Auditory-Perceptual and Acoustic Methods in Measuring Dysphonia Severity of Korean Speech.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the criterion-related concurrent validity of two standardized auditory-perceptual rating protocols and the Acoustic Voice Quality Index (AVQI) for measuring dysphonia severity in Korean speech.

Methods: Sixty native Korean subjects with various voice disorders were asked to sustain the vowel [a:] and to read aloud the Korean text "Walk." A 3-second midvowel portion of the sustained vowel and two sentences (with 25 syllables) were edited, concatenated, and analyzed according to methods described elsewhere.

Understanding the Stress Process of Chinese- and Korean-American Breast Cancer Survivors.

Guided by the stress process model (SPM), this study investigated the direct and indirect pathways of primary (negative self-image and life stress), secondary stressors (family communication strain) and family coping (external and internal) on mental health outcomes among Chinese- and Korean-American breast cancer survivors (BCS). A total of 156 Chinese- and Korean-American BCS were surveyed. Results showed primary and secondary stressors had a negative effect on better mental health outcomes.

Appendicular skeletal muscle mass and insulin resistance in an elderly korean population: the korean social life, health and aging project-health examination cohort.

Background: Increasing evidence supports an association between age-related loss of muscle mass and insulin resistance. However, the association has not been fully investigated in the general population. Thus, we investigated the association between appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) and insulin resistance in an elderly Korean population.

Association between C reactive protein level and depressive symptoms in an elderly Korean population: Korean Social Life, Health and Aging Project.

Objective: The relationship between inflammatory markers and depressive symptoms has been reported inconsistently. Moreover, there were only a few studies conducted in an Asian population. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between C reactive protein (CRP) and depressive symptoms in an elderly Korean population.

Gender differences in hypertension control among older korean adults: Korean social life, health, and aging project.

Objectives: Controlling blood pressure is a key step in reducing cardiovascular mortality in older adults. Gender differences in patients' attitudes after disease diagnosis and their management of the disease have been identified. However, it is unclear whether gender differences exist in hypertension management among older adults.

Recruiting Chinese- and Korean-Americans in Cancer Survivorship Research: Challenges and Lessons Learned.

This paper describes Asian-American recruitment experiences using data from the cancer survivorship study involving Chinese- and Korean-American breast cancer survivors specifically. The article discusses challenges to the successful recruitment of Asian-American populations for cancer survivorship research and provides recommendations for future recruitment efforts. The study investigated the role of family communication in coping and quality of life for survivors from Chinese- and Korean-American groups diagnosed with breast cancer.

Barriers to cancer care, perceived social support, and patient navigation services for Korean breast cancer patients.

The present study aimed to examine the relationships among barriers to cancer care, perceived social support, and patient navigation services (PNS) for Korean breast cancer patients. For Korean breast cancer patients, PNS are comprised of five services, including emotional, financial, information, transportation, and disease management. The study findings demonstrated that transportation and disease management barriers were directly associated with PNS, whereas emotional and financial barriers were indirectly associated with PNS through perceived social support.

The estimation of mineral contents in oriental supplements consumed by elite athletes.

The purpose of this study is twofold: to examine macro (calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus) and trace mineral (iron) concentration in oriental supplements (OS), and to define OS prevalence in elite athletes. Participants of this study were 928 varsity athletes (male: 680, female: 248) with 23 sports types. Recent 3-month dietary supplements (DS) and OS practice was surveyed during training period, and mineral concentration in 72 randomly collected OS samples were analyzed.

Gender and Role Differences in Couples' Communication During Cancer Survivorship.

Background: Individuals with cancer and their partners often experience communication difficulties. However, questions still remain regarding the influence of gender and role in cancer survivor-partner communication within couples.

Objective: The current study intended to examine the communication patterns in breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer survivor-partner couples during cancer survivorship and whether gender and role differences in couples communication exist.

Breast Cancer Cause Beliefs: Chinese, Korean, and Mexican American Breast Cancer Survivors.

This study examined causal attribution beliefs about breast cancer and the influence that these beliefs exert on health behavior change among breast cancer survivors (BCS). Focus groups with Chinese (n = 21), Korean (n = 11), and Mexican American (n = 9) BCS recruited through community- and hospital-based support groups were conducted. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and translated into English for thematic content analysis.

The dyadic effects of coping and resilience on psychological distress for cancer survivor couples.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the actor and partner effects of coping and resilience characteristics on psychological distress in cancer survivors and their spouses and to examine the mediating role of resilience characteristics in the relationship between coping and psychological distress.

Methods: A total of 91 breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer survivor-spouse dyads were recruited from the University Hospital Registry in Cleveland, Ohio. Standardized questionnaires that assessed psychological distress, reframing and acquiring social support coping, and resilience characteristics were used.

The korean social life, health and aging project-health examination cohort.

The Korean Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (KSHAP) is a population-based longitudinal study of health determinants among elderly Koreans. The target population of the KSHAP are people aged 60 years or older and their spouses living in a rural community of Korea. A complete enumeration survey was conducted in the first wave of the KSHAP on 94.

Association between skeletal muscle mass and radial augmentation index in an elderly Korean population.

Increasing evidence supports the importance of maintaining skeletal muscle mass for cardiovascular health. However, there is limited data on the relationship between skeletal muscle mass and arterial stiffness targeting an elderly population. Thus, we investigated the association between skeletal muscle mass and arterial stiffness in an elderly Korean population.

Acute effect of heel-drop exercise with varying ranges of motion on the gastrocnemius aponeurosis-tendon's mechanical properties.

The objectives of this study was to investigate the acute effects of various magnitudes of tendon strain on the mechanical properties of the human medial gastrocnemius (MG) in vivo during controlled heel-drop exercises. Seven male and seven female volunteers performed two different exercises executed one month apart: one was a heel-drop exercise on a block (HDB), and the other was a heel-drop exercise on level floor (HDL). In each regimen, the subjects completed a session of 150 heel-drop exercises (15 repetitions×10 sets; with a 30 s rest following each set).

Communication, coping, and quality of life of breast cancer survivors and family/friend dyads: a pilot study of Chinese-Americans and Korean-Americans.

Objective: This study aimed to understand the dyadic relationships between family communication and quality of life (QOL) and between coping and QOL in Chinese-American and Korean-American breast cancer survivor (BCS)-family member dyads.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was used. A total of 32 Chinese-American and Korean-American BCS-family member dyads were recruited from the California Cancer Surveillance Program and area hospitals in Los Angeles County, California, USA.

Social network characteristics and body mass index in an elderly Korean population.

Objectives: Research has shown that obesity appears to spread through social ties. However, the association between other characteristics of social networks and obesity is unclear. This study aimed to identify the association between social network characteristics and body mass index (BMI, kg/m(2)) in an elderly Korean population.

Health behavior changes following breast cancer treatment: a qualitative comparison among Chinese American, Korean American, and Mexican American survivors.

This study explored how Chinese American, Korean American, and Mexican American women modify their health behaviors following breast cancer treatment and identified motivators and barriers that influence their changes. An exploratory, descriptive, qualitative study was undertaken using six focus groups. Discussions were transcribed and translated for content analysis.

Security analysis and enhancements of an effective biometric-based remote user authentication scheme using smart cards.

Recently, many biometrics-based user authentication schemes using smart cards have been proposed to improve the security weaknesses in user authentication system. In 2011, Das proposed an efficient biometric-based remote user authentication scheme using smart cards that can provide strong authentication and mutual authentication. In this paper, we analyze the security of Das's authentication scheme, and we have shown that Das's authentication scheme is still insecure against the various attacks.

[Suggestions for increasing physical activity levels of Korean older adults: a public health perspective].

2010 is the year when the Korean baby boomer generation faces retirement. With the need for affective strategies to keep this population healthy, the government has placed much effort to increase the regular physical activity (PA) level of older adults. Yet the prevalence of active seniors is still relatively low.

Sonochemical reaction of fullerene[C60] with several 2'-azidoethyl per-O-acetyl glycosides.

Cycloadditive reaction of fullerene[C60] with various 2'-azidoethyl per-O-acetyl glycopyranoside of D-mannose, D-galactose, D-glucose, D-xylose and D-maltose, respectively gave the glycosyl fullerene[C60] derivatives 2a-2e such as alpha-D-mannosyl fullerene[C60] under ultrasonication. Based on analyses using 1H- and 13C-NMR, UV-vis, FT-IR, and FAB-MS spectroscopies of the glycosyl fullerene[C60] derivatives, the products were composed of a mixture of [5,6]- and [6,6]-junction isomers which were predominantly the closed [5,6]-junction isomer.

Effect of expiratory muscle strength training on elderly cough function.

Age-related loss of muscle strength, known as sarcopenia, in the expiratory muscles, along with reductions in lung elastic recoil and chest wall compliance decreases the intrathoacic airway pressure as well as expiratory flow rates and velocity, greatly impacting an elderly person's ability to generate the forces essential for cough. This study examined the effects of a 4-week expiratory muscle strength training (EMST) program on maximum expiratory pressure (MEP) and cough function in 18 healthy but sedentary elderly adults. MEP significantly increased after the EMST program from 77.

Asian values scale: comparisons of Korean and Korean-American high school students.

This study was intended to examine mean differences on the Asian Values Scale between Korean and Korean-American high school students. For 199 Korean and 217 second generation Korean-American high school students, means on emotional self-control and collectivism were significantly different. A two-sample t test on the mean scores of Korean high school students (M=4.

Acculturation scale for Korean-American college students.

Two-sample t test on the mean scores of the Suinn-Lew Asian Self-identity Acculturation Scale showed significant differences between 1.5-generation Korean-American college students (n=71, M=2.4, SD=0.

Lee Acculturation Dream Scale for Korean-American college students.

This study examined acculturation as represented in dream narratives of 165 Korean immigrant college students living in the USA. A total of 165 dreams were collected and evaluated using the Lee Acculturation Dream Scale, for which locations of dream contents were coded. 39% of the dreams took place in South Korea, while 38% were in the USA.

[Health problems and support from the health & welfare service in the elderly at home].

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify health problems and support received from the health and welfare service using MDS-HC(Minimum Data Set for Home Care) in the aged living at home.

Method: Eighty-one elderly persons were selected from those listed in community-welfare service centers in Seoul and Kyunggi Province between December 2002 and January 2003.

Result: Eleven health problems per elderly person on average were identified, and the frequent care needs were in order: preventive health measure, health promotion, visual function, depression & anxiety, communication disorders, social function, pain, environmental assessment, oral health, cognition and falls.