This study analyzes the career trajectories of students from Jeonuigam in the late nineteenth centry Joseon dynasty, shedding light on its educational functions by focusing on individuals listed in the Jeonhamsaengdoan and Byeoncheonpalsean. The primary subject of this research, the Jeonhamsaengdoan, is a valuable resource for understanding the career paths of Jeonuigam students, containing enrollment information for 384 individuals. The Byeolcheonpalsean, introduced for the first time in this paper, provides information about an alternative method of enrollment known as ‘Byeolcheon’ for students entering Jeonuigam.The analysis of these individuals’ career paths reveals that many Jeonuigam students had overlapping enrollments in other technical institutions, such as Saekwon and Gwangsangam. This suggests that medical education was not limited to specific disciplines but was part of a broader educational framework. Moreover, the Seogyeong system allowed younger siblings to enroll alongside older ones, while the Byeolcheon system, which facilitated recommendations from other institutions, provided educational opportunities for families. These findings highlight the diverse methods in which medical and vocational education were conducted in the late nineteenth century Joseon dynasty.Approximately 66 percent of Jeonuigam students became medical officials, while others pursued careers in fields such as interpreting and various government roles, contributing to society in multiple ways. This study demonstrates that Jeonuigam was not solely focused on training medical personnel but was intricately linked to broader vocational education systems. Consequently, this study contributes to a historical understanding of medical education in the late Joseon period. Future studies should explore comparisons with Hyeminseo and Naeuiwon, changes in the social status of the middle class, and Jeonuigam’s role during the transition to modern medical systems.

This study analyzes the career trajectories of students from Jeonuigam in the late nineteenth centry Joseon dynasty, shedding light on its educational functions by focusing on individuals listed in the Jeonhamsaengdoan and Byeoncheonpalsean. The primary subject of this research, the Jeonhamsaengdoan, is a valuable resource for understanding the career paths of Jeonuigam students, containing enrollment information for 384 individuals. The Byeolcheonpalsean, introduced for the first time in this paper, provides information about an alternative method of enrollment known as ‘Byeolcheon’ for students entering Jeonuigam.The analysis of these individuals’ career paths reveals that many Jeonuigam students had overlapping enrollments in other technical institutions, such as Saekwon and Gwangsangam. This suggests that medical education was not limited to specific disciplines but was part of a broader educational framework. Moreover, the Seogyeong system allowed younger siblings to enroll alongside older ones, while the Byeolcheon system, which facilitated recommendations from other institutions, provided educational opportunities for families. These findings highlight the diverse methods in which medical and vocational education were conducted in the late nineteenth century Joseon dynasty.Approximately 66 percent of Jeonuigam students became medical officials, while others pursued careers in fields such as interpreting and various government roles, contributing to society in multiple ways. This study demonstrates that Jeonuigam was not solely focused on training medical personnel but was intricately linked to broader vocational education systems. Consequently, this study contributes to a historical understanding of medical education in the late Joseon period. Future studies should explore comparisons with Hyeminseo and Naeuiwon, changes in the social status of the middle class, and Jeonuigam’s role during the transition to modern medical systems.

This study analyzes the career trajectories of students from Jeonuigam in the late nineteenth centry Joseon dynasty, shedding light on its educational functions by focusing on individuals listed in the Jeonhamsaengdoan and Byeoncheonpalsean. The primary subject of this research, the Jeonhamsaengdoan, is a valuable resource for understanding the career paths of Jeonuigam students, containing enrollment information for 384 individuals. The Byeolcheonpalsean, introduced for the first time in this paper, provides information about an alternative method of enrollment known as ‘Byeolcheon’ for students entering Jeonuigam.The analysis of these individuals’ career paths reveals that many Jeonuigam students had overlapping enrollments in other technical institutions, such as Saekwon and Gwangsangam. This suggests that medical education was not limited to specific disciplines but was part of a broader educational framework. Moreover, the Seogyeong system allowed younger siblings to enroll alongside older ones, while the Byeolcheon system, which facilitated recommendations from other institutions, provided educational opportunities for families. These findings highlight the diverse methods in which medical and vocational education were conducted in the late nineteenth century Joseon dynasty.Approximately 66 percent of Jeonuigam students became medical officials, while others pursued careers in fields such as interpreting and various government roles, contributing to society in multiple ways. This study demonstrates that Jeonuigam was not solely focused on training medical personnel but was intricately linked to broader vocational education systems. Consequently, this study contributes to a historical understanding of medical education in the late Joseon period. Future studies should explore comparisons with Hyeminseo and Naeuiwon, changes in the social status of the middle class, and Jeonuigam’s role during the transition to modern medical systems.

This study analyzes the career trajectories of students from Jeonuigam in the late nineteenth centry Joseon dynasty, shedding light on its educational functions by focusing on individuals listed in the Jeonhamsaengdoan and Byeoncheonpalsean. The primary subject of this research, the Jeonhamsaengdoan, is a valuable resource for understanding the career paths of Jeonuigam students, containing enrollment information for 384 individuals. The Byeolcheonpalsean, introduced for the first time in this paper, provides information about an alternative method of enrollment known as ‘Byeolcheon’ for students entering Jeonuigam.The analysis of these individuals’ career paths reveals that many Jeonuigam students had overlapping enrollments in other technical institutions, such as Saekwon and Gwangsangam. This suggests that medical education was not limited to specific disciplines but was part of a broader educational framework. Moreover, the Seogyeong system allowed younger siblings to enroll alongside older ones, while the Byeolcheon system, which facilitated recommendations from other institutions, provided educational opportunities for families. These findings highlight the diverse methods in which medical and vocational education were conducted in the late nineteenth century Joseon dynasty.Approximately 66 percent of Jeonuigam students became medical officials, while others pursued careers in fields such as interpreting and various government roles, contributing to society in multiple ways. This study demonstrates that Jeonuigam was not solely focused on training medical personnel but was intricately linked to broader vocational education systems. Consequently, this study contributes to a historical understanding of medical education in the late Joseon period. Future studies should explore comparisons with Hyeminseo and Naeuiwon, changes in the social status of the middle class, and Jeonuigam’s role during the transition to modern medical systems.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most prevalent inflammatory skin condition, with approximately 80% of cases originating in childhood and some emerging in adulthood. In South Korea, the estimated prevalence of AD ranges between 10% and 20% in children and 1% and 3% in adults. Severe/recalcitrant AD manifests as a chronic, relapsing skin disorder, persisting with uncontrolled symptoms even after topical steroid treatment. Corticosteroids and systemic immunosuppression, conventionally the standard care for difficult-to-treat diseases, cause numerous undesirable side effects. When AD persists despite topical steroid application, systemic therapies like cyclosporine or systemic steroids become the second treatment strategy. The desire for targeted treatments, along with an enhanced understanding of AD’s pathophysiology, has spurred novel therapeutic development. Recent advances introduce novel systemic options, such as biological agents and small-molecule therapy, tailored to treat severe or recalcitrant AD. Notably, dupilumab, a monoclonal antibody inhibiting interleukin 4 and 13, marked a transformative breakthrough upon gaining approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017, leading to a paradigm shift in the systemic treatment of AD. Furthermore, both dupilumab and Janus kinase inhibitors, including baricitinib, abrocitinib, and tofacitinib, now approved by the Korean FDA, have established their applicability in clinical practice. These innovative therapeutic agents have demonstrated favorable clinical outcomes, effectively addressing moderate to severe AD with fewer side reactions than those associated with previous systemic immunosuppressants. This review summarizes the latest advancements and evidence regarding systemic treatments for AD, including newly approved drugs in Korea.

This study aimed to compare brain structural connectivity using graph theory between patients with alcohol dependence and social drinkers. The participants were divided into two groups; the alcohol group (N=23) consisting of patients who had been hospitalized and had abstained from alcohol for at least three months and the control group (N=22) recruited through advertisements and were social drinkers. All participants were evaluated using 3T magnetic resonance imaging. A total of 1000 repeated whole-brain tractographies with random parameters were performed using DSI Studio. Four hundred functionally defined cortical regions of interest (ROIs) were parcellated using FreeSurfer based on the Schaefer Atlas.The ROIs were overlaid on the tractography results to generate 1000 structural connectivity matrices per person, and 1000 matrices were averaged into a single matrix per subject. Graph analysis was performed through igraph R package. Graph measures were compared between the two groups using analysis of covariance, considering the effects of age and smoking pack years. The alcohol group showed lower local efficiency than the control group in the whole-brain (F=5.824, p=0.020), somato-motor (F=5.963, p=0.019), and default mode networks (F=4.422, p=0.042). The alcohol group showed a lower global efficiency (F=5.736, p=0.021) in the control network. The transitivity of the alcohol group in the dorsal attention network was higher than that of the control (F=4.257, p=0.046). Our results imply that structural stability of the whole-brain network is affected in patients with alcohol dependence, which can lead to ineffective information processing in cases of local node failure.

Background: The coronavirus disease pandemic is predicted to have adverse health effects on children and adolescents who are overweight or obese due to restricted school activity and stay-at-home orders. The purpose of this observational study was to determine the factors associated with weight gain in children and adolescents with overweight and obesity during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown. Methods: Ninety-seven participants (sex- and age-specific body mass index (BMI) ≥ 85th percentile) were included. A baseline examination was conducted pre-COVID-19 (August 2019 to January 2020), and re-examination was performed post-lockdown (June to September 2020) and the results were compared. Correlation and regression analyses were conducted to investigate the association among changes in cardiometabolic markers and lifestyle behaviors with changes in BMI z-score. Results: During the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in BMI z-score (2.56 [2.01–2.94] to 2.62 [2.03–3.18]) was noticed in children and adolescents with obesity. Changes in cardiometabolic markers including liver enzymes, triglycerides (r = 0.398), leptin (r = 0.578), and adiponectin (r = −0.326), as well as muscular strength (r = −0.212), were correlated with the increase in BMI z-score. According to a multivariate regression analysis, changes in sedentary time (B = 0.016; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.001–0.032) and fast-food consumption (B = 0.067; 95% CI, 0.013–0.122) were the lifestyle variables associated with BMI z-score increase. Conclusion Changes in lifestyle behaviors including fast-food consumption and sedentary time during the COVID-19 pandemic may be associated with weight gain. In order to prevent health-related risks in children and adolescents with obesity during the pandemic, it is important to maintain the level of physical activity and healthy dietary habits.

The lower elementary school grades are an important period in which eating habits are formed. We examined the relationship between eating habits and school meal intake in the lower grades of an elementary school in Seoul. The eating habits were investigated using the Nutrition Quotient (NQ) for children. The school meal intake rates and preferred menus were obtained by automatically scanning the plate before and after meals using an artificial intelligence food scanner. The average school meal intake rate for the 347 subjects was 68.5±12.2%, and the nutrient intakes through the school meals were 353.5±70.0 kcal of energy, 51.8±10.2 g of carbohydrates, 14.6±3.1 g of proteins, 10.3±2.3 g of fats, 87.0±20.0 mg of calcium, and 1.8±0.4 mg of iron. The preferred menus were rice, grilled food, and dairy products, and non-preferred menus were salad, beverages, and stewed food. The eating habits that showed a positive correlation with the school meal intake rate were ‘Diverse side dishes (r=0.332, P＜0.001)’, ‘Vegetable side dishes (r=0.166, P＜0.01)’, ‘Kimchi side dish (r=0.230, P＜0.001)’ and ‘Less TV watching and computer game time (r=0.105, P＜0.05)’. The NQ score also showed a positive correlation with the rate of school meal intake (r=0.216, P＜0.001). The balance score was positively correlated with fruit (r=0.192, P＜0.001), and the diversity score had the highest positive correlation with Kimchi (r=0.362, P＜0.001). The regularity score was positively correlated with fried food (r=0.114, P＜0.05). In conclusion, it was found that elementary school students in the lower grades had a higher school meal intake rate when their eating habits included eating side dishes evenly, and consuming vegetable side dishes and Kimchi.

Background: Conventional diagnosis of fragile X syndrome (FXS) is based on a combination of fragment analysis (FA) and Southern blotting (SB); however, this diagnostic approach is time- and labor-intensive and has pitfalls such as the possibility of missing large number alleles. Triplet repeat primed PCR (TP-PCR) is a current alternative used to overcome these limitations. We evaluated the diagnostic usefulness of TP-PCR compared with the conventional diagnostic protocol consisting of FA and/or SB in terms of allele categorization, repeat number correlation, and zygosity concordance in female genetic carriers. Methods: From November 2013 to March 2018, 458 patients (326 males, 132 females) were simultaneously examined using FA and/or SB and TP-PCR by detecting CGG repeat numbers in FMR gene and diagnosed as per American College of Medical Genetics guidelines. Results: The TP-PCR results showed high concordance with the FA and/or SB results for all three aspects (allele categorization, repeat number correlation, and zygosity concordance in female genetic carriers). TP-PCR detected CGG expansions ≥ 200 in all full mutation (FM) allele cases in male patients, as well as both the normal allele (NL) and FM allele in female carriers. In premutation (PM) allele carriers, the TP-PCR results were consistent with the FA and/or SB results. In terms of zygosity concordance in female genetic carriers, 12 NL cases detected by TP-PCR showed a merged peak consisting of two close heterozygous peaks; however, this issue was resolved using a 10-fold dilution. Conclusions TP-PCR may serve as a reliable alternative method for FXS diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE: Working memory impairments serve as prognostic factors for patients with schizophrenia. Working memory deficits are mainly associated with gray matter (GM) thickness and volume. We investigated the association between GM diffusivity and working memory in controls and individuals with schizophrenia. METHODS: T1 and diffusion tensor images of the brain, working memory task (letter number sequencing) scores, and the demographic data of 90 individuals with schizophrenia and 97 controls were collected from the SchizConnect database. T1 images were parcellated into the 68 GM Regions of Interest (ROI). Axial Diffusivity (AD), Fractional Anisotropy (FA), Radial Diffusivity (RD), and Trace (TR) were calculated for each of the ROIs. RESULTS: Compared to the controls, schizophrenia group showed significantly increased AD, RD, and TR in specific regions on the frontal, temporal, and anterior cingulate area. Moreover, working memory was negatively correlated with AD, RD, and TR in the lateral orbitofrontal, superior temporal, inferior temporal, and rostral anterior cingulate area on left hemisphere in the individuals with schizophrenia. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated GM microstructural abnormalities in the frontal, temporal, and anterior cingulate regions of individuals with schizophrenia. Furthermore, these regional GM microstructural abnormalities suggest a neuropathological basis for the working memory deficits observed clinically in individuals with schizophrenia.
Anisotropy ; Brain ; Diffusion ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging ; Gray Matter ; Gyrus Cinguli ; Humans ; Memory, Short-Term ; Schizophrenia