• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.217-226
• /
• 2009

Effects of sera from several fish species on monolayer formation, viability and functions of catfish hepatocytes were investigated to establish a primary hepatocyte culture system for screening endocrine disruptors. Hepatocytes of Korean catfish (Silurus asotus) were attached and formed monolayer using the media supplemented with their own serum or sera from eel and tilapia, but not with fetal bovine serum (FBS). The amount of fish sera (0.5~3%) for monolayer culture of the catfish hepatocytes was less than 1/10 of FBS (5~20%) that is commonly used for primary culture of hepatocytes of other species. The results indicate that FBS can be replaced with sera from some fish species and the fish sera are more effective than FBS in maintaining the shape and functions of the hepatocytes. The primary culture of catfish hepatocytes was maintained monolayer with fish sera for at least 10 days, which makes possible to be used for screening the activities of endocrine disruptors. In conclusion, the primary culture system of hepatocytes with fish sera in the present study could be a useful tool for screening and studying endocrine disruptors.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.57-61
• /
• 2000

This is a study to evaluate the effects of the change of EMT students' acceptance on meaning "Korean style translation of EMT". The major instruments of this study were Korean Self-Analysis Acceptance Opinionnaire. This Questionnaire contains 3 items which measure students' opinions or attitudes. The data were analyzed by the path analysis - with SPSS and AMOS package program. The result are as follows: 1) Y(before admission) ＝ $0.11{\times}1$(teaching)+$0.12{\times}2$(elder)+$0.57{\times}2$(peer)+E. 2) Y(student) ＝ $0.87{\times}1$(teaching)+$0.49{\times}2$(elder)+$0.59{\times}2$(peer)+E. 3) Y(before graduation) ＝ $0.57{\times}1$(teaching)+$0.63{\times}2$(elder)+$0.73{\times}2(peer)$+E.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.115-124
• /
• 2016

Background: This study aims at making a survey on health care service providers' cultural competence and making an appraisal of Chinese medical tourists on service quality, health care service providers' cultural competence, perceived value, and satisfaction. Methods: The data was collected from August until November, 2014 and 150 health care service providers and 65 Chinese medical tourists from 12 medical institutions in Daegu were enrolled in analysis. Results: The results showed that health care service provider's knowledge on Chinese culture was very low with 33.5% of correct answer. Health care service providers were found to get 3.82 point on a 5 point-scale in cultural perception, 3.53 points in cultural sensitivity, and 2.85 points in cultural skills. Chinese medical tourists were analyzed to give 4.08 points on a 5-point scale to satisfaction on health care service, followed by 4.01 points to health care service quality, 4.00 points to perceived value of health care service, and last 3.85 points to a health care service providers' cultural skills. However, there was a difference in points in cultural skills between health care service providers and Chinese medical tourists. Chinese medical tourists' satisfaction with health care service in Daegu was found to be comparatively high, but in relation to satisfaction with communication, it was found to be relatively low. Conclusion: Through this research, health care service providers' knowledge level of Chinese culture and cultural skills were low while they seemed to take a half-hearted attitude towards educational experience for building up cultural competence and foreign patient service response.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.216-224
• /
• 2019

The number of patients from Middle Eastern Arabic countries is steadily increasing in respect to the South Korean government's medical tourism strategies. Word of mouth is one of the main determinants concerning the Middle Eastern Arab patients' medical tourism destination. Further, patients' satisfaction affects repurchase and revisit intention. This study aimed to measure the level of Middle Eastern Arab patients' satisfaction, and to measure the effect of different medical factors on satisfaction in such patients who are seeking medical attention in South Korea. A 110 Middle Eastern Arab patients who visited South Korea for medical purposes participated in our survey between November, 2016 and April, 2017. All factors had a high mean (${\geq}4.24$; ${\geq}84.8/100$) except for one factor (hospital halal meals (3.82; 76.4)). To identify factors influencing participants' overall satisfaction we used multiple regression analysis. Physicians, interpreters, and halal meals were the main factors influencing overall Middle Eastern Arab patients' satisfaction. Physicians and interpreters in Korea are recommended to be oriented to basic Islamic beliefs and Middle Eastern Arab patients' behavior. Daily communication, such as speaking directly to the patient, limiting important issues to two or three at a time, and translating sentence by sentence, could help to improve Middle Eastern Arab patients' satisfaction. Enlisting Middle Eastern nutrition specialists in medical institutions in South Korea may substantially improve non-medical services satisfaction such as halal food and dietary restrictions.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.28-49
• /
• 2007

Organizational culture has been, by and large, regarded as one of the most significant factors to manage organizations. Especially the understanding of empowerment is pivotal, leading to explain organizational cultures. For hospital workers whose services are closely related to quality and performance of their hospitals, empowerment is now called upon more than ever before. This study is intended to investigate the relationship between organizational culture types and hospital workers' empowerment levels. The data were collected from 589 hospital workers at one university hospital and two general hospitals using the self reported questionnaire from Jan.9 to Jan.20 in 2004. The findings were as follows: 1. Empowerment levels were significantly different among the four organizational culture types. Developmental culture group showed the highest empowerment score(3.74), and next were group culture(3.64), rational culture(3.62), and hierarchial culture(3.46). 2. There was a significantly positive correlation between group culture and empowerment(r=.298, p<.000), between developmental culture and empowerment(r=.295, p<.000). But there was not a significantly correlation between hierarchial culture, and between rational culture. 3. According to the multiple regression analysis, self-esteem(${\beta}$=.417, p<.001), position (${\beta}$=-.190, p<.001), self-control(${\beta}$=.185, p<.001), and age(${\beta}$=.169, p<.01) were significant among general properties for organizational empowerment. As for organizational cultures, developmental culture(${\beta}$=.165, p<.001), group culture(${\beta}$=.099, p<.01), and rational culture (${\beta}$=.063, p<.05) were significant other than hierarchial culture. In conclusion, it is necessary to promote group culture and developmental culture to enhance hospital worker's empowerment level, and this article elucidates that understanding the organizational culture embedded in each organization is important for efficient management of organization.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.1-5
• /
• 1998

Grief is the ordinarily self-limited complex of symptoms and processes that constitute the acute reaction to a significant loss. And it is the reaction of the dying as well as the bereaved. Every culture has had its own ways of grief and mourning. The definition of healthy grief and mourning, in terms of both emotional expression and the length of time it should continue, mostly depend upon the type of culture as well as the type of religion. So the manner of grief and mourning greatly differs from culture to culture. In the most of the Asian countries, influenced by Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, death is traditionally considered the most significant life cycle transition. In Chinese culture, many rituals have evolved to help family members deal with their loss, over the past five thousand years. Confucianism taught the virtues of filial piety and righteousness. These rules and many customs added since the time of Cofucius, have been loyally followed and practiced by many Asian people. However, Buddhists have different ideas. They believe in karma and reincarnation and in predetermination of one's present life by good or bad deeds in the present life and past lives. Display of uncontrollable emotion is not encouraged. Continuity of family relations after death is very important. The ancient practice of the ancestor worship is still followed in many Asian households. Many Buddhist do not practice ancestor worship; family members honor the deceased by placing a memorial plate in the temple for continued chanting purposes. The mourning rituals have been dramatically curtailed in the past 50 years. For example, political, social and economic forces have shaped the current mourning practices of Chinese in different countries. There are many clinical implications in helping Asian to deal better with the emotional strains of the experience of loss. The therapiest must respect the cultural framework through which the client perceives family losses.

• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.353-361
• /
• 2012

Human embryonic stem (ES) cells are a potential source of cells for developmental studies and for a variety of applications in transplantation therapies and drug discovery. However, human ES cells are difficult to culture and maintain at a large scale, which is one of the most serious obstacles in human ES cell research. Culture of human ES cells on MEF cells after disassociation with accutase has previously been demonstrated by other research groups. Here, we confirmed that human ES cells (H9) can maintain stem cell properties when the cells are passaged as single cells under a feeder-free culture condition. Accutase-dissociated human ES cells showed normal karyotype, stem cell marker expression, and morphology. We prepared frozen stocks during the culture period, thawed two of the human ES cell stocks, and analyzed the cells after culture with the same method. Although the cells revealed normal expression of stem cell marker genes, they had abnormal karyotypes. Therefore, we suggest that accutase-dissociated single cells can be usefully expanded in a feeder-free condition but chromosomal modification should be considered in the culture after freeze-thawing.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.77-85
• /
• 2000

Streptococcus mutans is the most important causative bacteria of dental caries among the oral bacteria. Lactococcus lactis 1370 was isolated from the oral cavity of child. The effect of Lactococcus lactis 1370 on the formation of artificial plaque by Streptococcus mutans was studied. 1. The insoluble substances and bacteria were much more attached on the wall of disposable cuvette in the culture of Streptococcus mutans than in the combined culture of Streptococcus mutans and Lactococcus lactis 1370. 2. The mean weight of produced artificial plaque on the wires in the beaker was 131.7 mg in the culture of Streptococcus mutans only, whereas being reduced to 6.4 mg in the combined culture of Streptococcus mutans and Lactococcus lactis 1370 (p<0.05). The viable cell didn't show the significant difference between them after culturing. 3. When Streptococcus mutans was cultured in the media containing culture supernatant of Lactococcus lactis 1370 cultured in M17 broth containing 0.5% yeast extract and 5% sucrose, the mean weight of produced artificial plaque was 8.0 mg on the wires, whereas being 125.4 mg in the media without culture supernatant of Lactococcus lactis 1370 (p<0.05). The viable cell didn't show the significant difference between them after culturing. 4. When Streptococcus mutans was cultured in the media containing soluble polymer produced by Lactococcus lactis 1370, the mean weight of produced artificial plaque was significantly reduced compared with being cultured in the media without soluble polymer (p<0.05). The viable cell didn't show the significant difference between them after culturing. 5. The soluble polymer produced by Lactococcus lactis 1370 was glucan. 6. The glucan produced by Lactococcus lactis 1370 was water-soluble glucan containing ${\alpha}$-1,6-glucose linkage as the main linkage. These results suggest that the artificial plaque formed by Streptococcus mutans is inhibited by water-soluble glucan produced by Lactococcus lactis 1370.

• The Journal of the Korean life insurance medical association
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.18-20
• /
• 2008

I have taught various case audit underwriting methods to underwriters for many years. Underwriting requires specialized medical knowledge and experience of comprehensive individual risk analysis. Decisions in individualized underwriting depend on the insurance company's management philosophy and vision, marketing strategies, culture, product line etc. They also depend on the information acquired through proposal forms, inspection reports, laboratory results and disclosures. Underwriters match this acquired information to each insurance product, search appropriate medical resources, assess the probabilities of future claims, and decide what, if any, further medical information should be gathered. Sources include doctors' reports, medical records, biopsies, blood and urine tests, CT, MRI, Holter monitoring, sonography etc. Insurance medical directors help and teach underwriters to analyze individual medical risks and make effective.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
• /
• v.29 no.6
• /
• pp.659-667
• /
• 2014

Fruits are good sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals, which are known to reduce serum lipids, oxidative damage, and blood pressure as well as improve blood glucose control. The purpose of this study was to estimate nutrient quality indices of fruits by carrying out a critical analysis of pre-existing methods according to their nutritional compositions. Four methods were used to assess the nutrient indices of 26 fruits, which are frequently consumed by Koreans based on the fourth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2009). Naturally nutrient rich score (NNR), nutrient rich food (NRF), nutrient adequacy score (NAS), and nutrient density score (NDS) were used to calculate nutrient quality indices. The Korean Nutrition Society Food Composition database of fruits based on 100 g edible portions was used. The algorithm of each method included the mean percentage of daily values (Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans, 2010) for particular nutrients based on consumption of 1,900 kcal/day. The relative score indicated that strawberries, kumquat, and lemon had high nutrient quality indices. In addition, mango, lemon, persimmon, strawberry, apricot, and tangerine fruits are rich in antioxidant nutrients such as ${\beta}$-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium. However, scores of nutrient quality indices did not imply that higher scores of particular fruits are superior. We suggest moderate seasonable consumption a variety of fruits. Our results can be used as a reference for consumers when they choose fruits.