• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.44-53
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• 2023

Objectives : This study was conducted to reveal the relationship between multiple factors of traditional Korean Medicine diagnosis and consider the further probabilities of treating people with physical and mental problems not defined as diseases, which is called 'Mibyeong' in traditional Korean Medicine. Methods : 40 healthy participants were included in the observational clinical trial. The participants were asked to complete health questionnaires (e.g. State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Stress Response Inventory) and they went through a traditional diagnosis process, including four stages of diagnosis (looking, listening/smelling, inquiring, and pulse taking), by a Korean Medicine doctor. Both the Korean Medicine doctor and an artery tonometry device performed the pulse diagnosis. Results : Although all participants were healthy people with no history of disease, more than half of participants had a problem related with severe level of fatigue (n=19), sleep disturbance (n=26) and stress (n=27) status according to the related questionnaires. Participants diagnosed with phlegm syndrome by the Korean Medicine doctor showed significantly greater score in phlegm pattern questionnaires than participants who were not. However, there was little agreement between the doctor's pulse diagnosis and radial artery tonometry results. Conclusions : We conducted a pulse diagnosis and measured health-related information along with the traditional Korean Medicine diagnose procedure, including four stages of diagnosis, and we found a linkage between diagnosis of phlegm and the phlegm pattern questionnaire score. The results suggest that a number of healthy participants, with no disease diagnosed, have Mibyoung symptoms which need further clinical management. Thus, we suggest that Mibyoung management programs based on qualified diagnosis tools and traditional Korean medicine diagnosis procedures be developed, and that future research using various diagnostic tools be carried out on a large population.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.123-130
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• 2017

Purpose: This study aimed to identify factors influencing intra-operative core body temperature (CBT), and to develop a predictive model for intra-operative CBT in laparoscopic abdominal surgery. Methods: The prospective observational study involved 161 subjects, whose age, weight, and height were collected. The basal pre-operative CBT, pre-operative blood pressure, and heartbeat were measured. CBT was measured 1 hour and 2 hours after pneumoperitoneum. Results: Explanatory factors of intra-operative hypothermia (< $36^{\circ}C$) were weight (${\beta}=.361$, p< .001) and pre-operative CBT (${\beta}=.280$, p= .001) 1 hour after pneumoperitoneum (Adjusted $R^2=.198$, F= 7.56, p< .001). Weight was (${\beta}=.423$, p< .001) and pre-operative CBT was (${\beta}=.206$, p= .011) 2 hours after pneumoperitoneum (Adjusted $R^2=.177$, F= 5.93, p< .001). The researchers developed a predictive model for intra-operative CBT ($^{\circ}C$) by observing intra-operative CBT, body weight, and pre-operative CBT. The predictive model revealed that intra-operative CBT was positively correlated with body weight and pre-operative CBT. Conclusion: Influence of weight on intra-operative hypothermia increased over time from 1 hour to 2 hours after pneumoperitoneum, whereas influence of pre-operative CBT on intraoperative hypothermia decreased over time from 1 hour to 2 hours after pneumoperitoneum. The research recommends pre-warming for laparoscopic surgical patients to guard against intra-operative hypothermia.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.95-103
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• 2016

PURPOSES : Permitted left turn is a turning maneuver in which a vehicle turns left using a gap between oncoming vehicles, called gap acceptance, and it enables for more efficient traffic operation at intersections. In Korea, the permitted left turn has not been a common maneuver at signalized or un-signalized intersections. However, many experts and the Police Agency tried to apply this effective turning maneuver at intersections in Korea since 2010. Though the investigation of gap acceptance is significantly important in understanding a driver's behavior at intersections, there have not been many studies about this topic, specifically a study to develop probability models of gap acceptance behavior. METHODS : In this study, the probability model of gap acceptance behavior for a permitted left turn was developed based on observational field studies. To develop the model, seven variables were analyzed including gap, waiting time, traffic volume, conflict-flow vehicle type, left-turning vehicle type, the number of lane, and time. RESULTS : In the final model, gap and left-turning vehicle type were found to be significant influencing factors. CONCLUSIONS : Through this model development, it was concluded that as the gap size increased, the probability of gap acceptance was higher. Moreover, when a left-turning vehicle was a passenger car, the probability of gap acceptance was higher than compared to large size buses or freight cars.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.89-89
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• 2014

While the current consensus view holds that galaxy mergers are commonplace, it is sometimes speculated that Globular Clusters (GCs) may also have undergone merging events, possibly resulting in massive objects with a strong metallicity spread such as Omega Centauri. Galaxies are mostly far, unresolved systems whose mergers are most likely wet, resulting in observational as well as modeling difficulties, but GCs are resolved into stars that can be used as discrete dynamical tracers, and their mergers might have been dry, therefore easily simulated with an N-body code. It is however difficult to determine the observational parameters best suited to reveal a history of merging based on the positions and kinematics of GC stars, if evidence of merging is at all observable. To overcome this difficulty, we investigate the applicability of supervised and unsupervised machine learning to the automatic reconstruction of the dynamical history of a stellar system. In particular we test whether statistical clustering methods can classify simulated systems into monolithic versus merger products. We run direct N-body simulations of two identical King-model clusters undergoing a head-on collision resulting in a merged system, and other simulations of isolated King models with the same total number of particles as the merged system. After several relaxation times elapse, we extract a sample of snapshots of the sky-projected positions of particles from each simulation at different dynamical times, and we run a variety of clustering and classification algorithms to classify the snapshots into two subsets in a relevant feature space.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.141-149
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• 2020

Objectives The purpose of this study is to find the effect of Korean medicine treatments on pain reduction and range of motion recovery in patients with proximal tibia fractures. Methods We studied 15 patients who had been diagnosed as proximal tibia fracture. This study was conducted as retrospective observational study which analyzed patient's medical records with IBM SPSS statistics 25 program. We used numeric rating scale to evaluate pain reduction and range of motion to observe the patient's recovery. Results The average of numeric rating scale reduced statistically significantly from 5.26±1.38 to 2.73±1.17 (p<0.001). The average of knee flexion range of motion increased statistically significantly from 81.11±34.34 to 117.66±19.01 (p<0.01). Conclusions We found that Korean medicine treatments have a positive effect on pain reduction and knee rom improvement in patients with proximal tibia fractures.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.4733-4737
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• 2013

Purpose: Numerous observational epidemiological studies have evaluated associations between breastfeeding and the risk of childhood Hodgkin lymphoma; however, the existing results are inconsistent. We therefore conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: Medical literature was searched in the Pubmed and Embase databases to identify all English-language relevant studies up to April 10, 2013. Reference lists were thereafter hand-searched for additional articles. Studies that reported relative risk ratios (RRs) or odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were included. This meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the guidelines for the meta-analysis of observational studies in epidemiology. Results: We finally included 10 case-control studies in our meta-analysis, involving 1,618 childhood Hodgkin lymphoma cases and 8,181 controls. Overall, we did found a borderline significant association between breastfeeding and reduced risk of childhood Hodgkin lymphoma comparing ever breastfed children to never breastfed children (pooled OR =0.79; 95%CI, 0.58-1.08; P=0.13), with limited evidence for between-study heterogeneity (P =0.12, $I^2$ = 35.70%). Conclusion: There is limited evidence for an inverse association between breastfeeding and risk of childhood Hodgkin lymphoma.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.4927-4930
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• 2012

Background: Many observational studies have assessed the possible association between occupational cooking and uveal melanoma risk, but reported results are controversial. Our goal was to evaluate the association between occupational cooking and uveal melanoma risk by conducting a meta-analysis of observational studies. Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science were searched through June 2012 to identify all eligible studies. The pooled odds ratio (OR) with its 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was used to evaluate this association. Either a fixed- or a random-effects model were used to calculate pooled ORs. Results: Five case-control studies involving a total of 1,199 cases and 6,927 controls were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, occupational cooking was associated with an increased risk of uveal melanoma (OR: 1.81, 95%CI 1.33-2.46, P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis by gender suggested occupational cooking was associated with increased risk of uveal melanoma in both men (OR: 2.16, 95%CI 1.06-4.40, P = 0.034) and women (OR: 1.92, 95%CI 1.19-3.10, P = 0.008). Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggests that occupational cooking is associated with an increased risk of uveal melanoma in both men and women.

• Survey Research
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.169-186
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• 2009

The propensity score method is used to minimize the bias level in social survey, which comes from nonresponse. The theoretical concept and the background of the propensity score method is discussed first. The propensity score method was first applied in the epidemiology observational study. I have summarized the process of the three propensity score methods that were used to reduce estimation bias in this study. Matching by propensity score is applied to the relatively large control group. Subclassification has the advantage of using whole control group data and regression adjustment is applied to multiple covariates as well as propensity score of each unit is computable and usable. Lastly, the application procedures of propensity score method to reduce the nonresponse bias is suggested and its applicability to real situation is reviewed with the existing data.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.61-69
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• 2012

The Ganui (簡儀, simplified armillary sphere) is a representative of astronomical instruments in Joseon Dynasty of Korea, as well as Yuan Dynasty and Ming Dynasty of China. In early 15th century, Joseon's scientists and engineers uniquely developed the Soganui (小簡儀, small simplified armillary sphere) and the Ilseongjeongsiui (日星定時儀, sun-and-star time determining instrument) from the structural characteristic of Ganui. These two astronomical instruments had a new design by the miniaturization and felt convinced a similar performance of Ganui in the harmony with Korean Astronomy and Astrology Cultures. Since mid-18th century after the enforcement of shixian-li (時憲曆), the Soganui and Ilseongjeongsiui handed over the Jeokdogyeongwiui (赤道經緯儀, equatorial armilla) by a change of the observational framework such as the time and angle measures. The Jeokdogyeongwiui made by Gwansanggam (觀象監, Bureau of Astronomy in Joseon Dynasty) adopted the new observational framework. We studied the structural characteristics and scientific values of these 3 astronomical instruments with theirs observation methods.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.158-167
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• 2014

Objectives : The results from randomized controlled trials on traditional medicine have been negative or ambiguous. The appropriateness of the research methodology started to be questioned. However, the research methodology appropriate for studying traditional medicine has not been well-established. This study aims to explore the appropriate research methodologies for clinical studies on acupuncture. Methods : Clinical researches evaluating the efficacy and effectiveness of acupuncture for back pain were systematically searched and evaluated focusing on research methodology. The acupuncture treatment protocol is evaluated by 9 items which is individual treatment based on diagnosis, combining proximal and distal acupoints, exact location of acupoint, De Qi, adequate stimulation, duration of acupuncture, treatment sessions, treatment interval, and establishing relationship between patients and doctors. Results : Systematic review of acupuncture researches on low back pain suggested that observational studies and pragmatic trials rather than explanatory studies could incorporate these elements. Qualitative studies also could help understanding complex characteristics of acupuncture treatment which could not be evaluated by quantitative studies. Conclusions : In designing clinical researches on acupuncture, various study designs, especially observational study and pragmatic study, should be considered according to research objectives and subjects. The efforts to incorporate the core characteristics of acupuncture practiced in everyday clinical setting are also essential.