• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.447-452
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• 2019

This study was conducted in 2016-2017 to provide the basic ecological data needed to establish environmental conditions for the cultivation of wild vegetables. It used TWINSPAN to classify the vegetation structure of natural habitats of wild vegetable nationwide and DCCA ordination to analyze the correlation between the by community structure and environmental factors. We performed TWINSPAN on 100 taxa with high importance values in 91 plots of major habitats of wild vegetables. The vegetation was classified into Cirsium setidens and Synurus deltoides group, Ligularia fischeri and Hemerocallis fulva group, Adenophora divaricata var. manshurica group, Platycodon grandiflorum and Aster scaber group, Aralia elata and Pteridium aquilinum group, and Pimpinella brachycarpa and Osmunda japonica group communities. We then performed DCCA ordination of 11 communities classified by TWINSPAN and 11 environmental factors. The results showed that the altitude had the strongest correlation with the vegetation. The Cirsium setidens, Synurus deltoids, and Lifularia fischeri communities were distributed in areas with similar environmental factors such as high altitude, gentle slope, and nutrient. The Aralia elata and Osmunda japonica communities were distributed in the location environment with low altitude, pH, O.M, T-N, $Ca^{2+}$, and C.E.C. The Hemerocallis fulva community was distributed in the location environment with moderate northeastern and northwestern slope, low altitude and pH, and high $P_2O_5$, whereas the Adenophora divaricata var. manshurica community was distributed in the location environment with gentle southeastern and southwestern slope, high altitude and pH, and low $P_2O_5$, which was the opposite tendency of the location environment from Hemerocallis fulva community. The Platycodon grandiflorum community was distributed in the location environment with gentle southwestern slope, low altitude, pH, O.M, T-N, $P_2O_5$, $Ca^{2+}$, and C.E.C., and high $Mg^{2+}$. The Pteridium aquilinum community was distributed in the location environment with southwestern slope, low altitude, O.M, T-N, C.E.C, $P_2O_5$, $Ca^{2+}$, and $K^+$. The Aster scaber and Pimpinella brachycarpa communities were widely distributed in many plots with various location environments.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.185-193
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• 2023

Background: This study focuses on the establishment and operation of a stroke patient hotline program to help patients and their caregivers determine when acute neurological changes require emergency attention. Method: The stroke hotline was established at the Gyeonggi Regional Cerebrovascular Center, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, in June 2016. Patients diagnosed with stroke during admission or in outpatient clinics were registered and provided with stroke education. Consulting nurses managed hotline calls and made decisions about outpatient schedules or emergency room referrals, consulting physicians when necessary. The study analyzed consultation records from June 2016 to December 2020, assessing consultation volumes and types. Outcomes and hotline satisfaction were also evaluated. Results: Over this period, 6,851 patients were registered, with 1,173 patients (18%) undergoing 3,356 hotline consultations. The average monthly consultation volume increased from 29.2 cases in 2016 to 92.3 cases in 2020. Common consultation types included stroke symptoms (22.3%), blood pressure/glucose inquiries (12.8%), and surgery/procedure questions (12.6%). Unexpected outpatient visits decreased from 103 cases before the hotline to 81 cases after. Among the 2,244 consultations between January 2019 and December 2020, 9.6% were recommended hospital visits, with two cases requiring intra-arterial thrombectomy. Patient satisfaction ratings of 9-10 points increased from 64% in 2019 to 69% in 2020. Conclusion: The stroke hotline program effectively reduced unexpected outpatient visits and achieved high patient satisfaction. Expanding the program could enhance the management of stroke-related neurological symptoms and minimize unnecessary healthcare resource utilization.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.367-391
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• 2023

This study was conducted for 10 years from 2012, which is a year before the forest road construction in Minjujisan, to 2022 to analyze annual changes in flora and vegetation before and after the forest road construction and to provide strategies for management. The plant communities in the research sites along the forest road showed the differentiation between slopes with Quercus mongolica community on the northwestern slope and Quercus variabilis and Larix kaempferi communities on the southwestern slope. A total of 212 taxa have increased for number 7 between before and after the construction from a total of 66 taxa (44 families, 59 genera, 51 species, 13 varieties, and 2 forma) in 2012 and 207 taxa (71 families, 153 genera, 176 species, 27 varieties, and 4 forma) in 2015 to 278 taxa (78 families, 172 genera, 242 species, 1 subspecies, 31 varieties, and 4 forma) in 2022. It is noteworthy that the vegetation cover and the introduction of new taxa had been expanded in the sites adjacent to the construction, which is likely caused by the significantly increased amount of light and the introduction of annual herbaceous and naturalized plants after the construction. The results of 10 years of current study reveal that the vegetation cover and the number of new taxa had rapidly increased in earlier years after the construction, slowly decreased later on, and finally formed a stable forest with the increase in the ratio of dominant species. The vegetation cover of the herbaceous layer immediately increased on the slopes along the forest road for a few years after the construction although it had continuously decreased while that of the shrub layer quickly increased. It was shown that on the hillslope the vegetation cover of tall- and low-tree layers increased whereas that of herbaceous and shrub layers rapidly decreased.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.93-106
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• 2003

Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the treatment status and its related factors of the rural hypertensives. Methods: A questionnaire survey was performed to 618 rural hypertensives during September, 2002. Results: The proportion of those who were compliant to the antihypertensive medication was 68.9%. The compliance rate to the antihypertensive medication was significantly related with sex and economic status(p<0.05). That is, if they were female, higher economic level, the regular antihypertensive medication rate was higher. The regular antihypertensive medication rate was higher when they had higher knowledge for hypertension, higher severity for hypertension of him or her(p<0.01). And the compliance rate to the antihypertensive medication was significantly related with hypertensives' own explanatory model for hypertension(p<0.01). The rate of drug use except antihypertensives was 12.5%. The rate of drug use except antihypertensives was higher when they experienced side effects of antihypertensive drug and when they had irregular medication for antihypertensive drug(p<0.01). The rate of medical equipment use was 18.9%. The utilization rate of medical equipment such as jade mat, germanium material was significantly related with age, experience of side effects of antihypertensive drug, medication status for antihypertensive drug(p<0.05). The rate of folk therapy use was 16.2%. The rate of folk therapy use was higher when they had no family, when they had knowledge about hypertension on the average, when they had hypertension over 10 years(p<0.05), and when they experienced side effects of antihypertensive drug and when they had irregular medication for antihypertensive drug(p<0.01). The rates of drug use except antihypertensives, medical equipment use, and folk therapy were significantly related with hypertensives' own explanatory model for hypertension(p<0.05). Conclusions: On consideration of above findings, it would be essential to provide knowledge about hypertension and its treatment, and severity of hypertension complications through health education.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.22-33
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• 2003

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the present status of patients' satisfaction and the reasons for any satisfaction or dissatisfaction in cancer pain management Methods : A cross-sectional survey was used to obtain the feedback about pain management. The results of the survey were collected from 59 in- or out-patient who had cancer treatment at two of the teaching hospitals in Seoul from July, 2002 to November, 2002. The data was obtained by a structured questionnaire based on the American Cancer Society Patient Outcome Questionnaire(APS-POQ) and other previous research. The clinical information for all patients were compiled by reviewing their medical records. Resuts : 1) The subjects' mean score of the worst pain was 6.77, the average pain score was 3.80, and the pain score after management was 2.93 for the past 24 hours. The mean score of total pain interference was $25.03{\pm}12.82$. Many of the subjects had false beliefs about pain such as 'the experience of pain is a sign that the illness has gotten worse', 'pain medicine should be 'saved' in case the pain gets worse' and 'people get addicted to pain medicine easily'. 2) 66.1% of the subjects were properly medicated with analgesics. 33.9% of the subjects reported use of various methods in controlling pain other than the prescribed medication. Only 33.9% of the subjects had a chance to be educated about pain management by doctors or nurses. 3) The mean score of patients' satisfaction with pain management was $4.19{\pm}1.14$. 72.9% of the subjects answered 'satisfied' with pain management. The reasons for dissatisfaction were 'the pain was not relieved even after the pain management', 'I was not quickly and promptly treated when I complained of pain', 'doctors and nurses didn't pay much attention to my complaints of pain.', and 'there was no appropriate information given on the methods of administration, effect duration and side effects of pain medicine.' The reasons for satisfaction were: 'the pain was relieved after the pain management.', 'doctors and nurses quickly and promptly controlled my pain.', 'doctors and nurses paid enough attention to my complaints of pain.' and 'trust in my physician'. 4) In pain severity or pain interference, no significant difference was found between the satisfied group and dissatisfied group. On the belief 'good patients avoid talking about pain', a significant difference was found between the satisfied group and dissatisfied group. Conclusions : The patients' satisfaction with cancer pain management has increased over the years but still about 30% of patients reported to be 'not satisfied' for various reasons. The results of this study suggest that patients' education should be done to improve satisfaction in the pain management program.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.529-540
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to analyze experiments for the rules of material change unit in 9th grade science textbooks and develop experiments applying small-scale chemistry (SSC). For this study, experimental methods for the precipitation experiment, water electrolysis experiment, decomposition of hydrogen peroxide experiment presented in the 9 science textbooks were analyzed. Problems and improvements that were needed were extracted by 13 science teachers performing the experiments. Experiments applying SSC were developed based on the improvements needed. Afterwards, 19 pre-service science teachers performed both the developed SSC experiments and the science textbooks' experiments. A questionnaire about merits and demerits of the experiments applying SSC was performed. According to the results of this study, most of the 9th grade science textbooks included the lead iodide precipitation experiment, water electrolysis experiment by Hoffman voltameter, and decomposition of hydrogen peroxide experiment using catalytic manganese dioxide. Improvements were needed on the quantity of reagents, time for performing experiments, and scale of experimental apparatus. Merits of the developed experiments applying SSC which used small amount of reagents were safety, easy waste material disposal, short reaction time, and reproducible experimental results. Demerits of the experiments applying SSC were difficulty in observing, decreased achievement, and lack of skill in handling small-scale apparatus. Therefore, if the experiments developed applying SSC were to be utilized in 9th grade science experiments, it will be possible to use less reagent and be able to teach and carry out reproducible experiments at the same time. Also, the reproducible experiments based on SSC will help students under stand the scientific concepts for the rules of material change unit.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.48-57
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• 2016

The distribution of fish (Cobitidae and Cyprinidae) and amphibians together with related environmental factors were surveyed at 30 randomly selected rice-fields (15 flooded unmanaged rice fields (FUR) and 15 unflooded managed rice fields (UMR)) near the Yedang reservoir in Korea, eight times from May to August in 2012. The total number of species captured from the entire survey area was 13 species with 8 families of fish and 5 species of amphibians. The number of species of Cyprinidae fish captured in FUR was higher than that in UMR. Upon the comparative analysis on the distribution of fish and amphibians in FUR and UMR, it was found that the number of Cyprinidae fish captured in FUR was significantly higher than that in UMR while the number of Cobitidae fish captured in UMR was higher than that in FUR. According to the analysis on the environmental factors that affect the distribution of fish, Cyprinidae fish tend to appear in rice-fields, that were flooded in winter, near the Yedang reservoir while Cobitidae fish tend to appear in rice fields that draws its water supply from forest reservoir and have a good water drainage system. In case of amphibians, the number of tadpoles captured in UMR was higher than that in FUR. Rana catesbeiana was dominant in FUR and Rana nigromaculata was dominant in UMR. Upon the analysis on the environmental factors that affect the distribution of tadpoles, it was found that Rana catesbeiana tadpoles tend to appear in rice fields, that were flooded in winter, near Yedang reservoir while Rana nigromaculata tadpoles tend to appear near mountains and far from the Yedang reservoir.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.9-17
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• 2017

Purpose: The tissue description and electron density indicated by the Computed Tomography(CT) number (also known as Hounsfield Unit) in radiotherapy are important in ensuring the accuracy of CT-based computerized radiotherapy planning. The internal metal implants, however, not only reduce the accuracy of CT number but also introduce uncertainty into tissue description, leading to development of many clinical algorithms for reducing metal artifacts. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to investigate the accuracy and the clinical applicability by analyzing date from SMART MAR (GE) used in our institution. Methode: and material: For assessment of images, the original images were obtained after forming ROIs with identical volumes by using CIRS ED phantom and inserting rods of six tissues and then non-SMART MAR and SMART MAR images were obtained and compared in terms of CT number and SD value. For determination of the difference in dose by the changes in CT number due to metal artifacts, the original images were obtained by forming PTV at two sites of CIRS ED phantom CT images with Computerized Treatment Planning (CTP system), the identical treatment plans were established for non-SMART MAR and SMART MAR images by obtaining unilateral and bilateral titanium insertion images, and mean doses, Homogeneity Index(HI), and Conformity Index(CI) for both PTVs were compared. The absorbed doses at both sites were measured by calculating the dose conversion constant (cCy/nC) from ylinder acrylic phantom, 0.125cc ionchamber, and electrometer and obtaining non-SMART MAR and SMART MAR images from images resulting from insertions of unilateral and bilateral titanium rods, and compared with point doses from CTP. Result: The results of image assessment showed that the CT number of SMART MAR images compared to those of non-SMART MAR images were more close to those of original images, and the SD decreased more in SMART compared to non-SMART ones. The results of dose determinations showed that the mean doses, HI and CI of non-SMART MAR images compared to those of SMART MAR images were more close to those of original images, however the differences did not reach statistical significance. The results of absorbed dose measurement showed that the difference between actual absorbed dose and point dose on CTP in absorbed dose were 2.69 and 3.63 % in non-SMRT MAR images, however decreased to 0.56 and 0.68 %, respectively in SMART MAR images. Conclusion: The application of SMART MAR in CT images from patients with metal implants improved quality of images, being demonstrated by improvement in accuracy of CT number and decrease in SD, therefore it is considered that this method is useful in dose calculation and forming contour between tumor and normal tissues.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.63 no.4
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• pp.353-361
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• 2007

Background: Malignancies are a common and important causes of exudative pleural effusions. Several tumor markers have been studied because the pleural fluid cytology and pleural biopsy specimens do not provide a diagnosis in a high percentage of malignant effusions. In an attempt to overcome this limitation, procalcitonin and C-reactive protein (CRP) in pleural effusions and serum, which are known to be inflammation markers, were measured to determine if they can differentiate an exudate from trasndate as well as the diverse causes of exudative pleural effusion. Methods: 178 consecutive patients with pleural effusion (malignant 57, tuberculous 51, parapneumonic 31, empyema 5, miscellaneous benign 7, transudative 27)were studied prospectively. The standard parameters of pleural effusion and measured serum and pleural procalcitonin were examined using in immunoluminometric assay. The level of CRP in serum and pleural fluid was determined by turbidimetric immunoassay. Results: The pleural procalcitonin levels in the exudate were significantly higher than those in the transudate, $0.81{\pm}3.09ng/mL$ and $0.12{\pm}0.12ng/mL$, respectively (p=0.007). The pleural CRP levels were significantly higher in the exudate than the transudate, $2.83{\pm}3.31mg/dL$ and $0.74{\pm}0.67mg/dL$, respectively (p<0.001). The pleural procalcitonin levels in the benign effusion were significantly higher than those in the malignant effusion, $1.15{\pm}3.82ng/mL$ and $0.25{\pm}0.92ng/mL$, respectively (p=0.032). The pleural CRP levels were significantly higher in the benign effusion than in the malignant effusion, $3.68{\pm}3.78mg/dL$ and $1.42{\pm}1.54mg/dL$, respectively (p<0.001). The pleural procalcitonin levels in the non-tuberculous effusion were significantly higher than those in the tuberculous effusion, $1.16{\pm}3.75ng/mL$ and $0.13{\pm}0.37ng/mL$, respectively (p=0.008). Conclusion: Measuring the level of procalcitonin and CRP in the pleural fluid is helpful for differentiating between transudates and exudates. In addition, it is useful for differentiating between benign and malignant pleural effusions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.11
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• pp.1774-1784
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to determine obstructive factors and performance level of the HACCP system among elementary schools in Gyeongbuk province. E-mail survey targeted 320 dieticians, and recovery rate was 74.1%. Consequently, 227 responses were analyzed. The questionnaire was composed of 58 items under four sections (general characteristics, dieticians' perceived HACCP performance level, dieticians' perceived CCP performance level, and obstructive factors of HACCP system implementation). The item with the highest rate of HACCP performance level was 'HACCP training for foodservice employees in schools ($4.02{\pm}0.70$)' while the lowest counterpart was 'implementation of HACCP team meeting, reporting, and maintenance ($2.74{\pm}0.99$)'. The performance level of the item 'HACCP training for foodservice employees in schools' was perceived as highest when the number of students eating school meals was greater than 1,101 (P<0.05). Moreover, CCP 4 ($4.44{\pm}0.53$) and CP 5 ($4.44{\pm}0.51$) showed the best performance, whereas CCP 1 showed the lowest performance level ($3.90{\pm}0.60$). Therefore, reinforcement of hygiene instruction in menu planning is perceived as necessary. CCP 1, CCP 6 (P<0.05), and CCP 3 (P<0.001) showed significant differences in performance based on the number of students eating school meals. Further, according to results regarding obstructive factors of HACCP system execution, 'general factor' was the most severe obstructive factor in the application of HACCP ($3.46{\pm}0.62$). Among the 'factors pertaining to dieticians', the item 'hardship of proper monitoring and micro-management due to overwhelming workload' was most influential ($3.46{\pm}0.96$). Furthermore, the item 'low budget allocation by educational offices ($3.90{\pm}0.88$)' was influential among the 'factors pertaining to school administrations'. In conclusion, the results of this research can help solve obstructive factors of elementary school food services and provide knowledge that is essential for the proper implementation of HACCP.