• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.45-51
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• 1999

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of various factors in keratotomy for astigmatism correction on surgical outcomes by finite element method as well as animal experiments. Three kinds of surgical techniques were mechanically investigated : arcuate, straight, and inverse arcuate keratotomy. Among the three techniques the arcuate keratotomy is the most popular one while the other two techniques are being investigated in this area. The arcuate keratotomy was found to be more controllable and effective in reducing the refractive power than the others. In arcuate keratotomy it was found most effective when the incision was located in the middle position between the apex and the edge of the cornea from the results of experiment as well as finite element study. Regarding to the range of the corneal incision in arcuate keratotomy, the incision angle of 90$^{\circ}$ was found th be most effective in reducing refractive power than other angles even it was incised up to 150$^{\circ}$. Therefore, it was concluded that 90$^{\circ}$ of incision angle results in the largest decrease in refractive power in arcuate keratotomy. However, other important findings were that the effect of the surgery decreased with time so the visco-effect of the cornea and auto-healing process. Therefore, these factors should be considered in future studies.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.143-153
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• 2011

Purpose : It is known that carriage rates of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) are highest in newborns and that the asymptomatic carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is associated with invasive MRSA infection with the colonizing strain. This study was carried out to investigate the carriage rates of MRSA in neonates with neonatal jaundice. Methods : We reviewed the medical records of 545 neonates admitted with neonatal jaundice to neonatal intensive care units between January 2006 and December 2010. Nasal and inguinal swab specimens had been taken from them and cultured for the isolation of S. aureus. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests had been done for such isolates to determine methicillinresistance. Results : Out of 545 neonates, 318 (58.3%) were colonized with S. aureus and 214 (39.3%) were colonized with MRSA. Results of the antibiogram analysis showed that 65.7% of MRSA isolates were likely to be community-associated (CA) MRSA. Conclusion : Based on the MRSA carriage rate of 39.3%, a surveillance program for MRSA colonization is considered necessary in neonates transferred from other clinics or hospitals. Out of MRSA isolates, 65.7% were likely to be CA-MRSA. This suggests that CA-MRSA strains were already present in obstetric clinic environments where the neonates were born. It is thought that MRSA surveillance programs in these environments are also necessary.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.56-62
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• 2021

Madecassoside, an active ingredient extracted from Centella asiatica, is used for treatment of various skin disorders in humans. However, the effect of madecassoside on the skin of dogs and cats has not been studied yet. The purpose of this study was to evaluate clinical efficacy of topical madecassoside cream in dogs and cats with skin diseases. A total of twenty-one dogs and ten cats with various skin diseases were included in the study. The 1% topical madecassoside cream was applied to the animal's skin lesion at least once a day for 7 days, and the skin condition was evaluated before the application of madecassoside cream (day 0) and 7 days after the application (day 7). The skin condition was scored by five clinical indices: canine atopic dermatitis extent and severity index-4 (CADESI-4), coat condition, pruritus, scale, and general condition. In dogs, all five clinical indices (CADESI-4, coat condition, pruritus, scale, and general condition) were significantly decreased on day 7 compared to those on day 0 (p < 0.0001, p < 0.05, p < 0.001, p < 0.01, and p < 0.05, respectively). In cats, the CADESI-4 and scale were significantly decreased on day 7 compared to those on day 0 (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). No adverse effects were observed during the trial period in the dogs and cats included in this study. The results of this study demonstrate that the topical madecassoside cream is applicable to skin lesions in dogs and cats.

• Archives of Hand and Microsurgery
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.254-261
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• 2018

Purpose: Favorable results have been reported after the direct repair of chronic ulnar collateral ligament ruptures of the thumb metacarpophalangeal (MP) joint, but the results for radial ligament seem rather controversial. The purpose of this study is to compare the results of ligament reattachment between chronic rupture of the ulnar and the radial collateral ligament (RCL) of the joint. Methods: We reviewed retrospectively the radiologic and clinical results of ligament reattachment with suture anchors for chronic (more than 6 weeks) rupture of the collateral ligament of the thumb MP joint with averaged 22-month follow-up. The data between 6 radial and 8 ulnar ligament repairs were compared statistically. Results: The average of postoperative ulnar deviation angle was $13.3^{\circ}$ in radial ligament and $2.0^{\circ}$ in ulnar ligament (p=0.020) in the last follow-up plain X-ray. Postoperative ligament instability was positive in 4 out of the 6 radial repairs and no case with instability was observed in ulnar ligament. In postoperative follow-up, sustained joint subluxation was observed only in 2 out of the 6 radial repairs. Conclusion: The delayed repair of the RCL of the thumb MP joint resulted in less favorable outcomes and ligament instability was observed postoperatively in more than half of the cases.

• 한국노년학
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.179-194
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• 2010

The purpose of this study examines the elderly hemodialysis patients' Health-related quality in life(HRQL) and investigates the relationship between HRQL and transition of health condition. The subject were 443 elderly hemodialysis patients(over 65 years old) in Seoul and Gyeonggi province. The Health-related quality of life scale was used in this research, in which were analysed a wide range of statistical descriptive analysis, Pearson's correlation, reliability analysis, multiple regression and the Scheffe test. The results were as follows. The HRQL were statiscally significant difference by Gender, Educational level, Live with spouse, Best supporter, and Number of Disease. Also the factor related to transition of health condition was Number of Disease. The transition of health condition accounted for 13.9% of variance in HRQL and Number of Disease accounted for an additional 7.4% of HRQL. The factors, which influenced finally on the HRQL in the elderly hemodialysis patients, were transition of health condition and number of disease. In conclusion adequate hemodialysis treatment and social services should be provided in accordance with the factors affecting HRQL in order to improve the HRQL for elderly hemodialysis patients.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.523-531
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of antioxidant and anti-adipogenic activities in ethanol extracts from herb mixture (Ephedra sinica, Atractylodes lance, Gypsum fibrosum, and Theobroma cacao). DPPH, ABTS⁺ radical and xanthine oxidase scavenging activities were measured for antioxidant activity. Extracts of the herb mixture had 75.0, 100.8, and 79.5% scavenging activities at 1,000 ㎍/ml concentration, respectively. We investigated the inhibition of adipogenesis and adipocyte differentiation with an extract of an herb mixture in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. An extract from the herb mixture at concentrations between 0 and 50 ㎍/ml did not affect 3T3-L1 cell viability. Treatment with herb mixture extracts of 25, 50, and 75 ㎍/ml in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes inhibited lipid accumulation in a dose-dependent manner. As a result of a Western blot experiment, it was shown that the herb mixture inhibited the differentiation transcription factors, PPARγ and C/EBPa, by 44.2 and 77.6%, respectively, at a concentration of 75 ㎍/ml in MDI-induced differentiated 3T3-L1 cells. As a result of RT-PCR, the gene expression of C/EBPa, SREBP-1c, and PPARγ was significantly inhibited by 43.4%, 59.6%, and 55.3%, respectively, at the concentration of 75 ㎍/ml of the herb mixture compared with the MDI-treated group. In addition, the expression of fatty acid synthase (FAS), a fatty acid synthesis regulator, was suppressed. These results can be applied to develop a functional food for anti-obesity with a herb mixture.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.131-137
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• 2022

As the age increases, the oral cavity, that is, the teeth and periodontium, also begin to age, and accordingly, a preparation process is required. The preparation process is an important period for oral health management to start continuously with oral health education consisting of knowledge, attitude, and behavior from the 20s. Therefore, to design a clinical dental hygiene course for patients who visited a dental clinic in Gyeonggi-do and received continuous care in an oral health care room after treatment, we tried to analyze the data of the dental hygiene assessment. As a dental hygiene assessment tool, based on personal information and general medical history, dental visit experience, bleeding on probing(BOP), bad breath measurement, phase contrast microscopy, and O'Leary index were performed. The number of subjects who had dental visits was 75.4% and those without experience were 24.6%, and as a result of the periodontal examination, generally bleeding was found in 76.3%. In preventive oral care, the stage of dental hygiene assessment in the 20s is an important first step. From this point on, it is an important time to be systematically habituated so that you can take responsibility for your own oral condition. Therefore, in this study, the results of dental hygiene assessment through oral examinations of subjects in their 20s are derived and presented as basic data for the development of dental hygiene performance competency of dental hygienists during the clinical dental hygiene process in oral health education and oral health management.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.38.1-38.10
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• 2023

Background: Hearing loss (HL) is linked to an elevated risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The pathogeneses of HL and CVD commonly involve inflammatory responses. Previous studies investigated elevated levels of inflammatory biomarkers in subjects with HL, however, their findings did not demonstrate statistical significance. In our cross-sectional and longitudinal study, we investigated the correlation between HL and increased high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels to determine how HL is associated with CVDs. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study with workers aged over 18 years who underwent health check-ups at our institution between 2012 and 2018 (n = 566,507), followed by conducting a longitudinal study of workers aged > 18 who underwent health checkups at least twice at our institution between 2012 and 2018 (n = 173,794). The definition of HL was as an average threshold of ≥ 20 dB in pure-tone air conduction at 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 kHz in both ears. The incidence of increased hsCRP levels throughout the follow-up period was defined as a level exceeding 3 mg/L. Logistic regression and generalized estimating equations were performed to estimate the risk of increased hsCRP levels according to the occurrence of HL in groups stratified by age. Results: In the cross-sectional study, the multivariate-adjusted odds ratio (OR) was 1.17 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-1.34); the OR was 0.99 (95% CI: 0.80-1.22) in those under 40 and 1.28 (1.08-1.53) in those over 40. In the longitudinal study, the multivariable-adjusted OR was 1.05 (95% CI: 0.92-1.19); the OR was 1.10 (95% CI: 0.90-1.35) in those under 40 and 1.20 (1.01-1.43) in those over 40. Conclusions: This cross-sectional and longitudinal study identified an association between HL and increased hsCRP levels in workers aged over 40 years.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.41.1-41.11
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• 2023

Background: Shift work has been reported to have several harmful effects on the human body. However, a small number of studies have evaluated the association between shift work and adverse effects on the thyroid. In our longitudinal study, we examined the causal association between shift work and the risk of hypothyroidism. Methods: A Kangbuk Samsung Cohort Study was conducted on 112,648 men without thyroid disease at baseline who were followed up at least once between 2012 and 2019. Shift work status and shift schedule types were categorized using standardized questionnaires. Hypothyroidism was defined using the reference ranges of serum thyroid-stimulating hormones and free thyroxine levels. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for incident hypothyroidism were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression analyses with the daytime work group as the reference. Results: During the 501,237 person-years of follow-up, there were 6,306 incident cases of hypothyroidism (incidence density, 1.26 per 100 person-years). The multivariable-adjusted HR of incident hypothyroidism for the shift work total group that included all shifts compared with the daytime work group was 1.27 (95% CI: 1.15-1.40). For the fixed evening, fixed night, rotating shift, and other shift workers, the multivariable-adjusted HRs (95% CI) were 1.11 (0.76-1.61), 2.18 (1.20-3.93), 1.39 (1.23-1.56), and 1.00 (0.82-1.22), respectively. In subgroup analyses by age, the association between shift work and hypothyroidism was more pronounced in younger participants (< 40 years; HR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.16-1.47). Conclusions: Our large-scale cohort study showed an association between shift work and the incidence of hypothyroidism, especially in younger workers with night shifts.

• Dementia and Neurocognitive Disorders
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.147-161
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• 2022

Background and Purpose: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) refers to the self-perception of cognitive decline with normal performance on objective neuropsychological tests. SCD, which is the first help-seeking stage and the last stage before the clinical disease stage, can be considered to be the most appropriate time for prevention and treatment. This study aimed to compare characteristics between the amyloid positive and amyloid negative groups of SCD patients. Methods: A cohort study to identify predictors for the clinical progression to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia from subjective cognitive decline (CoSCo) study is a multicenter, prospective observational study conducted in the Republic of Korea. In total, 120 people aged 60 years or above who presented with a complaint of persistent cognitive decline were selected, and various risk factors were measured among these participants. Continuous variables were analyzed using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test, and categorical variables were analyzed using the χ² test or Fisher's exact test. Logistic regression models were used to assess the predictors of amyloid positivity. Results: The multivariate logistic regression model indicated that amyloid positivity on PET was related to a lack of hypertension, atrophy of the left temporal lateral and entorhinal cortex, low body mass index, low waist circumference, less body and visceral fat, fast gait speed, and the presence of the apolipoprotein E ε4 allele in amnestic SCD patients. Conclusions: The CoSCo study is still in progress, and the authors aim to identify the risk factors that are related to the progression of MCI or dementia in amnestic SCD patients through a two-year follow-up longitudinal study.