• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.173-181
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• 1989

The effect of interpregnancy interval on birthweight of the subsequent child was investigated for the 1,347 womens of 25 to 40 years old age who visited OBGY and Pediatric department of the general hospital in Taegu city. Questions in designed questionnaire were asked by student interviewers who were trained in nursing school. Mean birth weight by interpregnancy intervals were compared by the intervals of 6 months. Mean birth weight increased from 3,250 grams for intervals of 6 months to 3,357 grams for intervals of 25-30 months, hut the difference was not statistically significant(=0.47). Correlations between the continuous variables which were suspected as con founders and interpregnancy interval and birth weight were investigated. The coefficient of correlation between maternal age and interpregnancy interval was 0.39, between gestational period and birth weight 0.30 and between prepregnant weight and birth weight 0.16 and between birth weight of first baby and birth weight(of second baby) 0.44. But maternal age, gestational period and prepregnant weight were not considered as confounder, because they were not correlated simultaneously with birth interval and birth weight. Associations between the discrete variables which were suspected as confounders, and interpregnancy interval were investigated by Chi-square test. Associations between interpregnancy interval and educational level of mothers, types of husband's occupation, types of medical security, sex were not significant(P-values were 0.59, 0.75, 0.75, 0.82 respectively), so we did not considered these variables as confounding variables. In multiple regression analysis of birth weight, significant variables were birth weight of first baby, gestational period, sex of neonate and prepregnancy body weight of mother. Of the 1,347 births, the rate of low birth weight was 2% (27 birth). The rate for interpregnancy interval 7-12 months was highest as 3.6% and that for 13-18 months was lowest as 0.6%, but there was no regular tendency related with interpregnancy interval.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.430-458
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• 1990

Care is a central concept of nursing. Nursing would not exist without caring. Care and quality of life are closely related. Human behavior is a manifestation of culture. We can say that caring and nursing care are expression of culture. The nurse must understand the relationship of culture with care for ensure quality nursing care. But knowledge of cultural factors in nursing is not well developed. Time and in - depth study are needed to find meaningful relationships between culture and care. Nurses recognized the importance of culturally appropriate nursing There are two care systems in culturally based nursing. The folk care system and the professional nursing care system. The folk care system existed long before the professional nursing care system was introduced into this culture. If the discrepancy between these two care systems is great, the client may receive inappropriate nursing care. Culture and subcaltures are diverse and dynamic in nature. Nurses need to know the caring behaviors, patterns, and their meaning in their own culture. In Korea we have taken some first step to study cultural nursing phenomena. It is not our intent necessarily to return to the past and develop a nationalistic of nursing, but to identify the core of traditional caring and relate that to professional nursing care. Our Assumptions are as follows : 1) Care is essential for human growth, well being and survial. 2) 7here are diverse and universal forma, expressions, patterns, and processes of human care that exist transcul - turally. 3) The behaviors and functions of caring differ according to the social structure of each culture. 4) Cultures have folk and professional care values, beliefs, and practices. To promote the quality of nursing care we must understand the folk care value, beliefs, and practices. We undertook this study to understand caring in our traditional culture. The Goals of this study were as follows : 1) To identify patterns in caring behavior, 2) To identify the structural components of caring, and 3) To understand the meaning and some principles of caring. We faised several questions in this study. Who is the care-giver? Who is the care-receipient? Was the woman the major care -giver at any time? What are the patterns in caring behavior? What art the priciples underlying the caring process? We used an interdisciplinary team approach, composed of representatives from nursing and anthropology, to contribute in -depth understanding of caring through a socicaltural perspeetive. A Field study was conducted in Ro-Bong, a small agricultural kinship village. The subjects were nine women and one man aged be or more years of age. Data were collected from january 15 to 21, 1990 through opem-ended in-depth interviews and observations. The interview focused on caring behaviors sorrounding birth, aging, death and child rearing. We analysed these data for meaning, pattern and priciples of caring. In this report we describe caring behaviors surrounding childbirth. The care-givers were primarily mothers- in -low, other women in the family older than the mother - to- be, older neighbor woman, husbands, and mothers of the mother-to- be. The care receivers were the mother-to-be the baby, and the immediate family as a component of kinship. Emerging caring behavior included praying, helping proscribing, giving moral advice(Deug - Dam), showing concern, instructing, protecting, making preparations, showing consideration, touching, trusting, encouraging, giving emotional comfort, being with, worrying about, being patient, preventing problems, showing by an example, looking after bringing up, taking care of postnatal health, streng thening the health condition, entering into another's feelings(empathizing), and sharing food, joy and sorrow The emerging caring component were affection, touching, nurtuing, teaching, praying, comforting, encouraging, sharing. empathizing, self - discipline, protecting, preparing, helping and compassion. Emerging principles of. caring were solidarity, heir- archzeal relationships, sex - role distinction. Caring during birth expresses the valve of life and reflects the valued traditional beliefs that human birth is given by god and a unique unifying family event reaching back to include the ancestors and foreward to later generations. In addition, We found positive and rational foundations for traditionl caring behaviors surrounding birth, these should not be stigmatized as inational or superstitious. The nurse appropriately adopts the rational and positive nature of traditional caring behaviors to promote the quality of nursing care.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.10
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• pp.977-982
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• 2003

Purpose : This study aimed to examine the excretion of various urinary proteins in children with a history of urinary tract infection(UTI), with or without vesicoureteral reflux(VUR) or reflux nephropathy, and to identify means of predicting the severity of VUR or the presence of reflux nephropathy as indicated by these markers, and to know how these markers are changed after resolution of VUR. Methods : We studied 30 children with previous UTI, without VUR and renal scarring(group I), 12 children with VUR, without evidence of renal scarring(group II), and 34 children with VUR and renal scarring(group III). 24-hour or 12-hour urine ${\beta}_2$ microglobulin(${\beta}_2$ MG), microalbumin and N-acetyl-${\beta}$-D-glucosaminidase(NAG) were measured in each child. Urinary protein excretions were analyzed according to the degree of VUR(mild VUR : a grade reflux I-III, severe VUR : a grade reflux IV-V). Cases of bilateral VUR were graded by the higher grade of reflux detected. A total of 46 children with primary VUR were followed. Among these patients, VUR was completely resolved in 16 children. Voiding cystourethrography(VCUG) and DMSA scan were performed every year. Values for urinary markers were estimated every year. Results : 24 or 12 hour urine microalbumin and NAG excretions were significantly increased in group III compared to group I(microalbumin : $27.7{\pm}26.0mg/gCr$ vs $15.0{\pm}10.7mg/gCr$, P<0.05, NAG : $15.2{\pm}18.7U/gCr$ vs $3.4{\pm}2.2U/gCr$, P<0.05). Urinary ${\beta}_2$ MG excretions were not significantly different between groups. Urinary NAG excretions were elevated in the group of children with severe VUR compared to mild VUR($26.8{\pm}27.1U/gCr$ vs $7.6{\pm}3.8U/gCr$, P<0.05). After resolution of VUR, urinary microalbumin and NAG excretions were decreased(P<0.05). Conclusion : Urinary microalbumin and NAG may be useful clinical indicators to predict the presence of reflux nephropathy and the resolution of VUR. Especially, urinary NAG excretions may be used as a possible method to predict the severity of VUR.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.30-39
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• 1999

Purpose: Anorectal manometry is a way of investigation for ano-rectal sphincters. In this paper we evaluated the usefulness of anorectal manometry in constipation patients and compared the anal spnincter function in control, constipation and encopresis patients Methods: We analysed the data of anorectal function studies in normal children (control, n=11), children with constipation (constipation group, n=20) and children with encopresis (encopresis group, n=16). Results: The specific manometric parameters in normal children were like as follows; external anal sphinter pressure $21.0{\pm}8.00$ mmHg, internal anal sphicter pressure $30.0{\pm}14.57$ mmHg, conscious rectal sensitivity threshold $11.4{\pm}4.52$ mmHg. The above results were not different from that of previous studies except conscious rectal sensitivity threshold, which was slightly lower than that of others. Internal and external anal sphincter pressure were elevated significanlty in constipation and encopresis groups than in control, which results was the same in conscious rectal sensitivity threshold. But the values of rectoanal inhibitory threshold and percent relaxation of rectoanal inhibitory reflex were not different among control group, constipation group and encopresis group. External sphincter activity was increased during the act of bearing down for defecation in none of the child in control group, in 6 of 17 children in constipation group and 5 of 12 children in encopresis group. Conclusion: With the results of above we could say that complete history taking and physical examination are important in diagnosis of constipation, and we could say also that the anorectal manometry was a valuable tool to understand the physiology of normal defecation and the pathophysiology of constipation and encopresis.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.105-138
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• 2009

Although the decline in fertility rate is generally observed along the history of economic development throughout the world, the continuing decline hitting below the replacement level in Korea over the recent years gathered serious social concerns on the ground that it accelerates the process of population aging. The total fertility rate in Koreareached 2.08 in 1983, and gradually fell to the levels of 1.08 in 2005 and 1.26 in 2007. The policy debate over the role of the government has been focused mainly on the level of theoretical discussion without substantial basis on firm empirical evidence and the determinants of fertility. The objective of the paper is to empirically investigate the fertility effect of the female wage, which is understood as one of the most important determinants of fertility in Koreasince 1980 focusing on one aspect of fertility, namely birth spacing. Using the Korean National Fertility Survey conducted in 2006, I estimate a duration model of first and second births taking into account individual heterogeneity, which turned out to be an important factor to control for. Compared with previous studies in the literature on the Korean fertility, the study has an advantage of using the complete pregnancy history of women in a more representative sample. Unlike the previous studies, the analysis also deals with the endogeneity of marriage by treating a certain age, rather than age at marriage, as the time in which a woman becomes exposed to the risk of pregnancy. The study shares the common problem in the literature on birth spacing of lacking relevant wage information for respondents in a retrospective survey. I estimate the wage series as a function of the basic characteristics using the annual Wage Structure Survey from 1980 to 2005, which is considered as a nationally representative sample for wage information of employees. The results suggest that the increase in female wage by 10 percent leads to a decrease in second birth hazard by 0.56~0.92 percentage points and that the increase in spouse's wage by the equal amount is accompanied by the increase in second birth hazard by 0.36~1.13 percentage points. These estimates are more precisely estimated and of smaller magnitude than those presented by the previous studies. The results are robust to the different specifications of the wage equation. The simulation analysis based on the predicted values shows that about 17% of the change in the second birth hazard over the period 1980 to 2005 was due to the change in the female wage. Although there is some limitation in data, the results can be viewed as one estimate of the role of female wage on the recent fertility decline in Korea. The question raised by the paper is not a normative one of whether a government should promote childbearing but a positive one thatexplains fertility decline. Therefore, if there is a wide consensus on promoting childbearing, the finding suggests that the policies designed to reduce the opportunity cost of women in the labor market would be effective. The recent movement of implementing a wide range of family-friendly policies including child care support, maternity leave, parental leave and tax benefit in developed countries should be understood in this context.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.269-278
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• 2002

Objective s: Chromosome aneuploidy is associated with recurrent abortion and congenital anomaly and genetic diseases occur repeatedly in the specific families. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) can prevent aneuploidy or genetic disease by selecting normal embryos before implantation and is an alternative to prenatal diagnosis. The aim of this study is to assess the outcome of PGD cycles by using FISH or PCR, and to determine the clinical usefulness and values in patients with risk of chromosomal aneuploidy or genetic disease. Materials and Methods: From 1995 to Apr. 2001, a total of 108 PGD cycles in 65 patients with poor reproductive outcome were analyzed. The indications of PGD were translocation (n=49), inversion (n=2), aneuploidy screening (n=7), Duchenne muscular dystrophy (n=5) and spinal muscular atrophy (n=2). PGD was applied due to the history of recurrent abortion, previous birth of affected child or risk of aneuploidy related to sex chromosome aneuploidy or old age. Blastomere biopsy was performed in 6$\sim$10 cell stage embryo after IVF with ICSI. In the single blastomere, chromosome aneuploidy was diagnosed by using FISH and PCR was performed for the diagnosis of exon deletion in DMD or SMA. Results: The FISH or PCR amplification was successful in 94.3% of biopsied blastomeres. The rate of transferable balanced emb ryos was 24.0% in the chromosome translocation and inversion, 57.1% for the DMD and SMA, and 28.8% for the aneuploidy screening. Overall hCG positive rate per transfer was 17.8% (18/101) and clinical pregnancy rate was 13.9% (14/101) (11 term pregnancy, 3 abortion, and 4 biochemical pregnancy). The clinical pregnancy rate of translocation and inversion was 12.9% (11/85) and abortion rate was 27.3% (3/11). In the DMD and SMA, the clinical pregnancy rate was 33.3% (3/9) and all delivered at term. The PGD results were confirmed by amniocentesis and were correct. When the embryos developed to compaction or morula, the pregnancy rate was higher (32%) than that of the cases without compaction (7.2%, p<0.01). Conclusions: PGD by using FISH or PCR is useful to get n ormal pregnancy by reducing spontaneous abortion associated with chromosome aneuploidy in the patients with structural chromosome aberration or risk of aneuploidy and can prevent genetic disease prior to implantation.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.11-24
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• 1976

This study was a part of large scale of a prospective study on attitudes of professional students in medicine, nursing and teaching toward population related issues in Korea. The study was first conducted in May 1974 and then in May 1975 for the 1974 class cohot using a questionaire consisted of attitude scales and other items developed by Lee. The purpose of stuay was twohold, namely, to determine the difference in students among specializations on one hand and between the first and second years in the 1974 class cohot regarding tile subject matter. A one-way analysis of variance was used for attitude scale, and absolute and relative frequency were computed for the analysis of non-attitude scale items by employing Fishers' Ratio and Duncan's multiple range test at 5% level and chi square test at 5% level as significance tests. The hypothesis 'students in health profession are more likely to have positive attitudes toward population related issues progressively as class year advances than students in teaching profession' was tested and the following results were obtained: 1) Nursing students were more likely to display favarable attitudes toward family planning than medical or teaching students although the class cohot showed slightly negative improvement in the second year. Medical and teaching students apperaed to have slightly improved attitudes in the second year. 2) Respondents in general perceived national family planning program as a means of population control and this tendency was more true among nursing students as the class year advances than two other professional groups of students. Students in teaching profession appeared to perceive it more as a means to improve individual family welfare while health students were likely to see as to improve maternal and child health. This tendency was progressively improved as the class year advanced. 3) The majority of students regardless of their respective specializations believed that family planning program should be directed toward the improvement of individual family welfare. No progressive changes in the class cohot were observed. 4) About the plan to use contraceptives in future, no singnificant differences were observes among different specializations nor in different class years. However, the majority was confirmed to have a plan to use contracepives in future. An increasing proportion of the undecided category was observed, as class year advanced among health students. 5) Students in health profession were found to be more favorable about 'more leisure opportunities' as motive for limiting number of children whereas education students indicated the reasons as 'facilitate ambitions' and 'economic base' The progressive changes toward positive direction in both groups were observed as the class years advanced. 6) Attitudes toward induced abortions of the health students were observed to be positively related to class years while an inverse relationship was found in teaching students who showed much less favor in the subject matter than health students. This phenomenon may be due to the different exposure to learning environments unique to respective specializations. 7) Health students were found to have more favorable attitudes toward population education in general than the teaching students. The teaching students appeared to have changed more to the negative direction when they became the second year while no such development was observed in health students. The teaching students seemed to hold a very conservative position with regard to sex education in schools. 8) About the equality of sexes, the nursing group was found to be most favorable while the reverse was true in the teaching group. A change in the negative direction as the class year advanced was found in the teaching group. 9) About questions related to fertility values-the 10 percent of respondents regardless of specialization indicated that they would maintain their single status in future, however no change was observed in the second year. The desired number of children was found to be two by the majority of students in nursing, medicine and teaching in order of high proportion. No changes in a different class year were observed. The childless marriage was seen by nursing students as a problem more than other students, but a slight change in positive direction was found when the nursing students became the second year. In summing, as data supported in the above, students in health profession demonstrated more favorable attitudes toward population related issues than the teaching students and this tendency became more apparent in the second year. It was noticed that health students were more conscious about the health aspect of population and family planning program while the teaching students gave more attention to the socioeconomic aspect. The sex variable seemed to have operated in the item related to the equality of sexes. In conclusion, as data presented in the above, the hypothesis of this study was accepted except in the few items. It should be noted that the limitation of this study is the short duration of the observation in measuring the possible attitude changes. It should include curriculum analysis for the respective specializations in order to indentify the area of curriculum impact on students in future study.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.129-149
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• 2021

The purposes of this study were to examine the current status of the establishment of home economics-related departments in colleges and universities and the changes required in the home economics curriculum of secondary schools, and to structure the elective courses of home economics subject(group) that can be organized in the next high school curriculum. To achieve these purposes, related literature and data were analyzed, and a questionnaire survey and FGI were conducted by home economics experts. The research results are as follows. First, home economics was considered to be highly related not only to the human ecology but also to social sciences, education, engineering, and arts and physical education. The numbers of technical colleges and 4-year universities with departments related to home economics were 1,405 and 961 respectively in 2019. Therefore, it was confirmed that there is a sufficient basis for opening home economics subject(group) elective courses in high school. Second, in the secondary school home economics curriculum, the concepts of culture, relations, independence, and sustainability were emphasized based on the changing life patterns and values. It was proposed that the contents of the home economics course would be structured in a way that allows deep and high-level thinking and helps students to enjoy culture. This demand can be implemented by diversifying, specializing, and structuring the elective courses of the home economics subject(group). Third, a total of 18 elective subjects and subject outlines were structured in the fields of child/family, food/nutrition, clothing, housing, consumption/family management, and home economics integration. This study results will contribute to the establishment of the high school credit system by providing basic information for organizing the next home economics curriculum, and expanding the options for home economics subject(group) to high school students.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.131-140
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• 2022

Purpose: Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began, new variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have emerged, and distinct epidemic waves of COVID-19 have occurred for an extended period. This study aimed to analyze the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of children with COVID-19 from the third wave to the middle of the fourth epidemic wave in Korea. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of hospitalized patients aged ≤18 years with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. The study periods were divided into the third wave (from November 13, 2020 to July 6, 2021) and the fourth wave (from July 7 to October 31, 2021). Results: Ninety-three patients were included in the analysis (33 in the third and 60 in the fourth waves). Compared with the third wave, the median age of patients was significantly older during the fourth wave (6.7 vs. 2.8 years, P=0.014). Household contacts was reported in 60.2% of total patients, similar in both periods (69.7 vs. 55.0%, P=0.190). Eighty-one (87.1%) had symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among these, 10 (12.3%) had no respiratory symptoms. Anosmia or ageusia were more commonly observed in the fourth epidemic wave (10.7 vs. 34.0%, P=0.032). Most respiratory illness were upper respiratory tract infections (94.4%, 67/71), 4 had pneumonia. The median cycle threshold values (detection threshold, 40) for RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and envelope (E) genes of SARS-CoV-2 were 21.3 and 19.3, respectively. There was no significant difference in viral load during 2 epidemic waves. Conclusions: There were different characteristics during the two epidemic waves of COVID-19.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.31-52
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• 2024

Considering the significant relationship between a tree's branch structure and physiology, understanding the detailed branch structure is crucial for fields such as species classification, and 3D tree modelling. Recently, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and quantitative structure model (QSM) have enhanced the understanding of branch structures by capturing the radius, length, and branching angle of branches. Previous studies examining branch structure with TL S and QSM often relied on mean or median of branch structure parameters, such as the radius ratio and length ratio in parent-child relationships, as representative values. Additionally, these studies have typically focused on the relationship between trunk and the first order branches. This study aims to explore the distribution of branch structure parameters up to the third order in Aesculus hippocastanum, Ginkgo biloba, and Prunus yedoensis. The gamma distribution best represented the distributions of branch structure parameters, as evidenced by the average of Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistics (radius = 0.048; length = 0.061; angle = 0.050). Comparisons of the mode, mean, and median were conducted to determine the most representative measure indicating the central tendency of branch structure parameters. The estimated distributions showed differences between the mode and mean (average of normalized differences for radius ratio = 11.2%; length ratio = 17.0%; branching angle = 8.2%), and between the mode and median (radius ratio = 7.5%; length ratio = 11.5%; branching angle = 5.5%). Comparisons of the estimated distributions across branch orders and species were conducted, showing variations across branch orders and species. This study suggests that examining the estimated distribution of the branch structure parameter offers a more detailed description of branch structure, capturing the central tendencies of branch structure parameters. We also emphasize the importance of examining higher branch orders to gain a comprehensive understanding of branch structure, highlighting the differences across branch orders.