Chung-Ang University

About: Chung-Ang University is a education organization based out in Seoul, South Korea. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Thin film. The organization has 13381 authors who have published 26978 publications receiving 416735 citations. The organization is also known as: CAU & Chung.

RFID-based indoor location tracking to ensure the safety of the elderly in smart home environments

Abstract: In recent years, the number of elderly people living alone has grown rapidly. This increases the need for indoor healthcare services that help elderly residents live a safe and independent life. There has been increasing interest in indoor ubiquitous healthcare (U-Healthcare) applications that monitor the elderly unobtrusively via sensors and that warn them or healthcare providers of abnormal conditions. In U-Healthcare applications, automatically locating and tracking users who move around a building is a fundamental feature. Outdoor location sensing technologies such as the global positioning systems are not suitable for use in indoor environments, such as "smart home" applications, because their indoor-based location sensing lacks accuracy. This paper proposes an indoor U-Healthcare system that uses radio-frequency identification technology to accurately locate and track the elderly. The proposed system provides real-time monitoring of elderly people's whereabouts. In addition, it analyzes their locations in association with time slots and the length of time they stay in the same place, thus inferring information such as movement patterns, ranges, and frequencies. This information is used to determine elderly people's well-being and to warn family or healthcare workers of any potential problems. The proposed indoor U-Healthcare system improves the quality and convenience of care delivered to elderly people.

Microbial Succession and Metabolite Changes during Long‐Term Storage of Kimchi

Abstract: Kimchi is often stored for a long period of time for a diet during the winter season because it is an essential side dish for Korean meals. In this study pH, abundance of bacteria and yeasts, bacterial communities, and metabolites were monitored periodically to investigate the fermentation process of kimchi for 120 d. Bacterial abundance increased quickly with a pH decrease after an initial pH increase during the early fermentation period. After 20 d, pH values became relatively stable and free sugars were maintained at relatively constant levels, indicating that kimchi fermentation by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) was almost completed. After that time, a decrease in bacterial abundance and a growth in Saccharomyces occurred concurrently with increased free sugar consumption and production of glycerol and ethanol. Finally, after 100 d, the growth of Candida was observed. Community analysis using pyrosequencing revealed that diverse LAB including Leuconostoc citreum, Leuconostoc holzapfelii, Lactococcus lactis, and Weissella soli were present during the early fermentation period, but the LAB community was quickly replaced with Lactobacillus sakei, Leuconostoc gasicomitatum, and Weissella koreensis as the fermentation progressed. Metabolite analysis using (1) H-NMR showed that organic acids (lactate, acetate, and succinate) as well as bioactive substances (mannitol and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)) were produced during the kimchi fermentation, and Leuconostoc strains and Lactobacillus sakei were identified as the producers of mannitol and GABA, respectively.

Predictors reflecting the pathological severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Comprehensive study of clinical and immunohistochemical findings in younger Asian patients

Abstract: Background and Aims: The spectrum of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) ranges from simple steatosis to severe steatohepatitis (NASH). The aim of our study was to identify clinical predictors distinguishing NASH from steatosis and to study the pathogenesis of NASH in a young Korean population. Methods: Clinical and biochemical variables from 39 biopsied NAFLD patients were retrospectively analyzed. All liver biopsy specimens were immunohistochemically examined for Kupffer cells (CD68, CD14), as well as expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2 (UCP-2). Results: There were no significant differences in serum biochemistry between the two groups (15 steatosis vs 24 NASH). There was a significant difference between the body mass index (BMI) values (kg/m2) of the NASH (28.4 ± 3.4 kg/m2) and steatosis (25.8 ± 2.8 kg/m2) patients (P < 0.025), with a BMI of 28.9 kg/m2 representing the best threshold for distinguishing NASH from steatosis patients. BMI was significantly related to the degree of fibrosis (P < 0.01). CD68+ Kupffer cells were more common in the livers of NASH patients (P < 0.05), and TNF-α and UCP-2 were expressed in all NASH specimens and were related with the severity of inflammation and fibrosis (P < 0.05). Conclusions: BMI could be used to distinguish NASH from steatosis in younger Korean patients. A high BMI with a low alanine aminotransferase (ALT) value tended to suggest the presence of severe fibrosis in NASH, while the number of CD68+ Kupffer cells and the staining intensity of TNF-α and UCP-2 were correlated with general pathologic severity in patients with NAFLD.