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Replacement with nonvaccine serotypes (NVTs) among invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPDs) after the introduction of extended-valency pneumococcal conjugate vaccines varies in predominant serotypes across countries. This study analyzed changes in serotype distribution through serotyping, multilocus sequence typing, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of 168 pediatric IPD isolates obtained from a multihospital-based surveillance system during 2014-2019 in South Korea. Vaccine serotypes (VTs) accounted for 16.1% (19A, 10.1%; 6A, 1.8%; and 19F 1.8%), 82.1% were NVTs (10A, 23.8%; 15A, 8.3%; 12F, 6.5%; 15C, 6.5%; and 15B, 6.0%), and three (1.8%) were nontypeable. Serotype 10A was the most common serotype, with a significant increase from 11.5% in 2014 to 33.3% in 2019 (p < 0.05 for the trend). Other NVTs decreased from 70.4% to 41.7% between 2015 and 2019, most notably in serotype 12F (from 14.8% to 0%). Almost all (95.0%) serotype 10A isolates were ST11189, which were multidrug resistant.

The Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus is the leading cause of vaccine-preventable encephalitis in Asia. Since the introduction of a universal JE vaccination program and urbanization of Korea, the incidence of JE has dramatically decreased in Korea. However, recent JE cases have occurred, predominantly among unvaccinated adults and with a shift in age distribution. Here we aimed to review the changes in age-specific JE seroprevalence over time and discuss the implications of JE vaccination programs in Korea. Following the last epidemic in 1982–1983, mandatory vaccination for all children aged 3–15 years was conducted annually until 1994. However, JE has reemerged, predominantly affecting unvaccinated adults aged 40 years or older and demonstrating a shift in age distribution toward older populations. The age-specific seroprevalence of the JE virus in Korea has changed noticeably over time. Seropositivity in children and adolescents increased from 10%–59% in the 1970s to 90%–92% in the 1980s after the implementation of the JE vaccination program and increased further to 98% in 2012. No age-specific difference in the seroprevalence of JE was found, and appropriate levels of immunity to JE were maintained for all age groups. Continuous surveillance of the seroprevalence of JE is essential to establish a proper immunization policy in Korea.

The immunization schedule for the inactivated Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccine in Korea is a two-dose primary series at 12–24 months of age and three booster doses at 12 months after primary schedule and at 6 and 12 years of age. The aim of this study was to investigate immunogenicity and safety of the third booster dose of the inactivated JE vaccine, as well as the long-term immunogenicity of the second booster dose in Korean children. Healthy children aged 11–13 years, primed and given four doses of inactivated JE vaccines were included. All subjects received the third booster dose of the JE vaccine. Neutralizing antibody (NTAb) titers were assessed before and 4–6 weeks after vaccination using plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT), and were considered to be protective at ≥ 1:10. Local and systemic adverse events were monitored for 4 weeks after vaccination. Before and after booster vaccination, all seroprotection rates were 100%. Geometric mean titer (GMT) showed a 6.05–fold increase, from 139.11 (95% CI: 110.76, 174.71) to 841.53 (95% CI, 714.25, 991.50). The local tolerability and systemic safety profiles were favorable, with no serious adverse events. In conclusion, the third booster dose of the inactivated JE vaccine was demonstrated to be safe and immunogenic in Korean children when administered according to the current immunization schedule.

The immunization schedule for the Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccine in Korea is a two-dose primary series at 12&ndash, 24 months of age, followed by booster doses 12 months after the second dose and at the ages of 6 and 12 years. Although the number of JE cases has markedly decreased after the universal vaccination program, JE predominantly occurs in adults. The aim of this study was to assess the age-specific prevalence of the JE-neutralizing antibody (NTAb) among adolescents and adults in Korea. A total of 1603 specimens were collected from a healthy Korean population above 15 years old in five provinces. The JE-NTAb titers were measured with the pseudotyped virus assay and considered to be positive at &ge, 1:50. The seropositivity of JE-NTAb was the highest in the 15&ndash, 29 years category (&gt, 95%) and gradually began to decrease in the age group of 30&ndash, 44 years (89.42%). The lowest and second lowest JE-NTAb seropositive rates were observed among those aged 70 years or older (59.77%) and those aged 55&ndash, 59 years (75.24%), respectively. Subjects from Seoul exhibited the highest JE-NTAb titer in all age groups compared to other provinces. In conclusion, the JE-NTAb seropositive rates and titers have maintained appropriate levels in the general Korean population. We propose that adult immunization and boosters at 12 years of age against JE are not strongly recommended in Korea.

Background The incidence of Japanese encephalitis (JE) has markedly decreased after the national immunization program in Korea, but still reported intermittently in adults. Prospective studies are required to determine whether JE virus (JEV)-neutralizing antibody (NAb) levels decline with age after the final JE vaccination. In this study, we evaluated the titers of NAbs against JEV in Korean adolescents and adults. Methods Specimens were collected from normal, healthy individuals aged 1 to >70 years (a total of 1,605 cases) from five regional hospitals in Korea. Neutralizing antibody (NAb) titers were determined using a pseudotyped JEV NAb assay. Results The JEV NAb-positive population was >95% in the 15-29 year age group, 89.42% in the 30-44 year age group, 75.24% in the 55-59 years age group, and 59.77% in the ≥70 year age group. NAb titers from the 20 to 70 year age groups showed a progressive decrease in proportion to age (P Conclusions The retention of NAbs after the final JE vaccination in childhood is a key indicator of the vaccination program and will have a significant impact on future JE prevention strategies.

Background Understanding the population genetics of pneumococci will allow detection of changes in the prevalence of circulating genotypes and evidence for capsular switching. We aimed to analyze the genetic structure of invasive pneumococcal isolates obtained from children before and after the use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) in Korea. Methods A total of 285 invasive pneumococcal isolates were analyzed using serotyping, multilocus sequence typing, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. We classified the isolation year to pre-PCV7 (1995–2003; n = 70), post-PCV7 (2004–2010; n = 142), and post-PCV13 (2011–2013; n = 73) periods. Results Of the 10 clonal complexes (CCs), antibiotic-resistant international clones, CC320 (31.6%), CC81 (14.7%), and CC166 (6.7%) were the main complexes. Serotype 19A was the main serotype of CC320 throughout the periods. Serotypes of CC81 mainly comprised of 23F (53.3%) in pre-PCV7 period and replaced by non-vaccine types (NVTs; 6C [10%], 13 [30%], 15A [40%], and 15B/C [20%]) in post-PCV13 period. The main serotype responsible for CC166 also changed from 9 V (80%) in pre-PCV7 to NVT 11A (50%) in post-PCV13 periods. Non-susceptibility to penicillin (42.3%) was the highest in CC320, increasing from 0 to 76%. Conclusion The genetic structures of invasive pneumococcal isolates in Korean children have changed concomitantly with serotype after the implementation of PCVs.

Background Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B is a significant cause of septicaemia and meningitis worldwide. This phase 3 randomised, controlled study assessed the immunogenicity and safety of a multicomponent meningococcal serogroup B vaccine, 4CMenB, in healthy Korean adolescents. Methods 264 adolescents (11–17 years old) were randomised to receive two doses, one month apart, of 4CMenB or control vaccines [placebo followed by one dose of a quadrivalent meningococcal ACWY glycoconjugate vaccine (MenACWY-CRM)]. Immunogenicity was evaluated by serum bactericidal assay with human complement (hSBA) against three serogroup B test strains specific for individual vaccine antigens (fHbp, NadA or PorA P1.4), and by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) against the NHBA antigen. Solicited reactions and adverse events (AEs) were assessed. Results One month post-second vaccination, 98%, 97%, and 97% of subjects in the 4CMenB group achieved hSBA titres ≥4 against the fHbp, NadA and PorA test strains, respectively, while percentages in the Control group were comparable to baseline (27%, 16%, and 17%, respectively). Geometric mean ELISA concentrations (GMCs) against NHBA increased 52-fold relative to baseline in the 4CMenB group, while there was no substantial increase in GMCs in the Control group (1.05-fold). Frequencies of solicited reactions after any vaccination were higher in the 4CMenB group than in the Control group, although most reactions were of short duration and mild to moderate intensity. There were no vaccine-related serious AEs. Conclusions Two doses of 4CMenB induced robust immune responses against the vaccine antigens and were well tolerated, with no safety concerns identified, in Korean adolescents (NCT01973218).

Background The frequency with which the 2 B lineages have been found to cocirculate in a season has been on the rise, which has spurred the need for a quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIV) to protect against both B lineages. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that QIV include both B lineages beginning in the 2013–2014 flu season. This study was conducted to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of an egg-cultivated QIV in healthy Korean children and adolescents aged ≥ 6 months to < 19 years. Methods A total of 528 subjects were randomized 4:1 to receive either a QIV (GC3110A) or a trivalent influenza vaccine. Hemagglutination inhibition antibody responses were assessed 28 days after the last dose. Safety was also evaluated. Results The proportion of subjects in the GC3110A group who achieved seroconversion was confirmed to exceed 40% across all age groups. The proportion of subjects aged ≥ 6 months to < 3 years in the GC3110A group who achieved seroprotection failed to meet the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) standard of 70%. Potential causes may include the small number of subjects, as well as the small dosage. However, results pertaining to the other age groups satisfied the MFDS standard. The safety profile was also comparable to that of the control. Conclusion The new quadrivalent split influenza vaccine may offer broader protection to children and adolescents aged ≥ 3 years to < 19 years of age against both influenza B lineages than the existing trivalent influenza vaccines (Registered at the ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02541253)., Graphical Abstract

Background Invasive bacterial infections in apparently immunocompetent children were retrospectively analyzed to figure causative bacterial organisms in Korea. Methods A total of 947 cases from 25 university hospitals were identified from 2006 to 2010 as a continuance of a previous 10-year period study from 1996 to 2005. Results Escherichia coli (41.3%), Streptococcus agalactiae (27.7%), and Staphylococcus aureus (27.1%) were the most common pathogens in infants < 3 months of age. S. agalactiae was the most prevalent cause of meningitis and pneumonia and E. coli was the major cause of bacteremia without localizing signs in this group. In children 3 to 59 months of age, Streptococcus pneumoniae (54.2%), S. aureus (20.5%), and Salmonella spp. (14.4%) were the most common pathogens. S. pneumoniae was the leading cause of pneumonia (86.0%), meningitis (65.0%), and bacteremia without localizing signs (49.0%) in this group. In children ≥ 5 years of age, S. aureus (62.8%) was the predominant pathogen, followed by Salmonella species (12.4%) and S. pneumoniae (11.5%). Salmonella species (43.0%) was the most common cause of bacteremia without localizing signs in this group. The relative proportion of S. aureus increased significantly over the 15-year period (1996–2010) in children ≥ 3 months of age (P < 0.001), while that of Haemophilus influenzae decreased significantly in both < 3 months of age group (P = 0.036) and ≥ 3 months of age groups (P < 0.001). Conclusion S. agalactiae, E. coli, S. pneumoniae, and S. aureus are common etiologic agents of invasive bacterial infections in Korean children., Graphical Abstract

This paper devised a plant growing system As LED light source, three monochromatic lights (red, blue, white) and three mixed lights (red1+blue1, red2+blue1, red1+blue2) were made. According to the optical properties of those LED light sources and change in the amount of light, this author analyzed the characteristics of luminance and PPFD and also plant growth. According to the light efficiency of those LED light sources, it was high in white light as 125 lm/W and was low in red1+blue2 light as 9.9 lm/W. This result shows that monochromatic light has higher light efficiency than mixed light. The PPFD (25 μmol, 50 μmol, 100 μmol) luminance in different wavelengths of LEDs was high in white LEDs and was low in blue LEDs. therefore, it is possible to devise an efficient LED lighting system appropriate for growing plants by variety monochromatic lights and mixed light wave length combination of LED light source.

Acquired pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) can be induced by various factors such as viral infection, thymoma, connective tissue disease, lymphoma, and adverse drug reactions. PRCA has not been reported in an adolescent in Korea for the past several decades. We recently experienced a case of acquired PRCA in an adolescent. A 14-year-old girl presented with pallor, dizziness, and mild fever. She had isolated normocytic normochromic anemia with reticulocytopenia in the peripheral blood and erythroblastopenia in the bone marrow. She was diagnosed with secondary acquired PRCA presumably induced by Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection during her clinical course, and she experienced spontaneous remission 11 weeks after initial diagnosis. Her clinical and hematologic statuses were normal as far as 20 months after her diagnosis. pISSN 2233-5250 / eISSN 2233-4580 http://dx.doi.org/10.15264/cpho.2015.22.2.142 Clin Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2015;22:142∼145

Performance of the Alamouti algorithm based M-ary OSTBC(Orthogonal Space Time Block Coded) MIMO(Multi Input Multi Output) system has been simulated varying two main parameters - the number of constellation(M), and the number of receiving antennas(N). Computer simulation has also been carried out using Matlab software for performance comparison between MIMO and MRC(Maximal Ratio Combining) diversity antenna system to evaluate the degree of enhancement achieved through the use of Alamouti MIMO. Under 10 dB EbNo QPSK scenario, MIMO brought 4.2 dB BER improvement over single antenna system and MIMO resulted in 7.4 dB BER improvement over MRC.

BACKGROUND This study was performed with the aim of determining the long-term immunogenicity of an inactivated, Vero cell culture-derived Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccine (JE-VC) and an inactivated, mouse brain-derived JE vaccine (JE-MB) after the 1st booster dose at 2 years of age, as well as the safety and immunogenicity of the 2nd booster dose of JE-VC at 6 years of age, in children primed and given a 1st booster dose of either JE-VC or JE-MB. METHOD In this multicenter, open-label clinical trial, the study population consisted of healthy Korean children (aged 6 years) who participated in the previous JE vaccine trial. All subjects were subcutaneously vaccinated once for the booster immunization with Boryung Cell Culture Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine® (JE-VC). RESULT Approximately 4 years after the 1st booster dose of JE-VC, the seroprotection rate (SPR) and geometric mean titer (GMT) of the neutralizing antibody were 100% and 1113.8, respectively. In children primed and given a 1st booster dose of JE-MB, the SPR and GMT were 88.5% and 56.3, respectively. After the 2nd booster dose of JE-VC, all participants primed and given a 1st booster dose of either JE-MB or JE-VC were seroprotective against JE virus. The GMT of the neutralizing antibody was higher in children primed and given a 1st booster dose of JE-VC (8144.1) than in those primed and given a 1st booster dose of JE-MB (942.5) after the vaccination (p

We previously reported the development of a neutralization assay system for evaluating Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV) neutralizing antibody (NAb) using pseudotyped-JEV (JEV-PV). JEV-PV-based neutralization assay offers several advantages compared with the current standard plaque-reduction neutralization test (PRNT), including simplicity, safety, and speed. To evaluate the suitability of the JEV-PV assay as new replacement neutralization assay, we compared its repeatability, reproducibility, specificity, and correlated its results with those obtained using the PRNT. These analyses showed a close correlation between the results obtained with the JEV-PV assay and the PRNT, using the 50% plaque reduction method as a standard for measuring NAb titers to JEV. The validation results met all analytical acceptance criteria. These results suggest that the JEV-PV assay could serve as a safe and simple method for measuring NAb titer against JEV and could be used as an alternative approach for assaying the potency of JEV neutralization.

PurposeWe aimed on identifying the differences of febrile and afebrile seizures associated with mild rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) in the pediatric population.MethodMedical charts of pediatric patients who had been admitted between July 1999 and June 2011 due to RVGE were retrospectively reviewed. Subjects were ultimately divided into three groups; ‘no seizure’ (NS: patients without seizure), ‘febrile seizure’ (FS: patients with fever during seizure), ‘afebrile seizure’ (AFS: patients without fever during seizure). Comparisons between groups were carried out on demographic and clinical characteristics, laboratory test results, electroencephalogram findings, brain magnetic resonance imaging findings, antiepileptic treatment, and prognosis.ResultsAmong the 755 subjects who had been admitted due to mild rotavirus enteritis, 696 (90.3%) did not have any seizures, 17 (2.2%) had febrile seizures, 42 (5.5%) had afebrile seizures. The duration of gastrointestinal symptoms before the onset of seizures were significantly shorter in the FS group compared to the AFS group (1.3±0.8 vs. 2.8±1.0 days; p

OFDM Wi-Fi AP is susceptible to the co-channel interference. As a countermeasure, the insertion of a smart has been addressed. Despite of the guaranteed efficiency, the complexity of the post-FFT algorithm often keeps itself from being selected as the countermeasure. Instead, simply constructed pre-FFT smart antenna of which the algorithm is based on the received signal covariance matrix is commonly used and the mathematical modeling of it has been deployed. Computer simulations evaluating the improved BER characteristics of the proposed pre-FFT using the covariance matrix of channel estimator output have been carried out. It has been demonstrated that channel matrix output based smart antenna is superior to that using received signal covariance matrix.

Background The immunogenicity and safety of 13-valent and 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV13 and PCV7) were compared when administered with routine vaccines in Korea. Methods Healthy infants (n = 180) were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive PCV13 or PCV7 at 2, 4, 6 (infant series) and 12 months (toddler dose). Immune responses 1 month after the infant series and toddler dose were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and opsonophagocytic activity (OPA) assay. IgG antibody geometric mean concentrations and OPA functional antibody geometric mean titers were calculated. Safety was assessed. Results After the infant series, for the 7 common serotypes, proportions of responders with IgG concentrations ≥0.35 µg/mL were comparable (≥97.6%) between groups; IgG geometric mean concentrations and OPA geometric mean titers were generally similar, but tended to be lower in the PCV13 group for some serotypes. For the 6 serotypes unique to PCV13, IgG geometric mean concentrations and OPA geometric mean titers were notably higher in the PCV13 group. Importantly, although PCV7 elicited IgG antibodies to PCV13 serotypes 5 and 19A, OPA responses were minimal, whereas serotype 6A elicited both IgG and OPA responses. These observations are consistent with at least some protection by PCV7 against 6A-mediated invasive pneumococcal disease, but no cross-protection for serotypes 5 and 19A. The toddler dose elicited higher IgG and OPA responses than postinfant series responses for most serotypes; however, for serotypes 3 and 14 only OPA responses were increased posttoddler dose. Vaccine safety profiles were similar. Conclusions PCV13 is safe and immunogenic in Korean children. PCV13 should provide broader protection than PCV7.

This paper presents a localization system using ceiling images in a large indoor environment. For a system with low cost and complexity, we propose a single camera based system that utilizes ceiling images acquired from a camera installed to point upwards. For reliable operation, we propose a method using hybrid features which include natural landmarks in a natural scene and artificial landmarks observable in an infrared ray domain. Compared with previous works utilizing only infrared based features, our method reduces the required number of artificial features as we exploit both natural and artificial features. In addition, compared with previous works using only natural scene, our method has an advantage in the convergence speed and robustness as an observation of an artificial feature provides a crucial clue for robot pose estimation. In an experiment with challenging situations in a real environment, our method was performed impressively in terms of the robustness and accuracy. To our knowledge, our method is the first ceiling vision based localization method using features from both visible and infrared rays domains. Our system can be easily utilized with a variety of service robot applications in a large indoor environment.

Background: Group B streptococcus (GBS) is the most common cause of invasive neonatal infections in developed countries. The incidence of early-onset GBS disease in Korea is known to be much lower than that in other developed countries; however neonatal GBS disease has been frequently reported in recent years in Korea. This retrospective study sought to determine the current status and clinical presentation of neonatal GBS disease in Korea. Methods: From January 1996 through December 2005, GBS cases (n= 157) diagnosed in blood, cerebrospinal fluid, or other sterile body fluids among infants

Streptococcus pneumoniae remains a leading cause of invasive infections including bacteremia and meningitis, as well as mucosal infections such as otitis media and pneumonia among children and adults. The 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) was licensed for use among infants and young children in many countries including Korea. The routine use of PCV7 has resulted in a decreased incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) by the vaccine serotypes among the vaccinees and substantial declines in IPD among unvaccinated populations such as older children and adults as well. In addition, there are increasing evidences to suggest that routine immunization with PCV7 is changing the epidemiology of pneumococcal diseases such as serotype distribution of IPD, nasopharyngeal colonization, and antibiotic resistance patterns. In contrast, there is an increase in the number of IPDs caused by nonvaccine serotypes, though it is much smaller than overall declines of vaccine serotype diseases. Several vaccines containing additional serotypes have been developed and tested clinically in order to expand the range of serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Recently two new pneumococcal protein conjugate vaccines, 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV10) and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13), have been approved for use in several countries including Korea. This report summarizes the recommendations approved by the Committee on Infectious Diseases, the Korean Pediatric Society.

This study was conducted to determine the immunogenicity and safety of an inactivated split-virus influenza A/H1N1 vaccine in healthy Korean children from 6 months to

This paper presents a method for real-time face detection and tracking which combined Adaboost and Camshift algorithm. Adaboost algorithm is a method which selects an important feature called weak classifier among many possible image features by tuning weight of each feature from learning candidates. Even though excellent performance extracting the object, computing time of the algorithm is very high with window size of multi-scale to search image region. So direct application of the method is not easy for real-time tasks such as multi-task OS, robot, and mobile environment. But CAMshift method is an improvement of Mean-shift algorithm for the video streaming environment and track the interesting object at high speed based on hue value of the target region. The detection efficiency of the method is not good for environment of dynamic illumination. We propose a combined method of Adaboost and CAMshift to improve the computing speed with good face detection performance. The method was proved for real image sequences including single and more faces.

Recommended infant vaccination in Korea includes DTaP-IPV and Hib vaccines administered as separate injections. In this randomized, open, controlled study we assessed the non-inferiority of immunogenicity of DTaP-IPV//Hib pentavalent combination vaccine (Pentaxim™) compared with licensed DTaP-IPV and Hib (PRP~T) vaccines. We enrolled 418 healthy Korean infants to receive either separate DTaP-IPV and Hib vaccines (n = 206) or the pentavalent DTaP-IPV//Hib (n = 208) vaccine at 2, 4, 6 months of age. Antibodies to all components were measured before the first vaccination and one month after the third, and safety was assessed after each vaccination including recording of reactions by parents. We confirmed the non-inferiority of DTaP-IPV//Hib compared with DTaP-IPV and Hib vaccines; 100% of both groups achieved seroprotection against D, T, IPV and PRP~T, and 97.5%–99.0% demonstrated seroresponses to pertussis antigens. Antibody levels were similar in both groups, except for those to the Hib component, PRP~T. In separate and combined groups geometric mean concentrations of anti-PRP~T antibodies were 23.9 and 11.0 µg/mL, respectively, but 98.3% and 97.4% had titers ≥ 1 µg/mL, indicative of long-term protection. All vaccines were well tolerated, with no vaccine-related serious adverse event. Both groups had similar safety profiles, but the combined vaccine group had fewer injection site reactions. The immunological non-inferiority and similar safety profile of DTaP-IPV//Hib vaccine to separate DTaP-IPV and Hib vaccines, with the advantage of fewer injections and injection site reactions, supports the licensure and incorporation of DTaP-IPV//Hib into the Korean national vaccination schedule (Clinical trial registry, NCT01214889)., Graphical Abstract

A multicenter, double-blind, randomized, active-control phase III clinical trial was performed to assess the immunogenicity and safety of a trivalent, inactivated split influenza vaccine. Korean children between the ages of 6 months and 18 y were enrolled and randomized into a study (study vaccine) or a control vaccine group (commercially available trivalent, inactivated split influenza vaccine) in a 5:1 ratio. Antibody responses were determined using hemagglutination inhibition assay, and post-vaccination immunogenicity was assessed based on seroconversion and seroprotection rates. For safety assessment, solicited local and systemic adverse events up to 28 d after vaccination and unsolicited adverse events up to 6 months after vaccination were evaluated. Immunogenicity was assessed in 337 and 68 children of the study and control groups. In the study vaccine group, seroconversion rates against influenza A/H1N1, A/H3N2, and B strains were 62.0% (95% CI: 56.8–67.2), 53.4% (95% CI: 48.1–58.7), and 54.9% (95% CI: 48.1–60.2), respectively. The corresponding seroprotection rates were 95.0% (95% CI: 92.6–97.3), 93.8% (95% CI: 91.2–96.4), and 95.3% (95% CI: 93.0–97.5). The lower 95% CI limits of the seroconversion and seroprotection rates were over 40% and 70%, respectively, against all strains. Seroconversion and seroprotection rates were not significantly different between the study and control vaccine groups. Furthermore, the frequencies of adverse events were not significantly different between the 2 vaccine groups, and no serious vaccination-related adverse events were noted. In conclusion, the study vaccine exhibited substantial immunogenicity and safety in Korean children and is expected to be clinically effective.

Background Although mouse brain-derived, inactivated Japanese encephalitis vaccines (JE-MBs) have been successfully used for a long time, potential rare neurological complications have prompted the development of a Vero cell culture-derived inactivated vaccine (JE-VC). In a phase III clinical study, we aimed to compare the safety and immunogenicity of a JE-VC, KD-287 with a JE-MB, JEV-GCC, in children. Methods In this multicenter, double-blinded, randomized controlled trial, the study population consisted of 205 healthy Korean children aged 12–23 months. Each subject was subcutaneously vaccinated with either KD-287 or JEV-GCC twice at an interval of 2 weeks and then vaccinated once 12 months after the second vaccination. Neutralizing antibodies were measured by the plaque reduction neutralization test using the homologous and heterologous, as a post hoc analysis, challenge virus strains. Results The three-dose regimen of KD-287 showed a comparable safety profile with JEV-GCC except higher incidence of fever after the first dose (30.4% and 14.7%, respectively). Most of the fever was mild degree (61.3% and 66.7%, respectively). KD-287 fulfilled the non-inferiority criteria for seroconversion rate (SCR) and geometric mean titer (GMT) of the neutralizing antibody, which were the primary endpoints, at 4 weeks after the third vaccination (95% CI: −1.00, 3.10 for the SCR difference and 10.8, 17.6 for the GMT ratio). The SCRs of KD-287 were all 100% and the GMTs were higher in the KD-287 group than in the JEV-GCC group after the second vaccination and before and after the third vaccination (GMT ratio: 5.59, 20.13, and 13.79, respectively, p

Infantile spasm is an age-related refractory epilepsy. Topiramate is a new anticonvulsant with multiple mechanisms of action, and it may be effective for treating pediatric epilepsies. To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of first-line topiramate treatment for infantile spasm, 20 patients received topiramate monotherapy during this study. They were treated with an initial dose of 1mg/kg/day, with a progressive titration of 1 mg/kg a week until their spasms were controlled and a maximum dose of 12 mg/kg/day was achieved. The evaluation of the treatment efficacy was based on the spasm frequency data that was obtained by the scalp and video-EEG, and by the parental count of spasm. Thirty percent of the subjects became spasm-free during the study. Six of 20 subjects (30%) had cessation of spasm and disappearance of hypsarrhythmia as seen via the video EEG; four (50%) of eight idiopathic patients had a response, whereas two (17%) of 12 patients with symptomatic infantile spasm responded. Seventy of the patients, including the spasm-free patients, had a reduction in their seizure frequency of more than 50%, and 10% of the patients had a reduction in their seizure frequency of less than 50%. The clusters of spasm frequency decreased from 10.6 +/- 8.5 to 3.5 +/- 1.4 clusters/day. Topiramate is effective and tolerated in those patients suffering from infantile spasm. Our results suggest that this drug should be considered as a new first-line drug for treating infantile spasm.

The regeneration of hyaline articular cartilage by cell-mediated gene therapy using transforming growth factor beta(1) (TGF-beta(1))-producing fibroblasts (NIH 3T3-TGF-beta(1)) has been reported previously. In this study, we investigated whether TGF-beta(1)-producing fibroblasts irradiated with a lethal dose of radiation are still capable of inducing the regeneration of hyaline articular cartilage. NIH 3T3TGF-beta(1) fibroblasts were exposed to doses of 20, 40, or 80 Gy, using a irradiator, and then injected into artificially made partial defects on the femoral condyle of rabbit knee joints. The rabbits were killed 3 or 6 weeks postinjection and hyaline articular cartilage regeneration was evaluated by histological and immunohistochemical staining (n = 5 per each group). Irradiated NIH 3T3-TGFbeta(1) fibroblasts started to die rapidly 3 days after irradiation; moreover, the kinetics of their viability were similar regardless of the radiation intensity. TGF-beta1 expression, measured by ELISA, showed that the TGF-beta(1) protein produced from the irradiated cells peaked 5 days after irradiation and thereafter declined rapidly. Complete filling of the defect with reparative tissue occurred in all the groups, although variations were observed in terms of the nature of the repair tissue. Histological and immunohistochemical staining of the repair tissue showed that the tissue newly formed by irradiated NIH 3T3-TGF-beta(1) fibroblasts after exposure to 20 Gy had hyaline cartilage-like characteristics, as was observed in the nonirradiated controls. On the other hand, the repair tissue formed by NIH 3T3-TGF-beta(1) fibroblasts irradiated with 40 or 80 Gy showed more fibrous cartilage-like tissue. These results suggest that TGF-beta(1)-producing fibroblasts irradiated up to a certain level of lethal dose (i.e., 20 Gy) are able to induce normal-appearing articular cartilage in vivo. Therefore, irradiated heterologous cell-mediated TGF-beta(1) gene therapy may be clinically useful and an efficient method of regenerating hyaline articular cartilage.

Antioxidants have been shown to be effective in murine models of sepsis. Protocatechuic acid has antioxidant activity. In the present study, the protective effects of protocatechuic acid and its derivatives were investigated in a mouse model of septic shock induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/D-galactosamine (GalN). Pretreatment of animals with protocatechuic acid effectively suppressed LPS/GalN-induced lethality; protocatechuic acid isopropyl ester was the most effective among the various derivatives of protocatechuic acid. Protocatechuic acid isopropyl ester was also effective in protection against the high-dose LPS-induced shock. Pretreatment with protocatechuic acid isopropyl ester effectively suppressed the LPS/GalN-induced increase in plasma tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha alanine aminotransferase (ALT), nitrite/nitrate levels, and hepatic malondialdehyde levels. In contrast, it markedly enhanced the LPS/GalN-induced increase in plasma interleukin (IL)-10 levels, without any changes in IL-6 plasma levels. These results suggest that protocatechuic acid isopropyl ester could be useful for the prevention of sepsis.

급성 음낭증은 갑작스런 음낭의 부종과 통증을 주소로 하는 음낭의 병적 상태를 말하는 것으로 가와 사키의 드문 합병증으로 알려져 있다. 저자들은 급성 음낭증을 동반한 가와사키병으로 진단된 2개월 남자 환아를 경험하였으며, 환아는 정맥 면역글로불린 및 아스피린 투여 후 발열과 가와사키병의 임상 증상들이 호전되었고 2달째에 고환 초음파검사에서 급성 음낭증의 호전을 확인하고 심장 초음파 검사에서 관상동맥 합병증이 보이지 않아 치료를 종료하였다

Function of smart antennas enhancing the OFDM based WLAN’s immunity to multipath fading environments has been summarized. Time domain implementation of smart antenna algorithm(pre-FFT algorithm) has been explained and a simple modification associated with the weight update of pre-FFT algorithm has been proposed Through computer simulations, the performances of the both algorithms have been shown and it was observed that the proposed algorithm contributed to obtain acceptable performance in multipath fading scenario.

Purpose Iron deficiency remains a very common nutritional problem despite the improvement in nutrition and increased understanding of methods for its prevention. Thus, we try to create a new method for screening iron nutrition through infant nutrition history. Methods Among the children who visited Inha University Hospital from March 2006 to July 2012, 181 children with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and 52 children without IDA ranging from 6 to 36 months of age were reviewed in this study. We used the age when they began to wean food, the type of sort weaning foods, the time required for successful weaning, iron content in weaning foods, and the duration of breastfeeding for scoring infant nutrition history based on a questionnaire. Results The mean score of the IDA group was 7.8±2.6 points, which was significantly higher than that of the control group (5.6±2.1) (p=0.000). If we set up the cutoff value at 6 points, this screening has 86.8% sensitivity and 36% specificity. In addition, as the IDA score increased, there was a falling trend of hemoglobin. Conclusion The IDA score does not have high specificity or high sensitivity. However, this study conveys that those patients who record a high score have low hemoglobin. Therefore, we suggest this score system for screening more IDA patients via nonpainful techniques.

This study aimed to identify the risk factors associated with acute hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection in the Korean population. Participants were recruited from five referral hospitals across the country in 2007 and from 11 hospitals in 2009. Patients with positive anti-HAV IgM antibody tests became the case group, while patients treated for non-contagious diseases at the same hospitals were recruited as controls. A total of 222 and 548 case-control pairs were studied in the 2007 and 2009 surveys, respectively. Data from the surveys were analyzed jointly. In a multivariate analysis, sharing the household with HAV-infected family members (OR, 6.32; 95% CI, 1.4-29.6), contact with other HAV-infected individuals (OR, 4.73; 95% CI, 2.4-9.4), overseas travel in 2007 (OR, 19.93; 95% CI, 2.3-174.4), consumption of raw shellfish (OR, 2.51; 95% CI, 1.8-3.5), drinking bottled water (OR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.3-8.4), and occupation that involve handling food (OR, 3.30; 95% CI, 1.3-8.4) increased the risk of HAV infection. Avoiding contact with HAV-infected individuals and avoiding raw foods eating could help minimize the risk of hepatitis A infection. Immunization must be beneficial to individuals who handle food ingredients occupationally or travel overseas to HAV-endemic areas.

Galvanic cell-type PEFC (polymer electrolyte fuel cell) gas sensors have been fabricated. Their sensing behaviors to H 2 are examined. The sensing elements, Pt/Nafion composite electrodes, are prepared by first ion exchanging Pt(NH 3 ) 4 2+ ions and then chemical reduction with NaBH 4 solution. Among the preparation variables for the composite electrodes, the NaBH 4 solution flux has the most significant effect on the microstructure of the Pt deposits and therefore on the sensing characteristics of the resulting sensors. Submicron-sized Pt deposits are dispersed evenly in the deeper region of the membrane surface under a high-flux condition, while densely clustered Pt particles are deposited mainly on the external surface of the membrane when the flux is low. The current intensities are well correlated with the effective surface area of the Pt deposits, but not with the layer thickness. The current intensities and linearly responding H 2 concentration range are also influenced by the size of the capillary-type diffusion barrier.

A fluorescence probe sensitive to local viscosity was used to study conduction property of the polymer gel electrolytes, polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/ propylene carbonate (PC) + ethylene carbonate (EC) in 1 : 3 volume ratio/LiClO4. The conductivity of the gel electrolytes was in the range of 10-2-10-3 S cm-1, which is much higher than values for the conventional polymer electrolytes such as PEO/Li salts. The conductivity profile of the polymer gel electrolytes, according to the LiClO4 concentration ([LiClO4][PC + EC] = 0.05–0.11), looked similar to that of the liquid electrolytes of the same composition. Also, the Arrhenius activation energies of the gel electrolytes (10–15 kJ mol−1) were rather closer to those (5 KJ Mol−1) of the liquid electrolytes than those for the unplasticized polymer electrolytes (a few tens to hundreds kj mol−1). However, the observed local viscosities of the gel electrolytes were higher than those of the liquid electrolytes by a factor of 20, while the conductivity was smaller only by a factor of 2–9, suggesting that the inverse relationship between local viscosity and conductivity does not hold in this system. FTIR spectra of the gel electrolytes showed that the −CN groups in PAN interact with Li+ ions, causing an increase in the local viscosity, probably due to a contraction of the local free volumes. In short, the conduction property of the gel electrolytes looked similar to that of the liquid electrolytes in several ways. However, the Li+ ion-polar group interactions in the gel electrolytes render the inverse relationship invalid and consequently the observed conductivity and activation energy values are somewhat different from those for liquid electrolytes of the same composition.

This study was performed to measure early changes in the serotype distribution of pneumococci isolated from children with invasive disease during the 3-year period following the introduction of 10- and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) in Korea. From January 2011 to December 2013 at 25 hospitals located throughout Korea, pneumococci were isolated among children who had invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). Serotypes were determined using the Quellung reaction, and the change in serotype distribution was analyzed. Seventy-five cases of IPD were included. Eighty percent of patients were aged 3-59 months, and 32% had a comorbidity that increased the risk of pneumococcal infection. The most common serotypes were 19A (32.0%), 10A (8.0%), and 15C (6.7%). The PCV7 serotypes (4, 6B, 9V, 14, 18C, 19F, 23F, and 6A) accounted for 14.7% of the total isolates and the PCV13 minus PCV7 types (1, 3, 5, 7F and 19A) accounted for 32.0% of the total isolates. Serotype 19A was the only serotype in the PCV13 minus PCV7 group. The proportion of serotype 19A showed decreasing tendency from 37.5% in 2011 to 22.2% in 2013 (P = 0.309), while the proportion of non-PCV13 types showed increasing tendency from 45.8% in 2011 to 72.2% in 2013 (P = 0.108). Shortly after the introduction of extended-valent PCVs in Korea, serotype 19A continued to be the most common serotype causing IPD in children. Subsequently, the proportion of 19A decreased, and non-vaccine serotypes emerged as an important cause of IPD. The impact of extended-valent vaccines must be continuously monitored., Graphical Abstract

We report a case of a 5-year-old girl who developed left hemiparesis and left facial palsy, 6 days after the initiation of fever and respiratory symptoms due to pneumonia. Chest radiography, conducted upon admission, showed pneumonic infiltration and pleural effusion in the left lung field. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed acute ischemic infarction in the right middle cerebral artery territory. Brain magnetic resonance angiography and transfemoral cerebral angiography revealed complete occlusion of the right middle cerebral artery. Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection was identified by a 4-fold increase in IgG antibodies to M. pneumoniae between acute and convalescent sera by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Fibrinogen and D-dimer levels were elevated, while laboratory exams in order to identify other predisposing factors of pediatric stroke were all negative. This is the first reported pediatric case in English literature of a M. pneumoniae-associated cerebral infarction involving complete occlusion of the right middle cerebral artery.

목적: 소아에서 엔테로바이러스 감염증은 무증상 감염부터 비특이적 발열성 질환, 수족구병, 수막뇌염등 다양한 질환으로 나타날 수 있다. 본 연구는 소아 입원 환자들을 대상으로 엔테로바이러스 감염의 유전자형 별 임상양상에 대하여 알아보고자 하였다. 방법: 2014년 3월부터 2015년 3월까지 인하대병원에 입원한 환자들 중 400명을 대상으로 real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)로 엔테로바이러스를 검출하였으며, RT-seminested PCR로 혈청형을 분석하였다. 염기서열의 계통분석을 시행하여 neighbor-joining tree를 작성하였다. 결과: 전체 연구대상 400명 중 112명(28%)에서 엔테로바이러스 양성이 확인되었으며 엔테로바이러스 양성 환자의 평균연령은 2.66세(3일-14세), 남녀 성비는 1.73:1 이었다. 65개의 검체에서 엔테로 바이러스의 혈청형을 확인할 수 있었고, coxsackievirus B5 17례(15.2%), coxsackievirus A16 13례 (11.6%), enterovirus 71 10례(8.9%), coxsackievirus A2 9례(8.0%) 순이었다. 엔테로바이러스 양성 환자들 중 96명(86%)에서 비특이적 발열 증상이 있었으며, 0-11일의 다양한 발열기간을 나타냈고, 평균 발열기간은 3.13일이었다. 발진은 전체 양성환자 중 44명(39%)에서 나타났으며, 수막뇌염은 43명 (38%)에서 나타났다. 염기서열에 따른 계통 분석에서 6개의 유전적 군집이 관찰되었다. 결론: 저자들은 인천지역 단일기관에 입원한 환자에서 분리된 엔테로바이러스의 혈청형과 임상양상을 확인하였다. 본 연구 결과가 앞으로 국내 엔테로바이러스 감염의 역학을 파악하는 데에 도움을 줄 것으로 생각한다.

Five aporphine alkaloids, N-acetylanonaine ( 1), N-acetylxylopine ( 2), N-formylanonaine ( 3), liriodenine ( 4), and lanuginosine ( 5) as the antiplatelet constituents, were isolated from the methanol extract of leaves of Magnolia obovata. This is the first reported occurrence of 2 and 3 from genus Magnolia and 5 was isolated from this plant for the first time. Compounds 1, 2 and 3 showed 60 approximately 264-fold stronger inhibitory effects than acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) to rat platelet aggregation induced by collagen, epinephrine, arachidonic acid (AA), or U46619.