• Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.238-247
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• 2018

Background: We aimed to estimate the proportion of patients with diabetes who achieved target glycemic control, to estimate diabetes-related costs attributable to poor control, and to identify factors associated with them in the United Arab Emirates. Methods: This retrospective cohort study used administrative claims data handled by Abu Dhabi Health Authority (January 2010 to June 2012) to determine glycemic control and diabetes-related treatment costs. A total of 4,058 patients were matched using propensity scores to eliminate selection bias between patients with glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) <7% and HbA1c ${\geq}7%$. Diabetes-related costs attributable to poor control were estimated using a recycled prediction method. Factors associated with glycemic control were investigated using logistic regression and factors associated with these costs were identified using a generalized linear model. Results: During the 1-year follow-up period, 46.6% of the patients achieved HbA1c <7%. Older age, female sex, better insurance coverage, non-use of insulin in the index diagnosis month, and non-use of antidiabetic medications during the follow-up period were significantly associated with improved glycemic control. The mean diabetes-related annual costs were $2,282 and $2,667 for patients with and without glycemic control, respectively, and the cost attributable to poor glycemic control was $172 (95% confidence interval [CI], $164-180). The diabetes-related costs were lower with mean HbA1c levels <7% (cost ratio, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.88-0.99). The costs were significantly higher in patients aged ${\geq}65$ years than those aged ${\leq}44$ years (cost ratio, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.25-1.70). Conclusion: More than 50% of patients with diabetes had poorly controlled HbA1c. Poor glycemic control may increase diabetes-related costs.

• Clinics in Orthopedic Surgery
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.433-438
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• 2018

Background: Cervical foraminal stenosis (CFS) is one of the degenerative changes of the cervical spine; however, correlations between the severity of stenosis and that of symptoms are not consistent in the literature. Studies to date on the prevalence of stenosis are based on images obtained from the departments treating cervical lesions, and thus patient selection bias may have occurred. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of CFS according to the site, extent, and morphology of stenosis using cervical computed tomography (CT) images obtained from patients who were visiting not because of symptoms related to the cervical spine, cervical pain, or upper limb pain. Methods: Among patients who underwent CT from January 2016 to March 2016 for reasons other than cervical spine symptoms, a total of 438 subjects were enrolled, and 2,628 cervical disc images (C4-5, C5-6, and C6-7; left and right sides) were examined. Three orthopedic surgeons performed two measurements each at 4-week intervals. Values were used for analysis if matched by more than two surgeons; if no match was found, the median values were used for analysis. The left and right sides on the same axial image were independently classified. Results: Left C5-6 stenosis was most common (24.66%) among patients. At the left C6-7, there were 20 focal types and 33 diffuse types. At bilateral C4-5 and right C6-7, the focal type was more common, whereas at bilateral C5-6 and left C6-7, the diffuse type was more common. Age and the severity of stenosis showed statistically significant correlation at all cervical levels. Conclusions: The prevalence of CFS was highest at the C5-6 level (19.06%). Compared to other levels, focal stenosis was more frequent at C4-5 and diffuse stenosis was more common at C5-6. At C6-7, the incidence of focal stenosis was higher on the right side and that of diffuse stenosis was higher on the left side.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.1150-1167
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• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect reducing blood pressure (BP) using Xuefuzhuyu Decoction (XFZYD) in adults with essential hypertension (EH). Method: Search engine, such as PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library, Web of Science, J-STAGE, CiNii, CNKI, OASIS, NDSL, KISS, RISS, and DBpia, were used. The search period was from the beginning of the search engine to June 30, 2018 and there were no limits regarding languages. The selection and extraction of literatures were performed independently by two authors. Meta-analysis was done on the total effective rate (TER), Systolic BP (SBP) and Diastolic BP (DBP). Cochrane's risk of bias (ROB) was used as the methodological quality assessment scale. Results: Twenty studies were finally selected. We observed that a combination treatment using XFZYD and an antihypertensive drug (AHD) was 5.1 times more effective in lowering BP than using AHD alone on TER. The mean differences in SBP and DBP were -10.65 mmHg (95% Confidential Interval (CI) -13.55 mmHg, -7.74 mmHg, P<0.00001), -5.92 mmHg (95% CI -7.14, -4.38, P<0.00001), respectively. Conclusion: A combination treatment using XFZYD and AHD may be more effective in reducing BP than using AHD alone. Because of the poor methodological quality of the studies conducted thus far, high-quality clinical trials will be required in the future.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.63 no.1
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• pp.103-116
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• 2021

Analysis of runoff is substantial for effective water management in the watershed. Runoff occurs by reaction of a watershed to the rainfall and has non-linearity and uncertainty due to the complex relation of weather and watershed factors. ANN (Artificial Neural Network), which learns from the data, is one of the machine learning technique known as a proper model to interpret non-linear data. The performance of ANN is affected by the ANN's structure, the number of hidden layer nodes, learning rate, and activation function. Especially, the activation function has a role to deliver the information entered and decides the way of making output. Therefore, It is important to apply appropriate activation functions according to the problem to solve. In this paper, ANN models were constructed to estimate runoff with different activation functions and each model was compared and evaluated. Sigmoid, Hyperbolic tangent, ReLU (Rectified Linear Unit), ELU (Exponential Linear Unit) functions were applied to the hidden layer, and Identity, ReLU, Softplus functions applied to the output layer. The statistical parameters including coefficient of determination, NSE (Nash and Sutcliffe Efficiency), NSEln (modified NSE), and PBIAS (Percent BIAS) were utilized to evaluate the ANN models. From the result, applications of Hyperbolic tangent function and ELU function to the hidden layer and Identity function to the output layer show competent performance rather than other functions which demonstrated the function selection in the ANN structure can affect the performance of ANN.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.22-31
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• 2021

Objective: This review aims to analyze the effects of electromechanically assisted walking in patients with cerebral palsy(CP). Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: We reviewed systematically using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) checklist guidelines. The inclusion criteria for this study were all CP patients. The intervention was electromechanically assisted walking. The outcome measures included gait parameters, function, spasticity. Studies excluded from this review were excluded from the review if they were non-English languages and if the study was not published as a full report, and if they were not randomized controlled trials (RCTs) designs. The RevMan 5.4 program was used to evaluate and explain the results. The risk of bias was evaluated independently by two reviewers. The quantitative meta-analysis, including mean differences (MD) and associated standard deviations (SD) from baseline and follow-up assessments, were recorded. Results: A total of 634 articles were searched. Two hundred eighty-nine duplicate articles were excluded, and 345 of 634 originals were left for selection. Of these 74 papers, 44 were out of topic, and 19 reported no mean or standard deviation values. And one was a non-experimental study. Finally, ten studies were included. All 10 RCTs of electromechanically assisted walking were analyzed. The meta-analysis showed a significant improvement in gait cycle (95% CI (confidence intervals), 0.09 to 0.19, I2=0%), Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) D (95% CI, 3.27 to 13.17, I2=0%) and GMFM E (95% CI, 0.22 to 6.41, I2=0%). Conclusions: Electromechanically assisted training helps in walking in patients with CP.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.357-370
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• 2022

In this paper, Tobit and Heckit models are introduced. These models have been used for analyzing censored data. Censoring occurs at a specific point and a large number of observations are distributed with a positive probability at a certain point. Censoring can occur due to observing limitation or exogenous variables. Tobit and Heckit models are used to correct sample selection bias, which can occur when an ordinary linear regression model is fitted to censored data. However, the difference between the two models is not clearly accounted for; hence, they have often been used interchangeably. Therefore, the suitability of the models was validated through simulated data, and demonstrated through real data. As the result, it was confirmed that both Tobit and Heckit models are well-fitted to the data censored due to observing limitation, although Tobit model was fitted parsimoniously. In contrast, only Heckit model is well-fitted to the data censored due to exogenous variables.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.340-355
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• 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effects of non-pharmacological sleep intervention programs in improving sleep quality among older adults in long-term care facilities. Methods: A literature search and selection was performed on nine different databases using the guidelines of PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). Overall, 14 studies met the inclusion criteria and were systematically reviewed. For the meta-analysis, the effect size was estimated using the random-effects model in Review Manager (RevMan) desktop version 5.4 of the Cochrane Library. Results: The meta-analysis of overall non-pharmacological interventions obtained a total effect size of 1.0 (standardized mean difference [SMD]=1.0, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.64~1.35), which was statistically significant (Z=5.55, p<.001). The most frequently studied non-pharmacological intervention was aroma therapy, with an effect size of 0.61 (SMD=0.61, 95% CI: 0.14~1.08), which was statistically significant (Z=2.55, p=.010). In the subgroup analysis, group-based interventions, interventions for >4 weeks, and untreated control studies were more effective. Conclusion: This study confirms that non-pharmacological interventions are effective in improving sleep quality among older adults in long-term care facilities. However, the sample size was small and the risk of bias in assessing the interventions of individual studies was unclear or high, thereby limiting the generalizability of the results. Further reviews that evaluate randomized control trials, evidence-based interventions that consider older adult participants' physical activity levels, different intervention methods and durations, and different control group intervention types are needed to obtain more conclusive evidence.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2022

Purpose: This systematic review aimed to compare assessments of the healing of periapical endodontic surgery using conventional radiography and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Materials and Methods: This review of clinical studies was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist. All articles published from 1990 to March 2020 pertaining to clinical and radiographic healing assessments after endodontic surgery using conventional radiography and CBCT were included. The question was "healing assessment of endodontic surgery using cone-beam computed tomography." The review was conducted by manual searching, as well as undertaking a review of electronic literature databases, including PubMed and Scopus. The studies included compared radiographic and CBCT assessments of periapical healing after periapical endodontic surgery. Results: The initial search retrieved 372 articles. The titles and abstracts of these articles were read, leading to the selection of 73 articles for full-text analysis. After the eligibility criteria were applied, 11 articles were selected for data extraction and qualitative analysis. The majority of studies found that CBCT enabled better assessments of healing than conventional radiography, suggesting higher efficacy of CBCT for correct diagnosis and treatment planning. A risk of bias assessment was done for 10 studies, which fell into the low to moderate risk categories. Conclusion: Three-dimensional radiography provides an overall better assessment of healing, which is imperative for correct diagnosis and treatment planning.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.38-43
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• 2023

Objectives: Psychiatric symptoms in epilepsy are very common, and the most common symptoms are depression, insomnia, and anxiety. These symptoms not only lower the quality of life of epilepsy patients, but also elevate the risk of epileptic seizures. There are no specific criteria for the available antiepileptic drugs to ameliorate these symptoms in patients with epilepsy, and there is a lack of evidence to support the efficacy and safety of existing drugs. The Shugan Jieyu capsule (SJC) is a traditional herbal medicine composed of Acanthopanax senticosus and Hypericum perforatum and is reported to be effective in relieving psychiatric symptoms. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of SJC as a treatment for psychiatric symptoms in epilepsy patients. Methods: Electronic databases will be investigated for publications in English, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese. The participants of the study are epilepsy patients with psychiatric symptoms diagnosed using any validated criteria. All types of controls will be compared-placebo, conventional treatments, and no treatment-to groups treated with SJC or modified SJC. We will measure the degree of improvement in psychiatric symptoms and check epileptic symptoms, such as the frequency of seizures. The study selection and data extraction will be performed by two independent reviewers, who will also assess methodological quality using the risk-of-bias tool by Cochrane. We will use Review Manager software (RevMan) to carry out all statistical analyses. Results: This systematic review and meta-analysis will be performed in accordance with the PRISMA-P statement. Conclusion: This systematic review is the first study to assess the efficacy and safety of SJC for the treatment of psychiatric symptoms in epilepsy. We expect that this study will provide clinically applicable evidence for patients with epilepsy when selecting drug treatments.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.185-194
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• 2023

Purpose : This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the characteristics of hemodialysis patients and the occurrence of sarcopenia through a comprehensive literature review. Methods : A systematic literature search was conducted to identify eligible studies in the Cochrane library, PubMed and Embase. In this review, we included all papers published since the initiative's inception and summarized results as of december 2022. Studies that investigated association between sarcopenia diagnosis and hemodialysis patients (aged≥18 years) were included. Ultimately, 16 studies met our selection criteria. The risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Results : Fourteen of the sixteen studies (88 %) reported that significant association between sarcopenia diagnosis and hemodialysis patients. However, two studies reported no association between sarcopenia diagnosis and hemodialysis patients. As a factor statistically related to sarcopenia in hemodialysis patients, Mortality (6 studies, 38 %), age (5 studies, 31 %), body composition (4 studies, 25 %), physical activity (2 studies, 13 %), diabetes (2 studies, 13 %), cardiovascular abnormalities (1 studies, 6 %), nutritional status (3 studies, 19 %), and gender (3 studies, 19 %). Conclusion : Our findings highlight the necessity of developing a physical therapy program that accurately reflects the health status of hemodialysis patients. To further investigate the association between the diagnosis of sarcopenia and hemodialysis patients, it is recommended to conduct large-scale longitudinal studies using standardized diagnostic criteria and evaluation methods, as well as analyze potential risk factors. Consequently, this study emphasizes the importance and potential of developing physical therapy programs that effectively address the health consequences associated with hemodialysis. The significance of this research lies in its ability to provide valuable insights and lay the foundation for future studies focused on developing preventive and therapeutic interventions targeting muscle wasting syndrome resulting from hemodialysis.