• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.29-50
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• 2001

This research have been made to define how the IADL (Instrumental Activity of Daily Living) performance and the subjective health index of the Aged are affected by their residential circumstance, gender and age, and how deeply these two factors are related and interact. For the period of June 1 to July 31, 2000, we had conducted a questionnaire and direct interview with 693 persons over age sixty-five (65) in Daejon and in other adjacent area, grouping into three different residential types The Aged living at home, The Aged living at welfare facilities and The Aged living alone, and studied on how the IADL performance and the subjective health index of the Aged are influenced and interact as per their characteristics, daily activity and mentality. We had analyzed all the data obtained through this research by the method of : - analysis of frequency as per specific factors by SPSS 1O.0/PC+, - $x^2$ test, - t-test, - ANOVA, - multiple regression analysis by factors. The research concludes followings : a. It appears that the three (3) factors such as gender, age and residential circumstance of the Aged deeply affect the IADL performance and subjective health index of the Aged. (p<0.01) b. With regard to IADL performance of the Aged by the gender, it was analyzed that the female-Aged gains 23.8 point on average, which shows the performance of the female-Aged is less independent. (p<0.01). In addition, it was also found that the IADL performance is becoming less and less independent following their age increasing. In analyzing IADL performance by the residential type, it appears that the Aged living at welfare facilities gains the lowest 21.5 points and is least independent. It was also found that the Aged living at welfare facilities need some assistances from others for their performing IADL. (20-24 point) (p<0.001) c. With regard to the subjective health index of the all-Aged participated in this research, the analysis indicates 8.8 point and this is considered as a point of general standard (7-10 point). In analyzing this index by the gender, the female-Aged gains only 8.6 point which explains a lot of female-Aged consider they are not really healthy. (p<0.001) In analyzing this index by the residential type, the Aged living at welfare facilities and the Aged living alone gain the comparatively lower point, - respectively 8.4 point for the Aged living at welfare facilities and 8.8 point for the Aged living alone. The Aged living at these two residential types express they are obviously in a bad situation of health. (p<0.001) d. With regard to the factors affecting the IADL performance and the subjective health index of the Aged, it was analyzed that the IADL performance can largely be affected by the factors such as depression, frequency of going-out and age rising, and that the subject health index can also deeply be affected by depression, pain and by how much they are satisfied with their current living conditions. e. It was analyzed that the interacting between the IADL performance and the subjective health index is not that strong but even weak. As a result, we were able to conclude that the IADL performance is less independent in case of the female-Aged, the Aged living at welfare facilities, and following the age rising. As for the subjective health state the Aged themselves are aware of, we concluded that the female-Aged, the Aged living at welfare facilities and the Aged living alone, are more critical about their health. From this research, we were able to realize that, when the OMT (Orthopedic Manual Therapy) needed, the physical therapists are really required to have a correct and cautious understanding of the situation in which the aged persons are, and take care of them with more concerns and more improved treatment.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.1039-1046
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• 1998

Background: Sleep-related breathing disorders(SRBD) and periodic leg movements disorder(PLMD) are both common, and are considered as separate sleep disorders. However, both disorders show high comorbidity. SRBD and PLMD can result in excessive daytime sleepiness and insomnia due to frequent sleep fragmentation. So, it is very important to consider the presence of PLMD, when we are dealing with the diagnosis and management of SRBD. The objectives of this study were to determine the incidence of PLMD in patients with SRBD, and to describe any differences between patients with and without PLMD. Method: The authors reviewed the sleep recordings of 106 patients with a final diagnosis of SRBD(obstructive sleep apnea or upper airway resistance syndrome), who underwent full nocturnal polysomnography, including the monitoring of the anterior tibialis electromyogram. All sleep records were recorded and scored using the standard criteria. The data was analyzed by the student t-test. Result: 106 patients(M=76, F=30) were included in the analysis. Data revealed a mean age of $49.5{\pm}13.6$ years, a respiratory disturbance index(RDI) of $22.3{\pm}25.4$/hour sleep, a lowest oxygen saturation of $84.9{\pm}11.3%$, a maximal esophageal pressure of $-41.0{\pm}19.1cmH_2O$, and PLM index(PLMI) of $13.1{\pm}22.4$movements/hour sleep. Forty four percent(47 of 106 patients) had a PLMI of greater than 5 on this study. The mean age of the patients with PLMD was significantly higher than that of the patients without PLMD(p<0.005). Female patients with SRBD accompanied more PLMD(p<0.05). The apnea index of the patients with PLMD was significantly lower than that of the patients without PLMD(p<0.01). The percentage of stage 1 sleep in the patients with PLMD was significantly lower than that of the patients without PLMD(p<0.05). Conclusion: The prevalence of PLMD in the patients with SRBD was high at 44.3%. The patients with PLMD were older and had more high RDI in comparison to the patients without PLMD, which was consistent with previous findings. The authors recommend that more careful consideration of PLMD is required when diagnosing and treating SRBD.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.45-57
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• 1996

A serious disease in a family influences the entire family member given the fact that the members closely interact with each other. Especially in terms of pediatric nursing, study on family gains importance as the need to care of families whose children with developmental disabilities and chronic disease This study was done based on The Resiliency Model of Family Adjustment and Adaptation(McCubbin, 1991) is intended to examine the stress of parents whose children suffer from cleft lip or /and cleft palate. It also helps them to cope with the stress and analyze the relationship between the stress and coping This study used Family Inventory of Life Events and Changes (FILE) and Coping Health Inventory for Parents(CHIP) for measuring family stress and coping. The two instruments are revised to fit the social and cultural environment of Korean culture. Data collection was done from April 18, 1996 to May 18, 1996 at 8 University medical centers located in Seoul. Those who answered questionnaires were 84 parents whose children have cleft lip or /and cleft palate. SPSS PC+ was used to analyze the data collotted. Programs used for data analysis were t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient. The study is summarized as follows .1. The average score of family stress is 10.46(percentage of the full score 24.90) and 'finance and business strains'(3.25), and 'intrafamily strains'(2.65) ranked the highest. The average score of family's coping is 1.93, which is close to the answer of' moderately helpful' and they are measured to put their utmost efforts to' intergration and cooperation of family and optimistic definition on the situation'. 2. There is no significant statistical correlation between the family stress and coping. 3. Mothers show more stress than fathers in the parts of 'illness and family care strains' and 'losses'(t〓-2.34, t〓-2.32, p<.05). 4. Fathers show more willingness to cope with the stress than mothers do in the parts of' seeking social support','self-esteem','emotional comfort' 5. Mothers are more stress than fathers in the parts of family stress and its coping with it by usual traits(t〓-2.78, p<.05). Parents with religion are measured to cope more willingly than those who are not 6. Income of a family shows positive correlationship with family coping (r〓.28, p<.05). The study shows that gender difference is significant variable in studying on family stress and coping. Mothers get more stress than fathers, which has much to do with the fact that they are in charge of raising children and keeping houseworks. Accordingly, managing family crisis and its survival can be induced by giving support for the mothers, studying fathers including the rest of the family members and giving nursing care and arbitration ; religious background is also considered to be one of the important factors in family stress , judging from the relationship between family income and family's coping, caring given to suffering children is needed on societal levels. The above considerations bring up the need to have a longitudinal study of children with congenital anomaly including cleft lip or /and cleft palate and their families about family stress and coping. Resiliency programs on family system and their effectiveness and the relationship between the enlarged families with social and cultural values reflecting Korean tradition are also needed to be studied.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.81-95
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• 1995

Now, safety assurance in construction sites should be accomplished by its own organization rather than control of the code or government. It is believed that the safety assurance can be considerably improved by a lecture or an education using the existing theories or literatures up to now, but it is thought that fundamental safety assurance we not able to be accomplished without developing safety devices '||'&'||' equipment or taking fundamental measures, based on the result analyzed from workers behaviors. There are various behaviors of the workers showed in construction site, but only tests for hammerusing works such as form, re-bar, stone workers directly related to the grip strength are mainly performed, investigated and measured here for the study. The above works are similar to power grip, 7th picture on seven items which are categorized for hand grip types(Ammermin 1956 ; Jones ; Kobrick 1958). Measurements of grip strength are commonly taken in anthropometric surveys. They are easy to administer but unfortunately it is rather dubious whether they yield any data that are of interest to the engineer. Very fewer controls of tools are grasped and squeesed studies showed very little overall correlation between grip strength and other measures of bodily strength (Laubach, Kromer, and Thordsen 1972), but hammer-using work which is practically progressed in construction site are mainly influenced with grip strength. According to the investigation on work measurement, it is shown that 77% of form worker are using hammer to be related to grip strength. In this study, it is particularly noticed that wearing safety gloves in construction site is required for workers safety but 20% difference between grip strength with safety gloves and without ones are commonly neglected in the site(Fig. 1). Nevertheless, safety operation with consideration of the above 20% difference is not considered in the construction site. Factors of age, kinds of work, working time, with or without safety gloves are in vestigated '||'&'||' collected at the sites for this study. Test, not at each working hour but at 14 : 00 when the almost all of the workers think the most tired, resulting from the questionaires, also when it is shown on the research report has been performed and compared for main kinds of works : form '||'&'||' re-bar work. Tests were performed with both left SE rightand of the workers simultaneously in construction site using Rand Dynamometer(Model 78010, Lafayette Instrument Co., Indiana, U.S.A) by reading grip strength on the gauge while they are pulling, and then by interviewing on their ages, works, experiences and etc., directly. The above tests have been performed for the dates of 15th march-26th May '95 with consideration of site condition. And even if various factors of ambient temperature on the testing date, working condition, individual worker's habit and worker's condition of the previous ate are concerned with the study. Those are considered as constants in this study. Samples are formwork 53, rebar 62, electrician 5, plumber 4, welding 1 from D construction Co., Ltd, ; formwork 12, re-bar 5, electrician 2, from S construction Co., Ltd, , formwork 78, re-bar 18, plumber 31, electrician 13, labor 48, plumber 31, plasterer 15, concrete placer 6, water proof worker 3, maisony 5 from B construction Co., Ltd. As In the previously mentioned, main aspect to be investigated in this study will be from '||'&'||' re-bar work because grip strength will be directly applied to these two kinds of works ; form '||'&'||' re-bar work, eventhough there are total 405 samples taken. It is thought that a frequency of accident occurrence will be mainly two work postures "looking up '||'&'||' looking down" to be mainly sorted, but this factor is not clarified in this study because It will be needed a lot of work more. Tests has been done at possible large scale of horizontally work-extended sites within one hour in order to prevent or decrease errors '||'&'||' discrepancies from time lag of the test. Additionally, the statistical package computer program SPSS PC＋has been used for the study.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.28
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• pp.33-56
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• 2011

This study is to practice a analysis of Q-methodological preference degree about the subjects on school curriculum centering around the views of the policemen in active service who are with Gwang Ju and Jeon Nam region. Concretely, this study mixed the subjects on school curriculum related to the police administration of universities located in Gwang Ju and Jeon Nam region and abstracted the twenty seven items as the final question point. Above this, this study integrated the similar or repeated subjects and drew up the question items through seperation process among the different subjects. After this, this study selected the twenty policemen as a first P-sample in active service presently on fourth month in the year 2011. In this process, this study eliminated the materials of six policemen who replyed unhonestly and selected the materials of ten-four policemen as a final effective sample. Furthermore, this study applicated a principal component analysis. This study practiced the I.II.III types of a preference degree analysis of the subjects related to the police administration. the concrete results are as follows: In a I type, the positive consent was showed in the subjects of criminal law, criminal procedure law, criminal speciality law and so on. In a II type, the positive consent was showed in criminal investigation science, emergency measure, the art of self-defence, criminal law, criminal procedure law and so on. In a III type, the positive consent was showed in criminal science, criminal investigation science, criminal procedure law, introduction to police science, police ethics and so on. On this basis, this study concluded the following common opinions. Firstly the actual and evidencial subjects which the policemen in active service feel as the commons were criminal investigation, criminal science, police ethics, criminal speciality law, criminal law business, police administration science, police law practice, emergency measure, the art of self-defence, general rules of civil law, administrative law and so on.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.153-165
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• 2000

The antenatal self-care, one of antenatal management, was almost done by a pregnant woman herself. But It's especially difficult for primigravidas to cope with the change of being pregnant, and they also had insufficient knowledge of pregnancy, The purpose of this study was to serve as a basis for antenatal management, by grasping how much primigravidas performed antenatal self-care, how much they had maternity-related knowledge, and what factors affected those two factors. The subjects of this study were the primigravidas, selected from among visitors to a general hospital and a hospital for obstetrics and gynecology located in the city of K. A questionnaire survey was carried out over them from July 16 to August 19, 1998, to collect data. The test instrument used in this study for antenatal self-care behavior was one that modified the measurement instrument employed in studies by Kim Hae Won(1996), Lee Mi La(1984), and Yoon Young Mi(1994). Another one for maternity-related knowledge was Kim, Hae Won(1996)'s instrument. The collected data were statistically analyzed by SAS PC+. Frequency and percentage were calculated to find out the primigravidas' general characteristics, and the mean and standard deviation, rank were estimated to determine the degrees of antenatal self-care behavior and maternity-related knowledge, t-test and ANOVA were carried out to identify the general characteristic that affected antenatal self-care and maternity-related knowledge. and the relationship of antenatal self-care behavior to maternity-related knowledge was tested by Pearson correlation coefficient. The findings of this study were as follows; First, the age of the subjects ranged from 18 to 37, and their mean age was 26.43. Their mean gestational period was 24.87 weeks. 45% of the subjects were in the third-term pregnancy. Second, their total mean score in antenatal self-care behavior ranged from 94, the highest, to 36, the lowest. Its average score was 63.81(SD 9.98). The total mean score in maternity-related knowledge ranged from 20, the highest, to 1, the lowest, and its average score was 10.91(SD 4.59, 54.55 percent). Third, the general characteristics that gave impact on the primigravidas' antenatal self-care behavior were age, educational background, gestational period, experience of natural miscarriage, and experience of infertility test. A higher score in antenatal self-care behavior was gained by the primigravida group who had better educational background(F=3.29, p=.02), who was in the late stage of pregnancy(F=4.31, p=.01), who experienced a natural miscarriage(t=2.06, p=.04), and who went through a infertility test(t=-2.19, p=.04). Fourth, the general characteristics that had an influence on maternity-related knowledge were identified as the religion, the term of marriage, and the gestational period. A higher score in maternity-related knowledge was got by the primigravida group who had a religion(t=-2.02, p=.04), and who was in the late stage of pregnancy(F=5.77, p=.003). The term of marriage also made a significant difference(F=3.46, p=.02). Fifth, the relationship of the total mean score between antenatal self-care behavior and maternity-related knowledge was found to be at r=.37(p=.0001). In this study, an attempt was made to affirm the subjects' characteristics, the degree of their antenatal self-care behavior, and the extent of their maternity-related knowledge, to confirm what characteristics affected significantly primigravida's antenatal self-care behavior and maternity-related knowledge, and to verify that there was a relationship between the two variables. The meaning of this study might be backed up by the fact that its findings would serve as a basis for primigravida's efficient antenatal management in the future.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.60-75
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• 1998

The parents have much expectation upon the pregnancy and child birth, and in most cases, they expect the healthy parturient child. However, we can be placed on the high-risk conditions which have the physical, social and immature infant, due to the unexpected results, among the new-born. Accordingly, these high-risk newborn and premature infants will be mostly in NICU, which the concentrated medical treatment can be given, upon their conditions. After their birth and during these periods, they will be divided from the parents, and the nurse will accomplish the bringing-up activities which they can take care of the infant, expected by the parents after their birth. The hospitalization of high-risk newborn including these premature infants is the shocking experience to the parents of family, and thus they can feel the fear and uneasiness, and these reactions of parents are troubled in the behavior at the usual days, and cause the disorder and spiritless status, and these results break the supporting ability of parents, and cause the obstruction. Also, the unavoidable division between the parents and the children as like hospitalization of children can make the parents to feel the alienation emotionally, and this causes the results which the pride on the bringing-up ability of baby gets to be lost. These problems can cause the difficulties on the bonding or the parenting in the further days, and can be related to the neglect and abuse of children. Also, it is gradually increased to study and report which the emotional division by the physical division between the mother and the baby obstructs the normal affection course between the parent and the infant. The stress caused by the birth and the hospitalization of high-risk newborn, as like this, is important in the points which it can uncertainly affect the potential energy for the relationship of parent-child who are finally healthy. Accordingly, the significance and purpose of this study are to understand the contents and degree of stress which the parents of high-risk newborn including the immature child can be experienced from the hospitalization of ICU for their new borns, and thus to offer the basic program to the nursing intervention program for these. The subject of this study is the mother of newborn in NICU of 10 General Hospitals located at the 3one of Pusan, Korea from September 1997 to October 1997, and thus makes the subject of 95 person of parents who agreed to take part in the study and it is descriptive study related to the stress of mother having the newborn in NICU. The method is based on the preceding study related to the stress of mother having the experience of child hospitalization and chronic disease child, and then acquires the advice of specialists group as like 5 nursing professors, and then is amended and supplemented. Total number of questions is 43 items and consists of 5 factors as like medical treatment &nursing procedures, disease status & prognosis, role of parents, communication & inter-personal relationships, hospital environment, and is 5 point Likert Scale. The reliability of this study method is very highly shown to be Cronbach α=0.95. The collected data is analysed as Average, Frequency, Standard Deviation, T-test, ANOVA, Pearson Correlation Coefficient, Duncan multifulrange test by use of SPSS /PC (V7.5). The results of this study is summarized as under. 1. Every characteristics of subject is which the party of mother is 28.70age(±7.48) in the average ages, 51% in the high-school graduate, 38.5% in the christianity, total monthly income is 212.55 thousand won(±1.971), 74.5% in the housewife, 72.9% in the parents and children together living and the number of children to be 1.48person(± 0.6) in average, the recognition on the prognosis of baby is 74.0% in 'Don't know', the relationship with the husband after the hospitalization of babyis 37.3% in 'More Intimate', the relationship with the family of husband to be 48% in 'No-change', and the degree which is consulted with the husband about the baby is 55% in 'very frequently' and the visiting number per week is 4.59(±1.63) in average and the accompanying person in the time of visiting is which the number of husband is 56.3% and thus is the highest. The characteristics of baby is which the age is 21.88days(±16.47) after the birth in average, the sex to be 50 person in the female 52.1% and the order of birth to be 54.2% in the first chid, and the weight in the birth to be 2770gm(±610) and the height in the birth to be 46.26cm(±7.62) in aver age. The medical diagnosis is 37.5% in the premature infant, the career of hospitalization is 96.9% in 'None', and the operation plan is 90.6% in 'None' and the execution of operation is 88% in 'None' and the nursing of incubator is 55.2% in 'Yes', and the method of feeding is 50.5% in 'Oral' and the contents of feeding is 46.9% in the 'Milk'. 2. The total stress degree of subject is almost highly shown to be as 3.36(±0.86). If it is compared upon each cause, 'stress on disease status & prognosis' is highest 3.79(±1.28), and it is in the order of 'stress on medical treatment & nursing procedures' 3.70(±0.93), 'stress on hospital environment' 3.14(±0.86), 'stress on role of parents' 3.18(±0.92) and 'stress on communication & inter personal relationship' 2.62(± 0.77) 3. As the results of checking the notworthiness of stress degree upon each variable of subject, the variable showing the noted difference was the birth weight(γ=-0.16, P=0.04), birth height(γ=-0.23, P=0.03), nursing in the incubator(F=8.93, P=0.04), feed method(F=2.94, P=0.04). That is to say, it is shown which the smaller the birth weight is, the higher the stress degree of mother is noteworthily. Also, the smaller the birth height baby is, the higher the stress of mother is. In the incubator, it os shown which the mother whose baby is nursing in the incubator is higher in the stress degree than other mothers. Upon the feeding method of baby, that is to say, TPNis the highest, and it is shown in the order of NPO, Tube feeding, and P.O. feeding. When we review the above-mentioned results, as the status is serious, it is thought which we include the supporting nursing for coping with the stress of parents in the setting-up od nursing plan for the baby in the NICU.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.465-485
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• 1995

The purpose of this study is to locate the proper position of the lower occlusal plane according to individual skeletal pattern. Cephalometric films of 234 subjects of the control group, 358 of the pretreatment group and 358 of the treated group were analyzed to study proper relationships between vertical dimension ratio(VDR) and lower occlusomandibular plane angle(LOM). The control group was divided into two subgroups by the age. The first subgroup consisted of 113 subjects of the age 14 years and under and with the mean age of 10.82 years. The other subgroup consisted of 113 subjects of the age 18 years and above with the mean age of 23.76 years. The pretreatment group was divided into three subgroups by the age. The first subgroup consisted of 274 subjects of the age 14 years and under with the mean age of 11.36 years. The second subgroup consisted of 54 subjects of the age 14 through 18 years with the mean age of 15.4 years. The last subgroup consisted of 30 subjects of the age 18 years and above with the mean age of 21.35 years. The treated group was also divided into three subgroups by the age. The first subgroup consisted of 145 subjects of the age 14 years and under with the mean age of 12.91 years. The second subgroup consisted of 166 subjects of the age 14 through 18 years with the mean age of 15.64 years. The last subgroup consisted of 47 subjects of the age 18 years and above with the mean age of 21.61 years. Cephalometric films of the sample were traced. Measurements were made to a hundredth using a program specifically prepared for this study, and the results were entered into a 486DX PC. Means and Standard deviations of all the veriables were calculated for each group. Correlation coefficients between pertinent variables were calculated. Significance tests on those coefficients, one-way ANOVA and t-tests between variables or groups were performed. On the basis of the results studied above, certain subjects were selected from the control and the treated groups to locate the proper position of the occlusal plane, and designated as the optimal occluaion group. The subjects of this optimal occlusion group had 1-3 mm overbite, 1-3 mm of overjet and less than 1.75 mm of curve of Spee. A total subjects of 187 in this group consisted 104 treated subjects and 83 control group. Regression analysis was carried out between VDR and LOM, and regression equations were tabulated for this optimal occlusion group. The results were as follows : 1. Highly significant correlations were observed between various variables useful for identifying vertical component of skeletal frame, but any one particular variable did not accurately indicate the magnitude of anterior vertical overbite. 2. Of the variables useful identifying vertical component of skeletal frame, The VDR showed the highest correlation to the LOM. 3. Of the total sample, 80 percent had overbite within the normal range, irrespective of VDR. 4. The optimal occlusion group was divided into 9 subgroups by the age and the anteroposterior skeletal pattern, and correlation coefficient and determination coefficient between VDR and LOM of each group were calculated. Correlation coefficients and determination coefficients were found to be significantly high in all groups. 5. Regression equation was induced for each of the optimal occlusion group to find proper LOM according to the VDR. 6. It was found that the mean value of the cant of occlusal plane itself is not enough for a diagnosis and a treatment plan. Rather, It is very important to locate the proper occlusal plane for an Individual skeletal pattern.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.559-573
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• 1997

Background : Asthma causes recurrent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and cough. These symptoms are usually associated with widespread but variable airflow limitation that is partly reversible either spontaneously or with treatment. The inflammation also causes an associated increase in airway responsiveness to a variety of stimuli. Method : Of the 403 adult bronchial asthma patients enrolled from March 1992 to March 1994 in Allergy Clinics of Severance Hospital in Yonsei University, this study reviewed the 97 cases to evaluate the treatment effects and to analyse prognostic factors. The patients were classified to five groups according to treatment responses ; group 1 (non control group) : patients who were not controlled during following up, group 2 (high step treatment group) : patients who were controlled longer than 3 months by step 3 or 4 treatment of "Global initiative for asthma, Global strategy for asthma management and prevention" (NHLBI/WHO) with PFR(%) larger than 80%, group 3 (short term control group) : patients who were controlled less than 1 year by step 1 or 2 treatment of NHLBI/WHO, group 4 (intermediate term control group) : patients who were controlled for more than 1 year but less than 2 years by step 1 or 2 treatment of NHLBI/WHO, group 5 (long term control group) : patients who were controlled for more than 2 years by step 1 or 2 treatment of NHLBI/WHO. Especially the patients who were controlled more than 1 year with negatively converted methacholine test and no eosinophil in sputum were classified to methacholine negative conversion group. We reviewed patients' history, atopy score, total IgE, specific IgE, methacholine PC20 and peripheral blood eosinophil count, pulmonary function test, steroid doses and aggrevation numbers after treatment. Results : On analysis of 98 patients, 20 cases(20.6%) were classified to group 1, 26 cases(26.8%) to group 2, 23 cases(23.7%) to group 3, 15 cases(15.5%) to group 4, and 13 cases(13.4%) to groups 5. There were no differences of sex, asthma type, family history, smoking history, allergic rhinitis and aspirin allergy among the groups. In long term control group, asthma onset age was younger, symptom duration was shorter, and initial pulmonary function was better. The long term control group required lower amounts of oral steroid. had less aggrevation during first 3months after starting treatment and shorter duration from enrollment to control Atopy, allergic skin test, sputum and blood eosinophil, total IgE, nonspecific bronchial responsiveness was not significantly different among the groups. Seven out of 28 patients who were controlled more than 1 years showed negatively converted methachloine test and no eosinophils in the sputum. The mean control duration was $20.3{\pm}9.7$ months and relapse did not occur. Conclusion : Patients who had asthma of onset age younger, shorter symptom duration, better PFT, lower treatment initial steps, lower amounts of steroid needs and less aggravation numbers after starting treatment were classified in the long term control groups compared to the others.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.83-90
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• 2008

Purpose: For the first time, a nationwide survey of the Patterns of Care Study(PCS) for the various radiotherapy treatments of esophageal cancer was carried out in South Korea. In order to observe the different parameters, as well as offer a solid cooperative system, we compared the Korean results with those observed in the United States(US) and Japan. Materials and Methods: Two hundreds forty-six esophageal cancer patients from 21 institutions were enrolled in the South Korean study. The patients received radiation theraphy(RT) from 1998 to 1999. In order to compare these results with those from the United States, a published study by Suntharalingam, which included 414 patients[treated by Radiotherapy(RT)] from 59 institutions between 1996 and 1999 was chosen. In order to compare the South Korean with the Japanese data, we choose two different studies. The results published by Gomi were selected as the surgery group, in which 220 esophageal cancer patients were analyzed from 76 facilities. The patients underwent surgery and received RT with or without chemotherapy between 1998 and 2001. The non-surgery group originated from a study by Murakami, in which 385 patients were treated either by RT alone or RT with chemotherapy, but no surgery, between 1999 and 2001. Results: The median age of enrolled patients was highest in the Japanese non-surgery group(71 years old). The gender ratio was approximately 9:1(male:female) in both the Korean and Japanese studies, whereas females made up 23.1% of the study population in the US study. Adenocarcinoma outnumbered squamous cell carcinoma in the US study, whereas squamous cell carcinoma was more prevalent both the Korean and Japanese studies(Korea 96.3%, Japan 98%). An esophagogram, endoscopy, and chest CT scan were the main modalities of diagnostic evaluation used in all three countries. The US and Japan used the abdominal CT scan more frequently than the abdominal ultrasonography. Radiotherapy alone treatment was most rarely used in the US study(9.5%), compared to the Korean(23.2%) and Japanese(39%) studies. The combination of the three modalities(Surgery+RT+Chemotherapy) was performed least often in Korea(11.8%) compared to the Japanese(49.5%) and US(32.8%) studies. Chemotherapy(89%) and chemotherapy with concurrent chemoradiotherapy(97%) was most frequently used in the US study. Fluorouracil(5-FU) and Cisplatin were the most preferred drug treatments used in all three countries. The median radiation dose was 50.4 Gy in the US study, as compared to 55.8 Gy in the Korean study regardless of whether an operation was performed. However, in Japan, different median doses were delivered for the surgery(48 Gy) and non-surgery groups(60 Gy). Conclusion: Although some aspects of the evaluation of esophageal cancer and its various treatment modalities were heterogeneous among the three countries surveyed, we found no remarkable differences in the RT dose or technique, which includes the number of portals and energy beams.