• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.515-527
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• 2003

Objectives： A meta-analysis of the literatures was conducted to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of medical nutrition therapy by dietitians. Methods : The 30 studies were identified from a computerized search of published research on MEDLINE, Science-Direct and the PQD database until May, 2002 and a review of reference lists. The main search terms were“dietitian”,“dietary intervention”,“nutrition intervention”, “cost”,“cost-effectiveness”and“cost-benefit analysis”. The subgroup analysis was performed by publication year, study design, intervention provider, type of patient (in/out-patient) and type of cost (total cost/direct cost). Two reviewers independently selected trials for inclusion, assessed the quality and extracted the data. Results : The 30 studies were identified using the electric database search and bibliographies. The 17 trials were eligible for inclusion criteria, then the systematic review and a meta-analysis were conducted on effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of medical nutrition therapy. The quality of the studies was evaluated using the quality assessment tool for observational studies. The quality score was 0.515 $\pm$ 0.121 (range : 0.279-0.711, median : 0.466). The meta-analysis of 17 studies based on the random effect model showed that medical nutrition therapy was highly effective in treating the diseases (effect size 0.3092 : 95% confidence interval 0.2282-0.3303). The vote-counting method, one of meta-analysis methods, was applied to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of medical nutrition therapy conducted by dietitians. Two criteria (method 1, method 2) for voting were used. The calculated p-values for method 1 (more conservative method) and method 2 (less conservative method) were 0.1250 and 0.0106, respectively. Medical nutrition therapy by dietitians was significantly cost-effective in the method 2. Conclusion. This meta-analysis showed that the effectiveness of medical nutrition therapy was statistically significant in treating disease (effect size 0.3092), and that the cost-effectiveness of medical nutrition therapy was statistically significant in the method 2 (less conservative method) of vote counting. (Korean J Nutrition 36(5): 515~527, 2003)

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.488-493
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• 2010

Geopolymer is a term covering a class of synthetic aluminosilicate materials with potential use in a number of areas, but mainly as a replacement for Portland cement. In this study, geopolymers with fly ash and meta kaolin were prepared using KOH as an alkali activator and water glass. The effect of water glass on the microstructures and the compressive strength of the geopolymer was investigated. As the amount of water glass increased, the dissolved inorganic binder particles in the geopolymers increased due to polymerization, resulting in a dense microstructure. The meta kaolin-based geopolymer showed a better extent of polymerization and densification than that of the fly ash-based geopolymer. XRD data also suggested that polymerization in meta kaolin-based geopolymers should be active resulting in the formation of an amorphous phase with an increasing amount of water glass. The compressive strength of the geopolymer was also dependent on the amount of water glass. The compressive strength of the geopolymers from both fly ash and meta kaolin increased with an increasing amount of water glass because water glass improved the extent of polymerization of the inorganic binder and resulted in a dense microstructure. However, the addition of water glass to the geopolymer did not seem to be effective for the improvement of compressive strength because the meta kaolin-based geopolymer mainly consisted of a clay component. For this reason, the fly ash-based geopolymer showed a higher value of compressive strength than the meta-kaolin geopolymer.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.221-232
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• 2020

Objectives: The aim of this study was to suggest a method for training students majoring in dental hygiene with a sense of professionalism by identifying meta-cognition, efficient learning strategies, and self-directedness necessary to become a spontaneous, self-controlled learner. Methods: A survey was conducted on 316 students majoring in dental hygiene, and collected data were analyzed using SPSS, version 23.0. A post-hoc analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, t-test, analysis of variance, and Duncan's multiple range test, and Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship among meta-cognition, learning strategy, and self-directedness. Results: The meta-cognition, learning strategy, and self-directedness scores of students majoring in dental hygiene were 3.25, 3.08, and 3.12, respectively. Meta-cognition was significant because the grade was lower, and the previous semester grade and major satisfaction were higher. Learning strategy was significant because the previous semester grade and major satisfaction were higher among general high school students. Self-directedness was significantly low in students whose self-conviction score was below 2.0 in terms of the previous semester grade and significantly high with high self-satisfaction. Conclusions: Instructors at the dental hygiene department should acknowledge the importance of meta-cognition, find various teaching methods to improve learning strategy, and encourage students to participate in class by enhancing self-directedness in learning.

• Communications for Statistical Applications and Methods
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.57-69
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• 2011

Researchers are continuously trying to find innovative diagnostic tests and published articles are accumulating at an enormous rate in many medical fields. Meta-analysis enables previously published study results to be reviewed and summarized; therefore, an objective assessment of diagnostic tests can be done with a meta-analysis of sensitivities and specificities. Data obtained by applying two diagnostic tests to a well-defined group of diseased patients produce a pair of sensitivity and by applying the same medical tests to a group of non-diseased subjects produce a pair of specificity. The statistical tests in the meta-analysis need to consider the correlatedness of the results from two diagnostic tests applied to the same diseased and non-diseased subjects. The associations between two diagnostic test results are often found to be unequal for the diseased and non-diseased subjects. In this paper, multivariate meta-analytic methods are studied by taking into account the different associations between correlated variables. On the basis of Monte Carlo simulations, we evaluate the performance of the multivariate meta-analysis methods proposed in this paper.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.49-64
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• 2009

Rainfall-runoff models are used for efficient management, distribution, planning, and design of water resources in accordance with the process of hydrologic cycle. The models simplify the transition of rainfall to runoff as rainfall through different processes including evaporation, transpiration, interception, and infiltration. As the models simplify complex physical processes, gaps between the models and actual rainfall events exist. For more accurate simulation, appropriate models that suit analysis goals are selected and reliable long-term hydrological data are collected. However, uncertainty is inherent in models. It is therefore necessary to evaluate reliability of simulation results from models. A number of studies have evaluated uncertainty ingrained in rainfall-runoff models. In this paper, Meta-Gaussian method proposed by Montanari and Brath(2004) was used to assess uncertainty of simulation outputs from rainfall-runoff models. The model, which estimates upper and lower bounds of the confidence interval from probabilistic distribution of a model's error, can quantify global uncertainty of hydrological models. In this paper, Meta-Gaussian method was applied to analyze uncertainty of simulated runoff outputs from $Vflo^{TM}$, a physically-based distribution model and HEC-HMS model, a conceptual lumped model.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.2407-2412
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• 2013

Background and Objectives: Data on associations between soy food intake after cancer diagnosis with breast cancer survival are conflicting, so we conducted this meta-analysis for more accurate evaluation. Methods: Comprehensive searches were conducted to find cohort studies of the relationship between soy food intake after cancer diagnosis and breast cancer survival. Data were analyzed with comprehensive meta-analysis software. Results: Five cohort studies (11,206 patients) were included. Pooling all comparisons, soy food intake after diagnosis was associated with reduced mortality (HR 0.85, 95%CI 0.77 0.93) and recurrence (HR 0.79, 95%CI 0.72 0.87). Pooling the comparisons of highest vs. lowest dose, soy food intake after diagnosis was again associated with reduced mortality (HR 0.84, 95%CI 0.71 0.99) and recurrence (HR 0.74, 95%CI 0.64 0.85). Subgroup analysis of ER status showed that soy food intake was associated with reduced mortality in both ER negative (highest vs. lowest: HR 0.75, 95%CI 0.64 0.88) and ER positive patients (highest vs. lowest: HR 0.72, 95%CI 0.61 0.84), and both premenopausal (highest vs. lowest: HR 0.78, 95%CI 0.69 0.88) and postmenopausal patients (highest vs. lowest: HR 0.81, 95%CI 0.73 0.91). In additioin, soy food intake was associated with reduced recurrence in ER negative (highest vs. lowest: HR 0.64, 95%CI 0.44 0.94) and ER+/PR+ (highest vs. lowest: HR 0.65, 95%CI 0.49 0.86), and postmenopausal patients (highest vs. lowest: HR 0.67, 95%CI 0.56 0.80). Conclusion: Our meta-analysis showed that soy food intake might be associated with better survival, especially for ER negative, ER+/PR+, and postmenopausal patients.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.785-796
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• 2008

The Open-Market internet shopping malls has rapidly been growing over the past few years. Thus, this study compares Meta-Mall and Open-Market, as well as evaluates image factors of the internet shopping mall in order to verify different levels of influence on customer satisfaction and revisit intentions. The subject of stud was made for students enrolled in colleges in the Busan area, using this Data collection method. Data were gathered using a questionnaire and through personal interviews from a sampling made from May 1 to May 8, 2008. The final 337 accomplished questionnaire forms were used for the subsequent analysis. The results of the substantial analysis are as follows. First, the following factors affect the image of internet shopping malls: assortment of goods and information service, site design, convenience, reliability of goods and information, and customer service. In Meta-Mall, these same factors, except customer service, were found to influence customer satisfaction, while in Open-Market, all the five factors were found to influence customer satisfaction. In Open-Market, convenience and reliability of goods and information had especially high levels of influence on customer satisfaction. Second, customer satisfaction with Internet shopping malls was found to influence the intentions of the customers to make a revisit. The result of the study shows that the factors of shopping mall image between Meta-Mall and Open-Market are perceived differently by their customers, and differences were found in the levels of their influence on customer satisfaction.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.2605-2610
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• 2012

Background: Studies investigating the association of 2R/3R polymorphism in the thymidylate synthase 5'-untranslated enhanced region (TSER) and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk have reported conflicting results. Thus, a meta-analysis was performed to summarize the data on the potential association. Methods: Pubmed, Embase and CBM databases were searched for all available studies. Links between the TSER 2R/3R polymorphism and CRC risk were estimated by odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Seven case-control studies with a total of 2723 cases and 4030 controls were included in this meta-analysis. The results showed that the 3R variant of TSER 2R/3R polymorphism contributes to CRC risk in two comparison models (OR 3R vs. 2R =1.10, 95%CI 1.02-1.18, P = 0.015; OR Homozygote comparison model = 1.22 1.04-1.43, 95%CI 1.04-1.43, P = 0.012). Subgroup analyses by ethnicity further demonstrated a contribution in Caucasians with three comparison models (OR 3R vs. 2R = 1.10, 95%CI 1.02-1.19, P = 0.015; OR Homozygote comparison model = 1.21, 95%CI 1.03-1.41, P = 0.019; OR Recessive comparison model = 1.18, 95%CI 1.05-1.33, P = 0.008). However, the association in the Asian population was still uncertain due to the limited data (all P values were more than 0.05). Conclusions: Our meta-analysis suggests that the 3R variant of Thymidylate synthase 5'-untranslated enhanced region 2R/3R polymorphism contributes to gastric cancer risk in the Caucasian population, while any association in Asian populations needs further study.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.523-528
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• 2013

Background: The possibility that electromagnetic fields (EMF) exposure may increase male breast cancer risk has been discussed for a long time. However, arguments have been presented that studies limited by poor quality could have led to statistically significant results by chance or bias. Moreover, data fo the last 10 years have not been systematically summarized. Methods and Results: To confirm any possible association, a meta-analysis was performed by a systematic search strategy. Totals of 7 case-control and 11 cohort studies was identified and pooled ORs with 95% CIs were used as the principal outcome measures. Data from these studies were extracted with a standard meta-analysis procedure and grouped in relation to study design, cut-off point, exposure assessment method, adjustment and exposure model. A statistical significant increased risk of male breast cancer with EMF exposure was defined (pooled ORs = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.14-1.52, P < 0.001), and subgroup analyses also showed similar results. Conclusions: This meta-analysis suggests that EMF exposure may be associated with the increase risk of male breast cancer despite the arguments raised.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.3123-3127
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• 2012

Objective: Experimental studies have suggested green tea to be a chemopreventive agent for colorectal cancer, and many studies have examined possible associations. However, the conclusions were inconsistent or even contradictory, so we performed a meta-analysis based on published case-control studies to explore if green tea is indeed a protective factor. Methods: PubMed was searched up to May $10^{th}$, 2012 for relevant studies, and references of included studies were manually searched. Finally 13 eligible studies, involving 12,636 cases and 38,419 controls were identified. After data extraction, a meta-analysis was performed using CMA v2 software. Results: The results indicated there may be a weak but not statistically significant reduced risk of colorectal cancer with high dose of green tea intake (OR=0.95, 95% CI:0.81-1.11, p=0.490.69-0.98). This protective effect was also found in all subgroups, except in American and European populations. Sensitivity analysis indicated the result to be robust. Publication bias was not detected by either funnel plot or Egger tests. Conclusion: The results of this meta-analysis indicate a weak lower tendency for colorectal cancer development with green tea consumption, but available epidemiologic data are insufficient to conclude that green tea may protect against colorectal cancer in humans.