• The Journal of Engineering Research
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.65-73
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• 1998

One approach to improved image restoration methods has been the incorporation of additional source information via Gibbs priors that assume a source that is piecewise smooth. A natural Gibbs prior for expressing such constraints is an energy function defined on binary valued line processes as well as source intensities. However, the estimation of both continuous variables and binary variables is known to be a difficult problem. In this work, we consider the application of the deterministic annealing method. Unlike other methods, the deterministic annealing method offers a principled and efficient means of handling the problems associated with mixed continuous and binary variable objectives. The application of the deterministic annealing method results in a sequence of objective functions (defined only on the continuous variables) whose sequence of solutions approaches that of the original mixed variable objective function. The sequence is indexed by a control parameter (the temperature). The energy functions at high temperatures are smooth approximations of the energy functions at lower temperatures. Consequently, it is easier to minimize the energy functions at high temperatures and then track the minimum through the variation of the temperature. This is the essence of a continuation method. We show experimental results, which demonstrate the efficacy of the continuation method applied to a Bayesian restoration model.

• Journal of the Korean Mathematical Society
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.663-677
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• 1999

This work is concerned mainly with the variational problem on an immersion x:M $\rightarrow$} $E^4$ . A new approach is introduced depends on the normal variation in any arbitrary normal direction in the normal bundle. The results of this work are considered as a continuation and an extension to that obtained in [1], [2] and [3], [4] respectively. The methods adapted here are based on Cartan's methods of moving frames and the calculus of variations.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.3533-3540
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• 2016

Background: Cigarette smoking is one of the leading global causes of premature and preventable death. In Brunei Darussalam, smoking-related diseases have been a primary cause of mortality for the past three decades. Despite the increasing efforts that have been made in recent years to reduce the consumption of tobacco products in Brunei, the prevalence of adolescent smoking cigarette, however has risen alarmingly, from 8.9% in 2013 to 11.4% in 2014, with a higher prevalence found in males (17.8%) than in females (4.8%). In response to the need for more effective smoking prevention programmes in Brunei, this study sought to explore factors that influence Bruneian male adolescents to start and continue smoking. Materials and Methods: A qualitative study using focus group discussions (FGDs) as the data collection method was conducted from October to November 2015. A total of 43 studentss, comprising 31 smokers and 12 non-smokers, aged 13-17 years, from two government secondary schools in Bandar Seri Begawan, participated in six FGDs. Discussions were recorded and translated. Transcripts were entered into NVivo10, before thematic analysis was conducted. Results: We identified three themes under the core construct of 'factors influencing smoking initiation' ('family as teachers', 'overt pressure from peers' and 'perceived smoking has many advantages') and three themes under the core construct of 'factors influencing smoking continuation' ('craving and addiction', 'smoking as a 'social activity' and 'easy accessibility of cigarettes'). Conclusions: Based on the findings, it is recommended that future prevention activities should be embedded in a comprehensive approach, involving all stakeholders within a community, and should be focused towards bringing a change in smoking and parenting behavior of parents, social norms within the culture towards all population levels, and at strengthening the existing non-smoking policies in schools and other public places where young people congregate.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.25-34
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• 2009

Objectives: This study has longitudinally analyzed male smokers in order to find out the trend rate of re-smoking after smoking cessation. Methods: The study was conducted with 800 male smokers who were provided with smoking cessation services for 3 years at public health centers from July 16, 2005 to July 15, 2008. Results: The results can be summarized as follows: First, the success rate of smoking cessation for at least 6 months during 3-year period was 54.4%. The failure rate of smoking cessation at the second year was 47.5% and the third 27.2%, which indicates that the failure rate diminishes as the period of smoking cessation extends. Second, the success rate of smoking cessation at the first trial was 35.0%, the second 24.3%, and the third 16.4%. The success rate diminished as the number of trial increased. Third, the continuation rate of smoking cessation for a year was 18.3%, for 2 years 13.4%. For the success group, the continuation rate of smoking cessation for a year was 52.5%, for 2 years 38.2%. For the failure group, the rate for a year was 21.5%. Fourth, in this longitudinal analysis, the most crucial variables that affect the success rate of smoking cessation are total number of consultation and the past experience of successful smoking cessation. Conclusion: This study shows that success of smoking cessation and the continuance of smoking cessation are both difficult, and that the past experience of smoking cessation plays an important role determining the present success of smoking cessation and continuance of smoking cessation. Thus, it is necessary to divide people into success group and failure group based on the results of the past experience of smoking cessation when they consult at smoking cessation clinics at public health centers. Further, in order to increase the continuation rate of smoking cessation, this study suggests that we need to consider ways to take care of those who successfully abstained from smoking for 6 months.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.30-34
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• 2021

[Purpose] Many studies have observed a high prevalence of erectile dysfunction among individuals performing physical activity in less leisure-time. However, this relationship in patients with type 2 diabetic patients is not well studied. In exposure outcome studies with ordinal outcome variables, investigators often try to make the outcome variable dichotomous and lose information by collapsing categories. Several statistical models have been developed to make full use of all information in ordinal response data, but they have not been widely used in public health research. In this paper, we discuss the application of two statistical models to determine the association of physical inactivity with erectile dysfunction among patients with type 2 diabetes. [Methods] A total of 204 married men aged 20-60 years with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes at the outpatient unit of the Department of Endocrinology at PSG hospitals during the months of May and June 2019 were studied. We examined the association between physical inactivity and erectile dysfunction using proportional odds ordinal logistic regression models and continuation ratio models. [Results] The proportional odds model revealed that patients with diabetes who perform leisure time physical activity for over 40 minutes per day have reduced odds of erectile dysfunction (odds ratio=0.38) across the severity categories of erectile dysfunction after adjusting for age and duration of diabetes. [Conclusion] The present study suggests that physical inactivity has a negative impact on erectile function. We observed that the simple logistic regression model had only 75% efficiency compared to the proportional odds model used here; hence, more valid estimates were obtained here.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.29
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• pp.14.1-14.8
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• 2014

Objectives Some plants were placed in indoor locations frequented by asthmatics in order to evaluate the quality of indoor air and examine the health benefits to asthmatics. Methods The present study classified the participants into two groups: households of continuation and households of withdrawal by a quasi-experimental design. The households of continuation spent the two observation terms with indoor plants, whereas the households of withdrawal passed the former observation terms with indoor plants and went through the latter observation term without any indoor plants. Results The household of continuation showed a continual decrease in the indoor concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during the entire observation period, but the household of withdrawal performed an increase in the indoor concentrations of VOCs, except formaldehyde and toluene during the latter observation term after the decrease during the former observation term. Peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) increased in the households of continuation with the value of 13.9 L/min in the morning and 20.6 L/min in the evening, but decreased in the households of withdrawal with the value of -24.7 L/min in the morning and -30.2 L/min in the evening in the first experimental season. All of the households exhibited a decrease in the value of PEFR in the second experimental season. Conclusions Limitations to the generalizability of findings regarding the presence of plants indoors can be seen as a more general expression of such a benefit of human-environment relations.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.3151-3156
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• 2014

Background: Sorafenib is a promising drug for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, treatment may be discontinued for multiple reasons, such as progressive disease, adverse events, or the cost of treatment. The consequences of sorafenib discontinuation and continuation are uncertain. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 88 HCC patients treated with sorafenib from July 2007 to January 2013. Overall survival (OS), post-disease progression overall survival (pOS), and time to disease progression (TTP) were compared for survival analysis. Cox proportional hazard regression was performed to assess the effect of important factors on OS in the overall patient population and on pOS in patients who continued sorafenib treatment. Results: Sorafenib was discontinued and continued in 24 and 64 patients, respectively. The median OS (355 vs 517 days respectively; p=0.015) and median post-PD OS (260 vs 317 days, respectively; p=0.020) were statistically different between the discontinuation and continuation groups. Neither the median time to first PD nor the time to second PD were significantly different between the 2 groups. In the discontinuation group, 3 of the 24 patients (12.5%) suffered disease outbreaks. In Cox proportional hazard regression analysis after correction for confounding factors, BCLC stage (p=0.002) and PD site (p=0.024) were significantly correlated with pOS in patients who continued sorafenib treatment. Conclusions: Sorafenib discontinuation may cause HCC flares or outbreaks. It is advisable to continue sorafenib treatment after first PD, particularly in patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage B disease or only intrahepatic PD.

• Communications for Statistical Applications and Methods
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.107-120
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• 1998

This research aims here to develop a certain extended double sampling plan, EDS, which is an extension of ordinary double sampling plan in the sense that the second-stage sampling effort and second-stage critical value are allowed to depend on the point at which the first-stage continuation region is traversed. For purpose of comparison, single sampling plan, optimal ordinary double sampling plan(ODS) and sequential probability ratio test are considered with the same overall error rates, respectively. It is observed that the EDS idea allows less sampling effort than the optimal ODS.

• 정보저장시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.177-178
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• 2005

The load/unload behavior of the hard disk drive slider is studied in terms of the air bearing static characteristics. The numerical continuation methods are applied to calculate suspension force - equilibrium position curve. The critical preloads of the femto size slider are analyzed. The hi-stability conditions are depicted on the skew angle - preload diagram. The perturbation method is used to check the stability of the solution branches.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.646-663
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• 2014

Scrum is one of the most popular and efficient agile development methods. However, like other agile methods such as Extreme Programming (XP), Feature Driven Development (FDD), and the Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM), Scrum has been criticized because of lack of support to develop secure software. Thus, in 2011, we published research proposing the idea of a security backlog (SB). This paper represents the continuation of our previous research, with a focus on the evaluation in industry-based case study. Our findings highlight an improved agility in Scrum after the integration of SB. Furthermore, secure software can be developed quickly, even in situations involving requirement changes of software. Based on our experimental findings, we noticed that, when integrating SB, it is quite feasible to develop secure software using an agile Scrum model.