• Imaging Science in Dentistry
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.1-5
• /
• 2008

Purpose: The primary aims of this retrospective study were to compare subjective bone quality and bone quality based on the Hounsfield scale in different segments of the edentulous jaw, and to establish quantitative and objective assessment of the bone quality. Materials and Methods: Twenty eight randomly selected cone-beam computed tomographic (CBCT) scans were analyzed. For evaluation one hundred and twelve edentulous areas were selected. Implant recipient sites were evaluated visually for Lekholm and Zarb classification. The same sites were subsequently evaluated digitally using the Hounsfield scale with Vimplant$2.0^{TM}$, and the results were correlated with visual classification. Data was subject for statistical analysis in order to determine correlation between recorded HU and the regions of the mouth with the Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: The highest unit/mean density value (311 HU) was found in the anterior mandible, followed by 259 HU for the posterior mandible, 216 HU for the anterior maxilla, and 127 HU for the posterior maxilla. These results demonstrate a strong correlation for HU depending on the region of the mouth (p<0.001). The relationship between HU and type 4 bone was found to be significant (r=0.74). Conclusion: Knowledge of the Hounsfield value as a quantitative measurement of bone density can be helpful as a diagnostic tool by using $CBMercuRa6^{TM}$ with $Vimplant^{TM}$ software.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.36-43
• /
• 2008

To develop the continuous water quality monitoring system using the daphnid Daphnia sp., the growth of test animal, sensitivity, and behaviour response of toxicants were observed. Growth of test animal significantly increased with increasing the food density under the 90~105 mg/L ($CaCO_3$) hardness, except the concentration of food (Chrollela sp.) was exceeded than optimal food supply. Behaviour responses of test animals were continuously analyzed by changes of fractal dimension value (FDV). The FDV sharply decreased after exposure to the concentrations of 0.13 mg/L copper, 0.06 mg/L lead, and 0.38 mg/L cadmium. In these concentrations, mortality and abnormal behaviour of daphnids exhibited within ca. 1.0-h after exposure. Comparison of 24-h $LC_{50}$ values with other zooplankton species indicated that sensitivity of the Daphnia sp. was higher than most zooplankton for lead, and brain shrimp, rotifer, and water flea (Ceriodaphnia dubia, D. magna) for copper, and brain shrimp, water flea (D. lumholzi), and amphipod for cadmium. Based on the above experimental results, significant relationship between toxicity and behaviour response of Daphnia sp. was supported the high potential of water quality monitoring system. Consequently, behavioural monitoring method in this study suggests a good estimation tool for detection of the discharged toxicants in water body and for ecotoxicological assessment aquatic organisms.

• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.5-18
• /
• 2019

Purpose: Frailty is associated with an increased risk of adverse health outcomes. We aimed to review the relationships between frailty and health outcomes in community-dwelling Korean elderly individuals. Methods: Whittemore and Knafls' framework for conducting integrative reviews was used. PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and six Korean databases were searched. For analysis, the study included articles written in English and Korean published between January 1960 and June 2018. Of the total 1,488 studies found in the databases, we analyzed 15 studies that met the quality of the evaluation criteria. Results: The prevalence of frailty in Korean elderly individuals ranged from 6.5% to 11.7% when divided into three levels of frailty. The health outcomes assessed in relation to frailty were divided into five domains: quality of life, physical health, psychosocial health, health behavior, and health care quality. Frailty was negatively associated with all five domains. Conclusions: Our study suggested that nurses should be aware of the limitations in the physical and cognitive functions of frail elderly individuals and provide tailored interventions for Korean elderly individuals. Furthermore, a large-scale study is needed to develop the Korean model of the frailty assessment tool and to verify the conceptual model of this study.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.42 no.4
• /
• pp.280-292
• /
• 2016

Objectives: The objective of this study was to build COD regression models for the Han River and evaluate water quality. Methods: Water quality data sets for the dry season (as of January) during a four-year period (2012-2015) were collected from the database of the Han River automatic water quality monitoring stations. Statistical techniques, including combined genetic algorithm-multiple linear regression (GA-MLR) were used to build five-descriptor COD models. Multivariate statistical techniques such as principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) are useful tools for extracting meaningful information. Results: The $r^2$ of the best COD models provided significant high values (> 0.8) between 2012 and 2015. Total organic carbon (TOC) was a surrogate indicator for COD (as COD/TOC) with high reliability ($r^2=0.63$ in 2012, $r^2=0.75$ for 2013, $r^2=0.79$ for 2014 and $r^2=0.85$ for 2015). The ratios of COD/TOC were calculated as 2.08 in 2012, 1.79 in 2013, 1.52 and 1.45 in 2015, indicating that biodegradability in the water body of the Han River was being sustained, thereby further improving water quality. The BOD/COD ratio supported these findings. The cluster analysis revealed higher annual levels of microorganisms and phosphorous at stations along the Hangang-Seoul and Hantangang areas. Nevertheless, the overall water quality over the last four years showed an observable trend toward continuous improvement. These findings also suggest that non-point pollution control strategies should consider the influence of upstreams and downstreams to protect water quality in the Han River. Conclusion: This data analysis procedure provided an efficient and comprehensive tool to interpret complex water quality data matrices. Results from a trend analysis provided much important information about sources and parameters for Han River water quality management.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.194-204
• /
• 2020

Cultivar parameters, which are key inputs to a crop growth model, have been estimated using observation data in good quality. Observation data with high quality often require considerable labor and cost, which makes it challenging to gather a large quantity of data for calibration of cultivar parameters. Alternatively, data in sufficient quantity can be collected from the reports on the evaluation of cultivars by region although these data are of questionable quality. The objective of our study was to assess the quality of crop and management data available from the reports on the regional adaptation trials for rice cultivars. We also aimed to propose the measures for improvement of the data quality, which would aid reliable estimation of cultivar parameters. DatasetRanker, which is the tool designed for quantitative assessment of the data for parameter calibration, was used to evaluate the quality of the data available from the regional adaptation trials. It was found that these data for rice cultivars were classified into the Silver class, which could be used for validation or calibration of key cultivar parameters. However, those regional adaptation trial data would fall short of the quality for model improvement. Additional information on management, e.g., harvest and irrigation management, can increase the quantitative quality by 10% with the minimum effort and cost. The quality of the data can also be improved through measurements of initial conditions for crop growth simulations such as soil moisture and nutrients. In addition, crop model improvement can be facilitated using crop growth data in time series, which merits further studies on development of approaches for non-destructive methods to monitor the crop growth.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.45 no.1
• /
• pp.1-13
• /
• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric quality and feasibility of measurements for screening dysphagia in older adults to identify the 'right tool' for nurses to use in nursing homes. Methods: A systematic review was done. Electronic databases were searched for studies related to dysphagia screening measurements. A checklist was used to evaluate the psychometric quality and applicability. Tools were evaluated for feasible incorporation into routine care by nurses. Results: 29 tools from 31 studies were identified. Dysphagia screening tools with an acceptable validity and reliability had sensitivity between 68% and 100% and specificity between 52% and 100%. The Gugging Swallowing Screen (GUSS) and the Standardized Swallowing Assessment (SSA) were the tools with high psychometric quality, especially with high sensitivity, that nurses could perform feasibly to identify the risk and to grade the severity of dysphagia and aspiration of nursing home residents. Conclusion: Results show that GUSS and SSA are reliable and sensitive tools for screening dysphagia which nurses can use in nursing homes. Further research is needed to examine feasibility of screening with identified tools, and also, to establish effective and standardized protocols for these tools so they can be effectively incorporated into routine care.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2010

Objectives : The aim of this systematic review was to assess the efficacy of acupuncture and its relevant modality on post-stroke muscle spasticity Methods : We included 7 randomized controlled trials(RCTs) and 1 crossover study on acupuncture on the post-stroke muscle spasticity. Articles searches were performed in various databases in October 2009. Eight studies from 38 articles met the inclusion criteria and were used to assess the quality of clinical trials by means of Jadad scale, STRICTA, CONSORT statement and cochrane-handbook for systematic reviews of interventions. Results : Electrical stimulation such as electroacupuncture and TENS on acupoints was used in five studies. Repeatition of electroacupuncture showed significant decrease of the post-stroke muscle spasticity and persistence of the effect. Only three studies were assessed high quality as the methodological assessment tool(Jadad scale) and none of the studies matched STRICTA recommendations. Conclusions : This systematic review shows that there is beneficial effects of electroacupuncture on the post-stroke muscle spasticity. Further study of large population with high methodological quality will be needed.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
• /
• v.54 no.1
• /
• pp.55-62
• /
• 2012

This study is to assess the reduction of nonpoint source pollution by applying Best Management Practice (BMP) in Chungju-dam watershed (6,585.1 $km^2$) using Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The model was calibrated using 3 years (1998-2000) daily streamflow at 3 locations and monthly water quality of sediment (SS), total nitrogen (T-N) and total phosphorus (T-P) data at 2 locations and validated for another 3 years (2001-2003) data. The 5 BMPs of streambank stabilization, porous gully plugs, recharge structures, terrace, and contour farming were applied to stream and area with the specific criteria of previous researches. Through the parameter sensitivity analysis, the farming practice P-factor and Manning's roughness of stream were sensitive. Overall, the NPS reduction effect was high for streambank stabilization, terrace, and contour farming. At the watershed outlet, the SS, T-P, and T-N were reduced by 64.4 %, 62.8 % and 17.6 % respectively.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.24-36
• /
• 2017

Objectives The purpose of this study is to provide clinical evidence of herbal medicine treatment for cerebral palsy by reviewing randomized controlled trials conducted in China. Methods We searched literatures dated up to 17 May, 2017 in China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and evaluated methodological quality of those studies using 'Risk of Bias' tool. Results Sixteen studies were selected for analysis. These studies indicated that the total effective rate, motor function, self-care, muscle spasticity were significantly improved in the herbal medicine treatment group, as compared to the control group. The most-commonly-used herbs were Poria (茯?), Astragali Radix (黃?), Glycyrrhizae Radix (甘草), and Atractylodis Rhizoma Alba (白朮). There were no serious adverse events found that were associated with herbal medicine treatment. The methodological quality of included studies was generally unclear or low. Conclusions This study shows that the herbal medicine treatment can be effective and safe in treating cerebral palsy. Further well-designed clinical trials with high methodological quality and appropriate assessment tools need to be performed to solidify these findings.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.81-94
• /
• 2017

Purpose:The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of periurethral cleaning with water or antiseptics in preventing catheter-associated urinary tract infections through systemic review Methods:The randomized clinical trials published between 2000 and 2016 were searched using domestic and international databases, and five randomized studies were selected for this study. The quality of study was assessed by assessment tool from the cochrane's Risk of Bias and meta-analysis was performed using the Cochrane Review Manager software Version 5.3 (RevMan) Results: The two groups of antiinfectants used in this study include povidone-iodine and chlorhexidine, water and chlorhexidine vs water and chlorhexidine. there was no significant difference in urinary tract infection rate between the two groups. Conclusion: Based on the findings, periurethral cleaning with water is safer and cost-efficient than using antiseptics. and it can make reduce a patient's discomfort.