• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.60-65
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• 2019

Objectives: This study examined cancer knowledge, beliefs, and practice among faith-based Chinese in the USA versus Taiwan to gain better understandings on how environment and culture might play a role for tailored cancer education programs. Methods: A self-administered survey included a validated 10-item Cancer Screening Belief Scale (CSBS), an 8-item Cancer Screening Knowledge Test (CSKT), and a 14-item cancer Warning Signs Test (CWST) was administered. Participants were recruited from 9 Chinese churches (5 in the USA and 4 in Taiwan). Results: A total of 372 Chinese participated, 50% lived in the USA and 50% in Taiwan. Mean age was 44.31 (standard deviation, 14.74), 60% males, and majority had college education (85%). Taiwan participants scored higher on both CSKT (6.13 vs. 5.52; p<0.001) and CWST (6.80 vs. 5.38; p<0.001). Although perceived screening benefits and barriers were similar, Taiwan participants endorsed higher on screening norms (11.67 vs. 10.82; p<0.001). Taiwan participants also indicated more doctor recommending cancer screenings (42.1% vs. 29.6%; p=0.015), USA participants were more likely to have had annual health exams (65.4% vs. 48.9%; p=0.002). Regression results showed that those resided in the USA were 2.38 times more likely to report annual health exams. Married status (odds ratio [OR], 2.85), college education (OR, 2.38), doctor's recommendation (OR, 2.87), no family cancer history (OR, 2.47), and those with lower barriers were significant factors on annual health exams. Conclusions: Taiwan participants scored higher on cancer knowledge and screening norms, while more USA participants reported annual health exams. Taiwan's universal healthcare might play a role on the different healthcare seeking patterns.

• Design & Manufacturing
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.61-67
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• 2019

The cooling unit of the industrial showcase consists of a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator. An axial fan is used to circulate the air to improve the efficiency of the heat exchanger. In the past, aluminum fans have been used, which have problems such as low performance, efficiency, high failure rate, and high noise. This study is to develop high performance, high efficiency plastic fan replacing aluminum fan. A major factor in determining the performance and noise of an axial fan is the angle and cross-sectional shape of the blade, which is suitable for raising the lift force, thereby controlling the vortex, which is the main cause of noise and performance degradation. In order to produce a high efficiency injection molded fan, it is necessary to develop a mold that minimizes the deformation of the injection process for the designed shape. In this study, we developed a high efficiency, low noise plastic injection fan with more than 11% performance improvement and noise reduction compared to conventional aluminum fan.

• Horticulture, Environment, and Biotechnology : HEB
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• v.59 no.6
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• pp.815-826
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• 2018

The intense drought affecting olive production in Northern Chile underscores the need to research non-traditional irrigation strategies to obtain the best crop performance. Accordingly, this study aimed to obtain preliminary data to guide future research on this topic. Different water replenishment levels on crop evapotranspiration ($ET_c$ ; 13.5, 27.0, 40.5, and 54%) were established in a young orchard, cv. Arbequina, from the end of fruit drop (EFD) to full bloom in the next season. We evaluated the influence of plant water status (${\Psi}_{stem}$ ) and crop load, considered as function of fruit number divided by trunk cross-sectional area, on reproductive and productive variables using multiple linear regressions. Our results show that crop load and ${\Psi}_{stem}$ measured from EFD to harvest affected yield components. Nevertheless, ${\Psi}_{stem}$ had the strongest influence on fruit size, pulp development, oil accumulation, and yield. Oil content and yield were reduced by 54% and 50% for each MPa, respectively, from ${\Psi}_{stem\;EFD-H}$ -1.8 MPa, an effect that intensified as crop load increased. During the period of flower development (September-November), the number of flowers per inflorescence and percentage of perfect flowers were reduced when ${\Psi}_{stem}$ was less than -2.0 MPa. These preliminary results showed that bud differentiation, inflorescence and flower formation are highly sensitive to water deficit.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.557-567
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• 2018

Objective: The increasing number of people living in high-rise apartments may result in a delayed response from emergency medical technicians called out for an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, making the role of apartment managers as the first responders extremely important. This study investigated whether automated external defibrillator (AED) placement influences the willingness of apartment managers to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use an AED. Methods: A cross-sectional target population-based survey was conducted in Daegu, July 2016. Questionnaires were sent to apartment managers working in apartments with more than 500 households. The general characteristics of the respondents, status of CPR education, and knowledge about and willingness to perform CPR and use an AED were investigated. Results: Of the 1,445 respondents, 758 (52.5%) worked in apartments with AEDs, of which 77.8% and 70.8% were willing to perform CPR and use an AED, respectively, compared with 68.1% and 60.0% of respondents who worked in apartments without AEDs. After adjusting for potential confounders, AED placement was associated with the willingness to perform CPR (odds ratio [OR], 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.71) and use an AED (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.10-1.75). Prior CPR training and accurate knowledge of CPR skills were also associated with the willingness to perform CPR and use an AED. Conclusion: Placing AEDs in high-rise apartment buildings and providing refresher CPR education for maintaining CPR skills will be necessary to support apartment managers in their role as first responders.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.608-617
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• 2018

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze related factors in relation to usage of illicit substances for Korean adolescents. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, which used data from the Twelfth Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBWS). A total of 65,528 students in 2016 were included in this study. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used for analyzing related factors using illicit substances. Results: Overall, 553 (0.8%) students responded as having ever used illicit substances during their lifetime and 133 (0.2%) students responded as current illicit substance users. It was found that electronic cigarette (EC) use, conventional cigarette smoking, second hand smoking, sad/despair mood, and economic status were significantly associated factors with usage of illicit substances. Comparing 'current EC users' with 'never EC users', the adjusted odds ratios (OR) was 7.76 (95% confidence interval (CI): 5.56-10.82) for life-time use of illicit substances, and 18.74 (95% CI: 8.01-43.87) for current use of illicit substances among adolescents. Additionally, comparing 'students who ever were exposed to second hand smoking during the past week', with 'students who never were exposed to second hand smoking', the adjusted OR was 2.60 (95% CI: 2.13-3.17) for life-time use of illicit substances, and 2.85 (95% CI: 1.68-4.83) for current use of illicit substances among adolescents. Conclusions: Based on the results, electronic cigarette use, second hand smoking, conventional cigarette smoking, sad/despair mood, and economic status were significantly associated with increased odds of substance experience and current substance use. Therefore, the results of this study can provide a useful evidence about adolescent behaviors in predicting substance use.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.11-24
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• 2019

Purpose: This study tries to systematically understand factors that explain levels of happiness among pregnant women in the Ecological systems theory. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with 169 pregnant women in Korea. Collected data from self-report questionnaires were analyzed by hierarchical regression analysis using the SPSS statistics 23 program. Results: A total of 5 models were examined according to individual, microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem in the Ecological systems theory. In the first model including individual factors, extraversion, neuroticism, and physical and psychological change constitute significant factors explaining happiness. In the second model with microsystem factors and in the third one with mesosystem factors, marital intimacy appears to be a significant factor. In the fourth model including exosystem factors, community service is a significant factor. In the final model with social atmosphere, personality (${\beta}=.15$ for extraversion; ${\beta}=-.30$ for neuroticism), physical and psychological change (${\beta}=-.15$), marital intimacy (${\beta}=.35$), and community service (${\beta}=.18$) turn out to be significant. These factors explain 59% of the variance of happiness in the pregnant women in Korea. Conclusion: Considering the fact that pregnant women's happiness is explained by microsystem and exosystem factors as well as individual factors, developing intervention programs that can promote influencing factors such as marital intimacy and community service is necessary to improve levels of happiness among pregnant women in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Oral Health
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.204-209
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• 2018

Objectives: This study was conducted to identify the demand and willingness to pay for oral hygiene services among elderly people with long-term care insurance. Methods: Our study was a cross-sectional analysis. Subjects comprised 126 elderly individuals from long-term home-care centers. A total of 28 centers were selected through convenience sampling from among 78 centers in ${\bigcirc}{\bigcirc}$. For analysis, semi-structured questionnaires that required about 20-30 minutes to complete were used. Analysis was performed using SPSS 23.0 software. Results: The overall demand for oral hygiene services was 44.4%, and willingness to pay was 31.0%. Thirty-three people (58.9%) of elderly those who have demand for an oral hygiene service were willing to pay for the service, and 64 people (91.4%) who did not have a demand were not willing to pay for it. Among those with partial dependence on brushing, 65.6% had demand for oral hygiene services and 50.0% were willing to pay costs. Among basic livelihood beneficiaries, 69.6% were willing to pay for oral hygiene services; general subjects and relievers were less willing to pay. Conclusions: The overall demand for oral hygiene services among elderly people was 44.4%, and the willingness to pay was as low as 31.0%.

• Journal of Bone Metabolism
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.219-226
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• 2018

Background: Although studies and interest in sarcopenia have increased, it is still a matter of debate which muscle mass index better represents the aging process. We compared 3 indices for muscle mass (appendicular skeletal muscle mass [ASM]/weight, $ASM/height^2$, and the body mass index [BMI]-adjusted muscle mass index [ASM/BMI]) to determine which better reflected the aging process in terms of the decline in bone mineral density (BMD), visual acuity (VA), hearing power, renal function, pulmonary function, and handgrip strength. Methods: We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in the Korean population. Between 2008 and 2011, a total of 14,415 men and 17,971 women aged 10 years or older participated in the study. We plotted the changes in the 3 indices of muscle mass and compared these with changes in BMD, VA, hearing power, renal function, pulmonary function, and handgrip strength according to each age group. Results: The ASM/BMI showed similar changes in terms of surrogate markers of the aging process, while the ASM/weight and $ASM/height^2$ showed no correlation. Conclusions: Among muscle indices for sarcopenia, only the ASM/BMI represented the aging process.

• Psychiatry investigation
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.1162-1167
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• 2018

Objective Motor, perceptual, and cognitive functions are known to affect driving competence. Subcortical ischemic changes on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can reflect reduction in cognitive and motor performance. However, few studies have reported the relationship between subcortical ischemic changes and driving competence of the elderly. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the association between subcortical ischemic changes on MRI and driving abilities of the elderly. Methods Participants (n=540) were drawn from a nationwide, multicenter, hospital-based, longitudinal cohort. Each participant underwent MRI scan and interview for driving capacity categorized into 'now driving' and 'driving cessation (driven before, not driving now)'. Participants were divided into three groups (mild, n=389; moderate, n=116; and severe, n=35) depending on the degree of white matter hyperintensity (WMH) on MRI at baseline. Driving status was evaluated at follow-up. Statistical analyses were conducted using ${\chi}^2$ test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), structured equation model (SEM), and generalized estimating equation (GEE). Results In SEM, greater baseline degree of WMH was directly associated with driving cessation regardless of cognitive or motor dysfunction (${\beta}=-0.110$, p<0.001). In GEE models after controlling for age, sex, education, cognitive, and motor dysfunction, more severe change in the degree of WMH was associated with faster change from 'now driving' state to 'driving cessation' state over time in the elderly (${\beta}=-0.508$, p<0.001). Conclusion In both cross-sectional and longitudinal results, the degree of subcortical ischemic change on MRI might predict driving cessation in the elderly.

• Psychiatry investigation
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.1135-1143
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• 2018

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in psychopathology between offspring of parents with bipolar I disorder (BP-I) and those with bipolar II disorder (BP-II). Methods The sample included 201 offspring between 6 and 17 years of age who had at least one parent with BP-I or BP-II. The offspring were diagnostically evaluated using the Korean Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version. Psychopathology and Clinical characteristics were evaluated, including lifetime DSM-5 diagnoses, depression, and childhood trauma. Lifetime DSM-5 diagnoses were also compared between schoolchildren aged 6 to 11 years and adolescents aged 12 to 17 years. Results In lifetime DSM-5 diagnoses, offspring of parents with BP-I had significantly increased risk of developing MDD and BP-I than those with BP-II. Regarding clinical characteristics, ADHD rating scale and childhood trauma scale were significantly higher in offspring of parents with BP-I than that in those with BP-II. Conclusion The present study supports that BP-I may be etiologically distinct from BP-II by a possible genetic liability. Our findings indicate that additional research related to bipolar offspring is needed to enhance understanding of differences between BP-I and BP-II.