• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.49-58
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• 2017

Background: This study determined current status of laboratory biosafety in Nigerian veterinary research facilities. Methods: A questionnaire was developed to obtain information from researchers across Nigeria from July 2014 to July 2015. Information regarding demographics, knowledge of laboratory biosafety, availability and proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), any priority pathogens researched, attitude on and use of standard laboratory practices, and biosafety awareness was obtained using a numeric scoring system. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, and univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Results: A total of 74 participants from 19 facilities completed the questionnaire. General knowledge scores ranged from 3 to 28 (out of 28 possible points), with 94.6% of respondents receiving low scores (scores < mean + 1 standard deviation). Very few (17.6%) reported availability or use PPE. Many participants (63.5%) reported no access to biosafety level (BSL)-1-3 facilities. None reported availability of a BSL-4 facility. Knowledge scores pertaining to biosafety management practices ranged from 0 to 14 (out of 14 possible points) with 47.3% of respondents receiving good scores (scores > mean + 1 standard deviation). Only 16.2% of respondents (from four facilities) reported having biosafety officers. Rabies virus was the most researched pathogen (31.1% of respondents). The majority (71.6%) were unaware of laws guiding biosafety. Researchers [odds ratio (OR) = 18.0; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.63, 198.5; p = 0.023], especially in BSL-2 (OR = 258.5; 95% CI: 12.71, 5256; p < 0.001) facility of research institute (OR = 25.0; 95% CI: 5.18, 120.6; p < 0.001), are more likely to have adequate access to and properly utilize biosafety devices and PPE. Conclusions: Current knowledge of laboratory biosafety is limited except among a few researchers.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2012

Human thermal sensation based on a human energy balance model was analyzed in the study areas, the Changwon and Nanaimo sites, on clear days during thesummer of 2009. The climatic input data were air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and solar and terrestrial radiation. The most effective factors for human thermal sensation were direct beam solar radiation, building view factor and wind speed. Shaded locations had much lower thermal sensation, slightly warm, than sunny locations, very hot. Also, narrow streets in the Nanaimo site had higher thermal sensation than open spaces because of greater reflected solar radiation and terrestrial radiation from their surrounding buildings. Calm wind speed also produced much higher thermal sensation, which reduced sensible and latent heat loss from the human body. By adopting climatic factors into landscape architecture, the human thermal sensation analysis method promises to help create thermally comfortable outdoor areas. The method can also be used for urban heat island modification and climate change studies.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.1-11
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• 1985

A double pipe grain heater using engine exhaust gas as a heat source was developed. The performance of the grain heater was examined with soybeans as a test material experimentally and numerically using a mathematical model constructed. The following conclusions were drawn: 1. The modified screw conveyor used in the grain heater has a characteristic of decreasing capacity with increasing speed at speeds above 60 rpm. Operation with speeds below 60 rpm is recommended. 2. Heating soybeans by the heater at soybean flow rate up to 100 kg/hr, inlet temperature of the exhaust gas to the heater are recommended as above $400^{\circ}C$, $300^{\circ}C$, and $200^{\circ}C$ roughly for a 2, 5, and 10 kW engine, respectively. 3. Temperature increments of soybean by the heater at soybean flow rates ranged from 25 to 100 kg/hr are in the ranges of $6^{\circ}C-35^{\circ}C$, $15^{\circ}C-88^{\circ}C$, and $15^{\circ}C-140^{\circ}C$ with exhaust gas from a 2, 5, and 10 kW engine, respectively, at an exhaust temperature of $500^{\circ}C$. 4. Thermal efficiency of the heater at soybean flow rates ranged from 25 to 100 kg/hr are in the ranges of 35-37%, 28-34%, and 20-29% with exhaust gas from a 2, 5, and 10 kW engine, respectively. 5. The grain heater can be used to heat the other grain, also, without any bad effect from the exhaust gas used as a heat source.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.437-440
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• 2007

A six-year-old, intact female Indian ring-necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri manillensis) was presented due to chronic weight loss and anorexia. The bird was tentatively diagnosed as proventricular dilation disease (PDD) by radiographic evidences of dilated crop and proventriculus. The patient was symptomatically treated, however the bird was die two months after the first presentation. At necropsy finding, distinctive signs of PDD were noted, and PDD concurrent with ingluvitis was finally diagnosed according to histopatholgic examination.

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.309-313
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• 2008

We studied the sapphire and germanium fibers to determine which optical fiber best transmits Erbium:YAG laser for intracorporeal lithotripsy. Human calculi were ablated with an Erbium:YAG laser in contact mode using two fibers. Optical outputs at the distal end of fibers were measured before and after laser lithotripsy. Upon the irradiation on the calculus with the 50 mJ and 100 mJ pulse energy, the output energy at the distal end of germanium fiber declined to approximately 50% of the input energy. For the sapphire fiber, the output energy at the distal end remained unchanged with 100 mJ input energy; however the output energy had dropped to 50% for 200 mJ input energy. In order to examine how the types of target tissue affect the fiber damage, the sapphire fiber was tested for the irradiation on soft tissue and water as well. No energy decline was observed during soft tissue and water irradiation. We also characterized ablation craters with both optical fibers. Both fibers produced similar craters on calculi in terms of depth and diameter. Sapphire fibers are better suited than germanium fibers for Erbium:YAG lithotripsy in terms of the fiber damage.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.199-206
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• 2021

Objectives : This study aimed to compare the characteristics of suicide attempts among Korean patients with mixed and non-mixed depression. Methods : Patients who visited the emergency room due to a suicide attempt and participated in the Korean Cohort for the Model Predicting a Suicide and Suicide-related Behavior study were included. Using the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), 111 patients were classified into the mixed depression (n=46) and non-mixed depression groups (n=65). The Koukopoulos Mixed Depression Rating Scale (KMDRS) score was calculated using the MADRS and YMRS scores. Suicide attempt characteristics were evaluated using the Columbia Suicidal Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) and Suicide Intent Scale (SIS). Results : In the mixed depression group, the reason item among the ideation intensity score of the C-SSRS was higher, and the deterrent item score was lower. Scores on the timing and suicide note items of the SIS were higher, and scores for overt communication items were lower in the mixed depression group. The KMDRS score was positively correlated with the C-SSRS ideation intensity and total SIS score. After adjusting for additional variables, the KMDRS scores had a significant effect on the C-SSRS ideation intensity and total SIS scores. Conclusions : The mixed depression group showed a difference in the intensity of suicidal ideation and suicidal intention compared to those in the non-mixed depression group. The overall suicidal ideation intensity and suicidal intention increased according to the degree of mixed depression.

• Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.449-460
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• 2018

Objective: Prior functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) work has revealed that children/adolescents with disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs) show dysfunctional reward/non-reward processing of non-social reinforcements in the context of instrumental learning tasks. Neural responsiveness to social reinforcements during instrumental learning, despite the importance of this for socialization, has not yet been previously investigated. Methods: Twenty-nine healthy children/adolescents and 19 children/adolescents with DBDs performed the fMRI social/non-social reinforcement learning task. Participants responded to random fractal image stimuli and received social and non-social rewards/non-rewards according to their accuracy. Results: Children/adolescents with DBDs showed significantly reduced responses within the caudate and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) to non-social (financial) rewards and social non-rewards (the distress of others). Connectivity analyses revealed that children/adolescents with DBDs have decreased positive functional connectivity between the ventral striatum (VST) and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) seeds and the lateral frontal cortex in response to reward relative to non-reward, irrespective of its sociality. In addition, they showed decreased positive connectivity between the vmPFC seed and the amygdala in response to non-reward relative to reward. Conclusion: These data indicate compromised reinforcement processing of both non-social rewards and social non-rewards in children/adolescents with DBDs within core regions for instrumental learning and reinforcement-based decision-making (caudate and PCC). In addition, children/adolescents with DBDs show dysfunctional interactions between the VST, vmPFC, and lateral frontal cortex in response to rewarded instrumental actions potentially reflecting disruptions in attention to rewarded stimuli.

• Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.238-247
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• 2018

Background: We aimed to estimate the proportion of patients with diabetes who achieved target glycemic control, to estimate diabetes-related costs attributable to poor control, and to identify factors associated with them in the United Arab Emirates. Methods: This retrospective cohort study used administrative claims data handled by Abu Dhabi Health Authority (January 2010 to June 2012) to determine glycemic control and diabetes-related treatment costs. A total of 4,058 patients were matched using propensity scores to eliminate selection bias between patients with glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) <7% and HbA1c ${\geq}7%$. Diabetes-related costs attributable to poor control were estimated using a recycled prediction method. Factors associated with glycemic control were investigated using logistic regression and factors associated with these costs were identified using a generalized linear model. Results: During the 1-year follow-up period, 46.6% of the patients achieved HbA1c <7%. Older age, female sex, better insurance coverage, non-use of insulin in the index diagnosis month, and non-use of antidiabetic medications during the follow-up period were significantly associated with improved glycemic control. The mean diabetes-related annual costs were $2,282 and $2,667 for patients with and without glycemic control, respectively, and the cost attributable to poor glycemic control was $172 (95% confidence interval [CI], $164-180). The diabetes-related costs were lower with mean HbA1c levels <7% (cost ratio, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.88-0.99). The costs were significantly higher in patients aged ${\geq}65$ years than those aged ${\leq}44$ years (cost ratio, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.25-1.70). Conclusion: More than 50% of patients with diabetes had poorly controlled HbA1c. Poor glycemic control may increase diabetes-related costs.

• Psychiatry investigation
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.1115-1120
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• 2018

Objective The Biological Rhythms Interview of Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (BRIAN) is a scale used to clinically evaluate disturbances in biological rhythm. In this study, we aimed to examine the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the BRIAN (K-BRIAN) in a Korean population. Methods A total of 181 participants, including 141 outpatients with bipolar disorder (BD; type I, 62; type II, 79) and 40 controls, were recruited. Construct validity was tested by comparing the mean K-BRIAN scores of the BD patients and control subjects. Concurrent validity was tested by evaluating the association between the K-BRIAN and the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ). Results The mean K-BRIAN scores of the control subjects and patients with BD differed significantly (p<0.001). Particularly, the mean K-BRIAN score was considerably lower among control subjects (mean${\pm}$standard deviation=$35.00{\pm}8.88$) than among patients with BD type I ($41.19{\pm}12.10$) and type II ($50.18{\pm}13.73$). The Cronbach's alpha for the K-BRIAN was 0.914. The K-BRIAN was found to correlate with the MEQ (r=-0.45, p<0.001). Conclusion The findings affirm that the K-BRIAN has good construct validity and internal consistency. This suggests that the K-BRIAN can be used to assess biological rhythms in the Korean population, especially for patients with mood disorder.

• Journal of Gynecologic Oncology
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.91.1-91.12
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• 2018

Objective: To examine the association between tumor grade and survival for women with squamous cervical cancer. Methods: This retrospective observational study utilized the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result program data between 1983 and 2013 to examine women with squamous cervical cancer with known tumor differentiation grade. Multivariable analyses were performed to assess independent associations between tumor differentiation grade and survival. Results: A total of 31,536 women were identified including 15,175 (48.1%) with grade 3 tumors, 14,084 (44.7%) with grade 2 neoplasms and 2,277 (7.2%) with grade 1 tumors. Higher tumor grade was significantly associated with older age, higher stage disease, larger tumor size, and lymph node metastasis (all, p<0.001). In a multivariable analysis, grade 2 tumors (adjusted-hazard ratio [HR]=1.21; p<0.001) and grade 3 tumors (adjusted-HR=1.45; p<0.001) were independently associated with decreased cause-specific survival (CSS) compared to grade 1 tumors. Among the 7,429 women with stage II-III disease who received radiotherapy without surgical treatment, grade 3 tumors were independently associated with decreased CSS compared to grade 2 tumors (adjusted-HR=1.16; p<0.001). Among 4,045 women with node-negative stage I disease and tumor size ${\leq}4cm$ who underwent surgical treatment without radiotherapy, grade 2 tumors (adjusted-HR=2.54; p=0.028) and grade 3 tumors (adjusted-HR=4.48; p<0.001) were independently associated with decreased CSS compared to grade 1 tumors. Conclusion: Our study suggests that tumor differentiation grade may be a prognostic factor in women with squamous cervical cancer, particularly in early-stage disease. Higher tumor grade was associated with poorer survival.