• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.419-428
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• 2018

Spatial point-patterns analyses were conducted to provide insight into the ecological process behind competition and mortality in two lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia Engelm.) stands, one in the Lower Foothills, and the other in the Upper Foothills natural subregions in the boreal forest of Alberta, Canada. Spatial statistical tests were applied to live and dead trees and included Clark-Evans nearest neighbor statistic (R), nearest neighbor distribution function (G(r)), and a variant of Ripley's K function (L(r)). In both lodgepole pine plots, the results indicated that there was significant regularity in the spatial point-pattern of the surviving trees which indicates that competition has been a key driver of mortality and forest dynamics in these plots. Dead trees generally showed a clumping pattern in higher density patches. There were also significant bivariate relationships between live and dead trees, but the relationships differed by natural subregion. In the Lower Foothills plot there was significant attraction between live and dead tees which suggests mainly one-sided competition for light. In contrast, in the Upper Foothills plot, there was significant repulsion between live and dead trees which suggests two-sided competition for soil nutrients and soil moisture.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.85 no.4
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• pp.289-301
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• 2022

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic airway inflammation characterized by fixed airflow limitation and chronic respiratory symptoms, such as cough, sputum, and dyspnea. COPD is a progressive disease characterized by a decline in lung function. During the natural course of the disease, acute deterioration of symptoms leading to hospital visits can occur and influence further disease progression and subsequent exacerbation. Moreover, COPD is not only restricted to pulmonary manifestations but can present with other systemic diseases as comorbidities or systemic manifestations, including lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary hypertension, sarcopenia, and metabolic abnormalities. These pulmonary and extrapulmonary conditions lead to the aggravation of dyspnea, physical inactivity, decreased exercise capacity, functional decline, reduced quality of life, and increased mortality. In addition, pneumonia, which is attributed to both COPD itself and an adverse effect of treatment (especially the use of inhaled and/or systemic steroids), can occur and lead to further deterioration in the prognosis of COPD. This review summarizes the long-term outcomes of patients with COPD. In addition, recent studies on the prediction of adverse outcomes are summarized in the last part of the review.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.8
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• pp.1177-1180
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• 1999

This study describes the growth of broiler chickens to the two forms of Gompertz function for application in broiler production models. The first form is based on the estimated mature weight ($W_A$), while the second is based on the estimated hatch weight ($W_O$). Both equations gave identical estimation because they are mathematically identical. To fit the growth curve of commercial broilers that marketed at 35-42 days, it is unnecessary to keep broilers to near maturity (> day 140) to obtain growth data for deriving the Gompertz function. This date does not improve the curve fitting of the early growing period. Additionally, a high mortality and health problem occurred to this type of chicken after day 105.

• International Journal of Reliability and Applications
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2002

In reliability engineering, the bathtub-shaped hazard rates play an important role in survival analysis and many other applications as well. For the bathtub-shaped, initially the hazard rate decreases from a relatively high value due to manufacturing defects or infant mortality to a relatively stable middle useful life value and then slowly increases with the onset of old age or wear out. In this paper, we present a new two-parameter lifetime distribution function, called the Loglog distribution, with Vtub-shaped hazard rate function. We illustrate the usefulness of the new Vtub-shaped hazard rate function by evaluating the reliability of several helicopter parts based on the data obtained in the maintenance malfunction information reporting system database collected from October 1995 to September 1999. We develop the S-Plus add-in software tool, called Reliability and Safety Assessment (RSA), to calculate reliability measures include mean time to failure, mean residual function, and confidence Intervals of the two helicopter critical parts. We use the mean squared error to compare relative goodness of fit test of the distribution models include normal, lognormal, and Weibull within the two data sets. This research indicates that the result of the new Vtub-shaped hazard rate function is worth the extra function-complexity for a better relative fit. More application in broader validation of this conclusion is needed using other data sets for reliability modeling in a general industrial setting.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.895-902
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• 1991

The surgical experience on 18 patients with benign or malignant stricture of the esophagus who underwent isoperistaltic interposition of left colon from April 1989 to July 1991 was reviewed. During same period 22 esophageal reconstructions with colon were performed, but 3 patients who had intraabdominal adhesion in the left upper quadrant and one patient who had uncertainty of blood supply of left colic artery could not undergo iso-peristaltic interposition of left colon. There were 12 male and 6 female patients ranging from 16 to 65 years of age. 12 patients had corrosive esophageal stricture, two had cancer of esophagus, and another two had hypopharyngeal cancer. The postoperative complications developed in 7 patients [38.8%] and most frequently encountered complication was cervical anastomotic leakage, which was successfully managed with simple drainage in all cases but one malignant patient. There was no operative mortality. The esophageal reconstruction with isoperistaltic left colon resulted in good function in 14 patients[77.8%], fair in 3 patients[16.7], and poor in 1 patient[5.6%]. In this experience esophageal reconstruction using isoperistaltic left colon is a satisfactory method that can be accomplished with acceptable morbidity and mortality.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.817-821
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• 1995

The CarboMedics Medical valve has become our mechanical valvular prosthesis of choice because of favorable hemodynamic results that associated with marked clinical improvement and low incidence of thromboembolism after it,s uses. The data for this study was collected from August 1988 to July 1993,five years period. There were total of 57 patients[female 40,male 17 in this series with 4 isolated aortic valve,26 isolated mitral valve,11 double valve and a triple valve replacement. The mean follow up time was 32 months. Postoperatively,58% of cases were in New York Heart Association[NYHA functional class I,and mild and moderate symptoms[NYHA class II were present in 36% and there were very few patients remaining in higher functional classes. In postoperative echocardiographic study, showed marked improved cardiac function. The overall early mortality was 3.5% and the late mortality was one case after triple valve replacement due to sudden death. The causes of early death were attributed to early prosthetic valve endocarditis and heart failure.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.11
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• pp.1017-1022
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• 1999

Background: An increasing number of elderly are referred for open heart surgeries(OHS). These patients are assumed to have significantly increased morbidity and mortality because of compromised functional reserves in their vital organs. We reviewed the results of OHS patients who were 70 years old or older. Material and Method: Thirty six consecutive septuagenarians underwent OHS from 1995 to 1997. Operations were coronary artery bypass grafting(CABG) in 26 including 3 left main surgical angioplasty, valve replacement in 7, MVR+CABG in 2, and ASD closure+TAP in 1. Statistical tests were carried out to compare survivor group with nonsurvivor group in respect to risk factors including NYHA functional class, LVEF, emergent operation, IABP support, CPB/ACC time, ventilator time cardiac index, ICU stay and hospital stay for operative mortality. Result: Operative mortality rate and postoperative complication were 16%(6/36) and 50%(18/36). One-year and 3-year actuarial survival rates were 76%. Nine patients(25%) had major complications including third-degree A-V block(2), respiratory failure(1), stroke(3), renal failure requiring dialysis(3) and postoperative hemorrhage(2). The causes of death were pneumonia(1), bleeding(1), acute renal failure(1), low cardiac output(1), third-degree A-V block(1), and ventricular tachycardia(1). The univariate analysis of mortality shows that NYHA class IV, LVEF<40%, lesser values for C.I, and longer time for ventilatory support were associated with the risk factors(p value=0.03, 0.001, 0.007, and 0.014). The emergent operation, CPB/ACC time, IABP support, ICU stay and hospital stay were not significant. Conclusion: We conclude that cardiac operation can be performed in septuagenarians with acceptable outcomes when done in patients with normal to moderately depressed left ventricular function and adequate functional reserves in their vital organs.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.399-405
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• 2011

Background: Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy caused by aortic valve stenosis (AS) leads to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We sought to determine whether aortic valve replacement (AVR) decreases LV mass and improves LV function. Materials and Methods: Retrospective review for 358 consecutive patients, who underwent aortic valve replacement for degenerative AS between January 1995 and December 2008, was performed. There were 230 men and 128 women, and their age at operation was $63.2{\pm}10$ years (30~85 years). Results: There was no in-hospital mortality, and mean follow-up duration after discharge was 48.9 months (2~167 months). Immediate postoperative echocardiography revealed that LV mass index and mean gradient across the aortic valve decreased significantly (p<0.001), and LV mass continued to decrease during the follow-up period (p<0.001). LV ejection fraction (EF) temporarily decreased postoperatively (p<0.001), but LV function recovered immediately and continued to improve with a significant difference between preoperative and postoperative EF (p<0.001). There were 15 late deaths during the follow-up period, and overall survival at 5 and 10 years were 94% and 90%, respectively. On multivariable analysis, age at operation (p=0.008), concomitant coronary bypass surgery (p<0.003), lower preoperative LVEF (<40%) (p=0.0018), and higher EUROScore (>7) (p=0.045) were risk factors for late death. Conclusion: After AVR for degenerative AS, reduction of left ventricular mass and improvement of left ventricular function continue late after operation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.88 no.3
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• pp.320-326
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• 1999

In this study, 15 survival functions in integral and difference forms for forest plantation were derived based on assumptions for the number of surviving trees and the differential forms of the mortality rate model. Then, performance of the models was evaluated by fitting to remeasurement data of unthinned white pine(Pinus strobes) forest plantation. As a result, three equations associated with a power function of age, $t^{\beta}$, are somewhat more suitable for describing the effect of self-thinning over time. On the other hand, a general survival function for Japanese larch(Larix leptolepts) forest plantation was derived in order to exam the effect of site quality on self-thinning procedures. The results indicate that the $N_{min}$ is negatively correlated with site index and, even though the same initial stand density was assumed, the survival function curves differ in shapes associated with site index values.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.61 no.11
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• pp.339-347
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• 2018

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is characterized by abrupt deterioration of renal function, and its diagnosis relies on creatinine measurements and urine output. AKI is associated with higher morbidity and mortality, and is a risk factor for development of chronic kidney disease. There is no proven medication for AKI. Therefore, prevention and early detection are important. Physicians should be aware of the risk factors for AKI and should monitor renal function in high-risk patients. Management of AKI includes optimization of volume status and renal perfusion, avoidance of nephrotoxic agents, and sufficient nutritional support. Continuous renal replacement therapy is widely available for critically ill children, and this review provides basic information regarding this therapy. Long-term follow-up of patients with AKI for renal function, blood pressure, and proteinuria is recommended.