• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.261-268
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• 2003

Purpose: To report the results of curative treatment for patients with tonsil cancer by retrospective analysis. Materials and Methods: From Jan. 1995 till Dec. 2000, 27 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil received curative treatment at Samsung Medical Center. Therapeutic decision was made through multidisciplinary conference, and curative radiation therapy was favored when, (1) the patient's condition was not fit for general anesthesia and surgery, (2) the patient refused surgery, (3) complete resection was presumed impossible, or (4) too severe disability was expected after surgery. Surgery was the main local modality in 17 patients (S$\pm$RT group), and radiation therapy in 10 (RT$\pm$CT group). The median follow-up period was 41 months. Results: AJCC stages were I/II in four, III in two, and IV in 21 patients. The 5-year disease-free survival rate was 73.3$\%$ in all patients, 70.6$\%$ in the S$\pm$RT group, and 77.8$\%$ in the RT$\pm$CT group. Treatment failure occurred in seven patients, all with stage III/IV, and all the failures occurred within 24 months of the start of treatment. Five patients among the S$\pm$CT group developed treatment failures; 2 local, 2 regional, and 1 distant (crude rate=29.4$\%$). Two patients among the RT$\pm$CT group developed failures; 1 synchronous local and regional, and 1 distant (crude rate=20.0$\%$). The 5-year overall survival rate was 77.0$\%$ in all patients, 80.9$\%$ in the S$\pm$RT group, and 70.0$\%$ in the RT$\pm$CT group. Conclusion: We could achieve favorable results that were comparable to previously reported data with respect to both the rates of local control and of survival by applying S$\pm$RT and RT$\pm$CT. RT$\pm$CT is judged to be an alternative option that can avoid the functional disability after surgical resection.

• Journal of Korean Academic Society of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.40-49
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• 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the effects of fatigue, resilience, and self-leadership on nursing service quality of local medical center nurses who nursed COVID-19 patients. Methods: The participants were 135 nurses who worked at regional public hospitals located in H-gun, G, and C-city in province C. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson's correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression using IBM SPSS Statistics version 25. Results: The participants' nursing service quality showed significant positive correlation with resilience (r=.53, p<.001), and self-leadership (r=.60, p<.001). The factors affecting participants' nursing service quality were commitment to self-leadership (β=.57, p<.001) and work position (chief nursing officer) (β=.26, p<.001), which explained 42% of the participants' nursing service quality. Conclusion: During a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to help nurses enhance their self-leadership skills and build their career continuously by developing relevant policies, systems, and nursing intervention programs. Future studies could expand the knowledge base by including more participants to explore other ways to improve nursing service quality during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.121-130
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• 2019

Purpose: To investigate the spatial distribution of diabetes-related lower limb amputations and analyze the relationship between the spatial distribution of diabetes-related lower limb amputations and regional factors. Materials and Methods: This study was performed based on the data from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, in 2016. The unit of analysis was the administrative districts of city·gun·gu. The dependent variable was the age- and sex-adjusted incidence of diabetes-related lower limb amputations and the regional variables were selected to represent two aspects: socioeconomic factors, and health and medical factors. Along with traditional ordinary least square (OLS) regression analysis, geographically weighted regression (GWR) was applied for spatial analysis. Results: The age- and sex-adjusted incidence of diabetes-related lower limb amputation varied according to region. OLS regression showed that the incidence of diabetes-related lower limb amputation had significant relationships with the health and medical factors (number of healthcare institution and doctors per 100,000 population). In GWR, the effects of regional factors were not consistent. Conclusion: The spatial distribution of the incidence of diabetes-related lower limb amputations and the effects of regional factors varied according to the regions. The regional characteristics should be considered when establishing health policy related to diabetic foot care.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.147-160
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• 2005

The purpose of this study is to identify the nature of the patient service quality of health center, and based on that, to examine the relationship of health center visitor's perceived quality and overall satisfaction. Data were collected on the basis of 'the 3rd Regional Health Care Planning' operated by Rural Health Care Service Technology Aid Task-force Team(RHCSTAT), Ministry of Health and Welfare. Basically, the Manual of 3rd Regional Health Care Planning is composed of structure, process, and outcome measurement indicators. Of these indicators, 21 patient satisfaction questions as outcome indicators are used in this study. The samples are 3,530 patients who visited 80 health centers all of the nation. First, the reliability and validity of patient service quality items was evaluated. Second, the descriptive statistics of health service quality are calculated. Third, through the T-test and ANOVA, the differences of patient satisfaction by responder's general characteristics are compared. In final, to explore the relationship of service quality and overall satisfaction, multiple regression analysis was used. This study shows firstly, the dimension of patient service quality was categorized into 3 dimensions, that is, facilities and environment, staff kindness, and access convenience. Secondly, the reliability and validity of patient service quality items was satisfied. Thirdly, the mean score of staff kindness factors are high in contrast to the facilities and environment. And in regard to the overall satisfaction, the mean score is more higher in Daegu region, County type health center, male group, and upper 65 age group than comparison groups. Lastly, as a result of multiple regression analysis, the effect of patient's perceived service quality, especially, appropriateness of billing time(Beta=0.190) and of reservation time(Beta=0.132) are statistically significant(P<0.01). In conclusion, to satisfy the health need of community people and improve the service quality of the health center, the efforts for the access convenience might be needed. Additionally, the enlargement on health center space and supply of new medical equipment is urgent for the patient satisfaction.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.45-51
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• 2011

Purpose: The antimicrobial resistance of Helicobacter pylori is one of the critical factors in failure of eradication therapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate antimicrobial resistance of H. pylori in Korean children. Methods: Gastric mucosal specimens for H. pylori were obtained from children with dyspepsia who were cared for at Asan Medical Center Children's Hospital in Seoul, Korea between 2003 and 2009. Antimicrobial resistance tests were performed using the disk diffusion method for clarithromycin and amoxicillin and the E-test for metronidazole and tetracycline. Most children with H. pylori infections were treated using triple therapies. Results: Thirty-three children had positive H. pylori cultures, although a resistance test was only performed in 28 patients. Resistant strains were found in 9 children (32.1%). The resistance rates to clarithromycin and metronidazole were 25% and 17.8%, respectively. There was no resistance to amoxicillin or tetracycline. The resistance rates decreased from 44.4% (2003~2006) to 26.3% (2006~2009) during the study period. Conclusion: Korean children demonstrated relatively high antimicrobial resistance to H. pylori in this study. However, there was a temporarily decreasing trend during the study period. A larger multi-regional study may be needed to determine the optimal antimicrobial treatment for pediatric patients infected with H. pylori.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.109-119
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• 2010

Purpose: This study was a part of a drive to develop a community health center-based hospice management model which is concerned with hospice care at a community health care setting and available resources of the local community. Methods: Development of a community health center-based hospice management model involved evaluation of existing hospice-related research, including literature review, and research on hospice facilities at the study site, as well as evaluation of model operation. The latter involved community health center-based hospice test operation, and evaluation of test operation by a research team, including of a nursing professor majoring in hospice care and staffs from a community health center in Busan metropolitan city, regional cancer center, and regional terminal cancer patient medical institute. The study was conducted in the 2008 calendar year. Results: The community health center-based hospice management model provides service linked with local community resources, focusing on the local community health center. Financial and administrative assistance is provided by the regional cancer center, with collaboration from academic health care professionals who guide the operation management. The community health center hospice nurse in consultation with a visiting nurse team registers terminally-ill cancer patients and, after assessment, the hospice team prioritize hospice care during team meeting. Care is delivered by staffs and volunteers. Conclusion: The developed community health center-based hospice operation management model maximally utilizes available community health resources to produce qualitative improvement of regional health and welfare policy through improving the lives of home-based cancer patients and their family who are in medical blind spot.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.639-639
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• 2013

In this research we report the significant contribution of the as-spun multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) on the x-ray images formation using a low tube voltage x-ray source. The MWCNT, which was used for the fabrication of the spun CNT, was grown using a microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition machine. Electrical-optics simulation software was utilized to determine the electron field emission trajectory of the triode-structure-as-spun CNT-based x-ray source. It was shown that a significant amount of converging electrons hit the target anode producing a clear x-ray image. These x-ray images where produced at a small amount of anode current of 0.67 mA at a tube voltage of 5 kV with the gate voltage of 0 V. Also, comparisons of the radiographs at various exposure times of the sample where analyzed with and without an x-ray dose filter. Results showed that spatially-resolved images were formed using the as-spun CNT at a low tube voltage with a $54-{\mu}m$ Al x-ray filter. This study can be used for low-voltage medical applications.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.377-380
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• 2010

In this study, we investigated the effect of egg yolk lipids (EYL) on collagen ($10\;{\mu}g/ml$)-stimulated platelet aggregation in vivo. Dietary EYL significantly inhibited collagen-induced platelet aggregation, in addition, increased the formation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), intracellular $Ca^{2+}$-antagonist as aggregation-inhibiting molecules, in collagen-stimulated platelets. These results suggest that EYL inhibits the collagen-induced platelet aggregation by up-regulating the cAMP and cGMP production. On the other hands, prothrombin time (PT) on extrinsic pathway of blood coagulation was potently prolonged by dietary EYL in vivo. These findings suggest that EYL prolongs the internal time between the conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin. Accordingly, our data demonstrate that EYL may be a crucial tool for a negative regulator during platelet activation and blood coagulation on thrombotic diseases.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.7-17
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• 2024

Purpose: This study is to present basic data and standards for calculating the space composition and area required when planning a neonatal intensive care unit. Methods: Review domestic and foreign facility standards and regulations related to the current neonatal intensive care unit, select a regional neonatal intensive care center designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare as a case hospital, and organize a space program for the construction plan of the neonatal intensive care unit through analysis of characteristics such as facility size and function composition. Results and Implications: The size, facility area, and detailed room composition characteristics of the neonatal intensive care unit in Korea were confirmed, and essential rooms and appropriate areas were derived when planning the construction of the neonatal intensive care unit. Korea's legal facility standards related to neonatal intensive care units are lower than the actual hospital status and overseas standards, and the facility standards of the medical law need to be improved.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.20
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• pp.8901-8904
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• 2014

Background: Genetic factors play important roles in the pathogenesis of human cancer. A recent genome wide association study (GWAS) identified an association between the rs2294008 polymorphism of the prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) gene and bladder cancer risk in Caucasians. The aim of this study was to determine whether the rs2294008 polymorphism is similarly associated with bladder cancer susceptibility in a Korean population. Materials and Methods: We conducted a case-control study of 411 bladder cancer patients and 1,700 controls. Results: The frequencies of the CC, CT, and TT genotypes of the rs2294008 polymorphism were 16.9, 54.0, and 28.8% in bladder cancer patients and 24.4, 48.1, and 27.5% in controls, respectively. We found that the combined CT/TT genotypes were associated with a significantly increased risk of bladder cancer (OR CT/TT =1.58, 95% CI= 1.15-2.17), compared with the CC genotype. Smoking habits, tumor grade and tumor stage did not modify the association between rs2294008 and the risk of bladder cancer. Conclusions: Our study showed that the rs2294008 polymorphism in the PSCA gene is associated with the risk of bladder cancer in a Korean population, providing evidence that it may contribute to bladder carcinogenesis regardless of ethnicity.