Trajectories of self-rated health among community-dwelling individuals with depressive symptoms: A latent class growth analysis.

Background: This study identified differences between individuals with and without depression regarding demographic and socioeconomic variables, health behavior, health status, health care utilization, and self-rated health (SRH) to identify the depressed group's SRH trajectories.

Methods: Data of individuals with (n = 589) and without (n = 6856) depression aged ≥20 from the 2013-2017 Korean Health Panel were analyzed. A chi-square test and t-tests examined differences in demographic and socioeconomic variables, health behaviors, health status, health care utilization, and the mean of SRH.

Changes in concentrations and characteristics of asbestos fibers dispersed from corrugated asbestos cement sheets due to stabilizer treatment.

Asbestos management in Korea has, to date, focused exclusively on dismantlement and removal; however, the effective management of asbestos in public facilities and rural dwellings is also critical. This study compares eight different asbestos stabilization treatments and their effectiveness in reducing asbestos fiber dispersion from weathered corrugated asbestos cement sheets (CACS) under different wind conditions. The effectiveness of the different asbestos stabilizers was assessed in order to identify the characteristics of fibers dispersed from treated CACS samples.

Characteristics of asbestos fibers in lung tissue from occupational and environmental asbestos exposure of lung cancer patients in Busan, Korea.

The Asbestos Injury Relief Act in Korea requires that asbestos exposure be assessed through clinical examination and chest computed tomography (CT). However, a more specific measurement of asbestos characteristics in the lung tissue may be appropriate. We aimed to investigate the asbestos burden and characterize asbestos fibers in patients with lung cancer and ultimately assess the relationship between occupational and environmental asbestos exposure and lung cancer in Korea.

Evaluating the efficiency of an asbestos stabilizer on ceiling tiles and the characteristics of the released asbestos fibers.

The efficiency of asbestos stabilizers and their adaptability were evaluated by investigating the characteristics of asbestos fibers released from ceiling tiles. The impact of such variables as the wind speed or vibration conditions was also studied along with the asbestos stabilizers. The concentrations of the asbestos fibers released from damaged ceiling tiles treated with stabilizers decreased by 69.

Directing the differentiation of human dental follicle cells into cementoblasts and/or osteoblasts by a combination of HERS and pulp cells.

It is known that the dental follicle (DF) consists of progenitor cells that give rise to the cementum, periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone; but little information is available about the regulation of DF cell differentiation into either cementogenic or osteogenic cell lineages for the regeneration of diseased periodontal tissue. Here, we investigated the roles of DF, Hertwig's epithelial root sheath (HERS), and pulp cells in the cementum and during alveolar bone formation. We cultured these cells; transplanted them alone or in combination into immunocompromised mice; and observed their effects at 6 and 12 weeks.

Design for a simplified cochlear implant system.

A simplified cochlear implant (CI) system would be appropriate for widespread use in developing countries. Here, we describe a CI that we have designed to realize such a concept. The system implements 8 channels of processing and stimulation using the continuous interleaved sampling (CIS) strategy.

Species identification and strain differentiation of dermatophyte fungi using polymerase chain reaction amplification and restriction enzyme analysis.

Background: Standard biochemical tests, microscopy, colony characteristics, and mating tests have conventionally been used for the identification of dermatophytes species, but these methods of identification are costly, time-consuming, and require special skills.

Objective: Our purpose was to identify a method that enables rapid species identification and strain differentiation of dermatophyte fungi.

Methods: We chose 4 restriction enzymes (BsYiI, DdeI, HinfI, and MvaI) that could produce different fragment patterns after enzyme digestion according to species or strain.