• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.1475-1487
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• 2023

The purpose of this study was to understand the experience of nurses working in public health centers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify its essence. The subjects who had worked for more than one year during the period of COVID-19 pandemic in three county health centers in C province were selected as research participants and analyzed according to the phenomenological method proposed by Colaizzi. As a result of the study, three themes were derived: Negative feelings about COVID-19, A firm sense of professional calling, Leading the way in preparing a system to respond to new infectious diseases. Based on this, it was confirmed that it is necessary to strengthen psychological problem support for nurses, improve biased work, support professional manpower, support systematic education, and prepare appropriate compensation system. Therefore, based on the results of this study, active discussions should be made with various interests in order to establish a support system for nurses who are major personnel in the health care system and to prepare an effective infectious disease response strategy.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.45 no.2 s.142
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• pp.157-161
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• 2007

A total of 1,496 rodents and insectivores were live-trapped at Yeoncheon-gun (n = 351), Paju-shi (804), and Pocheon-gun (343), Gyeonggi-do (Province), and examined for intestinal helminths, including Neodiplostomum seoulense, seasonally from December 2004 to September 2005. Six species of rodents, including Apodemus agrarius (1,366), Mus musculus (32), Micronytus fortis (28), Eothenomys regulus (9), Micronys minutus (6), and Cricetulus triton (3), and 1 species of insectivores Crocidura lasiura (54) were collected. A total of 321 adult N. seoulense were collected from 19 (1.4%) A. agrarius. The worm burden ranged from 1 to 101 per A. agrarius (mean; 16.9). No N. seoulense was observed in other rodent or insectivore species examined. The infection rate during autumn (4.5%) was higher than those during spring (0.8%), summer (0.8%), and winter (0.5%). The average number of N. seoulense in infected A. agrarius was the highest in spring (66.0 specimens), followed by autumn (15.2), winter (4.5), and summer (3.3). This study first confirms that A. agrarius is a natural definitive host for N. seoulense, and demonstrates that the infection rates and intensities vary seasonally and geographically.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.1-11
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• 2023

Objectives : The objective of this study is to identify the characteristics of outpatients and the frequently diagnosed diseases in dermatology of Korean medicine through periodic research and comparison with previous studies. Methods : We analyzed medical records of new outpatients who visited department of dermatology at Kyung Hee university Korean medicine hospital between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2022. We analyzed the patient demographic characteristics and the frequency of diagnosed diseases. Then we compared these results with previous studies in 2000, 2007 and 2016. Results : 1. Average number of patients and proportion of male patients have increased from 1996 to 2022. 2. From 1996 to 2022, there was a decrease in the proportion of patients aged 0-39 and an increase in the proportion of patients aged over 40. 3. The distribution proportions of eczema, atopic dermatitis, and rosacea during 2018-2022 have increased compared to those during 2011-2015. 4. The distribution of diseases according to age appears to vary based on the epidemiological characteristics of the diseases. 5. The distribution of diseases according to gender also appears to vary based on the epidemiological characteristics of the diseases, as well as cosmetic issues related to the affected areas. Conclusions : Considering the sustained trend of a high proportion of non-infectious inflammatory diseases since 1996, it is important to enhance treatment capacity through continuous research.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.524-552
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• 1998

Purgation therapy has played an important role as a influential remedy from the begining of the Chinese medicine. Especially purgation therapy is raised as the effective remedy on the acute infectious disease in the book of 'Treatise on Febrile Disease'. But It was inclined to cold-nature and available only in the excess syndrome. Nevertheless it is evident that the book has showed an example of this therapy. During the middle age, purgation therapy is classified into several subtype; hydrogogue therapy, laxation with lubricants, purgation with cold-natured drugs and purgation with warm-natured drugs. Comparing with the ancient times, it must be a progression. It was investigated earnestly by a school leaded by Zhang Congzheng. They were not restricted to several diseases, but applied it to the wide range of diseases. They thought as following. 'One is ill from pathogenic factor so that you should eliminate it from the human body'. Hence, they frequently used three major remedies such as diaphoresis, emesis and purgation. In this process, purgation therapy had showed eye-opening progress. But opposition to it was not little. Li Gao was a representative man on the opposite side. He expressed a critical opinion and placed great importance on the genuine energy, the natural healing force. Under his influence, a large number of doctors evaded purgation and put it under taboo. On account of these trend, purgation therapy had took a backward step and retrograded. Therefore cathartics such as Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, Rharbitidis Semen, cold drugs such as Gypsum Fibrosum, etc. had been excluded for preservation of the genuine energy, and came about an obnoxious custom to value only 'tonity deficiency', or 'warm and tonify'. As it had came into fashion to approach most disease from the point of view, purgation therapy was merely fall into a remedy of constipation. After the eighteenth century purgation therapy encountered the new period of rivival. It was introduced by them who strived for the study of Epidemics to the new current of thought, so called '增水行舟'. It was because 온병 was apt to dissipate one's Yin fluid. Therefore purgation therapy of this period was characterized by establishing nourishment Yin and body fluid with or without use of timely purgation of accumulation of heat. From the time of Zhang Congzheng, it was accomplished by Lee Je-ma to the most epoch-making change. He caused an improvement in the use of purgation therapy by regarding innate constitutional contradiction as importance than representing clinical symptoms. He warned that existing remedies that depend only upon symptoms and signs, not upon individual characteristics including constitutional features didn't bring round to but kill them. And he understood all the pathologic processes in his constitutional theory, investigated specific drugs on four constitution, made indications of each prescriptions clear. For giving to differentiation of constition before differentiation of syndrom, his new slant on the pathologic phenomena overcome the limitations of 변증시치, and revaluate purgation therapy from remedy impaire the genuine energy to that restore it by recover the balance between the internal organ. It is the product of him to fundamentally upset the cause to be in disregard of purgation therapy.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.64 no.3
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• pp.187-193
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• 2008

Background: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and extensively drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) are serious threats to worldwide tuberculosis control, but the national burden and the trends of infectious spread are largely unknown. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the results of drug sensitivity tests and medical records of patients that were diagnosed with culture-confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis and were admitted to the National Masan Tuberculosis Hospital between 2001 and 2005. Results: From 2001 to 2005, the proportion of MDR-TB among new cases was 9.2%, 13.8%, 16.9%, 23% and 27.0% in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005, respectively, and the proportion of MDR-TB among previously treated cases was 58.5%, 60.2%, 62.7%, 61.7% and 71.3% in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005, respectively. A significant increasing trend could be discerned for MDR-TB among both new and previously treated cases (p<0.001, p=0.002 for trend, respectively). The proportion of XDR-TB among new cases was 0%, 2.3%, 3.1%, 2.5% and 6.3% in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005, respectively, and the proportion of XDR-TB among previously treated cases was 9.1%, 15.7%, 17.3%, 19.9% and 19.1% in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005, respectively. A significant increasing trend could be discerned for XDR-TB among both new and previously treated cases (p=0.005, p<0.001 for trend, respectively). Conclusion: Both MDR-B and XDR-TB were gradually increased among both new and previously treated cases. Integrated national surveillance, including the public and private sectors, will be needed to estimate the exact status of antituberculous drug resistance.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.362-370
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• 2023

Objective: To report the clinical and radiological characteristics of patients with underlying B-cell lymphoma and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) showing migratory airspace opacities on serial chest computed tomography (CT) with persistent COVID-19 symptoms. Materials and Methods: From January 2020 to June 2022, of the 56 patients with underlying hematologic malignancy who had undergone chest CT more than once at our hospital after acquiring COVID-19, seven adult patients (5 female; age range, 37-71 years; median age, 45 years) who showed migratory airspace opacities on chest CT were selected for the analysis of clinical and CT features. Results: All patients had been diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma (three diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and four follicular lymphoma) and had received B-cell depleting chemotherapy, including rituximab, within three months prior to COVID-19 diagnosis. The patients underwent a median of 3 CT scans during the follow-up period (median 124 days). All patients showed multifocal patchy peripheral ground glass opacities (GGOs) with basal predominance in the baseline CTs. In all patients, follow-up CTs demonstrated clearing of previous airspace opacities with the development of new peripheral and peribronchial GGO and consolidation in different locations. Throughout the follow-up period, all patients demonstrated prolonged COVID-19 symptoms accompanied by positive polymerase chain reaction results from nasopharyngeal swabs, with cycle threshold values of less than 25. Conclusion: COVID-19 patients with B-cell lymphoma who had received B-cell depleting therapy and are experiencing prolonged SARS-CoV-2 infection and persistent symptoms may demonstrate migratory airspace opacities on serial CT, which could be interpreted as ongoing COVID-19 pneumonia.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2024

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to conduct a descriptive survey to examine the knowledge, infection prevention behaviors, and health beliefs regarding COVID-19 and to identify factors that influence infection prevention behaviors in elementary and middle school students based on the Health Belief Model. Methods: The study included 388 elementary and middle school students in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Jeonbuk provinces. Data were collected from September 1 to September 15, 2023. The questionnaire consisted of 10 questions about COVID-19 knowledge, 13 questions about infection prevention behaviors, and 15 questions about health beliefs. The collected data were subjected to multiple hierarchical regression analyses. The cronbach's α of infection prevention behaviors was 0.83, the KR-20 of COVID-19 related knowledge was 0.68, and the Cronbach's α of COVID-19 related health beliefs was 0. 78. Results: In Model 1, females showed higher levels of infection prevention behaviors than males (β=.14, p=.006) and middle school students showed lower levels of infection prevention behaviors than elementary school students (β=-.10, p=.037). In Model 2, among COVID-19-related health beliefs, barriers had a significant negative effect on infection prevention behaviors (β=-.20, p<.001) and cues to action had a significant positive effect on infection prevention behaviors (β=.14, p=.037), indicating that lower barriers and higher cues to action were associated with higher levels of infection prevention behaviors. Conclusion: The results showed that prevention behaviors were associated with lower barriers and higher cues to action among COVID-19 health beliefs. Elementary and middle school students in Korea spend a lot of time in groups at private academies or school, which are closed spaces with poor ventilation, making them vulnerable to new infectious diseases such as COVID-19. Unlike adults, infectious diseases can have serious impact on their mental and social health. Therefore, it is necessary for schools to provide accurate and timely health education about COVID-19 to increase cues to action for elementary and middle school students in order to improve their infection prevention behaviors.

• BMB Reports
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.311-318
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• 2016

Innate immune responses are primary, relatively limited, and specific responses to numerous pathogens and toxic molecules. Protein expression involved in these innate responses must be tightly regulated at both transcriptional level and post-transcriptional level to avoid the development of excessive inflammation that can be potentially harmful to the host. MicroRNAs are small noncoding RNAs (∼22 nucleotides [nts]) that participate in the regulation of numerous physiological responses by targeting specific messenger RNAs to suppress their translation. Recent work has shown that several negative regulators of transcription including microRNAs play important roles in inhibiting the exacerbation of inflammatory responses and in the maintenance of immunological homeostasis. This emerging research area will provide new insights on how microRNAs regulate innate immune signaling. It might show that dysregulation of microRNA synthesis is associated with the pathogenesis of inflammatory and infectious diseases. In this review, we focused on miR-146 and miR-125 and described the roles these miRNAs in modulating innate immune signaling. These microRNAs can control inflammatory responses and the outcomes of pathogenic infections.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.241-246
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• 2015

Helicobacter pylori is an important transmissible human pathogen found on the luminal surface of the gastric epithelium. The organism can persist in the stomach indefinitely and causes gastroduodenal inflammation that may proceed to atrophic gastritis, peptic ulcer, gastric MALT lymphoma, and gastric cancer. Standard triple therapy which consists of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) plus two antibiotics (amoxicillin and clarithromycin) is now generally used in Korea, however, eradication rates of H. pylori has been decreasing due to increasing antibiotic resistance. In this review, current second-line treatment regimens, difficult problems on treatment, necessity of local target therapy, applicability of clay minerals as a drug delivery system (DDS), and a new therapeutic strategy and its study plans will be discussed.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.5-14
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• 2009

The availability of effective vaccines has had the most profound positive effect on improving the quality of public health by preventing infectious diseases. Despite many successful vaccines, there are still old and new emerging pathogens against which there is no vaccine available. A better understanding of how vaccines work for providing protection will help to improve current vaccines as well as to develop effective vaccines against pathogens for which we do not have a proper means to control. Recent studies have focused on innate immunity as the first line of host defense and its role in inducing adaptive immunity; such studies have been an intense area of research, which will reveal the immunological mechanisms how vaccines work for protection. Toll-like receptors (TLRs), a family of receptors for pathogen-associated molecular patterns on cells of the innate immune system, play a critical role in detecting and responding to microbial infections. Importantly, the innate immune system modulates the quantity and quality of long-term T and B cell memory and protective immune responses to pathogens. Limited studies suggest that vaccines which mimic natural infection and/or the structure of pathogens seem to be effective in inducing long-term protective immunity. A better understanding of the similarities and differences of the molecular and cellular events in host responses to vaccination and pathogen infection would enable the rationale for design of novel preventive measures against many challenging pathogens.