• Environmental Engineering Research
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.54-62
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• 2019

The effects of UV wavelength and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) on the formation of dissolved gaseous mercury (DGM) were investigated in a controlled environment. To remove any other influences than UV wavelength and DOC, purified water was used as the working solution. DGM was instantly produced with irradiation of all UV lights even without DOC; whereas, there was no noticeable increase of DGM during irradiation of visible light. The amount of formed DGM increased as the DOC concentration increased even in dark conditions; however, UV-B irradiation significantly promoted DGM production with DOC present. The rate constants of reduction ranged from $1.4{\times}10^{-6}s^{-1}$ to $3.5{\times}10^{-5}s^{-1}$, with the lower values occurring under the dark condition without DOC and the higher values resulting under UV-B irradiation and high DOC concentration. However, DGM production was not linearly correlated with the DOC concentration at higher range of DOC in this study. Future studies should investigate the effects of DOC concentration on mercury (Hg) reduction over the broad range of DOC concentrations with different DOC structures and with other influencing parameters.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• 제13권8호
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• pp.4241-4254
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• 2019

The efficiency and accuracy of handwriting measurement could be improved by adopting digital image processing. This study developed a computer-based Korean Handwriting Assessment tool. Second graders participated in this study by performing writing tasks of consonants, vowels, words, and sentences. We extracted boundary parameters for each letter using digital image processing and calculated the variables of size, size coefficient of variation (CV), misalignment, inter-letter space, inter-word space, and ratio of inter-letter space to inter-word space. Children were also administered traditional handwriting and visuomotor tests. Digital variables from image processing were correlated with these previous tests. Using these correlations, we established a three-point scoring system that computed test scores for each variable. We analyzed inter-rater reliability between the computer rater and human rater and test-retest reliability between the first and second performances. The validity was examined by analyzing the relationship between the Korean Handwriting Assessment and previous handwriting and visuomotor tests. We suggested the Korean Handwriting Assessment to measure size, size consistency, misalignment, inter-letter space, inter-word space, and space ratio using digital image processing. This Korean Handwriting Assessment tool proved to have reliability and validity. It is expected to be useful for assessing children's handwriting.

• Current Optics and Photonics
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• 제3권1호
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• pp.54-65
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• 2019

To develop a biomarker predicting tumor treatment efficacy is helpful to reduce time, medical expenditure, and efforts in oncology therapy. In clinics, microvessel density using immunohistochemistry has been proposed as an indicator that correlates with both tumor size and metastasis of cancer. In the preclinical study, we hypothesized that vascular morphometrics using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) could be potential indicators to estimate the treatment efficacy of breast cancer. To verify this hypothesis, a 13762-MAT-B-III rat breast tumor was grown in a dorsal skinfold window chamber which was applied to a nude mouse, and the change in vascular morphology was longitudinally monitored during tumor growth and metronomic cyclophosphamide treatment. Based on the daily OCTA maximum intensity projection map, multiple vessel parameters (vessel skeleton density, vessel diameter index, fractal dimension, and lacunarity) were compared with the tumor size in no tumor, treated tumor, and untreated tumor cases. Although each case has only one animal, we found that the vessel skeleton density (VSD), vessel diameter index and fractal dimension (FD) tended to be positively correlated with tumor size while lacunarity showed a partially negative correlation. Moreover, we observed that the changes in the VSD and FD are prior to the morphological change of the tumor. This feasibility study would be helpful in evaluating the tumor vascular response to treatment in preclinical settings.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• 제21권3호
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• pp.178-187
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate how college students' perceived stress, cognitive stress, and somatization affect their heart rate variability (HRV). Methods: This study is a cross-sectional survey research on 191 university students, registered at the G University. The perceived stress scale (PSS) and cognitive stress response scale, were used to assess level of stress. The somatization symptom scale of the Symptom Check List 90 (SCL-90), was used to assess level of somatization caused by stress. To assess heart rate variability (HRV), we conducted a five-minute test using a pulse wave analyzer, to analyze short-term HRV. Results: The SCL-90 somatization score had relatively high positive correlation (p< .001) with cognitive stress, but low positive correlation (p< .001) with perceived stress. Cognitive stress response had low negative correlation (p< .001) with 1nSDNN and 1nRMSSD among HRV parameters. Perceived stress was not correlated with HRV. Multiple regression analysis showed that variables of perceived stress, cognitive stress, and somatization symptoms, could not explain HRV. By contrast, one of the HRV indicators, 1nSDNN, was affected by age, gender, and aggressive-hostile thought, the latter being a subscale of the cognitive stress response scale. Conclusion: This study suggests that stress evaluation for people in early adulthood will be more effective, if the evaluation examines cognitive stress and heart rate variability.

• 가정∙방문간호학회지
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• 제26권2호
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• pp.180-188
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• 2019

Purpose: To investigate the duration of each nursing activity performed by home care nurses for non-cancer patients and the relationship between patients' palliative prognostic index (PPI) and duration of each nursing activity. Methods: Nursing activities performed for six non-cancer terminal patients were timed using a stopwatch, and 18 parameters were measured by visiting each patient thrice. The mean and standard deviations of duration for each category of nursing activities were computed. The relationship between category-specific duration of nursing activities and PPI was analyzed with Spearman's correlation and multiple regression analysis. Results: Among nursing activities, the highest greatest duration of time was spent on traffic time (11.91 min), followed by urinary catheter management (10.65 min) and insertion and management of nasogastric tube (9.03 min). In terms of nursing categories, after excluding movement time, the greatest duration of time was spent on excretion care (5.48 min), nutrition care (5.40 min), and medication (3.82 min). PPI correlated with hygiene care, excretion care, and patient and information management. Multiple regression analysis revealed that PPI increased with increasing duration of hygiene care. Conclusion: These study findings provide grounds for the increased nursing time of hygiene care for people reaching the end of life.

• 천문학회보
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• 제43권2호
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• pp.34.1-34.1
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• 2018

We investigate the properties of bright galaxies with various morphological types in Abell 1139 and Abell 2589, using the pixel color-magnitude diagram (pCMD) analysis. The 32 bright member galaxies ($Mr{\leq}-21.3mag$) are deeply imaged in the g and r bands in our CFHT/MegaCam observations, as a part of the KASI-Yonsei Deep Imaging Survey of Clusters (KYDISC). We examine how the features of their pCMDs depend on galaxy morphology and infrared color. We find that the g - r color dispersion as a function of surface brightness (${\mu}r$) shows better performance in distinguishing galaxy morphology, than the mean g - r color does. The best set of parameters for galaxy classification appears to be a combination of the minimum color dispersion at ${\mu}r{\leq}21.2mag\;arcsec-2$ and the maximum color dispersion at $20.0{\leq}{\mu}r{\leq}21.0mag\;arcsec-2$: the latter reflects the complexity of stellar populations at the disk component in a typical spiral galaxy. Moreover, the color dispersion of an elliptical galaxy appears to be correlated with its WISE infrared color ([4.6]-[12]). This indicates that the complexity of stellar populations in an elliptical galaxy is related to its recent star formation activities. From this observational evidence, we infer that gas-rich minor mergers or gas interactions may have usually occurred during the recent growth of massive elliptical galaxies.

• Animal Bioscience
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• 제34권7호
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• pp.1100-1104
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• 2021

Objective: The objective of present study was to estimate heritability of non-return rate (NRR) and success of first insemination (SFI) by using the Bayesian approach with Gibbs sampling. Methods: Heifer Traits were denoted as NRR-h and SFI-h, and cow traits as NRR-c and SFI-c. The variance covariance components were estimated using threshold model under Bayesian procedures THRGIBBS1F90. Results: The SFI was more relevant to evaluating success of insemination because a high percentage of animals that demonstrated no return did not successfully conceive in NRR. Estimated heritability of NRR and SFI in heifers were 0.032 and 0.039 and the corresponding estimates for cows were 0.020 and 0.027. The model showed low values of Geweke (p-value ranging between 0.012 and 0.018) and a low Monte Carlo chain error, indicating that the amount of a posteriori for the heritability estimate was valid for binary traits. Genetic correlation between the same traits among heifers and cows by using the two-trait threshold model were low, 0.485 and 0.591 for NRR and SFI, respectively. High genetic correlations were observed between NRR-h and SFI-h (0.922) and between NRR-c and SFI-c (0.954). Conclusion: SFI showed slightly higher heritability than NRR but the two traits are genetically correlated. Based on this result, both two could be used for early indicator for evaluate the capacity of cows to conceive.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제48권2호
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• pp.142-149
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• 2021

Objective: Bacteriospermia and urogenital infections are common problems in male infertility. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of bacteriospermia on sperm parameters and clinical outcomes in semen samples infected with two common bacteria (Staphylococcus saprophyticus and Escherichia coli) in northern Iran. Methods: Microbiological tests were performed to isolate and identify organisms from 435 semen samples from infertile couples. Semen samples were assessed according to the World Health Organization criteria. The protamine status, chromatin structure, chromatin condensation, and acrosome reaction of sperm and assisted reproductive outcomes were determined in couples with different male infertility factors. Results: Among the total cases, the two most prevalent pathogens were considered: S. saprophyticus (38.2%) and E. coli (52.9%). In the semen samples infected with E. coli, the spontaneous acrosome reaction and abnormal chromatin condensation were more common (p<0.05). Significant increases in abnormal chromatin condensation and deprotamination were seen in the presence of S. saprophyticus. In washed semen, tight adhesion between the sperm midpiece and S. saprophyticus was observed. There was also a significant decrease in the fertilization rate using semen samples infected with S. saprophyticus and E. coli during in vitro fertilization cycles (p<0.001). In addition, the presence of S. saprophyticus and E. coli in semen samples was associated with a lower likelihood of clinical pregnancy in couples with various factors of male infertility. Conclusion: Poor results of assisted reproductive techniques may be correlated with semen samples infected with two common bacteria in northern Iran.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• 제51권1호
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• pp.30-39
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• 2021

Purpose: The present study was undertaken to examine whether periodontal probe visibility (PV) accurately reflects gingival thickness (GT) and to identify factors affecting PV using cluster and multivariate analyses. Methods: The clinical characteristics of the maxillary central incisors (n=90 subjects) were examined. Clinical photographs, sex, PV, probing depth, gingival width, papilla height, GT as measured with an ultrasonic device, and the ratio of crown width to crown length were recorded. Multivariate analysis, using multinomial baseline-category logistic regression, was used to identify factors predictive of PV. Cluster analysis was used to identify gingival biotypes. Results: In the multivariate analysis, sex was the only significant predictor of PV (odds ratio, 6.48). Two clusters of subjects were created based on morphometric parameters. The mean GT among cluster A subjects was significantly lower than that among cluster B subjects (P=0.015). No significant difference was found between cluster A and B subjects in terms of PV score (P=0.583). Conclusions: Periodontal PV was not associated with GT as measured directly using an ultrasonic device. Sex was a highly significant predictor of periodontal PV. GT was found to be correlated with morphological characteristics of the periodontium.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제46권4호
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• pp.160-169
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• 2021

Background: Dual-energy X-ray images (DEI) can distinguish or improve materials of interest in a two-dimensional radiographic image, by combining two images obtained from separate low and high energies. The concepts of DEI performance describing the performance of double-exposure DEI systems in the Fourier domain been previously introduced, however, the performance of double-exposure DEI itself in terms of various parameters, has not been reported. Materials and Methods: To investigate the DEI performance, signal-difference-to-noise ratio, modulation transfer function, noise power spectrum, and noise equivalent quanta were used. Low- and high-energy were 60 and 130 kVp with 0.01-0.09 mGy, respectively. The energy-separation filter material and its thicknesses were tin (Sn) and 0.0-1.0 mm, respectively. Noise-reduction (NR) filtering used the Gaussian-filter NR, median-filter NR, and anti-correlated NR. Results and Discussion: DEI performance was affected by Sn-filter thickness, weighting factor, and dose allocation. All NR filtering successfully reduced noise, when compared with the dual-energy (DE) images without any NR filtering. Conclusion: The results indicated the significance of investigating, and evaluating suitable DEI performance, for DE images in chest radiography applications. Additionally, all the NR filtering methods were effective at reducing noise in the resultant DE images.