• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.513-524
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• 2021

Objective: To assess the noncontrast two-dimensional single-shot balanced turbo-field-echo magnetic resonance angiography (b-TFE MRA) features of the abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) status following endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) and evaluate to detect endoleaks (ELs). Materials and Methods: We examined four aortic stent-grafts in a phantom study to assess the degree of metallic artifacts. We enrolled 46 EVAR-treated patients with AAA and/or common iliac artery aneurysm who underwent both computed tomography angiography (CTA) and b-TFE MRA after EVAR. Vascular measurements on CTA and b-TFE MRA were compared, and signal intensity ratios (SIRs) of the aneurysmal sac were correlated with the size changes in the AAA after EVAR (AAA prognoses). Furthermore, we examined six feasible b-TFE MRA features for the assessment of ELs. Results: There were robust intermodality (r = 0.92-0.99) correlations and interobserver (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.97-0.99) agreement. No significant differences were noted between SIRs and aneurysm prognoses. Moreover, "mottled high-intensity" and "creeping high-intensity with the low-band rim" were recognized as significant imaging findings suspicious for the presence of ELs (p < 0.001), whereas "no signal black spot" and "layered high-intensity area" were determined as significant for the absence of ELs (p < 0.03). Based on the two positive features, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for the detection of ELs were 77.3%, 91.7%, and 84.8%, respectively. Furthermore, the k values (0.40-0.88) displayed moderate-to-almost perfect agreement. Conclusion: Noncontrast MRA could be a promising imaging modality for ascertaining patient follow-up after EVAR.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.48.1-48.12
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• 2024

Importance: Early diagnosis of canine pancreatitis is challenging due to non-specific clinical signs. Currently, abdominal ultrasonography and measurement of canine pancreatic lipase (cPL) have been employed for the diagnosis of pancreatitis. Objective: Many qualitative and quantitative commercial cPL tests have been developed and used in veterinary clinics. This study aimed to compare three different methodologies SNAP cPL, Spec cPL, and Vcheck cPL tests to assess the concordance of these assays. Methods: Fifty serum samples were collected from 36 dogs with or without pancreatitis and subjected to SNAP cPL, Spec cPL, and Vcheck cPL tests. Agreement and correlation coefficients were calculated between the test results, and correlations were determined during the management of the patients. Results: The results of the three cPL assays were strongly correlated in 47/50 serum samples (94%). Cohen's kappa analysis between the Spec cPL and Vcheck cPL showed near perfect agreement (κ = 0.960, p < 0.001), SNAP cPL and Vcheck cPL (κ = 0.920, p < 0.001), and Spec cPL and SNAP cPL (κ = 0.880, p < 0.001). The correlation coefficients (r) between data from Spec cPL and Vcheck cPL tests was calculated by Spearman's correlation test (r = 0.958, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the patterns of change in serum cPL concentrations determined using Spec cPL and Vcheck cPL were significantly consistent during the monitoring period in 11 patients. Conclusions and Relevance: Our data illustrated that Spec cPL and Vcheck cPL tests are compatible for clinical use in the diagnosis and monitoring of canine pancreatitis.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.39-44
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• 2024

Background: Displaced olecranon fractures constitute a challenging problem for elbow surgeons. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of suture anchor fixation for treating patients with displaced olecranon fractures. Methods: A retrospective review was performed for all consecutive patients with displaced olecranon fractures treated with suture anchor fixation with at least 2 years of clinical follow-up. Surgical repair was performed acutely in all cases with nonmetallic suture anchors in a double-row configuration utilizing suture augmentation via the triceps tendon. Osseous union and perioperative complications were uniformly assessed. Results: Suture anchor fixation was performed on 17 patients with displaced olecranon fractures. Functional outcome scores were collected from 12 patients (70.6%). The mean age at the time of surgery was 65.6 years, and the mean follow-up was 5.6 years. Sixteen of 17 patients (94%) achieved osseous union in an acceptable position. No hardware-related complications or fixation failure occurred. Mean postoperative shortened disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand (QuickDASH) score was 3.8±6.9, and mean Oxford Elbow Score was 47.5±1.0, with nine patients (75%) achieving a perfect score. Conclusions: Suture anchor fixation of displaced olecranon fractures resulted in excellent midterm functional outcomes. Additionally, this technique resulted in high rates of osseous union without any hardware-related complications or fixation failures.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.10.1-10.10
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• 2023

The purpose of this paper was to review the problems relating to Korea's occupational health services and suggest ways to improve them. Korea can be classified as a welfare state type of conservative corporatism partially interwoven with liberalism. While experiencing compressed economic growth, the economic sectors of developed (excess areas) and developing (deficient areas) countries are interwoven. Therefore, it is necessary to perfect conservative corporatism along with a complementary reinforcement of liberal contents and to apply a multilayered approach focusing on complementing the deficient areas. It is essential to form a national representative indicator related to occupational health, and a strategy for selection and concentration is needed. The proposed central indicator is the occupational health coverage rate (OHCR), which is the number of workers who have applied for mandatory occupational health services under the Occupational Safety and Health Act in the numerator with the total working population in the denominator. This paper proposes ways to raise the OHCR, which is currently at the level of 25%-40%, to 70%-80%, which is the level of Japan, Germany, and France. To achieve this target, it is necessary to focus on small businesses and vulnerable workers. This is an area of market failure and requires the active input of community-oriented public resources. For access to larger workplaces, the marketability of services should be strengthened and personal intervention using digital health resources should be actively attempted. Taking a national perspective, work environment improvement committees with tripartite (labor, management, and government) participation for improvement of the working environment need to be established at the center and in the regions. Through this, prevention funds linked to industrial accident compensation and prevention could be used efficiently. A national chemical substance management system must be established to monitor the health of workers and the general public.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.90 no.1
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• pp.83-96
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• 2024

This paper suggests an analytical approach to investigate the free vibration and stability of functionally graded (FG) beams with both perfect and imperfect characteristics using a quasi-3D higher-order shear deformation theory (HSDT) with stretching effect. The study specifically focuses on FG beams resting on variable elastic foundations. In contrast to other shear deformation theories, this particular theory employs only four unknown functions instead of five. Moreover, this theory satisfies the boundary conditions of zero tension on the beam surfaces and facilitates hyperbolic distributions of transverse shear stresses without the necessity of shear correction factors. The elastic medium in consideration assumes the presence of two parameters, specifically Winkler-Pasternak foundations. The Winkler parameter exhibits variable variations in the longitudinal direction, including linear, parabolic, sinusoidal, cosine, exponential, and uniform, while the Pasternak parameter remains constant. The effective material characteristics of the functionally graded (FG) beam are assumed to follow a straightforward power-law distribution along the thickness direction. Additionally, the investigation of porosity includes the consideration of four different types of porosity distribution patterns, allowing for a comprehensive examination of its influence on the behavior of the beam. Using the virtual work principle, equations of motion are derived and solved analytically using Navier's method for simply supported FG beams. The accuracy is verified through comparisons with literature results. Parametric studies explore the impact of different parameters on free vibration and buckling behavior, demonstrating the theory's correctness and simplicity.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.89 no.6
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• pp.557-570
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• 2024

Due to interfacial ageing, chemical action and interfacial damage, the interface debonding may appear in the interfaces of composite laminates. Particularly, the laminates display a side-dependent effect at small scale. In this work, a three-dimensional (3D) and anisotropic thick nanoplate model is proposed to investigate the effects of imperfect interface and nonlocal parameter on the bending deformation, vibrational response and buckling stability of one-dimensional (1D) hexagonal quasicrystal (QC) layered nanoplates. By combining the linear spring model with the transferring matrix method, exact solutions of phonon and phason displacements, phonon and phason stresses of bending deformation, the natural frequencies of vibration and the critical buckling loads of 1D hexagonal QC layered nanoplates are derived with imperfect interfaces and nonlocal effects. Numerical examples are illustrated to demonstrate the effects of the imperfect interface parameter, aspect ratio, thickness, nonlocal parameter, and stacking sequence on the bending deformation, the vibrational response and the critical buckling load of 1D hexagonal QC layered nanoplate. The results indicate that both the interface debonding and nonlocal effect can reduce the stiffness and stability of layered nanoplates. Increasing thickness of QC coatings can enhance the stability of sandwich nanoplates with the perfect interfaces, while it can reduce first and then enhance the stability of sandwich nanoplates with the imperfect interfaces. The biaxial compression easily results in an instability of the QC layered nanoplates compared to uniaxial compression. QC material is suitable for surface layers in layered structures. The mechanical behavior of QC layered nanoplates can be optimized by imposing imperfect interfaces and controlling the stacking sequence artificially. The present solutions are helpful for the various numerical methods, thin nanoplate theories and the optimal design of QC nano-composites in engineering practice with interfacial debonding.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.353-361
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• 2024

Simulation education is a method that allows learners to learn repeatedly in realistic simulated situations. It solves the limitations of clinical practice that lacks direct nursing performance and is useful for acquiring and developing the knowledge, nursing skills, communication skills, learning self-efficacy, and clinical reasoning required for nursing students. The purpose of this study was identify the effects of High fidelity simulation-based education on communication ability, learning self-efficacy and clinical reasoning of nursing students. The subjects were 84 nursing students who were enrolled in the senior who had received simulation training using dysphagia patient care scenario. Data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 22.0. As a result, There was a statistically significant difference in the communication ability, learning self-efficacy, clinical reasoning. And the mean score of simulation effectiveness is 2.64 points (a perfect score of three). Therefore, In order to improve the communication ability, learning self-efficacy and clinical reasoning of nursing students, it is necessary to develop and apply realistic scenarios that reflect various clinical situations.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.79 -94
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• 2024

Over the past few decades, new psychoactive substances (NPS) have become prevailing. With the widespread emergence of NPS, phenethylamines (PEAs) have become one of the groups abused most which PEAs, along with other stimulants, make up the majority of stimulants. When determining the NPS, the methods for screening and confirmation are crucial which assesses the reliability of testimony. In this study, a set of GC/MS methods employing two derivatizing agents for determining 76 target PEAs in urine was established and further applied for authentic sample analysis. Five PEAs (N,N-DMA, PMMA, 4-CA, amphetamine, and methamphetamine) with contents over their LLOQs were detected in thirteen of the twenty tested samples. In order to compare the result from the GC/MS methods with the previously established LC-MS/MS method, Cohen's kappa coefficient and McNemar's test were applied for statistical analysis. Perfect agreement between GC/MS and LC-MS/MS techniques for determining target PEAs is demonstrated by the Kappa coefficient for each of the five detected targets.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.143-150
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• 2008

There is possibility of poor-state concrete filling condition due to segregation of aggregate and paste in reinforced concrete structure. This study was conducted to evaluate the flexural and shear behavior of reinforced concrete beams with different concrete filling conditions. Different concrete filling conditions were intentionally made such that the specimens was soundly cast to obtain the perfect concrete filling condition and cast in such a way that up to the longitudinal tensile reinforcement from the top, good concrete was filled while poor concrete was poured for the bottom part to simulate the poor strength, workability and unsatisfactory compaction. The test results indicate that have no effect of concrete filling conditions on the yielding strength of structures. But, have a great influence on the flexural ductility and shear capacity of structures.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.89-96
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to investigate the flexural strengthening effectiveness for the beams reinforced with NSM CFRP strips. To accomplish this objective, concrete T beams were made and tested. From this study, it is found that the flexural stiffness and strength of the beams reinforced with NSM strips were significantly improved compared to the beams without CFRP strip. The maximum increase of flexural strength was 247%. Failure of the beam reinforced with NSM was initiated by a part of separation of NSM strips along the longitudinal direction, and the second failure of strips was investigated. After the first rupture of the NSM strips, the load dropped suddenly and the second rupture was succeeded. This result shows that a perfect composite reaction with NSM strips and concrete is possible in the beam reinforced with NSM CFRP strips the NSM strips and Near surface mounted(NSM) is one of the most recent and promising strengthening techniques for reinforced concrete structures.