• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.105-113
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• 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to verify the usefulness and practicality of the program in the daily life of the elderly by performing a three-dimensional tongue muscle exercise for the elderly to identify the dysphagia, swallowing ability, and tongue pressure. Methods: The subjects of the study were 29 elderly people aged 65 or older living in Busan, divided into a oral exercises group and tongue strength training program combined with oral exercises group, and operated 16 times for 8 weeks twice a week, and the pre and post-program evaluation was conducted in the 1st and 8th weeks. For variable selection, 7 general characteristics, 5 oral health-related characteristics, 5 Likert scale for swallowing disorder, repetitive swallowing ability test for swallowing power measurement, and tongue pressure measurement was used. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS window program 25.0 version (IBM), general characteristics and homogeneity tests, oral health-related characteristics and homogeneity tests were chi-square test, swallowing disorder, swallowing ability, and change in tongue pressure were paired t-test, Wilcoxon signed rank test, t-test, Mann-Whitney U test for swallowing disorder and changes in swallowing ability and tongue pressure, and Spearman's correlation for the relationship between swallowing disorder and swallowing ability and tongue pressure. Results: As a result of tongue strength training program combined with oral exercise, both relieve swallowing disorder and improve low eating and tongue pressure than oral exercise, and the difference in improvement effects of both relieve swallowing disorder, swallowing ability, and tongue pressure is higher. Conclusions: Based on the results of this study, it is believed that simple and practical oral muscle function reinforcement products and practical use are needed, and institutional devices to seek oral health promotion programs for the elderly are needed.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.203-213
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• 2023

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to report the symptomatic relief effect of a herbal prescription combined with methimazole for hyperthyroidism caused by Graves' disease. Methods : After diagnosis of hyperthyroidism, methimazole was initially administered alone. As the clinical symptoms continued, a herbal medicine combining Gamiondam-tang and Cheongsimyeonja-eum was administered together with methimazole. Blood concentrations of hormones were measured, and the degree of clinical symptoms was measured using the NRS scale. The effect of herbal medicine on heat intolerance was analyzed by Wilcoxon rank sum test, and the relationship between thyroid hormone and heat intolerance was analyzed by Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results : Heat intolerance symptoms were significantly reduced when the herbal prescription was administered in parallel than when methimazole was administered alone (w=296, p=0.001). The decrease in heat intolerance was not related to thyroid hormone levels (p=0.27, 0.37). Conclusions : It was found that the herbal medicine combining Gamiondam-tang and Cheongsimyeonja-eum was effective in treating hyperthyroidism symptoms including heat intolerance.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2022.06a
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• pp.269-276
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• 2022

The robustness of a supply chain (i.e., the ability to cope with external and internal disruptions and disturbances) becomes more critical in ensuring the success of a construction project because the supply chain of today's construction project includes more and diverse suppliers. Previous studies indicate that topological features of the supply chain critically affect its robustness, but there is still a great challenge in characterizing and quantifying the impact of network topological features on its robustness. In this context, this study aims to identify network measures that characterize topological features of the supply chain and evaluate their impact on the robustness of the supply chain. Network centrality measures that are commonly used in assessing topological features in social network analysis are identified. Their validity in capturing the impact on the robustness of the supply chain was evaluated through an experiment using randomly generated networks and their simulations. Among those network centrality measures, the PageRank centrality and its standard deviation are found to have the strongest association with the robustness of the network, with a positive correlation coefficient of 0.6 at the node level and 0.74 at the network level. The findings in this study allows for the evaluation of the supply chain network's robustness based only on its topological design, thereby enabling practitioners to better design a robust supply chain and easily identify vulnerable links in their supply chains.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.57-67
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• 2010

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to compare the level of perception and to identify factors associated with perception on patient safety culture among health care providers working in an operating room(OR). Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was used. Data were collected conveniently from 154 RNs and 116 physicians working in a tertiary hospital in Seoul. Patient safety culture was measured using "The Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture" developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and Spearman rank correlation coefficients were used for statistical analysis with the SPSS version 17.0. Results: The perception level of nurses and physicians on patient safety culture was "moderate" (3.14). Compared to physicians, nurses showed a significantly lower perception on the items of "teamwork within units" (t=-6.904, p<.001) and "overall perception of patient safety" (t=-4.327, p<.001), but had a higher perception about "frequency of events reported" (t=2.769, p=.006). The physicians' professional positions, years of working experience, age, and working hour per week were identified as factors associated with patient safety culture. Conclusion: Level of perception on patient safety culture may vary among health care providers working in the OR. The study finding suggests that a tailored education and training strategies should be considered to develop an effective safety culture for healthcare professionals working in OR.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.131-141
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• 2022

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the differences in dentoskeletal and soft tissue changes following conventional tooth-borne rapid maxillary expansion (RME) between adolescents and adults. Methods: Dentoskeletal and soft tissue variables of 17 adolescents and 17 adults were analyzed on posteroanterior and lateral cephalograms and frontal photographs at pretreatment (T1) and after conventional RME using tooth-borne expanders (T2). Changes in variables within each group between T1 and T2 were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Mann-Whitney U test was used to determine the differences in the pretreatment age, expansion and post-expansion durations, and dentoskeletal and soft tissue changes after RME between the groups. Spearman's correlation between pretreatment age and transverse dentoskeletal changes in the adolescent group was calculated. Results: Despite similar amounts of expansion at the crown level in both groups, the adult group underwent less skeletal expansion with less intermolar root expansion after RME than the adolescent group. The skeletal vertical dimension increased significantly in both groups without significant intergroup difference. The anteroposterior position of the maxilla was maintained in both groups, while a greater backward displacement of the mandible was evident in the adult group than that in the adolescent group after RME. The soft tissue alar width increased in both groups without a significant intergroup difference. In the adolescent group, pretreatment age was not significantly correlated with transverse dentoskeletal changes. Conclusions: Conventional RME may induce similar soft tissue changes but different dentoskeletal changes between adolescents and adults.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.75-82
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• 2022

PURPOSE: This study examined the correlation between the pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strengthening training on an unstable support surface and a stable support surface in stroke patients. METHODS: The study subjects were 22 stroke patients undergoing central nervous system developmental rehabilitation treatment. After excluding six dropouts, eight people in the experimental group and eight people in the control groups were classified by random sampling. Both groups performed central nervous system developmental rehabilitation therapy and were provided a 10-minute break. The experimental group was provided with an unstable support surface using Togu, and the control group was trained to strengthen the respiratory muscle in a stable support surface. Respiratory muscle strengthening training was conducted three times per week for 20 minutes. Before and after each group of experiments, a nonparametric test Wilcoxon signed rank test, and a Mann Whitney U-test analysis were used to analyze the variations between the two groups. All statistical significance levels (α) were set at 0.05. RESULTS: Both groups showed increases in the pulmonary function but showed significant differences only in the experimental group. There was a significant difference in the peak expiratory flow between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Central nervous system development rehabilitation treatment for patients with an impaired nervous system and respiratory muscle strengthening training on unstable support surfaces are effective in improving the pulmonary function of stroke patients. Therefore, they are expected to be applied to physical therapy programs to help various functional activities.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.49-60
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• 2024

Purpose: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had significant physical and psychological impacts on registered nurses (RNs). This study aimed to identify long COVID symptoms and their associated factors specifically among RNs. Methods: This descriptive correlational study's sample comprised 189 nurses (31.57±5.98 years, 93.7% female) in Korea. Self-reported long COVID symptoms were assessed using the COVID-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale. Data were collected from December 31, 2022, to January 13, 2023, using the online survey method and were analyzed using independent t-test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and a multiple linear regression analysis with the IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0 program. Results: A total of 179 participants (94.7%) experienced one or more long COVID symptoms. The most prevalent symptoms were weakness (77.8%), fatigue (68.3%), breathlessness (67.7%), cough/throat sensitivity/voice change (50.3%), and sleep problems (50.3%). The factors related to long COVID symptoms were marital status, type of institution, working time, acute COVID-19 symptoms, and vaccination status. The quarantine period (β=.26, p<.001) and the nursing workforce after COVID-19 (β=-.17, p=.018) were significantly associated with long COVID symptoms (Adjusted R² =.33). Conclusion: Providing comprehensive recognition is necessary for the understanding of long COVID symptoms and their associated factors among nurses and could promote a long COVID symptom management education program targeted at nurses. Moreover, it could facilitate effective nursing care and education plans for long COVID patients.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.561-571
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• 2020

Objective: To evaluate the clinical utility of ultrafast dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI compared to conventional DCE-MRI by studying lesion conspicuity and size according to the level of background parenchymal enhancement (BPE). Materials and Methods: This study included 360 women (median age, 54 years; range, 26-82 years) with 361 who had undergone breast MRI, including both ultrafast and conventional DCE-MRI before surgery, between January and December 2017. Conspicuity was evaluated using a five-point score. Size was measured as the single maximal diameter. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare median conspicuity score. To identify factors associated with conspicuity, multivariable logistic regression was performed. Absolute agreement between size at MRI and histopathologic examination was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: The median conspicuity scores were 5 at both scans, but the interquartile ranges were significantly different (5-5 at ultrafast vs. 4-5 at conventional, p < 0.001). Premenopausal status (odds ratio [OR] = 2.2, p = 0.048), non-mass enhancement (OR = 4.1, p = 0.001), moderate to marked BPE (OR = 7.5, p < 0.001), and shorter time to enhancement (OR = 0.9, p = 0.043) were independently associated with better conspicuity at ultrafast scans. Tumor size agreement between MRI and histopathologic examination was similar for both scans (ICC = 0.66 for ultrafast vs. 0.63 for conventional). Conclusion: Ultrafast DCE-MRI could improve lesion conspicuity compared to conventional DCE-MRI, especially in women with premenopausal status, non-mass enhancement, moderate to marked BPE or short time to enhancement.

• Anatomy and Cell Biology
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.382-393
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• 2023

Cell clusters are a histological hallmark feature of intervertebral disc degeneration. Clusters arise from cell proliferation, are associated with replicative senescence, and remain metabolically, but their precise role in various stages of disc degeneration remain obscure. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate small, medium, and large size cell-clusters. For this purpose, human disc samples were collected from 55 subjects, aged 37-72 years, 21 patients had disc herniation, 10 had degenerated non-herniated discs, and 9 had degenerative scoliosis with spinal curvature <45°. 15 non-degenerated control discs were from cadavers. Clusters and matrix changes were investigated with histology, immunohistochemistry, and Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Data obtained were analyzed with spearman rank correlation and ANOVA. Results revealed, small and medium-sized clusters were positive for cell proliferation markers Ki-67 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in control and slightly degenerated human discs, while large cell clusters were typically more abundant in severely degenerated and herniated discs. Large clusters associated with matrix fissures, proteoglycan loss, matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), and Caspase-3. Spatial association findings were reconfirmed with SDS-PAGE that showed presence to these target markers based on its molecular weight. Controls, slightly degenerated discs showed smaller clusters, less proteoglycan loss, MMP-1, and Caspase-3. In conclusion, cell clusters in the early stages of degeneration could be indicative of repair, however sustained loading increases large cell clusters especially around microscopic fissures that accelerates inflammatory catabolism and alters cellular metabolism, thus attempted repair process initiated by cell clusters fails and is aborted at least in part via apoptosis.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.40-53
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• 2008

Groundwater pollution prediction methods have been developed to plan the sustainable groundwater usage and protection from potential pollution in many countries. DRASTIC established by US EPA is the most widely used groundwater vulnerability mapping method. However, the DRASTIC showed limitation in predicting the groundwater contamination because the DRASTIC method is designed to embrace only hydrogeologic factors. Therefore, in this study, three different methods were applied to improve a groundwater pollution prediction method: US EPA DRASTIC, Modified-DRASTIC suggested by Panagopoulos et al. (2006), and LSDG (Land use, Soil drainage, Depth to water, Geology) proposed by Rupert (1999). The Modified-DRASTIC is the modified version of the DRASTIC in terms of the rating scales and the weighting coefficients. The rating scales of each factor were calculated by the statistical comparison of nitrate concentrations in each class using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test; while the weighting coefficients were modified by the statistical correlation of each parameter to nitrate concentrations using the Spearman's rho test. The LSDG is a simple rating method using four factors such as Land use, Soil drainage, Depth to water, and Geology. Classes in each factor are compared by the Wilcoxon rank-sum test which gives a different rating to each class if the nitrate concentration in the class is significantly different. A database of nitrate concentrations in groundwaters from 149 wells was built in Keumsan area. Application of three different methods for assessing the groundwater pollution potential resulted that the prediction which was represented by a correlation (r) between each index and nitrate was improved from the EPA DRASTIC (r = 0.058) to the modified rating (r = 0.245), to the modified rating and weights (r = 0.400), and to the LSDG (r = 0.415), respectively. The LSDG seemed appropriate to predict the groundwater pollution in that it contained land use as a factor of the groundwater pollution sources and the rating of each class was defined by a real pollution nitrate concentration.