• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.157-164
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• 2021

Purpose: This study aimed to report the current trends in the management of the hallux valgus (HV) deformity over the last few decades through a survey of the Korean Foot and Ankle Society (KFAS) members. Materials and Methods: A web-based questionnaire containing 34 questions was sent to all KFAS members in September 2021. The questions were mainly related to the preferred techniques and clinical experience in correction in patients with an HV deformity. Answers with a prevalence of ≥50% of respondents were considered a tendency. Results: One hundred and nine (19.8%) of the 550 members responded to the survey. The most common symptom for determining surgical treatment was bunion pain (68.8%), and different surgical techniques were selected according to the following radiological parameters: HV angle 30 to 40 degrees and intermetatarsal angle 15 to 20 degrees. The two procedures most preferred by the respondents were distal chevron osteotomy (55.0%), and proximal chevron osteotomy (21.1%). In an average of 71.6% of respondents, Arkin osteotomy was performed simultaneously during HV surgery. HV accompanied by an overriding deformity of the second toe was most often addressed with a combination of second metatarsal osteotomy and soft tissue rebalancing procedure (35.8%). After HV surgery, the recurrence rate of HV deformity was found to be 12.2% on average and the surgeons who had performed minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for HV comprised 34.9% of the total respondents. Conclusion: This study provides updated information on the current trends in the management of the HV deformity in Korea. Both consensus and variation in the approach to patients with HV were identified by this survey study. Although MIS for HV has increased, it appears the consensus for selecting this method has not yet been established.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.205-216
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• 2022

Background: People with special needs tend to require diverse behavioral management in dentistry. They may feel anxious or uncomfortable or may not respond to any communication with the dentists. Patients with medical, physical, or psychological disorders may not cooperate and therefore require sedation (SED) or general anesthesia (GA) to receive dental treatment. Using the healthcare big data in Korea, this study aimed to analyze the trends of SED and GA in special needs patients undergoing dental treatment. It is believed that these data can be used as reference material for hospitals and for preparation of guidelines and related policy decisions of associations or governments for special needs patients in dentistry. Methods: The study used selected health information data provided by the Korean National Health Insurance Service. Patients with a record of use of one of the eight selected drugs used in dental SED between January 2007 and September 2019, those with International Classification of Diseases-10 codes for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), phobia, brain disease, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, genetic disease, autism, mental disorder, mental retardation, and dementia were selected. The insurance claims data were analyzed for age, sex, sedative use, GA, year, and institution. Results: The number of special needs patients who received dental treatment under SED or GA from January 2007 to September 2019 was 116,623. Number of SED cases was 136,018, performed on 69,265 patients, and the number of GA cases was 56,308, implemented on 47,257 patients. In 2007, 3100 special needs patients received dental treatment under SED while in 2018 the number of cases increased 6 times to 18,528 SED cases. In dentistry, ADHD was the most common disability for SED cases while phobia was the most common cause of disability for GA. The male-to-female ratio with respect to SED cases was higher for males (M : F = 64.36% : 35.64%). Conclusion: The application of the SED method and GA for patients with special needs in dentistry is increasing rapidly; thus, preparing guidelines and reinforcing the education and system are necessary.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.572-586
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• 2022

Purpose: This study examined the factors that may affect the growth status of preterm infants. Methods: This study included 91 preterm infants born at <37 weeks of gestation (22.9-36.9 weeks of gestation), including 48 (52.7%) males and 43 (47.3%) females. Diet-related data were collected through parental questionnaires, and growth-related data, such as height and weight, were collected through the hospital medical records. Results: No significant difference in weight and growth was observed between early and late preterm infants. On the other hand, smaller averages of all weight z-score (recent weight at 40 weeks of gestation) included lower birth weight, height, and head circumference. On the other hand, infants' birth weight, height, and head circumference in the weight z-score of <0 (<50% in the age-weight growth chart) was smaller than those in the weight z-score of ≥0. Furthermore, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization period and NICU discharge were shorter with growth cessation age in weight z-score of <0. The weight growth velocity was associated with gestational age, birth weight, and medical treatment in the NICU. Thus, parents of preterm infants with low growth rates prefer more community care services for their children. Conclusion: Birth weight, age of preterm infants, and medical treatment in the NICU were factors related to early birth weight growth. Following NICU discharge, poor intake and intake issues were associated with poor growth after 40 weeks of gestation. Therefore, monitoring the growth of preterm infants requires continuous active involvement and supports for growth-promoting factors after NICU discharge.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.64 no.3
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• pp.539-563
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• 2022

Nine pig farms were evaluated for the welfare quality in Korea using animal- and environment-based parameters (particularly air quality parameters) during the winter of 2013. The Welfare Quality^® (WQ^®) protocol consists of 12 criteria within four principles. The WQ^® protocol classifies farms into four categories ranging from 'excellent' to 'not classified'. Each of these criteria has specific measures for calculating scores. Calculations for the welfare scores were conducted online using the calculation model in the WQ^® protocol. Environment-based parameters like microclimate (i.e., temperature, relative humidity, air speed, and particulate matter), bacteria (total airborne bacteria, airborne total coliform, and airborne total Escherichia coli), concentration of gases (carbon dioxide, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide) were measured to investigate the relationship between animal- and environment-based parameters. Correlations between the results of animal- and environment-based parameters were estimated using spearman correlation coefficient. The overall assessments found that five out of nine farms were 'acceptable', and four farms were 'enhanced'; no farm was 'not classified'. The average score for the four principles across the nine farms, in decreasing order, were 'good feeding' (63.13 points) > 'good housing' (59.26 points) > 'good health' (33.47 points) > 'appropriate behaviors' (25.48 points). In the result of the environment aspect, the relative humidity of farms 2 (93.4%), 3 (100%), and 9 (98%) was much higher than the recommended maximum relative humidity of 80%, and four out of the nine farms had ammonia concentrations greater than 40 ppm. Ammonia had negative correlations with 'positive social behaviors' and positive emotional states: content, enjoying, sociable, playful, lively, happy and it had positive correlations with negative emotional states: aimless, distressed. The concentration of carbon dioxide had negative correlations with positive emotional states; calm, sociable, playful, happy and it had a positive correlation with negative emotional state; aimless. Our results indicate that the control of the environment for growing pigs can help improve their welfare, particularly via good air quality (carbon dioxide, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide).

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.126-137
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• 2023

Paddy fields provide important habitats for biodiversity conservation within the agricultural ecosystem. Their importance is gradually increasing as their ecological value is better understood. Benthic macroinvertebrates dominate paddy fields. They play an essential role in maintaining the biodiversity of paddy ecosystems. This study aimed to analyze characteristics of benthic macroinvertebrate communities and main environmental factors affecting the distribution of golden apple snails (Pomacea canaliculata). Results showed that the diversity index (H') of the benthic macroinvertebrate community was the highest at the Sangju site (St. 12) but the lowest at the Sancheong site (St. 18). Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), salinity, and Electrical Conductivity (EC) values were the highest in Gimhae and Yeongam based on Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA). Numbers of P. canaliculata (m-2) were relatively low in Gunsan and Iksan where water temperatures were high. Therefore, changes in geographical characteristics and environmental factors might affect the distribution of P. canaliculata and characteristics of benthic macroinvertebrate communities. Results of this study can be used as primary data for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service evaluation in agroecosystems.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.61 no.3
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• pp.272-281
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• 2023

Chigger mites are the vector of scrub typhus. This study estimates the infestation status and ecological characteristics of chiggers on the chestnut white-bellied rat Niviventer fulvescens in Southwest China between 2001 and 2019. Chiggers were identified under the microscope, and infestation indices were calculated. The Preston's log-normal model was used to fit the curve of species abundance distribution. A total of 6,557 chiggers were collected in 136 of 342 N. fulvescens rats, showing high overall infestation indices (prevalence=39.8%, mean abundance=19.2, mean intensity=48.2) and high species diversity (S=100, H'=3.0). Leptotrombidium cangjiangense, Neotrombicula japonica, and Ascoschoengastia sifanga were the three dominant chigger species (constituent ratio=42.9%; 2,736/6,384) and exhibited an aggregated distribution among different rat individuals. We identified 100 chigger species, with 3 of them (Leptotrombidium scutellare, Leptotrombidium wenense, and Leptotrombidium deliense) as the main vectors of scrub typhus in China and nine species as potential vectors of this disease. Disease vector occurrence on N. fulvescens may increase the risk of spreading scrub typhus from rats to humans. Chigger infestation on N. fulvescens varied significantly in different environments. The species abundance distribution showed a log-normal distribution pattern. The estimated number of chigger species on N. fulvescens was 126 species.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.132-142
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• 2023

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing was performed in the diagnostic immunology laboratory of the Seoul National University Hospital. Among 611 HLA-DR tests, specific bead reactions suspected of being false positive and false negative in Lot 20 reagents were found. Therefore, we aimed to identify the factors causing cut-off corrections by examining cases where cut-off corrections were not made for 533 test results and cases where cut-off corrections were made for 78 cases after the cut-off corrections of specific beads. Frequency analysis was conducted to verify the demographic characteristics, and descriptive statistics were used to assess the humidity in the laboratory as a variable. Cross-tabulation was done to examine the association between cut-off corrections and demographic characteristics. Independent samples t-tests were conducted to verify the difference in humidity based on cut-off corrections. Finally, logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between humidity levels and the rate of cut-off corrections, and results showed as the humidity level in the laboratory highs, the number of cut-off corrections decreased by a factor of 0.986. This suggests cut-off corrections rate increases when the humidity lowers. Therefore, it indicates that humidity in the laboratory is also a factor that affects HLA typing results.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.95-105
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the research trend of 341 studies published in Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research from 1995 to 2008. Methods: This study was conducted from May to November, 2009. The tool for analysis developed through literature reviews and discussions of researchers consisted of 7 categories such as characteristics of researchers, research designs, subjects, data collection methods, ethical consideration, nursing interventions, and dependent variables. Data were analyzed by frequency and percentage. Results: The mean number of author per study was 4.7, and clinical nurses were the most frequent as the first author (79.7%) and as a corresponding author (67.1%). Quantitative study was 97.6% and nonexperimental study was 51.7%. The most frequently used research designs were quasi-experimental study (73.9%) among experimental studies and survey study (79.1%) among nonexperimental studies. Patients were the most frequent subjects for studies (55.8%). 46.1% of studies gathered data with questionnaire, 57.7% of studies had consent from patients, and 44.3% of studies used nursing skills for nursing interventions, and 60.0% of studies used clinical end points for dependent variables. Conclusion: The research trend of clinical nursing studies shows that clinical nurses mostly perform quasi-experimental researches to solve patients' problem and frequently use nursing skills for nursing intervention and explore the effect of nursing interventions on clinical end points.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.43-53
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• 2023

Objective : In this study, the rehabilitation motivation evaluation tool for stroke patients was identified, and the characteristics of the evaluation tool were analyzed to analyze the conceptual framework and characteristics used in the composition of the evaluation contents. Methods : From 2000 to May 2022, documents registered in major domestic and foreign databases (PubMed, NDSL, Medline, and EMbase) were searched and selected according to the selection and exclusion criteria. The evaluation tools used in the selected documents were analyzed, and the characteristics of this evaluation tool were analyzed. Results : A total of 30 documents were selected, and they were classified into a total of five rehabilitation motivation evaluation tools. The most widely used in Korea was the measurement tool for rehabilitation motivation for the disabled, and the most widely used overseas was the intrinsic motivation inventory. Three evaluation tools constructed the evaluation contents based on the self-determination theory, and two constructed the evaluation contents through expert agreement. The number of evaluation items and 8 to 45 items were varied, and the evaluation scale was also used in various ways from 4 to 7 point scale. Conclusion : It was possible to identify the evaluation tools mainly used for the evaluation of rehabilitation motivation, and to identify the main conceptual framework based on the development of the rehabilitation motivation evaluation tool. The results of this study are expected to be used as basic data for research on the development of rehabilitation motivation evaluation tools for stroke patients in the future.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.61-71
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• 2023

The objective of this research is to examine the mediating roles of nursing professional values and occupational stress in the relationship between self-leadership and patient-centered nursing among nurses employed at COVID-19 designated hospitals. This study were 160 nurses at a COVID-19 designated hospitals, and the data were collected from January 10 to February 30, 2022. The collected data were analyzed by independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, correlation analysis, multiple linear regression analysis, and SPSS PROCESS Macro model No 4 bootstrapping method. The average score for self-leadership was 61.3±8.55, nursing professional values was 95.5±11.66, occupational stress was 51.3±4.76, and patient-centered nursing was 59.3±7.63. The mediating effect of nursing professional values and occupational stress was confirmed in the influence relationship between self-leadership and patient-centered nursing of nurses at COVID-19 designated hospitals. This result suggests that the content related to improve nursing professional values and reduce occupational stress should be considered when applying the patient-centered nursing enhancement program.