• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.30-38
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• 2009

Purpose: This randomized study was done to compare the effects of a 6 month Tai Chi exercise and a self-help program on balance, flexibility and muscle strength in women with osteoarthritis (OA). Method: In this experimental study, 82 women with OA recruited from outpatient clinics or community health centers were randomly assigned either to a Tai Chi group or a self-help group. Thirty women (mean age = 62 years) in the Tai Chi group and 39 (mean age = 59 years) in the self-help group completed posttest measures (balance, flexibility, oxygen consumption, abdominal muscle strength, back muscle strength, and grip strength) at 6 months. Results: After the 6 month, Tai Chi participants had significantly greater balance (mean difference = 2.9 vs. 0.9 for the self-help), grip strength (mean difference = 4.6 vs. 0.9 for the self-help), and back muscle strength (mean difference = 4.1 vs. -0.3 for the self-help). However, flexibility, oxygen consumption, and abdominal muscle strength were not significantly different between the groups. Conclusion: Tai Chi increased balance, grip strength and back muscle strength in older women with osteoarthritis compared to the self-help program. Whether these changes improve physical functioning and fall prevention requires further study.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.62-72
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• 2008

Purpose: There has been a need to integrating the self-help program for arthritis with the Tai Chi for arthritis(SHTCA). The purpose of this study was to develop and to examine the effect of SHTCA for arthritis applying the nine movement Tai Chi. Method: This study was designed the pre-post test, quasi-experimental design. A total 47 participants were recruited in W-city in Korea, an experimental group(26) and a control group(21) at pre-test, but after the eight weeks the composition of the groups were changed to 22 experimental group and 15 control group. The experimental group participated in the SHTCA once a week for eight weeks. SHTCA program consisted of understanding of the arthritis, contracting of the promise, exercise for muscle strength and joint flexibility and the nine movements of Tai Chi exercise. The measures used to examine the effect of the SHTCA were shoulder flexibility, back flexibility, grasping power, balance, abdominal obesity rates, perception of health status, and EQ-5D standardized five dimensions, mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression. Results: At The completion of the eight weeks of SHTCA applying the nine movement Tai Chi, the experimental group reported a significance in a number of variables compared to those of the control group: the right shoulder flexibility(p=.018), left shoulder flexibility(p=.031), right grasping power(p=.014), left grasping power(p=.024), the perception of health status(p=.005) and abdominal obesity rates(p=.027). Conclusion: This SHTCA applying the nine movement Tai Chi would be helpful on right shoulder flexibility, left shoulder flexibility, right grasping power, left grasping power, abdominal obesity rates and the perception of health status for arthritis patients.

• Proceedings of the Korea Committee for Ocean Resources and Engineering Conference
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.60-66
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• 2006

This paper presents a new way achieving better welding results of gas mental arc welding (GMAW) system by using a decentralized control method. In this paper, the GMAW system is considered as two separated subsystems such as a power source of GMAW (PS-GMAW) and a wire feed unit (WFU). The mathematical modeling of PS-GMAW and WFU are presented. Based on the modeling of two subsystems, a sliding mode controller and a proportional controller is designed for controlling the PS-GMAW and the WFU, respectively. Two decentralized controllers have to be designed to control the out welding arc of the GMAW to be stable and tracking the setting value accurately during the welding process. Furthermore, the simulation and experimental results are shown to prove the effectiveness of the proposed controllers.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.209-219
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• 2019

It is important to analyze crosslink densities of rubber articles because the physical properties are dependent on the crosslink densities. In this paper, analytical techniques for the measurement of crosslink densities of rubber vulcanizates are described. The most widely used method to measure the crosslink density is a swelling method combined with the Flory-Rehner equation. Application of the interaction parameter (${\chi}$) of rubber and swelling solvent is critical because the crosslink density is absolutely dependent on the ${\chi}$ value. Methods for obtaining ${\chi}$ employ not only solubility parameters of the polymer and swelling solvent but also inverse gas chromatography (IGC). The solubilities of rubbers can be obtained using micro differential scanning calorimetry (${\mu}DSC$), intrinsic viscosity measurement, and UV-visible spectroscopy. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has been also used for the measurement of the crosslink density using the $T_2$ relaxation time, which is determined by spin-spin relaxation in solid-state NMR. For sulfur-cured rubber vulcanizates, crosslink densities according to the crosslink types of mono-, di-, and polysulfides are measured by treating the rubber samples with a chemical probe composed of thiol and amine compounds. Measurement methods of physical crosslinking by filler, crystallization, and ionic bonding have also been introduced.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.71-83
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate the effects of Tai Chi Self-help program for Hemophilic Arthritis Patients. Method: A quasi-experimental design was used. The subjects were 48 patients who underwent orthopedic surgery (24 experimental group, 24 control group). The subjects of experimental group were participated in the Tai Chi self-help group program in which 16 times for 8 weeks. The program consisted of health education on hemophilia, Tai Chi exercise, and workshop and its outcomes have been evaluated on WOMAC(Western Ontario and McMaster scale), mobility, pain, fatigue, muscle strength, depression, and quality of life(SF-36). The obtained data were analyzed by using the t-test or Fisher's exact test of PASW 18.0. Results: 1) The score of WOMAC, pain, fatigue, and depression decreased significantly in the experimental group as compared to the control group. 2) The score of mobility, muscle strength, and quality of life increased significantly in the experimental group as compared to the control group. Conclusion: Considering these research results, the program could be useful to improve joint movement, strength and psychological condition for patient with hemophilic arthritis, particularly in those who underwent orthopedic surgery.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.1057-1065
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• 2010

In this paper we discuss some cautionary notes in using the Pearson chi-squared test statistic for the goodness-of-fit of the ordinal response model. If a model includes continuous type explanatory variables, the resulting table from the t of a model is not a regular one in the sense that the cell boundaries are not fixed but randomly determined by some other criteria. The chi-squared statistic from this kind of table does not have a limiting chi-square distribution in general and we need to be very cautious of the use of a chi-squared type goodness-of-t test. We also study the limiting distribution of the chi-squared type statistic for testing the goodness-of-t of cumulative logit models with ordinal responses. The regularity conditions necessary to the limiting distribution will be reformulated in the framework of the cumulative logit model by modifying those of Moore and Spruill (1975). Due to the complex limiting distribution, a parametric bootstrap testing procedure is a good alternative and we explained the suggested method through a practical example of an ordinal response dataset.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.278-285
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• 2006

Purpose: This study was performed to verify the effect of Tai Chi exercise on patients with rheumatoid arthritis particularly their level of pain, fatigue, sense of balance and daily lift performance(ADL). Method: It employed a non-equivalent control group pre- and post-test design. The research instruments used in this study were pain, fatigue, sense of balance and ADL. Thirty-two patients in the experimental group carried out 50 minutes of Tai Chi exercise for 12 weeks, and 29 patients in the control group did not. Before and after the experiment, both groups were tested for pain, fatigue, sense of balance and ADL. Collected data were processed using the SPSS/WIN 10.0 program analyzed by the frequency, percentage, $x^2-test$, and t-test. Results: Pain and fatigue significantly decreased in the experimental group. However the improvement in ADL of the rheumatoid arthritis patients was not statistically significant but their sense of balance was enhanced significantly. Conclusion: Tai Chi exercise is an effective nursing intervention that can be used for rheumatoid arthritis patients.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.11
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• pp.977-986
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• 2020

This paper investigates factors impacting on sustainable fashion buying intention of consumers by reviewing studies about the topic and conducting a survey with consumers in Ho Chi Minh City. In detail, firstly, an interview with 15 respondents was conducted to check the understanding of concepts and questions and, secondly, the study used the convenient sampling method, with 172 samples collected and analyzed, of which young respondents accounted for the majority of the sample. The respondents tend to go shopping many times in a year, with the number of people buying fashion products from every week to every two months accounting for 65.2% totally. The findings suggest that the firms should prioritize strategies that can improve customer attitude toward sustainable fashion, making them feel good, pleasant, satisfied and favorable when engaging in sustainable fashion consumption. This study concludes that consumers need more information to enable them to make better ethical decisions. This study proposes that the major channels that consumers use to seek sustainable product information include public education, peer influence, and corporate marketing information about the products. This study concludes that public education and corporate marketing information on green consumption education is effective for improving consumer sustainable buying intention.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.159-168
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of 12 weeks of Tai Chi exercise on physical function, stress and depression in middle aged women with osteoarthritis. Method: The research design was a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. Forty two participants were assigned to either the experimental group (21) or control group (21). Frequency, percentages, mean, standard deviations, $X^2$-test, Wilcoxon rank sum test and repeated measured ANOVA with SPSS 12.0/PC program were used to analyzed the collected data. Results: For physical function the physical fitness of the experimental group improved significantly more than the control group: Leg strength, balance, flexibility and grip strength. Difficulty of performing activity had a tendency of decrease. Stress showed a tendency of as time passed but the decrease was not significant. Depression decreased and the change was significant. Conclusion: The Tai Chi exercise was effective in improving physical function and reducing the stress and depression of middle aged women with osteoarthritis. Therefore the Tai Chi exercise could be used as a nursing intervention for osteoarthritis in middle aged women.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.73-82
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a 12-week Tai Chi on the bone mineral density and bone metabolic markers in postmenopausal women Methods: Data were collected from March to July, 2009. Fifty postmenopausal women were recruited for the study. Twenty two women were allocated to experimental group, and 28 to control group. The experimental group underwent Tai Chi exercise twice a week for twelve weeks. The control group was only notified with results of bone mineral density and bone metabolic markers. Bone mineral density was measured by using of DTX-200 (Osteometer MediTech, Hawthorne, CA, USA) at distal radius site and bone metabolic markers were measured by radioimmunoassay method. Collected data were analyzed by t-test, $X^2$-test, and Mann-Whitney test. Results: After 12 weeks of treatment, the Tai Chi group showed a significant difference in bone mineral density compared to control group but no significant effect on osteocalcin and deoxypyridinoline level. Conclusion: Our results suggest that 12 weeks of Tai chi may delay bone loss in postmenopausal women.