The long-term association between mRNA-based coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination and the development of autoimmune connective tissue diseases (AI-CTDs) remains unclear. In this nationwide, population-based cohort study involving 9,258,803 individuals, we aim to determine whether the incidence of AI-CTDs is associated with mRNA vaccination. The study spans over 1 year of observation and further analyses the risk of AI-CTDs by stratifying demographics and vaccination profiles and treating booster vaccination as time-varying covariate.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Carbon monoxide poisoning is associated with severe damage to various organs. In this study, we aimed to determine if previous carbon monoxide poisoning was associated with an increased risk of lung diseases.
Methods: The study population was derived from the National Health Insurance Service database of Korea between 1 January 2002 and 31 December 2021.
Background: Alopecia areata (AA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that leads to a high psychiatric, economic and systemic disease burden. A comprehensive understanding of AA epidemiology is essential for evaluating healthcare source utilization; however, a systematic approach to summarizing epidemiological data on AA is lacking.
Objectives: To investigate systematically the global, regional and national incidence and prevalence of AA.
Background: In superficial fungal infections, prompt diagnosis and treatment are essential to prevent the spread of infection and minimise the impact on patients' quality of life. Traditional diagnostic methods, such as KOH smear and fungal culture, have limitations in terms of sensitivity and turnaround time. Recently, the PCR-reverse blot hybridization assay (PCR-REBA) has been developed for the direct detection of dermatophyte DNA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this study, the properties of blue organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), employing quantum well-like structure (QWS) that includes four different blue emissive materials of 4,4'-bis(2,2'-diphenylyinyl)-1,1'-biphenyl (DPVBi), 9,10-di(naphth-2-yl)anthracene (ADN), 2-(N,N-diphenyl-amino)-6-[4-(N,N-diphenyl amine)styryl]naphthalene (DPASN), and bis(2-methyl-8-quinolinolate)-4-(phenyl phenolato) aluminum (BAlq), were investigated. Conventional QWS blue OLEDs composed of multiple emissive layers and charge blocking layer with lower highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy level, and devices with triple emissive layers for more significant hole-electron recombination and a wider region for exciton generation were designed. The properties of triple emissive layered blue OLEDs with the structure of indium tin oxide (ITO) /N,N'-diphenyl-N,N'-bis(1-naphthyl-phenyl)-(1,1'-biphenyl)-4,4'-diamine (NPB) (700 Ǻ)/X (100 Ǻ)/BAlq (100 Ǻ)/X (100 Ǻ)/4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (Bphen) (300 Ǻ)/lithium quinolate (Liq) (20 Ǻ)/aluminum (Al) (1,200 Ǻ) (X = DPVBi, ADN, DPASN) were examined.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHigh efficiency blue organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), based on 2-me-thyl-9,10-di(2-naphthyl) anthracene (MADN) doped with 4,4'-bis(9-ethyl-3-carbazovinylene)-1,1'-biphenyl (BCzVBi), were fabricated using two different electron transport layers (ETLs) of tris(8-hydroxyquinolino)-aluminum (Alq3) and 4,7-di-phenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (Bphen). Bphen ETL layers favored the efficient hole-electron recombination in the emissive layer of the BCzVBi-doped blue OLEDs, leading to high luminous efficiency and quantum efficiency of 8.34 cd/A at 100 mA/cm2 and 5.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHigh contrast blue organic light-emitting diodes were fabricated using an inorganic multilayer of NPB (700 Å)/MADN (200 Å)/Alq3 (300 Å)/LiF (10 Å)/Al (70 Å)/ZnSe (300 Å)/Al (1000 Å). The optical and electrical characteristics were measured and compared to conventional organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) and OLEDs with polarizers. OLEDs with the metal multilayer cathodes had an improved contrast ratio of 135∶1 compared to 104∶1 for OLEDs with polarizers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this paper, the improved device performance of top-emitting organic light-emitting diodes (TEOLEDs) with a thin multi-metal layer stack of nickel/silver/nickel (Ni/Ag/Ni) and aluminum/silver/aluminum (Al/Ag/Al) that were used as the anode and cathode on a flexible substrate is discussed. In particular, Indium-Tin-Oxide (ITO) as an anode electrode has been used recently even though it has some problems for flexible devices. Therefore we suggested that a thin multi-metal layer electrode as a new anode is fabricated instead of ITO anode.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To develop a cylindrical phantom with rolled-up radiochromic films and dose analysis software in the rolled-out plane for quality assurance (QA) in volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT).
Methods: The phantom consists of an acrylic cylindrical body wrapped with radiochromic film inserted into an outer cylindrical shell of 5 cm thickness. The rolled-up films with high spatial resolution enable detection of specific dose errors along the arc trajectory of continuously irradiated and modulated beams in VMAT.
Objectives: The purpose of this study is to compare the effect of topical ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone versus topical ciprofloxacin/hydrocortisone on the outcome of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)–induced otitis media with effusion in chinchillas.
Study Design: A randomized experimental animal study.
Setting: Jerry L.
Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol
November 2010
Objective: To compare the efficacy of topical treatment with three glucocorticoids in lipopolysaccharide induced otitis media with effusion (OME).
Methods: Chinchillas were divided into seven treatment groups consisting of vehicle and three glucocorticoids: dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DSP), fluticasone propionate (FP), and hydrocortisone, each at concentrations of 0.1% and 1.
Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys
November 2010
Radiat Prot Dosimetry
August 2010
This study examined the characteristics of the dental X-ray fluoroscopic equipment, 'DreamRay 60F', which was recently developed in Korea. The output linearity, output reproducibility, half-value layer (HVL), leakage radiation and scattered radiation were measured using an ionisation chamber. The surface dose equivalent rate and estimated dose equivalent of the operator were also calculated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol
April 2010
Objective: Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a common childhood disease that is characterized by an accumulation of fluid in the middle ear. Chronic OME can also lead to sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Nitric oxide (NO), an inflammatory mediator (IM) of OME, is a free radical known to regulate cell proliferation, cell death, and angiogenesis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRadiat Prot Dosimetry
February 2010
The primary goal of this study was to analyse the state of patient doses in the field of computed tomography (CT) examinations in the Republic of Korea. All survey data including the CT applications and patient dose details were obtained from general hospitals registered in the Korean Hospital Association. The systematic analysis of the patient dose survey gives target values of the weighted computed tomography dose index (CTDI(w)) and the dose-length product (DLP).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol
July 2009
Objective: To describe and evaluate the medio-lateral graft tympanoplasty(1) for the reconstruction of anterior or subtotal tympanic membrane (TM) perforation and medial graft tympanoplasty for posterior TM perforation.
Methods: Retrospective study of 200 patients who underwent medio-lateral graft tympanoplasty (100 cases) and medial graft tympanoplasty (100 cases) at community and tertiary care medical centers from 1995 to 2006. All patients underwent preoperative and postoperative audiograms.
Efficiency improvement and color optimization of white organic light-emitting diodes (WOLEDs) were achieved via employing blue host DPVBi doped with blue fluorescent, BCzVBi. The structure of high efficient WOLED device was composed of ITO/NPB/DPVBi:BCzVBi-6%/MADN:DCM2-0.5%/Bphen/Liq/Al.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To reduce beam hardening artifacts caused by the shoulder joint, we explored new and unique methods to improve the quality of images, such as varying the injection site and changing the position of patients (swimmers position).
Materials And Methods: Fifth-four patients underwent neck CT examinations performed in routine and swimmers position and with a 64-slice MDCT scanner in spiral scanning. To examine the difference due to the injection sites of contrast material, subjects were divided into right- and left-side groups.
The purpose of this research is to develop a diagnostic reference level for computed tomography (CT) suitable for Korean medical purposes. The direction of CT application and details on patient dose were investigated by survey, and the dose measurement is targeted in general hospitals registered with the Korean Hospital Association. The dose measurement was done with head and body phantom, and an accurate dosimeter was utilised in medical institutions that participated in the survey.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRadiat Prot Dosimetry
September 2007
This study is the first nationwide investigation aimed at estimating the patient dose for radiographic examinations in Korea including gastrointestinal studies, computed tomography and mammography. The survey data from 161 hospitals and the dose data from 32 hospitals were analysed. The third quartile entrance surface dose, dose area product (DAP), weighted CT dose index (CTDIw) and mean glandular dose (MGD) were reported.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComputer simulations of 8-, 32-, and 128-bit phase-code multiplexing systems are presented, and exposure schedules are obtained numerically for equal diffraction efficiency. An analytic prediction of the exposure schedule is derived as a double exponential function that can be applied to the three different systems for variation of diffraction efficiency of less than +/- 13.5%.
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