Objective: This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing the emergency medical competency (EMC), perceived by the fire station and health center staff, in the areas where of emergency medical vulnerability where earthquakes had occurred. Methods: This study was conducted between December 2019 and February 2020. A proper questionnaire was created to evaluate EMC in disaster situations and administered to the fire station and the health center groups. Descriptive variables of each group were calculated. The Kendall rank correlation analysis was used to measure the relationships between the demographic variables, disaster-related variables, and EMC. The factors influencing the EMC for both groups were investigated in the linear regression analysis. Results: For a total of 200 respondents, the mean scores of EMC were 99.85±21.24 and 95.24±20.05 for the fire station (n=96) and the health center (n=104) groups, respectively (P=0.121). EMC was significantly correlated with age, years of service, job position, natural disaster experience, disaster relief service experience, and joint disaster response exercise (P<0.050). Linear regression analysis revealed that the duration of joint disaster response exercise (β=0.640, t=11.696) in Model 1 (F=136.806, P<0.001), the duration of joint disaster response exercise (β=0.627, P<0.001), and disaster rescue service experience (β=0.124, P<0.001) in Model 2 (F=72.431, P<0.001) were independently associated with EMC improvement. Conclusion Our findings indicate that the disaster preparedness program with a longer duration of joint disaster response exercise and more frequent disaster rescue service experience is necessary for improved and systematic response to a disaster.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing the emergency medical competency (EMC), perceived by the fire station and health center staff, in the areas where of emergency medical vulnerability where earthquakes had occurred. Methods: This study was conducted between December 2019 and February 2020. A proper questionnaire was created to evaluate EMC in disaster situations and administered to the fire station and the health center groups. Descriptive variables of each group were calculated. The Kendall rank correlation analysis was used to measure the relationships between the demographic variables, disaster-related variables, and EMC. The factors influencing the EMC for both groups were investigated in the linear regression analysis. Results: For a total of 200 respondents, the mean scores of EMC were 99.85±21.24 and 95.24±20.05 for the fire station (n=96) and the health center (n=104) groups, respectively (P=0.121). EMC was significantly correlated with age, years of service, job position, natural disaster experience, disaster relief service experience, and joint disaster response exercise (P<0.050). Linear regression analysis revealed that the duration of joint disaster response exercise (β=0.640, t=11.696) in Model 1 (F=136.806, P<0.001), the duration of joint disaster response exercise (β=0.627, P<0.001), and disaster rescue service experience (β=0.124, P<0.001) in Model 2 (F=72.431, P<0.001) were independently associated with EMC improvement. Conclusion Our findings indicate that the disaster preparedness program with a longer duration of joint disaster response exercise and more frequent disaster rescue service experience is necessary for improved and systematic response to a disaster.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and poses a considerable socioeconomic burden, contributing to disability and decreased quality of life, particularly in older adults. However, the current treatment for OA is limited to pain relief, and it is necessary to develop disease-modifying OA drugs that target specific molecular mechanisms of its pathogenesis.Current Concepts: The prevalence of OA increases with age, with the incidence being higher in individuals aged over 60 years. Furthermore, women are more likely to develop knee and hand OA, whereas hip OA is more common in men. The global burden of OA is increasing, driven by an aging population and increasing obesity. The main pathological feature of OA is the degradation of the cartilage extracellular matrix by catabolic proteases such as matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13) and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 5 (Adamts5), which are regulated by various signaling pathways and transcription factors. The metabolic shift towards glycolysis, which is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, increases oxidative stress, ultimately leading to chondrocyte senescence and apoptosis. Chondrocytes in the superficial zone have stem cell-like properties and secrete anabolic proteins such as lubricin and fibulin-3. Subchondral bone remodeling and chondrocyte senescence have emerged as critical mechanisms of OA progression.Discussion and Conclusion: The understanding of OA has markedly evolved in recent years, shifting from the traditional view of OA as a “wear and tear” disease to a multifaceted condition with a complex pathogenesis. This paradigm shift could contribute to the development of novel strategies to halt OA progression.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and poses a considerable socioeconomic burden, contributing to disability and decreased quality of life, particularly in older adults. However, the current treatment for OA is limited to pain relief, and it is necessary to develop disease-modifying OA drugs that target specific molecular mechanisms of its pathogenesis.Current Concepts: The prevalence of OA increases with age, with the incidence being higher in individuals aged over 60 years. Furthermore, women are more likely to develop knee and hand OA, whereas hip OA is more common in men. The global burden of OA is increasing, driven by an aging population and increasing obesity. The main pathological feature of OA is the degradation of the cartilage extracellular matrix by catabolic proteases such as matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13) and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 5 (Adamts5), which are regulated by various signaling pathways and transcription factors. The metabolic shift towards glycolysis, which is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, increases oxidative stress, ultimately leading to chondrocyte senescence and apoptosis. Chondrocytes in the superficial zone have stem cell-like properties and secrete anabolic proteins such as lubricin and fibulin-3. Subchondral bone remodeling and chondrocyte senescence have emerged as critical mechanisms of OA progression.Discussion and Conclusion: The understanding of OA has markedly evolved in recent years, shifting from the traditional view of OA as a “wear and tear” disease to a multifaceted condition with a complex pathogenesis. This paradigm shift could contribute to the development of novel strategies to halt OA progression.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and poses a considerable socioeconomic burden, contributing to disability and decreased quality of life, particularly in older adults. However, the current treatment for OA is limited to pain relief, and it is necessary to develop disease-modifying OA drugs that target specific molecular mechanisms of its pathogenesis.Current Concepts: The prevalence of OA increases with age, with the incidence being higher in individuals aged over 60 years. Furthermore, women are more likely to develop knee and hand OA, whereas hip OA is more common in men. The global burden of OA is increasing, driven by an aging population and increasing obesity. The main pathological feature of OA is the degradation of the cartilage extracellular matrix by catabolic proteases such as matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13) and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 5 (Adamts5), which are regulated by various signaling pathways and transcription factors. The metabolic shift towards glycolysis, which is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, increases oxidative stress, ultimately leading to chondrocyte senescence and apoptosis. Chondrocytes in the superficial zone have stem cell-like properties and secrete anabolic proteins such as lubricin and fibulin-3. Subchondral bone remodeling and chondrocyte senescence have emerged as critical mechanisms of OA progression.Discussion and Conclusion: The understanding of OA has markedly evolved in recent years, shifting from the traditional view of OA as a “wear and tear” disease to a multifaceted condition with a complex pathogenesis. This paradigm shift could contribute to the development of novel strategies to halt OA progression.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and poses a considerable socioeconomic burden, contributing to disability and decreased quality of life, particularly in older adults. However, the current treatment for OA is limited to pain relief, and it is necessary to develop disease-modifying OA drugs that target specific molecular mechanisms of its pathogenesis.Current Concepts: The prevalence of OA increases with age, with the incidence being higher in individuals aged over 60 years. Furthermore, women are more likely to develop knee and hand OA, whereas hip OA is more common in men. The global burden of OA is increasing, driven by an aging population and increasing obesity. The main pathological feature of OA is the degradation of the cartilage extracellular matrix by catabolic proteases such as matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13) and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 5 (Adamts5), which are regulated by various signaling pathways and transcription factors. The metabolic shift towards glycolysis, which is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, increases oxidative stress, ultimately leading to chondrocyte senescence and apoptosis. Chondrocytes in the superficial zone have stem cell-like properties and secrete anabolic proteins such as lubricin and fibulin-3. Subchondral bone remodeling and chondrocyte senescence have emerged as critical mechanisms of OA progression.Discussion and Conclusion: The understanding of OA has markedly evolved in recent years, shifting from the traditional view of OA as a “wear and tear” disease to a multifaceted condition with a complex pathogenesis. This paradigm shift could contribute to the development of novel strategies to halt OA progression.

The enhanced differentiation and activation of osteoclasts (OCs) in the inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and gout causes not only local bone erosion, but also systemic osteoporosis, leading to functional disabilities and morbidity. The induction and amplification of NFATc1, a master regulator of OC differentiation, is mainly regulated by receptor activator of NF-κB (RANK) ligand-RANK and calcium signaling which are amplified in the inflammatory milieu, as well as by inflammatory cytokines such as TNFα, IL-1β and IL-6. Moreover, the predominance of CD4+ T cell subsets, which varies depending on the condition of inflammatory diseases, can determine the fate of OC differentiation. Anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies which are critical in the pathogenesis of RA can bind to the citrullinated vimentin on the surface of OC precursors, and in turn promote OC differentiation and function via IL-8. In addition to adaptive immunity, the activation of innate immune system including the nucleotide oligomerization domain leucine rich repeat with a pyrin domain 3 inflammasome and TLRs can regulate OC maturation. The emerging perspectives about the diverse and close interactions between the immune cells and OCs in inflammatory milieu can have a significant impact on the future direction of drug development.
Adaptive Immunity ; Antibodies ; Arthritis ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Calcium Signaling ; Cytokines ; Gout ; Immune System ; Inflammasomes ; Interleukin-6 ; Interleukin-8 ; Leucine ; Osteoclasts ; Osteolysis ; Osteoporosis ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; Vimentin

Wolfiporia cocos is a wood-decay brown rot fungus belonging to the family Polyporaceae. While the fungus grows, the sclerotium body of the strain, dubbed Bokryeong in Korean, is formed around the roots of conifer trees. The dried sclerotium has been widely used as a key component of many medicinal recipes in East Asia. Wolfiporia cocos strain KMCC03342 is the reference strain registered and maintained by the Korea Seed and Variety Service for commercial uses. Here, we present the first draft genome sequence of W. cocos KMCC03342 using a hybrid assembly technique combining both short- and long-read sequences. The genome has a total length of 55.5 Mb comprised of 343 contigs with N50 of 332 kb and 95.8% BUSCO completeness. The GC ratio was 52.2%. We predicted 14,296 protein-coding gene models based on ab initio gene prediction and evidence-based annotation procedure using RNAseq data. The annotated genome was predicted to have 19 terpene biosynthesis gene clusters, which was the same number as the previously sequenced W. cocos strain MD-104 genome but higher than Chinese W. cocos strains. The genome sequence and the predicted gene clusters allow us to study biosynthetic pathways for the active ingredients of W. cocos . is a wood-decay brown rot fungus belonging to the family Polyporaceae. While the fungus grows, the sclerotium body of the strain, dubbed Bokryeong in Korean, is formed around the roots of conifer trees. The dried sclerotium has been widely used as a key component of many medicinal recipes in East Asia. Wolfiporia cocos strain KMCC03342 is the reference strain registered and maintained by the Korea Seed and Variety Service for commercial uses. Here, we present the first draft genome sequence of W. cocos KMCC03342 using a hybrid assembly technique combining both short- and long-read sequences. The genome has a total length of 55.5 Mb comprised of 343 contigs with N50 of 332 kb and 95.8% BUSCO completeness. The GC ratio was 52.2%. We predicted 14,296 protein-coding gene models based on ab initio gene prediction and evidence-based annotation procedure using RNAseq data. The annotated genome was predicted to have 19 terpene biosynthesis gene clusters, which was the same number as the previously sequenced W. cocos strain MD-104 genome but higher than Chinese v strains. The genome sequence and the predicted gene clusters allow us to study biosynthetic pathways for the active ingredients of W. cocos

Background and Objectives: To evaluate the impact of smoking in young adults on the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the clustering effect of behavioral risk factors such as smoking, obesity, and depression. Methods: A Korean nationwide population-based cohort of a total of 3,280,826 participants aged 20–39 years old who underwent 2 consecutive health examinations were included. They were followed up until the date of CVD (myocardial infarction [MI] or stroke), or December 2018 (median, 6 years). Results: Current smoking, early age of smoking initiation, and smoking intensity were associated with an increased risk of CVD incidence. Even after quitting smoking, the risk of MI was still high in quitters compared with non-smokers. Cigarette smoking, obesity, and depression were independently associated with a 1.3–1.7 times increased risk of CVD, and clustering of 2 or more of these behavioral risk factors was associated with a 2–3 times increased risk of CVD in young adults. Conclusions In young adults, cigarette smoking was associated with the risk of CVD, and the clustering of 2 or more behavioral risk factors showed an additive risk of CVD.

Background: Patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) experience both motor and non-motor symptoms, including dysphagia. Although PD is closely associated with dysphagia, the prevalence or risk of dysphagia in PD is unclear, especially in Asian countries. Methods: The prevalence of PD and dysphagia with PD in the general population was analyzed using the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database. The prevalence per 100,000 persons of PD and dysphagia with PD from 2006 to 2015 was analyzed in the general population aged ≥ 40 years. Patients newly diagnosed with PD between 2010 and 2015 were compared with those without PD. Results: The prevalence of PD and dysphagia in patients with PD increased continuously during the study period and was highest in the ninth decade of life. The percentage of patients with dysphagia in patients with PD increased with age. Patients with PD showed an adjusted hazard ratio of 3.132 (2.955–3.320) for dysphagia compared to those without PD. Conclusion This nationwide study showed increasing trends in the prevalence of PD and dysphagia among patients with PD in Korea between 2006 and 2015. The risk of dysphagia was three times higher in patients with PD than that in those without PD, highlighting the importance of providing particular attention.