• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.170-178
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• 2007

Background : The incidence of acute hepatitis A in adults has recently been increasing. This study was conducted to investigate the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of acute hepatitis A in Daegu province over the past 10 years. Materials and Methods : We reviewed the medical records of 55 patients (male/female: 34/21), who were diagnosed with acute hepatitis A by confirmation of the IgM anti-HAV between January 1998 and June 2007. Results : The mean age was $29.7{\pm}10.3$ years (range; 17-65 years). The incidence was most common between March and June (56.1%), in the third and fourth decades of life (78.2%) and 90.9% (50/55) of the patients were diagnosed from 2003 to present. The common symptoms included anorexia, nausea or vomiting (69.1%), fever and chills (49.1%), myalgia (47.3%), weight loss (47.3%), fatigue (40.0%), abdominal pain (36.4%), diarrhea (9.1%) and pruritus (5.5%). The mean duration of hospital stay was $8.6{\pm}3.4$ days (range; 3-20 days). The route of transmission was identified in only 11 patients (20.0%); 7 patients (12.7%) traveled (abroad or domestic), 2 patients (3.6%) ingested raw food and 2 patients (3.6%) had friends with acute hepatitis A. Fifty four patients recovered without complication; one patient developed fulminant hepatitis and recovered after a liver transplantation. Conclusion : The incidence of acute hepatitis A in adults is increasing. Because of the cost of treatment and potential for serious disease, persons, under 40 are recommened to have hepatitis A vaccination and confirmation of IgG anti-HAV.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.163-169
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• 2016

Purpose: The unmet medical service needs of caregivers critically influence their caring for terminal cancer patients, but not much research has been done in this regard. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate the association between caregivers' characteristics and their unmet medical service needs. Methods: The survey was conducted with 109 family caregivers of terminal cancer patients admitted to four hospice units. The data were collected from March 2014 through December 2014 using a structured questionnaire. The unmet medical service needs were measured using 14 items which were adopted and modified by authors. Results: Seven areas of unmet medical service needs were shown to be significant. A well-educated group showed stronger needs for counsel about cancer screening and complementary-alternative medicine and health supplement food. A never-smoked group was identified with less need for sexual dysfunction counsel. Counsel about family and personal relations was more necessary for current drinkers and current workers, and less necessary for the married. Insurance counsel was more needed for a no-religion group. Occupation counsel was less necessary for healthy patients. Financial support was less necessary for the married group. Conclusion: Based on the results, it is highly recommended to further investigate the unmet medical service needs of family caregivers for terminal cancer patients and causes of the unmet needs.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.240-251
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• 2002

This study is to describe practices of and attitude toward traditional wedding food and the attitude of housewives toward the traditional wedding food in Busan metropolitan and Kyungnam province area. Data were analyzed from the convenient sample of 525 housewives collected from September 20 to September 28, 2001. As for the necessity of traditional wedding food, the most popular food was ebagee food, pebaek food, yedan food in order. Of the various kinds of traditional wedding food, table setting for parent-in-law was chosen as the most popular one. Sociodemographic characteristics such as education level and age were statistically associated with perception of traditional wedding food being necessary as a ritual thing. The respondents preferred rice cakes as wedding food to fishes, fruits, traditional sweets and skewered slices of seasoned meats. More than half of the respondents think current practices of wedding food is prodigal and has to be done in thrifty manner. As a ritual practices of wedding food were to be readjusted to the change of social custom depending on the degree of modernization. More than half (52.1%) of the housewives expected traditional wedding food should fade away. A conclusion was that it is necessary to develop modernized wedding food reflecting traditional wedding customs with economic costs.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.65-79
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• 2001

Cerebrovascular disease(CVD) is one of the major causes of death in Korea as well as most countries in the world and the disease gives great burden to humans socio-economically due to its high fatality and common occurrence of disability as the sequelae. This study was performed to investigate the utilization of western hospital(WH) or oriental hospital(OH) due to CVD and compare the type and the clinical characteristics of patients with CVD between WH and OH located in Kwangju City, Chonnam Province and Chonbuk Province. We reviewed the medical records of 1,070 patients who were discharged from 12 WIT and 6 OH from January to March, 2000 and confirmed for the diagnosis of CVD. Fifty-one percent of the subjects were treated at WH and forty-nine percent at OH. Females were more prevalent than males. As well, the most common age group among these subjects was found to be 70 years and older. About 92% in W~H and 80% in OH received brain imaging diagnostic procedures such as CT or MRI. The cerebral infarction was the most common type of CVD when compared by the kind of utilized hospitals, sex, age group except patient Group who was treated at WH and whose age was lower than 50 years old. The cerebral hemorrhage was more frequent than cerebral infarction among this group. The proportion of cerebral hemorrhage was decreasing and that of cerebral infarction was increasing with age. The most common clinical manifestations of undetermined type of CVD was paralysis of lower extremity in WIT and paralysis of upper extremity in OH. In cerebral hemorrhage loss of consciousness in WIT and dysarthria in OH were most frequently manifested, while in the case of cerebral infarction hemiplegia in WIT and dysarthria in OH were the most common complaints. The interval from the onset of disease to admission to the hospital was 5.5 days in WH arid 31.4 days in OH and the difference was statistically significant. Average admission duration of patients at OH was longer than WH, but it was not statistically significant. In conclusion these results suggest that the effort for systematic and efficient management of CVD patients was necessary for close co-operation and role arrangement between WH and OH considering the positive and negative points of western and oriental medicines.

• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.788-818
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• 2009

Renewable energy refers to solar energy, biomass energy, hydrogen energy, wind power, fuel cell, coal liquefaction and vaporization, marine energy, waste energy, and liquidity fuel made out of byproduct of geothermal heat, hydrogen and coal; it excludes energy based on coal, oil, nuclear energy and natural gas. Developed countries have recognized the importance of these energies and thus have set the mid to long term plans to develop and commercialize the technology and supported them with drastic political and financial measures. Considering the growing recognition to the field, it is necessary to analysis up-to-now achievement of the government's related projects, in the standards of type of renewable energy, management of sectional goals, and its commercialization. Korean government is chiefly following suit the USA and British policies of developing and distributing renewable energy. However, unlike Japan which is in the lead role in solar rays industry, it still lacks in state-directed support, participation of enterprises and social recognition. The research regarding renewable energy has mainly examinedthe state of supply of each technology and suitability of specific region for applying the technology. The evaluation shows that the research has been focused on supply and demand of renewable as well as general energy and solution for the enhancement of supply capacity in certain area. However, in-depth study for commercialization and the increase of capacity in industry followed by development of the technology is still inadequate. 'Cost-benefit model for each energy source' is used in analysis of technology development of renewable energy and quantitative and macro economical effects of its commercialization in order to foresee following expand in related industries and increase in added value. First, Investment on the renewable energy technology development is in direct proportion both to the product and growth, but product shows slightly higher index under the same amount of R&D investment than growth. It indicates that advance in technology greatly influences the final product, the energy growth. Moreover, while R&D investment on renewable energy product as well as the government funds included in the investment have proportionate influence on the renewable energy growth, private investment in the total amount invested has reciprocal influence. This statistic shows that research and development is mainly driven by government funds rather than private investment. Finally, while R&D investment on renewable energy growth affects proportionately, government funds and private investment shows no direct relations, which indicates that the effects of research and development on renewable energy do not affect government funds or private investment. All of the results signify that although it is important to have government policy in technology development and commercialization, private investment and active participation of enterprises are the key to the success in the industry.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.35-55
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• 2008

This paper is written to results of excavated ChungJu ChangDong site located in ChungJu and the article Keumcheonchang in Joseonwangjosilrok. The structure rerics of compositing cornerstone-distance 420cm has been showing to Keumcheonchang of legend in region people. The solution to problems is that the enforcement of the river-shipping service linking Han River and NakDong River. King Taejong commanded the new tax-warehouse of 200 Kan to built at Keumcheon in ChungJu and named Keumcheonchang for the receipt of innner region and KyengSang Province. King Sejo established the foundation of the government owned tax-grain transportation systerm for the strong centralization by the sovereign right. This logistic system is gone the middle and the latter of Joseon Dynasty. Joseon Dynasty is absolutely dependent the national finance for government operation on the tax-grain from HaSamDo(ChungCheong JeonLa KyengSang) region. JoUn(tax-grain transportation by shipping) is the best logistic system in Korea surrounding sea. Joseon Dynasty has refomed the logistics base on GoRyeo's system that the Tax-grain transportation system by shipping. There is the tax-warehouses reducing from 13 numbers to 9 numbers and making up for the weak points in the matter of the Japanese Pirate and the ship wreck in transporting in the sea. The ship wreck in the sea specially make the matters of the reducing tax and political issues. We know that Keumcheonchang is operated ChuaSuCham(the government agency for taxgrain transportation by shipping at a warehouse) from King Taejong 11(1,411)year to King Sejo 11 (1,465)year. There is the result of enforcement the river-shipping service system for social stabilization and forward their new ideal in the first half Joseon Dynasty.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.61-77
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• 2019

If a new utility tunnel is planned for high density existing urban areas in Korea, a rational decision-making process such as the determination of optimum design capacity by using the feasibility evaluation system based on quantitative evaluation indexes and the economic evaluation is needed. Thus, the previous study presented the important weight of individual higher-level indexes (3 items) and sub-indexes (16 items) through a hierarchy analysis (AHP) for quantitative evaluation index items, considering the characteristics of each urban type. In addition, an economic evaluation method was proposed considering 10 benefit items and 8 cost items by adding 3 new items, including the effects of traffic accidents, noise reduction and socio-economic losses, to the existing items for the benefit cost analysis suitable for urban utility tunnels. This study presented a quantitative feasibility evaluation method using the important weight of 16 sub-index items such as the road management sector, public facilities sector and urban environment sector. Afterwards, the results of quantitative feasibility and economic evaluation were compared and analyzed in 123 main road sections of the Seoul. In addition, a comprehensive evaluation method was proposed by the combination of the two evaluation results. The design capacity optimization program, which will be developed by programming the logic of the quantitative feasibility and economic evaluation system presented in this study, will be utilized in the planning and design phases of urban community zones and will ultimately contribute to the vitalization of urban utility tunnels.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.79-105
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• 2023

Due to unprecedented extreme weather events such as global warming and climate change, many parts of the world suffer from severe pain, and economic losses are also snowballing. In order to address these problems, 'The Paris Agreement' was signed in 2016, and an intergovernmental consultative body was formed to keep the average temperature rise of the Earth below 1.5℃. Korea also declared 'Carbon Neutrality in 2050' to prevent climate catastrophe. In particular, it was found that the increase in temperature caused by greenhouse gas emissions hurts the environment and society as a whole, as well as the export-dependent economy of Korea. In addition, as the diversification of transportation types is accelerating, the change in means of choice is also increasing. As the development paradigm in the low-growth era changes to urban regeneration, interest in idle railway sites is rising due to reduced demand for routes, improvement of alignment, and relocation of urban railways. Meanwhile, it is possible to partially achieve the solar power generation goal of 'Renewable Energy 3020' by utilizing already developed but idle railway sites and take advantage of being free from environmental damage and resident acceptance issues surrounding the location; but the actual use and plan for these solar power facilities are still lacking. Therefore, in this study, using the big data provided by the Korea National Railway and the Renewable Energy Cloud Platform, we develop an algorithm to discover and analyze suitable idle sites where solar power generation facilities can be installed and identify potentially applicable areas considering conditions desired by users. By searching and deriving these idle but relevant sites, it is intended to devise a plan to save enormous costs for facilities or expansion in the early stages of development. This study uses various cluster analyses to develop an optimal algorithm that can derive solar power plant locations on idle railway sites and, as a result, suggests 202 'actively recommended areas.' These results would help decision-makers make rational decisions from the viewpoint of simultaneously considering the economy and the environment.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.260-273
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• 2010

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of married Korean women regarding marriage and childbirth, and their awareness of childbirth-related issues such as low birth rates, sex preferences and sex imbalances in Korea. Methods: A total of 453 married women aged 20 or older were randomly selected from four urban districts and five rural districts out of 25 districts in Gyeongju, a consolidated city located in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, South Korea. The survey was conducted from December 2005 to February 2006. A total of 392 out of 453 questionnaires(86.5% response rate) were collected, and 44 incomplete questionnaires were excluded, leaving 348 completed questionnaires to be used for data analysis. Age was divided into three groups as below 49, 50-69, 70 or older. Results: Women's perceptions of marriage were associated with age(p<0.01). Perceptions about childbirth were also significantly related to age(p<0.01), type of residential area (p<0.01) and education level(p<0.05). Sex preferences were significantly related to age(p<0.05) and occupation(p<0.01). Of the respondents aged 49 or younger, 34.8% indicated that the ideal number of children is two, while 25.5% of respondents aged 50 to 69 and 15.3% of respondents aged 70 and 33.7% of respondents aged 70 or older considered four children to be the ideal number. Perceptions of sex imbalance were significantly related to socioeconomic status(p<0.01) and occupation(p<0.01). The largest number of respondents cited "economic burden" as the main reason for low birth rates. Multiple logistic regressions were performed for all three age groups using male sex preference as the dependent variable under the assumption that respondents can have only a single child. Socioeconomic status (p<0.01) and residential area (p<0.05) were significant variables for those aged 49 or below. Education level(p<0.05) and residential area (p<0.01) were statistically significant variables on preferring son in case of having only one child for respondents aged 50 to 69. We did not detect any significant independent variables in respondents who were 70 or older. Conclusions: Our results highlight the necessity of developing policies and public education programs to explain the consequences of low birth rates and sex imbalances in Korea. As increasing numbers of women work outside the home, it is important for the government and employers to provide social and working environments where women do not consider marriage and childbirth to be obstacles to social and business activities.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.323-334
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• 1996

Male Mongolian gerbils $(60{\sim}80g)$ were given DL-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO; 250mg/kg, ip) and methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) (MGBG; 50 mg/k, ip), respectively, 1 h prior to transient (7 min) occlusion of bilateral common carotid arteries (OBC7) and a daily dose of one of them for 6 days after recirculation, and the polyamine contents, activities of ornithine and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylases (ODC and SAM-DC), and light microscopic findings of the hippocampus were evaluated. The hippocampal putrescine (PT) levels of the control gerbils treated with saline (STGr), markedly increased after OBC7, showing a peak level at 24 h after recirculation. The peak PT level was reduced in DFMO treated gerbils (DTCr) and in MGBG treated gerbils (MTGr). And 7 days after recirculation, the PT level of DTGr was decreased to about 75% of the PT level in the sham operated group (nonTGr) and to about 55% of the STGr level, respectively. The hippocampal spermidine (SD) level of STGr tended to decline, showing the lowest value at 8 h after recirculation. But the spermidine (SD) level of DTGr was somewhat higher at 8 h after OBC7 than those of STGr and MTGr The hippocampal spermine (SM) levels of all the experimental groups were little changed for 7 days after OBC. OBC7 markedly increased the hippocampal ODC activity. reaching a maximum (about 3 times higher than preischemic level) at 8 h and rapidly recovered to the control value by 24 h in STGr gerbils, and the OBC7-induced increase of ODC activity was significantly attenuated by DFMO or MGBG treatment. Whereas OBC7 induced a rapid decrease of the hippocampal SAMDC activity follwed by gradual recovery to the preischemic level, and the decrease of the SAMDC activity was slightly attenuated by DFMO or MGBG treatment. 7 Days after OBC7 the histological finding of the hippocampal complex stained with cresyl violet showed an extensive delayed neuronal damage in the CA1 region and to a lesser extent, in the dentate gyrus, sparing the CA3 region. And the neuronal death was aggevated by DFMO but significantly attenuated by MGBG. The immunochemical reactivity of hippocampus to anti-GFAP antibody was significantly increased in the CA1 region and to a lesser extent, in the dentate gyrus 7 days after OBC7, but was little changed in the CA3. And the increase of the anti-GFAP immunoreactivity was moderately enhanced by DFMO and significantly suppressed by MGBG. These results suggest that the polyamine metabolism may play a modulatory role in the ischemic brain damage.