• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.151-158
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• 2019

Background: This study aimed to examine whether the combination of low-dose ketamine and propofol in deep sedation is clinically useful in controlling the behavior in intellectually disabled patients who are typically extremely noncooperative during dental procedures. Methods: A total of 107 extremely noncooperative intellectually disabled adult patients were analyzed. In all patients, deep sedation was performed using either propofol alone (group P) or using a combination of propofol and 0.2 mg/kg or 0.4 mg/kg ketamine (groups PK0.2 and PK0.4, respectively). The procedures were performed in the order of insertion of nasal cannula into the nostril, attachment of mouth gag, and mouth cleaning and scaling. The frequency of patient movement during the procedures, mean arterial pressure, heart rate, peripheral oxygen saturation, recovery time, discharge time, and postoperative nausea and vomiting were examined. Results: The three groups were significantly different only in the frequency of patient movement upon stimulation during single intravenous injection of propofol and scaling. Conclusion: For propofol deep sedation, in contrast to intravenous injection of propofol alone, prior intravenous injection of low-dose ketamine (0.4 mg/kg) is clinically useful because it neither affects recovery, nor causes side effects and can suppress patient movement and vascular pain during procedures.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.259-264
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• 2018

Background: Revegetating landfills can be a challenging task as the reclaimed soils are typically dry and have low nutrient content. Therefore, selecting suitable plant species is important for initial revegetation. The issue with current practices (in Korea) is that alien plant species have been typically selected for revegetation projects. In this context, this study selects and tests a set of native plant species for landfill revegetation, accompanied by the assessment of the landfill soils. Results: The soil of the landfill (landfill location) was in a very poor condition with high bulk density and low organic matter and nutrient contents. Among 10 tested species, only Brassica campestris showed high coverage and a sufficient number of individuals in study quadrats sown with seeds. Results suggest that plant species with heavy seeds are the only ones that can adapt to the environment of a typical landfill due to the site's aridity and low nutrient content. The reason is due to such species' superior wind resistance and the capacity to provide sufficient energy for the initial growth of the plants for survival in such landfill environment. Conclusions: This study recommends selecting plant species (1) with arid-adapted features and (2) whose seed weight is sufficiently heavy for survival at landfills or areas with a similar condition for future revegetation.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.473-478
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• 2018

Background: Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is an acquired disease which etiology remains unknown. It is characterized by the development of sensitivity to certain chemical products. Most of the hypotheses formulated to explain the syndrome associate it to a previous exposition to some kind of volatile chemical. University researchers in chemical laboratories suffer a phenomenon of multi-exposition to chemical agents at low concentration during long periods of time although in an irregular form. Many of these chemical agents have similar properties to those suspicious of causing MCS. This article studies the prevalence of MCS in laboratory researchers. Methods: The study group is university researchers in chemical laboratories. The control group was obtained from administrative personnel who work in the same universities and therefore, are not exposed to chemical products from the laboratories, but have the same exposition to the rest of environmental polluting agents from the area and from the buildings of the university. In this study, it is used the Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory (QEESI) (sensitivity of 92%/specificity of 95%). Results: The results showed that the prevalence of MCS for the university researchers is not related to exposition by inhalation to multiple chemical agents, at low concentration. Conclusions: The results disagree with one of the main etiological hypotheses of MCS, which is based on the existence of hypersensitive people, who presents a response after prolonged expositions to very low concentrations during a long period of time.

• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1725-1733
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• 2019

Background: In some clinical guidelines followed in clinical practice, nonsurgical treatments are recommended as the primary intervention for patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH). However, the effect of a therapeutic exercise program based on stabilization of the lumbar spine for treatment of multilevel LDH has not been evaluated thoroughly. Objective: To investigate the effects of therapeutic exercise on pain, physical function, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in a patient with multilevel LDH. Design: Case Report Methods: A 43-year-old female presented with low back pain, radicular pain and multilevel LDH (L3-L4, L4-L5, L5-S1). The therapeutic exercise program was conducted. in 40-min sessions, three times a week, for 12 weeks. Low back and radicular pain, lumbar disability, and physical function were measured before and after 6 and 12 weeks of the exercise program. MRI was performed before and after 12 weeks of the program. Results: After 6 and 12 weeks of the therapeutic exercise, low back and radicular pain and lumbar disability had decreased, and lumbar range of motion (ROM) was improved bilaterally, compared with the initial values. Also improved at 6 and 12 weeks were isometric lumbar strength and endurance, and the functional movement screen score. The size of disc herniations was decreased on MRI obtained after 12 weeks of therapeutic exercise than on the pre-exercise images. Conclusions: We observed that therapeutic exercise program improved spinal ROM, muscle strength, functional capacity, and size of disc herniation in LDH patient.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.8-13
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• 2021

Background: Salmonella enteritidis (SE) was the main cause of the pandemic of foodborne salmonellosis. The surface of eggs' shells can be contaminated with this bacterium; however, washing them with sodium hypochlorite solution not only reduces their flavor but also heavily impacts the environment. An alternative to this is surface sterilization using low-energy electron beam. It is known that irradiation with 1 kGy resulted in a significant 3.9 log reduction (reduction factor of 10,000) in detectable SE on the shell. FAO/IAEA/WHO indicates irradiation of any food commodity up to an overall average dose of 10 kGy presents no toxicological hazard. On the other hand, the Food and Drug Administration has deemed a dose of up to 3 kGy is allowable for eggs. However, the maximum dose permitted to be absorbed by an edible part (i.e., internal dose) is 0.1 Gy in Japan and 0.5 Gy in European Union. Materials and Methods: The electron beam (EB) depth dose distribution in the eggshell was calculated by the Monte Carlo method. The internal dose was also estimated by Monte Carlo simulation and experimentation. Results and Discussion: The EB depth dose distribution for the eggshells indicated that acceleration voltages between 80 and 200 kV were optimal for eggshell sterilization. It was also found that acceleration voltages between 80 and 150 kV were suitable for reducing the internal dose to ≤ 0.10 Gy. Conclusion: The optimum irradiative conditions for sterilizing only eggshells with an EB were between 80 and 150 kV.

• Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Planning & Design
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.73-79
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to analyze the stress variation according to Hitler's residence using EEG data. Hitler's residence, one of the most monumental buildings, is designed as a grand and overbearing space, giving the visitor a sense of psychological pressure when moving from a high space to low space. Based on the above background, this paper constructs Hitler's residence using virtual reality and measure the changes of the beta waves which are known to be related with stress when the floor level moves from high to low space in Hitler's residence built in virtual space. The results of the experiment are as follows; when moving from high to low space, the subjects' stress was high and at the same time brain waves variation was increased greatly due to changes in space.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.11-18
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• 2020

Background: The purpose of this study is to examine the correlation between high heels and body imbalance among female college students in their twenties who mainly wear high heels and prevent associated problems. Methods: The subjects included 89 female college students in their twenties. They were measured in plantar pressure with a gait analyzer. Their legs were measured in length with a tape measure. Their pain intensity and pain frequency were measured in visual analog scale and in pain rating score. Results: There were statistically positive correlations between right leg length and low back pain frequency (p<.05) and negative correlations between the left hindfoot and low back pain frequency (p<.05). There were statistically positive correlations between right leg length and knee pain frequency (p<.05) and positive correlations between the ankle pain intensity and right leg length (p<.05). Conclusion: The stronger the pain was in the ankle, the stronger and more frequent their lumber pain was. When the pressure of the left heel was lower, the frequency of lumbar pain increased.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.432-439
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• 2023

Background: The purpose of this study is to promote their health by identifying factors that affect the depressive mood experience among local residents in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional study analyzed using data from the 2022 Community Health Survey, which is conducted annually in Korea. The subjects of the study were 916 local residents in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. Results: Through this study, the groups with a high level of depressive mood experience among local residents of Gangseo-gu were female, those with low income, those with chronic diseases, those with low subjective health level, and those who perceived their stress to be high. Conclusion: It is necessary for local medical institutions to identify those with low income in blind spots and connect them with community resources to provide necessary economic support. Additionally, regular and systematic management is needed to help local residents prevent and manage chronic diseases. There is a need to actively support local residents by providing stress management programs and various health-related education to local residents so that they can maintain and improve their health and lead healthy lives.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.1007-1018
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine whether the tailored home-delivered meal (HDM) services included nutrition counseling impacts alleviating self-rated frailty among low-income older adults in Korea. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Pre- and post-test were implemented on May 27 and on November 25 in 2019 during 3 weeks, respectively, before and after the 6 months intervention program. Participants completed a questionnaire measuring frailty, malnutrition, food security, depression, and underlying diseases. Initially, 136 older adults were selected as participants for this study, they were recipients of a free meal program from 2 senior welfare centers in Seoul, the final sample size of those who completed the intervention program was 117 (female 70.9%, male 29.1%). Statistical analyses were conducted with IBM SPSS package program, paired t-test and χ² test to validate the test. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences in the score of the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) before and after receiving the tailored HDM services (pre-test 9.46, post-test 2.8, P < 0.01). The differences in the score of TFI by 3 risk groups at the pre-test decreased as a result of receiving these services. CONCLUSIONS: The tailored HDM services alleviated the self-rated frailty of low-income older adults with limited mobility in a community setting. Based on the positive outcomes this study could be applied to developing social services for aging in place.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.156-160
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• 2005

Background: Frozen shoulder is not an uncommon disease, which is associated with chronic pain and joint movement limitation. However, there are numerous devices to assist in the treatment of shoulder pain, but their efficacy has not been proven and their use remains immensely controversial. Therefore, a randomized clinical study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of a low-frequency stimulator for the treatment of frozen shoulder. Methods: A randomized clinical trial was carried out on 40 patients with frozen shoulder, with 40 patients assigned to two groups; a control treatment group (group C, n = 20) and a low frequency stimulator application group (group T, n = 20). Both groups were given a routine treatment modality, such as trigger point injection, intramuscular stimulation or suprascapular nerve block etc. The level of the shoulder pain was evaluated using a 100mm VAS (visual analog scale) at each visit, with the limitation in the range of motion simultaneously evaluated. Results: All the subjects improved after treatment, with the VAS scores after termination of treatment showed a statistically significant reduction (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups. One month after termination of 5 cycles of treatment, group T maintained their improved state, whereas the pain in some of those in group C reemerged, which also showed a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). The limitation in the range of motion improved, with most subjects able to resume daily activity. Conclusions: Although the low frequency stimulation provided no more pain relief than routine treatment, the effect was significantly prolonged. From this result, low frequency stimulation can be considered to aide the therapeutic effect of classical frozen shoulder therapy.