• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.89-94
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• 2010

Melatonin is induced by light information through the retina and leads to growth factor activation. Thus, we investigated the effects of melatonin by controlling the photoperiod of growing young rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=6; 4 weeks old) were divided into two experimental groups: the L/D group (normal photoperiod; light/dark: 12/12 h; lights on at 9:00 a.m.) and the L/L group (light/light: 24 h). Rat body weight and food consumption were measured daily for 8 weeks. After 8 weeks, the rats were anesthetized with a mixture of ketamine (50 mg/kg) and xylazine (10 mg/kg) and sacrificed. Tissue was then collected for RNA isolation (from brain, heart, liver, kidney, adrenal gland, testis, tibia, hind limb muscles). Also, serum was isolated from blood using a centrifugal separation. The L/L group had significantly lower body weight than the L/D group from 4 to 6 weeks (p<0.05). The L/D group had increased tissue mass, compared with the L/L group, but the difference was not statistically significant. The L/D group had a significantly higher melatonin concentration than the L/L group between the hours of midnight and 2:00 a.m (p<0.01). These results indicate that photoperiod length may affect the secretion of melatonin from the pineal gland. Also, the reduction of nocturnal melatonin secretion may retard the development of growing young rats. In future studies, we plan to compare exogenous melatonin administration with endogenous melatonin concentration induced by photoperiod control. Moreover, we will confirm whether the effects seen in pathological animal models can be reversed by controlling the photoperiod.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.69 no.3
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• pp.121-140
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to use the Korea Health Panel to determine how the mother's characteristic and household characteristic variables were associated with dental clinic use of children in childhood and adolescence. The logistic regression analysis found that mother's education level was statistically significantly positively correlated with underage child's dental clinic use and children in single-parent family were less likely to use a dental clinic than those in two-parent family. As for dental clinic use by diseases, the higher level of mother's education, the more likely to use a dental clinic due to dental caries and children in single-parent family were less likely to use a dental clinic due to dental caries than those in two-parent family. No difference in dental clinic use due to tooth extraction was found by any of mother's characteristics or household characteristics, probably because age has an absolute impact during the period between milk teeth and permanent teeth. Lastly, mother's education level and household income were significantly positively correlated with dental clinic use due to orthodontics. On the basis of these results, it is necessary to develop a customized strategy reflecting children's growth stages and household characteristics in making a plan for promoting oral health of children and adolescents.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.11 no.11
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• pp.621-631
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• 2013

This study aimed to investigate that what factors affect the volunteer activities of dental hygiene students and present a plan and problems with devising a program for activating their volunteer activities. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted in 265 dental hygiene students in Gwangju from November to December 2012, obtaining the following results: 51.3% of the respondents were freshmen; 74.3% had experience of volunteer activities; and 31.7% had the activities in the field of disabilities. 56.2% were motivated to participate in the activities by 'credit-earning and volunteer activity achievements'. Most of students participated in volunteer activities through clubs. Satisfaction with major-related volunteer activities was associated with higher support by others, higher job perception, higher job adequacy, and higher support by family. To increase satisfaction with major-related volunteer activities of students research is needed to develop systematic education for volunteers, subjects suitable for colleges, and an effective program in order to alter students' perception.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.108-117
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• 2015

This study was carried out to assess problems related to legislative regulations and guidelines concerning some biological assessment systems applied to stream corridor in Korea. We comparatively reviewed the law of stream corridors and the guidelines for master plan concerned, and the law of water quality and health assessment criteria for the aquatic ecosystem concerned. Stream environments were not managed effectively due to the absence of detail regulations and the criteria for stream assessment. A biological assessment system was not equivalently integrated within the management of water resources in process implementation of projects resulting from the dualistic management system for stream corridors in Korea. The current biological assessment system was reflected to mainly physical habitats or only oriented to some aquatic species correlated with water quality. This system was also recognized as part of environment impact assessment based on an intensive survey method of most biological taxa. Conclusively rapid and quantitative assessment techniques based on advanced organisms, such as vegetation, fish and birds, etc. should be urgently provided for considering as representative indicators of stream conditions in Korea.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.136-142
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• 2015

The Korean Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases (KSPID) has participated in the task force team consisting of government authorities as well as civil medical experts and facilities to block the spread of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in 2015. KSPID posted the "Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) Pop-up" in the homepage of The Korean Pediatric Society and The Korean Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. KSPID also released the "Guidelines for testing for MERS in children and adolescents" and the "Instructions for the Operation of National Safe Hospital" for children and adolescents in a timely manner. Such actions were aimed to prevent unnecessary anxieties, studies and isolation of pediatric patients with respiratory symptoms and signs caused by other common microbial etiologies as being suspected for MERS patients. This strategy relieved the doctors and parents from unnecessary fear and prevented the loss of unnecessary health care costs, and has proven to be a well-judged guideline and management protocol as evaluated after the final end of MERS outbreak. KSPID and its members should support the presence of pediatric infectious disease (PID) specialists in every medium size hospitals in Korea by developing the need for consultation fees for PID consultation in the hospital based practice and promoting the potential for cost savings related to prevention of health care associated infections and optimal prescription of antimicrobial agents. KSPID and its members need to approach and develop a communication plan to political decision makers to demonstrate and convince them of the importance of a PID specialist service.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.9
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• pp.221-227
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of social factors and social stress with respect to alcohol consumption for university students and to provide basic data in efforts to develop educational method that teaches how to decrease alcohol consumption and deny demanding drinking. Questions concerning typical features and social stress from drinking were revised through 300 university students' self-recording surveys between April 8 and 9 in 2015. It consisted of 10 questions using a 4-point Likert scale. Moreover, the reliability of tool was Cronbach ${\alpha}=.82$. We used SPSS 18.0 and conducted frequency, ${\chi}^2$ and path analysis. If the frequency of drinking (B=.206, p<.001) gets low and the social stress from drinking is low (B=-.397, p<.001), the amount of drinking increases, particularly for men more than women (B=.169, p<.05). For women more than men (B=.274, p<.01), if monthly income is high (B=.178, p<.05) and stress from drinking is low (B=-.349, p<.01), the frequency of drinking is high. If the culture of practice in drinking has not formed voluntarily through education or publication, legal restriction that increases the cost of drinking has to be established, like smoking, to reduce the volume of drinking and promote moderation in drinking. The publication and education that teaches drinking leads to bad situations have to be conducted, much like the education programs involved for smoking. Also, discrimination of non-drinker has to be removed with the change of culture to reduce the stress by drinking.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.383-393
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• 2019

The present study was conducted to determine convergent factors affecting depression in drinker by age. This was a cross-sectional secondary data analysis study that used the raw data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2014 & 2016. The subjects of the present study were 4,446 middle-aged drinker. Variables related to general characteristics, physical and psychological factors were selected. After a sampling plan compound file was created using IBM SPSS 23.0 program, data were analyzed by giving weights. Depression was influenced by gender (30s, 50-60s), income (30-40s, 60s), education (30-40s), number of family members (30-60s), job (30-60s), eating level (30-40s, 60s), hypertension (40s), DM (30-40s), BMI (30-40s), smoking (30s, 50s), exercise (30s), weight control (60s), drinking binge (30-60s), subjective health (30-60s), subjective body awareness (30-50s), stress (30s-60s), quality of life (30-60s). It is required to design preventive interventions and management plans for depression, considering these factors comprehensively.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.390-397
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• 2022

Parylene-C which was mainly used for industries such as electronics, machinery and semiconductors has recently been in the spotlight in the medical field due to its properties such as corrosion resistance and biocompatibility. In this study we intend to derive a plan to improve the bonding strength of Parylene-C coating with the SUS304 base material for medical use which can be applied to various medical fields such as needles, micro needles and in vitro diagnostic device sensors. Through plasma pretreatment the bonding strength between Parylene-C and metal materials was improved. It was confirmed that the coated surface was hydrophobic by measuring the contact angle and the improvement of the surface roughness of the sample manufactured through CNC machining was confirmed by measuring the surface roughness with SEM. Through the above results, it is thought that it will be effective in increasing usability and reducing pain in patients by minimizing friction when inserting medical devices and in contact with skin. In addition it can be applied to various application fields such as human implantable stents and catheters, and is expected to improve the performance and lifespan of medical parts.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.81-103
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• 2022

It recognizes the importance of mental health and well-being worldwide and consistently records public happiness figures through the World Happiness Report. COVID-19, which occurred in China in 2019, has changed people's daily lives a lot. The accumulation of stress caused by the prolonged epidemic is affecting people's happiness. The present research has revealed negative mental health effects such as "depression" and "anxiety" after the pandemic. In this regard, it was revealed that the happiness index was also lowered numerically. It is insufficient to analyze specific issues about changes in the issue of happiness felt by the public in Korean society after the epidemic. Therefore, this study aims to identify changes in the happiness issue of Koreans after COVID-19 and find ways to improve happiness. Data were collected from various aspects by searching 32 sub keywords based on ERG theory by dividing the period before and after COVID-19. The results of topic modeling before and after COVID-19 were classified into seven areas of happiness index 2.0 published by the National Assembly Future Research Institute and compared and analyzed. Based on the results of comparing the results of the before and after topic from the perspective of each area, a plan to improve happiness was presented. The academic implications of this paper are that the research on psychological changes caused by COVID-19 was expanded by mining the opinions of the actual public on 'happiness'. In addition, it has practical implications in that it specifically presented measures to promote happiness by utilizing the area of objective happiness indicators based on the existing research on ways to reduce happiness promotion unhappiness.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.459-470
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of the present study is to identify the relationship between practicing healthy diet and metabolic syndrome indicators in Koreans. Methods: This research is a cross-sectional study based on the 2013~2014 Korea National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey. This study investigated 6,748 adults aged 19 to 64 yr (19~49 yr: n = 4,230, 50~64 yr: n = 2,518) to examine practice of healthy diet and metabolic syndrome indicators. In this study, according to practicing healthy diet, we classified subjects into the "Practicing healthy diet (PHD)" group (19~49 yr: n = 1,782, 50~64 yr: n = 937) and "Non-practicing healthy diet (NPHD)" group (19~49 yr: n = 2,448, 50~64 yr: n = 1,581). PHD score was determined by adding the number of practicing factors: adequate fat intake, sodium intake ${\leq}2,000mg/day$, fruit & vegetable intake ${\geq}500g/day$, and using nutrition label information in food selection. Results: Female adults had a larger proportion of subjects who practiced a healthy diet compared to male adults (p < 0.001), and the percentages of 19~49 yr and 50~64 yr were 40.46% and 37.07%, respectively. The PHD group consumed significantly more calcium, vitamin $B_1$, $B_2$, and vitamin C density compared to the NPHD group. In 50~64 yr females, the subjects practicing healthy diet (PHD score ${\geq}2$) was inversely associated with risk of abdominal obesity (OR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.54~0.93, p value = 0.0131) and metabolic syndrome (OR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.52~0.94, p value = 0.0166) after adjustments for multiple confounding factors, compared with the lower PHD score (PHD score ${\leq}1$). Conclusion: Good dietary practice such as adequate fat intake, sodium intake ${\leq}2,000mg/day$, sufficient fruit & vegetable intake, and using nutrition label information in food selection could be useful in decreasing metabolic syndrome risk of Korean adults.