• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.1118-1127
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• 2020

Alzheimer's disease causes progressive neuronal loss that leads to cognitive disturbances. It is not currently curable, and there is no way to stop its progression. However, since medical treatment for Alzheimer's disease is most effective in the early stages, early detection can provide the best chance for symptom management. Biomarkers for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease include amyloid β (Aβ) deposition, pathologic tau, and neurodegeneration. Aβ deposition and phosphorylated tau can be detected by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis or positron emission tomography (PET). However, CSF sampling is quite invasive, and PET analysis needs specialized and expensive equipment. During the last decades, blood-based biomarker analysis has been studied to develop fast and minimally invasive biomarker analysis method. And one of the remarkable findings is the involvement of platelets as a primary source of Aβ in plasma. Aβ can be transported across the blood - brain barrier, creating an equilibrium of Aβ levels between the brain and blood under normal condition. Interestingly, a number of clinical studies have unequivocally demonstrated that plasma Aβ42/Aβ40 ratios are reduced in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Together, these recent findings may lead to the development of a fast and minimally invasive early diagnostic approach to Alzheimer's disease. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease, especially the involvement of platelets as a source of peripheral Aβ production and its potential as a blood-based biomarker.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.133-138
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• 2023

Due to social phenomena such as rapid aging in Korea, nuclear familyization, single marriage, and low birth rate, the number of Companion animals and the number of households with Companion animals are increasing due to the increase in single-person households. In fact, one out of every four households has a pet, and the scale of the industry is expected to reach 6 trillion won in 2027. In particular, in a situation where the Companion animal cosmetics market is in the spotlight amid the diversification of the pet industry, there is a great lack of research on related research and industry development methods. Accordingly, this study attempted to search and analyze academic data, patented technologies, and the latest data related to pet cosmetics and provide them as basic data for the Companion animal cosmetics industry, and the results are as follows. Academic data included verification of the effectiveness of natural materials to improve the skin condition of dogs, analysis of the pet cosmetics industry, and research on ICT-converged pet cosmetics, and the industry was mainly cleaning cosmetics, with pet shampoo launches in Amorepacific, LG Household & Healthcare, and Aekyung. In the patented technology for pets, a patent has been registered for natural product material composition and formulation ratio for skin moisturizing, skin improvement, thinning, and inflammation symptom relief. As a result of this award, it was confirmed that research and development are still insufficient compared to the consumption demand of the pet cosmetics market, and it is believed that industry analysis and development research in related fields should be actively carried out.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.79-91
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• 2019

In the entertainment industry, risk management is crucial for securing competitiveness due to the risk of investment. The competitiveness of contents is reinforced when external factors such as industrial environment and internal factors centering on involving mechanism are simultaneously provided. The involving mechanism is a form of cognitive response behavior of the audience and occurs through signal processing of the brain when watching the image contents. The signal processing of the brain related to the contents watching is mainly performed in the working memory area, and in the case of the captivating movie, the information other than the contents transmitted to the audience is blocked to generate a temporary dissociation state. A dissociation state similar to a symptom such as hypnosis or amnesia occurs when the audience's level of involving is high. On the other hand, contents information in which the audience is concentrating his attention is used intensively for constructing future thinking through an episodic buffer while the inflow of external information is relatively blocked or delayed. The spectator's future thinking configuration takes the form of a hypothesis-forming activity and is based on the predictability of the brain. When these hypothesized behaviors correspond to the problem solving simulation of story and predictability which is an evolutionary function of the brain, the audience' s brain is involved in the contents at a high level. In order for the act to be effective, the factors such as the background of the hypothesis, the subject of the hypothesis, the internal information of the person, the type and position and quantity of the hypothesis information, and the hypothesis relevance and type of information are important. Based on these factors, analysis of the Kim Eun Sook Drama 'Goblin' shows that the above elements are operated in a very organic and meaningful way.

• 한국노년학
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.177-194
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• 2009

Korea government has launched long-term care insurance from 2008. However, one of the most important issues, whether or not providing cash benefit, is still unresolved. In this paper, in order to provide policy guidelines for the long-term care insurance, I attempt to estimate the Willingness-To-Accept (WTA) of the cash subsidy for informal care by using Double Bounded Dichotomous Choice method, a branch of Contingent Valuation Method (CVM). In doing so, I also estimated the determinants of the preference for cash benefit. Data were obtained from face-to-face survey interviews with 300 informal care-givers at three major general hospitals in Seoul, Korea. The questionnaire was constructed with two scenarios (mild/severe symptom). The results from logistic regression analyses and the estimation of WTA indicate that informal care-givers are willing to accept the cash benefit as low as 628 thousands won for mild fragile elderly and 1,072 thousands won for severe fragile elderly. The strength of this paper is that I estimated the WTA of the cash benefit by reflecting the changes in preferences of informal care-givers. The analytic results from the this paper suggest that the cash benefit in long-term care insurance is indispensible in achieving the goal of the long-term care system.

• 한국노년학
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.607-621
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• 2011

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between physical activities, sleep disturbance, and health related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods A descriptive survey design used pretest dataset of COPD symptom management intervention study (N=245). Measures included the international physical activity questionnaire, the COPD and asthma sleep impact scale, and the St. George's respiratory questionnaire of HRQOL. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and simultaneous multiple regression by the SPSS WIN 18.0 program. Results The mean scores (SD) of HRQOL and sleep disturbance were 36.04 (19.43) and 14.33 (6.20), respectively. About 32% of participants were physically inactive. The multivariate approach showed the patients who have more sleep disturbance (β=.27), lower levels of FEV1 % predicted (β=-.23), lower physical activities (β=-.19), lower household income (β=-.16), and diagnosed longer than 5 years (β=.14) reported lower HRQOL (R²=.34). Conclusion The findings of this study suggest that improving the quality of sleep and physical activities can be efficient strategies for HRQOL in patients with COPD. Future research in enhancing HRQOL through improving sleep quality and physical activities is needed.

• Journal of the Korean neurological association
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.8-15
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• 2017

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), a noninvasive optical method, utilizes the characteristic absorption spectra of hemoglobin in the near-infrared range to provide information on cerebral hemodynamic changes in various clinical situations. NIRS monitoring have been used mainly to detect reduced perfusion of the brain during orthostatic stress for three common forms of orthostatic intolerance (OI); orthostatic hypotension, neurally mediated syncope, and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Autonomic function testing is an important diagnostic test to assess their autonomic nervous systems for patients with symptom of OI. However, these techniques cannot measure dynamic changes in cerebral blood flow. There are many experimentations about study of NIRS to reveal the pathophysiology of patients with OI. Research using NIRS in other neurologic diseases (stroke, epilepsy and migraine) are ongoing. NIRS have been experimentally used in all stages of stroke and may complement the established diagnostic and monitoring tools. NIRS also provide pathophysiological approach during rehabilitation and secondary prevention of stroke. The hemodynamic response to seizure has long been a topic for discussion in association with the neuronal damage resulting from convulsion. One critical issue when unpredictable events are to be detected is how continuous NIRS data are analyzed. Besides, NIRS studies targeting pathophysiological aspects of migraine may contribute to a deeper understanding of mechanisms relating to aura of migraine. NIRS monitoring may play an important role to trend regional hemodynamic distribution of flow in real time and also highlights the pathophysiology and management of not only patients with OI symptoms but also those with various neurologic diseases.

• Journal of Korean Dental Science
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.128-148
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• 2023

Dementia is an umbrella term that describes the loss of thinking, memory, attention, logical reasoning, and other mental abilities to the extent that it interferes with the activities of daily living. More than 50 million individuals worldwide live with dementia, which is expected to increase to 131 million by 2050. Recent research has shown that poor oral health increases the risk of dementia, while oral health declines with cognitive decline. In this narrative review, the literature was based on the "hypothesis" that dementia and oral health have a close relationship, and appropriate oral health and occlusal rehabilitation treatment can improve the quality of life of patients with dementia and prevent progression. We conducted a literature search in PubMed and Google Scholar databases, using the search terms "dementia," "major neurocognitive disorder," "dentition," "occlusion," "tooth loss," "dental prosthesis," "dental implant," and "occlusal rehabilitation" in the title field over the past 30 years. A total of 131 studies that scientifically addressed dementia, oral health, and/or oral rehabilitation were included. In a meta-analysis, the random effect model demonstrated significant tooth loss increasing the dementia risk 3.64-fold (pooled odds ratio=3.64, 95% confidence interval [2.50~5.32], P-value=0.0348). Tooth loss can be an important indicator of cognitive function decline. As the number of missing teeth increases, the risk of dementia increases. Loss of teeth can lead to a decrease in the ascending information to the brain and reduced masticatory ability, cerebral blood flow, and psychological atrophy. Oral microbiome dysbiosis and migration of key bacterial species to the brain can also cause dementia. Additionally, inflammation in the oral cavity affects the inflammatory response of the brain and the complete body. Conversely, proper oral hygiene management, the placement of dental implants or prostheses to replace lost teeth, and the restoration of masticatory function can inhibit symptom progression in patients with dementia. Therefore, improving oral health can prevent dementia progression and improve the quality of life of patients.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.63-73
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• 2023

This study aimed to investigate factors influencing depressive symptoms among middle-aged women based on walking and nonwalking. The participants of the study were 56,007 women aged 40-64 years. A complex sample statistical analysis was conducted. Notably, 48.9% of middle-aged women were in the walking group and 51.1% were in the nonwalking. In the nonwalking group, relative to the walking group, more people had high school diploma as their highest level of education, and were 40-49 years old, unemployed, and public assistance recipients than in the walking group. In addition, in the nonwalking group, more people had sleeping durations of less than 7 hours, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms than in the walking group. Factors influencing depressive symptoms were identified as less than 7 hours of sleeping duration and high perceived stress in both the walking and nonwalking groups, and the degree of influence was higher in the walking group than in the non-walking group, suggesting than further studies are needed to identify the cause. The results confirmed that perceived stress and depressive symptoms in middle-aged women could be reduced by walking. Therefore, if middle-aged women continue to engage in walking practices appropriate for them, it will enhance their walking rate, reduce stress, and improve their depressive symptoms.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.172-177
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• 2023

In order to deduce the pathogenic factor(PF) diagnosis logic of underlying in pattern identification of Korean medicine, 2,072 cases of DSOM(Diagnosis System of Oriental Medicine) data from May 2005 to April 2022 were collected and analyzed by means of decision tree model(DTM). The entire data were divided into training data and validation data at a ratio of 7:3. The CHAID algorithm was used for analysis of DTM, and then validity was tested by applying the validation data. The decision rules of items and pathways determined from the diagnosis data of Qi Deficiency, Blood Deficiency, Yin Deficiency and Yang Deficiency Pathogenic Factor of DSOM were as follows. Qi Deficiency PF had 7 decision rules and used 5 questions: Q124, Q116a, Q119, Q119a, Q55. The primary indicators(PI) were 'lack of energy' and 'weary of talking'. Blood deficiency PF had 7 decision rules and used 6 questions: Q113, Q84, Q85, Q114, Q129, Q130. The PI were 'numbness in the limbs', 'dizziness when standing up', and 'frequent cramps'. Yin deficiency PF had 3 decision rules and used 2 questions: Q144 and Q56. The PI were 'subjective heat sensation from the afternoon to night' and 'heat sensation in the limbs'. Yang deficiency PF had 3 decision rules and used 3 questions: Q55, Q10, and Q102. The PI were 'sweating even with small movements' and 'lack of energy'. Conclusively, these rules and symptom information to decide the Qi·Blood·Yin·Yang Deficiency PF would be helpful for Korean medicine diagnostics.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.147-155
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• 2008

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the educational needs for nurses who care for terminal cancer patients and their families. To identify top needs along with key issues in consideration to develope hospice training program and provide specific recommendations. Methods: A cross-sectional design with nurses from nine universities' hospice specialist courses and seven cancer centers was used. Data were collected via e-mail or mail service from March to April in 2008. One hundred seventy three questionnaires were returned (return rate: 73.6%), and 156 questionnaires were eventually analyzed. The questionnaire consisted of Mason and Ellershaw's The Self-efficacy in Palliative Care (SEPC) and self-reporting confidence and educational needs in hospice care. Results: The mean age of the participants was 37.94 years, 82.1% were staff nurses, and 44.9% completed over six months hospice education. Mean$\pm$standard deviation score for total SEPC was $2.67{\pm}.62$, which was lower than average (score 3), with communication score being the lowest ($2.49{\pm}.69$). The lowest self-reporting confidence score was $2.03{\pm}.77$ in hospice administration and management, followed by providing complement therapy ($2.34{\pm}.77$), bereavement care ($2.34{\pm}.71$), lymph edema management ($2.35{\pm}.79$), and care planning ($2.36{\pm}.81$). The participants reported that additional education is needed in all topics, with pain management score being the highest ($3.71{\pm}.50$), followed by pain and symptom evaluation ($3.67{\pm}.52$), care for dying ($3.67{\pm}.52$), and communication and counseling ($3.63{\pm}.53$). There were significant subgroup differences in SEPC and self-reporting confidence between groups who completed 6 months hospice education or not, however, no significant difference in educational need between the groups. Conclusion: This study showed the need for developing hospice training program to improve compentency of nurses in hospice palliative care.