• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.33-49
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• 2017

Background: Health care utilizations and costs of the patients with degenerative lumbar spine disease in Korea increased dramatically. We analyzed whether hospital market competition is associated with charges and length of stay for patients with degenerative lumbar spine disease. Methods: We used Medical claims data of 2002 and 2010 from the nationwide representative sample of National Health Insurance Service of Korea. The study subjects were inpatients with degenerative lumbar spine disease (N=24,768) in 2002 and 2010. We employed a multilevel linear mixed model that included patient- and hospital-level variables in hierarchical data. Results: Higher hospital competition was associated with lower charges (${\beta}=57.5$, p<.0001 in 2002; ${\beta}=353.7$, p<.0001 in 2010) and shorter length of stay (${\beta}=0.3$, p<.0001 in 2002; ${\beta}=0.9$, p<.0001 in 2010) in both 2002 and 2010. Compared to 2002, the magnitude of such association became greater in 2010. However, subgroup analyses show that the influence of competition on charges and length of stay differed by hospital size. Conclusions: This study showed that hospital market structure (e.g., hospital competition) affects hospital efficiency (i.e., hospital charges and length of stay). It is necessary to continue to monitor how changing market structure influences hospital outcomes, including more detailed outcomes such as patient satisfaction.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.85-96
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• 2009

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess input for health promoting schools (HPS), and to evaluate HPS based on WHO's guidelines through school characteristics, and to identify the schools' need among six areas of HPS. Methods: A stratified and random cluster sampling design was used to obtain a cross-sectional sample. A total of 59 elementary, middle and high schools in Seoul and Gyeonggi areas were included, and 333 teachers (males 40.6%, females 59.4%) participated in this survey. A self-reported questionnaire consisted of ten items for input for HPS, 50 items for the evaluation of HPS and three items for the schools' needs among six areas of HPS. Data was analyzed through a t-test, ANOVA, and a Duncan test. Results: The mean score of input for HPS was 48.5 ($\pm$15.3). Elementary schools had higher mean scores of input than middle schools. The mean score of schools with a management committee was higher than those schools without it. The schools which had meetings on health issues had higher mean scores. The mean score for HPS was 76.8 ($\pm$9.4): the area of "School Physical Environment" had the highest score (80.0$\pm$10.9), and the area of "Community Relationships" had the lowest score (67.1$\pm$13.9). Elementary schools had higher mean scores of HPS than middle and high schools. The schools which had less than nine classes and more than 31 classes had higher mean scores. The mean scores of schools with less than 340 students and more than 1201 students had higher. The schools which had meetings on health issues had higher mean scores. The same results were found on six areas of HPS. The teachers responded that the areas of "School Health Policy", "The School Physical Environment", and "Health Service" should be supported among the six areas of HPS. Conclusion: Based on these results, more concerns and support for school health are necessary. Middle schools should give more regard on the development of HPS. For comprehensive school health promotion, all six areas of HPS should be equally supported.

• The Korean Journal of Financial Management
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.209-255
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• 1991

This paper develops a simple model to explain the reasons why foreign acquirers pay significantly higher premiums for U.S. target firms than do U.S. buyers. We also provide empirical work on the valuation effect of foreign takeovers and the determinants of the wealth gains of U.S. target shareholders involved in foreign takeovers. The results indicate that target wealth gains are significantly higher in foreign takeovers than in domestic takeovers, after controlling for the wealth effects of payment method, acquisition type, tax status, size and time period of bids. This confirms the valuation effect of foreign takeovers. Furthermore, the results of cross-sectional regression analysis show that the variation in U.S. target wealth gains is explained by extra tax benefits stemming from double tax deductions for acquisition-related interest expenses incurred by foreign acquirers. These findings imply that differential taxation across tax jurisdictions is the main source of the valuation effect of foreign takeovers. In addition, we find that there exists a valuation effect of the nationality of the foreign acquirers. Japanese companies pay significantly higher premiums than do non-Japanese acquirers. The finding also indicates that competition among bidders increases the abnormal returns to U.S. target shareholders in foreign takeovers.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.169-177
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• 2009

In the past decade there has been increasing concern about the atopic dermatitis (AD) associated with environmental diseases. AD has been increased in the last decade and known as one of the multifactoral diseases, which has the genetic background and environmental factors at the same time. The purposes of this study were to investigate the prevalence rate and etiologic risk factors of atopic dermatitis in preschool children in Changwon, which is a one of the Korean cities and has a large industrial complex. We reviewed and analyzed the statistical data, obtained from Korea National Health Insurance Corporation, related to prevalence rate by age and administrative district. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey, based on ISAAC (International Study of Allergy and Asthma in Childhood), was conducted on random samples of preschool children (5 to 8 years old) of large sized kindergartens in Changwon. The lifetime and last one years prevalence of AD in preschool children in Changwon was increased from 1998 to 2008. The prevalence rate of AD in the preschool children in Changwon city was 9.6%. The prevalence rate in boys was 9.7% and that in girls was 9.4%. The one year prevalence of AD was ranked as middle among other provincial cities in Korea in 2008. This study showed that the prevalence rate of the atopic disease in Changwon was 9% in 2008, which was increased especially compare to 2000. More active governmental approaches for control and prevention of atopic dermatitis for children are recommended. Further studies are needed for more accurate estimation of the prevalence of AD in Korea including different regional and age population.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.497-503
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• 2004

Numerical simulation of blood flow has been conducted based on real vessel geometries generated front DICOM medical images of abdominal and iliac bifurcated arteries of a healthy man. A program was developed to read cross sectional images of the three dimensional arteries and smoothly extract boundary coordinates of vessels. Commercial programs were employed for mesh generation and flow simulation. Pressures, velocities, and flow distributions were found to lie within normal physiological ranges. Peak velocity measured in the iliac artery by ultrasound was 20% smaller than that obtained by simulation. The trend of velocity variation in a cardiac cycle was fairly similar between the simulation and the ultrasonic measurements. Simulation based on real vessel geometry of individual patient provides information on pressure, velocity, and its distribution in the diseased arteries or arteries to be surgically treated. The results of simulation may help surgeons to better understand hemodynamic status and surgical need of the patient by revealing variation of the hemodynamic parameters. Futhermore, they may serve as basic data for surgical treatment of arteries. This research is expected to develop to a program in the future that early diagnose atherosclerosis by showing distribution of a hemodynamic index closely related to atherosclerosis in arteries.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.354-361
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• 2012

This study was conducted to evaluate on the freezing tolerance of introduced blueberry cultivars in Korea and to investigate availability of portable timber moisture meter for simple and rapid diagnosis of blueberry-shoot damage by freezing during wintering. Frost tolerance of blueberry cultivars showed big difference that rates of blueberry-shoot death were widely distributed from about 0% to 100% after wintering. Optical density in TTC reduction of blueberry twig treated low temperature was low in order of $-40^{\circ}C$ < $-21^{\circ}C$ < $4^{\circ}C$. Hardiness evaluation of visible injury in the cross-sectional surface color did not agree with that of rates of blueberry-shoot death during wintering. Lowest water content of blueberry stem measured by timber moisture tester during wintering was about 15%. During wintering, water contents of blueberry stems were higher at lower part of tree, but were low at end part of stems, and then when the blueberry grew again for spring, the water content gradually increased to 20~40%. Water content of blueberry stem with freezing injury during wintering decreased to under 5% by desiccation. Therefore it is assummed that the moisture content of blueberry stem injured by freezing during wintering was about under 14%, and it is expected that portable timber moisture meter could be available for rapid diagnosis of blueberry freezing injury in field.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.58-63
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• 2006

There was cross-sectional study on investigating the factors related asbestos-related disease on chest radiograph of workers exposed to asbestos in ship repair. According to Occupational Safety & Health Administration asbestos standard, medical surveillance, chest radiologic study, pulmonary function test and medical questionnaire are performed in 118 subjects exposed to asbestos for 10 years or more in ship repair. The sixteen out of 118 subjects $(13.6\%)$ were observed asbestos-related disease finding on chest radiography. Significant factors related to those finding on chest radiography were abnormal pulmonary function test, cough, sputum, past history of respiratory disease, work duration. Workers with Significant factors related asbestos-related disease finding on chest radiography should be managed on a strict program. Further, factors unrelated with asbestos-related disease finding on this study should be evaluated prospectively for medical surveillance program of workers exposed to asbestos.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.63-67
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• 2016

In this paper, we present an indirect method of elastic modulus measurement for various lamination layers formed on polymer-based compliant substrates. Although the elastic modulus of every component is crucial for mechanically reliable microelectronic devices, it is difficult to accurately measure the film properties because the lamination layers are hardly detached from the substrate. In order to resolve the problem, 3-point bending test is conducted with a film-substrate specimen and area transformation rule is applied to the cross-sectional area of the film region. With known substrate modulus, a modulus ratio between the film and the substrate is calculated using bending stiffness of the multilayered specimen obtained from the 3-point bending test. This method is verified using electroplated copper specimens with two types of film-substrate structure; double-sided film and single sided film. Also, common dielectric layers, prepreg (PPG) and dry film solder resist (DF SR), are measured with the double-sided specimen type. The results of copper (110.3 GPa), PPG (22.3 GPa), DF SR (5.0 GPa) were measured with high precision.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.126-134
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• 2016

The aim of this cross sectional study was to examine the prevalence of sarcopenia in association with ADL, nutritional status and depression among community dwelling elderly women. The study subjects were 90 elderly women, 65 years and over, who were living in the communities of B and D metropolitan cities from May to July, 2014. The measurements were anthropometric measures, The mini-nutritional assessment instrument (MNA), ADL, IADL, MMSE, and SGDS-K were used. The mean age of the subjects was 74.7(8.22), the prevalence of sarcopenia of this population was 37.8%, almost none of them (94.4%) required assistance in ADL, 15.6% had a risk of undernutrition, and 12.2% had the symptom of depression. The sarcopenic subjects were characterized as low income, low education, living alone, and had more co-morbidity than those of the non-sarcopenic subjects. The sarcopenic subjects were undernourished, and had higher depression scores (SGDS-K), but not in the ADL, than those of the non-sarcopenic subjects. The calf and thigh circumferences, and cognitive ability were the best predictors of sarcopenia, In conclusion, low calf and thigh circumferences and low cognitive ability will increase the risk of sarcopenia in those 65 and over in community dwelling facilities and those three predictors will be useful in the early detection of sarcopenia in the future.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.264-273
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• 2016

This study examined the relationships among halitosis, stress and psychological status using a cross-sectional survey of 3,689 adolescents (1,805 male 1,884 female) from the 2010 Korean Survey on the Health of Youth and Children. The related factors of halitosis were checked and the path model was also examined using AMOS 19.0 programs. The prevalence of halitosis was 27.4%. Based on path analysis, the significant coefficients paths were as follows: $halitosis{\rightarrow}stress$, $halitosis{\rightarrow}depression$, $halitosis{\rightarrow}anxiety$, $halitosis{\rightarrow}tension$, $halitosis{\rightarrow}hostility$. Halitosis had an indirect effect on the psychological status linked to depression, anxiety, tension, and hostility via stress. Overall, the results provide stronger support for the halitosis impact of stress and psychological health. Moreover, the effective prevention of halitosis may be important for understanding the specific psychological factors.