• Title/Summary/Keyword: group performance

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Decreased Attention in Narcolepsy Patients is not Related with Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (기면병 환자의 주의집중 저하와 주간졸음증 간의 상관관계 부재)

  • Kim, Seog-Ju;Lyoo, In-Kyoon;Lee, Yu-Jin;Lee, Ju-Young;Jeong, Do-Un
    • Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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    • v.12 no.2
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    • pp.122-132
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    • 2005
  • Objectives: The objective of this study is to assess cognitive functions and their relationship with sleep symptoms in young narcoleptic patients. Methods: Eighteen young narcolepsy patients and 18 normal controls (age: 17-35 years old) were recruited. All narcolepsy patients had HLA $DQB_1$ *0602 allele and cataplexy. Several important areas of cognition were assessed by a battery of neuropsychological tests consisting of 13 tests: executive functions (e.g. cognitive set shifting, inhibition, and selective attention) through Wisconsin card sorting test, Trail Making A/B, Stroop test, Ruff test, Digit Symbol, Controlled Oral Word Association and Boston Naming Test; alertness and sustained attention through paced auditory serial addition test; verbal/nonverbal short-term memory and working memory through Digit Span and Spatial Span; visuospatial memory through Rey-Osterrieth complex figure test; verbal learning and memory through California verbal learning test; and fine motor activity through grooved pegboard test. Sleep symptoms in narcolepsy patients were assessed with Epworth sleepiness scale, Ullanlinna narcolepsy scale, multiple sleep latency test, and nocturnal polysomnography. Relationship between cognitive functions and sleep symptoms in narcolepsy patients was also explored. Results: Compared with normal controls, narcolepsy patients showed poor performance in paced auditory serial addition (2.0 s and 2.4 s), digit symbol tests, and spatial span (forward)(t=3.86, p<0.01; t=-2.47, p=0.02; t=-3.95, p<0.01; t=-2.22, p=0.03, respectively). There were no significant between-group differences in other neuropsychological tests. In addition, results of neuropsychological test in narcolepsy patients were not correlated with Epworth sleepiness scale score, Ullanlinna narcolepsy scale score and sleep variables in multiple sleep latency test or nocturnal polysomnography. Conclusion: The current findings suggest that young narcolepsy patients have impaired attention. In addition, impairment of attention in narcolepsy might not be solely due to sleep symptoms such as excessive daytime sleepiness.

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Serum Biomarkers for Early Detection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Associated with HCV Infection in Egyptian Patients

  • Zekri, Abdel-Rahman;Youssef, Amira Salah El-Din;Bakr, Yasser Mabrouk;Gabr, Reham Mohamed;El-Rouby, Mahmoud Nour El-Din;Hammad, Ibtisam;Ahmed, Entsar Abd El-Monaem;Marzouk, Hanan Abd El-Haleem;Nabil, Mohammed Mahmoud;Hamed, Hanan Abd El-Hafez;Aly, Yasser Hamada Ahmed;Zachariah, Khaled S.;Esmat, Gamal
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.16 no.3
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    • pp.1281-1287
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    • 2015
  • Background: Early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma using serological markers with better sensitivity and specificity than alpha fetoprotein (AFP) is needed. Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of serum sICAM-1, ${\beta}$-catenin, IL-8, proteasome and sTNFR-II in early detection of HCC. Materials and Methods: Serum levels of IL-8, sICAM-1, sTNFR-II, proteasome and ${\beta}$-catenin were measured by ELISA assay in 479 serum samples from 192 patients with HCC, 96 patients with liver cirrhosis (LC), 96 patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and 95 healthy controls. Results: Serum levels of proteasome, sICAM-1, ${\beta}$-catenin and ${\alpha}FP$ were significantly elevated in HCC group compared to other groups (P-value<0.001), where serum level of IL-8 was significantly elevated in the LC and HCC groups compared to CHC and control groups (P-value <0.001), while no significant difference was noticed in patients with HCC and LC (P-value=0.09). Serum level of sTNFR-II was significantly elevated in patients with LC compared to HCC, CHC and control groups (P-value <0.001); also it was significantly higher in HCC compared to CHC and control groups (P-value <0.001). ROC curve analysis of the studied markers between HCC and other groups revealed that the serum level of proteasome had sensitivity of 75.9% and specificity of 73.4% at a cut-off value of $0.32{\mu}g/ml$ with AUC 0.803 sICAM-1 at cut off value of 778ng/ml, the sensitivity was 75.8% and the specificity was 71.8% with AUC 0.776. ${\beta}$-catenin had sensitivity and specificity of 70% and 68.6% respectively at a cut off value of 8.75ng/ml with an AUC of 0.729. sTNFR-II showed sensitivity of 86.3% and specificity of 51.8% at a cut off value of 6239.5pg/ml with an AUC of 0.722. IL-8 had sensitivity of 70.4% and specificity of 52.3% at a cut off value of 51.5pg/ml with AUC 0.631. Conclusions: Our data supported the role of proteasome, sICAM-1, sTNFR-II and ${\beta}$-catenin in early detection of HCC. Also, using this panel of serological markers in combination with ${\alpha}FP$ may offer improved diagnostic performance over ${\alpha}FP$ alone in the early detection of HCC.

Development of Protein-rich Food Mixtures for Infants and Growing Children in Korea -(4) Nutritional and Biochemical Evaluation of Formulas F-P-5, F-P-6, F-P-7 and storage stability of F-P-4- (유유아(乳幼兒) 및 성장기아동을 위한 영양식품 개발에 관한 연구 -(4) F-P-5, F-P-6 및 F-P-7의 영양학적, 생화학적 검토 및 그 저장성-)

  • Kwon, Tai-Wan;Cheigh, Hong-Sik;Kim, Sook-He;Lee, Hyun-Keum
    • Journal of Nutrition and Health
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    • v.3 no.3
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    • pp.129-135
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    • 1970
  • From the previous studies, F-P-4 formula was found to be comparable to full fat dry milk in its nutritive value and feeding performance. However, an attempt was made in order to make sure whether or not any possibility might exist, by which further improvement of nutritive quality and simultaneous reduction of product costs may be achieved. Using F-P-4 as a control, modifications were made in new formulas, F-P-5, F-P-6 and F-P-7 by reducing FPC, eliminating yeast from the mixture, and by enriching with methionine as needed. In particular, F-P-7 is completely free of FPC, hydrogenated oil and yeast. Yet, levels of total protein and fat were kept equal to those of F-P-4 in all formulas. An animal feeding test for all formulas using 10 female rats per group for 8 weeks and an infant feeding trial for F-P-5 and F-P-6 with 5 of each female infants under age of one for one month were conducted along with F-P-4 as a control. Almost the same results were obtained with F-P-4, 5 and 6, but F-P-7 showed the lowest body weight gain. FER of F-P-5 and 6 was 0.20 as was with F-P-4, while that of F-P-7 was 0.16. Acceptability to infants was excellent; growth, appearance and biochemical data were normal. As an example F-P-4 packed in 0.04mm polyethylene bags was used for storage study at $25^{\circ}C$ and relative humidity of $65{\sim}85%$ for 8 months. Although viable bacterial counts and vitamin C contents were reduced, peroxide and TBA values were increased gradually during such storage. Since there are also significant changes in color and organoleptic quality, the expected shelf life under the given conditions is considered to be about 2 months and thus further works are needed both on the product and packaging in order to improve the storage stability. Either elimination of yeast form F-P-4, that is F-P-5, or partial replacement of FPC with methionine, that is F-P-6 may well reduce material costs about 10%. Considering blending process of ingredients, F-P-5 is thus found to be the best formula developed. While F-P-7 free of FPC is inferior in its nutritive quality than that of others, but significantly superior than of rice. Furthermore, the material cost of the product can be reduced about 20% from that of F-P-4. And thus this vegetable blend is considered to be useful as a low cost supplementary food mixture for growing children.

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Effects of Arc Number or Rotation Range upon Dose Distribution at RapidArc Planning for Liver Cancer (간암환자를 대상으로 한 래피드아크 치료계획에서 아크수 및 회전범위가 선량분포에 미치는 영향)

  • Park, Hae-Jin;Kim, Mi-Hwa;Chun, Mi-Son;Oh, Yeong-Teak;Suh, Tae-Suk
    • Progress in Medical Physics
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    • v.21 no.2
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    • pp.165-173
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    • 2010
  • In this paper, we evaluated the performance of 3D CRT, IMRT and three kind of RA plannings to investigate the clinical effect of RA with liver cancer case. The patient undergoing liver cancer of small volume and somewhat constant motion were selected. We performed 3D CRT, IMRT and RA plannings such as 2RA, limited triple arcs (3RA) and 3MRA with Eclipse version 8.6.15. The same dose volume objectives were defined for only CTV, PTV and body except heart, liver and partial body in IMRT and RA plannings. The steepness of dose gradient around tumor was determined by the Normal Tissue Objective function with the same parameters in place of respective definitions of dose volume objectives for the normal organs. The approach between the defined dose constraints and the practical DVH of CTV, PTV and Body was the best in 3MRA and the worst in IMRT. The DVHs were almost the same among RAs. Plans were evaluated using Conformity Index (CI), Homogeneity Index (HI) and Quality of coverage (QoC) by RTOG after prescription with dose level surrounding 98% of PTV in the respective plans. As a result, 3MRA planning showed the better favorable indices than that of the others and achieved the lowest MUs. In this study, RA planning is a technique that is possible to obtain the faster and better dose distribution than 3D CRT or IMRT techniques. Our result suggest that 3MRA planning is able to reduce the MUs further, keeping a similar or better targer dose homogeneity, conformity and sparing normal tissue than 2RA or 3RA.

Changes in Objective and Subjective Responses in Soft Contact Lens Wearers Refitted to Daily-Wear Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses (매일착용 실리콘 하이드로겔렌즈로 바꿔 착용한 소프트 콘택트렌즈 착용자에서 나타난 증상 변화)

  • Lee, Koon-Ja;Mun, Mi-Young;Buyn, Jang-Won;Leem, Hyun-Sung
    • Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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    • v.12 no.4
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    • pp.43-54
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    • 2007
  • Silicone hydrogel contact lenses developed as a continuous-wear modality are now used as a daily-wear contact lenses. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical performance in a group of successful long-term wearers of conventional hydrogel contact lenses when refitted with daily wear $O_2OPTIX$ silicone hydrogel lenses. Sixty-two wearers ($30.7{\pm}19.9$ months of prior lens wear) among sixty-five soft lens wearers refitted with $O_2OPTIX$ silicone hydrogel lenses were participated in this study finally. Subjective symptoms were scored and objective signs were graded using CCLRU scales during the study period. 98% of subjects were successfully refitted with the one base curve of $O_2OPTIX$, and 33.9% of subjects were needed more or less lens powers compared with their habitual lenses. Subjects reported a concurrent reduction in dryness, redness and tiredness compared with their habitual lenses and both subjective and objective evaluations showed that dryness, tiredness, itchiness, bulbar and limbal hyperemia were decreased and significantly decreased particularly for those subjects with greater baseline symptoms (p<0.0001). But corneal staining was increased and was seen in many subjects during the study (p<0.0001). Refitting existing soft contact lens wearers with silicone hydrogel contact lens could result in a decreased in dryness, redness and tiredness, particularly more effective for those subjects with greater baseline of those symptoms. When patients using conventional hydrogel materials switch to a silicone hydrogel material, the potential for increased corneal staining should be considered and over-refraction should be needed to give a best vision.

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Outcomes of Chronic Peritoneal Dialysis by Various Modalities in Korean Children - A Single Center Study (소아 환자에서 다양한 복막투석 방법간의 결과 비교-단일기관 연구)

  • Lee, Sung-Ha;Baek, Jae-Suk;Lee, Hyun-Kyung;Han, Kyoung-Hee;Choi, Hyun-Jin;Lee, Bum-Hee;Cho, Hee-Yeon;Cheong, Hae-Il;Choi, Yong;Ha, Il-Soo
    • Childhood Kidney Diseases
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    • v.11 no.2
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    • pp.255-263
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    • 2007
  • Purpose : A single center cross sectional retrospective study was performed to compare the outcomes of different peritoneal dialysis(PD) modalities in Korean children. Methods : Among children dialyzed with PD between the year 2004 and 2007, 35 children had reliable data on PD adequacy after 3 to 15 months of dialysis. Subjects were grouped by their modalities; 17, 13 and 5 children were on continuous ambulatory PD(CAPD), continuous cyclic PD(CCPD) and nightly intermittent PD(NIPD), respectively. Body weight and height, number of patients taking anti-hypertensives and laboratory data including biochemical and hemoglobin levels were compared. Dialysis adequacy including weekly Kt/Vurea, creatinine clearance (Ccr) and daily water removal were also compared. Patients were sub-grouped by their peritoneal permeability characteristics. Results : The percentage of patients taking anti-hypertensives, monthly change in Z-scores of body weight and height and laboratory data did not differ among the groups. Patients on CAPD and CCPD showed similar dialysis adequacies. Weekly dialytic Ccr was significantly lower in the NIPD group compared to the others. But total Ccr was not different when residual renal function was added. Weekly dialytic Ccr by CAPD was significantly higher than that of CCPD in low and low-average transporters. Conclusion : We propose that modality can be selected flexibly according to the patients' preferences. And peritoneal permeability characteristics provide valuable information for adjusting PD prescriptions in ultrafiltration failure or in inadequate dialysis. Further study of other clinical performance measures should be performed to clarify the comparable outcomes in different PD modalities.

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Growth and Nutrients Uptake as Affected by Ammonium sulfate and Urea in the Paddy Rice (황산암모니아 및 요소의 시용이 수도의 생육과 양분 흡수에 미치는 영향)

  • ;Eun-Woong Lee
    • KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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    • v.28 no.4
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    • pp.391-418
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    • 1983
  • Urea and ammonium sulfate without and with sulfur group, respectively, were compared with respect to their nutritive effects on the rice plants, Suweon 264 and Jinheung, under the nursery trial on the protected upland and lowland seedbed, the pot trials with their various combination ratios and with added sodium sulfate to urea and the trials on the paddy fields which have undergone urea and ammonium sulfate application for many years. The rice seedlings fertilized with ammonium sulfate surpassed those with urea in growth performance and nutrients absorption of the rice seedlings at nursery period. Such stimulating effect of ammonium sulfate on the growth and nutrients uptake was more remarkable under the upland nursery than under the lowland one. The pot trial with the various combination ratios of urea and ammonium sulfate revealed that the chlorophyll content in leaf blade increased with the increment of sulfate ratio in the combination and the sole application of urea caused the chlorosis of leaf which was more conspicuous in Suweon 264 than in Jinheung. Fertilized with the same active ingradient amount of nitrogen, the rice plants supplied with ammonium sulfate surpassed those with urea in the chlorophyll content consistently under the nursery, the pot and the paddy field trials. The photosynthesis of flag leaf at heading stage increased with the combination rate of ammonium sulfate in the pot trial. The sulfur applicated as supplementary element of nitrogen in the nursery, the pot and the field trials were observed to be in positive relationship to the nitrogen and potassium content, but to be in negative correlation to the calcium content. The sulfur content in the rice plants was higher at early growth stage and decreased with the advance in growth stage. The nitrogen content also showed a similiar tendency to the sulfur content, and the N/S ratio was higher at early growth stage than at later one. The N/S ratio was negatively correlated with the chlorophyll content. In the field experiment, ammonium sulfate surpassed urea in the number of productive tiller, dry matter production and unhulled rice yields, but much stimulating effect of ammonium sulfate on the grain production was shown to be less effective than that on the straw production. The nitrogen and major nutrients content in the rice straw at harvest were higher in the paddy field with long-term ammonium sulfate application than in that with long-term urea application, suggesting that the former might have greater potentiality in nutrients supply than the latter.

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Main constituents and bioactivities of different parts of aronia (Aronia melanocarpa) (아로니아 부위별 주요 성분 정량 및 생리활성 평가)

  • Gim, Sung Woong;Chae, Kyu Seo;Lee, Su Jung;Kim, Ki Deok;Moon, Jae-Hak;Kwon, Ji Wung
    • Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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    • v.52 no.3
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    • pp.226-236
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    • 2020
  • This study was designed to evaluate the biological activities and main constituents of different parts (fruit, leaf, and stem) of aronia (Aronia melanocarpa). The total phenolic and flavonoidcontents, DPPH and ABTS+ radical-scavenging activity, reducing power, and ferric reducing/antioxidant power were observed to follow the order of: leaves > stems > fruits, regardless of extraction solvents. The inhibitory activity against lipopolysaccharide-induced NO production in Raw 264.7 cells was significantly higher in the aronialeaf extract-treated group than in the groups treated with stem and fruit extracts. The ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) analysis was mainly composed of routine. In addition, the highest content level was measured in the case of the catechinmemberepigallocatechin witha higher value than that found in green tea. Theresults of this studyprovide useful information for understanding the chemical constituents and biological activities of aroniafruits and byproducts.

Oral Health and Quality of Life of the Orphans in Dong-gu, Daejeon (대전 동구 보육원생의 구강건강 및 구강건강관련 삶의 질)

  • Koong, Hwa-Soo;Song, Eun-Joo;Hwang, Soo-Jeong
    • Journal of dental hygiene science
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    • v.13 no.3
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    • pp.223-229
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    • 2013
  • The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of oral health promotion program in a group of 9~18-year-old children and adolescents living in four orphanages in Dong-gu, Daejeon. The program was based on oral disease prevention program including oral health education, fluoride application and scaling every six months. Oral health status of total 109 orphans was examined by one dentists who were trained in 2010 Korean National Oral Health Survey. Dental caries index, community periodontal index and modified patient hygiene performance index (M-PHP) were checked using dental unit chair. Child oral health impact profile (COHIP) and subjective oral health recognition survey were carried out. Compared with data of 2010 national sample, the mean of decayed, missing and filled teeth showed no difference between the subjects and test values, but the means of decayed teeth, decayed surface, toothbrushing frequency of the subjects showed to become worse with advancing years in spite of oral health promotion program. COHIP, subjective oral health status showed lower than test values, too. In M-PHP and Calculus index, the subjects showed better by periodic oral health education and scaling. We suggest that oral health promotion program for orphans include oral disease treatment program as well as preventive program to improve oral health of orphans efficiently. And, oral health promotion program has to be connected with psychological support for improving quality of life of orphans.

A Study on the Hydraulic Characteristics of Rashig Super-Ring Random Packing in a Counter-Current Packed Tower (역류식 충전탑에서 Raschig Super-ring Random Packing의 수력학적 특성에 대한 연구)

  • Kang, Sung Jin;Lim, Dong-Ha
    • Clean Technology
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    • v.26 no.2
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    • pp.102-108
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    • 2020
  • In recent years, packed column has been widely used in separation processes, such as absorption, desorption, distillation, and extraction, in the petrochemical, fine chemistry, and environmental industries. Packed column is used as a contacting facility for gas-liquid and liquid-liquid systems filled with random packed materials in the column. Packed column has various advantages such as low pressure drop, economical efficiency, thermally sensitive liquids, easy repairing restoration, and noxious gas treatment. The performance of a packed column is highly dependent on the maintenance of good gas and liquid distribution throughout a packed bed; thus, this is an important consideration in a design of packed column. In this study, hydraulic pressure drop, hold-up as a function of liquid load, and mass transfer in the air, air/water, and air-NH3/water systems were studied to find the geometrical characteristic for raschig super-ring experiment dry pressure drop. Based on the results, design factors and operating conditions to handle noxious gases were obtained. The dry pressure drop of the random packing raschig super-ring was linearly increased as a function of gas capacity factor with various liquid loads in the Air/Water system. This result is lower than that of 35 mm Pall-ring, which is most commonly used in the industrial field. Also, it can be found that the hydraulic pressure drop of raschig super-ring is consistently increased by gas capacity factor with various liquid loads. When gas capacity factor with various liquid loads is increased from 1.855 to 2.323 kg-1/2 m-1/2 S-1, hydraulic pressure drop increases around 17%. Finally, the liquid hold-up related to packing volume, which is a parameter of specific liquid load depending on gas capacity factor, shows consistent increase by around 3.84 kg-1/2 m-1/2 S-1 of the gas capacity factor. However, liquid hold-up significantly increases above it.