• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.943-948
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• 2019

In this study, investigation of spent fuel was performed using six group delayed neutron parameters. Three used fuels (F1, F2, and F11) which are burnt over the years in the core of Missouri University of Science and Technology Reactor (MSTR), were investigated. F16 fresh fuel was used as plutonium free fuel element and compared with irradiated used fuels to develop burnup and Pu discrimination method. The fast fission factor of the MSTR was calculated to be 1.071 which was used for burnup calculations. Burnup values of F2 and F11 fuel elements were estimated to be 1.98 g and 2.7 g, respectively. $^{239}Pu$ conversion was calculated to be 0.36 g and 0.50 g for F2 and F11 elements, respectively.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.301-309
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• 2016

Due to undesirable hazardous interactions with biological systems, this investigation was undertaken to evaluate the effect of chronic exposure to silver on certain biochemical and some oxidative stress parameters with histopathological examination of brain, as well as the possible protective role of selenium and/or vitamin E as nutritional supplements. Thirty six male rats were divided into six groups of six each: the first group used as a control group. Group II given both vitamin E (400 mg/kg) of diet and selenium (Se) (1 mg/L) in their drinking water. Group III given silver as silver nitrate ($AgNO_3$) (20 mg/L). Group IV given vitamin E and $AgNO_3$. Group V given both $AgNO_3$ and selenium. Group VI given $AgNO_3$, vitamin E and Se. The animals were in the same exposure conditions for 3 months. According to the results which have been obtained; there was an increase in serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), lipase activities and cholesterol level, a decrease in serum total protein, calcium and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in Ag-intoxicated rats. Moreover, the findings showed that $Ag^+$ ions affected antioxidant defense system by decreasing superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and increasing vitamin E concentration with a high level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in brain tissue. The histological examination also exhibited some nervous tissue alterations including hemorrhage and cytoplasm vacuolization. However, the co-administration of selenium and/or vitamin E ameliorated the biochemical parameters and restored the histological alterations. In conclusion, this study indicated that silver could cause harmful effects in animal body and these effects can be more toxic in high concentrations or prolonged time exposure to this metal. However, selenium and vitamin E act as powerful antioxidants which may exercise adverse effect against the toxicity of this metal.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.185-192
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• 2010

The acoustic vowel space has been used as an acoustic parameter in dysarthric speech. The aim of this work was to examine mathematical formulae for acoustic vowel space and to apply these to Korean speakers with idiopathic Parkinson's disease(IPD). Five acoustic parameters were chosen from earlier works and one new parameter was proposed, the pentagonal vowel space. The six parameters included triangular vowel space (3 area), irregular quadrilateral vowel space (4 area), irregular pentagonal vowel space (5 area), vowel articulatory index (VAI), formant centralization ratio (FCR) and F2i/F1u ratio (F2 ratio). An experimental group of 32 IPD patients(male:female=16:16) and a control group of twenty healthy people (male:female=8:12) participated in the study and repeated vowels (/a-i-u-e-o/) three times. A correlation analysis was performed among the six parameters, 2-way ANOVA was done with gender and groups as independent factors, and an independent sample t-test was conducted between the male and the female group as post hoc comparison. All parameters were highly correlated with each other and only the FCR showed a high negative correlation with the others. The results of ANOVA showed a significant difference in F2 ratio, 3 area, 4 area and 5 area between gender and in 4 area and 5 area between groups. For the male members of the two groups, significant statistical differences were found in all parameters whereas no such differences were found for the female members. These findings indicated that the vowel space of the female group was wider than the vowel space of the male group. These differences may have been caused by gender-specific speech styles rather than by patho-physiological mechanisms. We also claim that the pentagonal vowel space is better than the other vowel spaces at representing the disordered speech in natural speech situations.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.127-138
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• 1998

This study was carried out tn invstigate and compare biomechanical characteristics during free speed gait in hemiplegic patients after stroke who took therapeutic exercise by analyzing kinematic and kinetic data in the sagital plane and electromyographic data. Six patients($41\~69$ years old) and age-matched six volunteers in good health(51-61 years old) wire studied. The patients were sorted into two groups, depending on their self-speed of walking : fast speed group(3 patients) and slow speed group(3 patients). The results were as fellows. : 1. In spatio-temparal parameters, affected and unaffected side of fast group showed symetry but blew group showed asymetry of single limb support, opposite foot contact and stance phase (p<0.05). Compared with normal group, patient group showed slower velocity, shoter stride length and longer double limb support (p<0.05). 2. In the pelvic anterior tilt, patient group showed lower valued than normal group. It. In the ground reaction force-vertical force, fast group showed similar double peak gragh compared with normal group, butvslow group showed lower values without double peak (p<0.05).

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.46-56
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• 2016

Purpose: We evaluated the efficacy of a mouthwash containing potassium nitrate ($KNO_3$) as its main component, along with sodium fluoride (NaF) and cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC). The primary endpoint was the relief of dentin hypersensitivity (DH) against the cold stimuli. The effects on other DH tests and periodontal inflammation were also evaluated. Methods: We used a single-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized design. A total of 82 patients with DH (40 in the test group, 42 placebo controls) were analyzed using visual analog scales (VASs) for a cold test, a tactile test, a compressive air test, and self-reported pain during daily activities, as well as clinical parameters including plaque index, gingival index, modified sulcular bleeding index (mSBI), gingival recession, and probing depth, which were collected at baseline and after four and six weeks of mouthwash use. Results: VAS scores for cold sensations, tactile sensations, the compressive air test, and self-reported pain significantly decreased from baseline during the six weeks in both groups (P<0.01), and no significant differences between the groups were found. In male patients (10 in the test group and 7 in the control group), both groups showed significant reductions in VAS scores for the cold test over the six weeks, and greater reductions were found in the test group than in the control group between four and six weeks (P=0.01) and between baseline and six weeks (P<0.01). In addition, the mSBI in the test group significantly decreased from baseline during the six weeks (P<0.01), and the changes at four and six weeks from baseline were significantly greater in the test group compared to the control group (P=0.03 and P=0.02, respectively). Conclusions: A mouthwash containing a mixture of $KNO_3$, NaF, and CPC reduced DH and gingival inflammation, however, the efficacy was comparable to the control group.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.17-28
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• 2003

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of treadmill gait training on the functional characteristics and the temporal-distance parameters of gait in hemiplegic patients, as compared with conventional gait training. The subjects of this study were 32 hemiplegic patients who had been admitted or were visited out-patients at Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University, from March 3 through April 25, 2003. These subjects were randomly divided into treadmill gait training group or conventional gait training group. We evaluated the gait ability, motor functions, muscle strength, spasticity, physiological cost index, and temporal-distance parameters. We analyzed the changes between pre and post training in each groups, and the difference between two groups. Temporal-distance parameters were obtained using the ink footprint method and then energy consumption using physiological cost index. The results were as follows: 1. After a six-week training, treadmill gait training group significantly improved, as. compared to pre-training, in gait ability, motor functions for the leg and trunk and gross function, muscle strength of the lower limb, gait speed, cadence, step length both on the affected and on the unaffected side, step length symmetry, and energy consumption(p<0.05). 2. After a six-week training, conventional gait training group significantly improved, as compared to pretraining, in gait ability, motor functions for the leg and trunk, muscle strength of the lower limb, spasticity the upper limb, gait speed, cadence, step length both on the affected and on the unaffected side, and energy consumption(p<0.05). 3. After a six-week training, the treadmill gait training group significantly improved, as compared to the conventional gait, training, in gait speed and step length on the unaffected side. These results show that treadmill gait training was improved gait speed and step length on the unaffected side of hemiplegic patients, as compared with conventional gait training. Further research is needed to confirm the generalization of these findings and to identify which hemiplegic patients might benefit from treadmill gait training.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.8 no.9
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• pp.803-811
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• 2002

Machine vision systems are usually used to identify traffic lanes and then determine the steering angle of an autonomous vehicle in real time. The steering angle is calculated using a geometric model of various parameters including the orientation, position, and hardware specification of a camera in the machine vision system. To find the accurate values of the parameters, camera calibration is required. This paper presents a new camera-calibration algorithm using known traffic lane features, line thickness and lane width. The camera parameters considered are divided into two groups: Group I (the camera orientation, the uncertainty image scale factor, and the focal length) and Group II(the camera position). First, six control points are extracted from an image of two traffic lines and then eight nonlinear equations are generated based on the points. The least square method is used to find the estimates for the Group I parameters. Finally, values of the Group II parameters are determined using point correspondences between the image and its corresponding real world. Experimental results prove the feasibility of the proposed algorithm.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.110-116
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• 2022

Objective: Sperm vitrification leads to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can damage the functional parameters of sperm. The present study aimed to investigate the antioxidant effect of Nigella sativa extract on motility, plasma membrane function, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), DNA damage, and intracellular ROS production. Methods: A total of 20 sperm samples were used. Samples were divided into six experimental groups, including groups with aqueous extract from N. sativa seeds at concentrations of 1% to 6%, a cryopreserved control group, and a fresh control group. Results: Statistical analysis showed significantly higher total sperm motility at concentrations of 3% to 6% than in the vitrified semen control group. Additionally, progressive motility and all motion characteristics at all concentrations were significantly higher than in the vitrified semen control group. The presence of N. sativa seed extract also improved the quality of the sperm parameters assayed in all experimental groups (1%-6%; intracellular ROS production, DNA damage, MMP, and sperm membrane function) compared to the control group. Conclusion: Higher concentrations of N. sativa led to improvements in all sperm parameters and sperm quality. These findings indicate that N. sativa seed extract is effective for improving the quality of sperm after vitrification.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.5-16
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• 2009

Purpose: This study was done to provide effective nursing interventions using an individualized educational program designed to contribute to the knowledge, compliance and physiologic parameters (serum potassium, phosphorus and interdialytic weight gain) of non-compliant hemodialysis patients. Methods: There were 22 participants in the experimental group and 19 in the control group. Nurses with rapport with patients provided education to non-compliant hemodialysis patients for 20 minutes three times a week for six weeks. This education program consisted of individual consulting, telephones conversations regarding hemodialysis, and requests for patient support from patients' families and colleagues. Results: Hypothesis 1; "Knowledge about hemodialysis in the experimental group will be higher than the control. group" was not supported. Hypothesis 2; "Compliance will be higher in the experimental group than in the control group", and Hypothesis 3; "Physiologic parameters of experimental group will improve" were supported as serum potassium and interdialytic weight gain decreased, but results were not consistent for phosphorous. Conclusion: This program for non-compliant patients increased compliance and improved physiologic parameters. Therefore, this educational program should be effective as a nursing intervention.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.776-783
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• 2008

In this study, we investigated the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationship of six duck populations by employing the genetic polymorphisms of 20 microsatellites. The parameters used in this study included number of alleles, average effective numbers of alleles (E) and average rates of heterozygosity of each population. The results showed that all the microsatellite loci were highly polymorphic except that the locus AJ515896 in Muscovy duck was 0. The average PIC (0.762), average h (0.7843) and average E (5.261) of the six duck populations were all high, indicating that the gene polymorphisms and genetic diversity were high. The test of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium showed that the six populations in this study were all in Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium. The F-statistic analysis results showed the range of FST was from 0.0205 (AJ515895) to 0.2558 (AJ515896). The mean FST was 0.0936. Phylogenetic study revealed that Peking duck (Z1 and Z4), Shaoxing duck, Cherry Valley duck and Aobaixing duck were clustered in one group, while the Muscovy duck was clustered in one group alone. The phylogenetic relationships among different populations were in accordance with their breeding history and distribution. Our data suggested that the 20 microsatellite loci were effective markers for analysis of genetic relationships among duck populations.