• Kidney Research and Clinical Practice
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.404-413
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• 2018

Background: Dynapenic obesity and sarcopenic obesity increase cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality in nonuremic patients. The present study was designed to determine the prevalence of dynapenic obesity and sarcopenic obesity and their associations with CVD risk factors in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Methods: All eligible PD patients in Tehran peritoneal dialysis centers were included in this cross-sectional study. Skeletal muscle mass and fat mass were assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Muscle strength and physical performance were determined using hand grip strength and a 4-meter walk gait speed test, respectively. In addition, a 5-mL blood sample was obtained from each patient. Results: The prevalence of dynapenic obesity and sarcopenic obesity were 11.4% and 3.8% in PD patients, respectively. Serum high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule type 1, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were significantly higher in PD patients with dynapenic obesity than in dynapenic nonobese and nondynapenic nonobese patients. Similarly, serum concentrations of CVD risk factors in PD patients with sarcopenic obesity were higher than in nonsarcopenic nonobese patients, but these differences were statistically significant only for serum hs-CRP and triglyceride. In addition, muscle strength and skeletal muscle mass percentage were negatively associated with markers of inflammation and dyslipidemia, whereas body fat percentage was positively associated with these CVD risk factors. Conclusion: This study indicates that although the prevalence of dynapenic obesity and sarcopenic obesity are relatively low in PD patients, these disorders may be associated with CVD risk factors.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.475-481
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• 2019

Background: The ginsenoside Rg1 has been shown to exert various pharmacological activities with health benefits. Previously, we have reported that Rg1 promoted myogenic differentiation and myotube growth in C2C12 myoblasts. In this study, the in vivo effect of Rg1 on fiber-type composition and oxidative metabolism in skeletal muscle was examined. Methods: To examine the effect of Rg1 on skeletal muscle, 3-month-old mice were treated with Rg1 for 5 weeks. To assess muscle strength, grip strength tests were performed, and the lower hind limb muscles were harvested, followed by various detailed analysis, such as histological staining, immunoblotting, immunostaining, and real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. In addition, to verify the in vivo data, primary myoblasts isolated from mice were treated with Rg1, and the Rg1 effect on myotube growth was examined by immunoblotting and immunostaining analysis. Results: Rg1 treatment increased the expression of myosin heavy chain isoforms characteristic for both oxidative and glycolytic muscle fibers; increased myofiber sizes were accompanied by enhanced muscle strength. Rg1 treatment also enhanced oxidative muscle metabolism with elevated oxidative phosphorylation proteins. Furthermore, Rg1-treated muscles exhibited increased levels of anabolic S6 kinase signaling. Conclusion: Rg1 improves muscle functionality via enhancing muscle gene expression and oxidative muscle metabolism in mice.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.147-156
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• 2022

Objective: Electrical stimulation is an assistive technology used to aid the recovery of upper limb use after stroke. The purpose of this systematic review was to determine the effects of electrical stimulation on upper extremity function in individuals with hemiparetic stroke and to develop an evidence base that supports the use of electrical stimulation for upper limb recovery after stroke. Design: A systematic review based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods: Studies published before April 20 2021 were collected for this review by searching PubMed, four other databases, and RCTs that reported the effects of electrical stimulation on upper extremity function in individuals with the characteristic stroke type. Information on the following parameters was extracted from each study: surname of first author, published year, country, participants, intervention, intervention's intensity, comparison, outcomes, additional therapy, and summary of results. This review also evaluated the bias within each study, including any selection bias, performance bias, detection bias, attrition bias, and reporting bias. Results: This review included five RCTs, and 208 stroke patients were included in the analysis. Stroke patients who underwent electrical stimulation showed significantly improved grip and pinch strengths, wrist range of motion, and basic daily living compared to those in the control group; however, there was no improvement in upper extremity function. Of the selected papers, 60% showed a "high risk" of performance bias, and 20% showed a "high risk" of detection bias. Conclusions: The results of this systematic review suggest that electrical stimulation provides some benefits to stroke patients, such as improved hand strength and range of motion. However, future studies are needed to provide clinical evidence of the effects of electrical stimulation on upper extremity function in stroke patients.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.47-53
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• 2018

Various types of robotic arms are being used for industrial purposes, particularly with the small production of multi-products, and the importance of the gripper, which can be used in industrial fields, is increasing. This study evaluated a variable stiffness mechanism gripper that can change the stiffness using the nonlinearity of a flexible material. A prototype of the gripper was fabricated and examined to confirm the change in stiffness. The previous gripper was unable to grip objects in some situations with three variable stiffness mechanism. In addition, these mechanisms were not balanced and rarely rotated when the object was gripped. Therefore, a new type of gripper was needed to solve this problem. Inspired by the movements of the human palm and Venus Flytrap, a new type of a variable stiffness soft robot hand was designed. The possibility of grasping could be increased by interlocking the palm folding mechanism by pulling the tendon attached to the variable stiffness mechanism. The soft robotic hand was used to grasp objects of various shapes and weights more stably than the previous variable stiffness mechanism gripper. This new variable stiffness soft robot hand can be used selectively depending on the application and environment to be used.

• Archives of design research
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.129-138
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• 2002

Against the projection that the volume of filing would be drastically cut in the Information Age, the needs for filing in this age increases gradually. In this respect, it is critical to study the design of office filing system furniture. Through this study, we could find out what shall be the major requirements for office lijillg system furniture. This study would also provide important raw data for developing more efficient and more satisfactory office filing system furniture. Subject for this study includes 6 representative filing system furniture including a lateral file cabinet. For the design analysis, we used catalogues of foreign and domestic office furniture, particularly filing system furniture. The analysis is classified into the following six categories such as size, shape, color, material, handle, and filing method, mobility, flexibility, and so on. According to the analysis of office furniture in the market, requirements of furniture fit for office environment are found to be as follows. -Instead of the fixed-type furniture, movable furniture is more adaptable to the ever-evolving office environment. -Design the office furniture in accordance with a standardized module would provide a more unity and diversity of arrangement in space particularly when it is arranged with other furniture. -Development of more diverse color, which ranges from achromatic color to wooden color to other various colors, is more favored in the ever-changing office environment. -As the grip provides a variety of image to the furniture let alone its function, its development is required to be more diverse and more conforming 10 the design of Ihe furniture. -The filing methods in general are with drawer and shelf, among which the drawers design is usually fixed. However, under the evolving office furniture environment, the design of Ihe drawer, bolh inlerior and exterior, shall be more diverse and flexible.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.324-331
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• 2010

The radial forearm free flap (RFFF) has become a workhorse flap as a means of reconstructing surgical defects in the head and neck region. We have transferred 12 RFFFs with fasciocutaneous type on oral cavity defects in 12 patients after cancer resection and submucous fibrotic lesion ablation from 2005 to 2007 at Department of oral and maxillofacial surgery, Pusan National University Hospital. We reviewed retrospectively patients' charts and followed up the patients. Clinical analysis on the cases with RFFFs focusing on flap morbidity, indications and available vessels was done. The results of study are follows: 1. RFFF could be applied for all kind of defects after resection of tongue, floor of mouth, buccal mucosa, denuded bone of palate, maxilla, and mandible. 2. All free flaps could be used for primary reconstruction. The survival rate of 12 RFFFs was 92%. Partial marginal loss of the flaps was shown as 3 cases among 12 cases. Large size-vessels like superior thyroid artery, facial artery, internal jugular vein were favorable for microvascular anastomosis. 3. Parenteral nutrition instead of nasal L-tube also can be favorable for postoperative a week for better healing of the flap if the patients couldn't be tolerable with nasal tubing. 4. Donor sites with thigh skin graft were repaired with wrist band for 2 weeks. The complications included scarring, abnormal sensation on hand, and reduced grip strength in few patients, but those didn't induce major side effects. 5. Most RFFFs were well healed even if mortality rate of cancer patients was shown as 50% (5/10 persons). The mortality of patients was not correlated with morbidity of the flaps. We could identify the usefulness of RFFF for restoration of oral function, esthetics if the flap design, tissue transfer indications, and well controlled operation are proceeded.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.1-11
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• 2008

Oral health projects that cater to the disabled should be more prevailing in order to ensure the maintenance and successful promotion of the oral health of disabled people. 70 public dental clinics that conducted oral health projects geared toward the disabled were examined to get a precise grip on their oral health projects. The findings of the study were as follows: 1. 31 out of 70 public dental clinics investigated(44.3%) were equipped with two or more dental hygienists who were professional human resources in charge of the oral health projects for the disabled. As for the age and disability type of the beneficiaries of the oral health projects, adolescents(74.3%) and people with mental retardation(87.1%) benefited most from the oral health projects. Concerning the most common implementation frequency of the projects, the projects were carried out once to three times a week(62.9%). 2. The most dominant oral disease treatment provided to disabled people was amalgam treatment and resin treatment(68.6%), which were the early dental caries treatment. The most common preventive treatment that was offered to improve their oral health was oral prophylaxis(82.9%). As for reform measures for the oral health projects, education of personnels in charge of the projects and their specialization(58.6%) were most emphasized. 3. Regarding factors related to the preventive oral health projects for the disabled, the implementation of oral prophylaxis and toothbrushing education was linked to the age of the beneficiaries. More oral prophylaxis was offered to teens, and more toothbrushing education was provided to preschoolers and adolescents. The age of the beneficiaries and the number of dental hygienists responsible for the projects had something to do with the application of fluorides. 4. Concerning the relationship of the preventive oral health projects for the disabled to the number of dental hygienists, one of the personnels in charge of the projects, the application of fluorides( 54.4%) and pit & fissure sealing(56.8%) were more prevalent when there were two or more dental hygienists. There was a statistically significant disparity in that regard(p<0.05). The above-mentioned findings illustrated that in order to boost the oral health of the disabled, dental hygienists who are responsible for the oral health projects for the disabled should put ceaseless efforts into fostering their professional knowledge and ability and offering quality service to disabled patients. Every public dental clinic should be equipped with plenty of professional personnels to enlarge the scope of treatment and ensure the efficiency of treatment and the preventive projects.

• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.39
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• pp.241-286
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• 2015

This study explores how folktales' motifs are used in diverse cultural contents such as literature, movies, or comics. More precisely, it is concerned with mysterious characters like Babayaga and Koshchei who appear in Russian fairytales. When the motifs of the reviewed literature are analyzed, the following three criteria are used for classification: New Writing, Rewriting, and New Version. Or course, it is New Writing that is far from the original work. Most of the collected works, including Joan Aiken's The Kingdom Under the Sea, Patricia Polacco's Babushka's Doll, Babushka Baba Yaga, and Tai?-Marc Le Thanh's BABAYAGA, belong to New Writing. The New Writing type mainly focuses on Babayaga's secluded life. In fairytales, Babayaga is depicted as the goddess of Mother Earth, the heroine of the Nature, or the ruler of the Animal Kingdom. That is why she lives in the deep and uninhabited wood. She is related to the Coming of Age ceremony. Her 'Hut on hen's legs' is an obstacle for immature protagonists to face before they come of age. Protagonists are supposed to solve the problems posed by Babayaga. If they succeed, they can get her magical help so as to complete their final mission. Babayaga is likely to appear as their antagonist. Protagonist may be subjected to a terrible ordeal created by Babayaga, and then come of age by recovering from that ordeal. Sometimes, Babayaga helps protagonists to get a grip on reality. That is why she lives in a hut in the deep and dark forest which is on the borderline between life and death. On the other hand, Marianna Mayer's Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave has been classified as a controversial work between New Writing and Rewriting. It is apparently closer to New Version. However, it cannot be classified as a work of New Version because the author incorporates 'probability' into her work. Among the reviewed works, it is Korean Writer Rye, Kami's The Spider Woman's House that best reflects the essence of Babayaga. Babayaga and other characters are amusing in movies because most of the movies are animations for children. In one sense, it is positive that the scary characters in folktales are approachable to children. In other sense, however, it is regrettable that symbolic motifs are completely eliminated. In Mike Mignola's Hellboy, Japanese animations such as Index or Narutaru, on-line games such as Cabal or Vampire: The masquerade, the essence of the supernatural characters in folktales is completely eliminated, and only their 'belligerent power' stands out. It is desirable to put stories into perspective whether they are written or told. The literature property of folktales provides a special opportunity to readers. In this light, a variety of motifs have a good reason to be reborn as modern cultural contents. The bottom line is to maintain its true nature.