• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.185-192
• /
• 2019

Coculture with adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) can stimulate proliferation and migration of melanocytes. To enhance outcomes of skin disorders caused by melanocyte loss or death, mixed transplantation with ADSCs has been suggested. However, role of cocultured ADSCs in proliferation and migration of melanocytes remains unclear. This study determined the effect of ADSCs on production of growth factors and expression levels of intergrins in primary culture of adult human melanocytes with or without ADSCs and in nude mice grafted with such melanocytes. Higher amounts of growth factors for melanocytes, such as bFGF and SCF were produced and released from ADSCs by coculturing with melanocytes. Relative levels of integrins ${\beta}1$, ${\alpha}5$, and ${\alpha}6$ as well as adhesion to fibronectin and laminin were increased in melanocytes cocultured with ADSCs. Such increases were inhibited by neutralization of bFGF or SCF. Relative levels of bFGF, SCF and integrins were increased in nude mice skin after grafting with melanocyte+ADSC cocultures. Collectively, these results indicate that ADSCs can stimulate proliferation and migration of melanocytes by increasing expression of integrins in melanocytes through upregulation of production/release of melanocyte growth factors such as bFGF and SCF.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
• /
• v.8 no.4
• /
• pp.591-599
• /
• 2021

The increased risk in financial firms, due to Global Financial Crises and high international trade activities, has encouraged banks to use derivatives for both managing their financial risk and earning non-operating income simultaneously. The present study brings new evidence in the existing literature by determining the drivers behind financial derivative usage in Pakistani banks for 2011 till 2016. Moreover, the paper examines how risk plays a moderating role in determining the relationship between derivative usage and bank value. While assessing the determinants, a two-stage test has conducted, first, the logit regression was used to test the drivers behind the derivative usage in banks. Second, Tobit regression was run to analyze the factors leading to determine the extent of derivative usage. The findings demonstrate that Pakistani banks are using derivatives for both risk management and speculative motive as they are customers and users of derivatives at the same time. Empirical results, regarding moderating role of risk on the value implications of derivative usage, provide mixed findings as derivative usage gives value premium in case of non-systematic risk and foreign exchange risk. Whereas value discounts have been observed for cases where systematic risk is high and managers try to earn non-operating income from speculative activities.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.114-123
• /
• 2021

Background: Evaluation of the effectiveness of caudal epidural injection on pain, spine mobility, disease activity, and activity of daily living in axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) patients. Methods: A total sample of 47 patients were registered in this study. They were randomly assigned into 2 groups; Group I received caudal epidural injections, ultrasound-guided, with 1% lidocaine hydrochloride mixed with triamcinolone, whereas Group II did not receive any injections. All participants fulfilled the ASAS criteria for axial SpA. Outcome measures were as follows: visual analogue scale, Oswestry disability index (ODI), modified Schober test, lateral lumbar flexion, and Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) with assessment at baseline, 2 weeks, and 8 weeks post-treatment. This clinical trial was registered on clinicaltrials.gov under the number NCT04143165. Results: There was a significant difference between both groups regarding pain, ODI, spine mobility and ASDAS scores in favor of group I. This effect was at its maximum after 2 weeks. Despite the decline of this effect after 2 months, the difference between the groups remained significant. Higher disease activity, younger age, and shorter disease duration were associated with better outcomes. Conclusions: Epidural injection of lidocaine and triamcinolone is a cost effective and a practical technique for controlling pain, as well as improving the function of the spine and disease activity scores in axial SpA patients with acceptable complications and relatively sustained effect.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
• /
• v.9 no.6
• /
• pp.11-21
• /
• 2022

The perspectives on aging women's financial security during their retirement years are based on their behavior, planning, and decision-making processes during their working years. Elderly women are considered vulnerable and have a longer life expectancy, lower-income, and limited financial understanding compared to males; therefore, drastic steps need to be taken to improve their financial stability and quality of life. The current study sought to determine the most important contributors to retired women's financial health by measuring the value of four factors/variables: capability, opportunity, willingness, and biopsychosocial. This study used a mixed model approach, with qualitative analysis in the first phase involving a focus group discussion session, a pilot analysis, and quantitative analysis for phase two involving the distribution and collection of questionnaires completed by retired women. The surveys were distributed across Malaysia in five distinct zones and yielded 339 usable replies to support the theory. The outcomes of the Multiple Regression Analysis in Malaysia revealed that capability, opportunity, and biopsychosocial factors are significant predictors of retired women's financial security, whereas the willingness indicator lacked statistical significance.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
• /
• v.16 no.12
• /
• pp.4081-4098
• /
• 2022

With the aim of tackling the contradiction between computation intensive industrial applications and resource-weak Edge Devices (EDs) in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), a novel computation task offloading scheme in SDIN-enabled MEC based IIoT is proposed in this paper. With the aim of reducing the task accomplished latency and energy consumption of EDs, a joint optimization method is proposed for optimizing the local CPU-cycle frequency, offloading decision, and wireless and computation resources allocation jointly. Based on the optimization, the task offloading problem is formulated into a Mixed Integer Nonlinear Programming (MINLP) problem which is a large-scale NP-hard problem. In order to solve this problem in an accessible time complexity, a sub-optimal algorithm GPCOA, which is based on hybrid evolutionary computation, is proposed. Outcomes of emulation revel that the proposed method outperforms other baseline methods, and the optimization result shows that the latency-related weight is efficient for reducing the task execution delay and improving the energy efficiency.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
• /
• v.46 no.4
• /
• pp.624-637
• /
• 2022

The purpose of this study was to develop a compression inner layer (CIL) that can be attached to dress shirts for men who have gynecomastia (male breast enlargement). For this, we developed shirts with CIL prototypes based on the functional, expressive, and aesthetic (FEA) consumer needs model. The user-centered design principle guided the design process. Based on size measurements, in-depth interviews, and an online survey, the design requirements for dress shirts with a CIL were determined, and the prototype was developed. The dress shirts were constructed of polyester and spandex mixed materials, while the CIL was made of thin mesh fabric knitted from 80% polyester and 20% spandex. A CIL prototype was developed with a front zipper fastening to hold the upper body tight and compress the breast area. The CIL was attached by connecting a strap with snap buttons to loops sewn into the shoulder line of the dress shirt. In the trial and sensory test, the prototype helped breast size decrease while meeting target consumer needs. The outcomes of this study provide necessary insights to develop garments for gynecomastia patients.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
• /
• 2015.10a
• /
• pp.491-495
• /
• 2015

This paper aims to provide some unique insights into the verification of organisational innovation diffusion through empirically identifying the major factors determining the level of organisational innovation diffusion. The paper presents a two-stage sequential mixed method analysis: structural equation modelling analysis and regression analysis. A questionnaire survey was administrated to a sample of 223 organisations operating in Saudi Arabia. The results suggest that participative culture and, technology availability and implementation would intensify organisational climate for innovation. The results revealed compelling evidence in support of the moderating role of technology on the relationship between country socio-culture and organisational climate for innovation. Equally important, organisational innovation characteristics could play a crucial role in the intention to adopt a particular innovation. Specifically, maintaining Saudi Arabian top management's status quo is an obstacle to organisational innovation diffusion. This paper expands and improves upon the current understanding of how organisational innovation diffusion, in particular the Project Management Office (PMO), can be accelerated. By focusing on the critical factors within the conceptual model, the paper depicts the crucial role of certain factors that could leverage improved organisational innovation diffusion outcomes.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.116-125
• /
• 2016

Medical records of 139 tumors from 114 dogs that underwent surgery from May 2010 through March 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Among 114 dogs, females (64.9%) were significantly more common than males (35.1%) (p<0.05). Dogs aged 6 to 10 years were more presented than non-tumor patients, however, there was no significant difference. The mean age (±SD) was 10.3±3.0 years. Although we found no significant difference of breed predisposition, the most common breed was Maltese (19.3%), followed by Shih-Tzu (14.0%), and Yorkshire terrier (13.2%). Proportional morbidity ratios (PMRs) of mammary gland, oral cavity, and skin tumors were high in Poodles, Yorkshire terriers, and Golden retrievers, respectively. Mammary gland (36.0%) was the most common site, followed by skin and soft tissues (12.2%), oral cavity (10.8%), and digestive organs (8.6%), but there was no significant difference. The objectives of surgery were curative surgery (86.2%), biopsy (4.9%), and palliative surgery (6.5%). In this study, 123 of 139 tumors had histopathological diagnoses. Adenocarcinoma was the most common type (n=24), followed by adenoma (n=17), soft tissue sarcoma (n=13), benign mixed tumor (n=5), and others (n=64). Recurrence or suspected metastasis was identified in 26 dogs. Median survival times of malignant mammary gland tumors, skin and subcutaneous tumors, and splenic tumors were 1,563.0±1,201.7, 469, and 128 days, respectively.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.77-93
• /
• 2021

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the lifestyle changes in patients with COVID-19 and their effects on health and the quality of life. Methods : A mixed study method was used for 15 confirmed cases admitted to residential treatment centers in September 2020. The YLP was used to evaluate the lifestyle patterns, and the Korean version of WHOQOL-BREF, MSBS-8, ISI-K, and PHQ-9 were used to analyze health and quality of life before and after COVID-19. The results obtained through in-depth interviews were analyzed using Colaizzi's thematic analysis. Results : YLP (p<.01), WHOQOL-BREF (p<.01), MSBS-8 (p<.01), and ISI-K (p=.05) showed statistically significant differences between the assessment outcomes before and after COVID-19. In addition, 179 meaningful statements, 14 sub-themes, 11 themes, and 3 categories were elicited. The final 3 categories are the emotions of the confirmed cases, the experiences in residential treatment centers and the needs from the perspective of the confirmed cases. Conclusion : There are negative effects on lifestyle, health, and quality of life on confirmed cases. In response, the confirmed cases requested several activities and counseling. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a program to improve the lifestyle, quality of life, and health of asymptomatic cases and cases with mild symptoms.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.33-49
• /
• 2017

Background: Health care utilizations and costs of the patients with degenerative lumbar spine disease in Korea increased dramatically. We analyzed whether hospital market competition is associated with charges and length of stay for patients with degenerative lumbar spine disease. Methods: We used Medical claims data of 2002 and 2010 from the nationwide representative sample of National Health Insurance Service of Korea. The study subjects were inpatients with degenerative lumbar spine disease (N=24,768) in 2002 and 2010. We employed a multilevel linear mixed model that included patient- and hospital-level variables in hierarchical data. Results: Higher hospital competition was associated with lower charges (${\beta}=57.5$, p<.0001 in 2002; ${\beta}=353.7$, p<.0001 in 2010) and shorter length of stay (${\beta}=0.3$, p<.0001 in 2002; ${\beta}=0.9$, p<.0001 in 2010) in both 2002 and 2010. Compared to 2002, the magnitude of such association became greater in 2010. However, subgroup analyses show that the influence of competition on charges and length of stay differed by hospital size. Conclusions: This study showed that hospital market structure (e.g., hospital competition) affects hospital efficiency (i.e., hospital charges and length of stay). It is necessary to continue to monitor how changing market structure influences hospital outcomes, including more detailed outcomes such as patient satisfaction.