• Journal of Korean Clinical Health Science
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.59-71
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• 2014

Purpose. Medical tourism is recently becoming a new industry with great growth potential. The South Korean government is shifting medical tourism from simple cultural tourism to a high value-added industry with a new paradigm. Methods. The government has been providing positive support and marketing policies since the introduction of the article concerning foreign patient attraction to the medical law in 2009, and various types of medical institutions around the country has participated actively in medical tourism by themselves or in cooperation of government bodies and made increasingly greater performance. Results. This study obtained the following results. The medical institutions in Korea have been making efforts to see more development and profitability in diverse ways, including medical tourism for foreign patients and the advance of the Korean medical institutions into foreign markets. However, many local governing bodies and medical institutions participating in medical tourism around the country have primarily focused on examination and treatment on the basis of foreign patients' visit to South Korea and rarely built a medical network with other countries directly for medical tourism. This study presents a case of building a local medical network and a network for international medical tourism successfully on the basis of the local medical association, CMP, which has been formed naturally in Busan. The success factors for CMP included 1) enthusiasm of the official in charge; 2) the medical level, the service level, and open-mindedness of participant medical institutions; 3) cost efficiency due to executive office management with no costs, no conflicts, and constant partnership; 4) security of non-competitive expertise for participants; 5) local factors of CMP; 6) participation of good agencies; 7) reinforcement of participation networks; and 8) post facto management and local doctor management. Conclusions. Its positive effects included patient introduction and greater profitability on an internal basis as well as construction of the collaboration system with the institutions related to medical tourism and confidence. However, there are some limitations: it is still difficult to predict performance due to the short period of their activities, and it is necessary to continue to observe their constant activities since a single medical association was involved.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.3017-3021
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• 2013

Background: Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) is an important aspect in identifying cancer patients' perceptions of being diagnosed with cancer and the assessment of treatment outcomes. The present study aimedto assess the profile and predicators of HRQoL of Malaysian oncology patients. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study adopting the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) was conducted. All cancer patients attending Penang General Hospital between August-November 2011 were approached. Descriptive statistics were used to assess demographic and disease related characteristics of the patients. All analyses were performed using SPSS v 16.0. Results: Three hundred and ninety three cancer patients met the inclusion criteria and were enrolled in the study. The mean age was 53.9 ($SD{\pm}13$) years. The cohort was dominated by females (n=260, 66.2%). Nearly half (n=190, 48.3%) of the participants were of Malay ethnicity, practicing Islam as their religion (n=194, 494%). Two hundred and ninety six (n=296, 75.3%) had beene diagnosed with cancer within six months to 3 years previously. The most common primary cancer site was breast (n=143, 36.4%). The mean Global Health Status (GHS) score was 60.7 (SD=21.3). Females (mean GHS score of 62.3, p=0.035) with Malay ethnicity (mean GHS score of 63.8, p=0.047), practicing Islam as their religion (mean GHS score of 63.0, p=0.011) had better GHS scores. Patients having medical insurance had good scores (mean 65.6, p-0.021). Marital status was significantly associated with GHS scores (p=0.022). Bone cancer patientshad the lowest mean GHS score of 49.2 (p=0.044). Patients at very advanced stages of cancer featured a low GHS mean score of 52.2 (p<0.001). Conclusions: The present study identified many demographic and disease related factors which may contribute to the HRQoL of cancer patients, pointing to the necessity for improved management of disease symptoms and provision of psychological and financial support.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.532-539
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• 2018

This study is a descriptive study to analyze the hand washing practice of nurses working in clinic applying health belief model. This research involved 162 clinical nurse at G city. The data were collected from Sep 1, 2017 to Oct 31, 2017. The collected data were analyzed using an independent t-test, 1-way ANOVA, pearson's correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis, where p-values of <0.05 were considered statistically significant by using SPSS 20.0. The overall practice of hand washing by general subjects were high 3.1 in all subjects, but there was no statistically significant difference. Health beliefs about hand washing practice according to general characteristics showed significant difference in perceived benefits (p<0.05), and there was a significant difference in perceived benefits and perceived barriers in age(p<0.05). In regard to the correlation among the subfactor of health beliefs, benefits had a statistically significant negative correlation to barriers and, positively correlated to cues to action. The results of this study suggest that continuing education of infection management in hospitals considering health beliefs about proper hand washing training will enhance hand washing practice.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.566-574
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• 2006

Purpose : This study was performed to provide an anatomical information of the mandibular ramus for the successful inferior alveolar nerve block. Three dimensional images were reconstructed from the computerized tomography (CT) and the anatomical evaluation of the mandibular ramus was done. Materials and methods : Sixty-four patients who had been taken the facial CT scans from 2000, Jan to 2003, June was selected. The patients who had the anterior or posterior teeth misssing, edentulous ridge, and jaw fracture were excepted. In the occulusal plane, the lingual surface angle (LSA) between the mid-sagittal plane and the mandibular molar lingual surface from the 2nd premolar to the 2nd molar, the inner ramal surface angle (IRSA), the maximum inner ramal surface angle (MxIRSA), and the outer ramal surface angle (ORSA) to the-mid sagittal plane were measured. The inner ramal surface angle in the ligular tip level (IRSA-L) and the outer ramal surface angle in the ligular tip level (ORSA-L), the ramal length (RL), and the anterior ramal length (ARL) were also measured in the lingular tip level. Results : In the lingular tip level, the mean IRSA-L and ORSA-L were $28.6{\pm}6.3^{\circ}$ and $17.9{\pm}4.9^{\circ}$ respectively. The larger was the IRSA, the larger was the ORSA. In the lingular tip level, the mean ramal length was 35.8${\pm}$3.4 mm. The larger was the IRSA-L, the shorter was the ramal length. On the lingular tip level, the mean anterior ramal length from anterior ramus to lingular tip was 19.6${\pm}$3.3 mm. when the ramal length was longer, the anterior ramal length was also longer. On the lingular tip level, there was positive correlation vetween the IRSA and the ORSA, negative correlation between the IRSA and the ramal length, and positive correlation between the ramal length and the lingular tip level to the anterior ramus. There was no statistical meaning of data between sex and age. Conclusion : In the clinical view of the results so far achieved, if the direction of needle is closer to posterior it is able to contact bone on lingular tip when the internal surface of ramus is wided outer.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.122-133
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was to develop an effective process for fabricating biocompatible calcium phosphate powders (CPPs) using horse bones, and to investigate the characteristics of them. Methods: The characteristics of horse bone powders (HBPs) were investigated according to the different osseous tissue types (compact bone and cancellous bone), bone types (spine and tibia), pretreatment methods (cold water, $H_2O_2$, and hot water), sintering time (4, 8 and 12h), and sintering temperature (600, 900, 1100 and $1300^{\circ}C$). In addition, the grinding methods were compared based on the wet grinding (ball mill) and dry grinding (blade grinder) method to make it as powders. Finally, their cytotoxicity and cell viability were checked. Results: Regardless of the types of osseous tissues and bones, HBPs were well fabricated as biocompatible CPPs. It was also found that the pretreatment methods did not influence on the resultants, showing well-fabricated HBPs. Considering the processing time, the hot water method was the most suitable compared to other pretreatment methods. Further, 12h-sintering time was sufficient to remove residual organic compounds. The sintering temperatures greatly affected the properties of bone powders fabricated. The x-ray diffraction (XRD) peak of horse bone sintered at $600^{\circ}C$ was most closed to that of hydroxyapatite (HA). Our bioactivity study demonstrated that the HBPs fabricated by sintering horse bones at $1300^{\circ}C$ showed the best performance in terms of cell viability whereas the HBPs $1100^{\circ}C$ showed the cytotoxicity. Conclusions: Using various types of horse bone tissues, biocompatible CPPs were successfully developed. We conclude that the HBPs may have a great potential as biomaterials for various biological applications including bone tissue engineering.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.165-174
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• 2012

This study was conducted to develop Miscanthus as a new roughage resource for ruminant animals. Miscanthus sacchariflorus var. No 1, a newly developed germtype in Korea, was harvested at late maturity stage and its effect on rumen pH, ammonia nitrogen, gas production, volatile fatty acid (VFA) production and digestibility were evaluated using in vitro rumen fermentation. The effects of Miscanthus were compared with rice straw. Miscanthus showed significantly higher pH compared to rice straw (p<0.01). As for ammonia nitrogen, there was no significant difference after 12 h of incubation (p>0.05). Gas production in Miscanthus was significantly lower than that of rice straw in overall incubation time (p<0.05) after 6 h of incubation. In VFA production, acetate, propionate, butyrate, valerate and total VFA production in Miscanthus were lower than those in rice straw. However, production of iso-butyrate and iso-valerate were not different in between two forage materials. Dry matter digestibility of Miscanthus was significantly lower than rice straw (p<0.05) during 12~24 h of incubation. As a result, the availability of Miscanthus as roughage source showed approximately 80% that of rice straw.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.183-193
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• 1984

In this study lactating female rabbits and strains of coliforms previously isolated from the cases of acute and chronic mastitis in dairy cattle were employed. The pathological changes were observed on the mastitis experimentally induced with the coliform strains and the mamary glands after infusions of E. coli suspension together with dexamethasone, dextran iron or transferrin were grossly and microscopically observed. From the results reported, the following points are concluded. In the bacterial suspension-infused groups by E. coli, K. pneumoniae and Ent. aerogenes, respectively, the affected quarters of udder showed grossly swelling, hyperemia, hemorrhage, focal necrosis and firmness. The microscopic findings of early stage of the mastitis were appearance of large numbers of heterophils in the glandular lumina and ducts accompanied by degeneration, necrosis and desquamation of epithelial cells and also infiltration of heterophils, hemorrhage and edema in the interstitial tissue and destruction of alveoli. Later, proliferation of fibroblasts, plasma cells, lymphocytes, eosinophils and macrophages appeared in the glandular tissue and with these cells necrotic foci of glandular tissue were surrounded by highly proliferated connective tissue. In addition, granulomatous inflammatory changes could be observed in the glandular tissue from the 7th day after infusion. The difference of the inflammatory response among the groups did not recognized. In the groups infused with dexamethasone and E. coli suspension the inflammatory response was slighter at the inflammatory change with alveolar destruction and hemorrhage was more rapid and severer than E. coli alone. Also in the groups infused with dextran iron and E. coli suspension the inflammatory change was more rapid and severer than E. coli alone and the histological changes were not recognized in the groups infused with dextran iron alone. Reaction of the iron staining was diffusely strong positive within the glandular alveolar lumina in the groups of dextran iron alone, hut was slightly positive toward epithelial cells in the groups of dextran iron and E. coli infusion. In the group infused with transferrin and E. coli suspension, the inflammatory response was tighter, but the peroxidase activity of the heterophils in the glandular lumina was more or less stronger than E. coli alone.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.193-202
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• 2004

Distraction osteogenesis(DO) is defined as a gradual mechanical process of mechanical stretching two vascularized bone surface apart with a critical rate and rhythm such that new bone forms within the expanding gap, reliably bridges the gap, and ultimately remodels to normal structure. DO has become a mainstay in bone tissue engineering and has significantly improved our armamentarium for reconstructive craniomaxillofacial procedures. But the molecular and biological mechanisms that regulate the formation of new bone during distraction osteogenesis are not completely understood. BMPs are potent osteoinductive agents. Our hypothesis was that BMPs, especially BMP-2 and BMP-4, might play an importent role in the signaling pathways that link the mechanical forces created by distraction to biological responses and in promting new bone formation. Using a rabbit's mandible, we investigated the expression of BMP-2, -4 at different time points during distraction osteogenesis. The purpose of this study is to research the pattern of expression of BMP-2, -4 in new bone formation during distraction osteogenesis of the rabbit mandible. The experimental group was applied gradual distraction (0.7mm a day by twice a day, 4.9mm in total, for 7 days) and the control group was carried out osteotomy alone. They were examined clinically, histologically, and by RT-PCR analysis. On 3 days after osteotomy, the high level of expression of BMP-2, -4 was detected. But, the expression of BMP-4 was decreased during latency period. As distraction was started, its expression was increased and maintained till postoperative 28days. In control group, the expression of BMP-4was remarkably decreased till postoperative 14 days. On the other hand, the expression of BMP-2 was no difference between experimental group and control group. The expression of BMP-4 was maintanined at high level during the entire experimental period in both group. These findings suggested that excellent bone formation during distraction osteogenesis is associated with enhanced expression of BMP-4 genes by mechanical tension stress.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.99-107
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• 2008

Objective : The objective of this review was to provide reliable comparative results regarding the effectiveness of any interventions either open or closed that can be used in the management of fractured mandibular condyle Patients and Methods : Research of studies from MEDLINE and Cochrane since 1990 was done. Controlled vocabulary terms were used. MeSH Terms were "Mandibular condyle" AND "Fractures, bone". Only comparative study were considered in this review using the "limit" function. According to the criteria, two review authors independently assessed the abstracts of studies resulting from the searches. The studies were divided according to some criteria, and following were measured: Ramus height, condyle sagittal displacement, condyle Towns's image displacement, Maximum open length, Protrusion & Lateral excursion, TMJ pain, Malocclusion, and TMJ disorder. Results : Many studies were analyzed to review the post-operative result of the two methods of treatment. Ramus height decreased more in when treated by closed reduction as opposed to open reduction. Sagittal condyle displacement was shown to be greater in closed reduction. Condyle Town's image condyle displacement had greater values in closed reduction. Maximum open length showed lower values in closed reduction. In protrusive and lateral movement, closed reduction was less than ORIF. Closed reduction showed greater occurrence of malocclusion than ORIF. However, post-operative pain and discomfort was greater in ORIF. Conclusion : In almost all categories, ORIF showed better results than CRIF. However, the use of the open reduction method should be considered due to the potential surgical morbidity and increased hospitalization time and cost. To these days, Endoscopic surgical techniques for ORIF (EORIF) are now in their infancy with the specific aims of eliminating concern for damage to the facial nerve and of reducing or eliminating facial scars. Before performing any types of treatment, patients must be understood of both of the treatment methods, and the best treatment method should be taken on permission.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 2012

Purpose: The change of the marginal bone around dental implants have significance not only for the functional maintenance but also for the esthetic success of the implant. The purpose of this study was to investigate the load transfer of internal conical joint type implant according to marginal bone resorption by using the three-dimensional finite element analysis model. Materials and methods: The internal conical joint type system was selected as an experimental model. Finite element models of bone/implant/prosthesis complex were constructed. A load of 300 N was applied vertically beside 3 mm of implant axis. Results: The pattern of stress distribution according to marginal bone resorption was similar. The maximum equivalent stress of implant was increase according to marginal bone resorption and the largest maximum equivalent stress was shown at model of 1 mm marginal bone resorption. Although marginal bone loss more than 1mm was occurred increasing of stress, the width of the stress increase was decreasing. Conclusion: According to these results, the exposure of thin neck portion of internal conical joint type implant is most important factor in stress increasing.