• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• 제9권4호
• /
• pp.358-363
• /
• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have indicated that when compared to young mice, old mice have lower global DNA methylation and higher p16 promoter methylation in colonic mucosa, which is a common finding in colon cancer. It is also known that a Western-style diet (WSD) high in fat and calories, and low in calcium, vitamin D, fiber, methionine and choline (based on the AIN 76A diet) is tumorigenic in colons of mice. Because DNA methylation is modifiable by diet, we investigate whether a WSD disrupts DNA methylation patterns, creating a tumorigenic environment. SUBJECTVIES/METHODS: We investigated the effects of a WSD and aging on global and p16 promoter DNA methylation in the colon. Two month old male C57BL/6 mice were fed either a WSD or a control diet (AIN76A) for 6, 12 or 17 months. Global DNA methylation, p16 promoter methylation and p16 expression were determined by LC/MS, methyl-specific PCR and real time RT-PCR, respectively. RESULTS: The WSD group demonstrated significantly decreased global DNA methylation compared with the control at 17 months (4.05 vs 4.31%, P = 0.019). While both diets did not change global DNA methylation over time, mice fed the WSD had lower global methylation relative to controls when comparing all animals (4.13 vs 4.30%, P = 0.0005). There was an increase in p16 promoter methylation from 6 to 17 months in both diet groups (P < 0.05) but no differences were observed between diet groups. Expression of p16 increased with age in both control and WSD groups. CONCLUSIONS: In this model a WSD reduces global DNA methylation, whereas aging itself has no affect. Although the epigenetic effect of aging was not strong enough to alter global DNA methylation, changes in promoter-specific methylation and gene expression occurred with aging regardless of diet, demonstrating the complexity of epigenetic patterns.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• 제15권21호
• /
• pp.9471-9473
• /
• 2014

Background: Since 2002, from October till December of each year, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health conducts a mammogram based breast cancer screening campaign in the whole country for women over 40 years of age. These mammograms are performed free of charge in governmental hospitals or for reduced fees in private hospitals. The aim of this study is to analyze the direct impact of this campaign on cancer detection and subsequent treatment. Materials and Methods: Radiologic records of women screened with a mammogram during the campaign period from October till December 2012 at Saint Joseph Hospital, Baouchrieh, Beirut, were reviewed. Results of mammograms were reported using the ACR score. Women with ACR score ${\geq}4$ were tracked and investigated. Results: 900 screening mammograms were performed; median age was 55.2 years (range:31-81 years). Some 826 (91.8%) had an ACR score of ${\leq}2$; 66 (7.3%) an ACR =3 and only 8 (0.89%) an ACR=4. Thus, less than 1% (8/900) of all screened women were considered at high risk and needed a close follow-up. Among these 8 women, 4 underwent surgery for an early breast cancer, one had synchronous metastatic breast cancer and two were lost to follow-up. Conclusions: To coclude, Among 900-screened women for BC, less than 1 % (8 out of 900) were at high risk of hiding a BC (ACR=4), half of them benefited from early therapy (4 women out of 900) and one was a false positive. Larger studies on national level should be accomplished to have a complete data on breast cancer screening in Lebanon. The results of these studies can affect the Lebanese health policy regarding BC.

• 지역사회간호학회지
• /
• 제31권3호
• /
• pp.300-309
• /
• 2020

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the factors affecting the discrimination of the elderly using welfare centers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 217 elderly people from a welfare center in D city. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire survey consisting of ageism experience, social participation attitude, social support, and empowerment. For data analysis, descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression were performed using SPSS/WIN 21.0 program. Results: As a result of analyzing the correlations among the variables, the discrimination experience of the elderly showed negative correlations in social participation attitude and child relationship support. The factors affecting the discrimination experience of the elderly include gender, job, smartphone use, and child relationship support had a significant effect. The explanatory power of the discrimination experience of these factors was 15.4%. Conclusion: This study found that gender, job, social support, and smartphone use were factors influencing the discrimination experience of the elderly. It is hoped that public relations and policy measures should be considered.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• 제23권4호
• /
• pp.451-464
• /
• 1990

The variation in resource utilization for hospitalized patients who had a group of similar diseases -- a Korean Diagnosis Related Group (KDRG) -- among the same type of hospitals was studied to assess the utillization variation due to the practice pattern of hospitals. Information about inpatients who were beneficiaries of the medical insurance for teachers and government officials discharged from 20 large university teaching hospitals in Seoul during 1986 and information about the hospitals were analyzed to achieve the study objective. A total of 20,223 non-outlier patients in 100 most frequent KDRGs were included in the analysis. Case charges after the review and length of stay (LOS) were used as measures of resource utilization during a hospitalization. A substantial variation among hospitals was found in most KDRGs : o the ratio of the maximum and the minimum among the mean case charges of hospitals was greater than 2 in 83 KDRGs ; o the difference between the maximum and the minimum among the mean case charges of hospitals was greater than 100,000 Won in 94 KDRGs : o the ratio of the maximum and the minimum among the mom LOS of hospitals was greater than 2 in 82 KDRGs ; o the difference between the maximum and the minimum among the mean LOS of hospitals was greater than 3 days in 94 KDRGs. The practice pattern of hospitals explained more than 20% of charge variation in 49 KDRGs and more than 20% of LOS variation in 43 KDRGs. The study results indicated need for a new health policy initiative for cost containment and quality assurance.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• 제29권2호
• /
• pp.265-278
• /
• 1996

This paper concerns professional socialization of medical students. Professional socialization, in the context of this paper, means the process through which a layperson becomes a doctor equipped with professional identity and values. While medical education does not include such process in the curriculum, medical students obtain certain values and identity informally. The dependent variables were professional values and professionalism. The former means the desirable attributes required to conducting professional works such as humane attitudes, science-oriented mind, capability for organizational management. The latter means socio-political reasoning with which doctors can rationalize their privileges such as autonomy. A specially designed questionnaire was developed. The data were collected from five medical schools for 1,318 students in 1994. A total of 1,070 cases were finally included in the statistical analysis. The students emphasized the human factor in the professional values. Their attitude did not change with the grade. Other independent variables such as motives for entering a medical school, socioeconomic status, satisfaction with medical education, etc. also did not influence professinal values. It implies that professional values were not consolidated among the students. However, the factors of professionalism change significantly with the grade. It implies that the students paid more attention to socio-political issues related to doctor's interests as the grade went up. And the factor scores for professionalism were higher for those students who had more positive attitude towards doing medical practice for profit, expected higher income, and were more conservative about social reform. Other independent variables did not influence professionalism. It seems that the students also give emphasis on professionalism, like current medical doctors, mainly because of their concern with recent unfavorable changes in economic conditions of medical care providers.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• 제29권2호
• /
• pp.279-294
• /
• 1996

This study was to evaluate hospital characteristics as composition of manpower and facilities to the death rate of patient; and to earmark the factors affecting the overall hospital mortality rates. The data utilized were derived from survey material conducted by the Korean Hospital Association on 32 tertiary referral hospitals in Korea between 1986 and 1994. The findings are : 1. Those hospitals having the most capacity per bed had little difference to the mortality rates than the others. 2. Those hospitals having the most daily patients per specialist had significantly higher mortality rates than the others, but the number of daily patients per nurse had little effect on the mortality rates. 3. Those hospitals which had a relatively sufficient number of quality assurance activities revealed a lower mortality, and particularly in case where such effort was directed to the clinicians, the outcome was remarkable. We concluded that the major factor affecting the hospital mortality rates seems to be the number of specialists per number of beds, the degree of quality assurance assessment of the clinicians, the quality assurance activities of each hospital as a whole, and the number of daily patient per specialist. According to the findings of this study, the composition and quality of specialist and adequate quality assurance activities seemed to be the essential for the improvement of hospital care. Therefore, in this regard e proper implementation of policy and support is highly recommended. Due to lack of available research material, the personal characteristics of specialists haven't been considered in this study. However, this longitudinal observation of 32 tertiary referral hospitals over a nine year period has significant merit alone.

• 한국병원경영학회지
• /
• 제12권4호
• /
• pp.22-44
• /
• 2007

The objective of this study is to examine relevant factors of the service level of aged care facilities. The sample used in this study consisted of 357 aged care facilities in Korea. Data were collected with self-administered questionnaire and 140 returned questionnaire were analyzed by SPSS Version 12.0. The major findings of the study are as follows: First, there was no significant mean difference in the service level by the facility characteristics, except the length of operation. Second, it was found that both administrative characteristics and employer characteristics were positively associated with the level of nursing and supportive services. Third, the study results revealed that the following three variables of employee education and training, community networks, and employer's philosophy and management principles had significant positive effects on the level of nursing services. Meanwhile, the following two variables of employee education and training, and community networks had significant positive effects on the level of supportive services. In conclusion, in order to improve their service level, the managers of aged care facilities in Korea should make efforts to provide more employee education and training, establish networks with the community stakeholders, for example, local clinics and hospitals. It is also recommended for the government to make a policy inducing more qualified private investors to enter the aged care market, as well as to strengthen the qualification of the managers of the public aged care facilities.

• 한국산학기술학회논문지
• /
• 제17권2호
• /
• pp.75-86
• /
• 2016

본 연구의 목적은 남자 중 고등학생의 인터넷 게임 중독에 영향을 미치는 요인을 분석 및 비교하고자 하였다. 본 연구는 한국청소년정책연구원에서 수행한 "2009년 한국 아동 청소년 온라인 게임 및 가족여가활동 실태 조사"를 분석자료로 사용하였다. 분석결과, 남자 중학생과 고등학생의 경우 공통적으로 평일 평균 게임시간과 일요일 및 공휴일 및 게임시간이 3시간 이상인 경우, 여가 장애 수준이 높을수록 게임중독 수준이 높은 것으로 나타났다. 부모와의 의사소통 변수 또한 게임중독 수준에 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났으나, 중학생의 경우 어머니와 문제형 의사소통이, 고등학생의 경우 아버지와 문제형 의사소통과 어머니와 개방형 의사소통이 영향을 미치는 것으로 차이를 보였다. 본 연구결과를 토대로 올바른 인터넷 사용법 및 인터넷 게임 예방 교육 프로그램과 부모와의 원활한 의사소통을 위한 학부모 교육 프로그램을 개발 및 실시할 것을 제언하고자 한다.

• 디지털융복합연구
• /
• 제18권2호
• /
• pp.249-259
• /
• 2020

본 연구는 전기자동차(EV)에 대한 소셜미디어 데이터를 기반으로 감성분석 (SA)과 속성선택 (FS)방법을 적용하여 전기자동차에 대한 일반 사람들의 의견을 보다 효과적이고 정확히 예측할 수 있는 새로운 방법론을 제안한다. 구체적인 방법은 다음과 같다. 첫째, 유튜브에 있는 전기자동차에 대한 일반 사람들의 의견을 추출하였다. 둘째, 분석의 효과성을 증대하기 위하여 카이 스퀘어, 정보획득량, 릴리프에프 등 세가지 속성선택 방법을 적용하였다. 그 결과 로지스틱 회귀분석 및 서포트 벡터 머신 분류 기법에서 가장 의미있는 결과를 얻을 수 있다는 것이 확인되었다.

• 한국물환경학회지
• /
• 제22권5호
• /
• pp.737-747
• /
• 2006

Ministry of Environment (MOE) of Korea has been implementing the water quality management policy to focus on the control of organic matters (BOD and COD) for 28 years since 1978 when the water quality standards had been established. However, the government and the public have begun to recognize the necessity of creating the best water environment for people and aquatic life, and also formulating the various measures of water pollution, Consequently, MOE of Korea is establishing the basic plan of water environment management, with the vision of "Clean Water, Eco River 2015." The major targets of water environment management plan are to maintain ecosystem health and to protect water quality from various hazardous substances in water bodies. In order to achieve the major targets, it is essential to amend the water quality standards, which bring about the systematic management of various pollutants and healthy ecosystem. Introduction of the new techniques of water environment assessment is also prerequisite to maintain sustainable water environment. These can be accomplished under the consideration of following suggestions in environmental quality standards. First, several criteria should be complemented in water quality standards; they include the improvement of the current water quality classification system, the strengthening and supplement of relevant parameters considering human health in the standards, the introduction of biotic indices, and management standards on eutrophication. Secondly, it should be considered to introduce the biological water quality standards using biotic indices and the management standards for sediments. Lastly, it needs to introduce or develop an ecological status classification which could be used in the assessment of the water environment as a whole.