• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.65 no.1
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• pp.96-106
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• 2022

Objective : The most common complication of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is cage subsidence and maintenance of disc height affects postoperative clinical outcomes. We considered cage subsidence as an inappropriate indicator for evaluating preservation of disc height. Thus, this study aimed to consider patients with complications such as reduced total disc height compared to that before surgery and evaluate the relevance of several factors before ACDF. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 40 patients who underwent stand-alone single-level ACDF using a polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cage at our institution between January 2012 and December 2018. Our study population comprised 19 male and 21 female patients aged 24-70 years. The minimum follow-up period was 1 year. Twenty-seven patients had preoperative bone mineral density (BMD) data on dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Clinical parameters included sex, age, body mass index, smoking history, and prior medical history. Radiologic parameters included the C2-7 cobb angle, segmental angle, sagittal vertical axis, disc height, and total intervertebral height (TIH) at the preoperative and postoperative periods. Cage decrement was defined as the reduction in TIH at the 6-month follow-up compared to preoperative TIH. To evaluate the bone quality, Hounsfield unit (HU) value was calculated in the axial and sagittal images of conventional computed tomography. Results : Lumbar BMD values and cervical HU values were significantly correlated (r=0.733, p<0.001). We divided the patients into two groups based on cage decrement, and 47.5% of the total patients were regarded as cage decrement. There were statistically significant differences in the parameters of measuring the HU value of the vertebra and intraoperative distraction between the two groups. Using these identified factors, we performed a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Based on the ROC curve, the cut-off point was 530 at the HU value of the upper cortical and cancellous vertebrae (p=0.014; area under the curve [AUC], 0.727; sensitivity, 94.7%; specificity, 42.9%) and 22.41 at intraoperative distraction (p=0.017; AUC, 0.722; sensitivity, 85.7%; specificity, 57.9%). Using this value, we converted these parameters into a bifurcated variable and assessed the multinomial regression analysis to evaluate the risk factors for cage decrement in ACDF. Intraoperative distraction and HU value of the upper vertebral body were independent factors of postoperative subsidence. Conclusion : Insufficient intraoperative distraction and low HU value showed a strong relationship with postoperative intervertebral height reduction following single stand-alone PEEK cage ACDF.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Sensory Integration
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.22-31
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• 2021

Purpose : This study aimed to conduct a translation, backtranslation, and content validity test of the Sensory Processing Measure (SPM) for Korean children. Methods : The translation and content validation process involved direct and backward translation; a test of equivalence between the two versions (the original SPM and the Korean version SPM; K-SPM) was performed using content-related evidence collected by a group of experts and a group of parents. Data analysis was carried out using Excel Content validity indices (CVI), mean, and standard deviation were used for the analysis of content validity. Results : The result of the comparison between the original SPM and K-SPM in the group of experts was 3.54 ± .74, the S-CVI/Avg for semanticity was .92, and the S-CVI/Avg for structure was .86. The results for the mean of the understanding test and the S-CVI/Avg were 3.48 ± .63 and .94, respectively. Conclusion : K-SPM will considerately be used as an assessment to identify sensory processing, praxis, and social participation issues for children in Korea. Further studies are suggested to increase the age range and the sample size for a more comprehensive applicability of the K-SPM to Korean children.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.438-446
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• 2022

Some flowers have a high sensual appeal owing to their unique shape, color, smell, and taste and have been used as functional food and oriental medicine. Recently, edible dry flowers (EDFs) have attracted social attention as noble sources of functional teas. In this study, for the risk assessment of EDFs, pathogenic bacteria, heavy metals, and pesticide residues were monitored in 23 types of commercial EDF. No Enterobacteria spp. and Listeria spp. were found in all EDF products. However, common aerobic bacteria (3.24~3.85 Log CFU/g) were found in EDF, namely, Pueraria lobata, Chamaemelum nobile, Acacia decurrens, Rhododendron mucronulatum Turcz, Oenothera lamarckiana, Brassica napus, and Prunus serrulata. Staphylococcus aureus was found in 11 and Salmonella sp. was found in 8 of the 23 EDFs. Considering the cold extraction of EDF for tea and beverages, the regulation of pathogenic bacteria in EDFs is necessary. No heavy metals such as Pb, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, and As were found in all EDFs, except the dry flower of Hemerocallis fulva, which contained Pb at 0.08 ppm. Different pesticides and fungicides were found in EDFs, but their concentrations were very low (0.01~0.08 ppm) and below the maximal residue level. Only the dry flower of Chrysanthemum morifolium had a high content of chlorpyrifos (0.215 ppm), which is long-lasting pesticide. Our results suggest that the establishment of EDF regulations for pesticide residue, culture separation between edible and garden flowers, and guidelines for preventing pathogenic microbial contamination are necessary.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.143-156
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• 2022

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of reporting for case reports published in Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry from year 2018 to 2021 compared with year 2013 to 2017 in order to recommend ways to improve the quality of case reports published in the future. Methods: To evaluate the quality of case reports identified by electronic searching in Oriental medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System (OASIS) and by hand searching from archives on peer review system of Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry using CAse REport (CARE) guideline. The researcher assessed the quality of reporting based on the CARE guideline as 'Sufficient', 'Not-Sufficient', 'Not-Applicable', and 'Not-Reported' for case reports published from 2018 to 2021 in Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry. In addition, it was compared with previous case reports published from 2013 to 2017. Results: Finally, 17 case reports were included for the assessment. General quality of reporting for case reports published from year 2018 to 2021 was improved compared with that of previous case reports published in 2018. The maximum value (46.4%→60.7%, 14.3% increase), the minimum value (22.2%→32.1%, 9.9% increase), and the median value (39.3%→50.0%, 10.7% increase) of the report rate evaluated as 'Sufficient' were generally improved. The maximum value (53.6%→50.0%, 3.6% decrease), minimum value (25.9%→21.4%, 4.5% decrease), and median value (35.7%→32.1%, 3.6% decrease) of the report rate evaluated as 'Not-Sufficient', the maximum value of the report rate evaluated as 'Not-reported' (40.7%→25.9%, 14.8% decrease), the minimum value (14.7%→10.7% decrease), and the intermediate value (14.7% decrease) were also generally improved. Four items (8b, 8d, 10c, and 13) were evaluated as 'Not-Reported'. These items seem to be items that need urgent improvement along with 8c, which showed a significant decrease in reporting rate. Conclusions: There are needs to improve the quality of case reports in Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry by comparing case reports published from year 2013 to 2017 with case reports published from year 2018 to 2021. To improve the quality of case reporting, sufficient education at the academic level should be provided on thesis preparation methods. It is also necessary to develop a tool for evaluating the quality of case reporting that reflects characteristics of Korean Medicine.

• Journal of Space Technology and Applications
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.23-32
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• 2021

The high-level Space Situational Awareness (SSA) objective is to provide to the users dependable, accurate and timely information in order to support risk management on orbit and during re-entry and support safe and secure operation of space assets and related services. Therefore the risk assessment for the re-entry of space objects should be managed nationally. In this research, the Software for Re-Entry Prediction of space objects (SREP) was developed for national SSA system. In particular, the rate of change of the drag coefficient is estimated through a newly proposed Drag Scale Factor Estimation (DSFE), and is used for high-precision orbit propagator (HPOP) up to an altitude of 100 km to predict the re-entry time and position of the space object. The effectiveness of this re-entry prediction is shown through the re-entry time window and ground track of space objects falling in real events, Grace-1, Grace-2, Tiangong-1, and Chang Zheng-5B Rocket body. As a result, through analysis 12 hours before the final re-entry time, it is shown that the re-entry time window and crash time can be accurately predicted with an error of less than 20 minutes.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Sensory Integration
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.1-10
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• 2022

Objective : This study aimed to investigate the importance, performance, and educational needs of sensory integration intervention competency for newly employed therapists who use sensory integration intervention. Methods : The general characteristics, importance, performance, and educational needs of sensory integration intervention competency were investigated for therapists with less than three years of experience in sensory integration intervention. Educational needs and rankings were identified through Borich needs analysis. Results : The competency cluster that newly employed therapists perceived as the most important but with the lowest performance level was "Expertise," and the demand of the "Expertise" competency cluster was also the highest in the analysis of educational needs. The difference in importance and performance in all sub-competencies was statistically significant. In the Borich needs analysis, the rank of educational needs was derived as follows: "Evaluation skill" (5.56), "Analysis skill" (5.50), and "Overall knowledge of occupational therapy" (5.47). Conclusion : It was found that the newly employed therapist using sensory integration intervention recognized professional competency as the most important, while also recognizing that their professional competency was low. Accordingly, education to enhance professional competency was most needed. This study presented basic data for the direction of education to strengthen competency in consideration of the educational needs of newly employed therapists.

• 한국노년학
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.179-196
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors impacting fear of dementia, targeting the aged in the community. The study targeted 258 seniors aged 65 or older attending the senior college or using the senior citizen community center in areas of Jeollannam-do. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient and a stepwise multiple linear regression. Fear of dementia of the aged showed significant positive correlations with dementia anxiety, and aged anxiety. dementia anxiety, aged anxiety, dementia experience, use of a hearing aid, religion, level of dementia interest were significant predictors influencing fear of dementia of aged in the community, and these variables accounted for 37.2% of the variance. Therefore, this study suggests that in order to p revent fear of dementia of aged people in the primary health care setting, it is necessary to have a nurse's assessment on the factors affecting dementia as well as a multi-faceted education strategy for proper recognition of dementia.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.119-139
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• 2022

Brain stimulation technology that administers electrical and magnetic stimulation to a brain has shown a significant level of possibility for treating a wide range of various neurological and psychiatric disorders. Depending on its nature, the technology is defined either as invasive or non-invasive, and deep brain stimulation (DBS) is one of the most well-known invasive brain stimulation technologies. Currently categorized as grade 4 medical device in accordance with Guideline On Medical Devices And Their Grades, a Notification of Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), the DBS has been used as a stable treatment for several diseases. At the same time, the DBS technology has recently achieved substantial advancement, encouraging active discussions for its use from various perspectives. On the contrary, debates over legal regulation related to the use of DBS has relatively been smaller in numbers. In this context, this article aims to 1) introduce the DBS technology and its safety in setting out the tone; 2) touch upon major legal issues that would potentially rise from its use for four different purposes of treatment, clinical study, areas of non-standard treatment where no other methods are available, and enhancement; and finally 3) highlight disputes concerning common emerging issues observed in the aforementioned four purposes from the viewpoint of legal responsibility and liability of using the DBS, which are benefit-risk assessment, physicians' duty of information, patients' capacity to consent, control for device, and insurance coverage.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.51-62
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• 2022

Objectives Objective of this study is to investigate the role of paraspinal muscles by examining the correlation between slip percentage (SP) of spondylolisthesis and fatty infiltration of lumbar paraspinal muscle. Methods Retrospective analysis was performed on 45 patients diagnosed with spondylolisthesis based on medical records. Using T2-weighted axial magnetic resonance imaging, cross-sectional areas (CSAs) of psoas major (PM), multifidus (MU) and erector spinae (ES) were calculated and divided by CSA of lower level vertebral body (VB). SP was measured using sagittal T2-weighted images. Correlation of SP with muscle relative cross-sectional area (RCSA) and muscle fatty infiltration by Goutallier classification was respectively analyzed using Spearman correlation. Statistic assessment conducted by Wilcoxon signed rank test and paired t-test using program GraphPad prism 5 (GraphPad Software, Inc., San Diego, CA, USA). Results Spondylolisthesis forward slip percentage by Taillard's method was negatively associated with both side MU RCSAs. No significant correlation was found between PM RCSA, ES RCSA and SP. Forward slippage was significantly correlated with fatty infiltration of lumbar paraspinal muscle measured by Goutallier classification. Conclusions This study is to understand the role of paraspinal muscle affecting spinal instability by investigating correlation between statistical deviation of lumbar muscle characters (RCSA, fatty infiltration of lumbar muscle) and SP. We found that spondylolisthesis SP is positively related to fatty infiltration of lumbar paraspinal muscle. and is negatively associated with both side MU RCSAs.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.41-49
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• 2022

The average acoustic distribution of American English speakers was statistically compared with the English-speaking patterns of gifted students in a Science Academy in Korea. By analyzing speech recordings, the duration time of which is much longer than in previous studies, this research identified the degree of acoustic proximity between the two parties and the predictability of English academic achievement of gifted high school students. Long-term spectral acoustic power distribution vectors were obtained for 2,048 center frequencies in the range of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz by applying an long-term average speech spectrum (LTASS) MATLAB code. Three more variables were statistically compared to discover additional indices that can predict future English academic achievement: the receptive vocabulary size test, the cumulative vocabulary scores of English formative assessment, and the English Speaking Proficiency Test scores. Linear regression and correlational analyses between the four variables showed that the receptive vocabulary size test and the low-frequency vocabulary formative assessments which require both lexical and domain-specific science background knowledge are relatively more significant variables than a basic suprasegmental level English fluency in the predictability of gifted students' academic achievement.