• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.223-232
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• 2012

Objectives: The objective of this study was to identify the relationship between fish consumption and blood mercury levels in a sample of adult Koreans. Methods: The study subjects were 299 residents of Busan (male: 65, female: 234) and 185 residents of Namhae (male: 69, female: 116), South Korea. Demographic characteristics, current smoking, current drinking, fish consumption per week, past history of amalgam treatment, and residential district were recorded by trained interviewers in June and July, 2009. We considered a portion of fish to be equivalent to 70 gm weight, and calculated amounts of fish consumed per week. Using chi-square tests, t-tests, ANOVA, and multiple linear regression analysis, we estimated the relationships between blood mercury levels and amount of fish consumed per week and other factors. Results: The mean blood mercury level of our subjects was 6.61 ${\mu}g/L$, higher than the criterion defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (5.8 ${\mu}g/L$). In multiple linear regression analysis, residential district and amount of fish consumed per week were associated with blood mercury levels. However, marital status, current drinking, and gender, and age were not associated with blood mercury levels. Conclusions: In conclusion, we suggest the implementation of systematic and periodic population-based studies to decrease the risks of mercury poisoning among South Koreans who consume fish as a regular part of the diet.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.126-132
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• 1999

Objectives: The purposes of this study were to investigate 1) the incidence of insomnia, 2) the clinical characteristics of the insomniacs, 3) the correlation of severity of insomnia with somatic complaints and psychological distresses, and 4) the beliefs and attitudes about sleep in patients with chronic renal failure on hemodialysis. Methods: The author evaluated 153 patients, receiving hemodialysis therapy at the four outpatients hemodialysis units in Pusan, Korea. The patients had completed a self-administered questionnaire package, which consisted of basic demographic findings, questions characterizing insomnia, Beck Depression Inventory(BDI), Spielburger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory(STAI), and visual analogue scales measuring quantitatively the severity of the self-perceived psychological and somatic symptoms. And several laboratory data were collected. Diagnosis of insomnia was made in the base of insomnia criteria of DSM-IV and international classification of sleep disorders. Subjects were dichotomized into those who reported any characteristics of insomnia or those who had no insomnia during the preceding two weeks. Results: Insomnia was found in 100(65.4%) of 153 patients. No statistical differences were found between the patients with and without insomnia in terms of age, gender, education, marital status, mean duration of hemodialysis and all considered laboratory findings except serum albumin. The patients with insomnia had significantly higher BDI score and predialysis systolic blood pressure, and lower serum albumin as compared to non-insomnia group. Significant differences were found between two groups in terms of self-perceived distress such as sadness, anxiety, worry, pruritus, and dysfunction of daily life. The data showed statistically significant correlation between insomnia severity and some variables such as physical dysfunction, pruritus, bone pain, sadness, anxiety, worry, dysfunction of daily life and excessive daytime sleepiness. The patients with insomnia had significantly several dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep than those without insomnia. Conclusion: These results indicate that insomnia is very common in hemodialysis patients and likely contribute to the impaired quality of life experienced by many these patients. The author suggests that physical and psychological distresses would be reduced and the quality of life could be improved if their sleep disturbances are properly ameliorated in patients on hemodialysis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.359-366
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• 2005

Background : IGFBP-3 inhibits the mitogenic and anti-apoptotic activity of IGF by blocking the binding of IGF to its receptor. However, under certain circumstances, IGFBP-3 can enhance the activity of IGF by protecting IGF from its degradation. More than half of the interindividual variations in IGFBP-3 levels are known to be genetically determined by the polymorphism at -202 locus of IGFBP-3 gene. Method : We attempted to ascertain whether A-202C polymorphic variation of IGFBP-3 gene constitutes a risk factor for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Our study included 104 NSCLC patients and 104 age-, gender-, and smoking status-matched control subjects. Result : In the 104 NSCLC subjects, the genotypic frequencies at the -202 site were as follows: AA = 67 (64.4%), AC = 35 (33.7%), and CC = 2 (1.9%). We did detect significant differences in the genotypic distribution between the NSCLC and the control subjects (p<0.05), and the NSCLC risk correlated significantly with AA genotype at the -202 locus (AA>AC>CC). Using CC genotype as a reference, the odds ratio (OR) for the subjects with AC genotype was 2.60 (95% CI: 0.89 - 8.60), and the OR associated with AA genotype was 5.89 (95% CI: 1.92 - 21.16). Conclusion : These results indicate that the dysregulation of IGF axis should now be considered as another important risk factor for NSCLC, and a potential target for novel antineoplastic therapies and/or preventative strategies in high-risk groups.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.367-374
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• 2005

Background : The fact that only 10-20% of chronic cigarette smokers develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) reflects the presence of genetic factors associated with the susceptibility to COPD. Recently, it was reported that the surfactant protein A increases the secretion of matrix metalloprotease 9, which degrades extracellular matrices of the lung, through a Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2). In this context, possible role of TLR2 in the pathogenesis of COPD was postulated, and a functional dinucleotide repeat polymorphism in intron II of TLR2 was evaluated for any association with COPD. Method : Male patients with COPD and male smokers with a normal pulmonary function were enrolled in this study. The number of Guanine-Thymine repeats in intron II of the TLR2 gene were counted. Because the distributions of the repeats were trimodal, the alleles were classified into three subclasses, 12-16 repeats: short (S) alleles; 17-22 repeats: medium length (M) alleles; and 23-27 repeats: long (L) alleles. Result : 125 male patients with COPD and 144 age- and gender-matched blood donors with a normal lung function were enrolled. There were no differences in the distribution of each allele subclass (S, M and L) between the COPD and control group (p=0.75). The frequencies of the genotypes with and without each allele subclass in the COPD and control group were similar. Conclusion : A microsatellite polymorphism in intron II of TLR2 gene was not associated with the development of COPD in Koreans.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.124-138
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• 2010

This study aims to investigate the effect of hotel and restaurant employees' eating habits on their dining-out behavior. 309 workers from die hotel and restaurant companies participated in the survey, and SPSS 14.0 was used to perform frequency analyses, factor analyses, f-tests, ANOVA and multiple regression analyses. An exploratory factor analysis revealed three eating habits; unhealthy, healthy and ideal eating habits with 62.250% of the cumulative variance explained. The factor analysis included the priority on menu items, atmosphere and location of a restaurant with 60.658% of the total variance explained The results of the t-tests gave partial supports for the hypothesized gender difference in eating habits and for the hypothesis that eating habits would differ according to marital status. The result of ANOVA gave a partial support for die hypothesized age difference in eating habits. The result of the multiple regression analysis showed that all eating habits, unhealthy($\beta$=0.326, p<0.000), healthy($\beta$=0.290, p<0.000) and ideal($\beta$=0.305, p<0.000), had a significant effect on the priority on menu items. Eating habits explained 13.1% of die total variance in the importance of restaurant atmosphere and location. The influence of unhealthy eating habits was not statistically significant ($\beta$=0.002, p<0.965) while the influence of healthy($\beta$=0.309, p<0.000) and ideal eating habits($\beta$=0.189, p<0.000) was statistically significant Consequently, there was a partial support for the hypothesis that eating habits would influence die priority of restaurant atmosphere and location as a factor when dining out.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.45-57
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• 1996

A serious disease in a family influences the entire family member given the fact that the members closely interact with each other. Especially in terms of pediatric nursing, study on family gains importance as the need to care of families whose children with developmental disabilities and chronic disease This study was done based on The Resiliency Model of Family Adjustment and Adaptation(McCubbin, 1991) is intended to examine the stress of parents whose children suffer from cleft lip or /and cleft palate. It also helps them to cope with the stress and analyze the relationship between the stress and coping This study used Family Inventory of Life Events and Changes (FILE) and Coping Health Inventory for Parents(CHIP) for measuring family stress and coping. The two instruments are revised to fit the social and cultural environment of Korean culture. Data collection was done from April 18, 1996 to May 18, 1996 at 8 University medical centers located in Seoul. Those who answered questionnaires were 84 parents whose children have cleft lip or /and cleft palate. SPSS PC+ was used to analyze the data collotted. Programs used for data analysis were t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient. The study is summarized as follows .1. The average score of family stress is 10.46(percentage of the full score 24.90) and 'finance and business strains'(3.25), and 'intrafamily strains'(2.65) ranked the highest. The average score of family's coping is 1.93, which is close to the answer of' moderately helpful' and they are measured to put their utmost efforts to' intergration and cooperation of family and optimistic definition on the situation'. 2. There is no significant statistical correlation between the family stress and coping. 3. Mothers show more stress than fathers in the parts of 'illness and family care strains' and 'losses'(t〓-2.34, t〓-2.32, p<.05). 4. Fathers show more willingness to cope with the stress than mothers do in the parts of' seeking social support','self-esteem','emotional comfort' 5. Mothers are more stress than fathers in the parts of family stress and its coping with it by usual traits(t〓-2.78, p<.05). Parents with religion are measured to cope more willingly than those who are not 6. Income of a family shows positive correlationship with family coping (r〓.28, p<.05). The study shows that gender difference is significant variable in studying on family stress and coping. Mothers get more stress than fathers, which has much to do with the fact that they are in charge of raising children and keeping houseworks. Accordingly, managing family crisis and its survival can be induced by giving support for the mothers, studying fathers including the rest of the family members and giving nursing care and arbitration ; religious background is also considered to be one of the important factors in family stress , judging from the relationship between family income and family's coping, caring given to suffering children is needed on societal levels. The above considerations bring up the need to have a longitudinal study of children with congenital anomaly including cleft lip or /and cleft palate and their families about family stress and coping. Resiliency programs on family system and their effectiveness and the relationship between the enlarged families with social and cultural values reflecting Korean tradition are also needed to be studied.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.8
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• pp.911-920
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• 2016

Norovirus is the most common causative agent of acute gastroenteritis. This study was carried out to investigate molecular epidemiology of norovirus infections from outbreaks in Busan from 2012 to 2015. Total of 581 stool specimens were collected from diarrhea patients in outbreaks in Busan, 71 samples were resulted in positive to norovirus. The data were analyzed according to seasonality, patient, age and gender. Noroviruses were detected most frequently during the winter season from November (25.4%) to February (28.2%). The age group from teens was the most susceptible to norovirus infections. To obtain the molecular genetic information of norovirus, we performed sequencing analyses of the strains detected. Norovirus genotypes have been reported to show high genetic diversity. Four kinds of GI genotypes (GI-1, GI-2, GI-3, GI-5) and five kinds of GII genotypes (GII-1, GII-4, GII-5, GII-6, GII-17) were indentified in outbreaks in Busan. Other previous studies have shown that GII-4 is the most predominant circulating in Korea and worldwide. The most prevalent norovirus genotypes of each year were GII-6 in 2012, GII-6 in 2013, GII-4 in 2014 and GII-6 in 2015. Except for 2014, GII-6 genotype was the most prevalent and predominant in Busan. We described the epidemiological analysis of the noroviruses in outbreaks in Busan. The result of this study will contribute to update the epidemiological data and improve hygiene and public health via sustainable surveillance.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.29-49
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to look at families as presented on the technology-home economics subject of middle school. To do this, I analyzed the 2007 revised curriculum of the technology-home economics subject, 'Changing Families,' in 11 technology-home economics textbooks (8th grade). The findings are as follows. First, family-related chapters are expanded compared with the previous curriculum in the 2007 revised curriculum. In addition, the new version emphasizes understanding and acceptance of change in families to improve the family life of adolescents. Second, in the 11 types of technology-home economics textbooks, the focusing was on the meaning of the family, the family structure, the function of the family, family roles and family values. There were also no major differences in the aspect of development. Third, in the technology-home economics textbooks, the family was defined as the 'basic group of society', 'a group composed by blood relationships, marriage and adoption', 'an affective group' and 'cohabiting group'. At the same time, there were many cases in which the description of the family was overly romanticized. Such a description of the family does not match the individual family experience of an adolescent. Fourth, all of textbooks dealt with the diversity of the family structure, such as single-parent families, remarriages families, and multi-cultural families. However, the structural characteristics and problems with these types of families are excessively emphasized, which can result in students having stereotypical images of specific family types. Fifth, the explanation of the function of the family was similar among textbooks. The importance of intergenerational cooperation and gender equality was also emphasized. However, such a concept is not considered as proper in a modern society. Thus, the description of a family based on the nuclear family should be sublated. In addition, the explanation of families overall should be developed in such a way that adolescents can interpret their own family experience rather than as an enlightening declaration of the family which disregards the dynamic relationships individual families actually experience.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.223-237
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• 2008

The purpose of this research was to provide the information needed for improving the contents in housing unit of middle school technology and home economic textbook. For this purpose, a survey questionnaire was developed to examine teachers' importance perception of 48 contents in housing unit. A direct survey and an e-mail survey were used to collect data from teachers, and a total number of 233 data were analyzed. Conclusions were summarized as following: 1. Among the 48 contents in housing unit, the average score of teachers' importance perception of the 18 contents on 'interior environment and equipments' was 3.94; the average score of teachers' importance perception of the 15 contents on 'living space plan and use' was 3.78; and the average score of teachers'importance perception of the 15 content on 'housing maintenance and repair' was 3.42. Therefore, the 15 contents on 'housing maintenance and repair' must be revised. 2. Teachers' importance perception of 25 contents, among the 48 contents in housing unit, were significantly differentiated by gender, age, teaching experience, scholastic attainment, subject in charge(technology, home economics, technology and home economics), school type(boys' middle school, girls' middle school, coeducation), and region(city, county). Therefore, the 25 contents, of which importance perception were influenced by teachers' characteristics, must be revised in order to maintain the consistent importance perception. Suggestions were that the team teaching of technology and home economic textbook was more recommendable; that the local situations must be considered in the contents of housing unit and; that the contents of housing unit must be segmented into a minimum unit for the accurate evaluation.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.1-17
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• 2008

This study aimed at promoting interests and concerns about adolescents' behavior problems and inducing efforts for various preventive and therapeutic solutions by examining the relations of adolescents' family system types, school adjustment, and behavior problems. The subjects of this study were 1,444 middle school students who reside in Seoul and 1,382(male adolescents 747, female adolescents 635) self reported questionnaires were used for final analysis. The result of this study are as follows. First, female adolescents were experiencing more internalizing behavior problems than male adolescents. The gender difference must be considered in the prevention and solution of the behavior problems. Second, the level of adolescents' school adjustment in the maladjusted family type was the lowest, and the level of adolescents' school adjustment in the adjusted family type was the highest. Improving the level of the family functioning can effectively increase the level of the school life the most behavior problems, and those of the adjusted family type were adaptability. Third, adolescents of the maladjusted family type were experiencing the most behavior problems, and those of the adjusted family type were experiencing the least behavior problems. Fourth, if adolescents' school adjustment was in the high level, adolescents were experiencing the lower behavior problems. Therefore, developing educational and counseling programs that can constantly observe adolescents' school adjustment and improve maladjustment problems is adolescents' school adjustment and behavior problems in all family system types. Specially, the negative correlation between male adolescents' school adjustment and externalizing behavior problems and the negative correlation between female adolescents' school adjustment and internalizing behavior problems were higher in the maladjusted family type and middle-adjusted family than in the adjusted family.