• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.290-301
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• 2022

Increasing life expectancy leads to a rise in the prevalence of aging-related mental diseases and a concomitant increase in the financial and societal pressures related to their prevention and management. This issue is attracting increasing attention from researchers. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether a healing program in a forest environment is effective for improving cognitive function, depression, anxiety, and stress in elderly people. A nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. The experimental group consisted of 18 males and females aged 60 to 80 years who participated in a forest healing program for seven days, while the comparison group comprised 10 people with similar demographics. For the process of data analysis, this study performed a cross-analysis to determine the homogeneity of the data and carried out the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, a nonparametric statistical test, to verify the significance of each group. Participation in the forest healing program led to a significant improve-ment in cognitive function (p=0.030). The levels of depression decreased, but this result was not statistically significant. The levels of anxiety decreased significantly (p=0.004). The mean cortisol score, a measurement of stress, decreased, but it was not statistically significant. These findings confirmed the effectiveness of this program for improving certain mental conditions of elderly people, and affirmed that the use of long-term forest healing programs can be expected to alleviate national pressures created by aging societies.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.351-358
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• 2022

Purpose: This study aims to determine the correlation between the effects of contract-relax-antagonist-contract (CRAC) and contract-relax (CR) forms of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching on balance during single-leg standing in elderly people. Methods: The participants were 20 elderly people in healthy condition and divided equally into two groups: the CRAC stretching group and the CR stretching group. Subjects were made to walk on a treadmill for 6 minutes before the stretching as a warm-up. CR and CRAC stretching were performed on the soleus. The dependent variables used to assess single-leg standing balance were overall stability(OSI), anterior/posterior(A/P) movement, and medial/lateral(M/L) movement. The statistical methods used to assess the differences between groups were verified using the Mann-Whitney U test and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: The CRAC group had significantly increased OSI, A/P and M/L after the PNF stretching intervention (p < 0.05). The CR group had significantly increased OSI and A/P after the PNF stretching intervention (p < 0.05), but M/L did not significantly increase (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference in stretching between CRAC and CR (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that CR and CRAC PNF stretching improved single-leg standing balance. CARC stretching before exercise is helpful for elderly people, as it improves balance.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.177-183
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• 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has hurt the economy and negatively impacted all enterprises' financial performance. The COVID-19 pandemic has put a strain on global manufacturing capacity and supply chains, and it is also the pandemic that has given up new opportunities for the logistics industry to develop as e-commerce has developed. By analyzing the financial performance of logistic firms listed on the Vietnam Stock Exchange, this study tries to quantify those consequences. A total of 114 logistic companies were included in the study's sample. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test was performed to test the difference between some ratios in 2019 and 2020. This study found that the financial performance of 114 logistic firms listed on the Vietnam stock exchange has not improved. The data show that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the leverage ratio increased while the profitability and efficiency ratios decreased. The liquidity ratio did not show any significant differences. On the contrary, these businesses' performance, such as returns on assets, receivable turnover, and leverage, has decreased. The COVID-19 had a global impact on supply chains, therefore export activity and international transportation were badly hampered, with only a few domestic logistic enterprises growing.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.153-162
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• 2023

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of nutrition education on dietary knowledge, dietary attitudes, and dietary behavior of elderly by analyzing changes before and after nutrition education. This study was conducted in Seoul from March 2022 to December 2022 for 50 elderly (6 male, 44 female) who participated in nutrition education for 8 weeks at three senior welfare centers (Seodaemun, Seongbuk, Jongno). A total of 35 responses were used in the final analysis. Statistical analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, paired t-test, and Wilcoxon's signed rank test by age, hypertension, and dislipidemia to find effect of nutrition education on their nutritional knowledge, dietary attitudes, and dietary behavior. Results showed that nutrition education had a significant effect on the elderly. In particular, for those with chronic diseases such as hypertension and dislipidemia, the difference after education was significant, indicating significant changes in dietary habits. This study is expected to provide basic data for the development of a systematic nutrition education program for the elderly in the future.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.1-27
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• 2023

Objective: This study designed an Augmented Reality-based intervention program for children with conflicted shyness and examined its effects on social avoidance motivation and preference for being with others. Methods: Sixteen six-year-old children were randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group. The experimental group participated in a six-week AR-based program. Both teachers and children rated social avoidance motivation and preference for being with others to evaluate the program's effectiveness. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Social avoidance motivation decreased only for the experimental group. Conversely, the control group showed increased motivation scores as reported by the children. The preference for being with others increased in the experimental group based on teacher reports. For the control group, preference scores reported by teachers and children were maintained and decreased, respectively. Conclusion/Implications: This study highlights the effectiveness of the intervention in reducing social avoidance motivation and maintaining a preference for being with others in children experiencing conflicted shyness. Furthermore, the use of AR technology provided a psychologically safe environment for them to initiate social interactions without fear of negative evaluation, highlighting its potential as a primary intervention tool for this population.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.31-39
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• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of general exercise after blood flow restriction on trunk muscles thickness in children with spastic cerebral palsy. Methods: Twenty children with cerebral palsy were assigned randomly to an experimental (n = 10) or a control (n = 10) group. The experimental group performed general exercise after blood flow restriction, while the control group performed general exercise alone. The study used an ultrasonic instrument to measure trunk muscles thickness. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to determine differences before and after treatment, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used to determine differences between treatment groups. Results: From a comparison within the groups, the experimental and control groups showed significant difference in trunk muscle thickness after the experiment (p < 0.05). In a comparison between the two groups, the experimental group showed more significant difference in trunk muscle thickness than the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Based on these results, general exercise after blood flow restriction effectively improves trunk muscle thickness in children with cerebral palsy.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2008

It is well known that many antimicrobial proteins in saliva interact with each other. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the interactions of lysozyme with peroxidase in the aspects of enzymatic activity in vitro. The interactions of lysozyme with peroxidase were examined by incubating hen egg-white lysozyme(HEWL) with bovine lactoperoxidase(bLP). The influence of peroxidase system on lysozyme was examined by subsequent addition of potassium thiocyanate and hydrogen peroxide. Lysozyme activity was determined by turbidity measurement of a Micrococcus lysodeikticus substrate suspension. Peroxidase activity was determined with an NbsSCN assay. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to analyze the changes of enzymatic activities compared with their controls. bLP at physiological concentrations enhanced the enzymatic activity of HEWL(P < 0.05) and its effect was dependent on the concentration of peroxidase. However, HEWL did not affect the enzymatic activity of bLP. Thiocyanate did not affect the enzymatic activity of HEWL, either. The addition of potassium thiocyanate and hydrogen peroxide did not lead to additional enhancement of the enzymatic activity of HEWL. The changes of hydrogen peroxide concentration in the peroxidase system did not affect the enzymatic activity of HEWL. Collectively, despite an in vitro nature of our study, the results of the present study provide valuable information on the interactions of lysozyme and peroxidase in the aspects of enzymatic activity in oral health care products and possibly in the oral cavity.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.33-39
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• 2019

Objective : The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of successful intervention program on SOC strategy and successful aging of the elderly. Methods : Three elderly individuals aged ${\geq}65$ living in W-si, Gangwon-do, were included. A successful aging program using an SOC strategy was conducted twice a week for 6 sessions. To verify the effectiveness of the program, the Korean versions of the SOC scale and the successful aging scale were used. Descriptive statistics were used for general characteristics, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare successful aging and SOC strategies. Results : After 3 weeks for successful aging program, the SOC strategy levels of the subjects were constant or improved. In addition, the average score of successful aging level increased by 11.4 points. Conclusion : This study show that the successful aging program using the SOC strategy improved the level of SOC strategy and the level of successful aging. The results of this study can be used as basic data to develop programs that can promote SOC strategy and successful aging. Also, the result of this study can be used as a basic data for the development of guidelines for occupational therapists in the future.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.220-229
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• 2021

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of music therapy on depression and rehabilitation-motivation provided to stroke patients, thus achieving evidence-based music therapy as a nursing intervention method for patients. Thirty-three people who were hospitalized for stroke diagnosis at K-Hospital were required to listen to 10 pre-selected songs for three days before bedtime. According to the general characteristics, the proportion of male participants (25, 75.8%) was higher than female (8, 24.2%), and by age group, 6(18.2%) were in 40s, 19(57.6%) were in 50s and 8(24.2%) were aged 60 or older. The study data were analyzed using Wilcoxon-signed rank test. As a result, music therapy does not affect depression and rehabilitation-motivation. However, it was shown to be effective in reducing depression in MMSE group 1 (≤ 29) with low cognitive levels. It is expected that this study can be used as an evidence for music therapy which can be applied as a way to increase the effectiveness of nursing intervention.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.181-190
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• 2024

Purpose: This study compared sequential changes in skeletal stability and the pharyngeal airway following mandibular setback surgery involving fixation with either a titanium or a bioabsorbable plate and screws. Materials and Methods: Twenty-eight patients with mandibular prognathism undergoing bilateral sagittal split osteotomy by titanium or bioabsorbable fixation were randomly selected in this study. Lateral cephalometric analysis was conducted preoperatively and at 1 week, 3-6 months, and 1 year postoperatively. Mandibular stability was assessed by examining horizontal (BX), vertical (BY), and angular measurements including the sella-nasion to point B angle and the mandibular plane angle (MPA). Pharyngeal airway changes were evaluated by analyzing the nasopharynx, uvula-pharynx, tongue-pharynx, and epiglottis-pharynx (EOP) distances. Mandibular and pharyngeal airway changes were examined sequentially. To evaluate postoperative changes within groups, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was employed, while the Mann-Whitney U test was used for between-group comparisons. Immediate postoperative changes in the airway were correlated to surgical movements using the Spearman rank test. Results: Significant changes in the MPA were observed in both the titanium and bioabsorbable groups at 3-6 months post-surgery, with significance persisting in the bioabsorbable group at 1 year postoperatively (2.29°±2.28°; P<0.05). The bioabsorbable group also exhibited significant EOP changes (-1.21±1.54 mm; P<0.05) at 3-6 months, which gradually returned to non-significant levels by 1 year postoperatively. Conclusion: Osteofixation using bioabsorbable plates and screws is comparable to that achieved with titanium in long-term skeletal stability and maintaining pharyngeal airway dimensions. However, a tendency for relapse exists, especially regarding the MPA.