• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.41-49
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• 2006

This paper demonstrates the feasibility of using shallow S-wave, high-resolution seismic reflection surveys to characterize geological structure and stratigraphy of basement rocks for civil engineering purposes. S-wave seismic reflections from depths less than 20 m were recorded along the top of steep readout slopes. Seismic reflection data were recorded using a standard CDP acquisition method with a 24-channel seismograph and a sledge-hammer SH-wave source. The data were acquired using a split-spread source-receiver geometry with a 2 m shot-and-receiver interval, and then were processed to enhance S/N ratio of the data, to improve resolvable power of the seismic section, and to get velocity information of the basement rock. The final seismic reflection profiles using the CDP technique has imaged surfaces as shallow as less than 1m and resolved beds as thin as 1m. The migrated reflection sections possess sufficient quality to correlate the prominent reflection events to the bedding planes and faults identified on the readout outcrops. Similar S-wave reflection surveys could also be used to produce the necessary details of a geological structure of shallow bedrocks to pinpoint optimum locations for monitor wells of civil engineering purposes.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.244-251
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• 2023

Background: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been widely used in patients with cardiorespiratory failure. The serum albumin level is an important prognostic marker in critically ill patients. We evaluated the efficacy of using pre-ECMO serum albumin levels to predict 30-day mortality in patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) who underwent venoarterial (VA) ECMO. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 114 adult patients who underwent VA-ECMO between March 2021 and September 2022. The patients were divided into survivors and non-survivors. Clinical data before and during ECMO were compared. Results: Patients' mean age was 67.8±13.6 years, and 36 (31.6%) were female. The proportion of survival to discharge was 48.6% (n=56). Cox regression analysis showed that the pre-ECMO albumin level independently predicted 30-day mortality (hazard ratio, 0.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.11-0.59; p=0.002). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of albumin levels (pre-ECMO) was 0.73 (standard error [SE], 0.05; 95% CI, 0.63-0.81; p<0.001; cut-off value=3.4 g/dL). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the cumulative 30-day mortality was significantly higher in patients with a pre-ECMO albumin level ≤3.4 g/dL than in those with a level >3.4 g/dL (68.9% vs. 23.8%, p<0.001). As the adjusted amount of albumin infused increased, the possibility of 30-day mortality also increased (coefficient=0.140; SE, 0.037; p<0.001). Conclusion: Hypoalbuminemia during ECMO was associated with higher mortality, even with higher amounts of albumin replacement, in patients with CS who underwent VA-ECMO. Further studies are needed to predict the timing of albumin replacement during ECMO.

• 한국체육학회지인문사회과학편
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• v.57 no.6
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• pp.263-272
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• 2018

This study examined the association of gait variability and physical fitness with frailty status in older women. In a cross-sectional design, 168 elderly women, aged 65 years and older (75.07±5.40 years), measured body composition, gait parameters gait variability, physical fitness variables, MMSE-DS and CES-D. Subjects were classified as robust, pre-frail, and frailty based on the Fried et al.(2001) criteria for frailty weight loss, exhaustion, low hand-grip strength, low gait speed, and physical inactivity. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine the odds ratio (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of frailty status for having gait variability and physical fitness levels. Compared to the robust group (OR=1), the frailty group had significantly higher ORs of having terminal double limb stance (OR=1.48, 95% CI=0.10-2.21, p=.049), step cadence (OR=2.06, 95%CI=1.20-3.43, p=.009) variability, and significantly lower ORs of having upper-strength (OR=0.49, 95%CI=0.31-0.77, p=.002) even after adjusting for age, education, comorbidity, K-IADL, MMSE-KC and CES-D score. The finding of this study suggested that terminal double limb stance, step cadence and upper body muscular strength were independent predictors of frailty.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.86 no.2
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• pp.133-141
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• 2023

Background: The present study evaluated the association between participation in a rehabilitation program during a hospital stay and 1-year survival of patients requiring at least 21 days of mechanical ventilation (prolonged mechanical ventilation [PMV]) with various respiratory diseases as their main diagnoses that led to mechanical ventilation. Methods: Retrospective data of 105 patients (71.4% male, mean age 70.1±11.3 years) who received PMV in the past 5 years were analyzed. Rehabilitation included physiotherapy, physical rehabilitation, and dysphagia treatment program that was individually provided by physiatrists. Results: The main diagnosis leading to mechanical ventilation was pneumonia (n=101, 96.2%) and the 1-year survival rate was 33.3% (n=35). One-year survivors had lower Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score (20.2±5.8 vs. 24.2±7.5, p=0.006) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (6.7±5.6 vs. 8.5±2.7, p=0.001) on the day of intubation than non-survivors. More survivors participated in a rehabilitation program during their hospital stays (88.6% vs. 57.1%, p=0.001). The rehabilitation program was an independent factor for 1-year survival based on the Cox proportional hazard model (hazard ratio, 3.513; 95% confidence interval, 1.785 to 6.930; p<0.001) in patients with APACHE II scores ≤23 (a cutoff value based on Youden's index). Conclusion: Our study showed that participation in a rehabilitation program during hospital stay was associated with an improvement of 1-year survival of PMV patients who had less severe illness on the day of intubation.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.141-152
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• 2023

Objective: We performed a meta-analysis of epidemiological results for the association between occupational exposure as a firefighter and cancer as part of the broader evidence synthesis work of the IARC Monographs program. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted to identify cohort studies of firefighters followed for cancer incidence and mortality. Studies were evaluated for the influence of key biases on results. Random-effects meta-analysis models were used to estimate the association between ever-employment and duration of employment as a firefighter and risk of 12 selected cancers. The impact of bias was explored in sensitivity analyses. Results: Among the 16 included cancer incidence studies, the estimated meta-rate ratio, 95% confidence interval (CI), and heterogeneity statistic (I²) for ever-employment as a career firefighter compared mostly to general populations were 1.58 (1.14-2.20, 8%) for mesothelioma, 1.16 (1.08-1.26, 0%) for bladder cancer, 1.21 (1.12-1.32, 81%) for prostate cancer, 1.37 (1.03-1.82, 56%) for testicular cancer, 1.19 (1.07-1.32, 37%) for colon cancer, 1.36 (1.15-1.62, 83%) for melanoma, 1.12 (1.01-1.25, 0%) for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, 1.28 (1.02-1.61, 40%) for thyroid cancer, and 1.09 (0.92-1.29, 55%) for kidney cancer. Ever-employment as a firefighter was not positively associated with lung, nervous system, or stomach cancer. Results for mesothelioma and bladder cancer exhibited low heterogeneity and were largely robust across sensitivity analyses. Conclusions: There is epidemiological evidence to support a causal relationship between occupational exposure as a firefighter and certain cancers. Challenges persist in the body of evidence related to the quality of exposure assessment, confounding, and medical surveillance bias.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.319-326
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• 2023

Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased the workload of healthcare workers (HCWs), impacting their health. This study aimed to assess sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and identify factors associated with poor sleep among HCWs in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1000 frontline HCWs were recruited from various healthcare facilities in Vietnam between October 2021 and November 2021. Data were collected using a 3-part self-administered questionnaire, which covered demographics, sleep quality, and factors related to poor sleep. Poor sleep quality was defined as a total PSQI score of 5 or higher. Results: Participants' mean age was 33.20±6.81 years (range, 20.0-61.0), and 63.0% were women. The median work experience was 8.54±6.30 years. Approximately 6.3% had chronic comorbidities, such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus. About 59.5% were directly responsible for patient care and treatment, while 7.1% worked in tracing and sampling. A total of 73.8% reported poor sleep quality. Multivariate logistic regression revealed significant associations between poor sleep quality and the presence of chronic comorbidities (odds ratio [OR], 2.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17 to 5.24), being a frontline HCW directly involved in patient care and treatment (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.16 to 2.16), increased working hours (OR, 1.84; 95% CI,1.37 to 2.48), and a higher frequency of encountering critically ill and dying patients (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.95). Conclusions: The high prevalence of poor sleep among HCWs in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic was similar to that in other countries. Working conditions should be adjusted to improve sleep quality among this population.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.499-508
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• 2023

Purpose: Despite scientific evidence regarding laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) for advanced gastric cancer treatment, its application in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy remains uncertain. Materials and Methods: We used the 2019 Korean Gastric Cancer Association nationwide survey database to extract data from 489 patients with primary gastric cancer who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. After propensity score matching analysis, we compared the surgical outcomes of 97 patients who underwent LG and 97 patients who underwent open gastrectomy (OG). We investigated the risk factors for postoperative complications using multivariate analysis. Results: The operative time was significantly shorter in the OG group. Patients in the LG group had significantly less blood loss than those in the OG group. Hospital stay and overall postoperative complications were similar between the two groups. The incidence of Clavien-Dindo grade ≥3 complications in the LG group was comparable with that in the OG group (1.03% vs. 4.12%, P=0.215). No statistically significant difference was observed in the number of harvested lymph nodes between the two groups (38.60 vs. 35.79, P=0.182). Multivariate analysis identified body mass index (odds ratio [OR], 1.824; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.029-3.234; P=0.040) and extent of resection (OR, 3.154; 95% CI, 1.084-9.174; P=0.035) as independent risk factors for overall postoperative complications. Conclusions: Using a large nationwide multicenter survey database, we demonstrated that LG and OG had comparable short-term outcomes in patients with gastric cancer who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.288-299
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the weight fluctuations in college students during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and identify lifestyle and dietary changes related to weight gain. Methods: An online survey was conducted on 270 college students from September 22 to October 26, 2021. A logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the relationship of weight gain with the general characteristics, lifestyle, and dietary changes of the students. Results: Among the respondents, 42.9% of men and 44.7% of women reported weight gain. The main reasons given for weight gain were reduced activities due to restrictions during lockdown and diet changes, mainly relating to delivered or fast foods. Among the general characteristics and lifestyle factors poor perceived health (odds ratio [OR], 3.97, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.98-7.96) and being underweight (OR, 0.19, 95% CI, 0.05-0.83) were significantly associated with weight gain. With respect to the diet, increased frequency of eating breakfasts (OR, 4.44, 95% CI, 1.76-11.21), decreased frequency of eating snacks (OR, 0.35, 95% CI, 0.16-0.77), decreased frequency of fruit intake (OR, 3.0, 95% CI, 1.32-6.80), increased frequency of carbonated and sweetened beverage intake (OR, 2.74, 95% CI, 1.26-5.99) and increased frequency of fast food consumption (OR, 2.32, 95% CI, 1.14-4.70) were significantly associated with weight gain. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic affected weight gain and caused lifestyle and dietary changes. Specific health and nutrition management plans should be prepared for handling future epidemics of infectious diseases based on the results of surveys conducted on larger sample size.

• 한국체육학회지인문사회과학편
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• v.57 no.5
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• pp.269-279
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to examine the association between resistance exercise frequency, muscular strength, and health-related quality of life in Korean cancer patients. We performed complex sample general linear model and logistic regression analysis using data from a total of 647 cancer patients in the 2014~2016 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Participants who were participating in resistance exercise 0~1 day per week had lower EQ-5D index (0.852±0.016 vs. 0.890±0.020; p=0.006) and a significantly higher risk of having problems in mobility (Odd ratio[OR]=4.07; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.31-12.63) compared to those who were participating in resistance exercise ≥ 5 days per week. Participants with low hand-grip strength had lower EQ-5D index (0.850±0.018 vs. 0.911±0.016; p<0.001) and a significantly higher risk of having problems in mobility (OR=4.94, 95% CI=2.14-11.41), usual activities (OR=5.18, 95% CI=1.56-17.14), and pain/discomfort (OR=2.46, 95% CI=1.33-4.55) compared to those with high hand-grip strength. This study showed that resistance exercise frequency and muscular strength were associated with health-related quality of life in Korean cancer patients.

• 한국체육학회지인문사회과학편
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.509-518
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between resting heart rate (RHR) and the prevalence of colorectal cancer in Korean adults. A cross sectional analysis was performed using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005 to 2014). Total number of subjects were 10,564 adults aged over 19 years. The results showed that individuals in the highest quartile of RHR had a significantly higher prevalence of colorectal cancer (Odds ratio (OR) 2.27, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.34-3.85 to OR 3.00, 95%CI: 1.30-6.92) compared to those in the lowest quartile. Futhermore, every 10 beat per minutes (bpm) increase in RHR was associated with 27% (95%CI: 1.03-1.58) increased prevalence of colorectal cancer. In addition, after stratification by age and gender, the result showed that older people (>65 years) in the highest quartile of RHR had a significantly higher prevalence of colorectal cancer compared to those who were in the lowest quartile of RHR. (male OR 3.19, 95%CI: 1.10-9.24 to OR 3.38, 95%CI: 1.18-9.73; female OR 2.90, 95%CI: 1.13-7.42 to OR 5.59, 95%CI: 1.20-25.99). In this study, we examined the feasibility of RHR as a predictive factor of colorectal cancer prevalence. Moreover, we found that RHR was closely related to the prevalence of colorectal cancer in the age of over 65 years.