• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.63 no.4
• /
• pp.463-469
• /
• 2020

Objective : This study aimed to investigate the changes and significance of microRNA155 levels in serum of patients with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). Methods : Thirty patients with CSVD who met the inclusion criteria were selected and divided into eight patients with lacunar infarction (LI) group and 22 patients with multiple lacunar infarction (MLI) combined with white matter lesions (WML) group according to the results of head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Thirty samples from healthy volunteers without abnormalities after head MRI examination were selected as the control group. The levels of serum microRNA155 in each group were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction, and the correlation between microRNA155 in the serum of patients with CSVD and the increase of imaging lesions was analyzed by Spearman correlation analysis. Results : Compared with the control group, the serum microRNA155 level in the LI group, MLI combined with WML group increased, the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05); serum microRNA155 level was positively correlated with the increase of imaging lesions (p<0.05). Conclusion : The change of serum microRNA155 level in patients with CSVD may be one of its self-protection mechanisms, and the intensity of this self-protection mechanism is positively correlated with the number of CSVD lesions.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.363-369
• /
• 2017

Objective: The current study compared the effects of dietary levels of two phase stoned olive cake (OC) in form of silage (OCS) on milk production and quality of Saanen goats. Methods: The OCS included in total mixed ration (TMR) at dry matter proportions of 0.0 (OC0), 0.10 (OC10), and 0.20 (OC20). The TMR were fed to a total of 18 goats in a completely randomized design for a period of 5 weeks. Results: Dietary treatments had no effect on the milk yield of Saanen goats, but the daily milk fat production was greater (p<0.05) at feeding OC20. The total phenolic (TP) compounds contents increased (p<0.01) in each increment of OCS in TMR and this was also reflected in the TP contents of milk. The C8:0, C10:0, C12:0, and C14:0 saturated fatty acids (FAs) in milk fat decreased (p<0.01) with increasing dietary level of OCS, but the decrease (p<0.001) in C16:0 and the increase (p<0.01) in C18:0 in milk fat occurred similarly at each inclusion level of OCS. Only OC20 reduced (p<0.05) the total saturated FA, yet the reduction (p<0.01) in n6/n3 ratio and atherogenicity index occurred in both OC10 and OC20. Conclusion: Two phase stoned OCS increases milk quality not only through modifying the milk FA composition, but also by increasing the milk TP content. These favorable changes in milk quality are closely associated with the dietary level of OCS.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.41 no.1
• /
• pp.33-36
• /
• 2014

Objective: To estimate the failure rate of medical treatment and to identify variables associated with treatment failure in patients with tubal pregnancy and an initial serum level of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) over 10,000 IU/L. Methods: The inclusion criteria were tubal pregnancy diagnosed using ultrasonography, primary treatment of intramuscular methotrexate injection at one of the four institutions between January 2003 and December 2011, a serum HCG level within two days before treatment >10,000 IU/L, and follow-up data to determine treatment success or failure. Exclusion criteria were other primary treatments besides intramuscular methotrexate injection. The clinicopathologic data of 36 patients were collected and analyzed. Results: Medical treatment failed and surgery was performed in 19 (53%) patients. In univariable analysis, age, parity, and size of the gestational sac were associated with treatment failure, but none of the variables were associated with treatment failure in multivariable analysis. The failure rate in the subgroup with age<33 years and size of gestational sac ${\geq}1.1cm$ was significantly higher than those of the other subgroups (82% vs. 41% [mean of the other subgroups], respectively). Conclusion: Patients with a serum HCG level >10,000 IU/L who received medical treatment had a high failure rate. Among them, patients aged<33 year and with a gestational sac ${\geq}1.1cm$ had an extremely high failure rate.

• Journal of Power Electronics
• /
• v.18 no.6
• /
• pp.1791-1804
• /
• 2018

To achieve a fast dynamic response and to solve the multi-objective control problems of the output currents, capacitor voltages and system constraints, this paper proposes a deadbeat and hierarchical predictive control with space-vector modulation (DB-HPC-SVM) for five-level nested neutral point piloted (NNPP) converters. First, deadbeat control (DBC) is adopted to track the reference currents by calculating the deadbeat reference voltage vector (DB-RVV). After that, all of the candidate switching sequences that synthesize the DB-RVV are obtained by using the fast SVM principle. Furthermore, according to the redundancies of the switch combination and switching sequence, a hierarchical model predictive control (MPC) is presented to select the optimal switch combination (OSC) and optimal switching sequence (OSS). The proposed DB-HPC-SVM maintains the advantages of DBC and SVM, such as fast dynamic response, zero steady-state error and fixed switching frequency, and combines the characteristics of MPC, such as multi-objective control and simple inclusion of constraints. Finally, comparative simulation and experimental results of a five-level NNPP converter verify the correctness of the proposed DB-HPC-SVM.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.49-53
• /
• 2018

Objective: This study was performed to examine differences in the association between straight and curved walking abilities of inpatients in the subacute phase and walking independence level. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Subjects were divided into an independent group and a supervised group (n=10 each) by walking independence level within the ward decided by physical therapists. Inclusion criteria comprised the ability to ambulate independently within the ward, regardless of the use of walking aids. Straight walking abilities (walking velocity, stride length, and cadence) were evaluated using the 5-meter walk test. Curved walking abilities were evaluated using the Figure-of-8 Walk Test (F8W) and the 3-meter zigzag walk test (3ZW). Differences in associations between straight and curved walking abilities of inpatients were examined by calculating correlation coefficients between straight and curved walking abilities. Results: Age, walking velocity, stride length, F8W and 3ZW varied markedly between independent and supervised groups. In the independent group, F8W and 3ZW correlated significantly with walking velocity and cadence (p<0.05). In the supervised group, F8W correlated significantly with walking velocity and stride length (p<0.05), but 3ZW did not correlate significantly with straight walking abilities. Conclusions: The association between straight and curved walking abilities varied between inpatients who could ambulate independently and inpatients requiring supervision for ambulating. These differences may depend on skill on straight and curved walking abilities. There is a possibility that curved walking exercise is necessary for supervised group.

• Neurospine
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.368-375
• /
• 2018

Objective: To evaluate the results of operative management of subaxial spine injuries managed with 2-level anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion with a cervical locking plate and autologous bone-filled titanium mesh cage. Methods: This study included 23 patients with a subaxial spine injury who matched the inclusion criteria, underwent 2-level anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion at our institution between 2013 and 2016, and were followed up for neurological recovery, axial pain, fusion, pseudarthrosis, and implant failure. Results: According to Allen and Ferguson classification, there were 9 cases of distractive extension; 4 of compressive extension; 3 each of compressive flexion, vertical compression, and distractive flexion; and 1 of lateral flexion. Sixteen patients had a score of 6 on the Subaxial Injury Classification system, and the rest had a score of more than 6. The mean follow-up period was 19 months (range, 12-48 months). Neurological recovery was observed in most of the patients (78.21%). All patients experienced relief of axial pain. None of the patients received a blood transfusion. Twenty-one patients (91.3%) showed solid fusion and 2 (8.69%) showed possible pseudarthrosis, with no complications related to the cage or plate. Conclusion: Two-level anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion, along with stabilization with a cervical locking plate and autologous bone graft-filled titanium mesh cage, can be considered a feasible and safe method for treating specific subaxial spine injuries, with the benefits of high primary stability, anatomical reduction, and direct decompression of the spinal cord.

• Progress in Medical Physics
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.92-98
• /
• 2021

Purpose: This study automatically discriminates homogeneous and structure edge regions on computed tomography (CT) images, and it evaluates the noise level and edge preservation ratio (EPR) according to the different types of iterative reconstruction (IR). Methods: The dataset consisted of CT scans of 10 patients reconstructed with filtered back projection (FBP), statistical IR (iDose⁴), and iterative model-based reconstruction (IMR). Using the 10th and 85th percentiles of the structure coherence feature, homogeneous and structure edge regions were localized. The noise level was estimated using the averages of the standard deviations for five regions of interests (ROIs), and the EPR was calculated as the ratio of standard deviations between homogeneous and structural edge regions on subtraction CT between the FBP and IR. Results: The noise levels were 20.86±1.77 Hounsfield unit (HU), 13.50±1.14 HU, and 7.70±0.46 HU for FBP, iDose⁴, and IMR, respectively, which indicates that iDose⁴ and IMR could achieve noise reductions of approximately 35.17% and 62.97%, respectively. The EPR had values of 1.14±0.48 and 1.22±0.51 for iDose⁴ and IMR, respectively. Conclusions: The iDose⁴ and IMR algorithms can effectively reduce noise levels while maintaining the anatomical structure. This study suggested automated evaluation measurements of noise levels and EPRs, which are important aspects in CT image quality with patients' cases of FBP, iDose⁴, and IMR. We expect that the inclusion of other important image quality indices with a greater number of patients' cases will enable the establishment of integrated platforms for monitoring both CT image quality and radiation dose.

• Knowledge Management Research
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.1-19
• /
• 2022

As the untact culture spreads, the digital divide, which is a problem of access to digital information for the vulnerable, can appear as information inequality in various fields, including the social and cultural field. This study identified the digital divide level for the vulnerable population and analyzed the effects of information accessibility, demographic and social characteristics, and physical and mental health characteristics on the information level. As a result, the higher the accessibility of information, the smaller the digital divide and the greater the digital utilization, so it is necessary to increase the accessibility of information devices and increase the ability to utilize them. In addition, the higher the age, the more women than men, and the lower the income level, the greater the digital divide, so it is necessary to increase digital capabilities through detailed class-specific programs for the vulnerable. Finally, it was found that the digital divide and the level of digital literacy had a significant effect on the life satisfaction and daily life satisfaction of the vulnerable. The expansion of competency-building education programs to enhance information utilization capabilities by changing the paradigm to a digital inclusion policy should be continuously operated.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
• /
• v.42 no.2
• /
• pp.139-145
• /
• 2015

The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of Lycii fructus (LF) and Glycyrrhiza uralensis (GU) mixture on growth performance, blood parameter, immune response and intestinal microflora in broiler. A total 750 1-d old ROSS 308 was randomly allotted to 1 of 3 dietary treatments with 5 replicates during d 35 of the feeding trial. Two additional diets were prepared by adding 0.5 or 1.0% of LF and GU mixture to the basal diet. The experimental diets were fed on an ad libitum basis to the birds during 35 d. Results indicated that increasing inclusion level of LF and GU mixture in diets improved BW gain (quadratic, P<0.05) and improved feed conversion ratio (quadratic, P<0.05) of birds during to 0 to 21 d. Increasing inclusion level of LF and GU mixture in diets improved BW gain (linear and quadratic, P<0.05) of birds during to 0 to 35 d. The leukocyte concentrations were not affected by increasing inclusion level of LF and GU mixture in diets. Plasma IgG concentration was increased (linear, P<0.05) as the concentrations of LF and GU mixture in diets increased. The concentrations of Lactobacillus spp. in the ileal content of birds increased (linear, P<0.05), but those of Escherichia coli decreased (quadratic, P<0.01). These results suggest that dietary LF and GU mixture may be used as a functional ingredient to improve growth performance, plasma IgG and intestinal health of birds.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.28 no.7
• /
• pp.958-965
• /
• 2015

Lycopene, a red non-provitamin A carotenoid, mainly presenting in tomato and tomato byproducts, has the highest antioxidant activity among carotenoids because of its high number of conjugated double bonds. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of lycopene supplementation in the diet on plasma lipid profile, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant defense system in feedlot lamb. Twenty-eight Bamei male lambs (90 days old) were divided into four groups and fed a basal diet (LP0, 40:60 roughage: concentrate) or the basal diet supplemented with 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg lycopene. After 120 days of feeding, all lambs were slaughtered and sampled. Dietary lycopene supplementation significantly reduced the levels of plasma total cholesterol (p<0.05, linearly), total triglycerides (TG, p<0.05) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C, p<0.05), as well as atherogenic index (p<0.001), whereas no change was observed in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p>0.05). The levels of TG (p<0.001) and LDL-C (p<0.001) were decreased with the feeding time extension, and both showed a linear trend (p<0.01). Malondialdehyde level in plasma and liver decreased linearly with the increase of lycopene inclusion levels (p<0.01). Dietary lycopene intake linearly increased the plasma antioxidant vitamin E level (p<0.001), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC, p<0.05), and activities of catalase (CAT, p<0.01), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px, p<0.05) and superoxide dismutase (SOD, p<0.05). The plasma T-AOC and activities of GSH-Px and SOD decreased with the extension of the feeding time. In liver, dietary lycopene inclusion showed similar antioxidant effects with respect to activities of CAT (p<0.05, linearly) and SOD (p<0.001, linearly). Therefore, it was concluded that lycopene supplementation improved the antioxidant status of the lamb and optimized the plasma lipid profile, the dosage of 200 mg lycopene/kg feed might be desirable for growing lambs to prevent environment stress and maintain normal physiological metabolism.