• Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.120-126
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• 2001

Body antioxidant status is an important factor for the prevention of many chronic diseases in the elderly. This study was done to evaluate the nutritional status of antioxidant vitamins of the elderly by determining their intakes and plasma levels. It was also aimed to compare daily intakes and plasma levels of antioxidant vitamins by sex of age. Subjects were 225 elderly persons aged over 60 years old (63 males, 162 females) living in Ulsan area. Subjects were divided by groups according to age(＜ 65, 65－74, 75) and sex. Dietary Intakes were assessed by semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaires(FFQ). Plasma Vitamin C level was measured by 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine method and plasma levels of vitamin E, A and ${\beta}$-carotene were measured by HFLC. The average intakes of vitamin C were 104.9g(150% of RDA) and 104.4g(149％ of RDA) in the elder1y males and females, respectively. Vitamin C intake of the elderly was significantly decreased by aging but not different by sex. The average intakes of vitamin A were 678$\mu\textrm{g}$RE(96.9% of RDA) and 604$\mu\textrm{g}$:RE(86.2% of RDA) in elderly males and females, respectively. The average levels of Plasma vitamin C were 6.22mg/L and 11.45mg/L in the elderly males and females, respectively. Those levels are within normal range(6-20mg/L). However the percentage of the elderly males with deficiency(＜ 2mg/L) and marginal level(2-4mg/L) of vitamin C were 27.4% and 16.1%, respectively. Plasma retinaol levels were 0.39mg/L for the elderly males and 0.37mg/L for the elderly females, which were within normal range. But the percentage of subjects with marginal level were 28% ill both males and females. Plasma ${\alpha}$-tocopherol levels of the elderly were lower than normal range(5-12mg/L). Plasma levels of vitamin C, E and ${\beta}$-carotene, except retinol, were significantly higher in the elderly females compared to males and showed significant decrease by aging.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.186-201
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• 1995

In order to elucidate the fate of the residues of the pyrethroid acaricide-insecticide, acrinathrin in soil, maize plants were grown for one month on the specially-made pots filled with two different types of soils containing fresh and one-month-aged residues of [$^{14}C$]acrinathrin, respectively. The mineralization of [$^{14}C$]acrinathrin to $^{14}CO_2$ during the one-month period of aging and of maize cultivation amounted to $23{\sim}24%$ and $24{\sim}33%$, respectively, of the original $^{14}C$ activities. At harvest after one-month growing, the shoots and roots contained less than 0.1% and 1% of the originally applied $^{14}C$ activity, respectively, whereas the $^{14}C$ activity remaining in soil was $65{\sim}80%$ in both soils. Three degradation products with m/z 198(3-phenoxybenzaldehyde), m/z 214(3-phenoxybenzoic acid), and m/z 228(methyl 3-phenoxybenzoate) besides an unknown were identified from acetone extracts of both soils without and with maize plants after treatment of [$^{14}C$]acrinathrin, by autoradiography and GC-MS, and those with m/z 225(3-phenoxybenzaldehyde cyanohydrin) and m/z 198 (3-phenoxybenzaldehyde) from acetone extract of the Soil A treated with 50 ppm acrinathrin and grown with maize plants for 30 days were identified by mass spectrometry. These results suggested that the hydrolytic cleavage of the ester linkage adjacent to the $^{14}C$ with a cyano group, forming 3-phenoxybenzaldehyde cyanohydrin. The removal of hydrogen cyanide therefrom leads to the formation of 3-phenoxybenzaldehyde as one of the major products. The subsequent oxidation of the aldehyde to 3-phenoxybenzoic acid, followed by decarboxylation would evolve $^{14}CO_2$. Solvent extractability of the soils where maize plants were grown for 1 month and/or [$^{14}C$]acrinathrin was aged for 1 month was less than 31% of the original $^{14}C$ activity and over 95% of the total $^{14}C$ activity in soil extracts was distributed in the organic phase. Accordingly, acrinathrin turned out to be degraded rapidly in both soils and be bound to soil constituents as well, not being available to crops.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.63-70
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• 2017

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to improve the quality of life of people aged 65 and over by reducing musculoskeletal pain and increasing balance and muscular strength in their lower-extremities through aerobic exercises and the use of Thera-Bands and gym balls. Method : Fifteen out of 30 women who used a welfare center for the elderly in C City performed exercises using Thera-Bands and gym balls, and the remaining 15 elderly women did aerobic exercises. Both groups performed their respective exercises three times a week over a four-week period, for 50 minutes each time. Pain (VAS), balance (TUG), and lower extremity muscular strength were measured as evaluation tools. The data were analyzed using the statistical software SPSS 18.0 for Windows. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was performed to compare the differences within each group, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the two groups in terms of their differences both before and after the participants' respective exercise programs. Results : No differences were found between the two groups, although there were some differences within each group in terms of levels of pain, muscular strength, and balance. Conclusion : The aerobic and muscle strength exercise programs had positive effects on all variables, including pain, balance, and muscular strength in the lower extremities. Therefore, the combination of aerobic and muscle strength exercises may be effective in improving the quality of life of elderly people.

• Korean journal of aerospace and environmental medicine
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.75-79
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• 2020

This study focuses on the comparative and quantitative analysis of the epidemiologic trends and aspects of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) outbreaks between Korea and Japan from 2013 to 2017. The following factors were analyzed; cumulative incidence rate (CIR), cases-fatality rate (CFR), and the epidemic aspects, including cases related to gender, male-to-female morbidity ratio (MFMR), age, seasonal, and geographical distributions. We observed 607 SFTS cases with CIR in Korea during the period 2013 to 2017 were as 0.24 per 100,000 populations and with a 127 fatal-cases (F.C.s), corresponding to a CFR of 20.9%, respectively. During the same period in Japan, 319 SFTS cases with a CIR of 0.05 and with 60 F.C.s to a CFR of 18.8% observed. When compared, the CIR of SFTS in Korea was significantly higher than in Japan (P<0.01), but there were no significant differences levels of the CFR and MFMR between Korea and Japan. Also, a higher incidence of SFTS was observed in people aged over 50-years or elders in Korea and those of 60-years or elders in Japan (P<0.01). The seasonal distribution of SFTS outbreak cases showed that the incidence in summer through autumn in Korea (92.4% of total cases) was higher than in Japan (65.2%), while the outbreaks of SFTS in spring was much higher in Japan (31.0%) than in Korea (7.4%), (P<0.01). The regional distribution revealed no significant difference between the eastern area (44.8%) and the western area (46.8%) of the Korean peninsula except Jeju-island (8.4%). However, in Japan, the incidence only occurred in Chubu-Kinki-Chugoku (30.3%), Shikoku (25.7%), Kyushu (42.6%) and Okinawa (0.3%), which are the western and southern areas of Japan. These differences in SFTS occurrence may reflect the influences of vector/hosts, climate, and geographical and cultural characteristics between the two countries.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.423-432
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• 2015

Objectives: In Korea, the percentage of elderly is increasing at an unprecedented rate, and is expected to account for 40% of the population by 2060. This massive demographic change stresses the importance of research on aging as it is necessary to improve the quality of life (QoL) of this population. This study aimed to examine the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of the rural elderly and to clarify its association with the nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR). Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in S-gun, Chonbuk, a critical agricultural area. The elderly people without abnormal physical functioning composed our study population and the data were collected by personal visits to 336 elderly people aged over 65 years (110 males and 226 females). Subjects were interviewed with questionnaires pertaining to general characteristics and EuroQol (EQ-5D). Nutrient intakes were assessed two days by 24-hours recall method. Subjects were defined as high QOL group if EQ-5D index with Nam's model was above the median. Results: Generally, EQ-5D index was lower in women than in man, and lower in older subjects than in younger subjects. The percentages of people below the median were 42% (low QoL group) and 58% (high QoL group) were found to be the above the median. The high QoL group had higher NAR, especially for vitamin C, vitamin B1, vitamin B2 and folate. All dimensions in the EQ-5D were affected by NAR of some nutrients and especially anxiety/depression dimension was significantly correlated with NAR of 5 nutrients (protein, calcium, iron, vitamin C and vitamin B1) and EQ-5D scores. Conclusions: HRQol was significantly reduced in elderly with increasing age and this was more pronounced in women than in man. The NAR of some nutrients were associated with the EQ-5D index, especially anxiety/depression dimension, among rural elderly.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.372-380
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between inflammatory cytokines and chronic disease status in Korean elderly. The subjects were 248 elderly people aged over 65 years recruited from Health Center in Seoul. The subjects were classified into 3 groups based on their disease (diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia) status: subjects with one diagnosed disease of diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia fall into singular group (n=89), subjects with more than 2 disease into multiple group (n=39), and those with free of the diseases into normal (n=122). Anthropometric and biochemical characteristics, and dietary intakes were assessed. Dietary intakes were surveyed by 24-recall method. The means of IL-2, IL-6, MCP-1 and C3 were not differ among 3 groups. However, when subjects classified into tertiles of IL-6, MCP-1, TNF-$\alpha$ and C3 and frequencies of each fertile were compared, the multiple group showed significantly lower frequencies in lowest fertile than normal group (p<0.05), suggesting higher tendency of inflammatory responses. For hematological values, blood pressure, triglycerides, fasting blood glucose levels were highest in multiple group (p<0.05) compared to other 2 groups. BMI, body fat(kg), and triceps skinfold thickness were also significantly higher in multiple group than in 2 other groups(p<0.05). Moreover, the concentrations of IL-2, IL-6 and C3 were significantly correlated with hematologic values of fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides or obesity factors such as triceps skinfold thickness, BMI, and body fat(%). Among singular and multiple group, the subjects with higher intakes for vitamins A, C, and E showed the higher level of IL-2 and the lower level of MCP-1, and C3. In conclusion, blood concentrations of triglycerides and proinflammatory cytokines, blood pressure, obesity parameters (BMI, body fat, triceps skinfold thickness) were higher in multiple group than in normal, but this result strongly suggest that the increasement of the vitamin A, C, and E intakes would modify the cytokine levels to reduce the inflammatory response in the elderly people with chronic diseases.

• Journal of the Korean society of biological therapies in psychiatry
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.209-217
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• 2018

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of suicidality among community-dwelling elderly. Methods : The participants were 2,201 elderly people whose ages were over 65. The participants were asked to complete questionnaires, including Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview(MINI), module C, Short Geriatric Depression Scale of Korean version(SGDS-K), Korean Geriatric Anxiety Inventory(K-GAI), The Korean Health Status Measure for Elderly V 1.0, Korean version of Mini-Mental Status Examination for Dementia Screening(MMSE-DS). Their sociodemographic factors were investigated. The data were analyzed using the chi-square test and the logistic regression test to examine the relationship between suicidality and participants' risk factors. Results : The prevalence rate of suicidality was 23.3%. In multiple logistic regression, depressive symptoms (OR=3.301, 95% CI : 2.453-4.440), anxiety symptoms(OR=3.289, 95% CI : 2.515-4.303), low physical function (OR=1.606, 95% CI : 1.229-2.098), no spouse(OR=1.571, 95% CI : 1.037-1.690), elderly aged 80 years or older (OR=1.506, 95% CI : 1.094-1.740) were independently associated with suicidality. Conclusion : Suicidality in community-dwelling elderly was quite high, particularly related to depressive symptoms. The results of this study can be useful for development of community-based prevention and management programs for suicidality.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.384-389
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• 2017

This study was conducted to investigate the patient and hospital characteristics that affect receiving and non-receiving blood transfusion for hepatoma embolization. We analyzed data describing 757 patients of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service's 2011 claims sample data. Chi-squared and logistic regression analysis was performed using STATA 12.0. Logistic regression analysis revealed that anemia (Odds ratio (OR)=9.544, 95% confidence interval (CI)=3.362-27.097), female (OR=2.186, Cl=l.240-3.854), age 65-74 (OR=0.506, CI=0.269-0.952), 1000 over bed (OR=0.053, CI=0.018-0.151), out-department (OR=0.211, CI=0.081-0.551), and 700-999 bed (OR=0.105, CI=0.036-0.304) were significant predictors of blood transfusion in tertiary hospitals. Additionally, anemia (OR=69.681, CI=8.545-568.246) and aged 75 or over (OR=0.112, CI=0.025-0.506) were significant predictors of blood transfusion in general hospitals. This research would expected to cost effective and preliminary data of blood transfusion quality.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.140-148
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• 2008

This study was conducted to compare of health status, dietary behaviors and nutrient intakes according to family types of the elderly in rural areas. Family types were divided into three types-elderly living alone, elderly living with spouse, and elderly living with spouse and children. Subjects were 119 persons aged over 65 years (34 male, 85 females) living in rural areas and period of survey was from 29 January 2007 to 2 February. General environmental factors, health status, dietary behaviors and nutrient intakes were compared according to family types, the elderly living along showed a significantly lower in monthly income(p<0.01), self perceived health status(p<0.001), Instrumental Activity of Daily Living(IADL) score, and General Self Efficacy Scale(GSES) score compared to the elderly living with spouse and those living with spouse and children. However, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale(CES-D) was higher than those of the elderly living family members (p<0.05). In addition, sum of dietary behavior score was the lowest in the elderly living alone (22.3 in elderly living alone, 24.1 in elderly living with spouse, 23.4 in elderly living with spouse and children, p<0.001) and nutrient intakes of potassium, zinc, vitamin C(p<0.01 respectively), calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin B6 and folic acid(p<0.05 respectively) also reported to be significantly lower in the elderly living alone than in others of two types. From these results, health status, dietary behavior pattern and nutrient intakes of the elderly living alone were found to be inadequate overall, so measures to deal with these health and nutritional status were needed.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.217-228
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• 2021

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in chronic low back pain and neuropathic pain. Methods: Seventy-four patients aged 18-65 with chronic low back pain were included in the study. Baseline measurements were performed, and patients were randomized into three groups. The first group received burst TENS (bTENS), the second group conventional TENS (cTENS), and the third group placebo TENS (pTENS), all over 15 sessions. Patients' visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were evaluated before treatment (preT), immediately after treatment (postT), and in the third month after treatment (postT3). Douleur Neuropathique 4 Questions (DN4), the Modified Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (MOS), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and sympathetic skin response (SSR) values were also evaluated preT and postT3. Results: A statistically significant improvement was observed in mean VAS scores postT compared to preT in all three groups. Intergroup comparison revealed a significant difference between preT and postT values, that difference being assessed in favor of bTENS at multiple comparison analysis. Although significant improvement was determined in neuropathic pain DN4 scores measured at postT3 compared to preT in all groups, there was no significant difference between the groups. No statistically significant difference was also observed between the groups in terms of MOS, BDI, or SSR values at postT3 (P > 0.05). Conclusions: bTENS therapy in patients with low back pain is an effective and safe method that can be employed in short-term pain control.