• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.52 no.4
• /
• pp.376-384
• /
• 2002

Background : The mortality from acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS) in the late stage, which is characterized by progressive pulmonary fibroproliferation, is ${\geq}80%$. Although previous prospective trials failed to show a survival benefit of steroid therapy in early ARDS, recently, a few of reports have described the survival benefit of the long-term use of steroid in patients with late ARDS. In this study, we analyzed the effect of steroid therapy on patients with late ARDS retrospectively in a single. Medral intensive care unit (MICU). Methods : Over a 3-year period, the medical records of 48 ARDS patients who had been on mechanical ventilation more than 8 days were reviewed. 14 patients were treated by the long-term use of methylprednisolone and another 34 patients served as a control. Both groups were comparable regarding clinical and physiologic data lung injury score(LIS), multiple organ failure score, APACHE III and SAPS II score. Because steroid was instituted after 8 days of advanced mechanical ventilatory support in average, we arbitrarily defined the $8^{th}$ day of ARDS as first day of the study. Results : Initially, the groups had similar PF($PaO_2/FiO_2$) ratio, LIS, APACHE III and SAPS II score. By 7th day after the start of steroid therapy, there were significant improvements in PF ratio, LIS, APACHE III and SAPS II score. The mortality in the steroid treated group was significantly lower(42.9% vs 73.5%, p<0.05). Conclusion : Although the data of this study was retrospective and was not randomized, in order to improve the patient's outcomes, steroid therapy should be considered in late ARDS patients. However, prospective trials are needed to define the indication and the effect of steroid therapy in late ARDS.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.57 no.3
• /
• pp.226-233
• /
• 2004

Background : Interferon-gamma (IFN-${\gamma}$) is a critical cytokine in the defense against a Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Even though IFN-${\gamma}$ has occasionally been used in the treatment of refractory multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) with some promising results, there is still some controversy regarding the therapeutic efficacy of IFN-${\gamma}$. This study was performed to examine the effect of subcutaneous IFN-${\gamma}$ in the treatment of MDR-TB patients. Methods : Six patients with refractory MDR-TB were enrolled in this study. Two million IU of IFN-${\gamma}$ was administered subcutaneously three times a week with the concomitant administration of antituberculous drugs for at least for 28 weeks. During the IFN-${\gamma}$ therapy, the sputum smear and culture, radiological and clinical evaluations were performed every 4 weeks throughout the study period. Results : The mean age of the 6 patients was 37 years (ranges, 15-61 years). The drug susceptibility test to standard antituberculous drugs revealed resistance to an average of 6.8 (${\pm}1.2$) agents including isoniazid and rifampicin. An average of 10.8 (${\pm}1.3$) antituberculous drugs were prescribed before IFN-${\gamma}$ therapy. The culture became negative in 2 patients (33%) after initiating IFN-${\gamma}$ therapy; one at 8 weeks, and the other at 24 weeks. Finally, after stopping the IFN-${\gamma}$ therapy after 28 weeks, the culture became positive again in the two patients who were culture-negative. The other 4 patients who failed in the culture conversion are still on antituberculous treatment except for one who died of tuberculosis. Conclusion : Even though 28 weeks of subcutaneous IFN-${\gamma}$ therapy in combination with antituberculous drugs was successful in inducing the culture-negative conversion in some patients with refractory MDR-TB, the culture became positive again after stopping the IFN-${\gamma}$ therapy. This suggests that subcutaneous IFN-${\gamma}$ therapy may have suppressive effect on tuberculosis only during the IFN-${\gamma}$ therapy period in some patients. Further studies will be needed to determine the optimum dose, the administration route, the duration of therapy, and the predicting factors of the response to adjuvant IFN-${\gamma}$ therapy.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.59-70
• /
• 2020

This study was proceeded to empirically identify the start-up support policy as an element that affects the performance of the early start-ups and measure the effectiveness of the current start-up support policy, in order to suggest the direction future policies according to the study. To accomplish this the influence of the start-up support policy on the early start-ups was analyzed, and the differences according to the industry and growth stage of the start-ups, as the characteristics of the start-ups, were identified. The research subjects collected real data of 297 start-ups of the past three years that were selected for the Initial Start-Up Package project, and performed multiple regression analysis on the influence between variables, and hierarchical regression analysis on moderating effects. The summary of the study is as follows. First, as a result of identifying the influential relationship between the start-up support policy and the performance of the start-up, sales had made a significant impact on the start-up fund, start-up mentoring, and start-up infrastructure(space), while start-up education failed to show a significant effect on the increase in sales. In terms of employment, start-up mentoring was the only field that showed a significant influential relationship. Second, as a result of identifying the moderating effect of the start-up's industry and growth stage, the industry did not have a statistically significant influence, but the interactive effect was seen in start-up education. To be more specific in terms of the sales relationship of each industry, knowledge services turned out to be helpful in improving sales, while manufacturing turned out to be effective in improving sales regardless of being supported with start-up mentoring and start-up infrastructure (space). The sales relationship regarding the start-up growth stage was identified to be statistically significant. The preliminary stage was not statistically significant, while providing start-up mentoring and start-up funding were effective for start-up stage and growing stage, respectively. On the other hand, employment did not perform a significant influence on the start-up growth stage. This study analyzes the effectiveness the start-up support policy for early start-ups, identifies the need in differentiated support policies according to the characteristics of the start-ups, and suggests implications for the direction in which future policies should be made towards.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.1-30
• /
• 1994

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic systematic disease with unpredictable course of exacerbation and remission, characterized by pain, joint deformity and reduced activity by joint limitation. The growing public awareness of the need for health management of chronic illnesses, provides impetus for nursing to demonstrate social effectiveness by active nursing intervention in this vast area in general, and with rheumatoid condition in particular. However, nursing interventions to date have not demonstrated its active participation in the management of chronic conditions. Nursing intervention for the patients having rheumatoid arthritis is one such area that needs to be studied intensively and to demonstrate their effectiveness empirically. The purposes of this study were two fold : first, to develop a comprehensive program that was intensified with therapeutic joint exercises in water, self-help group activities and utilization of self-efficacy promoting strategies : and secondly, to determine the effect of aquatic exercise program on pain, physiological changes and quality of life in the rheumatoid arthritis patients. Thirty five female subjects participating in this study were selected from outpatients in the Rheumatism Center, Hanyang University hospital. The period of data collection was from December, 1992 to March, 1993 in seoul and Taejeon. Subjects in Taejeon were assigned to the experimental group. The comprehensive aquatic exercise program for the experimental group was carried out three times a week for 6 weeks in regular swimming pool. Subjects in Seoul did not participated in the program, and treated as the control group. Data were analyzed with repeated measure MANCOVA, t-test, ANCOVA, percentage of change, Kruskal-Wallis 1-Way ANOVA using SPSS $PC^+$ program. Results were obtained as follows : 1) Scores on Korean pain scale, Numeric pain score, and RAI score of the experimental group were significantly lower than those of the control group (t=2.11, p=0.022 ; F=4.40, p=0.044 : t=3.10, p=0.002). 2) There was significant improvement in the physiological parameters (higher joint movement parameters, F=15.64, p=0.024 ; higher lean body mass, percentage of change=+12.2, lower body weight, t=1.01, p=0.026 : lower ESR, t=1.69, p=0.001) in the experimental group compaired with subjects In the control group. 3) There was significant improvement in the specific self-efficacy score through the comprehensive aquatic exercise program(t=2.73, p=0.011), but not in the general self- efficacy score(t=0.62, p=0.113). 4) The quality of life failed to show significant improvement in the experimental group as compaired with the control group (F=3.69, p=0.064). 5) In the experimental group, findings from additional analysis showed no significant difference in the specific self-efficacy between those who continued to aquatic exercise after completing 6 week program and those who stopped (X2=0.086, p=0.690). Therefore, adherence to aquatic exercise program for 6 weeks seem to be affected mainly by self-help group activities. An indepth study to delve into articulation of mechanisms affecting the effect of aquatic exercise program be recommended. A further study is necessary to determine the difference in the effect of group and individual aquatic exercise program, to assess factors affecting adherence to exercise for an extended length of time.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
• /
• v.2 no.3
• /
• pp.33-60
• /
• 2007

This study alms to analyze the entrepreneur characteristics of founder on enterprise performance from the strategic viewpoint as well as features of founder of small firms such as background feature of founder, psychological features and management skill. As considered by Background features of founder include educational background of founder, his experience in business creation, consultation or course related to business creation. This study verified the effects of factor which business performance (financial, non financial) on small firms. Also, this study considered psychological features of founder include achievement desire, risk-free propensity, level of patience on vagueness and control position. And it analyzed that between such factors and performance of small firms were examined in related. In the mean time, management ability of founder, entrepreneur ability, technical and function ability were considered for management skill of founder and alalyzed effect of the factors on performance of small firm were examined. Effects of strategic intention of founder of small firm were analyzed by the strategic viewpoint. At this time, strategy of small firm was divided into product-service reform differentiation strategy, marketing differentiation strategy and cost leadership strategy. This study distributed questionnaire on CEO of small firms in Daejeon and Chungnam area for accomplish the study objective and it collected a total of 145 copies of questionnaires. As a result of analyzing collected questionnaire, this study deduced the following study results and suggestions. First, results different from those of existing studies were found Since sales, net income and profit rate of small firm were not high cause economic depression on the whole. Second, entrepreneur ability was found to be required for success of business creation. Entrepreneur ability of founder was the factor that affects both financial and non - financial performance of small firm. As such, entrepreneur ability can be regarded as the most important factor for success in business creation of small firm. Accordingly, entrepreneur ability is the most important source for success in business creation of small firm. Third, strategy of small firm was found to be the important factor that affects the non-financial performance even if it could not give significant effects on financial performance. Thus, product service reform differentiation strategy, marketing differentiation strategy and cost leadership strategy have significant effects on non - financial performance of small firm. Accordingly, it is required to operate small firm with strategic mind - set for small firm to achieve success. This study analyzed the effects of feature of founder and strategy of small firm on business performance of small firm through practical analysis on small firms in Daejeon and Chungnam area, and deduced meaningful results. However, Since this study collected data on small firms in Daejeon and Chungnam only, there is a limit in generalizing the results of this study to all small firms in Korea. Companies answering to this questionnaire process were mainly wholesale and retail service companies. In addition, there is a limit in that it failed to analyze feature of representative type of industry due to limit in number of sample, it is required to divide representative type of industry and to compare and analyze types of industry in future studies.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.383-393
• /
• 1974

The importance of the health care for the miners not only concerns the productivity of the enterprises but also as a fundamental human right, it has to be secured and protected by the society and the government. The Korean coal miners began to find their works at overseas since 1963 when the Korean government selected and dispatched its miners to West Germany. As years go by, the demand and the supply of the coal miners, the program of the coal miners health care became the important tasks to be solved and the further studies and research were necessary to support these tasks achievement. The writers made a statistical analysis on health status of the 1,559 Korean applicants applying for the coal miners in West Germany during the year of 1972 and 1973 by the using of the data of physical examination which were directed by the Korea Overseas Development Cooperation. The standard of physical examination which was applied for coal miners applying the jobs in West Germany was authorized by the Government Office of Labor in 1967. The results are as following; 1. The applicants were from the various provinces throughout Korea; Gang Weon 50.2%, Jeon-Nam 16.8%, Chung-Nam 13.7%, Gyeong-Nam 10.5%, City of Seoul 5.4%, and others 3.7%. 2. The ages of the applicants were from 20 to 44. The age group of 25-29(36.3%) and of 30-34(55.2%) together occupied the 91.5 per cent of the total applicants. 3. Among the 1,559 applicants 52.1 per cent passed the physical examinations. The tendency were shown that as the age increased, the passing rate decreased, and the married applicnts had lower passing rates compared to the unmarried applicants. 4. The height of the applicants averaged $168.4{\pm}4.74(cm)$ and the weight averaged $61.3{\pm}5.65(kg)$. 5. The average vision of the left eye of the applicants was $0.92{\pm}0.23$ and the right eye was $0.91{\pm}0.30$. 6. The mean value of the systolic blood pressure of the applicants was $145{\pm}13(mmHg)$ and the diastolic blood pressure was $85{\pm}8(mmHg)$. 7. Fifteen hundred and fifty-nine applicants were taken chest X-ray and 17.2 per cent were found abonrmal. For each 1,000 applicants, 46 Pulmonary calcification and fibrosis, 45 chronic bronchitis, 27 pleural thickening and adhesion, 20 pulmonary tuburculosis, 11 anomalies of the rib, 10 pulmonary infiltration and 21 others diseases were found. 8. Lumber X-ray examination showed that 23.9 per cent (372 applicants) were found abnormal. For each 1,000 applicants, 77 osteoarthritis, 56 lumbarization, 15 fracture of vertebrae, 15 spondyloarthritis, 14 deformity of vertebrae, 13 spina bifida, 12 sacralization, 12 spondylolysis, and 5 others diseases were found. 9. In total, 47.9 per cent of 1,559 applicants failed the physical examinations, and the main causes for the failure were shown to be 7.1% of anomalies of spine, 6.3% of osteoarthritis, 4.7% of pulmonary calcification and fibrosis, 4.6% of chronic brochitis, 3.6% of hypertension (only), 3.4% of fracture of vertebrae. 3.1% of underweight(under 57.0kg), 2.0% of spondyloarthritis, 2.0% oe pulmonary tuberculosis, 1.7% of pleurisy, 1.0% of spina bifida, 1.5% of syphilis, 1.5% of color blindess, and 1.0% of underheight(under 160.0cm).

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.53-58
• /
• 2013

Purpose: To optimize correction method for SPECT/CT, image quality consisting of resolution and contrast was evaluated using three radioisotopes ($^{99m}Tc$, $^{201}Tl$ and $^{131}I$) and three different correction methods; attenuation correction (AC), scatter correction (SC) and both attenuation and scatter correction (ACSC). Materials and Methods: Images were acquired with a SPECT/CT scanner and a conventional CT protocol with an OESM reconstruction algorithm (2 iterations and 10 subsets). For resolution measurement, fixed radioactivity (2.22 kBq) was infused into a spatial resolution phantom and full width at half maximum (FWHM) was measured using a vendor-provided software. For contrast evaluation, radioactive source with a ratio of 1:8 to background was filled in a Flanged Jaszczak phantom and percent contrast (%) were calculated. All the parameters for image quality were compared with non-correction (NC) method. Results: As compared with NC, image resolution of all three isotopes were significantly improved by AC and ACSC, not by SC. In particular, ACSC showed better resolution than AC alone for $^{99m}Tc$ and $^{201}Tl$. Image contrast of all three radioisotopes in a sphere with the largest diameter were enhanced by all correction methods. ACSC showed the highest contrast in all three radioisotopes, which was the most accurate in $^{99m}Tc$ (85.9%). Conclusion: Image quality of SPECT/CT was improved in all the radioisotopes by CT-based attenuation correction methods, except SC alone. SC failed to improve resolution in any radioisotopes, but it was effective in contrast enhancement. ACSC would be the best correction method as it improved resolution in radioisotopes with low energy levels and contrast in radioisotope with low energy levels. However, in radioisotope with high energy level, AC would be better than ACSC for resolution improvement.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.159-166
• /
• 2007

Objective: To investigate whether semen parameters in infertile couples who undergone intrauterine insemination (IUI) change in the subsequent IUI cycle and the subsequent in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle. Methods: Fifty-three infertile couples who had failed to become pregnant after the first IUI cycle with computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) were included. After the first IUI, thirty-eight couples underwent the second IUI (Group 1), and fifteen underwent IVF-ET procedure (Group 2). All semen parameters including semen volume, concentration, motility and total motile sperm count were analyzed in the second IUI or IVF-ET procedure for comparison with the result of first IUI. Results: There were no significant differences in husband age, interval between the first and second procedure and cause of infertility. In Group 1, only sperm motility at the time of the latter IUI was significantly decreased when compared to the former IUI irrespective of the first semen parameters. In Group 2, sperm concentration, motility and total motile sperm count at the time of subsequent IVF were lower than the former IUI. By sub-analyses of Group 2, in the group of optimal semen parameter at IUI cycle, sperm concentration and total motile sperm count at the time of subsequent IVF were lower than the former IUI, while in the group of suboptimal semen parameter at IUI cycle, only sperm motility at the time of subsequent IVF were lower than the former IUI. Conclusion: The semen parameters in couples converted to IVF cycle were more adversely affected than those remained in IUI cycle. Further study on psychological stress should be necessary to explain the reason.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.120-132
• /
• 1984

In order to clarify the effect of the fish meat hydrolysate on the growth of lactic acid bacteria(Str. lactis, Str. thermophibus, L. bulgaricus, L. acidophilus, and L. helveticus), the optimum conditions for hydrolyzing the fish meat were examined, and changes of the acid production, viable cell count of lactic acid bacteria and the charge of pH of the culture medium by addition of the fish meat hydrolysate were tested. The results were as follows: 1. When the hydrolysis of back muscle of mackerel was proceeded at $50^{\circ}C$ and at pH 8, for 48 hours adding 6% pancreatin of the protein content in the substrate, the best result was obtained. 2. The composition of the fish meat hydrolysate were 53.6% moisture, 32.4% protein, 1.0% fat, 10.7% carbohydrate, and 3.2% ash. 3. Above 0.1% of the fish meat hydrolysate in the culture medium, the acidity of the culture medium by Sir. lactis and Str. thermophilus were increased remarkably. The acidity of the culture medium by L. acidophilus and L. helveticus were increased in above 0.2% fish meat hydrolysate in the culture medium. but L. bulgaricus was not effected by the fish meat hydrolysate. 4. The pH of the culture medium during incubating Str. laclis and Sir. thermophilus failed obviously by adding the fish meat hydrolysate. But in the cases of L. bulgaricus, L. acidophilus, and L. helveticus, the pH were not changed clearly. 5. The viable cell count in all bacterial strains tested here were elevated by increasing the concentration of the fish meat hydrolysate.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
• /
• v.55 no.1
• /
• pp.35-43
• /
• 2016

The temperature-dependent development of Metcalfa pruinosa overwintering eggs was investigated at ten constant temperatures (12.5, 15, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 25, 27.5, 30, 32.5, and $35{\pm}1^{\circ}C$, Relative Humidity 20~30%). All individuals collected before April 13, 2012 failed to develop into first instar larvae. In contrast, some individuals that were collected on April 11, 2013 successfully developed when reared under $20{\sim}32.5^{\circ}C$ temperature regimes. The developmental duration was shortest at $30^{\circ}C$ (13.3 days) and longest at $15^{\circ}C$ (49.6 days) in the fourth collected colony (April 26 2013). Developmental duration decreased with increasing temperature up to $30^{\circ}C$ and development was retarded at high-temperature regimes ($32.5^{\circ}C$). The lower developmental threshold was $10.1^{\circ}C$ and the thermal constant required to complete egg overwintering was 252DD. The Lactin 2 model provided the best statistical description of the relationship between temperature and the developmental rate of M. pruinosa overwintering eggs ($r^2=0.99$). The distribution of the developmental completion of overwintering eggs was well described by the 2-parameter Weibull function ($r^2=0.92$) based on the standardized development duration. However, the estimated cumulative 50% spring emergence dates of overwintering eggs were best predicted by poikilotherm rate model combined with the 2-parameter Weibull model (average difference of 1.7days between observed and estimated dates).