A Pilot Establishment of the Job-Exposure Matrix of Lead Using the Standard Process Code of Nationwide Exposure Databases in Korea

Background@#The purpose of this study is to construct a job-exposure matrix for lead that accounts for industry and work processes within industries using a nationwide exposure database. @*Methods@#We used the work environment measurement data (WEMD) of lead monitored nationwide from 2015 to 2016. Industrial hygienists standardized the work process codes in the database to 37 standard process and extracted key index words for each process. A total of 37 standardized process codes were allocated to each measurement based on an automated key word search based on the degree of agreement between the measurement information and the standard process index. Summary statistics, including the arithmetic mean, geometric mean, and 95th percentile level (X95), was calculated according to industry, process, and industry process. Using statistical parameters of contrast and precision, we compared the similarity of exposure groups by industry, process, and industry process. @*Results@#The exposure intensity of lead was estimated for 583 exposure groups combined with 128 industry and 35 process. The X95 value of the “casting” process of the “manufacture of basic precious and non-ferrous metals” industry was 53.29 μg/m3, exceeding the occupational exposure limit of 50 μg/m3. Regardless of the limitation of the minimum number of samples in the exposure group, higher contrast was observed when the exposure groups were by industry process than by industry or process. @*Conclusion@#We evaluated the exposure intensities of lead by combination of industry and process. The results will be helpful in determining more accurate information regarding exposure in lead-related epidemiological studies.

TMPRSS2 and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase are effective targets of therapeutic intervention for treatment of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 variants (B.1.1.7 and B.1.351)

SARS-CoV-2 is a causative agent of COVID-19 pandemic and the development of therapeutic interventions is urgently needed. So far, monoclonal antibodies and drug repositioning are the main methods for drug development and this effort was partially successful. Since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic, the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants has been reported in many parts of the world and the main concern is whether the current vaccines and therapeutics are still effective against these variant viruses. The viral entry and viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) are the main targets of current drug development, thus the inhibitory effects of TMPRSS2 and RdRp inhibitors were compared among the early SARS-CoV-2 isolate (lineage A) and the two recent variants (lineage B.1.1.7 and lineage B.1.351) identified in the UK and South Africa, respectively. Our in vitro analysis of viral replication showed that the drugs targeting TMPRSS2 and RdRp are equally effective against the two variants of concern.

Assessment of the Position of the Mandibular Foramen and Mandibular Lingula in Children and Adolescents using CBCT / 대한소아치과학회지

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the position of the mandibular foramen and location and morphological characteristics of the mandibular lingula using Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT).Mandibular CBCT images of children aged 6 - 16 years were collected. A total of 180 patients were divided into 3 groups, 6 - 7, 10 - 11 and 15 - 16 years, with 30 male and female patients per group. Either side of the ramus was analyzed. The shortest distances from the anterior, posterior, superior and inferior border of the ramus to the mandibular lingula were measured. The shortest distance between the mandibular lingula and the mandibular foramen was also measured. The vertical distance from the mandibular lingula and the mandibular foramen to the occlusal plane was measured. The shapes of the mandibular lingula was classified into 4 types according to the criteria.The distances of the mandibular lingula from the anteroposterior and vertical reference points of the ramus increased in all directions with age. The distance between the mandibular lingula and the mandibular foramen also increased with age. The location of the mandibular lingula and the mandibular foramen in relation to the occlusal plane moved upwards with age. The most common shape of the mandibular lingula was triangular, followed by nodular, truncated and assimilated, and there was no difference in the shape according to age.It is recommended that the horizontal insertion point of the anesthesia from the anterior border of the ramus increased to 17 mm, 18 mm, and 19 mm according to the age groups. It is also suggested that the vertical insertion point increased by 2 - 3 mm, 5 - 6 mm and 9 - 10 mm above the occlusal plane according to the age groups.

Robust and sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 using PCR based methods

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as an international health emergency. Current diagnostic tests are based on the reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) method, the gold standard test that involves the amplification of viral RNA. However, the RT-qPCR assay has limitations in terms of sensitivity and quantification. In this study, we tested both qPCR and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) to detect low amounts of viral RNA. The cycle threshold (CT) of viral RNA by RT-PCR significantly varied according to the sequence of primer and probe sets with in vitro transcript (IVT) RNA or viral RNA as templates, whereas the copy number of viral RNA by ddPCR was effectively quantified with IVT RNA, cultured viral RNA, and RNA from clinical samples. Furthermore, the clinical samples were assayed via both methods, and the sensitivity of the ddPCR was determined to be significantly higher than RT-qPCR. These findings suggest that ddPCR could be used as a highly sensitive and compatible diagnostic method for viral RNA detection.

Identification of antiviral drug candidates against SARS-CoV-2 from FDA-approved drugs

COVID-19 is an emerging infectious disease and was recently declared as a pandemic by WHO. Currently, there is no vaccine or therapeutic available for this disease. Drug repositioning represents the only feasible option to address this global challenge and a panel of 48 FDA-approved drugs that have been pre-selected by an assay of SARS-CoV was screened to identify potential antiviral drug candidates against SARS-CoV-2 infection. We found a total of 24 drugs which exhibited antiviral efficacy (0.1 M < IC50 < 10 M) against SARS-CoV-2. In particular, two FDA-approved drugs - niclosamide and ciclesonide - were notable in some respects. These drugs will be tested in an appropriate animal model for their antiviral activities. In near future, these already FDA-approved drugs could be further developed following clinical trials in order to provide additional therapeutic options for patients with COVID-19.

Erratum: Correction of the Text in the Article “Table”: Discordance between Physician and the General Public Perceptions of Prognostic Disclosure to Children with Serious Illness: a Korean Nationwide Study

While recently extending that research, however, the authors discovered that 236 members of the general population were mistakenly to be duplicated by the investigating agency (Word Research) and 1,241 were reported rather than 1,005. The authors present corrections and discuss the relevant data. The authors wish to apologize to the publisher and readers of Journal of Korean Medical Science for these errors.

Erratum: Correction of the Text in the Article “Table”: Discordance between Physician and the General Public Perceptions of Prognostic Disclosure to Children with Serious Illness: a Korean Nationwide Study

While recently extending that research, however, the authors discovered that 236 members of the general population were mistakenly to be duplicated by the investigating agency (Word Research) and 1,241 were reported rather than 1,005. The authors present corrections and discuss the relevant data. The authors wish to apologize to the publisher and readers of Journal of Korean Medical Science for these errors.

Deciphering Macrophage Phenotypes upon Lipid Uptake and Atherosclerosis

In the progression of atherosclerosis, macrophages are the key immune cells for foam cell formation. During hyperlipidemic condition, phagocytic cells such as monocytes and macrophages uptake oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDLs) accumulated in subintimal space, and lipid droplets are accumulated in their cytosols. In this review, we discussed the characteristics and phenotypic changes of macrophages in atherosclerosis and the effect of cytosolic lipid accumulation on macrophage phenotype. Due to macrophage plasticity, the inflammatory phenotypes triggered by oxLDL can be re-programmed by cytosolic lipid accumulation, showing downregulation of NF-κB activation followed by activation of anti-inflammatory genes, leading to tissue repair and homeostasis. We also discuss about various in vivo and in vitro models for atherosclerosis research and next generation sequencing technologies for foam cell gene expression profiling. Analysis of the phenotypic changes of macrophages during the progression of atherosclerosis with adequate approach may lead to exact understandings of the cellular mechanisms and hint therapeutic targets for the treatment of atherosclerosis.

Curcumin and hesperetin attenuate D-galactose-induced brain senescence in vitro and in vivo

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES@#Brain senescence causes cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration. It has also been demonstrated that curcumin (Cur) and hesperetin (Hes), both antioxidant polyphenolic compounds, mediate anti-aging and neuroprotective effects. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate whether Cur, Hes, and/or their combination exert anti-aging effects in D-galactose (Dg)-induced aged neuronal cells and rats.MATERIALS/METHODS: SH-SY5Y cells differentiated in response to retinoic acid were treated with Cur (1 μM), Hes (1 μM), or a combination of both, followed by 300 mM Dg.Neuronal loss was subsequently evaluated by measuring average neurite length and analyzing expression of β-tubulin III, phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinases, and neurofilament heavy polypeptide. Cellular senescence and related proteins, p16 and p21, were also investigated, including their regulation of antioxidant enzymes. In vivo, brain aging was induced by injecting 250 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) Dg. The effects of supplementing this model with 50 mg/kg b.w. Cur, 50 mg/kg b.w. Hes, or a combination of both for 3 months were subsequently evaluated. Brain aging was examined with a step-through passive avoidance test and apoptosis markers were analyzed in brain cortex tissues. @*RESULTS@#Cur, Hes, and their combination improved neuron length and cellular senescence by decreasing the number of β-gal stained cells, down-regulated expression of p16 and p21, and up-regulated expression of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase 1, glutathione peroxidase 1, and catalase. Administration of Cur, Hes, or their combination also tended to ameliorate cognitive impairment and suppress apoptosis in the cerebral cortex by downregulating Bax and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase expression and increasing Bcl-2 expression. @*CONCLUSIONS@#Cur and Hes appear to attenuate Dg-induced brain aging via regulation of antioxidant enzymes and apoptosis. These results suggest that Cur and Hes may mediate neuroprotective effects in the aging process, and further study of these antioxidant polyphenolic compounds is warranted.

Erratum: Correction of the Text in the Article “Table”: Discordance between Physician and the General Public Perceptions of Prognostic Disclosure to Children with Serious Illness: a Korean Nationwide Study

While recently extending that research, however, the authors discovered that 236 members of the general population were mistakenly to be duplicated by the investigating agency (Word Research) and 1,241 were reported rather than 1,005. The authors present corrections and discuss the relevant data. The authors wish to apologize to the publisher and readers of Journal of Korean Medical Science for these errors.

An Unusual Occurrence of Epidermoid Cyst in the Inner Mucosa of the Upper Lip: A Case Report / 대한소아치과학회지

Epidermoid cysts are rare benign lesions in the oral cavity that may be either congenital or acquired. The cysts are usually slow-growing and asymptomatic until becoming secondarily infected or large enough to interfere with mastication and speech. Consequently, diagnosis is often delayed. The condition is also uncommon in newborns and infants. Most of the lesions occur in the floor of the mouth and rarely in the upper lip. This report describes the case of a 29-month-old girl with a palpable mass in the inner mucosa of the upper lip. The lesion was surgically enucleated using an intraoral approach and histopathologically diagnosed as epidermoid cyst.

Development and Validation of the Communication Behavior Scale for Nurses Caring for People with Dementia / 간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the Communication Behavior Scale for nurses caring for people with Dementia (CBS-D). METHODS: Based on communication accommodation theory, the initial items were generated through a literature review and interviews with 20 experts. Content and face validity of the initial items were assessed. Data from 486 nurses caring for people with dementia were analyzed using item analysis, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, criterion-related validity, and internal consistency. RESULTS: The final scale consisted of 18 items and four factors (discourse response management, interpersonal control, emotional expression, and interpretability) that explained 57.6% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the theoretical model with 18 items satisfied all goodness-of-fit parameters. Criterion-related validity was shown by the Global Interpersonal Communication Competence Scale (r=.506, p < .001). Cronbach's alpha for the total scale was .88. CONCLUSION: The CBS-D can be used to measure the communication behavior of nurses caring for people with dementia.

Erratum: Correction of Ethics Statement: Discordance between Physician and the General Public Perceptions of Prognostic Disclosure to Children with Serious Illness: a Korean Nationwide Study

The approval number of Institutional Review Board (IRB) was wrong in the article.

Quantity over Quality? Perception of Designating Long-Term Care Hospitals as Providers of Hospice and Palliative Care / 한국호스피스완화의료학회지

PURPOSE: Amendment to the Act on Decisions on Life-sustaining Treatment was recently enacted to designate long-term care hospitals as providers of hospice and palliative care. Despite its benefit of providing improved accessibility to end-of-life care, the amendment has raised concerns about its effect on quality of service. This study aimed to use information obtained from an expert group interview and previous studies to compare how cancer patients, family caregivers, physicians, and the general Korean population perceive the potential benefits and risks of this amendment.METHODS: We conducted a multicenter cross-sectional study from July to October 2016. The included participants answered a structured questionnaire regarding the extent to which they agree or disagree with the questionnaire items indicating the potential benefits and risks of the amendment. Chi-square tests and univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed.RESULTS: Compared with the general population, physicians agreed more that long-term care hospitals are currently not adequately equipped to provide quality hospice and palliative care. Family caregivers found improved access to long-term care hospitals more favorable but were more likely to agree that these hospitals might prioritize profits, thereby threatening the philosophy of hospice care, and that families might cease to fulfill filial responsibilities. Compared with the general population, cancer patients were more concerned about the potentially decreased service quality in this setting.CONCLUSION: Although potential service beneficiaries and providers expected improved accessibility of hospice and palliative care services, they were also concerned whether the system can provide adequate quality of end-of-life care.

Establishment of Normative Self-Rated Health Status Data and Association between Ideal Life Expectancy and Social Wellness of General Population in Korea

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to establish normative data for holistic health parameters in the general Korean population and to investigate the factor associated with ideal life expectancy (ILE) among these holistic health parameters and sociodemographic variables. METHODS: This study used a questionnaire to obtain self-reported physical, mental, social, spiritual, and general health status and then evaluated their association with ILE. A total of 1,241 individuals responded to the questionnaire, from which we established a multidimensional health status reference data set representing the Korean population. To explain factors associated with ILE, we stratified results by age and gender and performed multiple logistic regression of sociodemographic variables and multidimensional health status. RESULTS: Women reported poor health status more frequently for all five health categories. The average ILE was 87.46 years versus 84.42 years of life expectancy in the general Korean population. Single marital status, higher income, and better social health were significantly associated with higher ILE. CONCLUSION: ILE could be a good indicator reflecting social wellness in a certain society. Comprehensive social health promotion programs can improve individuals' attitudes toward life expectancy, especially for vulnerable groups.

Screening of Workers with Presumed Occupational Methanol Poisoning: The Applicablility of a National Active Occupational Disease Surveillance System

BACKGROUND: Methyl alcohol poisoning in mobile phone–manufacturing factories during 2015–2016 was caused by methyl alcohol use for cleaning in computerized numerical control (CNC) processes. To determine whether there were health complications in other workers involved in similar processes, the Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute conducted a survey. METHODS: We established a national active surveillance system by collaborating with the Ministry of Employment and Labor and National Health Insurance Service. Employment and national health insurance data were used. Overall, 12,048 employees of major domestic mobile phone companies and CNC process dispatch workers were surveyed from 2016 to 2017. We investigated methyl alcohol poisoning by using the national health insurance data. Questionnaires were used to investigate diseases due to methyl alcohol poisoning. RESULTS: Overall, 24.9% of dispatched workers were employed in at least five companies, and 23.9% of dispatched workers had missing employment insurance history data. The prevalence of blindness including visual impairment, optic neuritis, visual disturbances, and alcohol toxicity in the study participants was higher than that reported in the national health insurance database (0.02%, 0.07%, 0.23%, and 0.03% versus 0.01%, 0.07%, 0.13%, and 0.01%, respectively, in 2015). Moreover, 430 suspicious workers were identified; 415 of these provided an address and phone number, of whom 48 responded (response rate, 11.6%). Among the 48 workers, 10 had diseases at the time of the survey, of whom 3 workers were believed to have diseases related to methyl alcohol exposure. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that active surveillance data can be used to assess health problems related to methyl alcohol poisoning in CNC processes and dispatch workers.

Non-Enhancing Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma

No abstract available.

Development and Validation of the Communication Behavior Scale for Nurses Caring for People with Dementia

PURPOSE@#The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the Communication Behavior Scale for nurses caring for people with Dementia (CBS-D).@*METHODS@#Based on communication accommodation theory, the initial items were generated through a literature review and interviews with 20 experts. Content and face validity of the initial items were assessed. Data from 486 nurses caring for people with dementia were analyzed using item analysis, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, criterion-related validity, and internal consistency.@*RESULTS@#The final scale consisted of 18 items and four factors (discourse response management, interpersonal control, emotional expression, and interpretability) that explained 57.6% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the theoretical model with 18 items satisfied all goodness-of-fit parameters. Criterion-related validity was shown by the Global Interpersonal Communication Competence Scale (r=.506, p < .001). Cronbach's alpha for the total scale was .88.@*CONCLUSION@#The CBS-D can be used to measure the communication behavior of nurses caring for people with dementia.

Discordance between Physician and the General Public Perceptions of Prognostic Disclosure to Children with Serious Illness: a Korean Nationwide Study

BACKGROUND: It is difficult to decide whether to inform the child of the incurable illness. We investigated attitudes of the general population and physicians toward prognosis disclosure to children and associated factors in Korea. METHODS: Physicians working in one of 13 university hospitals or the National Cancer Center and members of the general public responded to the questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of the age appropriate for informing children about the prognosis and the reason why children should not be informed. This survey was conducted as part of research to identify perceptions of physicians and general public on the end-of-life care in Korea. RESULTS: A total of 928 physicians and 1,241 members of the general public in Korea completed the questionnaire. Whereas 92.7% of physicians said that children should be informed of their incurable illness, only 50.7% of the general population agreed. Physicians were also more likely to think that younger children should know about their poor prognosis compared with the general population. Physicians who opposed incurable illness disclosure suggested that children might not understand the situation, whereas the general public was primarily concerned that disclosure would exacerbate the disease. Physicians who were women or religious were more likely to want to inform children of their poor prognosis. In the general population, gender, education, comorbidity, and caregiver experience were related to attitude toward poor prognosis disclosure to children. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that physicians and the general public in Korea differ in their perceptions about informing children of poor prognosis.

Leucrose, a Sucrose Isomer, Suppresses Hepatic Fat Accumulation by Regulating Hepatic Lipogenesis and Fat Oxidation in High-fat Diet-induced Obese Mice

Obesity is currently one of the most serious public health problems and it can lead to numerous metabolic diseases. Leucrose, d-glucopyranosyl-α-(1-5)-d-fructopyranose, is an isoform of sucrose and it is naturally found in pollen and honey. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of leucrose on metabolic changes induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) that lead to obesity. C57BL/6 mice were fed a 60% HFD or a HFD with 25% (L25) or 50% (L50) of its total sucrose content replaced with leucrose for 12 weeks. Leucrose supplementation improved fasting blood glucose levels and hepatic triglyceride content. In addition, leucrose supplementation reduced mRNA levels of lipogenesis-related genes, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, sterol regulatory element binding protein 1C, and fatty acid synthase in HFD mice. Conversely, mRNA levels of β oxidation-related genes, such as carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A and acyl CoA oxidase, returned to control levels with leucrose supplementation. Taken together, these results demonstrated the therapeutic potential of leucrose to prevent metabolic abnormalities by mediating regulation of plasma glucose level and hepatic triglyceride accumulation.