• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to show the differences of medical cost between hospice and non-hospice care for terminally ill patients. This information provides basic data to nationally institutionalize hospice care for decreasing costs and enhancing quality of life for terminally ill patients. Methods: Participants of this study were 114 terminally ill cancer patients who were diagnosed and died with stomach cancer and lung cancer at the K hospital of the C university. The study was a retrospective survey design that analyzed the medical costs for two weeks before they died. The cost analysis was done according to 11 items form the medical cost bill. Results: Patients enrolled in hospice care had significantly lower medical costs (53%) than did non-hospice patients especially in use of TPN, narcotic analgesics, nursing care, radiology tests, and blood tests. Among patients enrolled/admitted in the hospice unit, there was a significant cost difference only in use of analgesics whether the hospice specialized doctor was in charge of care or not. The cost was significantly lower when a hospice specialized doctor was in charge of care although the total medical cost was the same. Conclusion: This study identified lower medical costs for patients cared for in the hospice unit. Thus, we urge institutionalizing hospice care without delay to insure cost benefits as well as quality care.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.213-220
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• 1992

The sciatic nerves of anesthetized rabbits were exposed and stimulated by a nerve stimulator in order to observe the myoneural response. These rabbits were divided into three groups and respectively injected with morphine (Group 1), meperidine(Group 2) and pentazocine (Group 3). The sciatic nerves were stimulated periodically and gait changes were observed to see the myoneural activity after the injections. When the distal part of the sciatic nerves were stimulated by the nerve stimulator after the respective drug injections, the normal muscle twitch responses were observed in all the progressional stages of Group 1. However, in Group 2 and 3, the muscle twitch responses decreased gradually, finally disappearing after approximately 10 minutes in these two groups. Complete motor paralysis continued for about 60 minutes. The muscle reactions returned to normal approximately 90 minutes after injection. Specimens drug-injected tissues were severed 4 hours, 24 hours and 1 week after injection respectively. These tissue were investigated under light as well as electron microscopy. The tissue revealed rare to moderate vacuolizations scattered in the axons of the myelinated and unmyelinated nerves of some of the specimens; however, there were no significant pathologic lesions. These results provide evidence that neurophysiologically, meperidine and pentazocine have a local anesthetic-like effect such as motor paralysis, but morphine does not. In addition, the results indicated that neurohistologically, the three narcotics have no significant toxic effects on the nerve tissue.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.585-594
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• 2018

Virtual currencies have emerged along with new technologies such as block chain, artificial intelligence (AI), and big data. This study examines the benefits of a security-enhanced block chain resulting from individual trading, decentralized from governments, as well as the problems associated with misuse of virtual currencies. Virtual currencies, due to its anonymity, is vulnerable to financial crimes, such as ransom-ware, fraud, drug trafficking, tax evasion and money laundering. Use of virtual currencies can facilitate criminals avoid detection from investigative agencies. Government regulatory policy continues to address these concerns, and the virtual currency exchange has also announced a self-regulation proposal. However, a fundamental solution remains necessary. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the problems regarding abuse of virtual currency and to identify a practical system for transactions involving virtual currencies. However, in order to promote transactions involving virtual currencies and to institutionalize a governance system, multilateral cooperation is required. Although the restricting the use of virtual currencies regarding minors and foreign trade, as well as the introduction of a real-name system are considered promising prospects, many problems remain. Virtual currency is not a simple digital item but a method of redesigning the function of money. Coordinated efforts are needed globally to be able to further activate the positive aspects concerning the use of virtual currencies.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.315-327
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• 1995

Diverse neurotoxic insults result in proliferation and hypertrophy of astrocytes, a subtype of glia in central nervous system. The hallmark of this response, often terms "reactive gliosis", is the enhanced expression of the major intermediate filament protein of castrocytes, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). These changes in the astrocytes suggest that GFAP may be a useful biochemical indicator of neurotoxicity. To investigate this possibility, we administered intra-peritoneally prototype nerotoxicants, metharnphetamine (MAP, 5 mg/kg), cocaine (30 mg/kg), N-buthyl benzenesulfonamide (NBBS, 300 mg/kg) and trimethytin (TMT, 8 mg/kg) to Wistar Rats and then assessed the effects of these agents on content of GFAP, which were determined by Sandwish ELISA and evaluated with neurotoxic symptoms, and quantitative changes of imrnunoreactivity of GFAP by light microscopic image analysis in specific regions. We found that assay of GFAP revealed time- and region-dependant patterns of neurotoxicity. The GFAP immunoreactivity of rat brain was increased in substantia nigra and hippocampus by MAP, NBBS and TMT; in roedial septal nucleus and nucleus accurnbens, it was also increased by RrBBS. Sandwich ELISA showed that GFAP levels of cerebrum in all groups on days 3 and 7 and that of brainstem(including cerebellum) in MAP, NBBS groups on day 1 and 3 were increased. A review of the background, design and results of these experiments are presented in this paper. Our findings indicate that GFAP is a sensitive and specific biomarker of neurotoxicity.otoxicity.

• Convergence Security Journal
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.69-78
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• 2017

Since the September 11, 2001, transnational crimes and terrorism have increased, the importance of border security has been emphasized and integrated CIQ capability has been required. The U.S., Canada, and Australia are consolidating CIQ to strengthen border security, focusing on strengthening travelers and goods immigration control and airports, ports and land border security. In 2003, the U.S. established the Customs and Border Protection(CBP) under the Department of Homeland Security. Canada also established the Canada Border Services Agency(CBSA) under the Public Safety Canada in 2003. The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service was integrated with the Department of Immigration and Border Protection(DIBP) and the Australian Border Force was established in 2015. However, Korea operates a distributed border management system for each CIQ task which is unable to respond to complex border threats such as illegal immigration, entry of terrorists, smuggling of drugs, and gun trade in the airports, ports and land borders. In order to solve this problem, it is possible to consider integrating sequentially the customs and quarantine services which have high similarities, and to integrate the entire CIQ tasks with the Korea Customs Service delegated to the immigration control duties in the mid to long term. There is also a plan to benchmark the CIQ single accountability agencies in the U.S., Canada, and Australia in accordance with the Korean situation and to establish a new integrated border security organization.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.83-90
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• 2012

The objective of the study was to estimate the measurement uncertainty associated with determination of creatinine (Cr) in urine samples by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Centrifuged urine samples (10 ${\mu}L$) were diluted with 390 ${\mu}L$ of distilled water. To 20 ${\mu}L$ aliquots of diluted urine samples, 30 ${\mu}L$ of internal standard solution (Cr-$d_3$, 5 ${\mu}g/mL$) and 10 ${\mu}L$ of acetonitrile were added and filtered. The samples (1 ${\mu}L$) were introduced into LC-MS/MS with no further pretreatment. Cr was separated on a multi-mode ODS column (Scherzo SM-C18, 75 ${\times}$ 2.0 mm I.D., 3 ${\mu}m$) and quantified by LC-MS/MS operating in MRM mode (Cr, m/z 114.0${\rightarrow}$ 86.0; Cr-$d_3$, m/z 117.0${\rightarrow}$ 89.1). The four factors that contribute uncertainty to the final result were extracted and evaluated. The principal factors of contribution to combined standard uncertainty were sample dilution, calibration curve and repeatability, while the preparation of standard solution was only a minor factor. Relative extended uncertainty of the measured concentration was 14.2% in a real urine sample.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.18-25
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• 2017

Purpose: Adequate control of breakthrough pain is essential for patients with cancer. Managing breakthrough pain mainly depends on understanding the concept of breakthrough pain and the proper usage of rescue medication by physicians. This study aims to assess the attitudes and practice patterns of palliative physicians in managing breakthrough pain for patients in Korea. Methods: This study was based on data from the 2014 breakthrough cancer pain survey conducted by the Korean Society for Hospice and Palliative Care. One hundred physicians participated in the online survey. Among total 33 self-reported questionnaires, twelve items were selected in this analysis. Results: Rapid onset of action is the main influencing factor in selecting rescue opioids. Oral oxycodone (65%) and parenteral morphine (27%) are commonly used. A few physicians (3%) prefer to use transmucosal fentanyl. The percentage of physicians prescribing oral oxycodone due to its rapid onset of action is just 21.5%, whereas the percentage of physicians using parenteral morphine is 81.5%. Two thirds of respondents (66%) answered that breakthrough pain is not well controlled with rescue medications. Conclusion: There is a gap between the needs of physicians in terms of the perceived difficulties of managing breakthrough cancer pain and their practice patterns selecting rescue medications.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.322-330
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• 2016

Purpose: This study investigated long-term care hospital nurses' knowledge and practice of pain management and their attitudes towards the job with an ultimate aim to provide fundamental information for development of a pain education program. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out with 120 nurses from four long-term care hospitals. Nurses' knowledge of and attitudes towards pain management was measured using a tool developed by Watt-Watson. To examine their pain management practice, an instrument was developed based on the pain management guidelines used by the long-term care settings. Results: For pain management knowledge, the participants gave an average of 26.2 (${\pm}13.10$) correct answers out of 40 questions. The most frequently missed question was one about subjectivity of pain, "Patients' physiological and behavioral reactions to pain hint at the presence and intensity of pain" (89.2%), and 56.7% of the nurses believed that increasing tolerance for a narcotic analgesic means addiction. Regarding attitudes towards and practice of pain management, 80.2% of the nurses used placebos to patients who complain about pain often. Conclusion: This study revealed poor level of pain management knowledge of and attitude among long-term care hospital nurses. This might negatively affect their pain management practice. From the educational perspective, nurses should be provided with education on pain management education with emphasis on the nature of pain and misuse of placebo drugs.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.331-334
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• 2016

Purpose: Advanced cancer may accompany cold sweat as paraneoplastic symptom. Few studies have been performed on the efficacy of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) in advanced cancer patients who sweated without fever. Methods: To select study participants, medical records were retrospectively reviewed for patients who satisfied the following criteria: 1) incurable, advanced solid cancer; 2) Cold sweating of 4 or higher on the numeric rating scale (NRS) 4; 3) No evidence of infection or hypoglycemia; 4) No newly started opioid or anti-hormonal agents within one month; 5) NSAID prescription for the management of cold sweating and 6) Documented NRS information before and after NSAID administration. Results: A total of 13 patients were selected after excluding four patients due to lack of NRS information or fever. The mean age was 59 years old (range: 50~71), and nine patients (69%) were male. Bile duct cancer was the most common primary tumor followed by pancreatic cancer, gastric cancer and prostate cancer. The mean NRS of cold sweating dropped from baseline 6.5 (min-max: 4~10) to 1.9 at the follow-up assessment (min-max: 0~5). The mean follow-up period was 9.1 days (range: 2~30 days) from NSAID treatment to assessment. Conclusion: NSAID was effective medication for management of sweating without fever in patients with advanced cancer.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.53-58
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• 1988

We have treated patients who have visited pain clinic and those admitted to the other departments of Pusan National University Hospital from Mar. 1987 to Feb. 1988 with complaints of severe cancer pain on both upper and lower abdomen and extremities by continuous administration of a very small amount of morphine in the lumbar subarachnoid(group I) and epidural(group II) space in 10 cases respectively. The results of analgesia obtained are as follows: 1. The average duration in onset of analgesia was 8 mins. in group I and 23 mins. in group II. 2. The average duration In maintaining analgesia was 12.4 hrs. in group I and 18.4 hrs. in group II. 3. The efficiency of analgesia in group I was excellent in 5, good in 4, and null in 1, and group II was excellent in 5, good in 2, and moderate in 3. 4. The degree of tolerance in group I was rather mild comparable ti that of pain score 4 till the 22nd. day of morphine administration. 5. The complications are: 2 of respiratory distress in group I, 2 of voiding difficulties in both group I and II, 1 of itching sensation in both group I and II, 1 of euphoria with hallucination In group I, and 1 of C.S.F leakage in group II. As results, it is thought that epidural administration is safer than subarachnoid administration in achieving analgesia with morphine among patients with malignant pain if the problem of tolerance is solved.