• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.137-144
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• 1986

A reveiw of 85 patients with uterine anomalies was made in respect to the incidence, chief complaints, the reason of infertility, fetal wastage rate, pregnancy complications, fetal presentations and obstetric outcome after metroplasty from 1980 to 1985. The results were summarized as follows: 1. Incidence of uterine anomaly was 0.18% among all outpatients (85/48,240). 2. Of the 85 patients, there were 36 with bicornuate deformities (42.3%), 21 septate (24.7%), 18 uterus didelphys (21.2%), 8 arcuate (9.4%) and 2 patients with unicornuate anomalies (2.4%). 3. Uterine anomalies were diagnosed by hysterosalpingogram (54.1%), pelvic examination (14.2%) and other operative procedures. 4. Chief complaints were primary infertility (41.2%), secondary infertility (15.3%), repeated pregnancy loss (12.9%), antenatal care (11.8%) and menstural disturbance (10.6%), etc. 5. Twenty-nine patients with uterine anomalies had primary infertility. The cause of infertility was proved nonuterine in 26 cases and remained unknown in 3 cases. 6. The obstetric outcome of 104 pregnancies was spontaneous abortion in 51.0%, premature delivery in 11.50/0 and fetal loss in 57.7%. 7. Complications of 41 present pregnancies were threatened abortion (22%), premature rupture of membrane (12%) and premature labor (10%), etc. The frequency of abnormal presentation was 35.3% and 64.7% of deliveries was made by Cesarian section. 8. Metroplasty was performed in 13 patients who didn't have a baby because of repeated miscarriage and unknown cause of infertility. Subsequently 8 patients had 9 successful pregnancies: 6 patients had 7 healthy babies and 2 patients are now in pregnancy without any complications.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.93-99
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• 1985

There have been numerous studies in Korea and other countries of which the major hypotheses are identifying and dearibing the conditions under which the value of children has been formed. The present study proposes to view the formation of the value of children as a correlate of family's consumption-saving and work4eisure behavior pattern. The objectives of the proposed study are to identify the socio-economic and demographic factors determining the family's consumption-saving and work-leisure behavior pattern and to analyse the relationship between the value of children and this behavior pattern. The conceptual framwork of the analysis is that an individual family's socio-economic and demographic factors influence and shape the consumption-saving and work-leisure behaviors and these behaviors in turn influence and reflect the correlates and proximate determinants of the family'sfertility. In this paper, regression model is used to analyse the hypothesized relationship among the various variables. The regression methods used are first and second stage multiple regressions. In addition, MONOVA has been used to show the interactions. Data used are collected from the government publicactions. The major findings from this study are as follows: As the living Standard improves, n individual family's consumption of necessities and its working hours decline, while savings and leisure activities increase. The phenomena result in the fertility reduction as can be seen in the more developed conntries. Child-bearing and rearing activities are found to be the important component to determine the condumption-saving and work-leisure activies. The married women's labor participation, and the investment in education and health are also found to be the factors reducing fertility rate.

• Perinatology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.170-174
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• 2018

Objective: Progesterone is used to prevent recurrent preterm delivery, however the molecular mechanisms of its effect are incompletely understood. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of progesterone on tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$-induced matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 activity in human choriodecidual (CD) membranes. Methods: We collected CD membranes from women with uncomplicated term pregnancies who were scheduled for elective cesarean delivery (n=10). CD membranes ($1{\times}1cm$) were incubated in tissue culture media at $37^{\circ}C$. We pre-treated the CD membranes with progesterone (P4), $17{\alpha}$-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17P), promegestone (R5020), or vehicle (ethanol) for 24 hours. The CD membranes were subsequently treated with $TNF-{\alpha}$ (with continued progesterone treatment) for 48 hours, then media was harvested for measuring MMP-9 activity by zymography and total protein was isolated from CD membrane tissues for MMP-9 expression by western blot analysis. Results: P4, 17P, and R5020 significantly reduced $TNF-{\alpha}$-induced MMP-9 activity in fetal membrane tissue samples (P=0.0078, P=0.0156, and P=0.0391, respectively) by zymography. Western blot analysis also showed decreased expression of MMP-9 in progesterone pretreated groups (P=0.0313). Conclusion: Progesterone reduces $TNF-{\alpha}$-induced MMP-9 activity in human CD membranes. These findings may provide further support for the role of progesterone in preventing preterm birth.

• The Journal of Health Technology Assessment
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.123-132
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• 2018

Objectives: Maternal morbidity and mortality are important healthcare issues. However there have been few studies on cost of illness (COI) from maternal disorders. This study aimed to estimate the COI due to maternal disorders in Korea. Methods: By reviewing previous studies and consulting expert we determined the scope of maternal disorders. We operationally defined maternal disorders as maternal hemorrhage, maternal sepsis, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, obstructed labor, and abortion for maternal disorders. The reference period of this study is the year 2015. Main source of data were the National Health Insurance Service claims data, cause of death statistics from the Korea National Statistical Office, and the Korea Health Panel study. We classified the total costs into direct and indirect costs. The direct costs cover healthcare costs and non-healthcare costs. The indirect costs consist of productivity losses due to morbidity and premature death. Results: The cost of maternal disorders in 2015 was 229.7 billion won. The direct and indirect costs of maternal disorders were 165.2 billion won and 64.5 billion won respectively. The largest cost item for maternal disorders was healthcare cost (138.3 billion won, 60.2%). By age groups, the COI in 30-39 years old women were the highest (165.1 billion won, 71.9%). Abortion was the disorder with the highest COI among maternal disorders (71.9 billion won, 31.3%). Conclusion: The COI due to maternal disorders in Korea is quite substantial. Economic burden of maternal disorder increased when being compared with the year 2012 data despite the continued low birth rate in Korea. Therefore, it is necessary to continuously monitor the social costs of the maternal disorders in Korea.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.21.1-21.11
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• 2023

Background: Recently, irregular working hours have become controversial issues in Korea. The health impact of irregular working hours on the work-related musculoskeletal pain (MSP) is scarcely researched before. We sought to investigate the association between irregular working hours and work-related MSP among South Korean workers. Methods: This study used data from the sixth Korean Working Conditions Survey in 2020. The prevalence of work-related MSP was analyzed using the χ² test. A multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the association between irregular working hours and work-related MSP. We conducted stratified analysis by gender, weekly working hours, and workers' control over their working hours. We calculated the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of work-related MSP for irregular working hours combined with weekly working hours. Results: The OR for work-related MSP was significantly higher in the population with irregular working hours than in the population with regular working hours (OR: 1.43, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.29-1.58). Irregular and long (> 52 hours/week) working hours have the highest risk of work-related MSP in both genders (in men, OR: 3.48 [95% CI: 2.53-4.78]; in women, OR: 2.41 [95% CI: 1.46-4.00]). Conclusions: Irregular working hours were associated with work-related MSP in Korea. The association was magnified with long working hours. Reform of the Korean Labor Standards Act leading to increase irregular working hours may induce adverse health outcome.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.93-97
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• 2016

Purpose: Grain slurry diet are described as food obtained from ground grain paste. They serve as highly nutritious food for both adults and infants in Nigeria because of their immense nutritive and economical value. However, the production of these grain slurry diets is confronted with challenges that have hampered their commercialization. This study examines the trends and constraints of grain slurry food processing in Kaduna State. Methods: A survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire to elicit information from 192 selected processors, including both men and women. The survey was structured in line with the study objectives. The information was collated and synopsized into frequency distribution. Results: These findings revealed that 80% of the respondents processed between 1.0 tons and 13.0 tons of grain slurry per month. More than 90% of the processors processed grain slurry into koko, kunu, agidi, and pito. Accordingly, 80% of the interviewed processors indicated that sieving is one of the major constraints. Furthermore, inadequate modern machinery required to perform this operation makes it highly discouraging. One of the major challenges faced by the grain slurry producers in Nigeria is the lack of processing machinery for most operations (39.1%), followed by the tedious processing nature (27.1%), high labor cost (18.1%), and lack of market (9.4%). The traditional method of grain slurry processing was more popular than using modern equipment, except milling (96.5%), which is the only mechanized unit operation in grain slurry processing. Conclusion: Grain slurry processing and marketing were found to be profitable. However, these limitations could extremely reduce the level of grain slurry production, processing, and economic returns, thereby affecting the general wellbeing of the processors. The study also raised concerns about the safety and hygiene associated with traditionally processed grain slurry diets in the investigated areas.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.89-97
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• 2016

Purpose - In the major global markets, such as US and China, consumer ethnocentrism has been strengtened and there is a growing need for related study. This research aims to investigate the effects of national pride and national attachment on consumer ethnocentrism, using a nationally representative dataset from 2013 Korean General Social Survey. Based on the reviews of literature in social and political sciences, two dimensions of national pride were considered: national society pride which is based on positive evaluations on the nation's democracy condition or social security system, and national achievement pride which is based on positive evaluations regarding the country's achievements in the areas of technology, art, sports, and so on. Research design, data, and methodology - The authors developed a structural model in which two types of national pride, national society and achievement pride, are proposed to affect national attachment, thus influencing consumer ethnocentrism. 1,294 surveys were used for empirical analysis. The hypotheses were tested by utilizing SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 21.0. The unidimensionality of each construct and the nomological validity were supported from the results of factor analyses and correlation analysis. Results - It was found that both national society pride and national achievement pride have significant and positive effects on national attachment. Consumers who show stronger pride on the social systems or the global achievements of Korea are more likely to remain being a citizen of the country and support the country even in wrong. Also, there was a significant and positive relationship between national attachment and consumer ethnocentrism. Korean consumers who have stronger attachment to Korea tend to express higher ethnocentrism to protect Korean labor market and to promote economic development of the country. Conclusions - The findings of this study showed that companies and government need to emphasize the country's advanced social environments or global competitiveness in technology, sports, art, and so on, to boost national attachment. With a deeper understanding on the relationships among national pride, national attachment, and consumer ethnocentrism, the authors expect that both local and foreign companies in Korea will be able to develop more effective marketing strategies and to achieve sustainable competitive advantage.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.85-108
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• 2007

This article analyzes the formative factors of the basic job skills(also the ability of computer using) and the economic effects of the basic job skills in Korea. This article uses the ALL(Adult Literacy and Life Skills) 2005 data in Korea. The factors which form the basic job skills are school years, father's education. Women are under men in the ability of computer using. The older a man grow, the more basic job skills he has, but the less ability of computer using he has. The employees in office worker or new service industry have more using computer ability than them in sales worker or manufacture industry. The wage effects of the basic job skills are insignificant, and the economic effects of basic job skills appear apparently in the entry into the good jobs. As the basic job skills can play a important role to enter into the good jobs, the policy agenda should make deal with the methods and programs through which the people without basic job skills must have the opportunities to get a lifelong learning for the basic job skills.

• Journal of Engineering Education Research
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.73-78
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• 2009

The purpose of the study was to analyze the career decision level and career preparation behavior of 2-3 and 4 year college students majoring in science and engineering. We used the raw data of KEEP(Korean Education & Employment Panel) survey. In the results, we found that the career decision level of the subjects had no relationship with gender, high school type, university level, and study fields. On the other hand, in terms of the career preparation behavior, male students had more concrete perception regarding future jobs and tasks in labor market than female counterparts. In addition, 4 year college students were more positive and directed to pursue the career search planning and activities than 2 or 3 year college students. Finally, the students who had high career decision level could identify future job-related tasks, direction, rewards, and skill matches. We suggested that early career education and counselling should be provided for freshman or sophomore level students majoring in science and engineering at colleges and universities.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.651-673
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• 2007

In the studies on residential move, there has been tendency of dichotomy where short distance moves are largely caused by housing to adjust to changes in households while long distance moves are induced by shift in labor market. However, some empirical studies have proven that residential move is so complex process that the simple dichotomy should be elaborated. In this sense, the present study seeks to identify compounded course of residential move in Korea. In determining migration history, families with younger householders, renters, householders with higher educational attainment and smaller households show a higher probability to move. In case of mobility, women were more prone to move compared to man. Women compared to man, older age augmented the probability to own a house after migration. Families with householders following an occupation of sales and technical service showed lowest tendency to own houses while it marked the highest in the group of professionals. Higher land price of a region was negatively related to owning houses after migration. The present study revealed that factors in macro level as well as micro level significantly affect the move of individuals with varying effects in accordance with migration history.