• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.117-124
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• 2005

Before twentieth centuries and during early twentieth centuries, communicable diseases were the major cause of morbidity and mortality in Korea. But reliable data are not available. After 1975, the overall morbidity and mortality from communicable diseases, rapidly declined. Recently many new pathogenic microbes were recognized: L. monocytogenes, Hantaan virus, Y. pseudotuberculosis, P. multocida, L. pneumophilia, Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), G. seoi, H. capsulatum, C. burnetii, V. cholerae O139, C. parvum, F. tularensis, E. coli O157:H7, B. burgdorferi, S. Typhimurium DT104, Rotavirus, hepatitis C virus and so on. Since the first HIV infection recognized in 1985, the reported cases of infection and deaths from HIV/AIDS have been steady increased each year. Legionnaire's disease, E. coli O157:H7 colitis, listeriosis and crytosporidiasis have been occurring just sporadically among immunocompromized cases. Many re-emerging communicable diseases were occurred in Korea: leptospirosis, malaria, endemic typhus, cholera, tsutsugamushi disease, salmonellosis, hepatitis A, shigellosis, mumps, measles, acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis, brucellosis and so on. Leptospirosis and tsutsugamushi diseases have been noticed as major public health problems since 1980s. The malaria that had been virtually disappeared for a decade has reappeared from 1993 with striking increase of patients in recent 3-4 years. The distributions of salmonella and shigella serotypes have been changed a lot in recent few decades. Furthermore rapid emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains induces more difficult and complex problems in control of communicable diseases. We must recognize on the importance of environment and ecosystem conservation and careful prescription of anti-microbial agent in order to prevent communicable diseases.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.128-135
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• 2007

Purpose: To investigate health problems in child day care centers, needs for Child Care Health Programs, and management of sick children by day-care staff. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study. Day-care staff (N=206) from 33 day care centers in Seoul, completed a structured questionnaire. Results: Almost half of the day-care staff (53.4%) experienced sick events in their child at least once a month. The most frequently reported difficulty in having a sick child was in not having a health professional to consult, and almost all day-care staff (99.5%) had asked parents not to bring a sick child to the day care center. The biggest reason of exclusion was due to infectious disease including measles, chicken pox, mumps, diarrhea·vomiting, and pink eye. The majority of day-care staff (97.6%) agreed that there is a need for Center-based Child Care Health Program (CCCHP), and expected general health & illness management, and special care for chronic disease from CCCHP. Conclusion: These results showed a high incidence of sickness in children in day care centers, and there were great demands for a Center-based Child Care Health Program for day-care staff. Also the results of this study can be utilized as a basis for the establishment of child care policy in Korea.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.380-384
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• 2009

Acute transverse myelitis (ATM) in most patients is characterized by an abrupt onset of progressive weakness and sensory disturbance in the lower extremities with a preceding viral infection such as Epstein-Barr, herpes simplex, influenza, mumps and Varicella-zoster viruses (VZV). Although less frequent, some residual deficits including bladder dysfunction or weakness in the lower extremities may follow ATM, from which recovery usually begins within the first week of the onset of symptoms. In this report, we describe the case of a 9-year-old girl who experienced ATM following chickenpox and had bladder dysfunction as a sequela.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.100-106
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• 2020

The extract of Cudrania tricuspidata is used in ethnomedicine throughout Eastern Asia in China, Korea and Japan. In Korean traditional medicine, Cudrania tricuspidata has been used to treat eczema, mumps, tuberculosis, contusions, insomnia and acute arthritis. In addition, it has been reported that root extract of Cudrania tricuspidata has anti-platelet effects. Therefore, we investigated which compound in Cudrania tricuspidata has inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation. In this study, we tried to explain the inhibitory mechanism of steppogenin from Cudrania tricuspidata on human platelet aggregation. Collagen-induced human platelet aggregation and [Ca²⁺]_i mobilization were dose-dependently inhibited by steppogenin and we determined the inhibition by steppogenin is due to the down regulation of extracellular-signal-regulated kinase(ERK) and inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate receptor type I(IP₃RI) phosphorylation. In addition, steppogenin inhibited collagen-induced fibronectin adhesion to αIIb/β3 and thromboxane A₂ generation. Thus, in the present study, steppogenin showed an inhibitory effect on human platelet aggregation, suggesting its potential use for preventing platelet-induced cardiovascular disease.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.295-302
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• 2020

Cudrania tricuspidata (C. tricuspidata) is a deciduous tree found in Japan, China and Korea. The root, stems, bark and fruit of C. tricuspidata has been used as traditional herbal remedies such as eczema, mumps, acute arthritis and tuberculosis. In this study, we investigated the potential efficacies of this natural compound by focusing on the inhibitory effect of cudraxanthone L (CXL) isolated from the roots of C. tricuspidata on human platelet aggregation. Our study focused on the action of CXL on collagen-stimulated human platelet aggregation, inhibition of platelet signaling molecules such as fibrinogen binding, intracellular calcium mobilization, fibronectin adhesion, dense granule secretion, and thromboxane A2 secretion. In addition, we investigated the inhibitory effect of CXL on thrombin-induced clot retraction. Our results showed that CXL inhibited collagen-induced human platelet aggregation, intracellular calcium mobilization, fibrinogen binding, fibronectin adhesion and clot retraction without cytotoxicity. Therefore, we confirmed that CXL has inhibitory effects on human platelet activities and has potential value as a natural substance for preventing thrombosis.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.203-203
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• 2002

Cytomegalovirus (CMV), a beta-herpesvirus with worldwide distribution, exhibits host persistence, a distinguishing characteristic of all herpesviruses. This persistence is dependent upon restricted gene expression in infected cells as well as the ability of productively infected cells to escape from normal cell-mediated anti-viral immunosurveillance. Type I (IFN-α/β) and type II (IFN-γ) interferons are major components of the innate defense system against viral infection. They are potent inducers of MHC class I and II antigens and of antigen processing proteins. Additionally, IFNS mediate direct antiviral effects through induction effector molecules that block viral infection and replications such as 2′, 5-oligoadenylate synthetase (2, 5-OAS). IFNS function through activation of well-defined signal transduction pathways that involve phosphorylation of constituent proteins and ultimate formation of active transcription factors. Recent studies have shown that a number of diverse viruses, including CMV, EBV, HPV mumps and Ebola, are capable of inhibiting IFN-mediated signal transduction through a variety of mechanisms. As an example, CMV infection inhibits the ability of infected cells Is transcribe HLA class I and II antigens as well as the antiviral effector molecules 2, 5-OAS and MxA I. EMSA studies have shown that IFN-α and IFN-γ are unable to induce complete signal transduction in the presence of CMV infection, phenomena that are associated with specific decreases in JAKl and p48. Viral inhibition of IFN signal transduction represents a new mechanistic paradigm for increased viral survival, a paradigm predicting widespread consequences in the case of signal transduction factors common to multiple cytokine pathways.

• The Journal of Korean Medical History
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.11-22
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• 2012

This study is about King Kyung-jong's medical history written on "The Daily Records of Royal Secretariat of Chosun Dynasty". Kyung-jong, the 20th King of Chosun was born in 1688 as a prince and passed away in 1725. When he was prince, his main diseases were some infectious things; for example, smallpox, measles, a sort of malaria, a sort of mumps etc. But the time he was king, his main diseases were related unenergetic(虛證). According to "The Daily Records of Royal Secretariat of Chosun Dynasty" yak-bang(藥房) records, some informations about his health are different from general knowledges. At first, His father's dead is more related his health than his mother's dead. Second, he was fat, not thin(or desiccate). Third, his infertility was not caused his mother when she died. Fourth, he was regarded as one of psychological healthy person. And not exactly related Kyung-jong's health, in "The Daily Records of Royal Secretariat of Chosun Dynasty" at Kyung=jong's era, there are some meaningful informations at medical history. One is a doctor who was smallpox specialist. His name is Yoo-Sang, he treated three of Chosun's King very perfectly and his family worked for the royal family's health for 150 years, especially treating smallpox. the other is prescription Gamijojungtang(加味調中湯), Kyung-jong's favorite prescription. This prescription is considered royal special prescription at Chosun.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.203-208
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• 2000

Cytomegalovirus (CMV), a beta-herpesvirus with worldwide distribution, exhibits host persistence, a distinguishing characteristic of all herpesviruses. This persistence is dependent upon restricted gene expression in infected cells as well as the ability of productively infected cells to escape from normal cell-mediated anti-viral immunosurveillance. Type I (IFN-$\alpha$/$\beta$) and type II (IFN-γ) interferons are major components of the innate defense system against viral infection. They are potent inducers of MHC class I and II antigens and of antigen processing proteins. Additionally, IFNS mediate direct antiviral effects through induction effector molecules that block viral infection and replications such as 2', 5-oligoadenylate synthetase (2, 5-OAS). IFNS function through activation of well-defined signal transduction pathways that involve phosphorylation of constituent proteins and ultimate formation of active transcription factors. Recent studies have shown that a number of diverse viruses, including CMV, EBV, HPV mumps and Ebola, are capable of inhibiting IFN-mediated signal transduction through a variety of mechanisms. As an example, CMV infection inhibits the ability of infected cells Is transcribe HLA class I and II antigens as well as the antiviral effector molecules 2, 5-OAS and MxA I. EMSA studies have shown that IFN-$\alpha$ and IFN-γ are unable to induce complete signal transduction in the presence of CMV infection, phenomena that are associated with specific decreases in JAKl and p48. Viral inhibition of IFN signal transduction represents a new mechanistic paradigm for increased viral survival, a paradigm predicting widespread consequences in the case of signal transduction factors common to multiple cytokine pathways.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.205-209
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• 2020

Korea was verified as a measles-free country by the World Health Organization in 2014; however, some imported measles cases and related outbreaks were reported. As the incidence of wild-type measles decreases in measles-free countries, the proportion of vaccine-associated measles is increasing. Wild-type measles is highly contagious and requires follow-up and management of the contacts, whereas vaccine-related measles is not contagious and does not require follow-up intervention. Therefore, measles genotyping should be performed to reliably distinguish between them in suspected patients. Two patients with vaccine-associated measles were confirmed through genotyping at Daegu Fatima Hospital. In Korea, there are only a few reports of vaccine-associated measles confirmed through genotyping; thus, we report recent vaccine-associated measles cases, emphasizing the need for genotyping.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.5.1-5.22
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• 2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has developed as a pandemic, and it created an outrageous effect on the current healthcare and economic system throughout the globe. To date, there is no appropriate therapeutics or vaccines against the disease. The entire human race is eagerly waiting for the development of new therapeutics or vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Efforts are being taken to develop vaccines at a rapid rate for fighting against the ongoing pandemic situation. Amongst the various vaccines under consideration, some are either in the preclinical stage or in the clinical stages of development (phase-I, -II, and -III). Even, phase-III trials are being conducted for some repurposed vaccines like Bacillus Calmette-Guérin, polio vaccine, and measles-mumps-rubella. We have highlighted the ongoing clinical trial landscape of the COVID-19 as well as repurposed vaccines. An insight into the current status of the available antigenic epitopes for SARS-CoV-2 and different types of vaccine platforms of COVID-19 vaccines has been discussed. These vaccines are highlighted throughout the world by different news agencies. Moreover, ongoing clinical trials for repurposed vaccines for COVID-19 and critical factors associated with the development of COVID-19 vaccines have also been described.