• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.6 s.81
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• pp.515-522
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• 2003

Pharynx is a system transporting foods by peristaltic motion(contraction and expansion movement! into the esophagus and functioning as airway passages. In this study, structural changes of pharyngeal dysfunction are analyzed by biomechanical model using CT and FEM(finite clement method). Loading condition was assumed that equal pressure was loaded sequentially to inside of pharyngeal tissue. In order to analyze the pharyngeal muscular dysfunction by biomechanical model. the pharyngeal dysfunctions was classified into 3 cases. Taking into account the clinical complication by neuromuscular symptoms such as pharyngeal dysfunction after stroke. we assumed that a change of material property is caused by muscular tissue stiffness. A deformation of cross sectional area of the pharynx is analyzed increasing the stiffness $25\%,\;50\%,\;75\%$ in each case on the basis of stress-strain relationship. Based on three-dimensional reconstruction of pharyngeal structure using limited factor - techniques and the optimization procedure by means of inverse dynamic approach. the biomechanical model of the human pharynx is implemented. The results may be used as clinical index illustrating the degree of pharyngeal muscular dysfunction. This study may be used as useful diagnostic model in discovering early deglutitory impediment caused by physiological or pathological pharyngeal dysfunction.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.237-246
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• 2009

This study was carried out to investigate of the associations of Alcoholic & Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(AFLD & NAFLD) with metabolic syndrome(MS) defined by IDF criteria. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 799 adult males with alcohol consumption underwent laboratory investigation(control 297, alcoholic 206, nonalcoholic 296). The ultrasound scan of the liver was performed to determine the presence and the severity of FLD. We analyzed the association between the severity of AFLD & NAFLD and MS by logistic regression analysis. The distribution of metabolic syndrome was 7.4%, 48.8%, 34.9% in control, AFLD & NAFLD. The association of blood pressure, glucose, triglycerides, obesity were risk factor in AFLD & NAFLD. According to the severity of FLD, AFLD was significantly increased with MS, Obesity, low HDL-cholesterol. MS, High triglycerides was increased significantly in NAFLD(p<0.05). The prevalence of AFLD & NAFLD was increased with increasing the number of features of metabolic syndrome. This study shows that AFLD & NAFLD was closely associated with MS and its components. The patients of AFLD & NAFLD should managed and monitored to prevent metabolic abnormalities.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.72-82
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• 2021

Purpose: A high anion gap (AG) is known to be a significant risk factor for serious acid-base imbalances and death in acute poisoning cases. The strong ion difference (SID), or strong ion gap (SIG), has recently been used to predict in-hospital mortality or acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome. This study presents a comprehensive acid-base analysis in order to identify the predictive value of the SIG for disease severity in severe poisoning. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on acute poisoning patients treated in the emergency intensive care unit (ICU) between December 2015 and November 2020. Initial serum electrolytes, base deficit (BD), AG, SIG, and laboratory parameters were concurrently measured upon hospital arrival and were subsequently used along with Stewart's approach to acid-base analysis to predict AKI development and in-hospital death. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and logistic regression analysis were used as statistical tests. Results: Overall, 343 patients who were treated in the intensive care unit were enrolled. The initial levels of lactate, AG, and BD were significantly higher in the AKI group (n=62). Both effective SID [SIDe] (20.3 vs. 26.4 mEq/L, p<0.001) and SIG (20.2 vs. 16.5 mEq/L, p<0.001) were significantly higher in the AKI group; however, the AUC of serum SIDe was 0.842 (95% confidence interval [CI]=0.799-0.879). Serum SIDe had a higher predictive capacity for AKI than initial creatinine (AUC=0.796, 95% CI=0.749-0.837), BD (AUC=0.761, 95% CI=0.712-0.805), and AG (AUC=0.660, 95% CI=0.607-0.711). Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that diabetes, lactic acidosis, high SIG, and low SIDe were significant risk factors for in-hospital mortality. Conclusion: Initial SIDe and SIG were identified as useful predictors of AKI and in-hospital mortality in intoxicated patients who were critically ill. Further research is necessary to evaluate the physiological nature of the toxicant or unmeasured anions in such patients.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.136-143
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• 2021

Objectives : The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak is a global medical crisis imposing particular burden on public sector employees. The aim of this study was to investigate the psychiatric distress among public sector workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods : We conducted a cross-sectional study with 531 public sector workers in Gwangmyung city who completed Korean versions of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Impact of Event Scale-Revised-Korean (IES-R-K). Results : The results revealed more than moderate levels of stress (85.2%), depressive symptoms (22.2%), and posttraumatic stress symptoms (38.8%). PSS total score was significantly correlated with PHQ-9, IES-R-K total scores as well as IES-R-K subscale scores. Total scores on the PSS, PHQ-9, and IES-R-K were all inversely correlated with age. Conclusions : COVID-19-related workers experience considerable stress and depressive symptoms, with self-rated stress correlating significantly with depression scores. Age may serve as a protective factor against occupational stress and burnout. These findings highlight the need for adequate psychiatric screening and intervention for public sector workers.

• Korea Real Estate Review
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.91-104
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• 2018

In this study, the occurrence and degree of herding behavior as a market participant behavior in a housing market were analyzed. For the analysis method, the actual sales price was applied in the CSAD (Cross-sectional Absolute Deviation) model, which has been used the most of late for herding behavior analysis. For the analysis contents, these were subdivided into region, elapsed year, size, and market condition to analyze the regionality and the internal and external factors. For the study results, first, there was no herding behavior in the entire region of Seoul. By region, herding behavior occurred in the downtown, southeast, and northwest regions, which coincided with the results of the precedent study (Ngene et al., 2017). Second, in the market analysis by elapsed year, herding behavior was captured in dilapidated dwellings. By size, herding behavior was observed in small-scale ($60m^2$ or less) apartments and in $85m^2$ or higher and less than $102m^2$ national housing units. Third, during the time of the global financial crisis, herding behavior was not observed in all the regions, whereas when the market situations were in a boom cycle, it was observed in the northwest region. These results suggest that there is a difference from the stock market, where in a period of recession, herding behavior occurs intensively with the expanding fear of incurring losses. This study is significant in that it analyzed the market participant behaviors in the behavioral economic aspects to better understand the abnormal phenomenon in a housing market, and in that it additionally provides a psychological factor - market participant behavior - in market analysis.

• 한국노년학
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.837-851
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• 2018

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between frailty and health care utilization in a cross-sectional design of a population-based sample of community-dwelling older adults. We used the data of 516 participants who dwell in Daejon, aged between 65 and 84 years old. Using K-frailty index, frailty status were measured and categorized as three groups: robust, prefrail, and frail. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine if frailty affects emergency department(ED) visit or hospitalization. In addition, negative binomial regression was used to examine the association between outpatient visits and frailty. Our results showed that the frail elderly increased the ED visit and the number of outpatient visit significantly after controlling for demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, the number of chronic diseases, and self-rated health status. Considering that frailty is an important independent factor affecting health care utilization, more attention is required to prevent the frailty in our health care system.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.115-121
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• 2019

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate prevalence of psychiatric symptoms and determine predictors of emotional distress of military hospital surgical patients. Methods : This study examined 104 orthopedic patients admitted to the Armed Forces Military Hospital September-November 2018. For the study, every subject completed self-assessment inventories regarding depressive and anxiety symptoms (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), sleep problems (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), problematic alcohol and tobacco use (Cut off, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener screening), and psychiatric history. We performed the Student's t-test and the chi-square test for the collected data to investigate the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms, including emotional distress. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the risk factors related to emotional distress of hospitalized military personnel. Results : There were no significant differences in socio-demographic and psychiatric symptoms between soldiers and officers. The prevalence of depressive and/or anxiety symptoms (emotional distress) was 21.2% (n=21). In the logistic regression analysis, psychiatric history [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR)=18.99 ; 95% Confidence Interval (CI)=1.42-253.57 ; p=0.026] and low military life satisfaction (AOR=15.67; 95% CI=1.46-168.11 ; p=0.023) correlated with emotional distress. Conclusion : Soldiers admitted to the military hospital showed similar prevalence of emotional distress as those at general hospitals. Considering military circumstances, it is necessary to detect and intervene regarding soldiers with a psychiatric history and low military life satisfaction to promote mental health at military hospitals.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.347-359
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• 2018

Purpose: Periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) share a similar inflammatory pathogenesis. Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) can induce anticyclic-citrullinated peptide autoantibodies (anti-CCP antibodies), a key factor in the development of RA. This study aimed at evaluating the relationships between the 2 diseases and identifying the clinical implications thereof, with a focus on periodontal pathogens in Korean adults. Methods: A total of 260 RA patients and 86 age- and sex-matched control patients without arthritis were enrolled in this prospective cross-sectional study. Periodontal indices and the prevalence and amount of periodontal pathogens were compared between the groups. Correlations between periodontal and RA indices were examined, as were correlations between 9 periodontal pathogens and RA indices. Results: The RA group had significantly higher values than the control group for all investigated periodontal indices (P<0.05) except the number of teeth. The gingival index (GI) was correlated with the disease activity score 28 (DAS28) (r=0.125, P=0.049), RA disease duration (r=0.253, P<0.001), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (r=0.162, P=0.010), and anti-CCP antibody titer (r=0.205, P=0.004). Probing pocket depth (PPD) was correlated with ESR (r=0.139, P=0.027) and anti-Pg antibody titer (r=0.203, P=0.001). Bleeding on probing (BOP) was correlated with DAS28 (r=0.137, P=0.030), RA disease duration (r=0.202, P=0.001), ESR (r=0.136, P=0.030), anti-Pg antibody titer (r=0.177, P=0.005), and anti-CCP antibody titer (r=0.188, P=0.007). Clinical attachment level (CAL) and periodontitis severity were correlated with anti-Pg antibody titer (the former r=0.201, P=0.002; the latter r=0.175, P=0.006). The quantity of Pg was positively correlated with the serum anti-Pg antibody titer (r=0.148, P=0.020). Conclusions: The GI, BOP, and PPD showed positive relationships with several RA indices. The anti-Pg antibody titer had positive relationships with PPD, BOP, CAL, and periodontitis severity. Thus, increasing values of periodontal indices could be used as a risk indicator of disease development in RA patients, and an increasing anti-Pg antibody titer could be considered as a warning sign in RA patients suffering with periodontitis.

• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.189-208
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of education service quality (quality of professor service, quality of curriculum service) on career decision-making, self-efficacy, career decision level, and career preparation behavior. Appropriate measures were developed and tested on 426 respondents of Gyeongnam province in South Korea with a cross-sectional questionnaire survey. To ensure the reliability and validity of the questionnaire, frequency analysis, reliability analysis, and validity analysis were conducted. To ensure the reliability and validity of the measurement model, the CFA(confirmatory factor anlaysis) were conducted. The SEM(structural equation modeling) analysis was undertaken to perform the path analysis among the variables and to assess the suitability of the model. MCFA(multi group CFA) and MSEM(multi group SEM) were performed to confirm the moderation effect. Results of the study are summarized as follows: Firstly, education service quality has positive effects on career decision-making self-efficacy. Second, career decision-making self-efficacy has positive effects on career decision level and career reparation behavior. Third, career decision level has positive effects on career reparation behavior. Finally, it was found there exists a moderating effect of freshman/registered student between education service quality, career decision-making self-efficacy, career decision level, career preparation behavior. As a result of this study, it is suggested that investigation of extraneous variables which help to improve career preparation behavior and career decision level as for career of university student will contribute to university education.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.23-31
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• 2021

Objectives: Frailty and sarcopenia are recent important concepts in elder health care. Sarcopenia is the most important factor influencing frailty, and exercise and nutritional status are known to affect sarcopenia. The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between nutritional status, sarcopenia, and frailty. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional design. The subjects of this study were 411 elderly people aged 65 or older from 10 villages in Gyeongnam. The survey tools were the K-FRAIL for frailty, the GDS-SF for depression, the SARC-F questionnaire for sarcopenia, and the DETERMINE for nutritional status. Frequency analysis, the chi-square test, and multiple logistic regression analysis were performed using the SPSS 25.0 program. Results: As a result of the chi-square test, there was a significant difference in the nutritional status and the frailty proportion (p<0.001), and there was a significant difference between frailty and suspected sarcopenia (p<0.001). After adjustment, nutritional status was significantly associated with sarcopenia (OR=2.946, p<0.001). In addition, nutritional status was significantly associated with frailty (OR=2.958, p<0.001), and sarcopenia also had a significant effect on frailty (OR=5.898, p<0.001). Finally, even after including sarcopenia, nutritional status had a significant effect on frailty (OR=2.246, p=0.002). Conclusions: Nutritional status can have both a direct effect on frailty and an indirect effect through sarcopenia, and it was found that sarcopenia also affects frailty. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate sarcopenia and nutritional status and to evaluate their levels in the elderly and to take appropriate interventions.