• Title/Summary/Keyword: out-of-pocket

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Related factors of physical functions and activities of daily living in Korea rural aged people (일부 농촌지역노인의 신체기능 및 생활기능 관련요인)

  • 이정애;김진순;염영희
    • Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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    • v.18 no.1
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    • pp.93-108
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    • 2001
  • The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that affected to physical functions, activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). The subjects for this study, 236 persons, 65 years and over, who were living at rural area in Chun-Cheon city. This survey was carried out from march 3rd to April 25th, 1998. The data was analysed by using SPSS PC+ program. The results were as follows. 1.The variables that were related to the conditions of physical functions were as follows; age, sex, educational level among the general characteristics; raising ways of money, monthly using money for life, states of pocket money, obtaining method of pocket money, state of weight, problems in mind, whether or not chronic illness among socio ㆍeconoㆍphysical conditions; the level of satisfactions in life, subjective condition of health among the subjective thinking ; controlling state in smoking and drinking of alcohol among the lifestyles for promoting health. But the variables for medical utilization were not related to the level of physical function. 2. The variables that were associated with the condition of ADLs were as follows; age among the general characteristics; monthly using money for life, working amount among the socioㆍeconoㆍphysical conditions; subjective conditions of health among the subjective thinking. But The variables for medical utilization, lifestyle for promoting health were irrelevant to the conditions of ADLs. 3. The variables that were related to the conditions of IADLs were as follows; age, educational level among the general characteristics; raising ways of money, monthly using money for life, resident type in the household, procurement method of pocket money, level of weight, problems in mind, wether or not chronic illness among socioㆍeconoㆍphysical condition; regularity of health checking among lifestyles for promoting health; kinds of utilizing medical agent among the variables about utilization patterns of medical agencies; subjective condition of health among the subjective thinking In this study, in the aged there were related factors of physical and life functions, were age, working amount, subjective condition of health.

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Life on Leaves: Which Type of Domatia in Cornus Species is Most Preferred by Foliar Mites?

  • Ngondya, Issakwisa Bernard;Kim, Bong-Gyu;Ibrahim, Rashid Ismael Hag
    • Journal of agriculture & life science
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    • v.45 no.3
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    • pp.19-23
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    • 2011
  • In this study three types of domatia; Tuft (T), Pocket-Tuft (PT) and Pocket (P) were observed on some species of the genus Cornus. Cornus officinalis Sieb & Zuee and C. florida Linnaeus possess T type, C. controversa Hemsl and C. walteri Wangerin possess PT type while C. alba Linnaeus possess P type. A total of 120 leaves were investigated for foliar mite's population. T type domatia was the habitat of 329 mites (48.89%), followed by PT type where 198 mites (29.41%) were found, and the least favored was the P type domatia that accommodated 146 mites (21.70%) out of 673 mites in total. The mean number of mites per domatia was $8({\pm}0.22)$, $4({\pm}0.95)$ and $3({\pm}0.70)$ for T, PT and P type, respectively. The alternative hypothesis that foliar mites prefer T type domatia as a habitat than PT and P type domatia was accepted based on these findings at a probability of P<0.05. Thus, it was concluded that foliar mites prefer T type domatia than the other two types. This could be due to the nature and efficiency of T type domatia in ensuring mites protection from predators and unfriendly environmental conditions. Therefore, the presence of denser tufts lowers the risks of predation and unfriendly environmental conditions and results in a higher number of mites.

Structural Bioinformatics Analysis of Disease-related Mutations

  • Park, Seong-Jin;Oh, Sang-Ho;Park, Dae-Ui;Bhak, Jong
    • Genomics & Informatics
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    • v.6 no.3
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    • pp.142-146
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    • 2008
  • In order to understand the protein functions that are related to disease, it is important to detect the correlation between amino acid mutations and disease. Many mutation studies about disease-related proteins have been carried out through molecular biology techniques, such as vector design, protein engineering, and protein crystallization. However, experimental protein mutation studies are time-consuming, be it in vivo or in vitro. We therefore performed a bioinformatic analysis of known disease-related mutations and their protein structure changes in order to analyze the correlation between mutation and disease. For this study, we selected 111 diseases that were related to 175 proteins from the PDB database and 710 mutations that were found in the protein structures. The mutations were acquired from the Human Gene Mutation Database (HGMD). We selected point mutations, excluding only insertions or deletions, for detecting structural changes. To detect a structural change by mutation, we analyzed not only the structural properties (distance of pocket and mutation, pocket size, surface size, and stability), but also the physico-chemical properties (weight, instability, isoelectric point (IEP), and GRAVY score) for the 710 mutations. We detected that the distance between the pocket and disease-related mutation lay within $20\;{\AA}$ (98.5%, 700 proteins). We found that there was no significant correlation between structural stability and disease-causing mutations or between hydrophobicity changes and critical mutations. For large-scale mutational analysis of disease-causing mutations, our bioinformatics approach, using 710 structural mutations, called "Structural Mutatomics," can help researchers to detect disease-specific mutations and to understand the biological functions of disease-related proteins.

Anticancer Drug Use and Out-Of-Pocket Money Burden in Korean Cancer Patients: A questionnaire Study (국내 암환자의 항암제 사용 및 본인부담비용에 대한 실태조사)

  • Kim, Haesook;Jang, Jinkyung;Sohn, Hyun Soon
    • Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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    • v.22 no.3
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    • pp.239-250
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    • 2012
  • In recent years, national health insurance(NHI) coverage had been expanded gradually for cancer as a severe disease requiring high level of medical expenditure, to reduce patient's financial burden. But, subjective burdens level for out-of-pocket(OOP) money expense are still considerable owing to high medical cost and decent numbers of services not covered by benefit plan. This study aimed to investigate OOP medical expenditures and identify factors influencing subjective financial burden in cancer patients. A 28-items questionnaire for self-reporting by responders was designed to satisfy study goal and finalized following by one pilot study and experts' verification process. Subjects were enrolled during July to October 2010 through regular meetings organized by five patient or patient-advocacy groups had acknowledged the study purpose. Subjects who aged 20 or more, have histories of cancer diagnosis and anticancer drug use, and voluntarily agreed to participate in this study were recruited. Total 107 subjects included in the analysis have cancer lesions in breast, colon, kidney, liver or stomach at the stages from I to IV. Approximately 73% of them has passed less than 5 years since cancer diagnosis. For the OOP medical expenditure regarding cancer, less 6 million won was in 31%, 6-15 million won in 35% and more than 15 million won in 28% of responders, and more than half responders(58%) felt financial burden subjectively. 63% of responders had subscribed commercial insurances, resulting in money receipts of more than 10 million won since cancer diagnoses in 76% of responders. Logistic regression results showed significant differences in subjective OOP financial burden level depending on gender, household income level, benefit type, commercial insurance money receipt degree, year cancer diagnosed, cancer lesion, therapy type, duration of anticancer drug use, drug listing in national formulary, total OOP medical expenditure and total OOP anticancer drug expense. They had mixed feelings both wishes to expand NHI coverage to reduce financial burden(70%) and no willingness to increase premium(59%). This result suggested that NHI might direct future strategies to reduce absolute total OOP medical cost and expand benefit plan coverage in higher burden groups in particular.

Theoretical Analysis and Prediction of Catalysts for Oxidative Decarboxylation of Melanin-Concentrating Hormone

  • Kim, Min-Gyum;Kim, Myoung-Soon;Park, Hwang-Seo;Lee, Sang-Youb;Suh, Jung-Hun
    • Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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    • v.28 no.7
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    • pp.1151-1155
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    • 2007
  • In a previous study, a catalyst (A) was discovered for oxidative decarboxylation of melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH). To explain the catalytic action and to predict the structure of a new catalyst with improved activity, docking simulations were carried out for the complex formed between A and MCH. The simulations suggested that the three terminal groups of A form a hydrophobic pocket and that van der Waals interactions between the hydrophobic pocket and MCH play a role in stabilizing the MCH-A complex. Consequently, a new catalyst (B) was designed and synthesized in expectation of improved catalytic activity resulting from enhanced van der Waals interactions. The new catalyst, however, showed slightly lower catalytic activity. Lack of the accurate solution structure of MCH may be one of the factors associated with difficulties in prediction of improvement in catalytic activity by purely theoretical means. The results, however, revealed that variation of the acyl portion of the hydroxyproline portion may lead to improved catalysts.

THE SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC STUDY OF HEALTHY AND PATHOLOGIC STRUCTURE OF ROOT SURFACE (정상 및 염증상태의 치근표면구조의 주사전자현미경적 연구)

  • Kim, Mi-Yeung;Kim, Chong-Kwan
    • The Journal of the Korean dental association
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    • v.19 no.7 s.146
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    • pp.625-634
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    • 1981
  • A Scanning Electron Microscopic Study of the root surface changes was carried out in advanced periodontal disease. The results obtained were summerized as follow; 1. The root surface of cementoenamel junction of healthy root showed smooth surface, while the root surface of diseased state showed covering of deposits which regareded as a course of calcification. 2. At the mid-portion of the root, the regular cemental projection were observed on the healthy root surface and on the root surface of diseased state, cemental projection showed relatively irregular pattern. 3. On the root surface which consist of wall of periodontal pocket, there were various deposits which could be considered as subgingival calculus, bacterial plaque and epithelial attachment remnant. 4. The bottom area of the pathologic pocket, tearing altered collagen fibers were seen on the root surface. 5. At the apical portion of root surface, calcified fibers ran parallel to the root surface in healthy tooth and the fiber bundles of periodontal ligament were seen in the diseased state.

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ESTABLISHMENT OF CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY CREDIT GUARANTEE SYSTEM-BASED ON TAIWAN'S CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

  • Ting-Ya Hsieh;Tsung-Shi Liu
    • International conference on construction engineering and project management
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    • 2011.02a
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    • pp.399-406
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    • 2011
  • Various construction bonds and warranties critically burden the general contractor. Also, sporadic or cumulative delays of progress payment by the owner can further trap the contractor in a financial quagmire. Facing the possibility of cash flow deficiency and callous response from the banks, most construction firms may become financially incapable of market competition, and attractive project tenders become a bidding game among few deep-pocket players. The downside of such market environment is that the depth of pocket, rather than that of professional competency dictates the choice of market winners. In Taiwan, this has been a potential crisis to the construction industry after the financial crisis which started out since 2008. To encounter this problem, this research will examine the means to better manage the construction industry. Essentially, a credit guarantee system (CGS) is the prime solution to strengthen a bank's confidence in any particular construction firm. Thus establishing a national platform which evaluates and rewards a construction firm's overall credibility is pivotal, and this third-party rated credit can help a bank to render a loan more wisely. Finally, this paper will propose the ideal operating schemes of construction-specific CGS in Taiwan and a credit scoring prototype model for construction industry, as reference for the government and banks, respectively.

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A Study on the Load Capacity Characteristics of the Externally Pressurized Air Lubricated Journal Bearings (외압을 받는 공기윤활 저어널 베어링의 부하특성에 관한 연구)

  • 김수태;조강래
    • Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers
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    • v.12 no.2
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    • pp.231-240
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    • 1988
  • An investigation is carried out for the load capacity characteristics of the externally pressurized air lubricated journal bearings both theoretically and experimentally. Theoretical analysis is made using the incremental method and the finite element method, and the discharge coefficient is considered. The experiments are performed for five bearings which are produced according to the rows of supply holes and the presence of poket or step. The results are compared with the numerical results. The present numerical results are in better agreement with the available experimental results than any other earlier numerical results for the bearings having one row and two rows of supply holes with pocket. The present numerical and experimental results show that the bearing with step has larger load capacity than that without step and that the load capacity increases as the clearance ratio increases.

Numerical Computations on the Hydrodynamic Forces by Internal Waves in a Sediment Pocket (퇴적 침전구에서 발생하는 내면파 유동에 의한 유체력 해석)

  • Kyoung Jo-Hyun;Kim Jang-Whan;Bai Kwang-June
    • Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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    • v.7 no.4
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    • pp.192-198
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    • 2004
  • A numerical method is developed to solve a two-dimensional diffraction problem for a body located in a sediment pocket where a heavier muddy water is trapped. In the present study, the wave exciting forces acting on a submerged body in the water-sediment interface by an incident wave is investigate. It is assumed that the heavier mud is trapped locally in a sediment pocket. A mathematical formulation is made in the scope of the potential theory. The fluid is assumed to be inviscid, incompressible and its motion irrotational. The boundary conditions on the unknown free surface and interface are linearized. As a method of solution, the localized finite-element method is adopted. In the method, the computation domain is reduced by utilizing the complete set of analytic solutions known in the infinite subdomain to be truncated by introduction of an appropriate juncture conditions. The main advantage of this method is that any complex geometry of the boundaries can be easily accommodated. Computations are carried out for mono-chromatic plane progressive surface waves normally incident on the domain. Numerical results are compared with those obtained by Lassiter based on Schwingers variational method. Good Agreements are obtained in general. Another numerical computations are made for the cases with and without a body in the sediment pocket.

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Effect of Expanding Benefit Coverage for Cancer Patients on Equity in Health Care Utilization and Catastrophic Expenditure (암 질환 대상 산정특례제도가 의료이용 및 의료비 부담 형평성에 미친 영향)

  • Kim, Ji Hye;Kim, Su Jin;Kwon, Soon Man
    • Health Policy and Management
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    • v.24 no.3
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    • pp.228-241
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    • 2014
  • Background: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of health insurance coverage expansion for cancer patients on equity in health care utilization and catastrophic expenditure. Methods: To analyze the causal relationship between the policy to expand benefit coverage and the change in health care utilization and out-of-pocket payments of cancer patients, this study employed a difference-in-differences (DID) method. In the DID model, the change in health care utilization, such as health care expenditure, visit days and length of stay, of cancer patients was compared with that of liver disease patients, using Korea Health Panel Data in 2009 and 2010. Results: The policy of reducing cost sharing from 10% to 5% for cancer patients did not have significant effects on equity in health care utilization. The results of this study were different from those of the previous study that showed that the reduction of cost sharing from 20% to 10% significantly improved the equity in health care utilization of cancer patients. In addition, the result of catastrophic expenditures analysis showed the policy did not change the probability of catastrophic expenditures. Conclusion: The results of this study imply that payment for non-covered services account for high out-of-pocket payments, and the reduction in cost sharing for covered services alone may have a limited effect on total financial burden on patients.