• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.77-90
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• 2019

In this study, we investigated which message provider is effective in a virtual reality (VR) environment for individuals with different needs with regard to affect (need for affect [NFA]) and cognition (need for cognition [NFC]). According to Haddock et al (2008), individuals with high NFA were more influenced to change their behavior by the emotional aspects of a message, whereas individuals with high NFC were more influenced by the cognitive aspects of the same message. We hypothesized that individual differences in needs could affect not only receipt of the message but also the acceptability of the message provider. For example, someone with high NFA might accept messages more easily from an acquaintance than from experts. In the VR environment, the appearance of the message provider could be manipulated in a way that makes him or her more familiar to the person receiving the message. Accordingly, in order to promote the effectiveness of message providers in a VR environment according to the individual difference in needs, we measured the level of the preference and self-efficacy according to needs (NFA or NFC), type of message provider (expert, significant other, or other), and VR device (text or VR). Contrary to what we expected, the results showed that there was no matching effect between the needs and the message provider. However, we found that level of preference and self-efficacy were significantly high when a VR device was worn only by participants with high NFA. This result suggests that a VR environment is more suitable for providing health advice to people with high NFA. In addition, the novelty of this study is that we tried to find the tailored message provider on health advice in VR environment and it is in the early stage of the research.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.386-394
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• 2016

This study investigates the validity of a Korean version of the Client Assessment Summary (CAS), which is a tool used to assess the recovery of alcoholics. We investigated the Korean CAS's suitability for use in assessing the scale of recovery scale of general alcoholics in Korea. In this study, we analyzed the data of 205 abstaining alcoholics in order to determine the validity of the Korean CAS. We undertook relationship analyses of CAS contents, reliability, and composition validity through factor analysis. In addition, we assessed ARS, abstinence period, abstinence self-efficacy, illness insight, and motivation change variables. The factor analysis results, performed after verification of content suitability by assessing 12 questions and 4 factors, confirmed the tool's composition validity, with the results showing relatively high values (R2 = 76.26%, communality ${\geq}0.6$, and KMO = 0.92). Moreover, internal consistency was acceptable (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92), and the correlations among ARS, abstinence self-efficacy, illness insight, and motivation change variables confirmed the validity of the Korean CAS. The proposed Korean CAS is expected to be useful when academically and clinically assessing the recovery of alcoholics; thereby, eventually contributing to successful recoveries from alcoholism.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.409-424
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• 2016

This study analyzed the causal relationship among factors that influence the purchase intensions for individual pensions which have a growing importance as a financial means after retirement. For this purpose, structural equation modeling based on the survey data (N = 928) was conducted to analyze psychological factors and financial factors comprehensively. According to empirical results of the structural equation, in the case of non-subscribers of individual pensions, potential longevity and coping efficacy influenced the purchase intensions for individual pensions fully mediated by fear and worry about longevity. Trust in insurers and risk tolerance directly influenced the purchase intensions for individual pensions. These show that trust in insurers is the most important factor in purchase intensions for individual pensions. Also, only trust in insurers give a direct impact on individual pensions in the case of individual pension subscribers. Longevity-related emotional side is expected to help in marketing activities that target potential customers signing individual pensions. In addition, trust in insurers has the greatest impact on new and additional subscriptions that represent critical efforts to improve trust in insurers.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.151-165
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• 2015

Objective: This study aims to develop and scientifically investigate the efficacy of the Spine S-curve Reactive Backrest that responds to the spine curvature of the user when seated, and maintains and enhances the natural S-curve of the lower back, thereby helping to relieve fatigue, correct posture and prevent spine deformities. Background: The focus of current development, design guidelines and/or standards for office chairs is mainly placed on the chair's dimensions, incline angle, adjusting features and lumbar support. Research and development was called for developing a chair backrest that maintains and improves the S-curve of the full spine. Method: The Spine S-curve Reactive Backrest was ergonomically designed to maintain correct posture and enhance user comfort. When leaned on, the backrest responds to the user's spine line and the whole lower back sits closely against the backrest, thereby aligning the user's lower back and backrest as one to maintain and improve the natural S-curve formation of the spine. In order to evaluate the efficacy of the newly designed chair (new design) and the comparison target (chair), five male college students of standard body type with normal spine curvature were selected as test subjects, and a motion analyzer and electromyography were utilized to measure S-curve and erector spinae muscle activity when seated. Results: The spine S-curve was better maintained and improved when sitting in the new design than in the comparison chair. Particularly notable was the greater displacement gap of the thoracic spine than the cervical spine, and also that of the lumbar more than the thoracic spine, with the increase of the backrest tilting angle. Furthermore, the electromyogram results showed the new design caused a lower fatigue level of the erector spinae muscles compared to the comparison chair, and also earned a higher preference in the subjective opinion results. Conclusion: The newly designed chair in this study responds to the user's spine curvature and maintains and enhances the lower back's natural S-curve, and thereby relieves fatigue, promotes better posture, and helps to prevent spine deformities better than existing office chairs. There is a need to widely introduce and supply this new design. Application: The new design is applicable to office and student chairs, and is expected to improve concentration and work efficiency.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.231-241
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• 2020

In this study in order to develop new approaches we investigated using high voltage pulsed electric fields (PEF) technology to reduce the risks, protect the phyto-constituents and improve skin biological activities. After preparing a Chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) extracts pretreated with PEF, components measurement and skin efficacy evaluation were performed. As a result of the content measurement, the content of polysaccharide and polyphenol were higher in the order of extracts treated with 50 Hz and 25 Hz at 0.5 kV/cm, and the content of protein was the highest in extracts treated with 25 Hz at 0.5k V/cm. Similar to the results of the polyphenol measurements, extracts treated with 25 Hz and 50 Hz at 0.5 kV/cm showed leading DPPH scavenging ability. The cell protection effect against sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and UVB was finest in extracts treated with 25 Hz at 0.5 kV/cm, which had the highest protein content. And the hyaluronic acid synthesis was leading in extracts treated with 50 Hz and 100 Hz at 0.5 kV/cm. Therefore, the active ingredient of the high-voltage PEF pre-treatment Chaga mushroom extract can be developed as a functional material with cell protection and moisturizing effect, and such green technology is expected to be used in various fields of cosmetics and material development.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.35-46
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• 2018

Objectives: The aim of this trial is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Yukwool-tang (Liuyu-tang) for the treatment of major depression in women by comparing the Yukwool-tang (Liuyu-tang)-treated group with the placebo-treated group and assessing the association of various biological factors related to depression through various outcome measures. Methods: This study is a single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-design clinical trial. The subjects to be selected are women between the ages of 19 and 65, and the registered subjects are to be randomly assigned to treatment with Yukwool-tang or the placebo control. The Yukwool-tang group will take 1 bottle of Yukwool-tang (30 mg) for 8 weeks, 3 times a day, before meals. The control group will take the placebo in the same way. The primary outcome to be examined will be the change between the total score after 8 weeks and the total score before the start of the study of the K-HDRS score. Secondary outcomes are assessed by the change in total score after 12 weeks of K-HDRS, K-HDRS remission rate, K-HDRS improvement rate, BDI-K, PITD, KSCL-95, ISI, STAI-K, EQ-5D, VAS, Emotional Stimulation Test, BDNF test, inflammatory cytokine and tumor necrosis factor test, intestinal microbiome test, dietary report and Beck's hopelessness scale. Results: This protocol has been approved by the IRB of Dunsan Korean Medicine Hospital of Daejeon University and is registered in the CRIS, and it is made public in advance to ensure transparency of the research process and conduct ethical clinical trials. Conclusions: Based on this protocol, when the trial is completed, its data can be used to access the validity and safety of Yukwool-tang for major depression in women, and it is also expected to be helpful in the study of the correlation between future treatment of Korean medicine for depression and related biological factors, and quality of life.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.3593-3599
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• 2014

Background: Efficacy of childhood cancer treatment in low-income countries may be impacted by parents' and health-care providers' perspectives on chemotherapy-related side-effects. This study explores prevalence and severity of side-effects in childhood cancer, and compares health beliefs about side-effects between parents and health-care providers, and between nurses and doctors in Indonesia. Materials and Methods: Semi-structured questionnaires were filled in by 40 parents and 207 health-care providers in an academic hospital. Results: Parents exporessed a desire to receive more information about side-effects (98%) and worried about this aspect of treatment (90%), although side-effects were less severe than expected (66%). The most frequent was behavior alteration (98%) and the most severe was hair loss. Only 26% of parents consulted doctors about side-effects. More parents, compared to health-care providers, believed that medicines work better when side-effects are more severe (p<0.001), and accepted severe side-effects (p=0.021). More health-care providers, compared to parents, believed that chemotherapy can be stopped or the dosage altered when there are side-effects (p=0.011). More nurses, compared to doctors, stated that side-effects were unbearable (p=0.004) and made them doubt efficacy of treatment (p<0.001). Conclusions: Behavior alteration is the most frequent and hair loss the most severe side-effect. Apparent discrepancies in health beliefs about side-effects exist between parents and health-care providers. A sustainable parental education program about side-effects is recommended. Health-care providers need to update and improve their knowledge and communication skills in order to give appropriate information. Suchmeasures may improve outcome of childhood cancer treatment in low-income countries, where adherence to therapy is a major issue.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.1169-1180
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• 2005

First, I read all the materials, including Dongeuibogam(Encyclopedia Medica Koreana), classical writings on Lacca sinica exsiccata, herbal writings on lacquer poison, and herbal books on how to treat lacquer poison. And then after 1 examined all the details on qi and taste of Lacca sinica exsiccata, its efficacy, detoxification, lacquer poison, and its effects on body symptom, 1 got the following results. The order of frequency that Lacca sinica exsiccata is used in Dongeuibogam is pressure-feeling, blood circulation, and insect biting. Its way of intake is not so much through herb-boiling or powdered medicine as through hand-made pills. When medicine is used in the form of pills, the Lacca sinica exsiccata is more included among other ingredients. When old doctors treated pressure-feeling in the chest, they mixed up other herbs, with not putting more emphasis on the efficacy of lacquer 010 doctors believed that toxicity of Lacca sinica exsiccata is not having its own poison, but having biased dominance in the use of its qE and taste. The way or detoxification or Lacca sinica exsiccata is used in the order of crab-boiled water, egg, Xanthoxylum piperitum, Perilla frutescens, Astar tataricus, a weeping willow, iron-tempered water, and Allium toberosum. Special point in detoxificating lacquer poison is that they used medicines for well-ciruculating pulmonary stream, medicines for promoting to urinate or discharge by helping large colons to move, medicines for making the lacquer scar small, medicines for helping digest, and medicines for improving vessel function in the poisoned area. With the above results, the more profound study, based on the crab-boiled water and egg, is expected to go on to increase the effect on the one hand, and to make the new way of lessening or removing the toxicity of lacquer with more safe use on the other hand.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.138-148
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• 2013

Purpose: Determining an appropriate path is a top priority in order for a robot to maneuver in a dynamically efficient way especially in a pick-and-place task. In a non-standardized work environment, current robot arm executes its motion based on the kinematic displacements of joint variables, though resulting motion is not dynamically optimal. In this research we suggest analyzing and applying motion patterns of the human arm as an alternative to perform near optimum motion trajectory for arbitrary pick-and-place tasks. Methods: Since the motion of a human arm is very complicated and diverse, it was simplified into two links: one from the shoulder to the elbow, and the other from the elbow to the hand. Motion patterns were then divided into horizontal and vertical components and further analyzed using kinematic and dynamic methods. The kinematic analysis was performed based on the D-H parameters and the dynamic analysis was carried out to calculate various parameters such as velocity, acceleration, torque, and energy using the Newton-Euler equation of motion and Lagrange's equation. In an attempt to assess the efficacy of the analyzed human motion pattern it was compared to the virtual motion pattern created by the joint interpolation method. Results: To demonstrate the efficacy of the human arm motion mechanical and dynamical analyses were performed, followed by the comparison with the virtual robot motion path that was created by the joint interpolation method. Consequently, the human arm was observed to be in motion while the elbow was bent. In return this contributed to the increase of the manipulability and decrease of gravity and torque being exerted on the elbow. In addition, the energy required for the motion decreased. Such phenomenon was more apparent under vertical motion than horizontal motion patterns, and in shorter paths than in longer ones. Thus, one can minimize the abrasion of joints by lowering the stress applied to the bones, muscles, and joints. From the perspectives of energy and durability, the robot arm will be able to utilize its motor most effectively by adopting the motion pattern of human arm. Conclusions: By applying the motion pattern of human arm to the robot arm motion, increase in efficiency and durability is expected, which will eventually produce robots capable of moving in an energy-efficient manner.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.1-15
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• 2018

Objectives: Osteoporosis is considered a serious human disease. We developed an extract of mixed herbs containing root of Platycodon grandiflorum (ExMH-PGR), which is expected to be effective in preventing or treating osteoporosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-osteoporotic effect of ExMH-PGR in osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells and osteoclastic RAW 264.7 cells. Methods: To examine the anti-osteoporotic effect of ExMH-PGR, osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation were induced and cultured with various concentrations of ExMH-PGR. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, collagen synthesis, osteocalcin production, and mineralization in MC3T3-E1 cells were analyzed. Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) activity and the formation of actin ring in RAW 264.7 cells were analyzed. Results: ExMH-PGR at concentration up to $25{\mu}g/mL$ significantly increased ALP activity, collagen synthesis, osteocalcin production, and mineralization in MC3T3-E1 cells. ExMH-PGR at 50 to $200{\mu}g/mL$ significantly inhibited TRAP activity and the formation of actin ring in RAW 264.7 cells. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that ExMH-PGR stimulates osteoblastic activities and inhibits osteoclastic activities in in vitro systems, suggesting that ExMH-PGR might be considered as an anti-osteoporotic candidate for treatment of osteoporosis disease.