• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.577-581
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• 2018

Schistosomiasis is prevalent in Nigeria, and the foremost pathogen is Schistosoma haematobium, which affects about 29 million people. Single dose of the drug praziquantel is often recommended for treatment but the efficacy has not been documented in certain regions. Therefore, this study was designed to assess the impact of single dose praziquantel treatment on S. haematobium infection among school children in an endemic community of South-Western Nigeria. Urine samples were collected from 434 school children and 10 ml was filtered through Nucleopore filter paper before examination for egg outputs by microscopy. The prevalence was 24.9% at pre-treatment. There was no statistically significant difference for the prevalence of infection between males (14.7%) and females (10.2%), although the mean egg count for the females (9.87) was significantly more (P<0.05) than the males (6.06). At 6 and 12 months post-treatment there was 74.4% and 86.4% reduction in the mean egg count, respectively. Interestingly, an increased prevalence of infection from 2.1% at 6 months to 7.7% at 12 months post-treatment was observed, nonetheless the mean egg count was reduced to 0.27 at 12th month from 1.98 at 6 months post-treatment. Resurgence in the prevalence rate between 6 and 12 months post-treatment with praziquantel is herein reported and the need for a follow-up treatment in endemic areas for adequate impact on schistosomiasis control is discussed.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.48-56
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• 2024

Objective: This study investigated the relationship of anthropometric and metabolic risk factors with seminal and sex steroidal hormone parameters in a screened population of healthy males. Methods: The participants were healthy young men without chronic or congenital diseases. The body composition parameters that we investigated were measured weight, height, and waist circumference (WC), as well as bioelectrical impedance analysis. Semen samples were analyzed for semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm motility and morphology, seminal pH, and liquefaction time. Biochemistry analysis, including glucose and lipid metabolism parameters, was conducted on fasting blood samples. Testicular volume was calculated separately for each testis using ultrasonography. Results: Body mass index exhibited an inverse association with total sperm count. WC showed negative correlations with numerous seminal parameters, including sperm concentration, total sperm count, sperm morphology, and follicle-stimulating hormone levels. The basal metabolic rate was associated with seminal pH, liquefaction time, and sperm motility. WC, fat mass percentage, and triglyceride levels exhibited negative correlations with sex hormone binding globulin. The measures of glucose metabolism were associated with a greater number of seminal parameters than the measures of cholesterol metabolism. C-reactive protein levels were inversely associated with sperm concentration and total sperm count. Conclusion: Anthropometric and metabolic risk factors were found to predict semen quality and alterations in sex steroidal hormone levels.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.32-37
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• 2017

Objectives: A supine sleep position increases sleep apneas compared to non-supine positions in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). However, supine position time (SPT) is not highly associated with apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) in OSAS. We evaluated the correlation among sleep-related variables and SPT in OSAS. Methods: A total of 365 men with OSAS were enrolled in this study. We analyzed how SPT was correlated with demographic data, sleep structure-related variables, OSAS-related variables and heart rate variability (HRV). Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to investigate the factors that affected SPT. Results: SPT had the most significant correlation with total sleep time (TST ; r = 0.443, p < 0.001), followed by sleep efficiency (SE ; r = 0.300, p < 0.001). Snoring time (r = 0.238, p < 0.001), time at < 90% SpO2 (r = 0.188, p < 0.001), apnea-hypopnea index (AHI ; r = 0.180, p = 0.001) and oxygen desaturation index (ODI ; r = 0.149, p = 0.004) were significantly correlated with SPT. Multiple regression analysis revealed that TST (t = 7.781, p < 0.001), snoring time (t = 3.794, p < 0.001), AHI (t = 3.768, p < 0.001) and NN50 count (t = 1.993, p = 0.047) were associated with SPT. Conclusion: SPT was more highly associated with sleep structure-related parameters than OSAS-related variables. SPT was correlated with TST, SE, AHI, snoring time and NN50 count. This suggests that SPT is likely to be determined by sleep structure, HRV and the severity of OSAS.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.57 no.6
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• pp.535-542
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• 2004

Background : Despite the clinical clues of bronchial asthma, some chronic coughers fail to be diagnosed due to negative test results. This study was aimed at evaluating the diagnostic performance of routine objective tests and identifying a cost-effective approach for asthmatics with a chronic cough. Methods : Patients with a chronic cough of more than 3 weeks duration, and showing normal chest radiograph and spirometry were enrolled. On the first visit, objective tests, composed of serum total IgE, peripheral blood eosinophil count, spontaneous sputum eosinophil count, methacholine bronchial provocation test (MBPT) and paranasal sinus radiograph, were performed, with the simultaneous administration of oral prednisolone (0.5mg/kg) for one week. The final diagnoses were made on the basis of the test results, and the patients grouped according to their steroid responsiveness. The role of the etiologic diagnosis tests was evaluated, and the medical costs of the final management plan simulated with respect to three assumed models. Results : Sixty chronic coughers were finally analyzed. The final diagnoses were as follows: bronchial asthma 21.7%, eosinophilic bronchitis 6.7%, paranasal sinusitis 18.3%, presumptive allergy 8.3% and non-diagnostic case 45.0%. Ninety percent were steroid responder. With the bronchial asthma cases, the positive rate of MBPT was 38.5%, with sputum eosinophil count in 84.6%, serum total IgE in 38.5%, and a peripheral blood eosinophil count rate of 30.8%. When the test results and steroid responsiveness data were applied to the 3 models, the chest radiograph, spirometry, sputum eosinophil count and paranasal sinus radiograph test results, and simultaneous short term steroid treatment seemed to have acceptable diagnostic performances, which could be used as a further guide to cost-effective planning. Conclusion : Objective tests, composed of chest radiograph, spirometry, paranasal sinus radiograph and sputum eosinophil count, with simultaneous short term steroid treatment, are suggested as cost-effective approaches for asthmatics with a chronic cough.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.42-47
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• 2001

This paper improves the performance of VAD (Voice Activity Detector) in G.723.1 Annex A 6.3kbps/5.3kbps dual rate speech coder, which is developed for Internet Phone and videoconferencing. The VAD decision is based on a three-level energy threshold. We evaluates for processing time, speech quality, and bit rate. The processing time is reduced due to the accuracy of VAD decision on the silence period. On subjective quality test there is almost no difference compared with the G.723.1. In order to measure the bit rate we count the active speech frame (VAD=1) and we can reduce more bit rate as silence periods are shown.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.225-230
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• 2012

When a car accident happened, the accident vehicle should broadcast a safe message to its neighbors in multi-hop. However, the pure flooding is difficult to protect a chain-reaction collision because of the frequent collision and the communication delay. To solve this problem, we proposes a back-off algorithm applied to the estimation of the neighbor node count using the t-distribution. And we proposes a MAC protocol preventing the communication delay by separating the neighbor's count collection channel and data channel. As a result, we show the frame reception success rate of our protocol improved more 10% than the previous protocol.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.93-97
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• 2001

We introduce the structure and the capability of a UHV x-ray scattering system constructed for surface structural studies. The system consists of vacuum parts required for surface preparation and a vertical-horizontal diffractometer using the S2D2 geometry. To illustrate the capability of the system, we measured the 7$\times$7 reconstruction peak of a Si (111) surface. The peak count rate was 216 counts/sec and the domain size of the 7$\times$7 reconstruction was larger than 1600 $\AA$. This demonstrates that the system is capable of providing surface structural information.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.402-410
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• 1996

Recently carbon fiber reinforced plastic(CFRP) has been used structural materials in corrosive environment such as for water, chemical tank and chemical pipes. However, mechanical properties of such materials may change when CFRP are exposed to corrosive environment for long periods of time. Therefore, it is important to understand the effect of moisture absorption on mechanical properties of the CFRP. In this study, degradation behavior of immersed carbon fiber/epoxy resin composite material was investigated using acoustic emission(AE) technique. Fracture toughness test are performed on the compact tension(CT) test specimens that are pilled by two types of laminates $[0^{\circ}_2$/$90^{\circ}_2]_3s$ and $[0^{\circ}_2$/$90^{\circ}_2]_6s$During the fracture toughness test, AE test was carried out to monitor the damage of CFRP by moisture absorption. In spite of the change of moisture absorption rate, the fracture toughness of CFRP was not change. As immersion time increased, AE event count numbers decreased in low amplitude range of AE for amplitude distribution histogram. The event in low amplitude range was known to be generated by debonding of matrix-fiber interface. Therefore, decrease of AE event count numbers in low amplitude range represents that debonding of matrix-fiber interface which was probably generated by moisture absorption.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.279-288
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• 2011

The Dexamethasone (DEX) loaded chitosan microspheres were prepared by thermal denaturation and chemical cross-linking method using a dierent concentration of glutaraldehyde as chemical cross-linking agent. The prepared microspheres were evaluated for the percentage of Drug Loading (DL), Encapsulation Efficiency (EE) and surface morphology by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). DL and EE were found to be maximum range of 10.0 to 10.79 % and 58.19 to 64.73 % respectively. The SEM Photographs of the resultant microspheres exhibited fairly smooth surfaces and predominantly spherical in appearance. In addition, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) shown that there was no interaction between the drug and polymer. In vitro and in vivo release studies revealed that the release of dexamethasone was sustained and extended up to 63 days and effectively controlled by the extent of cross-linking agent. Non-clinical parameters such as paw volume, hematological parameters like Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), Paced Cell Volume (PCV), Total Leucocytes Count (TLC), Hemoglobin (Hb), Differential Cell Count (DCC) were investigated in Fruend's Complete Adjuvant (FCA) induced arthritic rats. Radiology and histopathological studies were also performed in order to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of the DEX-loaded microspheres in extenuating the rat arthritic model.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Illuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.54-61
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• 2013

UV-IR camera is being used for predictive maintenance of high voltage equipment together with measurement of temperature on localized heat and corona discharge. This paper was suggested the judgement method that is the discharge count, UV image pattern and discharge matching rate to apply the UV-IR camera on power facility. The discharge count method is counted by UV image pixel value. the UV image pattern method is determined by the UV image shape using neural network algorithm method, separated by Sunflower, Jellyfish, Ameba. The UV discharge matching is compare the breakdown the UV image size and measuring UV image size according to distance.