• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• 제7권4호
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• pp.186-190
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• 2018

Objective: Deep neck flexor muscle endurance (DNFET) is important to cervical pain patients. However, there is no normative data of the DNFET hold time of Korean university students. The purpose of this study was to provide normative data and the reliability of the DNFET times of Korean university students and to compare the DNFET hold times between male and female subjects. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: The participants included 39 male and 39 female students with no cervical pain. Each DNFET was measured while the subjects kept their chin tucked in while in a supine (hook-lying) position and with the head lifted 2.5 cm off the bed. The DNFET was conducted on each subject twice and the mean values were obtained. After each measurement, the participants rested for 5 minutes. Inter-rater reliability was measured by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) by three separate evaluators. Results: The inter-rater reliability was good, showing an ICC (2,3) value = 0.785 (95% confidence interval, 0.370-0.942). The DNFET time scores for men and women were $25.14{\pm}9.96$ seconds and $15.23{\pm}6.10$ seconds, respectively, in which the time scores of the men were significantly longer compared to women (p<0.05). Conclusions: Asymptomatic men displayed higher DNFET scores than women. This study can help clinicians test cervical function of patients and set an interventional goal. These findings serve as a basis that insists Korean women to increase their amount of physical activity.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• 제6권3호
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• pp.239-256
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• 2019

This study develops a dual purpose: i) evaluating the effects of two different Mars atmosphere models (NASA Glenn and GRAM-2001) on aerodynamics of a capsule (Pathfinder) entering the Mars atmosphere, ii) verifying the feasibility of evaluating the ambient density and pressure by means of the methods by McLaughlin and Cassanto, respectively and therefore to re-build the values provided by the models. The method by McLaughlin relies on the evaluation of the capsule drag coefficient, the method by Cassanto relies on the measurement of pressure at a point on the capsule surface in aerodynamic shadow. The study has been carried out computationally by means of: i) a code integrating the equations of dynamics of the capsule for the computation of the entry trajectory, ii) a DSMC code for the solution of the flow field around the capsule in the altitude interval 50-100 km. The models show consistent differences at altitudes higher than about 40 km. It seems that the GRAM-2001 model is more reliable than the NASA Glenn model. In fact, the NASA Glenn model produces, at high altitude, temperatures that seem to be too low compared with those from the GRAM-2001 model and correspondingly very different aerodynamic conditions in terms of Mach, Reynolds and Knudsen numbers. This produces pretty different capsule drag coefficients by the two models as well as pressure on its surface, making not feasible neither the method by McLaughlin nor that by Cassanto, until a single, reliable model of the Mars atmosphere is not established. The present study verified that the implementation of the Cassanto method in Mars atmosphere should rely (such as it is currently) on pressure obtained experimentally in ground facilities.

• 한국멀티미디어학회논문지
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.30-39
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• 2021

Research in the field of health lighting has continued to advance to reproduce the color temperature of natural light which periodically changes. However, most of this research could only reproduce a uniform circadian color temperature of natural light, therefore failing to realize the characteristics of the circadian cycle of color temperature difference by latitude and longitude. To reproduce the color temperature of natural light on which the characteristics of a region are reflected, the collection technology of real-time characteristics of natural light is needed. If the color temperatures which are not within a periodical pattern due to climate changes, etc., are measured, it will be difficult to judge the occurrence (presence) of the anomalies and to reproduce the circadian cycle of the color temperature of natural light. Therefore, this study proposes an algorithm for judging the anomalies in real time based on the sliding window to reproduce the color temperature of natural light. First, the natural light characteristics DB collected through the on-site measurement were analyzed, the differential values at a one-minute interval were calculated and examined, and then representative color temperature circadian patterns by solar terms were drawn. The anomalies were then detected by the application of the sliding window that calculated the deviation of the color temperature for the measured color temperature data set, which was collected through RGB sensors, while moving along the time sequence. In addition, the presence of anomalies was verified through the comparison study between the detection results and the representative circadian cycle of the color temperature by solar term. The judgment method for the anomalies from the measured color temperature of natural light was proposed for the first time, confirming that the proposed method was capable of detecting the anomalies with an average accuracy of 94.6%.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.335-351
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• 2021

Purpose: An underlying factor for the failure of several clinical trials of anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) therapies is the lack of an effective method to identify patients who overexpress EGFR protein. The quantitative dot blot method (QDB) was used to measure EGFR protein levels objectively, absolutely, and quantitatively. Its feasibility was evaluated for the prognosis of overall survival (OS) of patients with gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: Slices of 2×5 ㎛ from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded gastric cancer specimens were used to extract total tissue lysates for QDB measurement. Absolutely quantitated EGFR protein levels were used for the Kaplan-Meier OS analysis. Results: EGFR protein levels ranged from 0 to 772.6 pmol/g (n=246) for all gastric cancer patients. A poor correlation was observed between quantitated EGFR levels and immunohistochemistry scores with ρ=0.024 and P=0.717 in Spearman's correlation analysis. EGFR was identified as an independent negative prognostic biomarker for gastric cancer patients only through absolute quantitation, with a hazard ratio of 1.92 (95% confidence interval, 1.05-3.53; P=0.034) in multivariate Cox regression OS analysis. A cutoff of 208 pmol/g was proposed to stratify patients with a 3-year survival probability of 44% for patients with EGFR levels above the cutoff versus 68% for those below the cutoff based on Kaplan-Meier OS analysis (log rank test, P=0.002). Conclusions: A QDB-based assay was developed for gastric cancer specimens to measure EGFR protein levels absolutely, quantitatively, and objectively. This assay should facilitate clinical trials aimed at evaluation of anti-EGFR therapies retrospectively and prospectively for gastric cancer.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• 제33권6호
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• pp.265-271
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• 2021

Purpose: We aimed to analyze the reliability of the test for choice stepping reaction time (CSRT) under an unstable surface and determine whether there were differences in CSRT between support surface conditions (stable vs. unstable conditions) and between age groups (young adults vs. community-dwelling older adults). Methods: Twenty healthy community-dwelling older adults and twenty young adults performed the stepping task under an unstable condition over two visits. The mean of the two trials measured for each visit was used for the analysis. The test-retest reliability was analyzed using intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) with a 95% confidence interval, standard error of measurement (SEM), and minimal detectable change (MDC). Differences in CSRT between support surface conditions and age groups were analyzed using the independent t-test with Bonferroni correction. Results: Excellent consistency was observed for ICC >0.90 in both groups. Moreover, the SEM and MDC values of the CSRT in older and young adults were 0.03 and 0.09 and 0.01 and 0.04, respectively. There was a significant difference in the CSRT between the age groups under stable (p<0.001) and unstable conditions (p<0.001). Conclusion: The findings demonstrated that the test for CSRT under an unstable condition had reliable results in both groups. Although older adults demonstrated longer reaction times than younger adults in all surface conditions, increasing the balance control demand by implementing a choice stepping task concomitant with a balance task had no influence on the reaction time in both age groups.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제49권3호
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• pp.202-209
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• 2022

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the correlation of oocyte number with serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels measured by two automated methods (Access or Elecsys) in fresh stimulated in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles. Methods: In this retrospective study at a university hospital, data were collected from 243 fresh stimulated IVF cycles performed from August 2016 to December 2020. The serum AMH level was measured by Access in 120 cycles and by Elecsys in 123 cycles. The cut-off of serum AMH for prediction of poor responders (three or fewer oocytes) or high responders (15 or more oocytes) was calculated by the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Results: For the two automated methods, the following equations were derived: total oocyte number=2.378+1.418×(Access-AMH) (r=0.645, p<0.001) and total oocyte number=2.417+2.163×(Elecsys-AMH) (r=0.686, p<0.001). The following combined equation could be derived: (Access-AMH)=0.028+1.525×(Elecsys-AMH). To predict poor responders, the cut-off of Access-AMH was 1.215 ng/mL (area under the curve [AUC], 0.807; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.730-0.884; p<0.001), and the cut-off of Elecsys-AMH was 1.095 ng/mL (AUC, 0.848; 95% CI, 0.773-0.923; p<0.001). To predict high responders, the cut-off of Access-AMH was 3.450 ng/mL (AUC, 0.922; 95% CI, 0.862-0.981; p<0.001), and the cut-off of Elecsys-AMH was 2.500 ng/mL (AUC, 0.884; 95% CI, 0.778-0.991; p<0.001). Conclusion: Both automated methods for serum AMH measurement showed a good correlation with oocyte number and good performance for predicting poor and high responders in fresh stimulated IVF cycles. The Access method usually yielded higher measured serum AMH levels than the Elecsys method.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• 제23권5호
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• pp.79.1-79.11
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• 2022

Background: Pancreatitis is a common disease in which 37% of dogs had evidence of acute or chronic pancreatitis at necropsy. Although biopsy is still the gold standard to diagnose acute pancreatitis, clinical data including ultrasonographic findings and measurement of canine serum pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (cPLI) are used in routine. However, it may be insufficient in the diagnostic approach to acute pancreatitis. Objectives: To evaluate the clinical diagnostic feasibility of two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D SWE) on canine acute pancreatitis for enhanced diagnostic confidence. Methods: 2D SWE was used to assess pancreatic stiffness and determine the correlation between pancreatic shear wave velocity (SWV) and Spec cPL concentration in 31 dogs with healthy pancreas and 10 dogs with acute pancreatitis. Results: The pancreatic SWV was significantly higher in the acute pancreatitis group (2.67 ± 0.20 m/s) than in the healthy pancreas group (2.30 ± 0.26 m/s; p < 0.05). The moderate positive correlation was found between the pancreatic SWV and Spec cPL concentration (95% confidence interval, 0.214-0.693; r = 0.489; p < 0.05). Conclusions: These results indicated that 2D SWE was feasible for assessing pancreatic stiffness in acute pancreatitis, and that pancreatic SWV using 2D SWE correlated with Spec cPL concentration. SWE could provide a quantitative measure of pancreatic stiffness, which can increase the accuracy of diagnosing acute pancreatitis in dogs. The 2D SWE can be used as a complementary imaging modality for diagnosing acute pancreatitis in dogs.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• 제50권3호
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• pp.254-263
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• 2023

Background The three-dimensional (3D) evaluation of skeletal stability after orthognathic surgery is a time-consuming and complex procedure. The complexity increases further when evaluating the surgery-first orthognathic approach (SFOA). Herein, we propose and validate a simple time-saving method of 3D analysis using a single software, demonstrating high accuracy and repeatability. Methods This retrospective cohort study included 12 patients with skeletal class 3 malocclusion who underwent bimaxillary surgery without any presurgical orthodontics. Computed tomography (CT)/cone-beam CT images of each patient were obtained at three different time points (preoperation [T0], immediately postoperation [T1], and 1 year after surgery [T2]) and reconstructed into 3D images. After automatic surface-based alignment of the three models based on the anterior cranial base, five easily located anatomical landmarks were defined to each model. A set of angular and linear measurements were automatically calculated and used to define the amount of movement (T1-T0) and the amount of relapse (T2-T1). To evaluate the reproducibility, two independent observers processed all the cases, One of them repeated the steps after 2 weeks to assess intraobserver variability. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated at a 95% confidence interval. Time required for evaluating each case was recorded. Results Both the intra- and interobserver variability showed high ICC values (more than 0.95) with low measurement variations (mean linear variations: 0.18 mm; mean angular variations: 0.25 degree). Time needed for the evaluation process ranged from 3 to 5 minutes. Conclusion This approach is time-saving, semiautomatic, and easy to learn and can be used to effectively evaluate stability after SFOA.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제56권1호
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• pp.50-58
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• 2023

Objectives: Socioeconomic inequality in metabolic syndrome (MetS) remains poorly understood in Iran. The present study examined the extent of the socioeconomic inequalities in MetS and quantified the contribution of its determinants to explain the observed inequality, with a focus on middle-aged adults in Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the Ravansar Non-Communicable Disease cohort study. A sample of 9975 middleaged adults aged 35-65 years was analyzed. MetS was assessed based on the International Diabetes Federation definition. Principal component analysis was used to construct socioeconomic status (SES). The Wagstaff normalized concentration index (CI_n) was employed to measure the magnitude of socioeconomic inequalities in MetS. Decomposition analysis was performed to identify and calculate the contribution of the MetS inequality determinants. Results: The proportion of MetS in the sample was 41.1%. The CI_n of having MetS was 0.043 (95% confidence interval, 0.020 to 0.066), indicating that MetS was more concentrated among individuals with high SES. The main contributors to the observed inequality in MetS were SES (72.0%), residence (rural or urban, 46.9%), and physical activity (31.5%). Conclusions: Our findings indicated a pro-poor inequality in MetS among Iranian middle-aged adults. These results highlight the importance of persuading middle-aged adults to be physically active, particularly those in an urban setting. In addition to targeting physically inactive individuals and those with low levels of education, policy interventions aimed at mitigating socioeconomic inequality in MetS should increase the focus on high-SES individuals and the urban population.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제36권2호
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• pp.253-267
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• 2023

Background: Cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP) is considered to have both nociceptive and neuropathic components. However, the prevalence, risk factors, and impact of the neuropathic components are yet poorly understood. Methods: We estimate the prevalence of neuropathic pain (NP) features in patients with CIBP at a tertiary care pain clinic setting using the Douleur Neuropathique 4 questionnaire and evaluate their associated factors and their impact after 4 weeks of treatment using the Brief Pain Inventory questionnaire and the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System. Results: A total of 133 patients were recruited. The estimated prevalence of NP was 30.8% (95% confidence interval: 23.6%-39.1%). Initially, the patients with NP had significantly higher average pain scores (6.00 vs. 5.05, P = 0.006), higher total interference scores (5.84 vs. 4.89, P = 0.033), and symptom distress scores (35.88 vs. 26.52, P = 0.002). After 4 weeks of treatment, patients in both groups reported significantly decreased pain intensity and improved quality of life. However, the patients with NP still reported significantly higher average pain (4.61 vs. 3.58, P = 0.048), trending toward higher total interference scores (3.52 vs. 2.99, P = 0.426), and symptom distress scores (23.30 vs. 20.77, P = 0.524). From multivariate analysis, the independent risk factors for NP were younger age, pain in the extremities, and higher average pain scores. Conclusions: NP are common in patients with CIBP. These conditions negatively affect pain intensity and the patient's quality of life before and after treatment.