The present study aimed to investigate some differences in journal article abstracts written in English by Korean researchers and international scholars and to provide Korean researchers with guidelines for writing accurate, self-contained, informative and coherent abstracts. To this end, intra- and inter-lingual analyses of English abstracts were carried out in terms of rhetorical structures, linguistic features, and disciplinary areas. The results reveal that (1) international and Korean researchers show some differences of rhetorical and discourse features in their English abstracts and (2) some types of errors in terms of grammatical-syntactic and lexico-semantic aspects are frequently committed by Korean researchers. The results of this investigation suggest that Korean researchers should be aware of common rhetorical structures and linguistic features of English abstracts and graduate students should be provided with EAP courses to practice writing English abstracts relevant to their major areas.

Central precocious puberty (CPP) is less common in boys than girls; very little data is reported on effect of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog (GnRHa) treatment in boys with CPP. The aim of the study was to evaluate growth changes in boys with CPP and early puberty (EP) treated with GnRHa therapy for 1 year. In 60 (39 CPP and 21 EP) boys with confirmed diagnosis of CPP and EP, auxological [height, height standard deviation score (Ht SDS), bone age (BA), Predicted adult height (PAH)] and endocrinological parameters were obtained at baseline, at 6 months, and at 1 year after GnRHa treatment in boys with CPP and EP. During the treatment a decline in Ht SDS and growth velocity, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and testosterone levels were observed (p＜0.01); and a deceleration in the maturation of bones after 1 year GnRHa treatment was observed (p＜0.01). PAH SDS was increased during treatment with GnRHa (p＜0.01). There was significant difference in PAH SDS between organic CPP and non-organic CPP (p＜0.05). The present data indicate that GnRHa therapy significantly improves growth prognosis in boys with CPP and EP.

Purpose: The incidence of pediatric herpes zoster has been increasing year by year. Pediatric herpes zoster is generally known to be less severe than adult cases, but may cause various complications such as secondary bacterial infections, encephalitis, meningitis, and Ramsay Hunt syndrome. In this study, we performed epidemiological and clinical investigations of children and adolescents diagnosed as herpes zoster. The incidence and clinical factors associated with complications of herpes zoster were studied. Methods: This study was retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 62 patients under 18 years who were diagnosed and treated with herpes zoster at Chosun University Hospital from 2007 to 2017. This patients were evaluated with regard to gender, age, dermatomal distributions, accompanying symptoms, underlying disease, treatment and complications. These patients were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of complications. Results: Children under 18 years old account for 3.2% of all herpes zoster patients who were hospitalized at Chosun University Hospital from 2007 to 2017. The incidence of males was higher than that of females. The number of enrolled patients was increasing according to age. The number and the proportion of pediatric patients has been increasing year by year. Lesions of herpes zoster were most frequently found in the thoracic region, followed by the cervical, trigeminal, lumbar regions. The most common accompanying symptom was pain, followed by pruritus, fever, headache. Among the 62 cases, 27 cases (27.4%) were complicated by herpes zoster. Ramsay Hunt syndrome was the most common (16.1%), followed by meningitis and herpes ophthalmicus. Neither secondary bacterial infection nor postherpetic neuralgia were observed. Skin lesions in the trigeminal dermatomes was associated with complications (p=0.006). The mean of hospitalization period is longer in the group with complications (p=0.003). The patients accompanying symptoms such as headache was more likely to occur complications (p value＜0.05). There was no difference in age, sex, and underlying disease between the two groups. Conclusion: Patients with complications had longer duration of treatment and had more frequent with trigeminal and cervical region. The patients accompanying symptom such as headache were more likely to occur complications.

Neutropenia is a common finding in pediatrics with 1.5-9% of children (without malignancy) presenting to hospital found incidentally to be neutropenic. The majority of these pediatric patients with transient neutropenia present with infectious symptoms with an infectious agent proven in approximately 50% of cases, most commonly viral in nature. 270 children, who were diagnosed with influenza infection at the Chosun University Hospital during a 8-year period, were included in the study. Clinical and laboratory feature were analyzed. 46 patients (17%) were neutropenic with no identifiable cause other than the influenza. The incidence of leukopenia was significantly higher in association with influenza B than influenza A (24.0% vs 12.3%). Period from the onset of fever to lymphopenia was significantly longer in association with neutropenia (+) group than neutropenia (−) group. Recovery period of neutropenia was mean 4 days (range 3-7 days). We conclude that mild, transient neutropenia is common among patients with influenza infection and advise that it should not cause alarm or invite specific investigation unless severe or prolonged.

Renewable energy resources from foodwaste have attracted significant interest and, consequently, many alternatives are considered for large-scale biogas treatment processes and small-scale onsite drying processes (heat source: electricity, gas, and dried foodwaste by-product). The pre-treatment process for foodwaste consists of the following sequential steps: collection, transportation, shredding, segregation, and dehydration. After this pre-treatment, the dried foodwaste by-product is recycled into (among others) animal feed, fertilizer/compost or biomass solid fuel. In addition, the leachate?liquid generated by squeezing the foodwaste is used for bio-gasification, achieved through an Anaerobic Digestion (AD) process associated with a sewage co-digestion treatment. In this study, the operation cost and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of an improved and simplified small-scale onsite drying treatment are compared with those of a large-scale biogas treatment. The pre-treatment can be improved and simplified via this drying treatment. Through this treatment, operationcost reductions of 45.4%, 50.5%, and 89.6% are achieved when electricity, liquified natural gas (LNG), and biomass solid fuel (dried foodwaste by-product), respectively, are employed as drying heat sources. Furthermore, if the annual amount of foodwaste (5 million ton) is recycled into biomass solid fuel, then significant reductions (7.5 million tCO2-e per annum) in GHG emissions can be realized. Therefore, this study demonstrates that improvement and simplification of the smallscale drying process (i) reduces the operation cost as well as GHG emission levels (to levels lower than those achieved via the large-scale biogas treatment process) and (ii) offers a practical solution for foodwaste treatment and a renewable energy resource.

As the number of obese patients increases, childhood obesity also increases and it is recognized as a big problem because it increases the incidence of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Although thyroid hormone abnormalities sometimes exist in obese patients without thyroid disease, there is still much controversy on the impact of obesity on thyroid hormone test results. Accordingly, the present study investigated the correlation between obesity and thyroid hormone concentrations in children with normal thyroid function. In the present study, 356 patients aged 6-18 years who visited the Chosun University Hospital were randomly selected, after exclusion of those with thyroid disease, diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, those with a history of smoking and drinking, and those taking steroids or lipid lowering agents. There were no significant differences in levels of thyroid stimulation hormone (TSH) and free thyroxin (fT4) between males and females. The patients were divided into groups based on serum TSH concentration: group A with TSH < 4.0 μIU/mL and group B with TSH ≥ 4.0 μIU/mL (upper level of normal range). BMI z score, ALT, rGTP, and total cholesterol were significantly higher in group B. Multiple regression analysis adjusted for age, gender, birth weight, and pubertal development showed that TSH and BMI z score were positively correlated, while fT4 was not correlated with other factors.

2014년 기준 13,698톤/일의 음식물쓰레기 발생량 중 공동주택과 감량의무사업장이 차지하는 비율은 각각 38%, 30%이고 계절평균 음식물쓰레기 함수율은 각각 81.5%, 76.2%로 높아 수증기로 증발시키는 건조공정에서의 열원소요비용을 높이는 원인이 된다. 건조 에너지의 주요 공급열원으로는 전기, 가스 및 기름 등의 화석연료이며, 이 중 전기 열원 사용이 가장 간편하고 적용성이 우수하지만 가스 열원에 비해 온실가스 배출량은 단위열량당 2.3배로 상대적으로 높다. 그리고 기름(Light oil, Heavy oil) 열원의 경우 연소 후 연관에 Soot와 같은 입자상물질의 누적에 의한 열전달속도 감소로 열회수 효율을 저감시킨다. 가스(LNG) 열원의 경우 가스유입 배관, 가스보일러 및 연소실이 추가로 필요하지만 연소 시 매연이나 미세분진 발생량이 적고, 일산화탄소와 질소산화물 배출량이 적고, 오존을 생성하는 탄화수소 배출량이 적고, 천연가스 정제비용이 낮고, 누설 시 공기보다 가벼워 대기 중으로 쉽게 확산되어 안전성이 높은 장점과 천연가스액화기술 발전으로 운송과 보관이 용이할 뿐만 아니라 전 세계적으로 약 100년 이상 사용 가능할 정도로 매장량이 풍부하다. 반면 가스 열원을 건조공정에 사용할 경우 연소 후 폐열의 대기 배출로 열회수 효율을 감소시켜 가스소비량 증가에 의한 운영비용 상승의 단점이 있다. 이를 보완하기 위해서는 기존의 단순 시간종료에서 최종부산물의 목표함수율에 도달할 경우 건조공정 자동종료로 가스소비량을 최소화 할 수 있는 방안도 적절한 대안이 될 수 있다. 건조공정 종료시간 자동화를 위해서는 제어시스템을 개발해야 하며, 종료시점은 폐쇄회로(Closed-loop recirculation system) 건조공정에서 수증기 배출량이 가장 높은 열교환기의 유입과 배출 온도차(⊿T)와 건조기의 배출과 유입 온도차(⊿T)로 설정이 가능하다. 이 중 열교환기 유입, 배출온도 변화가 짧은 시간에 크게 변화함에 따라 종료시점 범위 설정이 용이하지 않음에 비해 건조기 배출, 유입온도 변화는 상대적으로 안정적인 변화폭인 것으로 나타났다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 최종부산물의 목표함수율에 근접할 수 있는 건조 공정을 모니터링하여 적절한 운전종료시점을 설정할 수 있는 방안을 제시하기 위해 건조기 배출, 유입 온도차(⊿T)를 적용하였다.

Lupus anticoagulant-hypoprothrombinemia syndrome (LAHS) is a rare disease associated with lupus anticoagulant and factor II deficiency. LAHS is usually associated with autoimmune disease or with transient viral infection. A 27-month-old boy had a gross hematuria. Prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) were markedly prolonged. The aPTT was not corrected after mixing with normal plasma. The level of factor II was decreased. Diluted Russell's viper venom test demonstrated the lupus anticoagulant. He was diagnosed with LAHS. His clinical symptom was improving without medical treatment. Serial laboratory studies showed that PT, aPTT, and factor II level were normalized.