• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.228-240
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Cocoa consumption is associated with health benefits due to its high content of polyphenols. However, the effects of short-term cocoa consumption remain unclear. We aimed to determine the effects generated by cocoa consumption (for 7 days) in young adults in normoweight and class II obesity. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Before-and-after study was carried out in normoweight (NW) (n = 15) and class II obesity (CIIO) (n = 15) young adults. The NW and CIIO participants consumed 25 and 39 g of cocoa, respectively, per day for 7 days. The effect of cocoa consumption was evaluated on the lipid profile, insulin resistance (IR), and inflammation. Oxidative damage was also examined by assessing the biomarkers of oxidative damage in plasma. In addition, recombinant human insulin was incubated with blood obtained from the participants, and the molecular damage to the hormone was analyzed. RESULTS: Cocoa consumption resulted in decreased low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol in both groups (P = 0.04), while the total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides were maintained at the recommended levels. Initially, IR was detected in the CIIO group (homeostasis model assessment [HOMA] = 4.78 ± 0.4), which is associated with molecular damage to insulin. Interestingly, intervention with cocoa resulted in improved IR (HOMA = 3.14 ± 0.31) (P = 0.0018) as well as molecular damage to insulin. Finally, cocoa consumption significant decreased the arginase activity (P = 0.0249) in the CIIO group; this is a critical enzymatic activity in the inflammatory process associated with obesity. CONCLUSIONS: The short-term consumption of cocoa improves the lipid profile, exerts anti-inflammatory effects, and protects against oxidative damage. Results of this study indicate that cocoa consumption can potentially improve IR and restore a healthy redox status.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.51-58
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to analyze suicidal ideation of elderly people with diabetes living alone and to investigate the relationship between suicidal ideation, loneliness, and depression. This study was conducted through secondary data analysis using total survey data for the elderly living alone in O province. The subjects of this study were 466 elderly people who were diagnosed with diabetes among the elderly living alone. The data of this study were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, Pearson's correlation coefficients, multi-linear regression analysis, and the three-step mediating effect verification procedure of Baron & Kenny using the SPSS 26.0 program. The average loneliness score and average depression score of the subjects were 4.52±3.30 and 4.88±4.03, respectively, and 27.3% of the subjects said they had a suicidal ideation. The subject's loneliness (β=.20, p=.005) and depression (β=.30, p<.001) was found to be a significant factor in predicting suicide ideation. In addition, depression was found to be partially mediated in the relationship between loneliness and suicidal ideation. Through the results of this study, loneliness and depression were found to be important factors related to suicidal ideation in the elderly with diabetes living alone. In addition, in order to improve suicidal ideation in the elderly with diabetes living alone, intervention to lower the level of loneliness and depression is necessary.

• Journal of Convergence Korean Medicine
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.5-13
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• 2022

Objectives: Smoking had a long negative impact on public health. The ingredients of a cigarette are major risk factors for several diseases. Owing to the problems about economic and quality of life, we need to ensure smoking cessation (SC). There are several approaches for SC including pharmacological therapy, nicotine replacement therapy, education, and behavioral intervention. However, due to some limitations, other alternative approaches are gaining popularity. Acupuncture has been reported to have few side effects and be more effective than some conventional treatments in several articles. However, there are no systematic reviews on the comparison of acupuncture combination treatment with other conventional monotherapies. Methods: Randomized controlled trials that used acupuncture as an adjunct treatment for SC will be searched and data will be summarized according to the predefined criteria. The primary outcome will be the abstinence rate, and secondary outcomes will be adverse events and biochemical indicators. We will use Review Manager to perform a meta-analysis, Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias tool for the risk of bias assessment, and the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach to determine the quality of evidence. We will investigate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture combination treatment for SC with this study. Ethics and dissemination: This study will provide reliable clinical evidence on additional effect of acupuncture on smoking cessation. We will publish our results in a peer-review journal.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.497-503
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of self care training program on motor function of upper limb and self-efficacy in chronic stroke patients. This study selected 20 chronic stroke patients in local community men. The subjects carried out self care training program be composed of task oriented training for 40 minutes, 4 times per week for 6 weeks. Manual function test(MFT), digital grip dynamometer, self-efficacy scale were used to evaluate motor function of upper limb and self-efficacy during pre and post intervention. In MFT and hand grip force test, the post outcome were significantly increase than the pre outcome(p<.05). In self-efficacy evaluation, the post outcome of was significantly improve than the pre outcome(p<.05). The result of this study show that the self care training program be composed of task oriented training may be appropriate for improving the motor function of upper limb and self-efficacy in chronic stroke patients. This will enable the application of self care training program in rehabilitation therapy of chronic stroke patients and it will help guide the selection of the therapist as one therapeutic basis

• Exercise Science
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.373-384
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• 2012

The effects of inspiratory muscle training in conjunction with aerobic exercise on inspiratory muscle strength, pulmonary function, and maximal oxygen uptake(VO₂max) were examined. Twenty four healthy collegiate men were divided into three groups; respiratory muscle training group(RTG; n=8), running exercise group(REG; n=8), and both respiratory muscle training and running group(BTG; n=8). Their pulmonary function, maximal inspiratory pressures(PImax), and VO₂max were assessed before and after intervention. RTG underwent inspiratory muscle training(IMT) with load set to 50 % of PImax, 30 times per session, twice a day, 4 days a week REG ran on a treadmill at 70-75 % of VO₂max for 30 min a day, 4 days a week. BTG participated both IMT and the running exercise. Participant's anthropometric parameters and pulmonary function were not changed. VO₂max increased by 6.1±3.3 %, 5.9±6.6 %, and 10.0±8.3 % in RTG, REG, and BTG, respectively(p< .05), and PImax also increased by 21.7±14.3 %, 19.7±12.0 %, and 27.0±12.1 % in RTG, REG, and BTG, respectively, but no group differences were found. Based on the study, although statistically insignificant, BTG showed the biggest increase of VO₂max and PImax indicating a possible synergic effect of inspiratory muscle training and aerobic exercise on respiratory responses.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.257-264
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate effective intervention(upper thoracic mobilization and upper cervical mobilization) methods for forward head posture. 32 subjects were divided into two groups: upper thoracic mobilization(UTM) and upper cervical mobilization(UCM) on three times a week for a total of four weeks. In both groups significant difference in forward head posture pre and post test(p <.01), significant difference between the two groups (p <.05, 95% CI: .157-.341). In both groups significant difference in neck disability index pre and post test(p <.01), significant difference between the two groups (p <.01, 95% CI: 1.273-8.728). In both groups significant difference in quality of life pre and post test(p<.05), significant difference between the two groups (p <.01, 95% CI: 4.234-18.391). The results of this study showed that the UTM was more effective than that of the forward head posture. It would be possible to provide more effective interventions for patients with forward head posture and also to prevent secondary musculoskeletal disorders due to forward head posture.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.277-311
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• 2010

The powerful association between poverty and mental health has been recognized for many decades in the Western Countries. Despite growing poverty studies, there has been little attention to the association between poverty and mental health in Korea. In this article we examine the effects of the mental health on the poverty status transition. In this study we draw on nationally representative data from the The Korean Welfare Panel Study, to estimate the effects of depression and self-respects on the poverty status transition. Major findings are as follows. First, we find that there are mental health disparities between poor and non-poor classes. The mental health conditions of the poor are worse than the non-poor. Second, we find the strong correlations between the mental health and poverty status transition. Whether poor family exits poverty or not depends on the household head's mental health. Third, poverty experiences are different depending on the mental health conditions. To the mental ill-health family, the probabilities of poverty-exit are much lower and poverty duration is more long. Fourth, we find that family poverty status transitions are very significantly related with household head's mental health from the logistic model analysis. These findings suggest that there is a strong relationship between poor mental health and the experience of poverty in Korea. They also suggest that intervention programs to enhance the mental health of the poor are needed in order to reduce the poverty problem in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.205-233
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• 2014

This study aims to identify work conflicts in Korean socio-cultural context by applying grounded theory. Survey has been conducted through in-depth interviews with 11 different employees from various occupational categories. Data collected from the survey were then analyzed based on the grounded theory of Strauss and Corbin (1998), thus resulted in a paradigm model consisting of 31 categories, 63 subcategories, and 100 concepts by open coding. Axial coding was then conducted and the results were as follows. The causal condition was the 'character of an opponent'. Contextual conditions which affect the causal condition were 'situational characteristics', 'character of an opponent', 'character of oneself', and their 'mutuality'. 'Negative feeling' was the central phenomena of work conflict and action/interaction strategies were verified to be 'avoidance', 'expression', 'effort toward solving problems' and 'increasing conflict'. Intervening conditions were 'interrelation', 'intervention', and 'group/task characteristics'. The consequences were organized as 'conflict continuance', 'personnel change' and 'positive effect'. Through selective coding, 'managing with the conflict' was derived as core-category and three different types of management were classified. Ultimately, this study shows how employees work in Korea experience the work conflicts and what kinds of socio-cultural factors have influence on the work conflicts, which can supplement previous inadequate empirical research. Also, this study can provide implications and suggestions as a fundamental integrated model for the future empirical research on work conflicts.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.97-105
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• 2024

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of HMD-based virtual reality core nursing skills training on nursing students' knowledge, performance, self-confidence, self-efficacy, and problem-s olving ability. The study participants were 45 fourth-year nursing students from a university in A city. The participants were assigned to either the experimental group (n = 21) who received VR core nursing skills related to blood transfusion training or the control group (n = 24) who received traditional training using mannequins. After completing core nursing skill training, the experimental group and the control group performed simulations including blood transfusion. Data was collected from October 3 to October 28, 2022. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-tests. The results showed that after the intervention, the experimental group had significantly higher knowledge scores than the control group (t=-2.13, p=.039). The control group had significantly higher self-confidence in performance than the experimental group (t=2.63, p=.012). There were no significant differences in performance, self-efficacy, or problem-solving ability between the two groups. Therefore, VR-based core nursing skills training can be usefully utilized for nursing students to learn the knowledge and procedures before performing them in real life, and traditional core nursing skills training using mannequins can lead to an increase in nursing students' confidence in performing the skills.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.395-404
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• 2024

Background: Ginsenoside Rg₁ (Rg₁) is one of the main active components in Chinese medicines, Panax ginseng and Panax notoginseng. Research has shown that Rg₁ has a protective effect on the cardiovascular system, including anti-myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, anti-apoptosis, and promotion of myocardial angiogenesis, suggesting it a potential cardiovascular agent. However, the protective mechanism involved is still not fully understood. Methods: Based on network pharmacology, ligand-based protein docking, proteomics, Western blot, protein recombination and spectroscopic analysis (UV-Vis and fluorescence spectra) techniques, potential targets and pathways for Rg₁ against myocardial ischemia (MI) were screened and explored. Results: An important target set containing 19 proteins was constructed. Two target proteins with more favorable binding activity for Rg₁ against MI were further identified by molecular docking, including mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1) and adenosine kinase (ADK). Meanwhile, Rg₁ intervention on H9c2 cells injured by H₂O₂ showed an inhibitory oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) pathway. The inhibition of Rg₁ on MAPK1 and OXPHOS pathway was confirmed by Western blot assay. By protein recombination and spectroscopic analysis, the binding reaction between ADK and Rg₁ was also evaluated. Conclusion: Rg₁ can effectively alleviate cardiomyocytes oxidative stress injury via targeting MAPK1 and ADK, and inhibiting oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) pathway. The present study provides scientific basis for the clinical application of the natural active ingredient, Rg₁, and also gives rise to a methodological reference to the searching of action targets and pathways of other natural active ingredients.