PURPOSE: The pollen calendar is the simplest forecasting method for pollen concentrations. As pollen concentrations are liable to seasonal variations due to alterations in climate and land-use, it is necessary to update the pollen calendar using recent data. To attenuate the impact of considerable temporal and spatial variability in pollen concentrations on the pollen calendar, it is essential to employ a new methodology for its creation.METHODS: A pollen calendar was produced in Korea using data from recent observations, and a new method for creating the calendar was proposed, considering both risk levels and temporal resolution of pollen concentrations. A probability distribution was used for smoothing concentrations and determining risk levels. Airborne pollen grains were collected between 2007 and 2017 at 8 stations; 13 allergenic pollens, including those of alder, Japanese cedar, birch, hazelnut, oak, elm, pine, ginkgo, chestnut, grasses, ragweed, mugwort and Japanese hop, were identified from the collected grains.RESULTS: The concentrations of each pollen depend on locations and seasons due to large variability in species distribution and their environmental condition. In the descending order of concentration, pine, oak and Japanese hop pollens were found to be the most common in Korea. The pollen concentrations were high in spring and autumn, and those of oak and Japanese hop were probably the most common cause of allergy symptoms in spring and autumn, respectively. High Japanese cedar pollen counts were observed in Jeju, while moderate concentrations were in Jeonju, Gwangju and Busan.CONCLUSIONS: A new methodology for the creation of a pollen calendar was developed to attenuate the impact of large temporal and spatial variability in pollen concentrations. This revised calendar should be available to the public and allergic patients to prevent aggravation of pollen allergy.
Alnus ; Ambrosia ; Artemisia ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Betula ; Busan ; Climate ; Corylus ; Cryptomeria ; Forecasting ; Ginkgo biloba ; Gwangju ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Jeollabuk-do ; Korea ; Methods ; Poaceae ; Pollen ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal ; Seasons

PURPOSE: This study was performed to identify the influence of nursing professionalism and campus environment on the perception of ethical sensitivity among nursing students. METHODS: A descriptive survey design was used for this study. The participants were 323 nursing students attending four universities in Busan and Kyungnam. Data collection was conducted from November 25 to December 25, 2017 using a self-report questionnaire. Data were analyzed using a t-test, ANOVA, Scheffe's test, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression. RESULTS: The factors influencing ethical sensitivity of nursing students were identified as professional self-concept (β=.36), nursing role (β=.24), scholarship (β=.17), practicability (β=.17), and propriety (β=-.13). Five factors explained 40.5% of nursing students' ethical sensitivity. CONCLUSION: The results of this study can be used to develop further educational programs on nursing professionalism and campus environments for enhancement of nursing students' ethical sensitivity.
Busan ; Data Collection ; Ethics, Nursing ; Fellowships and Scholarships ; Gyeongsangnam-do ; Humans ; Nursing ; Professionalism ; Students, Nursing

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare scaling rates in 16 cities and provinces using data from the Community Health Survey (CHS) and National Health Insurance Service (NHIS). METHODS: This study involved cross-sectional secondary data analysis. A total of 16,646,190 subjects who participated in the CHS and 218,184 subjects in the NHIS were included in the final analysis. The dependent variable was the scaling rate, and the independent variables were sex, age, and 16 regions. The study included individuals aged 19 years or older who received scaling between August 2014 and August 2015 in the past year in the CHS and codes U2232 (scaling) and U2233 (scaling before periodontal treatment) in the NHIS. The total scaling rates were compared between the CHS and NHIS. The differences in scaling rates according to sex, age, and 16 regions were analyzed. RESULTS: The CHS (42.6%) scaling rates were 17.5% higher than the NHIS (25.1%) scaling rates in 16 regions in 2015. The median in the CHS data was in Busan (41.5%), while that in the NHIS data was in Jeonbuk (23.5%). There was no significant difference between scaling rates above and below the median region in the CHS and NHIS. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that CHS data, which show a higher rate, should be used to assess and monitor the dental needs of community residents. NHIS data should be used to evaluate community oral health projects. It is necessary to develop health indicators for the community oral health project of input, process, and outcome evaluation.
Busan ; Dental Scaling ; Health Surveys ; Jeollabuk-do ; National Health Programs ; Oral Health ; Statistics as Topic

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of self-esteem as a moderator of the factors influencing suicidality among middle-schoolers. METHODS: Moderated multiple regression analysis was applied to assess the influence of happiness, depression, and hostility on suicidality and to determine the degree to which self-esteem served as a moderator of those relationships. Data were collected from 268 students at a middle school in Busan, Korea, using a self-administered structured questionnaire. RESULTS: Happiness, depression, and hostility had significant direct effects on suicidality. Self-esteem showed no direct effect, but had a significant moderating effect on the relationship between hostility and suicidal behavior. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that various interventions, such as counseling programs, should be designed to alleviate hostility and depression and to enhance happiness and self-esteem among early adolescents.
Adolescent ; Busan ; Counseling ; Depression ; Happiness ; Hostility ; Humans ; Korea

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of head nurses' authentic leadership and empowerment on job satisfaction, and nursing performance of nurses and to identify the mediating effect of empowerment in the relationships of head nurses' authentic leadership, with nurses' job satisfaction, and nursing performance. METHODS: The sample for this study was 149 nurses from 2 general hospitals located in Busan. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires and the SPSS/WIN 23.0 program was used for analysis. Mediation analysis was performed according to the Baron and Kenny method and Sobel test. RESULTS: Head nurses' authentic leadership showed positive correlations with empowerment, job satisfaction, and nursing performance. Empowerment showed partial mediating effects in the relationship between head nurses' authentic leadership and nurses job satisfaction, and a perfect mediating effect in the relationship between head nurses' authentic leadership and the performance of nursing. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that it is necessary to develop strategies and applications to enhance nurses' empowerment for improved job satisfaction and nursing performance.
Busan ; Head ; Hospitals, General ; Job Satisfaction ; Leadership ; Methods ; Negotiating ; Nursing ; Power (Psychology) ; Work Performance

PURPOSE: Prognostic factors of coronary aneurysms in Kawasaki disease have been investigated in many studies. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors associated with early and late coronary artery outcomes in treated patients with Kawasaki disease. METHODS: A total of 392 patients diagnosed with Kawasaki disease from January 2012 to December 2015 in Pusan National University Children’s Hospital were retrospectively selected as subjects of the present study to determine risk factors for coronary aneurysms and persistence of coronary aneurysms after a 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: Coronary aneurysms were detected in 30 of 392 patients within 1 month after the occurrence of Kawasaki disease. Coronary aneurysms persisted in 5 of 30 patients after a 1-year follow-up. A long duration of fever (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.47; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06–2.02; P=0.018) and high platelet count (adjusted OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 1.00–1.01; P=0.009) were found to be independent factors to predict the development of coronary aneurysms in the early phase. Initial coronary severity (adjusted OR, 46.0; 95% CI, 2.01–1047.80; P=0.016) and a high white blood cell count (adjusted OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.01–1.36; P=0.028) were found to be significant factors for the persistence of late coronary aneurysms in univariate analysis. However, no significant factors were found in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: These data are from early and late follow-up of coronary aneurysms in our unit. Further studies are needed to determine the mechanisms involved in the disappearance of coronary aneurysms and related factors.
Busan ; Coronary Aneurysm ; Coronary Vessels ; Fever ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Leukocyte Count ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome ; Multivariate Analysis ; Odds Ratio ; Platelet Count ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: To analyze the growth response to growth hormone (GH) therapy in prepubertal patients with Noonan syndrome (NS) harboring different genetic mutations. METHODS: Twenty-three patients with prepubertal NS treated at Pusan National University Children’s Hospital between March 2009 and July 2017 were enrolled. According to the disease-causing genes identified, the patients with NS were divided into 4 groups. Three groups were positive for mutations of the PTPN11, RAF1, and SOS1 genes. The five genes undetected (FGU) group was negative for PTPN11, RAF1, SOS1, KRAS, and BRAF gene mutations. The influence of genotype was retrospectively analyzed by comparing the growth parameters after GH therapy. RESULTS: The mean chronological age at the start of GH treatment was 5.85±2.67 years. At the beginning of the GH treatment, the height standard deviation score (SDS), growth velocity (GV), and lower levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF)-1 levels were not statistically different among the groups. All the 23 NS patients had significantly increased height SDS and serum IGF-1 level during the 3 years of treatment. GV was highest during the first year of treatment. During the 3 years of GH therapy, the PTPN11, RAF1, and SOS1 groups showed less improvement in height SDS, IGF-1 SDS, and GV, and less increase in bone age-to-chronological age ratio than the FGU group. CONCLUSION: The 3-year GH therapy in the 23 prepubertal patients with NS was effective in improving height SDS, GV, and serum IGF-1 levels. The FGU group showed a better response to recombinant human GH therapy than the PTPN11, RAF1, and SOS1 groups.
Busan ; Child ; Genotype ; Growth Hormone ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Noonan Syndrome ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: Seoul and Busan are the two largest cities in Korea. However, life expectancy (LE) in Busan is shorter than in Seoul and among the total Korean population. This study was conducted to decompose age- and cause-specific contributions to the LE difference between Seoul and Busan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We obtained population and mortality data for Seoul and Busan between 2015 and 2017 from Statistics Korea. We applied Arriaga's decomposition method to life table data to estimate age- and cause-specific contributions to the LE difference between Seoul and Busan. RESULTS: During 2015–2017, LE in Busan was shorter than in Seoul by 2.22 years. Roughly two-thirds of the LE gap between Seoul and Busan was due to excess mortality among elderly people in Busan. The ≥85 age group alone contributed to approximately 20% of the LE gap, while no meaningful contribution was made by the 1–24 age groups. Cardiovascular disease accounted for over 40% of the total LE gap between Seoul and Busan, and this factor was more prominent in women. The top 15 leading specific causes of deaths explained nearly the entire LE difference between Seoul and Busan. CONCLUSION: The difference in LE between Seoul and Busan was due to higher mortality rate in Busan than in Seoul, especially in the elderly population and from cardiovascular diseases. Information on age- and cause-specific contributions to the LE difference between Seoul and Busan may guide health policy-makers to plan strategies for reducing the gap in LE.
Aged ; Busan ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cause of Death ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Expectancy ; Life Tables ; Methods ; Mortality ; Republic of Korea ; Seoul

BACKGROUND: Campylobacter jejuni is an important food-borne pathogen that causes human gastroenteritis. This study was conducted to investigate the incidence of isolation, antimicrobial susceptibility pattern, and C. jejuni genotype from diarrhea patients in Busan, Korea. METHODS: A total of 97 C. jejuni were isolated from diarrhea patients during five food-borne outbreaks from 2014 to September 2017. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were carried out by the broth microdilution method for ciprofloxacin (CIP), nalidixic acid (NAL), tetracycline (TET), chloramphenicol, azithromycin (AZI), erythromycin (ERY), streptomycin (STR), gentamicin, and telithromycin. To investigate C. jejuni genotypes, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) profile analysis was performed. RESULTS: The isolation rate of C. jejuni was 2.0% for the last 4 years and increased annually. Antimicrobial resistance rates of C. jejuni were shown to be in the order of NAL (90.9%), CIP (89.4%), TET (13.6%), AZI (3.0%), ERY (3.0%), and STR (1.5%). The proportion of multidrug-resistance was 18.2%, and they commonly contained quinolones (CIP-NAL). Analysis of PFGE patterns of SmaI-restricted DNA of C. jejuni isolates showed 17 clusters; cluster 11 was the major genotype pattern. CONCLUSION: This study will provide useful data for the proper use of antimicrobials and the management of resistant C. jejuni. Also it will help to provide data for the epidemiological investigation of foodborne diseases caused by C. jejuni, which is expected to increase in the future.
Azithromycin ; Busan ; Campylobacter jejuni ; Campylobacter ; Chloramphenicol ; Ciprofloxacin ; Diarrhea ; Disease Outbreaks ; DNA ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Erythromycin ; Foodborne Diseases ; Gastroenteritis ; Genotype ; Gentamicins ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Methods ; Nalidixic Acid ; Quinolones ; Streptomycin ; Tetracycline

PURPOSE: The most common risk factor for fecal incontinence (FI) is obstetric injury. FI affects 1.4%–18% of adults. Most patients are unaware when they are young, when symptoms appear suddenly and worsen with aging. Autologous fat graft is widely used in cosmetic surgical field and may substitute for injectable bulky agents in treating FI. Authors have done fat graft for past several years. This article reports the effectiveness of the fat graft in treating FI and discusses satisfaction with the procedure. METHODS: Fat was harvested from both lateral thighs using 10-mL Luer-loc syringe. Pure fat was extracted from harvests and mixed with fat, oil, and tumescent through refinement. Fats were injected into upper border of posterior ano-rectal ring, submucosa of anal canal and intersphincteric space. Thirty-five patients with FI were treated with this method from July 2016 to February 2017 in Busan Hangun Hospital. They were 13 male (mean age, 60.8 years) and 22 female patients (mean age, 63.3 years). The Wexner score was checked before procedure. We evaluated outcome in outpatients by asking the patients. For 19 patients we checked the Wexner score after procedure. RESULTS: Symptom improved in 29 (82.9%), and not improved in 6 (17.1%). In 2 of 6 patients, they felt better than before procedure, although not satisfied. No improvement in 4. Mean Wexner score was 9.7 before procedure. There were no serious complications such as inflammation or fat embolism. CONCLUSION: Autologous fat graft can be an effective alternative treatment for FI. It is safe and easy to perform, and cost effective.
Adult ; Aging ; Anal Canal ; Busan ; Embolism, Fat ; Fats ; Fecal Incontinence ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Male ; Methods ; Outpatients ; Risk Factors ; Syringes ; Thigh ; Transplants