Search

Aim The problems of youth social withdrawal (or hikikomori) became a hot-button social issue in Japan in the 1990s. Unfortunately, current nosology in the DSM-IV may not adequately capture the concept of socially withdrawn youth ( SWY) or hikikomori. This study aimed to investigate core SWY issues, evaluate SWY's psychopathologies, and approach them therapeutically through a home visitation program. Methods Participants were 65 youth referred by community mental health centers and psychiatric clinics around Seoul and Kyongki- Do province. Among them, only 41 participants (31 male, 10 female, mean age 15 ± 3.6 years) fit our SWY criteria. In addition, 248 middle and high school students in Seoul were recruited as a baseline control group. Caseworkers interviewed the SWY participants and their parents in their homes, using our structured interview manual and a number of psychiatric scales. Caseworkers also approached the participants therapeutically. Results Participants' Depression Inventory, Trait Anxiety Inventory, Social Anxiety Scale, and Internet Addiction Scale scores were significantly higher than those of baseline controls. Participants' mean number of psychotherapeutic sessions was 2.8, and the mean number of parental interview sessions was 3.4. After the therapeutic sessions, Global Assessment Functioning scores and social activities had improved somewhat in 68.3% of participants. Conclusion These findings suggest that SWY is a complex phenomenon, so an individual psychopathologic process is very important for treatment. The most difficult problem in SWY treatment was therapeutic access. Hence, the home visit approach with a structured manual may be a good gateway for solving this problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The feasibility of electrokinetic technology on the remediation of mixed-waste-contaminated railroad soil, contaminated by lubricant oil and zinc, was investigated. To enhance the removal efficiency, catholyte purging with 0.1M HNO3 and a supply of non-ionic surfactant, secondary alcohol ethoxylate, was applied to the anode to remove Zn and to solubilize the lubricant oil. The catholyte purging maintained the soil pH as acidic and enhanced desorption of zinc from the soil, where the zeta potential of the acidic soil became positive. Thereafter, the direction of electro-osmotic flow was changed from the cathode to anode and the flow rate was reduced. The lesser in magnitude reverse electro-osmotic flow inhibited the migration of zinc and the lubricant oil was removed by the electro-osmotic flow. The removal of zinc and lubricant oil was enhanced with an increase in voltage gradient; however, a higher voltage gradient resulted in higher energy expenditure. After electrokinetic operation over 17 days, the removal efficiency of zinc was 22.1–24.3%, and that of lubricant oil was 45.1–55.0%. Although the removal of lubricant oil was quite high, the residual concentration did not meet Korean regulation levels. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses the risk assessment of environmental pollutants for soil and groundwater remediation in Korea. It notes that Korean scientists have developed tools to predict human risks from radioactive materials and food additives since the 1950s. However, the scientists focus have been redirected from pollutants' concentrations in soils to the adverse effects to human beings and the ecosystem.

Episodic angioedema with eosinophilia (EAE) is characterized by recurrent angioedema, peripheral eosinophilia, elevated serum IgM, fever, weight gain, and a benign course lacking any internal organ involvement. Dozens of cases of the nonepisodic variant (NEAE), which is limited to a single attack, have been reported in Japan. These NEAE cases normally have been less severe than the episodic type. In this paper, we describe the case of a Korean patient whose clinical and laboratory findings were consistent with NEAE, and review five other cases of EAE and NEAE reported in the Korean literature. The Korean NEAE cases outlined in this paper demonstrate that, as in Japan, NEAE is not uncommon in Korea, and also suggest that this disease exhibits a cultural predilection for Asian populations.

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been suggested to be a key mediator in the development of atopy and T(H)2 inflammation., Objective: We sought to evaluate the effects of variations in the gene coding VEGF receptor (VEGFR) 2 on intermediate phenotypes of asthma in the Korean population., Methods: A cohort of 2055 children and adolescents responded to a questionnaire concerning asthma symptoms and risk factors and underwent methacholine bronchial challenge and skin tests. The VEGFR2 gene, including the promoter area, was sequenced on 24 healthy subjects to discover informative single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; minor allele frequency >2%). After haplotype reconstruction, 4 tagging SNPs (IVS6+54A>G, +889G>A, +1416T>A, and IVS25-92G>A) were scored. These SNPs were also scored in 480 adult asthmatic patients to verify the above genetic association study., Results: The prevalence of atopy was associated with a single SNP (+889G>A) of VEGFR2 with borderline significance (P = .048; relative risk, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.00-1.28). However, haplotype analysis showed that the atopy prevalence was strongly associated with a haplotype (AGAG) of VEGFR2 (P = .002; relative risk, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.09-1.42). As for airway hyperresponsiveness, neither individual SNPs nor haplotypes were found to be associated. Interestingly, the significant association was also found between atopy and the AGAG haplotype among adult asthmatic patients (P = .008; odds ratio, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.14-2.44)., Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that genetic variations of VEGFR2 are significantly associated with atopy in the Korean population.