• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.34-40
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• 2009

Background: The principal surgical technique for treating an abdominal aortic aneurysm since the 1960s has been the transperitoneal approach, yet there have been some recent studies that have reported improved surgical results with using the retroperitoneal approach. However, there are only limited clinical Korean studies that have, compared between the transperitoneal and retroperitoneal approaches. Material and Method: This study included 36 patients who had been diagnosed as having an aneurysm of the abdominal aorta and they were surgically treated between January 2001 and July 2007. The patients were subdivided into the retroperitoneal approach group (n=17) and the transperitoneal approach group (n=19), and they were compared in terms of the preoperative risk factors, the postoperative complications and the operative mortality. The risk factors of operative mortality risk and long-term survival for the 36 patients were assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method. Result: There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of gender, age, the underlying disease, a history of smoking, rupture of aneurysm, the preoperative symptoms, the operation time and the incidence of postoperative complications. However, the duration of postoperative fasting, the number of days of having an indwelling nasogastric tube and the length of the stay in the intensive care unit were significantly short for the retroperitoneal approach group (p<0.05). There was a 16.7% rate of operative mortality (6/36) and five of the deaths were attributed to preoperative ruptured aneurysm. On univariate analysis, a higher preoperative serum creatinine level (SCr ${\geq}$1.8 mg/dL, p=0.016) and ruptured aneurysm (p<0.001) were the significant risk factors of operative mortality. As assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method, the long-term survival was comparable between the groups and the five-year survival rate of all the patients was 57.5%. Conclusion: In the present study, a retroperitoneal approach has several advantages such as a shorter intensive care unit stay, a shorter duration of postoperative fasting and a shorter duration of an indwelling nasogastric tube. Therefore, unless there is any contraindication for a retroperitoneal approach, it could be considered as a primary surgical access for repairing an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.180-191
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to identify teacher's knowledge about sodium, dietary behaviors related to sodium, attitudes towards a low-salt diet, and meal attitude guidance as well as examine the relationship between these variables. Methods: The participants were 351 teachers at an elementary school in the Jeonbuk area. The data were analyzed using ANOVA, Duncan test, and Pearson correlation coefficients with SPSS v. 20.0. Results: The score for teachers' knowledge about sodium was 12.92 points of a possible 16, the score for dietary behavior related to sodium was 46.85 points of a possible 70, and the score for attitude towards a low-salt diet was 33.63 points of a possible 50. Their score for meal attitude guidance was 59.95 points of a possible 80. The knowledge showed significant differences by hypertension drug (p < 0.05) and stress level (p < 0.05). The dietary behavior of sodium use showed significant differences by gender (p < 0.01), work experience (p < 0.05), BMI (p < 0.01), drinking (p < 0.05), concern about health (p < 0.05), and stress level (p < 0.05). The attitude towards a low-salt diet showed significant differences by gender (p < 0.05), marital status (p < 0.05), work experience (p < 0.05), drinking (p < 0.05), concern about health (p < 0.001), and stress level (p < 0.05). Meal attitude guidance showed a significant difference by marital status (p < 0.001), age (p < 0.001), work experience (p < 0.001), drinking (p < 0.01), regularity of health checkup (p < 0.001), concern about health (p < 0.001), and stress level (p < 0.05). There was a low positive correlation between knowledge about sodium and dietary behavior related to sodium as well as between dietary behavior related to sodium and attitudes towards a low-salt diet. Attitudes towards a low-salt diet showed a positive correlation with meal attitude guidance. Conclusion: Therefore, it is necessary to consider educational programs on increasing knowledge and attitudes towards a low-salt diet in teachers for improvement of meal attitude guidance activities for students.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.66 no.2
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• pp.98-103
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• 2009

Background: Pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis (PLCH) is characterized by a proliferation of Langerhans cells and this results in granulomas that involve multiple organs of the body. Because the incidence of PLCH is very low in Korea and worldwide, collecting the clinical data of patients with PLCH nationwide is needed to determine the clinical features of Korean patients with PLCH. Methods: The patients with PLCH confirmed by biopsy at any body site were included and the patients should have lung lesions present. A questionnaire that had items on the symptoms, lung function tests, the roentgenographic findings and the treatment was collected retrospectively at a Korean ILD Research Meeting. Results: A total of 56 cases were collected. The number of males and females was 48 and 8, respectively, and their median age was 43 years (range: 18-67 years). The patients were current or ex-smokers in 79% of the cases. The most frequent symptom was coughing (39%), followed in decreasing order by dyspnea (38%), sputum (20%) and chest pain (20%). Pneumothorax was observed in 16 (29%) patients. Lung function tests showed a normal, restrictive, mixed or obstructive pattern in 26 (61%), 7 (16%), 7 (16%) and 3 patients (7%), respectively. Nodular-cystic lesion was most frequently observed in 59% of the patients on HRCT. The lung lesions were located in the middle and upper lobes in almost the cases. The median follow-up period was 90 months (range: 1-180 months) and only two patients died during this period. Conclusion: This study provides a national survey of the patients with PLCH during a long follow-up period.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.205-213
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• 2002

Objective : Whether exposure to chronic noise induces an increase in blood pressure, or the development of hypertension, has not been established. A cohort study was performed to identify the effects of chronic noise exposure on blood pressure. Methods : 530 males working at a metal manufacturing factory in Busan, Korea were enrolled for the study. They were monitored for 9 consecutive years, from 1991 to 1999, with an annual health check-up. The subjects were divided into 4 groups, which were determines by noise level categories(NLC) according to noise intensity ; NLC-I: office workers, exposed to noise a level below 60dB(A) ; NLC-II: field technical supporters or supervisors, frequently exposed to workplace noise, wearing no hearing protection device; NLC-III: workers, exposed to workplace noise below 85dB(A), wearing ear plugs or muffs; NLC-IV: workers, exposed to workplace noise over 85 dB(A), wearing both ear plugs and muffs. Results : After controlling possible confoundens, such as baseline age, smoking, alcohol intake, exercise, family history of hypertension, systolic(SBP) of diastolic blood pressure(DBP) and changes in BMI (body mass index), the pooled mean for the systolic blood pressures, over the duration of the study period, were 3.8mmHg, 2.0mmHg and 1.7mmHg higher in NLC-IV, NLC-III NLC-II groups, respectively, than in the NLC-I group. There were no significant differences in the diastolic blood pressures between the groups. Conclusion : This study suggests that chronic noise exposure increases systolic blood pressure independently, among male workers.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.30 no.3 s.58
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• pp.497-507
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• 1997

This study was conducted to evaluate the association of various lifestyle with blood pressure. The data were obtained from the individuals who got routine health examination in Department of Occupational Medicine, Yeungnam University Hospital from June to September, 1996. Among these people, we selected 130 cases of hypertensives (97 males, 33 females) and 150 normotensives(70 males, 80 females) and study was conducted. The authors collected the information of the risk factors related to hypertension such as age, family history of hypertension, fasting blood sugar, serum total cholesterol, alcohol consumption(g/week), smoking history, relative amount of salt intake (low, moderate, high), the frequency' of weekly meat consumption, BMI, daily coffee consumption(cups/day) and the frequency of regular exercise(frequency/week) through questionnaire and laboratory test. By simple analysis, BMI was significantly associated with hypertension in male(p<0.05), and the frequency of weekly meat consumption was significantly associated with hypertension in female(p<0.05). Using logistic regression model, elevated odds ratio was noted for fasting blood sugar, serum total cholesterol, family history of hypertension, alcohol consumption, salt intake and BMI, and reduced odds ratio was noted for coffee consumption and exercise in male but fasting blood sugar(odds ratio=1.022, 95% CI=1.000-1.044), family history in both of parents(odds ratio=3.301, 95% CI=1.864-4.738), salt intake(odds ratio=1.690, 95% CI=1.082-2.298) and BMI(odds ratio=1.204, 95% CI=1.065-1.343) were statistically significant(p<0.05). In female, elevated odds ratio was noted in serum total choles terol, family history of hypertension, BMI and meat consumption. Of all these variables, the family history of hypertension in either of parents(odds ratio=4.981, 95% CI=3.650-6.312), family history in both of parents(odds ratio=16.864, 95% CI=14.577-19.151), BMI(odds ratio=1.167, 95% CI=1.016-1.318) and meat consumption(odds ratio=2.045, 95% CI=1.133-2.963) showed statistically significant association with hypertension in female(p<0.05).

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.559-573
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• 1997

Background : Asthma causes recurrent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and cough. These symptoms are usually associated with widespread but variable airflow limitation that is partly reversible either spontaneously or with treatment. The inflammation also causes an associated increase in airway responsiveness to a variety of stimuli. Method : Of the 403 adult bronchial asthma patients enrolled from March 1992 to March 1994 in Allergy Clinics of Severance Hospital in Yonsei University, this study reviewed the 97 cases to evaluate the treatment effects and to analyse prognostic factors. The patients were classified to five groups according to treatment responses ; group 1 (non control group) : patients who were not controlled during following up, group 2 (high step treatment group) : patients who were controlled longer than 3 months by step 3 or 4 treatment of "Global initiative for asthma, Global strategy for asthma management and prevention" (NHLBI/WHO) with PFR(%) larger than 80%, group 3 (short term control group) : patients who were controlled less than 1 year by step 1 or 2 treatment of NHLBI/WHO, group 4 (intermediate term control group) : patients who were controlled for more than 1 year but less than 2 years by step 1 or 2 treatment of NHLBI/WHO, group 5 (long term control group) : patients who were controlled for more than 2 years by step 1 or 2 treatment of NHLBI/WHO. Especially the patients who were controlled more than 1 year with negatively converted methacholine test and no eosinophil in sputum were classified to methacholine negative conversion group. We reviewed patients' history, atopy score, total IgE, specific IgE, methacholine PC20 and peripheral blood eosinophil count, pulmonary function test, steroid doses and aggrevation numbers after treatment. Results : On analysis of 98 patients, 20 cases(20.6%) were classified to group 1, 26 cases(26.8%) to group 2, 23 cases(23.7%) to group 3, 15 cases(15.5%) to group 4, and 13 cases(13.4%) to groups 5. There were no differences of sex, asthma type, family history, smoking history, allergic rhinitis and aspirin allergy among the groups. In long term control group, asthma onset age was younger, symptom duration was shorter, and initial pulmonary function was better. The long term control group required lower amounts of oral steroid. had less aggrevation during first 3months after starting treatment and shorter duration from enrollment to control Atopy, allergic skin test, sputum and blood eosinophil, total IgE, nonspecific bronchial responsiveness was not significantly different among the groups. Seven out of 28 patients who were controlled more than 1 years showed negatively converted methachloine test and no eosinophils in the sputum. The mean control duration was $20.3{\pm}9.7$ months and relapse did not occur. Conclusion : Patients who had asthma of onset age younger, shorter symptom duration, better PFT, lower treatment initial steps, lower amounts of steroid needs and less aggravation numbers after starting treatment were classified in the long term control groups compared to the others.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.285-298
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• 2000

Objectives : To investigate the positive rate of Helicobacter pylori in patients with dyspepsia; medical compliance and related factors; the eradication rate a year after screening and related factors; the relationship between the eradication of Helicobacter pylori and the improvement of symptoms; and the estimated cost of three alternative approaches to treat Helicobacter pylori in the community. Methods : A total of 510 subjects with dyspeptic symptoms were selected and given the serological test in March 1998. The subjects were all adults over 30 years of age residing in Kyongju city. Results : Of the 510 selected subjects, 375 (73.5%) subjects proved positive for Helicobacter pylori on serological testing. Of these 304 (81.1%) who consented to an endoscopic examination, underwent a Campylobacter-like organism (CLO) test. Of these 304 subjects, 204 (67.1%), who had positive CLO test results, were given the triple therapy - tripotassium dicitrato bismuthate, amoxicillin, and metronidazole. To determine the eradication rate of Helicobacter pylori, 181 (88.1%) out of the 204 subjects who were given the triple therapy completed a follow-up urea breath test one year later. Of these, the Helicobacter pylori of 87(48.1%) subjects was eradicated. Among the 122 subjects who were medication compliant, the Helicobacter pylori eradication rate was 57.4% (70 subjects), while the eradication rates was only 28.8% (17subjects) in the non-compliant group. The Helicobacter pylori eradication was significantly related to compliance (p<0.01), but not to other characteristics and habits. The symptom improvement rate tended to be higher 62.1%), in the Helicobacter pylori eradicated group than in the non-eradicated group (59.6%). Conclusions : When the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative treatment were considered in the light of cost, antibiotic tolerance and the number of patients to be treated, alternative II was favorable in terms of cost. Alternative III was favorable in terms of the number of patients to be treated, antibiotic tolerance and early detection of gastric cancer. Further long-term research analyzing the cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness of each treatment will be needed as supporting material in creating new policies.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.610-618
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• 2008

Background: There are various treatment modalities for atherosclerotic arterial obstructive disease at the lower limbs, for example, conservative physical therapy, medication, operation etc. Yet it has been established that an arterial bypass operation is the most effective treatment. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of arterial bypass operation within our experience and to determine the indicators of treatment. Material and Method: Ninety six patients received arterial bypass operation for atherosclerotic arterial obstructive disease from June 2002 to April 2006. We evaluated the feasibility of arterial bypass operation based on the improvement of symptoms and the ankle-brachial index (ABI) and the surgical outcomes, as based on the complications, the amputation rates and the patency rates. We also assessed the possible risk factors such as gender, age, a smoking history, co-morbidities, the anastomotic sites, the graft size and the graft type. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of the patients. The total mean follow-up period was $29.4{\pm}13.1$ months. Result: The mean age was $65.95{\pm}9.61$ and there were 88 male patients. The most common clinical manifestation was ischemic resting pain in the lower extremities. The underlying combined diseases were hypertension (61%), diabetes (43%), cardiac problems (35%) and smoking (91.7%). The most frequent site of arterial obstruction was the superficial femoral artery (44 cases, 40%). A femoropopliteal artery bypass operation with a Polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE) synthetic graft was done in 44 cases (40%) and the great saphenous vein graft was used in 11 cases. The postoperative ABI increased significantly from $0.30{\pm}0.11$ preoperatively to $0.63{\pm}0.11$ (p<0.001) postoperatively. In 8 cases, amputations above the ankle level were necessary. The graft patency rates were 86.4% and 68.0% after 1 and 3 years, respectively. There were 29 cases (30.21%) of patency failure; the male gender, smokers and hypertension were significantly more frequent in the failure group. Of these, hypertension was the most powerful risk factor (p=0.042). Conclusion: The arterial bypass operation is an effective treatment modality for controlling the symptoms such as pain and claudication, and for preventing major amputations for the patients with atherosclerotic arterial obstructive disease. This study suggests quitting smoking, strict blood pressure control, selection of an appropriate graft, regular outpatient follow up and proper medication would offer higher patency rates and more favorable outcomes.

• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.73-97
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• 2007

R&D into future technologies should be conducted in conjunction with technological innovation strategies that are linked to corporate survival within a framework of information and knowledge-based competitiveness. As such, future technology strategies should be ensured through open R&D organizations. The development of future technologies should not be conducted simply on the basis of future forecasts, but should take into account customer needs in advance and reflect them in the development of the future technologies or services. This research aims to select as segmentation variables the customers' attitude towards accepting future telecommunication technologies and their value orientation in their everyday life, as these factors wilt have the greatest effect on the demand for future telecommunication services and thus segment the future telecom service market. Likewise, such research seeks to segment the market from the stage of technology R&D activities and employ the results to formulate technology development strategies. Based on the customer attitude towards accepting new technologies, two groups were induced, and a hierarchical customer segmentation model was provided to conduct secondary segmentation of the two groups on the basis of their respective customer value orientation. A survey was conducted in June 2006 on 800 consumers aged 15 to 69, residing in Seoul and five other major South Korean cities, through one-on-one interviews. The samples were divided into two sub-groups according to their level of acceptance of new technology; a sub-group demonstrating a high level of technology acceptance (39.4%) and another sub-group with a comparatively lower level of technology acceptance (60.6%). These two sub-groups were further divided each into 5 smaller sub-groups (10 total smaller sub-groups) through two rounds of segmentation. The ten sub-groups were then analyzed in their detailed characteristics, including general demographic characteristics, usage patterns in existing telecom services such as mobile service, broadband internet and wireless internet and the status of ownership of a computing or information device and the desire or intention to purchase one. Through these steps, we were able to statistically prove that each of these 10 sub-groups responded to telecom services as independent markets. We found that each segmented group responds as an independent individual market. Through correspondence analysis, the target segmentation groups were positioned in such a way as to facilitate the entry of future telecommunication services into the market, as well as their diffusion and transferability.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.703-712
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• 2009

The principal objective of this study was to supply basic material determine basic information regarding effective health promotion regimens for elderly women via a comparative survey of health status by aging age between elderly women (=70 y) and college women. The subject groups of elderly women (=70 y) and college women were selected and surveyed from March to October, 2008, in the Seoul area. The average age of the elderly women assessed in this study was $78.64{\pm}7.30$, the average height was $147.07{\pm}5.72$ cm, and the average weight was $50.47{\pm}7.44$ kg. As compared with college women, a higher percentage of elderly women ate breakfast regularly, but the elderly women also experienced difficulties in chewing due to dentures, and therefore ate their meals with large quantities of liquids, and usually ate their meals within 10 minutes. The majority of elderly women suffered from at least one disease, and the most common symptom reported was hypertension (25%). 52.2% of elderly women and 47.8% of college women reported that they exercised 1~2 times per week. They reported that their favorite exercise was light exercise, such as jogging and athletics (73.1%). As compared with college women, the smoking rate was lower among elderly women, but some of the elderly women were long-time smokers or alcoholics. The differences in red blood cells counts, Hb, hematocrit, and MCV of the between elderly women and college women were significant. In addition, but the MCH and MCHC were higher in elderly women compared with college women and the total cholesterol of elderly woman ($175.62{\pm}38.89$ mg/dL) was significantly lower compared with college woman ($186.13{\pm}28.19$ mg/dL). TG ($127.89{\pm}51.25$ mg/dL) and LDL-cholesterol ($120.51{\pm}32.88$ mg/dL) of elderly woman were significantly higher than TG ($79.71{\pm}40.9$ 6mg/dL) and LDL-cholesterol($103.78{\pm}22.94$ mg/dL) of college woman (p<0.05). The levels of HDL-cholesterol ($58.78{\pm}12.90$ mg/dL) in the college women was significantly higher than the HDLcholesterol levels ($48.17{\pm}13.79$ mg/dL) of the elderly women (p<0.05). Serum vitamin C levels in elderly women were significantly higher than those of college women (p<0.05), whereas no significant difference was detected between the two groups. Consequently, it can be concluded that the appropriate education programs for dietary habits and health promotion are necessary for a healthier life. Additionally, it is necessary for individuals to precisely determine precisely their own health status, and develop appropriate dietary programs for themselves.