• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
• /
• v.6 no.4
• /
• pp.323-330
• /
• 2018

The growth of the older population is expected to further increase social problems associated with population aging, such as isolation, poverty, and depression. The emerging issues associated with the older population are also expected to provide further momentum on studies about the dwelling environment as factors that ensure the health of older people as well as improve their quality of life. Therefore, approaches for explaining the issues of the older age group should be diversified using a variety of factors and appropriate analytic tools. Studies on measuring depression have principally focused on assessing an objective self-report questionnaire, usually in a highly structured, textual form which may not reflect the cognitive impairment of older adults. The aim of this study was to define and measure dwelling depression among older adults in Korea. There are two specific hypotheses in this study as follows: (a) there will be statistically significant relationships with dwelling dissatisfaction and depression, and (b) dwelling depression tools containing text and images will be, respectively, assessment tools that have a good construct with content validity and reliability. In the first experiment, to define and measure dwelling depression, 301 people over 65 years old living in single and two-person households were surveyed using a text-based dwelling depression questionnaires from September 1-30, 2017. In the second experiment, to examine whether the projective image questionnaire could serve as a suitable replacement for the text-based questionnaires, the same participants were surveyed from January 22 to February 2, 2018. The results show that depression has a close correlation with dwelling dissatisfaction. In addition, the geriatric dwelling depression index (GDDI) based on the projective image was refined. Additionally, the projective image questionnaire has a close correlation with the text-based questionnaire. Finally, through ROC curve analysis, it was found that the projective image questionnaire can accurately predict a depression group. To this end, this preliminary study examined the validity of the projective image questionnaire in older adults to make this instrument feasible for older populations and to contribute to a profound understanding of geriatric depression due to the living environment. We hope they will provide a basis for further research on psychological diagnoses using projective images.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.18 no.11
• /
• pp.348-352
• /
• 2018

BioRescue ($RMIng{\acute{e}}nierie$, Marseille, France) is able to assess dynamic and static balance when a test subject stands or sits over the platform. Although previous studies have examined the reliability of other balance measurement methods, little research has been conducted on the reliability of equipment such as BioRescue. This study examined the intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of BioRescue during balance assessment. Thirty-four healthy adults participated as subjects and two physical therapists participated as examiners to determine intra- and inter-rater reliability. BioRescue was used to conduct measurements during footprint (area and pressure), Romberg, and limit of stability tests. The footprint area and limit of stability tests yielded intra- and inter-rater reliability ICC values above 0.60 in all directions. However, the footprint pressure and Romberg tests yielded values below 0.60 in all directions. BioRescue showed good inter-rater and intra-rater reliability in measurements during footprint area and limit of stability tests. However, because the values of limits of stability show the difference between experienced and unskilled, skill is required for the accuracy of the equipment.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
• /
• v.61 no.3
• /
• pp.67-76
• /
• 2019

The objectives of this study were to analyze trends of water pollutants and to evaluate the achievement of water quality standards by subbasins in the Han River. The trends of 40 water pollutants at 232 water quality measurement points were analyzed. Chemical oxygen demand (COD), Total organic carbon (TOC), Total coliforms (TC), et cetera were found to be worsening trend. For evaluation of achievement, we evaluated water quality arithmetic mean with river environment standards and human health standards at representative points of the subbasin. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), TOC, Total phosphorus (T-P), Fecal coliforms (FC), TC exceeded water quality standards, and water quality of human health standards was all satisfied. So, we prioritized pollutants. If pollutants exceed water quality standards or were worse, they were classified first pollutants. Although BOD and T-P are first pollutants because of water quality standards excess, they are continuously improved. Also, it is better to maintain current status because water quality management system of BOD and T-P is well prepared. Meanwhile, TOC, TC, and FC exceed water quality standards. Furthermore, they were worse gradually, but there is a lack of management systems such as water quality standards of the effluence facilities. Therefore, it is necessary to supplement the system. The results of this study can be used as primary data for the establishment of water quality standards and selection of management pollutants.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.125-135
• /
• 2019

PURPOSE: This study examined the effects of low frequency neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) training on abdominal obesity in middle-aged women through electromyography and ultrasound. METHODS: Twenty-two middle aged women with abdominal obesity participated in the study. A low-frequency NMES device was used on the abdomen and waist of each subject for 20 minutes each (a total of 40 minutes) three times a week for eight weeks. The waist-hip ratio (WHR), weight and BMI (Body Mass Index) were measured. Electromyography (EMG) and ultrasound measurements were performed three times in total (pre-intervention, four weeks into the intervention, and eight weeks post-intervention) to examine the effects of low-frequency NMES on the abdominal muscle activity, muscle thickness, and subcutaneous fat. RESULTS: The results indicated a difference in the WHR and waist circumference before and after intervention (p<.05). The external oblique muscle (EO) showed a significant increase in muscle activity during all measurements taken post-intervention (p<.05). The abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness also showed a significant decrease between each measurement (p<.05). The test results showed that the abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness values taken eight weeks post-intervention were significantly lower than those taken pre-intervention and four weeks into the intervention (p<.05). CONCLUSION: These findings show that low-frequency NMES device training can be applied to middle-aged women with abdominal obesity to improve their body shape and exercise performance.

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.111-118
• /
• 2022

This research article presents the work that is related to the application of different machine learning based similarity techniques on religious text for identifying similarities and differences among its various translations. The dataset includes 10 different English translations of verses (Arabic: Ayah) of two Surahs (chapters) namely, Al-Humazah and An-Nasr. The quantitative similarity values for different translations for the same verse were calculated by using the cosine similarity and semantic similarity. The corpus went through two series of experiments: before pre-processing and after pre-processing. In order to determine the performance of machine learning based similarities, human annotated similarities between translations of two Surahs (chapters) namely Al-Humazah and An-Nasr were recorded to construct the ground truth. The average difference between the human annotated similarity and the cosine similarity for Surah (chapter) Al-Humazah was found to be 1.38 per verse (ayah) per pair of translation. After pre-processing, the average difference increased to 2.24. Moreover, the average difference between human annotated similarity and semantic similarity for Surah (chapter) Al-Humazah was found to be 0.09 per verse (Ayah) per pair of translation. After pre-processing, it increased to 0.78. For the Surah (chapter) An-Nasr, before preprocessing, the average difference between human annotated similarity and cosine similarity was found to be 1.93 per verse (Ayah), per pair of translation. And. After pre-processing, the average difference further increased to 2.47. The average difference between the human annotated similarity and the semantic similarity for Surah An-Nasr before preprocessing was found to be 0.93 and after pre-processing, it was reduced to 0.87 per verse (ayah) per pair of translation. The results showed that as expected, the semantic similarity was proven to be better measurement indicator for calculation of the word meaning.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.106-113
• /
• 2022

Background: Coccygodynia is one of the chronic, refractory painful musculoskeletal disorders. Interventional procedures are applied to patients unresponsive to initial treatment in coccygodynia. This study aims to compare the treatment outcomes of ganglion impar block (GIB) and caudal epidural steroid injection (CESI) in patients with chronic coccygodynia. Methods: This study was a prospective randomized comparison study conducted between June 2019 and January 2021. Patients diagnosed with chronic coccygodynia were randomly divided into two groups: the GIB group and the CESI group. The severity of pain, presence of neuropathic pain, and quality of life were evaluated using the Numeric Rating Scale, Leeds Assessment of the Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs Scale, and Short Form-12 Health Survey (SF-12), respectively. Results: A total of 34 patients in each group were included in the final analyses. While there was a significant decrease in pain intensity in both groups in the 3-month follow-up, this decrease was more significant in the GIB group at the 3rd week. There was a significant improvement in the SF-12 physical score and the number of patients with neuropathic pain in both groups in the 3rd week, but this improvement was not observed in the 3rd month. Conclusions: Although GIB may provide more pain relief in short term, both GIB and CESI are useful treatment methods in coccygodynia unresponsive to more conservative treatments.

• The Korean Journal of Franchise Management
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.39-55
• /
• 2023

Purpose: This study is designed to grasp how consumers' beliefs about the lunch box attributes such as healthiness, diversity, price, hygiene, and package eco-friendliness affect consumers' perceived value and purchasing behavior. Research design, data, and methodology: The data were collected from 615 respondents composed of men and women aged 20 to 59 who purchased lunch box products and were sampled using the quota sampling method. An online survey was conducted. The data were analyzed using the measurement model and structural equation model assessment with SPSS 24 and SmartPLS 4.0. Results: First, healthiness, diversity, hygiene, and the price had a significant positive effect on the perceived functional value of consumers, but package eco-friendliness did not significantly affect functional value. On the other hand, healthiness, diversity, price, and package eco-friendliness were found to have a positive impact on consumers' perceived emotional value, but hygiene was found to have no significant effect on emotional value. It was found that functional and emotional values significantly positively affected repurchase intention. Conclusions: This study confirmed that consumers' belief in the product attributes of franchise lunch boxes influenced consumers' perceived value, which thus formed the attitude of consumers and showed a relationship that affects repurchase intention. At the end of this paper, the managerial implications for the franchise lunch box brand, the limitations of this study, and future research directions were presented.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.274-281
• /
• 2022

Background: In the present study, the age- and sex-adjusted Constant score (CS) in a normal Indian population was calculated and any differences with other population cohorts assessed. Methods: The study participants were patients who visited the outpatient department for problems other than shoulder and healthy volunteers from the local population. Patients without shoulder pain/discomfort during activity were included in the study. Subjects with any problem that might affect shoulder function (e.g., cervical, thoracic spine, rib cage deformity, inflammatory arthritis) were excluded. Constant scoring of all participants was performed by trained senior residents under the supervision of the senior faculty. Shoulder range of movement and strength were measured following recommendations given by the research and Development Committee of the European Society for Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (2008). A fixed spring balance was used for strength measurement; one end was fixed on the floor and the other end tied with a strap to the wrist of the participant, arm in 90° abduction in scapular plane with palm facing down. Results: Among the 248 subjects (496 shoulders), the average age was 37 years (range, 18-78 years), 65.7% were males (326 shoulders) and 34.3% females (170 shoulders). The mean CS was 84.6±2.9 (males, 86.1±3.0; females, 81.8±2.9). CS decreased significantly after 50 years of age in males and 40 years of age in females (p<0.05). The mean CS was lower than in previous studies for both males and females. Heavy occupation workers had higher mean CS (p<0.05). A linear standardized equation was estimated for calculating the adjusted CS for any age. Conclusions: Mean CS and its change with age differed from previous studies among various population cohorts.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.55 no.6
• /
• pp.206-211
• /
• 2012

Purpose: The increasing prevalence of breast feeding has led to concerns about vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in children. We evaluated the prevalence of VDD in a population of Korean children with IDA and assessed the risk factors for VDD in these children. Methods: A total of 79 children who were diagnosed with IDA were prospectively surveyed from April 2010 to March 2011. Data were collected by questionnaire, medical assessment, and laboratory tests, including measurement of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD), hemoglobin, and wrist radiography. Results: The median age was 22 months and 30% of the subjects were female. Over a half of subjects (58%) had subnormal vitamin D level (25OHD<30 ng/mL), and VDD (25OHD<20 ng/mL) was present in 39% of children. There was no difference in serum hemoglobin level between IDA patients with VDD and those without VDD. Most subjects (89%) were currently or had recently been breastfed and almost all subjects (97%) who had VDD received breastfeeding. Children with VDD were more likely to be younger than 2 years, to have been breastfed, and to have been tested in winter or spring. Multivariable analysis indicated seasonal variation was a significant independent risk factor for VDD in our IDA patients. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that VDD has a high prevalence in Korean children with IDA. Primary care physicians should be aware of the possibility of VDD in children with IDA and should supplement the vitamin D as well as iron.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.53 no.5
• /
• pp.263-269
• /
• 2020

Background: The benefits of epicardial ultrasound scanning (EUS) in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) have not yet been established. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of EUS in CABG, including in the assessment of the quality of distal anastomoses, the identification of epicardial target vessels, and the evaluation of any graft issues other than the distal anastomoses. Methods: Fifty-three patients undergoing CABG were enrolled between March 2018 and February 2019. Intraoperative EUS was performed along with transit-time flow measurement (TTFM). Graft evaluations were performed early (shortly after surgery) and 1 year after surgery for 53 (100%) and 47 (88.7%) patients, respectively. Results: EUS was applied to assess the quality of all distal anastomoses, 32 target vessels, and 2 conduit trunks. Insufficient TTFM findings were obtained for 18 grafts. However, graft revision was performed for only 3 distal anastomoses; based on the EUS findings, the remaining 15 sites were not revised. The early and 1-year overall graft patency rates were 100% (141 anastomoses) and 96.1% (122 of 127 anastomoses), respectively. All 15 of the distal anastomoses that were not revised despite insufficient TTFM results were patent at the 1-year mark. Conclusion: The routine application of EUS in CABG could be beneficial by confirming the quality of surgery and reducing unnecessary procedures.