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

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.85-98
• /
• 2023

Objective : We investigated the efficacy of an artificial intelligence computerized cognitive training program using motion capture to identify changes in cognition, depression, and quality of life in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. Methods : A total of seven older adults (experimental group = 4, control group = 3) participated in this study. During the COVID-19 period from October to December 2021, we used a program, "MOOVE Brain", that we had developed. The experimental group performed the program 30 minutes 3×/week for 1 month. We analyzed patients scores from the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination-2, the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Packet for Daily Life Evaluation, the short form Geriatric Depression Scale, and Geriatric Quality of Life Scale. Results : We observed positive changes in the mean scores of the Stroop Color Test (attention), Stroop Color/Word Test (executive function), SGDS-K (depression), and GQOL (QoL). However, these changes did not reach statistical significance for each variable. Conclusion : The study results from "MOOVE Brain" can help address cognitive and psychosocial issues in isolated patients with MCI during the COVID-19 pandemic or those unable to access in-person medical services.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.47 no.3
• /
• pp.366-375
• /
• 2023

Background: Ginseng contains three active components: ginsenosides, gintonin, and polysaccharides. After the separation of 1 of the 3 ingredient fractions, other fractions are usually discarded as waste. In this study, we developed a simple and effective method, called the ginpolin protocol, to separate gintonin-enriched fraction (GEF), ginseng polysaccharide fraction (GPF), and crude ginseng saponin fraction (cGSF). Methods: Dried ginseng (1 kg) was extracted using 70% ethanol (EtOH). The extract was water fractionated to obtain a water-insoluble precipitate (GEF). The upper layer after GEF separation was precipitated with 80% EtOH for GPF preparation, and the remaining upper layer was vacuum dried to obtain cGSF. Results: The yields of GEF, GPF, and cGSF were 14.8, 54.2, and 185.3 g, respectively, from 333 g EtOH extract. We quantified the active ingredients of 3 fractions: L-arginine, galacturonic acid, ginsenosides, glucuronic acid, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), phosphatidic acid (PA), and polyphenols. The order of the LPA, PA, and polyphenol content was GEF > cGSF > GPF. The order of L-arginine and galacturonic acid was GPF >> GEF = cGSF. Interestingly, GEF contained a high amount of ginsenoside Rb1, whereas cGSF contained more ginsenoside Rg1. GEF and cGSF, but not GPF, induced intracellular [Ca²⁺]_i transient with antiplatelet activity. The order of antioxidant activity was GPF > GEF = cGSF. Immunological activities (related to nitric oxide production, phagocytosis, and IL-6 and TNF-α release) were, in order, GPF > GEF = cGSF. The neuroprotective ability (against reactive oxygen species) order was GEF > cGSP > GPF. Conclusion: We developed a novel ginpolin protocol to isolate 3 fractions in batches and determined that each fraction has distinct biological effects.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
• /
• v.24 no.6
• /
• pp.83.1-83.12
• /
• 2023

Background: Ellipticine (Ellip.) was recently reported to have beneficial effects on the differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells into mature chondrocyte-like cells. On the other hand, no practical results have been derived from the transplantation of bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) in a rabbit osteoarthritis (OA) model. Objectives: This study examined whether autologous BMSCs incubated with ellipticine (Ellip.+BMSCs) could regenerate articular cartilage in rabbit OA, a model similar to degenerative arthritis in human beings. Methods: A portion of rabbit articular cartilage was surgically removed, and Ellip.+BMSCs were transplanted into the lesion area. After two and four weeks of treatment, the serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines, i.e., tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), were analyzed, while macroscopic and micro-computed tomography (CT) evaluations were conducted to determine the intensity of cartilage degeneration. Furthermore, immuno-blotting was performed to evaluate the mitogen-activated protein kinases, PI3K/Akt, and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling in rabbit OA models. Histological staining was used to confirm the change in the pattern of collagen and proteoglycan in the articular cartilage matrix. Results: The transplantation of Ellip.+BMSCs elicited a chondroprotective effect by reducing the inflammatory factors (TNF-α, PGE2) in a time-dependent manner. Macroscopic observations, micro-CT, and histological staining revealed articular cartilage regeneration with the downregulation of matrix-metallo proteinases (MMPs), preventing articular cartilage degradation. Furthermore, histological observations confirmed a significant boost in the production of chondrocytes, collagen, and proteoglycan compared to the control group. Western blotting data revealed the downregulation of the p38, PI3K-Akt, and NF-κB inflammatory pathways to attenuate inflammation. Conclusions: The transplantation of Ellip.+BMSCs normalized the OA condition by boosting the recovery of degenerated articular cartilage and inhibiting the catabolic signaling pathway.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
• /
• v.9 no.5
• /
• pp.269-273
• /
• 2023

After participating in the Second Boer War in 1899, the Australian Army participated in world wars such as World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. To overcome the decline in the social recognition of soldiers and the continuous shortage of troops caused by the protracted war, the status and role of female personnel were expanded. The use of female manpower, which started as medical support during the Second Boer War, expanded to combat support missions such as communications, maintenance, driving, secret document management, and radar surveillance during World War II. After the Vietnam War, the Chiefs of Staff of the Australian Army, Navy and Air Force established a committee to expand women's participation in the military, improved service conditions for female personnel and supplemented regulations so that they were treated as soldiers, not women, and reached a turning point in expanding the role of female personnel in the Australian military. As a result, all combat positions, including special forces, were opened to women in 2014, and a plan was established to increase the proportion of women in each service by 2030. As a result, all combat positions, including special forces, were opened to women in 2014, and the Australian Armed Forces set a plan to increase the proportion of women by 2030. Like the Australian military, South Korea is also experiencing a demographic cliff and shortage of troops due to the continuing low birthrate problem. Through the history and current state of the use of female personnel in the Australian military, we would like to draw implications for the direction our military should go.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
• /
• v.9 no.6
• /
• pp.355-363
• /
• 2023

The purpose of this study was attempted to confirm the relationship between medical workers' knowledge of the elderly, burn out, job satisfaction and awareness of elder abuse. The study was conducted on 371 doctors, nurses, and nurse's aides working at eight health centers, 15 nursing hospitals, and 30 university hospital institutions. Looking at the relationships between variables, this study found that knowledge of the elderly was a significant positive correlation with awareness of elder abuse(r=.14, p<.01), and burn out was a significant negetive correlation with job satisfaction(r=-.55, p<.01) and awareness of elder abuse(r=-.10, p<.05). Job satisfaction was a significant positive correlation with awareness of elder abuse(r=.13, p<.01). Awareness of elder abuse was a significant positive correlation with knowledge of the elderly(r=.14, p<.01) and was a significant negetive correlation with burn out(r=-.10, p<.05). As a result of this study, it is expected that Hospital workers can have a positive perception and attitude toward the elderly by reducing their burnout and improving their job satisfaction.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
• /
• v.9 no.6
• /
• pp.861-866
• /
• 2023

Individuals with visual impairments face difficulties in accessing accurate information about medical services and medications, making it challenging for them to ensure proper medication intake. While there are healthcare laws addressing this issue, there is a lack of standardized solutions, and not all over-the-counter medications are covered. Therefore, we have undertaken the design of a mobile application that utilizes image recognition technology, barcode scanning, and QR code recognition to provide guidance on how to take over-the-counter medications, filling the existing gaps in the knowledge of visually impaired individuals. Currently available applications for individuals with visual impairments allow them to access information about medications. However, they still require the user to remember which specific medication they are taking, posing a significant challenge. In this research, we are optimizing the camera capture environment, user interface (UI), and user experience (UX) screens for image recognition, ensuring greater accessibility and convenience for visually impaired individuals. By implementing the findings from our research into the application, we aim to assist visually impaired individuals in acquiring the correct methods for taking over-the-counter medications.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
• /
• v.9 no.5
• /
• pp.941-949
• /
• 2023

In this paper, the purpose of this qualitative research was to explore the communication experiences of nursing students during their clinical practice in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic among 4th grade nursing students. Data collection involved collecting reflective journals from 87 4th grade nursing college students who participated in clinical practice from December 19, 2022, to February 10, 2023. Participants were asked to freely write about their experiences following their clinical practice. The reflective journals were analyzed using Thematic Analysis by Braun & Clarke. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the research findings have yielded 142 meaningful statements, 30 provisional themes, 9 sub-themes, and 4 central themes regarding the communication experiences of nursing college students during their clinical practice. The four central themes identified are as follows: "A mask that became a language barrier", "Broken Communication", "Fear that the quality of nursing care will decline", "Body and mind overcoming difficulties." In conclusion, this study has facilitated an understanding of the communication experiences of nursing college students during clinical practice in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, this research can serve as foundational information for improving ineffective communication due to the use of various medical equipment required in infectious disease situations and for developing practical strategies in nursing education under infectious disease conditions.

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

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.62 no.2
• /
• pp.147-152
• /
• 2024

Most medical sensors are disposable products. In order to reduce inspection and diagnosis costs, it is more important to develop the inexpensive electrode materials. We fabricated the CuO NPs/PANI/E-PGE as an electrode material for disposable electrochemical sensors and applied it to a non-enzymatic glucose sensor. For surface activation of PGE, pretreatment was performed using chemical and electrochemical methods, respectively. Electrochemical properties according to the pretreatment method were analyzed through chronoamperometry (CA), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance (EIS). From these analytical results, the electrochemically pretreated PGE (E-PGE) was finally adopted. The non-enzymatic glucose sensor based on CuO NPs/PANI/E-PGE shows sensitivity of 239.18 mA/mM×cm² (in a linear range of 0.282~2.112 mM) and 36.99 mA/mM×cm² (3.75423~50 mM), detection limit of 17.6 μM and good selectivity. Based on the results of this study, it was confirmed that the modified PGE is a high-performance electrode material. Therefore, these electrodes can be applied to a variety of disposable sensors.