• Hip & pelvis
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.144-154
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• 2024

Purpose: The objective of this study was to assess postoperative direct medical expenses and medical utilization of elderly patients who underwent either hemiarthroplasty (HA) or internal fixation (IF) for treatment of a femoral intertrochanteric fracture and to analyze differences according to surgical methods and age groups. Materials and Methods: Data from the 2011 to 2018 Korean National Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service database were used. Risk-set matching was performed for selection of controls representing patients with the same sex, age, and year of surgery. A comparative interrupted time series analysis was performed for evaluation of differences in medical expenses and utilization between the two groups. Results: A total of 10,405 patients who underwent IF surgery and 10,405 control patients who underwent HA surgery were included. Medical expenses were 18% lower in the IF group compared to the HA group during the first year after the fracture (difference-in-difference [DID] estimate ratio 0.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.77-0.87, P<0.001), and 9% lower in the second year (DID estimate ratio 0.91, 95% CI 0.85-0.99, P=0.018). Length of hospital stay was significantly shorter in the IF group compared to the HA group during the first two years after time zero in the age ≥80 group. Conclusion: A noticeable increase in medical expenses was observed for patients who underwent HA for treatment of intertrochanteric fractures compared to those who underwent IF over a two-year period after surgery. Therefore, consideration of such findings is critical when designing healthcare policy support for management of intertrochanteric fractures.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.267-276
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• 2018

Objective : The beneficial effect of hypothermia after hemicraniectomy in malignant middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction has been controversial. We aim to investigate the safety and clinical efficacy of hypothermia after hemicraniectomy in malignant MCA infarction. Methods : From October 2012 to February 2016, 20 patients underwent hypothermia (Blanketrol III, Cincinnati Sub-Zero, Cincinnati, OH, USA) at $34^{\circ}C$ after hemicraniectomy in malignant MCA infarction (hypothermia group). The indication of hypothermia included acute cerebral infarction >2/3 of MCA territory and a Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score <11 with a midline shift >10 mm or transtentorial herniation sign (a fixed and dilated pupil). We retrospectively collected 27 patients, as the control group, who had undergone hemicraniectomy alone and simultaneously met the inclusion criteria of hypothermia between January 2010 and September 2012, before hypothermia was implemented as a treatment strategy in Dong-A University Hospital. We compared the mortality rate between the two groups and investigated hypothermia-related complications, such as postoperative bleeding, pneumonia, sepsis and arrhythmia. Results : The age, preoperative infarct volume, GCS score, National institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, and degree of midline shift were not significantly different between the two groups. Of the 20 patients in the hypothermia group, 11 patients were induced with hypothermia immediately after hemicraniectomy and hypothermia was initiated in 9 patients after the decision of hypothermia during postoperative care. The duration of hypothermia was $4{\pm}2days$ (range, 1 to 7 days). The side effects of hypothermia included two patients with arrhythmia, one with sepsis, one with pneumonia, and one with hypotension. Three cases of hypothermia were discontinued due to these side effects (one sepsis, one hypotension, and one bradycardia). The mortality rate of the hypothermia group was 15.0% and that of the control group was 40.7% (p=0.056). On the basis of the logistic regression analysis, hypothermia was considered to contribute to the decrease in mortality rate (odds ratio, 6.21; 95% confidence interval, 1.04 to 37.05; p=0.045). Conclusion : This study suggests that hypothermia after hemicraniectomy is a viable option when the progression of patients with malignant MCA infarction indicate poor prognosis.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.349-356
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• 2014

Background: This study aimed to explore factors associated with the non-use of beneficiaries of long-term care insurance services for the elderly in Jeollanam-do Province by analyzing a dataset obtained from National Health Insurance Service. Methods: The study sample consists of 1,663 individuals who were evaluated as eligible for long-term care insurance services in Jeollanam-do Province during the period of July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009. As a dependent variable, the non-use of the service was defined as one when a beneficiary had used it once or more times during one year after he or she was evaluated as eligible and as zero otherwise. A proportion analysis was conducted to describe characteristics of study sample. Chi-square tests were used to compare general characteristics between beneficiaries who had used the services and those who had not used them. Multiple logistic regressions were performed by three models including additional sets of explanatory variables such as socio-demographic characteristics, health conditions, and economic status. Results: Main results are summarized as follows. The proportion of beneficiaries who had not used the service was 14.5% of all beneficiaries. According to the results from the model using all explanatory variables, the factors associated with the non-use of the services were residence location, dwelling place, type of desired service, level of care needs, and instrumental activities of daily life limitations. Conclusion: In particular, regarding the type of desired service, the cash benefit showed a high likelihood of the non-use of the service; it had an odds ratio (OR) of 50.212 (95% confidence interval [CI], 24.00-105.04) compared with home service. In case of dwelling place, a hospital showed also a high likelihood of the non-use with an OR of 20.71 (95% CI, 10.12-42.44) compared with home.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1530-1540
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• 2016

This study was conducted to estimate the genetic parameters of ${\beta}$-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) and acetone concentration in milk by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy along with test-day milk production traits including fat %, protein % and milk yield based on monthly samples of milk obtained as part of a routine milk recording program in Korea. Additionally, the feasibility of using such data in the official dairy cattle breeding system for selection of cows with low susceptibility of ketosis was evaluated. A total of 57,190 monthly test-day records for parities 1, 2, and 3 of 7,895 cows with pedigree information were collected from April 2012 to August 2014 from herds enrolled in the Korea Animal Improvement Association. Multi-trait random regression models were separately applied to estimate genetic parameters of test-day records for each parity. The model included fixed herd test-day effects, calving age and season effects, and random regressions for additive genetic and permanent environmental effects. Abundance of variation of acetone may provide a more sensitive indication of ketosis than many zero observations in concentration of milk BHBA. Heritabilities of milk BHBA levels ranged from 0.04 to 0.17 with a mean of 0.09 for the interval between 4 and 305 days in milk during three lactations. The average heritabilities for milk acetone concentration were 0.29, 0.29, and 0.22 for parities 1, 2, and 3, respectively. There was no clear genetic association of the concentration of two ketone bodies with three test-day milk production traits, even if some correlations among breeding values of the test-day records in this study were observed. These results suggest that genetic selection for low susceptibility of ketosis in early lactation is possible. Further, it is desirable for the breeding scheme of dairy cattle to include the records of milk acetone rather than the records of milk BHBA.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.23.1-23.7
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• 2016

The effects of daily feeding frequency (Exp I), water temperature (Exp II), and stocking density (Exp III) on the growth of river puffer, Takifugu obscurus, juvenile fish of 10 and 40 g in body weight were examined to develop effective techniques to produce river puffer in a non-exchange water system. In Exp I, fish were fed commercial floating feed with 45 % protein one to five times per day to apparent satiation each by hand daily for 8 weeks at $25^{\circ}C$. In both the 10- and 40-g size groups, the final body weight, daily feed consumption, and weight gain of fish fed one meal per day were significantly lower than those of fish fed five meals per day (P < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in the final body weight, daily feed consumption, and weight gain among fish fed two, three, and five meals per day. Feed efficiency showed decreasing tendency with increasing size of fish. In Exp II, fish of 10 and 40 g in initial body weight were reared with the commercial feed at $15-30^{\circ}C$ for 8 weeks. The weight gain of fish increased with raising water temperature up to $25^{\circ}C$ and decreased drastically at $30^{\circ}C$ for both sizes. The Q10 of specific growth rate was decreased with raising water temperature from 5.04 (temperature interval, $15-20^{\circ}C$) to 0.66 ($25-30^{\circ}C$) for the 10-g fish and from 4.98 to 0.31 for the 40-g fish. In Exp III, the effect of stocking density on growth was examined with fish of 10 and 40 g in initial body weight. The final body weight for initial stocking densities of 4, 8, and $12kg/m^3$ was significantly higher than that of $20kg/m^3$ for the 10-g fish, and the final stocking density reached 10.1, 19.2, 28.7, and $39.9kg/m^3$, respectively. For the 40-g fish, the final body weight for initial stocking densities of 3 and $6kg/m^3$ was significantly higher than that of 9 and $15kg/m^3$ and the final stocking density reached 7.38, 13.5, 17.1, and $27.5kg/m^3$, respectively (P < 0.05). In both groups, weight gain tended to decrease with increasing stocking density; however, survival showed no significant difference.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.336-342
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• 2012

This study was carried out in order to compare the residue levels of pesticides among lettuce, kale and perilla leaf depending on the morphological characteristics of plant. Residue levels were investigated at the zero, second, fifth days after last application, 9 species of systemic or non-systemic pesticide were twice applied with 7 days interval by knapsack power sprayer with 2 heads fan shape nozzle. Ratios of leaf area to weight ($cm^2$ $g^{-1}$) were 58 of perilla leaf, 27 of lettuce and 23 of kale. Ratios of leaf area to weight of perilla leaf was 2.1 times higher than that of lettuce. Residue levels of perilla leaf were 1.3 to 2.3 times higher than those of lettuce at the day of spraying and 1.3 to 3.3 times higher at the fifth day. Therefore the differences of pesticide residues between perilla leaf and lettuce were affected by the ratio of leaf area to weight. Residue levels in lettuce were 2.4 to 7.3 times higher than those in kale at the day of spraying because the adhesive effect of pesticide particles on kale leaf was low.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.226-232
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• 1988

Non-enzymatic browning is a carbohydrate dehydration reaction, accelerated thorough the interaction of amino compounds. Reaction depends on several factors including temperature, reactant concentration, pH, water activity and specific ion concentrations, and result in progressive development of brown pigments in the affected food systems. The present study was designed to utilize a kinetic approach to analyze the effect of temperature and water activity on the browning development in green ten. The green tea was controlled at aw of 0.33, 0.44, 0.52 and 0.65 using saturated salt solutions and then stored at 35,45 and $55^{\circ}C$. Author portion of the sample of which the water activities were controlled in the same manner was stored at 35 and $55^{\circ}C$ alternately with 7 days interval. Simplified kinetic models were used to obtain the various kinetic parameters for browning development in green tea subjected to accelerated shelf-life tests(ASLT). The reaction of browning development was zero order. The activation energies calculated from Arrhenius plot ranged $1.5{\sim}2.4kcal/mole$ and $Q_{10}$ values were between 1.07 and 1.12. These kinetic parameters were then used to predict browning development under the nonsteady storage. Assessed from the parameters the shelf-lives at $25^{\circ}C$, the time to reach 1.02 O.D./g solid at which severe brown color change could be detectable, ranged 57 to 113 days and showed decrease with increase in aw. The predicted shelf-lives at different water activities were a little higher than actual values.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.10 no.7
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• pp.153-159
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• 2020

In order to find out the condition of flow in sewer pipes, this study investigated the characteristics of tractive force of sewage flow estimated using actual measured values of water level, velocity, and flowrate in sewers located at uppermost portion in a treatment area during dry weather periods. When the scene of sewage flow was taken by CCTV after cohesive and non-cohesive solids (tofu and sand) were put on the sewer invert, it was found that the solids could be flushed without significant interruption. In sewer with slope of 0.00319, the frequency exceeding the minimum tractive force of sewage during a weekday was zero, while it was 10 per day with slope of 0.00603. During the week of the field observation, the event to exceed the minimum tractive force occurred once, suggesting that sewer odor would potentially increase. Maximum tractive force in sewer with steep slope was 2.9-3.1 N/㎡, but with gentle slope it decreased to 1.6-1.7N/㎡. It was also observed that the interval of time maintained below the criterion of minimum tractive force increased, during weekends compared to weekdays and for the sewage including non-cohesive particles which could enter combined sewers during a storm period. This study found that the sewer sediments formed by direct feces input into sewers, through sewer pipes which were designed meeting the standard sewer design criteria, could be flushed without staying as deposited solids state for a long time.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.109-121
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• 2012

Rock-surface temperatures were observed at a trachytic lava dome, called as Baeknokdam Northwest Face, in the summit area of Mt. Halla, Jeju Island, to examine the frequency and occurrence season of freeze-thaw cycles and the rate of temperature changes during a freezing period. Long-term measurements were recorded over 18 months from November 2006 to April 2008, at a 1-hour logging interval and rock depth of 1.5 cm. Both diurnal freeze-thaw cycles and effective freeze-thaw cycles appear in larger numbers on a south-facing rock face than a north-facing rock face. The diurnal cycles were dominantly observed on February and March for the south face and on November and April for the north face, respectively. The annual freeze-thaw cycles were confirmed in terms of the presence of seasonal freezing periods lasting from mid-November to mid-April for the south face and from early-November to late-April for the north face, respectively. The rate of decreasing temperatures during the seasonal freezing periods is larger on the north face than the south face. Notwithstanding the lower numbers of freeze-thaw events, the north face experiences a higher frost intensity since the number of hours below $-3^{\circ}C$ is larger on the north face than the south face. The number of freeze-thaw events and the duration of days with continuous sub-zero rock temperatures largely depend on the solar radiation controlled by the aspect of the monitored rock surfaces, and thus the high-frequency short-term frost cycle dominantly appears on the south face and the annual frost cycle on the north face, respectively.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.66 no.5
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• pp.536-542
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• 2023

Objective : Surgical site infection is the most detrimental complication following cranioplasty. In other surgical fields, intrawound vancomycin powder application has been introduced to prevent surgical site infection and is widely used based on results in multiple studies. This study evaluated the effect of intrawound vancomycin powder in cranioplasty compared with the conventional method without topical antibiotics. Methods : This retrospective study included 580 patients with skull defects who underwent cranioplasty between August 1, 1998 and December 31, 2021. The conventional method was used in 475 (81.9%; conventional group) and vancomycin powder (1 g) was applied on the dura mater and bone flap in 105 patients (18.1%; vancomycin powder group). Surgical site infection was defined as infection of the incision, organ, or space that occurred after cranioplasty. Surgical site infection within 1-year surveillance period was compared between the conventional and vancomycin powder groups with logistic regression analysis. Penalized likelihood estimation method was used in logistic regression to deal with zero events. All local and systemic adverse events associated with topical vancomycin application were also evaluated. Results : Surgical site infection occurred in 31 patients (5.3%) and all were observed in the conventional group. The median time between cranioplasty and detection of surgical site infection was 13 days (range, 4-333). Staphylococci were the most common organisms and identified in 25 (80.6%) of 31 cases with surgical site infections. The surgical site infection rate in the vancomycin powder group (0/105, 0.0%) was significantly lower than that in the conventional group (31/475, 6.5%; crude odds ratio [OR], 0.067; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.006-0.762; adjusted OR, 0.068; 95% CI, 0.006-0.731; p=0.026). No adverse events associated with intrawound vancomycin powder were observed during the follow-up. Conclusion : Intrawound vancomycin powder effectively prevented surgical site infections following cranioplasty without local or systemic adverse events. Our results suggest that intrawound vancomycin powder is an effective and safe strategy for patients undergoing cranioplasty.