• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2004

Purpose : Minimal Change Disease (MCD) is the most common primary nephrotic syndrome in children. Some suggested that tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$ ($TNF-{\alpha}$) are involved in the pathogenesis of MCD. Methods : This study was done to see the changes of plasma and urinary $TNF-{\alpha}$, and its effect on the determination of permeability of the glomerular basement membrane (BM) contributed by heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG). Study patients consisted of 19 biopsy-proven MCD children aged 2-15 years old. Both plasma and urinary $TNF-{\alpha}$ were measured. Employing the Millicell system, $TNF-{\alpha}$ was screened for the permeability factors. We examined whether $TNF-{\alpha}$ regulated BM HSPG gene expression and HS synthesis in the glomerular epithelial cells (GECs). Results : Urinary $TNF-{\alpha}$ during relapse was significantly increased when compared with that of during remission or controls ($364.4{\pm}51.2$ vs $155.3{\pm}20.8,\;36.0{\pm}4.5$ ng/mg cr) (P<0.05). However, negative results were obtained in the permeability assay using the Millicell system. No difference was seen in the BM HSPG gene expression and HS synthesis in the GECs. Conclusion : It seems that $TNF-{\alpha}$ may not play a disease-specific role in the pathogenesis of MCD.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.9
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• pp.1005-1014
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• 2009

Purpose:Epilepsy of child may cause high level of psychosocial difficulties for parents including stigmatization and stress and therefore worsen their quality of life (QOL). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mediating effect of perceived stigma against epilepsy on QOL among parents with epileptic child. Methods:Two hundred and sixty parents of epileptic child recruited from five separated university hospital child neurology clinics specializing in epilepsy completed a demographic questionnaire, a medical questionnaire, a perceived stigma questionnaire and the Ro's Quality of Life Inventory, a popular tool for evaluating QOL of adults in Korea which is composed of 6 domains and 47 questions. Data was analyzed with SPSS 14.0 program using frequency analysis and descriptive analysis and with AMOS 7.0 program using Structural Equation Model (SEM) analysis. Results:The level of parents' QOL was relatively fair. SEM analysis on the quality of life level of parents showed that all variables (especially having religion, the monthly income, employment state, age of child, the leisure time, the perceived stigma level against epilepsy, and seizure frequency) directly affect the quality of life level of parents and that disease-related variables also affect the quality of life level of parents indirectly through the mediating factor (the perceived stigma), where the indirect effect is large with the existence of combined disabilities. The total effect on the quality of life level of parents is large with the existence of combined disabilities, the perceived stigma level, the leisure time, having religion, and the monthly income. Conclusion:The results of this study indicated that many factors including parents' perceived stigma may affect the quality of life of parents with epileptic children directly, and that some disease-related factors may affect indirectly through a mediating factor, the perceived stigma. Multidisciplinary collaboration would be imperative for their welfare.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.341-348
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• 2021

Serum amylase is a representative enzyme secreted by the salivary gland and pancreas. This study investigates the clinical significance of serum amylase levels in Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Totally, 70 female subjects were enrolled, who were diagnosed as SS and had no accompanying afflictions that affected the serum amylase levels. Unstimulated salivary flow rate (U-SFR) and stimulated SFR (S-SFR), salivary gland scan, and disease activity markers (ESSDAI and ESSPRI), as well as blood tests including ESR, CRP, and amylase, were evaluated. Serum amylase showed significant positive correlation with the U-SFR and S-SFR, and was increased with higher ejection fraction (EF) of the parotid gland. However, there was no significant correlation with disease activity and inflammatory markers. Based on their average amylase levels, subjects were divided into two groups. The group with higher serum amylase levels showed a statistically significant increase in the S-SFR and EF of the parotid gland. Considering the results of the salivary gland scan, we conclude that serum amylase is significantly correlated with SFR and the EF of the parotid gland, thereby indicating that the salivary gland function remains intact in SS.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.63
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• pp.65-89
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• 2020

Humankind has experienced various changes in the pandemic of the Covid-19 for some months from the winter of 2019. The Church and Christians also have witnessed the changes and results of the pandemic in their Christian life and meetings such as worship, Bible study, prayer meeting, personal spiritual activities, and so on. Humans have encountered different kinds of pandemics throughout history. 1918-Influenza is an example, and the Pest(the Black Death) of the 14th century is another. What did the Christian Church do in the pandemics? This study focuses especially on the spiritual matters of each case and era. This study explores the well-known cases of pandemics in history and reflects on the Christian spiritual responses and its lessons. The three points this study raises are the life and attitude of the spiritual figures, the practice of silence, and the social aspect of the Christian spirituality in this time of the pandemic.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.599-607
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• 2016

The first patient of Middle East respiratory syndrome caused by a novel coronavirus infection in Korea was confirmed on May 20, 2015. After that, MERS spread over the country. In recent years, patients of MERS have been found around the Arabian Peninsula and the case fatality ratio of MERS in those area was been reported to range from 30 to 40%. In this paper, we estimate the case fatality ratio of MERS of Korea using data of 186 infections until December 1, 2015. In this study we propose a novel estimator of the case fatality ratio using information of the patients severity condition as well as records on the days of confirmation and death or recovery of the patient. By using publicly available data of the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control, we evaluate a performance of the estimator and demonstrate a stability of the estimator from the early stage of the epidemic.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.639-655
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• 1999

An explanatory design was employed to identify the relationship of physical, emotional & social readjustment and social support of post hospitalized stroke patients and their caregivers. A convenient sample of 254 patients who given follow-up care at the outpatient department after discharge and 225 caregivers were recruited. Mental Status Questionnaire (MSQ), Social Support Inventory Stroke Survivors (SSISS), Illness intrusiveness(II), Instument Activity of Daily Living(IADL), Center of Epidemilogic Studies-Depression(CES-D), social activity and caregiver burden were used for measurement in this study. Results showed patient's physical level measured by IADL and psychological level measured by depression were high. But social activity was low. Cognitive function, depression & social activity were not significantly different by the posthospitalized period, but IADL was. The source of professional support was mostly the physician at the outpatient department. The family support was found significantly related to patient's depression & social activity and caregiver's subjective burden. Professional support was found significantly related to patient's IADL & depression. Illness intrusiveness as a mediating variable was a sig nificantly predicting power on patient's IADL & depression. The path analysis was used to identify the variables to predict the physical, emotional, and social status of patients. As a result, patient's age, cognitive function, illness intursiveness and professional support significantly predicted the level of IADL ; patient's cognitive function, illness intrusiveness and family support significantly predicted the level of depression ; and patient's age and family support significantly predicted the level of social activity of posthospitalized stroke patients. Based upon these results, the rehabilitation programs to reduce the illness intrusiveness and improve cognitive funtion were recommended for the readjustment of the stroke patients. This model of the readjustment of the posthospitalized stroke patients is recommended as the framework for care of the stroke patients.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.35-46
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• 2015

Recently, much attention has been paid to the development of a value-added food category containing probiotics so as to improve human health and prevent diseases. Among various foods, the health benefits of milk and dairy products are known to humanity, and could be attributed to the bioactive components present in milk. In fermented milk products, the health benefits could be due to suitable modulation activities produced by the action of probiotic bacteria. Besides the modification of various milk components, probiotics might also act directly as preventive and therapeutic agents against some severe diseases. Probiotics promote health via their positive effects on the immune response, stimulation of natural immunity, and modulation of the production of antimicrobial peptides, cytokines, and so on. Whey proteins, a byproduct of cheese production could also have anticarcinogenic, immunostimulatory, antimicrobial, and health-promoting activities such as improving insulin sensitivity and reducing fat deposition. Therefore, milk and dairy products containing probiotics could provide various opportunities in the field of functional foods. Additionally, these functional foods may be important in the human diet and may help improve human health and prevent diseases.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.628-637
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to explore factors influencing quality of life among cancer survivors in order to identify strategies for cancer survivors to go back to normal life and carry on stable and high quality life. This study used Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(2010-2014), conducted by Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(KCDC). The sample of this study was 610 cancer survivors and their average time since diagnosis was about 11 years. The most powerful influencing factors for quality of life among cancer survivors were activity limitation(${\beta}$=.30, p<.001), followed by age(${\beta}$=-.20, p<.001), subjective health status(${\beta}$ =-.19, p<.001), and economic status(${\beta}$=.12, p=.004). According to the result, limitation on daily activities or social activities due to physical or mental debilitation was a strong factor that lowers quality of life among cancer survivors. Hence, there is a need for manpower and infrastructure that facilitates, supports, and manage daily activities of cancer survivors.

• Journal of Korea Society of Industrial Information Systems
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.59-71
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• 2021

This study investigates the effects of restaurants' physical environments on customers' words of moth and return intention. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire from restaurants during summer of 2020 and received 627 useful responses. The data was analyzed using the hierarchical multiple regression. The results showed that restaurants' physical environments was statistically significant influencing factors on customers' positive word-of-mouth and return intention. Hygiene environmental variables did not moderated the relationship between restaurants' physical environments and customers' word-of-mouth whereas hygiene environmental variables did moderated the relationship between restaurants' physical environments and customers' return intention. The results of this study suggested that restaurant business owners need to maintain clean environment and to continuously educate employees to protect customers from COVID-19 spread.

• Food Science and Industry
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.375-386
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• 2019

Carbohydrates play an important role in not only providing the body with calories but also giving taste and texture in foods. Recently, there is a growing interest in low-calorie carbohydrate materials due to obesity and the resulting diseases caused by excessive intake of calories. Polydextrose and sugar alcohols have calories of 2.0 kcal/g and 2.4 kcal/g, respectively. In addition to being a low-calorie material, polydextrose can be widely used as a dietary fiber source, thereby reducing calories and supplementing fiber. Sugar alcohols have sweetness comparable to a table sugar but they are not calculated as a sugar, so it can meet the government's sugar reduction policy. Also, polydextrose and sugar alcohols are not easily decomposed by heat and acid, and thus can be used without being affected by food manufacturing processes.