PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an aging management program on the resilience and successful aging of middle-aged women.METHODS: A quasi-experimental study with a non-equivalent control and pre-post test design was used. The participants were 39 middle-aged women living in urban areas in Korea. The experimental group (n=22) received the aging management program for a total of 10 weeks, 90 minutes to 120 minutes per week. The aging management program consisted of strategies to enhance the behavior, promotion conditions, and habits of the program, including various activities for middle-aged women. The data were analyzed using χ² tests, independent t-tests, and repeated measures analysis of variance with the SPSS/WIN 21.0 program.RESULTS: The resilience score of the experimental group was significantly higher level than the score of the control group in the time-to-group interactions (F=3.70, p=0.029). The successful aging score of the experimental group was significantly higher than the score of the control group in the time-to-group interactions (F=5.86, p=0.004). However, the sub-hypotheses of resilience (self-regulation and interpersonal relationships) and successful aging (physical aging adaptation and psychological age adaptation) were partially accepted.CONCLUSIONS: The aging management program for middle-aged women was identified as an effective intervention for promoting resilience and successful aging in middle-aged women. Therefore, this suggests that the aging care program could be a useful intervention program to improve the mental health of middle-aged women living in communities.
Aging ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Mental Health ; Middle Aged ; Non-Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Preventive Health Services ; Resilience, Psychological

PURPOSE: Recently, a new Bayesian Penalized Likelihood (BPL) Reconstruction Algorithm was introduced by GE Healthcare, Q.Clear; it promises to provide better PET image resolution compared to the widely used Ordered Subset Expectation Maximization (OSEM). The aimof this study is to compare the performance of these two algorithms on several types of findings, in terms of image quality, lesion detectability, sensitivity, and specificity.METHODS: Between September 6th 2017 and July 31st 2018, 663 whole body 18F-FDG PET/CT scans were performed at the Nuclear Medicine Department of S. Martino Hospital (Belluno, Italy). Based on the availability of clinical/radiological follow-up data, 240 scans were retrospectively reviewed. For each scan, a hypermetabolic finding was selected, reporting both for OSEM and Q.Clear: SUVmax and SUVmean values of the finding, the liver and the background close to the finding; size of the finding; percentage variations of SUVmax and SUVmean. Each finding was subsequently correlated with clinical and radiological follow-up, to define its benign/malignant nature.RESULTS: Overall, Q.Clear improved the SUVvalues in each scan, especially in small findings (< 10mm), high SUVmax values (≥ 10), and medium/low backgrounds. Furthermore, Q.Clear amplifies the signal of hypermetabolic findings without modifying the background signal, which leads to an increase in signal-to-noise ratio, improving overall image quality. Finally, Q.Clear did not affect PET sensitivity or specificity, in terms of number of reported findings and characterization of their nature.CONCLUSIONS: Q.Clear is an iterative algorithm that improves significantly the quality of PET images compared to OSEM, increasing the SUVmax of findings (in particular for small findings) and the signal-to-noise ratio. However, due to the intrinsic characteristics of this algorithm, it will be necessary to adapt and/or modify the current interpretative criteria based of quantitative evaluation, to avoid an overestimation of the disease burden.
Delivery of Health Care ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Follow-Up Studies ; Liver ; Nuclear Medicine ; Positron-Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Signal-To-Noise Ratio

Single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) is an already established nuclear imaging modality. Co-registration of functional information (SPECT) with anatomical images (CT) paved the way to the wider application of SPECT. Recent advancements in quantitative SPECT/CT have made it possible to incorporate quantitative parameters, such as standardized uptake value (SUV) or %injected dose (%ID), in gamma camera imaging. This is indeed a paradigm shift in gamma camera imaging from qualitative to quantitative evaluation. In fact, such quantitative approaches of nuclear imaging have only been accomplished for positron emission tomography (PET) technology. Attenuation correction, scatter correction, and resolution recovery are the three main features that enabled quantitative SPECT/CT. Further technical improvements are being achieved for partial-volume correction, motion correction, and dead-time correction. The reported clinical applications for quantitative SPECT/CT are mainly related to Tc-99m-labeled radiopharmaceuticals: Tc-99m diphosphonate for bone/joint diseases, Tc-99m pertechnetate for thyroid function, and Tc-99m diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid for measurement of glomerular filtration rate. Dosimetry before trans-arterial radio-embolization is also a promising application for Tc-99m macro-aggregated albumin. In this review, clinical applications of Tc-99m quantitative SPECT/CT will be discussed.
Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Gamma Cameras ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Radiopharmaceuticals ; Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m ; Thyroid Gland ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the morphology of the mandibular cortex in cases of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) in patients with osteoporosis or bone metastases using a computer programme.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-four patients with MRONJ (35 with osteoporosis and 19 with bone metastases) were examined using panoramic radiography. The morphology of the mandibular cortex was evaluated using a computer programme that scanned the mandibular inferior cortex and automatically assessed the mandibular cortical index (MCI) according to the thickness and roughness of the mandibular cortex, as follows: normal (class 1), mildly to moderately eroded (class 2), or severely eroded (class 3). The MCI classifications of MRONJ patients with osteoporosis or bone metastases were evaluated with the Pearson chi-square test. In these analyses, a 5% significance level was used.RESULTS: The MCI of MRONJ patients with osteoporosis (class 1: 6, class 2: 15, class 3: 14) tended to be higher than that of patients with bone metastases (class 1: 14, class 2: 5, class 3: 0) (P=0.000).CONCLUSION: The use of a computer programme to assess mandibular cortex morphology may be an effective technique for the objective and quantitative evaluation of the MCI in MRONJ patients with osteoporosis or bone metastases.
Bisphosphonate-Associated Osteonecrosis of the Jaw ; Classification ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Jaw ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Osteonecrosis ; Osteoporosis ; Radiography, Panoramic

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of the normalized local variance (NLV) ultrasound technique in the assessment of hepatic steatosis, and to identify the factors that influence the NLV value using histopathological examination as the reference standard. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a methionine-choline-deficient diet for variable periods (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12 days or 2, 3, or 4 weeks; four rats per group). At the end of each diet duration, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and NLV examination were performed. Thereafter, the rats were sacrificed and their livers were histopathologically evaluated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to assess the diagnostic capability of the NLV value in the detection of varying degrees of hepatic steatosis. Univariate and multivariate linear regressions were used to determine the factors associated with the NLV value. RESULTS: The areas under the ROC curve for the detection of mild, moderate, and severe hepatic steatosis were 0.953, 0.896, and 0.735, respectively. The NLV value showed comparable diagnostic performance to that of MRS in the detection of ≥ mild or ≥ moderate hepatic steatosis. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that the degree of hepatic steatosis was the only significant factor affecting the NLV value (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The NLV value of ultrasound demonstrated satisfactory diagnostic performance in the assessment of varying degrees of hepatic steatosis. The degree of hepatic steatosis was the only significant factor that affected the NLV value.
Animals ; Diet ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Liver ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Male ; Models, Animal ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; ROC Curve ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVES: The outcomes of the treatment of unilateral cleft lip can vary considerably due to variations in repair techniques. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare treatment outcomes of surgical repair of unilateral cleft lip using either the Tennison–Randall or Millard technique based on (qualitative) parent/subject and professional assessments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective, randomized, controlled study conducted at Lagos University Teaching Hospital between January 2013 and July 2014. A total of 56 subjects with unilateral cleft lip presenting for primary surgery who satisfied the inclusion criteria were recruited for the study. Subjects were randomly allocated to surgical groups A or B through balloting. Group A underwent cleft repair with the Tennison–Randall technique, while group B underwent cleft repair with the Millard rotation advancement technique. Surgical outcome was assessed using qualitative evaluation by the guardian/subject and independent assessors based on a modified form of the criteria described by Christofides and colleagues. RESULTS: Of the 56 subjects enrolled in this study, 32 were male, with a male to female ratio of 1.3:1. Fifteen of the guardians/subjects in the Tennison–Randall group were most bothered about the lower part of the residual lip scar, while 12 guardians/subjects in the in the Millard group were most bothered about the upper part of the scar. More noses were judged to be flattened in the Millard group than in the Tennison–Randall group. Assessors observed a striking disparity in scar transgression of the philtral ridges between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Essentially, there were no major difference in the overall results between Millard rotation-advancement and Tennison–Randall repairs. Both Millard and Tennison–Randall's techniques require significant improvements to improve the appearance of the scar on the upper part and lower part of the lip, respectively.
Cicatrix ; Cleft Lip ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Female ; Hospitals, Teaching ; Humans ; Lip ; Male ; Nose ; Prospective Studies ; Strikes, Employee ; Treatment Outcome

The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of simulation education using team-based on problem solving process, communication ability and communication confidence of nursing students. The study used a one group, pre-post test design. The subjects of this study were 88 nursing college students. self-reported questionnaires were collected between March 3 and June 21, 2019. As a result, There was a statistically significant difference in the problem-solving process: 3.37 points beforehand, 3.53 points after death, 3.36 points after communication, 3.54 points after the fact, and communication confidence increased from 6.39 points before to 7.64 points. After team-based simulation training, problem solving process is a communication ability, communicator confidence. The results of this study show that team-based simulation training has been effective in improving problem resolution, communication skills and communication confidence, so it can be used as a basis for future standardized program development.
Communication ; Education ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Humans ; Nursing ; Problem Solving ; Program Development ; Simulation Training ; Students, Nursing

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a action-learning based simulation practice program on nursing students' interpersonal communication competence and problem solving ability.METHOD: The action-learning based simulation practice program was developed by using the ADDIE mode. A single group pre-post test and time series design was used. Data was collected from senior in nursing university. 89 students participated in pretest group and 116 students participated in posttest group.RESULTS: Interpersonal communication competence and problem solving ability were significantly higher in posttest group than pretest group.CONCLUSION: Action-learning based simulation practice program is an effective teaching strategy to enhance communication competence and problem solving ability.
Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Humans ; Mental Competency ; Methods ; Nursing ; Problem Solving ; Students, Nursing

PURPOSE: To investigate and compare the surface roughness (SR), weight and height of monolithic zirconia (MZ), ceramometal (CM), lithium disilicate glass ceramic (LD), composite resin (CR), and their antagonistic human teeth enamel. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 32 disc shaped specimens for the four test materials (n=8) and 32 premolars were prepared and randomly divided. SR, weight and height of the materials and the antagonist enamel were recorded before and after subjecting the specimens to 240,000 wear-cycles (49 N/0.8 Hz/5℃/50℃). SR, height, weight, and digital microscopic qualitative evaluation were measured. RESULTS: CM (0.23 + 0.08 µm) and LD (0.68 + 0.16 µm) exhibited the least and highest mean difference in the SR, respectively. ANOVA revealed significance (P=.001) between the materials for the SR. Paired T-Test showed significance (P < .05) for the pre- and post-SR for all the materials. For the antagonistic enamel, no significance (P=.987) was found between the groups. However, the pre- and post-SR values of all the enamel groups were significant (P < .05). Wear cycles had significant effect on enamel weight loss against all the materials (P < .05). CR and MZ showed the lowest and highest height loss of 0.14 mm and 0.46 mm, respectively. CONCLUSION: MZ and CM are more resistant to SR against the enamel than LD and CR. Enamel worn against test materials showed similar SR. Significant variations in SR values for the tested materials (MZ, LD, CM, and CR) against the enamel were found. Wear simulation significantly affected the enamel weight loss against all the materials, and enamel antagonist against MZ and CM showed more height loss.
Bicuspid ; Ceramics ; Dental Enamel ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Glass ; Humans ; Lithium ; Tooth ; Tooth Wear ; Weight Loss

PURPOSE: This study focuses on investigating the effectiveness of simulation education on emergency management using a low-fidelity simulator as related to clinical skill performance, self-confidence, knowledge, learning satisfaction, and critical thinking disposition in new nurses. METHODS: A pre-post test experimental design of nonequivalent control group was applied. Fifty-five new nurses were recruited, 28 nurses for the experimental group and 27 nurses for the control group. A simulation education for emergency management comprising knowledge lecture, team learning, skill education, team simulation, and debriefing was developed and implemented from Feb. 14 to 27, 2015. Data were analyzed with percentage, average, and standard deviation, chi-square, and t-test using SPSS. RESULTS: The experimental group showed significantly higher knowledge (t=5.81, p<.001), clinical skill performance (t=10.08, p<.001), self-confidence (t=-6.24, p<.001), critical thinking disposition (t=2.42, p=.019), and learning satisfaction (t=4.21, p<.001) for emergency management compared with the control group who had traditional lecture education. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that a simulation education using a low-fidelity simulator is an efficient teaching method for new nurses to deepen their clinical skill performance, self-confidence, knowledge, learning satisfaction, and critical thinking disposition in learning emergency management.
Clinical Competence ; Education ; Emergencies ; Emergency Nursing ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Learning ; Patient Simulation ; Research Design ; Teaching ; Thinking