Oral health status depending on the type of national health insurance: the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES Ⅶ) / 대한구강보건학회지

Objectives@#This study was conducted to analyze dental caries and periodontal diseases in Korean adults depending on types of national health insurance, using data from the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES Ⅶ). @*Methods@#From 2016 to 2018, the final analysis included a total of 12,601 adults over 19 years of age, who had undergone dental inspections for dental caries and periodontitis, and whose national health insurance was verified. @*Results@#Among all the subjects, the ratio of employees was highest (67.4%), followed by the self-employed (39.4%), and then medical care recipients (3.3%). The prevalence of dental caries and periodontitis was 93.0% and 30.5%, respectively, among all subjects. The former was highest for medical aid recipients (95.9%), followed by employees (93.1%), and was lowest for the self-employed (92.2%) (P<0.001). The latter was highest for medical aid recipients (40.7%), followed by the self-employed (35.9%), and was lowest for employees (27.7%) (P<0.001). The prevalence of dental caries in the self-employed group was significantly lower (0.52 times) than that of medical care recipients (95% CI: 0.28-0.94), while no significant difference was seen between the latter and employees. There were also no significant differences among them, depending on the types of national health insurance and periodontitis. @*Conclusions@#It is necessary to develop oral health promotion programs that are not biased toward specific types of health insurance subscriptions, and to establish a business plan for oral prevention of subscribers of medical benefits.

Effect of Birth Experience on Cognitive Function

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate whether birth experience affects short-term memory (1,2-back task) by examining parturient and non-parturient women. METHODS: A total of 31 women were enrolled in this study, of which 16 were parturient women who had given birth within the past 2 years (mean age: 33.9±2.2 years) and 15 were non-parturient (mean age: 31.4±2.1 years). The mean age did not significantly differ between the two groups, so the effects of age were eliminated. To match the level of education between the two groups, college graduation was an inclusion criterion. A 1,2-back task consisting of six alphabets from A–F was created using the SuperLab software. For each task, there were 100 stimuli (alphabets) and 30 answers. The participants practiced the task prior to the main experiment to ensure that they adequately understood the procedure. RESULTS: The correct answer rates in the 1-back and 2-back tasks were 93.56±22.23% and 76.89±21.98%, respectively, in the non-parturient group and 95±10.04% and 80.83±13.67%, respectively, in the parturient group. The reaction time in the 1-back and 2-back tasks were 650.57±173.77 ms and 736.77±138.35 ms, respectively, in the non-parturient group and 621.91±81.90 ms and 737.5±195.99 ms, respectively, in the parturient group. There were no significant differences in the answer rates between the two groups, suggesting that parturition did not have a significant impact on the 1,2-back task performance. CONCLUSION: Birth experience does not significantly impair cognitive function. However, the findings of this pilot study are not highly reliable because of the limitations of the small sample size, degree of load, various types of working memory, and impact of hormones.

Determining the Relationship among Organizational Commitment, Occupational Stress, and Interpersonal Relations according to Adult Attachment Styles of Clinical Dental Hygienists / 치위생과학회지

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to identify the types of adult attachment and determine the relationship between adult attachment and job factors in dental hygienists. Ultimately, it was necessary to identify the need for a secure attachment to improve the quality of clinical dental hygienist's services. METHODS: Data of 454 clinical dental hygienists working in dental hospitals or clinics were collected. The research tools consisted of items related to the general and work characteristics of dental hygienists (9 items), adult attachment styles (36 items), organizational commitments (12 items), occupational stress (15 items), and interpersonal relations (18 items). Cronbach's α of each tool was ≥0.7. RESULTS: Most of the participants had fearful attachment styles, followed by dismissing-avoidance, security, and preoccupation. Security was the highest level of organizational commitment according to the adult attachment style, although the differences of the levels were insignificant. For occupational stress, preoccupation was the highest, followed by fearful, security, and dismissing-avoidance, and the differences were significant (p<0.001). For interpersonal relations, security was the highest, followed by preoccupation, dismissing-avoidance, and fearful in order, and the differences were significant (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Job stress and interpersonal relation ability according to the adult attachment style of clinical dental hygienists had significant results. Thus, the development of attachment improvement programs by personal style, development of differentiated clinical education and its application, and improvements in the adult attachment styles of clinical dental hygienists would be required rather than simply presenting the needs to collectively improvement the working environment.

PKA-Mediated Regulation of B/K Gene Transcription in PC12 Cells

B/K protein is a novel protein containing double C2-like domains. We examined the specific signaling pathway that regulates the transcription of B/K in PC12 cells. When the cells were treated with forskolin (50microM), B/K mRNA and protein levels were time-dependently decreased, reaching the lowest level at 3 or 4 hr, and thereafter returning to the control level. Chemicals such as dibutyryl-cAMP, cell- permeable cyclic AMP (cAMP) analogue and CGS21680, adenosine receptor A2A agonist, also repressed the B/K transcription. However, 1, 9-dideoxyforskolin did not show inhibitory effect on B/K transcription, suggesting direct involvement of cAMP in the forskolin-induced inhibition of B/K transcription. Effect of forskolin, dibutyryl cAMP and CGS21680 was significantly reduced in PKA-deficient PC12 cell line (PC12-123.7). One cAMP-response element (CRE) -like sequence (B/K CLS) was found in the promoter region of B/K DNA, and electrophoretic mobility shift assay indicated its binding to CREM and CREB. Forskolin significantly suppressed the promoter activity in CHO-K1 cells transfected with the constructs containing B/K CLS, but not with the construct in which B/K CLS was mutated (AC: TG). Taken together, we suggest that the transcription of B/K gene in PC12 cells may be regulated by PKA-dependent mechanism.

The Volumetric Study of the Ventricle in Korean according to Age and Gender / 대한해부학회지

The purpose of this study is to measure the standard volume of the ventricle of normal Koreans in their 20s and 40s and find out difference in the volume of the ventricle according to age and gender. We collected MR brain images from 118 people in their 20s (male 58, female 60)and 100 people in their 40s (male 41, female 59), so a total of 218 people.For each of sagittal, coronal and axial sections, the ventricular part was segmented using automatic and manual methods, and the volume was measured. In order to observe difference according to age and gender and to observe the interactive effect between age and gender, two-way ANOVA was carried out using age (2 levels)and gender (2 levels)as independent variables. The average volume of the ventricle of Koreans in their 20 s was 16.2 [cm3]and that of Koreans in their 40s was 23.1 [cm3].The average volume of the ventricle of male Koreans in their 20s and 40s was 21.9 [cm3]and that of female Koreans was 17.5 [cm3].The volume of the ventricle was significantly larger in Koreans in their 40s than those in their 20s, and in male Koreans than n female ones. Moreover, the increase of the volume of the ventricle with age was significantly larger in male Koreans than in female ones. According to the results of measuring the volume of the ventricle of normal Koreans in their 20s and 40s, the volume was significantly different according to age and gender, and the increase of the volume of the ventricle with age was significantly larger in men than in women.

Recognition and Buying Practices of Street-vended Foods among College Students

The purpose of this study was to investigate recognition and buying practices of street-vended foods among college students in Chungbuk Area. A general dietary practices including snacks, related factors of buying street-vended foods were analyzed. The results showed that many students had irregular dietary habit, especially more than eighty percent of them skipped breakfast. More than sixty percent of students had frequent snacks. It was investigated that college students ate street-vended foods two or three times per week. The order of frequent choice of street-vended foods was rice cake with pasted red pepper(51.9%), sweet and sour pork(19.7%), sundae(5.7%). In microbiological examination, MPN of Coliform and CFU of standard plate count was over a standard value respectively, and acid value of frying oil revealed over value for maximum limitation point. Therefore, food and equipment in street-vended food store was evaluated as poor sanitation status. Most of college students have opinion that street-vended food store must be kept the line. In conclusion, nutrition education for college students should be required to protect them from unsafe street-vended foods.