• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.18
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• pp.8553-8557
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• 2016

Background: Accurate dose assessment and correct identification of irradiated from non-irradiated people are goals of biological dosimetry in radiation accidents. Objectives: Changes in the FDXR and the RAD51 gene expression (GE) levels were here analyzed in response to total body exposure (TBE) to a 6 MV x-ray beam in rats. We determined the accuracy for absolute quantification of GE to predict the dose at 24 hours. Materials and Methods: For this in vivo experimental study, using simple randomized sampling, peripheral blood samples were collected from a total of 20 Wistar rats at 24 hours following exposure of total body to 6 MV X-ray beam energy with doses (0.2, 0.5, 2 and 4 Gy) for TBE in Linac Varian 2100C/D (Varian, USA) in Golestan Hospital, in Ahvaz, Iran. Also, 9 rats was irradiated with a 6MV X-ray beam at doses of 1, 2, 3 Gy in 6MV energy as a validation group. A sham group was also included. After RNA extraction and DNA synthesis, GE changes were measured by the QRT-PCR technique and an absolute quantification strategy by taqman methodology in peripheral blood from rats. ROC analysis was used to distinguish irradiated from non-irradiated samples (qualitative dose assessment) at a dose of 2 Gy. Results: The best fits for mean of responses were polynomial equations with a R2 of 0.98 and 0.90 (for FDXR and RAD51 dose response curves, respectively). Dose response of the FDXR gene produced a better mean dose estimation of irradiated "validation" samples compared to the RAD51 gene at doses of 1, 2 and 3 Gy. FDXR gene expression separated the irradiated rats from controls with a sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 87.5%, 83.5% and 81.3%, respectively, 24 hours after dose of 2 Gy. These values were significantly (p<0.05) higher than the 75%, 75% and 75%, respectively, obtained using gene expression of RAD51 analysis at a dose of 2 Gy. Conclusions: Collectively, these data suggest that absolute quantification by gel purified quantitative RT-PCR can be used to measure the mRNA copies for GE biodosimetry studies at comparable accuracy to similar methods. In the case of TBE with 6MV energy, FDXR gene expression analysis is more precise than that with RAD51 for quantitative and qualitative dose assessment.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.393-401
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• 2013

Objectives: Endotoxins in dust generated in occupational settings is known to contribute to the occurrence of respiratory illness among workers. The relationship between the level of endotoxins in total dust or respirable particulates collected from swine farms and immunological markers related with respiratory allergy was evaluated among swine husbandry workers. Materials and Methods: Peripheral blood samples were collected from ten workers at ten swine farms at Gyeonggi province, Korea. Peripheral mononuclear cells were stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and ionomycin for 48 hours. The levels of various cytokines produced at culture supernatants were determined using a commercially available ELISA kit. The concentration of particulate matter($PM_{10}$) in the indoor air of the swine farms was evaluated using a PVC membrane filter and mini volume air sampler, and endotoxin levels in the dust were measured by Limulus Amebocyte Lysate Kinetic QCL method. Results: Levels of endotoxins in the total dust were categorized into high(geometric mean: $109.35EU/m^3$) and low concentrations (geometric mean: $0.95EU/m^3$) for five swine farms. Interleukin-4 levels were higher in the high endotoxin group than in the low endotoxin group, while interferon-${\gamma}$ levels were lower in the high endotoxin group than in the low endotoxin group. The ratio (interferon-${\gamma}$ to interleukin-4), indicating immunologic skewedness against allergic reactivities, was lower in the high endotoxin group($1.15{\pm}0.60$) than the low endotoxin group($3.09{\pm}2.38$). In addition, the level of interleukin-13, another cytokine contributing to the occurrence of allergic responses, was significantly higher in the at the high endotoxin group($1.12{\pm}0.37ng/m{\ell}$) than in the low endotoxin group($0.37{\pm}0.04ng/m{\ell}$). Hematologic assessment showed significantly lower cellularity in the number of total leukocytes, neutrophils, and eosinophils in the high endotoxin group than in the low endotoxin group. Conclusions: Even though a sufficient number of swine workers and farms were not investigated, this study generlly suggests that the immunological function of swine farm workers exposed to high levels of endotoxin could be modulated toward allergic reactivities.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.1-12
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• 2016

This study examined the factors that affect the relationship between service quality of brunch cafe, value perception and customer loyalty. A total of 225 questionnaires were distributed to the consumers, of which 210 were deemed suitable for the analysis after the removal of 15 unusable responses. In order to perform statistical analyses required in the study, SPSS 18.0 Statistical Program was employed for frequency analysis, factor analysis, and reliability analysis, correlations, regression analysis. The results of exploratory factor analysis showed that four factors regarding local specialties service quality were extracted from all measurements with a KMO of 0.823 and a total cumulative variance of 66.095%, With regard to value perception, Three factors were extracted with a total cumulative variance of 61.213% and a KMO score of 0.871. One factor for customer loyalty was extracted that accounted for a total cumulative variance of 64.054% and a KMO score of 0.845. All factors were significant at 0.000 and the correlation between variables was significant. Thus, based on the results, the main research hypothesis that identifies the relationship between value perception and customer loyalty was partially adopted.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.151-162
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• 2016

This study examined the factors that affect the relationship between radish liquid naturally fermented bread selection motive, consumer attitude and purchase intention. A total of 300 questionnaires were distributed to the consumers, of which 279 were deemed suitable for analysis after the removal of 21 unusable responses. In order to perform statistical analyses required in the study, SPSS 18.0 statistical program was employed for frequency analysis, factor analysis, and reliability analysis, correlations, regression analysis. The results of exploratory factor analysis showed that four factors regarding naturally fermented bread selection motive were extracted from all measurements with a KMO of 0.735 and a total cumulative variance of 65.759 %, with regard to consumer attitude, one factor was extracted with a total cumulative variance of 72.421% and a KMO score of 0.684. One factor for purchase intention was extracted that accounted for a total cumulative variance of 67.139% and a KMO score of 0.683. All factors were significant at 0.000 and the correlation between variables was significant. Thus, based on the results, the main research hypothesis that identifies the relationships selection motive between consumer attitudes and purchase intetion was adopted.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.243-253
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• 2015

This study examined the factors that affect the relationship between customer consumption propensity, customer bakery selction and customer behavioral intention. A total of 300 questionnaires were distributed to the consumers, of which 27 were deemed suitable for analysis after the removal of 28 unusable responses. In order to perform statistical analyses required in the study, SPSS 18.0 Statistical Program was employed for frequency analysis, factor analysis, and reliability analysis. The results of exploratory factor analysis showed that three factors regarding customer consumption propensity were extracted from all measurements with a KMO of 0.778 and a total cumulative variance of 62.121%. With regard to bakery selection attributes, three factors were extracted with a total cumulative variance of 65.69% and a KMO score of 0.776. One factor for behavioral intention was extracted that accounted for a total cumulative variance of 69.82% and a KMO score of 0.803. All factors were significant to 0.000 and the correlation between variables was significant. Thus, based on the results, the main research hypothesis that identifies the relationships between bakery selection attributes and behavioral intention was partially adopted.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.45-55
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• 2015

While the influence of healthcare accreditation system to the quality improvement of hospitals has more increased, regarding the preparation costs for healthcare accreditation, it has never been empirically studied about the costs that are actually invested by hospitals. This study is going to determine the difficulties in the preparation process of accreditation and details of accreditation preparation costs for hospitals that participated in the healthcare accreditation system and acquired accreditation. The survey was performed in a self-reported form from February 28 to March 21 2014 for 189 acute hospitals accredited as a hospital from 2011 to February 2014. Of all questionaries of survey participants, 98 were recovered; the response rate was 51.9%. A total of 40 questionnaires were used except for 58 containing insincere answers. Main findings are followings: Firstly, findings showed that advanced general hospitals spent the most statistically significantly highest in terms of equipments and total costs among cost items for accreditation preparation. When accreditation preparation costs items were classified according to classification of hospitals, advanced general hospitals spent the most statistically significantly highest in the equipments and total costs. Also in terms of regional, Gyeonggi, Incheon regions were found to spend statistically significantly higher costs in the equipments costs. Secondly, as a result of the survey in the distribution of the total accreditation preparation costs, advanced general hospitals have disbursed the most out of all. However, the result in hospitals does not show significant difference to the expense of advanced general hospitals and that especially other regional hospitals spent higher costs. As such, all hospitals are under a heavy burden of higher costs on accreditation preparation, especially hospitals. The build-up of infrastructures by hospitals through an accreditation system consequently led to a higher initial investment; if the accreditation system is effective in improving the quality of health care and patient safety, appropriate responses are needed. In other words, financial support for investment costs needs to be given to allow hospitals to actively participate in the accreditation system.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.121-131
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• 2015

This study examined the factors that affect the relationship among career selection type, class participation, and career preparation behavior for university students who major in food service. A total of 350 questionnaires were distributed to students, of which 320 were deemed suitable for analysis after the removal of 30 unusable responses. In order to perform statistical analyses required in the study, SPSS 18.0 Statistical Program was employed for frequency analysis, factor analysis, reliability analysis, correlations, and regression analysis. The results of the exploratory factor analysis showed that two factors regarding career selection type were extracted from all measurements with a KMO of 0.754 and a total cumulative variance of 64.555%, with regard to class participation, three factors [I found only 1 factor in the paper; there were 3 variables] were extracted with a total cumulative variance of 71.1% and a KMO score of 0.702. One factor for career preparation behavior was extracted that accounted for a total cumulative variance of 64.312% and a KMO score of 0.765. Based on the study's results, the main research hypothesis that identified the relationships that career selection type had with and between class participation and career preparation behavior was partially adopted.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.399-418
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• 1995

The purpose of this study was to investigate the stress response of nurses working on psychiatric wards (psychiatric nurses) compared with that of nurses working on general wards (general nurses) in order to provide assessment data for intervention of the stress response. The Symptoms of Stress Inventory was used to measure the stress response. Data were collected by a direct survey method using a questionnaire and were collected from March first to March 30, 1995. A sample of 200 nurses working in three psychiatric hospitals and psychiatric wards in four university hospitals in Seoul and Kangwon province were selected and 200 nurses working on general wards from two general hospitals in Seoul were also selected for a total sample of 400 nurses. Nurses who had experienced more than one of the major life events in the last two years were excluded from the total number in the samples, so the final sample was 161 psychiatric nurses, and 169 general nurses. The Scores for the total stress response, scores of the SOS subscales, stress response by sociodemographic characteristics of the nurses working on the psychiatric wards were compared with those of nurses working on the general ward. The results of this investigation are as follows 1. The mean total SOS score for the psychiatric nurse was 0.81 (SD=0.48) and that of the general nurses was 0.90(SD=0.53). 2. The Mean score for peripheral manifestation, con tral-neurological symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, muscle tension, habitual patterns, de-pression, anxiety, anger and cognitive disorganization for the general nurses showed a tendency to be higher than those of the psychiatric nurses. Mean score for cardiopulmonary symptoms for the general nurses was significantly higher than that of the psychiatric nurses. 3. The mean scores for the sixteen SOS items for the general nurses was significantly higher than for the psychiatric nurses. The 16 items were flushing of the face, sweating excessively even in cold weather, thumping of the heart, rapid breathing, dry mouth, a choking lump in the throat, hoarseness, muscle tension in hands or arm, muscle tension in leg, working tiring one out completely, severe aches a핀 Pain make it diffi-cult to do the work, severe nervous exhaustion, worrying about health, feeling weak and faint, so upset that one wants to hit something, unable to keep thoughts from running through one's mind. The mean score of only 505 item were significantly higher for the psychiatric nurses. 4. Stress responses between psychiatric nurses and general nurses were significantly different according to the following demographic characteristics : marriage, duration of work, position, accommodation, planning to move into another working site, working ward, education in psychiatric nursing.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.1576-1583
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• 2006

In order to investigate the effect of Goamshimshinhwan(GASSW) on SD rats with deteriorated immunity caused by methotrexate. Methotrexate was fed to the SD rats once a day for 4 days. After the immune responses of the at a dosage 1,000, 500 and 250mg/kg/10ml. and the changes on body weight and gains, spleen weight, total blood leukocyte numbers, total lymphocyte numbers, the percentage of B-cell, T-cell, CD3+CD+4 T-cell, CD3+CD8+ T-cell and CD4+/CD8+ T-cell ratios in the bolld and spleen were observed. In addition, the serum IL-2 levels and productivity of IL-2 of splenic cells were also demonstrated in this study. The changes on body weight were increased significantly in 100 and 500mg/kg of GASSW groups and the changes on body gain were increased significantly in 1000mg/kg of GASSW groups as compared with control group. The changes on the spleen weight (absolutely or relatively) were increased significantly in all GASSW groups as compared with control group. The total blood leukocyte numbers were increased significantly in 1000 and 500mg/kg of GASSW groups as compared with control group. The total lymphocyte numbers were increased significantly in all GASSW groups in the blood and increased significantly in 1000 and 500mg/kg of GASSW goups in spleen as compared with control group. The percentage of B-cell and T-cell were increased significantly in 1000mg/kg of GASSW groups in the blood and increased significantly in 1000 and 500mg/kg of GASSW groups in spleen as compared with control group. The percentage of CD3+CD4+ T-cell and the serum IL-2 levels and productivity of IL-2 of splenic cells were increased significantly in 100 and 500 mg/kg of GASSW groups in the blood and spleen as compared with control group. The percentage of CD3+CD8+ T-cell were increased significantly in 1000mg/kg of GASSW groups only in spleen as compared with control groups. The CD4+/CD8+ T-cell ratios were increased significantly in 1000 and 500mg/kg of GASSW groups only in the blood as compared with control group. Goamshimshinhwan(GASSW) has immuno-stimulating effect on SD rats with deteriorated immunity caused by methotrexate.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.54-71
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• 2021

Objectives The purpose of this study was to revise Sasang Digestive Function Inventory (SDFI) and improve its validity and reliability using clinical data. Methods The Sasang type and Cold-Heat pattern differentiation by certified clinical specialist and responses to SDFI items were acquired from 419 hospital patients. The revision of SDFI was performed using item analysis and Explorative Factor Analysis (EFA). Furthermore, the validity and reliability of the revised SDFI (rSDFI) were investigated using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Internal Consistency and Item Response Theory (IRT). And, clinical significance of the rSDFI was examined for the differentiation of Sasang types and Cold-Heat patterns. Results The number of the SDFI items were modified from 21 to 15. And, the validity and reliability of the rSDFI subscale structure were found to be acceptable. The scores of rSDFI-total and rSDFI-E significantly decreased in the order of Tae-Eum (TE), So-Yang (SY), So-Eum (SE) types, and the rSDFI score of SE type was significantly lower than that of TE and SY types. The rSDFI-total score could differentiate Cold-Heat pattern in both SY and SE types. And the difference of digestive function between Cold and Heat pattern of SE type could be explained with the rSDFI-D score. The rSDFI-total score in Cold pattern significantly decreased in the order of TE, SY, and SE types, and the rSDFI-total score of TE type is significantly higher than that of SE type in Heat pattern. Conclusions Current results demonstrated the reliability, validity and clinical usefulness of the rSDFI in clinical patients. Therefore, rSDFI can be utilized as an objective clinical measure supporting the differential diagnosis of Sasang typology.