• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.296-303
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• 2016

This study was performed to evaluate the effect of hemoglobin (Hb) on bone mineral density (BMD) in university students by performing a quantitative analysis. The subjects included healthy university students aged 20 to 30 years. Although osteoporosis has traditionally been considered as a disease of aging women, it is becoming an increasingly concerning male health problem. Diagnosis of osteoporosis is calculated with a quantitative assessment of BMD. Laboratory blood and urine tests are mainly used with low BMD or fragility fractures to identify any possible causes of bone metabolism disorders. In this study, there was no difference in BMD according to gender. The average red blood cell (RBC), Hb, and Hematocrit (HCT) were significantly higher in males (p<0.01). The correlation between lumbar spine, skeletal muscle mass (SMM), and basal metabolic rate (BMR) was statistically significant (p<0.01). Hb showed a 51.7% statistical influence on BMD by multiple regression analysis. These findings are useful to understand the relationship between BMD and Hb; lower Hb level is associated with lower BMD. The Hb level was the strongest predictor of abnormal BMD. In conclusion, this study showed that a low Hb value was significantly correlated with low bone mass, suggesting that a low Hb value is a risk factor for changes in bone turnover that leads to a decrease bone density.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.30-71
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• 1999

There has been a dramatic increase in public awareness regarding dementia during recent years. However, dementia remains a family affair and patients do not receive adequate care in Korea. This study aims to assist patients and their caregivers by establishing Home and Community based Long-Term Care in a city. The data collected for analysis include five main categories: dementia prevalence, limitations of daily activities of patients, burden of caregivers, the services that patient's family want to utilize, the resources that handle dementia in the community. Major findings can be summarized as follows: 1)The prevalence rate of dementia for elderly people is 13.1 per 100 persons. Alzheimer's disease amount to 38.9% of dementia patients and vascular dementia account for 36.7% of them 2)Eight out of ten patients have mild dementia. Almost all patients have normal ADL. IADL, however, shows different picture. In every items of IADL, about 60% of patients reveals some limitations. 3)The proportion of patients who had medical diagnosis is as low as 20%. Families of patients think dementia as normal aging process and medical doctors in the community do not give special concern to dementia patients. 4)Caregivers does not have proper social support. They suffer from long care time, experience large obstacles in respect of health, daily living, and social activity. 5)Health center and Community welfare center have launched some programs-consultation, home-visiting nursing, day care center, voluntary force mobilization and so on-for dementia patients. But they do not perform expected roles and functions because of lack of skilled personnels and inadequate coordination of relevant organizations for dementia care. 6)Families of dementia patients prefer home helper and home-visiting nurse to hospitalization. For the future, however, demand for institution-based long-term services will increase. We develope community dementia care model based on above findings as follows: 1)Health center execute community cardiovascular control program for the prevention of vascular dementia. 2)Refer to epidemiologic characteristics of patients and preference of family, the most urgent task for dementia care in this city is to expand and organize Home and Community based Long-Term Care. 3)For the continuous and comprehensive care, care plan for a patient must be prepared. Case management team should be builded to prepare this plan and coordinate relevant resources. 4)Special long-term care unit for dementia will be needed in a near future. This unit should have multiple functions, such as day-care center, short stay facility, training center for relevant personnels, besides long-term nursing home considering effective care of dementia and efficient operation of the facility. 5)Voluntary workers deserve their due efforts. Incentive mechanisms must be developed to activate voluntary activities.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.4086-4092
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• 2013

Mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) are UV-absorbing substances, and diverse marine organisms have the evolved the capacity to diminished the direct and indirect damaging effects of environmental ultraviolet radiation by synthesis and accumulation of MAAs. In this study, we manufactured a radiofrequency (RF) generation device and applied to microalgal culture. $0.35{\pm}0.05$ mHz of RF was supplied to culture vessel for Chlamydomonas sp. and samples were harvested at the designated time intervals (1, 0.5, 1 and 2 hr). MAAs biosynthetic genes, dehydroquinate synthase homolog (DHQS-like) and nonribosomal peptide synthetase homolog (NRPS-like), were cloned from Chlamydomonas sp. and their gene expressions under the RF exposure were analyzed using qRT-PCR. DHQS-like and NRPS-like gene expressions of Chlamydomonas sp. exposed to RF were increased 1.46 and 1.19 fold at 1 hr, respectively. These results means that DHQS-like and NRPS-like genes can be good biomarker candidates for diagnosis of MAAs biosynthesis in the Chlamydomonas sp.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.108-113
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• 2004

This study was to evaluate and compare differences of the cervical vertebral skeletal maturity of normal occlusion and skeletal Class III malocclusion. Normal occlusion (172 girls) and skeletal Class III malocclusion(191 girls) were classified according to diagnosis stone model and lateral cephalogram of Korean girls aging from 8 to 12 years. The concavity of inferior border, vertico-horizontal ratio of cervical vertebrae were observed and measured according to age. Differences of the cervical vertebral skeletal maturity were evaluated. The results were as follows : 1. The concavity of inferior border of the 2nd to 6th vertebrae of normal occlusion and skeletal Class III had uniformly increased with age. 2. The vertico-horizontal ratio of the 3rd to 6th vertebrae of girls with normal occlusion and skeletal Class III had uniformly increased with age. 3. There was no significant difference in cervical vertebral skeletal maturity between normal occlusion and skeletal Class III malocclusion in the concavity of inferior border of the 2nd to 6th vertebrae and in the vertico-horizontal ratio of the 3rd to 6th vertebrae. The results in the study indicate that there is no significant difference of cervical vertebral skeletal maturity between girls with normal occlusion and skeletal Class III malocclusion.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.9
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• pp.1431-1438
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• 2014

This study assessed the risk and prevalence of anorexia as well as associated factors among home-dwelling elderly adults. The subjects were 419 elderly men (116) and women (303) aged 65 years and older ($76{\pm}5.6yr$) living in Korea. Data were collected by personal interviews using questionnaires. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlation. The prevalence of anorexia was 35.1% among participants. Male elders (74.1%) had higher proportions of anorexia than female elders (20.1%) (P<0.001). Significant differences in the appetite were observed according to type of disease, depression, and activities of daily living (ADL) index. In the poor appetite group, central nervous system diseases were the primary illness in male elders (P<0.01), whereas endocrine diseases were the primary illness in female elders (P<0.01). Elders with good appetites had less symptoms of depression (P<0.001) and greater independence in ADL (P<0.001). These results explored the high prevalence of anorexia in geriatric populations in Korea and its impact on elderly nutritional status and health. Further research should be performed to identify the causes of anorexia and establish an intervention protocol allowing the early diagnosis of anorexia.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.99-106
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to investigate incidence rates of complications in response to the introduction of quality evaluation of the DRG(diagnosis related group) payments, focusing on an increasing number of patients with lens surgery as the population aging increases.Fourthly, there were three dependent variables ('vitreous prolapse', 'IOP elevations', and 'other complications') in this study, and therefore multivariate logistic regression was performed. The result of the analysis indicates that as the number of hospitalized days increased, vitreous prolapse decreased to 0.27 times(95% CI 0.08~1.00) and IOP elevation decreased by 0.14 times(95% CI 0.03~1.59), compared to other complications, and this was statistically significant. From the above results, this study is meaningful in that it has compared the evaluation results of the appropriateness of DRG payment and the medical quality for lens surgery complications patients, in response to the introduction of quality evaluation by DRG payment.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.179-214
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• 2012

There are two opinions on the legal characteristics of damages for non-pecuniary loss, a private sanctions theory and complementary function of damages for non-pecuniary loss, briefly. There is a close connection between the legal characteristics and the function of damages for non-pecuniary loss. The functions of damages for non-pecuniary loss are consist of satisfaction, prevention( sanctions) and complementation. Several cases of medical injury relief reported to Korea Comsumer Agency are categorized as follows, 1) cases of death after having an operation, 2) diagnosed with disability after a medical accident, 3) extended damages happening related to delayed diagnosis, 4) et cetera(a plastic surgery, a treatment with oriental medicine), and the damages for non-pecuniary loss in respect to each cases are examined. In the case of occurring death or disability, Korea Comsumer Agency has set up guidelines for assessment of damages for non-pecuniary loss by classifying into major and collateral violation for a duty of care. Furthermore, the damages for non-pecuniary loss in the case of all sorts of cancers, are assessed in accordance with the degree of responsibility subsequent to dividing cancer into good and poor prognosis. When it comes to a complementary function of damages for non-pecuniary loss in the actual work, it is hard to assess the damages as it is difficult to objectify non-pecuniary loss, such as emotional distress. Though compensation for damages is major legal characteristics of consolation money, preventing a damage(private sanctions) through consolation for a victim or sanctions against an assailant also has great significance. Therefore, it is necessary to approach flexibly for mutual agreement by considering specialty( concrete facts) of individual issue thoroughly. If considering this aging society that limits the possible age for work to 60 years old, it is needed to have a complementary function of consolation money in mind not to make it less meaningful for victims due to small sum of consolation money.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.87-97
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• 2000

One week survey to investigate the prevalence rate and clinical characteristics of laryngopharyngeal reflux symptoms in Korea. The subject(n=7,704 patients) was newly enrolled patients at the out patient clinic in 90 ENT departments of resident training hospitals and 11 local clinics, which were voluntarily participated in the study 1) Twenty five percent of all enrolled patients has LPR-related symptoms or clinical findings from the examination by ENT specialists. 2) Among e name of LPR-related diagnosis, globus syndrome was e most common, and follows by reflux laryngitis, and chronic laryngitis. 3) Women was more prevalent than men, and it is common in 5th, 6th, and 7th decades, which seems to be related with aging process. 4) Most popular symtoms of LPR. were globus sensation, conic throat clearing, and hoarseness of unknown origin. 5) Aggravating factors of LPR-related symptoms were tiredness, mental stress, drink alcohol, cigarettes smoking, spicy food, and drinking coffee. 6) LPR-related symptoms were more common in professional voice users. 7) In past medical history, diseases of stomach and tonsillitis were most common.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.132-139
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• 2016

The progressive attrition of teeth is a normal process by aging. However, excessive tooth wear with decreased vertical dimension of occlusion and collapse of occlusal plane may cause pathologic pulpal condition, occlusal disharmony, functional disorders and esthetic problems. The change of vertical dimension is required in case that there is no sufficient clearance for restoration or in case that the occlusal relationship is modified. For gaining the vertical dimension, a careful diagnosis is essential prior to starting the restoration treatment. After evaluating adaptation of neuromuscular system of patient during provisional phase, the final restorations can be fabricated. In this case, a 78 year old male with severely worn down dentition was treated. To improve the esthetic appearance and to achieve the ideal occlusal relationship, the full mouth rehabilitation with minimal increase of vertical dimension is planned and diagnostic wax-up was performed at the increased vertical dimension. After evaluation of provisional restorations for 12 weeks, final restorations were fabricated and routine clinical assessments were made. After 1 year, the restorations with newly established occlusal scheme are well maintained without significant complications and esthetically and functionally satisfactory results were obtained.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.43-51
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• 2006

Background: The DR-$70^{TM}$ immunoassay is a newly developed cancer diagnostic test which quantifies the serum fibrin degradation products (FDP), produced during fibrinolysis, by antibody reaction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential of DR-$70^{TM}$ Immunoassay in screening malignant tumor. Methods: Sample subjects were 4,169 adults, both male and female, who visited the health promotion center of a general hospital from March 2004 to April 2005 and underwent the DR-$70^{TM}$ immunoassay test and other tests for cancer diagnosis. The patient group was defined as 42 adults out of the sample subjects who were newly diagnosed with cancer during the same time period when the DR-$70^{TM}$ immunoassay test was performed. Final confirmation of a malignant tumor was made by pathological analysis. Results: The mean DR-$70^{TM}$ level was $0.83{\pm}0.65{\mu}g/ml$ (range: 0.00 (0.0001)${\sim}7.42{\mu}g/ml)$ in the control group (n=4,127) as opposed to $2.70{\pm}2.33{\mu}g/ml$ (range: $0.12{\sim}9.30{\mu}g/ml)$ in the cancer group (n=42), and statistical significance was established (p<0.0001, Student t-test). When categorized by the type of malignant tumor, all cancer patients with the exception of the subgroups of colon and rectal cancer showed significantly higher mean DR-$70^{TM}$ levels compared with the control group (p<0.0001, Kruscal-Wallis test). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed ${\geq}1.091{\mu}g/ml$ as the best cut-off value. Using this cut-off value, the DR-$70^{TM}$ immunoassay produced a sensitivity of 71.4%, a specificity of 70.1%, a positive predictability of 69.4%, and a negative predictability of 69.2% (1). Conclusion: A significant increase in the mean DR-$70^{TM}$ value was observed in the cancer group (thyroidal, gastric, breast, hepatic and ovarian) com pared with the control group. In particular, the specificity and sensitivity of the DR-$70^{TM}$ immunoassay was relatively high in the subgroups of breast, gastric, and thyroidal cancer patients. There is need for further studies on a large number of malignant tumor patients to see how the DR-$70^{TM}$ level might be changed according to the differentiation grade and postoperative prognosis of the malignant tumor.