• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2007

Recently, implantable middle ear hearing devices (IMEHDs) have been developed to overcome the problems of conventional hearing aids. In this paper, a piezoelectric floating mass transducer (PFMT) based on a PZT multi-layered actuator has been designed and implemented using the approximated mechanical vibration modeling for the PFMT and the analysis of vibration characteristics through the transformation into the equivalent electrical model. The implemented PFMT has been attached to the ossicle of a human cadaver's temporal bone and the in-vitro experiment has been performed. Through the experimental results, it has been verified that the PFMT applied into our developed implantable middle ear hearing device can be used for an IMEHD transducer.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.107-127
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to examine demographic characteristics, psychological characteristics and patterns of supportive relationships with their children that affect the successful lives of the elderly. A survey was conducted of 410 people aged between 65 and 85, and 405 samples were used for the analysis. First, the supportive relation between the elderly and their children was categorized into four groups depending on the total amount and direction of support. The four groups consisted of the elderly who exchanged little or no support, those who only received support from their children, those who only gave support, and those who both gave and received support. Second, the more the elderly exchanged support and gave emotional support to their children, the better the chance that the elderly would lead a successful life in later years. Third, subjective health conditions most significantly affected the successful lives of the elderly who exchanged little or no support. The level of education was most significant for the elderly who only received support. The level of housing satisfaction mostly affected the elderly who only gave support. Mutual support primarily affected the elderly who both gave and received. Thus, we should provide health programs for the elderly who exchange little or no support to encourage a healthier lifestyle. In addition, opportunities for continuing education should be provided for the elderly who only receive support to make up any deficiency in education. Because spouses are mostly affected for those elderly who exchange little or no support and the elderly who only receive support, we should provide educational programs about how to be better lifetime companions to each other and also provide medical and in-home care for the remaining spouse even after the other partner is gone. Because housing satisfaction greatly affects the elderly who only give support, improvements in the residential environment are essential. Since the level of mutual support is crucial to the elderly who both give and receive support, programs on the development of human resources are needed for the elderly to interact dynamically and intimately with their children.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.77-95
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to examine the factors related to leisure time to understand middle-aged one-person households. Data are from the recent survey of lifetime use in 2014 by Statistics Korea(N=1,138). Middle-aged one-person households aged 40-59 years were categorized into four groups by marital status (unmarried/married/widowed/divorced). Major results were found as follows: First, the total leisure time per day was 238 min in the middle-aged one-person households. The majority of the total leisure time was spent on 'fellowship & leisure activities'(204 min on weekdays, 283 min on weekends). Especially, time spent on real-time TV watching hours was the longest, as long as 89 min on weekday and 150 min on weekends. Second, gender differences were significant in terms of leisure time use in the middle-aged one-person households. Females spent less time on leisure than their male counterparts on both weekdays and weekends. In addition, gender differences related to marital status were significant. Third, on weekdays, the determinants of leisure time use among the middle-aged one-person households were health and type of employment for 'participation & volunteer activities', and gender, age, marital status, and type of employment variables for 'fellowship & leisure activities.' On weekends, time spent on 'participation & volunteer activities' were influenced by marital status, residential area, and type of employment, while time spent on 'fellowship & leisure activities' were significantly related to gender, type of employment, type of job, holiday system, and income.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.869-873
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• 2007

Methanol extracts of Acorus gramineus Solander(AGS) were found to exhibit immuno-regulatory action in BALB/c mice. Oral administration of AGS increased murine splenic T lymphocytes, especially $T_H$ and $T_C/T_S$ subpopulations were increased significantly. Treatment of AGS exerted strong cytotoxicity against U937 and HL60 human leukemia cells. Also, AGS induced apoptosis of U937 leukemia cells in a dose dependent manner. Nitric oxide(NO) production and iNOS gene expression were also increased in AGS-treated RAW264.7 cells. Treatment of AGS increased the expression of p53 gene and decreased the expression of PCNA protein in cultured U937 cells. These data suggest that AGS are effective on the immuno-regulatory action and anti-cancer properties.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.26
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• pp.7.1-7.9
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• 2011

Objectives: This study was conducted to examine the relationship between crude oil exposure and physical symptoms among residents participating in clean-up work associated with the Hebei Spirit oil spill, 2007 in Korea. Methods: A total of 288 residents responded to a questionnaire regarding subjective physical symptoms, sociodemographic characteristics and clean-up activities that occurred between two and eight weeks after the accident. Additionally, the urine of 154 of the respondents was analyzed for metabolites of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals. To compare the urinary levels of exposure biomarkers, the urine of 39 inland residents who were not directly exposed to the oil spill were analyzed. Results: Residents exposed to oil remnants through clean-up work showed associations between physical symptoms and the exposure levels defined in various ways, including days of work, degree of skin contamination, and levels of some urinary exposure biomarkers of VOCs, metabolites and metals, although no major abnormalities in urinary exposure biomarkers were observed. Conclusions: This study provides evidence of a relationship between crude oil exposure and acute human health effects and suggests the need for follow-up to evaluate the exposure status and long-term health effects of clean-up participants.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.85-91
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• 2013

OECD(2008) gives the concepts of inaction costs on key environmental challenges including: direct financial costs; total financial costs; total use costs; and total social welfare costs. In analyzing the losses of environmental goods' various values conducted by domestic and foreign researchers, this study suggests the value-cost category of OECD(2008) and other studies; and the indirect use and non-use values of groundwater and other natural environment using the concepts of inaction costs. The studies on the damages and their relationships among human, property, and ecosystem are essential to monetary valuation on the qualitative or quantitative degradation of groundwater and other natural environment.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.309-318
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• 2003

In this paper a 6 degree-of-freedom robot was studied for medical purpose. In the past the robot used for industry field was utilized for medical robot but in these days the robot used for rehabilitation. welfare, and service. This system was Proposed for a stroke patient or a patient who can not use one arm. A master-slave system was constructed to exercise either paralysis or abnormal arm using normal arms movement. Study on the human body motion result was applied to calculate a movement range of humans elbow and shoulder. In addition, a force-torque sensor is applied to estimate the rehabilitation extent of the patient in the slave robot. Therefore, the stability of the rehabilitation robot could be improved. By using the rehabilitation robot, the Patient could exercise by himself without any assistance In conclusion. the proposed system and control algorithm were verified by computer simulation and system experiment.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.116-127
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• 2013

Korea, like most of other countries, is enforcing the national pension as social insurance which is a kind of the income policy. Despite the fundamental limitation on public pension or the imperfect policy, the guarantee of the minimum living standard for maintaining dignity of human being is not being reached for the standard. Poverty rate of the elderly in Korea is the first among the OECD countries and public pension dead zone is very large. The elderly low income class could become a serious social problem if low fertility and aging keep getting worse. In this study, I will analyze the present condition of the retirement security for the elderly in South Korea. Also, I will look into the present situation of old-age income security and determine problems, and propose the improvement devices for related laws.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.93-105
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• 2015

Objectives: This study is for understanding the perceived job training of the public health promotion program officials and analysis the educational needs in order to serve as the basis for the development of the future educational programs. Methods: To this end, we have developed a survey based on references and consultations with experts. We had explained the purpose and the intent of the survey to nationwide public health directors in advance and an online questionnaire was conducted for health promotion program and service providing personnel; the results from a total of 763 survey respondents were used in the final analysis. Collected data were analyzed through SPSS Win 21.0. Results: The results shows that the tasks of public health promotion personnel are 'business practices,' 'planning and evaluation related work' and so on in order of importance while the duties of service providing personnel are 'counseling,' 'education' and so on. One of the factors affecting field applications of education is 'awareness of the connection between education and career development' which accounts for 33% of explanatory power; the selected six other factors constitute 41.7%. Necessary educational contents for public officials are 'public health service planning,' 'report writing skills' and 'project evaluation methods.' On the other hand, for service providers, the contents are 'counseling methods,' 'development of educational materials,' 'monitoring health status' and so on. Conclusions: In order for trained service personnel to accord with the changed health promotion environment and the demand of local residents, Public Health Promotion officials should increase educational opportunities based on the competencies for each job, provide continuous learning opportunities and information even after the training, and finally, create a system that can link to career development.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.58-65
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• 2015

This study is designed to investigate the protective effects of fermented Red Ginseng (FRG) against photoaging in vitro and in vivo. UVB was irradiated to the human keratinocyte HaCaT cell and dorsal skin of SKH-1 mice for the induction of photoaging. After treatment of non-fermented red ginseng (NRG), fermented red ginseng (FRG), and fortified fermented red ginseng (FFRG) to the UVB irradiated HaCaT cell, ROS production and activity of MMP-9 were examined by DCFC-DA assay and gelatin zymographic assay respectively. UVB irradiated SKH-1 mice were treated with NRG, FRG, and FFRG via oral(300 mg/Kg B.W./day) and topical($100{\mu}{\ell}/mouse/day$) route.All of NRG, FRG, and FFRG had significantly reduced the intracellular ROS production elicited by UVB, among them FRG slightly more reduced the ROS production than NRG and FFRG. FFRG had slightly more reduced the MMP-9 activity in UVB irradiated HaCaT cells than NRG and FFRG in high dose. Oral and topical treatment of NRG, FRG, and FFRG had decreased the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2, -3, and -9 in dorsal skin of UVB irradiated mice. Among them, inhibitory effect of FRG on the expression of MMP-2 was apparent. We speculate that FRG has therapeutic potentials on the UVB irradiated photoaging.