• Health Policy and Management
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.78-86
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• 2024

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the specialty hospital system by comparing the medical use of inpatients who had artificial joint replacement surgery in specialty hospitals and non-specialty hospitals. Methods: This study utilized 2021-2022 healthcare benefit claims data provided by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. The dependent variable is inpatient medical use which is measured in terms of charges per case and length of stay. The independent variable was whether the hospital was designated as a specialty hospital, and the control variables were patient-level variables (age, gender, insurer type, surgery type, and Charlson comorbidity index) and medical institution-level variables (establishment type, classification, location, number of orthopedic surgeons, and number of nurses). Results: The results of the multiple regression analysis between charges per case and whether a hospital is designated as a specialty hospital showed a statistically significant negative relationship between charges per case and whether a hospital is designated as a specialty hospital. This suggests a significant low in charges per case when a hospital is designated as a specialty hospital compared to a non-specialty hospital, indicating that there is a difference in medical use outcomes between specialty hospitals and non-specialty hospitals inpatients. Conclusion: The practical implications of this study are as follows. First, the criteria for designating specialty hospitals should be alleviated. In our study, the results show that specialty hospitals have significantly lower per-case costs than non-specialty hospitals. Despite the cost-effectiveness of specialty hospitals, the high barriers to be designated for specialty hospitals have gathered the specialty hospitals in metropolitan and major cities. To address the regional imbalance of specialty hospitals, it is believed that ease the criteria for designating specialty hospitals in non-metropolitan areas, such as introducing "semi-specialty hospitals (tentative name)," will lead to a reduction in health disparities between regions and reduce medical costs. Second, it is necessary to determine the appropriateness of the size of hospitals' medical staff. The study found that the number of orthopedic surgeons and nurses varied in charges per case. Therefore, it is believed that appropriately allocating hospital medical staff can maximize the cost-effectiveness of medical services and ultimately reduce medical costs.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.178-184
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• 2024

Background: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of drug utilization review (DUR) evaluation indicators on safe drug use by comparing the changes in DUR inspection rates and drug duplication prescription prevention rates between the pre- and post-implementation of the DUR evaluation indicators of the Healthcare Quality Evaluation Grant Initiative. Methods: This study used DUR data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service in 2018 (pre-implementation) and the evaluation results of the Healthcare Quality Evaluation Grant Initiative in 2023 (post-implementation). The dependent variables were the DUR evaluation indicators, including DUR inspection rate and drug duplicate prescription prevention rate. The independent variable was the implementation of the DUR evaluation indicators, and the control variables included medical institution characteristics such as type, establishment classification, location, DUR billing software company, and number of beds. Results: The results of the analysis of the difference in the prevention rate of drug duplicate prescriptions between the pre- and post-implementation of the DUR evaluation indicators of the Healthcare Quality Evaluation Grant Initiative showed that the prevention rate of drug duplicate prescriptions increased statistically significantly after the implementation of the DUR evaluation indicators. Conclusion: The policy implications of this study are as follows: First, ongoing evaluation of DUR systems is needed. Second, it is necessary to establish a collaborative partnership between healthcare organizations that utilize DUR system information and the organizations that manage it.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.46-54
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• 2024

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the periodontal status of end-stage renal disease patients undergoing dialysis and referred for intraoral evaluation prior to renal transplantation surgery with those having normal kidney function. Materials and Methods: Patients who had been undergoing dialysis for end-stage renal disease and been referred to the Dental Clinic Center by the Department of Nephrology at University Hospital for intraoral evaluation prior to kidney transplantation surgery. For comparison of periodontal status, subjects without abnormalities in kidney function were matched with the patients by age and gender and selected as healthy controls. The patients' age, gender, comorbidities, type of dialysis received, and duration of dialysis were investigated by reference to their medical records, and data on their periodontal status were analyzed via the relevant periodontal records. Results: A total of 102 patients, including 51 dialyzed patients and 51 healthy control group subjects, participated in this study. In the patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing dialysis with periodontal probing depth of 5 mm or more, percentage of sites with clinical attachment level of 4 mm or more, percentage of teeth with bleeding on probing, number of missing teeth, and ratio of moderate to severe periodontitis were all significantly greater than in the healthy controls. Conclusion: The periodontal status of end-stage renal disease patients undergoing dialysis and referred for intraoral evaluation prior to kidney transplantation was worse than that of healthy controls.

• Journal of Korean Dental Hygiene Science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.115-127
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• 2023

Background: This study was conducted to determine the level of job satisfaction and patient safety cultural activities for dental hygienists and to determine the relationship between job satisfaction and patient safety cultural activities. Methods: A survey was conducted on 214 dental hygienists, and data from the final 180 were analyzed. Job satisfaction consisted of a total of 20 questions, and patient safety cultural activities included a total of 25 questions. The survey was conducted on a 5-point scale. Results: The average job satisfaction score of the study subjects was 3.44 points. Among patient safety cultural activities, infection control had the highest average score (4.12 points) and radiation safety management had the lowest average score (3.10 points). Patients with less than 3 years of clinical experience (4.01 points) had higher patient safety culture activity scores than those with 3 to 10 years of clinical experience (3.72 points) and those with more than 10 years of clinical experience (3.69 points). The level of patient safety cultural activities was statistically significantly higher as age, less clinical experience, and job satisfaction increased (p<0.05). Conclusion: In the case of dental hygienists, patient safety cultural activities must be carried out throughout the entire work, so an active will to practice patient safety cultural activities is necessary. In order to improve the performance of patient safety cultural activities, it is necessary to adjust the workload of dental hygienists to improve job satisfaction and create a work environment in which they can focus on patient safety cultural activities.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2024

Objectives: Presenteeism is known to be a much more economically damaging social cost than disease rest while going to work despite physical pain. Since COVID-19, social discussions on the sickness benefit have been taking place as a countermeasure against presenteeism, and in particular, farmers and fishermen do not have an institutional mechanism for livelihood support when a disease other than work occurs. This study attempted to examine the relationship between agricultural, fishing, and forestry workers and presenteeism using the 6th Korean Work Conditions Survey. Methods: From October 2020 to January 2021, data from the 6th working conditions survey conducted on 17 cities and provinces in Korea were used, and a total of 34,981 people were studied. Control variables were gender, age, self-health assessment, education level, night work, shift work, monthly income, occupation, working hours per week, and employment status. Results: As a result of the analysis, farmers and fishermen showed the characteristics of the self-employed and the elderly, and as a result of the regression analysis, when farmers and fishermen analyzed the relationship with presenteeism tendency compared to other industry workers, farmers and fishermen increased by 23% compared to other industry groups. Conclusion: This study is significant in that it has representation by utilizing the 6th working conditions survey and objectively suggests the need for a sickness benefit for farmers and fishermen who may be overlooked in the sickness benefit.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.71-81
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• 2009

Food waste has been actively used as a composting material in order to reduce the environmental pollution load and to enhance the recycling of resources. In this study, the longterm effects of continuous application of food waste compost to soils on both the crop production and the soil properties were examined to ensure the safety of food waste compost in agricultural use. In addition, we collected the preliminary data for establishing standard application rate of food waste compost for agricultural utilization. Based on conventional nitrogen application rate of chemical fertilizer for crop cultivation, pig manure compost $(24g\;N\;kg^{-1}$, $8g\;P_2O_5\;kg^{-1}$, and $10.4g\;K_2O\;kg^{-1})$ and food waste compost ($20g\;N\;kg^{-1}$, $20.1g\;P_2O_5\;kg^{-1}$, and $6.5g\;K_2O\;kg^{-1}$) were applied to the upland soil in $2{\times}2{\times}2m$ lysimeter in which lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. crispa), Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris subsp. napus var. pekinensis), red pepper (Capsicum annuum), and potato (Solanum tuberosum) were grown continuously. The crops grown in soils to which food waste compost applied showed better growth responses than the control, whereas some variations were observed in the crops grown in chemical fertilizer treated soils. Continuous application of food waste compost increased the contents of organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus, which resulted in improving soil aeration.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.334-346
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• 2024

Background: Research on the link between subjective health and unmet healthcare needs is limited. This study examines whether experiences of subjective healthcare needs and unmet needs are related to subjective health in South Korea, where the rate of poor subjective health is notably high. Methods: This analysis utilized data from the Korea Health Panel (2014-2018), incorporating 68,930 observations from 16,535 adults aged 19 or older. The dependent variable, subjective health, was dichotomized into poor (bad or very bad) and non-poor (fair, good, or very good) categories. The primary variables of interest were the experiences of subjective healthcare needs and unmet needs, while control variables included 14 socio-demographic, health, and functional characteristics. The study employed population proportion analysis and multivariable two-level binary logistic regression analysis for each gender, accounting for the complex sampling design. Results: In 2018, the rate of reporting poor health was 8.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.0%-9.5%) for men and 14.7% (95% CI, 13.8%-15.6%) for women. For both genders, compared to individuals whose healthcare needs were met, those without healthcare needs were less likely to report poor subjective health (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.58; 95% CI, 0.39-0.86 for men; AOR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.37-0.93 for women). Conversely, individuals whose healthcare needs were not met were more likely to report poor subjective health (AOR, 2.31; 95% CI, 2.01-2.65 for men; AOR, 2.19; 95% CI, 1.98-2.43 for women). A policy simulation indicated that reducing the experience of subjective healthcare needs would be approximately 5 times more effective in reducing poor subjective health than a policy focused on reducing the experience of unmet needs. Conclusion: South Korea must make significant efforts to reduce the deterioration of subjective health and promote appropriate healthcare utilization. To achieve this, a set of policies is recommended to address subjective healthcare needs. These policies should include (1) prompting individuals to proactively manage their own health, (2) providing primary healthcare similar to that in advanced countries, (3) ensuring the healthcare delivery system operates effectively, (4) decentralizing the healthcare management system, and (5) reducing the likelihood of people being misled into thinking they have a healthcare need.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.1-24
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• 1978

To obtain basic information on the breeding of early maturing, short culm naked-barley varieties, the following 10 varieties, Ehime ＃ 1, Shikoku ＃42, Yamate hadaka, Eijo hadaka, Kagawa ＃ 1, Jangjubaeggwa, Baegdong, Cheongmaeg, Seto-hadaka and Mokpo ＃42 were used in diallel crosses in 1974. Heading date, culm length and grain yield per plant for the parents, $F_1's$ and $F_2's$ of the 10X10 partial diallel crosses were measured in 1976 for analysis of their combining ability, heritability and inheritance. The results obtained are summarized below; 1. Heritabilities in broad sense for heading date, culm length and grain yield per plant were 0.7831, 0.7599 and 0.6161, respectively. Narrow sense heritabilities for heading date were 0.3972 in $F_1$ and 0.7789 in $F_2$ and for culm length 0.6567 in $F_1$ and 0.6414 in $F_2.$ These values suggest that earliness and culm length could be successfully selected for in the early generations. Narrow sense heritability for grain yield was 0.3775 in $F_1$ and 0.4170 in $F_2.$ 2. GCA effects of the $F_1$ and $F_2$ generations for days to heading were high in the early direction for early-heading varieties, while for late-heading varieties the GCA effects were high in the late direction. Absolute values for GCA effects in $F_1$ were higher than in $F_2.$ SCA effects of the $F_1$ and $F_2$ generations were high in the early-heading direction for Shikoku ＃ 42 x Mokpo ＃ 42, Ehime ＃ 1 x Yamate hadaka, Shikoku ＃ 42 x Yamate hadaka and Shikoku ＃42 x Eijo hadaka. 3. The GCA effects for culm length in the $F_1$ and $F_2$ generations for tall varieties were high in the tall direction while short varieties were high in the short direction. Absolute values for the GCA effects in $F_1$ were higher than in $F_2.$ SCA effects were high in the short direction for the combinations of Mokpo ＃ 42 with Ehime ＃ 1, Yamate had aka and Eijo hadaka. 4. The GCA effects for grain yields per plant in the $F_1$ and $F_2$ generations for varieties with high yields per plant were high in the high yielding direction, while varieties with low yields per plant were high in the low yielding direction. Absolute values of the $F_1$ GCA effects were higher than the $F_2$ effects. The combinations with high SCA effects were Mokpo ＃ 42 x Shikoku ＃ 42, Mokpo ＃ 42 x Seto hadaka and Mokpo ＃ 42 x Cheongmaeg. 5. Mean heading dates of the $F_1$ and $F_2$ generations were earlier than those of mean mid-parent. Mean heading date of the $F_1$ generation was earlier than the $F_2$ generation. Crosses involving early-heading varieties showed a greater $F_1, $ mid-parent difference than crosses involving late-heading varieties. 6. Heading date was controlled by a partial dominance effect. Nine varieties excluding Mokpo ＃ 42 showed allelic gene action. Ehime ＃ 1, Shikoku ＃ 42, Kagawa ＃ 1 and Mokpo ＃ 42 were recessive to the other tested varieties. 7. The $F_2$ segregations of the 45 crosses for days to heading showed that 33 cosses were of such complexity that they could not be explained by simple genetic inheritance. One cross showed a 3 : 1 ratio where earliness was dominant. Another cross showed a 3 : 1 ratio where lateness was dominant. Four other crosses showed a 9 : 7 ratio for earliness while six crosses showed a 9 : 7 ratio for lateness. 8. Many transgressive segregants for earliness were found in the following crosses; Eijo hadaka x Baegdong, Ehime ＃ 1 x Seto hadaka, Yamate had aka x Kagawa ＃ 1, Kagawa ＃ 1 x Sato hadaka, Shikoku ＃ 42 x Kagawa ＃ 1, Ehime ＃ 1 x Kagawa ＃ 1, Ehime ＃ 1 x Shikoku ＃ 42, Ehime ＃ 1 x Eijo hadaka. 9. Mean culm length of the F, and F. generations were usually taller than the mid-parent where tall parent were used. These trends were high in the short varieties, but low in the tall varieties. 10. Culm length was controlled by partial dominace which was gonverned by allelic gene(s). Culm length showed a high degree of control by additive genes. Mokpo ＃ 42 was recessive while Baegdong was dominant. 11. The F_2 frequency for culm length was in large part normally distributed around the midparent value. However, some combinations showed transgressive segregation for either tall or short culm length. From combinations between medium tall varieties, Ehime ＃ 1, Shikoku ＃ 42, Eijo hadaka and Seto hadaka, many short segregants could be found. 12. Mean grain yields per plant of the F_1 and F_2 generations were 6% and 5% higher than those of mid-parents, respectively. The varieties with high yields per plant showed a low rate of yield increase in their F_1's and F_2's while the varieties with low yields per plant showed a high rate of yield increase in their F_1's and F_1's. 13. Grain yields per plant showed over-dominnee effects, governed by non-allelic genes. Mokpo ＃ 42 showed recessive genetic control of grain yield per plant. It remains difficult to clarify the inheritance of grain yields per plant from these data.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.115-134
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• 1989

Combined effects of ganciclovir (GCV) and vidarabine (ara-A) on the replication, DNA synthesis, and gene expression of wild type-1 herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) and three acyclovir (ACV)-resistant HSV-1 mutants were studied. These mutants include a virus expressing no thymidine kinase $(ACV^r)$, a virus expressing thymidine kinase with altered substrate specificity $(IUdR^r)$, and a mutant expressing altered DNA polymerase $(PAA^r5)$. GCV, an agent activated by herpesvirus specific thymidine kinase, showed potent antiviral activity against the wild type HSV-1(KOS) and DNA polymerase mutant $(PAA^r5)$. The ACV-resistant mutants with thymidine kinase gene $(ACV^r\;and\;IUdR^r)$ were resistant to GCV. All tested wild type HSV-1 or ACV-resistant HSV-1 mutants did not display resistance to vidarabine (are-A). Combined GCV and ara-A showed potentiating synergistic antiviral activity against wild type KOS and $PAA^r5$, and showed subadditive combnined ativiral activity against thymidine kinase mutants. Combined GCV and ara-A more significantly inhibited the viral DNA synthesis in wild type KOS and $PAA^r5-infected$ cells to a greater extent than either agent alone, but the synergism was not determined in $ACV^r$ or $IUdR^r-infected$ cells. These data clearly indicate that combined GCV and ara-A therapy might be useful for the treatment of infections caused by wild type HSV-1 or ACV-resistant HSV-1 with DNA polymerase mutation. ACV-resistant viruses with the mutation in thymidine kinase gene are also, resistant to GCV, but susecptible to ara-A, indicating that ara-A would the drug of choice for the treatment of ACV-resistant HSV-1 which does not express thymidine kinase or expresses thymidine kinase with altered substrate specificity. While the synthesis of viral ${\alpha}-proteins$ of wild type HSV-1 was not affected by ACV, GCV, ara-A, or combined GCV and ara-A, the synthesis of ${\beta}-proteins$ was slightly but significantly increased at the later stage of viral infection by the antiviral agents. The synthesis of ${\gamma}-proteins$ of wild type HSV- 1 was significantly inhibited by ACV, GCV, ara-A, and combined GCV and ara-A. Combined GCV $(5-{\mu}M)$ and ara-A $(100-{\mu}M)$ also significantly altered the expression of viral ${\beta}-and$ ${\gamma}-proteins$, of which efffct was similar to that of GCV $(10-{\mu}M)$ alone. Although ACV at the concentration of $10-{\mu}M$ did not alter the expression of ${\alpha}-$, ${\beta}-$, and ${\gamma}-proteins$ of ACV-resistant $PAA^r5$, GCV and ara-A significantly alter the epression of ${\beta}-and$ ${\gamma}-proteins$, not ${\alpha}-protein$, as same manner as they altered the expression of those proteins in cells inffcted with wild type HSV-1. Combined GCV $(5-{\mu}M)$ and ara-A $(100-{\mu}M)$ altered the expression ${\beta}-and$ ${\gamma}-proteins$ in $PAA^r5$ infected cells, and the effect of combined regimen was comparable of that of GCV $(10-{\mu}M)$. These data indicate that the alteration in the expression of ${\beta}-and$ ${\gamma}-proteins$ in wild type HSV-1 or $PAA^r5$ infected cells could be more significantly affected by combined GCV and are-A than individual GCV or ara-A. In view of the fact that (a) viral ${\alpha}-$, ${\beta}-$, and ${\gamma}-proteins$ are synthesized in a cascade manner; (b) ${\beta}-proteins$ are essential for the synthesis of viral DNA; (c) the synthesis of ${\beta}-proteins$ are inhibited by ${\gamma}-proteins$; and (d) most ${\gamma}-proteins$ are made from the newly synthesized progeny virus, it is suggested that GCV and ara-A, alone or in combination, primarily inhibit the synthesis of viral DNA, and by doing so might exhibit their antiherpetic activity. The alteration in viral protein synthesis in the presence of tested antiviral agents could result from the alteration in viral DNA synthesis. From the present study, it can be concluded that (a) combined GCV and ara-A therapy would be beneficial for the control of inffctions caused by wild type HSV-1 or ACV-resistant DNA polymerase mutants; (b) the combined synergistic activity of GCV and ara-A is due to further decrease in the viral DNA by the combined regimen; (c) ara-A is the drug of choice for the infection caused by ACV-resistant HSV-1 with thymidine kinase mutation; and (d) the alteration in viral protein synthesis by GCV and ars-A, alone or in combination, is mostly due to the decreased synthesis of viral DAN.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.8
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• pp.1118-1133
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• 2012

This research aimed to suggest an efficient improvement plan for school food services by investigating the operating situation and recognition of menu management in school food services for school food service dietitians (and nutrition teachers) in Chungbuk. A total of 328 questionnaires were distributed to school food service dietitians (and nutrition teachers) in Chungbuk by e-mail in September, 2010. A total of 265 questionnaires (80.8%) were used for the analysis. The highest allocation of nutrients and calories per day in school food services was 1:1.5:1.5 (breakfast : lunch : dinner) (38.5%). The reasoning for applying a flexible allocation of nutrients and calories per day was 'considering the ratio of students who do not eat breakfast' (59.2%). And the way to apply the flexible allocation for nutrients and calories per day was 'by agreement from the school operating committee in arbitrary data without situation surveys' (86 respondents, 49.4%), and 'by agreement from the school operating committee in analysis data through situation surveys' (80 respondents, 46.0%). The operational method of standardized recipes was 'cooking management site of national education information systems' (87.5%) and the items included in standardized recipes were menu name, food material name, portion size, cooking method, nutrition analysis, and critical control point in HACCP. The main reason for not utilizing all items of a cooking management site of the national education information system was 'no big trouble in menu management even though it is used partly (29.1%). In addition, the highest use of standardized recipe was for 'maintaining consistency of food production quantity' (74.0%).