• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.38-52
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• 2021

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to analyze the use of insured herbal extracts and Korean medicinal treatments, which are mainly used to treat allergic rhinitis in Korean medicine. Methods : Among all HIRA(Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service) claims data in 2016, we included all statements that included J30(vasomotor and allergic rhinitis) or a subcategory of J30(J30.0, J30.1, J30.2, J30.3, or J30.4) as the main disease, using the Korean Standard Classification of Diseases(KCD-7). This study analyzed the most frequently used insured herbal extracts and Korean medicinal treatments for allergic rhinitis in Korean medicine. We performed a frequency analysis on subgroups based on treatment type(inpatient or outpatient), sex, age, insurance type, and medical institution type. Results : The result shows the 10 most frequently used insured herbal extracts and Korean medicinal treatments for allergic rhinitis. The total number of insured herbal extracts prescriptions was 82,533, and the most commonly prescribed insured herbal extracts was socheongryong-tang(35,131 prescriptions), followed by hyeonggaeyeongyo-tang(18,157 prescriptions), samsoeum(6,257 prescriptions), and galgeun-tang(4,465 prescriptions). The total number of Korean medicinal treatments prescriptions was 1,878,541, of which the most common Korean medicinal treatments was acupuncture(922,977 prescriptions), followed by moxibustion(372,120 prescriptions), cupping(242,094 prescriptions), and segmental acupuncture(161,553 prescriptions). Conclusions : It is expected that the results of this study can be used as a basis for establishing the priorities of evidence-based clinical research topics in the field of Korean medicine and making health care policy decisions to strengthen coverage in the future.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.354-360
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• 2021

People hope to live a healthy and happy life achieving satisfaction by striking a good work-life balance. Therefore, there is a growing interest in well-aging which means living happily to a healthy old age without worry. This study identified important factors related to well-aging by analyzing news articles published in Korea. Using Python-based web crawling, 1,199 articles were collected on the news service of portal site Daum till November 2020, and 374 articles were selected which matched the subject of the study. The frequency analysis results of text mining showed keywords such as 'elderly', 'health', 'skin', 'well-aging', 'product', 'person', 'aging', 'female', 'domestic' and 'retirement' as important keywords. Besides, a social network analysis with 45 important keywords revealed strong connections in the order of 'skin-wrinkle', 'skin-aging' and 'old-health'. The result of the CONCOR analysis showed that 45 main keywords were composed of eight clusters of 'life and happiness', 'disease and death', 'nutrition and exercise', 'healing', 'health', and 'elderly services'.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.142-154
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• 2022

Arsenic (As) contamination in groundwater is one of the main problems in Bangladesh. As toxicity causes serious human health problems such as edema, skin cancer, bladder cancer, lung cancer, hyperkeratosis, premature birth, and black foot disease. As contamination in groundwater mainly originates from the geological characteristics of the area due to the influence of anthropogenic activities. Since most of the people in Bangladesh rely on tube well for drinking water, it is necessary to investigate the current status of As pollution and identify the treatment technologies that can be used to provide arsenic-free drinking water in water-scarce areas. A total of 92 papers were reviewed in this study to present a complete overview of the recent status of groundwater As contamination in Bangladesh and different low-cost remediation technologies. A method for evaluating the relative feasibility of different treatment technologies was also utilized to determine the most appropriate technologies for groundwater As treatment in Bangladesh. The districts with the highest groundwater As contamination include Brahamanbariya, Tangail, Barisal, Pabna, Patuakhali, Kurigram, Magura, and Faridpur, with concentrations exceeding 0.05 mg/L. Only six districts had relatively low groundwater arsenic concentrations (0.01 mg/L), including Kushtia, Khagrachari, Jessore, Dinajpur, Meherpur, and Munshiganj. There were a number of technologies used for treating As in water, but aerated electrocoagulation, Mg-Fe-based hydrotalcite-like compound, and electro-chemical As remediation (ECAR) reactor were found to be the most feasible treatment methods for As. Overall, the investment, operational, and maintenance costs, availability of materials, and expertise requirements should be considered when selecting the most appropriate treatment method for As in water.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.16-33
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• 2022

Purposes: Prompt evaluation of routes and contact tracing are very important for epidemiological investigations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). To ensure better adoption of contact tracing apps, it is necessary to understand users' expectations, preferences, and concerns. This study aimed to identify main reasons why people use the apps, appropriate services, and basis for voluntary app services that can improve app participation rates and data sharing. Methodology/Approach: This study conducted an online survey from November 11 to December 6, 2020, and received a total of 1,048 survey responses. This study analyzed the questionnaire survey findings of 883 respondents in areas with many confirmed cases of COVID-19. This study used a multiple regression analysis. Findings: Respondents who had experience of using related apps showed a high intention to use contact-tracing apps. Participants wished for the contact tracking apps to be provided by the government or public health centers (74%) and preferred free apps (93.88%). The factors affecting the participants' intention to use these apps were their preventive value, performance expectancy, perceived risk, facilitative ability, and effort expectancy. The results highlighted the need to ensure voluntary participation to address participants' concerns regarding privacy protection and personal information exposure. Practical Implications: The results can be used to accurately identify user needs and appropriate services and thereby improve the development of contact tracking apps. The findings provide the basis for voluntary app that can enhance app participation rates and data sharing. The results will also serve as the basis for developing trusted apps that can facilitate epidemiological investigations.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.63-74
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• 2022

Objective : Gastritis refers to an inflammatory disease of the gastric mucosa. Alcohol is one of the main aggression factors, causing bleeding and inflammation in the gastric mucosa and it is known to not only increase lipid peroxide levels, but also deplete key antioxidant factors. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of Uncariae Ramulus et Uncus water extract (URW) in alcohol-induced gastritis. Methods : The total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of URW were confirmed through an in vitro experiment. Also, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) activity were confirmed. For in vivo experiments, mice were divided into 4 groups (n=8). Also, 1 hr after oral administration of each drug, 50% ethanol was orally administered to induce gastritis. Results : As a result of in vitro experiments, URW showed excellent antioxidant activity. In alcohol-induced gastritis, URW alleviated the damage to the gastric mucosa caused by alcohol. Also, URW decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in serum and gastric tissues, and significantly decreased the expression of NADPH oxidases in gastric tissues. In addition, it significantly modulated the nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and nuclear factor-𝜅B p65 (NF-𝜅B) pathways as well as significantly increased the expression of anti-inflammatory proteins. Conclusions : These results suggest that URW not only reduces oxidative stress through excellent antioxidant activity but also relieves gastric mucosal inflammation as a regulator of Nrf2 and NF-𝜅B pathways.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.67-96
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• 2022

"Aid in Dying" means that when a decision-making patient suffers from an incurable disease, a drug that can speed up death is prescribed by a doctor and used to lead to death. Since the suspension of life-sustaining treatment was institutionalized based on human dignity and patient autonomy, the question of whether assisted death can be legally justified in relation to the right to receive medical help to shorten one's life to die with dignity has recently been actively discussed. In Korea, since the suspension of life-sustaining treatment was institutionalized by the enactment of the Life-sustaining Treatment Decision Act in 2016, an amendment to the Life-sustaining Treatment Act was recently proposed to legalize Aid in Dying. The global trend is that human "Right to Die" is discussed in the division of life and death, from the suspension of life-sustaining treatment to assisted death, and again in the order of euthanasia. In this paper, we started discussing dignified death and institutionalized patients' right to self-determination, looked at the controversy in the United States, which legislated assisted death in many states since the 2000s, and analyzed the main contents of California's End of Life Option Act and the data after enforcement. The strict requirements for Aid in Dying, such as voluntary confirmation of patients' intentions and doctors' obligation to provide information, and the results of California's Aid in dying system, composed of relatively diverse races, were reviewed.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.379-389
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• 2022

The number of public transportation users has dropped drastically due to COVID-19. In this work, my survey was conducted to uncover the factors that influence citizens' travel patterns. Data were collected and logistic regression analysis on the shifts in transportation was undertaken. Additionally, an importance-performance analysis was carried out to investigate how to effectively operate public transportation systems and improve facilities. The main research findings were as follows: First, the more individuals were concerned about COVID-19 (+) and being infected when using public transportation (+), the greater the tendency to switch to private transportation modes. Secondly, when it came to personal traits, respondents who could drive a car (+) or owned a car (+)or did more online shopping (+) or used public transportation for trips (+) tended to switch over, compared with respondents who could not drive or did not own a caror used public transportation to commute. In addition, respondents who were vaccinated (-) or had more household members tended not to switch transportation modes, compared with those who were not vaccinated or had fewer household members. Third, it is important to continue the following efforts to safeguardhygiene linked to public transportation: wearing masks, disinfecting hands, controlling diseases, and general cleaning. The conclusion was that it is important to put traffic congestion and ventilation issues first, especially in regards public transportation, which was not rated as satisfactory enough compared to its importance. The research findings can provide useful basic data when establishing countermeasures to the current COVID-19 circumstances in the areas of public transportation operation and management and in the event of an infectious disease outbreak in the future.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.67 no.4
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• pp.305-318
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• 2022

To minimize the effects of aging-related comorbidities and to maintain a good quality of life and physical independence for a longer period, the improvement of lifestyle and dietary habits is essential, and healthy foods can be helpful. Among them, medicinal plant such as ginseng (Panax ginseng) and bellflower (Platycodon grandiflorum) contain natural functional substances and have been used for disease treatment and prevention since ancient times. This review summarizes the scientific of these treatments basis by investigating the pharmacological and pharmacokinetic effects of major functional substances on the aging-related health effects of Panax ginseng and Platycodon grandiflorum. The main functional substances of Panax ginseng and Platycodon grandiflorum are saponins, which have a similar molecular structure and confirmed anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotective, anticancer, and anti-metabolic syndrome effects (improvement of hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and obesity). Both types of saponins in Panax ginseng (Ginseonside) and Platycodon grandiflorum (Platycoside) have very low absorption profiles in their purified state, but methods to increase absorption in the body through extraction or fermentation have been studied.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.173-183
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• 2011

Gabensis village is one of the biggest village In the Wampar Local Level Government area within the Huon Gulf District of Morobe Province with a population of around 3,000. The major staple food is banana which is well complemented by minor staples yam, cassava, Singapore/Chinese taro and sweet potato. Apart from gardening for own consumption, the villagers engage in selling of vegetables, garden staples, cocoa beans, coconuts, timber, chicken, fish and pig meat to supplement their livelihood. Livestock like pigs and chickens are also kept for meat and for commercial purpose. Bettlenut which was once one of the main cash crops has now been overtaken by cocoa due to a disease that had attacked almost the entire bettlenut tree population in the area. Even though the Wau-Bulolo highway cuts through the village and all have access to transport infrastructure, the majority of the population still encounter problems in communication due to poor telecommunication coverage. On average most people earn not more than K50 per week due to constrains in production and marketing among others. Gabensis village has the potential to develop a tourism industry given its natural attraction of Lake Wanam. Beside there is also the natural eel farming and the fish pond at the nearby Potsie village. These natural attractions pose huge tourism potential for the community. As part of government services delivery and development, education and health issues is very much important in the community however there is lack of infrastructural development and poor service delivery especially in the area of health. However, the responsibility is on the community to organize themselves to realize that potential. A well developed agro-ecotourism investments would have positive spillover effects to the community thus contributing towards improving the livelihoods of the many farming families.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.243-252
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• 2023

This paper aims to introduce Korea's total current health expenditure (CHE) and National Health Accounts of the year 2021 and their 2022 preliminary figures constructed on the basis of the System of Health Accounts 2011. As CHE includes expenditures for prevention, tracking, and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and compensation for losses to medical institutions from 2020, the details are also introduced. Korea's total CHE in 2021 is 193.3 trillion won, which is 9.3% of gross domestic product (GDP). The preliminary figure in 2022, 209.0 trillion won, exceeded the 200 trillion won line for the first time, and its "ratio to GDP" of 9.7% is expected to exceed the average of Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development member countries for the first time. Korea's health expenditures, which were well controlled until the end of the 20th century, have increased at an alarming rate since the beginning of the 21st century, threatening the sustainability of national health insurance. The increase in health expenditure after 2020 is partly due to a temporary increase in response to COVID-19. However, when considering the structure of Korea's health insurance price hike, where the ratchet effect of increased medical expenses works particularly strongly, it is unlikely that the accelerating growth trend that has lasted for more than 20 years will stop easily. More aggressive policies to control medical expenses are required in the national health insurance which not only constitutes the main financing sources of the Korean health system but also has the most powerful policy means in effect for changes in the health care provision.