• Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.94-112
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• 2019

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the quality of life (QOL) of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) between patients receiving hemodialysis (HD) and patients receiving continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and to compare personal characteristic factors relating to the quality of life in patients with ESRD. Method: This study used a descriptive research design. The sample was recruited using purposive sampling that included 76 ESRD patients receiving either HD or CAPD at a dialysis clinic in Phraphutthabat Hospital, Saraburi Province, Thailand. Data was collected using the Quality of Life Questionnaire for Chronic Kidney Disease ($KDQOL-SF^{TM}$) version 1.3. Independent t-test and ANOVA procedures were used to analyze study data. Results: The results revealed that the HD patients had a moderate level of QOL. The highest scoring dimension of QOL was the encouragement of staff at the dialysis unit and patient satisfaction with the treatment (${\bar{X}}=100$, SD=.00), followed by social support (${\bar{X}}=89.29$, SD =16.88) and cognitive function (${\bar{X}}=88.57$, SD=11.82). On the other hand, the lowest scoring QOL dimension was physical problems (${\bar{X}}=50$, SD=51.89), and pain (${\bar{X}}=50$, SD=39.03), followed by work status (${\bar{X}}=53.57$, SD=45.84) and burden from kidney disease (${\bar{X}}=58.48$, SD=31.07). The CAPD patients also had a moderate QOL. The highest scoring QOL dimension was the encouragement of staff in the renal unit and patient satisfaction with the treatment (${\bar{X}}=100$, SD=.00), followed by social support (${\bar{X}}=95.61$, SD=14.20) and cognitive function (${\bar{X}}=88.83$, SD=13.52). The worst scoring QOL dimensions were work status (${\bar{X}}=44.44$, SD=42.72), general health (${\bar{X}}=53.61$, SD=39.05), and pain (${\bar{X}}=62.70$, SD=41.14). The difference overall and in each dimension of QOL in ESRD patients who were treated with HD and CAPD was not statistically significantly different. The QOL was not significantly different among patients with different personal characteristics except for income and duration of treatment; in those cases, the difference in QOL was statistically significant (p=.05). Conclusion: The overall QOL and life expectancy of patients with ESRD treated with HD and CAPD are not affected by gender, age, marital status, education, occupation, or type of health coverage. QOL was not significantly different, except for patients with different incomes and duration of renal replacement therapy, whose QOL was significantly different. The QOL of patients receiving dialysis should be studied to develop a QOL program for patients with chronic kidney disease who receive dialysis.

• Journal of the Korean neurological association
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.294-301
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• 2018

Background: Neuroimaging can play a crucial role in discovering potential abnormalities to cause secondary headache. There has been a progress in the fields of headache diagnosis and neuroimaging in the past two decades. We sought to investigate neuroimaging findings according to headache disorders, age, sex, and imaging modalities in first-visit headache patients. Methods: We used data of consecutive first-visit headache patients from 9 university and 2 general referral hospitals. The International Classification of Headache Disorders, third edition, beta version was used in headache diagnosis. We finally enrolled 1,080 patients undertook neuroimaging in this study. Results: Among 1,080 patients (mean age: $47.7{\pm}14.3$, female: 60.8%), proportions of headache diagnosis were as follows: primary headaches, n=926 (85.7%); secondary headaches, n=110 (10.2%); and cranial neuropathies and other headaches, n=43 (4.1%). Of them, 591 patients (54.7%) received magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Neuroimaging abnormalities were found in 232 patients (21.5%), and their proportions were higher in older age groups and male sex. Chronic cerebral ischemia was the most common finding (n=88, 8.1%), whereas 76 patients (7.0%) were found to have clinically significant abnormalities such as primary brain tumor, cancer metastasis, and headache-relevant cerebrovascular disease. Patients underwent MRI were four times more likely to have neuroimaging abnormalities than those underwent computed tomography (33.3% vs. 7.2%, p<0.001). Conclusions: In this study, the findings of neuroimaging differed according to headache disorders, age, sex, and imaging modalities. MRI can be a preferable neuroimaging modality to identify potential causes of headache.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.275-284
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• 2021

The study attempted to systematically and comprehensively analyze individual studies in which proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) was performed with chronic stroke patients. Selection criteria included type of participants (stroke patients), intervention (PNF), comparison (intervention group or non-intervention group), outcomes (effect on dynamic balance), and study design (randomized controlled trial). We searched seven literature databases, and selected 17 papers that met our selection criteria. For meta-analysis, effect size of each individual study was extracted using the R project for Statistical computing version 4.0.3. Rob 2.0 tool, developed by the Cochrane group, was used to evaluate the quality of each individual study. The overall effect size PNF with dynamic balance was 0.59 (95% CI=0.41-1.77), which was significantly different than the median effect size (p<0.05). The sub-group for dynamic balance was analyzed, for effect sizes of BBS (0.50), TUG (0.78), and FRT (0.51). Thus, PNF intervention has a positive impact on improve of dynamic balance by chronic stroke patients.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.557-564
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• 2021

Background: Conscious sedation is a useful adjunct in the treatment of patients in dentistry; however, a lack of knowledge among the dental profession regarding sedation is a restricting factor in the practice of dental sedation. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the knowledge and practice of sedation in dentistry among dental professionals in Tanzania. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted for five months targeting all practicing dental professionals in Tanzania. A modified questionnaire contained 14 questions regarding knowledge about sedative agents and a section on the practice of sedation. The data obtained from this study were coded and entered into a computer program and analyzed using SPSS software version 23.0. The data are presented as frequencies and percentages in tables and charts. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: The age range of participants was between 24 and 63 years (mean 36.6 ± 7.7 years). There were 107 men (78.1%), and the male-to-female ratio was 3.6:1. The majority (76.6%) of participants only had an undergraduate dental degree. Thirty-one percent of participants only worked in publicly owned health facilities. Slightly more than half (59.9%) of participants had satisfactory knowledge regarding sedation in dentistry. There was no statistically significant association between the level of sedation-related knowledge and the demographic characteristics of the participants. Only 21.9% reported using sedation in their practice, and the most commonly used sedative drug was diazepam. The reasons for not using dental sedation in clinical practice included a perceived lack of knowledge on sedation, lack of equipment, and cost. Conclusion: Most dental professionals in Tanzania have basic knowledge of sedation in dentistry, although knowledge regarding sedative agents is generally low. The practice of sedation in dentistry in Tanzania is very low compared to that in middle- and high-income countries. Inadequate knowledge, lack of equipment, and the cost of practicing sedation are the main reasons for not practicing sedation.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.391-403
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• 2023

Purpose: This study evaluated the validity of a physical activity classification table (PACT) based on total energy expenditure (TEE) and physical activity level (PAL) measured using the doubly labeled water (DLW) method in Korean adults and the elderly. Methods: A total of 141 (male 70, female 71) adults and elderly were included. The reference standards TEE_DLW, PAL_DLW were measured over a 14-day period using DLW. A 24-hour physical activity diary was kept for three days (two days during the week and one day on the weekend). PAL_PACT was calculated by classifying the activity type and intensity using the PACT. PAL_PACT was multiplied by resting energy expenditure measured by indirect calorimetry to estimate TEE_PACT. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 50.5 ± 18.8 years, and the mean body mass index was 23.4 ± 3.3 kg/m². A comparison of TEE_DLW and TEE_PACT by sex and age showed no significant differences. The bias, the difference between TEE_DLW and TEE_PACT, was male 17.3 kcal/day and female -4.5 kcal/day. The percentage of accurate predictions (values within ± 10% of the TEE_DLW) of TEE_PACT was 58.6% in males and 54.9% in females, with the highest prediction values in the age group 40-64 years (70.9%) in males and over 65 years (73.9%) in females. The spearman correlation coefficient (r) between TEE_PACT and TEE_DLW was 0.769, indicating a significant positive correlation (p < 0.001). Conclusion: In this study, the use of a new PACT for calculating TEE and PAL was evaluated as valid. A web version of the software program and a smartphone application need to be developed using PACT to make it easier to apply for research purposes.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.809-815
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• 2023

This study was conducted to find out the correlation between meat quality and muscle fat ratio in pork part meat (pork belly and shoulder butt) using CT (computed tomography) imaging technique. After 24 hours from slaughter, pork loin and belly were individually prepared from the left semiconductors of 26 pigs for CT measurement. The image obtained from CT scans was checked through the picture archiving and communications system (PACS). The volume of muscle and fat in the pork belly and shoulder butt of cross-sectional images taken by CT was estimated using Vitrea workstation version 7. This assemblage was further processed through Vitrea post-processing software to automatically calculate the volumes (Fig. 1). The volumes were measured in milliliters (mL). In addition to volume calculation, a three-dimensional reconstruction of the organ under consideration was generated. Pearson's correlation coefficient was analyzed to evaluate the relationship by region (pork belly, pork shoulder butt), and statistical processing was performed using GraphPad Prism 8. The muscle-fat ratios of pork belly taken by CT was 1 : 0.86, while that of pork shoulder butt was 1 : 0.37. As a result of CT analysis of the correlation coefficient between pork belly and shoulder butt compared to the muscle-fat ratio, the correlation coefficient was 0.5679 (R² = 0.3295, p < 0.01). CT imaging provided very good estimates of muscle contents in cuts and in the whole carcass.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.1579-1586
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• 2021

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of the modified Korean Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (K-TIRADS), and compare it with the 2016 version of K-TIRADS using the Thyroid Imaging Network of Korea. Materials and Methods: Between June and September 2015, 5708 thyroid nodules (≥ 1.0 cm) from 5081 consecutive patients who had undergone thyroid ultrasonography at 26 institutions were retrospectively evaluated. We used a biopsy size threshold of 2 cm for K-TIRADS 3 and 1 cm for K-TIRADS 4 (modified K-TIRADS 1) or 1.5 cm for K-TIRADS 4 (modified K-TIRADS 3). The modified K-TIRADS 2 subcategorized the K-TIRADS 4 into 4A and 4B, and the cutoff sizes for the biopsies were defined as 1 cm for K-TIRADS 4B and 1.5 cm for K-TIRADS 4A. The diagnostic performance and the rate of unnecessary biopsies of the modified K-TIRADS for detecting malignancy were compared with those of the 2016 K-TIRAD, which were stratified by nodule size (with a threshold of 2 cm). Results: A total of 1111 malignant nodules and 4597 benign nodules were included. The sensitivity, specificity, and unnecessary biopsy rate of the benign nodules were 94.9%, 24.4%, and 60.9% for the 2016 K-TIRADS; 91.0%, 39.7%, and 48.6% for the modified K-TIRADS 1; 84.9%, 45.9%, and 43.5% for the modified K-TIRADS 2; and 76.1%, 50.2%, and 40.1% for the modified K-TIRADS 3. For small nodules (1-2 cm), the diagnostic sensitivity of the modified K-TIRADS decreased by 5.2-25.6% and the rate of unnecessary biopsies reduced by 19.2-32.8% compared with those of the 2016 K-TIRADS (p < 0.001). For large nodules (> 2 cm), the modified K-TIRADSs maintained a very high sensitivity for detecting malignancy (98%). Conclusion: The modified K-TIRADSs significantly reduced the rate of unnecessary biopsies for small (1-2 cm) nodules while maintaining a very high sensitivity for malignancy for large (> 2 cm) nodules.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.559-567
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• 2021

Objective: To evaluate the impact of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) before confirmatory prostate biopsy in patients under active surveillance (AS). Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 170 patients with Gleason grade 6 prostate cancer initially enrolled in an AS program between 2011 and 2019. Prostate mpMRI was performed using a 1.5 tesla (T) magnetic resonance imaging system with a 16-channel phased-array body coil. The protocol included T1-weighted, T2-weighted, diffusion-weighted, and dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging sequences. Uroradiology reports generated by a specialist were based on prostate imaging-reporting and data system (PI-RADS) version 2. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed based on regression models. Results: The reclassification rate at confirmatory biopsy was higher in patients with suspicious lesions on mpMRI (PI-RADS score ≥ 3) (n = 47) than in patients with non-suspicious mpMRIs (n = 61) and who did not undergo mpMRIs (n = 62) (66%, 26.2%, and 24.2%, respectively; p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, presence of a suspicious mpMRI finding (PI-RADS score ≥ 3) was associated (adjusted odds ratio: 4.72) with the risk of reclassification at confirmatory biopsy after adjusting for the main variables (age, prostate-specific antigen density, number of positive cores, number of previous biopsies, and clinical stage). Presence of a suspicious mpMRI finding (adjusted hazard ratio: 2.62) was also associated with the risk of progression to active treatment during the follow-up. Conclusion: Inclusion of mpMRI before the confirmatory biopsy is useful to stratify the risk of reclassification during the biopsy as well as to evaluate the risk of progression to active treatment during follow-up.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.123-136
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• 1997

The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of a Korean form of Childhood Attention Problem(CAP) scale. CAP were administered to 98 normal elementary school students as control group and 98 attention deficit hyperactivity disorder patients. Male students showed high scores than female students in both subscale and total scores, but not statistically significant. There were no significant difference in CAP scale between male students and female students in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder patients. In the reliability test, the test-retest reliability coefficient was highly satisfactory and that of inattention subscale was 0.83, impulsivity subscale was 0.70 and total score was 0.82. In the reliability test by internal consistency, the Cronbach $\alpha$ coefficient was highly satisfactory and that of inattention subscale was 0.91, overactivity subscale was 0.89(p<0.05). The concurrent validity between CAP scale and ADDES-BV scale was 0.85 in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder patient group and 0.73 in normal control group(p<0.05). In discriminant validity test between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder patient group and normal control group, the patient group showed higher score(p<0.05). The total discriminant capacity of the patient group in CAP was 93.4%. In this point of view, CAP scale showed high reliability and validity in applying to Korean subjects and was proved to be the good and simple screening test tool for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder research and can help many young patient to treat early.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.635-641
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• 2010

Background: Radiofrequency endovenous ablation of incompetent saphenous vein has gaining popularity over the conventional ligation and stripping as a minimally invasive technique. The latest version of radiofrequency endovenous catheter, $VNUS^{\circledR}Colosure$ fast VNUS medical Technologies, San Jose, CA, adopted a segmental ablation system, instead of continous pullback, is designed to reduce treatment time in comparison with the previous model $VNUS^{\circledR}Colosure$ plus VNUS medical Technologies, San Jose, CA. The purpose of this study is to compare the difference between two endovenous radiofrequency ablation systems in terms of treatment efficacy and complication rates. We analyze the initial efficacy and complication rates of $VNUS^{\circledR}Colosure$ fast with $VNUS^{\circledR}Colosure$ plus. Material and Method: Between June 2006 and August 2009, $VNUS^{\circledR}Colosure$ plus was performed to treat varicose vein on 59 limbs in 41. patients and $VNUS^{\circledR}Colosure$ fast was performed on 76 limbs in 67 patients. We retrospectively compared in both group with sex, mean treatment time, mean treatment diameter, conjugated treatment, and complications after the procedure. Result: All patient were symptomatic and diagnosed as varicose vein and underwent level 2 clinical classification with color duplex scan. The mean treatment time for the great saphenous vein was significantly less with $VNUS^{\circledR}Colosure$ fast ($17.0{\pm}6.5min$) than $VNUS^{\circledR}Colosure$ plus ($62.7{\pm}9.8min$). There was no significant difference in 1 yr closure rate between groups (p=0.32). Minor complications such as skin burn, thrombophlebitis, ecchymosis, hematoma, cellulitis, tenderness, and there were not different between the groups. Conclusion: Both $VNUS^{\circledR}Colosure$ fast and $VNUS^{\circledR}Colosure$ plus are effective methods of endovenous saphenous ablation. $VNUS^{\circledR}Colosure$ fast is superior to the previous model with less treatment time preserving compatible efficacy and complications. The efficacy of $VNUS^{\circledR}Colosure$ fast for long term closure rate remains to be established.