Prevalence of Allergic Diseases among Korean School-age Children: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study

The purpose of this study was to investigate the nationwide prevalence of childhood asthma, eczema and other allergic diseases in Korean school-age children (8-11 yr old) and to assess the difference between residential areas. Among 6,279 elementary schools, 427 schools were randomly selected according to residential area (metropolitan, provincial, rural, and industrial area) by the cluster sampling method. Parents of students completed a modified Korean version of a questionnaire formulated by the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). Among 50,200 subjects, 31,026 (61.8%) responded, and 30,893 (99.6%) were analyzed. The 12-month prevalence of wheeze, flexural rash, and allergic rhinitis symptoms were 4.8%, 15.3%, and 32.9%, respectively. The prevalence of diagnosis of allergic diseases in boys was higher than that in girls, with the exception of eczema. In both boys and girls, the difference of the prevalence of allergic diseases among industrial, metropolitan and provincial areas was not statistically significant, but the differences between rural area and other areas were significant. Our results support the importance of contextual effect associated with residential area as causative agents of allergic diseases among Korean school-age children

Diagnosis in a Preclinical Model of Bladder Pain Syndrome Using a Au/ZnO Nanorod-based SERS Substrate

To evaluate the feasibility of ZnO nanorod-based surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) diagnostics for disease models, particularly for interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS), ZnO-based SERS sensing chips were developed and applied to an animal disease model. ZnO nanorods were grown to form nano-sized porous structures and coated with gold to facilitate size-selective biomarker detection. Raman spectra were acquired on a surface enhanced Raman substrate from the urine in a rat model of IC/BPS and analyzed using a statistical analysis method called principal component analysis (PCA). The nanorods grown after the ZnO seed deposition were 30 to 50 nm in diameter and 500 to 600 nm in length. A volume of gold corresponding to a thin film thickness of 100 nm was deposited on the grown nanorod structure. Raman spectroscopic signals were measured in the scattered region for nanometer biomarker detection to indicate IC/BPS. The Raman peaks for the control group and IC/BPS group are observed at 641, 683, 723, 873, 1002, 1030, and 1355 cm(-1),which corresponded to various bonding types and compounds. The PCA results are plotted in 2D and 3D. The Raman signals and statistical analyses obtained from the nano-sized biomarkers of intractable inflammatory diseases demonstrate the possibility of an early diagnosis

Ecologic correlation Study on Nutrients/Foods Intake and Mortal ity for Female Breast Cancer in Korea

In order to investigate the possible role of dieta-ry factors on the recent increase in mortality for female breast cancer in Korea, an ecologic correlation study between per capita intakes of nutrients and foods and the mortality for female breast cancer during the last 10 years was conducted. In spite of the possibility of an ecologic fallacy, the age-adjusted mortality rates for female breast cancer were positively correlated with protein from animal source, total lipid, total animal foods, animal foods to total intake, fresh fish and shellfish, milk and milk products, and meat and meat products. The rates were inversely associated with energy from cereal, total carbohydrate, vegetable foods to total intake, total vegetable foods, daily intake of cereals and grain products, and starch and starch roots. These results suggest that an increased intake of protein- and fat-rich foods rather than carbohydrate-rich foods or vegetables might be associated with the increase in mortality for breast cancer during the last 10 years in Korea

Selective Leaching of Zinc from Spent Zinc-Carbon Battery with Ammoniacal Ammonium Carbonate

This paper describes the ammoniacal ammonium carbonate leaching behavior of zinc and manganese from spent zinc-carbon batteries. For selective extraction of Zn from the spent zinc-carbon battery, leaching tests were carried out as a function of process parameters such as concentration of (NH 4 ) 2 CO 3 , ammonia, temperature, time and pulp density. Physical methods of separation such as crushing was applied to reduce the material to 10-20 mm size followed by magnetic separation to separate iron with a recovery about 10 mass% leaving most of Zn and Mn in the non-magnetic fraction. Non-magnetic fraction was further subjected to sieving to separate 2.46 mm over and under size fractions. The oversize material was processed by eddy current separation to recover zinc sheet and carbon rods and plastics. The under size material with chemical composition of Zn 15.5 mass%, Mn 17.5 mass%, and Fe 1.4 mass% was used for leaching studies. Under the optimum leaching conditions (2.0 kmol/m 3 (NH 4 ) 2 CO 3 and 4.0 kmol/m 3 ammonia, 40 C, 100 g/L pulp density, 30 min and 250 rpm), the leaching efficiency of zinc and manganese was 80.2% and less than 0.1%, respectively, indicating the selective recovery of zinc from the spent zinc-carbon battery. An overall zinc recovery is about 88%

Tolerability and Outcomes of First-Line Pemetrexed-Cisplatin Followed by Gefitinib Maintenance Therapy Versus Gefitinib Monotherapy in Korean Patients with Advanced Nonsquamous Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: A Post Hoc Descriptive Subgroup Analysis of a Randomized, Phase 3 Trial

Purpose We recently reported on a randomized, open-label, phase 3 trial comparing pemetrexedcisplatin chemotherapy followed by gefitinib maintenance therapy (PC/G) with gefitinib monotherapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, we report on a post hoc subgroup analysis of that study assessing the demographics and disposition of the Korean patient subgroup, and comparing the tolerability of PC/G and gefitinib monotherapy and the tumor response with respect to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) status. Materials and Methods Patients, who were 18 years, chemonalve, Korean, light ex-smokers/never-smokers with advanced NSCLC, were randomly assigned (1:1) to PC/G or gefitinib monotherapy. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were graded, and tumor response was measured as change in lesion sum from baseline at best response. The study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01017874. Results Overall, 111 Korean patients were treated (PC/G, 51; gefitinib, 60). Between-arm characteristics were balanced and similar to those of the overall population. Treatment discontinuations due to adverse events were low (PC/G: 1, 2.0%; gefitinib: 7, 11.7%). Overall, 92 patients (82.9%) reported >= 1 TEAE (PC/G, 44; gefitinib, 48); few patients (PC/G, 16; gefitinib, 7) reported severe TEAEs; the most frequent was neutropenia (PC/G arm) and elevated alanine aminotransferase (gefitinib arm). The lesion sum was decreased by PC/G treatment in most patients, regardless of EGFR mutation status, while gefitinib monotherapy reduced the lesion sum in EGFR-positive patients but had no effect in EGFR-negative patients. Conclusion Our results confirm that both PC/G and gefitinib were well tolerated in Korean patients, regardless of EGFR status; however, patients with EGFR wild-type NSCLC may not benefit from gefitinib monotherapy.

Epidemiology and Assessment of Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury With Concomitant Brain Injury: An Observational Study in a Regional Trauma Center

Objective To analyze the epidemiological information of patients with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) and concomitant traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to suggest points to be aware of during the initial physical examination of patients with SCI. Methods This study was a retrospective, observational study conducted in a regional trauma center. All the records of patients diagnosed with traumatic SCI between 2016 and 2020 were reviewed. A total of 627 patients with confirmed traumatic SCI were hospitalized. A retrospective study was conducted on 363 individuals. Results The epidemiological data of 363 individuals were investigated. Changes in American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) scores in patients with SCI were evaluated. The initial evaluation was performed on average 11 days after the injury, and a follow-up examination was performed 43 days after. Fourteen of the 24 patients identified as having AIS A and SCI with concomitant TBI in the initial evaluation showed neurologic level of injury (NLI) recovery with AIS B or more. The conversion rate in patients with SCI and concomitant TBI exceeded that reported in previous studies in individuals with SCI. Conclusions Physical, cognitive, and emotional impairments caused by TBI present significant challenges in rehabilitating patients with SCI. In this study, the influence of concomitant TBI lesions could have caused the initial AIS assessment to be incorrect