• The Mathematical Education
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.167-177
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• 2000

In this thesis we concerned with the degree of similarity in pairs of scores having a common mean and variance could express similarity in terms of the absolute difference between the standardized scores. We particulary discussed the distribution of absolute differences between pairs of T scores among many standardized scores and demonstrated the procedures for calculating the lower limit of Med(│d│) values i. e. the maximum possible similarity with medians and correlation coefficients of the equivalent form tests by using the folded normal distribution, although other researchers expressed the degree of similarity using only the standard normal distribution. We also described many cases how to use those techniques and to apply effectively them in real evaluation fields.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.66-76
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• 2002

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of customized master cone on apical sealing in various apical size of prepared root canals, that is MAF(Master Apical File) and to know at which apical size the apical leakage is to be significantly reduced using customized master cone. 120 extracted single rooted premolars were divided into four groups according to their apical size(MAF), #30, 40, 50 and 60. And then, each group was subdivided into three in accordance with three obturation methods, lateral condensation with standardized master cone, lateral condensation with chloroform-dipped customized master cone, and continuous wave of obturation technique. Resorcinol-formaldehyde resin was used for the microleakage test of this study. Teeth were sectioned horizontally at 1.5mm(Level 1), 2.5mm(Level 2), and 3.5mm(Level 3) from the anatomical root apex using low speed microtome. All sections were examined under $\times$40 magnification with a stereomicroscope, photographed, and then scanned. With the scanned images, resin-infiltrated area presenting the microleakage was calculated using SigmaScan/Image, and the ratio of leakage to the total root canal area of each group was analyzed statistically(one way ANOVA). The results were as follows ; 1. In groups of MAF #30, there was no significant difference of mean leakage ratio among three obturation methods at all three levels. 2. In groups of MAF #40, the group using lateral condensation with customized master cone had the low-est mean leakage ratio at all three levels, but there was no significant difference among three obturation techniques. 3. In groups of MAF #50, the mean leakage ratio of the group using lateral condensation with standard master cone was the highest among those of three obturation techniques at level 1, and this difference was statistically significant(p<0.05). 4 In groups of MAF #60, the groups using lateral condensation with standard master cone had also the highest mean leakage ratio at all levels, but there was no significant difference at level 1 and 2. At level 3, the leakage of the group using lateral condensation with standard master cone was significantly higher than that of the group using continuous wave of obturation(p<0.05). The results of this study suggested that the obturation method using customized master cone or the continuous wave of obturation is more effective for apical sealing than that using standardized master cone when MAF is larger than ＃50.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.381-389
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• 2000

Lateral condensation with gutta-percha and sealer has been shown to provide an excellent apical seal; however, the lateral condensation technique has demonstrated less favorable apical leakage results in curved canals when compared with straight canals. Placement of endodontic spreaders to within 1 to 2mm of the root canal working length has been advocated for optimum gutta-percha obturation. Due to their stiffness, stainless-steel(SS) spreaders will often fail to achieve this position in curved canals. Newly marketed nickel-titanium(NT) spreaders may offer an advantage in this regard due to the increased flexibility of these instruments. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of NT finger spreader on the sealing ability in lateral condensation technique, compared with conventional SS finger spreader. Twenty four standardized resin models simulating curved canals(30 degree) were randomly placed into 2 groups and instrumented to a #30 master apical file size with Ni-Ti Profile .04 taper series using step down technique. Each groups was obturated with standardized gutta-percha cone by standard lateral condensation technique using SS finger spreader, NT finger spreader. And then, each model was sectioned horizontally with microtome at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5mm levels from the apex. At each of 5 levels, ratio of the area of gutta-percha was obtained by calculating the area of gutta-percha to the total area of the canal. The data collected were then analyzed statistically using a t test for independent samples. The results as follows ; 1. The total mean ratio of area of gutta-percha was 89.20${\pm}$7.00(%) for SS spreader group. 92.20${\pm}$5.17(%) for NT spreader group. There was statistically significant difference between each group(p<0.05). 2. At 3mm level, the mean ratio of area of gutta-percha was 88.32${\pm}$5.41(%) for SS spreader group, 95.25${\pm}$2.60(%) for NT spreader group. There was statistically significant difference between each group(p<0.05). At 1,2,4mm levels, NT spreader group showed greater mean ratio of area of gutta-percha than SS spreader group, too. But there was no statistically significant difference. 3. At 5mm level, the mean ratio of area of gutta-percha was 91.83${\pm}$3.42(%) for SS spreader group, 87.91${\pm}$3.68(%) for NT spreader group. There was statistically significant difference between each group(p<0.05). This study concluded that the NT spreader demonstrated somewhat favorable apical sealing effect than SS spreader in prepared curved canals. The clinical use of NT spreaders may enhance our ability to create better apical seals in curved canals, but further studies in this area will help clarify some of the remaining areas with which practitioners are concerned, such as compaction forces exerted by NT spreaders.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.26 no.8
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• pp.165-172
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• 2021

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to determine the efficacy of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation training on Gait. We included all randomized controlled trials assessing the efficacy of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation training on gait ability control in patients after stroke. This study was conducted according to the PRISMA guideline. CINAHL, PubMed and RISS were searched for studies published up to December 2020, and all randomized controlled trails assessing PNF intervention were included. This analysis included only randomized controlled trials. A total of 12 studies were selected from 1475 records obtained from the databases. The meta-analysis was performed using the R software. The overall intervention effect was moderate (standardized mean difference (SMD): 0.67, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.50-0.84). Additionally, Gait rite (SMD: 0.69), 10m walking test (SMD: 0.59) had medium effect sizes. These findings indicate that PNF is an effective intervention for improving gait ability in patients stroke.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.553-560
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• 2018

PET-CT and PET-MRI which integrates CT using ionized radiation and MRI using phenomena of magnetic resonance are determined to have the limitation to apply the semi-quantitative index, standardized uptake value (SUV), with the same level due to the fundamental differences of image capturing principle and reorganization, hence, their correlations were analyzed to provide their clinical information. To 30 study subjects maintaining pre-treatment, $^{18}F-FDG$ (5.18 MBq/㎏) was injected and they were scanned continuously without delaying time using $Biograph^{TM}$ mMR 3T (Siemens, Munich) and Biograph mCT 64 (Siemens, Germany), which is an integral type, under the optimized condition except the structural differences of both scanners. Upon the measurement results of $SUV_{max}$ setting volume region of interest with evenly distributed radioactive pharmaceuticals by captured images, $SUV_{max}$ mean values of PET-CT and PET-MRI were $2.94{\pm}0.55$ and $2.45{\pm}0.52$, respectively, and the value of PET-MRI was measured lower by $-20.85{\pm}7.26%$ than that of PET-CT. Also, there was a statistically significant difference in SUVs between two scanners (P<0.001), hence, SUV of PET-CT and PET-MRI cannot express the clinical meanings in the same level. Therefore, in case of the patients who undergo cross follow-up tests with PET-CT and PET-MRI, diagnostic information should be analyzed considering the conditions of SUV differences in both scanners.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.3-12
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• 2020

Neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury (SCI) has a significant negative impact on the patients' quality of life. The objective of this systematic review is to examine the safety and efficacy of pregabalin (PGB) and gabapentin (GBP) in the treatment of neuropathic pain due to SCI. PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, Scopus, and the Web of Science were searched up to December 2018. The reference lists of key and review studies were reviewed for additional citations. The quality of the studies was evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration's tools for assessing the risk of bias. A meta-analysis was performed for primary and secondary outcomes. Eight studies were eligible for inclusion. Meta-analysis of PGB vs. placebo showed that PGB was effective for neuropathic pain (standardized mean difference [SMD] = -0.40; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.78, -0.01), anxiety (MD = -0.68; 95% CI: -0.77, -0.59), depression (mean difference [MD] = -0.99; 95% CI: -1.08, -0.89), and sleep interference (MD = -1.08; 95% CI: -1.13, -1.02). Also, GBP was more effective than a placebo for reducing pain. No significant difference was observed between the efficacy of the two drugs (MD = -0.37; 95% CI: -1.67, 0.93). There was no significant difference between the two drugs for discontinuation due to adverse events (risk ratio = 3.00; 95% CI: 0.81, 11.15). PGB and GBP were effective vs. placebos in decreasing neuropathic pain after SCI. Also, there was no significant difference between the two drugs for decreasing pain and adverse events.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.264-270
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• 2022

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the usefulness of bone single-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) of the hip in predicting the later occurrence of avascular necrosis (AVN) after slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) or femoral neck fracture in pediatric patients. The quantitative parameters of SPECT/CT useful in predicting AVN were identified. Materials and Methods: Twenty-one (male:female, 10:11) consecutive patients aged < 18 years (mean age ± standard deviation [SD], 11.0 ± 2.7 years) who underwent surgery for SCFE or femoral neck fracture and postoperative bone SPECT/CT were included. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUV), mean SUV, and minimum SUV of the femoral head were measured. The ratios of the maximum SUV, mean SUV, and minimum SUV of the affected femoral head to the contralateral side were determined. Patients were followed up for > 1 year after the surgery. The SPECT/CT parameters were compared between patients who developed AVN and those who did not. The accuracy of SPECT/CT parameters for predicting AVN was assessed. Results: Six patients developed AVN. There was a significant difference in the ratio of the mean SUV among patients who developed AVN (mean ± SD, 0.8 ± 0.3) and those who did not (1.1 ± 0.2, p = 0.018). However, there were no significant differences in the ratios of the maximum and minimum SUV between the groups (all p = 0.205). For the maximum, mean, and minimum SUVs, no significant differences were observed between the groups (p = 0.519, 0.733, and 0.470, respectively). The cutoff mean SUV ratio of 0.87 yielded a 66.7% sensitivity and 93.2% specificity for predicting AVN. Conclusion: Quantitative bone SPECT/CT is useful for evaluating femoral head viability in pediatric patients with SCFE or femoral neck fractures. Clinicians should consider the high possibility of later AVN development in patients with a decreased mean SUV ratio.

• BLOOD RESEARCH
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.269-275
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• 2018

Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is defined as the dilation of a segment of a coronary vessel to at least 1.5 times the diameter of its normal adjacent segment. Mean platelet volume (MPV) plays a role in acute coronary syndromes, with high MPV correlating to poor prognosis for acute thrombotic events and CAE. Several studies investigated the relationship between MPV and CAE, resulting in conflicting results. These results led us to systematically review all studies investigating the relationship between MPV and ectatic heart diseases by performing a meta-analysis study in order to report a unified result. This meta-analysis study investigated all case-control articles examining the relationship between MPV and CAE. All studies in the following databases published until January 31, 2018, were investigated: Science Direct, Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science. Following a quality control evaluation, 14 articles, all of which were published following studies performed in Turkey from 2007 to 2016, met the criteria for study inclusion. After pooling the results from all of the articles, a total standardized mean difference (SMD) value of 0.584 (95% CI, 0.219, 0.95) was obtained using the D+L pooled SMD, indicating a significant difference (P=0.002) between the two groups, with higher MPV values in ectatic patients when comparing to healthy individuals. Therefore, increased MPV levels were significantly related to CAE, suggesting that platelets, with their inflammatory and thrombotic activities, play a role in this disease. Therefore, anti-platelet and anti-inflammatory therapies may be effective in treating CAE.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.354-361
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• 2000

The purpose of this study was to examine the stressors and coping styles between headache- suffering children and headache-free children. The subjects of this study consisted of 112 headache-suffering children and 203 headache- free children. They were 5th and 6th grade of elementary school around Taegu city. The periods of study was from June 1, to July 20, 2000. Data were analyzed by SAS computer programme The results of this study were as follows: 1. The score of stressor of headache-suffering children was higher than that of headache- free children significantly. The scores of school stressor and mess media stressor of headache-suffering children were higher than those of headache-free children significantly. 2. There was no significant difference even though the mean score of the coping style in headache-suffering children was higher than that of headache-free children. There were also no significant differences in both problem-oriented coping style and emotion- oriented coping style. 3. Logistic regression analysis(stepwise) revealed that the most powerful predictor was the variable stressor in school(standardized estimate=0.316, P<.001), followed by stressor in mass media(standardized estimate=0.224, P<.05).

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.235-244
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• 1998

Hand washing is an important component of hygiene program for food handlers. Hands can be a source of direct or indirect contamination of foods with pathogenic microorganisms. In this study, the effectiveness of hand washing methods and the use of 70% alcohol solution against transient skin bacteria was tested in an university foodservice facility. 70% alcohol solution is sprayed for 5 seconds automatically when hands are placed in the dispenser. Samples were taken using swab technique in meat cutting area, vegetable trimming area, and vegetable cutting area: before and after washing hands according to planned methods, and after being sprayed with 70% alcohol solution after washing hands. The bacteriological analysis of total plate counts, coliform, fecal coliform of food handlers' hands was done. Statistical data analysis was completed with Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis model using the SPSS program. The levels of initial contamination of workers' hand were significantly different by the work areas($x^2$=9.156, p<0.01). Workers in the vegetable trimming area had more heavily soiled hands than in the other work areas. Mean of TPC counts and coliform was 8.97×$10^5$ CFU/12.4$cm^2$, 2.93×$10^2$ MPN/12.4$cm^2$ respectively, but fecal coliform was not detected. Transient bacteria were removed from hands after washing and using 70% alcohol solution but were not removed completely. Mean reduction percentage in TPC varied among work areas and ranged from 93.19% to 94.99%, and in coliforms from 97.31% to 100%. A significant difference in TPC was found between before and after hand disinfection (Z=-2.714, p<.01) and between standardized hand washing procedures and un-standardized hand washing procedures(z=-2.301, p<.01). Subjects using the hand sanitizer showed a great elimination of TPC(99.45% reduction), but this effect was valid only after following proper washing procedures. Based on the results, the most effective hand washing method was recommended as the combination of the standardized hand washing procedure with warm-water and use of the 70% alcohol solution. The results can be used to develop hand hygiene programs and training strategies for enhancing hand hygiene practices for food handlers in foodservice operations.