not been clearly defined in Korea. The aim of this study is to assess the prediction rules for patients with a suspected PE in Korea. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of 210 inpatients or patients that visited the emergency ward with a suspected PE where computed tomography pulmonary angiography was performed at a single institution between January 2005 and March 2007. Simplified Wells rules and revised Geneva rules were used to estimate the clinical probability of a PE based on information from medical records. Results: Of the 210 patients with a suspected PE, 49 (19.5%) patients had an actual diagnosis of a PE. The proportion of patients classified by Wells rules and the Geneva rules had a low probability of 1% and 21%, an intermediate probability of 62.5% and 76.2%, and a high probability of 33.8% and 2.8%, respectively. The prevalence of PE patients with a low, intermediate and high probability categorized by the Wells rules and Geneva rules was 100% and 4.5% in the low range, 18.2% and 22.5% in the intermediate range, and 19.7% and 50% in the high range, respectively. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the revised Geneva rules had a higher accuracy than the Wells rules in terms of detecting PE. Concordance between the two prediction rules was poor ($\kappa$ coefficient=0.06). Conclusion: In the present study, the two prediction rules had a different predictive accuracy for pulmonary embolisms. Applying the revised Geneva rules to inpatients and emergency ward patients suspected of having PE may allow a more effective diagnostic process than the use of the Wells rules.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.41 no.8
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• pp.818-831
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate the dietary behavior, health-related lifestyles and nutrient intake status of college students according to physical activity levels. The physical activity levels were measured using the Korean version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) short form. The subjects of this study were 438 college students (243 males and 195 females) in Incheon area and were divided by gender and by physical activity levels, which included low, moderate and high physical activity groups. The average age of male and female students were 23.7 and 21.0 years old, respectively. The prevalence of the low physical activity group was 11.5% for males and 30.8% for females and that of the high physical activity group was 38.7% for males and 22.6% for females. According to the criteria for obesity in Asia-Pacific region, 39.1% of the males and 64.1% of the female students investigated were in the normal range of BMI and 30.9% of the males and 4.6% of the female students were in the obesity category. However, percent of body fat in the female students was significantly higher than that of the male students. The soft lean mass of the high physical activity group was higher compared to the other groups. In the low physical activity group, frequency of “eating out” was lower compared to the other groups. The average consumption of energy was 74.4% for males and 80.1% for females of the estimated energy requirement (EER). The mean intakes of vitamin C, vitamin B2, folic acid and Ca were 67.3%, 84%, 52.7% and 36.7% for males and 64.8%, 99.9%, 51.1% and 40.1% for females of recommended intake (RI), respectively. Therefore, it was necessary for obesity prevention as well as health promotion to increase physical activity and to eat an adequate, balanced diet in female college students.