Disability and health service utilization among old Koreans

This study compared persons with disabilities with those without disabilities in terms of health services utilization and examined the factors associated with the use of inpatient hospital services. Data on a sample of 4040 older adults (65+ years of age) from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing were used. Descriptive and logistic regression analysis was performed examining sample characteristics of participants with and without disabilities and factors significantly associated with health services utilization. This study showed that the elderly with disabilities used significantly more inpatient hospital services than the elderly without disabilities. As expected, poor health was clearly the most influential factor explaining the use of inpatient hospital services. The second most influential factor in determining use of medical services is disability. Persons with disabilities had a twofold or more increase in the odds of using inpatient hospital services. Likewise, the person with chronic condition had also an additional twofold increase in risk for medical services due to the chronic condition. Chronic conditions were clearly the third influential factor explaining the use of inpatient hospital services. Finally, females were a small margin more likely to use inpatient hospital services than males.

Association between restrictive pulmonary disease and type 2 diabetes in Koreans:A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND Diabetes is a progressive disease that increases glucose levels in the blood.While studies have shown that patients with pulmonary disease(both obstructive and restrictive pulmonary disease)have a higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM),there have been more studies on restrictive patterns than chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.AIM To assess whether restrictive and obstructive pulmonary diseases are associated with T2DM in Koreans.METHODS For our analysis,we used data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.A total of 2830 subjects were included in this study.Spirometry results were categorized into three patterns:Normal,restrictive pulmonary disease(RPD),and obstructive pulmonary disease(OPD).RESULTS The factors used as diabetic indicators(i.e.homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance,homeostatic model assessment of beta-cell function,glycated hemoglobin,and fasting insulin)were among the highest in RPD but not in OPD.Based on multivariate logistic regression analysis,subjects with RPD were found with an increased odds ratio[OR:1.907,95%confidence interval(CI):1.110-3.277]for T2DM compared with subjects with normal pulmonary function,whereas in patients with OPD,the OR had not increased.Model 4,which adjusted for the variables that could affect diabetes and pulmonary disease,showed a significant increase in the T2DM OR to RPD(OR:2.025,95%CI:1.264-3.244).On the other hand,no statistically significant difference was shown in OPD(OR:0.982,95%CI:0.634-1.519).CONCLUSION RPD,not OPD,is highly associated with T2DM regardless of the risk factors of various T2DMs that can be confounds.

Serum Levels of Antioxidant Vitamins in Relation to Coronary Artery Disease: A Case Control Study of Koreans

With the changes in trends of disease pattern from infectious to chronic degenerative disease, cardiovascular disease has been considered as the major cause of death in Korea.Numerous studies have been done on the antioxidant effects of some vitamins in the prevention of chronic illness, but not many in relation to the cardiovascular disease.Therefore, the relation between antioxidant vitamins, mainly α-tocopherol (α-T) and B-carotene (B-C), and coronary artery disease (CAD) such as angina pectoris and myocardial infarction has been investigated in this study.The blood samples were obtained from the CAD patients who were angiographically diagnosed within a month (100 case group). Patients who had an experience of PTCA or CABG were excluded from the study. Control subjects were healthy adults who had normal EKG values, no chest pain and no past history of cardiac disease (100 control group). All subjects were free of serum lipid lowering drugs. Serum α-T and B-C were analysed using HPLC. In addition to antioxidant vitamins, serum lipids (total cholesterol, HDL, TG) were also measured. Each case and control was matched in terms of age and sex. And all the CAD risk factors such as blood pressure, smoking, alcohol, serum lipid profile and BMI were adjusted to determine pure effect(s) of α-T and B-C on the CAD.The concentrations of both α-T and B-C were significantly lower in the CAD group than those in control group (P<0.05); in CAD group, mean values of α-T and B-C were 11.9±7.2 (μg/ml), 35.8±3.1 (μg/dl) respectively. As for the levels of B-C, it shows inverse relation with age, but not for the α-T Ievels. Serum levels of both vitamins did not show any significant differences in terms of sex, but men have a tendency o higher levels of B-C,but lower levels of α-T

Chronic Diseases, Health Status and Health Service Utilization among Koreans

This study described the self-reported chronic diseases and health status and examined the factors that are associated with effective health service utilization. Descriptive and logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the factors significantly associated with self-rated health, in-patient and out-patient utilization. Self-rated health status was ranked lower among rural residents, lower-income families, married persons, and those with chronic diseases. Chronic diseases such as hypertension, arthritis, melancholy, and diabetes were common and they are associated with poor health of Koreans. The presence of chronic diseases was significant in predicting the likelihood of poor health while socio-economic factors, rather than health-related need factors, had more predictive power of the use of health services. This study provides a unique contribution to the knowledge base of the Korean population. The study findings show that Koreans in poor health status were married, living in rural areas, having chronic diseases and lower income, with a high likelihood of health care utilization among employed individuals, which could significantly help in the public health policy required to address this issue.

Gender differences of health behaviors and quality of life of Koreans with asthma

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore gender differences in health-behaviors and quality of life (QOL) in Koreans with asthma. Methods: Participants, selected from the 2009 Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey VI, included 305 individuals (men = 128, women = 177) with asthma and over 19 years old. Health behaviors were measured by questions about disease management, health choices, and functional and psychological status. QOL was measured with the European Quality of Life-5D (EQ-5D). Results: In health behaviors, 51.3% of women and 37.7% of men suffered from wheezing at rest. About 41% of men and 10% of women were smokers. One half of the participants were not taking medication and this was not significantly different by gender. The number of women with symptoms of depression was significantly higher than men. The EQ-5D index score of women was significantly lower than that of men. Conclusion: Women with asthma were more likely to have psychological problems and discomfort than men. Understanding gender differences in asthma is important to the development of effective, tailored asthma management strategies to cope with symptoms and improve health behaviors and QOL for people with asthma.

Elegant Clothing of Ethnic Koreans in China

Elegant Clothing of Ethnic Koreans in China。

Long-term changes in radial growth of seven tree species in the mixed broadleaf-Korean pine forest in Northeast China:Are deciduous trees favored by climate change?

The role of the temperate mixed broadleaf-Korean pine forest(BKF)in global biogeochemical cycles will depend on how the tree species community responds to climate;however,species-specific responses and vulner-abilities of common trees in BKF to extreme climates are poorly understood.Here we used dendrochronological meth-ods to assess radial growth of seven main tree species(Pinus koraiensis,Picea jezoensis,Abies nephrolepis,Fraxinus mandshurica,Phellodendron amurense,Quercus mongolica,and Ulmus davidiana)in an old-growth BKF in response to climate changes in the Xiaoxing’an Mountains and to improve predictions of changes in the tree species compo-sition.Temperature in most months and winter precipita-tion significantly negatively affected growth of P.jezoensis and A.nephrolepis,but positively impacted growth of P.koraiensis and the broadleaf species,especially F.mandshu-rica and U.davidiana.Precipitation and relative humidity in June significantly positively impacted the growth of most tree species.The positive effect of the temperature during the previous non-growing season(PNG)on growth of F.mandshurica and Q.mongolica strengthened significantly with rapid warming around 1981,while the impact of PNG temperature on the growth of P.jezoensis and A.nephrolepis changed from significantly negative to weakly negative or positive at this time.The negative response of radial growth of P.jezoensis and A.nephrolepis to precipitation during the growing season gradually weakened,and the negative response to PNG precipitation was enhanced.Among the studied species,P.koraiensis was the most resistant to drought,and U.davidiana recovered the best after extreme drought.Ulmus davidiana,P.jezoensis and A.nephrolepis were more resistant to extreme cold than the other species.Climate warming generally exacerbated the opposite growth patterns of conifer(decline)and broadleaf(increase)spe-cies.Deciduous broadleaf tree species in the old-growth BKF probably will gradually become dominant as warming continues.Species-specific growth-climate relationships should be considered in future models of biogeochemical cycles and in forestry management practices.

Group Images of Korean Women on Douyin:Representation,Generation,and Identification

Since 2023,the slogan“Question Korean women,understand Korean women,learn Korean women”has become popular in Chinese social networks.Previously,Chinese netizens have not paid such attention to women from other countries.In response to this phenomenon,this paper combines neoliberal feminist theories with thematic analysis to obtain a total of 80 valid samples from the Douyin platform to analyze the image of Korean women disseminated on the Douyin platform.Finally,it is concluded that the image of Korean women’s strict self-discipline,internal and external cultivation,sobriety of thought,and the spirit of courageous struggle have to a certain extent promoted the awakening of self-consciousness of female netizens in China;on the other hand,it is also necessary to realize that the image of Korean women disseminated in Douyin is not completely true,and it is also necessary to be alert to the phenomenon that the gender dichotomy has been reduced to the attraction of network traffic and capital as a sharp weapon.

Application of Color Psychology in Korean Brand Identity Design-Etude House

The purpose of this analysis is to delve into the application of color psychology in the logo design of Korean cosmetic brands,using Etude House as an example for an exhaustive analysis.By examining the history of the Etude House brand,the evolution of the logo design,and the changes in color choices,we analyze the traditional concepts of color symbolism in Korean culture and the culture of color in contemporary society in order to reveal the important role of color in cosmetic brand image.Through an in-depth analysis of the use of color in Etude House’s brand identity,we further analyze the impact of color on consumer emotions and purchasing behavior,as well as the potential impact of brand identity changes on market performance.Finally,the conclusions of the analysis summarize the practical application of color psychology in Etude House’s brand logo design,suggest recommendations for other Korean cosmetic brands to draw upon in their logo design,and discuss future directions.

Analyzing the Essay Writing Patterns of Iranian Intermediate-Level Korean Language Learners: A Study Based on the TOPIK Exam

This study examines the writing abilities of Iranian intermediate Korean learners,specifically their performance in the compositional writing section of the Test of Proficiency in Korean(TOPIK).By utilizing the many FACETS-Rasch Model,we meticulously analyzed nine writing samples from the 52nd TOPIK.These samples were evaluated using a modified rubric ranging from 0 to 3 based on predefined criteria for written composition.The results underscored that the sections on“appropriateness of spacing and spelling,”“relevance of vocabulary,”and“content diversity”presented the most significant challenges for the learners.On the other hand,“the quantity of writing”emerged as the least challenging aspect.These findings reveal substantial disparities in various aspects of writing proficiency among learners.The study not only pinpoints issue areas in writing skills,but also underscores the necessity of customized teaching strategies within the TOPIK framework to address these weaknesses.Consequently,it offers valuable insights that could bolster the effectiveness of teaching writing to Korean language learners.The findings of this study are not only significant for the field of language education,but also contribute to a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by intermediate learners and provide a roadmap for improving language instruction.

Koreans Go ‘Wrinkle--Free’with Deadly Bacteria

这是一篇信息性、趣味性和可读性俱佳的报道！爱美之心,人皆有之。不料,韩国的女士在这方面更“领先一步”。她们心甘情愿地花费每月收入的一半去美容,去抚平岁月在脸上留下的皱纹。而且,这种“除皱”方式非常特别,它是使用一种叫做Botox的肉毒(杆)菌毒素,将这种霉素注射到体内,而后让它阻塞令肌肉收缩的激素的转移,从而使皮肤“免皱”。即使在1997-1998亚洲金融危机时期,韩国的这项无烟工业仍然红火异常,有力拉动“内需”。对此,本文使用了一句非常漂亮的非人称主语句:The Korean yearning(向往)forbeauty and youth ignored the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis。笔者在读此文时,心中狐疑:国人在美容上也最舍得花钱,而国内美容业的人士怎么对Botox竟然无动于衷呢?这可是个大金娃娃哟！】

Comparison of genetic impact on growth and wood traits between seedlings and clones from the same plus trees of Pinus koraiensis

To evaluate the relationships among clones and open pollinated families from the same plus trees and to select elite breeding materials,growth,and wood characteristics of 33-year-old Pinus korainsis clones and families were measured and analyzed.The results show that growth and wood characters varied significantly.The variation due to clonal effects was higher than that of family effects.The ratio of genetic to phenotypic coefficient of variation of clones in growth and wood traits was above 90%,and the repeatability of these characteristics was more than 0.8,whereas the ratio of genetic to phenotypic coefficient of variation of families was above 90%.The broad-sense heritability of all characteristics exceeded 0.4,and the narrow-sense family heritability of growth traits was less than 0.3.Growth characteristics were positively correlated with each other,but most wood properties were weakly correlated in both clones and families.Fiber length and width were positively correlated between clones and families.Using the membership function method,eleven clones and four families were selected as superior material for improved diameter growth and wood production,and two families from clonal and open-pollinated trees showed consistently better performance.Generally,selection of the best clones is an effective alternative to deployment of families as the repeatability estimates from clonal trees were higher than narrow-sense heritability estimates from open pollinated families.The results provide valuable insight for improving P.koraiensis breeding programs and subsequent genetic improvement.

PP-GAN:Style Transfer from Korean Portraits to ID Photos Using Landmark Extractor with GAN

The objective of style transfer is to maintain the content of an image while transferring the style of another image.However,conventional methods face challenges in preserving facial features,especially in Korean portraits where elements like the“Gat”(a traditional Korean hat)are prevalent.This paper proposes a deep learning network designed to perform style transfer that includes the“Gat”while preserving the identity of the face.Unlike traditional style transfer techniques,the proposed method aims to preserve the texture,attire,and the“Gat”in the style image by employing image sharpening and face landmark,with the GAN.The color,texture,and intensity were extracted differently based on the characteristics of each block and layer of the pre-trained VGG-16,and only the necessary elements during training were preserved using a facial landmark mask.The head area was presented using the eyebrow area to transfer the“Gat”.Furthermore,the identity of the face was retained,and style correlation was considered based on the Gram matrix.To evaluate performance,we introduced a metric using PSNR and SSIM,with an emphasis on median values through new weightings for style transfer in Korean portraits.Additionally,we have conducted a survey that evaluated the content,style,and naturalness of the transferred results,and based on the assessment,we can confidently conclude that our method to maintain the integrity of content surpasses the previous research.Our approach,enriched by landmarks preservation and diverse loss functions,including those related to“Gat”,outperformed previous researches in facial identity preservation.

Information Extraction Based on Multi-turn Question Answering for Analyzing Korean Research Trends

Analyzing Research and Development(R&D)trends is important because it can influence future decisions regarding R&D direction.In typical trend analysis,topic or technology taxonomies are employed to compute the popularities of the topics or codes over time.Although it is simple and effective,the taxonomies are difficult to manage because new technologies are introduced rapidly.Therefore,recent studies exploit deep learning to extract pre-defined targets such as problems and solutions.Based on the recent advances in question answering(QA)using deep learning,we adopt a multi-turn QA model to extract problems and solutions from Korean R&D reports.With the previous research,we use the reports directly and analyze the difficulties in handling them using QA style on Information Extraction(IE)for sentence-level benchmark dataset.After investigating the characteristics of Korean R&D,we propose a model to deal with multiple and repeated appearances of targets in the reports.Accordingly,we propose a model that includes an algorithm with two novel modules and a prompt.A newly proposed methodology focuses on reformulating a question without a static template or pre-defined knowledge.We show the effectiveness of the proposed model using a Korean R&D report dataset that we constructed and presented an in-depth analysis of the benefits of the multi-turn QA model.

Extension of Goal-Directed Behavior Model for Post-Pandemic Korean Travel Intentions to Alternative Local Destinations: Perceived Risk and Knowledge

Since the outbreak of COVID-19,tourists have been increasingly concerned over various risks of international travel,while knowledge of the pandemic appears to vary significantly.In addition,as travel restrictions continue to impact adversely on international tourism,tourism efforts should be placed more on the domestic markets.Via structural equation modeling,this study unearthed different risk factors impacting Korean travelers’choices of alternative local destinations in the post-pandemic era.In addition,this study extended the goal-directed behavior framework with the acquisition of perceived risk and knowledge of COVID-19,which was proven to hold a sig-nificantly superior explanatory power of tourists’decisions of local alternatives over foreign countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.Furthermore,desire was found to play an imminent mediating role in the conceptual mod-el,maximizing the impact of perceived risk on travel intentions.Henceforth,this research offers meaningful the-oretical implication as thefirst empirical study to deepen the goal-directed behaviour framework with perceived risk and knowledge in the context of post-COVID-19 era.It also serves as insightful knowledge for Korean tour-ism authorities and practitioners to understand local tourists’decision-making processes and tailor effective recovery strategy for domestic tourism.

New Year,New Insights:Interpreting the Cultural Nuances of Nowruz and Seollal for Iranian Students Learning Korean

With proper education,students would be better equipped for life in a more diverse and globally integrated world.To foster intercultural conversation and global citizenship among students,various cultural practices should be brought to their attention,and they should be encouraged to develop respect for these traditions.This study compares the cultural significance,rites,and customs,traditional meals,social interactions,and symbolism of the Iranian New Year(Nowruz;نوروز)with those of the Korean New Year(Seollal;설날)to determine whether or not Iranian students could benefit from learning Korean in terms of language acquisition,cultural understanding,and celebratory behavior.The findings shed light on the importance of instituting policies that foster intercultural conversation and including cross-cultural studies in educational programs.Some recommendations include increasing access to multicultural education,teaching languages,sponsoring international and intercultural activities,developing an appreciation of diverse cultures,and educating instructors.

From People as Foundation(Minbon)to Concept of a Republic(Minkuk):Tracing Neo-Confucianism in Korean History

This article is the memoirs of the author’s long-time research on the Neo-Confucian history of the Chosun dynasty Korea.The author recalled his academic achievement of the several stages of the historical changes of Korean society with the Neo-Confucianism.The time range covered from the late 14th century to the nineteenth century.The research position was adhered to the view of the positive function of Confucianism which aimed to overcome the negative understanding highly influenced by the Japanese colonialism.He examined the socio-economic development accompanied with the Neo-Confucianism at the first stage.In the part of the sixteenth century the formation of Sarim group was interpreted as critical forces and the prevailed factionalism as the principle of politics rather than the chronic political strife.The author introduced his unique achievement that the ideology of the Neo-Confucianism had been strongly intensified with the response to the long term natural catastrophes of the Little Ice Age(c.1490-1760).The republican concept of 18th-century impartial rulers,the most important achievement of Korean Neo-Confucianism,was viewed as the result of effort to overcome the natural disasters.This topic was connected to the concept of republic which shows in a diagram of the Korean national flag.

Reform of the Teaching Model of Korean Intensive Reading Courses in Vocational High Schools in the Era of All-Media

The use of multimedia technology in the teaching process is the current mainstream trend in teaching development.The arrival of the all-media era is not only a huge challenge to the traditional teaching model,but also a huge opportunity for the reform of the teaching model.Combining traditional education models with modern scientific and technological means,and learning from each other’s strengths can stimulate students’subjective initiative in learning.On the other hand,it is also an important way for teachers to improve their teaching abilities.This article analyzes the opportunities brought by the all-media era to the reform of education models based on the teaching status and teaching difficulties of Korean intensive reading courses in vocational high schools,and proposes a teaching model reform strategy for Korean intensive reading courses in vocational high schools in the all-media era.

The Reform Process of English Medium Instruction in Korean Higher Education

In the context of the internationalization of higher education,many non-English speaking countries,from Europe to Asia,are promoting English as a medium of instruction(EMI).The EMI in South Korea started earlier and developed rapidly under the promotion.From the initial“Study Abroad in Korea Plan”to the World Class University(WCU)and Brain Korea 21st century(BK21)PLUS programs,with the support and guidance of the government,South Korea’s higher education has made significant progress,with the global top 100 universities in QS increasing from 1 to 6 in South Korea.