• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.27 no.1 s.45
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• pp.117-134
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• 1994

The effects of regional medical insurance on utilization of medical care in urban population was examined in this study. The data was collected in a 2-year follow-up household survey conducted at Taegu city before and after implementation of the regional medical insurance. The study population was divided into 2 groups. Cohort I was the uninsured in 1989 and cohort II was the insured in 1989. After the coverage of medical insurance, physician visit rate per 1,000 population, use-disability ratio and use-restricted activity ratio in cohort I were increased compared to cohort II in both of acute and chronically ill people. The use-disability ratio and use-restricted activity ratio of the insured poor were lower than those of the insured nonpoor in both of cohort I and cohort II. The major reasons for pharmacy use were accessibility and affordability before the coverage of medical insurance in cohort I, however, after the coverage of medical insurance, the important reason was accessibility rather than affordability. In logistic regression analysis of physician visit, the significant independent variables were acute illness episode (+), chronic illness episode (+) and income (+) in both of cohort I and cohort II. In cohort I, after the coverage of medical insurance, more people replied that the medical cost of hospital and clinic was reasonable. The people who covered by the regional medical insurance were more dissatisfied with the imposed premium than those who covered by other types of medical insurance in both of cohort I and cohort II. More people in cohort II than cohort I were dissatisfied with the services from hospitals and clinics after implementation of the regional medical insurance. In conclusion. after the coverage of medical insurance, the gap between the poor and the nonpoor still exists in terms of medical care utilization.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.132-138
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• 2009

Proper education of hospice professionals is essential for ensuring quality of end-of-life care. In 2005, 'End-of-life Care Task Force Team' by Ministry of Health and Welfare established '60 hours of hospice education' as basic requirement for hospice professionals. This study is aimed to determine how many of the hospice professionals meet with the criteria and whether there are significant regional variations. Methods: We analyzed the data from 46 hospice organizations, which submitted the application to the 2008 designation program of Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Family Affairs. Data included details of the educational records of each hospice professionals. Results: Total 673 hospice professionals were included in the analysis. Overall, only 41.5% (279/673) met the requirement. Nurses (46.8%; 177/378) were more likely to meet the requirement than doctors (35.8%; 38/106), social workers (32.0%; 24/75) and clergies (35.1%; 40/114). Hospice professionals of the organizations in metropolitan area received more education than those in small cities or rural area (52.4% vs. 25.0% for doctors, 50.6% vs. 43.9% for nurses, 42.9% vs. 25.5% for social workers). By geographic areas, hospice professionals in southeast regions received less education than other part of Korea (28.1% vs. 43.0${\sim}$48.8%, respectively). Conclusion: Less than half of the Korean hospice professionals has received proper amount of hospice education, and significant regional variations existed. National programs to promote the education of hospice professionals and eliminate its disparities are greatly warranted. Implementation of the 60-hour currirulum for hospice professionals, based on the train-the-trainer model, would be regarded as one potential solution.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.555-564
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• 1999

The objective of this study was to investigate the preference of root vegetables and the inhibitory effect of the vegetables on harmful enzymes of intestinal bacteria. Two hundred fifty respondents in Seoul area surveyed to obtain information from Sep. 30 to Oct. 30, 1998. Respondents preferred Inpuomoea batatas (sweet potato, 4.05), Solanum tuberosum(potato, 3.97), Allium cepa(onion, 3.68), Codonopsis lanceolata(3.64) and Raponus sativus(redish, 3.60). The growth of B. breve K-110 was effectively increased by adding 0.5% extract of Solanum tuberosum(139%), Codonopsis lamceolate(145%), Dioscorea japonica(164%), Colocisia antiquorum(144%) extract to the medium. B. breve K-100 for beneficial bacteria, and E. coli HGU-3 or Bacteroides JY-6 for harmful bacteria were used to determine the inhibitory effect of root vegetables on harmful intestinal enzymes after co-culturing harmful and beneficial bacteria. The extract of Solanum tuberosum, Codonopsis lanceolata, Dioscorea japonica (yam) and Colocisia antiquorum (taroes) showed inhibitory effect on ${\beta}$-glucuronidase and tryptophanase of intestinal bacteria. The macromolecules were isolated from Solanum tuberosum, Codonopsis lanceolata, Dioscorea japonica and Colocisia antiquorum by Sephadex G-100 column chromatography. By adding these isolated marcromolecules to the medium, the growth of B. breve K-100 were also increased and high inhibitory effects on the ${\beta}$-glucuronidase and tryptophanase were measured. These results suggested that the harmful enzymes of intestinal bacteria were inhibited by consuming Solanum tuberosum, Codonopsis lanceolata, Dioscorea japonica and Colocisia antiquorum. Therefore, they could prevent gastrointestinal diseases.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.22 no.1 s.25
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• pp.146-152
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• 1989

To test the validity of referral of high risk pregnancy in the MCH Center, 6,017 pregnant women who visited MCH Center of South District Health Center for delivery between 1 April 1985 and 31 March 1987 were interviewed on arrival to obtain the data for demographic characteristics and obsteric history and traced to check the delivery outcome. Out of 5,820 women whose delivery outcomes were confrmed, 704 women(12.1%) were referred to other hospital or clinic for high risk factors. The proportion of poor delivery outcome(stillbirth, low birth weight and neonatal death) among referred cases was 4.4% while that of the women delivered at the MCH Center was 2.2% (p<0.01). Decision of the midwives for the referral of high risk pregnancy based on their clinical assessment was consistent with the delivery outcome (good or poor) in 86.5%. Major reasons for referral were premature rupture of membrane(46.5%) and cephalopelvic disproportion(20.0%) and the C-section rates for these cases were 10.1%, 17.6%, respectively. Discriminant analysis of the demographic characteristics and obstertric history for the discrimination of delivery outcome showed that gestational age had the highest discriminant function coefficient(0.88) and it was followed by parity(0.37) and maternal education(0.30). Referral of high risk pregnancy by the midwives based on their clinical assessment was considered to be reasonably valid. However, a risk scoring system for an MCH Center which can improve the validity may be developed if one applies the discriminant analysis for more comprehensive independent variable(including clinical assessment of midwife, demographic characteristics and obstetric history) and dependent variable (including medically indicated C-section, complication of pregnancy and delivery, stillbirth, low birth weight, neonatal death and maternal death).

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.405-415
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• 2000

To determine application rate of elemental sulfur to adjust pH of alkaline soil, buffer curve method was investigated. The elemental sulfur required to control pH 8.3 to pH 6.3 by buffer curve calculation was treated in two soils of silty loam and sandy loam, and the sulfur-mixed soils were moistened with 50% of water holding capacity during incubation of 6 weeks at $30^{\circ}C$. Soil pH was lowered with incubation and reached to target point after 4 weeks of incubation, and elemental sulfur was oxidised entirely to sulfate. This means that buffer curve has the accuracy to determine sulfur application rate in alkaline soil. However it is estimated that application rate of sulfur should be carefully determined in the field scale. Excess application of elemental sulfur resulted in extremely low soil pH and caused the hinderance of lettuce growth by nutritional imbalance and ion toxicity. To simplify the determination procedure of sulfur requirement, buffer curve method by addition of 0.1N-HCl solution as unit of mL was developed, it was compared with theroutine methods which diluted $H_2SO_4$ solution and $Ca(OH)_2$ are added as cmolc per kg soil to adjust each pH step. Buffer capacities, cmolc kg $soil^{-1}$ $pH^{-1}$, calculated from two buffer curves were not significantly different. The result indicates that buffer curve method by 0.1N-HCl can be used to adjust high pH of alkaline soil.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.24 no.2 s.88
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• pp.65-78
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• 2006

This paper investigates the cost structure ot the Korea and Japan railroad industry with respect to density, scale and scope economies as well as productivity growth rate using a generalized trans)og multiproduct cost function model. The paper then assumes that the Korea and Japan railway companies pi·educe three outputs (incumbent railway passenger-kilometers. Shinkansen passenger-kilometers, ton-kilometers of freight) using four input factors (labor, fuel, maintenance, rolling stock and capital). The specified cost function includes foul other independent variables: track lengths to reflect network effects, two dummies to reflect nation and ownership effects, and time trend as a proxy for technical change. The simultaneous equation system consisting of a cost function and three input share equations is estimated with the Zellner's iterative seemingly unrelated regression. The unbalanced panel data used in the paper, a total of 154 observations. are collected from the annual records of the Korea National Railroad (KNR) for the yews $1977{\sim}2003$, Japan National Railways (JNR) for the years $1977{\sim}1984$. seven Japan Railways (JR's) for the years $1987{\sim}2003$. The findings show that the Korean and Japanese railways exhibit product-specific and overall economies of density but product-specific diseconomies of scale with respect to incumbent railway passenger-kilometers, Shinkansen-kilometers and ton-kilometers. However, the railways experience mild overall economies of scale which result from economies of scope associated with the joint production of incumbent railway/Shinkansen and feight, freight/incumbent railway and Shinkansen except Shinkansen/incumbent railway and freight. In addition, the economies of density and scale in the KNR, JR east, JR central, and JR west companies at the point of the years $1990{\sim}2003$ average is generally analogous to the above results at the point of sample average. There also appear to be economies of ssope associated with the joint Production of the incumbent railway and Shinkansen in JR central but diseconomies of scope in JR East and JR West. The findings also indicate that the productivity growth rate of the privately-owned JR's is larger than that of the government-owned KNR.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.8
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• pp.529-535
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• 2007

Background: An imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants leads to oxidative stress, and this has been proposed to play an important role in the pathogenesis of lung neoplasm. Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease-1/redox factor-1 (APE/ref-1) is a multifunctional protein involved in DNA base excision repair and the redox regulation of many transcription factors. However, the alteration of the expressed levels of APE/ref-1 in non-small cell lung cancer is unknown. Material and Method: Forty-nine patients with surgically resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were included in this study. Immunohistochemical staining with APE/ref-1 antibodies was performed, and their expressions were analyzed via Western blotting for specific antibodies. Result: APE/ref-1 was localized at the nucleus and mainly in the non-tumor region of the NSCLC tissue specimens; it was expressed in the cytoplasm and nucleus of the NSCLC. The nuclear and cytoplasmic expressions of APE/ref-1 in lung cancers were markedly up-regulated in the NSCLC, and this was correlated with the clinical stage. Catalase, as first-line antioxidant defense, was dramatically decreased in the NSCLC. Conclusion: Taken together, our results suggest that APE/ref-1, and especially cytoplasmic APE/ref-1, was upregulated in the lung cancer regions, and this may contribute to the compensatory defense system against oxidative stress. A low expression of catalase might have fundamental effects on the extracellular redox state of lung tumors, along with the potential consequences for the tumors.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.343-348
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• 2008

To investigate the effects of incorporation of green manures (GM) into a sandy loam soil on growth, yield, and nutrient uptake of tomato (Lycoperiscon esculentum Mill.) and nutrient balances (input minus offtake of nutrients), five tomato production systems were compared under the condition of plastic film house: 1) a no input system (no additional amendment or inputs, 0-To-0-To); 2) a conventional system (application of N-P-K chemical fertilizers, Cf-To-Cf-To); 3) a leguminous GM-containing system (hairy vetch-tomato-soybean-tomato, Hv-To-Sb-To); 4) a graminaceous GM-containing system (rye-tomato-sudan grass-tomato, Ry-To-Sd-To); and 5) system mixed with leguminous and graminaceous GMs (rye-tomatosoybean- tomato, Ry-To-Sb-To). Here, hairy vetch and rye were cultivated as winter cover crops during late $Dec{\sim}late$ Feb and soybean and sudan grass were cultivated as summer cover crops during late $Jun{\sim}mid$ Aug. All of them cut before tomato planting and then incorporated into soil. Biomass of GMs was greater in summer season than that of winter season. Nitrogen amount fixed by a leguminous plants was about $126\;kg\;ha^{-1}$ per a cropping season, corresponding to 60% N level needed for tomato production, which was comparable to 50 and $96\;kg\;ha^{-1}$ fixed by rye and sudan grass. As a result, tomato yield of Hv-To-Sb-To system (legume GM treatment) was similar to Cf-To-Cf-To (conventional), but that in Ry-To-Sd-To system (graminaceous GM treatment) was not attained to a half level of conventional treatment. Nutrient budgets for N, P and K on the conventional farm were balanced or somewhat positive exception for minus-balanced K. Ry-To-Sd-To system showed a positive N, P and K budgets due to the depressed growth of tomato which is caused by high C/N ratio and low N-fixing capacity of the GMs. Inversely, those of Hv-To-Sb-To system were negative in all of N, P and K budgets because of increased growth and yield of tomato with high nitrogen-supplying capacity as well as low C/N ratio of leguminous GM. In conclusion, although conventional cultivation has an advantage in relation to N, P and K nutrient budgets rather than GM-incorporated systems, a leguminous GMs could be recommended as nitrogen reservoir and soil amendment because the yield of tomato between use of leguminous GM and conventional cultivation was not only significantly difference, but also GMs commonly reduce nutrient loss and improve microbial communities.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.871-877
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• 2016

Recycling nutrient solutions in closed hydroponic production systems is usually accompanied by an imbalance of nutrient solutions when concentration is controlled according to electrical conductivity (EC) levels. This study investigated whether it was possible to automatically control the concentrations of five essential elements nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) using only N, K and Ca ion sensors. N, P, K, Ca, and Mg uptake was measured in the nutrient solution, and relationships between absorbed ions were analyzed through twice-repeated experiments in lettuce. Results confirmed that the pattern of $PO_4$ ion uptake was similar that of N, and the pattern of Mg ion uptake was similar that of Ca. $PO_4$ ion uptake was most highly correlated with N, and Mg was most highly correlated with Ca. Regression coefficients of N and $PO_4$ were significantly different at 1.04 and 0.55, respectively, but were similar between Ca and Mg at 0.35 and 0.40, respectively. Additional experiments were conducted to measure nutrient uptake in pak choi and rose plants, both to confirm the results from the first experiment in lettuce, and to assess possible application to other crops. Coefficients of determination both for N and $PO_4$, and Ca and Mg were considerably high ($R^2=0.86$) in cultured pak choi, and similar results were observed in cultured rose ($R^2=0.87$ and 0.73, respectively). Regression coefficients for cultured pak choi were 0.56 and 0.24, respectively, and for rose were 0.51 and 0.16, respectively. Although the results obtained for N and $PO_4$ were not consistent between the lettuce experiments, N and $PO_4$ have similar regression coefficients for all crops. No common coefficient was found between Ca and Mg.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.281-292
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• 2004

This pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of systematic variation appling of Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn on forage performance of orchardgrass and white clover, The treatments of systematic variation were 0/100. 25/75, 50/50. 75/25, and $100/0\%$ in the Fe/Cu, Mn/Zn, and Fe+Cu/Mn+Zn trials, respectively. The treatments of Fe/Mn/Cu/Zn trial were $70\%$ in main-element and $10\%$ in other 3sub-elements. 1 . General differences had been showed in the relative contents, uptake amounts, and mutual ratios of Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn between orchardgrass and white clover. The effects of Fe application on the all traits were generally insignificant. The Mn and Cu applications, however, showed consistent differences in the all traits. At the high relative content of Mn in the forages influenced by the Mn application, the relative contents of Fe, Cu and Zn were greatly decreased without the significant differences in common content. 2. The increase of uptake amount of each micronutrient was not positively correspond to the yield increase. In some cases, the uptake amount of micronutrient was greatly increased without the significant increase of yield. At the Mn application, the Mn uptake amount was relatively much more increased than increase of the yield. The uptake amount of each element was significantly increased by the application with Mn and Cu. However, it was not in the case of Fe and Zn. 3. The mutual ratios of micronutrients were more influenced by the applications of Mn and Cu, especially Mn, than those by the applications of Fe and Zn. In the Fe/cu trial, the ratios of Fe/Cu showed 6.0~ 10.5 in orchardgrass and 10.2~ $16.4\%$ level of difference in white clover. In the Fe+Cu/Mn+Zn trial, the ratios of Mn/Cu, Mn/Zn, and Fe/Mn were greatly influenced by the treatments. It has been also found that the poor growth of white clover was caused by the unbalanced ratios of Fe/Mn, and it tended to be enhanced by the good applications and mutual ratios of other elements.