• Title/Summary/Keyword: Q&A

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Impact of Insulin Resistance on Acetylcholine-Induced Coronary Artery Spasm in Non-Diabetic Patients

  • Kang, Kwan Woo;Choi, Byoung Geol;Rha, Seung-Woon
    • Yonsei Medical Journal
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    • v.59 no.9
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    • pp.1057-1063
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    • 2018
  • Purpose: Coronary artery spasm (CAS) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are implicated in endothelial dysfunction, and insulin resistance (IR) is a major etiological cause of type 2 DM. However, the association between CAS and IR in non-diabetic individuals has not been elucidated. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of IR on CAS in patients without DM. Materials and Methods: A total of 330 eligible patients without DM and coronary artery disease who underwent acetylcholine (Ach) provocation test were enrolled in this study. Inclusion criteria included both hemoglobin A1c <6.0% and fasting glucose level <110 mg/dL without type 2 DM. Patients were divided into quartile groups according the level of homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR): 1Q (n=82; HOMA-IR<1.35), 2Q (n=82; $1.35{\leq}HOMA-IR<1.93$), 3Q (n=83; $1.93{\leq}HOMA-IR<2.73$), and 4Q (n=83; $HOMA-IR{\geq}2.73$). Results: In the present study, the higher HOMA-IR group (3Q and 4Q) was older and had higher body mass index, fasting blood glucose, serum insulin, hemoglobin A1c, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels than the lower HOMA-IR group (1Q). Also, poor IR (3Q and 4Q) was considerably associated with frequent CAS. Compared with Q1, the hazard ratios for Q3 and Q4 were 3.55 (95% CI: 1.79-7.03, p<0.001) and 2.12 (95% CI: 1.07-4.21, p=0.031), respectively, after adjustment of baseline risk confounders. Also, diffuse spasm and accompanying chest pain during Ach test were more strongly associated with IR patients with CAS. Conclusion: HOMA-IR was significantly negatively correlated with reference diameter measured after nitroglycerin and significantly positively correlated with diffuse spasm and chest pain.

Q-Learning Policy Design to Speed Up Agent Training (에이전트 학습 속도 향상을 위한 Q-Learning 정책 설계)

  • Yong, Sung-jung;Park, Hyo-gyeong;You, Yeon-hwi;Moon, Il-young
    • Journal of Practical Engineering Education
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    • v.14 no.1
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    • pp.219-224
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    • 2022
  • Q-Learning is a technique widely used as a basic algorithm for reinforcement learning. Q-Learning trains the agent in the direction of maximizing the reward through the greedy action that selects the largest value among the rewards of the actions that can be taken in the current state. In this paper, we studied a policy that can speed up agent training using Q-Learning in Frozen Lake 8×8 grid environment. In addition, the training results of the existing algorithm of Q-learning and the algorithm that gave the attribute 'direction' to agent movement were compared. As a result, it was analyzed that the Q-Learning policy proposed in this paper can significantly increase both the accuracy and training speed compared to the general algorithm.

Coenzyme Q10 improves sperm motility and antioxidant status in infertile men with idiopathic oligoasthenospermia

  • Ahmed T Alahmar
    • Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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    • v.49 no.4
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    • pp.277-284
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    • 2022
  • Objective: Oxidative stress is a key player in the development of idiopathic male infertility (IMI), and various antioxidants have been used for the treatment of IMI with inconsistent results. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a cofactor and an antioxidant that may improve semen parameters and reduce oxidative stress in patients with idiopathic oligoasthenospermia (OA). Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effect of CoQ10 on semen parameters and antioxidant markers in patients with idiopathic OA. Methods: Fifty patients with idiopathic OA and 35 fertile controls were enrolled in this prospective controlled study. All participants underwent a comprehensive fertility assessment. All patients received CoQ10 (300 mg/day) orally once daily for 3 months. Semen parameters, seminal CoQ10 levels, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were measured in patients and controls at the start of the study and after 3 months. Results: Treatment with CoQ10 resulted in increased sperm progressive motility (p<0.05), total motility (p<0.01), seminal TAC (p<0.01), SOD (p<0.05), GPx (p<0.001), and seminal CoQ10 (p<0.001) levels and reduced ROS (p<0.01) in patients as compared to baseline. Sperm concentration and motility were also significantly correlated with antioxidant measures and seminal CoQ10 levels (r=0.38-0.57). Conclusion: CoQ10 therapy (300 mg/day for 3 months) improved sperm motility and seminal antioxidant markers in patients with idiopathic OA. Therefore, CoQ10 could be a promising treatment for patients with idiopathic infertility and may improve their fertility potential.

BOUNDARY-VALUED CONDITIONAL YEH-WIENER INTEGRALS AND A KAC-FEYNMAN WIENER INTEGRAL EQUATION

  • Park, Chull;David Skoug
    • Journal of the Korean Mathematical Society
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    • v.33 no.4
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    • pp.763-775
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    • 1996
  • For $Q = [0,S] \times [0,T]$ let C(Q) denote Yeh-Wiener space, i.e., the space of all real-valued continuous functions x(s,t) on Q such that x(0,t) = x(s,0) = 0 for every (s,t) in Q. Yeh [10] defined a Gaussian measure $m_y$ on C(Q) (later modified in [13]) such that as a stochastic process ${x(s,t), (s,t) \epsilon Q}$ has mean $E[x(s,t)] = \smallint_{C(Q)} x(s,t)m_y(dx) = 0$ and covariance $E[x(s,t)x(u,\upsilon)] = min{s,u} min{t,\upsilon}$. Let $C_\omega \equiv C[0,T]$ denote the standard Wiener space on [0,T] with Wiener measure $m_\omega$. Yeh [12] introduced the concept of the conditional Wiener integral of F given X, E(F$\mid$X), and for case X(x) = x(T) obtained some very useful results including a Kac-Feynman integral equation.

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Equivalence-Singularity Dichotomies of Gaussian and Poisson Processes from The Kolmogorov's Zero-One Law

  • Park, Jeong-Soo
    • Journal of the Korean Statistical Society
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    • v.23 no.2
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    • pp.367-378
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    • 1994
  • Let P and Q be probability measures of a measurable space $(\Omega, F)$, and ${F_n}_{n \geq 1}$ be a sequence of increasing sub $\sigma$-fields which generates F. For each $n \geq 1$, let $P_n$ and $Q_n$ be the restrictions of P and Q to $F_n$, respectively. Under the assumption that $Q_n \ll P_n$ for every $n \geq 1$, a zero-one condition is derived for P and Q to have the dichotomy, i.e., either $Q \ll P$ or $Q \perp P$. Then using this condition and the Kolmogorov's zero-one law, we give new and simple proofs of the dichotomy theorems for a pair of Gaussian measures and Poisson processes with examples.

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Relapse Experience of Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder: Q Methodological Approach (알코올 사용 장애 환자의 재발경험: Q 방법론적 접근)

  • Kim, Jin Ju;Hyun, Myung Sun
    • Journal of East-West Nursing Research
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    • v.29 no.2
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    • pp.172-184
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    • 2023
  • Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the subjective relapse experiences of patients with alcohol use disorder in one's life context. Methods: A Q methodology was used to analyze the subjectivity of relapse experiences among 55 participants with alcohol use disorder. Fifty-five Q-statement were derived from interviews and literature review. Q-statements were classified into normally distributed shapes using a 9-point scale. Data were analyzed using the QUANL program. Results: Four types of relapse experiences were identified: failure to self-regulation drinking cravings, fear of relapse and awareness of the need for treatment, drinking as a coping mechanism and defensive coping, and lack of motivation to change drinking behavior. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that patients with alcohol use disorder need a differential approach based on four types of relapse experiences in the recovery process.

Morphological Characteristics of Leaves, Trichomes and acorns in artificial hybrids of Quercus aliena ${\times}$ Q. mongolica var. crispula and Q. serrata ${\times}$ Q. mongolica var. crispula hybrids

  • Lee, Jeong-Ho;Kang, Kyu-Suk
    • Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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    • v.22 no.3
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    • pp.266-272
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    • 2009
  • Morphological characteristics of leaves, trichomes and acorns were investigated in 6-year-old artificial hybrids of Q. aliena ${\times}$ Q. mongolica var. crispula and Q. serrata ${\times}$ Q. mongolica var. crispula. Leaf shapes of Q. aliena ${\times}$ Q. mongolica var. crispula $F_{1}$ were obovate and resembled to that of Q. aliena. But several characters including the size of leaf and petiole and the shape of leaf base resembled to those of Q. mongolica var. crispula. In F1 hybrids, small stellate hairs distributed sparsely on the abaxial surface and their lay length was intermediate between both parents. There were no big differences on characters of nuts and cupules between both parents and $F_{1}$ hybrids. Leaf shapes of Q. serrata ${\times}$ Q. mongolica var. crispula $F_{1}$ were obovate-elliptic, and the leaf shape and leaf base and the length of petiole resembled to those of Q. mongolica var. crispula, but leaf size and serration resembled to those of Q. serrata. The number of serration in a leaf was intermediate between both parents. Small stellate hairs distributed sparsely and large single hairs were mixed on the reverse side of leaves. there were no big differences on the number and size of stellate hairs between $F_{1}$ hybrid and Q. serrata. It is able to distinguish $F_{1}$ hybrids from both parents by the size leaf size and shapes, leaf base and serration, petiole length and trichome type in the leaf.

Test Standard for Reliability of Automotive Semiconductors: AEC-Q100 (자동차 반도체의 신뢰성 테스트 표준: AEC-Q100)

  • Lee, Seongsoo
    • Journal of IKEEE
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    • v.25 no.3
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    • pp.578-583
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    • 2021
  • This paper describes acceleration tests for reliability of semiconductors. It also describes AEC-Q100, international test standard for reliability of automotive semiconductors. Semiconductors can be used for dozens of years. So acceleration tests are essential to test potential problems over whole period of product where test time is minimized by applying intensive stresses. AEC-Q100 is a typical acceleration test in automotive semiconductors, and it is designed to find various failures in semiconductors and to analyze their causes of occurance. So it finds many problems in design and fabrication as well as it predicts lifetime and reliability of semiconductors. AEC-Q100 consists of 7 test groups such as accelerated environmental stress tests, accelerated lifetime simulation tests, package assembly integrity tests, die fabrication reliability tests, electrical verification tests, defect screening tests, and cavity package integrity tests. It has 4 grades from grade 0 to grade 3 based on operational temperature. AEC-Q101, Q102, Q103, Q104, and Q200 are applied to discrete semiconductors, optoelectronic semiconductors, sensors, multichip modules, and passive components, respectively.

Effects of Coenzyme Q10 on the Antioxidant System in Blood and Liver of Laying Hens (산란계에서 Coenzyme Q10 급여가 혈액 및 간 조직의 항산화 작용에 미치는 영향)

  • Moon, Yang-Soo;Jang, In-Surk
    • Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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    • v.49 no.2
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    • pp.115-124
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    • 2022
  • The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) sources on the antioxidant defense system in the blood and liver of laying hens. Thirty-six 40-wk old Lohmann Brown hens were randomly assigned to three groups based on body weight, with four cages with three layers each. Laying hens were divided into one of the following groups: control (CON), powdered CoQ10 (PCoQ, 100 mg/kg diet), and emulsified CoQ10 (ECoQ, 100 mg/kg diet). All hens were fed a control diet or a control diet supplemented with powdered or emulsified CoQ10 ad libitum for five weeks. There were no differences in body weight, weight gain, and organ weights among the treatment groups, including the liver and spleen. The blood total antioxidant power (TAP) in the ECoQ group increased (P<0.05) by approximately 2-fold compared to that in the CON group. However, there was no significant difference in blood TAP levels between the PCoQ and ECoQ groups, although a decreasing trend (P<0.13) was observed for levels of TAP in the ECoQ group. The mRNA expression and specific activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase in the liver were not affected by dietary CoQ10 or type of CoQ10. However, hepatic lipid peroxidation in the ECoQ group was lower (P<0.05) than in the CON group. In conclusion, emulsified CoQ10 increased blood TAP and decreased hepatic lipid peroxidation without affecting antioxidant enzymes, suggesting that emulsified CoQ10 might be more applicable as an active antioxidant supplement than powdered type in laying hens.

Q-MEASURES ON THE DUAL UNIT BALL OF A JB-TRIPLE

  • Edwards, C. Martin;Oliveira, Lina
    • Journal of the Korean Mathematical Society
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    • v.56 no.1
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    • pp.197-224
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    • 2019
  • Let A be a $JB^*$-triple with Banach dual space $A^*$ and bi-dual the $JBW^*$-triple $A^{**}$. Elements x of $A^*$ of norm one may be regarded as normalised 'Q-measures' defined on the complete ortho-lattice ${\tilde{\mathcal{U}}}(A^{**})$ of tripotents in $A^{**}$. A Q-measure x possesses a support e(x) in ${\tilde{\mathcal{U}}}(A^{**})$ and a compact support $e_c(x)$ in the complete atomic lattice ${\tilde{\mathcal{U}}}_c(A)$ of elements of ${\tilde{\mathcal{U}}}(A^{**})$ compact relative to A. Necessary and sufficient conditions for an element v of ${\tilde{\mathcal{U}}}_c(A)$ to be a compact support tripotent $e_c(x)$ are given, one of which is related to the Q-covering numbers of v by families of elements of ${\tilde{\mathcal{U}}}_c(A)$.