• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.15-22
• /
• 2019

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is among the top infectious disease priorities in Korea and the leading cause of economic loss in relevant poultry industry. An understanding of the spatial epidemiology of HPAI outbreak is essential in assessing and managing the risk of the infection. Though previous studies have reported the majority of outbreaks occurred clustered in what are preferred to as densely populated poultry regions, especially in southwest coast of Korea, little is known about the spatial distribution of risk areas vulnerable to HPAI occurrence based on geographic information system (GIS). The main aim of the present study was to develop a GIS-based risk index model for defining potential high-risk areas of HPAI outbreaks and to explore spatial distribution in relative risk index for each 252 Si-Gun-Gu (administrative unit) in Korea. The risk index was derived incorporating seven GIS database associated with risk factors of HPAI in a standardized five-score scale. Scale 1 and 5 for each database represent the lowest and the highest risk of HPAI respectively. Our model showed that Jeollabuk-do, Chungcheongnam-do, Jeollanam-do and Chungcheongbuk-do regions will have the highest relative risk from HPAI. Areas with risk index value over 4.0 were Naju, Jeongeup, Anseong, Cheonan, Kochang, Iksan, Kyeongju and Kimje, indicating that Korea is at risk of HPAI introduction. Management and control of HPAI becomes difficult once the virus are established in domestic poultry populations; therefore, early detection and development of nationwide monitoring system through targeted surveillance of high-risk spots are priorities for preventing the future outbreaks.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.12 no.6
• /
• pp.459-468
• /
• 2018

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (KDRIs), a set of reference intake values, have served as a basis for guiding a balanced diet that promotes health and prevents disease in the general Korean population. In the process of developing DRIs, a systematic review has played an important role in helping the DRI committees make evidence-based and transparent decisions for updating the next DRIs. Thus, the 2015 KDRI steering committee applied the systematic review framework to the revision process of the KDRIs. The purpose of this article is to summarize the revision process for the 2015 KDRIs by focusing on the systematic review framework. MATERIALS/METHODS: The methods used to develop the systematic review framework for 2015 KDRIs followed the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Tufts Evidence-based Practice Center. The framework for systematic review of the 2015 KDRIs comprised of the 3 following steps: (1) development of an analytic framework and refinement of key questions and search terms; (2) literature search and data extraction; and, (3) appraisal of the literature and summarizing the results. RESULTS: A total of 203,237 studies were retrieved through the above procedure, with 2,324 of these studies included in the analysis. General information, main results, comments of reviewers, and results of quality assessment were extracted and organized by study design. The average points of quality appraisals were 3.0 (range, 0-5) points for intervention, 6.1 (0-9) points for cohort, 6.0 (3-9) points for nested case-control, 5.4 (1-8) points for case-control, 14.6 (0-22) points for cross-sectional studies, and 7.0 (0-11) points for reviews. CONCLUSIONS: Systematic review helped to establish the 2015 KDRIs as a useful tool for evidence-based approach. Collaborative efforts to improve the framework for systematic review should be continued for future KDRIs.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.51 no.6
• /
• pp.289-297
• /
• 2018

Objectives: Obesity is a considerable and growing public health concern worldwide. The present study aimed to quantify socioeconomic inequalities in adult obesity in western Iran. Methods: A total of 10 086 participants, aged 35-65 years, from the Ravansar Non-communicable Disease Cohort Study (2014-2016) were included in the study to examine socioeconomic inequalities in obesity. We defined obesity as a body mass index ${\geq}30kg/m^2$. The concentration index and concentration curve were used to illustrate and measure wealth-related inequality in obesity. Additionally, we decomposed the concentration index to identify factors that explained wealth-related inequality in obesity. Results: Overall, the prevalence of obesity in the total sample was 26.7%. The concentration index of obesity was 0.04; indicating that obesity was more concentrated among the rich (p<0.001). Decomposition analysis indicated that wealth, place of residence, and marital status were the main contributors to the observed inequality in obesity. Conclusions: Socioeconomic-related inequalities in obesity among adults warrant more attention. Policies should be designed to reduce both the prevalence of obesity and inequalities in obesity by focusing on those with higher socioeconomic status, urban residents, and married individuals.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.121-140
• /
• 2018

Objectives This research was aimed to analyze and assess the articles of qualitative research of Pediatrics by following Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ). Methods Two researchers analyzed and assessed the reports' quality and appropriateness based on COREQ guideline. The articles that failed to achieve consensus from the two researchers, the third researcher made a final decision. Results A total of fifty-six reports which used caregivers as participants, were selected and adopted qualitative research methods were chosen. In most qualitative studies, COREQ was not implemented. Some parts of the studies were poorly described and elaborated when reviewing them based on the COREQ guidelines. In the 'Research team and reflexivity', there was lack of description about the researcher. In the 'Study design', there were no detailed descriptions on the approaches they took in recruiting their study participants. There was not enough detail reflexivity participants who refused, and where the recruitment took place. There were also no records of whether there was a pilot test or a data saturation. In 'Analysis and findings' section, there were few articles mentioning Participant checking, and the main opinion of the participants were well analyzed in all the papers, but excluding opinions of few participants. Conclusions There are still many qualitative studies that have caregivers as participants, in the field of pediatrics. However, methodological skills are insufficient. The use of the COREQ guidelines should be further implemented for more robust and methodological improvement.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.245-255
• /
• 2019

Stem cells are attracting attention as a key element in future medicine, satisfying the desire to live a healthier life with the possibility that they can regenerate tissue damaged or degenerated by disease or aging. Stem cells are defined as undifferentiated cells that have the ability to replicate and differentiate themselves into various tissues cells. Stem cells, commonly encountered in clinical or preclinical stages, are largely classified into embryonic, adult, and induced pluripotent stem cells. Recently, stem cell transplantation has been frequently applied to the treatment of pain as an alternative or promising approach for the treatment of severe osteoarthritis, neuropathic pain, and intractable musculoskeletal pain which do not respond to conventional medicine. The main idea of applying stem cells to neuropathic pain is based on the ability of stem cells to release neurotrophic factors, along with providing a cellular source for replacing the injured neural cells, making them ideal candidates for modulating and possibly reversing intractable neuropathic pain. Even though various differentiation capacities of stem cells are reported, there is not enough knowledge and technique to control the differentiation into desired tissues in vivo. Even though the use of stem cells is still in the very early stages of clinical use and raises complicated ethical problems, the future of stem cells therapies is very bright with the help of accumulating evidence and technology.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.50 no.3
• /
• pp.185-190
• /
• 2019

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease and gums pull away from the teeth and form spaces. The main goal of treatment is to control the infection and anti-inflammation. Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. Bark (EU) is a traditional Korean herbal used for the treatment of arthritis and hypertension. In the present study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory properties of EU in Porphyromonas gingivalis-LPS (LPS-PG) induced YD-38 epithelial cells. We observed significant inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production and the expression of interleukin-8 (IL-8), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha ($TNF-{\alpha}$), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in LPS-PG-induced YD-38 cells. These results support that EU has an anti-inflammatory effects for the treatment of periodontitis.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
• /
• v.9 no.6
• /
• pp.52-64
• /
• 2019

The purpose of this study was to understand and describe the illness experience of middle-aged women who underwent craniotomy for meningioma. Data were collected through individual in-depth interviews with 7 middle-aged women who underwent craniotomy. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed using Giorgi's phenomenological analysis to uncover the meaning of the illness experience of the participants. As a results, seven themes were identified: serious attack of fear in middle age, strengthening self-confidence in healing, escape from fear of death, care for my own body, two types of conflict for family harmony and disease, nurse as a healing partner, and opening the second life. Based on the results of this study, it will be possible to plan more comprehensive nursing intervention through understanding of participants' experience. Also, the main reason of fear that participants felt was lack of information about craniotomy. Therefore, the development of educational programs to provide information and knowledge about cranial surgery is suggested.

• Research in Plant Disease
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2019

The rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae, is one of the most economically important crop diseases. In addition, rice-M. oryzae interaction is a classical gene-for-gene host-pathogen system. Race variation in pathogen groups was proposed as the main mechanism for rapid break-down of resistance in newly introduced rice cultivars. These new pathogen race variations may be caused by changes in an avirulence gene, such as (i) point mutations, (ii) insertion of transposons, and (iii) frame shifts. The avirulence gene AVR-Pita1 is representative avirulence gene in which all of these mutations are reported. In this review, we present a useful information for avirulence gene AVR-Pita1 and its homologous genes AVR-Pita2 and AVR-Pita3. We also review examples that cause mutations in these evolutionarily significant genes.

• International journal of advanced smart convergence
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.113-121
• /
• 2021

This study was conducted on 1,174 retirees in their 50s and 60s nationwide using the 7th data of the National Pension Service's National Elderly Security Panel Survey. We were able to confirm the following results through the SPSS WIN 18.0 program.. First, men showed a higher level of education than women. From these results, it is expected that men will be better prepared for retirement. Second, men had spouses and two or more household members than women. According to previous studies showing that men are better prepared for retirement if they have a spouse, it is expected that men are better prepared for retirement. Second, 38% of men and 62% of women were voluntary retirees. Third, both men and women responded that their own and spouses should play the main role in preparing for retirement. Fourth, both men and women had very low rates of preparation for old age, economic independence, and public and private pensions. Among them, women were lower than men. Fifth, economic problem solving, health, and medical care were the priority as parts to be done for retirement in oneself and society. Based on these results, the directions for preparing retirees for retirement are as follows. First, education on wage peak system, retirement age extension and financial management for involuntary retirees is required, and guidance and management methods on health care and disease should be provided to address needs for health and health care. Women had more voluntary retirees than men, and they need to know why. Second, when both men and women are very poor at preparing for retirement, there should be job creation measures to ensure that they and their spouses are fully prepared for retirement.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.64-73
• /
• 2020

Suicidality is the most serious complication of mood disorders and psychosis; effective treatment should reduce suicide rates. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development age-standardized suicide rate in Korea was 22.6 in 2018, much higher compared to other countries worldwide. As mental and psychiatric problems are the main reasons for suicide attempts, accounting for 31.6% in 2018, targeting such problems should be the focus of efforts to reduce suicide rates. However, the ability of current pharmacotherapeutic and psychotherapeutic interventions to reduce suicide rates is limited due to their delayed effects. Therefore, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been proposed as an alternative treatment. This approach is effective for treating most mental disorders associated with high suicide rates, including severe depression, bipolar disorder, and intractable psychotic disorders; ECT is also effective for Parkinson's disease, which has the highest suicide rate among all disorders in Korea. The acute, long-term, and prophylactic effects of ECT on suicidality have been reported in the literature, and treatment guidelines outside of Korea recommend that ECT be used at an early stage for rapid reduction of suicide rates, as opposed to being applied as a treatment of last resort. However, only ~0.092 of every 10000 members of the Korean general population received ECT in 2018; this is much lower than the average rate worldwide, of 2.2 per 10000. Elimination of obstacles to the use of ECT, early crisis intervention involving administration of ECT for rapid stabilization, and maintenance ECT to prevent recurrence should reduce suicide rates.