• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.21 no.1 s.23
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• pp.10-20
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• 1988

This study was conducted to compare the maternal charactristics, and birth weight of infants delivered at five different categories of medical facility in Taegu to examine the risk level of pregnant women and children by the medical facility for delivery. The study population included 1,410 pregnant women who delivered a baby at one of nine medical facilities (3 university hospitals, 2 general hospitals, 2 private clinics, 1 midwife clinic, 1 MCH center) in Taegu in April, 1987(April and May, 1987 for K university hospital), Pregnant women were interviewed to ask the age and educational level of woman, payment of medical fee, birth order, delivery method. Birth weight of infant was obtained from medical record. Mean ages of the women delivering at the university hospitals(27.5 years) and at general hospitals(26.7 years) were higher than those at midwife clinic(25.4 years) and at MCH center(26.1 years). Also, mean years of school education were higher in women of university hospitals(12.7 years) and general hospitals (12.2 years) than in women of midwife clinic(9.2 years) and MCH center (9.3 years). The percentages of women covered by the medical insurance were far greater in the university hospitals(78.1%) and general hospitals(82.9%) than in private clinics(44.3%) , midwife clinic(29.1%) and MCH center (5.4%). Infants born at the MCH center were mostly the second birth (47.3%) while 56.0% to 61.7% of infants born at all the other medical facilities were the first birth more women delivering at the university hospitals had history of spontaneous abortion as well as still birth than the women delivering at the other medical facilities. The preform birth rate (11.4%) and low birthweight incidence rates(5.8-13.0%) in university hospitals were significantly higher than those of other medical facilities. Accordingly, c-section rates showed a wide variation among the medical facilities. Study findings revealed that most of women delivering at the university hospitals and general hospitals are in the middle of or upper socio-economic class and obstetrically high risk group regardless of socioeconomic class while the wome delivering at the midwife clinic and MCH center are low risk group of low socioeconomic class. Therefore, the data of a specific medical facility are highly limited in interpretation and can not be generalized.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.181-188
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• 2006

Changes in the fine structure of testicular Leydig cell from hatching to adulthood were studied in Korean native chickens of 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 21, 24, 28, 32, 44, 52 and 64 weeks (n=13 chickens per group) of age. The objective of this study were to elucidate Leydig cell ultrastructure during testicular development. Testes of chickens were fixed by whole body perfusion using a fixative containing 2.5% glutaraldehyde in cacodylate buffer, processed and embedded in Epon-araldite. Using $1{\mu}m$ sections stained with methylene blue-azure II, qualitative and quantitative(stereological) morphological studies were performed. The ultrastructural changes of the Leydig cell were investigated by ultrathin section with the transmission electron microscope. The stages of the Leydig cell development described focus on mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and lipid droplets which are involved in androgens as fullows. 1) Approaching puberty. The closely packed Leydig cells and sparse intercellular space. The nucleus occupied a large portion of the Leydig cell volume. The population of Leydig cells contained two types of cells that differed in the appearance of their nuclei which were either highly electron-opaque or relatively electron-lucid. The cytoplasm was characterized by large amounts of lipid droplets, relatively few spherical mitochondria, and sparse smooth endoplasmic reticulum. 2) Puberty to adult. The Leydig cells which display features compatible with significant androgen synthesis: large volume of cytoplasm containing extended smooth endoplasmic reticulum, abundant mitochondria, and reduction of lipid droplets.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.57-66
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to establish biomonitoring method for the assessment of the health of fish species in agricultural reservoirs polluted from various environmental contaminants. The ichthyofauna and fish community were investigated in the AsanHo and NamyangHo from September to November 2007. We measured abundance, size distribution, biomass, the number of fish with external and internal lesions, organosomatic index of the fishes collected in the AsanHo and NamyangHo. Dominant species were Lepomis macrochirus, Carassius auratus and the highest biomass were found in Cyprinus carpio, Carassius auratus in the AsanHo and NamyangHo, respectively. The composition of age in the population of Carassius auratus in the AsanHo and NamyangHo was stabled by size distribution analysis. The sex ratio of Carassius auratus were 1:0.36, 1:0.52 as female: male ratio in AsanHo and NamyangHo, respectively. The GSI of were 4.30, 1.69 of female and 1.45, 1.70 of male in AsanHo and NamyangHo, respectively. Most carp were 10-70 cm long in the AsanHo and 20-50 cm in the NamyangHo. The sex ratio of Cyprinus carpio were 1:0.42, 1:0.59 as female: male ratio in AsanHo and NamyangHo, respectively. The GSI of were 0.16, 3.46 of female and 0.93, 2.37 of male in AsanHo and NamyangHo, respectively. Of the 227 fish examined, 1.8% had some type of external lesion in AsanHo and 10% in NamyangHo. Overall, HAI scores ranged from 10-60 and HAI scores of AsanHo relatively lower than that of NamyangHo.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.1037-1044
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• 1996

This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of childhood obesity and to figure out the correlation between percentage of body fat and various criteria used for evaluating childhood obesity, and to suggest a new convenient criterion applicable to obesity assessment for large population. subject of 309(male: 153, female: 156) from Uisung elementary school in Kyungbuk, in the age range from 10 to 12 were recruited. The prevalence of obese was evaluated by the methods of Slaughter skinfold equations for children, BMI, and RI. fourteen(4.5%) by Slaughter eq, 39(12.6%) by BMI, 31 (10%) by RI were found to be obese. The results indicate that the evaluation of child obesity is influenced by the methods applied; that is, BMI and RI tend to overpredict the obese while percentage of body fat tend to underestimate. Percentage of body fat by Slaughter equations using triceps and calf skinfold is highly correlated with triceps plus subscapular skinfold thickness(male: r=0.91, female: r=0.88) and with Kim equations for Korean children(male: r=0.93, femlae: r=0.88). The results suggest that, if necessary, practitioners can adequately predict body composition without exposing the upper torso of females.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.6273-6276
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• 2012

Background/Aim: Six prostate cancer (PCa) susceptibility loci were identified in a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in populations of European decent. However, the associations of these 6 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with PCa has remained tobe clarified in men in Northern China. This study aimed to explore the loci associated with PCa risk in a Northern Chinese population. Methods: Blood samples and clinical information of 289 PCa patients and 288 controls from Beijing and Tianjin were collected. All risk SNPs were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-high resolution melting curve technology and gene sequencing. Associations between PCa and clinical covariates (age at diagnosis, prostate-specific antigen [PSA], Gleason score, tumor stage, and level of aggressiveness) and frequencies of alleles and genotypes of these SNPs were analyzed using genetic statistics. Results: Among the candidate SNPs, 11p15 (rs7127900, A) was associated with PCa risk (P = 0.02, odds ratio [OR] = 1.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09-2.46). Genotypes showed differences between cases and controls on 11p15 (rs7127900, A), 11q13 (rs7931342, T), and HNF1B (rs4430796, A) (P = 0.03, P = 0.01, and P = 0.04, respectively). The genotype TG on 11q13 (rs7931342, T) was positively associated with an increased Gleason score (P = 0.04, OR = 2.15, 95% CI = 1.02-4.55). Patients carrying TG on 17q24 (rs1859962, G) were negatively associated with an increased body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.03, OR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.21-0.92) while those with AG on HNF1B (rs4430796, A) were more likely to have PSA increase (P = 0.002). Conclusion: Our study suggests that 11p15 (rs7127900, A) could be a susceptibility locus associated with PCa in Northern Chinese. Genotype TG on 11q13 (rs7931342, T) could be related to an increased Gleason score, AG on HNF1B (rs4430796, A) could be associated with PSA increase, and TG on 17q24 (rs1859962, G) could be negatively associated with an increased BMI in Chinese men with PCa.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.179-186
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• 2008

Purpose: Feeding problems are common for typically developing children and have negative effects on physical, behavioral, and cognitive development. The purpose of the current study was to examine factors related to childhood feeding problems for typically developing children via parental reports. Methods: The feeding questionnaire developed by the authors and the Childhood Eating Behavior Inventory (CEBI) were administered to 796 parents of children who recruited from 2 pediatric outpatient clinics (n=379) and community (n=417). Problem eaters (PE) were identified by parental report and frequency analysis was conducted for types of feeding problems and its severity, problem behaviors during mealtime, the feeding methods of the parents, and the need for treatment. Results: The CEBI scores were significantly different between the PE and non-problem eaters (NPE), which suggests that the parental reports were reliable. The younger children had more feeding problems than the older children. The most frequent and severe feeding problems were selective eating and longer mealtimes across all age groups. One-half of the children had more than one problem behaviors during mealtime. Most parents of PE used ineffective methods to deal with children's behaviors during meal time, such as cajoling, which was related to their increased level of stress. Many parents reported their children need professional help for the feeding problems. Conclusion: Feeding problems are prevalent among children, especially younger children. Children with feeding problems showed a number of problem behaviors during mealtime and parental coping methods appeared to be ineffective. The need for treatment was considerable, thus the characteristics of this population must be acknowledged for providing proper treatment and advice.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.84-95
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• 2012

Background: In Korea, private health insurance has neglected to induce externality on national health insurance by moral hazard. Therefore, we conducted this study in order to explore the influence of private health insurance on unnecessary medical utilization among patients with cervical or lumbar sprain. Method: The study examined a population of 449 patients (admission, 384; out-patient; 85) diagnosed with simple cervical or lumbar sprain without neurological symptoms at 20 small hospitals or clinics in Gwangju and Jeollanam provinces from Jul. 1 to Aug. 31 2008. The data were collected using structured, self-administrated questionnaire which collected information such as whether or not the patient was admitted (as a dependent variable), whether or not they had private health insurance (as a independent variable), and covariates such as socio-demographic characteristics, the factors related to the sprain, and characteristics of the insurance provider. Results: From hierarchical multiple logistic regression analysis, it was found that the admission rate of patient with private health insurance was higher than that those without it (Odds ratio=3.31, 95% Confidence interval; 1.14-9.58), meaning that private health insurance was an independent factor influencing the admission of patients with these conditions. Other determinants of admission were patient age and physician referral. Conclusions: This study is the first empirical study to explore the influence of private health insurance on inducing moral hazard in admission services, specifically among patients with cervical or lumbar sprain. Regulation of benefits provided by private health insurance may be necessary, as the effect of this moral hazard may mean existence of externality.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.320-329
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• 1997

Neuroanatomic substrate of autism has been the subjects of continuing investigation. Because previous studies had not demonstrated consistent and specific neuroimaging findings in autism and most studies comprised adults and school-aged children, we performed a retrospective review in search of common functional and anatomical abnormalities with brain SPECT using Tc-99m ECD and correlative MRI The patient population was composed of 18 children aged 28 to 89 months(mean age : 55 months) who met the diagnostic criteria of autism as defined in the DSM-IV and CARS. Brain SPECT was performed after intravenous injection of 185-370MBq of Tc-99m ECD using brain dedicated annular crystal gamma camera. MRI was performed in all patients including T1, T2 axial and T1 sagittal sequences. SPECT data were visually assessed. Thirteen patients had abnormal SPECT scan revealing focal areas of decreased perfusion. Decreased perfusion of cerebellar vermis(12/18), cerebellar hemisphere(11/18), thalami(13/18), basal ganglia(4/18), posterior parietal(7/18), and temporal(4/18) area were noted on brain SPECT. Whereas, only 3 patients had abnormal MR findings which were subtle volume loss of parieto-occipital white matter in 3 and mild thinning of posterior body of corpus callosum in 2 and slightly decreased volume of cerebellar vermis in 1. Comparison of the numbers of abnormal findings revealed that regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) abnormalities seen on SPECT were more numerous than anatomical abnormalities seen on MRI. In conclusion, extensive perfusion impairment involving cerebellum, thalami and parietal lobe were found in this study. SPECT may be more sensitive in reflecting pathophysiology of autism than MRI. However, further studies are mandatory to determine the significance of thalamic and parietal perfusion impairment in autism.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.205-217
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• 1996

Today in the industrial society, the urban park is the place for citizens' health, recreation, exercise, and education. This is a very important place as a fine sight and maintenance of public security. As the results of rapid economic growth during the last thirty years, citizens are in the age of material civilization and are challenged with many serious urban problems such as pollution, noise, traffic congestion, human alienation, etc. Rapid material civilization brought to citizens' mental and physical diseases. To some of the problems, it is necessary that we should have proper leisure and recreation facilities, and that we should have the active, positive posture to them. Especially we need the out door recreational spaces and facilities. But nowadays the urban parks are given little thought in spites of the necessity of parks which should be used as a recreational spaces in the urban areas. So, This study attempt to comprehend the function, quantity and quality of the urban park system in Taegu. It is clear that the quantity is inappropriate. Because of inappropriate disposition and management, its coefficiency of utilization is low. In view of the population and park ratio, Dong Gu, Nam Gu, Suseong Gu and Dalseong Gun have comparative good, environments. However, Dalseo Qu, Seo Gu and Jung Gu have less geographical features. There are some methods to provide expansion of the aggregate of urban parks. We can use the school-grounds and their facilities. which were moved from C.B.D. to the outskirts of Daegu, or some parts of urban redevelopment, or the riverside of Sincheon river. In the urban park-program, users' satisfaction-factors are analyzed. We must reconsider the efficiency. The above problems are improved. Active administration and inhabitants' Positive participation are demanded so that the sound development of cities and daily life-surroundings are promoted.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.325-332
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• 2008

The human population is mainly exposed to dioxins through the diet. The purpose of this study was to estimate the daily dietary intake of PCDDs and PCDFs in Korean adults residing in different regions. Subjects were recruited and divided into three groups according to the districts where they lived: rural (n=213), coastal (n=193), and urban district (n=187). Subjects were interviewed using a general questionnaire and 24-hour recall for dietary intake. The daily intake of dioxins was estimated through the use of the database of dioxins contents in 35 Korean foods. The average age of the subjects were 61.5 years for coastal district, 57.6 years for rural district, and 49.4 years for urban district. Daily energy intake was 1707.7 kcal for rural district, 1596.5 kcal for urban district, and 1493.8 kcal for coastal district. There was no significant difference in total food intake by regions. The intakes from fishes of coastal district, those from cereals, vegetables, meats, and seasonings of rural district, and those from sugars, pulses, eggs, seaweeds, milks, oils of urban area were higher than those of the other two districts. The daily dioxins intake of coastal district (0.70 pgTEQ/kg/day) was significantly higher than those of rural district (0.32 pgTEQ/kg/day) and urban district (0.46 pgTEQ/kg/day). The dioxins intake from cereals, pulses, vegetables, fishes of coastal district and those from eggs and milks of urban area were the highest among the districts. The daily dioxins intake was positively correlated with the intakes of meats, eggs, fishes, oils, and seasonings. Therefore, it could be concluded that the daily dioxins intake of coastal district is higher than that in other districts and the fish is one of the main sources in dioxin intakes. However, daily dioxins intakes of the three regions were below the level of tolerable daily intake (TDI).