• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.119-130
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• 2019

Positron emission tomography (PET) is widely used imaging modality for effective and accurate functional testing and medical diagnosis using radioactive isotopes. However, PET has difficulties in acquiring images with high image quality due to constraints such as the amount of radioactive isotopes injected into the patient, the detection time, the characteristics of the detector, and the patient's motion. In order to overcome this problem, we have succeeded to improve the image quality by using the dynamic image reconstruction method based on singular value decomposition. However, there is still some question about the characteristics of the proposed technique. In this study, the characteristics of reconstruction method based on singular value decomposition was estimated over computational simulation. As a result, we confirmed that the singular value decomposition based reconstruction technique distinguishes the images well when the signal - to - noise ratio of the input image is more than 20 decibels and the feature vector angle is more than 60 degrees. In addition, the proposed methode to estimate the characteristics of reconstruction technique can be applied to other spatio-temporal feature based dynamic image reconstruction techniques. The deduced conclusion of this study can be useful guideline to apply medical image into SVD based dynamic image reconstruction technique to improve the accuracy of medical diagnosis.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.1295-1300
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• 2022

There has been increased interest in researching risk perception of radiation to implement successful risk communication, particularly given the recent worldwide nuclear policy movement regarding nuclear energy. This study aimed to investigate characteristics of risk perception among residents living near normally operating nuclear power plants in South Korea by identifying factors associated with risk perception. A survey was conducted with face-to-face interviews for 1200 residents aged 20e84 years by gender- and age-stratified random sampling. Risk perception was associated with trust perception in nuclear safety, but was not highly correlated with benefit perception for utilizing nuclear power. Relatively high risk perception was observed in women, older age groups, and residents not having experience of nuclear-related education or work. This association remained after adjusting for other factors including benefit perception, trust perception, and psychological distress. In addition to these individual characteristics, risk perception was also associated with a residential district's own unique context, indicating that a strategy of risk communication should be developed differently for residents facing nuclear-related circumstances. Given that risk perception can be changed, depending on social values such as safety culture and economic setting, further studies are required to understand the changing characteristics of radiation risk perception.

• The Journal of the Korean life insurance medical association
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.8-10
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• 2011

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.578-583
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• 2012

The pharmacological therapies and whole body vibration as non-pharmacological therapies were known to have adverse side effects. Therefore, partial stimulation was suggested and its effects were evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate the site-specific effects of partial stimulator for treatment of osteoporosis induced by estrogen deficiency. Sixteen virginal Sprague-Dawley rats (12 weeks old) were divided into 2 groups(no stimulation, stimulation groups). All rats were ovariectomised to induce osteoporosis. After 3 weeks of operation, the right tibiae in rats of stimulation group (frequency: 10Hz, cycle: 1500, strain on bone surface: $2000{\mu}{\varepsilon}$) were stimulated perpendicularly at right tibia by using partial stimulator for 6 weeks (3days/week). The right tibiae in rats were scanned, before stimulation (0 week) and at 6 weeks after stimulation by using in-vivo micro computed tomography. For investigation of changes in morphological characteristics, structural parameters were measured and calculated. At 6 weeks the morphological characteristics (relative value) in stimulation group were significantly enhanced than those in no stimulation group (p<0.05). In this study, we find that after 6 weeks of partial stimulation, the morphological characteristics of tibia trabecular bone were enhanced. Thus, we concluded that partial stimulation could be used to treat osteoporosis.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.208-217
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• 2001

Background : The objective of this study is proving the basic data for developing a management system for the discharges against medical advice(AMA) by identifying the characteristics of the AMA patients of an university hospital for 10 years. Methods : By using discharge abstract data base, we divided the total discharges(435,254) into two groups, discharge against medical advice and discharge with discharge order. We confirmed the characteristics of AMA group by analyzing discharge abstract data of the both groups by SAS software V6.12 and $x^2$ test. Medical records of AMA patients in the year 2000 were reviewed to identify the reasons for AMA which we couldn't extract from discharge abstract DB. Result : The total number of AMA for 10 years were 9,358(2.15%) and the AMA rate has been continuously decreased for 10 years. Male, admission through emergency room, discharges admission via other hospital, patients without operation during hospitalization, discharges in hopeless or not improved condition showed higher AMA rate. The AMA rate was higher as the age of the patients was higher, and the average length of stay was longer in AMA patients than in those with discharge order. The AMA rate in psychiatry was highest(14.3%) and it was higher in surgery departments than those of medical or other sections. The AMA rate varied by attending physicians even in the same department and it was statistically significant. Patients with the principal diagnosis of "medical observation and evaluation for suspected diseases" showed the highest AMA rate(15.5%), and that of schizophrenia or psychosis was the nest. One hundred twenty-one patients(19.5%) out of 622 AMA in 2000 discharged against medical advice for transfer to order health care facilities. Among them 71 patients(58.7%) discharged with their medical care information, such as copies of medical record, medical certificates, summaries, etc. Written oath of the patients discharged AMA was filed in their medical records in 466 cases(74.9%) although some of them were incomplete. Conclusion : Characteristics of AMA discharge could be used as the basic data in developing a system to manage the patients who have risk factors to leave the hospital against medical advice. By reducing number of patients leaving the hospital against medical advice we can increase satisfaction of medical providers and consumers.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.101-110
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• 2002

Purpose : With the elongation of the average life span, the main causes of death are chronicle illness including cancers resulting in a large amount of medical resources. And there are still many patients to whom a sufficient medical care is not given. All these bring on the uneven distribution of medical resources together with the increase of medical cost. Hence, an efficient system should be set up to solve these problems. Methods : The hospice draws a great attention as a resolution of high medical cost and uneven medical resource distribution, and has been proved to be an alternative to the existing medical system. So, the characteristics of the hospice has been reviewed, particularly with respect to its scopes and related resources. And by tracking the actual cases, the necessary services and supports are investigated. Results : The intrinsic characteristics of hospice is that it executes not only the medical exercise but also all the subjects related with patients and their families. And the hospice is performed not only by the medical experts but also by all the disciplines including social and spiritual affairs. This indicates that the hospice requires the integrated system comprised of medical, social and other welfare entities. Conclusion : To establish the actual hospice, an efficient and systematic integration of all the existing medical and other welfare resources in the local society is necessary. The most practical way is the networking of resources, which practices the hospice more efficiently without additional investment.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.193-204
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• 2022

One of the important roles of medical schools is to support medical students in deciding upon their future career path or choosing their specialty. The purpose of this study is to suggest a career advising model and strategies for medical students through a systematic approach. This study consists of three parts. The first part introduces some main career theories: super's career development theory, career decision-making theory, social cognitive career theory, and ecosystem theory. The second part proposes a systematic career advising model using the results acquired from previous studies and theories. This model considers a medical school as a social system that consists of two domains (internal and external). This social system is considered as a complex where various factors interact with each other: students' individual characteristics, institutional policies and culture, curriculum and learning experience, students' perceived specialty characteristics, and aspects of the external environment such as healthcare systems. The third part suggests some career advising strategies based on a systematic approach that medical schools can apply. These research results can be used for designing career advising courses for medical students, integrating various career advising programs and resources of medical schools, and evaluating the outcomes of career advising programs at an institutional level.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.383-422
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• 2008

Considering above, It might be efficient that medical disputes would be settled by the intervention, the agreement, and the administrative relief that reflect mediators' opinion, who have rich social experience as well as specialized knowledge. Therefore, KCA needs to strengthen its function of mediation and improve relevant systems to become an effective settlement institution. And although Oriental medicine disputes have mainly given ex post facto explanations so far, administrative efforts such as policy development or legislation should be made for the high quality of Oriental medical services offered because an efficient way saving social or economic costs caused by the dispute would be precautionary measures. The traditional Oriental medicine is featured with the lack of baseline examination, the uncertainty of medical mistakes, the difficulty in clarifying and proving facts, the hardship of injury conformation and causality because of the characteristics of Oriental medicine, and the relative lightness of physical damages. Actually, there has been few legal settlements in Oriental medical disputes since the compensation, itself, compared to the lawsuit cost, is relatively much lower without practical benefits.

• The Journal of Korean Medical History
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.61-69
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• 2012

A growing number of people shows deep interests in healthcare and treatments for the elderly with increasing their population. Contrary to general adults, old people have their own physiological and pathological characteristics. Therefore, treatments for the elderly should be different form those for others in younger generation. Alimentotherapy, which means the treatment or prevention by means of food, is one of the best way to deal with geriatrics that are chronic, multiple. Korea has its tradition and plenty of information in this field. Even in the early ChoSun Dynasty, when people suffered from lack of proper medical care, physicians used dietary prescriptions as active treatments, Therefore, we can find lots of cases in "Hyangyak-jibseogbang" and "Euibangyoochui" which are medical books published at that time. After that, a specialized alimentotherapy book, "Sikryochanyo" was written based on that kind of total medical volumes. With development of society, economy. and medical science, alimentotherapy has grown remarkably. Unlike in the early Chosun Dynasty, it was used positively for promoting general health condition and practiced as supportive method for medication in the late Chosun Dynasty. Considering the characteristics of the elderly, alimentotherapy is the most effective way to keep them healthy and can also used with medication.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.65-70
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• 2019

Objectives The objective of this study is to investigate differences in clinical characteristics between female panic disorder (PD) patients with abortion history (PD+A) and without abortion history (PD-A). Methods We examined data from 341 female patients diagnosed with PD. We divided the patients with PD into PD+A (82 patients) and PD-A (259 patients) to compare demographic and clinical characteristics. The following instruments were applied : stress coping strategies, NEO-neuroticism, the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-Revised (ASI-R), the Albany Panic and Phobia Questionnaire (APPQ), the Beck Depression Inventory, the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and the Sheehan Disability Scale. Results Compared to the PD-A, the PD+A group showed no significant difference in coping strategies. However, significantly higher scores in neuroticism, the ASI-R, the APPQ and the BAI were observed. In terms of health-related disability, the PD+A group did not show significant difference. Conclusions Our results suggest that the PD+A group may differ from the PD-A group in trait markers such as neuroticism and anxiety sensitivity, and abortion history may be associated with panic-related symptom severity. Our study suggests that further consideration is needed on such clinical characteristics in PD patients with abortion history.