• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.199-208
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• 2022

The world health organization classified the emerging coronavirus (known as Covid-19) as a pandemic after confirming the extent of spread and scale. As a matter of fact, outbreaks of similar scale or even worse have been witnessed throughout history. Thus, the development of prevention strategies exists to protect against such calamaties. One of the widely proven measures that controls the spread of any contagious diseases is social distancing. As a result, this paper will demonstrate the concept of an application "Be Aware" on enabling the implementation of this preventive measure. In particular "Be aware" evaluates the extent of congestion in public places using current time data. The proposed project will use Global Positioning System (GPS), and Application Programming Interface (API), to ensure information accuracy, and the API use Crowdsourcing to collect Real-Time Data (RTD) from the selected places. One line

• Investigative and Clinical Urology
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• v.59 no.6
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• pp.399-409
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• 2018

Purpose: To analyze data from an observational, prospective, cumulative registry study in 805 hypogonadal men stratified by mild or moderate-to-severe lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) according to International Prostate Symptom Score. Materials and Methods: A total of 412 men underwent testosterone therapy (TTh) with injectable testosterone undecanoate, 393 men served as untreated controls. Measures of urinary function, anthropometric and metabolic parameters were performed at least twice per year. Results: Data from 615 men with mild LUTS (253 treated, 362 untreated) and 190 with moderate-to-severe LUTS (159 treated, 31 untreated) were available. During a follow-up period of 8 years a significant improvement of LUTS was noted for all TTh-patients whereas the control-groups showed deterioration or fluctuation around initial values. Despite advancing age, TTh fully prevented worsening of symptoms. In parallel, a considerable improvement of anthropometric parameters, lipids and glycemic control, blood pressure, C-reactive protein, and quality of life was found. Moderate-to-severe LUTS was associated with worse cardiometabolic risk profile at baseline as well as worse cardiovascular outcomes during follow-up in comparison to mild LUTS. Effect size of TTh was more pronounced in men with moderate-to-severe than with mild LUTS. Conclusions: Correcting hypogonadism by TTh is highly effective and safe for improving LUTS in hypogonadal men. TTh may also improve cardiometabolic risk and major adverse cardiovascular events.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.4083-4088
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• 2016

Background: Physical inactivity has been identified as the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality and is associated with increased breast cancer diagnosis and recurrence. Purpose: To examine the association between adult lifetime physical activity and breast cancer risk in a case-control analysis. Materials and Methods: This study involved 122 cases of breast cancer and 121 controls in the state of Kelantan in Malaysia. A comprehensive measure of lifetime physical activity was used to assess occupational, household, and recreational/sports activity. For every type of activity, a metabolic equivalent (MET) score was assigned using the compendium of physical activities. MET-hours/week per year for all types of activities at different levels of intensities for different age groups were calculated. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate odds ratios between various measures of physical activity and breast cancer risk. Conclusions: The mean MET-hours/week per year for all activities were 120.0 and 132.9 of MET-hours/week per year for cases and controls respectively. Household activities accounted for about 70% of the total lifetime physical activities. Only about 2.5% of the total lifetime physical activities were in the form of recreational/sports. This study found no association between lifetime occupational and recreational/sports physical activities with breast cancer risk among Kelantanese women. However, higher intensity lifetime household activities seemed to significantly reduce risk of breast cancer.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.277-284
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• 2022

Objective: Oxidative stress is a key player in the development of idiopathic male infertility (IMI), and various antioxidants have been used for the treatment of IMI with inconsistent results. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a cofactor and an antioxidant that may improve semen parameters and reduce oxidative stress in patients with idiopathic oligoasthenospermia (OA). Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effect of CoQ10 on semen parameters and antioxidant markers in patients with idiopathic OA. Methods: Fifty patients with idiopathic OA and 35 fertile controls were enrolled in this prospective controlled study. All participants underwent a comprehensive fertility assessment. All patients received CoQ10 (300 mg/day) orally once daily for 3 months. Semen parameters, seminal CoQ10 levels, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were measured in patients and controls at the start of the study and after 3 months. Results: Treatment with CoQ10 resulted in increased sperm progressive motility (p<0.05), total motility (p<0.01), seminal TAC (p<0.01), SOD (p<0.05), GPx (p<0.001), and seminal CoQ10 (p<0.001) levels and reduced ROS (p<0.01) in patients as compared to baseline. Sperm concentration and motility were also significantly correlated with antioxidant measures and seminal CoQ10 levels (r=0.38-0.57). Conclusion: CoQ10 therapy (300 mg/day for 3 months) improved sperm motility and seminal antioxidant markers in patients with idiopathic OA. Therefore, CoQ10 could be a promising treatment for patients with idiopathic infertility and may improve their fertility potential.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.87 no.1
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• pp.80-90
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• 2024

Background: There are many methods of evaluating diaphragmatic function, including trans-diaphragmatic pressure measurements, which are considered the key rule of diagnosis. We studied the clinical usefulness of chest ultrasonography in evaluating stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and those in exacerbation, focusing on diaphragmatic measurements and their correlation with spirometry and other clinical parameters. Methods: In a prospective case-control study, we enrolled 100 COPD patients divided into 40 stable COPD patients and 60 patients with exacerbation. The analysis included 20 age-matched controls. In addition to the clinical assessment of the study population, radiological evaluation included chest radiographs and chest computed tomography. Transthoracic ultrasonography (TUS) was performed for all included subjects. Results: Multiple A lines (more than 3) were more frequent in COPD exacerbation than in stable patients, as was the case for B-lines. TUS significantly showed high specificity, negative predictive value, positive predictive value, and accuracy in detecting pleural effusion, consolidation, pneumothorax, and lung mass. Diaphragmatic measurements were significantly lower among stable COPD subjects than healthy controls. Diaphragmatic thickness and excursion displayed a significant negative correlation with body mass index and the dyspnea scale, and a positive correlation with spirometry measures. Patients in Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) group D showed lower diaphragmatic measurements (thickness and excursion). Conclusion: The TUS of COPD patients both in stable and exacerbated conditions and the assessment of diaphragm excursion and thickness by TUS in COPD patients and their correlations to disease-related factors proved informative and paved the way for the better management of COPD patients.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.12 no.10
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• pp.4995-5014
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• 2018

As the area covered by the CPS grows wider, agencies such as public institutions and critical infrastructure are collectively measuring and evaluating information security capabilities. Currently, these methods of measuring information security are a concrete method of recommendation in related standards. However, the security controls used in these methods are lacking in connectivity, causing silo effect. In order to solve this problem, there has been an attempt to study the information security management system in terms of maturity. However, to the best of our knowledge, no research has considered the specific definitions of each level that measures organizational security maturity or specific methods and criteria for constructing such levels. This study developed an information security maturity model that can measure and manage the information security capability of critical infrastructure based on information provided by an expert critical infrastructure information protection group. The proposed model is simulated using the thermal power sector in critical infrastructure of the Republic of Korea to confirm the possibility of its application to the field and derive core security processes and goals that constitute infrastructure security maturity. The findings will be useful for future research or practical application of infrastructure ISMSs.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.324-327
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• 2008

Microwave remote sensing has great potential, especially in monsoon Asia, since optical observations are often hampered by cloudy conditions. The radar backscattering characteristics of rice crop were investigated with a ground-based automatic scatterometer system. The system was installed inside a shelter in an experimental paddy field at the National Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology (NIAST) before transplanting. The rice cultivar was a kind of Japonica type, called Chuchung. The scatterometer system consists of X-band antennas, HP8720D vector network analyzer, RF cables, and a personal computer that controls frequency, polarization and data storage. This system automatically measures fully-polarimatric backscattering coefficients of rice crop every 10 minutes, accompanied by a digital camera that takes pictures in a fixed position with the same interval. The backscattering coefficients were calculated by applying a radar equation. Plant variables, such as leaf area index (LAI), biomass, plant height and weather conditions were measured periodically throughout the rice growth season. We have performed polarimetric decomposition of paddy data such as single, double and volume scattering to extract the scattering information effectively. We investigated the relationships between backscattering coefficients and the plant variables.

• The Journal of the Institute of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.143-147
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• 2018

Water levels are measured in various fields such as sewage treatment plants, water treatment plants, rivers, dams, factory storages' tanks. Ultrasonic instruments for water level measurement are expensive and are used for industrial field. Rapid advances in electronics have made it possible to build a wide variety of measurement, monitoring and control functions at low cost. This study was started to make ultrasonic level measurement system at low price. The system was constructed with an Arduino, an ultrasonic sensor and a temperature sensor for use in the experiment. The ultrasonic sensor measures the time from the sensor to the liquid surface. The temperature sensor measures the atmospheric temperature and improves the accuracy of the ultrasonic distance measurement by correcting the sound speed. Arduino controls measurements and calculates the water level. All components of the system are assembled into a device holder. Experiments with this system show that the water level measured by the system is very close to the actual value. This system is also inexpensive and easy to install and maintain, making it suitable for laboratory use.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.871-885
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• 2015

The improved DFSA for 2.4GHz multi-tags active RFID is suggested in 2 different ways: 1) simplified tag collection and Ack procedure using query command and 2) modified Schoute's method to control the number of slots in the frame. To evaluate the performance of the improved system we develop the simulation model. Varying the number of tags in the system we track the performance measures such as throughput, recognition time for multi-tags and tag recognition rate during a given time. The suggested method shows the best performance over all measures. Simplification of collection and Ack commands using query commands contributes to reducing tag recognition time. And the modified Schoute's method which controls the frame size using $k_1$ and $k_2$ contributes to throughput improvement and reduces target cognition time by reducing the number of collection rounds.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.126-136
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of aroma hand massage on anxiety and immune function in patients who had gynecology surgery under local anesthesia. Methods: The research design was a nonequivalent control group with pre-and posttest design. Data were collected from June 5 to October 6, 2010. Participants included 20 patients in the aroma hand massage group, 20 patients in a hand massage group, and 20 in a control group. As an experimental treatment, hand massage was carried out following the hand massage protocol. Measures consisted of the State Trait Anxiety, Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for anxiety, vital signs (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pulse rate), and salivary cortisol for anxiety, and immunoglobulin A for immune function. Results: Aroma hand massage and hand massage group showed lower levels in NRS for anxiety, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and pulse rate (p<.001) compared to controls. No group differences were found for state anxiety, salivary cortisol and immunoglobulin A. Conclusion: The results indicate that aroma hand massage and hand massage are effective in reducing anxiety and can be complementary alternative interventions for women having gynecology surgery under local anesthesia.