• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.85-95
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• 2024

Background: In Korea, riparian zones and some floodplains have been converted into agricultural fields and urban areas. However, there are essential for maintaining biodiversity, as they are important ecological spaces. There are also very important spaces for humanity, as they perform various ecosystem services in a changing environment including climate change. Due to the importance of rivers, river restoration projects have been promoted for a long time, but their achievement has been insignificant. Development should be pursued by thoroughly evaluating the success of the restoration project. Ecological restoration is to accelerate succession, a process that a disturbed ecosystem recovers itself, with human assistance. Ecological restoration can be a test bed for testing ecological theories in the field. In this respect, ecological restoration should go beyond a 'simple landscaping exercise' and apply ecological models and theories in restoration practice. Results: The cross-section of the restored stream is far from natural rivers due to its steep slope and artificial material. The vegetation profiles of the restored streams did not reflect the flooding regime of the river. The species composition of the vegetation in the restored stream showed a significant difference from that of the reference stream, and was also different from that of an unrestored urban stream. Although species richness was high and the proportion of exotic species was low in the restored stream, the effect was offset by the high proportion of gardening and landscaping plants or obligate terrestrial plants. Conclusions: Based on both the morphological and ecological characteristics of the river, the restoration effect in the restored stream was evaluated to be very low. In order to solve the problems, a systematic adaptive management plan is urgently required. Furthermore, it is necessary to institutionalize the evaluation of restoration effects for the development of river restoration projects in the future.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.251-264
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• 2024

This study identified the structural impact relationships, mediated by information reliability and brand authenticity, of different types of environmental messages from the perspective of luxury fashion brands, leading to formation of brand attitudes. Additionally, the study investigated how the impact of message sidedness on the formation of information reliability and brand authenticity varies according to consumers' regulatory focus tendencies. Data were collected through online surveys targeting individuals from Generation MZ, utilizing a professional research firm. A total of 300 respondents (150 for one-sided scenarios and 150 for two-sided scenarios) were selected. The collected data were validated using SPSS and AMOS. The following results were obtained. First, message sidedness influenced information reliability and brand authenticity, both of which demonstrated positive effects on brand attitude as mediating factors. However, message sidedness did not directly affect brand attitude. Second, consumers with both promotion and prevention focus tendencies perceived higher information reliability in two-sided message scenarios, and the perception difference in information reliability based on message sidedness was more pronounced among consumers with a prevention focus. Additionally, consumers with a prevention focus did not show a significant difference in brand authenticity between one- and two-sided message scenarios, while consumers with a promotion focus demonstrated an increase in brand authenticity in two-sided message scenarios compared to one-sided ones.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.212-221
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• 2024

Objectives: Metabolic disease is strongly associated with future insulin resistance, and its prevalence is increasing worldwide. Thus, identifying early biomarkers of metabolic-related disease based on serum profiling is useful to control future metabolic disease. Our study aimed to assess the association of serum branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) and aromatic amino acids (AAAs) ratio and metabolic disease according to body mass index (BMI) status among Korean adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 78 adults aged 20-59 years in Korea. We compared serum amino acid (AA) levels between adults with normal-weight and adults with obesity and investigated biomarkers of metabolic disease. We examined serum AA levels, blood profile, and body composition. We also evaluated the association between serum AAs and metabolic-related disease. Results: The height, weight, BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-hip-ratio, body fat mass, body fat percent, skeletal muscle mass, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure were higher in the group with obesity compared to normal weight group. The group with obesity showed significantly higher levels of BCAA, AAA, and BCAA and AAA ratio. Further, BCAA and AAA ratio were significantly positively correlated with triglyceride, body weight, and skeletal muscle mass. The evaluation of metabolic disease risks revealed an association between the ratios of BCAAs and AAAs, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome. Conclusions: Our study is showed the associations between BCAA and AAA ratio, obesity, and obesity-related diseases using various analytical approaches. The elevated BCAA and AAA ratio could be early biomarkers for predicting future metabolic diseases in Korean population.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.99-111
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• 2024

Objectives : Anxiety is an important mental health symptom associated with healthcare utilization. This research aims to identify the demographic, socio-economic, and health-related factors associated with the use of Korean medicine (KM) treatments in adults experiencing anxiety. Methods : We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using the Korea Health Panel Annual Data 2019. Logistic regression models were employed to examine the relationships between KM utilization and various factors such as economic activity, perceived stress levels, and presence of physical discomfort. The study sample included 552 adults experiencing anxiety. Results : Among the subjects, 19.20% were using both conventional treatment and KM treatment. The analysis revealed that individuals engaged in economic activities were more likely to use KM treatments compared to those who were not (odds ratio [OR] = 2.207, 95% confidential interval [CI] = 1.316 to 3.699). Additionally, individuals reporting high levels of pain or discomfort showed a significantly higher likelihood of using both KM and conventional medical services (OR = 2.933, 95% CI = 1.645 to 5.231). Musculoskeletal conditions were the most common reason for KM utilization among the study participants. Conclusion : The findings suggest that economic activity and the severity of physical discomfort significantly influence the use of KM treatments among adults with anxiety. These insights could inform healthcare policy and the integration of KM services into broader health management strategies for anxiety.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.62 no.3
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• pp.517-530
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• 2024

This study aims to develop and validate a home economics education program focused on the consumer life area to enhance artificial intelligence (AI) literacy. To achieve this objective, a 10-session AI-consumer life integration education program was developed by analyzing literature on AI Literacy, AI curriculum, consumer education, and the home economics curriculum for the middle school consumer life area. The program's validity was assessed by nine teachers using a four-point Likert scale. The average scores for each item and the content validity index (CVI) were calculated. Based on expert feedback, the program was revised and improved accordingly. The expert validity assessment of the lesson plans, teaching materials and learning resources resulted in an average score of 3.78 for all items and an average CVI of 0.96. For the overall program, the expert validity assessment yielded an average score of 3.72 for all items and an average CVI of 0.97. Since the content validity index for all questions was above 0.78, the program demonstrated high validity across achievement standards integration, learning objectives, content and teaching methods, motivation, and volume areas. This confirms its effectiveness as an educational program for enhancing AI literacy. This study is significant in terms of defining and identifying the components of AI literacy, developing an AI-integrated program encompassing the entire consumer life area and confirming the suitability of the home economics curriculum for enhancing digital consumer competencies and promoting sustainable consumption. Additionally, it highlights the potential to integrate AI into the home economics and consumer life area.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.61-70
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• 2022

The study developed a psychiatric and mental health nursing practice program based on blended learning as nursing students' field practice in psychiatric and mental nursing practice was limited due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. This is a study to evaluate the effect on communication competency, self-efficacy for group work, and learning transfer motivation through a psychiatric and mental health nursing practice program based on blended learning. From October 18, 2021 to December 11, 2021, 64 nursing students participated in the study using a structured Google questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed by descriptive statistics and paired t-test using the SPSS 25.0 program. As a result of the study, based on blended learning, the subjects' communication competency, self-efficacy for group work, and learning transfer motivation were significantly increased after compared to before psychiatric and mental health nursing practice education. Through the results of this study, it was possible to confirm the effect of the psychiatric and mental health nursing practice program based on blended learning.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.71-94
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• 2024

This study aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate a practical, problem-based global citizenship education (GCED) program in the first grade of elementary school to suggest ways for practical global citizenship education in the next curriculum. This study proceeded following the ADDIE teaching design model. Through literature research, the relevance of global citizenship education to the 2022 national curriculum and the 2022 practical arts curriculum was analyzed, and based on the results, the learning elements of global citizenship education were extracted from the 2022 integrated subjects curriculum to develop the program. The program consisted of four teaching and learning plans for a total of eight sessions based on four practical problems, and was revised and supplemented through validation by a group of experts. The developed teaching and learning curriculum was implemented in all eight sessions over a period of four weeks with 16 first grade students at S Elementary School in Seoul. As a result of the program implementation, the mean of students' global citizenship awareness increased by 3.88 points (±3.91) from pre to post, and the qualitative evaluation of teachers' reflection journals and students' portfolios showed that the program influenced students to realize the importance of taking action to create a better and more sustainable world. Therefore, the practical problem-based global citizenship education program for first graders was found to be effective in fostering global citizenship awareness.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.42 no.12
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• pp.1930-1939
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• 2013

It has been reported that Chungkukjang, one of Korean traditional fermented soybean products, may improve hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. In this study, we sought to investigate the immunoenhancing effects of Chungkukjang in ovariectomized mice. For the first period, female SLC ddy mice were either sham-operated (Sham; n=27) or ovariectomized (OVX; n=27). As a basal diet, ovariectomized mice were fed low-calcium diet for faster induction of osteoporosis for six weeks, and those in the Sham group were fed AIN-76 diet. For the second period, half of the OVX group (n=9) and the Sham group (n=9) were fed a Chungkukjang-based diet (CKJ); whereas the other half (OVX; n=9/ Sham; n=9) were fed a casein-based diet (CSI) for 8 weeks. After a second period, we collected the blood via heart puncture and measured the splenocytes proliferation, T lymphocyte subsets by flowcytometry, and levels of serum cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IFN-${\gamma}$ and TNF-${\alpha}$) by ELISA assay. The OVX+CKJ group showed higher splenocytes proliferation, higher ratio of CD4/CD8, and lower levels of IL-6 and TNF-${\alpha}$ cytokines compared to the OVX+CSI group. The Sham+CKJ group showed cytokine productions, such as higher levels of IL-10 and IFN-${\gamma}$, and lower levels of IL-6 and TNF-${\alpha}$ compared to the Sham+CSI group. The result of this study suggests that Chungkukjang may lower the proinflammatory cytokine levels in both the OVX and Sham groups. In addition, Chungkukjang could make a balance of T cell subset proliferations and enhance the splenocyte proliferations in the OVX group.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.270-277
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the importance and satisfaction level foreigners place on human and physical evidence service in Korean restaurants based on nationality such as American/European, Japanese, Chinese, and Southeast Asian. The research was performed by using questionnaires conducted from August to September on 365 foreigners living in Busan. Total mean scores for the importance (3.96/5.00) and satisfaction (3.33/5.00) of Korean restaurant human and physical evidence service were significantly different (p<0.01), as the gap was -0.63. The mean scores of the gap were -1.03 for cleanliness of dining area, -1.01 for cleanliness of tableware, and -0.95 for easily understandable menu board. The mean scores of satisfaction for Southeast Asian individuals (3.77) were significantly (p<0.01) higher than those of American/European (3.40), Chinese (3.37), and Japanese (2.81). The importance and satisfaction grid showed that an easily understandable menu board and a brief description of the food or menu scored high for the importance and low for the satisfaction in American/European, Chinese, and Japanese individuals. Cleanliness of the dining area, cleanliness of tableware, cleanliness of staff appearance, kindness of employees, rapid resolution of complaints, and prompt and quick service scored high for importance and low for satisfaction in Japanese. However, Southeast Asians were satisfied with human and physical evidence service of Korean restaurants.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.123-143
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• 2012

This study, based on a health belief model, examines how baby boomers perceive health and how they are financially preparing for future medical expenses. In addition, the study analyzes which factors influence baby boomers' preparation behaviors for future medical expenses and their perceived sufficiency of the preparation for medical expenses. Through such activities, this study examines baby boomers' current preparation status for future medical expenses, and based on this outcome, will turn the attention of individuals and society toward becoming more concerned with health and increasing health expectancy. For this study, an online survey was conducted targeted at men and women who were born between 1955 and 1963 and live nationwide, and its resultant data were collected. After conducting a 15-day survey in November 2011, a total of 418 questionnaire responses were used for the final analysis. The major findings of this study and their implications are as follows: First, baby boomers' health beliefs and their perceptions of health identified by subjective health conditions were very positive. Second, while there were some partial differences in the influencing factors, health beliefs and perceived health influenced the sufficiency of future medical expenses in the three groups, which were segmented according to how they prepare for future medical expenses-insurance-based, pension-based, and insufficiently prepared groups. Third, the baby boomers selected the national health insurance as the primary means of preparing for post-retirement medical expenses, and backed it up with private health insurance or the national pension. In addition, when baby boomers' perceived sufficiency of future medical expenses were examined, 57.6% of the respondents expressed that their old-age medical expenses were not sufficient. Fourth, in terms of baby boomers' preparation behaviors for future medical expenses, it was revealed that as one recognizes old-age health more seriously, he/she has a higher chance of using insurance and lower chance of using a pension to prepare for medical expenses. Fifth, regarding baby boomers' sufficiency of preparations for future medical expenses, economic factors such as total assets, the sufficiency of retirement assets, and the number of insurance policies, as well as health perceptions, including health beliefs and subjective health conditions, were important influencing factors.