• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• 제37권1호
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• pp.1-11
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• 2012

Objectives: To survey the awareness of patient to scrub typhus to provide data for education and communication concerning scrub typhus. Methods: Patients with scrub typhus (case group, n=299) and people without scrub typhus within the previous 2 years (control group, n=598) were matched for age (within 5 years), gender, and occupation (farmer or non-farmer). The participants were recruited from 15 study areas between October and December 2006. Results: The awareness rate of scrub typhus was 75.1%, and was significantly higher than in the case group (79.4% vs. 66.6%, respectively; p<0.01). The major routes of awareness were from 'past history of scrub typhus in family members or neighbors' (54.9%), 'television' (28.3%), and their past history of scrub typhus (5.5%). The average correct rate of scrub typhus was 48.4%, and the correct response rate of cases was significantly higher than controls (p<0.01). Especially, the correct rate of etiology, incubation period, route of transmission, and acquired immunity was <40%. Through conditional logistic regression test, the factor significantly associated with awareness in case group was age (odds ratio [OR], 0.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.94-0.98). And the factors associated with awareness in control group were female (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.03-2.36) age (OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.96-0.99), family history of scrub typhus (OR, 10.18; 95% CI, 1.37-75.99), history of receiving prevention education (OR, 8.47; 95% CI, 1.14-63.00). Conclusions: The rate of awareness was relatively low in study population. Thus, effective working guidelines and educational program to prevent scrub typhus must be developed, and publicity activities about the prevention of scrub typhus are needed for high-risk groups.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.100-103
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• 2010

Purpose: $^{18}F$-FDG wholebody PET is to evaluate the tumor using glucose metabolism. The blood glucose level is important factor that affects on a result of examination. High glucose levels may interfere with tumor targeting due to competitive inhibition of FDG uptake by D-glucose. The blood glucose level measurement test strips used in the blood glucose measurement are classified into the capillary blood measurement test strips and general purpose measurement test strips that can measure the venous blood and capillary blood altogether depends on cases. The purpose of the study was to compare the blood glucose measurements between simultaneously obtained capillary and venous blood samples using the capillary blood measurement test strips, general purpose measurement test strips. Materials and Methods: A total of 46 subjects (32 males, 14 females) with a mean age of $57.3{\pm}12.3$ years were enrolled. The blood glucose estimation was performed with a Optium Xceed Glucometer (Abbott). Simultaneous capillary and venous blood samples were obtained from each subject. The blood glucose levels were measured using the capillary blood measurement test strips and general purpose measurement test strips. The capillary and venous measurements were compared using a pared t-test. Results: The mean capillary and venous glucose values using the general purpose measurement test strips were $95.2{\pm}12.4$ mg/dL and $104.1{\pm}14.4$ mg/dL, giving a statistically significant difference (p<0.001) between the mean values for the capillary and venous glucose samples (9.0 mg/dL; 95% confidence interval (CI) -11.2 to -6.7). The mean capillary and venous glucose values using the capillary blood measurement test strips were $91.5{\pm}13.6$ mg/dL and $108.6{\pm}16.2$ mg/dL, giving a statistically significant difference (p<0.001) between the mean values for the capillary and venous glucose samples (16.6 mg/dL; 95% CI -20.2 to -13.0). Conclusion: When measuring the blood glucose level before $^{18}F$-FDG PET examination, since the incorrect blood glucose level can be measured, it should note to measure the blood glucose level of the venous blood by the capillary blood measurement test strips. Therefore the measurement variation can be reduced to fulfill the standardized measurement procedure with the suitable measurement test strips, the preparation of the PET examination will be able to be clearly confirmed. In addition, the standardized procedure of the following measurement on the area which is same at all times the blood area in the blood glucose measurement among a capillary or a vein will be needed.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• 제5권2호
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• pp.109-129
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• 1994

Chronic health problems has become a major concern and challenge to the health care professionals today. Especially hypertension, one of the leading primary cause of death in Korea, is a typical chronic disease requiring adequate and continuous management. Though these hypertensives need to maintain desirable health practice by themselves for their life time, many previous studies indicated that most of the essential hypertensives have no specific symptoms and thus, reluctant to follow appropriate medical regimens causing the condition further aggravated and complicated. Self-care is an essential factor that keeps chronic patients in control of their health and wellness. Thus this study was conducted to identify the effect of the comprehensive self-regulation program as a nursing intervention on the promotion self-care performance and improvement in physical parameters of hypertensives. For this purpose, a one group quasi-experimental research with pre and post test design was used. The subjects of the study was consisted of thirty persons with mild or moderate essential hypertension from two companies in Cheong-ju city. The whole program was carried out from October, 1993 to February, 1994. The self-regulation program was consisted with group education on hypertension and self-care, self-regulation including the blood pressure self-monitoring and recording, recording of daily self-care activities, and encouraging and reinforcing self-efficacy through verbal persuation and enactive attainment. The subjects were asked to measure their own blood pressure by themselves twice per day and to record blood pressure and the daily self-care performance according to the instructions provided during the whole period of 9 weeks. The instruments used for data collection in this study were as follows : 1) Instruments used for measuring the knowledge about hypertension, multiple health locus of control, and perceived benifits and barriers were adapted from previous studies and modified by author to be fit for the subjects. 2) Self-efficacy scale and self-care performance record were developed by the author. 3) Physiological parameters included systolic / diastolic blood pressure, body weight, level of blood cholesterol, and 24hour ambulatory blood pressure. The post-experimental Cronbach's Alpha as the reliability test of scales were 0.703-0.897, an appropriate level of confidence. The effect of the program was analyzed by experimental stages ; the first week, the fifth week, and the ninth week since the experimental imput began. Data were analyzed by the SPSS PC+ program with paired t-test and t-test, repeated measure ANOVA, and pearson's correlation to de termine the effect of program. The results were as follows : 1) After the self-regulation program, scores on knowledge(t=-2.41, p=.011), perceived self-efficacy (F=5.60, p=.001), self-care performance(F=22.31, p=.0001) were significantly higher than those before the program. 2) After the program, both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly lower than those before the program(F=10.89 -13.11, p=.0001). However in 24hour ambulatory blood pressure, systolic mean pressure was nearly significantly lower, but not in diastolic mean pressure. 3) After the program, the body weight was significant decresed(t=5.53, p=.0001), but the blood cholesterol level was not decreased significantly except in those cases with higher cholesterol level. 4) There were significant relationships between changes in self-care performance and diastolic pressure at 1st week (r=.3389, p=.033) and changes in self-care performance and systolic pressure at 9th week(r=.3651, p=.024). 5) There were significant relationship between perceived self-efficacy and self-care performance at 5th week(r=.5313, p=.001) and 9th week (r=.3026, p=.052). 6) After the program, internal health locus of control and perceived benefits did not show significant change, but perceived barriers was significantly lower than those before the program (t=3.57, p=.0001). From the above results, it can be concluded that 1) The self-regulation program is an effective nursing strategy to promote self-care performance of hypertensives and to lower the blood pressure. Thus this program can be recommended in the management of the hypertensives in workplaces and community settings. 2) The synthesis of Orem's self-care theory and Bandura's self-regulation & self-efficacy theory in this study was proved to enhance explanation and prediction of the change of self-care behavior. Thus the result of the study would contribute in development of the self-care theory and an expansion of practice-theory.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• 제5권4호
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• pp.1-34
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• 2010

Recently, failure rates of Kosdaq IPO firms are increasing and their survival rates tend to be very low, and when these firms do fail, often times backed by a number of governmental financial supports, they may inflict severe financial damage to investors, let alone economy as a whole. To ensure investors' confidence in Kosdaq and foster promising and healthy businesses, it is necessary to precisely assess their intrinsic values and survivability. This study investigates what contributed to the failure of IPO firms and analyzed how these elements are factored into corresponding firms' stock returns. Failure risks are assessed at the time of IPO. This paper considers factors reflecting IPO characteristics, a firm's underwriter prestige, auditor's quality, IPO offer price, firm's age, and IPO proceeds. The study further went on to examine how, if at all, these failure risks involved during IPO led to post-IPO stock prices. Sample firms used in this study include 98 Kosdaq firms that have failed and 569 healthy firms that are classified into the same business categories, and Logit models are used in estimate the probability of failure. Empirical results indicate that auditor's quality, IPO offer price, firm's age, and IPO proceeds shown significant relevance to failure risks at the time of IPO. Of other variables, firm's size and ROA, previously deemed significantly related to failure risks, in fact do not show significant relevance to those risks, whereas financial leverage does. This illustrates the efficacy of a model that appropriately reflects the attributes of IPO firms. Also, even though R&D expenditures were believed to be value relevant by previous studies, this study reveals that R&D is not a significant factor related to failure risks. In examing the relation between failure risks and stock prices, this study finds that failure risks are negatively related to 1 or 2 year size-adjusted abnormal returns after IPO. The results of this study may provide useful knowledge for government regulatory officials in contemplating pertinent policy and for credit analysts in their proper evaluation of a firm's credit standing.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.14-22
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• 2016

A trial of combining and quantifying the effects of food processing on various pesticides was carried out using a meta-analysis. In this study, weighted mean response ratios and confidence intervals about the reduction of pesticide residue levels in fruits and vegetables treated with various food processing techniques were calculated using a statistical tool of meta-analysis. The weighted mean response ratios for tap water washing, peeling, blanching (boiling) and oven drying were 0.52, 0.14, 0.34 and 0.46, respectively. Among the food processing methods, peeling showed the greatest effect on the reduction of pesticide residues. Pearsons's correlation coefficient (r=0.624) between weighted mean response ratios and octanolwater partition coefficients ($logP_{ow}$) for twelve pesticides processed with tap water washing was confirmed as having a positive correlation in the range of significance level of 0.05 (p=0.03). This means that a pesticide having the higher value of $logP_{ow}$ was observed as showing a higher weighted mean response ratio. These results could be used effectively as a reference data for processing factor in risk assessment and as an information for consumers on how to reduce pesticide residues in agricultural products.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.49-59
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• 2011

A franchise can be said to be the main method of distribution and marketing. It appears to be the future of the retail industry and is one of the world's fastest growing businesses sectors, as many policy reports and research results have acknowledged. Korea's franchise industry began in the 1970s, spread out into many areas (including food services, retail, and the service industry), and has grown by over 10% each year ever since. The industry's influence on the national economy becomes ever greater. Although the size of the franchise industry is expected to grow as it spreads and as the government expands its support, it has not yet attracted much academic interest. Research has so far been very fragmented. The main interest has been the relationship and conflicts between the head offices and the affiliates. No study has yet occurred on whether the concepts of satisfaction and intent to conclude a contract directly affect the success or failure of the affiliates. Few studies have empirically inquired into the demographic characteristics and abilities of the affiliates that significantly affect their results. Domestic franchise industries must prepare to leap from quantitative to qualitative growth. Most important is the need for affiliate headquarters and affiliates to build confidence between them. A friendly and reliable relationship between affiliate headquarters and affiliates will eliminate distrust from the franchise and maintain a healthy franchise system. This study suggests that current and prospective heads of affiliation should concentrate not on attracting affiliates but on investment and techniques of affiliate support. They should work on the reinforcement of brand power, the appropriate affiliate business environment, systematic education/training, taking burdens off the affiliate business persons, consolidating the relationship with the affiliate business persons, marketing mix factors (e.g. products, price conditions, logistics and shipping services, promotion, supervising and supervisor, operation procedures/processes, and material evidence); these all greatly affect the success or failure of the affiliate business. Supporting the affiliates is an important factor that enhances their results and satisfaction and consequently increases the positive recommendations to others and the ratio of recurrent conclusions of contracts, which ultimately generate the growth of the franchises. In addition, it is suggested that prospective franchise founders should make every effort to choose a good head office since the characteristics of the head office greatly influence the success of the affiliates. This study is significant in that it grasps the characteristics of the head office of affiliation and of the affiliates that influence affiliate results in ways not yet academically attempted.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• 제10권3호
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• pp.191-197
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to examine the awareness of dental patients using dental institutions about dental hygienists in an effort to help educate dental hygiene students to have the right image of dental hygienists. And it's also meant to provide education for dental hygienists to develop their own capabilities, attitude and values to render quality medical services to patients. The subjects in this study were the patients who visited dental clinics and hospitals to receive treatment. A self- administered survey was conducted from March 5 to April 13, 2010, in consideration of their general characteristics. The answer sheets from 204 respondents were gathered, and 197 answer sheets were analyzed except seven incomplete ones. A factor analysis was carried out to find out their general characteristics, and independent-samples t-test and one-way ANOVA were utilized to get statistical data on mean and standard deviation. A SPSS 12.0 program was employed to analyze all the collected data. And it's found that the largest number of the patients thought that the main duty of dental hygienists was to give treatment to patients, and they took a favorable view of their services. They weren't well aware of the process of nurturing dental hygienists and their curriculum, and they put a relatively strong confidence in their treatment and had relatively favorable experiences with them.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.73-76
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• 2009

Purpose: Bone mineral densitometry test region advised by ISCD (International Society for Clinical Densitometry) is both site in case of femur, whereas our medical center measures left femur except for few extraordinary cases. It is said that right-handers had higher mean femur BMD in the left side than in the right side, but the factor influence the femur BMD is unknown. Thus, we investigate whether testing left femur only is a adequate clinical diagnosis. Materials and Methods: Subjects were 209 right-handers and 20 left-handers patient in Asan Medical Center from July to August, 30 to 70 years of age ($51{\pm}6.7$). Subjects fill out the questionnaire on hand preference and taking regular exercise. Total BMDs of bilateral femur were measured with GE Lunar Prodigy advance densitometer, and the statistical soft ware SPSS 12.0 for windows was used for statistical analysis. Results: In the total sample of the exercise group (n=127), the difference of both femur mean BMDs are $0.001{\pm}0.127\;g/cm^2$ and the non-exercise group's (n=102) both femur difference is $0.002{\pm}0.126\;g/cm^2$, there is no significant difference. And in exercise group, classified according to hand preference, each t-value is shown at right handers (n=114) are 0.65, left handers (n=13) are -0.39. Also, In non-exercise group, right handers (n=95) are -0.78, left handers (n=7) are -0.64. In the 95% confidence limit, there was no statistically significant difference (p>0.05). Conclusions: In recently researchs, there have been differences between both femurs according to hand preference. However, Our study have no significant difference both femurs BMDs. Therefore we suggest that BMD measurement of femur has no problem only one side, except for particular case like femur operation.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• 제26권2호
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• pp.142-149
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• 2011

An isocratic high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for routine analysis of deoxynivalenol in noodles was validated and estimated the measurement uncertainty. Noodles (dried noodle and ramyeon) were analyzed by HPLC-ultraviolet detection using immunoaffinity column for clean-up. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 7.5 ${\mu}g$/kg and 18.8 ${\mu}g$/kg, respectively. The calibration curve showed a good linearity, with correlation coefficients $r^2$ of 0.9999 in the concentration range from 20 to 500 ${\mu}g$/kg. Recoveries and Repeatabilities expressed as coefficients of variation (CV) spiked with 200 and 500 ${\mu}g$/kg were $82{\pm}2.7%$ and $87{\pm}1.3%$% in dried noodle, and $97{\pm}1.6%$ and $91{\pm}12.0%$ in ramyeon, respectively. The uncertainty sources in measurement process were identified as sample weight, final volume, and sample concentration in extraction volume as well as components such as standard stock solution, working standard solution, 5 standard solutions, calibration curve, matrix, and instrument. Deoxynivalenol concentration and expanded uncertainty in two matrixes spiked with 200 ${\mu}g$/kg and 500 ${\mu}g$/kg were estimated to be $163.8{\pm}52.1$ and $435.2{\pm}91.6\;{\mu}g$/kg for dried noodle, and $194.3{\pm}33.0$ and $453.2{\pm}91.1\;{\mu}g$/kg for ramyeon using a coverage factor of two which gives a level of statistical confidence with approximately 95%. The most influential component among uncertainty sources was the recovery of matrix, followed by calibration curve.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• 제37권2호
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• pp.84-95
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• 2012

Background: In Korea, private health insurance has neglected to induce externality on national health insurance by moral hazard. Therefore, we conducted this study in order to explore the influence of private health insurance on unnecessary medical utilization among patients with cervical or lumbar sprain. Method: The study examined a population of 449 patients (admission, 384; out-patient; 85) diagnosed with simple cervical or lumbar sprain without neurological symptoms at 20 small hospitals or clinics in Gwangju and Jeollanam provinces from Jul. 1 to Aug. 31 2008. The data were collected using structured, self-administrated questionnaire which collected information such as whether or not the patient was admitted (as a dependent variable), whether or not they had private health insurance (as a independent variable), and covariates such as socio-demographic characteristics, the factors related to the sprain, and characteristics of the insurance provider. Results: From hierarchical multiple logistic regression analysis, it was found that the admission rate of patient with private health insurance was higher than that those without it (Odds ratio=3.31, 95% Confidence interval; 1.14-9.58), meaning that private health insurance was an independent factor influencing the admission of patients with these conditions. Other determinants of admission were patient age and physician referral. Conclusions: This study is the first empirical study to explore the influence of private health insurance on inducing moral hazard in admission services, specifically among patients with cervical or lumbar sprain. Regulation of benefits provided by private health insurance may be necessary, as the effect of this moral hazard may mean existence of externality.