• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.468-479
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the use of the respiratory rate oxygenation (ROX) index, ROX-heart rate (ROX-HR) index, and saturation of percutaneous oxygen/fraction of inspired oxygen ratio (SF ratio) to predict weaning from high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) in patients with respiratory distress in a pediatric intensive care unit. Methods: A total of 107 children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit were enrolled in the study between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2021. Data on clinical and personal information, ROX index, ROX-HR index, and SF ratio were collected from nursing records. The data were analyzed using an independent t-test, χ² test, Mann-Whitney U test, and area under the curve (AUC). Results: Seventy-five (70.1%) patients were successfully weaned from HFNC, while 32 (29.9%) failed. Considering specificity and sensitivity, the optimal cut off points for predicting treatment success and failure of HFNC oxygen therapy were 6.88 and 10.16 (ROX index), 5.23 and 8.61 (ROX-HR index), and 198.75 and 353.15 (SF ratio), respectively. The measurement of time showed that the most significant AUC was 1 hour before HFNC interruption. Conclusion: The ROX index, ROX-HR index, and SF ratio appear to be promising tools for the early prediction of treatment success or failure in patients initiated on HFNC for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. Nurses caring for critically ill pediatric patients should closely observe and periodically check their breathing patterns. It is important to continuously monitor three indexes to ensure that ventilation assistance therapy is started at the right time.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.118-130
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• 2021

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption in mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) patients with post-concussion syndrome (PCS) using dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and automatic whole brain segmentation. Materials and Methods: Forty-two consecutive mTBI patients with PCS who had undergone post-traumatic MR imaging, including DCE MR imaging, between October 2016 and April 2018, and 29 controls with DCE MR imaging were included in this retrospective study. After performing three-dimensional T1-based brain segmentation with FreeSurfer software (Laboratory for Computational Neuroimaging), the mean K^trans and v_p from DCE MR imaging (derived using the Patlak model and extended Tofts and Kermode model) were analyzed in the bilateral cerebral/cerebellar cortex, bilateral cerebral/cerebellar white matter (WM), and brainstem. K^trans values of the mTBI patients and controls were calculated using both models to identify the model that better reflected the increased permeability owing to mTBI (tendency toward higher K^trans values in mTBI patients than in controls). The Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman rank correlation test were performed to compare the mean K^trans and v_p between the two groups and correlate K^trans and v_p with neuropsychological tests for mTBI patients. Results: Increased permeability owing to mTBI was observed in the Patlak model but not in the extended Tofts and Kermode model. In the Patlak model, the mean K^trans in the bilateral cerebral cortex was significantly higher in mTBI patients than in controls (p = 0.042). The mean v_p values in the bilateral cerebellar WM and brainstem were significantly lower in mTBI patients than in controls (p = 0.009 and p = 0.011, respectively). The mean K^trans of the bilateral cerebral cortex was significantly higher in patients with atypical performance in the auditory continuous performance test (commission errors) than in average or good performers (p = 0.041). Conclusion: BBB disruption, as reflected by the increased K^trans and decreased v_p values from the Patlak model, was observed throughout the bilateral cerebral cortex, bilateral cerebellar WM, and brainstem in mTBI patients with PCS.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.111-119
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• 2009

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the clinical efficacy of clomiphene citrate (CC) and letrozole combined with gonadotropins for controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) in patients with CC-induced thin endometrium Methods: Fifty-one intrauterine insemination cycles performed in patients who previously had a thin endometrium (<8 mm) to ovulation induction using CC were included in this study. A CC 100 mg/day (CC+gonadotropin group, n=26) or letrozole 2.5 or 5 mg/day (letrozole+gonadotropin group, n=25) was administered on day 3~7 of the menstrual cycle, combined with gonadotropins at dose 75~150 IU every other day starting on day 5~7. We compared total dose of gonadotropin used, endometrial thickness, endometrial pattern, number of follicles ${\geq}14\;mm$ on hCG day, pregnancy rate and multiple pregnancy rate between the two groups, which were statistically analyzed using Mann-Whitney U test or Fisher's exact test, where appropriate. Results: There were no significant differences in clinical characteristics such as age, duration of infertility, number of previous IUI cycles, basal serum hormone levels and cause of infertility between the two groups. In both groups, the endometrium was significantly thicker than that of previous ovulation induction cycles using CC. No significant differences were found in the total dose of gonadotropin used, day of hCG administration, the rate of triple endometrium and pregnancy rate. The number of follicles ${\geq}14\;mm$ was significantly lower ($3.7{\pm}1.7$ vs. $2.8{\pm}1.7$, p=0.03) and the endometrium on hCG day was significantly thicker ($7.7{\pm}1.5$ vs. $9.1{\pm}1.7$, p=0.001) in letrozole+gonadotropin group compared to CC+gonadotropin group. Conclusion: The clomiphene citrate and letrozole combined with gonadotropins appear to avoid the undesirable effects on the endometrium frequently seen with CC for ovulation induction. However, in terms of adequate endometrial development or optimal follicular growth, letrozole may be more beneficial than CC for gonadotropin-combined COS in patients with CC-induced thin endometrium. Further prospective randomized controlled studies in a larger scale will be necessary to confirm our findings.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.83-93
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• 2006

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to compare the effects of Tai Chi self-help program and Tai Chi exercise in patients with osteoarthritis. Methods: quasi experimental design was utilized for the study to compare the effects after implementing tai chi self-help program and Tai Chi exercise for 6 weeks. The subjects of the study was osteoarthritis patients who visited to two Public Health Centers in Gyunggi-do from August to December, 2005. Total of 25 OA patients agreed to participate in the study, and 10 tai chi self-help program group and 9 Tai Chi exercise group were included for the final analysis after 6 weeks. Tai Chi self-help program was provided twice a week, 2 hours per session (one hour for tai chi exercise, one hour for self help program) for 6 weeks, and Tai Chi exercise group was provided once a week, 2 hours per session for 6 weeks. Outcome measures include flexibility, 6 m walking, and balance. Mann-Whitney U test of SPSS WIN 11.0 was utilized to compare the group differences. Results: The subjects of both program participants were not improved in their arm flexibility, and the difference was not significant. Tai chi self-help group improved more in their 6 m walking ability than Tai Chi exercise group, but the difference was not significant (F=.000, p>.05). Tai chi self-help group improved more in their balance than Tai Chi exercise group, but the difference was not significant (Rt: U=.24, p>.05; Lt: F=2.60, p>.05). Conclusion: The provision of both Tai Chi self-help program and Tai Chi exercise can lead improvement of 6 m walking, and balance, but the group difference was not significant. A rigorous research design should be further utilized to identify the potential benefits for this population.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.76-86
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to investigate the environmental equity of the accessibility to public transportation services in the city of Daegu. The 2005 census data as well as bus stop and subway station datasets were integrated for building the GIS database. Public transportation service areas were then identified by a coverage method. Mann Whitney U test was used for statistically comparing the socioeconomic characteristics over different levels of access to the public transportation services. Both Dong-gu, Suseong-gu, Dalseo-gu, and Buk-gu located outside of the city had worse accessibility than others while Jung-gu, Seo-gu, and Nam-gu had better accessibility than others. There appeared no environmental inequity pattern in terms of the percentages of men, women, and teenagers over the city of Daegu whereas there existed some environmental inequity pattern in terms of the percentages of people above the age of 65 and people below poverty line. This environmental inequity pattern would be caused by some factors. Firstly, the lower income class has tended to reside in the declined or blighted areas far away from public transportation facilities since this class can not afford to pay expensive rents and land prices around the main roads with higher accessibility. Many old people belonging to the lower income class also reside in the declined or blighted areas. Secondly, there has been no law to locate bus stops and subway stations considering residents' socioeconomic characteristics and the spatial distribution of public transportation facilities has been not managed systematically by the city government. This research would shed insight on building the public transportation policy to locate bus stops and subway stations and to select the routes of buses and subways considering the spatial distribution of residents' socioeconomic characteristics.

• Korean Journal of Cognitive Science
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.149-171
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• 2017

In this research, based on the fact that spatial ability is important for the achievement in the STEM fields, and technological innovation, Purdue Spatial Visualization Test-Rotation has been used to investigate engineering freshmen's spatial ability and gender differences. Students who have taken advanced mathematics courses in high school(those who have taken type B math test in Korean SAT test) and students with general math courses(those who have taken type A in Korean SAT-Math test) are included in this study to find out the relationship between mathematics achievement and spatial ability. Finding out the strategies taken by students was another aim of this study. This strategic differences between high achievers and lower achievers, male and female students were analyzed from students' self report. Spatial ability test score was highest in the SAT-Math type B male students, decreased in the order of type A male students, type B female students, and lastly type A female students. There was no substantial difference between second and third groups. In each group, male students' average score was 8~10% higher than female students, which affirms 2015's results. The correlation between spatial ability and mathematics achievement was negligible in each group, but male students' math score and spatial ability score were higher than that of female students. This can be interpreted that there is some correlation between these two. Strategic choices can vary in the continuous spectrum with analytic method and holistic method at both ends. From students' self report, using Mann-Witney test, it turned out that there exists strategic differences between male and female students. Male students have a tendency to use holistic strategy more often than female students. I also found that the strategy choice did not vary greatly among all score groups. For the perfect score groups, both female and male students used holistic strategy most frequently. For low achieving groups, there is an evidence that these students overuse one method compared to average or high achieving groups, which turned out to be less effective. Based on these, I suggest that low achieving students need to have more chances to adopt efficient strategies and to practice challenging problems to improve their spatial abilities.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.202-215
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• 2019

This study was conducted to investigate the spawning preference of the Acheilognathinae fishes in relation to the shell size of host mussels after identifying the species of eggs and fries in the host mussel using our recently developed RFLP (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism) molecular marker at four sites [Hongcheon Naechoncheon (HN) and Deokchicheon (HD) from the North Han River basin and Jeongseon Goljicheon (JG) and Joyanggang (JJ) from the South Han River] in South Korea during May in each year between 2015 and 2018. The Acheilognathinae fish observed in the studied sites included one species (Acheilognathus signifer) in HN and JG, three species (Rhodeus uyekii, A. signifer, and Acheilognathus yamatsutae) in HD, and two species (A. signifer and Acheilognathus yamatsutae) in JJ, and we collected 982 host mussels (Unio douglasiae sinuolatus) that inhabited in all four sites. Using the RFLP molecular marker, we confirmed 46 eggs and fry of the Acheilognathinae fish (454 A. signifer, 43 Acheilognathus yamatsutae, and 149 Acheilognathus yamatsutae) in Unio douglasiae sinuolatus (N=163; 16.6%). We compare the average shell length, shell height, and shell width of mussels with [presence] eggs/fry and mussels without [absence] eggs/fry to examine the spawning preference according to the size of host mussels in each site. The results show that the shell length (1.98 mm), shell height (0.85 mm), and shell width (0.73 mm) of mussels with the eggs/fry were significantly larger (Mann-Whitney U test, P=0.002; difference=1.98 mm) than those of mussel without eggs/fry in HD where three species cohabitated. Although the shell length, shell height, and shell width of mussels with the eggs/fry were larger also in the other three sites, the difference was not statistically significant. In addition, we analyzed the mean number of spawned eggs and fry of each species and found $9.31{\pm}5.94$ R. uyekii, $2.86{\pm}2.45$ A.signifer, and $2.50{\pm}1.32$ A. yamatsutae. R. uyekii spawned 6.45-6.81 more eggs than A.signifer and A. yamatsutae on average per mussel, and it was statistically significant (Kruskal-Wallis test, P < 0.001). These findings indicate that the three species of Acheilognathinae fish tend to prefer larger mussels as their spawning hosts, and this tendency increases when the number of cohabitating bitterling fish species increases. Moreover, A.signifer and A. yamatsutae spawned a smaller number of eggs evenly in more host mussels while R. uyekii spawned many eggs on relatively fewer mussels. We found mussels (N=4) having the eggs/fry of two coexisting species, A. signifier and A. yamatsutae in HD and JJ where more than two bitterling fish species occurred. It suggests the interspecific competition taking place between the Acheilognathinae fishes for utilizing the same resource of mussels for spawning when two or more species cohabitate. This study is expected help to understand better the spawning patterns and reproductive ecology of the Acheilognathinae fishes, which will provide insightful information for advancing our understanding of their ecological relationships - mutualism or host-parasitism - with host mussels.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.67-80
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• 2000

The purpose of this study was to identify hindlimb muscle atrophy in stroke induced rat and determine the effect of endurance exercise on body weight, weight of hindlimb muscle during 7 days after stroke induction. Thirty four male Sprague-Dawley rats with 200-270g body weight were divided into four groups : control, control+exercise(Con+Ex), stroke, and exercise after stroke(St+Ex) group. The control group and Con+Ex group received sham operation and the stroke group and St+Ex group received right MCA occlusion operation by using silicon-coated probe. The Con+Ex and St+Ex groups ran on a treadmill for 20min/day at 10m/min and $10^{\circ}grade$. Daily body weight and diet intake were measured every morning for 7 days. Cerebral infarction of stroke and St+Ex groups were identified by staining with TCC for 30minutes. The data were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U test using the SPSSWIN 9.0 program. Body weight of the control group at the 7th day increased by 18.3% significantly from the first day of experiment, that of the stroke group at the 7th day decreased by 6.7% significantly compared to the day of receiving right MCA occlusion operation. Body weight of the Con+Ex group at the 7th day increased by 10.3% significantly form the first day of experiment, that of St+Ex group at the 7th day also increased by 13.4% significantly compared to the day of receiving right MCA occlusion operation. The total amount of diet in stroke group decreased significantly compared to that of St+Ex and that of control group. In stroke group the wet weight of both sides of soleus, plantaris, and gastrocnemius muscles decreased significantly compared to that of control group. The relative weight of affected(left) plantaris and gastrocnemius muscles decreased significantly compared to that of the control group. The difference between the weight of affected and unaffected soleus, plantaris, and gastrocnemius muscles were not significant in stroke group. The wet weight of right gastrocnemius muscles in Con+Ex group increased compared to that of control group. The relative weight of right gastrocnemius muscle increased significantly compared to that of the control group. The wet weight of St+Ex group increased significantly compared to that of the stroke group in both sides of soleus, plantaris, and gastrocnemius muscles. The relative weight of affected plantaris muscle increased significantly compared to that of the stroke group. The difference between the weight of affected and unaffected soleus, plantaris, and gastrocnemius muscles were not significant in St+Ex group. Body weight and wet weight of soleus, plantaris, and gastrocnemius muscles in the St+Ex group did not recover to the values of control group. Based on these results, it can be suggested that endurance exercise during acute stage of stroke can reduce muscle atrophy related to denervation, inactivity and undernutrition.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.71-77
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• 2012

Sex Hormones exert significant influence in body physiology throughout life. Some reports suggested increased sex hormone levels correlate with an increased prevalence of gingivitis. The objectives of this pilot study are to(1) address the link between menstrual cycle and MMP-9, MMP-8, IL-$1{\beta}$ of gingival crevicular fluid during 4 weeks and (2) discuss the major biomarker of periodontal status. 7 female and 3 male volunteer who didn't have smoking habit, medical and dental disease after informed consent, were seen twice a week for 4 weeks. GCF samples were collected and GCF levels of MMP-9, MMP-8, IL-$1{\beta}$ were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The GCF levels of MMP-9, MMP-8, IL-$1{\beta}$ had fluctuation according to menstrual cycle, but the changes of those were not significant by Friedman matched samples test. There is no difference between female and male subjects by Mann-Whitney U test. The correlation of MMP-8, MMP-9 and IL-$1{\beta}$ showed strong by Spearman correlation(0.644-0.945). This study confirms menstrual cycle doesn't influence the periodontium of healthy female subjects.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.280-290
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• 2012

Objective: This study aimed to compare the effects of conventional and orthodontic mini-implant (OMI) anchorage on tooth movement and arch-dimension changes in the maxillary dentition in Class II division 1 (CII div.1) patients. Methods: CII div.1 patients treated with extraction of the maxillary first and mandibular second premolars and sliding mechanics were allotted to conventional anchorage group (CA, n = 12) or OMI anchorage group (OA, n = 12). Pre- and post-treatment three-dimensional virtual maxillary models were superimposed using the best-fit method. Linear, angular, and arch-dimension variables were measured with software program. Mann-Whitney U-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were performed for statistical analysis. Results: Compared to the CA group, the OMI group showed more backward movement of the maxillary central and lateral incisors and canine (MXCI, MXLI, MXC, respectively; 1.6 mm, p < 0.001; 0.9 mm, p < 0.05; 1.2 mm, p < 0.001); more intrusion of the MXCI and MXC (1.3 mm, 0.5 mm, all p < 0.01); less forward movement of the maxillary second premolar, first, and second molars (MXP2, MXM1, MXM2, respectively; all 1.0 mm, all p < 0.05); less contraction of the MXP2 and MXM1 (0.7 mm, p < 0.05; 0.9 mm, p < 0.001); less mesial-in rotation of the MXM1 and MXM2 ($2.6^{\circ}$, $2.5^{\circ}$, all p < 0.05); and less decrease of the inter-MXP2, MXM1, and MXM2 widths (1.8 mm, 1.5 mm, 2.0 mm, all p < 0.05). Conclusions: In treatment of CII div.1 malocclusion, OA provided better anchorage and less arch-dimension change in the maxillary posterior teeth than CA during en-masse retraction of the maxillary anterior teeth.