• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.206-220
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• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between practice and infectious diseases in elementary, middle and high school students. Methods: In 16 metropolitan cities and province of the Korea, the students who from fourth grade of elementary school to third grade of high school were surveyed by personal interviews and an web-based online survey from 5 to 25 September, 2014. We analyzed data with chi-square test and logistic regression analysis. Results: Common cold, diarrhea, and eye infections were more prevalent among students in higher grade than lower grade. In particular, common cold was more prevalent among girls than boys, using hand sanitizer than washing with soaps, and students who wash the dorsal side of hand than not wash the dorsal side of hand. Conclusions: Higher-grade students showed low status of hand washing practice. Hand washing was determined as the fact which influences to increase the prevention of communicable disease such as common cold. Considering the fact that youth groups have higher risk of being infected due to their group life, schools are recommended to provide adequate educations regarding proper hand washing practice with soap.

• Korean Journal of Hospice Care
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.58-74
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• 2002

This paper constitutes a descriptive investigation and used a structured questionnaire to investigate nurses' and doctors' recognition of cancer patients. The subjects were extracted from the medical personnel working at the internal medicine, the surgery ward, the obstetrics and gynecology department, the pediatrics department, the cancer ward, and the emergency room of five general hospitals located in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. The research lasted from August, 2001 to September 2001. Total 137 nurses and 65 doctors were included and made out the questionnaires directly distributed by the investigator. The study tool was also developed by the investigator and consisted of such items as the demographic and social characteristics, the medical personnel's recognition degree of cancer and cancer patients, their recognition of the management of cancer patients, and their participation in a hospice. The results were analyzed using the SPSS Window program in terms of technological statistics, ranks, t-test, and ANOVA. The reliability was represented in Cronbach' α=.75. The nurses' and doctors' recognition degree of cancer and cancer patients had an overall average of 3.86 at the 5 point-scale. The items that received an average of 4.0 or more included 'Medical personnel should explain about the cancer cure plans to the cancer patient and his or her family', 'A patient whose case has been diagnosed as a terminal cancer should be notified of it, 'If I were a cancer patient, I would want to get informed of it,' and 'Cancer shall be conquered whenever it is'. In the meantime, the items that received an average of 3.0 or less was 'My relationship with the cancer patient's family has gotten worse since I announced his or her impending death.' And according to the general characteristics and the difference test, the recognition degree of cancer and cancer patient was high among the subgroups of nurses, females, married persons, who were in their 30s, who had a family member that was a cancer patient, and who received a hospice education. The biggest number of the nurses and doctors saw 'a gradual approach over several days'(68.8%) as a method to tell a cancer patient about his or her cancer diagnosis or impending death. Those who usually tell tragic news were the physician in charge(62.8%), the family members or relatives(32.1%) and the clergymen(3.8%) in the order. The greatest number of them recommended a cancer patient's home as the place where he or she should face death because they thought 'it would stabilize his or her mentality'(91.9%) while a number of them recommended the hospital because they 'should give the psychological satisfaction to the patient'(40%) or 'should try their best until the last moment of the patient's death'(30%). A majority of the medical personnel regarded 'smoking or drinking' and 'diet' as the causes of cancer. The biggest symptom of a cancer patient was 'pain' and the pain management of a cancer patient was mostly impeded by the 'excessive fear of drug addiction, tolerance to drugs and side effects of drugs' by medical personnel, the patient, and his or her family. The most frequently adopted treatment plan of a terminal cancer patient was 'to do whatever the patient or his or her family wants' to resort to a hospice' and 'to continue active treatment efforts' in the order. The biggest reasons why a terminal cancer patient went to see a doctor were 'pain alleviation' 'control of symptoms other than pain(intravenous supply)' and 'incapability of the patient's family' in the order. Terminal cancer patients placed their major concern in 'spiritual(religious) matter' 'emotional matters' their family' 'existence' and 'physical matters' in the order. 113(58.5%) of the whole medical personnel answered they 'would recommend' an alternative treatment to a terminal cancer patient mostly because they assumed it would 'stabilize the patient's mentality.' Meanwhile, 80(41.5%) of them chose 'not to recommend it mostly due to the unverified effects and high cost of it(78.7%). A majority of them, I. e. 190(94.1%) subjects said they 'would recommend' a hospice to a terminal cancer patient mostly because they thought it would help the patient to 'mentally prepare'(66.6%) Only 17.3% of them, however, had received a hospice education, most of which was done through the hospital duty education(41.4%) and volunteer training(34.5%). The follows are results of this study: 1. The nurses and the doctors turned out to be still passive and experience confusion in dealing with a cancer patient despite their great sense of responsibility for him or her. 2.Nurses and Doctors realize the need of a hospice, but an extremely small number of them participate in a hospice education or performance. Thus, a whole recognition of a hospice should be changed, for which purpose a hospice education for nurses and doctors should be provided. 3.Terminal cancer patients preferred their home to a hospital as the place to face their impending death because they felt it would bring 'mental stability.' And most of nurses and doctors think it would be unnecessary for them to be hospitalized just for control of their symptoms. Accordingly a terminal cancer patient can be cared at home, and a home hospice care needs to be activated.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.31-57
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• 2003

This study is intended to examine (l)whether the value of son-for example, old age security and succession of family lineage- causing son preference in the traditional society can be explained at the individual level, (2)whether women without son in the son preference country continue her childbearing until having at least one son or give up the desire of having a son at a certain level. To accomplish these purposes, the 1974 Korean National Fertility Survey data are analyzed by the quadratic hazard models controlling unobserved heterogeneity. Unlike ordinary regression model, even omitted variables that affect hazard rates and are uncorrelated with the included independent variables can distort the parameter estimates in the hazard model. Therefore the nonparametric maximum likelihood estimator(NPMLE) of a mixing distribution developed by Heckman and Singer is used to control unobserved heterogeneity. Based on the statistical result in this study, the value of son causing son preference is determined at the societal level, not at the individual level. And Korean women without a son did not continue endlessly childbearing during child bearing ages until having a son. In general, they gave up the desire having a son when she had born six daughters continuously. Thus, 30-40 years ago, the number of daughters that women without a son giving up the desire of son was six, which is about the level of total fertility rate during 1960s. In these days, we can often see many women who have only two or three daughters and do not any son. This means that the level of giving up the desire of son, which is one factor representing the strength of son preference, becomes lower. If the strength of son preference did not become much weaker, then the fertility rates in Korea could not reach the below replacement level.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.999-1010
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• 2015

Total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity were investigated in leaves of organic apricot, filbert, mulberry, persimmon, and pomegranate trees during growing season. Total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity in leaves of organic apricot and filbert trees were gradually increased from May to June, attained peak in July, thereafter decreased to minimum level in October. In leaves of organic mulberry tree total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity were simultaneously increased from May to June and sharply decrease to very low level. The leaves of organic persimmon trees showed very high level of total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity from May to June, thereafter gradually decrease to October. The leaves of organic pomegranate trees showed extraordinarily highest level of total phenolic compounds among five fruit trees investigated in the study during growing stages, as well as maintained higher than 91 percent of antioxidant activity from May to October. Correlation coefficients between total phenolic compound and antioxidant activity of the leaves of five organic trees were the highest in mulberry leaves, and then persimmon, filbert, apricot, and pomegranate, respectively. However, correlation coefficients between total phenolic compound and antioxidant activity of the leaves of organic pomegranate were very low level, and not significant in their relationship.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.124-134
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• 2005

To investigate the exposure effect of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), we measured airborne total PAHs as an external dose, urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) as an internal dose of PAHs exposure, and analyzed the relationship between urinary 1-OHP concentration and PAHs exposure. The study population contained 44 workers in steel-pipe coating and paint manufacture industries. The airborne PAHs was obtained during survey day, and urine were sampled at the end of shift. Personal information on age, body weight, height, eniployment duration, smoking habit, and alcohol consumption was obtained by a structured questionnaire. Airborne PAHs were analyzed by the gas chromatograph with mass selective detector. Urinary 1-OHP levels were analyzed by the high performance liquid chromatograph with ultraviolet wavelength detector. For statistical estimation, t-test, ${\chi}^2$-test, analysis of variance, correlation analysis, arid regression analysis were executed by SPSS/PC (Windows version 10). The mean of environmental total PAHs was $87.8{\pm}7.81{\mu}g/m^3$. The mean concentration ($526.5{\pm}2.85{\mu}g/m^3$) of workers in steel-pipe coating industries using coal tar enamel was the higher than that ($17.5{\pm}3.36{\mu}g/m^3$) of workers in paint manufacture industries using coal tar paint. The mean of urinary 1-OHP concentration ($51.63{\pm}3.144{\mu}\;mol/mol$ creatinine) of workers in steel-pipe coating industries was the higher than that ($2.33{\pm}4.709{\mu}\;mol/mol$ creatinine) of workers in paint manufacture industries. The mean of urinary 1-OHP concentration of smokers was the higher than that of non-smokers. There was significant correlation between the urinary concentration of 1-OHP and the environmental concentration of PAHs (r=O.S48, p<0.001), pyrene(r=0.859, p<0.001), and urinary cotinine (r=0.324, p<0.05). The regression equation between the urinary concentration of 1-OHP in ${\mu}g/g$ creatinine($C_{1-OHP}$) and airborne concentration of PAHs (or pyrene) in ${\mu}g/m^3$ ($C_{PAHs}$ or Cpyrene) is: Log ($C_{1-OHP}$)=-0.650+0.889×Log($C_{PAHs}$), where $R^2=0.694$ and n=38 for p<0.001.Log ($C_{1-OHP}$)=1.087+0.707${\times}$Log(Cpyrene), where $R^2=0.713$ and n=38 for p<0.001. From the results of stepwise multiple regression analysis about 1-OHP, significant independents were total PAHs and urinary cotinine (adjusted $R^2=0.743$, p<0.001). In this study, there were significant correlation between the urinary concentration of 1-OHP and the airborne concentration of PAHs. The urinary 1-OHP was effective index as a biomarker of airborne PAHs in workplace. But it was influenced by non-occupational PAHs source, smoking.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.202-208
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• 2016

Purpose: Rotavirus vaccine (RV) was introduced in Korea since 2007, and intussusception (IS) remains an important safety concern. This study investigated the trend of IS occurrence related to RV as well as the temporal relevance between vaccination and IS in children. Methods: We collected data of the patient aged ${\leq}18$ years with IS admitted to Gachon University Gil Medical Center, 2003 to 2015. For the patients that have occurred since 2008, the immunization records of RV were collected. The proportion of cases <1 year was calculated by the year and the temporal relationship between vaccination and IS occurrence was analyzed. Results: A total of 696 IS cases were noted. The cases <1 year were 30.7% (214/696). Although the incidence of all IS has increased over the 13-year period (from 74.1 in 2003 to 89.5 in 2015, linear by linear association, P=0.003), the incidence of IS <1 year has not increased (from 56.9 in 2003 to 53.3 in 2015, P=0.910), and the proportion of cases <1 year has decreased (from 35.4 in 2003 to 18.8 in 2015, P=0.000). Of 128 cases <1 year since 2008, 53.9% received RV. In the vaccinated group, 10 cases of IS occurred within 30 days, and eight cases did within 31 to 60 days. Numbers of IS after first, second, and third dose were three, 10, and five cases, respectively. Conclusions: Occurrence of IS in children <1 year of age did not increase since the introduction of RV. Further monitoring is essential for evaluation of vaccine safety.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.24 no.2 s.34
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• pp.181-194
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• 1991

This study intended to obtain an useful information on the prevalence of subjective symptoms, and to clarify the interrelationships between blood lead and lead related symptoms in low level lead exposure. The 93 male workers exposed to lead and 56 male nonexposed workers were examined for their blood lead(PBB), Zinc-protoporphy(ZPP), hemoglobin(HB) and personnal history, and completed 15 questionnaires related to symptoms of lead absorption : also measured lead concentration in air (PBA) in the workplace. The results obtained were as follows ; 1. The means of blood lead (PBB), blood ZPP and hemoglobin (HB) among workers exposed to lead were $26.1{\pm}8.8{\mu}g/dl,\;28.3{\pm}26.0{\mu}g/dl$ and $16.2{\pm}1.2g/dl$ : whereas those of nonexposed workers were $18.7{\pm}5.1{\mu}g/dl,\;20.6{\pm}8.7{\mu}g/dl$ and $17.3{\pm}1.1g/dl$. The means of above three indicies between two groups showed significant difference statistically (p<0.05). 2. The means of blood lead (PBB), blood ZPP and hemoglobin of workers exposed .to different lead concentration in air were as follows : When it was below $25{\mu}g/m^3$, the indices were $24.7{\pm}79,\;26.1{\pm}26.8{\mu}g/dl\;and\;16.4{\pm}1.1g/dl$ respectively : These indices were $27.1{\pm}8.5,\;23.9{\pm}10.92{\mu}g/dl\;and\;16.2{\pm}1.3g/dl$ when the lead concentration in air was $25{\sim}50{\mu}g/m^3$ : and they were $3.4{\pm}9.3,\;42.3{\pm}31.3{\mu}g/dl\;and\;15.5{\pm}1.2g/dl$ when the concentration of lead was above $50{\mu}g/m^3$. Although there were statistical difference in blood lead and hemoglobin among three different lead concentration in air, there was no statistical difference of blood ZPP among the three groups with different exposure levels (p>0.05). 3. The most frequent by complained symptom was 'Generalized weakness and fatigue', and fewest symptom was 'Intermittent pains in abdomen' 4. Only two symptoms out of fifteen symptoms checked by themselves revealed significant difference between exposed and nonexposed groups. These were 'Intermittent pains of abdomen' and 'Joint pain or arthralgia' (p<0.05), No positive correlation was found between the levels of blood lead and symptom groups categorized as gastrointestinal, neuromuscular and constitutional symptoms, 5. Blood lead (r=0.3995) and ZPP (r=0.2837) showed statistically significant correlation with mean lead concentration in air, whereas correlations were not demonstrated between blood lead and lead related symptoms or blood ZPP and lead related symptoms. 6. Blood lead (PBB) and ZPP showed association (r=0.2466) and the equation PBB=23.75+0.0842 ZPP was derived. 7. On stepwise multiple regression, using blood lead level as a dependent variable and ZPP, hemoglobin (HB), age, work duration (WD) and symptom prevalence as a independent variables, only ZPP significantly contributed a lot to blood lead level. 8. While the ZPP measurement was found to be a good indicator in evaluating health effect of lead absorption in low level lead exposure, lead related symptoms were not sensitive enough to evaluate of lead absorption in low level exposure.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.135-179
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• 2018

How do robots interact with the elderly? In this paper, we analyze the contexts of interaction between robots and the elderly and the role of mediators in initiating, facilitating, and maintaining the interaction. We do not attempt to evaluate the robot's performance or measure the impact of robots on the elderly. Instead, we focus on the circumstances and contexts within which a robot is situated as it interacts with the elderly. Our premise is that the success of human-robot interaction does not depend solely on the robot's technical capability, but also on the pre-arranged settings and local contingencies at the site of interaction. We select three television shows that feature robots for the elderly and one "dementia-prevention" robot in a regional healthcare center as our sites for observing robot-elderly interaction: "Grandma's Robot"(tvN), "Co-existence Experiment''(JTBC), "Future Diary"(MBC), and the Silbot class in Suwon. By analyzing verbal and non-verbal interactions between the elderly and the robots in these programs, we point out that in most cases the robots and the elderly do not meet one-to-one; the interaction is usually mediated by an actor who is not an old person. These mediators are not temporary or secondary components in the robot-elderly interaction; they play a key role in the relationship by arranging the first meeting, triggering initial interactions, and carefully observing unfolding interactions. At critical moments, the mediators prevent the interaction from falling apart by intervening verbally or physically. Based on our observation of the robot-elderly interaction, we argue that we can better understand and evaluate the human-robot interaction in general by paying attention to the existence and role of the mediators. We suggest that researchers in human-robot interaction should expand their analytical focus from one-to-one interactions between humans and robots to human-robot-human interactions in diverse real-world situations.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.747-754
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• 2005

Nutritional regulation of gene expression associated with growth and feeding behavior in avian species can become an important technique to improve poultry production according to the supply of nutrients in the diet. Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) found in chickens has been characterized to be a 70 amino acid polypeptide and plays an important role in growth and metabolism. Although it is been well known that IGF-I is highly associated with embryonic development and post-hatching growth, changes in the distribution of IGF-I gene expression throughout early- to late-embryogenesis have not been studied so far. We revealed that the developmental pattern of IGF-I gene expression during embryogenesis differed among various tissues. No bands of IGF-I mRNA were detected in embryonic liver at 7 days of incubation, and thereafter the amount of hepatic IGF-I mRNA was increased from 14 to 20 days of incubation. In eyes, a peak in IGF-I mRNA levels occurred at mid-embryogenesis, but by contrast, IGF-I mRNA was barely detectable in the heart throughout all incubation periods. In the muscle, no significant difference in IGF-I gene expression was observed during different stages of embryogenesis. After hatching, hepatic IGF-I gene expression as well as plasma IGF-I concentration increases rapidly with age, reaches a peak before sexual maturity, and then declines. The IGF-I gene expression is very sensitive to changes in nutritional conditions. Food-restriction and fasting decreased hepatic IGF-I gene expression and refeeding restored IGF-I gene expression to the level of fed chickens. Dietary protein is also a very strong factor in changing hepatic IGF-I gene expression. Refeeding with dietary protein alone successfully restored hepatic IGF-I gene expression of fasted chickens to the level of fed controls. In most circumstances, IGF-I makes a complex with specific high-affinity IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs). So far, four different IGFBPs have been identified in avian species and the major IGFBP in chicken plasma has been reported to be IGFBP-2. We studied the relationship between nutritional status and IGFBP-2 gene expression in various tissues of young chickens. In the liver of fed chickens, almost no IGFBP-2 mRNA was detected. However, fasting markedly increased hepatic IGFBP-2 gene expression, and the level was reduced after refeeding. In the gizzard of well-fed young chickens, IGFBP-2 gene expression was detected and fasting significantly elevated gizzard IGFBP-2 mRNA levels to about double that of fed controls. After refeeding, gizzard IGFBP-2 gene expression decreased similar to hepatic IGFBP-2 gene expression. In the brain, IGFBP-2 mRNA was observed in fed chickens and had significantly decreased by fasting. In the kidney, IGFBP-2 gene expression was observed but not influenced by fasting and refeeding. Recently, we have demonstrated in vivo that gizzard and hepatic IGFBP-2 gene expression in fasted chickens was rapidly reduced by intravenous administration of insulin, as indicated that in young chickens the reduction in gizzard and hepatic IGFBP-2 gene expression in vivo stimulated by malnutrition may be, in part, regulated by means of the increase in plasma insulin concentration via an insulin-response element. The influence of dietary protein source (isolated soybean protein vs. casein) and the supplementation of essential amino acids on gizzard IGFBP-2 gene expression was examined. In both soybean protein and casein diet groups, the deficiency of essential amino acids stimulated chickens to increase gizzard IGFBP-2 gene expression. Although amino acid supplementation of a soybean protein diet significantly decreased gizzard IGFBP-2 mRNA levels, a similar reduction was not observed in chickens fed a casein diet supplemented with amino acids. This overview of nutritional regulation of IGF-I and IGFBP-2 gene expression in young chickens would serve for the establishment of the supply of nutrients to diets to improve poultry production.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.89-95
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• 2011

Purpose: Hypernatremia most frequently occurs in the immature newborn and be severe in association with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). This study examined the frequency, onset and risk factors of hypernatremia, and the relationship between hypernatremia and IVH in very low birth weight (VLBW; <1,250 g) infants. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 55 VLBW infants admitted between January 2006 and December 2009 to the neonatal intensive care unit of Wonkwang University Hospital and who survived over 7 days. Serum sodium concentration, sodium intake, fluid and weight loss, as suggested risk factors of hypernatremia, and the incidence of IVH were evaluated. The infants were divided into a hypernatremia group (${\geq}$150 mEq/L) and nonhypernatremia group, and were compared. Results: Incidence of hypernatremia in the VLBW infants was 52.7%, and mean starting time of hypernatremia was 2.8${\pm}$1.3 days. There were no differences in the sodium and fluid intake between the two groups. Weight loss at day 3 after birth was significantly higher in the hypernatremia compared to the nonhypernatremia group (P<0.05); thereafter weight loss was non-significantly higher. The incidence of IVH in VLBW infants was 38.2%, and the difference between the two groups was not significant. Conclusion: Hypernatremia occurs commonly in VLBW infants and is most commonly caused by weight loss in the early days after birth. Incidence of IVH is not likely influenced by hypernatremia with marginally elevated sodium concentration.