• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.298-305
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• 2022

Background: The concentration of air pollutants as measured by the Air Quality Monitoring System (AQMS) is not an accurate population exposure level since actual human activities and temporal and spatial variability need to be considered. Therefore, to increase the accuracy of exposure assessment, the population should be considered. However, it is difficult to obtain population data due to limitations such as personal information. Objectives: The existing population defined in this study is the number of people in each region's grid. The purpose is to provide a methodology for evaluating exposure to PM_2.5 through existing population data provided by the National Geographic Information Institute. Methods: The selected study period was from October 26 to October 28, 2021. Using PM_2.5 concentration data measured at the Sensor-based Air Monitoring Station (SAMS) installed in Guro-gu and Wonju-si, the concentration for each grid was estimated by applying inverse distance weights through QGIS version 3.22. Considering the existing population, population-weighted average concentration (PWAC) was calculated and the exposure level of the population was compared by region. Results: The outdoor PM_2.5 concentration as measured through the SAMS was high in Wonju-si on all three days. Wonju-si showed an average 22% higher PWAC than Guro-gu. As a result of comparing the PWAC and outdoor PM_2.5 concentration by region, the PWAC in Guro-gu was 1~2% higher than the observed value, but it was almost the same. Conversely, observations of Wonju-si were 10.1%, 11.3%, and 8.2% higher than PWAC. Conclusions: It is expected that the Geographic Information System (GIS) method and the existing population will be used to evaluate the exposure level of a population with a narrow activity radius in further research. In addition, based on this study, it is judged that research on exposure to environmental pollutants and risk assessment methods should be expanded.

• Journal of Service Research and Studies
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.76-95
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• 2023

As information and communications technology-based "smart hospitals" and "digital healthcare" have become a hot topic in the healthcare field, hospital mobile apps are gaining attention; but, the utilization rate is low due to lack of publicity, unstable systems, and late updates. In this situation, systematic research is needed to increase the utilization rate of hospital mobile apps, but related research has been rare. Therefore, this study integrates the information systems success model (ISSM) from the technical perspective and the expectation-confirmation model (ECM) from the cognitive perspective to demonstrate the influence mechanism on the continuous use intention of hospital mobile apps. For this purpose, an online survey was conducted among 181 Korean adults who have used hospital mobile apps. The results of the structual equation modeling showed that most of the quality factors have significant effects on expectation confirmation, perceived usefulness, and satisfaction. Additionally, expectation confirmation significantly affects perceived usefulness and satisfaction, and both perceived usefulness and satisfaction significantly affect the continuous use intention of hospital mobile apps. This study is of importance in that it integrates the ISSM and ECM and applies them to the context of using hospital mobile apps, which are underutilized in the healthcare field, and provides practical implications for increasing the utilization rate of hospital mobile apps and operating effective and efficient services through the findings.

• BMB Reports
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.234-239
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• 2023

Thioredoxin-like protein 1 (TXNL1), one of the thioredoxin superfamily known as redox-regulator, plays an essential in maintaining cell survival via various antioxidant and anti-apoptotic mechanisms. It is well known that relationship between ischemia and oxidative stress, however, the role of TXNL1 protein in ischemic damage has not been fully investigated. In the present study, we aimed to determine the protective role of TXNL1 against on ischemic injury in vitro and in vivo using cell permeable Tat-TXNL1 fusion protein. Transduced Tat-TXNL1 inhibited ROS production and cell death in H₂O₂-exposed hippocampal neuronal (HT-22) cells and modulated MAPKs and Akt activation, and pro-apoptotic protein expression levels in the cells. In an ischemia animal model, Tat-TXNL1 markedly decreased hippocampal neuronal cell death and the activation of astrocytes and microglia. These findings indicate that cell permeable Tat-TXNL1 protects against oxidative stress in vitro and in vivo ischemic animal model. Therefore, we suggest Tat-TXNL1 can be a potential therapeutic protein for ischemic injury.

• Korea Science and Art Forum
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• v.31
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• pp.355-365
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• 2017

The future population of Korea is expected to reach the second highest level in the world by 2060 for the elderly. It is because of the rapid development of low fertility and medical technology. The burden of society for the elderly is expected to increase steadily. The elderly person firstly appears functional disorder. They have low ability in memory and in cognitive will be. Their activities are therefore limited. And economic production capacity is sharply reduced. Self-sufficiency is a difficult situation. They need help in economic and social aspects. Products for them need research and development. The elderly have a Mild Cognitive Impairment(MCI) stage with poor cognitive abilities. It is effective to combine pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment methods for people with mild cognitive impairment. The effects of non-pharmacological treatments on music have been proven. This paper is a study on the appearance from the viewpoint of design in the development of ancillary instruments using music therapy techniques with Digital Convergence. For this study, we investigated the preference for external appearance of mild cognitive impairment. Two times surveys were conducted. As a result, the design of home care product for the hard cognitive impaired was different from that of a conventional game machine or set top box. It should be designed according to the user's special circumstances. They are memory and cognitive abilities. Products that meet physical and mental changes must be developed.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.91-102
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• 2023

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a digital group reminiscence program on elderly patients with mild dementia who were registered with Day Care Centers. Methods: The study was conducted with elderly patients with mild dementia in Day Care Centers in D city. The patients were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or the control group and were assessed for cognitive function, depression, and ego integrity using pre-test and post-test designs. A digital group reminiscence program was applied to the experimental group. Data was collected from July 5 to September 17, 2021, using questionnaires in three sessions. Results: The pre-test cognitive function score was 12.00 in the experimental group and 11.09 in the control group. The post-test cognitive function score was 19.20 in the experimental group and 14.42 in the control group. The later cognitive function score was 18.00 in the experimental group and 13.31 in the control group. The pre-test depression score was 8.32 in the experimental group and 9.91 in the control group. The post-test depression score was 6.05 in the experimental group and 8.82 in the control group. The later depression score was 6.94 in the experimental group and 9.02 in the control group. The pre-test ego integrity score was 41.39 in the experimental group and 39.55 in the control group. The post-test ego integrity score was 57.95 in the experimental group and 51.41 in the control group. The later ego integrity score was 55.88 in the experimental group and 42.15 in the control group. Cognitive function, depression, and ego integrity showed significant differences according to group (p<.05), time (p<.001), and interaction between group and time (p<.01). Conclusion: The digital group reminiscence program was found to be effective in improving cognitive function and ego integrity and reducing depression in elderly patients with mild dementia. Further research is needed to explore the effects of repetitive digital group recall programs based on the progress, course, age, and communication level of dementia.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.35-47
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• 2022

Objective : In this study, we conducted a questionnaire survey of occupational therapists to examine their perceptions on and willingness to provide telerehabilitation dementia prevention education. Methods : From March 13 to 19, 2021, a questionnaire survey targeting occupational therapists in Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam was conducted. 100 questionnaires were distributed but only 70 were collected. The collected data were subjected to frequency analysis and descriptive statistics using the statistical program SPSS version 23.0. Results : The average scores by region were as follows. The average compatibility score was highest at 3.92 score, intention to providing education, doctors 3.89 score, community-centric rehabilitation awareness 3.81 score, cost saving 3.78 score, perceiver usefulness 3.75 score, accessibility 3.62 score, the quality of telerehabilitation service was in order of 3.49 score. Conclusion : All items asking whether occupational therapists participate in community-centered rehabilitation and non-face-to-face dementia prevention education programs showed high scores, indicating the willingness to participate actively. In the future, in addition to follow-up research on the implementation of telerehabilitation dementia prevention education, measures for improving accessibility within the local and national government should be discussed.

• 한국노년학
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.1129-1143
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• 2010

The purposes of this study were to investigate the major determinants influencing on health promoting behaviors(HPB) of the elderly living in Seoul. The conceptual framework of the study was Pender's health promoting model and the ecological perspectives. The study was conducted with 495 elderly persons whom 60 years old. For the analysis of data, descriptive statistics and hierarchical regression were used for the statistical analysis with SPSS program. The results were as following: 1) The mean score of the HPB was 3.11(SD=0.41). 2) Hierarchical regression analysis found that ModelIV accounted for 55.7% of the variance in HPB. 3) The Major determinants on HPB among the elderly persons were prior related perceived benefits of action, social support, perceived self-efficacy, community environment, perceived health status, education, and age. In conclusions, first, we should develop to various levels of educational and supportive programs for the HPB among the elderly persons. Second, we should examine more with environment, the accessibility to senior welfare agencies. Third, we should be organized the self-help groups for the elderly persons to improve health promoting behaviors. Fourth, the government should established more secure environment for the HPB, and find better solutions that are provided by various social welfare agencies connected with the coordination of the services in the local communities. Finally, we should develop professional education training programs of the HPB for the practitioners in the field of Gerontological Social Work.

• 한국노년학
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.1027-1044
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• 2010

This study is to examine the effective system for providing services for long-term care elders, despite the expansion of formal care, informal care still is needed. Thus, this study's purpose is to classify the informal-formal resources linkages types of long-term care elders and looks into service satisfaction by these types and discover effective informal-formal resources linkages models. For that, this study is to divide informal-formal resources linkages types by the degree of providing services of informal and formal caregivers and discover the informal-formal resources linkages types using cluster analysis and explores the effectiveness of service satisfaction using multiple regression. The study's results is to suggest four models, such as family care, complementary, separation, formal service and complementary type was founded to be the most effective and then based on the result, we discuss as follows. First, we must strive to combine informal resources into formal service systemto the system for providing of service is made up the complementary type. Second, the system for providing services of long-term care elders is required integrated care system to alining of medical and long-term care services. Third, we have to consider a measure to improve of formal service type, for the satisfaction of formal service appears low relatively. Based on research findings, this study propose that the informal-formal resources linkages models are subdivided into the dimension of quantity and quality of care for improving the effectiveness of long-term care services.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.26-37
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• 2024

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare and analyze the differences in charges and length of stay per case between spine specialty hospitals and non-specialty hospitals, and to identify the factors that influenced them. Methods: This study used claims data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, including inpatient visits from January 2021 to December 2022. The healthcare facility status data was used to identify the characteristics of study hospitals. Multilevel analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with the charges and Poisson regression analysis was conducted to analyze the length of stay between spine specialty hospitals and non-specialty hospitals. There were 32,015 cases of spine specialty hospitals and 17,555 cases of non-specialty hospitals. Results: For four of five common spinal surgeries, specialty hospitals shaped longer length of stay than those of non-specialty hospitals. Multilevel and Poisson regression analysis revealed that regardless of the type of surgery, higher age and higher Charlson comorbidity index scores were significantly associated with an increase in both the charges per case and length of stay (p<0.05). However, when hospitals were located in metropolitan areas, there was a significant decrease (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study found that specialty hospital had higher inpatient charges and loner length of stay contrary to the previous study results. Further studies will be needed to find which contribute to the differences.

• Clinical and Experimental Vaccine Research
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.240-248
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• 2023

Purpose: We reported a survey-based study assessing the parental intention to vaccinate children of 5 to 7 years old against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The aim of this study is to assess factors influencing the parental intention to vaccinate their children against COVID-19. Materials and Methods: This study adopted a cross-sectional design, held at the public health center of Senen district, Jakarta, Indonesia from November 1-30, 2022. The off-line questionnaires were distributed via the school administrator to all eligible parents. Factors associated with intention to vaccinate were analyzed with the regression logistic models. Results: Of the 435 parents in this study, 215 had already vaccinated their children against COVID-19 (49.4%), and the overall intention of the participants to vaccinate was 69.7%. Factors associated with intention to vaccinate the children against COVID-19 were parental employment status, parental COVID-19 vaccine status and concern of contracting COVID-19. Parents who are employed, had completed vaccines with COVID-19 booster vaccine, and had concern of their children contracting COVID-19 were more likely to vaccinate their children (odds ratio [OR], 2.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.22-3.69; p=0.011; OR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.21-3.83; p=0.013; OR, 2.40; 95% CI, 1.34-4.30; p=0.004, respectively). Concern on the vaccine's side effects was negatively associated with the willingness to vaccinate. Conclusion: This study showed that childhood COVID-19 vaccine only covered half of the population, with parental intentions for childhood COVID-19 vaccination being high, reaching almost two-thirds of the study participants. Factors influencing parental intentions were employment status, parental COVID-19 vaccine status, concerns about COVID-19 and concerns about vaccine side effects.