• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.9
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• pp.4421-4426
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• 2016

Background: Smoking is recognized as a main leading preventable cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. It is responsible for a considerable financial burden both on the health system and in society. This study aimed to examine the effect of smoking on cost of hospitalization and length of stay (LoS) among patients with lung cancer in Iran in 2014. Materials and Methods: A total of 415 patients were included in the study. Data on age, sex, insurance status, type of hospitals, type of insurance, geographic local, length of stay and cost of hospitalization was extracted by medical records and smoking status was obtained from a telephone survey. To compare cost of hospitalization and LoS for different smoking groups, current smokers, former smokers, and never smokers, a gamma regression model and zero-truncated poisson regression were used, respectively. Results: Compared with never smokers, current and former smokers showed a 48% and 35% increase in hospitalization costs, respectively. Also, hospital LoS for current and former smokers was 72% and 31% higher than for never smokers, respectively. Conclusions: Our study indicated that cigarette smoking imposes a significant financial burden on hospitals in Iran. It is, however, recommended that more research should be done to implement and evaluate hospital based smoking cessation interventions to better increase cessation rates in these settings.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.4 s.132
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• pp.1-8
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• 2005

The initiation and cessation of cambial activities were investigated to find out the growth characteristics of the major species growing in Chuncheon, Korea. The division of cambial zone in Pinus densiflora and Pinus koraiensis began from the middle of March through the end of March. The activity of cambial zone in P. densiflora and P. koraiensis was vigorous from the end of May through the middle of July. During this period the number of cells increased rapidly in radial direction. However, the number of cells in P. densiflora was gradually increased. The division of cambial zone in ring-porous wood, such as Quercus mongolica and Robinia pseudoacacia began in the middle of March, before the formation of vessel. The division of cambial zone in diffuse-porous wood, such as Cornus controversa and Prunus sargentii, began in early April, and then the formation of vessels began after one to three weeks. It was considered that the cambial zone in softwood was ceased from the beginning of November, whereas cambial activities in hardwood ceased in the middle of October. Consequently, the formation of growth ring was different among the species, even though the trees were grown under the same conditions.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.95-105
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• 2016

Purpose: This study examined the characteristics differences associated with 1-year continuous smoking abstinence in Korean young adult and middle-aged male workers. Methods: 'Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES)' is an ongoing surveillance system that assesses the health and nutritional status of Koreans. For a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from KNHANES VI-1, this study selected 683 Korean male workers as a subpopulation, who were young adult or middle-aged. The subpopulation was composed of success or failure group of 1-year continuous smoking abstinence. Binomial logistic regression analysis was performed. Results: Success group was more likely to be older, live in urban areas, rate their health status as excellent or good, and have ever been diagnosed with hypertension than failure group. Additionally, Success group was less likely to have used electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), drink more than once a month, and have been exposed to secondhand smoking in workplace within a week. Conclusion: Developing smoking cessation programs requires consideration of resources in rural areas, promoting self-efficacy, restricting e-cigarettes and drinking, and promoting a smoke-free workplace.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.334-345
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• 2001

Purpose : This study purposes to examine the knowledge level and compliance of health behavior in patients with myocardial infarction to develope a cardiac rehabilitation program. Method: The subjects consisted of 72 patients with myocardial infarction, hospitalized at three university-affiliated hospitals. The data were collected by interviewing their subjects using a questionnaire and reviewing the medical records from September 15, 1999 to July 31, 2000. Data were analyzed using the SAS program for Windows version 6.12. Results: 1 The average knowledge score of the patients was 19.7 and the average compliance score was 53.9. 2. Knowledge scores were highest in the items of avoiding overeating and taking medicine at prescribed dosage, and lowest in the item of when to avoid sexual activity. 3. Knowledge level were highest on domains of exercise & daily activities, and risk factors and followed by diet. medication. and nature of disease. 4. Those who had higher education, or were living with a spouse were significantly higher in knowledge score. 5. Compliance score was highest in the item of smoking cessation and lowest in the item of measuring heart rate regularly. 6. Compliance score was highest on domain of smoking cessation and followed by diet, exercise, others, and managing mental stress. 7. Female patients had significantly higher compliance scores of health behavior on domain of diet than male patients. 8. The knowledge score was positively correlated to compliance of health behaviors. Conclusion: According to the above findings, it can be concluded that intensive nursing care and education should be provided to the patients who have lower education or are living without a spouse. Also, nursing intervention should be developed to increase compliance of managing mental stress and doing regular exorcise.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.4973-4977
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• 2012

Introduction: Tobacco use is a global health care problem. Repetitive exposure to nicotine produces neuroadaptation resulting in nicotine dependence. Smoking is associated with a range of diseases, causing high levels of morbidity and mortality and is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths, with more than 4.6 million smokers worldwide dying each year from smoking related illnesses. Stopping smoking has major health benefits. Quitting at any age provides both short and long term benefits. Materials and methods: 45 patients attending the outpatient department at the Oxford Dental College, Bangalore, were randomly allocated to three groups of interventions namely placebo, counseling and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). Initially each one was assessed for carbon monoxide levels using a breath analyser (pico smokerlyser bedfont UK). They were followed up for six months and the carbon monoxide levels were again assessed using the same instrument. The paired t test was used to compare the results before and after the intervention. Results: The scores before the initiation of intervention and after treatment were compared and all three interventions were found to be statistically significant after six months. It was noticed that patients with very low or low dependence followed by high dependence had good response in the placebo group (68% and 47.6% respectively), in the counseling group maximum response was seen in the medium followed by the very low group (61% and 59% respectively), and maximum response was seen in very high followed by the very low group with NRT (78.7% and 60.5% respectively). Conclusion: The inference that can be drawn from the present study is that non-invasive, non pharmacological methods like placebo and counseling are effective in low to medium groups, and NRT is effective with higher nicotine dependence.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.773-783
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• 2020

In order to evaluate the recovery of fishing ground environment after the cessation of aquaculture farming, we examined the variation in sediment quality over time using different geochemical factors and investigated whether these factors are indicators of sediment quality recovery. The study area was an oyster Crassostrea gigas, farm in Tongyeong, Geyongsangnam-do, South Korea, where aquaculture activities had been carried out for 20 years, and the changes in water and sediment environment were monitored for 14 months after the abandonment of the farm. The mean water depth was 14 m, with a tidal range of 3 m, and seawater current velocity ranged from 4.7 to 7.0 cm/s. After the abandonment of the farm, total organic carbon and total nitrogen concentrations in the surface sediments decreased significantly over time compared to those in the control site; in particular, immediately after farm abandonment, acid-volatile sulfide concentrations decreased relatively rapidly. Carbohydrate and protein concentrations in the sediments showed no significant changes; however, lipid concentrations markedly decreased. Further studies on other aquaculture taxa and various aquaculture areas are needed to establish new policies for environmental management of fishing grounds, such as relocation of fishing grounds and determination of optimal fallowing periods.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.197-203
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• 2015

Objective : The potassium disturbance associated with thiopental continuous infusion in neurosurgical patients is well known. However, the effect of propofol continuous infusion on serum potassium levels has not been investigated extensively. Methods : We reviewed the medical records of 60 consecutive patients who received coma therapy or deep sedation for intracranial pressure control using either thiopental or propofol between January 2010 and January 2012. Results : The overall incidence of hypokalemia (K<3.5 mmol/L) was comparable between thiopental and propofol groups (89.2% vs. 82.6%). But, the incidence of moderate to severe hypokalemia (K<3.0 mmol/L) was significantly higher in thiopental group (51.4% vs. 13.0%, p=0.003). The lowest potassium level (2.9 mmol/L vs. 3.2 mmol/L, p=0.020) was lower in thiopental group. The patients in the thiopental group required greater potassium replacement than the propofol group patients (0.08 mmol/kg/h vs. 0.02 mmol/kg/h, p<0.001). On multivariate analysis, thiopental [odds ratio, 95% confidence interval, 7.31 (1.78-27.81); p=0.005] was associated with moderate to severe hypokalemia during continuous infusion. The incidence of rebound hyperkalemia (K>5.0 mmol/L, 32.4% vs. 4.3%, p=0.010) and the peak potassium concentration (4.8 mmol/L vs. 4.2 mmol/L, p=0.037) after the cessation of therapy were higher in thiopental group. On multivariate analysis, thiopental [8.82 (1.00-77.81); p=0.049] and duration of continuous infusion [1.02 (1.00-1.04); p=0.016] were associated with rebound hyperkalemia once therapy was discontinued. Conclusion : Propofol was less frequently associated with moderate to severe hypokalemia after induction and rebound hyperkalemia following the cessation of continuous infusion than thiopental.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.1133-1139
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• 2013

Background: In India, tobacco consumption is responsible for one of the highest rates of oral cancer in the world, the annual oral cancer incidence is steadily increasing among young tobacco users. Studies have documented efforts taken by physicians, doctors and even dentists, in the form of individual or group counseling to curb tobacco use in smoke or smokeless form. However, which one is more effective, still remains an unanswered question. The aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of individual and group counseling for cessation of the tobacco habit amongst industrial workers in Pune and to compare quit rates. Materials and methods: An interventional study design was selected for 150 industrial workers which were stratified randomly into three groups (control, individual and group counseling groups) and interventions were provided to individual and group counseling groups over a period of six months, which were then compared with the control group that received brief intervention at the start of the study. Results: There was significant difference in the quit rates of the participants in the individual counseling group (ICG) and group counseling group (GCG) when compared at 6 months with the control counseling group (CCG). In the individual counseling group was 6% while in group counseling group it was 7.5% after six months of counseling. Conclusions: No conclusion could be drawn whether individual or group counseling were better interms of quit rates. Individual and group counseling groups were definitely better than the control group when compared at 3 and 6 months, respectively.

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.88-97
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of auricular acupressure therapy on decreasing smoking rates, desire for smoking, and exhaled carbon monoxide in male college students. Methods: The quasi-experimental, nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used in this study. The participants (n=56) were assigned to the experimental group (n=29) that received auricular acupressure therapy or the control group (n=27) that received placebo therapy. The therapy was applied for 5 days followed by 1 or 2 days of rest. The therapy was repeated 2 times. To identify the effect of the experimental treatments, assessments of smoking rates, desire for smoking and exhaled carbon monoxide were measured. Data were analyzed using $x^2$ test, Fisher's exact test, t-test and Repeated measure ANOVA with the SPSS version 21.0 program. Results: The experimental group showed significantly lower smoking rates (t=6.60, p<.001), desire for smoking (t=3.37, p=.002) and exhaled carbon monoxide levels (t=6.22, p<.001) after application of the therapy. Significant group${\times}$time interaction effect was found in exhaled carbon monoxide levels between the experimental group and the control group (F=8.73, p=.001). Conclusion: Auricular acupressure therapy was considered to likely be useful as a therapeutic intervention for smoking cessation in male young adults.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.53-59
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was designed to compare the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and silver spike point (SSP) therapy on current perception threshold (CPT) and mechanical pain threshold (MPT). Methods: Forty-five healthy adult male and female subjects were studied. Fourteen of them were males and twenty-one were females. Subject were randomly assigned to receive; (1) TENS (80/120 Hz alternating frequency), (2) SSP (3 Hz), or (3) no treatment (control group). Electric stimulation was applied over LI4 and LI11 on acupuncture points of the left forearm for 30 minutes. CPT and MPT were recorded before and after electrical stimulation. The data were analyzed using linear mixed models, with group treated as a between subject factor and time a within-subject factor. Results: At 30 minutes after cessation of electrical stimulation the CPT of C fibers and A${\delta}$fibers was reduced in the TENS group that of C fibers was reduced in the SSP group (p<0.05). After cessation of electrical stimulation, the MPT of C fibers and A${\delta}$fibers increased in the TENS group, and that of A${\delta}$fibers increased in the SSP group (p<0.05). Conclusion: After TENS and SSP stimulation, MPT of C fibers and A${\delta}$fibers were selectively increased. In particular, the TENS group showed increases in both C and A${\delta}$fibers, while the SSP group showed increases only in A${\delta}$fibers.