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

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of multi-tasking exercise on cognitive and motor function in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and cognitive normal elderly (CNE).METHODS: A total of 144 subjects were recruited from 14 regional dementia centers in Busan Metropolitan City. With the exception of 77 subjects unsuitable for the study, 67 subjects participated in the intervention. The Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination for Dementia Screening (MMSE-DS), Subject Memory Complain Questionnaire (SMCQ), and the Korean version of the Short-Form Geriatric Depression Scale (SGDS-K) were used to determine changes in cognitive function and depressive symptoms pre-post intervention in patients with MCI and CNE, respectively. To observe changes in motor function, 5-chair sit to stand and 5-meter walking speed on the lower body strength and walking ability were also measured in both groups.RESULTS: For the MCI group, changes in cognitive and depressive symptoms on the tasks of MMSE-DS (p=0.006), SMCQ (p=0.000), SGDS-K (p=0.000) and the result of the motor function analysis on the items of 5-chair sit to stand (p=0.000), normal speed (p=0.004) and maximal speed (p=0.002) of 5-meter walking speed (p< 0.005). In the CNE group, all the items except MMSE-DS (p=0.068) and SGDS-K (p=0.095) showed statistically significant improvement.CONCLUSIONS: Multi-tasking exercise intervention, including exercise and cognitive tasks, may possibly improve the cognitive and motor function in patients with MCI and CNE.
Aged ; Busan ; Cognition Disorders ; Cognition ; Dementia ; Depression ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Memory ; Mild Cognitive Impairment ; Walking

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to reveal the epidemiologic characteristics of the outbreak of gastroenteritis caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Thompson in Busan Metropolitan City and to identify points for improvement to prevent of food-borne disease outbreak.METHODS: This was a case-control study. The control group comprised asymptomatic students in the same classes of the cases. The presence or absence of symptoms, ingestion of each food provided by school meal service, and commonly ingested foods in addition to those foods in meal service were investigated. Moreover, specimens collected from rectal swab, preserved foods, and environmental surface were tested.RESULTS: Of the 6,092 subjects, 1,111 (1,083 students, 22 school personnel, and 6 foodservice employees) were included in the case group; this corresponded to an 18.4% attack rate. Symptoms included diarrhea (n=1,051, 94.6%), abdominal pain (n=931, 83.8%), febrile sensation (n=502, 45.2%), and vomiting (n=275, 24.8%). The epidemic curves of each 10 schools were unimodal. Investigation of food intake showed a significantly high odds ratio for chocolate cake in 5 out of the 10 schools. Laboratory test detected Salmonella enterica serovar Thompson both in rectal swab specimens of 9 schools and in collected preserved chocolate cakes of 9 schools. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis test result showed that Salmonella enterica seorvar Thompson isolated from human and foods were the same.CONCLUSIONS: The source of infection for the Salmonella enterica serovar Thompson outbreak in the 10 schools of Busan Metropolitan City is chocolate cake. Traceback investigation for origin of contaminated food in food-borne disease outbreak and safety control during food production should be more enhanced.
Abdominal Pain ; Busan ; Cacao ; Case-Control Studies ; Diarrhea ; Eating ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Food, Preserved ; Foodborne Diseases ; Gastroenteritis ; Humans ; Korea ; Meals ; Odds Ratio ; Salmonella enterica ; Salmonella Infections ; Salmonella ; Sensation ; Serogroup ; Vomiting

Primary malignant melanoma (PMM) of the gastrointestinal tract is rare. Reported cases of PMM of the lower gastrointestinal tract typically describe anal and rectal involvement rather than colonic lesions. This report describes a rare case of a 50-year-old woman with PMM originating in the colon. The patient presented to Inje University Busan Paik Hospital with a 3-day history of blood-tinged stools. She underwent colonoscopy for a diagnosis of hematochezia. The colonoscopic examination revealed a large-sized semi-pedunculated sigmoid colon polyp with a reddish-colored mucosal surface. Endoscopic mucosal resection was performed, and the final histopathological findings were consistent with a diagnosis of malignant melanoma. Systemic work-up was performed for assessment of metastasis and to identify the primary tumor considering the high metastatic rate of gastrointestinal malignant melanoma; however, no other malignant lesion was detected. Thus, she was diagnosed with colonic PMM. She underwent laparoscopic low anterior resection and lymph node dissection and has been recurrence-free for > 2 years.
Busan ; Colon ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Colonoscopy ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Lower Gastrointestinal Tract ; Lymph Node Excision ; Melanoma ; Melanosis ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Polyps

The purpose of this research is to describe how Hansen's disease patients experienced the modern system of control of Hansen's disease introduced by Japan, and the inimical attitude of society against them in colonial Korea. The study also seeks to reveal the development of the system to eliminate Hansen's disease patients from their home and community to larger society and leprosarium in this era. Sorokdo Charity hospital (SCH), a hospital for Hansen's disease patients, was built in 1916, and vagrant Hansen's disease patients began to be isolated in this hospital beginning in 1917 by the Japanese Government-General of Korea (JGGK). Once the police detained and sent vagrant Hansen's disease patients to SCH, stigma and discrimination against them strengthened in Korean society. Because of strong stigma and discrimination in Korean society, Hansen's disease patients suffered from daily threats of death. First, their family members were not only afraid of the contagiousness of Hansen's disease but also the stigma and discrimination against themselves by community members. If a family had a Hansen's disease patient, the rest of community members would discriminate against the entire family. Furthermore, because Hansen's disease patients were excluded from any economic livelihood such as getting a job, the existence of the patients was a big burden for their families. Therefore, many patients left their homes and began their vagrancy. The patients who could not leave their homes committed suicide or were killed by their family members. The victims of such deaths were usually women, who were at the lower position in the family hierarchy. In the strong Confucian society in Korea, more female patients were killed by themselves than male patients. Moreover, all of patients victims in the murder were women. This shows that the stigma and discrimination against Hansen's disease patients within their families were stronger against women than men. Strong stigma and discrimination made the patients rely on superstition such as cannibalism. Patients believed that there were not any effective medicine. There were a few reports of patients who were cured, and many were treated with chaulmoogra oil in the modern Hansen's disease hospitals. Eating human flesh was known as a folk remedy for Hansen's disease. As such, patients began to kill healthy people, usually children, to eat their flesh. Increased stigma led to increased victims. Hansen's disease patients who left their homes faced many threats during their vagrancy. For survival, they established their own organizations in the late 1920's. The patients who were rejected to be hospitalized in the Western Hansen's disease hospital at Busan, Daegu, and Yeosu organized self-help organizations. The purpose of these organizations was first to secure the medicine supply of chaulmoogra oil. However, as stigma and discrimination strengthened, these organizations formed by Hansen's disease patients demanded the Japanese Government-General of Korea to send and segregate them on Sorok island. They did not know the situation of the inside of this island because news media described it as a haven for patients, and very few patients were discharged from this island to tell the truth. On this island, several hundreds of patients were killed by compulsory heavy labor, starvation, and violence. They were not treated as patients, but as something to be eliminated. Under strong suppression on this island, the patients resisted first by escaping this island. However, in 1937, some patients tried to kill a Korean staff but failed. Attempted murderers were all put in the jail, also located on this island. In 1941, a patient murdered another patient who had harassed other patients, and in 1942, Chunsang Lee, a patient, killed the director of Sorok island. These instances show that there was a system to eliminate Hansen's disease patients in colonial Korea.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Busan ; Cannibalism ; Charities ; Child ; Daegu ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Eating ; Female ; Homicide ; Humans ; Japan ; Jeollanam-do ; Korea ; Leprosy ; Male ; Medicine, Traditional ; Police ; Starvation ; Suicide ; Superstitions ; United Nations ; Violence

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: 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

We conducted this study to compare the awareness and attitude of Busan housewives about consuming marine products. The survey was conducted from April 10 to May 31, 2019 by using a questionnaire. The degree of preference of seafood was higher among individuals in their 40s than those in the other age groups. Among the women in their 30s, 40s, 50s and 70s, the reason for liking seafood was ‘taste’, and for those in their 60s it was ‘nutrition’. Overall the most common reason for disliking seafood was the ‘fishy smell (37.4%)’. Conception degree of nutritive value of seafood was higher among individuals in their 30s and 40s than that for those individuals in their 50s, 60s and 70s. As for the price of seafood, the wives over 40s thought seafood was more expensive than did those wives in their 30s. The younger the individuals were, the lower was the perceived degree of safety was 49.8% of the subjects reported that the main concern for purchase was ‘freshness’. The perceived degree of safety for imported seafood was better for the wives in their 60s and 70s than that for those wives in their 30s, 40s and 50s. The confidence level for local Korean seafood was higher for the wives in their 60s than that for the wives in their 50s. The degree of preference for seafood was moderate overall, except for Jellyfish. Age was positively correlated with conception for safety and dietary attitude (P<0.01), whereas age was negatively correlated with monthly food expenditure, nutrition knowledge and intake requirements (P<0.01). Preference for seafood was positively correlated with conception for safety (P<0.05), nutrition knowledge (P<0.05), dietary attitude (P<0.01), awareness for nutritive value (P<0.01) and intake requirements (P<0.01). Laws and regulations should be reinforced in order to promote eating more seafood and periodic research to determine the actual amount of consumed seafood and people's preferences should be conducted.
Busan ; Eating ; Female ; Fertilization ; Health Expenditures ; Humans ; Jurisprudence ; Nutritive Value ; Seafood ; Smell ; Social Control, Formal ; Spouses

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of modified Anderson procedure in infantile nystagmus with face turn less than 30 degrees. METHODS: This study was a retrospective review of the medical records of 13 consecutive patients who underwent a modified Anderson procedure for abnormal head position in infantile nystagmus at Pusan National University hospital from February 2002 to March 2017. We compared best-corrected visual acuity (logarithm of minimal angle of resolution, logMAR), refraction, degree of face turn, ocular motility, and angle of deviation preoperatively and at 1 week postoperatively, 6 months postoperatively, and the final visit. Recession of the yoke rectus muscles responsible for the slow phase of nystagmus was performed, depending on the direction of face turn; the medial rectus muscle of the eye to which the head was turned was recessed 10 mm, whereas the lateral rectus muscle of the contralateral eye was recessed 12 mm. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 8.9 (2–25) years, and the mean follow-up period after surgery was 51.3 (6–183) months. Twelve patients (92.3%) had no residual head posture or <10° at 6 months postoperatively, and three patients (23.1%) achieved this outcome with an additional operation. The mean degrees of face turn were 22.30° before surgery and 3.85° post-operatively (p = 0.001). Best-corrected visual acuity (logMAR) was 0.41 in the better eye and 0.50 in the worse eye before surgery; this improved to 0.34 and 0.45 at 6 months postoperatively (p = 0.068 and p = 0.228, respectively). Despite the large recessions involved, only one patient showed mild limitation of abduction after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The modified Anderson procedure may be effective for correcting abnormal head position in infantile nystagmus with face turn less than 30 degrees; patients were not overcorrected.
Busan ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Muscles ; Posture ; Retrospective Studies ; Visual Acuity