Ninety five patients of rectal cancer treated with surgery with or without adjuvant radiation therapy since January 1982 to December 1990 at the Chonnam University Hospital were analysed retrospectively regarding local failure. Of these 95 patients 72 patients were treated with surgery alone and remaining 23 patients received postoperative radiation therapy to pelvis. There were 45 men and 50 women with 53 years of median age. Minimum tool low-up period was 19 months and Median was 47 months (range, 19-125 months). Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate actuarial risk of local recurrence and survival rate. Comparison between two groups was evaluated by Log rank test. Of total 95 patients twenty seven patients (28.4%) developed local recurrence and 13 patients(17.3%) developed local and distant metastasis oncomitantly. Eighty nine percent(24/27) of patients developed local recurrence within 24 months. Pelvic organ adjacent to the primary tumor area was the most common site of initial local recurrence. Of 72 patients treated with surgery alone local recurrence developed in 24 patients. Of 17 patients with stage A and B1 (Gunderson-Sosin modification of Dukes' staging system) 6 patients experienced local recurrence(31.2%). The local recurrence rate of B2 and B3 group was 29.9%(7/33) and that of C2 and C3 was 54.7%(l1/19), respectively. There was statistically significant difference between two groups(p< 0.05). Of 23 patients treated with definitive surgery and radiation therapy 10%(1/10) ecurred in B2 and B3 patients. This was slightly lower than C2 and C3 patients(22.2%, 2/10) of similar policy, but revealed no statistically significant difference(p>0.05). In the patients of B2+3 local failure rate decreased when radiation therapy was added(29.9% vs 10%, p>0.05) and also similar results in C2+3 group(34.7% vs 22.2%, p<0.05). The local failure rate in relation to distance from the anal verge had no statistically significant difference.
Female ; Humans ; Jeollanam-do ; Male ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pelvis ; Rectal Neoplasms* ; Recurrence* ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a mosquito-borne zoonotic disease that affects approximately 50,000 people annually in Asia, causing 10,000 deaths. Considering the role of pigs as the virus-amplifying host and the economic loss in the swine industry, JE is an important disease for both public and animal health. A nationwide JE virus (JEV) vaccination program has been conducted annually for more than 30 years to prevent severe reproductive disorders in the Korean sow population. Remarkable progress in molecular biology has made it possible to analyze the genome of the vaccine strain at the nucleotide and amino acid levels. However, the scientific record of the current JEV veterinary vaccine has not been reported. Therefore, this article outlines the current JEV vaccine strain used in animals and discusses future directions for developing new veterinary JEV vaccines.
Animals ; Asia ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Encephalitis Viruses, Japanese ; Encephalitis, Japanese* ; Genome ; Humans ; Korea* ; Molecular Biology ; Swine ; Vaccination ; Vaccines* ; Zoonoses

Fourteen African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks occurred in the pig farms in the northwestern region of South Korea, near the border with North Korea, from September 16, 2019 to October 9, 2019. Active and passive surveillance on the ASF-infected farms indicated that the infection was limited only to pigsties where the infected pigs were detected on the farm for the first time before further transmission to other pigsties and farms. This early detection could be one of the pivotal factors for the prompt eradication of ASF in domestic pig farms within 1 month in the northwestern region of South Korea.

Purpose: A care coordinator is an emerging nursing professional role in South Korea. The purpose of this study was to identify educational needs and priorities for care coordinators among nurses. Methods: An online survey was conducted on 661 current or retired nurses from January 30 to February 28, 2021. A total of 17 essential competencies for care coordinators, recognized based on literature review, were used to analyze the educational needs. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a paired t-test, and one-way analysis of variance with SPSS 25.0. The educational needs analysis was conducted by using a paired t-test, the Borich Needs Assessment Model, and the Locus for Focus Model. Results: Five contents were identified as the first priorities for educational needs: ‘Health program planning and evaluation’, ‘Care planning’, ‘Coordinating community-based services’, ‘Case management’, and ‘Transitional care’. The second priorities for educational needs included 'Population health management' and'Welfare resource linkages via communicating with social workers’. Conclusion The priority items derived from this study offer underpinning insights for the development of care coordination training program.

Fourteen African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks occurred in the pig farms in the northwestern region of South Korea, near the border with North Korea, from September 16, 2019 to October 9, 2019. Active and passive surveillance on the ASF-infected farms indicated that the infection was limited only to pigsties where the infected pigs were detected on the farm for the first time before further transmission to other pigsties and farms. This early detection could be one of the pivotal factors for the prompt eradication of ASF in domestic pig farms within 1 month in the northwestern region of South Korea.

Purpose: Recent studies have focused on policies aimed at supporting the independence of individuals with disabilities in communities. As part of this initiative, supportive housing, integrated care, and residential spaces offer tailored services based on individual needs and autonomy. The attitudes and knowledge of the administrators supporting supportive housing residents regarding health management can influence the well-being of individuals with disabilities. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the challenges faced by supporting housing workers in enhancing the self-management skills of individuals with disabilities. Methods: In this qualitative study, focus group interviews were conducted in August 2023 with nine administrators working to support housing in Seoul. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the interview data. Results: The needs and challenges in enhancing the self-management skills of individuals with disabilities were as follows: (1) the complexity of health management challenges, (2) bidirectional strategies for strengthening health management capabilities, and (3) support for systematic health management. Additionally, eight subthemes were derived. Conclusion By investigating the difficulties experienced and identifying the necessary support requirements for supportive housing workers, this study seeks to uncover insights and identifies areas for improvement and strategies for health management. This study acknowledges the educational and institutional support necessary to improve the health and quality of life of individuals with disabilities residing in supportive housing.

Gastric volvulus is an uncommon condition which is difficult to diagnose and treat. It designates abnormal rotation of the stomach along its longitudinal (organoaxial) or transverse (mesenteroaxial) axis. When the rotation exceeds 180 degrees, gastric obstruction or strangulation may occur. The classical presentation of acute gastric volvulus is the triad of severe epigastric pain, vomiting followed by retching without the ability to vomit, and difficulty or inability to pass a nasogastric tube. Delay in diagnosis and treatment of gastric volvulus can lead to fatal complications such as gastric ischemia, perforation, and hemorrhage. Gastric volvulus is a true emergency which should be treated immediately either surgically or by upper endoscopy. We report a case of an acute incarcerated gastric volvulus due to a left-sided diaphragmatic hernia in an adult male patient, which was treated successfully by operation.
Acute Disease ; Hernia, Diaphragmatic/*complications ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Stomach Volvulus/diagnosis/*etiology

Recent global warming trends may have a significant impact on vector-borne viral diseases, possibly affecting vector population dynamics and disease transmission. This study measured levels of hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) antibodies against Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and neutralizing antibodies against Akabane virus (AKAV) and Aino virus (AINV) for Thoroughbred horses in Korea. Blood samples were collected from 989 racehorses in several provinces, between October 2005 and March 2007. Sera were tested using either an HI assay or a virus neutralization test. Approximately half (49.7%; 492/989) of the horses tested were antibody-positive for JEV. The HI titer against JEV was significantly correlated with racehorse age (p < 0.05). Horses with an HI antibody titer of 1: 160 or higher accounted for 3.9% of the animals tested, indicating that vectors transmitting arthropod- borne viruses bit relatively few horses. In contrast, 3.8% (19/497) and 19.5% (97/497) of horse sera collected in March 2007 were positive against AKAV and AINV, respectively. The presence of antibodies against AKAV and AINV may indicate the multiplication of AKAV and AINV in these horses.
Aging ; Animals ; Encephalitis Virus, Japanese/*isolation & purification ; Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests/veterinary ; Horse Diseases/blood/*epidemiology ; Horses ; Korea/epidemiology ; Orthobunyavirus/*isolation & purification ; Seroepidemiologic Studies

PURPOSE: To evaluate the treatment outcomes after postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) and chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The PMRT were retrospectively analyzed in 83 patients with stage II-III female breast cancer treated between 1989 and 1995. The median age was 46 years (range, 23-77); Seventy- seven patients had modified radical mastectomies, 5 radical mastectomies and 1 simple mastectomy. Three patients (4%) had pathologically negative axillae, and the remaining 80 (96%) had positive axillae. Eleven, 23, 44 and 5 patients had pathological stages IIA, IIB, IIIA, and IIIB, retrospectively. Eighty (96%) patients were treated with hockey-stick fields. The median dose of PMRT was 50.4 Gy, in 1.8 Gy fractions. Adjuvant systemic chemotherapy was given to 74 patients (89%). CMF-based or doxorubicin-containing regimens were given to 54 patients (65%). The median follow-up time was 82 months (range, 8-171) after the mastectomy. RESULTS: The 5 and 10-year overall survival rates for all patients were 65 and 49%, respectively. The univariate and multivariate analyses of the factors affecting the overall survival revealed the stage to be the most significant prognostic factor (p=0.002), followed by the combination of chemotherapy. Thirteen patients (16%) developed a LRF, at an interval of 4-84 months after radiotherapy, with a median of 20 months. The only significant prognostic factor affecting LRF was the combination of chemotherapy, in both the univariate and multivariate analyses. With respect to the sequence of chemoradiation, the sequence had no statistical significance (p=0.90). According to the time interval from mastectomy to the onset of radiotherapy, the LRFR of the patients group treated by RT within or after 6 month postmastectomy 6 months were 14 vs. 27%, respectively (p=0.24). One third of the patients (26/83) developed distant metastasis, in 2-92 months, after radiotherapy, with a median of 21 months. The most commonly involved site was bone in 13 cases. The pathological staging was the only significant prognostic factor in both the univariate and multivariate analyses that affected distant failure. Radiological findingof radiation pneumonitis on a simple chest x-ray was shown in 20% (17/83), with a time interval ranging from 2 to 7 months post-radiotherapy, with a median of 3 months. The stable lung fibrosis settled in 11 patients (65%). CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded through this analysis that the combination of PMRT with in chemotherapy resulted in better overall survival and local control than PMRT alone in patients needing PMRT.
Axilla ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Drug Therapy* ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lung ; Mastectomy ; Mastectomy, Modified Radical ; Mastectomy, Radical ; Mastectomy, Simple ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Radiation Pneumonitis ; Radiotherapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Thorax

The nucleocapsid (N) protein of rinderpest virus (RPV) is highly conserved, immunogenic, and abundantly expressed during infection. Six antigenic sites (sites A, B, C, D, E and F), defined previously by a competitive binding assay using corresponding monoclonal antibodies (Mabs), have been further localized by immunoassays using deleted N mutants. Five different forms of RPV N protein, containing residues aa 1-79, aa 1-149, aa 1-421, aa 414-525 and aa 1-525, were expressed as glutathione S transferase (GST) fusion proteins (designated as GST-N1-79, GST-N1-149, GST-N1-421, GST-N414-525, and GST-N1-525, respectively) in E.coli BL21 cells. In ELISA using deleted N mutants, Mabs recognizing sites A, B, C, D and E reacted with 3 GST fusion proteins (GST-N1-149, GST-N1-421 and GST-N1-525), indicating that they are located at aa 80-149. Mab recognizing site F reacted with 4 GST fusion proteins (GST-N1-79, GST-N1-149, GST-N1-421 and GST-N1-525), indicating that site F is located at aa 1-79. Identification of the amino-terminal antigenic sites of the N protein would provide antigen basis for developing sensitive and specific diagnostic reagents for RPV, although it remains to be further investigated antigenic sites at the carboxyl-terminus.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Base Sequence ; Cercopithecus aethiops ; Cloning, Molecular ; DNA Primers ; Escherichia coli/genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Nucleocapsid Proteins/analysis/chemistry/*genetics ; Recombinant Proteins/chemistry ; Rinderpest virus/chemistry/*genetics/isolation & purification ; Sequence Alignment ; Sequence Deletion ; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid ; Vero Cells ; Viral Proteins/analysis/chemistry/*genetics