• Journal of Audiology & Otology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.69-75
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• 2019

Background and Objectives: The antioxidant ebselen will be able to limit or prevent the ototoxicity arising from 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD). Niemann-Pick Type C (NPC) disease is a disorder of lysosomal storage manifested in sphingolipidosis. Recently, it was noted that experimental use of HPβCD could partially resolve the symptoms in both animals and human patients. Despite its desirable effect, HPβCD can induce hearing loss, which is the only major side effect noted to date. Understanding of the pathophysiology of hearing impairment after administration of HPβCD and further development of preventive methods are essential to reduce the ototoxic side effect. The mechanisms of HPβCD-induced ototoxicity remain unknown, but the resulting pathology bears some resemblance to other ototoxic agents, which involves oxidative stress pathways. To indirectly determine the involvement of oxidative stress in HPβCD-induced ototoxicity, we tested the efficacy of an antioxidant reagent, ebselen, on the extent of inner ear side effects caused by HPβCD. Materials and Methods: Ebselen was applied prior to administration of HPβCD in mice. Auditory brainstem response thresholds and otopathology were assessed one week later. Bilateral effects of the drug treatments also were examined. Results: HPβCD-alone resulted in bilateral, severe, and selective loss of outer hair cells from base to apex with an abrupt transition between lesions and intact areas. Ebselen co-treatment did not ameliorate HPβCD-induced hearing loss or alter the resulting histopathology. Conclusions: The results indirectly suggest that cochlear damage by HPβCD is unrelated to reactive oxygen species formation. However, further research into the mechanism(s) of HPβCD otopathology is necessary.

• Korean Journal of Audiology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.69-75
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• 2019

Background and Objectives: The antioxidant ebselen will be able to limit or prevent the ototoxicity arising from 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD). Niemann-Pick Type C (NPC) disease is a disorder of lysosomal storage manifested in sphingolipidosis. Recently, it was noted that experimental use of HPβCD could partially resolve the symptoms in both animals and human patients. Despite its desirable effect, HPβCD can induce hearing loss, which is the only major side effect noted to date. Understanding of the pathophysiology of hearing impairment after administration of HPβCD and further development of preventive methods are essential to reduce the ototoxic side effect. The mechanisms of HPβCD-induced ototoxicity remain unknown, but the resulting pathology bears some resemblance to other ototoxic agents, which involves oxidative stress pathways. To indirectly determine the involvement of oxidative stress in HPβCD-induced ototoxicity, we tested the efficacy of an antioxidant reagent, ebselen, on the extent of inner ear side effects caused by HPβCD. Materials and Methods: Ebselen was applied prior to administration of HPβCD in mice. Auditory brainstem response thresholds and otopathology were assessed one week later. Bilateral effects of the drug treatments also were examined. Results: HPβCD-alone resulted in bilateral, severe, and selective loss of outer hair cells from base to apex with an abrupt transition between lesions and intact areas. Ebselen co-treatment did not ameliorate HPβCD-induced hearing loss or alter the resulting histopathology. Conclusions: The results indirectly suggest that cochlear damage by HPβCD is unrelated to reactive oxygen species formation. However, further research into the mechanism(s) of HPβCD otopathology is necessary.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.147-155
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• 2023

Purpose: Headache is a very common disease experienced at least once in daily life, and tension-type headaches have a high and increasing prevalence. Chronic headaches can cause functional damage and huge socioeconomic impacts. This study aimed to compare the effects of myofascial release technique with manual therapy and self-myofascial release technique using a foam roller on the pain threshold and body schema in patients with chronic tension-type headaches. Methods: The study was conducted on 20 patients living in Busan with chronic tension headaches. Myofascial release technique with manual therapy was performed on the suboccipital, sternocleidomastoid, scalene, and upper trapezius muscles. The self -myofascial release technique using a foam roller was applied to the cervical and thoracic muscles. A laterality test was performed using a recognized neck application developed to evaluate body schema ability. A pressure-pain threshold test was performed using an electronic pressure algometer to compare the results before and after the myofascial release technique. Results: After applying myofascial release with manual therapy and a foam roller, the pressure-pain threshold values showed significant changes in both groups (p<.05). As a result of the laterality test, myofascial release with manual therapy and a foam roller were applied to the painful area. The values showed significant changes in both groups (p<.05), but only the group using the foam roller showed a significant difference (p<.05) in painless areas. Conclusion: The myofascial release technique with manual therapy can be the primary treatment technique for pain control in painful areas. The self-muscle release technique using a foam roller can be an effective method when there is no pain or when maintenance is needed after pain control.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.83 no.4
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• pp.498-504
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• 1994

The damage by the black-tipped sawfly, Acantholyda posticalis posticalis Matsumura, has been incheasing at several locations in central part of the Korean peninsula. This study was undertaken at selected plots in locality of Kapyung-gun. Kyunggi Province from 1984 through 1987. The purpose of this study was to provide basic information for integrated control of this pest and to determine the economic threshold by investigating the pest-host interactions with special reference to damage analysis. The results obtained were as follows ; 1. One year old cone formation began to be reduced when 30-40% of the needles were destroyed. With 70% of defoliation, few cones were produced. 2. Number of two year old cone formation and amount of cones began to be reduced when 61-70% of the needles were destroyed ; economic threshold of the defoliation rate retarding the seed production was 51%. 3. Growth of the trees was significantly reduced when more than 50% of the needles were destroyed, and cone production began to be retarded at 30-40% of defoliation. Therefore, it was determined that the economic thresholds requiring the control practices to keep normal tree growth and cone production from being reduced were 50% and 30%, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.37 no.12
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• pp.47-56
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• 2021

The cryosuction (negative pore pressure) in freezing soils causes groundwater migration from the frozen fringe to freezing front for ice lens formation. Frost heave and heaving pressure by ice lens cause damage to ground infrastructure. In order to prevent damage by the frost heave, various frost susceptibility criteria have been proposed. The SP (Segregation Potential) is the most widely used classification criterion for frost susceptibility in cold regions. The expansion of the ice lens by the migration of the groundwater is a key role in frost heave mechanism, and thus it is necessary to evaluate the hydraulic conductivity. In this paper, soil mixtures of coarse-fines (sand-silt) were prepared in various weight fractions and used for frost heave and column permeability test. For each case, the SP and the hydraulic conductivity were derived and correlations were analyzed. As a results, the transition threshold of the SP and the hydraulic conductivity were shown at 20% and 50% of the silt weight fraction, respectively. Although there are difference between these transition thresholds, these two coefficients show a specific correlation. In the future, additional study should be conducted for detailed analysis of the threshold transition values between SP and hydraulic conductivity.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.229-236
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• 2009

Cage experiments by artificial infestations with different initial densities of Frankliniella occidentalis were conducted to analyze damages and develop control thresholds of F. occidentalis on greenhouse eggplant in 2005 and on greenhouse sweet pepper in 2007. In the eggplant experiment, the infestations of F. occidentalis resulted in direct damage on fruit surface and non-marketable fruits which had several thin or thick lines or bleaching patches on the surface. F. occidentalis adults were frequently found on the flowers of eggplants, while nymphs were mainly observed on leaves. The fruit yield of eggplants was not significantly different among experimental plots with different initial density of F. occidentalis. Relationship between % non-marketable fruits among harvested fruits of eggplant and sticky trap catches of F. occidentalis (no. thrips/trap/week) at two weeks before the harvest showed a positive correlation. Using the estimated relationship, the control threshold of F. occidentalis on greenhouse eggplant was estimated at 10 adults per week at two weeks before the harvest when 5% of non-marketable fruit was applied for the gain threshold. In the experiment of sweet pepper, the direct damage by F. occidentalis was observed on the fruit surface and calyx, and the marketable grade of the damaged fruits decreased. The significant yield loss of marketable fruits was found in plots with high initial introduced-densities. There was a high relationship between thrips density and percentage of damaged fruits. Assuming 5% yield loss (non-marketable fruit) for the gain threshold, the control threshold of F. occidentalis on greenhouse sweet pepper was 4.8 adults per trap and 0.9 individuals per flower at two weeks before harvest.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.367-372
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• 2013

To diagnose sensory nerve damage, patient values for thermal stimuli as quantitative sensory test (QST) can be compared with the values of the general population (absolute reference data) or to values measured at contralateral unaffected side (relative reference data). It is well know that relative reference data are more sensitive for detecting sensory abnormality than absolute reference data. However it is still lack of the studies for comparisons between relative and absolute data. This study aimed to evaluate the validity of relative reference data and compare the sensitivities of the two approaches in the orofacial region. In 19 young Korean women as normal subjects, quantitative somatosensory thermotest were done in the forehead, cheek, mentum, lower lip and tongue tip bilaterally. After we get the standard deviations (SD) of average reference data and relative reference data, the ratios SD absolute data/SD relative data were calculated. Our study showed that relative reference data for side to side comparisons in the same patient have the high ratios than the absolute reference data, i.e. the side to side comparisons with relative reference data exhibit gain in sensitivity in assessment of sensory abnormality.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.556-563
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• 2006

We present a comprehensive study of a chirped pulse Ti:sapphire regenerative amplifier system operating at 1 kHz. Main constituents of the system are described in detail. The amplifier stage was first converted to a repetition rate-tunable kHz gain-switched nanosecond Ti:sapphire laser. Operation characteristics at different repetition rates such as build-up times of laser pulses, pump power-dependent output powers and pulse durations, damage thresholds, and tunability ranges were studied. Based on the results achieved, the switching time of the Pocket's cell used and the round trip numbers in the regenerative amplifier were optimized at 1 kHz. The output pulses with a pulse width of 50fs from a home-made Ken lens mode-locked Ti:sapphire oscillator were used as seed pulses. The pulses were expanded to 120ps in a grating stretcher prior to coupling into the 3-mirror amplifier cavity. After amplification and recompression, a stable 1kHz Ti:sapphire regenerative amplifier system, which delivers 85-fs, $320-{\mu}J$ pulses, was fully constructed.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.34-41
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• 2021

Sidewalks are facilities used for the safe and comfortable passage of pedestrians and are paved with blocks of various materials. Currently, Korea does not have a quantitative survey method for the pavement condition of sidewalks, so it is necessary to develop an efficient survey method. Drones are being used as an efficient survey tool in various fields, but there are limited studies in which sidewalks have been investigated. This study investigates the possibility of detection by limiting the missing sidewalk blocks using a drone. This study is an initial study on the development of a method for detecting damage in sidewalk blocks. For this, sidewalk blocks were artificially removed to simulate a dropout situation, and images were acquired with 0.7-cm resolution using a drone. As a characteristic of the point cloud data acquired through image pre-processing, there was high variance of the elevation of the points in the missing area of the sidewalk block. Using these characteristics, an experiment was conducted to detect the missing parts of the sidewalk block by applying four thresholds to the variance of the elevation of points included in the grid corresponding to the sidewalk area. As a result, the detection accuracy was shown with a positive detection ratio of 70-80%, omission errors of 20-30%, and commission errors lower than 2%. It is judged that the possibility of detecting missing sidewalk blocks is high. This study focused on detecting a simulated missing sidewalk block in a limited environment. Therefore, it is expected that an efficient and quantitative method of detecting damaged sidewalk blocks can be developed in the future through additional research with considerations of the actual environment.

• Korean Journal of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
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• v.61 no.11
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• pp.573-579
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• 2018

Background and Objectives Cochlear dead region (CDR) is a region in the cochlear where hearing loss has occurred due to damage to the inner hair cells and/or neurons. Recently, a subjective test involving a pure-tone test in the presence of threshold-equalizing noise (TEN) was introduced to identify CDR. However, for uncooperative patients, such a subjective method would be unsuitable and objective methods would be needed instead to detect CDR. The acoustic change complex (ACC) is an evoked potential elicited by changes in the ongoing sound. In this study, we developed an objective method of identifying CDR by combining ACC response with a TEN test, namely the TEN-ACC test, and investigated its feasibility in normal-hearing listeners. Subjects and Method Ten normal-hearing subjects participated in this study. All subjects underwent both behavioral TEN test and electrophysiological TEN-ACC test. The stimuli for the TEN-ACC test consisted of TEN and embedded pure tones with different frequencies/signals to noise ratios (SNRs). To identify the thresholds, the range SNR of stimulation was varied from 0 to 20 dB, in stages of 4 dB. Results The ACC responses of all subjects who participated in this study were well elicited by stimuli developed for the TEN-ACC test. We confirm that the pure-tones embedded in TEN elicited the objective ACC response. Conclusion The results of this study suggest that the novel TEN-ACC test can be applied to evoke ACC in normal-hearing listeners. Future research should incorporate hearing-impaired listeners to determine the feasibility of the TEN-ACC test as an objective method to identify CDR.