• Journal of Audiology & Otology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.27-35
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• 2021

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical features and the clinical factors associated with prognosis of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) in diabetic patients. Subjects and Methods: Forty-nine diabetic with unilateral SSNHL were retrospectively included. All patients received systemic high dose steroid therapy within one month after onset and had more than one month of follow-up audiogram. The basic characteristics of the patients, initial and follow-up audiograms, laboratory data, and methods of steroid treatment were collected. Results: Compared to reference values in healthy subjects, 79%, 55%, and 45% of the patients had higher values of mean neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR), respectively. Older patients had significantly less degree of hearing loss, but they also had significantly worse hearing thresholds in the unaffected ear. After steroid treatment, less than half patients (47%) showed hearing recovery. Simultaneous intratympanic dexamethasone (ITD) injections with systemic steroid did not confer an additional hearing gain or an earlier recovery rate in diabetic patients with SSNHL. In the multivariate analysis, initial hearing thresholds of affected ear and timing of steroid treatment were significantly associated with hearing prognosis in diabetic patients with SSNHL. Conclusions: Diabetic patients with SSNHL tended to have increased NLR, LMR, and PLR, which are reported to be associated with microvascular angiopathy. Simultaneous ITD injections to improve hearing recovery in diabetic patients with SSNHL seems unnecessary.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.1537-1544
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• 2022

When designing chip, it considers design specification, timing problem, and clock synchronization on place & route (P&R) process. P&R process is complicated because of considering various factors. Chip uses clock tree synthesis (CTS) to reduce clock path delay. The purpose of this study is to examine shallow-CTS algorithm for checking clock tree synthesizable. Using open source Parser-Verilog, register transfer level (RTL) synthesizable Verilog file is parsed and it uses Pre-CTS and Post-CTS process that is included shallow-CTS. Based on longest clock path in the Pre-CTS and Post-CTS stages, the standard deviation before and after buffer insertion is compared and analyzed for the accuracy of CTS. In this paper, It is expected that the cost and time problem could be reduced by providing a pre-clock tree synthesis verification method at the RTL level without confirming the CTS result using the time-consuming licensed EDA tool.

• Korean Journal of Audiology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.27-35
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• 2021

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical features and the clinical factors associated with prognosis of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) in diabetic patients. Subjects and Methods: Forty-nine diabetic with unilateral SSNHL were retrospectively included. All patients received systemic high dose steroid therapy within one month after onset and had more than one month of follow-up audiogram. The basic characteristics of the patients, initial and follow-up audiograms, laboratory data, and methods of steroid treatment were collected. Results: Compared to reference values in healthy subjects, 79%, 55%, and 45% of the patients had higher values of mean neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR), respectively. Older patients had significantly less degree of hearing loss, but they also had significantly worse hearing thresholds in the unaffected ear. After steroid treatment, less than half patients (47%) showed hearing recovery. Simultaneous intratympanic dexamethasone (ITD) injections with systemic steroid did not confer an additional hearing gain or an earlier recovery rate in diabetic patients with SSNHL. In the multivariate analysis, initial hearing thresholds of affected ear and timing of steroid treatment were significantly associated with hearing prognosis in diabetic patients with SSNHL. Conclusions: Diabetic patients with SSNHL tended to have increased NLR, LMR, and PLR, which are reported to be associated with microvascular angiopathy. Simultaneous ITD injections to improve hearing recovery in diabetic patients with SSNHL seems unnecessary.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.357-365
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• 2022

Simultaneous myofibril and mitochondrial development is crucial for the cardiac differentiation of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs). Specifically, mitochondrial energy metabolism (MEM) development in cardiomyocytes is essential for the beating function. Although previous studies have reported that MEM is correlated with cardiac differentiation, the process and timing of MEM regulation for cardiac differentiation remain poorly understood. Here, we performed transcriptome analysis of cells at specific stages of cardiac differentiation from mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) and human induced PSCs (hiPSCs). We selected MEM genes strongly upregulated at cardiac lineage commitment and in a time-dependent manner during cardiac maturation and identified the protein-protein interaction networks. Notably, MEM proteins were found to interact closely with cardiac maturation-related proteins rather than with cardiac lineage commitment-related proteins. Furthermore, MEM proteins were found to primarily interact with cardiac muscle contractile proteins rather than with cardiac transcription factors. We identified several candidate MEM regulatory genes involved in cardiac lineage commitment (Cck, Bdnf, Fabp4, Cebpα, and Cdkn2a in mESC-derived cells, and CCK and NOS3 in hiPSC-derived cells) and cardiac maturation (Ppargc1α, Pgam2, Cox6a2, and Fabp3 in mESC-derived cells, and PGAM2 and SLC25A4 in hiPSC-derived cells). Therefore, our findings show the importance of MEM in cardiac maturation.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.153-167
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• 2023

Objective: Bipolar disorder displays a spectrum of manifestations, including manic, hypomanic, depressive, mixed, psychotic, and atypical episodes, contributing to its chronic nature and association with heightened suicide risk. Creating effective pharmacotherapy guidelines is crucial for managing bipolar disorder and reducing its prevalence. Treatment algorithms grounded in science have improved symptom management, but variations in recommended medications arise from research differences, healthcare policies, and cultural nuances globally. Methods: This study compares Korea's bipolar disorder treatment algorithm with guidelines from the UK, Australia, and an international association. The aim is to uncover disparities in key recommended medications and their underlying factors. Differences in CYP450 genotypes affecting drug metabolism contribute to distinct recommended medications. Variances also stem from diverse guideline development approaches-expert consensus versus metaanalysis results-forming the primary differences between Korea and other countries. Results: Discrepancies remain in international guidelines relying on meta-analyses due to timing and utilized studies. Drug approval speeds further impact medication selection. However, limited high-quality research results are the main cause of guideline variations, hampering consistent treatment conclusions. Conclusion: Korea's unique Delphi-based treatment algorithm stands out. To improve evidence-based recommendations, large-scale studies assessing bipolar disorder treatments for the Korean population are necessary. This foundation will ensure future recommendations are rooted in scientific evidence.

• Journal of Korean Port Research
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.145-156
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• 1997

The purpose in this study is development of model for the Container Terminals of Pusan Port, First of all, Quantitive and Qualititve factors are characterized which effects on Physical Distribution System in Container Terminals. The System Dynamics method is used to develope the model by using these factor. This model is able to present the timinig of investment in Container Terminals of Pusan Port. Six models are showed by change of parameters in System Dynamics, in this paper. In the model, Five feedback loop were found. Loop 1 : Number of Liners$\rightarrow$Number of Congested ships$\rightarrow$Port's Charges$\rightarrow$Export & Import Cargo Volumes$\rightarrow$Number of Liners$\rightarrow$The will to investment of government$\rightarrow$Length of berth→Number of Liners. Negative loop was acquired. Loop 2 : Port's Charge$\rightarrow$Economic of Port$\rightarrow$The will to Private management$\rightarrow$Efficiency for Port's Operation$\rightarrow$Port's Charges. Positive loop was acquired. Loop 3 : Number of Congested ships$\rightarrow$Planning for future development$\rightarrow$Information Service$\rightarrow$Support service for port's user$\rightarrow$Number of Congested ships. Negative loop was acquired. Loop 4 : Number of Congested ships$\rightarrow$Planning for future development$\rightarrow$Extent of stacking area$\rightarrow$Number of handling equipmint$\rightarrow$Number of Congested ships. Negative loop was acquired. Loop 5 : Export & Import Cargo Volumes$\rightarrow$Number of Liners$\rightarrow$Econmic of Port$\rightarrow$Support service for port's user$\rightarrow$Export & Import Cargo Volumes. Positive loop was acquired. System's level variables were selected as followings ; Number of Liners, Number of Congested ships, Export & Import Carge Volumes, Length of berth, and Port's Charges. As result of simmulation of model, fluctuation of respective year was found in level variables. This fluctuation can be used properly to present timing of investment.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.63 no.2
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• pp.13.1-13.6
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• 2023

Animals imported from abroad are a cause of rabies outbreaks in many countries. Therefore, rabies serology testing for dogs and cats traveling abroad is an important measure to reduce the incidence of rabies. Rabies virus antibodies were measured in sera collected from 2,367 dogs and 894 cats between 2017 and 2021. A serum sample with a value of 0.5 IU/mL or higher was considered a pass. The overall pass rates for rabies virus were 96.4% in dogs and 98.4% in cats. The mean rabies virus neutralization assay titers were higher in cats than in dogs and in female than in male animals. According to age, 6-year-old dogs and 9-year-old cats had the highest virus neutralization assay titers. Of the failure cases, 53.0% (53/100) were dogs or cats less than 1 year old. Although the average failure rates in dogs and cats were low at 3.5% and 1.6%, respectively, the factors influencing failure were age and vaccine manufacturer. Therefore, it is necessary to observe the vaccination interval and timing of blood collection after boosting.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2013.01a
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• pp.539-545
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• 2013

Although individual-level factors (e.g., attitudes, personality) have long been associated with day-to-day attendance decisions, increasingly researchers have recognized "the social nature of attendance dynamics and their susceptibility to social control (Johns, 2008)." Implications of this social approach for research would be to focus attention on the causes and effects of absence culture (i.e., absence-related perceptions, beliefs, values), and the effects of absence culture on individual and group attendance within social units. Construction projects typically require workers to work in teams or crews on highly interdependent projects, and, thus, are particularly relevant contexts to study absence culture. In this paper we apply a system dynamics (SD) model to study absence culture by utilizing the advantages of SD in capturing a feedback process and state changes. We were particularly interested in: (a) the awareness of social norms within construction crews that pertained to attendance, (b) the interplay between formal attendance rules (policy) and these social norms, and (c) how these sources of influence affected the decision-making process of construction crew members. We expect that the results of this work will help construction organizations evaluate (or re-consider) the effects of their attendance control policies (e.g., timing, strength, and frequency) within a social context. Moreover, our findings suggest that the key to reducing excessive absences might be to invest time in influencing absence culture directly rather than imposing frequent and strict regulations - which, in turn, may inadvertently fortify a culture that works against the organization's interests.

• Smart Media Journal
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• v.12 no.10
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• pp.47-54
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• 2023

As understanding sudden climate change and agricultural productivity becomes increasingly important due to global warming, soil moisture prediction is emerging as a key topic in agriculture. Soil moisture has a significant impact on crop growth and health, and proper management and accurate prediction are key factors in improving agricultural productivity and resource management. For this reason, soil moisture prediction is receiving great attention in agricultural and environmental fields. In this paper, we collected and analyzed open field environmental data using a pilot field through random forest, a machine learning algorithm, obtained the correlation between data characteristics and soil moisture, and compared the actual and predicted values of soil moisture. As a result of the comparison, the prediction rate was about 92%. It was confirmed that the accuracy was . If soil moisture prediction is carried out by adding crop growth data variables through future research, key information such as crop growth speed and appropriate irrigation timing according to soil moisture can be accurately controlled to increase crop quality and improve productivity and water management efficiency. It is expected that this will have a positive impact on resource efficiency.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.1185-1200
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: In the United States, one in every 5 children is obese with greater likelihood in low-income households. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have accelerated disparities in child obesity risk factors, such as poor dietary intake and increased sedentary behaviors, among low-income families because of financial difficulties, social isolation and other struggles. This study reveals insights into nutrition and health challenges among low-income families of young children in West Texas to better understand needs and develop interventions. SUBJECTS/METHODS: In-depth individual interviews were performed via Zoom among 11 families of children under the age of 3. A semi-structured interview guide was developed to explore 3 areas: changes in (1) dietary intake and (2) sedentary behaviors and (3) families' preferences regarding a parent nutrition education program. Each interview was audiorecorded, transcribed, and coded using MaxQDA software. RESULTS: Eating together as a family become challenging because of irregular work schedules during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most parents stated that their children's dietary habits shifted with an increased consumption of processed foods. Many parents are unable to afford healthful foods and have utilized food and nutrition assistance programs to help feed their families. All families reported that their children's screen time substantially increased compared to the pre-pandemic times. Moreover, the majority of parents did not associate child screen time with an obesity risk, so this area could be of particular interest for future interventions. Meal preparation ideas, remote modality, and early timing were identified as key intervention strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Online nutrition interventions that emphasize the guidelines for child screen time and regular meal routines will be effective and promising tools to reach low-income parents for early childhood health promotion and obesity prevention.