• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.87-100
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• 2003

It is important to understand the potential human health implications of exposure to environmental chemicals that may act as hormonally active agents. It is necessary to have an understanding of how pharmaceutical and personal care products and other chemicals affect the ecosystem of our planet as well as human health. Endocrine disruption is defined as the ability of a chemical contaminating the workplace or the environment to interfere with homeostasis, development, reproduction, and/or behavior in a living organism or it's offspring. Certain classes of environmentally persistent chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, furans, and some pesticides can adversely effect the endocrine systems of aquatic life and terrestrial wildlife. Research continues to support the theory of endocrine disruption. However, endocrine disruption researches have been applied to proteomics poorly. Proteomics can be defined as the systematic analysis of proteins for their identity, quantity and function. It could increase the predictability of early drug development and identify non-invasive biomarkers of tonicity or efficacy. Proteome analysis is most commonly accomplished by the combination of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D/E) and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MS) sr protein chip array and SELDI-TOF MS. Proteomics have an opportunity to play an important role in resolving the question of what role endocrine disruptors play in initiating human disease. Proteomics can also play an imfortant role in the evaluation of the risk assessment and use of risk management and risk communication tools required to address public health concerns related to notions of endocrine disruptors. Understanding the need for the proteomics and possessing knowledge of the developing biomakers used to abbess endocrine activity potential will he essential components relevant to the topic of endocrine disruptors.

• New & Renewable Energy
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.33-43
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• 2012

Why solar companies preferred vertical integration of whole value chain? Major solar companies have built internally strong vertical integration of entire PV value chain. We raise a question whether such integration increases the corporate value and whether market situation affects the result. To test these questions, we conducted multi-variant analysis where characteristic factors mainly affect the corporate value measured in terms of Tobin'Q, based on the financial and non-financial data of PV companies listed in US stock market between 2005 and 2010. We hypothesize that since integration increases the overall efficiency but decreases the flexibility to adjust to various market situation, the combined effect of the efficiency gain and the flexibility loss ultimately determines the sign of integration effect on the corporate vale. We infer that the combined effect will be influenced heavily by business cycle, as in boom market (Seller's market) the efficiency gain may be larger than the flexibility loss and vice versa in bust market. We test whether the sign of combined effect changes after the year of 2009 and which factors influence most the sign. Year of 2009 is known as the year when market shifted from Seller's to Buyer's market. We show that 1) integration increases corporate value in general but after 2009 integration significantly decreases the value, 2) the ratios such as Production/Total Cost, Cash turnover period chosen for reversal of the flexibility measure are negatively affect Tobin's Q and especially stronger after 2009. This shows the flexibility improves corporate value and stronger in the recess period (Buyer's market). These results imply that solar company should set up integration strategy considering the tradeoff between efficiency and flexibility and the impact of the business cycle on both factors. Strategy only based on the price competitiveness determined in boom time can bring undesirable outcomes to the company. In addition, Strategic alliances in some value chains as a flexible bondage should be taken in account as complementary choice to the rigid integration.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.551-559
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• 2005

The Q&A service of the official Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) webpage was installed in 2000 and have been actively used since then. In this paper, we analyze the questions asked through the Q&A service and the number of inquiries with the aid of statistical methods. We also study the contents of the questions. Specifically, we have created statistics of questions and inquiries that go monthly and yearly, and have developed categories to analyze the characteristics of questions in regards to their cognitive aspects. Each question is categorized into two elements based on their recognitive aspect: science knowledge or science study. Each element also has sub-categories that help readers understand the characteristics of the questions. For the analysis, we used a sample consisted of questions from July to December, 2004. Through this study, we achieved a better understanding of the questions asked by the Q&A service. We are planning to improve the quality of the Q&A service by extending the size of the FAQ(frequently asked questions). Throughout this study, we find that the number of questions are increasing with time, and the overall quality of the questions is improving. As we expect the number of people using our Q&A service to increase and the questions to get more difficult to answer, development of improved content is required.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.1189-1205
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• 2004

The purpose of this study is to understand the types of teacher and student's concept on ray-tracing and spectrum in middle school. This study suggest key-concepts that is most important to "Light" unit in the seven grades: the ray-tracing and the spectrum. We examined the types of teacher and student's concept. We selected 10 teacher and 328 students who had learned by 10 teachers in Seoul and Gyeonggi. The problems were composed with the question item regarding all ray-tracing or the spectrum. From the analysis, it was found that the types of teacher and student's concept on ray-tracing and spectrum is different. The most of teacher and student didn't understand the basic principle of image formation. In case of context about formation of image by reflection and refraction, because they don't know ray-tracing, they do not try to find the position of the image by drawing two rays. Most of them used one ray comes from the one position of the object and indicated the position of image by memorized position. Also almost there was not a case which uses a ray tracing accurately. In the case of understanding color, they didn't understand the concept of color(or spectrum) and teachers represented to students the color phenomena without explanation of principles. In the result teachers and students would learn color science by rote.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.3721-3729
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• 2014

Background: Cancer is becoming the most important public health burden around the globe. As per the GLOBOCAN 2008 estimates, about 12.7 million cancer cases and 7.6 million cancer deaths were estimated to have occurred in 2008. The burden of cancer cases for India in the year 2020 is calculated to be 1,148,757 (male 534,353; female 614,404) compared to 979,786 in 2010. The pattern of cancer incidence is varying among geographical regions, esophageal cancer for example being high in China, lung cancer in USA, and gallbladder cancer in Chile. The question remains why? Is it due to the diversity in genome pool, food habits, risk factor association and role of genetic susceptibility or some other factors associated with it? In India, the North East (NE)-India region is seeing a marked increase in cancer incidence and deaths, with a very different cancer incidence pattern compared to mainland India. The genome pool of the region is also quite distinct from the rest of India. Northeastern tribes are quite distinct from other groups; they are more closely related to East Asians than to other Indians. In this paper an attempt was made to see whether there is any similarity among the pattern of cancer incidence cases for different sites of NE-India region to South or East-Asia. Materials and Methods: Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA), Pearson Correlation coefficient test was assessed to evaluate the linkage of North-East India region to other regions. A p value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The results clearly shows that there are similarities in occurrence of cancer incidence patterns for various cancer sites of NE-India with South and East-Asian regions, which may lead to the conclusion that there might be a genetic linkage between these regions.

• Transactions of the KSME C: Technology and Education
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.153-165
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• 2013

The established gait analysis studies have regarded leg as one single spring. If we can design a knee-ankle actuating mechanism as a primary actuator for supporting knee extension, it might be possible to revolutionary store or release elastic strain energy, which is consumed during the gait cycle, and as a result leg stiffness is expected to increase. An ankle joint actuating mechanism that stores and releases the energy in ankle joint is expected to support and solve excessive artificial leg stiffness caused by the knee actuator (primary actuator) to a reasonable extent. If unnecessary kinematic energy is released with the artificial speed reduction control designed to prevent increase in gait speed caused by increase in time passed, it naturally brings question to the effectiveness of the actuator. As opposed to the already established studies, the authors are currently developing knee-ankle two actuator system under the concept of increasing lower limb stiffness by controlling the speed of gait in relative angular velocity of the two segments. Therefore, the author is convinced that compensatory mechanism caused by knee actuating must exist only in ankle joint. Ankle joint compensatory mechanism can be solved by reverse-examining the change in metatarso-phalangeal joint (MTPJ) tilt angle (${\theta}_1=0^{\circ}$, ${\theta}_2=17^{\circ}$, ${\theta}_3=30^{\circ}$) and the effect of change in gait speed on knee activity.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.81-96
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• 1995

This study was intended to provide women who are supposed to experience childbirth with effective nursing care exploring the childbirth experience. The purpose of this paper is to give an answer to the question of what the childbirth experience is, and phenomenological method has been used for that purpose. 17 primiparous mothers right after delivery in one university hospital of J city were served as subjects for this research. Data were collected June to October, 1993 through in depth interview with subjects using unstructured and open questions about the childbirth experience. Van Kaam's phenomenological analysis method was used for the analysis of the data. The results of the study are summarized as follows : The contents of the experience which primiparous mothers had undergone through childbirth were pain, fear, worry, relief, lightness, thankfulness, unsatisfactory, unreality, holiness for a new life, identifying the meaning of life, becoming a mother. 1. Experience before delivery Mothers experienced pain, fear, worry, unsatisfactory, relief, and thankfulness before delivery. Subjects' descriptions about the pain appeared to be various ; unbearable pain, bearable pain, anticipated pain. And their reactions were also various ours ; some endured pain, sought alternative method i.e., surgery, didn't want to reexperience it, or accepted it as women's fate. Subjects experienced fear for anticipated pain, suffering pain, and possible delayed delivery progress and were worried about delivery progress and baby wellbeing. Also, Subjects were unsatisfied with professionals' unfaithful attitude, their spouses' absence, and the ignorance of their pain. But subjects became relieved at the accustomed surroundings, good progress of delivery, support of family, care of professionals and support of other family. And they expressed their thanks to the professionals and family members for doing their best and also to their mothers who gave birth to them. 2. Experience after delivery Subjects experienced lightness, thankfulness, unsatisfactory, worry, unreality, holiness for a new life, identifying the meaning of life, becoming a mother after delivery. Mothers experienced lightness from the fact that it is over, and freshness right after delivery. They were thankful that they delivered vaginally and had an easy delivery. Subjects who delivered female baby were unsatisfied and some were worried about rearing the baby. By confessing, "I have no specific feeling, I am very confused, It is unrealistic, I feel strange", they expressed the unrealistic aspect of childbirth experience. Subjects felt holiness for a new life for novelty and birth of life. They identified the meaning of life from the fact that they felt worthy, fulfilled their duty, had their own baby, accomplished an important affair. After they experienced what it is to be a mother, they realized with it is being a mother and had a rearing expectation for the baby. The results of the study will provide basic data for caring the childbearing women.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.209-222
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• 2001

The environment in the ICU leads to negative changes in a patient's usual sleep pattern and so contributes negatively to the patient's health condition as compared to patients in general wards. Therefore, it is thought that an important nursing intervention would be to identify the relation between noise and sleep patterns which play an important role in illness recovery. The purpose of the present study was to explore the relationship between noise in the ICU and the sleep pattern of patients admitted to the ICU. A descriptive correlation design was used to examine the relationship. Thirty-four subjects were recruited from a Medical ICU (MICU), Surgical ICU (SICU) and Coronary Care Unit (CCU) at a large university hospital in Suwon. Data were collected from September 28 to October 31 in 1999. In the present study, noise was categorized into noise level and patients' perception of noise. The objective noise level was measured using the A-Weighted Sound Level Meter. The patients' preception of noise was measured using a self-reported questionnaire developed by the researcher. Sleep patterns in this study includes both quantity and quality of sleep. These were measured using open ended questionnaires and the 'Korean Sleep Scale A' developed by Oh, Song, Kim(1998). The data was analyzed using the SPSS-WIN to test the research question, Pearson product moment correlation coefficient was run. Ancillary analysis were conducted with demographic variables to determine their relation to the main study variables. For the ancillary analysis, t-test and one-way ANOVAs were performed. The results of the present study are summerized as follows : 1. The total mean of objective noise level (10pm-6am) was 56.2dB. The means for night time noise level in individual ICUs for the SICU, MICU and CCU, were 58.7dB, 58.6dB and 48.3dB, respectively. The total mean for patients' noise perception was 42.8 out of a maximum possible score of 76. For item means of noise perception, the one ranked highest was "conversations between doctors and nurses" (3.2). The one ranked lowest was "noise from the radio" (1.2). Regarding the degree of perception for each type of noise source, the one ranked highest was "equipment noise" (2.6), the second was "conversation between medical staff" (2.4), the third was "conversation between patients, caregivers and visitors" (2.3), and the one ranked lowest was "environment noise" (1.8). 2. Looking at quantity of sleep of ICU patients, the mean nocturnal sleep time was found to be 4.9 hours. The total mean of sleep quality for ICU patients was 21.0 out of a maximum possible score of 40. 3. The relationship between perception of noise and quantity of sleep was statistically significant(r= - .41, p<.05). The relationship between perception of noise and quality of sleep was also statistically significant(r= - .47, p<.01). The results of the study indicate that personal perception of noise is related to sleep patterns. Therefore, it is suggested that nursing interventions be developed to reduce the degree of personal perception of noise and, thus, decrease sleep pattern disturbances in patients in the ICU.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.1661-1675
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• 2016

Objectives: Can addition of neurokinin-1 receptor antagonists (NK1-RAs) be considered as an ideal strategy for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV)? Researchers differ on this question. Materials and Methods: Electronic databases were searched for randomized control trials (RCTs) that evaluated the effectiveness and safety of NK1-RAs in preventing CINV. The primary end point was complete response (CR) in the acute, delayed, and overall phases after chemotherapy. Subgroup analyses evaluated the types of NK1-RAs, routines of administration, types of malignancies, regimens used in combination with NK1-RAs, and age of patients included in the studies. The incidences of different types of adverse events were also extracted to estimate the safety of NK1-RAs. Results: A total of 38 RCTs involving 13,923 patients were identified. The CR rate of patients receiving NK-RAs was significantly higher than patients in the control groups during overall phase (70.8% vs 56.0%, P<0.001), acute phase (85.1% vs 79.6%, P<0.001), and delayed phase (71.4% vs 58.2%, P<0.001). There were three studies including patients of children or adolescents, the CR rate was also significantly higher in the treatment group (overall phase: OR=2.807, P<0.001; acute phase: OR=2.863, P =0.012; delayed phase: OR=2.417, P<0.001). For all the other outcomes, patients in the NK1-RAs groups showed improvements compared to the control groups (incidence of nausea: 45.2% vs 45.9%, P<0.001; occurrence of vomiting: 22.6% vs 38.9%, P<0.001; usage of rescue drugs: 23.5% vs 34.1%, P<0.001). The pooled side effects from NK1-RAs did not significantly differ from previous reports and the toxicity rates in patients less than eighteen years old also did not diff between the two groups (P=0.497). However, we found that constipation and insomnia were more common in the patients of control groups, whereas diarrhea and hiccups were more frequently detected in patients receiving NK1-RAs. Conclusions: NK1-RAs improved the CR rate of CINV. They are effective for both adults and children. The use of NK1-RAs might be associated with the appearance of diarrhea and hiccups, while decreasing the possibility of constipation and insomnia.

• Journal of The Korean Association of Information Education
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.253-264
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• 2011

The 2007 revised curriculum designated information-related subjects informatics and changed the direction of education by stressing problem-solving skills in consideration of the characteristics of the subject. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the problem-solving method and process sections of informatics textbooks had an inquiry tendency to foster the problem-solving skills of students. Four textbooks that were widely selected from among the authorized textbooks were analyzed by utilizing Romey method. As a result, just one textbook was found to have an inquiry tendency in terms of texts, but every textbook had a sufficient inquiry tendency in terms of activities. But in terms of structure, there were some problems that commercial softwares were utilized and some softwares employed a particular programming language. The findings of the study suggest that no question should be posed about intrinsic inequality in conjunction with textbook selection, and that textbooks should be structured not to make students adversely affected by learning environments.