• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.22 no.3 s.27
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• pp.368-379
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• 1989

The relationship between mercury level of hair and mental retardation was investigated. The 297 subjects with mental retardation were drawn from two schools providing special educational services, one, consisted of children living in an orphan home, another, children with parents. The 117 centre] subjects were drawn from whom had got average or above average academic achivement in a regular elementary school. Hair sample were taken from the nape of the neck and the mercury analysis was carried out on an atomic absorption spectrophotometer(IL 551). There was no relationship between mercury contents and age, and there was a statistically significant difference in mercury contents between male and female in the mentally retarded children living with parents. Children in the retarded group had significantly higher mercury contents compared with control group except the female group with parents. Also, the mercury levels in the retarded group living in an orphan home were significantly higher than that of the retarded group with parents. The concomitant diseases were Down's syndrome, epilepsy, cerebral palsy and autism. There were statistically significant differences in hair mercury levels in the cases of accompanying Down's syndrome and cerebral palsy in male and Down's syndrome and autism in female compared with the control group of the same sex. The most accompanying handicap was speech disturbance(40.7%) and the others were crippled, emotional disturbance etc. The percentages of double handicap were 66.7% among 6 persons exceeding 6ppm of their hair mercury contents. 10.4% among $3{\sim}6$ ppm and 15.7% among the group of 3ppm or less. The findings of this study suggest that the more opportunities of exposure to mercury in mentally retarded children may have occurred, so it can not be excluded the possibility of mercury as a contributing factor to mental retardation. Therefore, the causal relationship between mercury levels and mental retardation should be established through the examinations about their living environments, dietary pattern, eating habit etc.

• Korea Science and Art Forum
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• v.31
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• pp.355-365
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• 2017

The future population of Korea is expected to reach the second highest level in the world by 2060 for the elderly. It is because of the rapid development of low fertility and medical technology. The burden of society for the elderly is expected to increase steadily. The elderly person firstly appears functional disorder. They have low ability in memory and in cognitive will be. Their activities are therefore limited. And economic production capacity is sharply reduced. Self-sufficiency is a difficult situation. They need help in economic and social aspects. Products for them need research and development. The elderly have a Mild Cognitive Impairment(MCI) stage with poor cognitive abilities. It is effective to combine pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment methods for people with mild cognitive impairment. The effects of non-pharmacological treatments on music have been proven. This paper is a study on the appearance from the viewpoint of design in the development of ancillary instruments using music therapy techniques with Digital Convergence. For this study, we investigated the preference for external appearance of mild cognitive impairment. Two times surveys were conducted. As a result, the design of home care product for the hard cognitive impaired was different from that of a conventional game machine or set top box. It should be designed according to the user's special circumstances. They are memory and cognitive abilities. Products that meet physical and mental changes must be developed.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.22 no.1 s.25
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• pp.125-135
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• 1989

This paper was carried out to study on correlation between mentally retardation and lead and zinc. The subjects were 297 mentally retarded children: 132 of Bomyung special school and Sunmyung, which were located in Taegu city of Korea. The former had their parents but the latter had not. The control group 63 children were randomly seleted from the Dong-in primary school near to Medical School of Kyungpook National University. Atomic absorption spectrophotometer, model IL-551 connected with CTF atomizer(IL. 655) was used for the analysis of lead and zinc. The mean value of lead in hair of mentally retarded children was $14.97{\pm}3.71ppm$ which is significantly higher than that of control group, $11.36{\pm}2.83ppm$. But the content of zinc was not significant in both groups. In the lead there was no significant correlation to age but significant negative correlation to IQ. Zinc showed significant correlation to age but not to IQ. Among the handicapped children, no signigicant correlation between orphan group and non orphan group. Handicaps of mentally-retarded children were speech impairment, emotional disturbance, double and triple handicaps, sensory impairment and abnormal dietary patterns. There were significantly higher contents of lead compared with normal group, except the latter two groups. The disease conditions of mentally retarded children were mongolism, autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy and microcephaly. In comparing with mongolism, significant difference were existent only on the cerebral palsy and group of unknown etiology. We attempted to divide their past history into external etiology and internal etiology, but could not find significant difference. In view of the whole results, the relationship between mentally-retarded children and lead was presumed to be the early time exposure rather than long interval exposure during growth and the contact opportunity was considered important subject in maternal and child health care.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.87-94
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• 2001

A survey was undertaken among a group of dentists working at private dental clinics to investigate the state of dental care and the level of education and training in the dental care to people with handicaps. Forty four percents of dental clinics take care of one more patients per month. The types of handicaps were physical, mental, sensory handicap and autism. The common problems are difficulty in communication and delay of treatment. Forty nine percents of dentists got education and nineteen percents had clinical experience for dental care of handicapped patients. Most of dentists felt necessity of training program and establishment of specialized dental hospital supported by government for the handicapped. This study indicated the necessity of undergraduate and postgraduate education and clinical training for dental care of handicapped patients.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.62-71
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• 2013

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristics of drinking patterns and the prevalence of hazardous drinking and alcohol use disorder with the assessment of alcohol policy needs in community population of urban city in Korea. Methods : Data was collected from 1,000 residents in a single urban city in Korea, from June 1 to July 31, 2011 by a questionnaire. As research tools, socio-demographic characteristics composed of variables based on study purpose, alcohol problems and alcohol use disorder state scales composed with Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test(AUDIT) and Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener(CAGE), and the assessment of alcohol policy needs in community population questions were used. Results : The lifetime experience of alcohol drinking was 97.4%. For the frequency of drinking, 21.9% of population responded 2 to 4 times per weekly. 24.4% of male had one time or more high risk drinking, defined as having four or more drinks in a sitting, per week. 51.6% experienced the first time drinking of alcohol in adolescence. The lifetime prevalence of hazardous drinking and alcohol use disorder were 14.9% and 3.3%, respectively using AUDIT. Alcohol use disorder were 9.6% with the CAGE scale. Problem drinking were 8.4% in this study. They requested the program such as prevention education(57.2%), construction of liaison system to treatment facilities(50.1%), alcohol counseling and intervention(41.7%), and rehabilitation program(39.8%). Conclusions : These results demonstrate that alcohol problem and alcohol use disorder were much prevalent, and these problem started in the earlier age. It is necessary to develop an effective alcohol prevention program or policy with considering the needs in community population.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.507-517
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• 2013

Welfare desire has been diversified according to the increase of economic level and rapid social change. The desire for comprehensive service on culture, medical, mental and information level has appeared. Accordingly, it is necessary to establish an integrated community mixed-support facility, a space of accepting administration, welfare, leisure, culture and informatization request in a small local community in the future. The community mixed-support facility is a meeting place of local resident for information change, various basic service and ultimately for activation of community in order to contribute to regeneration and activation of existing urban core. Thus, this study figured out general status of community mixed-support facility and physical mixed type and analyzed spatial characteristics. Current community mixed-support facility has insufficient program and space to participate in by local residents and to accommodate mixed function. The future planned community mixed-support facility must secure multiple opportunities for various types of life by returning time and cost to user through the introduction of creative mixed concept. While reflecting unique local characteristics, and considering diversity of users, it needs to make mixed facility to cope with social changes. This study is limited in that the study reached a conclusion by survey and analysis only. However, it is expected that the result can be used as basic research data for the planning of community mixed-support facility to cope with living conditions of local residents or realistic requirements.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.427-434
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• 2003

In this paper, we present a speech-based Environmental Control System(ECS) and its application. In the concrete, an ECS using the speech recognition and an portable wheelchair lift control system with the speech synthesis are developed through the simulation and the embodiment. The developed system apply to quadriplegic man and we evaluate the result of physical effect and of mental effect. Speech recognition system is constructed by real time modules using HMM model. For the clinical application of the device, we investigate the result applied to 54-years old quadriplegic man during a week through the questionnaires of Beck Depression Inventory and of Activity Pattern Indicator. Also the motor drive control system of potable wheelchair lift is implemented and the mechanical durability is tested by structural analysis. Speech recognition rate results in over 95% through the experiment. The result of the questionnaires shows higher satisfaction and lower nursing loads. In addition, the depression tendency of the subject were decreased. The potable wheelchair lift shows good fatigue life-cycle as the material supporting the upper wheelchair and shows the centroid mobility of safety. In this paper we present an example of ECS which consists of real-time speech recognition system and potable wheelchair lift. Also the experiments shows needs of the ECS for korean environments. This study will be the base of a commercial use.