• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.32 no.6
• /
• pp.482-490
• /
• 2022

Sarcopenia, a geriatric and multifactorial syndrome characterized by progressive systemic skeletal muscle disorder, may be associated with many comorbidities. Sarcopenia caused by a decrease in muscle mass and muscle strength is accompanied by the aggravation of various pathological conditions, and as life expectancy increases, its prevalence will continue to increase in the future. During the aging process, chronic oxidative stress and increased inflammatory responses act as major contributors to skeletal muscle loss. In addition, disruption of autophagy and apoptosis signals associated with dysfunction of mitochondria, which are essential for energy metabolism, accelerates the loss of muscle proteins. The pharmacological effect of cordycepin, a major physiologically active substance in the genus Cordyceps, which has been widely used for the prevention and treatment of various diseases for a long time, is directly related to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions. In this review, we present the correlation between apoptosis, autophagy, protein catabolism, and satellite cell activity important for muscle regeneration using cordycepin for the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia. Although there have been few studies so far on the use of cordycepin for sarcopenia, previous studies suggest that cordycepin may contribute to inhibiting the age-related weakening of mitochondrial function and blocking the breakdown of muscle proteins. In addition, the protective effect of cordycepin on muscle cell damage is considered to be closely related to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Therefore, it is considered that more continuous basic research is needed, focusing on the molecular biological mechanism of cordycepin, which is involved in the anti-aging of muscle cells.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.137-145
• /
• 2022

Purpose: This retrospective chart review study was conducted to examine the frequency of delirium and to identify the risk factors of delirium in elderly surgical patients. Methods: The subjects of this study were 394 patients aged 65 years or older who underwent surgery. The diagnosis of delirium was based on the nursing assessment records with scores from the day of surgery to the 4th day after surgery. The collected data were analyzed by binary logistic regression analysis. Results: The incidence of delirium was 4.3%, and delirium occurred most frequently on the first day of surgery and lasted for 2.16 days on average. Of delirium patients, 76.5% underwent gastrointestinal surgery, and the most common delirium pattern was disorientation. In terms of the characteristics of the subjects, the occurrence of delirium was statistically different by age (𝝌²=10.79, p=.005), systemic-specific disease (𝝌²=9.63, p=.047), use of delirium-inducing drug(benzodiazepine) before surgery (𝝌²=15.90, p<.001), walking ability before surgery (𝝌²=7.65, p=.006), history of delirium (𝝌²=35.92, p<.001), and emergency surgery (𝝌²=16.40, p<.001). As risk factors of delirium, gastrointestinal surgery was found to increase the risk of delirium by 12.57 times (95% CI=2.45~64.46, p=.002), and the use of benzodiazepines before surgery was shown to increase delirium by 10.07 times (95% CI=2.21~45.87, p=.003). Conclusion: It is necessary for nurses to actively evaluate delirium using screening tools for early detection and prevention of delirium in elderly surgical patients with delirium risk factors.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.7-24
• /
• 2021

Objective : This study examined the characteristics of the literature involving a single-subject research design among positive behavior support intervention studies to improve problem behavior in children with autism spectrum disorders and assess the quality level. Methods : This is a literature study, and the targets of analysis were nine single-subject research papers published between 2011 and 2020. The subject papers were analyzed by dividing them into general characteristics and the qualitative levels according to the content of the research method. Results : Analysis of analyzing the contents of the study showed that the subjects were preschool and elementary school-age children at the same ratio. Furthermore, the study design involved mostly the middle and multiple baseline designs among the behaviors. All papers presented social validity, intervention fidelity, and observer reliability. Problem behaviors included self-injury and aggression behaviors, disturbing behaviors, and seat break-away behaviors, while the most dependent variables were measured through partial interval recording. As a result of confirming the intervention effect, the effect was confirmed in intervention, maintenance, and generalization. All analysis studies showed high-quality levels. Conclusion : This study confirmed the content and qualitative level of the thesis that applied the single-subject research design among positive behavior support intervention studies for problem behaviors of children with autism spectrum disorders. Positive behavior support intervention, an evidence-based intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders, was confirmed an effective intervention for autism spectrum disorders.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Sensory Integration
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.72-85
• /
• 2022

Objective : This study was conducted to examine self-selected goals and the outcome measures used in the Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) approach for Developmental Coordination Disorder. Methods : Studies published from January 2012 to October 2022 in the PubMed, Embase, ScienceDirect, Cochrance Library databases were searched. Keywords used for search were ('developmental coordination disorder' OR 'DCD') AND ('Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance' OR 'Cognitive Orientation to Occupational Performance' OR 'CO-OP'). Among 211 searched studies, 7 selected studies that match the thesis of this study were analyzed. Results : The selected studies showed a relatively high level of evidence overall, including two randomized experimental studies, one non-random two-group study, three non-random one-group studies, one single-subject study. The self-selected goals preference of the children was high in the order of play, education, and daily life activities. Most of applicable sessions were conducted 10 times during a 1-h period, and intervention effects showed positive outcomes on the occupation performance motor domain. To measure the effectiveness of CO-OP, the improvement of occupational performance was evaluated using Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) and Performance Quality Rating Scale (PQRS), and the improvement of motor skills was evaluated using Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC). Conclusion : This study is expected to be used as basic clinical data when applying the CO-OP approach to Developmental Coordination Disorder.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.97-103
• /
• 2023

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute, systemic inflammatory disorder that often targets coronary arteries. Being the common cause of acquired heart disease in children, timely diagnosis and intravenous immunoglobulin treatment are crucial. However, it is challenging for physicians to diagnose KD if it presents with atypical manifestations. We report the case of a 5-year-old boy who initially presented with appendicitis; after an appendectomy, he had a prolonged fever. He was finally diagnosed with atypical KD and successfully recovered after intravenous immunoglobulin treatment. Through a literature review, we found 21 cases of appendicitis associated with KD. In most cases, the patients were male with a mean age of 5.3 years. Most had higher proportions of incomplete KD and coronary artery complications than expected for typical KD. In conclusion, appendicitis could be a rare complication of KD; therefore, multidisciplinary cooperation and early recognition of atypical KD are essential for timely diagnosis.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
• /
• v.54 no.1
• /
• pp.72-77
• /
• 2019

Candida vertebral osteomyelitis (CVO) is a rare disease that is a complication of intravenous drug use, but recently it has been recognized as mostly an opportunistic infection. Because CVO appears to mimic pyogenic spondylodiscitis in terms of the clinical and radiologic presentations, it is often neglected in a usual clinical setting. The clinical, radiological, and biological characteristics of CVO are often used to make a differential diagnosis with vertebral osteomyelitis from other etiologies. Once an initial proper diagnosis was performed, the treatment relies on the prompt initiation of appropriate pharmacotherapy and serial monitoring of the clinical progress. This paper report late-onset CVO in two young patients who underwent a heart transplant surgery and had postoperative systemic candidiasis. These two cases are a good reminder of the potential of CVO in immunosuppressive patients treated with anti-fungal agents. This paper presents these two cases with a review of the relevant literature.

• Korea Trade Review
• /
• v.43 no.3
• /
• pp.101-124
• /
• 2018

After the establishment of the Korean Product Liability Act, a new clause on the burden of proof has been added and is being revised to meet the purpose of consumer protection. Article 3(2) of the new clause stipulates a provision for estimating a causal relationship when proving indirect facts to alleviate burden of proof. While consumer rights are increasing and public attention is drawn to consumer issues, problems are still emerging. In order to solve the problem, the U.S. Product Liability Act, which has strong consumer rights, was examined to describe the direction in which Korea's Product Liability Act should proceed in terms of consumer protection. The results of the comparative analysis show that the US has expanded the concept of strict liability in terms of rigorous liability, consumer dispute resolution, provable possibility, and litigation accessibility, The consumer dispute settlement system has thoroughly protected consumers by operating educational and systemic consumer ADR system. As for the possibility of proving, Korea has three provenances, and the United States has one. In the United States, where consumer lawsuits are frequent, lawsuits are more accessible than those in Korea, where the party responsible for proving is turned into a manufacturer and responsible for proving the case. This study focuses on consumer protection and provides implications for Korean product liability law.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.72-78
• /
• 2023

Objectives : This study aims to identify various psychiatric symptoms and psychosomatic symptoms caused by COVID-19 infection and investigate their long-term impact. Methods : A systematic literature review was conducted, selecting papers from domestic and international databases using keywords such as "COVID-19" and "psychosomatic." A total of 16 papers, including those using structured measurement tools for psychosomatic symptoms, were included in the final analysis. Results : Psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and somatic symptoms have been reported in acute COVID-19 infection, while long-term post-COVID symptoms include chest pain and fatigue. The frequency of long-term psychosomatic symptoms has been estimated to be 10%-20%. Factors contributing to these symptoms include psychological and social stress related to infectious diseases, gender, elderly age, a history of psychiatric disorders, and comorbid mental illnesses. It is suggested that systemic inflammation, autoimmune responses, and dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system may be involved. Conclusions : Psychosomatic symptoms arising after COVID-19 infection have a negative impact on quality of life and psychosocial functioning. Understanding and addressing psychiatric aspects are crucial for symptom prevention and treatment.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.33 no.10
• /
• pp.842-850
• /
• 2023

Pyrrolnitrin, pyrrolomycin, and pyoluteorin are functional halogenated phenylpyrrole derivatives (HPDs) derived from microorganisms with diverse antimicrobial activities. Pyrrolnitrin is a secondary metabolite produced from L-tryptophan through four-step reactions in Pseudomonas fluorescens, Burkholderia cepacia, Serratia plymuthica, etc. It is currently used for the treatment of superficial dermatophytic fungal infections, has high antagonistic activities against soil-borne and foliar fungal infections, and has many industrial applications. Since pyrrolnitrin is easily decomposed by light, it is difficult to widely use it outdoors. As an alternative, fludioxonil, a synthetically produced non-systemic surface fungicide that is structurally similar and has excellent light stability, has been commercialized for seed and foliar treatment of plants. However, due to its high toxicity to aquatic organisms and adverse effects in human cell lines, many countries have established maximum residue levels and strictly control its levels. Pyrrolomycin and pyoluteorin, which have antibiotic/antibiofilm activity against Gram-positive bacteria and high anti-oomycete activity against the plant pathogen Pythium ultimum, respectively, were isolated and identified from microorganisms. This review summarizes the biosynthesis and production of natural pyrrolnitrin derived from bacteria and the characteristics of synthetic fludioxonil and other natural phenylpyrrole derivatives among the HPDs. We expect that a plethora of highly effective, novel HPDs that are safe for humans and environments will be developed through the generation of an HPD library by microbial biosynthesis and chemical synthesis.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.316-330
• /
• 2008

During the past two decades or so, science (or scientific or scientific & technological) culture has become one of the main themes not only of policy makers but also of science educators. Although, the idea of science culture has been taken as a desirable goal, there is little agreement about what it means and how to measure it. Particularly in Korea, there has been a rapid growth of science culture projects and programs, either by governmental or non-governmental, but with little systemic monitoring and evaluation for its practice. The purpose of this study is, thus, to explore a model of measuring science culture and develop a comprehensive indicator system for it. We reviewed many literatures on definitions of science culture and the surveys for related terms, particularly, of recent national and international surveys (e.g. US Science and Engineering Indicators, Eurobarometer, Japanese Science and Technology Indicators). Based on this review, a model for science culture is proposed and then used to define the Science Culture Indicators (SCI). This model encompasses two dimensions(i.e. individual and social), which are further divided into two aspects (i.e. potential and practice). Each dimension is expected to represent citizen literacy of and national infrastructure of science culture respectively. Each category in this $2{\times}2$ matrix is further divided into several sub-categories. The discussion concerning how the model and the indicators can be used to check the states of science culture at social as well as individual levels will be given with some concrete examples, such as indicators particularly related to science education.