Song Mi Lee

Comparison of Al-Cu-Fe quasicrystalline particle reinforced Al composites fabricated by conventional casting and extrusion

Aluminum matrix composites reinforced by Al62Cu26Fe12 gas atomized powders were produced by conventional metallurgical processes, such as gravity casting with stirring and hot extrusion. This investigation was mainly focused on the dependency of the yield stress at room temperature as a function of the volume fraction of reinforcement, but other variables such as the matrix, coating layer around the particles, and processing were also investigated. For as-extruded composites, the addition of the Al-Cu-Fe particles improved the yield stress, although not dramatically owing to the large particle size. In contrast, it was found that the yield stress was considerably enhanced for the as-cast composites up to 10%(AlCuFe)p, while an asymptotic value was observed afterward. The dominant parameter appeared to be the strength of the matrix, which was found to be proportional to the volume fraction of the reinforcement. These results are discussed in relation with the possible strengthening mechanisms in order to estimate the role of the icosahedral and related crystalline phases on the increase of yield stress.

Use of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis for the Assessment of Nutritional Status in Critically Ill Patients

Malnutrition is common in the critically ill patients and known to cause a variety of negative clinical outcomes. However, various conventional methods for nutrition assessment have several limitations. We hypothesized that body composition data, as measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), may have a significant role in evaluating nutritional status and predicting clinical outcomes in critically ill patients. We gathered clinical, biochemical, and BIA data from 66 critically ill patients admitted to an intensive care unit. Patients were divided into three nutritional status groups according to their serum albumin level and total lymphocyte counts. The BIA results, conventional indicators of nutrition status, and clinical outcomes were compared and analyzed retrospectively. Results showed that the BIA indices including phase angle (PhA), extracellular water (ECW), and ECW/total body water (TBW) were significantly associated with the severity of nutritional status. Particularly, PhA, an indicator of the health of the cell membrane, was higher in the well-nourished patient group, whereas the edema index (ECW/TBW) was higher in the severely malnourished patient group. PhA was positively associated with albumin and ECW/TBW was negatively associated with serum albumin, hemoglobin, and duration of mechanical ventilation. In non-survivors, PhA was significantly lower and both ECW/TBW and %TBW/fat free mass were higher than in survivors. In conclusion, several BIA indexes including PhA and ECW/TBW may be useful for nutritional assessment and represent significant prognostic factors in the care of critically ill patients.

Comparison of hydration and nutritional status between young and elderly hemodialysis patients through bioimpedance analysis.

Background The number of elderly people on dialysis is increasing rapidly. Fluid overload and malnutrition status are serious problems in elderly dialysis patients. We aimed to compare the hydration and nutritional status through bioimpedance analysis (BIA) between young and elderly hemodialysis (HD) patients and to analyze risk factors related to fluid overload and malnutrition status in these patients. Method We conducted a cross-sectional study, in which 82 HD (males 42, mean age 58.7±12.9 years) patients were enrolled. We collected different types of data: laboratory data, such as serum creatinine, albumin, total iron-binding capacity, hemoglobin, total cholesterol; anthropometric data, such as hand grip strength (HGS); BIA data, such as intracellular water, skeletal muscle mass, body cell mass, bone mineral content, phase angle (PhA), extra cellular water (ECW)/total body water (TBW) ratio; and malnutrition-inflammation score (MIS), which is a traditional nutritional parameter for dialysis patients. All patients were stratified into two groups according to their age: young (<65 years [n=54]) and elderly (≥65 years [n=28]). Results Total iron-binding capacity and HGS were significantly lower in elderly HD patients than in young HD patients (198.9±35.6 vs 221.4±52.1 mcg/dL; and 22.4±10.3 vs 36.4±23.2 kg, respectively) (P<0.05). Also, intracellular water and PhA measured by BIA were significantly lower (18.3±4.0 vs 20.3±4.2 L [P=0.043]; and 4.0±1.0 vs 4.9±1.2° [P=0.002], respectively), and ECW/TBW were higher in elderly HD patients (0.40±0.01 vs 0.39±0.01 [P=0.001]). ECW/TBW was positively associated with age (P<0.001) and the presence of diabetes (P<0.001) and was negatively associated with sex (P=0.001), albumin (P<0.001), urine volume (P=0.042), HGS (P<0.001), and PhA by BIA (P<0.001). MIS was negatively related to sex (P=0.001), albumin (P<0.001), HGS (P=0.001), and PhA (P<0.001) in HD patients. On multivariate analysis, older age (P=0.031), the presence of diabetes (P=0.035), and decreased PhA (P<0.001) were independent risk factors for increased ECW/TBW, representative of fluid overload status, whereas only decreased PhA (P=0.008) was a significant factor for MIS, representative of malnutrition status in these HD patients. Conclusion We found that fluid overload and malnutrition status were more common in elderly HD patients compared with young HD patients. PhA was a significant independent factor in fluid overload status and malnutrition in these HD patients. Thus, our results indicated that PhA assessed by BIA might be a clinically useful method for assessing nutritional and hydration status in elderly HD patients.

Doctors' Perception and Needs on Clinical Nutrition Services in Hospitals.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perception and needs of doctors on clinical nutrition services. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The doctors` perception and needs were assessed by questionnaires that had been specifically designed for the study. The research was conducted from February 14 to March 15, 2011 for 544 doctors at 42 large hospitals (with over 400 beds). Ninety-eight percent of doctors responded that clinical nutrition service was important. The mean scores of importance on clinical nutrition service were 4.45 for `nutrition screening at admission`, 4.50 for `treatment of malnutrition`, and 4.43 for `nutrition education and counseling`. The mean scores of needs for clinical nutrition service were 4.42 for `individual nutrition counseling & education` 4.39 for `nutrition management for malnourished patients` and `nutrition management for tube fed patients`. The medical specialists showed significantly (P

Clinical Nutrition Service in Korean Tertiary Hospitals and General Hospitals: Result of Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey

The purpose of this study was to investigate the status of clinical nutrition services provided at tertiary hospitals and general hospitals in Korea. In total, 157 questionnaires were distributed to the departments of nutrition at hospitals on September 2013. The results of this study are as follows. The median number of beds was 607 and average length of stay was 8 days. 63.1% of dietitians had over 5 years of career experience. Nutritional screening rate was 97% in tertiary hospitals but only 67.2% in general hospitals (P< 0.001). The rate of equipment with computerized nutritional screening system was 100% in tertiary hospitals but 71.9% in general hospitals (P<0.001). Hospitals with the best regarding nutritional care were hospitals accredited by JCI (Joint Commission International). On the other hand, hospitals not accredited by the JCI but KOIHA (Korea Institute for Healthcare Accreditation) showed the lowest performance rate of nutritional care. Nutrition support teams (NSTs) were established in all tertiary hospitals but in only 73% of general hospitals (P<0.001). The rate of actively operating NSTs was 89% in tertiary hospitals but only 62% in general hospitals (P<0.001). There is a need to provide proper standardized clinical nutrition services as a primary treatment and we observed large variations in the quality of nutritional service between hospitals. Therefore, local solutions are needed to implement nutritional programs and policies for improved service and care.

Effect of 8-Week Nutrition Counseling to Increase Phytochemical Rich Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in Korean Breast Cancer Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

High fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with a lower risk of breast cancer. The incidence of breast cancer is continuously increasing in Korea, but only a few studies on nutrition intervention in breast cancer patients has been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate whether an 8-week nutrition intervention based on dietary counseling can promote fruit and vegetable consumption, increase serum antioxidant nutrient levels, and improve quality of life in Korean breast cancer patients. Sixty-one breast cancer patients received either standard care (n = 31) or nutrition counseling (n = 30). The standard care group was given brochures recommending phytochemical rich diet. The intervention group was provided with two nutrition counseling sessions and one cooking class session, thereby encouraged subjects to eat at least 10 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day. After 8-week intervention, waist circumference in the intervention group was significantly decreased (p < 0.001) even though no difference was reported for body mass index. Energy intake (p = 0.007), fiber (p < 0.001), and antioxidant nutrient (vitamin A, C, E, and β-carotene, p < 0.001, respectively) intakes were significantly increased. Serum antioxidant level was also increased significantly, i.e., vitamin A (p = 0.048); vitamin E (p = 0.004). Total vegetable intake (excluding kimchi intake) in the intervention group was increased from 425 g to 761 g (p < 0.001), fruit consumption was also increased from 232 g to 334 g (p < 0.001), while standard care group did not show any significant change. Our study showed that nutrition counseling and providing cooking tips helped to encourage the patient to consume and maintain more fruit and vegetable intakes.

A Study on the Dietary Intake and the Nutritional Status among the Pancreatic Cancer Surgical Patients

The adequate dietary intake is important to maintain the nutritional status of the patients after pancreatic cancer surgery. This prospective study was designed to investigate the dietary intake and the nutritional status of the patients who had pancreatic cancer surgery. Thirty-one patients (15 men, 16 women) were enrolled and measured body weight, body mass index (BMI), nutritional risk index (NRI), and Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST). Actual oral intake with nutritional impact symptoms recorded on the clinical research foam at every meal and medical information were collected from electronic medical charts. The rates of malnutrition at admission were 45.1% (14/31) and 28.9% (9/31) by NRI and MUST method, respectively, but those were increased to 87% (27/31) and 86.6% (26/31) after operation on discharge. The median values of daily intake of energy, carbohydrates, fat, and protein were 588.1 kcal, 96.0 g, 11.8 g, and 27.0 g, respectively. Most patients (n = 20, 64.5%) experienced two or more symptoms such as anorexia, abdominal bloating and early satiety. There were negative correlations between C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the intake of total energy, protein, fat, and zinc. The rates of malnutrition were increased sharply after surgery and the dietary intake also influenced the inflammatory indicators. The results suggested that need of considering special therapeutic diets for the patients who received pancreatic surgery.

Effect of Personalized Nutritional Counseling on the Nutritional Status of Hemodialysis Patients

This study set out to evaluate the impact of personalized nutritional counseling (PNC) on the nutritional status of hemodialysis (HD) patients. This was an intervention study for 10 months at 2 hospitals. Anthropometric, biochemical, dietary, and body composition parameters were measured at baseline and after 3 and 6 months of PNC. A total of 42 patients (23 men and 19 women) were included. Intake of dietary protein, serum albumin, and cholesterol levels had increased significantly from baseline to month 6 (p < 0.05). Among the bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) parameters, both the body cell mass (BCM) and the fat free mass (FFM) had significantly reduced at month 3 compared to baseline (p < 0.05). However, there was no difference between baseline and month 6. We assessed the nutritional status of the subjects using the malnutrition inflammation score (MIS), and divided them into an adequately nourished (AN) and a malnourished (MN) group at baseline. In the subgroup analysis, serum levels of albumin and cholesterol had increased significantly, particularly from baseline to month 6 in the MN group (p < 0.05). This study suggests that consecutive PNC contributed to the improvement of the protein intake, serum levels of albumin, cholesterol and to the delay of muscle wasting, which could also have a positive impact on the nutritional status, particularly in malnourished patients receiving HD treatment.

Job Satisfaction Level and Related Factors among Korean Hospital Dietitians

The objective of this study was to examine job satisfaction status and its related factors among dietitians working in hospitals. A survey questionnaire was sent to dietitians working in tertiary, general, and convalescent hospitals in Korea. The study sample hospitals included all tertiary hospitals (n

Nurses' Perception on Clinical Nutrition Services by Types of Medical Institution and Area

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to evaluate nurses’ perception of clinical nutrition services. A cross-sectional survey design was performed. The research was accomplished by using questionnaires developed for this study and administered from September 12 to December 31, 2013 to 343 nurses at 43 tertiary hospitals and 20 general hospitals. The percentage of nurses who recognized clinical nutrition certificate as issued from nation was 27.8%. The mean scores of perceived usefulness on clinical nutrition services was 4.23/5.00, whereas that of perceived implementation was 3.76/5.00. The mean scores of necessity of disease-specialized clinical die-titian at capital hospitals were significantly higher for obesity (P＜0.01), cancer (P＜0.05), and infant & child-hood disease (P＜0.01) than at local hospitals. The rates of nurses’ experience in group education on cancer at capital hospitals (21.7%) was significantly higher than that at local hospitals (10.3%) (P＜0.05). The mean scores of perceived importance of clinical nutrition services were 4.46/5.00 for ‘group nutrition education’, 4.46/5.00 for ‘individual consultation’, and 4.40/5.00 for ‘nutrition management for enteral nutrition (EN) pa-tients’. The most common reason why clinical nutrition services are important was ‘improving malnutritional