• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.313-319
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• 2005

This survey was conducted in order to obtain the basic data for desirable consumption habits through investigation and analysis of university students' fast food consumption behaviors. Questionnaires were collected from a total of 374 male and female students living in big or small and medium-sized cities in August, 2004. The contents surveyed were utilization and expenses of fast foods, choice of fast foods, relationship between fast foods and a diet, and characteristics of fast food restaurants. The results obtained are summarized as follows: 1. The ratio of the surveyees varied according to gender, residence, and the size of a city they're living in. For example, males took up 48.66% of the surveyees, while females did 51.34%. The ratio of residents in apartments and stand-alone houses was 54.81% and 45.19% each. 47.33% of the respondents were living in big cities, while 52.67% of them in small and medium-sized cities. 2. 70.1% of the surveyees responded that they are with friends when having fast foods. There was a highly significant difference between male and female in the type of eating companions (p<0.001). The average number of days that they eat fast foods was 1 to 2 times a week, which accounted for 63.7% of the respondents. However, in the case of eating foods, there was no significant differences between two sexes. 3. 64.2% of the surveyees paid more than 20,000 won to buy fast foods for a week, which showed no significant differences between genders. They tend to split a bill, rather than one person pays all. There was a highly significant difference between genders in paying method (p<0.001). 4. 52.1 % of the respondents chose a menu themselves. Their most favored food was chickens (26.5%), which showed a statistically significant difference between genders (p<0.001). 46.8% of them preferred coke as a drink, which had no significant difference between genders. 42.2% of the surveyees had fast foods between lunch and dinner, which also had no significant difference between genders. The most important factor in choosing a menu was its taste (62.8%), which indicated a significant difference between males and females (p<0.05). 5. The preference to fast foods was due to the influence of western culture (36.4%) and eating-out habits (29.1%), which was significantly different between genders (p<0.05). Those who eat fast foods answered they have normal weight and normal body type (49.5%). 24.3% of them were relatively fat with significant difference between genders (p<0.05). 63.4% of the surveyees thought themselves not picky with foods, and there was a significant difference between genders (p<0.05). 78.3% of them mostly preferred franchise restaurants because they are convenient and cheap.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.163-168
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• 2005

The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and growth hormone (GH) in serum, the quantitation of spermato-genesis and the comparable relationships among these measurements during pubertal period in New Zealand White male rabbits. To investigate the age-related testicular changes in DNA contents of spermatogenic cells, the fine-needle testicular biopsies from males aged 10 to 28 wks were evaluated by flow cytometry(FCM). Body weight increased significantly between the ages of 12 and 20 wks (P<0.05) and reached 3.4 kg at 28 wks of age. The highest serum IGF-I level (451.3ng/mL) was observed at 20wks of age (P<0.05) and thereafter remained stable at low levels. Serum GH level at 18 wks of age was 183.3 pg/mL which was significantly higher compared to the other ages (P<0.05), and the rising time in serum GH tend to be somewhat earlier than that of IGF-I. The relative percentage of It-cells in testicular cell compartments was $48.2\%$ at the age of 18 wks which significantly increased than those of 16-wk-old (P<0.05) and thereafter increased with the advance of age to $68\%$. The percentage of 2C-cells in testis was $26.8\%$ at 18 wks of age which was significantly lower than $54.3\%$ at 16 wks old (P<0.05). The percentage of 4C-cells was constantly maintained $2\~6\%$ except the $9.9\%$ at 18 wks of age. In conclusion, the results suggest that the puberty onset occurred at about the 18 wks of age and that the IGF-I and GH in serum during the pubertal period showed the age/growth-specific changes and these changes might be related to the spermatogenesis. The DNA FCM combined with fine-needle testicular biopsy could offer a very sensitive method to monitor the quantitative spermatogenic events related to the puberty onset.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.363-368
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• 2005

Purpose : The aim of this study is to identify where and how adolescents acquire cigarettes and how many were asked for identification while purchasing cigarettes. Methods : This study was conducted in 2003; participants were 2,200 students in middle and high schools, aged from 13 to 18 years old(males 1,098; females 1,102) in Ansan, Korea. The questionnaire assured them of anonymity, and self-administered in school. The data was analyzed with chisquare test for trends. Results : The prevalence of smoking was about 20 percent among respondents, was higher in males than in females, and in older students than in younger students(P<0.001). The most frequent source of cigarettes was purchased from a store(36.3 percent). About 29.2 percent of the students borrowed from friends or family members. By sex, the main sources of cigarettes were purchase from a store and borrowing. Younger students were borrowed more cigarettes; older students purchased more cigarettes from stores. Only 48.8 percent were asked for proof of age during their purchase. Of those asked for proof of age, about 73.3 percent answered that this made it difficult to buy cigarettes(P<0.001), and they thought that it was more difficult when asked for a photo ID than simply being asked their age(P=0.019). Conclusion : So far, there has been no systemic prevention of adolescents' smoking. It is difficult for minors to purchase cigarettes if asked for proof of age, but most minors go to stores to purchase cigarettes. Therefore, prevention efforts should include educating retailers not to sell cigarettes to minors and enforcing existing laws requiring youth to provide proof of age when attempting to buy cigarettes.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.188-201
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• 2005

This is the first part of a two-part paper which describes comparison of reliability design methods by application to Donghae Harbor Breakwaters. This paper, Part 1, is restricted to stability of armor blocks, while Part 2 deals with sliding of caissons. Reliability design methods have been developed fur breakwater designs since the mid-1980s. The reliability design method is classified into three categories depending on the level of probabilistic concepts being employed. In the Level 1 method, partial safety factors are used, which are predetermined depending on the allowable probability of failure. In the Level 2 method, the probability of failure is evaluated with the reliability index, which is calculated using the means and standard deviations of the load and resistance. The load and resistance are assumed to distribute normally. In the Level 3 method, the cumulative quantity of failure (e.g. cumulative damage of armor blocks) during the lifetime of the breakwater is calculated without assumptions of normal distribution of load and resistance. Each method calculates different design parameters, but they can be expressed in terms of probability of failure so that tile difference can be compared among the different methods. In this study, we applied the reliability design methods to the stability of armor blocks of the breakwaters of Donghae Harbor, which was constructed by traditional deterministic design methods to be damaged in 1987. Analyses are made for the breakwaters before the damage and after reinforcement. The probability of failure before the damage is much higher than the target probability of failure while that for the reinforced breakwater is much lower than the target value, indicating that the breakwaters before damage and after reinforcement were under- and over-designed, respectively. On the other hand, the results of the different reliability design methods were in fairly good agreement, confirming that there is not much difference among different methods.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.9
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• pp.929-934
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• 2005

Purpose : This study describes how often complementary and alternative medical(CAM) therapies, what patterns of CAM therapies utilization, what types of CAM therapies and why CAM therapies are used in children and adolescent with chronic disease. Methods : We interviewed and filled out questionnaires with parents of patients suffering from asthma, atopic dermatitis, congenital myopathy, epilepsy and so on from Mar 2004 to Aug 2004. Results : Two hundred fifty two parents answered questionnaires; 160 cases(63.5 percent) had used CAM therapies. Utilization of CAM therapies according to each chronic disease was as follows : congenital myopathy(100 percent), atopic dermatitis(91.1 percent), asthma(72.5 percent), chronic diarrhea (50.0 percent), epilepsy(17.1 percent) etc. Types of CAM therapy were as follows : dietary supplement (31.1 percent), herb medicine(23.4 percent), massage(14.2 percent), acupuncture(4.6 percent) etc. Sixty four(40.0 percent) case underwent more than two types of CAM therapies simultaneously. One hundred thirty three(83.1 percent) case were asked through non-medical prescription. Ninety nine(61.9 percent) case were recognized positive effect of CAM therapies. Parents' and childrens' ages were influential factors in CAM therapies utilization : the older the parents and the younger the children, the higher the utilization. Conclusion : Although patients receive treatment with western medicine, many of them not only undergo CAM therapies, especially more than two types, but also recognize the positive effects of CAM therapies. As a result, we suggest that it is easy to use of CAM therapies, and the positive effects of CAM therapies are prominent, domestically. Therefore, medical approach and study about the effectiveness and side effects of CAM therapies is necessary to avoid the imprudent use of such therapies.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.21 no.2 s.34
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• pp.121-132
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• 2005

We investigated the reproductive cycle with gonad developmental phases of Sinonovacula constricta by histological observations, and seasonal changes in biochemical component of the adductor muscle, visceral mass, foot muscle and mantle were studied by biochemical analysis, from January to December, 2004. The reproductive cycle of this species can be classifed into five successive stages: early active stage (March to May), late active stage (May to July), ripe stage (July to September), partially spawned stage (August to October) and spentfinactive stage (October to March). Total protein content was the highest in the following order: adductor muscle, visceral mass, foot muscle, and mantle. Except for mantle, it was generally higher during the ripe and spawning stages, while lower during the spent/inactive stage. There were positive correlations in total protein contents among adductor muscle, foot muscle, and visceral mass. However, the correlations were not statistically significant. Total lipid content was the highest in the visceral mass; it was more than 5 or 6-fold higher than those in the adductor muscle, foot muscle, or mantle. The monthly change was also most dynamic in the visceral mass. It first Increased during the early active stage (March to May), decreased during late active stage (May to July), and then increased again rapidly during the spawning stage (September). There were a strong negative correlation in total lipid contents between foot muscle and adductor muscle (r = -0.634, p = 0.027), and a strong positive correlation between adductor muscle and mantle (r = 0.665, p = 0.018). Glycogen contents showed more or less similar pattern to total lipid contents in the adductor muscle, foot muscle, and visceral mass. It was higher during the early active and spawning stages, while lower during the late active and spent/inactive stages. There was no statistically significant correlation in glycogen contents among different tissues. Especially, total lipid content showed a negative correlationship between the foot muscle, adductor muscle, visceral mass and mantle. Therefore, these results indicate that the nutrient content of the foot muscle, adductor muscle, viseral mass and mantle changed in response to gonadal energy needs.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.233-238
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• 2005

The study was intended to investigate elementary schoolers' oral health status according to whether the school have and manage an school oral health clinic or not in order to provide useful information for continuously developing the school oral health clinic 1,163 children in Hwasan elementary school in Hwasung city and 485 children in S elementary school in the same locality were selected as the experimental group and the control group, respectively, and orally examined from May 1st to 30th, 2004. The findings from the oral examination were as follows. 1. DMF rate was higher in the higher grades in both the groups. The rate was lower in the experimental group with 45.1% of the children than in the control group with 65.3% of the children. 2. DMFT rate also were higher as the grades were higher in both the groups. The ratio was lower in the experimental group with 30.4% of the children than in the control group with 44.6% of the children. 3. DMFT index was 1.0 in number in the experimental group and 1.6 in the control group. Index increase from the 1st grade to the sixth grade was also more positive in the experimental group. 4. DT rate was a little higher in the experimental group in the first graders, but comparatively decreased to the grades while increased in the control group. In the sixth graders, the rate was 42.4% in the experimental group and 87.7% in the control group, the former was less than the latter by about 50% point. 5. FT rate was a little higher in the control group for the first graders but increased in the experimental group to the grades. The rate in the sixth graders was higher by more than double in the experimental group. Based on the above findings, the region of the study had better oral health statistics than in other regions. The operation of school oral health clinics that provide dental health care to children at the right time seems to contribute to enhancing their dental health status by preventing against dental diseases and changing their relevant knowledge, attitude and behaviors. In the future, more school oral health clinics should gradually be prepared to push ahead with a sustained, extensive dental health project geared toward school-aged children. To make it happen, dental hygienists who are professional medical personnels should be taken advantage of, and in order to beef up the efficiency of preventive measures and oral health education, the best dental health care services should be offered by harnessing dental hygienists and dentists who work at public dental clinics run by local governments.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.59 no.6
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• pp.656-663
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• 2005

Background : The B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a cardiac neurohormone that is specifically secreted from the ventricles in response to volume expansion and a pressure overload. Differentiating congestive heart failure from the pulmonary causes of dyspnea is very important for patients presenting with acute dyspnea. Methods : A retrospective study was carried out on 261 patients who were admitted to the emergency department of Hanyang University Hospital due to acute dyspnea from March to July 2004. The serum BNP levels of the patients were measured using the ELISA method. Results : The BNP levels were 382, 111-1140 pg/ml (median, interquartile range) in the heart failure group (n=119) and 29, 7-81 pg/ml in the non-heart failure group (n=142). The BNP levels according to the subgroups of heart failure were 820, 354-1620 pg/ml, 1650, 239-1990 pg/ml, and 378, 106-1120 pg/ml for the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with combined left heart failure (n=5), cor pulmonale (n=3), and left heart failure groups (n=111), respectively. The BNP levels according to the subgroups of non-heart failure were 39, 21-101 pg/ml, 59, 10-129 pg/ml, and 15, 6-47 pg/ml for the COPD (n=20), other pulmonary diseases (n=56), and other causes groups (n=66), respectively. The BNP levels were significantly different according to the underlying etiology (p<0.001), and were significantly higher in the COPD patients with left heart failure than in those without (p=0.002). When the patients with no cardiovascular risk factor such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, smoking or renal failure were analyzed, the BNP levels were also significantly higher in the patients with heart failure than in those without(p<0.001). When 133 pg/ml was designated as the BNP cut-off level the sensitivity for predicting heart failure was 73 percent and the specificity was 87 percent. Conclusion : BNP measurements are useful for determining the presence of heart failure in the patients presenting with acute dyspnea. The possibility of heart failure must be seriously considered in patients with high BNP levels even when they have a pre-existing pulmonary disease such as COPD or no risk factors for heart failure.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.5 no.4 s.20
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• pp.238-245
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• 2005

Purpose: Ghrelin, produced primarily in the gastrointestinal tract, including the stomach, has been reported to reflect nutritional status and to control homeostasis by influencing food intake and adiposity. The purpose of this study is to evaluate nutritional status, as well as plasma and gastric tissue ghrelin levels, in patients with gastric cancer who underwent a gastrectomy. Materials and Methods: Eighty patients were analyzed by the degree of weight loss $(weight\;loss{\geq}5%\;or\;<5%)$ and the extent of gastrectomy (subtotal or total gastrectomy). Blood samples were collected from all patients preoperatively and postoperatively especially at seven days. Gastric tissues, including tumor and normal tissues, were obtained from the resected stomach. levels of plasma and tissue ghrelin were measured with a commercial ELISA kit. Results: There were no significant differences in the clinical characteristics and ghrelin levels of plasma, gastric tumor tissue and normal tissue by the degree of weight loss. The ghrelin levels in plasma and tumor tissue showed no correlations with each other while the ghrelin level in tumor tissue was significantly lower than that in normal tissue. The degree of cellular differentiation also had an association with ghrelin production. A gastrectomy proved to decrease significantly plasma ghrelin levels, body mass index, and biochemical markers, regardless of the extent of gastric resection. Conclusion: These results show that gastric cancer affects the production of ghrelin in the gastric mucosa and that ghrelin is mainly produced in stomach even though it could be partially covered by endogenous ghrelin from other organs following a gastrectomy. However, we should further investigate which other factors have an impact on energy consumption, ghrelin secretion, and changes in ghrelin levels after a gastrectomy.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.129-137
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• 2007

Purpose: It has been reported that children with chronic pain have higher levels of anxiety than age-matched controls. Therefore, this study was designed to determine the relationship between anxiety and recurrent abdominal pain in elementary school children. Methods: In 2005, we surveyed 1,254 elementary school children (592 boys and 662 girls) whose ages ranged from 7 to 12 years. The degree of trait and state anxiety was compared between agroup suffering from intermittent abdominal pain, a group suffering from recurrent abdominal pain and a normal control group following the Korean version of Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory YZ form (STAI-YZ). Results: 709 (56.5%) and 69 (5.5%) of the patients reported intermittent abdominal pain and and recurrent abdominal pain, respectively, during the 12 month period before this study was conducted, and trait and state anxiety values for each of these groups was 116 (9.3%) and 63 (5.0%), respectively. In addition, the State-Trait Anxiety score was significantly higher in the group with intermittent abdominal pain and RAP than the anxiety score of the normal control group. Additionally, the STAI-YZ score increased in proportion to the severity of abdominal pain, but was not correlated with the duration, frequency, onset time or location of abdominal pain. Furthermore, the proportion of the group with abdominal pain in the group that had trait or state anxiety was significantly higher than the proportion of the group that did not have trait and state anxiety. Conclusion: Recurrent abdominal pain during childhood is correlated with state and trait anxiety, therefore, psychological factors, such as anxiety duringtreatment, must also be considered when determining the cause of recurrent abdominal pain.