• Title/Summary/Keyword: Health impairment

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Organic Solvent Exposure of Thinner-Using Occupation and Its Treatment by Means of $TiO_2$ Photocatalyst (신너사용 작업장의 유기용제 노출 및 $TiO_2$ 광촉매를 이용한 BTX처리에 관한 연구)

  • 양원호;김현용;손부순;박종안
    • Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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    • v.17 no.2
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    • pp.26-33
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    • 2002
  • Ultimate objective of industrial hygiene is the prevention of health impairment that may result from exposure to chemicals at workplace. Workers in solvent thinner-using occupation environment may be highly exposed to VOCs (volatile organic compounds) because solvent thinner has been used extensively such as painting, spraying, degreasing, coating and so on in Korea. The purpose of this study was to recognize, evaluate, and propose the control methods of VOCs from solvent thinner-using workplace. Five target volatile organic compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, and m-xylene) were monitored in H company of Shiwa Industrial Complex and analyzed in perosnal, occupational indoor and outdoor during working hours simultaneously. Engineering control such as local ventilation should be made in considering the long-term exposure, though measured VOCs concentration did not exceed the workplace exposure standards. In addition, air cleaning device should be installed in local ventilation because Shiwa Industrial Complex has had the serious ambient air pollution. Currently, environmental purification using $TiO_2$ photocatalyst have attracted a great deal of attention with increasing number of recent environmental problems. In this study, $TiO_2$ sol coated on the ceramic bead was prepared by sol-gel method and the photodegradation of target compounds was investigated in gas phase by the exposure to UV-A lamp(365nm) in a batch system.

Nutrition and Brain Development (영양과 두뇌발달)

  • Leekim, Yang-Cha
    • Journal of Nutrition and Health
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    • v.10 no.2
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    • pp.5-11
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    • 1977
  • The mature human braun contains over 10 billion nerve cells (neurons), whose functions are directly related to the acquisition, transfer, processing, analysis, and utilization of all the information. There are also billions of glial cells, which serve primarily to support and to maintain the integrity of the neuron network and to synthesize an essential fatty strucfure, myelin. In the human brain DNA content therefore cell number rises rapidly until birth and then more slowly until $5{\sim}6$ months of age, when it reaches a maximum. While glial cells may be replaced, the more important nerve cell neurons can never be replaced once they are formed. Humans are born with their full complement of neurons and every neuron is as old as each individual. Thus prenatal malnutrition can seriously affect a person's entire life by severely inhibiting the production of neurons before birth.It has been demonstrated that in humans severe malnutrition during the fetal period and in infancy is associated with intellectual impairment. Severely malnourished children have brains smaller than average size and have been found to have $15{\sim}20%$ fewer brain cells than wellnourished childen. There is growing body of literature pointing to malnutrition as a cause of abnormal behavior as evidence that suggests these abnormalities may produce chromosomal damage that may persist forever. Although cognitive development in children is affected by multiple environmental factors, nutrition certainly deaerves more attention than it has received.

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Cognitive Function of the Urban Elderly (도시 노인의 인지기능)

  • So, Hee-Young;Ju, Kyong-Ok;Jung, Mi-Ha;Kim, Hae-Young
    • The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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    • v.7 no.2
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    • pp.179-187
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    • 2004
  • Purpose: This study was performed to assess the degree of cognitive function of elderly by MMSE-K performances and of that effect. Method: The subjects were 185 aged over 65 in Daejeon Metropolitan city. Data were collected through personal interview using the questionnaire from 10 to 31, Jan. 2003. The measures were Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination(MMSE-K). Results: The mean score of MMSE-K was $22.60{\pm}5.39$. The prevalence of cognitive impairment was estimated as 48.6% by MMSE-K ${\leq}23$ and significantly age, gender, and education effect. The subtype score of MMSE-K were significantly lower in female group in each items : orientation in time and place, attention/calculation, language except registration and recall. And the scores were significantly lower in the older group and non-educated group in the all items of MMSE-K. Conclusion: Gender, age, and education showed significant effects on total and subtype MMSE-K score. Cognitive function decline were higher in female, older age group, and non-educated group. Therefore, those three factors are thought to be one of important risk factors for development of dementia, also it is assumed to be affected by other variables than age, gender, education effect.

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Ocular Complication and Dimension in Leprosy Patients (나환자의 눈합병증과 외부측정)

  • Kim, Changsik
    • Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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    • v.3 no.1
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    • pp.137-143
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    • 1998
  • The measurement of the inter outer canthal distance(IOCD), inter inner canthal distance(IICD), width palpebral fissure (WPF) and distribution of cataract, corneal abnormality and palpebral abnormality-were followed in III Korean in leprosy patient. The average dimension of IOCD was in male 89.9 mm and in female 88.4 mm, IICD were in male 36.9 mm and female 35.8 mm, and LPF was in male 52.9 mm, female 52.6 mm. The IOCD and LPF were decreased but IICD was not 29.7%, palpebral abnormality was 19.4% and corneal abnormality was 37.8%. These data were not changed by sex but increased by age. So the causes of visual impairment int the disease were corneal abnormalities that were the most common complications.

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Virtual Reality Community Gait Training Using a 360° Image Improves Gait Ability in Chronic Stroke Patients

  • Kim, Myung-Joon
    • The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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    • v.32 no.3
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    • pp.185-190
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    • 2020
  • Purpose: Gait and cognitive impairment in stroke patients exacerbate fall risk and mobility difficulties during multi-task walking. Virtual reality can provide interesting and challenging training in a community setting. This study evaluated the effect of community-based virtual reality gait training (VRGT) using a 360-degree image on the gait ability of chronic stroke patients. Methods: Forty-five chronic stroke patients who were admitted to a rehabilitation hospital participated in this study. Patients meeting the selection criteria were randomly divided into a VRGT group (n=23) and a control group (n=22). Both these groups received general rehabilitation. The VRGT group was evaluated using a 360-degree image that was recorded for 50 minutes a day, 5 days per week for a total of 6 weeks after their training. The control group received general treadmill training for the same amount of time as that of the VRGT group. The improvement in the spatiotemporal parameters of gait was evaluated using a gait analyzer system before and after training. Results: The spatiotemporal gait parameters showed significant improvements in both groups compare with the baseline measurements (p<0.05), and the VRGT group showed more improvement than the control group (p<0.05). Conclusion: Community-based VRGT has been shown to improve the walking ability of chronic stroke patients and is expected to be used in rehabilitation of stroke patients in the future.

Effects of lead on ATPase activity in the sciatic nerve of Sprague-Dawley rat (랫드의 대퇴 신경중 ATPase 효소활성에 미치는 납의 영향)

  • 정명규
    • Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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    • v.9 no.1_2
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    • pp.1-8
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    • 1994
  • Nerve conduction impairment in lead neuropathy has been empirically linked to altered nerve myo-inositol metabolism. In most cases of neuropathy, abnormal myo-inositol metabolism is associated with abnormal $Na^+/K^+$ATPase provides a potential mechanism to relate defects of the myo-inositol metabolism in the peripheral nerve treated with lead. Therefore, the effect of lead on the rat sciatic nerve $Na^+/K^+$ATPase and other ATPase of sciatic nerve was studied. ATPase activity was measured enzymatically in sciatic nerve homogenates from 2-wk lead treated neuropathy rats and age-mached controls administered myo-inositol. $Na^+/K^+$ATPase components were assessed by ouabain inhibition or the omission of sodium and potassium ions. Lead reduced 50% reduction in the $Na^+/K^+$ATPase activity in homogenates of sciatic nerve. The 50% reduction in the $Na^+/K^+$ ATPase activity was selectively prevented by myo-inositol treatment. This study suggests that the toxic mechanism of the lead on peripheral nerve may be through reduction in $Na^+/K^+$ATPase activity which has been linked to axonal transport slowing in the rat model of lead neuropathy, via direct changes by the perturbation of the intracelluar sodium or potasium level.

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Computer Models on Oxygenation Process in the Pulmonary Circulation by Gas Diffusion

  • Chang, Keun-Shik;Bae, Hwang
    • International Journal of Vascular Biomedical Engineering
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    • v.4 no.1
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    • pp.9-16
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    • 2006
  • In this article we introduce computer models that have been developed in the past to determine the concentration of metabolic gases, the oxygen and carbon dioxide, along the pulmonary circulation. The terminal concentration of these gases in the arterial blood is related with the total change of the partial pressure of the same gases in the alveoli for the time beginning with inspiration and ending with expiration. It is affected not only by the ventilation-perfusion ratio and the gas diffusion capacity of the lung membrane but also by the pulmonary defect such as shunt, dead space, diffusion impairment and ventilation-perfusion mismatch. Some pathological pulmonary symptoms such as ARDS and CDPD can be understood through the mathematical models of these pulmonary dysfunctions. Quantitative study on the blood oxygenation process using various computer models is therefore of foremost importance in order to monitor not only the pulmonary health but also the cardiac output and cell metabolism. Reviewed in this paper include the basic and advanced methods that enable numerical study on the gas exchange and on the arterial oxygenation process, which might depend on the various heart and lung physiological conditions listed above.

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Self-Care in Elders with Dementia: A Concept Analysis

  • Yeom Hye-A
    • Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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    • v.34 no.8
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    • pp.1402-1408
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    • 2004
  • Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the concept of self-care in elders with dementia through a review of nursing literature and to provide more understanding of the definition and perspectives of the concept of self-care notion in elders with dementia. Methods: The technique developed by Walker and Avant was used as a guide in analyzing the concept of self-care. Results: Attributes of self-care in dementia may include a single or group of actions needed for sustaining life, a personal effort to maintain functional independence while minimizing other's assistance, an outcome behavior from the person's interaction with inter-personal and/or contextual environment, and a functional ability that may decline in parallel to cognitive impairment. Antecedents of self-care in dementia may include at least presence of a certain degree of cognitive appraisal for the self-care needs, self-willingness for the self-care action, spatial and visual orientation, cultural pre-conception of the self-care behavior, presence of environmental context/equipment available for self-care, and sufficient time available. The consequences may include sustaining of life, feel of satisfaction, achieving independence, extended life expectancy, increased self-confidence, decreased caregiver distress and/or burden, savings in health care costs. Discussion: Defining attributes and antecedents and consequences of self-care in dementia identified in this study provided empirical ground of a middle-range theory of self-care for a clinical population with dementia and generated possible hypotheses to be tested in future studies.

The Effects of Visual and Tactile Feedback on Quadriceps Isometric Exercise (시·촉각 되먹임이 넙다리네갈래근 등척성 운동에 미치는 영향)

  • Lee, Su-Young;Jung, Young-Jong
    • Physical Therapy Korea
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    • v.8 no.3
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    • pp.27-34
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    • 2001
  • Physical therapists have been using biofeedback training to induce improvements in various circumstances. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of visual and tactile feedback using electrical stimulation on quadriceps strength. Nineteen women without known impairment of the neuromusculoskeletal system volunteered for this study. Subjects were randomly allocated into three groups: visual feedback, tactile feedback, and control group. The torque of isometric knee extension force was measured. Subjects were asked to exert the maximal isometric contraction force of quadriceps over a 30 second period. The resting period of 10 minutes was given after the maximal isometric contraction to avoid the muscle fatigue. In between groups comparison, significant differences of the peak torque and the torque area were found on the performance of the maximal isometric contraction of quadriceps (p<.05). The values peak of torque and torque area were significantly higher during visual feedback than tactile feedback. The results of this study suggest that visual feedback is more powerful than tactile feedback (p<.01).

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Respiratory syncytial virus infection in children with congenital heart disease: global data and interim results of Korean RSV-CHD survey

  • Jung, Jo-Won
    • Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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    • v.54 no.5
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    • pp.192-196
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    • 2011
  • Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a main cause of hospitalization for bronchiolitis and pneumonia in infants worldwide. Children with hemodynamically significant congenital heart disease (HS-CHD), as well as premature infants are at high risk for severe RSV diseases. Mortality rates for CHD patients hospitalized with RSV have been reported as about 24 times higher compared with those without RSV infection. Recently with advances in intensive care, mortality rates in CHD patients combined with RSV have decreased below 2%. The requirements of intensive care and mechanical ventilation for CHD patients with RSV infection were still higher than those without RSV infection or with non-CHD children. RSV infection has frequently threatened CHD infants with congestive heart failure, cyanosis, or with pulmonary hypertension. As a progressive RSV pneumonitis in those infants develops, the impairment of oxygen uptake, the breathing workload gradually increases and eventually causes to significant pulmonary hypertension, even after the operation. Preventing RSV infection as much as possible is very important, especially in infants with HS-CHD. A humanized monoclonal antibody, palivizumab, has effective in preventing severe RSV disease in high-risk infants, and progressive advances in supportive care including pulmonary vasodilator have dramatically decreased the mortality (<1%). Depending on the global trend, Korean Health Insurance guidelines have approved the use of palivizumab in children <1 year of age with HS-CHD since 2009. Korean data are collected for RSV prophylaxis in infants with CHD.