• Title/Summary/Keyword: Korean Primary School

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Housewives' Knowledge Level of Herb Medicine and Its Related Factors (가정주부의 한약에 대한 지식수준과 관련요인)

  • Suh, Ho-suk;Nam Chul-Hyun;Park Chan-Woo;Kim Sung-Jin;Lee Mi-Kyung;Ha Eun-Pil
    • Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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    • v.6 no.1
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    • pp.95-95
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    • 2002
  • This study was conducted to examine housewives' knowledge level of herb medicine and its related factors in Korea. Data were collected from 667 housewives from April 1, 1999 to June 30, 1999. The results of this study are summarized as follows. 1. According to general characteristics of the subjects, 29.1$\%$ of the subjects was over fifties. 28.6$\%$ was primary school graduate. while 25.5$\%$ was high school graduate. In case of job, the unemployed was 67.0$\%$ and professional/clerical worker was 19.6$\%$. 82.0$\%$ had spouses and 45.7$\%$ believed in Buddha. 50.8$\%$ of the subjects lived in big cities and 76.7$\%$ was the middle class. In case of their health condition, 33.4$\%$ was in good health, while 5 1.1$\%$ suffered from certain diseases and 43.9$\%$ was not satisfied with health conditions. 2. The proportion of experience in taking herb medicine was 86.4$\%$. The marital status and health condition were significantly related to the experience in taking herb medicine. When the respondents took diseases, 68.0$\%$ of them were experienced in folk remedy. The variables of age and religion were significantly related to experience in folk remedy. 3. According to the respondents opinions of the effect of the folk remedy, 'effective' was 78.5$\%$ and 'common' was 17.6$\%$, while 'not effective' was 3.9$\%$. 59.3$\%$ of the respondents thought that the folk remedy had scientific basis. 4. In case of information sources on herb medicine, 59.7$\%$ of the respondents obtained the information from TV or Radio. 13.7$\%$ of them got it from magazines related to Oriental medicine and 13.3$\%$ of them obtained it from newspapers or related books. The information sources were significantly related to age and health condition. The knowledge level of herb medicine was 20.76${\pm}$2.66 point on the basis of 30 points. The knowledge level was significantly related to age, occupation, health condition, information sources, experience in taking herb medicine, and opinions of scientific basis of the folk remedy. 5. The respondents marked 2.23${\pm}$0.64 points on the basis of 3.0 points in the question of the effect of taking herb medicine in summer, 2.30${\pm}$0.61 points in the question of the relationship between taking deer antlers and becoming clear-headed, 2.72${\pm}$0.56 points in the question of ginseng, 2.51${\pm}$0.56 points in the question of the relationship between taking herb medicine and being harmful to the liver, 1.94${\pm}$0.74 points in the question of taking herb medicine during the period of pregnancy, 1.84${\pm}$0.78 points in the question of the relationship between menstrual irregularity and motherwort, 2.00${\pm}$0.83 points in the question of the relationship between taking herb medicine and getting fat, 1.76${\pm}$0.89 points in the question of the relationship between Ssanghwatang and cold, 2.15${\pm}$0.76 points in the question of taking honey, and 1.45${\pm}$0.77 points in the question of selecting foods during the period of taking herb medicine. 6. The factors influencing decision of taking herb medicine were experience of taking herb medicine, intention of receiving treatment by folk remedy, occupation, health condition, and age. As seen in the above results, the knowledge level of taking herb medicine during the period of pregnancy, the relationship between menstrual irregularity and motherwort, Ssanghwatang, honey, and selecting foods during the period of taking herb medicine was very low. Therefore, it is necessary to develop education programs in order to provide community residents with basic knowledge of herb medicine. In doing so, the government, Oriental medical doctors, and associations related to herb medicine must make great efforts.

Housewives' Knowledge Level of Herb Medicine and Its Related Factors (가정주부의 한약에 대한 지식수준과 관련요인)

  • Suh Ho-Suk;Nam Chul-Hyun;Park Chan-Woo;Kim Sung-Jin;Lee Mi-Kyung;Ha Eun-Pil
    • Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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    • v.6 no.1
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    • pp.96-116
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    • 2002
  • This study was conducted to examine housewives' knowledge level of herb medicine and its related factors in Korea. Data were collected from 667 housewives from April 1, 1999 to June 30, 1999. The results of this study are summarized as follows. 1. According to general characteristics of the subjects, 29.1% of the subjects was over fifties. 28.6% was primary school graduate. while 25.5% was high school graduate. In case of job, the unemployed was 67.0% and professional/clerical worker was 19.6%. 82.0% had spouses and 45.7% believed in Buddha. 50.8% of the subjects lived in big cities and 76.7% was the middle class. In case of their health condition, 33.4% was in good health, while 51.1% suffered from certain diseases and 43.9% was not satisfied with health conditions. 2. The proportion of experience in taking herb medicine was 86.4%. The marital status and health condition were significantly related to the experience in taking herb medicine. When the respondents took diseases, 68.0% of them were experienced in folk remedy. The variables of age and religion were significantly related to experience in folk remedy. 3. According to the respondents opinions of the effect of the folk remedy, 'effective' was 78.5% and 'common' was 17.6%, while 'not effective' was 3.9%. 59.3% of the respondents thought that the folk remedy had scientific basis. 4. In case of information sources on herb medicine, 59.7% of the respondents obtained the information from TV or Radio. 13.7% of them got it from magazines related to Oriental medicine and 13.3% of them obtained it from newspapers or related books. The information sources were significantly related to age and health condition. The knowledge level of herb medicine was $20.76{\pm}2.66$ point on the basis of 30 points. The knowledge level was significantly related to age, occupation, health condition, information sources, experience in taking herb medicine, and opinions of scientific basis of the folk remedy. 5. The respondents marked $2.23{\pm}0.64$ points on the basis of 3.0 points in the question of the effect of taking herb medicine in summer, $2.30{\pm}0.61$ points in the question of the relationship between taking deer antlers and becoming clear-headed, $2.72{\pm}0.56$ points in the question of ginseng, $2.51{\pm}0.56$ points in the question of the relationship between taking herb medicine and being harmful to the liver, $1.94{\pm}0.74$ points in the question of taking herb medicine during the period of pregnancy, $1.84{\pm}0.78$ points in the question of the relationship between menstrual irregularity and motherwort, $2.00{\pm}0.83$ points in the question of the relationship between taking herb medicine and getting fat, $1.76{\pm}0.89$ points in the question of the relationship between Ssanghwatang and cold, $2.15{\pm}0.76$ points in the question of taking honey, and $1.45{\pm}0.77$ points in the question of selecting foods during the period of taking herb medicine. 6. The factors influencing decision of taking herb medicine were experience of taking herb medicine, intention of receiving treatment by folk remedy, occupation, health condition, and age. As seen in the above results, the knowledge level of taking herb medicine during the period of pregnancy, the relationship between menstrual irregularity and motherwort, Ssanghwatang, honey, and selecting foods during the period of taking herb medicine was very low. Therefore, it is necessary to develop education programs in order to provide community residents with basic knowledge of herb medicine. In doing so, the government, Oriental medical doctors, and associations related to herb medicine must make great efforts.

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The Space Use in the Initial Period of Namsan Park - Focus on the Newspaper Articles from 1883 to 1917 - (남산공원 태동기의 공간별 활용 유형 - 1883~1917년까지 신문기사를 중심으로 -)

  • Seo, Young-Ai;Son, Yong-Hoon
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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    • v.31 no.1
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    • pp.28-37
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    • 2013
  • As a symbolic landscape of Seoul, Namsan has undergone not only physical changes but also changes in its human use and characteristics. At this point, research on Namsan, which holds diverse stories that have accumulated over a long period, as a cultural landscape is necessary. In particular, a concrete understanding of the characteristics of the mountain's use in the period of its initiation as a modern park is an important task in research on the history of urban parks. Consequently, the purpose of the present study lies in grasping the use of Namsan at the time of the establishment of Kyongsungbu Namsan Park Design Proposal in 1917 and examining the characteristics per space. The research process was based on the status of the park design plan. The primary source of information came from the analysis of historical newspaper articles. Additional materials including documents, old maps, photographs, postcard materials were also used. The period of the study was 1883 to 1917. This time was the initial period of Namsan Park soon after the opening up of Korea's ports to the world. The major spaces in which Namsan was used as a park encompassed Hanyang Park, Waeseongdae Park, Noin-jeong, Jangchung-dan, and remaining parts of Namsan in a natural state. When the main ways in which each space is used are examined based on the data analyzed, Namsan has been used for purposes including public events, accidents, religious worship, track and field days, field trips, and strolls. When the nature of each of the spaces is determined in terms of the characteristics of their use, these spaces were characterized as community parks, outdoor community spaces, indoor community spaces, sports arenas, and natural parks, among other things. The present study is significant in terms of research on the history of parks for confirming that Namsan in the initial period already served as a modern park for urban activities and grasping the specific urban activities that were engaged in on Namsan.

A Theory Construction on the Care Experience for Spouses of Patients with Chronic Illness (만성질환자 배우자의 돌봄 경험에 대한 이론 구축)

  • Choi, Kyung-Sook;Eun, Young
    • Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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    • v.30 no.1
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    • pp.122-136
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    • 2000
  • Chronic illness requiring attention and management during a long period of time puts great burden onto patients, their family and society. For patients with chronic illnesses, providing social support is the most important, and the fundamental support comes from their spouses. Amount and quality of support from spouses seems to differentiated according to the sex of patients. Female patients tend to believe that their spouses are not very supportive. Therefore, the researchers assessed the burden of husbands of female arthritis patients to discover the factors that result in greater burden. Also, they developed a theoretical model of husbands′ care for their wives through a qualitative research into husbands′ experience. Method 1: The study material was 650 female arthritis patients registered in an arthritis clinic. The questionnaire about the disease experience of female arthritis patients and the burden of husbands were sent. Returned questionnaires numbered 210(32.3%) and 27 were excluded because of inadequate answers. The remaining 183 questionnaires were analyzed. The mean age of the patients was 51 years and the mean age of spouses was 55 years. The mean marital period was 28 years. The average duration since diagnosis was 9.1 years. Education level was varied from primary school to graduate school, and average income/month was 1,517,300 won. Method 2: Initial questionnaire studies on the burden of husbands were performed. Among 183 responding husbands, 23 consented to participate for a qualitative research. Data was obtained by direct and telephone interviews. The mean age of participants was 58 years, and the educational level and socioeconomic status also varied. Result: 1. Husbands′ burden: The average burden was 57.68 with a range of 6-96. 2. Burden and general characteristics: The husband′s burden correlated with the age of the patients, numbers in the family, therapy methods, patient′s level of discomfort, patient′s disease severity, patient′s level of dependence and the husband′s understanding of the level of severity. 3. Linear correlation analysis on burden: The husbands′ burden is explained in 22.5% by husband′s recognition of level of severity and husbands′ age. 4. There were four patterns of the burden on husbands: both objectve burden and subjective burden were high(pattern I), both of objectve burden and subjective burden were low(pattern II), objective burden was high but subjective burden was low(pattern III), objective burden was low but subjective burden was high(pattern IV). The pattern was correlated with the family income, educational level of the patients and their husbands, therapy methods, patient′s level of discomfort, patient′s disease severity, patient′s level of dependence and husband′s understanding of level of severity. 5. The core category of the caring experience of the husbands with arthritis patients was "companionship". The causal factor was the patients′ experience due to symptoms : physical disfigurement, pain, immobility, limitation of house chores, and limitation of social activities. Contextural factors are husbands′ identification of housework and husbands′ concern about the disease. The mediating factors are economic problems, fear of aging, feeling of limitation and family support. The strategy for interaction is mind control and how to solve emotional stress. The "companionship" resulted from caring activities, participation of household activities, helping patients′ to coping with emotional experience. 6. Companionship is established through the process of entering intervention, and caring state of mind. Entering intervention is the phase of participation of therapy and involvement of houseworks. The caring phase consists of decision on therapy, providing therapy, providing direct care, and taking over the household role of wife. Through caring phase, the changing phase set a stage in which husbands consolidate the relationship with their wives, and are reminded of the meaning of marriage. As a result, in changing phase, husbands′ companionship is enhanced. In conclusion, nursing care of chronic illnesses should include a family member especially the spouse. All information on disease shoud be provided to patients and whole family member. Strong support should also be provided to overcome difficulties in taking over role of other sex. Then the quality of life of patients and families will be much improved.

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Relationships between Learning Modes and Knowledge Structures of Primary School Children: Reflected on the Concept Maps of the 'Structure and Function of Plant' Unit ('식물의 구조와 기능'에 대한 초등학교 아동들의 지식구조와 학습성향과의 관계)

  • Kim, Jong-Jung;song, Nam-Hi
    • Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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    • v.22 no.4
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    • pp.796-805
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    • 2002
  • This study examined the knowledge structure constructed by children before formal instruction, and successive changes in the structural complexity of knowledge during and after the learning of 'Structure and Function of Plant' unit. It also investigated how those changes were affected by children's learning modes. The researchers made the 5th graders draw the first draft of their concept map to see the pre-existing knowledge structure concerned with the unit and four more concept maps after completing every fourth lesson. And to see how long their knowledge structures were preserved, the researchers made children draw additional concept maps in 3 days, 3 months, and 7 months after completing the unit. Children drew their current concept maps on the basis of the previous one while learning the unit and without the previous one after completing the unit. Each concept map drawn by children showed the degree of their current understanding on the structures and functions of plants. The results revealed that only two levels of hierarchy and five relationships among the components of the first concept map(relationship, hierarchy, cross link and example) were proven to be valid in terms of conceptual relevance. Growth in the structural complexity of knowledge took place progressively throughout the unit and the effects of learning mode on the growth were favorably reflected in concept map scores of meaningful learners over time(relationship, cross link, example: p<.01, hierarchy: p<.05). Although there were some differences on the concept map scores between two types of learners, they commonly showed that knowledge restructuring had occurred apparently in the early periods from the 1st to the 6th lesson and had not occurred at all in the last period of the unit. The frequency of tuning was higher in rote learners than in meaningful learners throughout the unit, but the frequency of accretion was reverse. Concept map scores of rote learners constructed in the course of learning of the unit decreased little by little gradually in all the categories after completing the unit. However, the average total map score of meaningful learners increased a little more in 7 months than in 3 months after completing the unit. Therefore it can be inferred that meaningful learners construct more stable and well-differentiated knowledge structures than the rote learners.

Tumor Prosthetic Replacement for the Metastatic Bone Tumors Involving the Proximal Femur (대퇴골 근위부 전이성 종양 환자의 종양 대치물 삽입술)

  • Sung, Ki-Sun;Chang, Moon-Jong
    • The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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    • v.13 no.1
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    • pp.48-54
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    • 2007
  • Purpose: To evaluate clinical results of the tumor prosthetic replacement for pathologic fracture of the proximal femur with extensive bony destruction due to metastatic bone tumors. Materials and Methods: From 2005 October to 2006 October, resection of proximal femur and tumor prosthesis replacement was performed for metastatic bone tumors extensively involving trochanteric area in 6 patients. The mean age of overall patients was 61(range, 48~77). Mean clinical follow up was 10.5 months (range, 6~16). Primary tumor consisted with multiple myeloma in 2 patients, lung cancer in 1, breast cancer in 1, transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis in 1, unknown origin in 1 patient. $MUTARS^{(R)}$ proximal femur (Implantcast, Munster, Germany) were used in all cases. The functional evaluation in the lower extremities was performed with Musculoskeletal Tumor Society 1993 scores. The degree of pain relief after surgical treatment was assessed with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Results: At the final follow up, all of the patients survived. The mean lower extremities functional score of Musculoskeletal Tumor Society 1993 was 17.8(59.3%)(range, 12~25). VAS was improved to 2.5 from 8.5 after the surgical treatment. Ambulation was encouraged as soon as possible and mean duration after surgery for ambulation was 7.3(range, 3~16) days. Post-operatively, there was no surgical infection, periprosthetic fracture or loosening. Dislocation occurred in one out of six cases. Conclusion: Resection of proximal femur and tumor prosthesis replacement for metastatic bone tumors around proximal femur extensively involving trochanteric area seems to be safe procedure in view of post-operative complication, and effective for functional restoration as well as pain relief. Thus, it is accordant to the treatment principle of the metastatic bone tumors.

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Temporal Variation in the Distributions of the Benthic Heterotrophic Protozoa and Their Grazing Impacts on Benthic Bacteria and Microalgae in the Ganghwa Tidal Flat, Korea (강화도 펄 갯벌에서 저서성 원생동물 분포의 시간적 변이와 박테리아 및 미세 조류에 대한 포식압)

  • Yang, Eun-Jin;Choi, Joong-Ki;Yoo, Man-Ho;Cho, Byung-Cheol;Choi, Dong-Man
    • The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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    • v.10 no.1
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    • pp.19-30
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    • 2005
  • To investigate the seasonal distribution and grazing impacts of benthic protozoa in mud flat, their abundance, biomass and grazing rates of benthic protozoa were evaluated at interval of two or three month in Gangwha Island from April, 2002 to April, 2004. Heterotrophic flagellates and ciliates accounted for an average 98% of benthic protozoa biomass. Abundance and carbon biomass of heterotrophic flagellates ranged from $0.2{\times}10^5$ to $5.9{\times}10^5\;cells\;cm{-3}$ and from 0.02 to $9.2\;{\mu}gC\;cm^{-3}$, respectively. Biomass of heterotrophic flagellates was high in spring and fall, and showed no differences among stations. Abundance and biomass of heterotrophic flagellates decreased with the depth and were high within the surface 2.5 m sediment layer. The majority of heterotrophic flagellates were less than $10\;{\mu}m$ in length, and few euglenoid flagellates were larger than $20\;{\mu}m$. Abundance and carbon biomass of ciliates ranged from $0.1{\times}10^3$ to $17.8{\times}10^3\;cells\;cm^{-3}$ and from 0.02 to $9.1\;{\mu}gC\;cm^{-3}$, respectively, and those of ciliates were high in spring and fall. Biomass of ciliates was high within the surface 2.5 mm sediment layer and was higher at st. J2 and st. J3 than st. J1. Among the revealed benthic ciliates, the hypotrichs were the most important group in terms of abundance and biomass. During the sampling periods, an average 66% of benthic protozoa biomass was covered by ciliates. The seasonal distribution of benthic protozoa showed an almost similar fluctuation pattern to that of chlorophyll-a. The results suggest that the biomass of benthic protozoa were mainly controlled by prey abundance, for example, diatoms. Based on ingestion rates, benthic protozoa removed from 13.4 to 40.7% of bacterial production and from 20.1 to 36.4% of primary production. Ingestion rates of benthic protozoa on bacteria and microphytobenthos were high in April. Benthic protozoa in this study area may play a pivotal role in the carbon flow of the benthic microbial food web during spring.

A Study of Sex-related Problems of Old Women in Kyeonggi Province, Korea (경기도 여성노인의 성의식에 관한 조사연구)

  • Park, Young-Soo;Choi, In-Sook
    • The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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    • v.5
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    • pp.71-84
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    • 2004
  • The sexual discourse has been frequent, but the subjects of it have been limited to the young, and the sex of women and that of the old people, until now, have been overlooked. According to the data in 2,000 of the Korea Statistic Service, the older-than-sixty-five-year people consist of 37.4% men and 62.6% women. Of them, the older-than-seventy-year people consist of 33.8% men and 55.2% women. The data show the fact that as the age of the old people is higher, the number of old women is enlarging. Paying attention to the above-mentioned tendency, this study conducted a survey about the aspects of the sexual consciousness of old women. The purpose of study was focused, through the survey, on discovering the ways of old women's recognization about their sexual desire, and on presenting basic data to developing the programs which could solve the problems derived from the discovery. That is to say, the purpose of it was to prevent the sexual desire's distortion and suppression of old women, if they had any, and to present basic data to developing the programs which could convert their recognization of sex. The objects of the survey were the sample group of 301 people inhabiting in Hwaseong City, Seongnam City, Yongin City, and Suwon City, chosen out of 375,298 old women of 614,316 older-than-sixty-five-year people in Kyeonggi Province (Kyeonggi Province homepage, 2002). The data were collected by the questionnairers' interviews in the fields of old men's resting house, churches, temples, old men's niversities and so like, from September 19th to September 31th in 2003. The questionnairers as volunteers were taught the prior education, being prepared for the survey about old women's sexual consciousness. The contents of education were composed of the understanding of old women, the ways of questionnairing, and the items of questionnaire. The outcomes of the survey are following; First, concerning general items, the old women of the sample group answered that they felt greatly the difficulties of health(36.5%), economy(12.0%), and loneliness(11.3%) in turn. The 48.2% of them answered that they were healthy, but the 62.3% answered that they were suffering various illnesses. The 24.4% answered they were economically rich, and the 23.9% answered they were working. The 53.5% were living alone due to divorce or death. The 71.1% had been living for more than ten years. The 83.1% believed in their own religion. Second, the 43.8% of the sample group admitted the necessity of a heterosexual friend and sexuality The 39.0% felt sexual desire, and the 33.9% were experiencing sexuality. As the obstructing factors in performing sexuality, the objects of sample group pointed out shamefulness or morality(28.7%), anxiety that such deeds might afflict their health or the problem of health itself(20.2%), weakening of sexual potency(16.9%). This outcome shows that they have ambiguous notions about their sexual alienation and manner. Third, the 33.7% of the sample group admitted sexual education and sexual counsel, and of those that admitted them, the 85.2% said that they would take part in sexual education if it were held. It shows that the demand of sexual education and sexual counsel need be fulfilled. Therefore, through this study, the following two important suggestions can be drawn: First, systematic sexual education programs should be developed, considering old people's developing steps containing their rights of health and sex. Also those should be educated through kindergartens, primary, middle and higher education institutions. Second, sexual education and sexual counsel on prospective old people and present old people should be performed.

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An Approach of Ecological Niche to Analysis of Recognition of 5th Grade Elementary students for Conception of Photosynthesis (생태 지위적 접근을 통한 5학년의 광합성 개념 분석)

  • Jeong, Jae-Hoon;Kim, Young-Shin
    • Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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    • v.31 no.4
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    • pp.513-527
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    • 2011
  • There have been studies about conceptual ecology making a profound study of conceptual changes in learners' cognitive structure. Because learners' cognitive structure have been compared to ecology, it is natural to think that conception in learner's cognitive structure have a niche as species in ecology have niches. Therefore, it is necessary to study niche approach about conception that learners recognize in their cognitive structure. The purposes of this study were to identify relationships among conceptions that 5th grade elementary school students recognize about photosynthesis and to identify how these relationships among conceptions about photosynthesis change before and after a class of photosynthesis in curriculum in terms of an approach of ecological niche which are composed of 3 domains - diversity of conceptions, relevance and frequency rate of conceptions, and competition among conceptions. Open ended questionnaire was developed by 4 fields: photosynthetic place, photosynthetic products, photosynthetic materials needed and environment factors of photosynthesis. The subjects sampled in this study were 310 5th grade elementary students in 5 cites. Before and after classes in photosynthesis in science curriculum, students were asked to write down conceptions that they knew about the 4 fields of photosynthesis of questionnaire and to write down scales of relevance from 1 to 30 about how they think the conceptions are related to the field of photosynthesis. The results of this study showed the following: First, most students have had a variety of conceptions and commonly recognized 'light' and 'water' as concepts in photosynthesis. Second, students still recognized their preconceptions like 'soil' and 'root,' etc. that were far from scientific conceptions of photosynthesis although they took classes in photosynthesis. Third, students needed to take the various strategies of teachers because they did not recognized scientific conceptions appropriately about photosynthetic fields. Fourth, it appeared that photosynthetic conceptions recognized by students had status in terms of relevance and frequency rate of conceptions, and competition among conceptions, and that they looked like the niche of conceptions in their conceptual ecologies.

The Effect of Risperidone on Serum Prolactin Concentrations (Risperidone이 혈청 Prolactin 농도에 미치는 영향)

  • Cheon, Jin-Sook;Cho, Woong;Oh, Byoung-Hoon
    • Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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    • v.5 no.2
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    • pp.253-262
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    • 1998
  • Objectives : Risperidone, an atypical antipsychitics which blocks both dopaminergic and serotonergic receptors, have a good response to the negative symptoms as well as positive symptoms, and improve cognitive dysfunction of schizophrenic patients. Furthermore, it has few extrapyramidal side effects and tardive dyskinesia. Although it had been reported that the atypical antipsychotics have less effect on prolactin(PRL) than the classical antipsychotics, we could experience PRL-associated symptoms such as amenorrhea, galactorrhea and hyperprolactinemia in practice. Therefore, we tried to identify the sex differences of risperidone-induced hyperprolactinemia, to evaluate factors affecting PRL levels, and to know the association between cognitive disorders and PRL. Methods : The baseline levels of PRL and TSH prior to risperidone administration were measured by enzyme immunoassay method for 50 patients(25 ma-les and 25 females) admitted with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or schizophreniform disorder according to the DSM-IV classification, and the measurements of PRL were repeated on the 2nd and the 4th wks of risperidone administration. Concomitantly, the severity of psychotic symptoms using CGI, BPRS and PANSS, and the cognitive dysfunction using PANSS-CF were assessed prior to, on the 2nd and the 4th wks of risperidone administration. The PRL and TSH levels of 54 healthy controls(29 males and 25 females) who had no medical, neurological and psychiatric illnesses were also evaluated. Furthermore, the correlation with the psychiatric diagnosis, education, age, sex, duration of illnesses, risperidone dosage, duration of risperdone administration, TSH concentration, cognitive function, severity of psychotic symptoms were also identified. Results : 1) The baseline PRL levels of female schizophrenics($74.3{\pm}49.6ng/ml$) were significantly(p<0.005) higher than those of males($36.3{\pm}24.6ng/ml$), which were significantly(p<0.0001 respectively) higher than those of controls(females $16.9{\pm}6.1ng/ml$, males $13.3{\pm}4.9ng/ml$). The PRL levels measured on the 2nd wks(females $133.7{\pm}47.8ng/ml$, males $56.9{\pm}23.6ng/ml$) and on the 4th wks(females $146.1{\pm}45.9ng/ml$, males $70.0{\pm}31.5ng/ml$) after risperidone administration were significantly(p<0.0001 respectively) higher in females. The mean dosages of risperidone on the 2nd wks were $3.8{\pm}1.7mg$(2-6mg) for the females and $4.0{\pm}1.6mg$(2-6mg) for the males, and on the 4th wks were $4.5{\pm}2.1mg$(2-8mg) for the females and $5.4{\pm}2.2mg$(2-8mg) for the males. 2) The rise of PRL levels were positively correlated with increased risperidone dosage in males(${\gamma}$=0.307 on the 2nd wks and ${\gamma}$=0.280 on the 4th wks), while they were not correlated with dosages in females. For the females, the PRL levels were negatively correlated(${\gamma}$=-0.320) with decrease of TSH concentration. The baseline PRL levels were not correlated with age, education, duration of illnesses, psychopathology, cognitive disorders in both males and females, while it was negatively correlated with TSH levels only in females(${\gamma}$=-0.320). 3) The cognitive dysfunction was not correlated with PRL levels in males, while PANSS-CF scores were negatively correlated with PRL levels(${\gamma}$=-0.220 on the 2nd wks and ${\gamma}$=-0.366 on the 4th wks) in females. The psychopathology was positively correlated with cognitive dysfunction in both males and females. Therefore, the risperidone-induced cognitive improvement seemed to be correlated with improvement of psychopathology in both males and females, and with increase in PRL levels only in females. Conclusions : The fact that the serum PRL levels of schizophrenics were higher than those of controls, especially in females suggested that it could be related with risperidone dosage in males and with primary pathological process in females. The risperidone-associated cognitive improvement seemed to be related with general improvement of psychopathology as well as the rise of PRL levels especially in females. The facts that the effect of risperidoneinduced hyperprolactinemia and the cognitive function were more in females suggested that somewhat different mechanisms could be exerted on them.

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