• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.111-118
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• 2006

Objectives : To test the therapeutic efficacy of acupuncture applied to PC6 and ST36 for the relief of fullness of epigastrium or epigastric pain. Subjects and Methods : We enrolled fifty patients in a case series study The patients were mainly female (94 %) with an average age of 55 years $({\pm}15.0)$; the average age of the male patients was 51 years $({\pm}20.0)$. Twenty four percent of patients were in acute phase which epigastric pain had lasted below 1 month. Twenty eight percent of patients were in chronic phase which the pain had lasted over 6 month. The rest were in subacute phase. Acupuncture needles were inserted into PC6 and ST36 bilaterally. The acupuncture treatments were performed 2 times a week for 4 weeks. One treat session was lasted for 30 min. At each visit, overall symptomatic improvement, frequency and intensity of symptoms were checked on a 4 scaled questionnaire. Results : After acupuncture treatment, a progressive improvement of pain intensity was reported in 46 of the 50 patients, including 23 of excellent and 23 of good. The progress of symptom was more superior in subacute phase to acute or chronic phase. The symptom of 22 of 24 patients in subacute phase was improved. No patient experienced minor side-effects during acupuncture treatment. Conclusion : These preliminary data suggest the acupuncture treatment provides good pain relief for most patients presenting with epigastric pain. Randomized trials with appropriate control groups are needed to validate the effectiveness of this therapy in the treatment of epigastric pain.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.74-82
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to compare the anaerobic threshold (AT) between subjects with and without non-specific chronic low back pain (NCLBP). The patient group included 15 women with NCLBP. The normal group included 15 women without NCLBP who were age-, height-, weight-, and activity level-matched. The subjects performed a Balke treadmill protocol which was symptom-limited progressive loading test. Their heart rate (HR), ventilatory gas and metabolic equivalents (METs) were measured using the automatic breath gas analyzing system. After the test, each subjects' ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were evaluated. The visual analog scale (VAS) was assessed pre- and post-test. The independent t-test and Wilcoxon's signed-rank test were used for analysis of the data. Time, HR, the volume of oxygen consumption ($VO_2$), relative $VO_2$, and METs at the AT level of the patient group were significantly lower than those of the healthy group (p<.05). However, there were no significant differences in RPE, VAS, and breathing frequency at the AT level (p>.05). The findings of this study indicate that patients with NCLBP had a lower aerobic fitness than healthy subjects. Thus, implementation of rehabilitation program to increase aerobic fitness may be considered in patietns with NCLBP, and further studies are required to determine the etiological factors of decreased aerobic fitness.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.220-223
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• 2009

Lithium dihydrogen phosphate ($LiH_2PO_4$) powder was purchased from Aldrich Chemical Co. From the scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation, these polycrystals have dimensions in the range of $25-250{\mu}m$. The electrical conductivity was measured at a measuring frequency of 1 kHz on heating polycrystalline lithium dihydrogen phosphate ($LiH_2PO_4$) from room temperature to 493 K. Two anomalies appeared at 451 K ($T_{p1}$) and 469 K ($T_{p2}$). The electrical conductivity reached the magnitude of the superprotonic phases: $3{\times}10^{-2}{\Omega}^{-1}cm^{-1}$ at 451 K ($T_{p1}$) and $1.2{\times}10{\Omega}^{-1}cm^{-1}$ at 469 K ($T_{p2}$). It is uncertain whether the superprotonic phase transformations are due to polymorphic transitions in the bulk, surface transitions, or chemical reactions (thermal decomposition) at the surface. Considering several previous thermal studies (differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry), our experimental results seem to be related to the last case: chemical reactions (thermal decomposition) at the surface with the progressive solid-state polymerization.

• Journal of Korean Institute of Industrial Engineers
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.60-83
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• 2014

This paper aims to propose a research framework of analyzing voting activities of a national assembly on the basis of member-level voting similarity and provides a case study in the $18^{th}$ national assembly in South Korea. First, we propose a bill contentiousness measure that gives a higher score to bills for which ayes and noes are more diversified in both conservative and progressive parties. Based on the bill contentiousness measure, the top 5%, 10%, and 20% bills were identified and used for further analyses. Moreover, we propose a member-level voting similarity measure that compensates for the lower frequency of noes, and evaluate the pair-wise voting similarities for all lawmakers. Then, voting similarity differences to the affiliated/non-affiliated parties were analyzed for the members in the two major parties according to some internal/external key factors. Finally, similar voting groups were identified and their affiliations were investigated based on the multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) and network analysis techniques. A case study on the $18^{th}$ national assembly of South Korea showed that the cohesion of the members in the 'Hanara' party becomes higher than that of the 'Minju' party as the bill contentiousness increases, whereas the number of elected, local constituency versus proportional representation, and the competition intensity in a local constituency were found to be partially influential to the voting activities of lawmakers. In addition, MDS and network analysis showed that there is a distinctive difference between two parties when all bills are analyzed, whereas the diversity of parties increases in the same group as the bill contentiousness increases.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.82-90
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• 2021

In the present study, we examined if deep uterine artificial insemination (DUAI) can improve the pregnancy rate of artificial insemination (AI) using epididymal spermatozoa (ES) in Hanwoo cattle. The estrus cycles of 88 Hanwoo cows were synchronized, and 17 cows were artificially inseminated using the DUAI method with ES, 20 cows were artificially inseminated via the uterine body (BUAI) method with ES, and as a control, 51 cows were inseminated by using the BUAI method with ejaculated spermatozoa from 1 proven bull after frozen thawing. The pregnancy rate of the DUAI method (58.8%) was higher than that of the BUAI method (25.0%, p = 0.0498). The motility of ES was examined immediately after thawing and after 3 and 6 h of incubation. The rapid progressive sperm motility of the control group was significantly higher than that of the ES group immediately after thawing and after 3 and 6 h of incubation (p < 0.05). The straight line velocity and average path velocity of the ES group after 6 h of incubation were significantly lower than those in the control group (p < 0.05). The linearity and amplitude of lateral head of ES were lower than those at 6 h (p < 0.05). The flagellar beat cross frequency and hyperactivation of ES were lower than the control spermatozoa immediately after thawing and at 3 h (p < 0.05). These motility parameters suggested that ES had a low motility and fertilization ability compared to the control spermatozoa. After frozen-thawing and 3 h of incubation, the percentage of live spermatozoa with intact acrosomes in the ES was significantly lower than that in ejaculated spermatozoa (p < 0.05). Our findings suggested that the DUAI method can overcome the low pregnancy rate of ES, despite the low motility, viability, and fertilization ability of ES.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.401-410
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• 2023

This study examined the characteristics of eel Anguilla japonica sperm using the CASA (computer-assisted sperm analysis) system and attempted to provide the composition for artificial seminal plasma by regulating of inorganic elements. Sperm samples were first divided into four groups based on motility and progressive motility: (A) 0-10%, (B) 10-40%, (C) 40-70%, and (D) 70-100%. For observing sperm velocity variations, VCL, which is curve motion velocity, showed the highest values in all groups. The directional factor, beat cross frequency, was lower in higher activity groups, showing an opposite correlation with sperm activity. The head sizes of spermatozoa in higher activity groups were significantly larger than those in lower activity groups. The Na⁺ and K⁺ ions were important in the inorganic composition of seminal plasma in this species. Furthermore, regulating the composition in artificial seminal plasma improved the formula compared to the existing element, exhibiting 120 mM Na and 30 mM K when the sperm was conserved for a long time and 120 mM NA and 40 mM K when the sperm was conserved for a short time.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2022.05a
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• pp.516-516
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• 2022

Agricultural reservoirs are critical water resources structures to ensure continuous water supplies for rice cultivation in Korea. Climate change has increased the risk of reservoir failure by exacerbating discrepancies in upstream runoff generation, downstream irrigation water demands, and evaporation losses. In this study, the variations in water balance components of 400 major reservoirs during 1973-2017 were examined to identify the reservoirs with reliable storage capacities and resilience. A conceptual lumped hydrological model was used to transform the incident rainfall into the inflows entering the reservoirs and the paddy water balance model was used to estimate the irrigation water demand. Historical climate data analysis showed a sharp warming gradient during the last 45 years that was particularly evident in the central and southern regions of the country, which were also the main agricultural areas with high reservoir density. We noted a country-wide progressive increase in average annual cumulative rainfall, but the forcing mechanism of the rainfall increment and its spatial-temporal trends were not fully understood. Climate warming resulted in a significant increase in irrigation water demand, while heavy rains increased runoff generation in the reservoir watersheds. Most reservoirs had reliable storage capacities to meet the demands of a 10-year return frequency drought but the resilience of reservoirs gradually declined over time. This suggests that the recovery time of reservoirs from the failure state had increased which also signifies that the duration of the dry season has been prolonged while the wet season has become shorter and/or more intense. The watershed-irrigated area ratio (W-I_ratio) was critical and the results showed that a slight disruption in reservoir water balance under the influence of future climate change would seriously compromise the performance of reservoirs with W-I_ratio< 5.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.109-126
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• 1993

Refractory periodontitis manifest progressive attachment loss in a rapid and unrelenting manner regardless of the type or frequency of therapy applied. The purpose of this study was ta evaluate the relation between the level of cytokines in GCF and periodontopathic microflora with disease activity of refractory periodontitis. Selection of patients with refractory periodontitis (7 males, 3 females) were made by long term clinical observation including conventional clinical history and parameters. Teeth that showed pocket depth greater than 6mm were selected as sample teeth. Subjects were examined at baseline and after 3 months. Prior to baseline test, individual acrylic stent was fabricated. Reference grooves were made on each sample tooth site. Pocket depth and attachment loss were measured by Florida Probe. Gingival index was measured at 4 sites each sample teeth. Disease activity was defined as attachment loss of ${\ge}$ 2.1mm, as determined by sequential probing and tolerance method. The pattern and amount of alveolar bone resorption was observed with quantitative digital subtraction image processing radiography. Morphological analysis of subgingival bacteria was taken by phase contrast microscopy. Predominant cultivable bacterial distribution and frequency were compared between disease-active and disease-inactive site using immunofluorescence microscopy and selective microbial culturing. Levels of $interleukin-l{\beta}$, 2, 4, 6 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ in GCF and blood serum sample were quantified by ELISA. In active sites, P. intermedia was significantly increased to compare with inactive site. $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-2, IL-6 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ in GCF were increased in active sites and IL-2 in serum was increased in active patients significantly. Alveolar bone loss in active site was correlated with $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-2 in GCF. And loss of attachment in active site was correlated with IL-2 in GCF. These results demonstrate that IL-2 in serum, $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-2, IL-6 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ in GCF, P, intermedia might be used as possible predictors of disease activity in refractory periodontitis before it is clinically expressed as attachment loss and quantitative alveolar bone change.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.200-207
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• 2016

Objectives : Alzheimer's disease(AD) is characterized by progressive decline of cognitive function and also by various behavioral psychological symptoms of dementia(BPSD) which causes distress to their caregivers. The purpose of this study was to investigate association between each AD patients' behavioral psychological symptoms and their caregivers' burden. Methods : Participants were 80 AD patients and their caregivers. We used Korean neuropsychiatric inventory (K-NPI) to assess the symptoms of patients and Korean version of Zarit Burden Interview(ZBI) to evaluate caregivers' burden. Results : The results showed ZBI score, which is the index for caregivers' burden, had a statistically significant positive correlation with the frequency of delusion, hallucination, agitation/aggression, depression, anxiety, disinhibition and irritability, the severity of hallucination, agitation/aggression, anxiety, disinhibition, aberrant motor, and sleep, and the global score(frequency${\times}$severity) for delusion, hallucination, agitation/aggression, depression, anxiety, disinhibition, aberrant motor, and sleep. There were significant correlations between each scale for cognitive function(i.e. MMSE-KC, CDR, GDS) and ZBI scale. Correlations between each scale for activity of daily living(i.e. Barthel -ADL, K-ADL) and ZBI scale were also significant. Conclusions : There were a significant correlation between BPSD and caregiver burden. Caregiver burden was also correlated with cognitive function and activity of daily living. Early detection and preventive treatment of these symptoms in BPSD might make improvement of caregivers' quality of life as well as AD patients'.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.11-24
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• 1976

This study was a part of large scale of a prospective study on attitudes of professional students in medicine, nursing and teaching toward population related issues in Korea. The study was first conducted in May 1974 and then in May 1975 for the 1974 class cohot using a questionaire consisted of attitude scales and other items developed by Lee. The purpose of stuay was twohold, namely, to determine the difference in students among specializations on one hand and between the first and second years in the 1974 class cohot regarding tile subject matter. A one-way analysis of variance was used for attitude scale, and absolute and relative frequency were computed for the analysis of non-attitude scale items by employing Fishers' Ratio and Duncan's multiple range test at 5% level and chi square test at 5% level as significance tests. The hypothesis 'students in health profession are more likely to have positive attitudes toward population related issues progressively as class year advances than students in teaching profession' was tested and the following results were obtained: 1) Nursing students were more likely to display favarable attitudes toward family planning than medical or teaching students although the class cohot showed slightly negative improvement in the second year. Medical and teaching students apperaed to have slightly improved attitudes in the second year. 2) Respondents in general perceived national family planning program as a means of population control and this tendency was more true among nursing students as the class year advances than two other professional groups of students. Students in teaching profession appeared to perceive it more as a means to improve individual family welfare while health students were likely to see as to improve maternal and child health. This tendency was progressively improved as the class year advanced. 3) The majority of students regardless of their respective specializations believed that family planning program should be directed toward the improvement of individual family welfare. No progressive changes in the class cohot were observed. 4) About the plan to use contraceptives in future, no singnificant differences were observes among different specializations nor in different class years. However, the majority was confirmed to have a plan to use contracepives in future. An increasing proportion of the undecided category was observed, as class year advanced among health students. 5) Students in health profession were found to be more favorable about 'more leisure opportunities' as motive for limiting number of children whereas education students indicated the reasons as 'facilitate ambitions' and 'economic base' The progressive changes toward positive direction in both groups were observed as the class years advanced. 6) Attitudes toward induced abortions of the health students were observed to be positively related to class years while an inverse relationship was found in teaching students who showed much less favor in the subject matter than health students. This phenomenon may be due to the different exposure to learning environments unique to respective specializations. 7) Health students were found to have more favorable attitudes toward population education in general than the teaching students. The teaching students appeared to have changed more to the negative direction when they became the second year while no such development was observed in health students. The teaching students seemed to hold a very conservative position with regard to sex education in schools. 8) About the equality of sexes, the nursing group was found to be most favorable while the reverse was true in the teaching group. A change in the negative direction as the class year advanced was found in the teaching group. 9) About questions related to fertility values-the 10 percent of respondents regardless of specialization indicated that they would maintain their single status in future, however no change was observed in the second year. The desired number of children was found to be two by the majority of students in nursing, medicine and teaching in order of high proportion. No changes in a different class year were observed. The childless marriage was seen by nursing students as a problem more than other students, but a slight change in positive direction was found when the nursing students became the second year. In summing, as data supported in the above, students in health profession demonstrated more favorable attitudes toward population related issues than the teaching students and this tendency became more apparent in the second year. It was noticed that health students were more conscious about the health aspect of population and family planning program while the teaching students gave more attention to the socioeconomic aspect. The sex variable seemed to have operated in the item related to the equality of sexes. In conclusion, as data presented in the above, the hypothesis of this study was accepted except in the few items. It should be noted that the limitation of this study is the short duration of the observation in measuring the possible attitude changes. It should include curriculum analysis for the respective specializations in order to indentify the area of curriculum impact on students in future study.