• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.27-36
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• 2013

Objectives: Mental health has been shown to be linked with certain underlying physiological mechanisms. The objective of this cross sectional study was to investigate the relationship between depressive symptoms and brachial artery reactivity (BAR) in an understudied population: police officers. Methods: Participants were 351 police officers who were clinically examined in the Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Police Stress (BCOPS) study. BAR was performed using standard B-Mode ultrasound procedures. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) scale. Mean values of the difference between the baseline and maximum diameters of the brachial artery were determined across three categories of CES-D score using the analysis of variance and the analysis of covariance. p-values for linear trends were obtained from linear regression models. Results: The mean age (${\pm}$ standard deviation) of all officers was $40.9{\pm}7.2$ years. Women had a slightly higher mean CES-D score than men ($8.9{\pm}8.9$ vs. $7.4{\pm}6.4$) and a slightly higher percentage increase of BAR than men (6.90 vs. 5.26%). Smoking status significantly modified the associations between depressive symptoms and BAR. Among current smokers, mean absolute values of BAR significantly decreased as depressive symptoms increased after adjustment for age, gender, race/ethnicity, hypertension, and diabetes; the multivariate-adjusted p-values were 0.033 (absolute) and 0.040 (%). Associations between depressive symptoms and BAR were not statistically significant among former smokers or never smokers. Conclusion: Depressive symptoms were inversely associated with BAR among police officers who were current smokers and together may be considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease among police officers. Further prospective research is warranted.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.23-34
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• 2012

As the quality of life grows, the role of cultural facilities in urban areas is becoming more important. However, due to various reasons, the location of these facilities shows the geographical imbalance between urban regions. Even though provision of road network can improve this kind of urban problem, in many countries, the provision of urban infrastructure plays a role which is magnifies the cultural gap between regions and socio-economic classes. The findings of this study are as follows. First of all, the inequality of accessibility to cultural facilities is shown over the period. Cross-sectional data shows that the higher the income of a region, the higher the accessibility index(AI) of the zone to cultural facilities at any time. Next, the provision of road network contributes the improvement of AI of high income region. Finally the provision of new facilities has a tendency that these kind of facilities are located to make AI of high income zone better. It means that the decision making by city government intensifies the geographical inequality. This result would be very useful in the decision making process for determining the number and the location of cultural facilities and other similar urban infrastructure as well. Also it will be helpful for the selection of optimal location which considered not only physical distances but also social equalities.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.33-61
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• 2015

The global economy is rapidly changing by technological innovation and diffusion of knowledge across nations. Therefore it is still important issue to find a major variables for convergence and divergence of economic development. The studies up to present on the relationship between innovation and institution has limitations that they have dealt with this issue only in term of cross-sectional study or mathematical research models. This paper aims at analyzing the impact of innovation capabilities and institutional quality on the economic growth. Empirically this paper will explore the relationship among human capital capacity and FDI, R&D expenditures and innovation capabilities and institutional quality. This paper analyzes 64 countries, which were divided into 4 groups depending on the level of economic development. Based on the data from 1995 to 2011 and by using a panel model, we look at the structural implications of the research questions. According to our analysis, the weight of R&D and the innovation capabilities were identified as important determinants of economic growth, and FDI was significant factor for economic growth in the upper middle group countries. In case of the innovation capabilities of countries, the diffusion and openness of innovation were most meaningful variables for economic growth. Also, institutional quality has a significantly positive impact. However, in the low-level economic group, innovation capabilities and institutions have a negative impact on economic growth. This paper identifies an important policy implications that of national innovation and institutional factors should be properly invested in accordance with the level of a country's economic growth.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.255-270
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that influence the consumption of convenience foods among Korean adolescents. Methods: This study had a descriptive cross-sectional study. Data were obtained from the 15th (2019) Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey, which involved a nationwide representative sample of 57,303 middle- and high-school students. Convenience-food consumption was defined by frequency of adolescents consuming convenience foods obtained from convenience stores, supermarkets, and cafeterias over the previous 7 days. The analyzed variables were related to sociodemographic, mental health, and health behavior. The Rao-Scott χ² test was applied to examine the difference in the rate of consuming convenience foods obtained from convenience stores according to each factor. Hierarchical logistic regression was conducted to examine the factors that influence convenience-food consumption among Korean adolescents. Results: It was found that 29.1% of Korean adolescents consumed convenience foods obtained from convenience store more than three times per week. The significant influencing factors were female sex; low subjective academic achievement, and subjective household economic status; high perceived stress; low subjective sleep sufficiency; experience of depression; suicidal ideation; lower physical activity; skipping breakfast; lower consumptions of fruit, milk, and vegetables; higher consumptions of soda drinks, sweet drinks, caffeine, and fast food; lower water intake; current smoking and drinking; drug use; and experience of violence. Conclusion: These findings provide a better understanding of the sociodemographic, mental-health, and health-behavior factors that influence the consumption of convenience foods among Korean adolescents. We suggest that differentiated policies, strategies, and nutrition education need to be developed and implemented, in order to address the above-mentioned factors and thereby reduce such behaviors among Korean adolescents.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.30-39
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• 2016

The evaluation of the lateral load performance for larch glulam portal frames was carried out using glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) as connector in two different systems: the GFRP-reinforced laminated plates combined with veneer, and GFRP rod joints glued with epoxy resins to replace usual metal connectors for the structural glulam rahmen joints. As a result the yield strength, ultimate strength, initial stiffness of glulams of GFRP rod joints glued with epoxy resin decreased to 49%, 52% and 61% compared to those of the conventional metal connector. This connector will be a stress device where the bonding strength between the GFRP rod and glued laminated timber is important. Thus, there will be a high possibility that a problem may occur when it is applied to the field. On the other hand, the GFRP-reinforced laminated plates and wood (Eucalyptus marginata) pin were measured all within 3% for all measurements of the yield strength, ultimate strength, initial strength and ductility factor, regardless of high cross sectional loss on the glued laminated timber slit joint. In addition, the variation of stiffness on the cycle was 35%, which was the lowest, confirming that it was almost the same performance as the specimen prepared with the metal connector.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.160-172
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• 1989

This research was done to clarify the factors related to sexual satifaction in women who have had a hysterectomy, and to idenify which factors had statistically significant influence of sexual satisfaction of the subjacts. The objective of this study was to identify the variables related to sexual adaptation which might be changed by nursing intervention. This was a cross-sectional descriptive correlation study. There were 230 subjects in the study, and they were selected by a convenient sampling method. The tool. for this study was developed by the researcher through modification of the Dergatis Sexual Function Inventory(DSFI). A pilot study was done to determine the necessary modifications. Data collection was done between Sept. 1987 and Du. 1987 using a mailed questionnaire. The characteristics of the subjects were as follows : The mean age of the subjects was 42.3 years and 204(87.4%) of the subjects had nine or more years of education. The mean income of the subjects was 85.8870 won / month, and 179(77%) of them were housewives. The mean number of pregnancies and children were 4.9 and 2.5 respectively. Oophorectomies were included in the surgery for 66(28.7%) of the subjects. Only 12(5.2%) were planning to have more children. Only 88(38.3%) of the subjects had received information prior to the surgery regarding health problems related to the operation and less than half, 111 (48.3%), had received this kind of information before discharge. Lay persons were the source of information about the post-operation status for 196 (85.2%) of the subjects, but the content of the information did not significantly influence the sexual satisfaction score. Only 16(7.0%) of the subjects said they regretted having a hysterctomy while 102(44.3%) said they were pleased to have had a hysterectomy. Ninety (39.1 %) of the subjects reported that their husbands had “stress” and 164(71.3%) of the subjects reported “stress”. The results of this study are summarized as follows : 1. The mean score for sexual satisfaction of the subjects was 34.24 with a possible maximum score of 50.00. Eighty two(35.8%) were responded that they were satisfied with their sexual life but 61 (26.5%) were responded that they were dissatisfied with their sexual life 2. The following 15 factors extracted from the results of the data analysis were significantly related to sexual satisfaction(p＜.05) ; support of husband, body image, emotion, knowledge of sex, menopausal symptoms, sexual behavior, the feelings the subjects had about the hysterectomy, stress for both subject and husband, the number of children, health information given before operation, job, age, level of education and income. The five most important factors influencing sexual satisfaction were identified by using stepwise multiple regression analysis. The most important factor was support of husband, which explained 17.83% of the total variance. The remaining factors in order of significance were : Knowledge of sex, income, job, and emotional status. Those five factors explained 35.16% of the sexual satisfaction. In conclusion, for the care of women who are going to be discharged from hospital after having had a hysterctomy, nurses have to work with the husbands to help them to understand the importance of their support. Nurses also need to make sure that the subjects have an adequeate knowledge of sexual life after a hysterectomy. Also nursing interventions should focus on subjects who do not have a job, who are of low economic status, and the subjects who are under the unpleasant mood.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.20-28
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• 2014

The high velocity oxygen fuel spraying (HVOF) is a kind of surface modification process technology to form the sprayed coating layer after spraying the powder to molten or semi-molten state by the ultra-high speed at the high-temperature heat source and conflicting with a substrate. It is desirable to melt completely the thermal spray powder in order to produce the coating layer with an optimal adhesion, however, because a semi-molten powder in a spray process has the low efficiency and become a factor that degrades the mechanical property by the inducement of pore-forming within the coating layer. To improve the wear resistance, corrosion resistance and heat resistance, in this study, the plungers of high-speed and ultra-high pressure reciprocating hydraulic pumps for oil and water used in ironwork are produced with $420J_2$ and the coating layers of plungers are formed by the powders of WC-Co-Cr and WC-Cr-Ni including the high hardness WC. The surface of these plungers is modified by the super-mirror face grinding machine using variable air pressure developed in this laboratory, and then the characteristics of cross-sectional microstructure, and surface roughness and hardness values between no operation and 100 days-operation are examined and made a comparison. The fine tops and bottoms on surface roughness curve of oil-hydraulic pump plunger sprayed by WC-Cr-Ni are molded more and higher than those of water-hydraulic pump sprayed by WC-Co-Cr because the plunger diameter of oil-hydraulic pump is 0.4 times smaller than that of water-hydraulic pump and the pressure of oil-hydraulic pump exerted on the plunger is operated with the 70 bars higher than that of water-hydraulic pump. As a result, it is found that the values of centerline average surface roughness and maximum height for oil-hydraulic pump plunger are bigger than those of water-hydraulic pump plunger.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.583-598
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• 2020

Objective: The aims of this study were to analyze deficiency-excess pattern identification and to compare the blood cytokines in patients with asthma. Methods: A total of 112 patients with asthma who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were divided into deficiency syndrome and excess syndrome groups. Blood was examined for eotaxin, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-13, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. The Quality of Life Questionnaire for Adult Korean Asthmatics (QLQAKA), a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and heart rate variability (HRV) tests were administered to both groups. Results: Pattern identification divided the 112 patients into two categories: a deficiency syndrome group (N=52) and an excess syndrome group (N=60). Analysis of blood cytokines showed higher levels of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 in the deficient pattern than in the excess pattern group, but the difference was not statistically significant. Analysis of the HRV revealed a significantly higher mean value for the very-low-frequency (VLF) and high-frequency (HF) bands in the deficiency than in the excess syndrome group. The morbidity duration was longer in the deficiency than in the excess syndrome group, but the difference was not statistically significant. Analysis of the QLQAKA and VAS scores showed a negative correlation, whereas BMI and VAS showed a positive correlation. Conclusions: Levels of blood cytokines, including eotaxin, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-13, and TNF-α, did not differ statistically between the deficiency and excess syndrome groups. The development of a more accurate asthma-specific pattern identification tool would be useful in asthma control.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.457-463
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• 2020

Purpose: To analyze risk factors and various nutrients associated with stunting among children aged 6-60 months. Methods: This is a case-control and cross-sectional study between 40 stunting cases and 40 controls. Data on possible risk factors associated with stunting were obtained through direct interviews and using a questionnaire. Examination of vitamin D, zinc, albumin, and ferritin levels was performed on both groups. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 23.0 (IBM Co., Armonk, NY, USA) to determine risk factors for stunting and to assess the relationship between nutritional levels and stunting. Results: The incidence of stunting was highest in children aged 12-36 months. Children with low weight and very low weight for age comprised of 55% and 22.5%, respectively, of the study participants. The highest mother's educational level was junior high school (40%). History of low birth weight (LBW) was more commonly observed in the stunting group than that in the control group (25.0% and 7.5%, respectively; p=0.034, odds ratio, 0.310 [95% confidence interval, 0.122-0.789]). Approximately 7.5% of cases had premature birth. Exclusive breast feeding was found to be not correlated with stunting. The mean zinc level in the stunting group was 34.17 ng/mL, which was different from that in the control group (50.83 ng/mL) (p=0.023). Blood ferritin, vitamin D, albumin, and calcium levels were not strongly correlated with stunting. Conclusion: LBW is the main risk factor contributing to stunting and is strongly associated with low zinc level.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.31 no.1 s.60
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• pp.59-71
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• 1998

To examine the association of hypertension with cluster of obesity, abnormal glucose and dyslipidemia in Korean urban population, we conducted this cross-sectional study among 3027 men and 2127 women age 20-85 years who visited a prevention center between May 1991 and June 1995 for a multiphasic health check at St. Mary's Hospital, Seoul. By the self-administered questionnaire, the informations of educational attainments, monthly income, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, and physical excercise level were obtained. Height, weight, and blood pressure were measured by a trained nurse. The fasting blood sugar (FBS), total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and triglyceride were tested by enzyme method. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol was calculated by 'total cholesterol - HDL cholesterol - triglyceride/5'. For testing the differences of cardiovascular risk factors between hypertension and normotension group, 1-test and $\chi^2$-test were performed. For the age adjusted odds ratios of hypertension in persons with obesity, abnormal glucose, and dyslipidemia compared with normal, logistic regression was performed by using SAS pakageprograme. The results obtained were as follows: 1. Age, weight, body mass index(BMI), blood glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride of hypertension group in men and women were significantly higher than normotension group, but height and HDL cholesterol of hypertension group only in women significantly lower than normotension group. The frequency of obesity $(BMI\geq25kg/m^2)$, abnormal glucose $(\geq\;120mg/dl)$, hypercholesterolemia $(\geq\;240mg/dl)$, lower HDL cholesterol (<45 mg/dl in women only), higher LDL cholesterol $(\geq\;160mg/dl)$, and hyper hypertriglyceridemia $(\geq\;250mg/dl)$ in hypertension group of men and women were significantly higher than normotension group. 2. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were negatively correlated with hight, but positively with age, weight, BMI, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride in men and women. BMI was positively correlated with fasting blood sugar, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride but negatively with HDL cholesterol. 3. The age adjusted odds ratios of hypertension were as follows in men and women : among persons who were obese compared with those nonobese, 2.53 (95% Confidence Intervals [C.I.] 2.08-3.07) and 2.22 (95%C.I. 1.71-2.87): among persons who were abnormal glucose compared with those normoglycemic, 1.43 (95%C.I 1.13-1.82) and 2.01 (95%C.I 1.36-2.94): and among persons who were dyslipidemia (hypercholesterolemia or lower HDL cholesterol or higher LDL cholesterol or hypertriglyceridemia) compared with those normal lipid, 1.59 (95%C.I 1.30-1.95) and 1.51 (95%C.I 1.16-1.96). After combined more than one risk factor, the odds ratios were increased. Among persons with cluster of obesity, abnormal glucose, and dyslipidemia, the odds ratio of hypertension was 2.25 (95%C.I 1.47-3.37) in men and 3.02 (95%C.I 1.71-5.30) in women. In conclusion, it was suggested that hypertension was associated with cluster of obesity, abnormal glucose, dyslipidemia in this Korean urban population.