• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• 제8권4호
• /
• pp.391-397
• /
• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Myocardial cell death due to occlusion of the coronary arteries leads to myocardial infarction, a subset of coronary heart disease (CHD). Dietary fiber is known to be associated with a reduced risk of CHD, the underlying mechanisms of which were suggested to delay the onset of occlusion by ameliorating risk factors. In this study, we tested a hypothesis that a beneficial role of dietary fiber could arise from protection of myocardial cells against ischemic injury, manifested after occlusion of the arteries. MATERIALS/METHODS: Three days after rats were fed apple pectin (AP) (with 10, 40, 100, and 400 mg/kg/day), myocardial ischemic injury was induced by 30 min-ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery, followed by 3 hr-reperfusion. The area at risk and infarct area were evaluated using Evans blue dye and 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining, respectively. DNA nicks reflecting the extent of myocardial apoptosis were assessed by TUNEL assay. Levels of cleaved caspase-3, Bcl-2, and Bax were assessed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Supplementation of AP (with 100 and 400 mg/kg/day) resulted in significantly attenuated infarct size (IS) (ratio of infarct area to area at risk) by 21.9 and 22.4%, respectively, in the AP-treated group, compared with that in the control group. This attenuation in IS showed correlation with improvement in biomarkers involved in the apoptotic cascades: reduction of apoptotic cells, inhibition of conversion of procaspase-3 to caspase-3, and increase of Bcl-2/Bax ratio, a determinant of cell fate. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that supplementation of AP results in amelioration of myocardial infarction by inhibition of apoptosis. Thus, the current study suggests that intake of dietary fiber reduces the risk of CHD, not only by blocking steps leading to occlusion, but also by protecting against ischemic injury caused by occlusion of the arteries.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
• /
• 제13권3호
• /
• pp.183-190
• /
• 2009

In mammals, puberty is a dynamic transition process from infertile immature state to fertile adult state. The neuroendocrine aspect of puberty is started with functional activation of hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal hormone axis. The timing of puberty can be altered by many factors including hormones and/or hormone-like materials, social cues and metabolic signals. For a long time, attainment of a particular body weight or percentage of body fat has been thought as crucial determinant of puberty onset. However, the precise effect of high-fat (HF) diet on the regulation of hypothalamic GnRH neuron during prepubertal period has not been fully elucidated yet. The present study was undertaken to test the effect of a HF diet on the puberty onset and hypothalamic gene expressions in immature female rats. The HF diet (45% energy from fat, HF group) was applied to female rats from weaning to around puberty onset (postnatal days, PND 22-40). Body weight and vaginal opening (VO) were checked daily during the entire feeding period. In the second experiment, all animals were sacrificed on PND 36 to measure the weights of reproductive tissues. Histological studies were performed to assess the effect of HF diet feeding on the structural alterations in the reproductive tissues. To determine the transcriptional changes of reproductive hormone-related genes in hypothalamus, total RNAs were extracted and applied to the semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Body weights of HF group animals tend to be higher than those of control animals between PND 22 and PND 31, and significant differences were observed PND 32, PND 34, PND 35 and PND 36 (p<0.05). Advanced VO was shown in the HF group (PND $32.8{\pm}0.37$ p<0.001) compared to the control (PND $38.25{\pm}0.25$). The weight of ovaries (p<0.01) and uteri (p<0.05) from HF group animals significantly increased when compared to those from control animals. Corpora lutea were observed in the ovaries from the HF group animals but not in control ovaries. Similarly, hypertrophy of luminal and glandular uterine epithelia was found only in the HF group animals. In the semi-quantitative RT-PCR studies, the transcriptional activities of KiSS-1 in HF group animals were significantly higher than those from the control animals (p<0.001). Likewise, the mRNA levels of GnRH (p<0.05) were significantly elevated in HF group animals. The present study indicated that the feeding HF diet during the post-weaning period activates the upstream modulators of gonadotropin such as GnRH and KiSS-1 in hypothalamus, resulting early onset of puberty in immature female rats.

• 임상간호연구
• /
• 제24권1호
• /
• pp.10-22
• /
• 2018

Purpose: This study was performed to establish the role and to analyze the job of MFICU (Maternal Fetal Intensive Care Unit) nurses using DACUM (Developing a curriculum). Methods: A DACUM workshop was held to define MFICU nurses' role and identify their duties and tasks. A DACUM committee was consisted of 7 nurses, 2 nursing professors and 1 medical doctor and as a result, a survey was developed which contained duties and tasks of MFICU nurse. Pre-test was carried out for the validity, finally collected the data from 97 nurses who worked at 7 MFICU and 10 delivery room. Results: A total of 60 duties, 115 tasks and 822 elements of tasks were defined on the DACUM chart and survey. The importance, frequency and difficulty of the tasks were presented the determinant coefficient (DC), the highest DC duty was 'Manage maternal ventilator' (15.09) and the lowest DC was 'Provide nursing care for leisure to gestation extension mother' (6.52). Twenty-eight tasks were differentiated between MFICU and delivery nurses significantly. And the most important, frequently, difficulty task perceived by MFICU nurse was 'Check fetal heartbeat with electronic fetal heart monitor'. Conclusion: The organized educational program and policy was needed to develop for MFICU nurses.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
• /
• 제22권6호
• /
• pp.85-90
• /
• 2010

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between social support and quality of life (QOL) in elderly people and to examine potential cross-cultural differences. Methods: The author surveyed 82 elderly people, over the age of 65, residing in a nursing home in a Korean rural area and 73 Korean immigrants living in Houston Texas USA who were also elderly. The degree of social support was measured with 20 questions that were answered using a 5 grade scale. The quality of life was measured in 5 fields (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression, each scored using a 3 grade scale) with EUROQOL EQ-5D. Results: The mean score of social support was 65.43 for domestic Korean elderly people (range: 26 to 98); it was 73.43 for elderly Korean Americans (range: 26 to 100). The score was lower for domestic Koreans despite the traditional environment (p<0.05). Regarding QOL, 61% of domestic Korean elderly people complained of pain/discomfort and 47.5% appeared to have anxiety/depression, 30.5% complained of limitations in mobility, 20.7% reported limitations in usual activities, and 14.6% had limitations in basic self.care activity such as washing or dressing. A similar proportion of Korean American elderly had limitations in usual activities (19.2%) and self care activity (9.5%). But significantly fewer complained of anxiety/depression (16.5%, p<0.01) or pain/discomfort (38.3%, p<0.01). The major differences in psychological domains of QOL may be related to the degree of social support and the difference in the socio.cultural environment. Conclusion: Social support is a major determinant of QOL, especially for psychological domains, and these relationships are under the influence of the socio.cultural environment.

• 의학교육논단
• /
• 제18권2호
• /
• pp.90-98
• /
• 2016

Assessment tools for non-academic qualities such as ethics frequently employ hypothetical scenarios to lay out a contextual framework underlying the corresponding criteria of assessment. Due to the context-specific nature of the assessment criteria, details of the scenarios become very important in obtaining accurate results. This study aims to explore how medical school applicants differ in ethical decision making depending on the types of ethical dilemma scenarios, and how they correlate with academic achievements after admission. In 2014, all 82 applicants invited for an admission interview for a graduate-entry program were asked to complete a questionnaire comprised of 13 hypothetical scenarios. There were three domains (unethical business decisions, unethical academic decisions, and sexual quid pro quos) and participants were made to choose between the profitable-but-unethical choice or the unprofitable-but-ethical choice, using a four-point Likert-type scale. On average, tendencies toward unethical decisions were lowest for sexual favors ($1.34{\pm}0.46$), and highest for gaining academic advantages ($2.22{\pm}0.56$). Unethical decisions for academic advantages and sexual benefits showed significant correlation respectively with the female gender and those who graduated from overseas universities. In addition, the propensity for choosing unethical academic decisions was significantly correlated with high academic achievements in medical school (r=0.396). Not only does this study demonstrate that different levels of ethical decision making depend on the scenarios, but also those differences may be a determinant factor in subsequent academic performances in medical school. In conclusion, given the possible influence of the details of the hypothetical scenarios to the applicant's responses, careful consideration must be given during their development.

• 재무관리연구
• /
• 제22권1호
• /
• pp.1-36
• /
• 2005

본 연구에서는 자본구조 결정시 레버리지비율과 부채만기가 동시적으로 고려될 것이라는 가정하에 우리나라 기업에 대하여 이들의 결정요인을 연립방정식 체계하에서 2단계최소자승법에 의해 분석하였다. 이러한 분석 결과, 우리나라 기업에서 레버리지비율과 부채만기는 서로 양(+)의 상관관계에 있는 것으로 나타났다. 이것은 레버리지가 높은 기업은 채무불이행위험에 직면할 가능성이 높으므로 이를 회피하기 위해 장기부채를 선호할 것이라는 Leland와 Toft(1996)의 주장과 일관성이 있다. 그러나 또 한편 이것은 주로 단기부채 위주로 자금이 공급되고 기업의 신용위험의 양극화 현상이 심한 우리나라 현실에서 대외적 신인도가 높고 신용위험이 낮은 기업일수록 부채사용이 많고 또 동시에 안정적인 장기차입이 용이한 현상을 반영한 것으로도 풀이된다. 그리고 부채만기의 결정요인으로는 앞의 선행 연구에서와 마찬가지로 대리인비용가설과 자산만기대응가설, 신호전달 및 유동성위험가설 등이 모두 대체적으로 지지되었으며, 레버리지 면에서는 주로 기업규모가 크고 채무불이행위험이 낮을수록 부채사용이 많은 것으로 분석되었다. 그러나 은행차입금 수준과 재벌의 소속 여부에 따라 표본을 구분해 본 결과, 재벌소속 기업보다는 비재벌기업에서 정보비대칭과 자금조달의 제약이 높을 것이라는 가설은 지지되었으나, OLS에 의해 동일한 분석을 시행한 기존의 연구와는 달리 은행차입이 낮은 기업에서 정보비대칭이나 대리인문제가 더 심각할 것이라는 가설을 지지하는 증거는 미약하였다.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• 제15권12호
• /
• pp.4957-4961
• /
• 2014

Background: Head and neck cancer without distant metastases is amenable to various modalities of treatment. However, the stage at presentation is a very important determinant for treatment success. The present study was conducted to determine the stage-wise presentation of non-metastatic head and neck cancer patients from the hilly regions in Kumaon division of Uttarakhand, India. Materials and Methods: The hospital records for non-metastatic head and neck cancer patients from the only functional cancer centre of the region for the period of two-years (January 2012-December 2013) were included. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma was excluded due to its staging system being different. Non-squamous histopathologies were also excluded. Patients hailing from nearby regions of Uttar Pradesh and Nepal were excluded, as were patients from non-hilly regions of Kumaon. Results: Of the 271 patients of head and neck cancer, 27 with distant metastases at diagnosis were excluded from the analysis. Of the 244 eligible patient records, 90.1% (n=222) were male, and 9.9% (n=22) were female. The proportions of patients with carcinoma of the larynx, oropharynx, oral cavity, hypopharynx and maxillary antrum were 31.9% (n=78), 27.9% (n=68), 20.5% (n=50), 12.7% (n=31) and 1.2% (n=3). A further 5.7% (n=14) were diagnosed as having secondary involvement of neck nodes with unknown primaries. The proportion of patients presenting in stages I, II, III, IVA and IVB were 0.8% (n=2), 2.5% (n=6), 9.4% (n=23), 51.6% (n=126) and 35.7% (n=87) respectively. Conclusions: An abysmally low proportion (3.3%) of non-metastatic head and neck cancer patients presented in the early stages (I and II). A vast majority of the patients (88.1%) presented with stages IVA and IVB. Not only does this reflect a poor therapeutic outlook, but also exposes the dire need for programmes focusing on cancer awareness and early detection in the region.

• 근관절건강학회지
• /
• 제29권1호
• /
• pp.41-49
• /
• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of nurses staffing level on patient health outcomes in intensive care units (ICUs) in Korea. Methods: The study was retrospective in nature. Information on patients and their outcomes, as well as nurse cohort data, were obtained from Korea's National Health Insurance Service Database. The observation period was from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2018, and data for 2,964,991 patients were analyzed. Independent variables included patient' age and sex and hospital type, intensivist, and nurses staffing level. Results: The mortality rate in ICUs was significantly higher at tertiary hospitals with a level 3~4 (HR, 1.21; 95% confidence interval, 1.19~1.22) or level 5~9 nurse staffing (HR, 1.31; 95% confidence interval, 1.27~1.34) compare to that of tertiary hospitals with a 1~2 level. 28-day mortality rate was also higher at general hospitals with a level 3~4 (HR, 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.12~1.14), level 5~6 (HR. 1.34; 95% confidence interval, 1.32~1.36), level 7~9 nurse staffing (HR, 1.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.38~1.42), using level 1~2 as reference. Conclusion: Nurses staffing level is a key determinant of healthcare-associated mortality in critically ICUs patients. Policies to achieve adequate nurse staffing levels are therefore required to enhance patient outcomes.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• 제35권3호
• /
• pp.108-114
• /
• 2018

Background: The purpose of this survey study was to understand how utilization of X-rays as an adjunct to Chuna manual therapy (CT) supports treatment, as assessed by Korean medicine doctors (KMDs). Methods: A survey was emailed to all 18,289 members of the Association of Korean Oriental Medicine (AKOM)to determine the implications of X-ray use in CT. Surveys were collected from September 22, 2017 to October 15, 2017. Results: Of the 18,289 KMDs 562 completed the survey. The implications of a radiological diagnosis (X-ray) with CT was assessed using 5 items in a questionnaire: time to diagnosis, accuracy of treatment, patient comprehension and satisfaction, CT effect, and safety of CT. Survey participants identified improvement in patient comprehension and satisfaction as the most important factor for X-ray use with CT, followed by increased safety of CT. From the determinant factors for selection of CT intensity and specific techniques, severity of clinical symptoms was shown to be the most influential factor. Degenerative changes of the spine and degree of spinal malposition were also reported to be highly influential. Conclusion: The KMDs' that participated in this study indicated that utilization of X-rays in conjunction with CT administration improved patient comprehension and satisfaction, and CT safety. Installation of radiological equipment in Korean medicine clinics where CT is provided may increase safety and patients' satisfaction.

• 한국환경농학회지
• /
• 제22권1호
• /
• pp.53-59
• /
• 2003

휴경지의 식생 특성을 묵밭과 묵논과 같이 토양의 수분상태가 다른 조건과 휴경 연차에 따라 조사하였다. 같은 묵논이라도 습한 상태로 휴경한 경우와 건조한 상태로 휴경한 경우 식생의 차이가 컸으며, 건조한 상태에서 다년생으로의 천이가 빠르게 일어났다. 천이 단계는 휴경 기간보다 휴경지의 토양 조건에 더욱 큰 영향을 받았다. 묵밭의 경우 휴경 2년차에 우점하였던 돌콩, 칡, 쑥, 새팥 노랑물봉선 등은 휴경이 6년간 진전된 경우 칡, 억새, 돌콩, 쑥 등의 순으로 우점도가 변하였다. 논을 건답상태로 휴경한 경우 3년차에는 들깨풀, 돼지풀i 강아지풀 등이 주요 우점 초종이었으나 7년차에는 억새, 미국쑥부쟁이, 쇠치기풀 등이 우점하여 다년생으로 천이되었다. 논을 습답 조건으로 휴경한 경우 수생 잡초가 우점하였다. 7년차에는 갈대, 돌콩, 부들, 고마리가 우점하였으나, 11년차에는 갈대, 줄, 고마리, 부들이 우점하는 초종이었다. 휴경지의 식물종 다양성은 건조한 토양 조건보다 다소 습한 조건의 토양에서 높게 나타났다.