• Title/Summary/Keyword: small sample size

Search Result 737, Processing Time 0.031 seconds

The Retrospective Study of Advanced Cancer Patients Receiving Integrative Cancer Treatments in single Comprehensive and Integrative Medicine Hospital

  • Jeonghyun Joo;Songha Chon;Kicheul Sohn;Sanghun Lee
    • The Journal of Korean Medicine
    • /
    • v.43 no.3
    • /
    • pp.16-26
    • /
    • 2022
  • Objectives: Traditional Korean medicine (TKM) has been supplied as part of a national health care system in South Korea under a dual medical system, however it has been difficult to mix western medicine and TKM medical practices in existing hospitals. For the objective of innovative integration between them, Comprehensive and Integrative Medicine Hospital were founded in Daegu, South Korea. Here, we discussed the clinical outcomes of cancer patients who received integrative cancer treatment (ICT). Methods: A total of 678 patients previously diagnosed with cancer were retrospectively checked in our institution for 2 years. After applying inclusion/exclusion criteria, 573 patients were eligible for the final analysis. The overall survival (OS) of these patients in the aftercare period were determined. We looked at how clinical factors and treatments including chemotherapy, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and TKM affected the OS. Results: At the first visit, 212 subjects had no evidence of disease after tumor resection and 355 ones with advanced cancer, who receiving ICT including chemotherapy, CAM, and TKM showed better OS compared to the CAM including TKM or the best supportive care (median OS = 216, 78, and 46 days, respectively). The median OS was not reached in TKM only, even though the sample size was small (N=12). Even after adjusting for clinical factors associated to liver, renal, and hematologic manifestation, ICT still remained significant. Conclusions: We demonstrated that ICT might be beneficial for advanced cancer regardless of the performance status, liver and renal function, since it positively affected the OS.

Remote digital monitoring during the retention phase of orthodontic treatment: A prospective feasibility study

  • Sangalli, Linda;Savoldi, Fabio;Dalessandri, Domenico;Visconti, Luca;Massetti, Francesca;Bonetti, Stefano
    • The korean journal of orthodontics
    • /
    • v.52 no.2
    • /
    • pp.123-130
    • /
    • 2022
  • Objective: To evaluate if a remote digital monitoring system added at the end of orthodontic treatment could positively influence the retention phase by reducing the occurrence of misfit of removable appliances, number of emergency appointments (EA), and orthodontic relapse. Methods: Twenty-seven patients who completed active orthodontic treatment were divided into the study and control groups. In addition to the standard chairside follow-up appointments at month 1 (T1), month 3 (T2), month 6 (T3), the study group patients were monitored using Dental Monitoring® with monthly intra-oral scans. Occurrence of misfit of removable retainers, number of EAs, and intercanine width change were recorded for both groups. Differences in EAs and retainer fit were assessed using the chi-square test. Intra-group and inter-group differences in the intercanine width were assessed with Friedman test and Mann-Whitney U test, respectively (α = 0.05). Results: The study group showed a significantly lower occurrence of misfit of removable retainers (p = 0.027) compared to the control group. No significant inter- and intra-group difference was found in the EAs and intercanine width change at each time-point. Conclusions: Integrating remote monitoring systems, such as Dental Monitoring®, to the retention phase of the orthodontic treatment may lower the occurrence of misfit of removable retainers. However, a small sample size and a short observation period limit the strength of this evidence. These preliminary results tentatively suggest that remote monitoring technologies may be beneficial, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the regularity of in-office visits might be disrupted.

Can Sodium Citrate Effectively Improve Olfactory Function in Non-Conductive Olfactory Dysfunction? (Sodium Citrate가 효과적으로 비전도성 후각장애에 치료효과를 보일 수 있을지에 대한 문헌 고찰)

  • Kim, Subin;Kang, Haram;Jin, Ho Jun;Hwang, Se Hwan
    • Korean Journal of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
    • /
    • v.62 no.2
    • /
    • pp.75-81
    • /
    • 2019
  • The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review of the literature for application of intranasal sodium citrate in the patients with olfactory dysfunction to help determine the sodium citrate treatments for this condition. Two authors independently searched the data base (Medline, Scopus, and the Cochrane database) for relevant studies from inception to January 2018. Included studies were randomized controlled studies published in English comparing topical sodium citrate application (treatment group) with saline (control group) in patients who had olfactory dysfunction. Outcomes of interest included the change of olfactory identification and threshold during 2 hours post-treatment. Three studies were enrolled in the meta-analysis. Compared with control group, treatment group did not increase posttreatment score of olfactory identification [standardized mean difference (SMD)=-0.03; 95% confidence interval (CI)=-0.29-0.24; I2=0%] and olfactory threshold (SMD=0.18; 95% CI=-0.09-0.45; I2=0%) significantly. In the degree of pre-post improvement of two outcomes, although treatment group statistically showed the significant improvement in olfactory threshold (SMD=0.30; 95% CI=0.05-0.55; I2=17%), the clinical significance of this outcome was meaningless. Similarly, there was no significant difference in olfactory identification between two groups (SMD=0.17; 95% CI=-0.11-0.45; I2=22%). Unlike the recent favorable results, our summated results presented the uselessness for the local application of sodium citrate in improving patient's olfactory function. However, we also had some limitation such as small sample size and inconsistent application methods. Therefore, larger trials and standardized methodology are needed to reach more stronger and exact results.

Short- and Long-Term Effects of Stock Split Disclosure: Exploring Determinants (주식분할 공시에 대한 장·단기 효과: 결정요인 분석을 중심으로)

  • Jin-Hwon Lee;Kyung-Soon Kim
    • Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
    • /
    • v.14 no.1
    • /
    • pp.73-91
    • /
    • 2023
  • Purpose - The purpose of this study is to re-examine the disclosure effect of stock splits and long-term performance after stock splits using stock split data over the past 10 years, and infer the motivation (signal or opportunism) of stock splits. In addition, we focus on exploring the determinants of the short- and long-term market response to stock splits. Design/methodology/approach - We measure the short-term market response to a stock split and the long-term stock performance after the stock split announcement using the event study method. We analyze whether there is a difference in the long-term and short-term market response to a stock split according to various company characteristics through univariate analysis and regression analysis. Findings - In the case of the entire sample, a statistically significant positive excess return is observed on the stock split announcement date, and the excess return during the 24-month holding period after the stock split do not show a difference from zero. In particular, the difference between short-term and long-term returns on stock splits is larger in companies with a large stock split ratio, small companies, large growth potential, and companies with a combination of financial events after a stock split. Research implications or Originality - The results of this study suggest that at least the signal hypothesis for a stock split does not hold in the Korean stock market. On the other hand, it suggests that there is a possibility that a stock split can be abused by the manager's opportunistic motive, and that this opportunism can be discriminated depending on the size of the stock split, corporate characteristics, and financing plan.

Living Behavioral Patterns of Single or Spouse Elderly Households and Ubiquitous Home Services for Each Household Type (노인단독가구 유형별 생활행태 특성 및 유비쿼터스 홈 서비스 요소 제안)

  • Kwon, Oh Jung
    • 한국노년학
    • /
    • v.30 no.3
    • /
    • pp.759-778
    • /
    • 2010
  • The purposes of this study were to identify living behavioral patterns in of single or couple elderly households in residential environment, to find out ubiquitous home services for the elders, and finally to suggest the ubiquitous home services according to each household's type. For this study, literature review, field works for ubiquitous home services for the elders, and in-depth interview and observation by 74 elderly participants were conducted. The major findings of the study were as follows: single or spouse elderly households were classified into 8 types according to the combination of their household types, income level, and health status. Among 8 types, 2 types were excluded for final analysis due to small sample size. Living behavioral characteristics of 6 types were analyzed and the behavioral pattern of each type was drawn. Based on this behavioral pattern of each type, ubiquitous home services which meet the needs of each type were suggested. The implications and limitations of this study were also discussed and the suggestions for further studies were recommended.

A comparison of tests for homoscedasticity using simulation and empirical data

  • Anastasios Katsileros;Nikolaos Antonetsis;Paschalis Mouzaidis;Eleni Tani;Penelope J. Bebeli;Alex Karagrigoriou
    • Communications for Statistical Applications and Methods
    • /
    • v.31 no.1
    • /
    • pp.1-35
    • /
    • 2024
  • The assumption of homoscedasticity is one of the most crucial assumptions for many parametric tests used in the biological sciences. The aim of this paper is to compare the empirical probability of type I error and the power of ten parametric and two non-parametric tests for homoscedasticity with simulations under different types of distributions, number of groups, number of samples per group, variance ratio and significance levels, as well as through empirical data from an agricultural experiment. According to the findings of the simulation study, when there is no violation of the assumption of normality and the groups have equal variances and equal number of samples, the Bhandary-Dai, Cochran's C, Hartley's Fmax, Levene (trimmed mean) and Bartlett tests are considered robust. The Levene (absolute and square deviations) tests show a high probability of type I error in a small number of samples, which increases as the number of groups rises. When data groups display a nonnormal distribution, researchers should utilize the Levene (trimmed mean), O'Brien and Brown-Forsythe tests. On the other hand, if the assumption of normality is not violated but diagnostic plots indicate unequal variances between groups, researchers are advised to use the Bartlett, Z-variance, Bhandary-Dai and Levene (trimmed mean) tests. Assessing the tests being considered, the test that stands out as the most well-rounded choice is the Levene's test (trimmed mean), which provides satisfactory type I error control and relatively high power. According to the findings of the study and for the scenarios considered, the two non-parametric tests are not recommended. In conclusion, it is suggested to initially check for normality and consider the number of samples per group before choosing the most appropriate test for homoscedasticity.

Comparison of accuracy between free-hand and surgical guide implant placement among experienced and non-experienced dental implant practitioners: an in vitro study

  • Dler Raouf Hama;Bayad Jaza Mahmood
    • Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
    • /
    • v.53 no.5
    • /
    • pp.388-401
    • /
    • 2023
  • Purpose: This study investigated the accuracy of free-hand implant surgery performed by an experienced operator compared to static guided implant surgery performed by an inexperienced operator on an anterior maxillary dental model arch. Methods: A maxillary dental model with missing teeth (No. 11, 22, and 23) was used for this in vitro study. An intraoral scan was performed on the model, with the resulting digital impression exported as a stereolithography file. Next, a cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan was performed, with the resulting image exported as a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine file. Both files were imported into the RealGUIDE 5.0 dental implant planning software. Active Bio implants were selected to place into the model. A single stereolithographic 3-dimensional surgical guide was printed for all cases. Ten clinicians, divided into 2 groups, placed a total of 60 implants in 20 acrylic resin maxillary models. Due to the small sample size, the Mann-Whitney test was used to analyze mean values in the 2 groups. Statistical analyses were performed using SAS version 9.4. Results: The accuracy of implant placement using a surgical guide was significantly higher than that of free-hand implantation. The mean difference between the planned and actual implant positions at the apex was 0.68 mm for the experienced group using the free-hand technique and 0.14 mm for the non-experienced group using the surgical guide technique (P=0.019). At the top of the implant, the mean difference was 1.04 mm for the experienced group using the free-hand technique and 0.52 mm for the non-experienced group using the surgical guide technique (P=0.044). Conclusions: The data from this study will provide valuable insights for future studies, since in vitro studies should be conducted extensively in advance of retrospective or prospective studies to avoid burdening patients unnecessarily.

Therapeutic Effects of Acupuncture for Shoulder Impingement Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (어깨충돌증후군에 대한 침치료의 효과: 체계적 문헌고찰 및 메타분석)

  • Jeong Hoon Ahn;Gun Hee Bae;Byung-Jun Kim;In-Hwa Park;In Heo;Yun-Yeop Cha
    • Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
    • /
    • v.34 no.1
    • /
    • pp.83-95
    • /
    • 2024
  • Objectives This review was conducted to evaluate the therapeutic effects of manual acupuncture (MA) for shoulder impingement syndrome (SIS). Methods We searched 12 electronic databases (DBpia, Korean studies Information Service System [KISS], Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System [OASIS], Research Information Sharing Service [RISS], China National Knowledge Infrastructure [CNKI], CINAHL, Clinical Key, Cochrane Library, Embase, JAMA, PubMed, Web of Science) to find randomized-controlled clinical trials (RCTs) investigating therapeutic effects of MA for treating SIS. Shoulder Pain and Disability Index scores and numeric pain rating scale or visual analogue scale were analyzed as the main evaluation criteria. Results Among 181 studies, 169 were screened and only 12 RCTs were eligible in our review. Finally, 11 RCTs could be statistically analyzed. MA was more effective than sham treatment and physical therapy in terms of reducing pain (p=0.003, p=0.0007 each). Electroacupuncture (EA) showed more significant effect than physical therapy (PT) for improving shoulder pain (p<0.00001) and shoulder functionality (p<0.00001). Conclusions These results suggest that MA and EA could be superior option for treating SIS than sham treatment or PT. However this review has its limitations due to the small sample size and lack of well-designed RCTs that were included in the study. Further well-designed RCTs are necessary to provide high-level evidence.

Isolation of Cesium and Radiation Resistance Bacteria for Bioremediation (생물정화를 위한 세슘 및 방사선 저항성 세균의 분리)

  • Jae Hoon Kim;Jai Hyunk Ryu;Sang Hoon Kim;Joon Woo Ahn;Soon Jae Kwon;Jin Baek Kim;Min Kyu Kim;Sang Young Im;Jae Nam Park
    • Journal of Radiation Industry
    • /
    • v.17 no.2
    • /
    • pp.183-190
    • /
    • 2023
  • The global problem of handling radioactive materials is facing limitations. Eco-friendly bioremediation methods using microorganisms are being studied. This study was conducted to screen cesium-resistant microbial strains. M1 strain was selected from the soil sample by enriched culture in R2A medium containing 100 mM CsCl. In liquid medium containing above 40 mM of CsCl, the growth of M1 was inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner. Otherwise, M1 can survive up to 80mM CsCl in solid medium although the growth rate was slow and colony size was small. M1 strain was genetically identified as a strain of the genus Acinetobacter through 16S rRNA sequencing, and radiation resistance (D10 value) of M1 was found to be 0.307 kGy. These results showed that M1 strain is highly resistant to cesium and can grow in radiation environment. It was considered that M1 strain is useful in the field of biological decontamination of cesium.

A historical study of the Large Banner, a symbol of the military dignity of the Late Joseon Dynasty (조선 후기 무위(武威)의 상징 대기치(大旗幟) 고증)

  • JAE, Songhee;KIM, Youngsun
    • Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
    • /
    • v.54 no.4
    • /
    • pp.152-173
    • /
    • 2021
  • The Large Banner was introduced during the Japanese Invasions of Korea with a new military system. It was a flag that controlled the movement of soldiers in military training. In addition, it was used in other ways, such as a symbol when receiving a king in a military camp, a flag raised on the front of a royal procession, at the reception and dispatch of envoys, and at a local official's procession. The Large Banner was recognized as a symbol of military dignity and training rites. The Large Banner was analyzed in the present study in the context of two different types of decorations. Type I includes chungdogi, gakgi and moongi. Type II includes grand, medium, and small obangi, geumgogi and pyomigi. Each type is decorated differently for each purpose. The size of the flag is estimated to be a square of over 4 ja long in length. Flame edges were attached to one side and run up and down The Large Banner used the Five Direction Colors based on the traditional principles of Yin-Yang and Five Elements. The pattern of the Large Banner is largely distinguished by four. The pattern of large obangi consists of divine beasts symbolizing the Five Directions and a Taoism amulet letter. The pattern of medium obangi features spiritual generals that escort the Five Directions. The pattern of small obangi has the Eight Trigrams. The pattern of moongi consists of a tiger with wings that keeps a tight watch on the army's doors. As for historical sources of coloring for Large Banner production, the color-written copy named Gije, from the collection of the Osaka Prefect Library, was confirmed as the style of the Yongho Camp in the mid to late 18th century, and it was also used for this essay and visualization work. We used Cloud-patterned Satin Damask as the background material for Large Banner production, to reveal the dignity of the military. The size of the 4 ja flag was determined to be 170 cm long and 145 cm wide, and the 5 ja flag was 200 cm long and 175 cm wide. The conversion formula used for this work was Youngjochuck (1 ja =30cm). In addition, the order of hierarchy in the Flag of the King was discovered within all flags of the late Joseon Dynasty. In the above historical study, the two types of Large Banner were visualized. The visualization considered the size of the flag, the decoration of the flagpole, and the patterns described in this essay to restore them to their original shape laid out the 18th century relics on the background. By presenting color, size, material patterns, and auxiliary items together, it was possible not only to produce 3D content, but also to produce real products.