• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.675-687
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• 2019

Objective: Methyl bromide (MB) fumigant has been shown to be fatal to human when was exposed. However, it were still used the significant amount in quarantine disinfection sites. The purposes of this study were to assess the MB exposure status and characteristics by fumigation-related workers and to provide supporting data for management plan. Methods: For this study, the three groups related to fumigation work were composed. A total of 107 workers were directly exposed, 20 field inspectors were indirect, and 20 general quarantines were not exposed. The urinary bromide ion concentrations in each group were analyzed by using HPLC/ICP-MS, and the working characteristics were identified using the structured questionnaire. Results: The urinary bromide ion concentration in the exposed group of fumigation workers was higher than the indirect and non-exposed groups. In the work characteristics of workers, there was a significant tendency to increase urinary bromide ion concentrations with higher fumigation work years (≤4 years: 2.84 (1.13-7.11) mg/g cr, >4-15 years: 5.36 (4.37-6.57) mg/g cr, >15-37 years: 6.69 (5.27-8.49) mg/g cr, p=0.034). In the comparison of the average number of working days per month, the more working days, the higher the urinary bromide ion concentration was statistically significant (≤12.5 days: 2.59 (1.19-5.65) mg/g cr, >12.5-19.25 days: 5.46 (4.62-6.44) mg/g cr, >19.25-27.25 days: 7.93 (5.93-10.59) mg/g cr, p=0.002). Conclusion: This study was the first nationwide survey including biological monitoring in workers exposed to methyl bromide. The results of this study were expected to be used as a reference for workers' health rights in relation to fumigation, prevention of addiction accidents, and safe management plan.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.3597-3609
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• 2012

Purpose: This study was done to develop the multidimensional scale of addictive behavior for adolescents. Methods: The process involved construction of a conceptual framework, initial items, verification of content validity, selection of secondary items, and extraction of final items. The participants were 636 adolescents in six middle schools and four high schools. Results: Seventy items were selected for the final scale, and categorized 8 factors explaining 56.5% of total variance. The factors were labeled as game addictive behavior, shopping addictive behavior, mobile phone addictive behavior, nicotine addictive behavior, television addictive behavior, gambling addictive behavior, alcohol addictive behavior, and internet addictive behavior. The scores for the scale were significantly correlated with addictive personality and self-control. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the 70 items was .94. Scale scores identified adolescents as addictive behavior group, risk group, and average group. Conclusion: The above findings indicate that the multidimensional scale of addictive behavior for adolescents has good validity and reliability when used with adolescents. More importantly, it provides the first step toward developing a addiction prevention program. Additionally the scales provide an education or guideline, and proper physical and mental health management of youth in research and practice for the promotion of education.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.401-412
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• 2013

Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) is an oriental herbal preparation obtained from Panax ginseng Meyer (Araliaceae). To expand our understanding of the action of KRG on central nervous system (CNS) function, we examined the effects of KRG on tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)/plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) expression in rat primary astrocytes. KRG extract was treated in cultured rat primary astrocytes and neuron in a concentration range of 0.1 to 1.0 mg/mL and the expression of functional tPA/PAI-1 was examined by casein zymography, Western blot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. KRG extracts increased PAI-1 expression in rat primary astrocytes in a concentration dependent manner (0.1 to 1.0 mg/mL) without affecting the expression of tPA itself. Treatment of 1.0 mg/mL KRG increased PAI-1 protein expression in rat primary astrocytes to $319.3{\pm}65.9%$ as compared with control. The increased PAI-1 expression mediated the overall decrease in tPA activity in rat primary astrocytes. Due to the lack of PAI-1 expression in neuron, KRG did not affect tPA activity in neuron. KRG treatment induced a concentration dependent activation of PI3K, p38, ERK1/2, and JNK in rat primary astrocytes and treatment of PI3K or MAPK inhibitors such as LY294002, U0126, SB203580, and SP600125 (10 ${\mu}M$ each), significantly inhibited 1.0 mg/mL KRG-induced expression of PAI-1 and down-regulation of tPA activity in rat primary astrocytes. Furthermore, compound K but not other ginsenosides such as Rb1 and Rg1 induced PAI-1 expression. KRG-induced up-regulation of PAI-1 in astrocytes may play important role in the regulation of overall tPA activity in brain, which might underlie some of the beneficial effects of KRG on CNS such as neuroprotection in ischemia and brain damaging condition as well as prevention or recovery from addiction.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.177-203
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• 2015

The aims of this study were 1) to compare irrational gambling beliefs of gamblers and non-gamblers, 2) to investigate the role of cognitive error on winning probability thinking error, and 3) to examine the relationship between attributional bias and gambling behavior. A total of 248 subjects were recruited for this study. All subjects were classified into non-gamblers, social gamblers and pathological gamblers, and administered self-report questionnaires to measure irrational gambling beliefs, the probability inference error, the attriburional style, and the attributional bias. A pathological gambler group scored highest on irrational gambling beliefs, especially the overestimation of self-ability factor, and a social gambler group and a non-gambler group follow. All three groups scored higher on the magnification of gambling skills than the mean (4.0) of the scale. Pathological gamblers and social gamblers scored higher on the probability thinking error than non-gamblers. Pathological gamblers displayed higher external attribution, lower internal attribution in their daily life events and higher internal attribution in failure situation than social gamblers and non-gamblers. The results indicate that cognitive errors would be a factor that differentiates pathological gamblers from social gamblers and non-gamblers. In predicting gambling behaviors, overestimation of self-ability of irrational gambling beliefs, internal attribution in failure situation, external attribution in daily live event, and probability thinking error were identified as significant factors. It is concluded that a public education about common cognitive bias featured in gamblers might be important in prevention of pathological gambling behaviors.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.47-55
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• 2019

This study was conducted to investigate the factors associated with electronic cigarette use by Korean adults. To accomplish this, data collected from 228,477 individuals during a community health survey conducted by the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2015 were analyzed by descriptive analysis, the Chi-squared test, and logistic regression analysis. The lifetime prevalence of electronic cigarette smoking was 11.1% for men and 0.8% for women. The current prevalence for electronic cigarettes smoking was 24.2% for men and 26.1% for women among lifetime users of electronic cigarettes. The lifetime experience rate of electronic cigarette smoking was significantly associated with age, educational attainment, occupation, income status and current smoking status, respectively. The current universal smoking e-cigarette is significantly related to the current smoking status, which shows a significantly higher number of current smokers than groups that have smoked in the past. The preference for electronic cigarette smoking was high. E-cigarettes were perceived by those who aimed to quit smoking as having a smoking cessation effect compared to regular cigarettes while also providing the pleasure of smoking and addressing the addiction. Therefore, e-cigarettes were highly favored because they were reflected as a solution to the dilemma of smoking. In 2014, electronic cigarette imports tripled from the previous year, and interest in electronic cigarettes is increasing worldwide. Accordingly, measures related to the prevention and discontinuation of e-cigarettes should be considered. Strengthening anti-smoking education and active promotion of anti-smoking risks is needed to improve smokers' wrong perception of smoking-related health. The WHO also reports that there is a lack of grounds to ensure or acknowledge that e-cigarettes are effective. Accordingly, it is important to identify environmental factors influencing the use of electronic cigarettes and explore the relationship between electronic cigarette recognition and use.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.75-99
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• 2023

The current study aimed to explore the suicidal behaviors and risk factors of completed suicides using psychological autopsy and use them as index variables to classify suicidal types. In addition, this study looked into the influential factors that affect each suicidal type. related to suicidal behaviors and suicidal risk factors by psychological autopsy. In addiction, the distinctions among the classes were analyzed. For this, psychological autopsies were conducted on the families and the close ones of 128 completed suicides. Then, the index variables were finally chosen for classifying suicidal types. The selected index variables for suicidal risk factors were mental disorders, suicide/self-harm, significant changes in physical appearance, marital conflict, adjustment and relationship issues at work/school, unemployment/layoff, jobless status and serious financial problems. The selected index variables for suicidal behaviors were expressing their suicidal attempts, writing suicidal notes, asking for help, the time/place/method of suicidal behavior, past suicidal/self-harm experience and the first person who witnessed the suicide. The Latent Class Analysis(LCA) and the 3-step method were used for classifying suicidal types. Then external variables(financial changes, cohabitation, existence of stressors, changes in stress level or relationships and family members with mental disorder/alchohol problems/ physical disorders, and work/school stisfaction) were applied for distinguishing classes. As a result, 5 classes(financial problems, adjustment problems, complex problems, psychiatric problems, and response to event[s]) were revealed on suicidal behaviors and 3 classes(residence- suicidal attempt- found by family, nonresidence- nonsuicidal attempt- found by acquaintances, residence- nonsuicidal attempt- found by family) were presented on suicidal risk factors. External variables such as gender, marital status, cohabitation, changes in relationships significantly differentiated among the 3 classes. Especially, class 3(residence- nonsuicidal attempt- found by family) tended to cohabit with others, were married, and had a significantly high level of interpersonal conflicts. When comparing the 5 classes of suicidal risk factors, auxiliary variables such as economic changes, cohabitation, stress, relationship changes, and family-related problems, and school/work satisfaction significantly differentiated the 5 classes. Especially class 3 (complex problems) experienced comparatively less family-related problems, but showed an aggravating level of personal stress. Suicial prevention strategies should be provided considering the characteristics of each class and the influential factors.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.68
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• pp.77-112
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• 2021

This study is based on the research of the first year, which is the National Research Foundation of Korea's R&D subject for middle-grade researchers. In this study, the practical curriculum development of the education for love - an according to the psychoanalytic perspectives of F. Dolto(1908-1988) - is suggested as follows. The first is 'the reconstruction of the directions of curriculum and its specific aims in accordance with such directions.' The reconstruction of the directions of curriculum aims at leading our future generation to live as a subject of desire through the mutual-communication of love. The second is 'the reconstruction of the tasks of curriculum and its specific contents in accordance with such tasks.' The reconstruction of the tasks of curriculum pursuit to help our future generation through the converting the education for love into the paradigm of desire of Agape to live as a subject of desire forming a whole personality and practicing the desire of Agape in daily life. as a source of desire. According to these aims, the reconstruction of directions of curriculum are presented as following: firstly, 'curriculum for the mutual-communication between subjects of love' and secondly, 'curriculum for the subject of desire'. The reconstruction of tasks of curriculum are like these: firstly, 'converting the education for love into the paradigm of desire of Agape', and secondly, 'forming a whole personality through the education for love'. Thus, with respect to two specific aims in accordance with the reconstruction of directions are suggested like these: Firstly, 'constructing a subject as a speaking existence' and secondly, 'realizing the subject as the autonomous source of desire'. In the two specific contents in accordance with the reconstruction of tasks are presented as following: Firstly, 'realizing the truth of the desire of Agape'.' Secondly, 'practicing the desire of Agape in daily life.' The third is 'the reconstruction of curriculum by life cycle' are suggested. They include the fetal life, infants and preschool children life, and childhood life. In further study, it is required to contain adolescent period. It will be useful to help them to recover their self-esteem with the experience of true love, especially, out-of-school young generation overcome negative perspectives and prejudice in the society, and challenges to their dreams and future through proper utilization of the study outcome. The outcome of this study, which presented practical curriculum development of the education for love based on the understanding of psychoanalytic 'desire of subject' can be used as basic teaching materials for our future generations. Furthermore, the results can be used as a resource for educating ministers and lay leaders in the religious world to build capabilities to heal their inner side as well as the society that is tainted with various forms of conflict. These include general conflicts, anger, pleasure and addiction, depression and suicide, violence and murder, etc. The study outcome can contribute to the prevention of antisocial incidents against humanity that have recently been occurring in our free-semester system implemented in all middle schools across the country to be operated effectively. For example, it is possible to provide the study results as lecture and teaching materials for 'character camp' (self-examination and self-esteem improvement training) and 'family healing camp' (solution of a communication gap between family members and love communication training), which help students participate in field trip activities and career exploration activities voluntarily, independently, and creatively. Ultimately, it can visibly present the convergent research performance by providing the study outcome as preliminary data for the development of lecture videos and materials including infant care and preschool education, parental education, family consultation education, and holistic healing education. Support from the religious world, including the central government and local governments, are urgently required in order for such educational possibilities to be fulfilled both in the society and the fields of church education and to be actively linked to follow-up studies.