• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.16-21
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• 2021

As the average age of national veterans has increased from 69 years old(2011) to 71 years old(since 2015) over the past five years, the overall medical service cost of veterans has increased by about 20%. The main cause of this phenomenon is 'ultra-aging', which accounts for 67% of veterans, while the proportion of health insurance patients aged 70 or older is 9%. Therefore, it is judged that the analysis of the trend of use of medical services at veterans hospitals in each region that is in charge of severe medical services of national veterans can serve as an opportunity to seek countermeasures for the severe medical system of national veterans. First of all, based on the details of major medical expenses (hospitalization, outpatient, pharmaceutical expenses) by region for the last 10 years(2010-2019), data significance was performed through a chi-square test, and the Central Veterans Hospital and Non-Central Veterans Hospital using EXCEL. 'Expected frequency' was calculated by year. By applying the CHITEST(observation frequency, expected frequency) function again, the p-value(p<0.05) was calculated, and the profit bias of each region's veterans hospital could be determined. The specific research method is for the last 10 years(2010-2019) for state-sponsored patients_outpatient treatment income, state-sponsored patients_hospitalization income, exempt patients_outpatients at the Central Veterans Hospital, Busan Veterans Hospital, Gwangju Veterans Hospital, Daegu Veterans Hospital, and Daejeon Veterans Hospital. A one-way analysis of variance was conducted to verify the significance of the difference between group averages on the status of 5 medical revenues of veterans hospitals in each of the 5 regions, including medical treatment income, reduced patients_hospitalization income, and reduced patients_medicine expenses. It was found to be significant(p<0.05) at all levels, including region and type. Finally, the bias in the profit structure of regional veterans hospitals was the highest in 2017(p=0.0004) and the lowest in 2013(p=0.0349). In addition, in the profit structure of the Veterans Hospital, the year in which the'regional' variable worked the most was 2019, and the year with the least affected was 2010. The order of the former is Jungang(=31,674,713), Busan(=12,314,614), Gwangju(=11,957,038), Daegu(=10,168,015), and Daejeon(=6,991,034), and the order of the latter is Jungang(=57,868,791), and Busan(=19,183,194). Gwangju(=17,904,712), Daegu(=15,656,034), and Daejeon(=14,377,395). In conclusion, the profit bias of veterans hospitals repeatedly raced the lowest(p=0.01986) and highest(p=0.03499) for the past five years(2010-2014) year by year, with the 'regional' variable being the most in the veterans hospital's profit structure It was identified as a major influence factor. On the other hand, for the last 5 years (2015-2019), the influence factors of the'regional' variable every year were in 2015(p=0.02015), 2016(p=0.01741), 2017(p=0.00045), and 2018(p=0.00394). in 2019(p=0.00227), a significant difference was confirmed at a very low level.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.114-124
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• 2021

Background: In this study, we aimed to investigate the interaction effects of individual socioeconomic status and regional deprivation on the onset of diabetes complications and diabetes-related hospitalization among type 2 diabetes patients. Methods: Korean National Health Insurance Service National Sample Cohort data from 2002 to 2013 were used. A total of 50,954 patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes from 2004 to 2012 and aged 30 years or above were included. We classified patients into six groups according to individual income level and neighborhood deprivation: 'high in advantaged,' 'high in disadvantaged,' 'middle in advantaged,' 'middle in disadvantaged,' 'low in advantaged,' and 'low in disadvantaged.' We calculated hazard ratios (HR) of onset of diabetes complication and diabetes-related hospitalization using the Cox proportional hazard model, with the reference group as diabetes patients with high income in advantaged regions. Results: In terms of the interaction effects of individual income level and regional socioeconomic level, even with the same low individual income level, the group with a high regional socioeconomic level (low in advantaged) showed low HRs for the onset of diabetes complication (HR, 1.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-1.08) compared to the 'low in disadvantaged' group (HR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.05-1.16). In addition, the 'high in advantaged' group showed slightly higher HRs for the onset of diabetes complication (HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.00-1.11) compared to the 'low in advantaged' and it appeared to be associated with slight mitigation of the risk of diabetes complication. For the low-income level, the patients in disadvantaged regions showed the highest HRs for diabetes-related hospitalization (HR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.19-1.41) compared to the other groups. Conclusion: Although we need to perform further investigations to reveal the mechanisms that led to our results, interaction effects individual socioeconomic status and regional deprivation might be associated with on onset of diabetes complications and diabetes-related hospitalization among type 2 diabetes patients.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.87-93
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• 2024

Objectives: Obesity is a globally prevalent public health issue. Hence, there is a need for the development of safer and more effective anti-obesity drugs. Lythrum salicaria, a traditional medicinal herb used for centuries, has been reported to improve lipid metabolism and fat accumulation. It also has a low toxicity profile. Therefore, its potential as a functional ingredient in health functional foods needs to be evaluated. Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 90 participants will be randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group. Each subject will orally receive L. salicaria extract (1,350 mg/day) (500 mg L. salicaria+850 mg lactose as vehicle) or lactose (1,350 mg/day) as a hard capsule formula for 84 days (12 weeks). The primary outcome will be body fat mass (kg), which will be assessed using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) (performed only at visits 2 and 4). Secondary outcomes include body mass index, body weight, waist-to-hip ratio, body fat percentage (%) measured using DXA, lean body mass (kg) measured using DXA (assessed only at visits 2 and 4), lipids (total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and calculated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol), free fatty acid, high sensitivity C-reactive protein, adiponectin, and leptin. Conclusions: This protocol will be implemented after approval of Institutional Review Board of Pusan National University Korean Medicine Hospital (approval number: PNUKHIRB-2022-08-002) and registration with the Korean National Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS) (CRIS-KCT0008060). The results of this trial will provide potential of L. salicaria as a new anti-obesity functional food with fat-reducing effects and low toxicity.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.256-267
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• 2024

We have developed FBcastS (Fire Blight Forecasting System), a cloud-based information system that leverages the K-Maryblyt forecasting model. The FBcastS provides an optimal timing for spraying antibiotics to prevent flower infection caused by Erwinia amylovora and forecasts the onset of disease symptoms to assist in scheduling field scouting activities. FBcastS comprises four discrete subsystems tailored to specific functionalities: meteorological data acquisition and processing, execution of the K-Maryblyt model, distribution of web-based information, and dissemination of spray timing notifications. The meteorological data acquisition subsystem gathers both observed and forecasted weather data from 1,583 sites across South Korea, including 761 apple or pear orchards where automated weather stations are installed for fire blight forecast. This subsystem also performs post-processing tasks such as quality control and data conversion. The model execution subsystem operates the K-Maryblyt model and stores its results in a database. The web-based service subsystem offers an array of internet-based services, including weather monitoring, mobile services for forecasting fire blight infection and symptoms, and nationwide fire blight monitoring. The final subsystem issues timely notifications of fire blight spray timing alert to growers based on forecasts from the K-Maryblyt model, blossom status, pesticide types, and field conditions, following guidelines set by the Rural Development Administration. FBcastS epitomizes a smart agriculture internet of things (IoT) by utilizing densely collected data with a spatial resolution of approximately 4.25 km to improve the accuracy of fire blight forecasts. The system's internet-based services ensure high accessibility and utility, making it a vital tool in data-driven smart agricultural practices.

• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.4
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• pp.5-22
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• 1997

The purpose of the study was to development an information delivery system for the home nursing service, to demonstrate and to evaluate the efficiency of it. The period of research conduct was from September 1996 to August 31, 1997. At the 1st stage to achieve the purpose, Firstly Assessment tool for the patients with cerebral vascular disease who have the first priority of HNS among the patients with various health problems at home was developed through literature review. Secondly, after identification of patient nursing problem by the home care nurse with the assessment tool, the patient's classification system developed by Park (1988) that was 128 nursing activities under 6 categories was used to identify the home care nurse's activities of the patient with CAV at home. The research team had several workshops with 5 clinical nurse experts to refine it. At last 110 nursing activities under 11 categories for the patients with CVA were derived. At the second stage, algorithms were developed to connect 110 nursing activities with the patient nursing problems identified by assessment tool. The computerizing process of the algorithms is as follows: These algorithms are realized with the computer program by use of the software engineering technique. The development is made by the prototyping method, which is the requirement analysis of the software specifications. The basic features of the usability, compatibility, adaptability and maintainability are taken into consideration. Particular emphasis is given to the efficient construction of the database. To enhance the database efficiency and to establish the structural cohesion, the data field is categorized with the weight of relevance to the particular disease. This approach permits the easy adaptability when numerous diseases are applied in the future. In paralleled with this, the expandability and maintainability is stressed through out the program development, which leads to the modular concept. However since the disease to be applied is increased in number as the project progress and since they are interrelated and coupled each other, the expand ability as well as maintainability should be considered with a big priority. Furthermore, since the system is to be synthesized with other medical systems in the future, these properties are very important. The prototype developed in this project is to be evaluated through the stage of system testing. There are various evaluation metrics such as cohesion, coupling and adaptability so on. But unfortunately, direct measurement of these metrics are very difficult, and accordingly, analytical and quantitative evaluations are almost impossible. Therefore, instead of the analytical evaluation, the experimental evaluation is to be applied through the test run by various users. This system testing will provide the viewpoint analysis of the user's level, and the detail and additional requirement specifications arising from user's real situation will be feedback into the system modeling. Also. the degree of freedom of the input and output will be improved, and the hardware limitation will be investigated. Upon the refining, the prototype system will be used as a design template. and will be used to develop the more extensive system. In detail. the relevant modules will be developed for the various diseases, and the module will be integrated by the macroscopic design process focusing on the inter modularity, generality of the database. and compatibility with other systems. The Home care Evaluation System is comprised of three main modules of : (1) General information on a patient, (2) General health status of a patient, and (3) Cerebrovascular disease patient. The general health status module has five sub modules of physical measurement, vitality, nursing, pharmaceutical description and emotional/cognition ability. The CVA patient module is divided into ten sub modules such as subjective sense, consciousness, memory and language pattern so on. The typical sub modules are described in appendix 3.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.965-973
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• 2014

Three studies were conducted to investigate whether a chelated Cu can replace $CuSO_4$ as a growth promoter in pigs. In Exp. 1, a total of 240 piglets (Large White${\times}$Landrace, $7.36{\pm}0.10kg$) were randomly allocated to 1 of 3 treatments with 8 replicates and 10 piglets per pen. Treatments included a NRC control ($CuSO_4$, 6 mg/kg), two Cu supplementations from either $CuSO_4$ or $Cu(HMTBa)_2$ at 170 mg/kg. Pigs fed $Cu(HMTBa)_2$ were 6.0% heavier than pigs fed either the NRC control or 170 mg/kg $CuSO_4$ (p = 0.03) at the end of the experiment. During the 42 days of experimental period, pigs fed $Cu(HMTBa)_2$ gained 9.0% more (p = 0.01), tended to eat more feed (p = 0.09), and had better feed efficiency (p = 0.06) than those fed $CuSO_4$. Compared with the 6 mg/kg $CuSO_4$ NRC control, liver Cu was increased 2.7 times with 170 mg/kg $CuSO_4$ supplementation, and was further increased with $Cu(HMTBa)_2$ (4.5 times, p<0.05). In Exp. 2, a total of 616 crossbred piglets (PIC, $5.01{\pm}0.25kg$) were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 treatments with 7 replicates and 22 piglets per pen. Treatments included a NRC control (from $CuSO_4$), and three pharmaceutical levels of Cu (150 mg/kg) supplemented either from C$CuSO_4$, tri-basic copper chloride ($Cu_2[OH]_3C1$), or $Cu(HMTBa)_2$. Pigs fed $CuSO_4$ or $Cu(HMTBa)_2$ had better feed efficiency (p = 0.01) and tended to gain more (p = 0.08) compared with those fed the NRC control. Pigs fed $Cu_2[OH]_2C1$ were intermediate. Pigs fed $Cu(HMTBa)_2$ had the highest liver Cu, which was significantly higher than those fed ($Cu_2[OH]_3C1$) or the negative control (p = 0.01). In Exp. 3, a total of 1,048 pigs (PIC, $32.36{\pm}0.29kg$) were allotted to 6 treatments with 8 replicates per treatment and 20 to 22 pigs per pen. The treatments included a NRC control with 4 mg/kg Cu from $CuSO_4$, a positive control with 160 mg/kg Cu from $CuSO_4$, and incremental levels of $Cu(HMTBa)_2$ at 20, 40, 80, and 160 mg/kg. During the overall experimental period of 100 days, no benefit from 160 mg/kg $CuSO_4$ was observed. Pigs fed $Cu(HMTBa)_2$ had increased ADG (linear and quadratic, $p{\leq}0.05$) and feed efficiency (linear and quadratic, $p{\leq}0.05$) up to 80 mg/kg and no further improvement was observed at 160 mg/kg for the whole experimental period. Pigs fed 80 mg/kg $Cu(HMTBa)_2$ weighed 1.8 kg more (p = 0.07) and were 2.3 kg heavier in carcass (p<0.01) compared with pigs fed 160 mg/kg $CuSO_4$. In addition, loin depth was increased with increased $Cu(HMTBa)_2$ supplementation with pigs fed 80 mg/kg $Cu(HMTBa)_2$ had the greatest loin depth (p<0.05). In summary, $Cu(HMTBa)_2$ can be used to replace high $CuSO_4$ as a growth promoter in nursery and grower-finisher pigs.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.38 no.8
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• pp.983-988
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• 2009

To investigate the applicability of hot water extract from Codonoposis lanceolata (CL) and fermented Codonoposis lanceolata (FCL) as functional food and cosmeceutical material, its total phenolic contents, total flavonoids, electron donating ability (EDA), SOD-like activity, nitrate-scavenging ability (NSA), reducing power were examined. Total phenolic contents of CL and FCL were 0.54 mg/100 g and 2.79 mg/100 g, respectively, and total flavonoids contents were estimated as 2.26 mg/100 g for CL and 6.16 mg/100 g FCL. The EDA of CL and FCL were 8.0$\sim$17.9% and 32.9$\sim$74.9%. The SOD-like activities of CL and FCL were 0.6$\sim$16.5% and 3.5$\sim$21.6%, respectively, and the activity was dependent on the sample concentration. The NSA was pH dependent, and was the highest at pH 1.2 and the lowest at pH 6.0. The NSA of FCL was higher than that of CL. The FCL extract showed the highest reducing power (0.65) at the concentration of 1,000 $\mu g$/mL. Based on the above results, we deemed that the FCL might have potential antioxdant activities.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.689-697
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• 2016

Kefir is an acidic-alcoholic fermented milk product originating from the Caucasian mountains. Kefir has long been known for its probiotic health benefits, including its immunomodulatory effects. The objectives of this study were to investigate the properties of a fermented whey product and to examine the effects of kefir grains on the in vitro immune-modulation of human mast cell-1 (HMC-1). The results showed that the whey fermented by kefir grains contained the maximum lactic acid bacteria and yeast for 16 hr by 1.83×10⁸ and 6.5×10⁵ CFU/ml, respectively, and lactose and whey proteins were partially hydrolyzed. The experimental whey fermented by kefir grains exhibited an in vitro anti-inflammatory effect on the HMC-1 line for 8, 16, and 24 hr, and this effect induced the expression of interleukin (IL)-4 as a pro-inflammatory cytokine, but not for 48 hr by RT-PCR in HMC-1 cells. In addition, the same phenomenon was observed for the expression of IL-8 as a pro-inflammatory cytokine by the kefir-fermented whey during the same periods of 8-48 hr under the same conditions. These cytokines resulted in the production of IL-4 at 20-25 ng in HMC-1 cells for 8, 16, and 24 hr, whereas 5 ng was produced for 48 hr by the fermented whey. In contrast, IL-8 was produced at 15-20 ng in HMC-1 cells during 4, 8, 16, and 24 hr, while 7 ng was produced at 48 hr. It was concluded that the whey fermented by kefir grains possesses a potential anti-inflammatory function, which could be used for an industrial application as an ingredient of functional foods and pharmaceutical products.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.382-390
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• 2021

In this study, solubilized yuzu pulp powder (EYP) was produced using enzyme treated yuzu pulp powder (YP) and used to manufacture yuzu granules (0-20% EYP content). The physicochemical, product stability, and functional properties of Yuzu granules were compared among five enzyme treatments. Among the five treatments, CL had the highest YP solubilization yield (48.68%). Microstructural observation of EYP using FE-SEM revealed that its surface became irregular and porous after enzymatic treatment. Compared to YP, EYP had 2 times lower insoluble dietary fibers and 3 times lower hemicellulose and cellulose content. Among the yuzu granules, IV (yuzu granules with 15% EYP) had an excellent water and oil holding capacity and flowability. IV granule had the highest narirutin and hesperidin content of 3.4 mg and 2.2 mg/g DW, respectively and the highest antioxidant (68.4%) and tyrosinase inhibitory activities (82.5%). Therefore, EYP or granule with EYP can be used as a functional component in food industry or pharmaceutical field.