Kihyo Jung

Determination of key dimensions for a glove sizing system by analyzing the relationships between hand dimensions

The present study identified key dimensions for the development of a glove sizing system by analyzing the relationships between hand dimensions and demonstrated the construction process of glove sizing systems based on the selected key dimensions. Three hand dimensions (HL: hand length; HC: hand circumference; HB: hand breadth) were selected as the candidates of glove key dimensions by surveying the literature and industry practices of glove sizing systems. Of the key dimension candidates, HL and HC were selected by examining the results of correlation and multiple regression analyses on the 1988 US Army hand anthropometric data. A cross-tabulation of HL and HC with an interval length of 1.3 cm was constructed for each gender and the corresponding lengths and circumferences of cells covering more than 2% of the population were used to provide glove sizing parameters. It was identified that the glove sizing system for males is different from that for females and has more size categories.

Lymph node ratio is an independent prognostic factor in patients with rectal cancer treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy and curative resection

PURPOSE To evaluate the prognostic effect of lymph node ratio (LNR) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who were treated with curative resection after preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT). METHODS Between October 2001 and December 2007, 519 patients who had undergone curative resection of primary rectal cancer after preoperative CRT were enrolled. Of these, 154 patients were positive for lymph node (LN) metastasis and were divided into three groups according to the LNR (≤ 0.15 [n=80], 0.16-0.3 [n=44], >0.3 [n=30]) to evaluate the prognostic effect on overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). RESULTS LNR (≤ 0.15, 0.16-0.3, and >0.3) was significantly associated with 5-year OS (90.3%, 75.1%, and 45.1%; p<0.001) and DFS (66.7%, 55.8%, and 21.9%; p<0.001) rates. In a multivariate analysis, LNR (≤ 0.15, 0.16-0.3, and >0.3) was a significant independent prognostic factor for OS (hazard ratios [HRs], 1, 3.609, and 8.197; p<0.001) and DFS (HRs, 1, 1.699, and 3.960; p<0.001). LNR had a prognostic impact on OS and DFS in patients with <12 harvested LNs, as well as in those with ≥ 12 harvested LNs (p<0.05). CONCLUSION LNR was a significant independent prognostic predictor for OS and DFS in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who were treated with curative resection after preoperative CRT.

Effect of complementary and alternative medicine on the survival and health-related quality of life among terminally ill cancer patients: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND We evaluated whether complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use influenced outcomes [survival and health-related quality of life (HRQOL)] of cancer patients whose condition had just been judged terminal. PATIENTS AND METHODS From July 2005 to October 2006, we conducted a prospective cohort study of 481 terminally ill cancer patients at 11 university hospitals and the National Cancer Center in Korea. We assessed how the use of CAM affected HRQOL and survival. RESULTS In a follow-up of 481 patients and 163.8 person-years, we identified 466 deceased cases. On multivariate analyses, CAM users did not have better survival compared with nonusers [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR), 0.91; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.74-1.10]. Among mind-body interventions, prayer showed significantly worse survival (aHR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.00-2.43). Clinically, CAM users reported significantly worse cognitive functioning (-11.6 versus -1.3; P < 0.05) and fatigue (9.9 versus -1.0; P < 0.05) than nonusers. Compared with nonusers in subgroup analysis, users of alternative medical treatments, prayer, vitamin supplements, mushrooms, or rice and cereal reported clinically significant worse changes in some HRQOL subscales. CONCLUSION While CAM did not provide any definite survival benefit, CAM users reported clinically significant worse HRQOLs.BACKGROUND We evaluated whether complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use influenced outcomes [survival and health-related quality of life (HRQOL)] of cancer patients whose condition had just been judged terminal. PATIENTS AND METHODS From July 2005 to October 2006, we conducted a prospective cohort study of 481 terminally ill cancer patients at 11 university hospitals and the National Cancer Center in Korea. We assessed how the use of CAM affected HRQOL and survival. RESULTS In a follow-up of 481 patients and 163.8 person-years, we identified 466 deceased cases. On multivariate analyses, CAM users did not have better survival compared with nonusers [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR), 0.91; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.74-1.10]. Among mind-body interventions, prayer showed significantly worse survival (aHR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.00-2.43). Clinically, CAM users reported significantly worse cognitive functioning (-11.6 versus -1.3; P < 0.05) and fatigue (9.9 versus -1.0; P < 0.05) than nonusers. Compared with nonusers in subgroup analysis, users of alternative medical treatments, prayer, vitamin supplements, mushrooms, or rice and cereal reported clinically significant worse changes in some HRQOL subscales. CONCLUSION While CAM did not provide any definite survival benefit, CAM users reported clinically significant worse HRQOLs.

Tissue microarray-based study of patients with lymph node-negative breast cancer shows that HER2/neu overexpression is an important predictive marker of poor prognosis

BACKGROUND Despite good prognosis in most cases of lymph node (LN)-negative breast cancer, individual patients may have markedly different clinical outcomes. Here, we investigated the prognostic significance of HER2/neu overexpression in these tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS We employed a tissue microarray to examine HER2/neu overexpression by immunohistochemical staining in 359 consecutive patients diagnosed with LN-negative breast cancer, who underwent surgery from January 1993 to December 1998. RESULTS HER2/neu overexpression was detected in 81 of 359 (23.1%) patients. The 10-year disease-free survival (DFS) values (81.2% versus 61.8%, P value 0.000) and overall survival (OS) rates (85.7% versus 63.9%, P value 0.000) were significantly different between cases with HER2/neu-negative or HER2/neu-positive tumors. After multivariate analysis, HER2/neu status and tumor size were identified as independent prognostic factors for 10-year OS. Moreover, HER2/neu overexpression was significantly associated with poorer clinical outcomes in an intermediate-risk group identified by the St Gallen classification (10-year DFS, 79.6% versus 61.8%, P value 0.000; 10-year OS, 84.7% versus 63.9%, P value 0.000). CONCLUSIONS Our results show that HER2/neu overexpression is an important independent prognostic factor for LN-negative breast cancer cases and support the theory that more intensive adjuvant chemotherapy is required in the population with HER2/neu overexpression.

An anthropometric analysis of Korean male helicopter pilots for helicopter cockpit design

This study measured 21 anthropometric dimensions (ADs) of 94 Korean male helicopter pilots in their 20s to 40s and compared them with corresponding measurements of Korean male civilians and the US Army male personnel. The ADs and the sample size of the anthropometric survey were determined by a four-step process: (1) selection of ADs related to helicopter cockpit design, (2) evaluation of the importance of each AD, (3) calculation of required sample sizes for selected precision levels and (4) determination of an appropriate sample size by considering both the AD importance evaluation results and the sample size requirements. The anthropometric comparison reveals that the Korean helicopter pilots are larger (ratio of means = 1.01–1.08) and less dispersed (ratio of standard deviations = 0.71–0.93) than the Korean male civilians and that they are shorter in stature (0.99), have shorter upper limbs (0.89–0.96) and lower limbs (0.93–0.97), but are taller on sitting height, sitting eye height and acromial height (1.01–1.03), and less dispersed (0.68–0.97) than the US Army personnel. Practitioner summary: The anthropometric characteristics of Korean male helicopter pilots were compared with those of Korean male civilians and US Army male personnel. The sample size determination process and the anthropometric comparison results presented in this study are useful to design an anthropometric survey and a helicopter cockpit layout, respectively.

Evaluation of the multivariate accommodation performance of the grid method

The present study examined the multivariate accommodation performance (MAP) of the grid method, a distributed representative human models (RHM) generation method, in the context of mens pants sizing system design. Using the 1988 US Army male anthropometric data and ± 2.5 cm of fitting tolerance, the grid method selected two key dimensions (waist girth and crotch height) out of 12 anthropometric dimensions and identified 25 RHMs to accommodate 95% of the population. The average MAP of the RHMs decreased dramatically as the number of anthropometric dimensions considered increased (99% for single dimension and 14% for 12 dimensions). A standardized regression model was established which explains the effects of two factors (sum of anthropometric dimension ranges; adjusted R(2) between key dimensions and other anthropometric dimensions) on the MAP of RHMs. This regression model can be used to prioritize anthropometric dimensions for efficient MAP improvement of mens pants design.

Motor-intentional disorders in right hemisphere stroke.

ObjectiveDamage to premotor and prefrontal regions results in motor-intentional disorders (MIDs) that disrupt initiation, maintenance, and termination of volitional movements. MIDs more frequently occur in right hemisphere rather than in left hemisphere injury. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of MIDs in patients with right hemisphere stroke and the factors that have influence on MIDs. MethodsSubjects consisted of 25 consecutive patients with right hemisphere stroke and 12 normal controls. They underwent a series of experiments using force dynamometer along with bedside examination. ResultsIt was identified that the force control test screened for MIDs with a higher sensitivity than bedside examinations: motor akinesia (38% vs. 11%), motor impersistence (50% vs. 10%), and motor perseveration (47% vs. 25%). The patients were significantly inferior to the controls in terms of force control capabilities in the 4 force control phases (1.6 to 16.3 times). The location and area of lesion and space of force production were not related to the severity of MIDs whereas the presence of neglect was related to the severity of MIDs. ConclusionsOur results suggest force dynamometer is a sensitive method to detect MIDs and the presence of neglect may influence the frequency of MIDs.

Dominant limb motor impersistence associated with callosal disconnection

Motor impersistence occurs more frequently after right than left hemispheric lesions. Following a callosal lesion, motor impersistence may thus occur more frequently in the right (dominant) than left limb. After an infarction involving the right medial frontal lobe and corpus callosum, a 66-year-old right-handed man demonstrated right limb motor impersistence on bedside evaluation, which was substantiated experimentally. Results demonstrated hemispatial effects with greater impersistence in the neglected (right) space.

Development of a two-step touch method for website navigation on smartphones ☆

The touch method for hyperlink selection in smartphones can often create usability problems because a hyperlink is universally smaller than a finger contact area as well as visually occluded by a finger while pressing. In this study, we developed a two-step touch method (called Press and Flick method) and comprehensively examined its effectiveness using the goals, operators, methods, and selection rules (GOMS) model and user testing. The two-step touch method consisted of finger press and flick motions; a target hyperlink was selected by a finger press motion, and a finger flick method was subsequently conducted for error correction if the initial interaction (press) failed. We compared the two-step touch method with the current touch method through the GOMS model and user testing. As a result, the two-step touch method was significantly superior to the current touch method in terms of error rate and subjective satisfaction score; however, its superiority in terms of number of interactions and touch time was vulnerably affected by error rate. The two-step touch method developed in this study can improve the usability and user experience of website navigation using smartphones.

Classification of a Driver's cognitive workload levels using artificial neural network on ECG signals

An artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed in the present study to classify the level of a drivers cognitive workload based on electrocardiography (ECG). ECG signals were measured on 15 male participants while they performed a simulated driving task as a primary task with/without an N-back task as a secondary task. Three time-domain ECG measures (mean inter-beat interval (IBI), standard deviation of IBIs, and root mean squared difference of adjacent IBIs) and three frequencydomain ECG measures (power in low frequency, power in high frequency, and ratio of power in low and high frequencies) were calculated. To compensate for individual differences in heart response during the driving tasks, a three-step data processing procedure was performed to ECG signals of each participant: (1) selection of two most sensitive ECG measures, (2) definition of three (low, medium, and high) cognitive workload levels, and (3) normalization of the selected ECG measures. An ANN model was constructed using a feed-forward network and scaled conjugate gradient as a back-propagation learning rule. The accuracy of the ANN classification model was found satisfactory for learning data (95%) and testing data (82%).