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A Study on Hypertension Management of Community Health Practitioner Posts (보건진료소 고혈압 관리사업의 실태)

  • Kwon, Myung-Soon
    • Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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    • v.28 no.2
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    • pp.155-169
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    • 2003
  • Objectives: The purpose of this study is to provide data for the improvement of hypertension management of community health practitioner posts through the study on hypertension management in community health practitioner posts. Methods: A questionnaire was mailed to 700 community health practitioners and 205 of them responded during the period from March 13, 2003 to May 13. The survey results were analyzed using SPSS program, version 11. Results: The results are as follows; 1. There are two major activities in a hypertension prevention project for community: health education and early detection. About 57% of community health care practitioners perform a health education for community people four times a year. The 64.5% of them used the materials for health education provided from a community health center and 22.1% of them performed a post-evaluation. The main method of early detection of hypertension was measurement of blood pressure of person to visit, which was 96.1%. Other methods included home visiting(89.3%), a referral from community hospitals and other resources(49.1%), health promotion events(39.5%), and a review of medical records(35.7%). 2. For the registration and management of patients with hypertension, about 36% of community health centers used a special form and more than 50% of them have registered patients who were managed by other health care institutions in the community. A computerized program was used for the management of patients with hypertension in 68.5% of them. More than 60% of them responded that it was used for report, treatment, and follow-up of patients with hypertension.

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A Study on the Health Insurance Management System; With Emphasis on the Management Operating Cost (의료보험 관리체계에 대한 연구 - 관리비용을 중심으로 -)

  • 남광성
    • Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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    • v.6 no.2
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    • pp.23-39
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    • 1989
  • There have been a lot of considerable. discussion and debate surrounding the management model in the health insurance management system and opinions regarding the management operating cost. It is a well known fact that there have always been dissenting opinions and debates surrounding the issue. The management operating cost varies according to the scale of the management organization and component members characteristics of the insurance carrier. Therefore, it is necessary to examine and compare the management operating cost to the simulated management models developed to cover those eligible for the health insurance scheme in this country. Since the management operating cost can vary according to the different models of management, four alternative management models have been established based on the critical evaluation of existing theories concerned, as well as on the basis of the survey results and simulation attempts. The first alternative model is the Unique Insurance Carrier Model(Ⅰ) ; desigened to cover all of the people with no classification of insurance qualifications and finances from the source of contribution of the insured, nationwide. The second is the Management Model of Large-scale District Insurance Carrier(Ⅱ) ; this means the Korean society would be divided into 21 large districts; each having its own insurance carrier that would cover the people in that particular district with no classification of insurance qualifications arid finances as in Model I. The third is the Management Model of Insurance Carrier Divided by Area and Classified with Occupation if Largescale (Ⅲ) ; to serve the self-employed in the 21 districts divided as in Model Ⅱ. It would serve the employees and their dependents by separate insurance carriers in large-scale similar to the area of the district-scale for the self-employed, so that the insurance qualifications and finances would be classified with each of the insurance carriers: The last is the Management Model of the Multi - insurance Carrier (Ⅳ) based on the Si. Gun. Gu area which will cover their own self- employed people in the area with more than 150 additional insurance carriers covering the employees and their dependents. The manpower necessary to provide services to all of the people according to the four models is calculated through simulation trials. It indicates that the Management Model of Large-scale District Insurance Carrier requires the most manpower among the four alternative models. The unit management operating costs per the insured individuals and covered persons are leveled with several intervals based on the insurance recipients. in their characteristics. The interval levels derived from the regression analysis reveal that the larger the scale of the insurance carriers is in the number of those insured and covered. the more the unit management operating cost decreases. significantly. Moreover. the result of the quadratic functional formula also shows the U-shape significantly. The management operating costs derived from the simulated calculation. on the basis of the average salary and related cost per staff- member of the Health Insurance Societies for Occupational Labours and Korean Medical Insurance Corporation for the Official Servants and Private School Teachers in 1987 fiscal year. show that the Model of Multi-insurance Carrier warrants the highest management operating cost. Meanwhile the least expensive management operating cost is the Management Model of Unique Insurance Carrier. Insurance Carrier Divided by Area and Classified with Occupation in Large-scale. and Large-scale District Insurance Carrier. in order. Therefore. it is feasible to select the Unique Insurance Carrier Model among the four alternatives from the viewpoint of the management operating cost and in the sense of the flexibility in promoting the productivity of manpower in the human services field. However. the choice of the management model for health insurance systems and its application should be examined further utilizing the operation research analysis for such areas as the administrative efficiency and factors related to computer cost etc.

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Oral health status and treatment need of institutionalized elderly patients (노인요양시설에 있는 노인환자의 구강실태 및 치료수요도)

  • Yang, Soon-Bong;Moon, Hong-Suk;Han, Dong-Hoo;Lee, Ho-Yong;Chung, Moon-Kyu
    • The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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    • v.46 no.5
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    • pp.455-469
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    • 2008
  • Statement of problems: In the area of dental care, the institutionalized elderly have placed the most vulnerable state, and we cannot find their subjective need of dental treatment because of the physical and mental disabilities, But we have no basic investigation of their oral health conditions. Purpose: The aims of the current study were to investigate the oral health status of institutionalized elderly patients who are in the least benefited side of dental service, and to analyze their dental treatment needs. Material and methods: The survey of the oral status was carried out on 758 institutionalized elderly, and 212 elderly who was more than 65 years old from D dental office, and it was based on the Guidelines of Oral Health Research of year 2000 in Republic of Korea. Results and conclusion: The DMFT index of the institutionalized elderly appeared higher than that of the same ages in control group, and it increased with age. The number of residual teeth of the institutionalized elderly appeared lower than that of the same ages in control group, and it decreased with age (P < .05). The number of fixed partial denture in institutionalized elderly was lower than that of the same ages in control group (P < .05). The percentage wearing removable partial denture was not significant between the elderly in institutions and the control group, and was not different according to age between the two groups. The percentage of institutionalized elderly wearing complete denture appeared lower than that of the same ages in control group, and it increased with age. The percentage of institutionalized elderly needing complete denture was higher than that of control group, and the percentage of elderly needing complete denture on the maxilla was higher than that of the mandible. 16.35% of the institutionalized elderly was living without denture in spite of their fully edentulous state. The need for complete denture increased rapidly with age. The number of valued teeth and dental prostheses in shortened dental arch concept and number of occluding pairs of teeth of institutionalized elderly were lower than that of the control group (P < .05). In institutionalized elderly, the number of residual teeth, the number of fixed partial dentures, and the percentage wearing removable partial dentures were higher in the mandible, and the percentage wearing complete dentures was higher in the maxilla (P < .05). The rate of institutionalized elderly needing prosthodontic treatment appeared to be 67.82%, where the number of occluding pairs of teeth was less than 10. When it is difficult to evaluate the subjective need of dental treatment as with the institutionalized elderly, estimation using the number of occluding pairs of teeth can be a useful indicator that can project treatment needs. For the oral health care of institutionalized elderly, it is essential to increase the awareness of nurses and caregivers who take care of them, about the importance of the oral health. Since the average life span and number of residual teeth are increasing gradually, the welfare policy should be changed to implementing regular dental examinations, preservative treatment forms and oral health control of dentulous patients where the traveling-treatment system and visit system are supplemented. And principles should be set that the present denture project of edentulous patients should be done by specialists who'll also be responsible for postmanagement. Through this research of institutionalized elderly, the oral health status which is worsened by aging could be confirmed. And the interest and positive participation of dental society on the elderly should come first in order to solve the rising treatment needs of the elderly patients.

Decreased Attention in Narcolepsy Patients is not Related with Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (기면병 환자의 주의집중 저하와 주간졸음증 간의 상관관계 부재)

  • Kim, Seog-Ju;Lyoo, In-Kyoon;Lee, Yu-Jin;Lee, Ju-Young;Jeong, Do-Un
    • Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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    • v.12 no.2
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    • pp.122-132
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    • 2005
  • Objectives: The objective of this study is to assess cognitive functions and their relationship with sleep symptoms in young narcoleptic patients. Methods: Eighteen young narcolepsy patients and 18 normal controls (age: 17-35 years old) were recruited. All narcolepsy patients had HLA $DQB_1$ *0602 allele and cataplexy. Several important areas of cognition were assessed by a battery of neuropsychological tests consisting of 13 tests: executive functions (e.g. cognitive set shifting, inhibition, and selective attention) through Wisconsin card sorting test, Trail Making A/B, Stroop test, Ruff test, Digit Symbol, Controlled Oral Word Association and Boston Naming Test; alertness and sustained attention through paced auditory serial addition test; verbal/nonverbal short-term memory and working memory through Digit Span and Spatial Span; visuospatial memory through Rey-Osterrieth complex figure test; verbal learning and memory through California verbal learning test; and fine motor activity through grooved pegboard test. Sleep symptoms in narcolepsy patients were assessed with Epworth sleepiness scale, Ullanlinna narcolepsy scale, multiple sleep latency test, and nocturnal polysomnography. Relationship between cognitive functions and sleep symptoms in narcolepsy patients was also explored. Results: Compared with normal controls, narcolepsy patients showed poor performance in paced auditory serial addition (2.0 s and 2.4 s), digit symbol tests, and spatial span (forward)(t=3.86, p<0.01; t=-2.47, p=0.02; t=-3.95, p<0.01; t=-2.22, p=0.03, respectively). There were no significant between-group differences in other neuropsychological tests. In addition, results of neuropsychological test in narcolepsy patients were not correlated with Epworth sleepiness scale score, Ullanlinna narcolepsy scale score and sleep variables in multiple sleep latency test or nocturnal polysomnography. Conclusion: The current findings suggest that young narcolepsy patients have impaired attention. In addition, impairment of attention in narcolepsy might not be solely due to sleep symptoms such as excessive daytime sleepiness.

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The Effect of Positioning with Mechanically Ventilatory Acute Respitatory Failure Patients on Arterial Oxygen Partial Pressure and Alveolar-arterial Oxygen tension (인공호흡기를 부착한 급성 호흡부전 환자에서 폐병변 부위에 따른 체위적용이 동맥혈 가스분압 및 폐포동맥간 산소 분압차에 미치는 영향)

  • Hwang, Hee Joung;Park, Hye Ja
    • Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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    • v.12 no.2
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    • pp.234-244
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    • 2000
  • It is widely recognized that manipulation of body position takes advantage of the influences of gravity for improving oxygenation. The study aims to determine the effects of positioning(supine, prone, right lateral decubitus and left lateral decubitus positions) applied to the mechanically ventilatory acute respiratory failure patients on arterial oxygen partial pressure($PaO_2$), alveolar arterial oxygen tension difference($AaDO_2$), mean aterial pressure, peak inspiratory pressure and plateau pressure. Thirty two acute respiratory failure patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit at Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea from March 1997 to January 1998, were divided into three groups by radiographic evidence of unilateral or bilateral lung disease. In group 1 with dominant right lung disease were twelve subjects, group 2 with dominant left lung disease had eight subjects and group 3 had twelve subjects with bilateral lung disease. The variables were measured in 30 minutes after each position of supine, prone, good lung down lateral decubitus and sick lung down lateral decubitus position. The position order was done at random by Latin squre design. The results are as follows; 1) With group 1 patients, the $PaO_2$ in the left lateral decubitus and prone position were $126.8{\pm}30.8$ mmHg and $106.7{\pm}36.8$ mmHg, respectively(p=0.0001). 2) With group 2 patients, the $PaO_2$ in the prone and the right lateral decubitus position were $121.7{\pm}44.7$ mmHg and $118.5{\pm}31.7$ mmHg, respectively (p=0.0018). 3) With group 3 patients, the $PaO_2$ was $143.6{\pm}36.6$ mmHg in the prone position (p=0.0001). 4) With group 1 patients, the $AaDO_2$ in the left lateral decubitus and the right lateral decubitus position were $178.1{\pm}29.7$ mmHg and $233.1{\pm}24.4$ mmHg, respectively(p=0.0001). 5) With group 2 patients, the $AaDO_2$ in the prone and the left lateral decubitus postion were $184.0{\pm}39.5$ mmHg and $231.0{\pm}23.9$ mmHg, respectively(p=0.0019). 6) With group 3 patients, the $AaDO_2$ in the prone and the supine postion were $377.1{\pm}35.6$ mmHg and $435.7{\pm}13.1$ mmHg, respectively (p=0.0001). 7) There were no differences among the mean arterial pressure, peak inspiratory pressure and plateau pressure for each of the supine, prone, left lateral decubitus and right lateral decubitus position. The results suggest that oxygenation may improve in mechanically ventilatory patients with unilateral lung disease when the position is good lung dependent and prone, and patients with bilateral lung disease when the position is prone without any effects on the mean arterial pressure and airway pressure. It is suggested that body positions improve ventilation/perfusion matching and oxygenation need to be specified in patient care plans.

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Prognostically Significant Fusion Oncogenes in Pakistani Patients with Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and their Association with Disease Biology and Outcome

  • Sabir, Noreen;Iqbal, Zafar;Aleem, Aamer;Awan, Tashfeen;Naeem, Tahir;Asad, Sultan;Tahir, Ammara H;Absar, Muhammad;Hasanato, Rana MW;Basit, Sulman;Chishti, Muhammad Azhar;Ul-Haque, Muhammad Faiyaz;Khalid, Ahmad Muktar;Sabar, Muhammad Farooq;Rasool, Mahmood;Karim, Sajjad;Khan, Mahwish;Samreen, Baila;Akram, Afia M;Siddiqi, Muhammad Hassan;Shahzadi, Saba;Shahbaz, Sana;Ali, Agha Shabbir
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.13 no.7
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    • pp.3349-3355
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    • 2012
  • Background and objectives: Chromosomal abnormalities play an important role in genesis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and have prognostic implications. Five major risk stratifying fusion genes in ALL are BCR-ABL, MLL-AF4, ETV6-RUNX11, E2A-PBX1 and SIL-TAL1. This work aimed to detect common chromosomal translocations and associated fusion oncogenes in adult ALL patients and study their relationship with clinical features and treatment outcome. Methods: We studied fusion oncogenes in 104 adult ALL patients using RT-PCR and interphase-FISH at diagnosis and their association with clinical characteristics and treatment outcome. Results: Five most common fusion genes i.e. BCR-ABL (t 9; 22), TCF3-PBX1 (t 1; 19), ETV6-RUNX1 (t 12; 21), MLL-AF4 (t 4; 11) and SIL-TAL1 (Del 1p32) were found in 82/104 (79%) patients. TCF3-PBX1 fusion gene was associated with lymphadenopathy, SIL-TAL1 positive patients had frequent organomegaly and usually presented with a platelets count of less than $50{\times}10^9/l$. Survival of patients with fusion gene ETV6-RUNX1 was better when compared to patients harboring other genes. MLL-AF4 and BCR-ABL positivity characterized a subset of adult ALL patients with aggressive clinical behaviour and a poor outcome. Conclusions: This is the first study from Pakistan which investigated the frequency of5 fusion oncogenes in adult ALL patients, and their association with clinical features, treatment response and outcome. Frequencies of some of the oncogenes were different from those reported elsewhere and they appear to be associated with distinct clinical characteristics and treatment outcome. This information will help in the prognostic stratification and risk adapted management of adult ALL patients.

Observations of Oxygen Administration Effects on Visuospatial Cognitive Performance using Time Course Data Analysis of fMRI (뇌기능 자기공명영상의 시계열 신호 분석에 의한 공간인지과제 수행시 산소 공급의 효과 관찰)

  • Sohn Jin-Hun;You Ji-Hye;Eom Jin-Sup;Lee Soo-Yeol;Chung Soon-Cheol
    • Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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    • v.9 no.1
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    • pp.9-15
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    • 2005
  • Purpose : This study attempted to investigate the effects of supply of highly concentrated $(30\%)$ oxygen on human ability of visuospatial cognition using time course data analysis of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). Materials and Methods : To select an item set in the visuospatial performance test, two questionnaires with similar difficulty were developed through group testing. A group test was administered to 263 college students. Two types of questionnaire containing 20 questions were developed to measure the ability of visuospatial cognition. Eight college students (right-handed male, average age of 23.5 yrs) were examined for fMRI study. The experiment consisted of two runs of the visuospatial cognition testing, one with $21\%$ level of oxygen and the other with $30\%$ oxygen level. Each run consisted of 4 blocks, each containing control and visuospatial items. Functional brain images were taken from 37 MRI using the single-shot EPI method. Using the subtraction procedure, activated areas in the brain during visuospatial tasks were color-coded by t-score. To investigate the time course data in each activated area from brain images, 4 typical regions (cerebellum, occipital lobe, parietal lobe, and frontal lobe) were selected. Results : The average accuracy was $50.63{\pm}8.63$ and $62.50{\pm}9.64$ for $21\%\;and\;30\%$ oxygen respectively, and a statistically significant difference was found in the accuracy between the two types of oxygen (p<0.05). There were more activation areas observed at the cerebellum, occipital lobe, parietal lobe and frontal lobe with $30\%$ oxygen administration. The rate of increase in the cerebellum, occipital lobe and parietal lobe was $17\%$ and that of the frontal lobe, $50\%$. Especially, there were increase of intensity of BOLD signal at the parietal lobe with $30\%$ oxygen administration. The increase rate of the left parietal lobe was $1.4\%$ and that of the right parietal lobe, $1.7\%$. Conclusion : It is concluded that while performing visuospatial tasks, high concentrations of oxygen administration make oxygen administration sufficient, thus making neural network activate more, and the ability to perform visuospatial tasks increase.

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Early postoperative arrhythmias after open heart surgery of pediatric congenital heart disease (소아 선천성 심장병 개심술 후 발생한 조기 부정맥)

  • Choi, Hee-Joung;Kim, Yeo-Hyang;Cho, Joon-Yong;Hyun, Myung-Chul;Lee, Sang-Bum;Kim, Kyu-Tae
    • Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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    • v.53 no.4
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    • pp.532-537
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    • 2010
  • Purpose : Early postoperative arrhythmias are a major cause of mortality and morbidity after open heart surgery in the pediatric population. We evaluated the incidence and risk factors of early postoperative arrhythmias after surgery of congenital heart disease. Methods : From January 2002 to December 2008, we retrospectively reviewed the medical records of the 561 patients who underwent cardiac surgery in Kyungpook National University Hospital. We analyzed patients' age and weight, occurrence and type of arrhythmia, cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time, aortic cross clamp (ACC) time, and postoperative electrolyte levels. Results : Arrhythmias occurred in 42 of 578 (7.3%) cases of the pediatric cardiac surgery. The most common types of arrhythmia were junctional ectopic tachycardia (JET) and accelerated idioventricular rhythm (AIVR), which occurred in 17 and 13 cases, respectively. The arterial switch operation (ASO) of transposition of the great arteries (TGA) had the highest incidence of arrhythmia (36.4%). Most cases of cardiac arrhythmia showed good response to management. Patients with early postoperative arrhythmias had significantly lower body weight, younger age, and prolonged CPB and ACC times ($P$<0.05) than patients without arrhythmia. Although the mean duration of ventilator care and intensive care unit stay were significantly longer ($P$<0.05), the mortality rate was not significantly different among the 2 groups. Conclusion : Early postoperative arrhythmias are a major complication after pediatric cardiac surgery; however, aggressive and immediate management can reduce mortality and morbidity.

The Survey for Improvement in Clinical Practice Curriculum of Physiotherapy (물리치료 임상실습 교과내용 개선을 위한 조사연구)

  • Jang, Su-Gyeong
    • Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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    • v.5 no.3
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    • pp.659-674
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    • 1998
  • This Study was to investigate elaborated research themes and direction through specifying the problems of clinical practice education and looking for the direction of improvement. It was in the basis of the viewpoint of the educators that professors and therapists who were the subjects of this study. Perform this study, the 15 colleges' professors and the 55 hospitals' therapists was made up questionnaire, and the data was analysing by Chi-square test and percentage. The results were as follow : ${\cdot}$ In a personal history among the general qualities, professors have little clinical practice history(l-5 years, 53.3%), and therapists have little lecture career(1-5 years, 43.6%, have no 49.0%), ${\cdot}$ The 78.6% subjects were unsatisfied of clinical practice systems. ${\cdot}$ The correlation between clinical history, school career and lecture career and the satisfaction level of clinical practice systems has no(P<.005), ${\cdot}$ The subjects were agreed to that clinical practice curriculum should be changed(67.1%), reinforced(82.9%), and specified(90.0%). ${\cdot}$ The clinical practice credits are 11 points averagely. ${\cdot}$ In the clinical practice curriculum, it made no difference in the practicum of diseases, modality, and the therapeutic techniques between professors and therapists. ${\cdot}$ The 100% professors said that the practicum of the patients' assessment is necessary, and the 63.6% therapists were training for that. ${\cdot}$ The 66.7% professors said that the practicum of the clinical psychology is necessary, and only the 20.0% therapists were training for that. ${\cdot}$ The 93.3% professors said that the practicum of the patients' management is necessary, and the 50.9% therapists were training for that. ${\cdot}$ The 66.7% professors said that the practicum of the medical ethics is necessary, and the 34.5% therapists were training for that. ${\cdot}$ The 46.7% professors said that the practicum of the hospital administration is necessary, but the 54.5% therapists have not training. ${\cdot}$ The 33.3% professors said that the practicum of the pharmacology is necessary, but the 81.8% therapists have not training. ${\cdot}$ The 86.7% professors said that the practicum of the patient's education is necessary, and the 43.6% therapists have training. ${\cdot}$ The 66.7% professors said that the practicum of the prosthesis and brace is necessary, but the 14.5% therapists have not training. ${\cdot}$ The 60.0% professors said that the practicum of the exercise prescription is necessary, but the 25.5% therapists have not training. ${\cdot}$ The 53.5% professors said that the practicum of the emergency treatment is necessary, but the 52.7% therapists have not training. ${\cdot}$ Drawing up the plan about the curriculum of clinical practice, the professors (46.7%) were agreed to national master plan framing by an expert advisor, but the therapists (58.2%) said that the plan that make the most of hospitals' characteristics should be specified. ${\cdot}$ It was found that a clinical special therapists(54.5%) was good as a person in charge of clinical practice education, in that each therapist's own good time (34.5%) was. ${\cdot}$ It made use of the form framing by college(40.0%) as the clinical practice textbook, the form framing by hospital (42.9%) and each therapist(22.9%) as the plan, and the form framing by college (74.3%) as the measurement. ${\cdot}$ The most difficult point in clinical practice education was the lacks of the theory-praciticum linkage(78.2%). ${\cdot}$ It was found that the period of clinical practice was in the second semester-third grade (40.0%) and the desirable period was in the first semester-third grade(50.0%). ${\cdot}$ Professors (53.3%) were agreed that the desirable clinical practice duration was from four months to six months(60.0%), and the therapists (60.0%) were agreed that from one month to three months. ${\cdot}$ This study presented the lacks of rearing the experts, the lacks of cultural education, and the lacks of the theory-clinical practice linkage. There were need to develop the systematic programs, clinical practice textbooks, the measurements and the special hospital for clinical practice. And it was need to reduce the gab between of the hospitals for clinical practice, to cut down the costs. and to improve the labour conditions of leaders. In view of this findings, it takes notice of that both professor and therapist were dissatisfied at the present clinical practice systems. These results point out the problems of clinical practice systems, and do not make expect to us the successive and positive clinical practice. The general, specific and intensive plan about the problems and the direction of improvement that establishing the level of hospital for clinical practice and physiotherapy can be elaborated.

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A Study on the Culture of Incense in the Period of T'ang (당대 향문화 연구)

  • Chun Hea-Sook;Lee Ae-Ryun
    • Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
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    • v.7 no.3
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    • pp.113-127
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    • 2005
  • From the ancient times, incense was used for various usages including a means of beauty expression with flavor, a medicine for disease treatment and a device for religious event or ritual. The period of T'ang was the times when cultural and material exchanges with foreign countries were very actively made under the political openness of the Chinese nation. Here the exchanges were made mainly through inland trade, called Silk Road(絲綢之路) and marine trade routes, Incense Road(香料之路). This indicates that incense was one of the main items actively traded at that time. In addition, literatures of the T'ang period show that in the Chinese nation, a wide range of classes from the imperial family to the public used incense for many different purposes. This suggests that the culture of incense was deeply prevailed and very socially significant in T'ang. This study investigated social factors that promoted the incense culture of T'ang and the applications and types of incense widely used in the period of T'ang. First, influential religions and the openness of sex culture were main social factors that made incense culture flourish in the period of T'ang. Above all, two main religions of the Chinese nation, Buddhism and Taoism became secularized under political protection by the imperial family. As Buddhism was popularized, the Buddhist ritual of incense burning made a contribution to making public incense culture. Providing its doctrines of eternal youth and eternal life, Taoism necessarily used incense to form a Taoistic climate. The flourishment of the foresaid religion in T'ang added more fuel to that of incense culture in the Chinese nation. The openness of sex culture brought about the Inauguration of the empress, improvement in female position and free relationships between man and woman. It was accelerated by sexology as a method of eternal youth provided by Taoism. The opened culture also developed the culture of kibang where female entertainers called kinyeo consumed lots of incense for decoration and sexual desire stimulation. These open climates of T'ang society made a great contribution to making incense culture, especially for decoration, prevailed throughout the Chinese nation. Second, types of incense prevailed and widely used in the period of T'ang included olive incense, germander(廣藿香), olibnum(乳香), myrrh Resinoid(沒藥), jia Xiang(甲香), clove(丁香) and Shen xian(沈香), all of which were imported from foreign nations and had various applications. Specifically, olive incense, germander(廣藿香), olibnum(乳香) and myrrh Resinoid(沒藥) were used for religious purposes while, jia Xiang(甲香), clove(丁香) and Shen xian(沈香) for the purposes of religion and decoration. In conclusion, a number of social factors including political, religious and medical purposes and the openness of sex culture set fundamentals on which the culture of incense was extensively developed and established as a social trend in T'ang. In the Chinese nation, incense culture was not just an option for taste, but a part of life style social members needed to know. People of T'ang not only enjoyed incense mainly for purposes of religion, pleasure and make-up, but also had the wisdom to know various effects of incense, curiosity about such new things and the will to imitate and pursue alien culture, resultantly flourishing incense culture. Thus the culture of incense represented many social aspects of T'ang.

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