• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.889-900
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• 2022

Objective: To investigate the long-term outcomes of percutaneous treatment of benign biliary strictures using temporary placement of a retrievable expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) covered stent. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of 148 patients (84 male and 64 female; age range, 11-92 years) who underwent percutaneous transhepatic placement and removal of a retrievable PTFE-covered stent for the treatment of benign biliary strictures between March 2007 and August 2019 through long-term follow-up. Ninety-two patients had treatment-naïve strictures and 56 had recurrent/refractory strictures. Results: Stent placement was technically successful in all 148 patients. The mean indwelling period of the stent was 2.4 months (median period, 2.3 months; range, 0.2-7.7 months). Stent migration, either early or late, occurred in 28 (18.9%) patients. Clinical success, defined as resolution of stricture after completing stent placement and removal, was achieved in 94.2% (131 of 139 patients). The overall complication rate was 15.5% (23 of 148 patients). During the mean follow-up of 60.2 months (median period, 52.7 months; range, 1.6-146.1 months), 37 patients had a recurrence of clinically significant strictures at 0.5-124.5 months after removal of biliary stent and catheter (median, 16.1 months). The primary patency rates at 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 years after removal of biliary stent and catheter were 88.2%, 70.0%, 66.2%, 60.5%, and 54.5%, respectively. In the multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression analysis, sex, age, underlying disease, relation to surgery, stricture type, biliary stones, history of previous treatment, and stricture site were not significantly associated with the primary patency. Conclusion: Long-term outcomes suggest that percutaneous treatment of benign biliary strictures using temporary placement of retrievable PTFE-covered stents may be a clinically effective method.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.27-31
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• 2000

Recently, there is a worldwide concern that a great number of man-made chemicals have a hormone-like action both in humans and in animals. EPA and OECD are developing screening programs using validated test systems to determine whether certain substances may have an effect on humans. In the present study, the establishment of in vivo short-term test system for pubertal female assay with thyroid to detect endocrine disrupting chemicals was tried using a model substance, methoxychlor (MC), a chlorinated hydrocarbon insencticide. Forty female rats were assigned to four groups. MC was administered at dose levels of 0, 8, 40 and 200mg/kg by gavage to female rats from day 21 post partum to the completion of vaginal opening. We evaluated body weight change, age at vaginal opening, onset of estrous cyclicity, age at first esturs, ovary weight, and serum concentrations of thyroxine and thyroid stimulating hormone in female rats. The age at vaginal opening of females receiving 40 200mg/kg was significantly younger than control. The onset of estrus cyclicity and age at first estrus of females receiving 200mg/kg was also younger than controls. There was no effect of treatment on body weight, ovary weight, and hormone concentration. Based on these results, it can be concluded that application of MC at dose level of 40mg/kg affects the vaginal opening and application of MC at dose level of 200mg/kg accelerates the vaginal opening and the onset of estrus cylicity.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-32
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• 2011

This paper explores the effect of relative age at elementary school entry, which is determined by birth date and school entrance law, on college entrance. First, I compare the college entrance rate between students born in January or February and those born in other months. Second, I estimate the effect of age at school entry on college entrance. Relatively older students at school entry are likely to have better educational outcomes during the first college entrance. However, these differences in educational outcomes seem to decrease the more that younger students repeat taking the college entrance exam.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.1025-1029
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• 2007

It is widely assumed that Intelligence Quotient (IQ) is determined by inherent disposition and environmental factor. IQ is estimated by age-conversion score and stabilized around age 4 and IQ of adult age can be predicted after age 10. Though children with Mental Retardation (MR) are delayed in language development since early infant period, they receive only special education including speech and language therapy, but no special medication. In traditional Korean medicine, the etiology and treatment for developmental delay of language have been handed down for a long time. Some studies on herbs and prescriptions for improving language development have been undertaken recently. We have found several cases of significant elevation of IQ in the children treated with long term medications of Korean herbal medicine for improvement of language. Analyzing these cases, especially performance IQ showed significant change. Therefore we suggest that Korean herbal medicine might improve cognition development in children with MR.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.351-371
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• 2024

This study aims to assess the impact of chatbot usability and demographics on continuous intention to use across different sectors. The research employed Braun's Bot Usability Scale (BUS11) to measure chatbot usability, focusing on accessibility, quality, conversation quality, privacy risk, and response time. A total of 187 participants completed a survey as part of this study. Variance-based SEM was utilized to examine relationships and test hypotheses. This study contributes to the ongoing discourse on chatbot adoption and user behaviour. It enhances the understanding of chatbot usability, highlighting the role of age in continued intention to use chatbots. The findings suggest that different age groups may possess specific preferences and expectations regarding chatbot usability. These differing preferences can influence their intention to continue using this technology. The study reveals that chatbot usability significantly impacts continuous intention to use and that age moderates the relationship between perceived conversation quality, information, privacy, security, and continuous intention to use. Based on the study's results, it is recommended that chatbot designers enhance usability to promote long-term adoption and usage.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.136-143
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• 2024

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations of obesity and clinical characteristics including interleukin-6 (IL-6) with hospital length of stay (LOS) in coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) patients in Korea. Methods: A retrospective descriptive study design was employed to analyze medical data from a government-designated hospital in a city of Korea. Clinical data were collected from 256 patients with COVID-19 in negative-pressure isolation wards in 2021. The following parameters were analyzed: body mass index (BMI), IL-6 levels, age, sex, comorbidities, healthy habitsat the time ofadmission, and LOS. The statistical package SPSS 26.0 was used for descriptive statistics, the independent t-test, the chi-square test, and partial correlation coefficients. Results: The age of COVID-19 patients was positively correlated with BMI (r = -.16, p = .012), IL-6 levels (r = .14, p = .022) and LOS (r = .26, p < .001). Obesity, non-drinking, hypertension, and older age were associated with longer LOS. Conclusion: These results suggest that age, obesity, and hypertension in COVID-19 patients are related to LOS. Studies investigating other factors that can affect long-term hospitalization in COVID-19 patients are suggested.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.47-53
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• 2003

Purpose: We studied the prevalence and long-term trend of childhood obesity after puberty to help in managing and treating obesity. Methods: We surveyed obesity index of children at age 13 and 17 who was diagnosed as obesity at their age 7. 1,559 students consisting of 753 boys and 806 girls had followed up since 1992 until 2002. Obesity was defined as the obesity index over 20 percent. Results: The prevalence of obesity was 3.1% at age 7, 7.1% at age 13 and 13.0% at age 17, which increased significantly with getting older in age in both sex. Among obese children at age 7, 67.5 percent remained obese at age 17. 66.6% of the obese boys at age 7 and 68.4% of the obese girls at age 7 remained obese at age 17. The proportion of severe obesity in obese boys was increased as they were old, but not in obese girls. The progression to moderate and severe obesity at age 17 was prominent for obese boys at age 7, compared to the obese girls. 12.7% of normal weight boys at age 7 and 9.8% of normal weight girls at age 7 became obese at age 17. Conclusion: We think that the prevention and treatment of obesity during puberty is as important as those in the childhood.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.2 s.70
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• pp.66-79
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• 2007

Objectives : To explore the type and frequency of short term reactions, de Qi associated with acupuncture treatment and to determine the incidence of adverse events following acupuncture in Korea. Subjects and methods : This study is a retrospective and cross-sectional survey of patient reports. 1095 subjects, 585 of out-patients of the Oriental Medicine of Stroke & Neurological Disorders Center, East-West NEO Medical Center of Kyunghee University and 510 of out-patients of the Department of Cardiovascular & Neurologic Diseases (Stoke Center), Hospital of Oriental Medicine, Kyunghee Medical Center, from June through November of 2006, who had acupuncture, gave informed consent and completed one survey form. On this form, patients were asked to report short term acupuncture reactions, de Qi, patient satisfaction measurement (using VAS), and adverse events relating to acupuncture treatment. The acupuncturists of this study are Korean Medicine Doctors (KMD) who had worked as practitioners for 3-30 years or more. Results : The average age of the 1095 subjects was 58 years old. Positive short term acupuncture reactions after treatment were reported by 878 (80.2%), negative short term acupuncture reactions by 75 (6.8%) and no reactions were reported by 142 (13.0%). The most common positive short term acupuncture reactions were feeling 'relaxed', 472 (43.1%), followed by feeling 'less pain' 90 (8.2%), 'energized' 16 ( 1.5%), 'tingling' 16 (1.5%), 'heat feeling or Cold feeling' 10 (0.9%), and others 274 (25.0%), respectively. Negative short term acupuncture reactions were feeling 'pain' 37 (3.4%), tiredness 24 (2.2%), dizziness 9 (0.8%), and others 5 (0.2%), respectively. Traditionally described needling sensations of de Qi refer to a patient's response to distention, pulling, soreness, heaviness, numbness. 39.7% of subjects reported de Qi during needling, experiencing 'distention' 333 (30.4%), 'soreness' 52 (4.7%), 'pulling' 22 (2.0%), 'heaviness' 18 (1.6%), and 'numbness' 10 (0.9%) respectively. Positive short term acupuncture reactions and de Qi rate were the highest in the less than 40 years group (83/96 86.5%, 50/96 52.1%). No acupuncture reactions were highly seen in the over 70 years old group (31/187, 16.6%). Patient satisfaction level using VAS was a comparatively high $72.9{\pm}19.9$. Adverse events were only bleeding in 92 (8.4%) of the total subjects. High sensitive acupoints were 95 points as GV26 (54 times), LI4 (54 times), ST36 (53 times), GB20 (37 times), HT8(34 times), LV3 (29 times), SI3 (29 times), and LI11 (27 times) in order. Main impressions were stroke patients 430 (16.9%), headache 185 (16.9%), hypertension 97 (8.9%), and dizziness 85 (7.8%). Conclusions : Although 8 different Korean Medicine Doctors participated in this research, we obtained similar results from each. There were no significantly different results between the two hospitals. Short term acupuncture reactions and de Qi were most related to age. Except for bleeding there were no adverse events relating to acupuncture treatment in this study. We consider acupuncture treatment as very safe depending on practitioners. Positive short term acupuncture reactions after treatment were 12 times higher than negative short term acupuncture reactions. Subjects were comparatively satisfied with acupuncture treatment.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.11-16
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• 1976

In hold that the pulmonary functions which is important situation that the national physical power, at firstly, from age 10 to age 29 young men and women 1,540 person for the progress of grew up, and them to by each aged viewing transition for pulmonary functions physical examination record is as following; and to measure normal Person with comparison by each others pulmonary functions was gained as the results of follows. 1) Frequency of Breathing: It was same the male and female age at 10 per minute over or less of 20 times, but, at age 16 to 17 was $15{\sim}16$ times, and had to precensed compare constant value. 2) Vital Capacity: At the grew up Pregress term as the body stature, age 10 to 17 or 18, had to showing rapidly increasing, but the after Probably constant. The comparison value in man and women in progress of growth up was about $200{\sim}300ml$, and after growth of progress are about 1,500ml, add in men was presence more highly value. 3) Tidal Volume: At a9e 10 was 365m1, but, it was continuing increasing, an4 at age 20 is about 500m1, and the different in men and women about $20{\sim}30$ times and had precense highly value at men. 4) Breathing holding time: It was presence same at male and femele 10 to 13, from 35 second to $37{\sim}38$ seconds, and had to Presence a slight increasing, but, may has to final of the growth progrees age at 14, it should be presence rapidly increasing and the after probably presence as same value but, than female at male is high record average value of $7{\sim}8$ seconds.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.64-69
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• 2017

Purpose: The goal of nutritional support for very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants from birth to term is to match the in utero growth rates; however, this is rarely achieved. Methods: We evaluated postdischarge growth patterns and growth failure in 81 Korean VLBW infants through a retrospective study. Weight and height were measured and calculated based on age percentile distribution every 3 months until age 24 months. Growth failure was defined as weight and height below the 10th percentile at 24 months. For the subgroup analysis, small-for-gestational age (SGA) and extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants were evaluated. The growth patterns based on the Korean, World Health Organization (WHO), or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) standard were serially compared over time. Results: At postconception age (PCA) 40 weeks, 47 (58%) and 45 infants (55%) showed growth failure in terms of weight and height, respectively. At PCA 24 months, 20 infants (24%) showed growth failure for weight and 14 (18%) for height. Growth failure rates were higher for the SGA infants than for the appropriate-weight-for-gestational age infants at PCA 24 months (P=0.045 for weight and P=0.038 for height). Growth failure rates were higher for the ELBW infants than for the non-ELBW infants at PCA 24 months (P<0.001 for weight and P=0.003 for height). Significant differences were found among the WHO, CDC, and Korean standards (P<0.001). Conclusion: Advancements in neonatal care have improved the catch-up growth of VLBW infants, but this is insufficient. Careful observation and aggressive interventions, especially in SGA and ELBW infants, are needed.