• Title/Summary/Keyword: Systematic reduction study

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Efficacy of topical interventions for temporomandibular disorders compared to placebo or control therapy: a systematic review with meta-analysis

  • Mena, Mariam;Dalbah, Lana;Levi, Lauren;Padilla, Mariela;Enciso, Reyes
    • Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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    • v.20 no.6
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    • pp.337-356
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    • 2020
  • This systematic review focused on the efficacy of topical products in reducing temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD)-associated pain, in comparison to placebo or control interventions. The EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and MEDLINE via PubMed databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using topical interventions in adults diagnosed with TMD. The pain intensity was the primary outcome, and other clinical findings were the secondary outcomes. The risk of bias was evaluated according to the Cochrane's handbook. The search up to February 7, 2020 identified a total of 496 unduplicated references. Nine RCTs with 355 adult patients diagnosed with TMD were included. The meta-analysis did not show a significant reduction in baseline pain intensity in the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs) group, when compared to the placebo group (P = 0.288). One study demonstrated a statistically significant pain score decrease for Theraflex-TMJ compared to placebo after 10 d of treatment (P = 0.003) and follow-up, 5 d after the last application (P = 0.027). Ping On reduced pain at 4 weeks of application (P < 0.001) but not after 7 d of application (P = 0.136). In one study, cannabidiol (CBD) significantly improved the pain intensity compared to placebo (P < 0.001). However, no differences were found with capsaicin in the two studies (P = 0.465). Evidence was of low quality because the studies were considered as having an unclear or a high risk of bias and a small number of studies were analyzed. The evidence is not sufficient to support the use of topical NSAIDs and capsaicin, and limited evidence was found for Threraflex-TMJ, bee venom, Ping On, and CBD, with only one study reporting for each. Additional studies are recommended to validate these results.

Evaluation of thermally and chemically reduced graphene oxide films as counter electrodes on dye-sensitized solar cells

  • Rodriguez-Perez, Manuel;Villanueva-Cab, Julio;Pal, Umapada
    • Advances in nano research
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    • v.5 no.3
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    • pp.231-244
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    • 2017
  • Graphene oxide (GO) was prepared by modified Hummer's method to produce reduced graphene oxide (RGO) following standard thermal and chemical reduction processes. Prepared RGO colloids were utilized to fabricate RGO films over glass and FTO coated glass substrates through drop-coating. A systematic study was performed to evaluate the effect of reduction degree on the optical and electrical properties of the RGO film. We demonstrate that both the reduction process (thermal and chemical) produce RGO films of similar optical and electrical behaviors. However, the RGO films fabricated using chemically reduced GO colloid render better performance in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), when they are used as counter electrodes (CEs). It has been demonstrated that RGO films of optimum thicknesses fabricated using RGO colloids prepared using lower concentration of hydrazine reducer have better catalytic performance in DSSCs due to a better catalytic interaction with redox couple. The better catalytic performance of the RGO films fabricated at optimal hydrazine concentration is associated to their higher available surface area and lower grain boundaries.

Methods for the Reduction of Consumption and Contamination of Water in a Newsprint Mill by Using Simulation Model and WRDF (전산모사기법과 WRDF를 활용한 ONP 재활용 공정의 용수 및 오염부하 절감 방안에 관한 연구)

  • 이영애;류정용;성용주;김용환;송재광;송봉근;서영범
    • Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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    • v.36 no.2
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    • pp.54-59
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    • 2004
  • The methods for the minimization of fresh water consumption, waste water generation and water contamination have been greatly investigated and developed for last ten years. Recently, the rising cost of waste water treatment and the more strict environmental regulation lead to the higher demand of more efficient and systematic methods for process water management. The water reuse technology, which not only reduce the process water needs but also minimize waste water generation within the process, could be one of most efficient way for current demand. In this study, the practical way for reduction of water pollution and optimal reuse or recycle of process water in a newsprint mill was investigated by using a simulation model. The result of computer simulation showed that the COD level of approach system could be reduced by 50% after the stock concentration at the 2nd disc filter was increased upto 30%. The application of WRDF(Wrinkled Rotary Drum Filter) to the newsprint mill was carried out with pilot scale. The process water treated by WRDF had enough cleanliness to substitute the forming fabric shower water with the PDF water, which could result in the 30% reduction in fresh water consumption.

Efficacy of ketamine in the treatment of migraines and other unspecified primary headache disorders compared to placebo and other interventions: a systematic review

  • Chah, Neysan;Jones, Mike;Milord, Steve;Al-Eryani, Kamal;Enciso, Reyes
    • Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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    • v.21 no.5
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    • pp.413-429
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    • 2021
  • Background: Migraine headaches are the second leading cause of disability worldwide and are responsible for significant morbidity, reduction in the quality of life, and loss of productivity on a global scale. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy of ketamine on migraines and other primary headache disorders compared to placebo and other active interventions, such as midazolam, metoclopramide/diphenhydramine, and prochlorperazine/diphenhydramine. Methods: An electronic search of databases published up to February 2021, including Medline via PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library, a hand search of the bibliographies of the included studies, as well as literature and systematic reviews found through the search was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating ketamine in the treatment of migraine/headache disorders compared to the placebo. The authors assessed the risk of bias according to the Cochrane Handbook guidelines. Results: The initial search strategy yielded 398 unduplicated references, which were independently assessed by three review authors. After evaluation, this number was reduced to five RCTs (two unclear risk of bias and three high risk of bias). The total number of patients in all the studies was 193. Due to the high risk of bias, small sample size, heterogeneity of the outcomes reported, and heterogeneity of the comparison groups, the quality of the evidence was very low. One RCT reported that intranasal ketamine was superior to intranasal midazolam in improving the aura attack severity, but not duration, while another reported that intranasal ketamine was not superior to metoclopramide and diphenhydramine in reducing the headache severity. In one trial, subcutaneous ketamine was superior to saline in migraine severity reduction; however, intravenous (I.V.) ketamine was inferior to I.V. prochlorperazine and diphenhydramine in another study. Conclusion: Further double-blind controlled studies are needed to assess the efficacy of ketamine in treating acute and chronic refractory migraines and other primary headaches using intranasal and subcutaneous routes. These studies should include a long-term follow-up and different ketamine dosages in diagnosed patients following international standards for diagnosing headache/migraine.

A Survey on the Awareness for the Reduction of Food Wastes by the Use of University Cafeteria (대학 구내식당의 이용실태에 따른 잔반 감소를 위한 의식조사)

  • Park Sang-Wook;Shin Eun-Mi
    • The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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    • v.19 no.1
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    • pp.91-102
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    • 2006
  • The goal of this study was to find the way of reduction on food wastes in the university cafeteria. Four hundred and two students from three universities in Daejeon city were surveyed. The data were analyzed by SAS program. The results were summarized as followings: 24.95% of the total users use the university cafeteria everyday. Reasons for the utilization were listed as time saving 31.40%, near place 26.73%, low price 23.16% and no other place to eat 17.82%. Recommendations for the improvements of university cafeteria were listed as menu variation 38.26%, taste 37.83%, price decrease 10.43%. Female students left more food wastes than male students and most leaving food was side dish than Bab, Guk and Kimchi. The major reason of leaving foods was shown to be influenced by the taste and amount of foods supplied in university cafeteria. And they preferred kimchibock-kumbab to other kinds of bab. But they disliked Flounderjolim, pickled anchovies, Ggonchigui, Ginger, Burdock, Lotus root and Crown daisy. The perception of users on the reduction of food waste was 84.10% of total students. The students who know on the method of food wastes treatment were 58.26%. Improvement for reduction of food wastes of university cafeteria can be summarized to emphasize on taste, menu variation, adequate of serving size, also that should be conduct studies for systematic administration method and standard education for reduction of food waste.

Evaluation of the Clinical Effectiveness of Laser Acupuncture for Disease Specific : Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (질환별 레이저 침의 임상적 효과 평가 : 체계적 문헌고찰 및 메타분석)

  • DaeJin Kim;Byunghee Choi;Taeyeung Kim;Sukang Park;Jinyoug Kwak
    • Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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    • v.45 no.2
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    • pp.81-89
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    • 2024
  • Purpose : This study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of laser acupuncture for each condition using information from laser acupuncture trials registered on clinicaltrials.gov from January 2013 to June 2023. Methods : We quantitatively and qualitatively analysed the results of 16 clinical trials of laser acupuncture whose research results were confirmed. A risk of bias assessment was also carried out to assess the quality of each clinical trial. Results : A meta-analysis including three clinical trials was conducted to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of laser acupuncture and sham laser acupuncture in reducing pain and found that the laser acupuncture group had a statistically significant reduction in pain compared with the sham laser acupuncture group. In addition, 11 of the 13 trials not included in the meta-analysis showed a positive effect of laser acupuncture. Conclusion : Although laser acupuncture has a long history of clinical use and a lot of research, there is still some scepticism due to the lack of a clear mechanism of action and inconsistent reports of clinical effectiveness. In addition, there is a significant lack of systematic reviews of clinical evidence for major disease specific, and ongoing research is needed to establish an objective evidence base for the clinical effectiveness of laser acupuncture.

The effectiveness of nurse-led interventions on quality of life, medication adherence, anxiety, and depression in kidney transplant recipients: A systematic review and meta-analysis (간호사 주도의 중재가 신장이식 수혜자의 삶의 질, 약물 순응도, 불안 및 우울에 미치는 효과: 체계적 문헌고찰 및 메타분석)

  • Park, Seung Yeon;Kwak, Lee Hwa
    • The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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    • v.30 no.3
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    • pp.263-279
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    • 2024
  • Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of nurse-led interventions on quality of life, medication adherence, anxiety, and depression in kidney transplant recipients. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Two researchers independently selected the final literature, and the quality assessment was performed using Cochrane's Risk of Bias tool. Additionally, a meta-analysis was conducted using the statistical software RevMan 5.4 to estimate effect sizes. Results: Among the reviewed 2,264 papers, 8 final papers, including 6 from the literature search and 2 from manual searches, were included in the analysis. The total number of participants included in the analysis was 477. Nurse-led interventions were found to be effective in improving quality of life (d=1.05) and reducing anxiety (d=-0.98) and depression (d=-1.25). Due to the heterogeneity of the measurement tools, the effect size for medication adherence could not be calculated. Despite this, nurse-led interventions were shown to improve medication adherence. In the cases of anxiety and depression, longer intervention periods showed a more significant reduction trend. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that nurse-led interventions positively impact quality of life, medication adherence, anxiety, and depression in kidney transplant recipients. Therefore, it is important to recognize the crucial role of nurses and explore ways to provide continuous nursing interventions for kidney transplant recipients.

Cone-beam computed tomographic evaluation of dimensional hard tissue changes following alveolar ridge preservation techniques of different bone substitutes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

  • Pickert, Finn Niclas;Spalthoff, Simon;Gellrich, Nils-Claudius;Tarraga, Juan Antonio Blaya
    • Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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    • v.52 no.1
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    • pp.3-27
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    • 2022
  • Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate and compare the effects of different graft materials used in alveolar ridge preservation on dimensional hard tissue changes of the alveolar ridge, assessed using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans. Methods: A systematic electronic search of MEDLINE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and a manual search were conducted from November 2019 until January 2020. Randomized controlled trials were included if they assessed at least 1 variable related to vertical or horizontal hard tissue changes measured using CBCT scans. After a qualitative analysis of the included studies, subgroups were formed according to the graft material used, and a quantitative analysis was performed for 5 outcome variables: changes in vertical alveolar bone height at 2 points (midbuccal and midpalatal/midlingual) and changes in horizontal (buccolingual) alveolar bone width at 3 different levels from the initial crest height (1, 3, and 5 mm). Results: The search resulted in 1,582 studies, and after an independent 3-stage screening, 16 studies were selected for qualitative analysis and 9 for quantitative analysis. The metaanalysis showed a significantly (P<0.05) lower reduction of alveolar ridge dimensions for the xenogenic subgroup than in the allogenic subgroup, both vertically at the midbuccal aspect (weighted mean difference [WMD]=-0.20; standard error [SE]=0.26 vs. WMD=-0.90; SE=0.22) as well as horizontally at 1 mm (WMD=-1.32; SE=0.07 vs. WMD=-2.99; SE=0.96) and 3 mm (WMD=-0.78; SE=0.11 vs. WMD=-1.63; SE=0.40) from the initial crest height. No statistical analysis could be performed for the autogenic subgroup because it was not reported in sufficient numbers. Conclusions: Less vertical and horizontal bone reduction was observed when xenogenic graft materials were used than when allogenic graft materials were used; however, the loss of alveolar ridge dimensions could not be completely prevented by any graft material.

A Systematic Review of Kinesiology Taping in Patients With Lymphedema

  • Jaehee Yang;Eun Jin Lim
    • Physical Therapy Korea
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    • v.30 no.4
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    • pp.288-305
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    • 2023
  • Background: The compression therapy, which is the standard treatment for lymphedema patients, may be difficult to implement and contraindicated to some patients depending on their health condition. Objects: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether kinesiology taping (KT) can be used effectively and safely in the management of lymphedema as an alternative treatment through systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: In February 2023, the literature was systematically collected through eight search engines with a combination of terms, 'lymphedema' and 'kinesiology taping.' We qualitatively analyzed the differences and safety of KT methods, and quantitatively meta-analyzed the effects of volume reduction in edema, range of motion (ROM), and pain improvement using Review Manager ver. 5. 4. To assess the risk of bias in the randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies, Risk of Bias was used. Results: A total of 616 articles searched and 20 studies were selected, including 12 RCTs and eight case studies. KT intervention could not replace multilayer compression bandage (MLB), but it demonstrated similar or better results compared to compression garment (CG), with reduced pain and improved intervention comfort. Studies reported skin adverse events ranging from 2.5% to 20.68%, with a total adverse event incidence of 7.7%. There was no significant difference in the application method of KT. As a result of the meta-analysis from the 8 RCTs, the KT intervention showed a mean difference (MD) of -7.18 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) [-12.64 to -1.72] in the volume change of lymphedema, while the pain difference was MD 0.82 with CI 95% [0.50 to 1.15], in comparison to the MLB and CG intervention. Conclusion: KT therapy led to a reduction in edema size, volume, pain, and improved ROM and quality of life. KT may be a viable option for lymphedema patients who have trouble applying traditional compression therapies.

A Study on the Analysis of the Importance of Natural Landscape by the Development Project (개발사업에 의한 자연경관 영향 저감방안 중요도 분석에 관한 연구)

  • Shin, Min-Ji;Shin, Ji-Hoon
    • Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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    • v.25 no.2
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    • pp.99-117
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    • 2019
  • Environmental impact assessment (EIA), which predicts, evaluates, and manages the influences on natural landscape, plays a role of monitoring natural resources for systematic management of natural landscape. However, the function of verification and correction of the system is still insufficient and feed-back, one of the most important features of EIA follow-up, has not been introduced in Korea's EIA system yet. As a procedure, it is required to check if the opinions of the evaluators are properly reflected to the outcomes of the project through a reviewing process after assessing environmental impacts of a development project. In reality, despite the awareness about the importance of follow-up inspection of the conformity with, the system mainly focuses on the agreement during the planning stage of the development project and fails to continuously manage after its completion. There have been various preceding studies related to prediction, evaluation, and management of environmental impacts on natural landscape for better management. They primarily dealt with the problems in the EIA process and suggested improvement measures, including directions for institutional development, step-by-step goals, and operation methods, to address the problems which arise in the EIA follow-up process. However, suggested measures are not actively applied with the focus only put on institutional operation, there are virtually no standardized methods to predict and assess landscape changes due to the development project and to manage landscape after the project. Against this backdrop, this study aims to explore the existing methods to analyze the impacts natural landscape and to establish a system where landscape management is continued after the development project. To this end, we will suggest reducing methods according to the predicted changes in landscape for post-project management of natural landscape. Characteristics of reduction methods by project type were examined through reviewing the guide to natural landscape rating and the importance of development project impacts on natural landscape by type of reduction was evaluated through questionnaire for experts. Evaluated types of reduction are classified and presented by characteristics of each development project and content of reduction type.