• 한국노년학
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.371-392
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• 2007

Marital status has drawn much attention as previous studies have been pointed it out as a key factor of health. Nonetheless, systematic studies on elderly marital status and health have been quite limited, for most researches have neglected the varying effects of marital status on health over the lifespan and mainly focused on midlife. This study, using nationwide survey on elderly population, attempts to discover the health differentials between widowed and married elderly and explain the differences though the structure and function of their social network. The results reveal that the magnitudes of marital status effects were differed by dimensions of health. The widowed were more likely to be unhappy than married, even after controlling the socio-demographic characteristics. In physical health, however, the health differences between widowed and married were less noticeable or disappeared, as sex, age and other structure factors were considered. Furthermore, the strength of social network factors affecting the physical and mental health of elderly turned out to be different between married and widowed: widowed were more likely than married to be affected by the contact with children and less likely to be affected by contact with friends/relatives. Such results had both positive and negative impact on physical and mental health of widowed. This may imply the difference in pathways of regulating health among the married and widowed elderly.

• Journal of Korean geriatric psychiatry
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.24-30
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• 2012

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of galantamine treatment, especially attention ability between patients with pure Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Mixed dementia (MD) during a 24-week trial. Methods : A total of 40 patients were recruited for this 24-week study. The effect of galantamine on attention was measured using Seoul Computerized NeuroCognitive Function Test (SCNT) and frontal functions test of Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery (SNSB). Patients'activities of daily living using the Seoul-Activities of Daily Living (S-ADL) and the Seoul-Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (S-IADL) ; behavioral symptoms using the Korean version Neuropsychiatric Inventory (K-NPI) were measured at baseline and 24-week. Results : 17 pure AD patients and 23 MD patients were analyzed in this study. Attention as measured by SCNT was not significantly different from baseline after 24 weeks of treatment in both groups. There was no significant difference between two groups in mean change from baseline in the SCNT, S-ADL, S-IADL and K-NPI scores at 24-week. Conclusion : Galantamine showed a therapeutic effect on cognition, activities of daily living, neuropsychiatric symptoms in pure AD and MD. Furthermore, Galantamine may specifically help to maintain attention and it may have positive effects on other cognitive and functional abilities.

• Smart Media Journal
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• v.12 no.8
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• pp.9-17
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• 2023

The development of information and communication technology and the improvement of the development and dissemination of smart devices have caused changes in the form of tourism, and the concept of smart tourism has since emerged. In this regard, researches related to smart tourism has been conducted in various fields such as policy implementation and surveys, but there is a lack of research on application reviews. This study collects Trip Advisor application review data in the Google Play Store to identify usage of the application and user satisfaction through Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling. The analysis results in four topics, two of which are positive and the other two are negative. We found that users were satisfied with the application's recommendation system, but were dissatisfied when the filters they set during search were not applied or that reviews were not published after updates of the application. We suggest more categories can be added to the application to provide users with different experiences. In addition, it is expected that user satisfaction can be improved by identifying problems within the application, including the filter function, and checking the application environment and resolving the error occurring during the application usage.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.43-61
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• 2010

In Korea, Pbichim refers to a psychological state caused by emotional damages that can occur within close relationships. In this state, one might feel reluctant to express one's feelings directly to the other party. It is also possible that Pbichim transforms into anger. This study is aimed to define the term Pbichim as an indigenous psychological concept. In Korea, it is common to express one's feelings indirectly and read the other party's inward thoughts. Pbichim reflects those cultural aspects. In order to examine the representation of Pbichim in Korea, we developed a questionnaire consisting of 15 open-ended questions. The participants were 119 undergraduate and graduate students at Korea University, and the data was analyzed qualitatively. As a result, four different aspects of Pbichim (unsatisfied expectation, being ignored, being alienated, and power struggle) could be differentiated by the situation in which people are likely to present Pbichim. The personality traits of Pbichim, the way of relieving it, as well as positive and negative functions of Pbichim were also elicited. In addition, it was found that Pbichim (the concept that has been negatively perceived) has an important function in maintaining and improving an interpersonal relationship in Korea. Lastly, the importance of mind reading within a certain cultural context is discussed.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2023.04a
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• pp.38-38
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• 2023

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) is a promising biomass crop with a high lignocellulose content. This study aimed to select high salt-tolerance sorghum lines for cultivation on reclaimed land. Using 7-day seedlings of the sorghum population consisted of 71 radiation-derived mutants (M₂ to M₆) and 33 genetic resources, survival rate (SR), plant height (PH), root length (RL), fresh weight (FW), and chlorophyll content (CC) were measured for two weeks after 102 mM (0.6%) NaCl treatment. Furthermore, the characteristics of the sorghum population were confirmed using correlation analysis, PCA (principal component analysis), and the FCE (fuzzy comprehensive evaluation) method. Under 102 mM NaCl conditions, SR ranged from 4.9 (IS645-200-6) to 82.4% (KLSo79125-200-1), with an average of 49.9%. PH varied from 7.5 (Mesusu-100-2) to 33.2 cm (DINE-A-MITE-100-2-10), with an average of 20.4 cm. RL ranged from 1.0 (IS645-200-1) to 17.0 cm (30-100-2), with an average of 7.7 cm. FW varied from 0.1 (IS645-200-6) to 4.5 g/plant (DINE-A-MITE-100-2-10), with an average of 2.1 g/plant. CC ranged from 0.9 (DINE-A-MITE-100-2-2) to 3.1 mg/g (IS12937), with an average of 1.7 mg/g. An overall positive correlation, with SR and FW (r = 0.86, P < 0.01), and FW and CC (r = 0.79, P < 0.01), was shown by correlation analysis. Among the five traits, two principal components were extracted by PCA analysis. PC1 was significantly associated with FW, while PC2 was highly involved with RL. To evaluate the salt tolerance level of the sorghum population when an FCE based on trait data was performed, MFV (membership function value) was 0.68. As a result of compiling the MFV of each line, eight lines with MFV > 0.68 were selected. Ultimately, the radiation-derived mutant lines, DINE-A-MITE-100-2-10 and DINE-A-MITE-100-2-12 were selected as salt-tolerant sorghum lines. The results are expected to inform salt-tolerant sorghum breeding programs, and the high salt-tolerance sorghum lines might be advantageous for cultivation on reclaimed land.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.65 no.6
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• pp.1226-1241
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• 2023

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace mineral that plays an important role in physiological processes by regulating the antioxidant defense system and enhancing immunity. Chromium is an essential mineral involved in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism and also plays a role in maintaining normal insulin function. Based on these advantages, we hypothesized that the addition of selenomethionine (SeMet) and organic chromium (OC) to broiler diets would increase Se deposition, antioxidant capacity and immune response in meat. Therefore, this study analyzed the effects of OC and SeMet on growh performance, nutrients digestibility, blood profiles, intestinal morphology, meat quality characteristics, and taxonomic analysis of broilers. A total of 168 one-day-old broiler chicken (Arbor Acres) were randomly allotted to 3 groups based on the initial body weight of 37.33 ± 0.24 g with 7 replicate per 8 birds (mixed sex). The experiments period was 28 days. Dietary treatments were folloewd: Basal diets based on corn-soybean meal (CON), basal diet supplemented with 0.2 ppm OC and 0.2 ppm SeMet (CS4), and basal diet supplemented with 0.4 ppm OC and 0.4 ppm SeMet (CS8). Supplementation of OC and SeMet did not affect on growth performance, nutrient digestibility. However, CS8 supplementation increased in duodenum villus height and villus height : crypt depth, and increased in breast meat Se deposition. In addition, CS8 group showed higher uric acid and total antioxidant status than CON group. Taxonomic analysis at phylum level revealed that Proteobacteria and Firmicutes of CS4 and CS8 were lower than CON group. In genus level, the relative abundance of fecal Lactobacillus and Enterococcus of CS4 and CS8 groups were higher than CON group. In short, 0.4 ppm OC and 0.4 ppm SeMet supplementation to broiler diet supporitng positive gut microbiome change, also enhancing antioxidant capacity, and Se deposition in breast meat.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.617-636
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• 2023

The goal of this study was to explain the phenomenon of making efforts to overcome the need-reality collision as a cultural characteristic of Koreans. Specifically, we examined whether the behavior varies depending on the degree of relational agency in the situation where conflicts between one's needs and reality have occurred. To this end, a total of 217 participants participated in the online experiment, and the data of 156 participants were finally analyzed. After responding to the relational agency scale, the participants were exposed to a decision-making scenario in which conflicting factors existed. The scenario were about buying a house and making a wedding hall contract, and in each scenario, two important values were set to conflict with each other in the market. Participants read the scenario and entered the level they wanted for each value. After that, they encounter a situation in which he or she has not found the candidate site corresponding to the level he or she wants. Then, the participants responded to their willingness to make additional efforts themselves. As a result of the study, the degree of relational agency of the participants showed a positive relationship with the degree of additional effort. In addition, the degree of the desired level beyond the reality (expectancy discrepancy) showed a nonlinear (reverse U-shape) influence on the additional effort while controlling for individual difference. Furthermore, the interaction effect between relational agency and expectancy discrepancy was significant. Specifically, individuals with low agency did not have a significant relationship between the degree of expectancy discrepancy and the dependent variable, but individuals with high relational agency had a significant non-linear relationship between the degree of expectancy discrepancy and the dependent variable. Based on the results of the study, the role and function of Koreans' psychological characteristics (relational agency) in the scene of managing needs-reality collision were discussed.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.159-192
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• 2024

The purpose of this study is to validate the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ), a tool for measuring reactive-proactive aggression, in the context of South Korea. A thorough translation was conducted in collaboration with the original author. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA), exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM), rating scale model (Rasch), differential item functioning (DIF), and convergent validity were performed on a sample of 510 South Korean individuals. The results revealed a two-factor structure of reactive and proactive aggression after removing one item showing dual loading. Rating scale analysis based on the Rasch model indicated the appropriateness of the 3-point Likert scale, with all items meeting fit criteria. Although the separation index and separation reliability of proactive aggression was marginally lower, the overall discrimination between participants and items was satisfactory. Examination of participant-item distribution indicated a suitable alignment between reactive aggression and participant ability levels, whereas proactive aggression exhibited slightly elevated item difficulty. Furthermore, three items were found to function differently based on gender. A moderate but statistically significant positive correlation was found between the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11-R (Korean version) and RPQ from the results of the convergent validity evaluation. Overall, this study employed rigorous statistical methods to validate the suitability of the RPQ for use in Korea, taking cultural nuances into account, and introduced the concepts of reactive and proactive aggression to the Korean general population.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.17.1-17.16
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• 2024

We have reported that anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury leads to the differential dysregulation of the complement system in the synovium as compared to meniscus tear (MT) and proposed this as a mechanism for a greater post-injury prevalence of post traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). To explore additional roles of complement proteins and regulators, we determined the presence of decay-accelerating factor (DAF), C5b, and membrane attack complexes (MACs, C5b-9) in discarded surgical synovial tissue (DSST) collected during arthroscopic ACL reconstructive surgery, MT-related meniscectomy, osteoarthritis (OA)-related knee replacement surgery and normal controls. Multiplexed immunohistochemistry was used to detect and quantify complement proteins. To explore the involvement of body mass index (BMI), after these 2 injuries, we examined correlations among DAF, C5b, MAC and BMI. Using these approaches, we found that synovial cells after ACL injury expressed a significantly lower level of DAF as compared to MT (p<0.049). In contrast, C5b staining synovial cells were significantly higher after ACL injury (p<0.0009) and in OA DSST (p<0.039) compared to MT. Interestingly, there were significantly positive correlations between DAF & C5b (r=0.75, p<0.018) and DAF & C5b (r=0.64 p<0.022) after ACL injury and MT, respectively. The data support that DAF, which should normally dampen C5b deposition due to its regulatory activities on C3/C5 convertases, does not appear to exhibit that function in inflamed synovia following either ACL injury or MT. Ineffective DAF regulation may be an additional mechanism by which relatively uncontrolled complement activation damages tissue in these injury states.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.15-25
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• 2024

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the presence of autoantigens in the gastric juices of children. Methods: Gastric juice and serum samples were obtained from 53 children <15 years of age who underwent gastric endoscopy. Among these, 8, 22, and 23 participants were in the age groups 0-5, 6-10, and 11-15 years, respectively. These samples were analyzed using two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE), immunoblot analysis, and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of-flight mass spectrometry. Furthermore, we reviewed the histopathological findings and urease test results and compared them with the results of 2-DE and immunoblot analysis. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in urease test positivity, grades of chronic gastritis, active gastritis, or Helicobacter pylori infiltration of the antrum and body among the three age groups. Three distinct patterns of gastric juice were observed on 2-DE. Pattern I was the most common, and pattern III was not observed below the age of 5 years. Histopathological findings were significantly different among active gastritis (p=0.037) and H. pylori infiltration (p=0.060) in the gastric body. The immunoblots showed large spots at an approximate pH of 3-4 and molecular weights of 31-45 kDa. These distinct, large positive spots were identified as gastric lipase and pepsin A and C. Conclusion: Three enzymes, which are normally secreted under acidic conditions were identified as autoantigens. Further investigation of the pathophysiology and function of autoantigens in the stomach is required.