• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.33 no.8
• /
• pp.1091-1100
• /
• 2023

Human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 are the major causes of cervical lesions and are associated with 71% of cervical cancer cases globally. However, public health infrastructures to support cervical cancer screening may be unavailable to women in low-resource areas. Therefore, sensitive, convenient, and cost-efficient diagnostic methods are required for the detection of HPV16/18. Here, we designed two novel methods, real-time ERA and ERA-LFD, based on enzymatic recombinase amplification (ERA) for quick point-of-care identification of the HPV E6/E7 genes. The entire detection process could be completed within 25 min at a constant low temperature (35-43℃), and the results of the combined methods could be present as the amplification curves or the bands presented on dipsticks and directly interpreted with the naked eye. The ERA assays evaluated using standard plasmids carrying the E6/E7 genes and clinical samples exhibited excellent specificity, as no cross-reaction with other common HPV types was observed. The detection limits of our ERA assays were 10⁰ and 10¹ copies/µl for HPV16 and 18 respectively, which were comparable to those of the real-time PCR assay. Assessment of the clinical performance of the ERA assays using 114 cervical tissue samples demonstrated that they are highly consistent with real-time PCR, the gold standard for HPV detection. This study demonstrated that ERA-based assays possess excellent sensitivity, specificity, and repeatability for HPV16 and HPV18 detection with great potential to become robust diagnostic tools in local hospitals and field studies.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.194-205
• /
• 2023

Objectives : This study investigated the current utilization status of thermotherapy devices in Korean medicine (KM) institutions and identified areas for improvement and further development, as perceived by KM doctors (KMDs). Methods : An online survey was conducted, targeting KMDs primarily engaged in clinical patient care. The questionnaire included items about respondents' clinical practices, the extent of thermotherapy device usage, their opinions on these devices, and perceived improvement needs. The collected data underwent quantitative analysis. Results : From the 1,025 respondents, data from 862 respondents who provided complete responses were analyzed. On average, respondents utilized thermotherapy treatments for 80% of their patients. Infrared (IR) phototherapy unit, electrical moxibustion apparatus, and heater-based thermotherapy devices were predominantly owned by respondents, with IR being the most frequently used. The average satisfaction score for current thermotherapy devices was 79. A significant concern raised was the necessity for improved health insurance coverage and efficacy evaluation. Conclusions : This research has confirmed that the extensive use of thermotherapy devices by KMDs in treating primarily musculoskeletal and gastrointestinal ailments - common conditions among patients in KM institutions. The main areas identified for improvement encompass safety, cost-effectiveness, and device efficacy. Future enhancements in thermotherapy devices should address these crucial aspects.

• Journal of KIBIM
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.26-35
• /
• 2023

Recently, mandatory BIM design has been enforced in the civil engineering field, focusing on public projects, and inducement measures to actively participate in BIM by participating subjects are required. The BIM ordering documents must reflect the characteristics of the BIM project, current construction standards and laws, and environmental conditions of domestic participants. In this study, we analyze the ordering documents used in domestic and overseas civil engineering BIM projects to determine whether they meet the purpose of BIM. In the future, items that consider the existing heterogeneous data linkage and compatibility, the connectivity with the current construction guidelines and laws, the cost of the designer and the input personnel are prepared for the part that does not meet the BIM purpose. Furthermore, the written order documents are verified through interviews with experts who have experience in BIM projects. Through the results of this study, I would like to propose a consultation system strategy to prepare and present items according to the purpose and type of project by client.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.41 no.2
• /
• pp.115-120
• /
• 2024

Background: Migraine is a common disabling headache that affects every aspect of a person's life. Auricular acupuncture is a cost-effective treatment modality for the management of painful neurological conditions. Previous studies have shown the beneficial effects of a combination of ear points in the management of migraines. However, no studies have evaluated the efficacy of a single auricular point (i.e., sympathetic point) in migraine. Thus, this study evaluated the efficacy of sympathetic points on pain intensity and depression levels in patients with migraine. Methods: In this randomized controlled study, 100 patients with migraine aged 18-45 years were randomly divided into either an auricular acupuncture group (AAG) (n = 50) or a placebo control group (PCG) (n = 50). The AAG underwent needling at the sympathetic point (an auricular acupuncture point), whereas the PCG underwent needling at a non-acupuncture point for 20 minutes daily for 7 days. Assessments were performed before and after the intervention using a 6-item headache impact test (HIT-6) and Beck depression inventory (BDI) scale. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 16. Results: In within-group analysis, the AAG showed a significant reduction in HIT-6 and BDI, whereas the PCG showed a significant increase in HIT-6 and a significant reduction in BDI. In between-groups analyses, HIT-6 reduced significantly in the AAG compared with that in the PCG, whereas BDI reduced significantly in the PCG compared with that in the AAG. Conclusion: In patients with migraine, needling at the sympathetic point produces a greater reduction in the pain intensity level and lesser reduction in the depression level compared to needling at a non-acupuncture point.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.67 no.1
• /
• pp.103-114
• /
• 2024

Objective : Decompressive craniectomy (DC) with duroplasty is one of the common surgical treatments for life-threatening increased intracranial pressure (ICP). Once ICP is controlled, cranioplasty (CP) with reinsertion of the cryopreserved autologous bone flap or a synthetic implant is considered for protection and esthetics. Although with the risk of autologous bone flap resorption (BFR), cryopreserved autologous bone flap for CP is one of the important material due to its cost effectiveness. In this article, we performed conventional statistical analysis and the machine learning technique understand the risk factors for BFR. Methods : Patients aged >18 years who underwent autologous bone CP between January 2015 and December 2021 were reviewed. Demographic data, medical records, and volumetric measurements of the autologous bone flap volume from 94 patients were collected. BFR was defined with absolute quantitative method (BFR-A) and relative quantitative method (BFR%). Conventional statistical analysis and random forest with hyper-ensemble approach (RF with HEA) was performed. And overlapped partial dependence plots (PDP) were generated. Results : Conventional statistical analysis showed that only the initial autologous bone flap volume was statistically significant on BFR-A. RF with HEA showed that the initial autologous bone flap volume, interval between DC and CP, and bone quality were the factors with most contribution to BFR-A, while, trauma, bone quality, and initial autologous bone flap volume were the factors with most contribution to BFR%. Overlapped PDPs of the initial autologous bone flap volume on the BRF-A crossed at approximately 60 mL, and a relatively clear separation was found between the non-BFR and BFR groups. Therefore, the initial autologous bone flap of over 60 mL could be a possible risk factor for BFR. Conclusion : From the present study, BFR in patients who underwent CP with autologous bone flap might be inevitable. However, the degree of BFR may differ from one to another. Therefore, considering artificial bone flaps as implants for patients with large DC could be reasonable. Still, the risk factors for BFR are not clearly understood. Therefore, chronological analysis and pathophysiologic studies are needed.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.155-181
• /
• 2024

In recent years, significant research has been conducted to enhance the performance of existing membranes for efficient CO₂ capture, aiming to expand their application in carbon capture processes. Membrane technology has emerged as a promising carbon capture approach to addressing the net-zero challenge due to its cost and energy efficiency, continuous operation, and compact process size. Among the various types of membranes studied, mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) have been proposed as an alternative to conventional membranes to enhance the efficiency of gas separation processes. Various common 2D nanomaterials, characterized by their ease of modification, functionalization, and compatibility with other materials, have been used to create efficient MMMs for gas separation. This article comprehensively reviews the recent developments in MMMs using 2D nanomaterials. It also discusses the current challenges and prospects of 2D nanomaterial-based membranes for CO₂ separation and capture.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
• /
• v.40 no.3
• /
• pp.241-249
• /
• 2024

Human development activities have led to changes in land cover, resulting in the loss of green spaces such as forests and agricultural lands. This loss accompanies issues of habitat reduction and hindrance to wildlife movement. Due to the decrease in urban green spaces, urban green connectivity is reducing. This study aims to analyze changes in green space connectivity through structural and functional changes in green spaces caused by land cover changes. Quantitative analysis of landscape patterns using landscape indices through Fragstats model was employed to analyze the structural changes in green spaces. This study used seven landscape indices to assess the fragmentation and isolation of green spaces. The analysis was focused on changes occurring in agricultural lands, forests, and grasslands within Yongin-si, South Korea, over 20 years from 1989 to 2019. Among the landscape indices for forests, PLAND showed a decrease of approximately 8.2% from 1989 to 2009, while NP exhibited a decline of about 2,025 patches. This indicates both a reduction in the total area of green spaces in Yongin-si. Also, we analyzed functional changes based on landscape index variations in forest land within the study area between 2009 and 2019, and least-cost path (LCP) analysis was conducted using Linkage Mapper. Results yielded 18 and 16 links for 2009 and 2019, respectively, with 12 common links. It was observed that five links showed a slight decrease, indicating partial deletions of links, contributing to the fragmentation and discontinuity of forests.

• 산업혁신연구
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.231-254
• /
• 2018

The purpose of this study is to analyze and remedy the irregular rework problems in shipbuilding industry. We collected and refined the rework event log of the SAP (ERP) outsourcing company of SPP shipbuilding. The process discovery and analysis were performed by fuzzy mining, pattern analysis and bottle neck analysis among process mining methods. The reworking of SPP shipbuilding was found to cause production rework and design change rework as ship owner 's requirement, design improvement, and field work were also causes of immaturity. In addition, method of case analysis result should be carried out in order to prevent PB(ship painting)-2A(ship owner request)-P1(re-work of production) which is the most common pattern in rework process. First, in the shipbuilding industry, the reworking process model and the analysis of the cause of rework contributed to prevention and minimization of rework, productivity improvement and cost reduction. Second, the process mining methodology is analyzed and the guidelines for future research are presented. Finally, it has a significance in that it contributes to improvement of business ability by systematically showing process model, problems and causes to enterprise managers.

• Design & Manufacturing
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 2024

Macular degeneration is a disease that damages the macula, the center of the retina, and is one of the three major eye diseases along with glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. The optic nerve and most of the photoreceptor cells are located here, and since this is where images of objects are formed, it is the most important area for vision. The main symptom of macular degeneration is the inability to clearly distinguish the shape of objects or the inability to distinguish colors and light and dark. It is also a serious eye disease that causes black spots in the center of the field of vision. However, it is difficult to distinguish it from the form of vision loss due to presbyopia, so early diagnosis is often missed. The most common treatment for macular degeneration is antibody injection therapy. This treatment requires regular injections once every 1-2 months. When receiving antibody injection therapy, the fear of having to inject directly into the eye and the cost of long-term repeated procedures are a great burden to patients. To overcome these problems, special sustained-release formulations using drug delivery systems are being developed. Since the release speed and release time of the drug can be controlled, the number of times the drug is administered can be drastically reduced. However, the implant (Ø 0.46×6.0mm), which is a sustained-release agent, is manufactured by mixing biodegradable resin (PLGA) and therapeutic agent in a ratio of 4:6, so it is very brittle and there is a high risk of implant damage during handling. In order to safely insert the implant into the eye, a transport device that can be driven with controlled force is required. Therefore, in this study, the lever operating force was measured and analyzed to determine the influence of factors according to the cross-sectional thickness and shape of the linkage produced through injection molding as well as the post-process.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.48 no.4
• /
• pp.401-405
• /
• 2005

Purpose : The use of mechanically-assisted ventilators at home reduces morbidity and improves the quality of life in children with chronic respiratory failure. But in Korea there is no clinical data of children with home mechanical ventilation. We investigated ventilator types, duration, the causes of failure or death, and the cost needed for care. Methods : We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 21 children who were admitted and who applied for home mechanical ventilation at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in Asan Medical Center. Phone interviews took place after discharge. and interviewed by phone after discharge. Results : The median age was 31 months; the median duration with ventilator was 25 months. Underlying diseases were 16 neuromuscular diseases, one metabolic disease and four chronic respiratory diseases. The types of ventilator were pressure and volume type(16 and five patients, respectively). The frequency of ventilation failure was once per 19 months. Weaning could be performed in three cases. Frequencies of admission after receiving ventilators were 1.7 times per year; the most common cause was pneumonia. Nine patients(43%) died; four of them died because of endotracheal tube obstruction. The costs for medical care were about 1,110,000 won per month. Conclusion : There is an increment in the numbers of individuals who need mechanical ventilation support. The most common cause of death was endotracheal tube obstruction. The most important problem for the patients was medical cost. There needs to be more interest in patients with ventilator and social welfare systems to support their families need to be prepared.