• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.83-106
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• 2008

The Purpose of this study is to explore if people with intellectual disabilities can play a role as 'meaningful informants' in research process in Korea, by challenging the existing paradigm which consists of suspicion on the communication ability of people with intellectual disabilities and truthlessness of their statements, which results in ignorance on the covered life of people with intellectual disabilities. In this research, lessons which could learn through reinterpretation of my research experience are as follows. Firstly, the deficits of communication ability can be supplemented with restructuring interview instruments such as research questions, visual aids etc and adopting conversation analysis methods. Secondly, Suspicion on the truthlessness of their statements can be restructured by epistemological and methodological reinterpretation on the representation of social reality. Thirdly, the mechanism of exclusion and oppression according to the ignorance can be substituted by 'uncovering the life of people with intellectual disabilities', which can be basis of reconstructing the contents of programmes in the disability service centers and disability policies in the government. With these research results it could be argued that there needs to include people with intellectual disabilities as meaningful informants in the research projects funded by the government and also to provide people with intellectual disabilities with diverse roles in the research process by virtue of the development of qualitative research methods in the near future.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.232-237
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• 2022

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) having core characteristics of social interaction problems and repetitive behaviors and interests affects individuals at varying degrees and comorbidities, making it difficult to determine the precise etiology underlying the symptoms. Given its heterogeneity, ASD is difficult to treat and the development of therapeutics is slow due to the scarcity of animal models that are easy to produce and screen with. Based on the theory of excitation/inhibition imbalance in the brain with ASD which involves glutamatergic and/or GABAergic neurotransmission, a pharmacologic agent to modulate these receptors might be a good starting point for modeling. N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) is an amino acid derivative acting as a specific agonist at the NMDA receptor and therefore imitates the action of the neurotransmitter glutamate on that receptor. In contrast to glutamate, NMDA selectively binds to and regulates the NMDA receptor, but not other glutamate receptors such as AMPA and kainite receptors. Given this role, we aimed to determine whether NMDA administration could result in autistic-like behavior in adolescent mice. Both male and female mice were treated with saline or NMDA (50 and 75 mg/kg) and were tested on various behavior experiments. Interestingly, acute NMDA-treated mice showed social deficits and repetitive behavior similar to ASD phenotypes. These results support the excitation/inhibition imbalance theory of ASD and that NMDA injection can be used as a pharmacologic model of ASD-like behaviors.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.22-32
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• 2022

Background: Migraine headaches have been associated with sensory hyperactivity and anomalies in social/emotional responses. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the potential involvement of orexin 1 receptors (Orx1R) within the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in the modulation of pain and psychosocial dysfunction in a nitroglycerin (NTG)-induced rat model of migraine. Methods: Adult male Wistar rats were injected with NTG (5 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) every second day over nine days to induce migraine. The experiments were done in the following six groups (6 rats per group): untreated control, NTG, NTG plus vehicle, and NTG groups that were post-treated with intra-BLA microinjection of Orx1R antagonist SB-334867 (10, 20, and 40 nM). Thermal hyperalgesia was assessed using the hot plate and tail-flick tests. Moreover, the elevated plus maze (EPM) and open field (OF) tests were used to assess anxiety-like behaviors. The animals' sociability was evaluated using the three-chamber social task. The NTG-induced photophobia was assessed using a light-dark box. Results: We observed no change in NTG-induced thermal hyperalgesia following administration of SB-334867 (10, 20, and 40 nM). However, SB-334867 (20 and 40 nM) aggravated the NTG-induced anxiogenic responses in both the EPM and OF tasks. The NTG-induced social impairment was overpowered by SB-334867 at all doses. Time spent in the dark chamber of light-dark box was significantly increased in rats treated with SB-334867 (20 and 40 nM/rat). Conclusions: The findings suggest a role for Orx1R within the BLA in control comorbid affective complaints with migraine in rats.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.79-93
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• 2001

Objectives：The children with ADHD have some deficits in social skills including the peer relationship. There are several approaches to teaching social skills to children with ADHD, and many are combined in comprehensive programs to maximize treatment effects. We conducted this study to explore the direct effects of social skills training program applied to children with ADHD. Method：Five children and their mothers who were diagnosed to Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD) in Y elementary school survey participated to the study. We performed the 8-session program with the modified the Pfiffner and McBurnett's program(1997), and assessed the social skills, problem behaviors, peer acceptance, parenting behaviors, and parenting stress. Results：Parent's reports were some different from teacher's reports；teacher reported improvement in social skills and peer acceptance, but parent notified decrement in problem behaviors. And also, there were no changes in maternal behaviors, but significant reducing effects in parenting stress. Conclusion：The stimulants are mainstream in treatment of children with ADHD. The social skills training programs are combined in comprehensive treatment programs in children with ADHD to maximize treatment effects.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.149-154
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• 2017

Objectives This study investigated associations between symptom severity and neurocognitive functions in patients with major depressive disorder using comprehensive neuropsychological tests. Methods Ten patients with low depression (LD) and 22 patients with high depression (HD) participated. Symptom severity was determined by both the Beck Depression Inventory and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Additionally, anxiety was measured by the Korean version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-KYZ). Ten subtests of the Korean-Wechsler Adult Intelligence scale (K-WAIS), Stroop test, the word/design fluency tests were administered to assess cognition. Results The LD and HD groups did not differ in any of cognitive measures but anxiety level. Namely, the HD group obtained significantly higher scores on the state (U = 29.50, p < 0.01) and trait (U = 28.50, p < 0.001) anxiety scales than the LD group. A significant interaction effect between trait anxiety and depression severity was observed on the picture arrangement subtest of the K-WAIS [F (1, 27) = 5.09, p < 0.05]. Conclusions Cognitive deficits observed in patients with major depressive disorder may be related to other factors rather than current symptom severity. Trait anxiety possibly moderates the effect of current symptom severity on social judgment in these patients.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.8-14
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• 2015

In patients with a language developmental delay, it is necessary to make a differential diagnosis for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), specific language impairment, and mental retardation. It is important that pediatricians recognize the signs and symptoms of ASDs, as many patients with language developmental delays are ultimately diagnosed with ASDs. Pediatricians play an important role in the early recognition of ASDs, because they are usually the first point of contact for children with ASDs. A revision of the diagnostic criteria of ASDs was proposed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5) that was released in May 2013. The autism spectrum describes a range of conditions classified as neurodevelopmental disorders in the fifth edition of the DSM. The new diagnostic criteria encompasses previous elements from the diagnosis of autistic disorder, Asperger disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified. An additional change to the DSM includes synthesizing the section on social and communication deficits into one domain. In ASD patients, the appropriate behavioral therapies and rehabilitation treatments significantly affect the prognosis. Therefore, this makes early diagnosis and treatment very important. In conclusion, pediatricians need to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of ASDs and be attentive to them in order to make an early diagnosis and provide treatment.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.551-576
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• 2008

The European Union has an active rural development policy because this helps us to achieve valuable goals for our countryside and for the people who live and work there. Rural development policy involves the cofinancing by the EU and Member States of a variety of measures. Member States decide on the most appropriate measures for their rural areas from a menu of measures proposed at EU level. There are 18 Leader+ programs in Spain. Program supports Local Action Groups which are located in two or more autonomous regions. The Valle del Jerte, located in the northwest of the province of Caceres is one of the districts making up what is known as the Alta Extremadura. The rural development strategy in this area is to overcome the great deficits of the rural world, prevent rural exodus by improving the quality of life of the population,and improve the soicoeconomic environment of the district in order to help create jobs and improve family incomes. Specifically they try to create a mechanism to improve involvement, communication and social cohesion in the district, with a view to improving the internal structure of organizations and establishing rural channels for cooperation between district institutions for integrated development of the district.

• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.43-54
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• 2018

The residential population of Jeju Island has increased more than 10% for last 10 years. Especially, the tourist population is more than twice comparing to 2005. The population growth of Jeju has brought about large-scale urban development and increased land demands for tourism services. The goal of this study is to analyze the human, social, and environmental status of Jeju Island and to evaluate the environmental capacity of land use using ecological footprint (EF) model. This study shows the changes in ecological deficits of Jeju Island through estimating ecological productive land (EPL) considering EF from 2005 to 2015. The categories of total EF consists of food land, built-up land, forestry, and energy consumption. In order to reflect the characteristics of resort island, we consider not only residential population but also tourist population who can increase land demands. The outputs of this study also provide the potential excess demands of EPL and suggest needs of sustainable management plans for the limited land of Jeju Island.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.46 no.sup1
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• pp.50-54
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• 2013

Out-of-home mobility is necessary for accessing commodities, making use of neighborhood facilities, and participation in meaningful social, cultural, and physical activities. Mobility also promotes healthy aging as it relates to the basic human need of physical movement. Mobility is typically assessed either with standardized performance-based tests or with self-reports of perceived difficulty in carrying out specific mobility tasks. Mobility declines with increasing age, and the most complex and demanding tasks are affected first. Sometimes people cope with declining functional capacity by making changes in their way or frequency of doing these tasks, thus avoiding facing manifest difficulties. From the physiological point of view, walking is an integrated result of the functioning of the musculoskeletal, cardio-respiratory, sensory and neural systems. Studies have shown that interventions aiming to increase muscle strength will also improve mobility. Physical activity counseling, an educational intervention aiming to increase physical activity, may also prevent mobility decline among older people. Sensory deficits, such as poor vision and hearing may increase the risk of mobility decline. Consequently, rehabilitation of sensory functions may prevent falls and decline in mobility. To promote mobility, it is not enough to target only individuals because environmental barriers to mobility may also accelerate mobility decline among older people. Communities need to promote the accessibility of physical environments while also trying to minimize negative or stereotypic attitudes toward the physical activity of older people.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.180-192
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• 2022

Research suggests that medical students frequently experience mental health problems such as stress, burnout, and depression, which may, in turn, affect suicidal ideation and behaviors. Since mental health problems profoundly impact academic achievement and professionalism, it is vital to understand factors influencing students' mental health and identify strategies to provide the necessary support. Some relevant influencing factors range from the personal level, including gender, personality traits, perfectionism, and social support, to the environmental level, including the grading system, educational phases, exposure to patients' death, mistreatment, and culture of medicine. In this regard, a comprehensive mental health support system that encompasses environmental interventions, as well as personal-level support, is needed. Simultaneously, proactive approaches that address the improvement of self-care and alleviation of systemic burdens are essential, together with the predominant reactive approaches focusing on problems and deficits. Altogether, we proposed a framework for enhancing mental health constructed by four categories (personal-reactive, environmental-reactive, personal-proactive, environmental-proactive) based on the intervention level and goal of support. All four categories have important implications, and one cannot replace the other, but expanding environmental-proactive support will allow more students to learn how to pursue health independently. We expect that this comprehensive framework for enhancing mental health could expand support systems for medical students' personal and professional development.