The Korean list of occupational skin diseases was amended in July 2013. The past list was constructed according to the causative agent and the target organ, and the items of that list had not been reviewed for a long period. The revised list was reconstructed to include diseases classified by the International Classification of Diseases (10th version). Therefore, the items of compensable occupational skin diseases in the amended list in Korea comprise contact dermatitis; chemical burns; Stevens-Johnson syndrome; tar-related skin diseases; infectious skin diseases; skin injury-induced cellulitis; and skin conditions resulting from physical factors such as heat, cold, sun exposure, and ionized radiation. This list will be more practical and convenient for physicians and workers because it follows a disease-based approach. The revised list is in accordance with the International Labor Organization list and is refined according to Korean worker's compensation and the actual occurrence of occupational skin diseases. However, this revised list does not perfectly reflect the actual status of skin diseases because of the few cases of occupational skin diseases, incomplete statistics of skin diseases, and insufficient scientific evidence. Thus, the list of occupational diseases should be modified periodically on the basis of recent evidence and statistics.
Burns, Chemical/pathology ; Dermatitis, Contact/pathology ; Humans ; Occupational Diseases/*economics ; Occupational Exposure ; Republic of Korea ; Skin/*pathology ; Skin Diseases/*economics/*pathology ; Skin Diseases, Infectious/pathology ; Stevens-Johnson Syndrome/pathology ; Vitiligo/pathology ; Workers' Compensation/*economics

OBJECTIVE: Somatosensory evoked potentials(SSEPs) have been used widely both experimentally and clinically to monitor the function of central nervous system and peripheral nervous system. Studies of SSEPs have reported the various recording techniques and patterns of SSEP. The previous SSEP studies used scalp recording electrodes, showed mean vector potentials which included relatively constant brainstem potentials(far-field potentials) and unstable thalamocortical pathway potentials(near-field potentials). Even in invasive SSEP recording methods, thalamocortical potentials were variable according to the kinds, depths, and distance of two electrodes. So they were regarded improper method for monitoring of upper level of brainstem. The present study was conducted to investigate the characteristics of somatosensory evoked field potentials(SSEFPs) of the cerebral cortex that evoked by hindlimb stimulation using ball electrode and the pathways of SSEFP by recording the potentials simultaneously in the cortex, VPL nucleus of thalamus, and nucleus gracilis. METHODS: In the first experiment, a specially designed recording electrode was inserted into the cerebral cortex perpendicular to the cortical surface in order to recording the constant cortical field potentials and SSEFPs mapped from different areas of somatosensory cortex were analyzed. In the second experiment, SSEPs were recorded in the ipsilateral nucleus gracilis, the contralateral ventroposterolateral thalamic nucleus(VPL), and the cerebral cortex along the conduction pathway of somatosensory information. RESULTS: In the first experiment, we could constantly obtain the SSEFPs in cerebral cortex following the transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the hind limb, and it revealed that the first large positive and following negative waves were largest at the 2mm posterior and 2mm lateral to the bregma in the contralateral somatosensory cortex. The second experiment showed that the SSEPs were conducted by way of posterior column somatosensory pathway and thalamocortical pathway and that specific patterns of the SSEPs were recorded from the nucleus gracilis, VPL, and cerebral cortex. CONCLUSION: The specially designed recording electrode was found to be very useful in recording the localized SSEFPs and the transcutaneous electrical stimulation using ball electrode was effective in evoking SSEPs. The characteristic shapes, latencies, and conduction velocities of each potentials are expected to be used the fundamental data for the future study of brain functions, including the hydrocephalus model, middle cerebral artery ischemia model, and so forth.
Animals ; Brain ; Brain Stem ; Central Nervous System ; Cerebral Cortex ; Electrodes ; Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory ; Extremities ; Hindlimb ; Hydrocephalus ; Ischemia ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Peripheral Nervous System ; Rats* ; Scalp ; Somatosensory Cortex ; Thalamus ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to introduce the prevention programs for musculoskeletal disorders in one farming village. METHODS: We visited the village hall 12 times and gave an education program 9 times to residents. At the beginning, the middle, and the end of the program, we evaluated musculoskeletal disorders by doctors, musculoskeletal pains using the visual analogue scale, muscular strengths and flexibilities and musculoskeletal functions using structured questionnaires. RESULTS: Fifty seven residents participated in this program at least one time, 20 (35.1%) were males and 37 (64.9%) were females. The mean age of participants is 60.7 (+/-8.1). Forty three residents were evaluated by doctors at least one time. Thirty three residents were diagnosed to at least one musculoskeletal disease. The severity of pains of neck-shoulders, low backs, and leg-knees tended to decline while 3 tests went by and those of the 3rd test are less severe than the 1st test statistically significantly (p<0.05). Musculoskeletal functions were improved as tests went by but not differed statistically significantly. Muscular strengths and flexibilities were better in the 1st than the 3rd test statistically significantly (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the program were held in off-season for farmers and the number of participants are small, through the program, musculoskeletal pains and functions were improved and muscular strengths and flexibilities were strengthened. We think that the program needs to be held during the busy farming season as well as the off-season.
Agriculture ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Musculoskeletal Diseases ; Musculoskeletal Pain ; Seasons

BACKGROUND: It has been reported that children with parental drinking problems are at increased risk of drinking problems or psychiatric diseases in adulthood. The present study was conducted to examine the psychiatric characteristics of high school students according to paternal drinking problems. METHODS: The subjects were 950 high school students (390 male and 560 female). The paternal drinking problems were assessed by using the Father-Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, Beck's depression inventory, and Beck's anxiety inventory were used to evaluate the drinking behavior, depression, and anxiety of high school students. RESULTS: While male students with paternal drinking problems showed significantly increased risk of anxiety (odds ratio [OR], 2.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05 to 4.63), female students with paternal drinking problems showed significantly increased risk of depression (OR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.24 to 2.74) according to the results of logistic regression analysis with adjustments for participants' age, whether they live together with parents, their religion, club activities, and smoking habits on the basis of students without paternal drinking problems. CONCLUSION: The above results suggest that paternal drinking problems lead to unstable mentalities in both male and female students, and that a family physician should address the mental state of teenagers with paternal drinking problems during clinical encounters.
Adolescent ; Alcoholism ; Anxiety ; Child ; Depression ; Drinking Behavior ; Drinking* ; Fathers ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Michigan ; Parents ; Physicians, Family ; Smoke ; Smoking