• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.62 no.5
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• pp.561-566
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• 2019

Objective : Functional outcomes have traditionally been evaluated and compared using subjective surveys, such as visual analog scores (VAS), the Oswestry disability index (ODI), and Short Form-36 (SF-36), to assess symptoms and quality of life. However, these surveys are limited by their subjective natures and inherent bias caused by differences in patient perceptions of symptoms. The Fitbit $Charge^{(R)}$ (Fitbit Inc., San Francisco, CA, USA) provides accurate and objective measures of physical activity. The use of this device in patients after laminectomy would provide objective physical measures that define ambulatory function, activity level, and degree of recovery. Therefore, the present study was conducted to identify relationships between the number of steps taken by patients per day and VAS pain scores, prognoses, and postoperative functional outcomes. Methods : We prospectively investigated 22 consecutive patients that underwent laminectomy for spinal stenosis or a herniated lumbar disc between June 2015 and April 2016 by the same surgeon. When patients were admitted for surgery and first visited after surgery, preoperative and postoperative functional scores were recorded using VAS scores, ODI scores, and SF-36. The VAS scores and physical activities were recorded daily from postoperative day (POD) 1 to POD 7. The relationship between daily VAS scores and daily physical activities were investigated by simple correlation analysis and the relationship between mean number of steps taken and ODI scores after surgery was subjected to simple regression analysis. In addition, Wilcoxon's signed-rank test was used to investigate the significance of pre-to-postoperative differences in VAS, ODI, and SF-36 scores. Results : Pre-to-postoperative VAS (p<0.001), ODI (p<0.001), SF-36 mental composite scores (p=0.009), and SF-36 physical composite scores (p<0.001) scores were found to be significantly different. Numbers of steps taken from POD 1 to POD 7 were negatively correlated with daily VAS scores (r=-0.981, p<0.001). In addition, the mean number of steps from POD 3 to POD 7 and the decrease in ODI conducted one month after surgery were statistically significant (p=0.029). Conclusion : Wearable devices are not only being used increasingly by consumers as lifestyle devices, but are also progressively being used in the medical area. This is the first study to demonstrate the usefulness of a wearable device for checking patient physical activity and predicting pain and prognosis after laminectomy. Based on our experience, the wearable device used to provide measures of physical activity in the present study has the potential to provide objective information on pain severity and prognosis.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.53-62
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• 2015

Objective : This study aimed to evaluate the effects of multisensory and Motor-Based group activity program on the problem behaviors and burden of care in persons with dementia. Methods : Five persons with moderate to severe dementia and significant problem behaviors, received 4 weeks of multisensory and Motor-based group activity program. The Neuropsychiatric Inventory was employed in the pretest and posttest. Analysis was performed using SPSS and including Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results : Participants' average problem behavior scores decreased from 70 in the pretest to 38 after program. Mean scores of burden of care decreased from 47 to 29. Conclusion : Multisensory and Motor-Based group activity program can be an effective method to decrease problem behaviors and burden of care for older people with dementia.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.533-544
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze the cost efficiency of food industry in JeollaNamdo. And this study is focused on the correlation between the economic efficiency of food industry and its cost efficiency, based on the analysis of 372 food companies' data in JeollaNamdo in 2012. Methods: DEA cost minimization is the measurement of the cost efficiency of JeollaNamdo food industry in 2012. In this study, the CCR and BBC models have been employed to analyze the decomposing cost efficiency-technical efficiency, allocative efficiency, and scale efficiency respectively. And the Spearman rank correlation and Wilcoxon signed rank test also have been employed to check the correlation and difference between the ranking orders based on the efficiency scores respectively. Results: For the CCR model, mean cost efficiency was found to be 0.084(0.54 for allocative efficiency and 0.19 for technical efficiency). For the BCC model, mean cost efficiency was found to be 0.252(0.453 for allocative efficiency and 0.564 for technical efficiency). Average scale efficiency was found to be 0.38. In analyzing the results, this study argues that the optimal way to improve cost efficiency is by reducing inputs proportionally and changing their combination. Conclusion: The efficiency scores of the two models show high correlation, whereas, the differences between them are also found to be significant. Hence, it should be cautious to select a suitable model when we do the research.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.128-135
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• 2023

Background: Despite the fact that aquatic exercise is one of the most popular alternative treatment methods for children with cerebral palsy (CP), there are few research regarding its effectiveness. Objects: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of aquatic exercise on upper extremity function and postural control during reaching in children with CP. Methods: Ten participants (eight males and two females; 4-10 years; Gross Motor Function Classification System levels II-IV) with spastic diplegia were recruited to this study. The aquatic exercise program consisted of four modified movements that were selected from the Halliwick 10-point program to enhance upper extremity and trunk movements. The participants attended treatment two times a week for 6 weeks, averaging 35 minutes each session. The Box and Block Test (BBT), transferring pennies in the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test (BOT), and pediatric reaching test (PRT) scores were used as clinical measures. Three-dimensional motion analysis system was used to collect and analyze kinematic data. Differences in BBT and BOT values among pre-treatment, post-treatment, and retention (after 3 weeks) were analyzed using a Friedman test. In addition, the PRT scores and variables (movement time, hand velocity, straightness ratio, and number of movement units) from the three-dimensional motion analysis were tested using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The significance level was established at p < 0.05. When the results appeared to be statistically significant, a post-hoc test for multiple comparisons was performed with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: All clinical measures, which included BBT, transferring pennies of BOT, and PRT, were significantly increased between pre-intervention and post-intervention scores and between pre-intervention and retention scores after treatment (p = 0.001). Three-dimensional motion analysis mostly were significantly improved after treatment (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Aquatic exercise may help to improve body function, activity, and participation in children with varying types of physical disabilities.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2024

Purpose: Achilles tendon rupture is a frequently encountered ankle pathology associated with a substantial burden of intense pain and functional deficits. Chronic Achilles tendon ruptures with considerable defects pose intricate repair challenges that are often marred by complications such as re-rupture and persistent pain. Various treatment methods, including allograft transplantation, have been proposed, but the literature on this technique is limited. In this study, we propose a surgical approach utilizing allotendon transplantation and a calcaneal tunneling technique and provide clinical evaluation details. Materials and Methods: Fifteen patients with chronic Achilles tendon ruptures treated with allotendon between 2020 and 2022 were included in the study. Patients were evaluated at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively using Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores and Achilles Tendon Total Rupture Scores (ATRSs). Complications were assessed postoperatively. Results: The average VAS score was 7 before surgery, 7.3 immediately after surgery, and 4.3 at 1 month, 2.5 at 3 months, and 1.3 at 6 months after surgery. Because the sample was limited to 15 individuals and distributions were non-normal, the analysis was conducted using the non-parametric Wilcoxon's signed-rank test, and statistical significance was accepted for p-values<0.05. Results showed a significant improvement in ATRS and VAS scores versus preoperative and immediate postoperative values. VAS scores showed a decreasing trend after surgery, whereas average ATRS scores increased from 14 before surgery, 33.8 at 1 month, 82.7 at 3 months, and 93.9 at 6 months. Conclusion: This study suggests that allograft transplantation using the described calcaneal tunnel technique provides an effective treatment for chronic Achilles tendon ruptures. However, extensive research and long-term clinical trials are required to validate and better understand the technique's efficacy.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.117-123
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• 2017

The personalized search algorithm is a search system that analyzes the user's IP, cookies, log data, and search history to recommend the desired information. As a result, users are isolated in the information frame recommended by the algorithm. This is called 'Filter bubble' phenomenon. Most of the personalized data can be deleted or changed by the user, but data stored in the service provider's server is difficult to access. This study suggests a way to neutralize personalization by keeping on sending random query words. This is to confuse the data accumulated in the server while performing search activities with words that are not related to the user. We have analyzed the rank change of the URL while conducting the search activity with 500 random query words once using the personalized account as the experimental group. To prove the effect, we set up a new account and set it as a control. We then searched the same set of queries with these two accounts, stored the URL data, and scored the rank variation. The URLs ranked on the upper page are weighted more than the lower-ranked URLs. At the beginning of the experiment, the difference between the scores of the two accounts was insignificant. As experiments continue, the number of random query words accumulated in the server increases and results show meaningful difference.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.269-280
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• 2004

We explore the selection of r and s that provides improvement over the Wilcoxon scores under the asymmetric distributions we encounter in practice. We select 0 〈 r 〈 1, s 〉 1 for right-skewed distribution and r 〉 1,0 〈 s 〈 1 for left-skewed distributions from the perspective plots. We also study the association between the desirable r and s and the test statistic for skewness.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.138-149
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• 2011

Purpose: The objective of this research was to explore levels of patient safety and safe nursing activities depending on the level of nurse staffing, in order to provide effective management of nurse personnel. Methods: The research was conducted with 455 nurses from eight hospitals in B city. Data were collected according to the level of nurse personnel from second (nurse vs. patient ratio of 2.0-2.5) to fifth (ratio of 3.5-4.0) rank. The survey tools were, 'Questionnaire on Patient Safety, a Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture developed by AHRQ (2007), and 'Questionnaire on Patient Safety Nursing Act, in which the questions were selected from nursing-related items (Medication 6 & Safety Nursing Assurance Act 4) in the Safety Evaluation developed by Evaluation Institute of Medical Institution. Data were analyzed with SPSS PC 12.0 program using descriptive statistics, $x^2$ test, ANCOVA and $Scheff{\grave{e}}$. Results: The nurses' overall cognition level on patient safety and safe nursing activities showed that nurses who are in the second and third rank had higher scores than those in lower ranks. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that hospitals need a higher ratio level for nurse personnel in order to assure patient safety and safe nursing activities.

• Educational Technology International
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.169-202
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• 2023

This study aims to develop instructional design strategies included in educational programs that can effectively improve the educational data literacy of pre-service teachers. We used the design and development model proposed by Richey and Klein and investigated its internal and external validity. Internal validity assessment involved the input of five experts who evaluated the initial instructional strategies. We conducted an educational data literacy education program with 29 pre-service teachers from Korean colleges and graduate schools for external validity. The effectiveness of the program was verified by the Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test, which revealed a meaningful statistical difference between Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test post-scores after the four weeks of online classes. Therefore, this study developed instructional strategies followed by the steps of data-based decision-making: the final instructional strategies encompass 21 strategies, categorized for implementation before, during, and after classes, accompanied by 38 detailed guidelines. This approach bears notable significance as it encapsulates actionable and effective instructional strategies thoughtfully tailored to the unique circumstances and educational setting of the field, as well as the specific characteristics and requirements of the learners.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.503-512
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• 2017

In test with multiple choices, it is necessary to have the position of correct answers of each question spreaded evenly over all the questions in order to minimize the influence of answering tendency of test takers with preference to specific position of multiple choices. The scores of tests with correct answers in specific positions would not reflect exactly the academic aptitude of examinees who do not know correct answers but have the biased answering tendency. In this paper, we have randomness test for the positioning of correct answers at the 2017 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) using Bartels rank test, the Wald-Wolfowitz runs test, the turning point test, the Cox Stuart trend test, the difference sign test and the Mann-Kendall tank test, etc. We also do independence test between the location of correct answer and the allocation of score in each question, for it may result in overestimating the test-taker with specific position preference in marking correct answers.