• Imaging Science in Dentistry
• /
• v.52 no.1
• /
• pp.33-41
• /
• 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the structural complexity of craniofacial trabecular bone in multiple myeloma by fractal analysis of panoramic and lateral skull radiography, and to compare the fractal dimension values of healthy patients (HPs), pre-treatment patients (PTPs), and patients during bisphosphonate treatment (DTPs). Materials and Methods: Pairs of digital panoramic and lateral skull radiographs of 84 PTPs and 72 DTPs were selected. After application of exclusion criteria, 43 panoramic and 84 lateral skull radiographs of PTPs, 56 panoramic and 72 lateral skull radiographs of DTPs, and 99 panoramic radiographs of age- and sex-matched HPs were selected. The fractal dimension values from panoramic radiographs were compared among HPs, PTPs, and DTPs and between anatomical locations within patient groups using analysis of variance with the Tukey test. Fractal dimension values from lateral skull radiographs were compared between PTPs and DTPs using the Student t-test. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to assess the relationship between the mandible from panoramic radiographs and the skull from lateral skull radiographs. Intra-examiner agreement was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (α=0.05). Results: The fractal dimension values were not significantly different among HPs, PTPs, and DTPs on panoramic radiographs or between PTPs and DTPs on lateral skull radiographs (P>0.05). The mandibular body presented the highest fractal dimension values (P≤0.05). The fractal dimension values of the mandible and skull in PTPs and DTPs were not correlated. Conclusion: Fractal analysis was not sensitive for distinguishing craniofacial trabecular bone complexity in multiple myeloma patients using panoramic and lateral skull radiography.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.56 no.6
• /
• pp.573-582
• /
• 2023

Objectives: For students with epilepsy, schools are a critical environment for managing the disease properly. This study examined awareness of epilepsy, attitudes toward epilepsy, and health literacy among school teachers in Turkey. Methods: This study was conducted in a city in Turkey with 1408 public school teachers from June 2021 to September 2021. Results: The median scores of the scales were 5, 29, and 32 for epilepsy awareness, epilepsy attitudes, and health literacy, respectively. Epilepsy awareness was higher in women, and epilepsy attitudes were more positive in women than men (p<0.05). While epilepsy awareness was higher in primary school teachers, epilepsy attitudes were more positive in secondary school teachers (p<0.05). Epilepsy awareness was lower in secondary school teachers (odds ratio [OR], 1.27; p<0.05), those who did not have an individual with epilepsy in their family/social environment (OR, 1.57; p<0.001), those who did not have a student with epilepsy in their class (OR, 1.45; p<0.05), and in those who had not witnessed an epilepsy seizure (OR,1.19; p<0.05). Compared to those with positive attitudes regarding epilepsy, epilepsy awareness was 1.36 times lower in those with negative attitudes (p<0.001). Epilepsy awareness was 1.92 times lower in those with limited health literacy than those with adequate health literacy (p<0.001). Conclusions: In this study, low epilepsy awareness, negative epilepsy attitudes, and limited health literacy were common among teachers. The findings from this study suggest that panels, workshops, and health training on epilepsy should be organized for school teachers and included at regular intervals in certified first-aid practices.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.132-152
• /
• 2024

Purpose: This study aimed to identify and evaluate interprofessional education (IPE) interventions for healthcare professional students in East Asian countries. Methods: The reporting of this study followed the Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. A literature search was conducted using seven electronic databases: PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklists were also used to appraise the quality of the included studies. The outcomes of IPE interventions were classified based on a modified Kirkpatrick model. Results: This review included 30 studies predominantly conducted in Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. The prevalent research design was a one-group pre-posttest design, and most IPE interventions occurred as single events. Approximately 70% of the studies involved students from two healthcare professions, mainly nursing and medicine. Simulations, group discussions, and lectures have emerged as the most common teaching methodologies, with almost half of the studies leveraging a combination of these techniques. The IPE content primarily focused on interprofessional teamwork, communication, and clinical patient care situations; these included the management of septic shock. The effectiveness of the IPE interventions was mainly evaluated through self-reported measures, indicating improvements in attitudes, perceptions, knowledge, and skills, aligning with Level 2 of the modified Kirkpatrick model. Nonetheless, the reviewed studies did not assess changes in the participants' behavior and patient results. Conclusion: IPE interventions promise to enhance interprofessional collaboration and communication skills among health professional students. Future studies should implement rigorous designs to assess the effectiveness of IPE interventions. Moreover, when designing IPE interventions, researchers and educators should consider the role of cultural characteristics in East Asian countries.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.57 no.1
• /
• pp.55-64
• /
• 2024

Objectives: This study investigated the prevalence and characteristics of comorbid conditions in patients exposed to ionizing radiation and those who were involved in the Soviet-Afghan war. Methods: This study analyzed the frequency and spectrum of morbidity and comorbidity in patients over a long-term period (30-35 years) following exposure to ionizing radiation at the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site or the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, and among participants of the Soviet-Afghan war. A cohort study, both prospective and retrospective, was conducted on 675 patients who underwent comprehensive examinations. Results: Numerical data were analyzed using the Statistica 6 program. The results are presented as the mean±standard deviation, median, and interquartile range (25-75th percentiles). The statistical significance of between-group differences was assessed using the Student t-test and Pearson chi-square test. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. We found a high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension (55.0%) and cardiac ischemia (32.9%); these rates exceeded the average for this age group in the general population. Conclusions: The cumulative impact of causal occupational, environmental, and ultra-high stress factors in the combat zone in participants of the Soviet-Afghan war, along with common conventional factors, contributed to the formation of a specific comorbidity structure. This necessitates a rational approach to identifying early predictors of cardiovascular events and central nervous system disorders, as well as pathognomonic clinical symptoms in this patient cohort. It also underscores the importance of selecting suitable methods and strategies for implementing treatment and prevention measures.

• Clinical Nutrition Research
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.165-175
• /
• 2024

This study aimed to assess the relationship between serum levels of vitamin D with anthropometric indices, lipid profile and vascular inflammatory factors, in patients who candidate for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in patients who were candidate for CABG. Demographic information, medical records, anthropometric indicators, blood samples, and physical activity of 150 patients were collected. 146 participants with mean ± standard deviation of age: 61.8 ± 10.0 years and body mass index: 26.9 ± 3.7 kg/m² completed the study. Based on serum levels of vitamin D, patients were divided into 2 groups; groups with sufficient (≥ 30 ng/mL) and insufficient amount of vitamin D (< 30 ng/mL). The 30.14% of the patients had serum vitamin D deficiency. Ejection fraction (EF) % between the 2 groups had significant difference. Unexpectedly the EF% increased 7% in patients with insufficient level of vitamin D (odds ratio [OR], 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.11; p = 0.001). Vitamin D status had a significant inverse association with body weight. The odds of vitamin D deficiency significantly increased by 4% with increasing one kg in weight (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1-1.08; p = 0.044). There were no significant association between serum vitamin D level and intra cellular adhesion molecule-1, interleukin-17, fasting blood glucose, and lipid profile (p > 0.05). Considering the inverse association observed between serum vitamin D with EF% and body weight, vitamin D may play a role in modulating of these indices.

• Anatomy and Cell Biology
• /
• v.55 no.1
• /
• pp.63-71
• /
• 2022

Intracranial calcification is referred to calcification of parenchyma and vascular structures in brain which can be physiologic or pathologic. This study was conducted with the purpose of investigating the frequency, location, pattern, dimensions and estimated volume of intracranial physiologic calcification (IPC) by computer tomography in different age groups. In this cross-sectional retrospective study, brain computed tomography scans of 216 patients were analyzed in 9 age groups each containing 24 patients from 2 to 89 years old. Data were analyzed by SPSS software using one way analysis of variance (ANOVA, post hoc Tukey), chi square, and linear regression tests (P≤0.05 was considered significant). Rate of calcification in different areas were as follows: pineal gland (75.0%), habenula (36.4%), pineohabenula (15.0%), right lateral ventricle choroid plexus (RCP) (67.7%), left lateral ventricle choroid plexus (LCP) (62.7%), falx cerebri (26.8%), petroclinoid ligament (13.2%), tentorium cerebelli (6.8%), third ventricle choroid plexus (0.9%), fourth ventricle choroid plexus (2.7%), basal ganglia (0.9%). A significant correlation exists between the presence of calcification in pineal, habenula, RCP, and LCP (P≤0.001). Nodular shape of calcification was dominant (47.9%). Estimated volume of pineal calcification showed increased levels in group 8 (70-79 years old) compared to group 2 (10-19 years old) (P≤0.05). Since the accurate description of radiologic appearance of IPCs (location, shape, and size) accompanied with age and clinical manifestation is of great importance in diagnosis and distinguishing from pathologic calcification-for example in patients with melatonin dysregulation or schizophrenic patients-this study was required.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.182-191
• /
• 2011

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the sleep patterns of South Korean elementary school children and whether the differences in sleep patterns were related to behavior, emotional problems, attention and academic performance. Method: This study included a community sample of 268 boys and girls from fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade classes in a South Korean metropolitan city from November to December 2010. The primary caregivers completed a questionnaire that included information on demographic characteristics, as well as the Child's Sleep Habit Questionnaire (CSHQ), the Korean version of Child Behavior Checklist (K-CBCL), the Korean version of the Learning Disability Evaluation Scale (K-LDES), the Korean version of ADHD Rating Scale (K-ARS) and the Disruptive Behavior Disorder Scale (DBDS). We conducted analyses on the CSHQ individual items, between the subscales, on the total scores and on the K-CBCL, the K-LEDS, the K-ARS and the DBDS. Results: Based on the findings from the CHSQ, the subjects had significantly higher scores for bedtime resistance ($9.18{\pm}2.17$), delayed sleep onset ($1.32{\pm}0.62$), the sleep duration ($4.19{\pm}1.52$) and daytime sleepiness ($14.10{\pm}3.55$) than the scores from the previous reports on children from western countries. The total CHSQ score showed positive correlations to all subscales of the K-CBCL : withdrawn (r=0.24, p<.005), somatic complaint (r=0.24, p<.005) and anxious/depressive (r=0.38, p<.005). Bedtime resistance was associated with oppositional defiant disorder (r=0.15, p<.05) and a positive correlation was demonstrated between sleep anxiety and the oppositional defiant disorder score (r=0.13, p<.05), night waking and the conduct disorder score (r=0.16, p<.05). Delayed sleep onset was related with low performance on the K-LDES with respect to thinking (r=-0.17, p<.05) and mathematical calculation (r=-0.17, p<.05). Conclusion: The results of this study reconfirm Korean children's problematic sleep patterns. Taken together the results provide that the reduced sleep duration and disruption of sleep pattern can have a significant impact on emotion, behavior, performance of learning in children. Further studies concerning more diverse psychosocial factors affecting sleep pattern will be helpful to understanding of the sleep health in Korean children.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.75-81
• /
• 2004

Objectives：This study was designed to compare the emotional/behavioral characteristics between the siblings of children with autism and normally developing children. Methods：The subjects were 34 children between 10 and 16 years of age, 17 siblings of children with autism, 17 siblings of nonhandicapped children. Both groups performed CDI(Kovacs' Children Depression Inventory), RCMAS(Revised Chidren's Manifest Anxiety Scale), SPPC(Self-Perception Profile for Children), Self-esteem scale. Their mothers performed K-CBCL(Korean -Child Behavior Checklist). The results of those test were analysed by Student's-test. Results：Both social competence and total social competence subsclae scores were significantly lower in sibling group of children with autism than in control group. However, each group was not significantly different on the scores of internalizing symptom, externalizing symptom subscale of CBCL, CDI, RCMAS, Self-Perception Profile and Self-esteem scale. Conclusion : Siblings of children with autism had a lower social competence than normal control group. Group comparisons indicated that siblings of children with autism and normal children did not differ on any self-report measures such as anxiety, depression, self-concept and self-esteem. Further research using more subjects will be needed.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.554-560
• /
• 2007

This study was aimed to identify the effect of abdominal moxibustion on premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea in university students. The data were collected by using questionnaires from April 25, 2005 to June 20, 2005. The subjects were university students from in the Pusan metropolitan area who had complained of menstrual discomfort. Thirteen students were assigned to the experimental group and fourteen students to the control group. The research design of this study was a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. In the research method pretest were conducted through measurement based on scores of general character, menstrual character, premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea in the experimental group and the control group. Experimentation was conducted by abdominal moxibustion being applied on the kwan-won hole and Ki-hae hole for 25 minutes at a time, three times a week, form the ending of one menstrual cycle to the beginning of the next menstrual cycle were in the experimental group. After treatment was finished, post tests conducted through measurement based on scores of premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea in the experimental group. The control group conducted a point of same time and same measurement with the experimental group. The instruments used in this study MDQ(Menstual Distress Questionnaire) developed by moos(1968) and the VAS(Visual Analogue Scale) developed by Cline(1992). The data were analysed by SPSS/ win 12.0 program with ${\chi}$2-test and t-test to verify identification among subjects' general characteristics and menstrual characteristics. Hypothesis verification was analysed with t-test. The results of the study are as follows: The hypothesis, 'the experimental group who received abdominal moxibustion will decrease premenstrual symptoms more than the control group', was supported (t= -2.121, p=.022). The hypothesis, 'the experimental group who received adbominal moxibustion will decrease dysmenorrhea compared to the control group', was supported (t=-4.424, p=.001). As a result of this study, abdominal moxibustion will be used as a nursing aide to improve and prevent menstrual discomfort of university students who have premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.21-34
• /
• 1982

One hundred and twenty-one strains each of Escherichia coli isolated from stools of 60 patients who received various antimicrobial drugs in hospital for more than one week and apparently healthy 60 students who have no history of taking antimicrobial drugs during recent one month, were tested for their resistance to 13 antimicrobial drugs. The frequency of resistance strains was highest to tetracycline with 69.2%, and followed by streptomycin(Sm), sulfisomidine(Su), chloramphenicol(Cm), ampicillin(Ap), and carbenicillin(Cb) in the decreasing order, ranging from 61.2% to 39.3%. Strains resistant to kanamycin(Km), cephaloridine(Cr), and trimethoprim(Tp) occupied about one-fourth of strains, and only four strains were resistant either one or more of nalidixic acid, gentamicin and amikacin, and no strain was resistant to rifampicin. The frequency of resistant strains to Cm, Ap, Km, Cr, and Cb was much higher among patient isolates than student strains, but strains resistant to the other drugs showed almost the same frequencies between patient and student isolates. There was a marked difference in average minimum inhibitory concentrations of between resistant and susceptible strains, suggesting that the resistance to drugs is the plasmid origin. Seventy-six percent of strains were resistant to one to 10 drugs tested, and no much difference was observed between strains from patients and students. However, strains resistant to four or more drugs were much more frequently found among patient isolates than student strains, with the increasing tendency of multiply resistant strains among patient isolates following the increase in the number of resistant drugs. The transfer of drug resistance by conjugation was tested and 98 strains(67.5%) among 145 which were resistant to two or more drugs were found to transfer their drug resistance to E. coli. Among 74 strains resistant to 7 or more drugs, all except one transferred the resistance, and the number of strains with transferable resistance decreased, as the number of resistant drugs decrease. A R plasmid from randomly selected p13 strain was tested for the incompatibility group, and the plasmid was classified into Inc F II. R plasmM DNA bands were identified by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.