• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.339-348
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to predict the economic size of foods-for-elderly market, which will be valuable information for establishing related policy and backup system. After setting the scope of related industry, detailed information for current market situation was investigated and a systematic forecast for market changes in the future was performed. Economic growth, changes in consumer expenditure and economic status of the elderly, current subscription of medical insurance and saving for pension were reflected. In addition, a survey toward related firms was completed and changes in aged population and incidence of chronic disease in the elderly were taken into account. Results show that the annual growth rate of the market was predicted to be the minimum 4.54% through the maximum 8.32% from 2010 to 2025 and its market size was forecasted to be the minimum 7,073 ten million won through the maximum 10,976 ten million won. It is expected that the market of foods-for-elderly will grow rapidly with development of foods technology and fast increase of aged population. Especially, growth of health functional foods and foods for special dietary uses for elderly will be distinguished. However, it seems that related firms are on the hedge, watching current trend of the related industry. This may results in insufficient supply against the demand. Therefore, policy for foods-for-elderly should be introduced and systematically administered, including R&D support, standardization and authentication for foods-for-elderly, construction of related database system.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.235-242
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• 2017

Irisin is a novel hormone like polypeptide that is cleaved and secreted by an unknown protease from fibronectin type III domain-containing protein 5 (FNDC5), a membrane-spanning protein and which is highly expressed in skeletal muscle, heart, adipose tissue, and liver. Since its discovery in 2012, it has been the subject of many researches due to its potent physiological role. It is believed that understanding irisin's function may be the key to comprehend many diseases and their development. Irisin is a myokine that leads to increased energy expenditure by stimulating the 'browning' of white adipose tissue. In the first description of this hormone, increased levels of circulating irisin, which is cleaved from its precursor fibronectin type III domain-containing protein 5, were associated with improved glucose homeostasis by reducing insulin resistance. Irisin is a powerful messenger, sending the signal to determine the function of specific cells, like skeletal muscle, liver, pancreas, heart, fat and the brain. The action of irisin on different targeted tissues or organs in human being has revealed its physiological functions for promoting health or executing the regulation of variety of metabolic diseases. Numerous studies focus on the association of irisin with metabolic diseases which has gained great interest as a potential new target to combat type 2 diabetes mellitus and insulin resistance. Irisin is found to improve insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes by increasing sensitization of the insulin receptor in skeletal muscle and heart by improving hepatic glucose and lipid metabolism, promoting pancreatic ${\beta}$ cell functions, and transforming white adipose tissue to brown adipose tissue. This review is a thoughtful attempt to summarize the current knowledge of irisin and its effective role in mediating metabolic dysfunctions in insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.23
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• pp.10057-10059
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• 2015

Positron emission tomography (PET) as the functional component of current hybrid imaging (like PET/CT or PET/MRI) seems to dominate the horizon of medical imaging in coming decades. $^{18}$Flourodeoxyglucose ($^{18}FDG$) is the most commonly used probe in oncology and also in cardiology and neurology around the globe. However, the major capital cost and exorbitant running expenditure of low to medium energy cyclotrons (about 20 MeV) and radiochemistry units are the seminal reasons of low number of cyclotrons but mushroom growth pattern of PET scanners. This fact and longer half-life of $^{18}F$ (110 minutes) have paved the path of a centralized model in which $^{18}FDG$ is produced by commercial PET radiopharmacies and the finished product (multi-dose vial with tungsten shielding) is dispensed to customers having only PET scanners. This indeed reduced the cost but has limitations of dependence upon timely arrival of daily shipments as delay caused by any reason results in cancellation or rescheduling of the PET procedures. In recent years, industry and academia have taken a step forward by producing low energy, table top cyclotrons with compact and automated radiochemistry units (Lab-on-Chip). This decentralized strategy enables the users to produce on-demand doses of PET probe themselves at reasonably low cost using an automated and user-friendly technology. This technological development would indeed provide a real impetus to the availability of complete set up of PET based molecular imaging at an affordable cost to the developing countries.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.729-739
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• 1994

Riboflavin status of 17 insulin-dependent diabetic mellitus(IDDM) patients in growing period was evaluated as a function of energy intake and expenditure, biochemical nutritional status and diabetic control indicators. Compared with recommended dietary allowances for Koreans(RDA, 1989), only 35.3% of subjects was at good levels of all nutrients intakes and 52.9% of subjects was below normal level of height and weight. Nutrients consumed below RDA levels were energy(=88.5% of subjects), niacin(64.7%), iron(52.9%) and protein(23.5%) respectively. The riboflavin status was within normal range by urinary riboflavin excretion but 17.6% of subjects was evaluated as showed riboflavin deficiency by erythrocyte glutathione reductase activity coefficient(EGRAC). Correlation between riboflavin intake, urinary riboflavin excretion, EGRA level and diabetic duration were not statistically significant. Correlation analyses indicated that EGRA level was inversely correlated with thiamin, niacin and cabohydrate intake. No significant correlations were found between the EGRA and glycosylated hemoglobin A1(HbA1) (r=-0.464, p=0.129). From this study, it is suggested that IDDM subjects need to maintain balanced diet containing nutrients above RDA for individual activity during growing period. It needs more study whether the current recommended riboflavin allowance is adequate for diabetic patients.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.89-101
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• 2005

Obesity is increasing worldwide and has become a major health burden in Western societies affecting every third American and every fifth European. Obesity makes a major contribution to morbidity and mortality, predisposing individuals to cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Many new substances are currently being investigated for their usefulness in the pharmacotherapy of obesity. Most anti-obesity drugs can be divided into four groups: those that reduce food intake; those that alter metabolism; those that increase thermogenesis; and those that regulate hormone involved in feeding behavior. In this article we review these and other agents available in various countries for the treatment of obesity. Perhaps more importantly, we have focussed on areas of potential productivity in the future. Over the last 5 or so years, this impetus in obesity research has provided us with exciting new drugs targets involved in the regulation of feeding behavior and cellular mechanism involved in energy expenditure. Recent development in the quest for control of human obesity include the discovery of hormones, neuropeptides, receptors and transcription factors involved in feeding behavior, metabolic rate and adipocyte development. For developing new, perhaps even more specific pharmacological agents, further research is needed to understand the individual different genetic and physiological basis of obesity. It remains the hope of research scientists that in the not too distant future we shall see a new class of anti-obesity drugs arising logically from the molecular biology revolutions.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.49-57
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• 2021

Purpose: In this study, we try to figure out the appropriate size of commercial districts in the original downtown area through empirical studies targeting the Jinju Central Commercial Area in Gyeongnam and Cheonan Station in Chungnam, which are trying to regenerate a specific space that has been lost through government projects. Research design, data and methodology: The current status and characteristics of the shopping district were examined through on-site surveys of the central business district of Jinju, Gyeongnam Province, and Cheonan Station, Chungnam Province, and the size of the empty stores was determined. In addition, the standard median income was used as the survey data along with the survey of the mobile population in the commercial area. Result: The analysis result shows that 883 stores should be maintained considering the overall expenditure and gross sales profit within Cheonan Station in South Chungcheong Province. Currently, considering spending and margins in the Commercial Area, Jinju Central Commercial Area is a place where 222 stores can be sold excessively, and a proper commercial supply plan is needed. Conclusions: In this study, we conducted a demand prediction study in the commercial sector of the most basic sector to regenerate the commercial sector through major regional commercial districts.

• Communications for Statistical Applications and Methods
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.393-410
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• 2021

The Korean Long-Term Care Insurance (K-LTCI) provides financial support for long-term care service to people who need various types of assistance with daily activities. As the number of elderly people in Korea is expected to increase in the future, the demand for long-term care insurance would also increase over time. Projection of future expenditure on K-LTCI depends on the number of beneficiaries within the grading system of K-LTCI based on the test scores of applicants. This study investigated the suitability of mixture distributions to the model K-LTCI score distribution using recent empirical data on K-LTCI, provided by the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS). Based on the developed mixture models, the number of beneficiaries in each grade and its variability under the current grading system were estimated by simulation. It was observed that a mixture model is suitable for K-LTCI score distribution and may prove useful in devising a funding plan for K-LTCI benefit payment and investigating the effects of any possible revision in the K-LTCI grading system.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.38
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• pp.7-32
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• 1999

Providing the income support program for people under the poverty level has been regarded as the basic obligational role of modern government. The target population of this program should include all the poor who are unable to maintain the minimum health and decency level with their own income. The minimum living cost, however, varies within a country because there are regional differences in consumer price and the mode of living. The current program does not count for the regional differences, leaving a significant portion of Seoul's poor needy people being ineligible for this public care. Recognizing these regional differences, this paper attempts to estimate the minimum living cost in Seoul area, comparing it to the national one. It employs the data and method that the Korea Institute of Health and Social Affairs adopted in its 1994 study, since it has been served as a basis of the current public assistance program. The minimum cost of living in Seoul is estimated to be \887,611 per month for a 4-person household. It is 1.33 times greater than the national monthly minimum of \666,684. Based upon the '94 urban household expenditure survey data, some 5.9 percent of Seoul's population, 636,132 people, are found to be under the Seoul's minimum living level. This number is 5.2 times greater than those 123,304 people who are eligible for the current public assistance program in Seoul.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.141-156
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• 2013

Researchers in welfare services of local government in Korea have rather been on isolated issues as disables, childcare, aging phenomenon, etc. (Kang, 2004; Jung et al., 2009). Lately, local officials, yet, realize that they need more comprehensive welfare services for all residents, not just for above-mentioned focused groups. Still cases dealt with focused group approach have been a main research stream due to various reason(Jung et al., 2009; Lee, 2009; Jang, 2011). Social Security Information System is an information system that comprehensively manages 292 welfare benefits provided by 17 ministries and 40 thousand welfare services provided by 230 local authorities in Korea. The purpose of the system is to improve efficiency of social welfare delivery process. The study of local government expenditure has been on the rise over the last few decades after the restarting the local autonomy, but these studies have limitations on data collection. Measurement of a local government's welfare efforts(spending) has been primarily on expenditures or budget for an individual, set aside for welfare. This practice of using monetary value for an individual as a "proxy value" for welfare effort(spending) is based on the assumption that expenditure is directly linked to welfare efforts(Lee et al., 2007). This expenditure/budget approach commonly uses total welfare amount or percentage figure as dependent variables (Wildavsky, 1985; Lee et al., 2007; Kang, 2000). However, current practice of using actual amount being used or percentage figure as a dependent variable may have some limitation; since budget or expenditure is greatly influenced by the total budget of a local government, relying on such monetary value may create inflate or deflate the true "welfare effort" (Jang, 2012). In addition, government budget usually contain a large amount of administrative cost, i.e., salary, for local officials, which is highly unrelated to the actual welfare expenditure (Jang, 2011). This paper used local government welfare service data from the detailed data sets linked to the Social Security Information System. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the factors that affect social welfare spending of 230 local authorities in 2012. The paper applied multiple regression based model to analyze the pooled financial data from the system. Based on the regression analysis, the following factors affecting self-funded welfare spending were identified. In our research model, we use the welfare budget/total budget(%) of a local government as a true measurement for a local government's welfare effort(spending). Doing so, we exclude central government subsidies or support being used for local welfare service. It is because central government welfare support does not truly reflect the welfare efforts(spending) of a local. The dependent variable of this paper is the volume of the welfare spending and the independent variables of the model are comprised of three categories, in terms of socio-demographic perspectives, the local economy and the financial capacity of local government. This paper categorized local authorities into 3 groups, districts, and cities and suburb areas. The model used a dummy variable as the control variable (local political factor). This paper demonstrated that the volume of the welfare spending for the welfare services is commonly influenced by the ratio of welfare budget to total local budget, the population of infants, self-reliance ratio and the level of unemployment factor. Interestingly, the influential factors are different by the size of local government. Analysis of determinants of local government self-welfare spending, we found a significant effect of local Gov. Finance characteristic in degree of the local government's financial independence, financial independence rate, rate of social welfare budget, and regional economic in opening-to-application ratio, and sociology of population in rate of infants. The result means that local authorities should have differentiated welfare strategies according to their conditions and circumstances. There is a meaning that this paper has successfully proven the significant factors influencing welfare spending of local government in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.227-248
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• 1990

The study was conceived in relation to a concern over the growing gap between the needs of chronic patients and the availability of care from the current health care system in Korea. Patients with agonizing chronic pain, discomfort, despair and disability are left with helplessly unprepared families with little help from the acute care oriented health care system after discharge from hospital. There is a great need for the development of an alternative means of quality care that is economically feasible and culturally adaptible to our society. Thus, the study was designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of home heath care as an alternative to bridge the existing gap between the patients' needs and the current practice of health care. The study specifically purports to test the effects of home care on health expenditure, readmission, job retention, compliance to health care regime, general conditions, complications, and self-care knowledge and practices. The study was guided by the operations research method advocated by the Primary Health Care Operations Research Institute(PRICOR) which constitutes 3 stages of research : namely, problem analysis solution development, and solution validation. The first step in the operations research was field preparation to develop the necessary consensus and cooperation. This was done through the formation of a consulting body at the hospital and a steering committee among the researchers. For the stage of problem analysis, the Annual Report of Seoul National University Hospital and the patients records for last 5 years were reviewed and selective patient interviews were conducted to find out the magnitude of chronic health problems and areas of unmect health care needs to finally decide on the kinds of health problems to study. On the basis of problem analysis, the solution development stage was devoted to home care program development asa solution alternative. Assessment tools, teaching guidelines and care protocols were developed and tested for their validity. The final stage was the stage of experimentation and evaluation. Patients with liver diseases, hemiplegic and diabetic conditions were selected as study samples. Discharge evaluation, follow up home care, measurement and evaluation were carried out according to the protocols of care and measurement plan for each patient for the period of 6 months after discharge. The study was carried out for the period from Jan. 1987 to Dec. 1989. The following are the results of the study presented according to the hypotheses set forth for the study ; 1. Total expenditures for the period of study were not reduced for the experimental group, however, since the cost per hospital visit is about 4 times as great as the cost per home visit, the effect of cost saving by home care will become a reality as home care replaces part of the hospital visits. 2. The effect on the rate of readmission and job retention was found to be statistically nonsignificant though the number of readmission was less among the experimental group receiving home care. 3. The effect on compliance to the health care regime was found to be statistically significant at the 5% level for hepatopathic and diabetic patients. 4. Education on diet, rest and excise, and medication through home care had an effect on improved liver function test scores, prevention of complications and self - care knowledge in hepatopathic patients at a statistically significant level. 5. In hemiplegic patient, home care had an effect on increased grasping power at a significant level. However. there was no significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the level of compliane, prevention of complications or in self-care practices. 6. In diabetic patients, there was no difference between the experimental and control groups in scores of laboratory tests, appearance of complications, and self-care knowledge or self -care practices. The above findings indicate that a home care program instituted for such short term as 6 months period could not totally demonstrate its effectiveness at a statistically significant level by quantitative analysis however, what was shown in part in this analysis, and in the continuous consultation sought by those who had been in the experimental group, is that home health care has a great potential in retarding or preventing pathological progress, facilitating rehabilitative and productive life, and improving quality of life by adding comfort, confidence and strength to patients and their families. For the further studies of this kind with chronic patients it is recommended that a sample of newly diagnosed patients be followed up for a longer period of time with more frequent observations to demonstrate a more dear- cut picture of the effectiveness of home care.