Korean version of the MNREAD acuity chart.

To investigate the efficacy of the Korean version of the Minnesota low vision reading chart. A Korean version consisting of 38 items was prepared based on the MNREAD acuity chart developed by the University of Minnesota. A linguist composed the representative sentences, each containing nine words from second and third grade levels of elementary school. Reading ability was measured for 20-35-year-old subjects with normal visual acuity (corrected visual acuity of logMAR 0.0 or better). The maximum reading speed (words per minute [wpm]) for healthy participants, reading acuity (smallest detectable font size), and critical print size (smallest font size without reduction of reading speed) were analyzed. The average age of the subjects was 28.3 ± 2.6 years (male:female ratio, 4:16). The average reading time for 38 sentences was 3.66 ± 0.69 s, with no differences in the average maximum reading speed between sentences (p = 0.836). The maximum reading speed was 174.2 ± 29.3 and 175.4 ± 27.8 in the right and left eye, respectively. Reading acuity was measured as logMAR 0.0 or better in 80% of the cases. All subjects showed a critical print size of 0.2 logMAR or better. The overall reading ability can be measured using the Korean version of the MNREAD acuity chart, thereby making it useful in measuring the reading ability of those with Korean as their native language.

Analyzing correlation between epicardial fat area and metabolic syndrome risk factor by using low-dose Lung CT.

OBJECTIVES: To study about the blood count of a risk factor related to physical measurement and metabolic syndrome, and the area of epicardial fat for medical checkup patients. METHODS: From April 1(st) to November 15(th) in 2014, we measured the area of epicardial fat in the adult out patients under 60 years of age, who are in good health; and the patients took the blood test and low-dose lung CT. In order to identify the relationship between the area of epicardial fat and the risk factor of metabolic syndrome, we conducted correlation analysis. Then, we performed multiple regression analysis to evaluate an independent correlation of epicardial area. In addition, we computed the cut-off value of epicardial fat area by using ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) curve to foresee a metabolic syndrome factor that has the most proper sensitivity and specificity. RESULTS: Waist circumference, fasting blood sugar, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure were shown to be the factors that affect the area of epicardial fat. Therefore, if waist circumference, fasting blood sugar, triglyceride, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure were increased, the area of epicardial fat would be significantly increased (P<0.05); and if high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was increased, the area of epicardial fat would be significantly decreased (P<0.05). Out of metabolic syndrome factors, waist circumference's ROC curve area was 0.79 (Confidence Interval 0.73-0.84, P<0.05), which was the highest. The sensitivity was 83.7% when specificity was 70.1%, which proves that they are important factors for the diagnosis. In brief, metabolic syndrome is a disease that mostly appears in obesity patients, so we should try to monitor and cure the disease. CONCLUSION: The risk factors of metabolic syndrome can be managed through health care, and if we try to decrease the risk factors, we will be able to shrink epicardial fat area and decrease metabolic syndrome at the same time.

The Relationship between Rehabilitation and Changes in Depression in Stroke Patients.

[Purpose] This study investigated the primary factors behind changes in depressive symptoms among stroke patients after 8 weeks of rehabilitation (physical, occupational, and cognitive therapy). [Methods] This study was conducted using a literature review, and electronic medical records from January, 2008 to December, 2009. Data were collected for 120 subjects with chronic stroke. [Results] Cardiac disorder, left-brain lesion, early-stage depression, activities of daily living, and cognitive function were significant predictors of the changes in depression in chronic stroke patients. [Conclusion] Post-stroke depression can be controlled by rehabilitation. Also, clinicians should comprehend and share the psychological and physical affliction, develop back-up programs, and make them comprehensively available to support the psychological and physical health of subjects with chronic stroke.

Increased range of motion and decreased strength of the thumb in massage practitioners with thumb pain.

The purpose of this study was to compare the range of motion (ROM) and strength of the metacarpophalangeal (MP) and interphalangeal (IP) joints among massage practitioners with and without thumb pain and control subjects. Sixteen massage practitioners with thumb pain, 16 practitioners without thumb pain, and 16 control subjects participated in this study. ROM of flexion, extension, and abduction in the MP joint; ROM of flexion and extension in the IP joint of the thumb; strength of the flexor pollicis brevis (FPB), extensor pollicis brevis (EPB), abductor pollicis brevis, flexor pollicis longus (FPL), and extensor pollicis longus measured in all subjects. ROM of extension and abduction in the MP joint were significantly increased in massage practitioners with and without thumb pain compared with control subjects. ROM of extension in the IP joint was significantly increased in massage practitioners with thumb pain compared with those without thumb pain. The strength of the EPB and FPL muscle was significantly decreased in massage practitioners with thumb pain compared with those without thumb pain and control subjects, respectively. In addition, there was significantly increased EPB/FPB strength in massage practitioners without thumb pain compared to those with thumb pain and control subjects.

Cultural heritage: a potential pollution source in museum.

INTRODUCTION: The purposes of this study, as part of research projects for establishing the preservation environment of domestic cultural properties, are to identify the hazardous environmental factors which have a possibility to cause damages on long-term preservation of cultural heritage within the museum exhibition halls and the storages area, and to provide the basic data for the future establishment of preservation environment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The temperature (23.5 and 20.6°C,) relative humidity (52.1% and 55.4%), PM10 (31.5 and 18.9 µg/m3), CO2 (472.7 and 526.8 ppm), HCHO (20.8 and 34.0 µg/m3), CO (0.3 and 0.3 ppm), NO2 (0.012 and 0.004 ppm), TVOCs (493.6 and 788.9 µg/m3), O3 (0.003 and 0.002 ppm), Rn (0.7 and 1.5 pCi/L), and SO2 (0.003 and 0.002 ppm) as chemical factors, and airborne bacteria and fungi as biological factors, were selected for this research subjects of hazardous environmental factors, which were the subjects of the study conducted by the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage from 2006 to 2008, and the subjects of related domestic researches performed in fragments. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The concentration distributions of selected hazardous environmental factors in a museum environment were calculated by using the inverse variance weighted average in meta-analysis, and the concentration distributions possibly emerging in a museum exhibition halls and storages were computed through Monte Carlo simulation in order to minimize the uncertainty that can be caused from meagerness of related domestic researches.

Oxidative stress and antioxidant defenses in asthmatic murine model exposed to printer emissions and environmental tobacco smoke.

Exposure to particulate emissions from printer and cigarette smoke affects the structure and function of mitochondria, which may account for the pathogenesis of respiratory diseases. The addition of charge for the pollutant aerosols may increase the toxicity by their deposition in the lower respiratory tract. The mitochondrial damage in the lung of asthmatic mice was assessed by examining the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxides, reduced glutathione, and the activities of isocitrate dehydrogenase, alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, succinate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, complexes I to IV, and cytochrome c. The oxidative phosphorylation (levels of adenosine triphosphatase) was evaluated for the assessment of mitochondrial functional capacity. We found highly significant elevated levels of ROS, lipid peroxides, and decreased levels of mitochondrial enzymes in the mice exposed to environmental tobacco smoke and printer emissions + environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). However, mice exposed to printer emissions alone exhibited slight significant variations in the parameters studied. From the results, we conclude that printer emissions exert a synergistic effect in the presence of ETS and induce intense damage to the lung mitochondria by disrupting the structural and functional integrity of the mitochondrial membrane.

Relationship between particulate matter measured by optical particle counter and mortality in Seoul, Korea, during 2001.

This study was performed to examine the relationship between particulate matter exposure and mortality in Seoul, Korea, during the year 2001. Particulate matter data were collected using an optical particle counter (OPC) and national monitoring stations in Seoul. The size-resolved aerosol number concentrations of particles 0.3-25 microm in diameter and mass concentrations of PM10 (particulate matter less than 10 microm in diameter) and PM2.5 (less than 2.5 microm in diameter) were measured. Meteorological data such as air temperature and relative humidity were provided by the Korea Meteorological Administration. Daily mortality was analyzed using a generalized additive Poisson model, with adjustment for the effects of seasonal trend, air temperature, humidity, and day of the week as confounders, in a nonparametric approach. We used S-Plus for all analyses. Model fitness, using loess smoothing, was based on stringent convergence criteria to minimize the default convergence criteria in the S-Plus generalized additive models module. The IQR (interquartile range) increase of fine particle (10.21 number/cm3 [the total number of particles per cubic centimeter]) and respiratory particle (10.38 number/cm3) number concentration were associated with a 5.73% (5.03%-6.45%) and a 5.82% (5.13%-6.53%) increase in respiratory disease-associated mortality, respectively. Mortality effects in the elderly (aged over 65 years) were increased by more than 0.51% to 2.59%, and the relative risks of respiratory-related and cardiovascular-related mortality were increased by 0.51% to 1.06% compared with all-cause mortality. These findings support the hypothesis that air pollution is harmful to sensitive subjects, such as the elderly, and has a greater effect on respiratory- and cardiovascular-related mortality than all-cause mortality. However, our results using OPC data did not support the hypothesis that PM2.5 would have more adverse health effects than PM10 in number concentration but not in mass concentration.

Odor reduction rate in the confinement pig building by spraying various additives.

The objective of this on-site experiment was to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of currently utilized various additives, i.e. tap water, salt water, digested manure, microbial additive, soybean oil, artificial spice and essential oil, to reduce odor emissions from the confinement pig building. Odor reduction rates were evaluated with respect to sensual odor (odor concentration index, odor intensity and odor offensiveness) and odorous compounds (ammonia and sulfuric odorous compounds). Of the additives investigated in this study, salt water, artificial spice and essential oil had a positive effect on reducing odor generation. The effectiveness of salt water was only observed on ammonia, showing the reduction rates as a function of time (t=immediately, 1h, 3h, 5h, and 24h after spraying) were 0.1%, 20%, 36%, 11% and 0.2% as compared to initial level before spraying. The odor intensity and offensiveness were lessened by spraying artificial spice and essential oil of which maximum reduction rates ranged from 60% to 80%. Additionally, the essential oil had a significant effect on reducing sulfuric odorous compounds for 24h after spraying, which implicates that it functioned as not only a masking agent but also as an antimicrobial agent.

Effect of manual feeding on the level of farmer's exposure to airborne contaminants in the confinement nursery pig house.

The objective of the study is to demonstrate an effect of manual feeding on the level of farmer's exposure to airborne contaminants in the confinement nursery pig house. The levels of all the airborne contaminants besides respirable dust, total airborne fungi and ammonia were significantly higher in the treated nursery pig house with feeding than the control nursery pig house without feeding. Although there is no significant difference in respirable dust and total airborne fungi between the treatment and the control, their concentrations in the treated nursery pig house were also higher than the control nursery pig house. The result that the level of ammonia in the treated nursery pig house is lower than the control nursery pig house would be reasoned by the mechanism of ammonia generation in the pig house and adsorption property of ammonia to dust particles. In conclusion, manual feeding by farmer increased the exposure level of airborne contaminants compared to no feeding activity.

Comparative study of PM2.5 - and PM10 - induced oxidative stress in rat lung epithelial cells.

Accurate estimation of the exposure-response relationship between ambient urban particulate matters (PM) and public health is important for regulatory perspective of ambient urban particulate matters (PM). Ambient PM contains various transition metals and organic compounds. PM10 (aerodynamic diameter less than 10 micro m) is known to induce diverse diseases such as chronic cough, bronchitis, chest illness, etc. However, recent evaluation of PM2.5 (aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 micro m) against health outcomes has suggested that the fine particles may be more closely associated with adverse respiratory health effects than particles of larger size. This study was performed to evaluate PM2.5-induced oxidative stress in rat lung epithelial cell in order to provide basic data for the risk assessment of PM2.5. PM2.5 showed higher cytotoxicity than PM10. Also, PM 2.5 induced more malondialdehyde (MDA) formation than PM10. In Hoechst 33258 dye staining and DNA fragmentation assay, apopotic changes were clearly detected in PM2.5 treated cells in compared to PM10. Expression of catalase mRNA was increased by PM2.5 rather than PM10. PM2.5 induced higher Mth1 mRNA than PM10. In pBR322 DNA treated with PM2.5, production of single strand breakage of DNA was higher than that of PM10. In Western blot analysis, PM2.5 induced more Nrf-2 protein, associated with diverse transcriptional and anti-oxidative stress enzymes, compared to PM10. Our data suggest that PM2.5 rather than PM10 may be responsible for PM-induced toxicity. Additional efforts are needed to establish the environmental standard of PM2.5.

Air pollution and asthma among children in Seoul, Korea.

BACKGROUND: As information about the health risks associated with air pollution has become available, attention has focused increasingly on susceptible persons such as children and persons with preexisting respiratory diseases, such as asthma. METHODS: We investigated the association between outdoor air pollution and asthma attacks among children under 15 years of age in Seoul, Korea. We estimated the relative risks of hospitalization associated with an interquartile range (IQR) increase in pollutant concentrations and used time series analysis of the counts by means of the generalized additive Poisson model. RESULTS: The estimated relative risk of hospitalization for asthma was 1.07 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.04-1.11) for particulate matters less than or equal to 10 microm in aerodynamic diameter (IQR = 40.4 microg/m3); 1.11 (95% CI = 1.06-1.17) for sulfur dioxide (IQR = 4.4 ppb); 1.15 (95% CI = 1.10-1.20) for nitrogen dioxide (IQR = 14.6 ppb); 1.12 (95% CI = 1.07-1.16) for ozone (IQR = 21.7 ppb); and 1.16 (95% CI = 1.10-1.22) for carbon monoxide (IQR = 1.0 ppm). CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the hypothesis that air pollution at levels below the current standards of Korea is harmful to sensitive subjects such as asthmatic children.