A Case of Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction Caused by a Lacrimal Sac Retention Cyst.

Acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction may result from chronic infection, lacrimal stones, anatomical variations such as aberrant ethmoid cells, facial fractures, or complications following nasal surgery. In Korea, there has been no reported case of secondary nasolacrimal duct obstruction due to a retention cyst in the lacrimal sac. Recently, the authors encountered a 65-year-old female patient who presented with epiphora, was diagnosed with a lacrimal sac retention cyst, and was successfully treated with endoscopic marsupialization.

Application of operating scenarios and analysis of unstable flow characteristics at various angles of inlet guide vane.

In this study, we analyzed the performance characteristics of an axial flow pump with different angles of internally installed inlet guide vanes (IGVs). We predicted the pump's performance based on changes in the IGV angle and analyzed the impact of these angle variations on pump operation in the low-flow region. Additionally, we used real operational data from two sewage treatment plants to propose efficient operational scenarios.

Spiking neural networks for physiological and speech signals: a review.

The integration of Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs) into the analysis and interpretation of physiological and speech signals has emerged as a groundbreaking approach, offering enhanced performance and deeper insights into the underlying biological processes. This review aims to summarize key advances, methodologies, and applications of SNNs within these domains, highlighting their unique ability to mimic the temporal dynamics and efficiency of the human brain. We dive into the core principles of SNNs, their neurobiological underpinnings, and the computational advantages they bring to signal processing, particularly in handling the temporal and spatial complexities inherent in physiological and speech data.

Multiscale distribution entropy analysis of short epileptic EEG signals.

This paper proposes an information-theoretic measure for discriminating epileptic patterns in short-term electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings. Considering nonlinearity and nonstationarity in EEG signals, quantifying complexity has been preferred. To decipher abnormal epileptic EEGs, i.

Numerical study on the hydrodynamic performance and internal flow of an axial-flow pump with various inlet flow angles.

In this study, numerical simulation was employed to predict the performance and internal flow characteristics of the inlet of an axial-flow pump by assigning an absolute flow angle to the inlet guide vane (IGV) trailing-edge flow. Further, the finite volume method based on the three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations was employed to discretize the governing equations. The shear stress transport model was used as the turbulence model, and an appropriate number of nodes were selected for the hexahedral grid system through a grid-dependency test.

Multiscale Cumulative Residual Dispersion Entropy with Applications to Cardiovascular Signals.

Heart rate variability (HRV) is used as an index reflecting the adaptability of the autonomic nervous system to external stimuli and can be used to detect various heart diseases. Since HRVs are the time series signal with nonlinear property, entropy has been an attractive analysis method. Among the various entropy methods, dispersion entropy (DE) has been preferred due to its ability to quantify the time series' underlying complexity with low computational cost.

Effects of Task-Based LSVT-BIG Intervention on Hand Function, Activity of Daily Living, Psychological Function, and Quality of Life in Parkinson's Disease: A Randomized Control Trial.

Previous studies have demonstrated that the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment-BIG (LSVT-BIG) program can improve motor functions such as balance and gait in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. However, no study has investigated the effects of a task-based LSVT-BIG intervention on hand function, psychological function, and quality of life in PD patients. Herein, we investigate the effects of a task-based LSVT-BIG intervention, which reflects the needs of PD patients, on hand function, activity of daily living (ADL), psychological function, and quality of life.

Numerical investigation on functional limitations of the anti-stall fin for an axial fan: one-factor analyses.

The stall in an axial fan is directly related to detrimental phenomena such as performance degradation, vibration, noise, and flow instability at low flow rates. As a kind of passive control method to handle the stall, two-dimensional plates so-named anti-stall fin (ASF) were suggested by ourselves and were attached inside the casing. In this study, the ASF's effect on the internal flow pattern was visually investigated in the flow passage, and its tendency was discussed with the performance curve.

The increased analgesic efficacy of cold therapy after an unsuccessful analgesic experience is associated with inferior parietal lobule activation.

Prior experiences of successful and failed treatments are known to influence the efficacy of a newly applied treatment. However, whether that carry-over effect applies to non-pharmacological treatments is unknown. This study investigated how a failed treatment history with placebo analgesic cream affected the therapeutic outcomes of cold-pack treatment.

Enhancing SSVEP-Based Brain-Computer Interface with Two-Step Task-Related Component Analysis.

Among various methods for frequency recognition of the steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP)-based brain-computer interface (BCI) study, a task-related component analysis (TRCA), which extracts discriminative spatial filters for classifying electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, has gathered much interest. The TRCA-based SSVEP method yields lower computational cost and higher classification performance compared to existing SSVEP methods. In spite of its utility, the TRCA-based SSVEP method still suffers from the degradation of the frequency recognition rate in cases where EEG signals with a short length window are used.

Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Low-Level Laser Therapy in Patients with Perennial Allergic Rhinitis: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common disease that interferes with the daily activities and reduces the quality of life. Conventional treatments often do not provide complete resolution of the symptoms, and many new treatment modalities have been tried. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) for AR in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Dexamethasone and post-adenotonsillectomy pain in children: Double-blind, randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To assess the impact of intraoperative intravenous dexamethasone on the reduction of postoperative morbidity in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy.

Methods: A double blind randomized controlled trial conducted among children undergoing adenotonsillectomy at a tertiary hospital in Korea from November 2018 to June 2019. Children were randomly assigned to receive dexamethasone (0.

Correlation between short-time and whole-night obstruction level tests for patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

Identification of obstructive level is crucial for successful surgical outcomes in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Unfortunately, most of the dynamic airway evaluations are performed for a short duration under drug-induced sleep; therefore, it is uncertain whether they represent airway events that occur during a whole night of sleep. This study was aimed to evaluate the correlation between obstructive levels that were identified by a short-time and a whole-night test in patients with OSA.

Increased Risk of Psychopathological Abnormalities in Subjects With Unilateral Hearing Loss: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objectives: Although unilateral hearing loss (UHL) has been proven to be associated with educational and behavioral problems, few studies have investigated psychopathological abnormalities in this population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychopathological influence of UHL among Korean 19-year-old males.

Methods: The authors retrospectively compared the objective personality test profiles of 602 subjects with UHL with those of 23,790 peers with normal hearing.

Evaluation of the Esthetic and Functional Outcomes of Extracorporeal Septoplasty for Rhinoplasty in Asian Patients.

Objectives: In extracorporeal septoplasty (ECS), the entire septal cartilage is harvested, and a neo-L strut is built extracorporeally. Thus, ECS can simultaneously achieve septum straightening and tip projection. This study evaluated the functional and esthetic outcomes of the ECS technique for rhinoplasty in Asian patients.

Multiscale Distribution Entropy Analysis of Short-Term Heart Rate Variability.

Electrocardiogram (ECG) signal has been commonly used to analyze the complexity of heart rate variability (HRV). For this, various entropy methods have been considerably of interest. The multiscale entropy (MSE) method, which makes use of the sample entropy (SampEn) calculation of coarse-grained time series, has attracted attention for analysis of HRV.

Results of Hearing Outcome According to the Alloplastic Ossicular Prosthesis Materials.

The aim of this study is to compare the functional results and extrusion rates according to the type of ossciular alloplastic prosthesis. In this study, a retrospective analysis was performed. Sixty-one patients were involved in partial ossicular replacement (POR) cases and 70 patients were involved in total osscicular replacement (TOR) cases.

Effects of Mixed Bone and Brisket Meat on Physico-Chemical Characteristics of Shank Bone and Rib Extracts from Hanwoo.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of mixed bone and brisket meat on the quality characteristics and nutritional components of shank bone extract and rib extract from Hanwoo. The pH values were influenced by the raw bones, mixed bone, brisket meat and their interactions (p<0.05).

Information-Theoretical Quantifier of Brain Rhythm Based on Data-Driven Multiscale Representation.

This paper presents a data-driven multiscale entropy measure to reveal the scale dependent information quantity of electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings. This work is motivated by the previous observations on the nonlinear and nonstationary nature of EEG over multiple time scales. Here, a new framework of entropy measures considering changing dynamics over multiple oscillatory scales is presented.

DNAJB1 destabilizes PDCD5 to suppress p53-mediated apoptosis.

Although PDCD5 promotes p53-mediated apoptosis in various cancers, little is known about PDCD5 regulation. We recently found that DNAJB1 interacts with PDCD5 and induces the ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal degradation of PDCD5, thereby inhibiting p53-mediated apoptosis. To investigate these novel roles for PDCD5 and DNAJB1, we performed DNAJB1 mapping with PDCD5.

Prevalence and associated factors of tinnitus: data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2011.

Background: Tinnitus is a common condition and frequently can be annoying to affected individuals. We investigated the prevalence and associated factors for tinnitus in South Korea using the data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES) during 2009-2011.

Methods: KNHANES is a cross-sectional survey of the civilian, non-institutionalized population of South Korea (n = 21 893).

Clinical characteristics of labyrinthine concussion.

Background And Objectives: Inner ear symptoms like hearing loss, dizziness or tinnitus are often developed after head trauma, even in cases without inner ear destruction. This is also known as labyrinthine concussion. The purpose of this study is to determine the clinical manifestations, characteristics of audiometry and prognostic factors of these patients.

An Optimized Adsorbent Sampling Combined to Thermal Desorption GC-MS Method for Trimethylsilanol in Industrial Environments.

Trimethylsilanol (TMSOH) can cause damage to surfaces of scanner lenses in the semiconductor industry, and there is a critical need to measure and control airborne TMSOH concentrations. This study develops a thermal desorption (TD)-gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) method for measuring trace-level TMSOH in occupational indoor air. Laboratory method optimization obtained best performance when using dual-bed tube configuration (100 mg of Tenax TA followed by 100 mg of Carboxen 569), n-decane as a solvent, and a TD temperature of 300°C.