• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.08a
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• pp.277.1-277.1
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• 2013

Molecular diagnostics consists of three processes, which are a sample pretreatment, a nucleic acid amplification, and an amplicon detection. Among three components, sample pretreatment is an important process in that it can increase the limit of detection by purifying nucleic acid in biological sample from contaminants that may interfere with the downstream genetic analysis such as nucleic acid amplification and detection. To achieve point-of-care virus detection system, the sample pretreatment process needs to be simple, rapid, and automatic. However, the commercial RNA extraction kits such as Rneasy (Qiagen) or MagnaPure (Roche) kit are highly labor-intensive and time-consuming due to numerous manual steps, and so it is not adequate for the on-site sample preparation. Herein, we have developed a rotary microfluidic system to extract and purify the RNA without necessity of external mechanical syringe pumps to allow flow control using microfluidic technology. We designed three reservoirs for sample, washing buffer, and elution buffer which were connected with different dimensional microfluidic channels. By controlling RPM, we could dispense a RNA sample solution, a washing buffer, and an elution buffer successively, so that the RNA was captured in the sol-gel solid phase, purified, and eluted in the downstream. Such a novel rotary sample preparation system eliminates some complicated hardwares and human intervention providing the opportunity to construct a fully integrated genetic analysis microsystem.

• Korea Real Estate Review
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.79-94
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• 2018

This study analyzed the factors associated with residential mobility based on the data from the 11th to the 19th wave of the Korean Labor & Income Panel Study (KLIPS). After grouping low-income households within the first to the fourth income bracket into households that exhibited no income bracket change and those with income bracket changes during the research period, this study examined the effects of the income situation of each group on residential mobility. According to the results of the analysis, in the group of households that showed no low-income bracket change, significant effects were found only in the age of the head of the household, housing cost, and rental deposit (Jeonse) and monthly rental of the household. In the group of households that showed low-income bracket changes, findings were generally in line with those of the whole household, where total income and the number of full-time employees in the household were the same as those of the whole household, indicating that it would be necessary to improve the employment stability of low-income households. Based on the findings of this study, housing inequality is intensifying within low-income households, and, thus, housing policies, based on continuing surveys, must be implemented to enhance income opportunities and stabilize the housing needs of low-income households.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.430-434
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• 2018

Candida glabrata is the second most prevalent causative agent for candidiasis following C. albicans. The opportunistic yeast, C. glabrata, is able to cause the critical bloodstream infections in hospitalized patients. Conventional identification methods for yeasts are often time consuming and labor intensive. Therefore, recent studies on sequence-based identification have been conducted. Recently, sequencing the D1/D2 domain of the large subunit ribosomal RNA gene and the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) 1 and ITS2 regions of the ribosomal DNA has proven useful for DNA-based identification of most species of fungi. In the present study, therefore, fungal ITS and D1/D2 domain regions were targeted and analyzed by DNA sequencing for the accurate identification of C. glabrata clinical isolates. A total of 102 C. glabrata clinical isolates from various clinical samples including bloodstream, catheterized urine, bile and other body fluids were used in the study. The results of the DNA sequence analysis showed that the mean standard deviation of species identity percent score between ITS and D1/D2 domain regions was $97.8%{\pm}2.9$ and $99.7%{\pm}0.46$, respectively. These results revealed that the D1/D2 domain region might be a better target for identifying C. glabrata clinical isolates based on DNA sequences than the ITS1 and ITS2 regions. However, in order to evaluate the usefulness of D1/D2 domain region for species identification of all Candida species, other Candida species such as C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. dubliniensis, and C. krusei should be verified in further studies additionally.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.220-227
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• 2024

Background: Electrodiagnostic testing (EDX) is important in the diagnosis and follow-up of neuropathic and myopathic diseases. This study aimed to demonstrate the compatibility between clinical prediagnosis and electrophysiological findings. Methods: EDX results from 2004 to 2020 at the physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) clinic were screened. Tests with missing data, reevaluation studies, and cases of peripheral facial paralysis were excluded. The clinical prediagnosis and EDX results were recorded, and their compatibility was evaluated. Results: A total of 2,153 tests were included in this study. The mean age was 49.0±13.9 years and 1,533 of them (71.2%) were female. The most frequently referred clinic was the PM&R clinic (90.0%). Numbness (73.6%) was the most common complaint, followed by pain (15.3%) and weakness (13.9%). The most common prediagnosis was entrapment neuropathy (55.3%), radiculopathy (16.1%), and polyneuropathy (15.7%). Carpal tunnel syndrome was the most frequently identified type of entrapment neuropathy (78.3%). Six hundred and seventy EDX results (31.1%) were within normal limits. While the EDX results were consistent with the prediagnosis in 1,328 patients (61.7%), a pathology different from the prediagnosis was detected in 155 patients (7.2%). In the discrepancy group, the most common pathologies were entrapment neuropathy (51.7%), polyneuropathy (17.3%), and radiculopathy (15.1%). The most common neuropathy type was carpal tunnel syndrome (79.3%). Conclusion: After adequate anamnesis and physical and neurological examinations, requesting further appropriate tests will increase the prediagnosis accuracy and prevent unnecessary expenditure of time and labor.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.1530-1543
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• 2024

With an increase in the commercialization of bioplastics, the importance of screening for plastic-degrading strains and microbes has emerged. Conventional methods for screening such strains are time-consuming and labor-intensive. Therefore, we suggest a method for quickly and effectively screening plastic-degrading microbial strains through dual esterase assays for soil and isolated strains, using p-nitrophenyl alkanoates as substrates. To select microbe-abundant soil, the total amount of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) included in each soil sample was analyzed, and esterase assays were performed for each soil sample to compare the esterase activity of each soil. In addition, by analyzing the correlation coefficients and sensitivity between the amount of PLFAs and the degree of esterase activity according to the substrate, it was confirmed that substrate pNP-C2 is the most useful index for soil containing several microbes having esterase activity. In addition, esterase assays of the isolated strains allowed us to select the most active strain as the degrading strain, and 16S rRNA results confirmed that it was Bacillus sp. N04 showed the highest degradation activity for polybutylene succinate (PBS) as measured in liquid culture for 7 days, with a degradation yield of 99%. Furthermore, Bacillus sp. N04 showed degradation activity against various bioplastics. We propose the dual application of p-nitrophenyl alkanoates as an efficient method to first select the appropriate soil and then to screen for plastic-degrading strains in it, and conclude that pNP-C2 in particular, is a useful indicator.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.477-500
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• 1999

Korean labor market has showed remarkable change of the increase in the amount of unemployment and contingent employment since IMF bailout agreement. There is a theoretical position to explain this increase in contingent employment at hospitals with the notion of flexibility. The high flexibility of employment due to the increase of contingent employees is becoming very important part in new business strategy of hospitals. The types of contingent employment of the nurse are part-time employment temporary employment, fixed-term employment, and internship which was introduced in early 1999. Recently, Korean health care industry managers have paid attention to the customer oriented service, rationalization of business administration, service quality control so that they can adjust their business to outer environment. Especially their efforts concentrate on the wage reduction through efficient and scientific control of man power because wage shares about 40% of total cost. This dissertation aims at verifying the phenomena of the contingent employment of the nurse and analyzing the related factors and problems. To rephrase these aims in ordinal: First, verifying the phenomena of contingent employment of the nurse. Second, verifying the problems of that phenomena. Third, analyzing the related factors of the contingent employment of the nurse. To accomplish these research goals, a statistical survey was executed. in which 384 questionnaires-66 for manager nurses, 318 for contingent nurses - were given to nurses working at 66 hospitals-which have at least 100 beds-in Seoul. Among them, 187 questionnaires-38 from manager nurses, 149 from contingent nurses'- 'were returned. Then, the data coded and submitted to T-test, $X^2$ -test, variance analysis(ANOVA), correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, Logistic Regression with SAS program. The research results of the contingent nurses are followings: 1. The average career term at the present hospital 8.4 months: duty-on days per month are 24.2 days: working time per day is 7.9 hours. These results showed little difference from regular nurses. 2. Their wage level is about 70% of regular nurses except for internship nurses whose wage level is 41% of regular nurses. To break down the wage composition, part-time nurses and internship nurses get few allowance and bonus. And contingent nurses get very low level of additional pay except for fixed-term nurses who are under similar condition of employment to regular nurses. These results show that hospital managers are trying to reduce the labor cost not only through the direct way of wage reduction but through differential treatment of bonus, retirement allowance, and other additional pay. 3. The problem of contingent employment: low level of pay; high level of turn-over rate: weakening of union; low level of working condition: heavy burden of work; inhuman treatment. The contingent nurses consider these problems more seriously than manager nurses do. What manager nurses regard problematic is the absence of feeling-belonged and responsibility of the contingent nurses. 4. The factors strongly related with the rate of the number of contingent nurses for the number of regular nurses; gross turn-over nurses; average in-patients per day; staring wage of graduate from professional college: the type of hospital ownership; the number of beds; the gap between gross newcomer nurses and gross turn-over nurses. The factors related with their gross wage per month; the number of beds; applying of health insurance; applying of industrial casualty insurance; applying of yearly-paid leave; the type of hospital ownership; average out-patients per day; gross turn-over nurses. The meaningful factors which make difference by employment type: monthly-paid leave; physiological leave. The logistic regression analysis using these two factors shows that monthly-paid leave is related with the type of hospital ownership; the number of beds; average out-patient per day, and physiological leave is related with the gross newcomer nurses; gross turn-over nurses; the number of beds.

• 한국노년학
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.155-170
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• 2005

The purpose of study is to compare the level of participation of the elderly people in the activity of production between Korea and Canada and to identify the factors related to the participation of the elderly people in the activity of production between Korea and Canada. In order to conduct a comparative culture study two data sets were used; one was the 1999 Survey of Time Use collected by Korean Statistics Office and the other was 1998 Survey of Time Use collected by Canadian Statistics Office. Many countries have been collected a time use survey and used to study labor, welfare, and culture. Total number of 17,730 Korean and 2,729 Canadian between 55 and 84 were included to analyze the data. It is clear from the results that older people engage in various productive behaviors, particularly when the definition of activities is broadened to include unpaid work. It is also clear the overall productive contributions are higher among older Koreans than among older Canadians. While the focus in this study has been strictly on productive activities, the aging well literature suggests that the ability to remain independent in later life is enhanced through continued engagement in productive activities. It is thus critical that we better understand the nature of later-life activities and in particular the wide-ranging contributions made by older people. This is an important area of further exploration.

• 한국노년학
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.801-821
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• 2020

There are a number of prior studies on the poverty experience of Korean women, but little is known about the poverty experience of Korean elderly women in the U.S. The purpose of this study is to examine the poverty experiences of Korean elderly women who immigrated to the U. S. Qualitative case study methods were used to achieve these research objectives. Three Korean elderly women living in Oakland of California who received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) from the U.S. federal government were included in the study. The data were collected by conducting a total of six meetings per participant, and the researcher read the consent form directly to the participants and obtained a hand-written signature. The analysis and interpretation began by repeating the interview transcript several times, and the repeated keywords were to be understood in the context, focusing on time, space, and relationships with other people. The contextual understanding of Korean elderly women's experiences in poverty was interpreted in three dimensions: extending poverty in their mother country, double torture as female immigrants, and limiting labor due to aging and diseases. Before moving to the U.S., they had a difficult livelihood by farming and one of them had to live in poverty due to the bereavement to her husband. But even after moving to the U.S., they have continued to live in poverty. As female immigrants with low education and no special skills, they were incorporated into the periphery of the labor market in the industrialized U.S. and were forced to make a living with low wages. Korean elderly women were unable to return to the labor market in the surrounding areas due to aging and diseases, and were continuing their impoverished lives relying on SSI. From the findings, we discussed the role of the Korean immigrants community as a way to improve the quality of life for Korean elderly women in the U.S.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.55-66
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• 2014

This study has been conducted to investigate the treatment time and concentration of GA₃ solution dipping for labor saving in 'Campbell Early' grapevine. The rachis growth at harvest was reduced by GA₃ solution dipping before 5 days flowering, and increased significantly by GA₃ solution dipping treatment at full bloom and after 5 days full bloom. GA₃ 5, 10, 20 mg·L^-1 dipping treatment before 5 days flowering and GA₃ 20 mg·L^-1 treatment of full bloom and after 5 days full bloom showed a rachis twist phytotoxicity symptom. The optimum GA₃ concentrations for rachis growth promotion without phytotoxicity were 5 mg·L^-1 and 10 mg·L^-1. The degree of compact berry, bloom, skin color, SSC and acidity at harvest by GA₃ solution dipping treatment time between concentration were not different from those of control. But the fruit berry weight was decreased by before 5 days flowering treatment when compared with control. There were no differences in full bloom and after 5 days full bloom treatment. The occurrence percent of berry cracking at before 5 days flowering and after 5 days full bloom treatment were significantly increased by GA₃ treatment. The bitter rot occurrence of berry at harvest was not affected by GA₃ treatment. Total rachis length of fruit cluster was increased by full bloom and 5 days after full bloom treatment. The length of rachis increased without reference to them position at full bloom and 5 days after bloom treatment. Accordingly, GA₃ 5 mg·L^-1 solution dipping treatment at full bloom and 5 days after full bloom were can be effectively for rachis growth promotion.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.271-284
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• 2002

This study was to provide basic materials to help reduce the fatigue by analyzing what effective factor the fatigue of hospital nurses in Gwangju and Jeonnam region. and what causes their fatigue. This descriptive research by Questionaires includes two hospitals in Gwangju. and seven hospitals in Jeonnam region, total 9 hospitals sampled at convenience sampling. The periods of collecting data was from Jul.22, 2002 to Jul. 30, 2002. Multidimensional Fatigue Scale; MFS, developed by Jang Se-Jin(2000) was taken to measure the fatigue. All collected materials were got the statistics by SAS for Windows Release 8.01. The result of this study was as follows. 1. This study included total 740 nurses, whose age ranged from 22 to 50; 30 years old by average. Nurses fatigue mean score was 90.24 (the scope by the measuring instrument is 19-133). Nurses at University Hospitals marked 92.36 and those at General Hospitals marked 87.91 in the mean score of fatigue. 2. They kept tired at work, and felt more tired while working at computer in the hospital. 3. The part of body in which they felt fatigue was the calf and $feet(36.6\%)$, the shoulders and back of the $neck(30.7\%)$, and the whole $body(10.8\%)$ and the reason that they felt tired at work was mental $stress(33.0\%)$, overworking(25.2\%)$, and irregular working $conditions(14.7\%)$ in order. 4. The solution to their fatigue at work appeared nothing by $50.1\%$, and the way of releasing fatigue after work indicated getting some $sleep(30.8\%)$, and taking a bath or a $shower(21.7\%)$ in order. 5. The degree of fatigue depending on whether they were satisfied with their pay and labor condition appeared low: and when they were satisfied with doctors. and when they were getting on well with caregivers. 6. The effective factor of the degree of fatigue appeared: the influence that fatigue in the hospital makes on daily life was $10.6\%$, the cause of fatigue at work, $9.3\%$, time of fatigue at work, $7.8\%$, the relationship with caregivers, $5.3\%$. and these explanatory$(R^2)$ variables.$33\%$. To conclude. the degree of nurses' fatigue appeared high. and it was higher in nurses at University Hospitals than in ones at General Hospitals. In addition, the influence that fatigue from the hospitals made on daily life was the most explanatory.