• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.5-12
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of hand acupuncture on relieving of abdominal pain. Method: Fifty-five middle school students who complained abdominal pain were selected as subjects. There were 35 students in the experimental group while 20 students were in the control group. Convenience assignment was used. The experimental group received hand acupuncture treatment which was to puncture corresponding points (epigastric pain A8, A12, A16, K9, F4, E42; lower abdominal pain A1, A4, A6, A8, J1, H2) on both the palm and the back of a hand with disposable acupuncture needles, and then to remove them after a 20-30min. recess during the subjects was in supine position on a bed. Result: Degree of subjective pain decreased statistically in the experimental as compared to the control group. No statistical significant differences were found in objective pain and comfort between experimental and control group. Conclusion: These findings indicate that hand acupuncture is an effective method for reducing abdominal pain. Therefore, hand acupuncture could be considered as an independent nursing intervention for abdominal pain reduction.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.213-221
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• 2019

Objective: This study was performed to evaluate gender and age differences in hygienic behavior among the general population, focusing on hand-washing habits and the microbial load of hands. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire survey and a separate microbial examination were performed. The Pearson's correlation between hand-washing habits and microbial load was analyzed. Results: In the questionnaire survey on hand-washing habits, gender differences were found in hand-washing frequency, use of hand-washing agents, and hand drying methods (p<0.05). Age differences were found in numbers of washing parts of the hands and also in hand drying methods (p<0.05). Females showed better habits washing hands than did males, as did older people compared to younger. In the microbial examination of indicator bacteria on their hands, younger people tended to show a higher load of total aerobic bacteria than did the older, and females showed a higher load of total coliforms than did males (p<0.05). There were significant relationships between the load of total aerobic bacteria and hand-washing frequency, duration, and method of turning-off water (p<0.05). Conclusions: Although females were expected to show a better practice of hand-washing than were males based on the survey results, they showed a higher level of total coliforms in the hand examination. The older age group showed better hand-washing habits than did the younger age group and had less total aerobic bacteria on their hands. These inter-gender and age differences highlight the need for development and implementation of gender-and age-specific educational programs or campaigns.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.727-734
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• 2010

The objective of this study was to evaluate the resting postures of the fingers and wrist based on the biomechanical model in term of hand posture (neutral, pronation, and supination) and gender (male and female). The finger and wrist joint angles were measured with VICON motion system. The EMG system was used to examine the muscle activity in the resting condition. The participants consisted of twenty male and twenty female students. The angles of the fingers and wrist were analyzed by means of the coordinate system associated with the International Society of Biomechanics. Hand posture was significant for all the joints. The finger and wrist joint flexed in supination more than in neutral and pronation. The hand posture and gender were not significant for the results of muscle activity, but it had larger muscle activities in supination more than in neutral and pronation.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.13-23
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• 2006

Grip strength provides a quick and objective index of the functional integrity of the upper extremities. It is widely used as an assessment measure in physical and rehabilitation medicine. In this study, maximum voluntary grip strength of 20 college students wearing 5 different gloves were measured using Jamar hand dynamometer. The results show that maximum voluntary grip strength was generally reduced when wearing gloves as compared to bare-handed. More specifically, the grip strength was highest when wearing PVC coated glove or bare-handed and getting lowered as wrist band, rubber, leather, and cotton glove in these order. Depending on the measuring posture of grip strength, shoulder height with arm extended forward was higher than the elbow was flexed 90 degree. Moreover, subjects' demographic factors and hand dimensions were not closely related to the grip strength. It is thus recommended that the proper glove should be provided to reduce the negative consequences including dropping a tool, poorer control of a tool. lower quality work, and increased muscle fatigue and in turn to increase the user safety and satisfaction.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.968-981
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• 2011

This study examines the effect of the structure of Intarsia and Jacquard knit on mechanical properties of knit fabrics to suggest data for knit design. Intarsia and 7 types of Color Jacquard (Floating Jacquard, Normal Jacquard, Bird's eye Jacquard, Tubular Jacquard, Ladder's back Jacquard, Blister Jacquard, and Transfer Jacquard) were used. The samples with a gauge of 14 were knitted using 100% wool 2/48's yarn by Shima Seiki SIG computer knitting machine. The Objective Hand was measured by KES-FB system and HV and THV were calculated by the formula of KN-402-KT and KN-301-winter respectively. The results showed that Intarsia and Floating Jacquard are thin, flexible and light, Bird's eye Jacquard is slick, flat and slim, Tubular Jacquard is stiff and undrapable, Ladder's back Jacquard is difficult in shearing deformation and relatively bulky, Blister Jacquard is thickest and transfer jacquard is uneven in surface contour. The selection of proper structure is important for the knit apparel production since the thickness and weight of knit determine the amount of yarn needed and consequently the production cost. The hands of Ladder's back Jacquard and Tubular Jacquard are superior to those of other structures. Intarsia and Floating Jacquard which are thin, light and flexible seem to be good structures for designs showing a body silhouette whereas, Bird's eye Jacquard, Tubular Jacquard and Blister Jacquard (which are thick, heavy, and stiff) are suitable for a boxy silhouette.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.754-764
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• 2010

Most silk fabrics are produced only after the degumming process to make the best use of the properties and have restricted silk processing that do not hinder their performance. However, considering the highly increased preference for natural fibers and the shortage of raw silk, high-quality upgraded silk product functions are required by the development of a processing technology and a good design. This study analyzes the changes with the samples by the functional finish such as softening finishing, wash and wear, tannin weighting by measuring the objective hand of scoured silk and three finished ones using KES-FB. As a result, the change of objective hand of finished silk fabrics that improves functionality was analyzed and compared. The increase of KOSHI after the finish became stiffer show that the silk fabric samples are appropriate for summertime clothes with the retention of a certain clothing climate for the body. The stiffness of finished fabrics for the normal had a closer relationship with the density of fabrics than the type of finishing. The samples (after the softening finishes) maintain better elasticity according to the properties of the softener and the finishing agent. Although the specimens of this study were thin fabrics, their elasticity against compression increased after the softening finishes and became softer than degummed silk. The surface properties of georgette were changed by all types of finishing.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.533-540
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• 2012

Objective: This paper targets a framework of a hand gesture based interface design. Background: While a modeling of contact-based interfaces has focused on users' ergonomic interface designs and real-time technologies, an implementation of a contactless interface needs error-free classifications as an essential prior condition. These trends made many research studies concentrate on the designs of feature vectors, learning models and their tests. Even though there have been remarkable advances in this field, the ignorance of ergonomics and users' cognitions result in several problems including a user's uneasy behaviors. Method: In order to incorporate compatibilities considering users' comfortable behaviors and device's classification abilities simultaneously, classification-oriented gestures are extracted using the suggested human-hand model and closed-loop classification procedures. Out of the extracted gestures, the compatibility-oriented gestures are acquired though human's ergonomic and cognitive experiments. Then, the obtained hand gestures are converted into a series of hand behaviors - Handycon - which is mapped into several functions in a mobile device. Results: This Handycon model guarantees users' easy behavior and helps fast understandings as well as the high classification rate. Conclusion and Application: The suggested framework contributes to develop a hand gesture-based contactless interface model considering compatibilities between human and device. The suggested procedures can be applied effectively into other contactless interface designs.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.551-556
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• 2012

Objective: This study presents the effect of visual feedback on one-hand gesture performance in vision-based gesture recognition system when people use gestures to control a screen device remotely. Backgroud: gesture interaction receives growing attention because it uses advanced sensor technology and it allows users natural interaction using their own body motion. In generating motion, visual feedback has been to considered critical factor affect speed and accuracy. Method: three types of visual feedback(arrow, star, and animation) were selected and 20 gestures were listed. 12 participants perform each 20 gestures while given 3 types of visual feedback in turn. Results: People made longer hand trace and take longer time to make a gesture when they were given arrow shape feedback than star-shape feedback. The animation type feedback was most preferred. Conclusion: The type of visual feedback showed statistically significant effect on the length of hand trace, elapsed time, and speed of motion in performing a gesture. Application: This study could be applied to any device that needs visual feedback for device control. A big feedback generate shorter length of motion trace, less time, faster than smaller one when people performs gestures to control a device. So the big size of visual feedback would be recommended for a situation requiring fast actions. On the other hand, the smaller visual feedback would be recommended for a situation requiring elaborated actions.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.483-492
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• 2012

Objective: The aim of this study is to suggest three-dimensional(3D) hand gesture taxonomy to organize the user's intention of his/her decisions on deriving a certain gesture systematically. Background: With advanced technologies of gesture recognition, various researchers have studied to focus on deriving intuitive gestures for commands from users. In most of the previous studies, the users' reasons for deriving a certain gesture for a command were only used as a reference to group various gestures. Method: A total of eleven studies which categorized gestures accompanied by speech were investigated. Also a case study with thirty participants was conducted to understand gesture-features which derived from the users specifically. Results: Through the literature review, a total of nine gesture-features were extracted. After conducting the case study, the nine gesture-features were narrowed down a total of seven gesture-features. Conclusion: Three-dimensional hand gesture taxonomy including a total of seven gesture-features was developed. Application: Three-dimensional hand gesture taxonomy might be used as a check list to understand the users' reasons.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2013

Objective: The aim of this review is to explore the latest intervention trends and effects of EMG-triggered functional electrical stimulation on the upper extremity functions in stroke patients. Design: Systematic review on clinical trials. Methods: A systematic literature search was performed to identify clinical trials evaluating the effects of EMG-triggered functional electrical stimulation (EMG-FES) and task-oriented EMG-triggered FES on the hand functions in stroke patients. Literature review was conducted with the following key words: hand function, functional electrical stimulation, task-oriented, stroke. Results: Ten clinical trials were included; 8 of them were randomized controlled trial, 1 was block-randomized, and 1 was a pre-post comparison study. A positive effect of electrical stimulation was reported in the patient groups that were treated with functional electrical stimulation combined with specific tasks, and volitional muscle contraction-triggered stimulation that was synchronized with tasks. Motor capabilities of the hand and arm were improved after the rehabilitation. Conclusions: EMG-triggered electrical stimulation may be more effective than non-triggered electrical stimulation in facilitating the hand functions in stroke patients in terms of muscle strength and voluntary muscle contraction of the paretic hand and arm. Triggered electrical stimulation can be even more effective when it is combined with specific tasks.