OBJECTIVES: We estimated the population prevalence of antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), including unreported infections, through a Korea Seroprevalence Study of Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Retention and Transmission (K-SEROSMART) in 258 communities throughout Korea. METHODS: In August 2022, a survey was conducted among 10,000 household members aged 5 years and older, in households selected through two stage probability random sampling. During face-to-face household interviews, participants self-reported their health status, COVID-19 diagnosis and vaccination history, and general characteristics. Subsequently, participants visited a community health center or medical clinic for blood sampling. Blood samples were analyzed for the presence of antibodies to spike proteins (anti-S) and antibodies to nucleocapsid proteins (anti-N) SARS-CoV-2 proteins using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. To estimate the population prevalence, the PROC SURVEYMEANS statistical procedure was employed, with weighting to reflect demographic data from July 2022. RESULTS: In total, 9,945 individuals from 5,041 households were surveyed across 258 communities, representing all basic local governments in Korea. The overall population-adjusted prevalence rates of anti-S and anti-N were 97.6% and 57.1%, respectively. Since the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has reported a cumulative incidence of confirmed cases of 37.8% through July 31, 2022, the proportion of unreported infections among all COVID-19 infection was suggested to be 33.9%. CONCLUSIONS The K-SEROSMART represents the first nationwide, community-based seroepidemiologic survey of COVID-19, confirming that most individuals possess antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and that a significant number of unreported cases existed. Furthermore, this study lays the foundation for a surveillance system to continuously monitor transmission at the community level and the response to COVID-19.

Purpose: The study was examined to investigate the influence of nurse manager and peer group caring behaviors on organizational socialization and nursing performance Methods: The subjects were 286 clinical nurses from a general hospital in S city. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation and hierarchical regression analysis with the SPSS 25.0 program. Nurse manager and peer group caring behaviors, organizational socialization, and nursing performance were measured using organizational climate for caring scale, peer group caring interaction scale, organizational socialization and performance measurement scale for hospital nurses. Results There was no significant difference in organizational socialization between nurse manager and peer group caring behaviors. The significant predictors of nursing performance were position (β=-.26), nurse manager caring behaviors (β=.23), and peer group caring behaviors (β=.17). These variables explained 23% of the variance in nursing performance. Conclusion: The results suggest that it is necessary to increase both manager and peer group caring behaviors in order to improve nursing performance.

BACKGROUND: Hand eczema is one of the most common skin disorders and negatively affects quality of life. However, a large-scale multicenter study investigating the clinical features of patients with hand eczema has not yet been conducted in Korea. OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence of various hand diseases, which is defined as all cutaneous disease occurring in hands, and to investigate the clinical features of patients with hand eczema and the awareness about hand eczema in the general population and to compare the prevalence of hand eczema between health care providers and non-health care providers. METHODS: To estimate the prevalence of hand diseases, we analyzed the medical records of patients from 24 medical centers. Patients were assessed by online and offline questionnaires. A 1,000 from general population and 913 hand eczema patients answered the questionnaire, for a total of 1,913 subjects. RESULTS: The most common hand disease was irritant contact dermatitis. In an online survey, the lifetime prevalence of hand eczema was 31.2%. Hand eczema was more likely to occur in females (66.0%) and younger (20~39 years, 53.9%). Health care providers and housewives were the occupations most frequently associated with hand eczema. Winter (33.6%) was the most common season which people experienced aggravation. The 63.0% and 67.0% answered that hand eczema hinders their personal relationship and negatively affects daily living activities, respectively. CONCLUSION: Hand eczema is a very common disease and hinders the quality of life. The appropriate identification of hand eczema is necessary to implement effective and efficient treatment.
Activities of Daily Living ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Eczema* ; Female ; Hand* ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Korea* ; Medical Records ; Occupations ; Prevalence ; Quality of Life ; Seasons ; Skin ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Orbital and paranasal actinomycosis have not been commonly reported. We report a case of this uncommon infection, which was improved after endonasal endoscopic drainage and antibiotics. A 53-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes mellitus complained of inability to lift her right upper eyelid and painful swelling over the preceding two days. Broad-spectrum antibiotics did not resolve her lesion. In ophthalmic examination, decreased visual acuity, upper and medial gaze limitation, and a relative afferent pupillary defect of her right eye were observed. Computed tomography of the orbit showed aggravated orbital cellulitis, preseptal cellulitis, subperiosteal abscess, and maxillary and ethmoid sinusitis. After endonasal endoscopic drainage and systemic antibiotics, her clinical symptoms dramatically improved. Microbiological analysis of the maxillary excisional biopsy showed Actinomycosis. This case is of interest due to the rare orbital presentation of actinomycosis infection and the importance of appropriate surgical drainage and long-term antibiotics treatment in such cases. Because delayed diagnosis and treatment of rhino-orbital actinomycosis can cause permanent vision loss or intracranial abscess, it requires careful clinical attention.
Abscess* ; Actinomycosis* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Biopsy ; Cellulitis ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* ; Drainage ; Ethmoid Sinus ; Ethmoid Sinusitis ; Eyelids ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Orbit* ; Orbital Cellulitis ; Pupil Disorders ; Visual Acuity

The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) is a national program designed to assess the health and nutritional status of the noninstitutionalized population of South Korea. The KNHANES was initiated in 1998 and has been conducted annually since 2007. Starting in the latter half of 2008, ophthalmologic examinations were included in the survey in order to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of common eye diseases such as visual impairment, refractive errors, strabismus, blepharoptosis, cataract, pterygium, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, dry eye disease, and color vision deficiency. The measurements included in the ophthalmic questionnaire and examination methods were modified in the KNHANES IV, V, and VI. In this article, we provide detailed information about the methodology of the ophthalmic examinations in KNHANES in order to aid in further investigations related to major eye diseases in South Korea.
*Epidemiologic Methods ; Eye Diseases/*epidemiology ; Humans ; Nutrition Surveys/*statistics & numerical data ; Ophthalmology/*methods ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; *Surveys and Questionnaires

Tight junctions (TJs) form continuous intercellular contacts in intercellular junctions. TJs involve integral proteins such as occludin (OCLN) and claudins (CLDNs) as well as peripheral proteins such as zona occludens-1 (ZO-1) and junctional adhesion molecules (JAMs). TJs control paracellular transportation across cell-to-cell junctions. Although TJs have been studied for several decades, comparison of the transcriptional-translational levels of these molecules in canine organs has not yet been performed. In this study, we examined uterine expression of CLDNs, OCLN, junction adhesion molecule-A, and ZO-1 in canine. Expression levels of canine uterine TJ proteins, including CLDN1, 2, 4, 5, JAM-A, ZO-1, and OCLN, were measured using reverse transcription PCR, real-time PCR, and Western blotting, whereas TJs distribution was determined by immunohistochemistry. The mRNA and protein expression levels of OCLN, CLDN-1, 4, JAM-1, and ZO-1 were identified in the uterus. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that TJs were localized to the endometrium and/or myometrium of the uterus. Our results show that canine TJ proteins, including CLDNs, OCLN, JAM-A, and ZO-1, were expressed in the canine uterus. Taken together, these proteins may perform unique physiological roles in the uterus. Therefore, these findings may serve as a basis for further studies on TJ proteins and their roles in the physiological or pathological condition of the canine uterus.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Claudins ; Dogs ; Endometrium ; Female ; Herpes Zoster ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intercellular Junctions ; Junctional Adhesion Molecules ; Mice ; Myometrium ; Occludin ; Physiology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Reverse Transcription ; RNA, Messenger ; Tight Junctions* ; Transportation ; Uterus*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to report on preliminary data regarding the prevalence of major eye diseases in Korea. METHODS: We obtained data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nation-wide cross-sectional survey and examinations of the non-institutionalized civilian population in South Korea (n = 14,606), conducted from July 2008 to December 2009. Field survey teams included an ophthalmologist, nurses, and interviewers, traveled with a mobile examination unit and performed interviews and ophthalmologic examinations. RESULTS: The prevalence of visual impairment, myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism in participants over 5 years of age was 0.4 +/- 0.1%, 53.7 +/- 0.6%, 10.7 +/- 0.4%, and 58.0 +/- 0.6%, respectively. The prevalence of strabismus and blepharoptosis in participants over 3 years of age was 1.5 +/- 0.1% and 11.0 +/- 0.8%, respectively. In participants over 40 years of age, the prevalence of cataract, pterygium, early and late age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma was 40.2 +/- 1.3%, 8.9 +/- 0.5%, 5.1 +/- 0.3%, 0.5 +/- 0.1%, 13.4 +/- 1.5%, and 2.1 +/- 0.2%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first nation-wide epidemiologic study conducted in South Korea for assessment of the prevalence of eye diseases by both the Korean Ophthalmologic Society and the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention. This study will provide preliminary information for use in further investigation, prevention, and management of eye diseases in Korea.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Eye Diseases/*epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nutrition Surveys/*statistics & numerical data ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Alveolar soft part sarcomas (ASPSs) are rare, histologically distinctive soft tissue sarcomas of unknown origin. Although ASPSs are characterized by a specific alteration, der(17)t(X;17)(p11;q25), the entire spectrum of genetic events underlying the pathogenesis of ASPS is unclear. Using array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH), we examined the DNA copy number changes in ASPS. METHODS: Array-CGH, composed of 4,030 clones, was performed in two samples of fresh frozen tumor tissues from a 29-year-old male and a 16-year-old female. RESULTS: We identified 16 commonly altered chromosomal regions involving 25 genes. Eleven altered regions were located on chromosome Xp (Xp22.33, Xp22.11, Xp11.3, Xp11.3-Xp11.23, Xp22.2, Xp22.12, Xp22.31, Xp22.32, Xp21.1, Xp21.3, and Xp11.4). Additional regions with an increased copy number were observed at 1q25.1, 7q35, 12p12.1, and 17p11.2. Loss was found in only one region of chromosome 22q11.23. Several genes located within the amplified region of Xp included GYG2, ARSD, ARSE, ARSH, UBE1, USP11, PCTK1, ARAF, SYN1, TIMP1, XK, PDK3, PCYT1B, PHEX, ARX, RPS6KA3, TMSB4X, TMEM27, BMX, and KAL1. CONCLUSIONS: This was the first application report of genome-wide copy number changes by BAC array-CGH in ASPSs. Our study showed unique genomic regions and new candidate genes that suggest a neural origin and are associated with tumor pathogenesis in ASPSs.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Clone Cells ; Coat Protein Complex I ; Comparative Genomic Hybridization ; DNA Copy Number Variations ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization ; Sarcoma ; Sarcoma, Alveolar Soft Part ; Viperidae

The 4 bank mico-MLC (mMLC; Acculeaf, Direx, Isral) has been commissioned for clinical use of linac based stereotactic radiosurgery. The geometrical parameters to control the leaves were determined and comparisons between measured and calculated by the calculation model were performed in terms of absolute dose (cGy/100 MU). As a result of evaluating calculated dose for various field sizes and depths of 5 and 10 cm in water in the geometric condition of fixed SSD (source to surface distance) and fixed SCD (source to chamber distance), most of differences were within 1% for 6 MV and 15 MV x-rays. The penumbral widths at the isocenter were approximately evaluated to 0.29~0.43 cm depending on the field size for 6 MV and 0.36~0.51 cm for 15 MV x-rays. The average transmission and leakage for 6 MV and 15 MV x-rays were 6.6% and 7.4% respectively in single level of leaves fully closed. In case of dual level of leaves fully closed the measured transmission is approximately 0.5% for both 6 MV and 15 MV x-rays. Through the commissiong procedure we could verify the dose characteristics of mMLC and approximately evaluate the error ranges for treatment planning system.
Radiosurgery ; Silver Sulfadiazine ; Water

PURPOSE: We compared the results of electromagnetic navigation assisted total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with that of conventional TKA from the viewpoint of the postoperative limb alignment and the implant position. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 115 consecutive total knee arthroplasties that were done between September 2006 and June 2007. There were 65 navigation assissted cases and 50 conventionally implanted cases. We analyzed the postoperative radiologic results, the clinical results over one year follow up after surgery and the range of motion (ROM). RESULTS: The postoperative mechanical axis deviation showed no significant difference between the two groups. However, the tibial zone, as assessed by Kennedy and White's method were at zone C for 60 cases (92%) in the navigation group and for 40 cases (80%) in the conventional group (p=0.01). On the coronal plane, the implant position of the femoral component was 89.4+/-4.1degrees in the navigation group and 87.6+/-4.3degrees in the conventional group (p<0.01), and the implant position of the tibial component was 89.7+/-1.1degrees and 91.9+/-1.8degrees in each group, respectively (p<0.01), and this shows the better result in the navigation group. CONCLUSION: Electromagnetic navigation assisted TKA had similar clinical results on the short-term follow up as compared with conventional TKA. However, it radiologically showed a more satisfactory position of the implant and it displayed superiority in locating the precise position of the femoral and tibial components, and especially on the coronal plane.
Arthroplasty ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Extremities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Knee ; Magnets ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Retrospective Studies