• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제57권3호
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• pp.234-241
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• 2004

Background : There has been a gradual increase in the number of newly diagnosed cases of Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) pulmonary disease. However, the optimal therapeutic regimen for the disease has not yet established and there is no report about the treatment outcome of MAC pulmonary disease in Korea. This study examined the effect of clarithromycin-based regimen in patients with pulmonary MAC disease without a HIV infection. Materials and Methods : Fifty-six patients with pulmonary MAC disease were diagnosed according to the American Thoracic Society criteria from January 2000 to December 2003 at this hospital. Of these patients, 15 were treated with clarithromycin, rifampin, and ethambutol for more than 6 months, together with streptomycin initially (first 6 months) in 8 patients. Results : Six months after the treatment, the sputum cultures converted from positive to negative in 8 patients (53%) and the radiological findings improved in 10 (67%). At 12 months 4 patients (44%) achieved sputum negative conversion and 6 patients out of 9 patients (67%) who were treated for more than 12 months showed radiological improvement. Overall, the sputum findings converted to negative in nine patients (60%) who underwent medical treatment. A pulmonary resection was successfully performed in one patient. Only one patient discontinued the treatment due to side effects such as gastrointestinal intolerance and optic neuritis. Conclusion : A combined regimen containing clarithromycin is relatively safe and tolerable even in the elderly outpatients. However, the results of this combined chemotherapy were unsatisfactory and new companion drugs for MAC pulmonary disease are needed. A resection may be considered for localized disease.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.103-114
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• 2010

Purpose : To generate a Korean specific brain template, especially in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) by optimizing the voxel-based analysis. Materials and Methods : Three-dimensional T1-weighted images were obtained from 123 subjects who were 43 cognitively normal subjects and patients with 44 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 36 AD. The template and the corresponding aprior maps were created by using the matched pairs approach with considering differences of age, gender and differential diagnosis (DDX). We measured several characteristics in both our and the MNI templates, including in the ventricle size. Also, the fractions of gray matter and white matter voxels normalized by the total intracranial were evaluated. Results : The high resolution template and the corresponding aprior maps of gray matter, white matter (WM) and CSF were created with the voxel-size of $1{\times}1{\times}1\;mm$. Mean distance measures and the ventricle sizes differed between two templates. Our brain template had less gray matter and white matter areas than the MNI template. There were volume differences more in gray matter than in white matter. Conclusion : Gray matter and/or white matter integrity studies in populations of Korean elderly and patients with AD are needed to investigate with this template.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• 제29권3호
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• pp.185-209
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• 2023

With the advent of the 4th industrial revolution, various technologies have received much attention. Technologies related to the 4th industry include the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, artificial intelligence, virtual reality (VR), 3D printers, and robotics, and these technologies are often converged. In particular, the robotics field is combined with technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, VR, and digital twins. Accordingly, much research using robotics is being conducted, which is applied to distribution, airports, hotels, restaurants, and transportation fields. In the given situation, research on human-robot interaction is attracting attention, but it has not yet reached the level of user satisfaction. However, research on robots capable of perfect communication is steadily being conducted, and it is expected that it will be able to replace human emotional labor. Therefore, it is necessary to discuss whether the current human-robot interaction technology can be applied to business. To this end, this study first examines the trend of human-robot interaction technology. Second, we compare LDA (Latent Dirichlet Allocation) topic modeling and BERTopic topic modeling methods. As a result, we found that the concept of human-robot interaction and basic interaction was discussed in the studies from 1992 to 2002. From 2003 to 2012, many studies on social expression were conducted, and studies related to judgment such as face detection and recognition were conducted. In the studies from 2013 to 2022, service topics such as elderly nursing, education, and autism treatment appeared, and research on social expression continued. However, it seems that it has not yet reached the level that can be applied to business. As a result of comparing LDA (Latent Dirichlet Allocation) topic modeling and the BERTopic topic modeling method, it was confirmed that BERTopic is a superior method to LDA.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• 제49권1호
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• pp.1-12
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• 2024

Objectives: Presenteeism is known to be a much more economically damaging social cost than disease rest while going to work despite physical pain. Since COVID-19, social discussions on the sickness benefit have been taking place as a countermeasure against presenteeism, and in particular, farmers and fishermen do not have an institutional mechanism for livelihood support when a disease other than work occurs. This study attempted to examine the relationship between agricultural, fishing, and forestry workers and presenteeism using the 6th Korean Work Conditions Survey. Methods: From October 2020 to January 2021, data from the 6th working conditions survey conducted on 17 cities and provinces in Korea were used, and a total of 34,981 people were studied. Control variables were gender, age, self-health assessment, education level, night work, shift work, monthly income, occupation, working hours per week, and employment status. Results: As a result of the analysis, farmers and fishermen showed the characteristics of the self-employed and the elderly, and as a result of the regression analysis, when farmers and fishermen analyzed the relationship with presenteeism tendency compared to other industry workers, farmers and fishermen increased by 23% compared to other industry groups. Conclusion: This study is significant in that it has representation by utilizing the 6th working conditions survey and objectively suggests the need for a sickness benefit for farmers and fishermen who may be overlooked in the sickness benefit.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.65-77
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• 1999

In order to estimate the utilization pattern of a rural health subcenter, and to identify the recognition for it among the farmhouse members in a suburban area, a questionnaire survey was carried out for objects of 696 population. The results observed were as follows: The annual utilization rate of rural health subcenter for a basic health service unit was 25.0 per 100 persons, and annual mean visiting times was 0.22 times. And the most frequent disease by annual health subcenter utilization illness was musculoskeletal disease(30.6%), and the next was respiratory disease(14.1%), gastrointestinal disease(13.9%) by order. Favorite reason for community health subcenter utilization were near distance from living place(49.6%), lower disease severity(18.9%) and lower medical cost(18.1%) by order. But disfavoring reasons for it were absence of specialist(20.2%), non effective treatment(19.2%) and insufficient equipment(14.7%) by order. And insufficient items about community health subcenter utilization were restriction of treatment limit(40.7%), lower reliance(22.5%) and difficulty in traffic(13.4%) by order. The results of logistic regression analysis suggested that statistically significant factors in health subcenter utilization was educational level. The desirable works for the health subcenter in a suburban area were disease control of elderly and disease preventing service. These results suggested that to increase the utilization of rural health subcenter in a suburban area and to promote the accessibility of rural residents to primary health care, there must be considered public relation about health subcenter, improvement of medical quality and change of priority about health subcenter's works.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• 제36권4호
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• pp.474-482
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• 2001

The purpose of this study is to investigate the formation and development processes of beach resort by fabric construction in a island environment. The results are as follows. (1) The research area(Tong-ri beach, Bokil-myon, Chollanam-do)has been transformed to belch by sedimentary environmental change since latter half of 1800's. (2) The mean slope of beach face is 0.96°, and the difference of attitude between beach and mud flat face is 75cm. (3) The mean particle size of beach surface sediment is 3.53$\Phi$. This value is very finer than that of any other beach in Korea peninsula. But its value is coarser than that of mud flat surface sediment. (4) The particle size distribution of core sediment is become changed to fine particle in 70cm depth. This value is corresponded to difference of altitude between beach face and mud flat face. (5) The analysis of aerial photographs after 1970 indicates that sedimentation process was not brisked since 1970's. Consequently, the research ares has been developed by sedimentary environmental change for sea-level rise effect and wave height energy rise effect.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• 제38권3호
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• pp.452-455
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• 2006

The in vitro cytoprotective and anti-oxidative effects of ursodeoxycholic acid, a major active compound from bear's gall were investigated in mouse brain microglia. In the present study, we wished to scrutinize the potential role of UDCA as an anti-neurodegenerative agent in neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer's disease. This concept was supported by the multiple preliminary studies in which UDCA has an anti-inflammatory effect in microglial cells. In the study, we found that $7.5\;{\mu}g/mL$ UDCA was effective in the protection of cells from $H_2O_2$ damage, a reactive oxygen, and the resuIt was coincided with the anti-apoptotic effect in DAPI staining. Moreover, the metal-catalyzed oxidation study showed that UDCA has antioxidant effect as much as ascorbic acid at $50{\sim}100\;{\mu}g/mL$. In conclusion, these study results suggested that neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease probably caused by over-expressed beta amyloid peptide in elderly people can be controled by UDCA through an anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic effect. The evidences showed in the study may be references for more in-depth in vivo and clinical studies for a candidate of anti-neurodegenerative therapy in the near future.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• 제35권2호
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• pp.151-164
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• 2010

Objective:Korea has 3,170 islands with about 188,000 inhabitants. These inhabitants' needs for health services might go unmet because of geographic isolation, slimmer availability of health services, and higher proportion of the elderly compared with the mainland population. Unmet health service needs might result in serious health problems for these island residents. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate their unmet health service needs and related factors from population of Nowha island. Methods: The survey was conducted from July 30 to August 1 by trained interviewers. Target population were residents in Nohwa island and the sampling method was incomplete quota sampling. General characteristics, socioeconomic status, utilization of health service, and unmet medical service needs were investigated. First univariate and then multivariate logistic analyses were done for the statistical analysis. Results: 324 residents were surveyed and the proportion of unmet health services needs was 26.5%. People living alone and of female sex had increased health services needs based on univariable analysis. From the multivariate analysis, those living alone increased the health services needs. Self-determined low socioeconomic status and medical aid increased the proportion of unmet medical needs, but these were not statistically significant. Conclusion:In Nowha island, those who are elder, and of lower socioeconomic status had much higher unmet medical needs. The results suggest the need for more social support by qualified health services to solve this unmet medical needs problem.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제33권2호
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• pp.208-214
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• 2000

Objectives : Face-to-face interviews were conducted to investigate the relationship between blood pressure and the impairment of cognitive function in rural elderly (N=932) aged 60-64 in Dalsung County, April to September in 1996 Methods : Impairment of cognitive function was defined as a score of less than 23 by the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSEK). Blood pressure was measured once in each subject using a portable automatic sphygmomanometer. Results : By univariate logistic regression on males, no category of systolic blood pressure bore statistical significance. Groups with diastolic blood pressures of, less than 80 mmHg, 90-94 mmHg, and more than 95mmHg had odds ratios of more than one compared with the reference group (80-89 mmHg). This was most significant in the group with blood pressures lower than 80 mmHg, which had a statistically significant odds ratio of 1.68 (95% confidence interval CI; 1.02-2.75). No category of blood pressure was statistically significant in females. Multivariate logistic regression for males, with adjustment for age, educational attainment, smoking, alcoholic drinking, body mass index, atherosclerotic disease, and antihypertensive medication use, did not alter the odds ratios significantly in terms of systolic blood pressure. However, the group with diastolic blood pressure of less than 80 mmHg had an increased odds ratio of 2.01 (95% CI; 1.15-3.52) compared with the reference group. In females, systolic blood pressure did not alter the odds ratio, but the group with a diastolic blood pressure of less than 80 mmHg had a statistically significant odds ratio of 0.57 (95% CI; 0.37-0.89). Conclusions : These results suggest that the relationship between blood pressure and cognitive function status is stronger diastolic than systolic blood pressure and that there is a complex relationship between blood pressure and cognitive function by sex.

• Journal of Life Science
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• 제25권5호
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• pp.523-532
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• 2015

A variety of previous pharmacological studies have suggested Liriope platyphylla (L. platyphylla) may exert beneficial biological effects on inflammation, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorder, obesity, constipation, and atopic dermatitis. In addition, hydrocolloid membranes (HCMs) have attracted attention in dermatological care, including in the treatment of scleroderma skin ulcers, cutaneous ulcers, permanent tympanic membrane perforations, pressure sores, and decubitus ulcers in the elderly. To investigate the therapeutic effects of HCM containing an aqueous extract of L. platyphylla (HCM-LP) on second-degree burn wounds, their physico-chemical properties were analyzed and the therapeutic effects were observed in SD rats after treatment with HCM-LP for 14 days. Significant declines in tensile strength (38.4%) and absorptiveness (46.3%), as well as an increase in surface roughness (38.1%) were detected in HCM-LP compared with that of HCM. In SD rats with burned skin, the wound diameter was shorter in the HCM-LP treated group than in the GZ group on post-surgical day 14, while the significant improvements in scar tissue reduction, epithelium regeneration, angiogenesis, and extracellular matrix deposition were observed in the HCM-LP-treated group during all experimental periods. Overall, these results suggest HCM-LP may accelerate the process of healing the burn injury skin of SD rats through the regulation of angiogenesis and connective tissue formation.