• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.79 no.4
• /
• pp.295-301
• /
• 2016

Background: Specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) sensitization to staphylococcal enterotoxin (SE) has been recently considered to be related to allergic disease, including asthma. Despite studies on specific IgE (sIgE) to SE and its relationship to asthma diagnosis and severity, the association of sIgE to SE with airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) remains unclear. Methods: We enrolled 81 asthma patients admitted to the Severance Hospital in Korea from March 1, 2013, to February 28, 2015 and retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of the enrolled subjects. The serum levels of sIgE to SE (A/B) of all subjects was measured using the ImmunoCAP 250 (Phadia) system with SE-sIgE positive defined as >0.10 kU/mL. Results: The SE-sIgE level was not significantly correlated with asthma severity (forced expiratory volume in 1 second [$FEV_1$], $FEV_1$/forced vital capacity, sputum eosinophils, and serum eosinophils), whereas the SE-sIgE level in patients with positive AHR ($mean{\pm}standard$ error of the mean, $0.606{\pm}0.273kU/mL$) was significantly higher than that in patients with negative AHR ($0.062{\pm}0.015kU/mL$, p=0.034). In regression analysis, SE sensitization (sIgE to SE ${\geq}0.010kU/mL$) was a significant risk factor for AHR, after adjustment for age, sex, $FEV_1$, and sputum eosinophils (odds ratio, 7.090; 95% confidence interval, 1.180-42.600; p=0.032). Prevalence of SE sensitization was higher in patients with allergic rhinitis and non-atopic asthma patients, as compared to patients without allergic rhinitis and atopic asthma patients, respectively, but without statistical significance. Conclusion: SE sensitization is significantly associated with AHR.

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.18-26
• /
• 2002

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the effects of inhalation method using essential oils on the preoperative anxiety of hystrectomy patients, and to provide effective and holistic nursing care to them. The research design was a nonequivalent control group non synchronized design. The data were collected from February 1 to March 31, 2002 at D Medical Center in Busan. The subjects were forty one patients that were operated on under general anesthesia for hystrectomy. They were assigned to two groups, twenty one subjects in the experimental group and twenty subjects in the control group. The tool of the Visual Analogue Scale(VAS) was used to anxiety on all patients the day before surgery and the preoperative period. Then systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pulse rate levels were measured the day before surgery and the preoperative period. The experimental group received two treatments of inhalation method using essential oils of with lavender, ylang ylang, and bergamot oil. The data were analyzed by the $X^2$ test and the independent t-test. The results of this study were summarized as follows: 1. Hypothesis 1: It has been supported that the experimental group received inhalation method using essential oils might cause lower level of the preoperative VAS anxiety than that of the control group(t=-2.93, p=.006). 2. Hypothesis 2: It has been rejected that the experimental group received inhalation method using essential oils might cause lower level in the preoperative systolic blood pressure than the control group(t=-.120, p=.905). It has been rejected that the experimental group received inhalation method using essential oils might cause lower level in the preoperative diastolic blood pressure than the control group.(t=1.766, p=.085). 3. Hypothesis 3: It has been supported that the experimental group received inhalation method using essential oils might cause lower level in preoperative pulse rate than the control group(t=5.853, p=.000). According to these results, inhalation method using essential oils can be considered an effective nursing intervention that relieves the preoperative anxiety of hysterectomy patients and stabilizes vital sign partially.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.11 no.6
• /
• pp.289-301
• /
• 2011

This study is a research based on the non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design whose purpose is to examine the effects of music therapy on the anxiety of patients who take the magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) test and their feeling of discomfort during the test. "The first hypothesis that the experimental group who receive music therapy will be lower in score for anxiety during the MRI test than the control group who do not was supported because after the therapy, the experimental group was found significantly decreased in that score in comparison to the control group. "The second hypothesis that the experimental group who receive music therapy will be fewer in vital signs after the MRI test than the control group who do not" was rejected in terms of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. But the same hypothesis was partially supported because the two groups showed a significant difference in pulse rate after the test. "The third hypothesis that the experimental group who receive music therapy will be less in the feeling of subjective discomfort during the MRI test than the control group who do not" was verified to find that the two groups were significantly different from each other in the feeling. Specifically, there was a significant difference between the two groups in only one sub-area of that feeling, that is, tension. These findings suggest that music therapy could be an alternative method which can effectively reduce the state anxiety of patients during the magnetic resonace imaging(MRI) test.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.280-291
• /
• 2007

Much research has been conducted in the field of phytoremediation since the discovery of the range of plants known as hyperaccumulators. Research has focused simultaneously on elucidating the mechanism of metal(loid) accumulation and development of practical techniques to enhance accumulation efficiency. To date, it is generally understood that there are five specific mechanisms employed by hyperaccumulating plant species that are either not or under utilized by non-hyperaccumulators. These include 1) enhanced metal(loid)s uptake through the root cell, 2) enhanced translocation in plant tissue, 3) detoxification and sequestration, 4) enhanced metal availability in soil:root interface, and 5) active root foraging toward metal(loid) enriched soils. Among these mechanisms, understanding of the plant-root effect on metal(loid) dynamics and subsequent plant uptake is vital to overcome the inherit limitation of phytoremediation caused by low metal(loid) solubility in soils. Plant roots can influence the soil chemistry in the rhizosphere through changes in pH and exudation of organic compounds such as low-molecular-weight organic acids (LMWOAs) which consequently change metal(loid) solubility. The decrease in soil pH by plant release of $H^+$ results in increased metal solubility. Elevated levels of organic compounds in response to high metal soil concentrations by plant exudation may also increases metal concentration in soil solution through formation of organometallic complexes.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.21-28
• /
• 2010

Purpose: In Korea, most abdominal penetrating wounds are caused by stab wounds rather than gun-shot wounds. However, not many studies have been performed on stab injuries and their epidemiologic characteristics. Disagreements of opinions of obligatory surgical exploration and conservative treatment exist, and this subject is still being debated. Therefore, the authors studied the epidemiologic characteristics of abdominal stab wound patients visiting the emergency department and reviewed the proportion of patients that received nontherapeutic surgery and conservative treatment. Methods: This study included patients visiting the emergency department with abdominal stab wounds. A retrospective chart review was done on the abdominal stab wound patients. Sex, age, cause of injury, location of wound, initial vital signs, operation results, injured organs and CT & LWE results were reviewed. Results: The median age of the 121 patients was 40.9 years, of these patients, 88 were males, of which 52 (43.0%) were drunken. Of the patients that received non-therapeutic operations, only 3 patients (15.0%) were drunken, significantly lower than the therapeutic operation group. For the location of the wound, most patients were injured in the right and left upper quadrants, 27 patients each. The most common injured organ was the small bowel; 13 patients were injured in the small bowel. With abdominal CT scans and local wound explorations together, the results exhibited a sensitivity of 97%, a specificity of 44%, a positive predictive value of 56%, and a negative predictive value of 95%. Conclusion: In our study, the sensitivity was 97% when CT & LWE were performed together; thus we can conclude that CT and LWE can be used together to select the treatment method. Although in our study, the surgical indications in abdominal stab wound patients is not sufficient, our results showed a higher rate of nontherapeutic surgery compared to previous studies. Therefore, more research is needed to prevent unnecessary laparotomies in hemodynamically-stable patients without symptoms.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
• /
• v.31 no.5
• /
• pp.205-212
• /
• 2020

In the performance of a wind turbine system, the blades play a vital role. However, they are susceptible to damage arising from complex and irregular loading (which may even cause catastrophic collapse), and they are expensive to maintain. Therefore, it is very important both to find defects after blade manufacturing is completed and to find damage after the blade is used for a certain period of time. This study provides a new perspective for the detection of internal defects in glass-fiber- and carbon-fiber-reinforced panels, which are used as the main materials in wind turbine blades. A gap or fracture between fiber-reinforced materials, which may occur during blade manufacturing or operation, is simulated by drilling a hole 5 mm in diameter in the middle layer of the laminated material. Then, a digital-image-correlation (DIC) method is used to detect internal defects in the blade. Tensile load is applied to the fabricated specimen using a tensile tester, and the generated changes are recorded and analyzed with the DIC system. In the glass-fiber-reinforced laminated specimen, internal defects were detected from a strain value of 5% until the end of the experiment, while in the case of the carbon-fiber-reinforced laminated specimen, internal defects were detected from 1% onward. It was proved using the DIC system that the defect was detected as a certain level of strain difference developed around the internal defects, according to the material properties.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.202-225
• /
• 2017

Non Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) has gained a lot of significance over the years as a means of income generation. Forests are playing a vital role in the supply of these products, however, due to their continuous extraction, the population of many species might have depleted. Very little information is known about community structure and population status of NTFPs. No specific studies have been made to find out the occurrence, availability of species and population status in the forests, supplying the resources. The present study has been carried out in community forests of the naturally occurring NTFPs in the temperate forest of the Ziro valley of Arunachal Pradesh. The main aim is to determine community structure, species composition and population status of NTFPs. Three forest stands viz., Nyilii, Dura and Gyachi were selected which are used by the Apatani tribe for extraction of the NTFPs. For evaluation of species composition and community characteristics, the sampling of the vegetation was done using the quadrat method. A total 137 species representing 68 families and 116 genera were recorded. Herbs represent the maximum diversity with 71 species followed by 35 shrub species and 31 tree species. The families Asteraceae and Rosaceaeae exhibited maximum representation followed by Urticaceae. The species under Fagaceae, Lauraceae, Rosaceae and Rutaceae were found to be important NTFP yielding species. Highest species richness was recorded in Nyilii having 124 species, while lowest in Dura with 102 species. Density of tree, shrub and herb ranged between 376 to $456\;individuals\;ha^{-1}$, 2848 to $3696\;individuals\;ha^{-1}$ and 31.44 to $36.64\;individuals\;m^{-2}$, respectively. The total basal area was found to be highest ($51.64m^2\;ha^{-1}$) in Dura followed by Nyilii ($25.32m^2\;ha^{-1}$) and lowest in Gyachi ($22.82m^2\;ha^{-1}$). In all the three study stands the species diversity indices showed the trend, herbs > shrubs > trees while the evenness index showed the trend as shrubs > herbs > trees. The overall species similarity index was highest (82.35%) between Dura and Gyachi. About 80% of the total recorded species showed clumped distribution while, no regular distribution was shown by any species. The three selected stands harbor about 50 important NTFP yielding species which are being used commonly by the Apatani people in their day to day life. Among the three study sites, overall diversity of NTFP was found highest in the Nyilii stand while the density of population was found better in Dura and Gyachi stands. The population of many species was found to be low due to continue harvesting without any sustainable management by the communities. All the selected forest stands have the potentiality to grow the high value NTFP yielding species and if managed properly, they can support the livelihood and economy of the local communities.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.317-322
• /
• 2016

Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) is widely used in endodontic therapy as a pulp-capping material, root or furcal perforation repair material, and for apexification and obturation of the root canal system. The purpose of this study was to formally document cases of MTA application in South Korean children and adolescents. Through this research, the practice of using MTA will be introduced and familiarized to the clinical practitioners. This study involved endodontic treatment using MTA for fractured crowns in 11- and 12-year-old. The children were followed up for 12 months until the pulp vitality was confirmed; in young permanent teeth with immature roots, the pulp is integral to the process of apexogenesis. These observational results regarding the use of MTA as an apexification material in non-vital immature permanent incisors appear to provide promising results in the search for new materials to meet existing endodontic needs.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.18-25
• /
• 2005

Traumatic bone cyst is a nonodontogenic cyst without epithelial-linig which contains fluid in it's cavity, and it is limited by bone walls with no evidence of infection. Traumatic bone cyst is asymptomatic and appears more frequently in the second decade. Gender distribution is approximately equal, although males are affected slightly often than females. Radiographically the lesion shows a well demarcated radiolucent lesion of variable size and the lesion may have scalloped margins. The adjacent teeth to traumatic bone cyst remains vital. Traumatic bone cyst is usually treated by surgical exploration and currettage of the lesion. In the first case of this case report, the patient was refered from the local dental clinic for the radiolucent area under the left mandibular first molar. From the panorama radiograph at the first visit, the radiolucent area of the left mandible showed a well defined scalloped margin and identified as traumatic bone cyst. In the second case, the patient have visited for the chief complaint of swelling and abcess of right maxillary second premolar. In the radiographic check up with panorama radiograph, the radiolucent lesion with well demarcated scalloped margin was found in the right mandible body, and identified as traumatic bone cyst. In the first case, overinstrumentation was done through the mesial root canal to irrigate the lesion. In the second case, not any treatment was done, and watched the progression of the lesion. And in both cases, after two month, the radiolucency and the size of the lesion has decreased to show healing in progress.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.15
• /
• pp.6779-6782
• /
• 2015

Background: Chemoradiotherapy is an important treatment modality for lung cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate alterations in, as well as the interrelationship between, lung function and quality of life of patients receiving chemoradiotherapy due to locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) limited to the thorax. Materials and Methods: The study included patients receiving definitive chemoradiotherapy for lung carcinoma. The respiratory function of the patients was assessed by measuring forced expiratory volume in 1 s per unit (FEV1) and forced expiratory volume in 1s per unit of vital capacity (FEV1/VC) before, in the middle of and after treatment. During the study, EORTC QLQ C30 and LC13 questionnaires developed by the Committee of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) were employed to evaluate the quality of life on the same day as respiratory function tests (RFT). Findings: The study included 23 patients in total: 19 (82.6%) diagnosed with NSCLC and 4 (17.4%) with SCLC. The average percentage FEV1 was $55.6{\pm}21.8%$ in the pre-treatment period, $56.2{\pm}19.2%$ in the middle of treatment and $60.4{\pm}22%$ at the end of treatment. The improvement in functional scores, symptom scores and general health scores during treatment was not statistically significant (P= 0.568, P= 0.734, P= 0.680, P=0.757 respectively). Conclusions: Although this study showed an improvement in respiratory function and quality of life of patients during treatment with thoracic chemoradiotherapy, no statistically significant results were obtained. While evaluating the effectiveness of treatments for lung carcinoma, the effects of treatment on respiratory function and quality of life should be considered.