• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.46 no.4
• /
• pp.350-358
• /
• 2019

Background Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common peripheral entrapment neuropathy with a high morbidity and healthcare-related costs. Currently there is no consensus about the best treatment option. The purpose of this prospective cohort study conducted at a single institution was to evaluate the clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction following a mini-open carpal tunnel release for idiopathic CTS. Methods A total of 72 patients (53 female and 19 male patients; mean age, $57.8{\pm}15.3$ years; range, 24-94 years) had a mini-open carpal tunnel release performed by a single senior surgeon between June 2015 and June 2016. The patients were evaluated preoperatively, and at 3 and 12 months post-intervention. At every follow-up, the Boston Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Questionnaire (BCTSQ) and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores for pain and satisfaction were completed. Digital sensibility (using Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments) was assessed and pinch and grip strengths were measured. Results Statistically significant and clinically relevant improvement was found in terms of digital sensibility, grip and pinch strength (except for 2-point pinch), BCTSQ scores and pain scores. The complication rate was minimal, and no major complications occurred. Two patients experienced recurrence. The availability of follow-up records (including patient-reported outcomes, BCTSQ and VAS scores, and the complication rate) at 1-year post-intervention varied between 69% and 74% (50-53 patients) depending on which parameter was assessed. Patient satisfaction was high (mean, $80.9{\pm}26.0$; range, 0-100). Conclusions This study demonstrates that mini-incision carpal tunnel release is clinically effective in the short and long term.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
• /
• v.17 no.9
• /
• pp.127-133
• /
• 2019

A callable product is one of service derivatives using options to generate demand and reduce risk. This paper compares two booking admission controls for callable products, the online and the batch admission controls. To this end, the paper computes the optimal booking policy by using the backward dynamic programming and the stochastic optimization method. Intuitively, the provider should outperform under the batch control by utilizing demand information. The contribution of the paper is to show that the two controls are equivalent in terms of the booking strategy and the expected profit, which enables the provider to keep its current control method. The paper develops the closed-form solutions for the three fare classes. The future work is to extend the result to the model with complicated fare structures.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.39 no.4
• /
• pp.846-852
• /
• 2018

Objective: The aim of this report is to report the effects of Danggwisaeyeok-tang (當歸四逆湯) on Raynaud phenomenon in a patient. Methods: A 57-year-old male diagnosed in 2016 with Raynaud's phenomenon complained of pain, digital ulceration, and discoloration of his fingers. He underwent acupuncture and electroacupuncture treatment, but the symptoms gradually worsened, so we administered herbal medicine, Danggwisaeyeok-tang (當歸四逆湯). Visual observation of the affected part, changes in subjective symptoms, and a verbal numerical rating scale (VNAS) were used to assess the clinical response. Results: After treatment with Danggwisaeyeok-tang, the patient reported improvement in his symptoms of cold sensation, ulceration, and sclerosis of his digits. Furthermore, the patient exhibited no general adverse effects. Conclusions: Danggwisaeyeok-tang (當歸四逆湯) significantly improved the patient's clinical symptoms. This case suggests that Danggwisaeyeok-tang (當歸四逆湯) may represent a good option for the treatment of Raynaud's phenomenon.

• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
• /
• v.8 no.spc1
• /
• pp.391-409
• /
• 2005

Free trade agreements have fast grown into a global phenomenon and their impact and repercussions are felt more strongly everyday. Korea, joining this large trend of the global economy, is currently pressing ahead with its negotiation rounds for FTA. In this paper, we focus on the e-commerce sector affected by the Korea-Singapore FTA, and the main issues and the future countermeasure directions of e-commerce on FTA has been analyzed. In conclusion, FTA is not an option even though there are still many remaining issues to be discussed regarding its effects. We identified countries excluding themselves from FTA are losing international competitiveness, and moreover, the losing competitiveness will end up more serious problems since the importance of FTA is especially high for e-commerce, as e-commerce accounts for a growing share of international trade. This paper also discusses the far-reaching potential consequences of the content of an international agreement at a government-to-government level on the economy and industry of a country by presenting past examples from. Korea, and recommends that policy-makers should exercise extreme vigilance in their negotiation of terms and conditions for FTA.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.179-185
• /
• 2015

The cost of advanced medical technologies is commonly considered to be a major factor in the overall escalation of expenditures on health. The use of computed tomography (CT) scanning has increased dramatically over the past decade. CT has been rapidly adopted, despite their high cost. The aim of this study is to analysis the increasing factor of the frequency of the CT, using the decision tree model. Finally, we propose the effective policy option of diagnostic imaging technology in Korea.

• The Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.15-21
• /
• 2020

PURPOSE. The aim of the current study was to analyze treatment concepts of a cohort of German dentists for planning, fabrication, and maintenance of implant-supported fixed and removable restorations. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A questionnaire including queries about experiences with implant-supported restorations as well as prosthetic and maintenance treatment concepts for supplying patients with fixed and removable implant-supported prosthetic restorations was developed and sent to 350 dental offices registered in the municipal area of Leipzig, Germany. RESULTS. An overall total of 62 returned questionnaires were included in the analyses, which relates to a response rate of 17.7%. Participating dentists were more involved in the prosthetic aspects of implant dentistry rather than surgery, while prosthetic concepts such as backward planning, digital processing, and application of all-ceramic materials were not commonly performed. Simple attachments were preferred over complex retention systems in removable implant-supported restorations. Tooth/implant-supported fixed denture prostheses as well as removable denture prostheses with supporting posterior implants were not regarded as a favorable treatment option. CONCLUSION. Within the limitations of the study, the data indicate that dentists favor simple and conventional treatment approaches in implant prosthetics. Prosthetic aspects in the planning of implant-supported restorations are often neglected. Prosthetic treatment guidelines and aspects should commonly be considered in the planning phase of implant-supported prosthetic restorations, and awareness should be increased in postgraduate education.

• KIEAE Journal
• /
• v.7 no.5
• /
• pp.99-106
• /
• 2007

Recently, there had been considerable changes in our society in terms of the level where elderly people can experience the potential in their quality of life and demand for better life. Therefore, new alternative for elderly housing responding the physical, psychological and social demand of the contemporary elderly. For this, there needs to find out preference of the elderly on their living environment. The purpose of this study is to find out the elderly preference on living arrangement via small group workshop, to propose a sustainable housing option. The workshop allowed step by step responses along with additional information about living arrangement possibility. The findings were, most participants wanted to "age in place" when they are still healthy. And some in care facility is inferior later life period. For later cases, when they were given information on various elderly housing, their preference changed from mostly elderly facility type to ordinary housing. They were intended to stay in current housing when convenient services and digital technology services are available in their house.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
• /
• v.25 no.6
• /
• pp.987-997
• /
• 2012

The sales volume of men's cosmetics has drastically increased in Korea. In recent years, men's needs for cosmetics have been diversified and the consumer demand for functional cosmetics has greatly risen. In particular, male consumers have become more interested in essence product that is a light and concentrated treatment to correct skin problems. This research analyzes consumer preferences for essence-for-men through the use of choice-based conjoint analysis. This approach is adopted since the task of respondents to choose the most preferred option from several alternatives closely mimics actual marketplace purchasing behavior by consumers. New technique for the construction of choice sets is suggested based on the balanced incomplete block design, to accommodate a larger number of product profiles. The proposed design for choice sets is balanced and provides a tool to filter the contradictory choices. Conjoint analyses are performed to assess the relative importance of attributes and identify the most preferred profile of essence-for-men with respect to attributes such as emphasized function, price, type of content, and design of container. Some differences are indicated in the analysis results between age brackets as well as between groups classified by the amount of fashion item expenditures.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
• /
• v.28 no.5
• /
• pp.284-288
• /
• 2019

A calibration-free analog neuron circuit is proposed as a viable alternative to the power hungry digital neuron in implementing a deep neural network. The conventional analog neuron requires calibrations because a voltage-mode link is used between the soma and the synapse, which results in significant uncertainty in terms of current mapping. In this work, a current-mode link is used to establish a robust link between the soma and the synapse against the variations in the process and interconnection impedances. The increased hardware owing to the adoption of the current-mode link is estimated to be manageable because the number of neurons in each layer of the neural network is typically bounded. To demonstrate the utility of the proposed analog neuron, a simple neural network with $4{\times}7{\times}3$ architecture has been designed for classifying iris flowers. The chip is now under fabrication in 0.35 mm CMOS technology. Thus, the proposed true current-mode analog neuron can be a practical option in realizing power-efficient neural networks for edge computing.

• International Journal of Contents
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 2021

Online streaming wars are intensifying. Netflix is known as the market leader in the streaming business. However, since 2019, Netflix has been losing subscribers in the United States and is at a turning point where it needs to reassess its current position in the market. While Netflix is losing dominance, rivals Amazon Prime and Hulu continue to gain market shares. Studies from Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers indicated a new shift in the streaming landscape caused by the abundance of streaming options and rising subscription costs. Recent surveys showed that consumers are excited about new streaming services, such as Disney +. Nearly two-thirds of consumers intend to terminate or downgrade one or more of their current subscriptions to make room for a new service. Moreover, it seems that consumers want ad-supported options. In Deloitte's latest Digital Media Trends survey, 65% responded that they would watch ads to eliminate or reduce subscription costs. Seventy percent of Hulu's subscribers choose its lower-priced ad-supported plan. NBC recently launched its own streaming service, Peacock, with a free ad-supported option. This opposes Netflix's brand identity of "no ads" and premium differentiation. With increasing pressure from competition and the growing risk of subscriber loss, Netflix needs to diversify its price plans. The company could try implementing the lower-priced mobile-only plan they are currently testing or plan to test in other regions. Netflix should also consider features or benefits for loyal subscribers to maintain a stronger consumer base.