• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.342-346
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• 2010

Objective : This study assessed the efficacy of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) with cage alone compared with ACDF with plate instrumentation for radiologic and clinical outcomes in two-level cervical degenerative disease. Methods : Patients with cervical degenerative disc disease from September 2004 to December 2009 were assessed retrospectively. A total of 42 patients received all ACDF at two-level cervical lesion. Twenty-two patients who underwent ACDF with cage alone were compared with 20 patients who underwent ACDF with plate fixation in consideration of radiologic and clinical outcomes. Clinical outcomes were assessed using Robinson's criteria and posterior neck pain, arm pain described by a 10 point-visual analog scale. Fusion rate, subsidence, kyphotic angle, instrument failure and the degenerative changes in adjacent segments were examined during each follow-up examination. Results : VAS was checked during each follow-up and Robinson's criteria were compared in both groups. Both groups showed no significant difference. Fusion rates were 90.9% (20/22) in ACDF with the cage alone group, 95% (19/20) in ACDF with the plate fixation group (p = 0.966). Subsidence rates of ACDF with cage alone were 31.81% (7/22) and ACDF with plate fixation were 30% (6/20) (p = 0.928). Local and regional kyphotic angle difference showed no significant difference. At the final follow-up, adjacent level disease developed in 4.54% (1/22) of ACDF with cage alone and 10% (2/20) of ACDF with plate fixation (p= 0.654). Conclusion : In two-level ACDF, ACDF with cage alone would be comparable with ACDF with plate fixation with regard to clinical outcome and radiologic result with no significant difference. We suggest that the routine use of plate and screw in 2-level surgery may not be beneficial.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.224-229
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• 2006

Quaternary ammonium salt terminated silane was prepared from aminopropyldimethylethoxysilane with methyliodide and ionized 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane $(Li^+TCNQ^-)$ was prepared from TCNQ with methyliodide and lithium iodide. Quaternary ammonium salt silane-TCNQ adduct (ST) was prepared by reacting quaternary ammonium salt terminated silane with $Li^+TCNQ^-$ solution. Poly (dimethylsiloxane)-ST adduct (PST) was prepared by condensation of $\alpha,\omega-hydroxyl$ group terminated poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) with ST. Maleated polyethylene modified with PDMS (PST-g-MPE) was prepared by melt polymerization of maleated PE and PST in internal mixer and PST-g-MPE/carbon black (CB) and MPE/CB composites were prepared by compounding PST with MPE and PST-g-MPE, respectively. The thermal and mechanical properties of the composites were measured and dispersion characteristics of CB in matrix rosins show that the dispersion of CB in PST-g-MPE/CB was better than that of MPE/CB composite.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.347-352
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• 2020

Background: Low self-esteem can be an issue among health-care workers due to the hierarchical medical system. Health-care workers are also in a high pressure environment that can lead to stress and burnout. This study was conducted to estimate the proportion of health-care workers with low self-esteem, high stress, and burnout and the factors associated with these in a private hospital in Bangalore city. Methods: This cross-sectional study included a random sample of health-care workers of various cadres - doctors, nurses, nursing aides, technicians, and workers in ancillary departments such as laundry, dietary, central sterile supply department, and pharmacy, with probability proportional to size. Rosenberg Scale for Self-esteem, Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale, and Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure were used as study tools. Results: Among the 306 health-care workers, there were high levels of low self-esteem (48.4%), stress (38.6%), and burnout (48.7%), with the lowest levels being among doctors. Those aged younger than 30 years had significantly lower self-esteem and greater stress. Conclusions: Health-care workers with low self-esteem were nearly thrice more likely to suffer high stress, Odds Ratio (OR) = 2.84 (1.36-5.92), and those who were stressed had more than three times higher chance of experiencing burnout, OR = 3.6 (2.02-6.55). Path analysis showed that low self-esteem among health-care workers had a direct effect on burnout, as well as an indirect effect through stress (mediator variable). This study indicates the need for screening and counseling for low self-esteem, stress, and burnout as part of a periodic medical examination of all cadres of health workers.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.737-740
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• 2015

Purpose: The study aim was to assess factors that impact on the outcome of radioiodine therapy in patients diagnosed with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study on 256 patients with DTC who underwent thyroidectomy and received radioiodine therapy during December 2003 to January 2012. All patients were followed up for at least 1 year. They were considered diseasefree by the criteria of the revised American Thyroid Association Management Guideline for Patients with Thyroid nodules and DTC (ATA guideline 2009). Results: On Cox univariate analysis, factors associated with disease-free status were age<45, stage I tumor, low risk group by histopathology, unifocal tumor involvement, stimulated serum Tg level at 1st dose of radioiodine therapy and no distant metastasis from 1st post-treatment WBS (post RxWBS). On multivariate analysis, stage I tumor and stimulated serum Tg level at 1st dose of radioiodine therapy < 30 ng/mL were the significant prognostic factors that increased disease-free rate by 1.73 times and 2.60 times, respectively (P-value <0.05). Conclusions: Factors affecting the outcome of radioiodine therapy in our study were age, stage, risk of recurrence by histopathology, unifocal tumor involvement and 1st postRxWBS findings. From these factors, stage I tumor and stimulated serum Tg level at 1st dose of radioiodine therapy were independent prognostic factors that substantial increase the disease-free rate.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
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• v.30 no.8C
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• pp.762-768
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• 2005

This paper proposes new space-time block codes achieving full rate and full diversity for QAM and quasi-static Rayleigh fading channels when using any number of transmit antennas larger than 3 transmit antennas. These codes are constructed by serially concatenating the constellation rotating $precoders^{[4,5]}$ with the Alamouti scheme$3^{[3]}$ Bike the conventional A-ST-CR code$^{[6,7]}$. Computer simulations show that the proposed codes achieve approximately 1.3dB, 1.4dB and 1.5dB larger coding gains than the ST-CR $codes^{[4,5]}$ for QPSK with 3, 4 and 5 transmit antennas, respectively, and about 3dB for 16QAM with 3 transmit antennas.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.346-351
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• 2016

Objective : Early progressive infarction (EPI) is frequently observed and related to poor functional outcome in patients with middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction caused by MCA occlusion. We evaluated the perfusion parameters of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a predictor of EPI. Methods : We retrospectively analyzed patients with acute MCA territory infarction caused by MCA occlusion. EPI was defined as a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale increment ${\geq}2$ points during 24 hours despite receiving standard treatment. Regional parameter ratios, such as cerebral blood flow and volume (rCBV) ratio (ipsilateral value/contralateral value) on perfusion MRI were analyzed to investigate the association with EPI. Results : Sixty-four patients were enrolled in total. EPI was present in 18 (28%) subjects and all EPI occurred within 3 days after hospitalization. Diabetes mellitus, rCBV ratio and regional time to peak (rTTP) ratio showed statically significant differences in both groups. Multi-variate analysis indicated that history of diabetes mellitus [odds ratio (OR), 6.13; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.55-24.24] and a low rCBV ratio (rCBV, <0.85; OR, 6.57; 95% CI, 1.4-30.27) was significantly correlated with EPI. Conclusion : The incidence of EPI is considerable in patients with acute MCA territory infarction caused by MCA occlusion. We suggest that rCBV ratio is a useful neuro-imaging parameter to predict EPI.

• International Journal of Fluid Machinery and Systems
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.30-39
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• 2017

In the current study, identifying regimes and behaviors of the various viscous fluids in a typical horizontal single-stage centrifugal pump and improving its performance by enhancing volute throat area have been surveyed numerically and experimentally. Indeed the initial pump had insufficient head at BEP (Best Efficient Point) in relevant applications. In order to solve this problem, the method of increasing the volute throat area on the prototype was used in steps and eventually the increased head values have been achieved. Then modified centrifugal pump, that has been constructed based on the modified control volume from numerical results, has been tested thoroughly. The maximum head and efficiency discrepancy between numerical and experimental results in BEP were 1.4 and 2.6% respectively. The effects of viscous fluids, from 1 cSt to 500 cSt, on the performance curves of centrifugal pump have been investigated as well and results showed that viscous fluids has significant effect on them. Indeed the highest head and efficiency in the same conditions at BEP has been obtained in viscosity 1 cst which was by 19.2% and 44% greater than the viscosity 500 cSt. It is also found that the highest viscous fluid had the highest energy consumption as the absorbed power of highest viscous fluid, 500 cSt, increased up to approximately 55% above the lowest viscous fluid, 1 cSt, values.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.48-61
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• 2002

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of four kinds of leavening agents on Jeung-Pyun fermantation. Milk-wine(M), fresh yeast(F), dry yeast(D), instant yeast(I) were used in Jeung-Pyun ingredients. The physicochemical properties, sensory evaluation were examined. The results of this study are summarized as follows: 1. Basic recipes for Jeung-Pyun by preliminary test were developed. 2. Specific volumes and expansion ratio of Jeung-Pyun was higher in the fresh yeast-added sample. 3. The pH of Jeung-Pyun was decreased significantly as the fermentation progressed 4. In the result comparing Jeung-Pyun extracting after 1st fermentation with Jeung-Pyun extracting 2nd fermentation by SEM, the former was widely distributed in stability of bubble and pore than the latter. 5. Standard recipe by Q.D.A. test added four kinds of leavening agents were as follows: (1)Jeung-Pyun added milk wine was 240min for 1st fermentation time, 60min for 2nd fermentation time, 35$^{\circ}C$ for fermentation temperature, 80% for fermentation humidity respectively. (2) Jeung-Pyun added fresh yeast was 90min for 1st fermentation time, 40min for 2nd fermentation time, 35$^{\circ}C$ for fermentation temperature, 80% for fermentation humidity respectively. (3)Jeung-Pyun added dry yeast was 90min for 1st fermentation time, 60min for 2nd fermentation time, 35$^{\circ}C$ for fermentation temperature, 60% for fermentation humidity respectively. (4)Jeung-Pyun added instant yeast was 90min for 1st fermentation time, 40min for 2nd fermentation time, 30$^{\circ}C$ for fermentation temperature, 60% for fermentation humidity respectively. 6.Based on sensory evaluation, Jeung-Pyun added fresh yeast was significantry higher than others in color, sweetness, moistness, softness, and overall quality. There was negative significance between milk wine flavor and astrigentness, and yeast flavor.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.69-71
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• 2006

An 11-year-old, Shorthorn cow, reared near Gort Co. Galway, Ireland, needed assistance to calve. The cow became a downer on that day postpartum (pp). Injection-acupuncture with dexamethasone was used at lumbo-sacral space, GB30, ST36, GB31, BL40, ST40 and ST41. In addition, modified moxibustion was received at session 1. At session 2, the cow could not stand. At session 3, the cow tried to stand twice by herself but fell down again each time. However, she stood up with slight help on 10 days pp. The present patient was a case with downer cow syndrome which showed improvement of clinical symptoms by injection-acupuncture with dexamethasone plus modified moxibustion.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.51-62
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• 2004

Objective: To investigate the analgesic effect and its serotonergic mechanism, especially related with 5-HTI and 5-HT2 receptor, of electroacupuncture(EA) in the rat model of collagen-induced arthritis(CIA). Methods : Immunization of male Sprague-Dawley rats with bovine type II (C II) collagen emulsified in Freund's incomplete adjuvant, followed by a booster injection 14 days later, leads to development of arthritis in more than 70% of rats by 21 days postinjection. After three weeks of first immunization, EA stimulation(2 Hz, 0.07 mA, 0.3 ms) was delivered into Jogsamni($ST_{36}$) for 30 minutes. Analgesic effect was evaluated by tail flick latency(TFL). We compared the analgesic effect of EA with TFLs between pretreatment of normal saline and pretreatment of spiroxatrine (5-HT1 receptor antagonist, 1mg/kg, intraperitoneal) and spiperone (5-HT2 receptor antagonist, 1 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) in CIA. Results : 1. TFLs were gradually decreased in CIA as increasing severity of arthritis. 2. Jogsamni($ST_{36}$) EA stimulation in CIA increased TFLs and the effect lasted for 60 minutes. 3. Increased TFLs with Jogsamni($ST_{36}$) EA stimulation were inhibited by pretreatment of spiroxatrine and spiperone in CIA. Conclusions : Jogsamni($ST_{36}$) EA showed analgesic effects in CIA The analgesic effects of Jogsamni($ST_{36}$) EA were inhibited by spiroxatrine and spiperone pretreatment. These observations suggest that 5-HT1 and 5-HT2 serotonergic receptor, which involve the release of serotonin neurotransmitter, play an important roles in analgesic mechanism of EA stimulation.