• Journal of Digital Contents Society
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.601-606
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• 2008

U-Healthcare is one of the major applications in ubiquitous sensor network. U-Healthcare has potential to become a critical service for the people who immediately require emergency ambulatory attention. This paper describes about the real time pulse monitoring and reporting system, consisting of two components: thus, the one is a reliable bio-sensor that continuously monitors the pulse information of the subject, and the other is the automatic transfer system that transmits pulse information to both his/her family and hospital care system through the Base Station. In the hospital, this bio-information can be used to treat the patient accordingly. I designed the pulse information monitored by a bio-sensor module that transfers the pulse information to both the Base Station and the central monitoring system through transmitting protocols such as Zigbee and TCP/IP, as well as designed the architecture of information packets for the corresponding protocols. Furthermore, the central monitoring system automatically parses the pulse information of the subject into the web database server, which can continuously provides the real time information and status of the subject via an internet browser to the clients who are family members of the subject and the authenticated medical care personnel as well.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1987.06a
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• pp.20-28
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• 1987

To clarify central mechanisms of ginsenosides, changes in ingestive and ambulatory behaviors were investigated in rats after single or continuous infusion into the third cerebroventricle or various hypothalamic loci. Following single infusion into the third cerebroventricle, ginsenoside Rbl at doses of 0.05, 0.10 and 0.20 $\mu$mol dose-dependently decreased food intake. None of the doses tested affected ambulation. Drinking suppression was only observed at the maximum dose of 0.20 $\mu$mol. Equimolar injections into the peritoneum had no effects on ingestive behavior or ambulation. These findings indicated that ginsenoside Rbl specifically and centrally inhibited food intake. According to analyses of daily feeding patterns, this feeding suppression was the result of a decrease in meal size, not from changes in the postprandial intermeal interval or eating speed. The suppressed food intake was accompanied by hyperglycemia, leaving plasma insulin unaffected. Unilateral micro injection of 0.01 u mot ginsenoside Rb, into the ventromedial hypothalamus specifically decreased food intake, although equimolar injection into the lateral hypothalamic area did not affect food intake. Following continuous infusion of Rg, into the third cerebroventricle, the feeding inhibition due to surgical operation was attenuated. Rbs administered by the same procedure abolished the toxic effect of toxohormone-L on food intake. Taken together, these findings suggest that ginsenoside as a whole may have pharmacological potency to maintain feeding at a certain physiological level.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.23-48
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• 2008

Although the universal health insurance, National Health Insurance (NHI), have improved access to health care and financial burden of health care costs for Koreans, limited coverage of the NHI leads to high out-of-pocket payment for health care. This study examines financial burden of household health expenditures by income level. Data from the Urban Household Expenditure Survey from 1985 through 2005 is analyzed and household expenditure is used as a proxy measure for income. Health expenditures include spending for inpatient care, ambulatory care and pharmaceuticals. If a household spends health expenditure above 40% of household consumption except for foods, that is defined as catastrophic health expenditure. Access to health care for the lowest income group had been improved for two decades relative to other income groups as well as in absolute term. However, both financial burden of health expenditures and the proportion of households that experienced catastrophic health expenditure had been increased in the lowest income group. Study findings have several policy implications. First, in terms of financial burden of health expenditures. the differences among income groups decreased until 2000 but it was worsen in 2005. This suggests that recent policies for extending NHI coverage are not enough to improve the disparity by income level. Second, a differential catastrophic coverage by income level would be an effective strategy that relieves financial burden for low income group. Third, since the catastrophic coverage is applied to only covered services by the NHI, additional strategy for uncovered services should be considered.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.59-69
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• 2011

Purpose : The purposes of this study were to find correlations among Fugl-Meyer Assessment Scale, walking velocity, walking asymmetry and balance ability. Methods : The study sample consisted of 50 stroke patients referred to the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine in the Sanggye Paik, Ilsan Paik, Seoul Paik, and Dobong Hospital. All subjects were ambulatory with or without an assistive device. All participants were assessed on Fugl-Meyer Assessment scale and walking velocity, walking asymmetry. The data were analyzed using independent t-test, ANOVA, and multiple regression. Results : The results revealed that upper extremity coordination, balance and pain items of Fugl-Meyer Assessment scale were significantly correlated with walking velocity and upper extremity and upper extremity motor and balance items of Fugl-Meyer Assessment scale were significantly correlated with walking asymmetry. Fugl-Meyer Assessment scale was not significantly correlated with Static Balance Index, Dynamic Balance Index and Weight Distribution Asymmetry Index. Their power of explanation regarding comfortable walking velocity and comfortable walking asymmetry were 60.3%, 42.5% respectively. Conclusion : These results showed that Fugl-Meyer Assessment scale is significantly correlated with walking velocity, asymmetry and not significantly correlated with balance ability. Therefore Fugl-Meyer Assessment scale is an appropriate assessment tool to predict walking ability of patients with stroke. Futher study about walking velocity and asymmetry by change of Fugl-Meyer Assessment scale is needed using a longitudinal study design.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-17
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• 2004

The purposes of this study were to find correlations among Fugl-Meyer Assessment scale, gait speed, and Timed Up & Go test (TUG) and to predict gait ability from subscales of Fugl-Meyer Assessment scale. The study population consisted of 30 stroke patients referred to the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine in the Bundang Jaesang General Hospital. All subjects were ambulatory with or without an assistive device. All participants were assessed on Fugl-Meyer Assessment scale and gait speed (m/s), TUG (s). The data were analyzed using independent t-test, Pearson product moment correlation analysis and stepwise multiple regression. The results revealed that all items of Fugl-Meyer Assessment scale, except passive joint range of motion were significantly correlated with gait speed and TUG. In particular, sensation score, lower extremity motor and coordination score have a significant correlation with gait speed and TUG (p<.05). The sensation score and lower extremity motor score were important factors in comfortable gait and maximal gait speed. Their power of explanation regarding comfortable gait and maximal gait speed were 63.0% and 65.0%, respectively. The sensation score and lower extremity coordination score were important factors in TUG. Their power of explanation regarding TUG was 55.0%. These results showed that Fugl-Meyer Assessment scale is significantly correlated with gait speed and TUG. Therefore Fugl-Meyer Assessment scale is an appropriate assessment tool to predict gait ability of patients with stroke. Further study about gait speed and TUG by change of Fugl-Meyer Assessment score is needed using a longitudinal study design.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.5 no.5
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• pp.287-295
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• 2005

This paper describes user context awareness system, which is one of the most essential technologies in various application services of ubiquitous computing. The proposed system used two-akial accelerometer, embedded in SenseWear(R)PRO2 Armband (BodyMedia). When it was worn on the right upper arm of the experiment subjects, MAD (mean of absolute difference) value of the sensor data was calculated to quantify the amount of the wear's activity. Using this data, PC-based fuzzy inference system was realized to distinguish human motion states, such as, lying, sitting, walking and running and to recognize the restricted emergency situations. In laboratory experiment, the amount of activities for tying, sitting, walking and running were 0.204 g/s, 0.373 g/s, 2.808 g/s and 16.243 g/s respectively. The recognition rates of human motion states were 96.7 %, 93.0 %, 95.2 % and 98.4 % respectively for lying, sitting, walking and running. The recognition rate of restricted emergency situation was 100%.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.321-326
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• 2015

Background The acellular dermal matrix (ADM)-assisted breast reconstruction technique is widely known, but discouraging results due to early postoperative complications have been reported. As the literature identifies seroma as the most common issue after breast surgery without identifying its pathogenesis, we aimed to report the trend of postoperative daily serum collection after ADM-assisted breast reconstruction and compare it with data in the literature in order to discover more about this little-known topic. Methods A retrospective study on 28 consecutive patients who received ADM-assisted breast reconstruction between February 2013 and February 2014 was performed. In order to reduce the number of variables that could affect serum production, only one brand of ADM was used and all tissues were handled gently and precisely. The daily drainage volume was recorded per patient during the first four days of hospitalization. Likewise, postoperative complications were noted during routine follow-up. Results In total, five (17.9%) bilateral and 23 (82.1%) unilateral ADM-assisted breast reconstructions (33 implants) were performed. The mean age, body mass index, and length of hospital stay were 53.6 years, $21.3kg/m^2$, and 4.5 days, respectively. One major complication led to implant loss (3.0%), and nine minor complications were successfully treated with ambulatory surgery (27.3%). Serum collection linearly decreased after 24 hours postoperatively. Conclusions Daily drainage decreased following the theoretical decline of acute inflammation. In concordance with the literature, daily serum production may not be related to the use of ADM.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.53-58
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• 2010

Purpose: Our goal was to determine the difference in motor recovery between two stroke types: the corona radiata (CR) infarct type and the intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) type, by using assessment methods for motor functions. Methods: Forty subjects who were diagnosed as having had a stroke with an infarct (men: 11, women: 9, mean age: $62.25{\pm}7.59$) or a stroke with an ICH (men: 12, women: 8, mean age: $59.75{\pm}6.11$) were recruited. In all subjects, motor functions of the affected extremities were measured 2 times: at stroke onset (initial) and 6 months after the onset (final) by the motricity index (MI), the modified Brunnstrom classification (MBC), and functional ambulatory category (FAC). We compared the final assessment with the initial one. Results: Motor functions of all patients improved with the passing of time. All scores of motor function assessment in the ICH type were higher than in the infarct type. Comparing the initial assessment with the final one, upper MI and MBC scores of the upper extremities were significantly different between the two stroke types (p<0.05), but lower MI and FAC scores of the lower extremities were not (p>0.05). Conclusion: These findings imply that patterns of motor recovery in patients with either the infarct type or the ICH type of stroke change for the better over time. The degree of motor recovery in the ICH type was better than in the infarct type. Therefore, one can introduce clinical interventions by the aspect of progress in functional motor recovery.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.222-231
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• 1999

Uwhangchungsimwon(UC) has been used in the treatment of a wide variety of conditions including stroke, hypertension, arteriosclerosis, autonomic imbalance, mental instablity, etc in Korean traditional hospitals, In particular it is often initialy chosen for emergency care of acute stroke. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of UC on cerebral hemodynamics. Using transcranial Doppler ultrasound, we studied changes of mean flow velocity and pulsatility index(PI) of middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) from 11 health young volunteers who were administrated with 1 pill UC and 11 health controls who were not. We obtained hypercapnia with breath-holding and evaluated cerebrovascular reactivity with breath-holding index(BHI). Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate were measured using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring(ABPM). In UC administration group, the evaluation was performed during basal condition. and repeated at 20, 40, and 60 min after administration. In controls, the evaluation was performed at corresponding time intervals. Mean flow velocity in middle cerebral artery, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate did not change during the observation period and were not different between these two groups. However, administration of UC was associated with decreases in PI by $3.6{\sim}12.4%$ in BHI by $17.9{\sim}24.8%$ compared with pre-administration period. Decreases in PI and BHI with UC were significantly different compared with control group (p<0.05). These results indicate that UC decreases PI and BHI in cerebral artery, which is due to a dilation of cerebral resistance vessels.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.110-143
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• 1996

The purpose of this study is to assess the extent of inequality in health outcomes and the distribution of health services according to health need under National Health Insurance System in Korea. For the empirical analysis, data were collected through an interview survey during one month of October, 1994. Interview were conducted with a total of 10, 875 of the employees and the self-employed selected through cluster, systematic sampling. The major findings of this research are as follows: 1. The analysis of the differentials in morbidity rates by socio-economic group showed that health inequality in the pro-higher groups existed in all self-reported morbidity indicators. 2. The findings of the conventional use measures showed that the lower socio-economic groups had more ambulatory and inpatient services than the higher groups. In contrast to the level of the medical care utilization, however, the higher socio-economic groups were more likely to use the high-quality source of care in terms of their treatment place compared to the lower groups. 3. By using the need-based use measures, the results were different from each use-disability ration indicator. Using the use-disability ration measured by physician visits per 100 restricted-activity days in the population, it was found that there was no evidence favoring the higher socio-economic groups. In contrast, the use-disability ration based on physician visits per a chronic patient in one year displayed that there was remarkable relative difference by income group as well as the evidence of the pro-higher income groups. 4. The results of logistic regression analysis and two-stage estimation method indicated that although the utilization is significantly affected by type and duration of insurance coverage, the use or nonuse of service and the volume of physician care consumed is determined by health need and demographic characteristics rater than economic status. In sum, these findings suggest that physician service is equitably distributed according to health need under national health insurance system in Korea. As there were some evidences of inequality including the differential in physician visits of chronic patients by income group, however, the government should strengthen the activities to guarantee the equity of health services utilization.