• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.299-315
• /
• 2015

This study examines correlations among factors that reportedly affect adjustment to military life: self esteem, locus of control,, social support and stress coping strategies. The study also attempts to validate the structural model to enhance understanding of the process of adjusting to the military life. The subjects of the study were 447 listed soldiers from private to sergeant currently stationed and serving in an army post in Gangwon-Do, Korea. The following tools were used for this study. Based on self-inventory questionnaires, evaluations were made regarding self esteem, locus of control, social support, stress management, adaptation to military life. Reliability of each criterion was evaluated based on reliability examination, correlations among parameters were analyzed, and the structural equation model was validated to verify the research model. The results of the study can be summarized as follows. First, internal control and self esteem have significant positive influence on social support and stress coping. Second, internal control and self esteem affect adjusting to military life through social support and active coping, two factors mediated in this study to act as parameters between self-esteem and internal control and military adaption. This study emphasizes intervention such as establishment of a social support system and training for taking necessary actions as limitations of studies dealing with internal traits and military adaptation. Since the subjects of this study were chosen from an army based in a single location for convenience' sake, it may be difficult to generalize the results to analyze the entire military.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.20-31
• /
• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the consistency of 1-day and 3-day average dietary intake using the 24-hour diet recall method and to investigate the relationship of diet intake with physiological indicators potentially associated with diabetic complications in patients with diabetes. Methods: This study conducted a secondary data analysis using pretest data of a nursing intervention study entitled "Development of deep learning based AI coaching program for diabetic patients with high risk and examination of its effects." Data were analyzed through descriptive analysis, one-way repeated-measures analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation coefficients using SPSS 26.0. Results: The average total daily calorie intake over 3 days was 1,494.48 ± 436.47 kcal/day: 1,510.90 ± 547.76 kcal/day on the first day, 1,414.22 ± 527.58 kcal/day on the second day, 1,558.34 ± 645.83 kcal/ day on the third day, showing significant differences (F = 3.59, p = .031). The correlation coefficient between the 1-day and 3-day average dietary intake was 0.41-0.77 for each nutrient and 0.62-0.80 for each food group. Vegetable intake showed negative correlations with body mass index (BMI; r = -.19, p = .023) and triglycerides (r = -.18, p = .036), whereas dairy intake was positively associated with low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL; r = -0.18, p = .034) and triglycerides (r = .40, p<.001). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that 1-day dietary intake was highly correlated with 3-day average dietary intake using the 24-hour diet recall method. Food groups showed significant associations with physiological indicators of potential diabetic complications such as BMI, triglycerides, and LDL levels. Further studies are needed to improve the knowledge base on the relationships between physiological indicators and food groups.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.22 no.5
• /
• pp.456-477
• /
• 2022

The purpose of this study is to provide basic data on practical intervention strategies that many people with disabilities can empower in the future by analyzing the experiences in which people with disabilities were empowered through Encounter group counseling program focusing on people with physical disabilities and brain lesions, who account for 50% of all people with disabilities. The research questions were: First, did people with disabilities get empowerment experiences through an Encounter group counseling program? Second, what kind of empowerment experiences did people with disabilities begin to have through the program? In this study, a focus group interview was conducted with the participants of the program to qualitatively evaluate the empowerment experiences from the Encounter group program. The participants were people with physical disabilities and brain lesions experiencing Encounter group counseling programs at the self-reliance center in Seoul from 2015 to 2019. As a result of the analysis, 7 components, and 17 sub-components were derived, which were grouped into three themes: 1) restoring self relationship 2) forming new relationship with others, and 3) realizing a sense of solidarity with society. The research results were discussed considering the impact of the Encounter program on personal, interpersonal, and social empowerment of people with disabilities and finally, limitations of the study and suggestions for follow-up studies were presented.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.1-9
• /
• 2023

Patients with neurocognitive disorder show behavioral psychological symptoms such as agitation, aggression, depression, and wandering, as well as cognitive decline, which puts a considerable burden on patients and their families. For the treatment of behavioral psychological symptoms, patient-centered, non-pharmacological treatment should be used as a first line approach. This paper describes non-pharmacological interventions to manage and treat behavioral psychological symptoms in patients with neurocognitive disorder. In order to control behavioral psychological symptoms such as agitation, depression, apathy, insomnia, and wandering, it is important to identify and evaluate factors such as environmental changes and drugs, and then solve such problems. Non-pharmacological interventions include reassurance, encourage, distraction, and environmental change. It is necessary to understand behavior from a patient's point of view and to approach the patient's needs and abilities appropriately. Reminiscence therapy, music therapy, aroma therapy, multisensory stimulation therapy, exercise therapy, light therapy, massage therapy, cognitive intervention therapy, and pet therapy are used as non-pharmacological interventions, and these approaches are known to improve symptoms such as depression, apathy, agitation, aggression, anxiety, wandering, and insomnia. However, the quality of the evidence base for non-pharmacological approaches is generally lower than for pharmacological treatments. Therefore, more extensive and accurate effectiveness verification studies are needed in the future.

• Korean Journal of Health Psychology
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.537-555
• /
• 2011

The purpose of this study was two-fold. First, comparisons on the psychological and physical attributes of normal weight, overweight, and obese children were conducted. Second, the influence of BMI and physical fitness interaction on psychological adaptation in children with obesity was explored. Participants were 245 children between the ages of 9 and 13 years (64.5% males). Data on children considered overweight (n = 45) or obese (n = 78) were gathered from the Korean Obese Children's Physical Activity (KOCPA) projects. Normal weight children (n = 122) were recruited from two Seoul elementary schools. Psychological measurements included Weight Efficacy Life-style Questionnaire (WEL), Physical Self-efficacy Scale (PSES), Child Dietary Self-efficacy Scale (CDSS), Self-concept Inventory (SCI), and the Korean version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Intervention TM Version 4.0 Generic Core Scales (PedsQLTM4.0). BMI (kg/m2) and physical fitness (e.g., aerobic endurance, flexibility) were recorded by experts in exercise physiology. Results showed that children in the high BMI group reported poorer psychological adaption and demonstrated lower physical fitness when compared to the remaining groups. Compared to normal weight children, children considered overweight and obese were found to have lower physical self-efficacy, more negative self-concept, and poorer quality of life. Further, these children also had significantly lower physical fitness levels than their normal weight counterparts. Physical fitness was found to have a significant main effect on weight efficacy (WEL), physical self-efficacy (PSES), and quality of life (PedsQL) in children considered overweight or obese. A significant BMI-physical fitness interaction effect was found for self-concept (SCI) only. Children with higher BMI reported poorer self-concept regardless of fitness level whereas children with lower BMI and higher fitness reported more positive self-concept. Implications and limitations are discussed.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.339-357
• /
• 2009

As quickly becoming an ageing society in Korea, this study aims to investigate how family caregivers' burden with demented patients and social supports are related to their health and quality of life, and the interaction of caregiving burden and social supports on caregivers' health and quality of life. The participants were 207 family caregivers (106 females) of demented patients lived in Seoul, Kyunggi, and Chungcheong areas, whose average of age were 51.62 ( SD=9.25). The psychological tests used in this research included the following: Multidimensional Caregiver Burden Inventory, Chon's Physical Symptom Questionnaire, Hahn & Jang's Perceived Health Inventory, Negative Affect Self-Statement Questionnaire, and the Korean Version of Cambell's Subjective Well-being Scale, Social Support Survey in Medical Outcomes Study, and Kwon's Questionnaire for Maladjusted Problems of Demented. Results indicated that caregivers' burden with demented patient related to physical symptoms and depression positively, and perceived health and subjective well-being negatively. Social supports showed moderate effects on influences of caregiving burden in perceived health, depression, and subjective well-being of family caregivers with demented patients. It was identified the possibility of their buffering effect on negative results of caregiving burden with demented patients. Since caregiving burden accounted for the 34% of the variances for family caregivers' physical symptoms and depression, researchers discussed the promotion and intervention of their health and quality of life. Beside of different effects of social supports with level of caregiving burden, with previous studies it was discussed some saliant findings such as family caregivers with patients who showed severe dementia symptoms were perceiving even less supports from others.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
• /
• v.28 no.12
• /
• pp.267-279
• /
• 2023

The objective of this paper is to examine the legal framework governing the import and export of grain in China, a pivotal factor in shaping policies aimed at stabilizing South Korea's foreign trade and grain imports. Through this analysis, it is observed that China's foreign trade system, governed by the Foreign Trade Act, exhibits a notable absence of clear delineation regarding the scope and responsibility for the delegation of authority to foreign trade management agencies. In contrast, Korea's Foreign Trade Law, along with its enforcement decree and management regulations, explicitly outlines the scope and responsibilities pertaining to the delegation of authority to foreign trade management. However, in the case of China's revised Foreign Trade Law, there exists a lack of precision in specifying the delegation of authority to foreign trade management. This creates a potential for discretionary intervention by local governments or other administrative bodies. While China's legal system concerning grain imports and exports aligns with WTO regulations in its institutional framework, attention is warranted due to the vagueness in laws or regulations, as well as the presence of irrational and non-transparent procedures during system operation. As conclusion remarks, while China's legal structure related to grain imports and exports conforms to WTO guidelines overall, the identified issues such as legal ambiguity and non-transparent procedures underscore the need for caution. To safeguard against potential challenges in future trade interactions with China, proactive measures are crucial to address these concerns.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.34 no.7
• /
• pp.520-530
• /
• 2024

Tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) play a crucial role in maintaining cellular homeostasis. When the function of these genes is lost, it can lead to cellular plasticity that drives the development of various cancers, including small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), which is known for its aggressive nature. SCLC is primarily driven by numerous loss-of-function mutations in TSGs, often involving genes that encode epigenetic regulators. These mutations pose a significant therapeutic challenge as they are not directly targetable. However, understanding the molecular changes resulting from these mutations might provide insights for developing tumor intervention strategies. We propose that despite the heterogeneous genomic landscape of SCLC, the effects of mutations in patient tumors converge on a few critical pathways that drive malignancy. Specifically, alterations in epigenetic regulators lead to transcriptional dysregulation, pushing mutant cells toward a highly plastic state that makes them immune evasive and highly metastatic. This review will highlight studies showing how an imbalance of epigenetic regulators with opposing functions leads to the loss of immune recognition markers, effectively hiding tumor cells from the immune system. Additionally, we will discuss the role of epigenetic regulators in maintaining neuroendocrine features and how aberrant transcriptional control promotes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition during tumor development. Although these pathways seem distinct, we emphasize that they often share common molecular drivers and mediators. Understanding the connection among frequently altered epigenetic regulators will provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying SCLC development, potentially revealing preventive and therapeutic vulnerabilities for SCLC and other cancers with similar mutations.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
• /
• v.25 no.6
• /
• pp.565-574
• /
• 2024

Objective: To evaluate the safety and clinical outcomes of the Passeo-18 Lux drug-coated balloon (DCB) in endovascular revascularization procedures under real-world conditions in a Korean population with atherosclerotic disease of the infrainguinal arteries, including below-the-knee (BTK) arteries. Materials and Methods: Eight institutions in the Republic of Korea participated in this prospective, multicenter, single-arm, post-market surveillance study. Two hundred patients with Rutherford class 2-5 peripheral arterial disease and infrainguinal lesions suitable for endovascular treatment were competitively enrolled. Data were collected at baseline, the time of intervention, discharge, and 1-, 6-, 12-, and 24-month follow-up visits. The primary safety endpoint was freedom from major adverse events (MAE) within 6 months (except when limiting the time frame for procedure- or device-related mortality to within 30 days), and the primary effectiveness endpoint was freedom from clinically driven target lesion revascularization (CD-TLR) within 12 months after the procedure. Results: A total of 197 patients with 332 target lesions were analyzed. Two-thirds of the patients had diabetes mellitus, and 41.6% had chronic limb-threatening ischemia. The median target lesion length was 100 mm (interquartile range: 56-133 mm). Of the target lesions, 35.2% were occlusions, and 14.8% were located in the BTK arteries. Rate of freedom from MAE was 97.9% at 6 months, and the rate of freedom from CD-TLR was 95.0% and 92.2% at 12 and 24 months, respectively. Subgroup analysis of 43 patients and 49 target lesions involving the BTK arteries showed rate of freedom from MAE of 92.8% at 6 months and rates of freedom from CD-TLR of 88.8% and 84.4% at 12 and 24 months, respectively. Conclusion: The results of the present study, including the BTK subgroup analysis, showed outcomes comparable to those of other DCB studies, confirming the safety and effectiveness of Passeo-18 Lux DCB in the Korean population.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
• /
• v.23 no.9
• /
• pp.866-877
• /
• 2022

Objective: The optimal imaging approach for evaluating pathological nipple discharge remains unclear. We investigated the value of adding ductography to ultrasound (US) for evaluating pathologic nipple discharge in patients with negative mammography findings. Materials and Methods: From July 2003 to December 2018, 101 women (mean age, 46.3 ± 12.2 years; range, 23-75 years) with pathologic nipple discharge were evaluated using pre-ductography (initial) US, ductography, and post-ductography US. The imaging findings were reviewed retrospectively. The standard reference was surgery (70 patients) or > 2 years of follow-up with US (31 patients). The diagnostic performances of initial US, ductography, and post-ductography US for detecting malignancy were compared using the McNemar's test or a generalized estimating equation. Results: In total, 47 papillomas, 30 other benign lesions, seven high-risk lesions, and 17 malignant lesions were identified as underlying causes of pathologic nipple discharge. Only eight of the 17 malignancies were detected on the initial US, while the remaining nine malignancies were detected by ductography. Among the nine malignancies detected by ductography, eight were detected on post-ductography US and could be localized for US-guided intervention. The sensitivities of ductography (94.1% [16/17]) and post-ductography US (94.1% [16/17]) were significantly higher than those of initial US (47.1% [8/17]; p = 0.027 and 0.013, respectively). The negative predictive value of post-ductography US (96.9% [31/32]) was significantly higher than that of the initial US (83.3% [45/54]; p = 0.006). Specificity was significantly higher for initial US than for ductography and post-ductography US (p = 0.001 for all). Conclusion: The combined use of ductography and US has a high sensitivity for detecting malignancy in patients with pathologic nipple discharge and negative mammography. Ductography findings enable lesion localization on second-look post-ductography US, thus facilitating the selection of optimal treatment plans.