Postoperative Fever Evaluation Following Lumbar Fusion Procedures

Benjamin C. Mayo,Brittany E. Haws,Daniel D. Bohl,Philip K. Louie,Fady Y. Hijji,Ankur S. Narain,Dustin H. Massel,Benjamin Khechen,Kern Singh 대한척추신경외과학회 2018 Neurospine Vol.15 No.2

Objective: This study aimed to determine the incidence of postoperative fever, the workup conducted for postoperative fever, the rate of subsequent fever-related diagnoses or complications, and the risk factors associated with fever following lumbar fusion. Methods: A retrospective review of patients undergoing lumbar fusion was performed. For patients in whom fever (≥38.6°C) was documented, charts were reviewed for any fever workup or diagnosis. Multivariate regression was used to identify independent risk factors for the development of postoperative fever. Results: A total of 868 patients met the inclusion criteria, of whom 105 exhibited at least 1 episode of fever during hospitalization. The first documentation of fever occurred during the first 24 hours in 43.8% of cases, during postoperative hours 24–48 in 53.3%, and later than 48 hours postoperatively in 2.9%. At least 1 component of a fever workup was conducted in 47 of the 105 patients who had fever, resulting in fever-associated diagnoses in 4 patients prior to discharge. Three patients who had fever during the inpatient stay developed complications after discharge. On multivariate analysis, operations longer than 150 minutes (relative risk [RR], 1.66; p=0.015) and narcotic consumption greater than 85 oral morphine equivalents on postoperative day 0 (RR, 1.53; p=0.038) were independently associated with an increased risk of developing postoperative fever. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that inpatient fever occurred in roughly 1 in 8 patients following lumbar fusion surgery. In most cases where a fever workup was performed, no cause of fever was detected. Longer operative time and increased early postoperative narcotic use may increase the risk of developing postoperative fever.

Review on the comparison of effectiveness between denosumab and bisphosphonates in post-menopausal osteoporosis

Biju Benjamin,Mridula Ambwani Benjamin,Myint Swe,Sandheep Sugathan 대한골다공증학회 2016 Osteoporosis and Sarcopenia Vol.2 No.2

Objective: Osteoporosis is a rapidly rising cause of concern for elderly patients. Various classes of drugs are available in the market. Bisphosphonates are considered as a first-line therapy for the prevention and treatment. Denosumab is an antiresorptive agent which is a RANK ligand inhibitor. There is a scarcity of comparison between these two classes of drugs. The aim of this study is to compare efficacy of Bisphosphonates and Denosumab in various parameters. Materials and methods: Literature search was done for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing bisphosphonates with denosumab. RCTs with a treatment period of at least one year with a baseline bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers (BTM) and follow up values at one year were included in the study. All included studies were also analysed for complications. The study has also been registered in PROSPERO International prospective register of systematic reviews. Results: A total of five RCTs were identified providing data on 3751 participants. In all five studies, the BMD changes at both hip and spine were statistically significant in favour of denosumab. Result was similar in three studies that studied BMD changes at the wrist. Denosumab also produced significant reduction in BTM as early as one month, but at one year there was no difference compared to the bisphosphonates. There was no statistically significant differences in the complication rates. Conclusion: Though both bisphosphonates and denosumab were effective with similar side effects, the latter was statistically superior in increasing the BMD and reducing the BTM. © 2016 The Korean Society of Osteoporosis. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Interkulturalität und Fremdwahrnehmung in Ulrich Brinkhoffs “Träume in der Morgenstille”*

Benjamin Neuss 한독사회과학회 2019 한독사회과학논총 Vol.29 No.4

세계는 모순에 빠져있다. 세계화가 계속 진행되는 가운데 민족주의가 새롭게 기승을 부리고 있다. 문화간 화합이 절대 쉽지 않은 만큼 간문화 역량에 대한 요구와 관심이 점점 더 커지고 있다. 이러한 맥락에서 상호문화 문학은 다른 문화에 대한 이해와 더불어 자기 문화에 대한 인식을 발전시키는데 이바지한다. 기행문학은 상호문학 연구에 중요한 부분을 차지할 수 있는 분야다. 낯선 곳에 머물고 여행한다는 것은 낯선 사람과 낯선 문화와의 만남으로 이어질 수 있고 이는 갈등과 충돌의 여지를 주기도 하지만 새로운 해법을 제시할 수도 있다. 본 논문에서는 1964-1965 한국의 모습을 묘사하는 울리히 브링크호프의 여행기 “고요한 아침에 꾼 꿈”을 다뤘다. 작가가 자신의 여행기에서 낯선 것과 자신의 것을 돌아보며 문화 간 중간지대 (interkulturelle Zwischenräume)를 어느 정도 발생시킬 수 있었는지 살펴보았다. 고정 관념과 클리셰에 머무르기 쉽기에 낯선 것의 전반적인 표현에 대한 문제를 논의하는 것도 중요하다. The world currently finds itself in contradiction. While on the one hand, we can see globalization continously progressing, on the other hand, we can also discern a growing phenomenon of the “overemphasis” of many national states worldwide. Harmonization between cultures appears difficult, which is more and more calling for the need of intercultural competence. In this respect, literature and intercultural studies show ways how to create understanding for other cultures and at the same time develop awareness of one's own culture. The travel literature, in particular, offers a lot of room for studies. After all, it is traveling and/or long-term stays in a foreign country that creates opportunities for new encounters but also possibilities for conflicts. However, it also provides solutions. This work focuses on the travelogue "Träume in der Morgenstille" written by Ulrich Brinkhoff who describes his visit to South Korea during the years 1964-65. It specifically discusses the question as to what extent the author succeeds in his report in creating intercultural gaps that show the reflection of the “foreign part” and that of one´s own. It also discusses how the foreign part is represented in an overall manner as such could easily wind up in stereotypes and clichés.

Regime Builders and Busters

Benjamin Engel 재단법인 동아시아연구원 2016 EAI 미중관계 시리즈 Vol.- No.-

North by Southeast

Benjamin Engel 재단법인 동아시아연구원 2016 EAI 미중관계 시리즈 Vol.- No.-

The World"s Firemen?

Benjamin Engel 재단법인 동아시아연구원 2016 EAI 미중관계 시리즈 Vol.- No.-

A New Record of Epicoccum draconis Isolated from the Soil in Korea

( Benjamin Yaw Ayim ),( Kallol Das ),( Young-je Cho ),( Seung-yeol Lee ),( Hee-young Jung ) 한국균학회 2020 韓國菌學會誌 Vol.48 No.1

A fungal isolate US-18-11 was isolated from the soil in Uiseong, Korea. The mycelium growth measured after 7 days of incubation at 22℃ on malt extract agar (MEA) and oatmeal agar (OA) media was 42-43 mm and 41-44 mm in diameter, respectively. The fungal colony formed white to dull green aerial mycelia that were floccose with regular margins and olivaceous black with leaden gray patches on the reverse side. The conidia were hyaline to brown in color, ellipsoidal to ovoid, guttulate, abundant, globose, solitary, or confluent measuring 3.2-7.2×1.1-2.3 μm. A BLAST search of the large subunit (LSU), internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, second largest subunit of DNA-directed RNA polymerase II (RPB2) and β-tubulin (TUB2) gene sequences revealed that the isolate US-18-11 has similarities of 99, 100, 97, and 99% with those of Epicoccum draconis CBS 186.83, respectively. A neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree constructed based on the concatenated dataset of above-mentioned sequences showed that isolate US-18-11 clustered with Epicoccum draconis CBS 186.83 in the same clade. Based on the results of morphological, cultural, and phylogenetic analysis, the isolate US-18-11 was identical to the previously described E. draconis CBS 186.83. To our knowledge, this is the first report of E. draconis in Korea.

John Locke and the Politics of Semantic Virtue

Benjamin C. Thompson 한국정치사상학회 2012 정치사상연구 Vol.18 No.1

This article addresses the discursive nature of the polity in Locke’s thought. The article aims to show that Locke’s civil society is an association of free citizens, which depends on healthy discourse and what I term semantic virtues. This becomes clear as the important connections between the use and abuse of language and Locke’s political thought are elucidated, so I argue. This article is influenced by several recent studies, which have drawn attention to the semantic dimension of Locke’s social and political thought; the works of Hannah Dawson and Linda Zerilli are particularly relevant. Nonetheless, this article advances a unique reading of language in Locke’s politics that diverges from previous scholarship. Principally, I aim to uncover the nature and consequences of the semantic virtues and also the semantic vices ? the use and abuse of language, written and oral. As I show, healthy discourse in civil society is informed by the philosophical use of words and reform of language which he recommended in the Essay. These virtues enable a variety of social goods that are not possible with everyday use of language. Law, justice and public morality require the semantic virtues in Locke’s thought. By contrast, the abuse of language is tied to destructive and tyrannical social outcomes. Thus, Locke’s political and philosophical thought involve a shared discursive dimension. Ultimately, the semantic virtues allow public discourse to meet the standards needed for civil society. With these virtues, citizens may come to employ their rational capacities cooperatively as free men, establishing the concepts of political justice appropriate for their common life. Critically, these virtues include an emotional solution to the passionate nature of linguistic abuse. Collected together, the semantic virtues are taxing, but they remain possible, reasonably plausible, and foundational for important aspects of politics in Locke’s opinion.

Understanding University Students’ Attitudes toward English Language Learning in Thailand

Benjamin Panmei 아시아영어교육학회 2021 The Journal of Asia TEFL Vol.18 No.2

Appropriate Medical Technology

Benjamin Jeongwon RYU 한국생물공학회 2016 한국생물공학회 학술대회 Vol.2016 No.10