• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.277-287
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• 2018

Pelvic floor muscle is the main sub-system that maintains urinary continence. The weakness of pelvic floor muscles causes the stress urinary incontinence, and therefore the degree of functioning of pelvic floor muscles could be used as an index to assess the degree of stress urinary incontinence. In this study, the quantitative diagnosis algorithm was proposed to estimate the degree of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) by measuring the contraction pressure of pelvic floor muscle. For these reason, the contraction pressure measurement system from pelvic floor muscle was developed, and the measuring protocol was suggested to analysis the obtained data. As the results of clinical test, the proposed diagnosis algorithm shows the 80% of accuracy, and 20% of false positive diagnosis. On the other hand, false negative results were not confirmed. Consequentially, we thought that the proposed urinary incontinence diagnosis algorithm can quantitatively diagnose the progression of the stress urinary incontinence and it can be used for the development of the incontinence diagnosis system.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.45-55
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• 2020

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of WBC (whole-body cryotherapy)on the MVIC (maximal voluntary isometric contraction)and active ROM (range of motion) recovery of after EIMD (exercise-induced muscle injury). Design: Randomized Controlled Trial. Methods: Thirty subjects who are student in their 20s at a university participated in this study, these subjects were assigned into three groups, a control group (n=10), experiment group I(n=10), and experiment group II (n=10). The subjects in the experimental group II were intervened by WBC (-130℃, 3 minutes) before induced EIMD, the experimental group were intervened by WBC (-130℃, 3 minutes) after induced EIMD, and the control group weren't by any intervened after induced EIMD. Results: First, In the comparison of the MVIC, there were significant variations with the lapse the time in three groups (p<.001) and there was a significant interaction of time and group (p<.001). In the among group comparison, the MVIC of experimental group II was significantly larger than those of other groups (p<.001). Second, In the comparison of the active extension angle, there were significant variations with the lapse the time in three groups (p<.001) and there was a significant interaction of time and group (p<.001). In the among group comparison, the active extension angle of experimental group II was significantly smaller than those of other groups (p<.001). Third, In the comparison of the active flexion angle, there were significant variations with the lapse the time in three groups (p<.01) and there was a significant interaction of time and group (p<.001). In the among group comparison, the active flexion angle of experimental group II was significantly larger than those of other groups (p<.05). Conclusion: The above results revealed that the WBC intervention after an exercise had a positive effect of muscle function after EIMD. Therefore we can consider the WBC as a considerable intervention method to prevent or reduce an exercise injury.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.175-185
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• 2022

Purpose : This study was conducted to determine the effect of Kegel exercise using a pressure biofeedback unit (PBU) for 2 weeks on maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV) and abdominal muscle thickness based on previous studies. Methods : The subjects of this study were 20 healthy female students in their 20s. Subjects were randomly assigned to two groups. Eleven subjects were assigned to the experimental group (EG) and 9 subjects were assigned to the control group (CG). Subjects measured MVV with a spirometer. In hooklying position, transverse abdominis (TrA), internal oblique (IO), and external oblique (EO) of the dominant side were measured using ultrasound. For the measurement value, the average value of three times was adopted. After 2 weeks of intervention, the measurements were measured in the same way. In the EG, pelvic setting training using PBU was performed before Kegel exercise. The PBU was first placed at the waist in the Kegel exercise position and the starting pressure was set at 40 mmHg and adjusted to 60 mmHg through pelvic floor muscle contraction. After performing pelvic control using PBU, Kegel exercise was performed with 8 seconds of contraction, 8 seconds of relaxation, and 3 sets of 10 reps per set. A significance level of 𝛼=.05 was used to verify statistical significance. Results : In the variable of MVV, a significant increase was confirmed in the EG (p<.05). In the abdominal muscle thickness variable, significant increases were confirmed in IO and TrA in the EG (p<.05). In addition, a significant increase in IO was confirmed in the CG (p<.05). Significant increases in IO and TrA were confirmed between groups (p<.05). Conclusion : Based on the previous study, this study confirmed that Kegel exercise using a PBU had a positive effect on MVV and abdominal muscle thickness based on a 2-week intervention.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.23-32
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• 2017

PURPOSE: Flexibility and range of motion are very important factors in sports performance, rehabilitation, and musculoskeletal pain. The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of cupping therapy on flexibility, muscle activity, and pain threshold of hamstring muscle compared to passive stretching in healthy subjects. METHODS: Thirty healthy subjects were randomly assigned in a crossover design to cupping therapy and passive stretching. Subjects were tested to compare their effects according to the intervention such as Passive range of motion (PROM) (straight leg raising) and active range of motion (AROM). And algometer (pain) testing and MVC assessment using EMG were performed as dependent variables. RESULTS: The cupping therapy group and passive stretching group showed significant differences in all variables including PROM (p=.00, p=.00), AROM (p=.00, p=.03), Pain Threshold (p=.03, p=.08), Semitendinosus MVC (p=.01, p=.00), and Biceps femoris MVC (p=.01, p=.16). There were no significant differences between the two groups in all variables. CONCLUSION: These findings of this study suggested that cupping therapy has as much positive effect on flexibility, pain threshold, and muscle contraction as passive stretching. Also, it is more convenient and easier to work on patients than passive stretching. Therefore, cupping therapy should be considered as another option to treat range of motion, pain, and muscle activity in the clinical field.

• International Journal of Fluid Machinery and Systems
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.113-121
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• 2010

LES(Large Eddy Simulation) with a cavitation model was performed to calculate an unsteady flow for a mixed flow pump with a closed type impeller. First, the comparison between the numerical and experimental results was done to evaluate a computational accuracy. Second, the torque acting on the blade was calculated by simulation to investigate how the cavitation caused the fluctuation of torque. The absolute pressure around the leading edge on the suction side of blade surface had positive impulsive peaks in both the numerical and experimental results. The simulation showed that those peaks were caused by the cavitaion which contracted and vanished around the leading edge. The absolute pressure was predicted by simulation with -10% error. The absolute pressure around the trailing edge on the suction side of blade surface had no impulsive peaks in both the numerical and experimental results, because the absolute pressure was 100 times higher than the saturated vapor pressure. The simulation results showed that the cavitation was generated around the throat, then contracted and finally vanished. The simulated pump had five throats and cavitation behaviors such as contraction and vanishing around five throats were different from each other. For instance, the cavitations around those five throats were not vanished at the same time. When the cavitation was contracted and finally vanished, the absolute pressure on the blade surface was increased. When the cavitation was contracted around the throat located on the pressure side of blade surface, the pressure became high on the pressure side of blade surface. It caused the 1.4 times higher impulsive peak in the torque than the averaged value. On the other hand, when the cavitation was contracted around the throat located on the suction side of blade surface, the pressure became high on the suction side of blade surface. It caused the 0.4 times lower impulsive peak in the torque than the averaged value. The cavitation around the throat caused the large fluctuation in torque acting on the blade.

• The Korean Journal of Financial Management
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.59-83
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• 2007

In this paper, we test empirically free cash flows hypothesis about stock repurchase. The main results of this study can be summarized as follows. First, repurchasing firms do not experience a growth in profitability relative to their peer firms. Second, repurchasing firms experience a contraction in their investment opportunity, and so capital expenditures and cash reserves decline after the repurchase. Third, repurchasing firms experience a decline in systematic risk and investments and in their cost of capital. Fourth, the reduction in profitability and cost of capital are sources of the positive market reaction to the repurchase announcement. And the market reaction to stock repurchase announcements is stronger among those firms that are more likely to overinvest. Conclusively, these results support free cash flows hypothesis. When firms experience a decline in profitability, capital expenditures and cash reserves, systematic risk and cost of capital, they decide to repurchase stocks to reduce free cash flows.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.97-114
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• 1998

The occupational health services for the minor enterprises are poor comparing with that of large enterprises in Korea. In 1997, Korean government announced officially the law on joint employment system of occupational health practitioners to solve the problems. This study is to develop the model on the joint employment system of occupational nurse practitioners for minor enterprises in Korea based on the opinions of occupational health nurses (OH Ns). The data were collected by questionnares from October to November in 1997. The number of subjects was 210 occupational health nurses who had participated the mandatory nursing education program provided by the Korean Occupational Health Nurses Association(KOHNA). The response rate was 47.1%. The contents of questionnaires were general characteristics, occupational & job characteristics of OHNs, and the views on the joint employment system. The SAS-PC program was used for the statistical analysis. The results were as followed, (1) The proper number of industies was 3 and the appropriate number of workers was 448 for one joint employed occupational nurse practitioner (J EONP). (2) 44.7% of the OHNs wanted that the Ministry of Labor monitored the way and content of contraction b/w JEONP and minor emterprises, 82.6% of the OHNs wanted that KOHNA managed the employment informations. (3) The OHNs of occupational health agencies showed more positive attitude than the OHNs of private industries on the joint employment system. (4) 88.3% of the OHNs wanted the education training for JEONP. Especially in occupational hygiene and safety control. (5) The OHNs expected the role expansion of Occupational Health Nursing by JEONP system. At the same time they worried the adverse effects. For the successful execution of this system, it is necessary the cooperation among the Ministry of Labor, KOHNA, the minor enterprises, and the OHNs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.1680-1685
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• 2015

Since ancient days, domestic horses have been closely associated with human civilization. Today, horse racing is an important industry. Various genes involved in energy production and muscle contraction are differentially regulated during a race. Among them, creatine kinase (CK) is well known for its regulation of energy preservation in animal cells. CK is an iso-enzyme, encoded by different genes and expressed in skeletal muscle, heart, brain and leucocytes. We confirmed that the expression of CK-M significantly increased in the blood after a 30 minute exercise period, while no considerable change was observed in skeletal muscle. Analysis of various tissues showed an ubiquitous expression of the CK-M gene in the horse; CK-M mRNA expression was predominant in the skeletal muscle and the cardiac muscle compared to other tissues. An evolutionary study by synonymous and non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism ratio of CK-M gene revealed a positive selection that was conserved in the horse. More studies are warranted in order to develop the expression of CK-M gene as a biomarker in blood of thoroughbred horses.

• Journal of applied mathematics & informatics
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• v.28 no.1_2
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• pp.13-30
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• 2010

Let C be a nonempty closed convex subset of a real Hilbert space H. Consider the following iterative algorithm given by $x_0\;{\in}\;C$ arbitrarily chosen, $x_{n+1}\;=\;{\alpha}_n{\gamma}f(W_nx_n)+{\beta}_nx_n+((1-{\beta}_n)I-{\alpha}_nA)W_nP_C(I-s_nB)x_n$, ${\forall}_n\;{\geq}\;0$, where $\gamma$ > 0, B : C $\rightarrow$ H is a $\beta$-inverse-strongly monotone mapping, f is a contraction of H into itself with a coefficient $\alpha$ (0 < $\alpha$ < 1), $P_C$ is a projection of H onto C, A is a strongly positive linear bounded operator on H and $W_n$ is the W-mapping generated by a finite family of nonexpansive mappings $T_1$, $T_2$, ${\ldots}$, $T_N$ and {$\lambda_{n,1}$}, {$\lambda_{n,2}$}, ${\ldots}$, {$\lambda_{n,N}$}. Nonexpansivity of each $T_i$ ensures the nonexpansivity of $W_n$. We prove that the sequence {$x_n$} generated by the above iterative algorithm converges strongly to a common fixed point $q\;{\in}\;F$ := $\bigcap^N_{i=1}F(T_i)\;\bigcap\;VI(C,\;B)$ which solves the variational inequality $\langle({\gamma}f\;-\;A)q,\;p\;-\;q{\rangle}\;{\leq}\;0$ for all $p\;{\in}\;F$. Using this result, we consider the problem of finding a common fixed point of a finite family of nonexpansive mappings and a strictly pseudocontractive mapping and the problem of finding a common element of the set of common fixed points of a finite family of nonexpansive mappings and the set of zeros of an inverse-strongly monotone mapping. The results obtained in this paper extend and improve the several recent results in this area.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.225-233
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• 2002

Kanagawa hemolysin (KH), an exotoxin produced from Kanagawa phenomenon-positive Vibrio parahemolyticus, has been shown to possess various biological activities including hemolysis, enterotoxicity, cytotoxicity, and cardiotoxicity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of KH on the cardiovascular system and its mechanism, employing in vivo and in vitro experiments of the rat. Intracerebroventricular (icv) administration of 100 mHU KH produced a marked and continuous pressor effect (icv KH-pressor effect), and the icv pressor effect was not repeatable. However, intravenous (iv) injection of the same dose of KH induced a prominent depressor effect (iv KH-depressor effect). The icv KH-pressor effect was inhibited by acid-denaturation, while the iv KH-depressor effect was not. Simultaneous icv administration of the three agents (ouabain, diltiazem, or bumetanide: $10{\mu}g/kg$ each) significantly reduced the pressor effect. The icv KH-pressor effect was inhibited by treatment with iv phentolamine or chlorisondamine, but was not affected by iv candesartan. The iv KH-depressor effect was repeatable and was attenuated by treatment with iv NAME or methylene blue. In vitro experiments using isolated thoracic aorta, $10^{-6}$ M phenylephrine (PE) and 50 mM KCl produced a sustained contraction. In rings contracted with either agents, KH showed relaxant responses in a concentration- dependent fashion and the relaxation (KH-vasorelaxation) was not dependent on the existence of the endothelium. The KH-vasorelaxation in the endothelium-intact rings contracted by PE was abolished by methylene blue treatment. In summary, the present findings suggest that in the icv KH-pressor effect the cation leak-inducing action of KH is implicated, which leads to the increased central sympathetic tone, that the iv KH-depressor effect results from the vasorelaxation via NO-guanylate cyclase system, and that the KH-vasorelaxation is independent of the endothelium and the guanylate cyclase system is involved in it. In conclusion, the mechanism of KH producing the icv pressor effect may not be identical to that of KH producing the iv depressor effect.