• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.145-155
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• 2002

The results of the present feasibility study are summarized as follows, 1. The three unit bridge of knitted material and UD fibre reinforcement has both the rigidity and the strength against a vertical occlusal load of 75N. 2. Stress concentration at the junctional area between the bridge and the abutments, i.e. between the pontic and the knitted caps was observed. In the case of the bridge with reinforcement straps, it was partly shown that the concentration problem could be improved by simply increasing the fillet size at the area. Further refining in the surface of the junctional area will be needed to ensure a further improvement in the stress distribution. This will require some trade off in the level of the stress and the available space. A parametric study will help to decide the appropriate size of the fillet. 3. Design refinement is a must to improve the stress distribution and realize the most favourable shape in terms of fabrication. The current straight bar with a constant cross section area can be redesigned to a tapered shape. The curve from the dental arch should also be placed on the pontic design. In accordance with design refinement, the resistance of the bridge frame to other load cases should be evaluated. 4. Although not included in the present feasibility study, it is estimated that bridges of the anterior teeth can be made strong enough with the knitted material without further reinforcement using unidirectional materials. In this regard, a feasibility study on design concepts and stress analysis for 3, 4, 5 unit bridge is suggested. 5. Two types of bridge were analysed in terms of fatigue. The safe life design concept, i.e. fatigue design concept, looks reasonable for the bridge where if cracks should form and propagate there is virtually nothing a dentist to do. The bridge must be designed so that no crack will be initiated during the life span. In the case of crowns, however, if constructed with composite resin with knitted materials, it might be possible to repair them, which in general is impossible for crowns of PFM or of metal. Therefore for composite resin crowns, a damage tolerance design concept can be applied and reasonably higher operational stresses can be allowed. In this case, of course, a periodic inspection program should be established in parallel. 6. Parts of future works in terms of structural viewpoint which need to be addressed are summarized as the following: 1) To develop processing technology to accommodate design concepts; 2) More realistic modelling of the bridge and analysis-geometry and loading condition. Thickness variation in the knitted material, taper in the pontic, design for anterior tooth bridge, the effect of combined loads, etc, will need to be included; 3) To develop appropriate design concepts and design goals for the fibre composite FPD aiming at taking the best advantage of knitted materials, including the damage tolerance design concept; 4) To develop testing method and perform test such as static ultimate load test, fatigue test, repair test, etc, as necessary.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.121-129
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• 2014

Objectives : This study was to assess the prevalence and its correlates of restless legs syndrome(RLS) in outpatients with bipolar disorder. Methods : A total of 100 clinical stabilized bipolar outpatients were examined. The presence of RLS and its severity were assessed using the International Restless Legs Sydrome Study Group(IRLSSG) diagnostic criteria. Beck's Depression Inventory(BDI), Spielberg's State Anxiety Inventory(STAI-X-1), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI), Korean version Drug Attitude Inventory(KDAI-10), Subjective Well-Beings under Neuroleptic Treatment Scale-Short Form(SWN-K) and Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale(BARS) were used to evaluate the depressive symptomatology, level of anxiety, subjective quality of sleep, subjective feeling of well-being, drug attitude, presence of akathisia, respectively. Results : Of the 100 bipolar outpatients, 7(7%) were met to full criteria of IRLSSG and 36(36%) have at least one of the 4 IRLSSG criterion. Because of relatively small sample size, non-parametric analysis were done to compare the characteristics among 3 groups(full-RLS, 1 ${\geq}$positive RLS-symptom and Non-RLS). There were no significant differences in sex, age, and other sociodemographic and clinical data among 3 groups. BDI, STAI-X-1 and PSQI are tended to be impaired in RLS and 1 ${\geq}$positive RLS-symptom groups. Conclusions : This is the first preliminary study for studying the prevalence and its correlates of RLS in bipolar disorder. The results shows that relatively small proportion of RLS was present in bipolar disorder patients when compared to patients with schizophrenia. Same tendencies shown in schizophrenic patients were found that bipolar patients with RLS had more depressive symptoms, state anxiety and poor subjective sleep quality. Further systematic studies may be needed to find the characteristics of RLS in bipolar patients.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.183-194
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• 2009

Purpose : This study was performed not only to compare the brain activation regions associated with sexual arousal induced by visual stimulation and SP6 acupuncture, but also to evaluate its differential neuro-anatomical mechanism in healthy women using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at 3 Tesla (T). Subjects and methods : A total of 21 healthy right-handed female volunteers (mean age 22 years, range 19 to 32) underwent fMRI on a 3T MR scanner. The stimulation paradigm for sexual arousal consisted of two alternating periods of rest and activation. It began with a 1-minute rest period, 3 minutes of stimulation with either of an erotic video film or SP6 acupuncture, followed by 1-minute rest. In addition, a comparative study on the brain activation patterns between an acupoint and a shampoint nearby GB37 was performed. The fMRI data were obtained from 20 slices parallel to the AC-PC line on an axial plane, giving a total of 2,000 images. The mean activation maps were constructed and analyzed by using the statistical parametric mapping (SPM99) software. Results : As comparison with the shampoint, the acupoint showed 5 times and 2 times higher activities in the neocortex and limbic system, respectively. Note that brain activation in response to stimulation with the shampoint was not observed in the regions including the HTHL in the diencephalon, GLO and AMYG in the basal ganglia, and SMG in the parietal lobe. In the comparative study of visual stimulation vs. SP6 acupuncture, the mean activation ratio of stimulus was not significantly different to each other in both the neocortex and the limbic system (p < 0.05). The mean activities induced by both stimuli were not significantly different in the neocortex, whereas the acupunctural stimulation showed higher activity in the limbic system (p < 0.05). Conclusions : This study compared the differential brain activation patterns and the neural mechanisms for sexual arousal, which were induced by visual stimulation and SP6 acupuncture by using 3T fMRI. These findings will be useful to understand the theory of traditional acupuncture and acupoint channel in scientific point of view.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.317-324
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• 2002

Purpose: The use of statistical parametric mapping (SPM) program has increased for the analysis of brain PET and SPECT images. Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) coordinate is used in SPM program as a standard anatomical framework. While the most researchers look up Talairach atlas to report the localization of the activations detected in SPM program, there is significant disparity between MNI templates and Talairach atlas. That disparity between Talairach and MNI coordinates makes the interpretation of SPM result time consuming, subjective and inaccurate. The purpose of this study was to develop a program to provide objective anatomical information of each x-y-z position in ICBM coordinate. Materials and Methods: Program was designed to provide the anatomical information for the given x-y-z position in MNI coordinate based on the Statistical Probabilistic Anatomical Map (SPAM) images of ICBM. When x-y-z position was given to the program, names of the anatomical structures with non-zero probability and the probabilities that the given position belongs to the structures were tabulated. The program was coded using IDL and JAVA language for 4he easy transplantation to any operating system or platform. Utility of this program was shown by comparing the results of this program to those of SPM program. Preliminary validation study was peformed by applying this program to the analysis of PET brain activation study of human memory in which the anatomical information on the activated areas are previously known. Results: Real time retrieval of probabilistic information with 1 mm spatial resolution was archived using the programs. Validation study showed the relevance of this program: probability that the activated area for memory belonged to hippocampal formation was more than 80%. Conclusion: These programs will be useful for the result interpretation of the image analysis peformed on MNI coordinate, as done in SPM program.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.17-45
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• 1987

This study contributes to understanding women's labor market behavior by focusing on a particular set of labor force transitions - labor force withdrawal and entry during the period surrounding the first birth of a child. In particular, this study provides a dynamic analyses, using longitudinal data and event history analysis, to conceptualize labor force behaviors in a straightforward way. The main research question addresses which factors increase or decrease the hazard rates of leaving and entering the labor market. This study used piecewise Gompertz model, following the guide of the non-parametric analysis on the hazard rates, which allowed relatively detailed description on the distribution of timing of leave and entry to the labor market as parameters of interest. The results show that preferences and structural variables, as well as economic considerations, are very important factors to explain the labor market behavior of women in the period surrounding childbirth.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.91-101
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• 2002

Purpose : The aim of this study was to identify the brain areas in which reductions of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) were correlated with decline of general mental function, measured by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Materials and Methods : Tc-99m HMPAO brain SPECT was peformed in 9 probable AD patients at the initial and follow-up periods of 1.8 years (average) after the first study. MMSE scores were also measured in both occasions. The mean MMSE score of the initial study 16.4 (range: 5 - 24) and the mean MMSE score of the follow-up was 8.1 (range: 0 - 17). Each SPECT image was normalized to the cerebellar activity and a correlation analysis was peformed between the level of rCBF in AD patients and the MMSE scores by voxel-based analysis using SPM99 software. Results : Significant correlation was found between the blood-flow decrease in left inferior prefrontal region (BA 47) and left middle temporal legion (BA 21) and the MMSE score changes. Additional areas such as anterior and posterior cingulate cortices, precuneus, and bilateral superior and middle prefrontal regions showed the similar trends. Conclusions : A relationship was found between reduction of regional cerebral blood flow in left prefrontal and temporal areas and decline of cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease(AD) patients. This voxel-based analysis is useful in evaluating the progress of cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.265-284
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• 2001

The case management has been applied to improve the quality of care and the cost-effectiveness in the most health care institutions. In a way of case management, the critical pathway(CP) has been executed in many acute care settings, focused on the diagnoses with high cost, high volume, and high risk. This study was conducted to develop a case management program using CP as an intervention of patients with lumbar spinal stenosis for the surgery of posterolateral fusion, and to find out the effects of the critical pathway on the quality of nursing care, patient satisfaction as an outcome of care, length of stay and medical charge, and nurses' job satisfaction. At the same time, patients' functional states were checked with the Oswestry Low Back Pain Index, to show that the CP would not decrease the patients' function compared to the control group. The subjects were 25 control patients with a usual operation of lumbar fusion and 25 experimental patients with CP. They were all female, aged $50s{\sim}70s$, admitted in the Orthopedic surgery ward of a university hospital. Also nurses on the floor using CP were asked to respond to measurement tool of job satisfaction before and after the application of CP, and compared with other nurses on the different wards. Data were analyzed with t-test for continuous variables and chi-square for non-parametric variables in addition to the reliability test of the measurement tools. The results of this study were as followings: 1. Patients' functional states The differences in Oswestry scores of the experimental and control groups assessed at preoperation and at discharge were not statistically significant. The change in scores of the experimental group measured at preoperation and at discharge was larger than that of the control group, however the difference was not statistically significant. The results indicate that the CP did not decrease the patients' functional status. 2. The quality of nursing care The total of quality of nursing care given to the experimental group was better than that of the control group(P=.000). In addition, the experimental group showed better scores of quality of every item of care than the control group(P=.000 -.004). 3. Patient satisfaction Patients of the experimental group were not more satisfied with general care than the control group. But they were more satisfied with discharge care of 'explanation about medication, body posture, and brace application' and 'explanation about the adjustment of daily living and exercise during recovery'(P= .047, P=.028). 4. Nurses' job satisfaction Nurses working with the CP showed more job satisfaction than before the CP introduction(P=.048). But the control group of nurses on a different floor showed no change in job satisfaction at the same period of time. 5. Length of stay and medical charge The mean length of stay of the experimental group was shorter than that of the control group without statistical significance. The charge of medication and treatment of the experimental group were smaller than that of the control group(P=.011, P=.000). The results of the study support that the case management using critical pathway enables to improve the quality of care and job satisfaction, to reduce the medical charge, and consequently to increase satisfaction with care. However, the case management should be instituted focusing on the quality improvement of nursing and the client satisfaction, not just for the purpose of cost-effectiveness of health care facilities.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.168-179
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• 2004

Background : The statistical analysis is an essential procedure ensuring that the results of researches are based on evidences rather than opinion. The purpose of this study is to evaluate which statistical techniques are used and whether these statistical methods are used appropriately or not in the journal of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases. Materials and Methods : We reviewed 185 articles reported in the journal of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases in 1999. We evaluated the validity of used statistical methods based upon the checklist that was developed on the basis of the guideline for statistical reporting in articles for medical journals by International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Results : Among 185 articles, original articles and case reports were 110 (59.5%) and 61 (33.0%) respectively. In 112 articles excluding case reports and reviews, statistical techniques were used in 107 articles (95.5%). In 94 articles (83.9%) descriptive and inferential methods were used, while in 13 (11.6%) articles only descriptive methods were used. With the types of inferential statistical techniques, comparison of means was most commonly used (64/94, 68.1%), followed by contingency table (43/94, 45.7%) and correlation or regression (18/94, 19.1%). Among the articles in which descriptive methods were used, 83.2% (89/107) showed inappropriate central tendency and dispersion. In the articles in which inferential methods were used, improper methods were applied in 88.8% (79/89) and the most frequent misuse of statistical methods was inappropriate use of parametric methods (35/89, 39.3%). Only 14 articles (13.1%) were satisfactory in utilization of statistical methodology. Conclusion : Most of the statistical errors found in the journal were misuses of statistical methods related to basic statistics. This study suggests that researchers should be more careful when they describe and apply statistical methods and more extensive statistical refereeing system would be needed.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.637-652
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• 2015

In the present work, a number of three-dimensional (3D) parametric numerical analyses have been carried out to study the influence of tunnelling on the behaviour of adjacent piles considering the transverse distance of the pile tip from the tunnel. Single piles and $5{\times}5$ piles inside a group with a spacing of 2.5d were considered, where d is the pile diameter. In the numerical modelling, several key issues, such as the tunnelling-induced pile settlements, the interface shear stresses, the relative shear displacements, the axial pile forces, the apparent factors of safety and zone of influence have been rigorously analysed. It has been found that when the piles are inside the influence zone, the pile head settlements are increased up to about 111% compared to those computed from the Greenfield condition. Larger pile settlements and smaller axial pile forces are induced on the piles inside the pile groups than those computed from the single piles since the piles responded as a block with the surrounding ground. Also tensile pile forces are induced associated with the upward resisting skin friction at the upper part of pile and the downward acting skin friction at the lower part of pile. On the contrary, when the piles were outside the influence zone, tunnelling-induced compressive pile forces developed. Based on computed load and displacement relation of the pile, the apparent factor of safety of the piles was reduced up to about 45%. Therefore the serviceability of the piles may be substantially reduced. The pile behaviour, when considering the single piles and the pile groups with regards to the influence zone, has been analysed by considering the key features in great details.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.130-137
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• 2010

Objectives: So far it has been reported that acupuncture increases cerebral blood supply and stimulates the functional activity of brain nerve cells. Previous studies have demonstrated that frequently used electro-acupuncture (EA) therapies for stroke increased regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in normal volunteers. Though ST 36-ST 41 EA is another prevailing therapy for stroke, there had been no report about its effect on rCBF. This study was to evaluate the effect of ST 36-ST 41 EA on rCBF in normal volunteers using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and statistical parametric mapping (SPM). Methods: In the resting state, $^{99m}Tc$-ECD brain SPECT scans were performed on 10 normal volunteers (5 males, 5 female, mean age $23.6{\pm}0.5$ years). On the other study day, 7 days after the resting examination, 15 minutesEA were applied at ST 36 and ST 41 on the right side of the subjects. Immediately after ST36-ST41 EA, the second SPECT images were obtained in the same manner as the resting state. Significant increases and decreases of rCBF after EA were estimated by comparing their SPECT images with those of the resting state using paired t statistics at every voxel, which were analyzed by SPM with a threshold of p = 0.01, uncorrected (extent threshold: k=100 voxels). Results: EA applied at the right ST36-ST41 significantly increased rCBF in the right inferior parietal lobule (Brodmann area [BA] 40), right retrosubicular area (BA 48), left inferior parietal lobule (BA 40), left middle temporal gyrus (BA 21), left fusiform gyrus (BA 37), left inferior parietal lobule (BA 39), left inferior temporal gyrus (BA 20), and left somatosensory association cortex (BA 7). However, right ST36-ST41 EA significantly decreased rCBF in the right parahippocampal gyrus (BA 35), right cerebellum, left frontopolar area (BA 10), left orbitofrontal area (BA 11), left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (BA 9), and left dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (BA 32). Conclusions: These results demonstrate that rightST36-ST41 EA increased rCBF prominently in both inferior parietal lobule (BA 40) and right retrosubicular area (BA 48), which suggest that there be correlation between specific EA and corresponding rCBF.