International Chinese teachers are one of the determinants of the quality development of Confucius Institutes,and their cross-cultural sociocultural adaption,psychological adaption,and job adaption are in need of in-d...International Chinese teachers are one of the determinants of the quality development of Confucius Institutes,and their cross-cultural sociocultural adaption,psychological adaption,and job adaption are in need of in-depth investigation and research.Based on previous research,this paper analyzed the cross-cultural adaptation of international Chinese teachers at Confucius Institutes in South Korea during 2022-2023 through surveys and personal interviews.The study found that the teachers’adaptation was best in terms of work,followed by sociocultural adaptation,and weakest in terms of psychological adaptation.In terms of work adaptation,attention should be focused on adapting to teaching language and teaching methods.In terms of sociocultural adaptation,the focus should be on adapting to personal communication.In terms of psychological adaptation,attention should be paid to feelings of loneliness and anxiety.The study also focused on the internal and external factors influencing their cross-cultural adaptation,as well as the true inner feelings of international Chinese teachers.The study found that factors such as English proficiency,gender,education,professional background,and overseas experience had little impact on teachers’cross-cultural adaptation,while factors such as Korean proficiency,participation in cross-cultural training before going to South Korea,understanding of Korean culture before going to South Korea,and length of time spent in working in South Korea had a greater impact on the cross-cultural adaptation of the research subjects.This study provides reliable reference materials for international Chinese teachers going to South Korea to improve their cross-cultural adaptation abilities and promote the reform and innovation of international Chinese education.展开更多
The present paper deals with the systematic study on the genus Aphytis Howard from South Korea. Five species of Aphytis are recognized, including one new species (Aphytis albus sp. nov.) and four new records (A. diasp...The present paper deals with the systematic study on the genus Aphytis Howard from South Korea. Five species of Aphytis are recognized, including one new species (Aphytis albus sp. nov.) and four new records (A. diaspidis, A. japonicus, A. proclia and A. vandenboschi). A key to the female species of Aphytis from South Korea is provided. The type specimens are respectively deposited in Korea National Arboretum and the Insect Collection of Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China.展开更多
The last-stage larval external morphologies of Pleuroptya rulalis (Scopoli), Pleuroptya harutai (Inoue) and Botyodes diniasalis (Walker) of Pyraustinae are described and illustrated. All specimens are deposited ...The last-stage larval external morphologies of Pleuroptya rulalis (Scopoli), Pleuroptya harutai (Inoue) and Botyodes diniasalis (Walker) of Pyraustinae are described and illustrated. All specimens are deposited in the Insect Collection of Department of Forest Resources Protection, Kangwon National University, Korea.展开更多
The last-instar larval external morphologies of Illiberis tenuis (Butler), Chalcosia remota (Walker) and Pryeria sinica Moore of Zygaenidae are described and illustrated. All the specimens are deposited in the Insect ...The last-instar larval external morphologies of Illiberis tenuis (Butler), Chalcosia remota (Walker) and Pryeria sinica Moore of Zygaenidae are described and illustrated. All the specimens are deposited in the Insect Collection of Department of Forest Resources Protection, Kangwon National University, Korea.展开更多
Studies on long-term change of cropland is of great significance to the utilization of land resources and the implementation of scientific agricultural policies. The Korean Peninsula, adjacent to China, plays an impor...Studies on long-term change of cropland is of great significance to the utilization of land resources and the implementation of scientific agricultural policies. The Korean Peninsula, adjacent to China, plays an important role in the international environment of Northeast Asia. The Korean Peninsula includes South Korea and North Korea—two countries that have a great difference in their institutions and economic developments. Therefore, we aim to quantify the spatiotemporal changes of croplands in these two countries using Landsat Thematic Imager(TM) and Operational Land Imager(OLI) imagery, and to compare the differences of cropland changes between the two countries. This paper take full advantage of ODM approach(object-oriented segmentation and decision-tree classification based on multi-season imageries) to obtain the distribution of croplands in 1990 and 2015. Results showed that the overall classification accuracy of cropland data is 91.10% in 1990 and 92.52% in 2015. The croplands were mainly distributed in areas with slopes that were less than 8° and with elevations that were less than 300 m in the Korean Peninsula. However, in other region(slope > 8° or elevation > 300 m), the area and proportion of North Korea's croplands were significantly higher than that of South Korea. Croplands significantly increased by 15.02% in North Korea from 1990 to 2015. In contrast, croplands in South Korea slightly decreased by 1.32%. During the 25 years, policy shift, economic development, population growth, and urban sprawl played primary roles for cropland changes. Additionally, the regional differences of cropland changes were mainly due to different agriculture policies implemented by different countries. The achievements of this study can provide scientific guidance for the protection and sustainability of land resources.展开更多
Based on the literature reviews and questionnaire, field survey on the species, feces, and tracks in non-snow season and snow season of Korean musk deer from February to December of 1999 in South Korea (Cultural Prope...Based on the literature reviews and questionnaire, field survey on the species, feces, and tracks in non-snow season and snow season of Korean musk deer from February to December of 1999 in South Korea (Cultural Properties Administration 1999), the authors summarized the change of distribution area and number of Korean musk deer from 1950s to 1999. The results showed that the distribution area of Korean musk deer (Moschus moschiferus parvipes) was sharply decreased from 1950s to 1999 in South Korea. Due to the road and forest road construction in the habitat of Korean musk deer, the musk deer habitats were fragmented and lost. And the illegal capture for economic benefits was the main reason of decreases in number of indi-viduals and habitats of this species. Forest roads in high elevation area were also used as the passages for illegal captures. For the conservation and protection of Korean musk deer, strict regulation of illegal capture is urgently needed.展开更多
The larval external morphologies of Eupithecia abietaria debrunneata Stau dinger, Eupithecia spadix Inoue and Telenomeuta punctimarginaria (Leech) of Larentiinae are described.
This study was made to describe the morphological features of larvae of Pachyligia dolosa Butle r, Cystidia stratonice (Stoll) and Planociampa antipala Prout of Ennomin ae.
The mature larval external morphologies of Ancylis partitana (Christoph), Ancylis hylaea Meyrick and Hoshinoa longicellana (Walsingham) of Tortricidae were described and illustrated. All specimens are deposited in...The mature larval external morphologies of Ancylis partitana (Christoph), Ancylis hylaea Meyrick and Hoshinoa longicellana (Walsingham) of Tortricidae were described and illustrated. All specimens are deposited in the Insect Collection of Department of Forest Resources Protection, Kangwon National University, Korea.展开更多
On June 2-3,International Textile and Clothing Bureau held its inaugural meeting for Private Sector Consultative Committee(PICC)in Geneva on June 2-3 to discuss the issues of common concerns and impacts that challenge...On June 2-3,International Textile and Clothing Bureau held its inaugural meeting for Private Sector Consultative Committee(PICC)in Geneva on June 2-3 to discuss the issues of common concerns and impacts that challenged textile and clothing sectors against global economic recession.展开更多
AIM: To investigate prevalence of C/onorchis sinensis in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms, and the relation of the infection to hepatobiliary diseases in 26 hospitals in Korea. METHODS: Consecutive patients w...AIM: To investigate prevalence of C/onorchis sinensis in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms, and the relation of the infection to hepatobiliary diseases in 26 hospitals in Korea. METHODS: Consecutive patients who had been admitted to the Division of Gastroenterology with gastrointestinal symptoms were enrolled from March to April 2005. Of those who had been diagnosed with clonorchiasis, epidemiology and correlation between infection and hepatobiliary diseases were surveyed by questionnaire. RESULTS: Of 3080 patients with gastrointestinal diseases, 396 (12.9%) had clonorchiasis and 1140 patients (37.2%) had a history of eating raw freshwater fish. Of those with a history of raw freshwater fish ingestion, 238 (20.9%) patients had clonorchiasis. Cholangiocarcinoma was more prevalent in C. sinensis-infected patients than nonnfected patients [34/396 (8.6%) vs 145/2684 (5.4%), P = 0.015]. Cholangiocarcinoma and clonorchiasis showed statistically significant positive cross-relation (P = 0.008). Choledocholithiasis, cholecystolithiasis, cholangitis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and biliary pancreatitis did not correlate with clonorchiasis. CONCLUSION: Infection rate of clonorchiasis was still high in patients with gastrointestinal diseases in Korea, and has not decreased very much during the last two decades. Cholangiocarcinoma was related to clonorchiasis, which suggested an etiological role for the parasite.展开更多
BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia and non-alcoholic fatty liver dis- ease (NAFLD) share similar pathophysiological mechanisms, and the relationship between sarcopenia and NAFLD has been recently investigated. The study invest...BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia and non-alcoholic fatty liver dis- ease (NAFLD) share similar pathophysiological mechanisms, and the relationship between sarcopenia and NAFLD has been recently investigated. The study investigated whether low skel- etal muscle mass is differentially associated with NAFLD by gender in Korean adults. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the data from the Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The skeletal muscle index (SMI) was obtained by the appendicular skeletal muscle mass divided by the weight. NAFLD was defined as a fatty liver index (FLI) 〉60 in the absence of other chronic liver disease. RESULTS: Among the included subjects, 18.3% (SE: 1.4%) in men and 7.0% (SE: 0.7%) in women were classified as having FLI-defined NAFLD. Most of the risk factors for FLI-defined NAFLD showed a significant negative correlation with the SMI in both genders. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that low SMI was associated with FLI-defined NAFLD, inde- pendent of other metabolic and lifestyle parameters in both genders [males: odds ratio (OR)=1.35; 95% confidence inter- val (CI): 1.17-1.54; females: OR=1.36; 95% CI: 1.18-1.55]. The magnitude of the association between FLI-defined NAFLD and low SMI was higher in middle aged to elderly males (OR-1.50; 95% CI: 1.22-1.84) than in males less than 45 years of age (OR=1.25; 95% CI: 1.02-1.52) and in premenopausal females (OR=l.50; 95% CI: 1.12-2.03) than in postmenopausal females (OR-1.36; 95% CI: 1.20-1.54).CONCLUSIONS: Low SMI is associated with the risk of FLI- defined NAFLD independent of other well-known metabolic risk factors in both genders. This association may differ ac- cording to age group or menopausal status. Further studies are warranted to confirm this relationship.展开更多
AIM:To evaluate the incidence and risk factors of Korean tuberculosis(TB) infection in patients with inflammatory bowel disease(IBD) undergoing anti-TNF treatment.METHODS:The data of IBD patients treated with anti-TNF...AIM:To evaluate the incidence and risk factors of Korean tuberculosis(TB) infection in patients with inflammatory bowel disease(IBD) undergoing anti-TNF treatment.METHODS:The data of IBD patients treated with anti-TNFs in 13 tertiary referral hospitals located in the southeastern region of Korea were collected retrospectively.They failed to show response or were intolerant to conventional treatments,including steroids or immunomodulators.Screening measures for latent TB infection(LTBI)and the incidence and risk factors ofactive TB infection after treatment with anti-TNFs were identified.RESULTS:Overall,376 IBD patients treated with antiTNF agents were recruited(male 255,mean age of anti-TNF therapy 32.5±13.0 years);277 had Crohn’s disease,99 had ulcerative colitis,294 used infliximab,and 82 used adalimumab.Before anti-TNF treatment,screening tests for LTBI including an interferon gamma release assay or a tuberculin skin test were performed in 82.2%of patients.Thirty patients(8%)had LTBI.Sixteen cases of active TB infection including one TB-related mortality occurred during 801 personyears(PY)follow-up(1997.4 cases per 100000 PY)after anti-TNF treatment.LTBI(OR=5.76,95%CI:1.57-21.20,P=0.008)and WBC count<5000 mm3(OR=4.5,95%CI:1.51-13.44,P=0.007)during follow-up were identified as independently associated risk factors.CONCLUSION:Anti-TNFs significantly increase the risk of TB infection in Korean patients with IBD.The considerable burden of TB and marked immunosuppression might be attributed to this risk.展开更多
Hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection is a global health problem and more than 350 million people worldwide are chronic carriers of the virus.Despite the recent dramatic decline in HBV chronic patients through successful pr...Hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection is a global health problem and more than 350 million people worldwide are chronic carriers of the virus.Despite the recent dramatic decline in HBV chronic patients through successful programs of hepatitis B surface antigen vaccination,South Korea is still recognized as an endemic area of HBV infection.HBV infections in South Korea exhibit several distinct features in epidemiologic and clinical aspects.In this review paper,we summarize the distinct HBV mutation patterns related to clinical severity and the molecular epidemiologic traits in Korean chronic patients based on previous reports.Generally,several lines of evidence,including our previous results,have led to the conclusion that a combination of the exclusive predominance of genotype C2,which is prone to mutations,the high prevalence of basal core promoter double mutations,and the presence of distinct immune responses against HBV proteins in the Korean population may generate the distinct HBV variants rarely or not encountered in other areas,which results in distinct clinical manifestations in Korean chronic patients.This may provide a novel insight into the relationships between clinical severity,HBV genotype distribution,and HBV naturally occurring variants.展开更多
The surface and upper-level features associated with a sharp drop ofwintertime daily temperature over South Korea is investigated in this study. This sharp drop indaily temperature is called a cold surge and is one of...The surface and upper-level features associated with a sharp drop ofwintertime daily temperature over South Korea is investigated in this study. This sharp drop indaily temperature is called a cold surge and is one of the most hazardous weather phenomena in EastAsian winters. An upper-level baroclinic wave of 60° wavelength propagating eastward at a phasespeed of 12° longitude per day across the continent of northern China from the west of Lake Baikaltoward the eastern coast of China causes the outbreak of cold air over South Korea. The coolingassociated with the upper-level baroclinic jvave is found at all altitudes under the geopotentialheight-fall center near the tropopause. The development in the ridge seems to derive the earlyevolution of the eastward-propagating sinusoidal wave, whereas the trough is connected directly withthe tropospheric temperature-drop. An enhancement of the wintertime East Asian jet stream after theoutbreak of a cold surge is a response to the steep temperature gradient associated with thedeveloping baroclinic wave.展开更多
A total of 16 specimens of fossil-winged fruits were found from the Middle Miocene marine deposits, Duho Formation, Pohang Basin, Korea. They were identified into two structurally different groups: 15 specimens into ...A total of 16 specimens of fossil-winged fruits were found from the Middle Miocene marine deposits, Duho Formation, Pohang Basin, Korea. They were identified into two structurally different groups: 15 specimens into a winged fruit of Fraxinus, and one specimen of Liriodendron. The most samaras (13 specimens) were identified as Fraxinus oishii, which is characterized by narrowly ovate or ovate-elliptic shapes that are 2.7-3.6 cm in length and 0.7-1 cm in width (i/w ratio=3.4-4). The apexes of the Fraxinus oishii samara are round or slightly emarginated, and a seed of the samara is always located at the base, of which the general shape is narrow rhombic-ellipsoidal. The seed is 1.2-2 cm long and 0.5-0.7 cm wide. Two specimens are different from the samara of Fraxinus oishii. They have a 6.6 length/width ratio (3.3 cm long and 0.5 cm wide), and thus, are temporarily classified into the Fraxinus sp. One specimen was recognized as a winged seed of Liriodendron meisenense. The wing is broadly lanceolate to elliptic in shape, has a smooth, acute apex, and is approximately 3 cm long and 0.7 cm wide. Samaras of Fraxinus oishii and Liriodendron meisenense were early reported from the Middle Miocene deposits from North Korea, but these specimens are the first discovery in South Korea. Further study of the Duho Formation may connect flora relationships between North and South Korea.展开更多
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a Korean Nurses’ Core Competency Scale (KNCCS). Methods: This methodological research was conducted over two major steps. The first step involved develop...Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a Korean Nurses’ Core Competency Scale (KNCCS). Methods: This methodological research was conducted over two major steps. The first step involved developing a preliminary 70-item KNCCS based on an extensive literature review and the standards and criteria proposed by the Korean Accreditation of Nursing. The second step involved evaluating validity and reliability of the KNCCS. 528 newly graduated nurses recently employed in nine major hospitals were participated in this research for validation. Results: The final KNCCS consisted of 70 items. The exploratory factor analysis identified five subscales under which each item could be categorized: 1) human understanding and communication skills;2) professional attitudes;3) critical thinking and evaluation;4) general clinical performance;and 5) specific clinical performance. Conclusion: The KNCCS shows good reliability and validity. However, the test of both criterion and construct validity were recommended further.展开更多
Fogs observed over Incheon international airport (IIA) in the west coast of Korea from January 2002 to August 2006 are classified into categories of coastal fog, cold sea fog, and warm sea fog based on the areal ext...Fogs observed over Incheon international airport (IIA) in the west coast of Korea from January 2002 to August 2006 are classified into categories of coastal fog, cold sea fog, and warm sea fog based on the areal extent of the fogs and the difference between the air temperature (T ) and the SST, i.e., cold sea fog if TSST = T -SST 〉 0~0C and warm sea fog if TSST 〈 0~0C. The numbers of coastal, cold, and warm sea fog cases are 64, 26, and 9. Coastal fogs form most frequently in winter, while cold sea fogs occur mostly in summer and warm sea fogs are observed from January to May but not in November and December. On average the air gets colder by 1.6~0C during the three hours leading up to the coastal fog formation, and an additional cooling of 1.1~0C occurs during the fog. The change in the dew point temperature (T_d) is minimal except during the fog (0.6~0C). Decreases in T for the cold and warm sea fogs are relatively smaller. The average Td is higher than SST during the cold sea fog periods but this T_d is more than 4~0C higher than that for the corresponding non-fog days, suggesting that cold sea fogs be formed by the cooling of already humid air (i.e., T_d〉SST). Increases of T_d are significant during the warm sea fog periods (1.4~0C), implying that effcient moisture supply is essential to warm sea fog formation. Four major synoptic patterns are identified in association with the observed fogs. The most frequent is a north Pacific high that accounts for 38% of cases. Surface or upper inversions are present in 77%, 69%, and 81% of the fog periods for coastal, cold, and warm sea fogs, respectively.展开更多
Insect communities along three elevation gra- dients on Mt. Seongak-san, South Korea, were investigated from May to September 2013 using traps in order to collect basic data for distributional monitoring of species in...Insect communities along three elevation gra- dients on Mt. Seongak-san, South Korea, were investigated from May to September 2013 using traps in order to collect basic data for distributional monitoring of species in a forest ecosystem. A total of 2698 individuals of 309 moth species of 18 families were collected in bucket-light traps, along with 196 individuals of 26 ground-beetle species and 11,276 individuals of 14 ant species in pit-fall traps. The insect community at each site was analyzed using analysisof variance and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMS). The ground-beetle and ant abundances varied with elevation. The NMS showed distinct clusters of moths between the ground-beetle and ant distributions with ele- vation and month. The community-level responses of these insect groups to those gradients were analyzed.展开更多
文摘International Chinese teachers are one of the determinants of the quality development of Confucius Institutes,and their cross-cultural sociocultural adaption,psychological adaption,and job adaption are in need of in-depth investigation and research.Based on previous research,this paper analyzed the cross-cultural adaptation of international Chinese teachers at Confucius Institutes in South Korea during 2022-2023 through surveys and personal interviews.The study found that the teachers’adaptation was best in terms of work,followed by sociocultural adaptation,and weakest in terms of psychological adaptation.In terms of work adaptation,attention should be focused on adapting to teaching language and teaching methods.In terms of sociocultural adaptation,the focus should be on adapting to personal communication.In terms of psychological adaptation,attention should be paid to feelings of loneliness and anxiety.The study also focused on the internal and external factors influencing their cross-cultural adaptation,as well as the true inner feelings of international Chinese teachers.The study found that factors such as English proficiency,gender,education,professional background,and overseas experience had little impact on teachers’cross-cultural adaptation,while factors such as Korean proficiency,participation in cross-cultural training before going to South Korea,understanding of Korean culture before going to South Korea,and length of time spent in working in South Korea had a greater impact on the cross-cultural adaptation of the research subjects.This study provides reliable reference materials for international Chinese teachers going to South Korea to improve their cross-cultural adaptation abilities and promote the reform and innovation of international Chinese education.
基金The project was supported by the Heilongjiang Postdoctoral Funds for ScientificResearch Initiation (LRZ96017) and Korea Science and Engineering Foundation
文摘The present paper deals with the systematic study on the genus Aphytis Howard from South Korea. Five species of Aphytis are recognized, including one new species (Aphytis albus sp. nov.) and four new records (A. diaspidis, A. japonicus, A. proclia and A. vandenboschi). A key to the female species of Aphytis from South Korea is provided. The type specimens are respectively deposited in Korea National Arboretum and the Insect Collection of Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China.
文摘The last-stage larval external morphologies of Pleuroptya rulalis (Scopoli), Pleuroptya harutai (Inoue) and Botyodes diniasalis (Walker) of Pyraustinae are described and illustrated. All specimens are deposited in the Insect Collection of Department of Forest Resources Protection, Kangwon National University, Korea.
文摘The last-instar larval external morphologies of Illiberis tenuis (Butler), Chalcosia remota (Walker) and Pryeria sinica Moore of Zygaenidae are described and illustrated. All the specimens are deposited in the Insect Collection of Department of Forest Resources Protection, Kangwon National University, Korea.
基金Under the auspices of Key Deployment Project of Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.KZZD-EW-08-02)
文摘Studies on long-term change of cropland is of great significance to the utilization of land resources and the implementation of scientific agricultural policies. The Korean Peninsula, adjacent to China, plays an important role in the international environment of Northeast Asia. The Korean Peninsula includes South Korea and North Korea—two countries that have a great difference in their institutions and economic developments. Therefore, we aim to quantify the spatiotemporal changes of croplands in these two countries using Landsat Thematic Imager(TM) and Operational Land Imager(OLI) imagery, and to compare the differences of cropland changes between the two countries. This paper take full advantage of ODM approach(object-oriented segmentation and decision-tree classification based on multi-season imageries) to obtain the distribution of croplands in 1990 and 2015. Results showed that the overall classification accuracy of cropland data is 91.10% in 1990 and 92.52% in 2015. The croplands were mainly distributed in areas with slopes that were less than 8° and with elevations that were less than 300 m in the Korean Peninsula. However, in other region(slope > 8° or elevation > 300 m), the area and proportion of North Korea's croplands were significantly higher than that of South Korea. Croplands significantly increased by 15.02% in North Korea from 1990 to 2015. In contrast, croplands in South Korea slightly decreased by 1.32%. During the 25 years, policy shift, economic development, population growth, and urban sprawl played primary roles for cropland changes. Additionally, the regional differences of cropland changes were mainly due to different agriculture policies implemented by different countries. The achievements of this study can provide scientific guidance for the protection and sustainability of land resources.
文摘Based on the literature reviews and questionnaire, field survey on the species, feces, and tracks in non-snow season and snow season of Korean musk deer from February to December of 1999 in South Korea (Cultural Properties Administration 1999), the authors summarized the change of distribution area and number of Korean musk deer from 1950s to 1999. The results showed that the distribution area of Korean musk deer (Moschus moschiferus parvipes) was sharply decreased from 1950s to 1999 in South Korea. Due to the road and forest road construction in the habitat of Korean musk deer, the musk deer habitats were fragmented and lost. And the illegal capture for economic benefits was the main reason of decreases in number of indi-viduals and habitats of this species. Forest roads in high elevation area were also used as the passages for illegal captures. For the conservation and protection of Korean musk deer, strict regulation of illegal capture is urgently needed.
文摘This study was made to describe the morphological features of larvae of Pachyligia dolosa Butle r, Cystidia stratonice (Stoll) and Planociampa antipala Prout of Ennomin ae.
文摘The mature larval external morphologies of Ancylis partitana (Christoph), Ancylis hylaea Meyrick and Hoshinoa longicellana (Walsingham) of Tortricidae were described and illustrated. All specimens are deposited in the Insect Collection of Department of Forest Resources Protection, Kangwon National University, Korea.
文摘On June 2-3,International Textile and Clothing Bureau held its inaugural meeting for Private Sector Consultative Committee(PICC)in Geneva on June 2-3 to discuss the issues of common concerns and impacts that challenged textile and clothing sectors against global economic recession.
基金Supported by The Korean Society of Gastroenterology Research Fund, No. 2005-1
文摘AIM: To investigate prevalence of C/onorchis sinensis in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms, and the relation of the infection to hepatobiliary diseases in 26 hospitals in Korea. METHODS: Consecutive patients who had been admitted to the Division of Gastroenterology with gastrointestinal symptoms were enrolled from March to April 2005. Of those who had been diagnosed with clonorchiasis, epidemiology and correlation between infection and hepatobiliary diseases were surveyed by questionnaire. RESULTS: Of 3080 patients with gastrointestinal diseases, 396 (12.9%) had clonorchiasis and 1140 patients (37.2%) had a history of eating raw freshwater fish. Of those with a history of raw freshwater fish ingestion, 238 (20.9%) patients had clonorchiasis. Cholangiocarcinoma was more prevalent in C. sinensis-infected patients than nonnfected patients [34/396 (8.6%) vs 145/2684 (5.4%), P = 0.015]. Cholangiocarcinoma and clonorchiasis showed statistically significant positive cross-relation (P = 0.008). Choledocholithiasis, cholecystolithiasis, cholangitis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and biliary pancreatitis did not correlate with clonorchiasis. CONCLUSION: Infection rate of clonorchiasis was still high in patients with gastrointestinal diseases in Korea, and has not decreased very much during the last two decades. Cholangiocarcinoma was related to clonorchiasis, which suggested an etiological role for the parasite.
文摘BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia and non-alcoholic fatty liver dis- ease (NAFLD) share similar pathophysiological mechanisms, and the relationship between sarcopenia and NAFLD has been recently investigated. The study investigated whether low skel- etal muscle mass is differentially associated with NAFLD by gender in Korean adults. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the data from the Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The skeletal muscle index (SMI) was obtained by the appendicular skeletal muscle mass divided by the weight. NAFLD was defined as a fatty liver index (FLI) 〉60 in the absence of other chronic liver disease. RESULTS: Among the included subjects, 18.3% (SE: 1.4%) in men and 7.0% (SE: 0.7%) in women were classified as having FLI-defined NAFLD. Most of the risk factors for FLI-defined NAFLD showed a significant negative correlation with the SMI in both genders. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that low SMI was associated with FLI-defined NAFLD, inde- pendent of other metabolic and lifestyle parameters in both genders [males: odds ratio (OR)=1.35; 95% confidence inter- val (CI): 1.17-1.54; females: OR=1.36; 95% CI: 1.18-1.55]. The magnitude of the association between FLI-defined NAFLD and low SMI was higher in middle aged to elderly males (OR-1.50; 95% CI: 1.22-1.84) than in males less than 45 years of age (OR=1.25; 95% CI: 1.02-1.52) and in premenopausal females (OR=l.50; 95% CI: 1.12-2.03) than in postmenopausal females (OR-1.36; 95% CI: 1.20-1.54).CONCLUSIONS: Low SMI is associated with the risk of FLI- defined NAFLD independent of other well-known metabolic risk factors in both genders. This association may differ ac- cording to age group or menopausal status. Further studies are warranted to confirm this relationship.
文摘AIM:To evaluate the incidence and risk factors of Korean tuberculosis(TB) infection in patients with inflammatory bowel disease(IBD) undergoing anti-TNF treatment.METHODS:The data of IBD patients treated with anti-TNFs in 13 tertiary referral hospitals located in the southeastern region of Korea were collected retrospectively.They failed to show response or were intolerant to conventional treatments,including steroids or immunomodulators.Screening measures for latent TB infection(LTBI)and the incidence and risk factors ofactive TB infection after treatment with anti-TNFs were identified.RESULTS:Overall,376 IBD patients treated with antiTNF agents were recruited(male 255,mean age of anti-TNF therapy 32.5±13.0 years);277 had Crohn’s disease,99 had ulcerative colitis,294 used infliximab,and 82 used adalimumab.Before anti-TNF treatment,screening tests for LTBI including an interferon gamma release assay or a tuberculin skin test were performed in 82.2%of patients.Thirty patients(8%)had LTBI.Sixteen cases of active TB infection including one TB-related mortality occurred during 801 personyears(PY)follow-up(1997.4 cases per 100000 PY)after anti-TNF treatment.LTBI(OR=5.76,95%CI:1.57-21.20,P=0.008)and WBC count<5000 mm3(OR=4.5,95%CI:1.51-13.44,P=0.007)during follow-up were identified as independently associated risk factors.CONCLUSION:Anti-TNFs significantly increase the risk of TB infection in Korean patients with IBD.The considerable burden of TB and marked immunosuppression might be attributed to this risk.
基金Supported by A National Research Foundation of Korea grant funded by the Korean government(MEST)No.2013005810
文摘Hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection is a global health problem and more than 350 million people worldwide are chronic carriers of the virus.Despite the recent dramatic decline in HBV chronic patients through successful programs of hepatitis B surface antigen vaccination,South Korea is still recognized as an endemic area of HBV infection.HBV infections in South Korea exhibit several distinct features in epidemiologic and clinical aspects.In this review paper,we summarize the distinct HBV mutation patterns related to clinical severity and the molecular epidemiologic traits in Korean chronic patients based on previous reports.Generally,several lines of evidence,including our previous results,have led to the conclusion that a combination of the exclusive predominance of genotype C2,which is prone to mutations,the high prevalence of basal core promoter double mutations,and the presence of distinct immune responses against HBV proteins in the Korean population may generate the distinct HBV variants rarely or not encountered in other areas,which results in distinct clinical manifestations in Korean chronic patients.This may provide a novel insight into the relationships between clinical severity,HBV genotype distribution,and HBV naturally occurring variants.
文摘The surface and upper-level features associated with a sharp drop ofwintertime daily temperature over South Korea is investigated in this study. This sharp drop indaily temperature is called a cold surge and is one of the most hazardous weather phenomena in EastAsian winters. An upper-level baroclinic wave of 60° wavelength propagating eastward at a phasespeed of 12° longitude per day across the continent of northern China from the west of Lake Baikaltoward the eastern coast of China causes the outbreak of cold air over South Korea. The coolingassociated with the upper-level baroclinic jvave is found at all altitudes under the geopotentialheight-fall center near the tropopause. The development in the ridge seems to derive the earlyevolution of the eastward-propagating sinusoidal wave, whereas the trough is connected directly withthe tropospheric temperature-drop. An enhancement of the wintertime East Asian jet stream after theoutbreak of a cold surge is a response to the steep temperature gradient associated with thedeveloping baroclinic wave.
基金supported by BK21 project of Department of Geology,Kyungpook National University, KNU
文摘A total of 16 specimens of fossil-winged fruits were found from the Middle Miocene marine deposits, Duho Formation, Pohang Basin, Korea. They were identified into two structurally different groups: 15 specimens into a winged fruit of Fraxinus, and one specimen of Liriodendron. The most samaras (13 specimens) were identified as Fraxinus oishii, which is characterized by narrowly ovate or ovate-elliptic shapes that are 2.7-3.6 cm in length and 0.7-1 cm in width (i/w ratio=3.4-4). The apexes of the Fraxinus oishii samara are round or slightly emarginated, and a seed of the samara is always located at the base, of which the general shape is narrow rhombic-ellipsoidal. The seed is 1.2-2 cm long and 0.5-0.7 cm wide. Two specimens are different from the samara of Fraxinus oishii. They have a 6.6 length/width ratio (3.3 cm long and 0.5 cm wide), and thus, are temporarily classified into the Fraxinus sp. One specimen was recognized as a winged seed of Liriodendron meisenense. The wing is broadly lanceolate to elliptic in shape, has a smooth, acute apex, and is approximately 3 cm long and 0.7 cm wide. Samaras of Fraxinus oishii and Liriodendron meisenense were early reported from the Middle Miocene deposits from North Korea, but these specimens are the first discovery in South Korea. Further study of the Duho Formation may connect flora relationships between North and South Korea.
文摘Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a Korean Nurses’ Core Competency Scale (KNCCS). Methods: This methodological research was conducted over two major steps. The first step involved developing a preliminary 70-item KNCCS based on an extensive literature review and the standards and criteria proposed by the Korean Accreditation of Nursing. The second step involved evaluating validity and reliability of the KNCCS. 528 newly graduated nurses recently employed in nine major hospitals were participated in this research for validation. Results: The final KNCCS consisted of 70 items. The exploratory factor analysis identified five subscales under which each item could be categorized: 1) human understanding and communication skills;2) professional attitudes;3) critical thinking and evaluation;4) general clinical performance;and 5) specific clinical performance. Conclusion: The KNCCS shows good reliability and validity. However, the test of both criterion and construct validity were recommended further.
基金supported by Grant No. R01-2008-000-12073-0 from the Basic Research Program of Korea Science & Engineering Foundation
文摘Fogs observed over Incheon international airport (IIA) in the west coast of Korea from January 2002 to August 2006 are classified into categories of coastal fog, cold sea fog, and warm sea fog based on the areal extent of the fogs and the difference between the air temperature (T ) and the SST, i.e., cold sea fog if TSST = T -SST 〉 0~0C and warm sea fog if TSST 〈 0~0C. The numbers of coastal, cold, and warm sea fog cases are 64, 26, and 9. Coastal fogs form most frequently in winter, while cold sea fogs occur mostly in summer and warm sea fogs are observed from January to May but not in November and December. On average the air gets colder by 1.6~0C during the three hours leading up to the coastal fog formation, and an additional cooling of 1.1~0C occurs during the fog. The change in the dew point temperature (T_d) is minimal except during the fog (0.6~0C). Decreases in T for the cold and warm sea fogs are relatively smaller. The average Td is higher than SST during the cold sea fog periods but this T_d is more than 4~0C higher than that for the corresponding non-fog days, suggesting that cold sea fogs be formed by the cooling of already humid air (i.e., T_d〉SST). Increases of T_d are significant during the warm sea fog periods (1.4~0C), implying that effcient moisture supply is essential to warm sea fog formation. Four major synoptic patterns are identified in association with the observed fogs. The most frequent is a north Pacific high that accounts for 38% of cases. Surface or upper inversions are present in 77%, 69%, and 81% of the fog periods for coastal, cold, and warm sea fogs, respectively.
基金supported by ‘‘Study on impacts of the climate changes on climate-sensitive insects in forests’’(Project No.KNA-1-2-11,11-3) of Korea National Arboretum
文摘Insect communities along three elevation gra- dients on Mt. Seongak-san, South Korea, were investigated from May to September 2013 using traps in order to collect basic data for distributional monitoring of species in a forest ecosystem. A total of 2698 individuals of 309 moth species of 18 families were collected in bucket-light traps, along with 196 individuals of 26 ground-beetle species and 11,276 individuals of 14 ant species in pit-fall traps. The insect community at each site was analyzed using analysisof variance and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMS). The ground-beetle and ant abundances varied with elevation. The NMS showed distinct clusters of moths between the ground-beetle and ant distributions with ele- vation and month. The community-level responses of these insect groups to those gradients were analyzed.