• Journal of Bone Metabolism
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.267-274
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• 2018

Background: This prospective cohort study used nationwide claims data to investigate the incidence of fall and fragility fractures in association with urinary incontinence (UI) in the elderly, and to compare mortality after fragility fractures in elderly patients with or without incontinence. Methods: A total of 39,854 Korean adults (age, 66-80 years) who participated in health examinations between 2007 and 2012 and were followed up until 2015 were analyzed. Patient and comparison groups were classified according to the presence or absence of UI. The cumulative incidence of osteoporotic fragility fractures and falls in the 2 groups was assessed and compared. Hazard ratios for fragility fractures were calculated for the risk of UI in association with falls using a Cox proportional hazards model. Results: Of 39,854 elderly participants, 5,703 were classified in the UI group, while 34,151 were placed in the comparison group. Fall rates were significantly higher (20.8%) in the incontinence group than in the comparison group (4.7%) (P<0.001). Women in the incontinence group (13.9%) showed a significantly higher incidence of all types of fragility fractures than those in the comparison group (11.8%) (P=0.005). After adjustment for confounders, UI was not a significant risk factor for fragility fractures in men (P=0.878) or women (P=0.324). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that elderly women with UI have a significantly higher incidence of osteoporotic fragility fractures. In addition, elderly women are at higher risk for falls.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.405-410
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• 2018

Stroke is a leading cause of death in the Korean population and remains a major health burden worldwide. The two main pathologic types of stroke are ischemic stroke and intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), but comparisons of risk factors for these have been limited. We under took a nationwide population-based study to analyze the relationship between these risk factor sand ischemic stroke and ICH. From January 2003 to December 2013, a total of 37,561 patients with newly diagnosed ischemic stroke or ICH were identified using the National Health Insurance Service data base as the study population. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between baseline risk factors and presentation with ICH versus ischemic stroke. The incidence of ischemic stroke showed an increasing rend every year, while there was no significant change in the incidence of ICH. Of the several risk factors associated with stroke, old age (OR 2.35, 95% CI 2.12~2.49, P < 0.001) was more closely associated with ischemic stroke than ICH, whereas renal disease (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.55~0.99, P = 0.04) and carotid disease (OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.17~0.35, P < 0.001) were more strongly associated with ICH. In addition, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, hypertension, ischemic heart disease and male sex was associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke. Old age was more strongly associated with ischemic stroke than ICH, while carotid stenosis and renal impairment were more closely associated with ICH risk. Classic risk factors for stroke have considerably different associations with the two main pathologic types of stroke.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.1-22
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• 2019

This study aims at deriving the implications for adaptation policy and research target regarding climate change risk assessment in ecosystem sector in Korea. The common ground of exemplary cases of "world leaders" in terms of adaptation policies and researches was that they emphasize nationwide study on climate change on biodiversity and ecosystem in target of establishing scientific evidence-bases and reducing uncertainty for their national adaptation policies and plans. In light of this trend, Korean government should settle down more successful adaptation structure by leading adaptation system in further national policy-settings to observe UNFCCC and CBD integratedly and effectively, considering the economic value of adaptation in policy, and strengthening scientific research programs and technology developments. Moreover, risks assessment based on diagnoses and analysis on the risk factors (hazard, exposure, and vulnerability) for climate change in nationwide habitats and species and consolidations with subsequent adaptation strategies could make adaptations in ecosystem sector more effective and successful.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.46-52
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• 2019

Objective : The aim of this nationwide study was to analyze the current state of patients with newly diagnosed metastatic spine tumors according to surgical methods. Methods : Data was extracted from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database. Surgery was categorized into three methods : fusion, decompression, and vertebroplasty. Data included patient age, sex, health insurance type, and co-morbidities. Survival rates of metastatic spine tumor patients according to each surgical method were evaluated. Results : Among 1677 patients who had an operation, 823 patients were treated by fusion, 141 patients underwent decompression, and 713 patients were treated by vertebroplasty. The three most prevalent primary tumor sites were the lung, breast, and liver & biliary. On the other hand, the three most prevalent primary tumor sites of patients who underwent surgery were the lung, liver & biliary, and the prostate. The median survival periods for each surgical method in the metastatic spine tumor patients were 228 days for those who underwent surgery, 249 days for decompression, and 154 days for vertebroplasty. Age, sex, and comorbidities significantly affected survival rate. Conclusion : For every primary tumor site, decompression was the least common surgical method during the study period. Although the three surgical methods did not significantly affect the survival period, patients with a poor prognosis tended to undergo vertebroplasty.

• Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Planning & Design
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.79-90
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• 2019

There are more and more citizens suffering from severe fatigue, and they wish to escape from it and spend their leisure time for healing. As a result, buildings and complexes are being constructed nationwide with healing as their theme. Particularly, they tend to build facilities with concepts like a spa, beauty, healing, meditation, nature, or forest healing. The purpose of this study is to examine the concept of healing environment and the nationwide tendencies of building facilities with healing as their theme and also investigate the planning characteristics of complexes and architecture with three representative complexes as examples. Complexes intended for healing have immersion into nature being freed from one's routine as their concept. When planning the flow of human traffic within the complexes, they try to obtain the autonomy of choice as well as the diversity of space and experiential factors in order to provide opportunities for experiencing nature. In the complexes selected for a case study here, they have planned the factors of physical environment that are associated with one another based on architectural education programs using red clay, programs specializing poetry, and healing programs using food. Typically, this is centered around outdoor experiential space, indoor meditation and education space, or fitness space. Also, it is characterized by the planning of physical environment and the complex operation of programs. Particularly, public space is divided into communal space, resting space, and health and treatment space, and health/resting space is mainly intended for health and exercise, for example, fitness, spas, or jjimjilbang (Korean dry saunas). Also, it is characterized by the planning of pitched roofs harmonized with nature and also facade planning that can positively adopt the factors of natural environment.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.19-24
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• 2021

Background/Objectives: The aim of this national population-based retrospective study was to analyze the status and treatment outcome in patients with hypopharyngeal cancer. Materials & Methods: Participants were included in the KNHIS national sample cohort who received a KNHIS health check-up in 2008 and 2009, and we followed these individuals until 2017. Patients were defined as having hypopharynx cancer if they had admissions records for hypopharynx cancer in their national health insurance data from 2010 to 2017. Results: The study cohort included 3,922 patients. According to our nationwide data, 3,533(90.1%) were male with a median age of 65.03±11.04 years at the time of diagnosis. Among parametric models for hypopharyngeal cancer prognosis, old age (Hazard ratio [HR]:1.92; 95% confidence interval[CI]:1.76-2.09), female (HR:0.77; 95% CI:0.66-0.89), and low socioeconomic status (HR:1.216; 95% CI:1.114-1.327) were significantly associated with survival. Compared with concurrent chemoradiotherapy, patients who received no treatment (HR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.31-2.70), neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery (HR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.04-1.41), and chemotherapy alone (HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.03-1.27) showed poor prognosis in hypopharyngeal cancer. Conclusion: Our data indicated that age, sex, and income were significant predictors of lifetime survival in patients with hypopharyngeal cancer. Treatment modalities were also associated with prognosis. The data have implications for treatment investigations and prevention strategies.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.101-111
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• 2024

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate physical activity as a risk factor for neck pain recurrence using the National Health Insurance Data Sharing Service that utilizes a nationwide cohort in South Korea. Methods: Medical records spanning a two-year period were extracted from the National Health Insurance database for 541,937 patients who sought healthcare services for neck pain (ICD 10 codes: M54.2) in 2020 and completed the national health examination survey. Selected variables for analysis included age, gender, health insurance premium decile, regional health vulnerability index, body mass index (BMI), acuity, blood pressure, and types of physical activity. A mixed-effect multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the recurrence rate of neck pain and identify risk factors for neck pain recurrence. Results: Among the participants, 124,433 patients (23.0%) experienced a recurrence of neck pain within two years, with higher recurrence rates observed among older individuals and females. Regression analysis revealed that the risk of neck pain recurrence increased with age (OR=1.51), being female (OR= 1.10), being a medical aid recipient (OR=1.51), and having anaerobic (OR=1.04) or vigorous physical activities (OR=1.06). By contrast, an increased health insurance premium decile (OR=0.96) and having moderate physical activity (OR=0.97) were associated with a decreased risk of neck pain recurrence. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of moderate physical activity as an effective strategy for reducing the recurrence of nonspecific neck pain, underscoring the necessity for personalized physical activity programs for patients.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.163-173
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• 2011

This paper, as a case study on the evaluation of nationwide-unit forest functions, targeting the entire Gyeongsangnam-do region, examined the integration measures for the evaluation of national, public and private forest functions, as well as GIS data problems and GIS data building methods. Also, the distribution and characteristics of Gyeongsangnam-do's forest functions were examined. First, as integration measures for forest function evaluation, evaluation unit was proposed as watershed unit, and GIS techniques were proposed to correct some patterns of errors shown in the watershed maps. Also, of GIS data used for forest function evaluation, maps of locations of saw mills to be revised, expressway interchange location maps, and population distribution maps were built nationwide. Based on watershed units, the forest functions of 20 cities and counties in Gyeongsangnam-do were evaluated, revealing that wood production function and forest recreation function potentials, high-ranking was high distributed throughout the site, while most functions potentials, low-ranking was low distributed. In forest function maps with the application of priority by city and gun, the area size was ranked in the order of forest recreation, timber production, natural conservation, water yield, living environment conservation, and prevention of natural disaster. Case analysis results for large areas can be used in evaluating nationwide forest functions.

• Journal of Cadastre & Land InformatiX
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.211-231
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• 2022

This study attempted to identify the effects of macroeconomic variables such as the All Industry Production Index, Consumer Price Index, CD Interest Rate, and KOSPI on apartment lease prices divided into nationwide, Seoul, metropolitan, and region, and to present a methodological prediction model of apartment lease prices by region using Long Short Term Memory (LSTM). According to VAR analysis results, the nationwide apartment lease price index and consumer price index in Lag1 and 2 had a significant effect on the nationwide apartment lease price, and likewise, the Seoul apartment lease price index, the consumer price index, and the CD interest rate in Lag1 and 2 affect the apartment lease price in Seoul. In addition, it was confirmed that the wide-area apartment jeonse price index and the consumer price index had a significant effect on Lag1, and the local apartment jeonse price index and the consumer price index had a significant effect on Lag1. As a result of the establishment of the LSTM prediction model, the predictive power was the highest with RMSE 0.008, MAE 0.006, and R-Suared values of 0.999 for the local apartment lease price prediction model. In the future, it is expected that more meaningful results can be obtained by applying an advanced model based on deep learning, including major policy variables

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.324-329
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• 2009

Purpose : Acute interstitial pneumonia (AIP) is a rare disease, but its prognosis is fatal because of lack of efficient treatment modality. Recently, it has been reported that there was epidemic AIP in Korea. This study aims to investigate the past and current status of AIP in Korea. Methods : We performed a nationwide survey and a prospective study. From August 6 to 15, 2008, a questionnaire survey was conducted to identify the prevalence, local distribution, and response to current treatments. The questionnaire was answered by pediatrician working in 23 referral centers in Korea. In addition, 5 referral centers in Seoul performed a preliminary prospective observational study by obtaining clinical data and specimens from appropriate patients. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed the samples for possible pathogens. Results : The survey showed 78 AIP cases had occurred and 36 patients had died. Lung biopsy was performed only on 20 patients. In 2008, 9 AIP cases developed. In a prospective study, 9 (M:F=5:4) patients developed AIP in spring and 7 (78%) died, with the mean rate of death occurring 46 days after diagnosis. Human corona virus 229E, cytomegalovirus, influenza A virus, influenza B virus, and parainfluenza virus were isolated from the respiratory specimens. Conclusion : This study showed nationwide prevalence of AIP in Korea. In addition, because of the high mortality rate and rapid progress, pediatricians need to be aware of the disease. Further studies and a nationwide network are required for reducing the morbidity and mortality rates related to AIP.