• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.67-76
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• 2004

Background : Pulmonary hypertension is a poor prognostic factor in patients with chronic respiratory disease. However, diagnosing pulmonary hypertension is a difficult procedure which often requires an invasive test. Thus new alternative biochemical markers would be useful in clinical field and are in search. We sought to assess the role of plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP) in patients with pulmonary hypertension. Method : We measured plasma NT-proBNP level in twenty nine patients suspected for pulmonary hypertension. Pulmonary hypertension was defined as being right ventricular systolic pressure more than 35 mm Hg estimated by Doppler echocardiography. Plasma NT-proBNP level was measured by electrochemiluminescence sandwich immunoassay. Results : The log-transformed values for plasma NT-proBNP levels showed a linear correlation (correlation coefficiency: 0.783, p-value <0.001) with right ventricular systolic pressure. Plasma NT-proBNP levels closely correlated with right ventricular systolic pressure, right ventricular hypertrophy, interventricular septal flattening and right ventricular dilatation. Conclusion : Our results suggest that the measurement of plasma NT-proBNP level is an useful marker of the presence of pulmonary hypertension.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.941-947
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• 2000

Background: Central nervous system complication after coronary artery bypass grafting(CABG) is one of the major prognostic determinants and the use of the cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB) may increase the incidence of this devastating complication. In this study, the outcomes after off-pump CABG were studied and compared with those following the conventional CABG using CPB. Material and Method: Among the consecutive isolated CABG's performed in SNUH during Feb. 1995 and Jun. 1999, 338 coronary artery bypass grafting were divided into two groups. 223 patients underwent CABG using the CPB(Group I), and 115 patients underwent CABG without CPB(OPCAB)(Group II). All patients enrolled in this study received extensive preoperative examinations including thorough neurologic examination before and after surgery, transcranial doppler study, carotid duplex ultrasonography, and magnetic resonance angiography if necessary. Central nervous system(CNS) complications were defined as stroke, seizure, metabolic or hypoxic encephalopathy and transient delirium after surgery. Result: There were 61 cases(27.3%) who developed postoperative CNS complication in Group I, whereas 8 cases(7.0%) of CNS complications developed postoperatively in group II(p<0.05). Statistically significant predictors of postoperative CNS complications in group I were age and the use of cardiac assist devices perioperatively. Conclusion: This study suggested that omitting the use of CPB in CABG resulted in significant decrease of the postoperative CNS complications. OPCAB should be more widely applied especially to the elderly who have preexisting cerebrovascular disease.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.586-603
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• 2004

One of the subtle problems that make noise control difficult for engineers is “the invisibility of noise or sound.” The visual image of noise often helps to determine an appropriate means for noise control. There have been many attempts to fulfill this rather challenging objective. Theoretical or numerical means to visualize the sound field have been attempted and as a result, a great deal of progress has been accomplished, for example in the field of visualization of turbulent noise. However, most of the numerical methods are not quite ready to be applied practically to noise control issues. In the meantime, fast progress has made it possible instrumentally by using multiple microphones and fast signal processing systems, although these systems are not perfect but are useful. The state of the art system is recently available but still has many problematic issues : for example, how we can implement the visualized noise field. The constructed noise or sound picture always consists of bias and random errors, and consequently it is often difficult to determine the origin of the noise and the spatial shape of noise, as highlighted in the title. The first part of this paper introduces a brief history, which is associated with “sound visualization,” from Leonardo da Vinci's famous drawing on vortex street (Fig. 1) to modern acoustic holography and what has been accomplished by a line or surface array. The second part introduces the difficulties and the recent studies. These include de-Dopplerization and do-reverberation methods. The former is essential for visualizing a moving noise source, such as cars or trains. The latter relates to what produces noise in a room or closed space. Another mar issue associated this sound/noise visualization is whether or not Ivecan distinguish mutual dependence of noise in space : for example, we are asked to answer the question, “Can we see two birds singing or one bird with two beaks?"

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.53 no.12
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• pp.1071-1079
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• 2020

For integrated water management, it is essential to secure basic data such as the amount of agricultural water intake. The river water intake through the intake weir is carried out through the agricultural irrigation canal, and a method for measuring the quantity of water intake is required to suit the characteristics of the measuring points. In this study, the accuracy of the calculated flow data was determined by applying a microwave water surface current meter. The microwave water surface current meter is a method of calculating surface velocity using doppler effect, which is mainly used in high-velocities situations such as flood. Surface velocity is difficult to represent the average velocity of the entire section at low dicharges or high wind speeds, it is considered to be low in continuous utilization throughout the year, and it is necessary to verify whether the measurement using an microwave water surface curren meter is appropriate in agricultural irrigation canal. The data measured with an microwave water surface curren meter were compared with the actual flow data to calculate the intake data in agricultural irrigation canal. In agricultural irrigation canal, the low-level discharge calculated using an microwave water surface current meter at a minimum velocity of about 0.3 m/s and a minimum discharge of about 1.0 m3/s or higher was found to have a high tendency and accuracy compared to the standard discharge, especially when the high discharge was high. Although effective results can be obtained in terms of quantity at low discharge, it is deemed that subsequent studies are needed to calculate the average discharge of the cross section at low discharge, given that the trend of data is unstable. Through this study, it is suggested that it is appropriate to calculate the amount of water intake through the microwave water surface current meter in artificial waterways with a certain discharge or higher, so it is expected to be widely distributed as a method for measuring river water intake.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.385-392
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• 2023

Caroli's disease is a fibrocystic liver disease. Autosomal recessive disorder is characterized by congenital multiple dilatation of the bile duct. Computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, cholangiography and ultrasound are among the methods for diagnosing caroli disease. Computerized tomography is essential for detecting and distinguishing fibroplastic liver disease and is useful for determining intrahepatic bile duct dilatation. However, awareness of the possible side effects of using contrast mediums is necessary. A typical method of magnetic resonance cholangiography is used for magnetic resonance imaging. A non-invasive examination can reduce the pain of the patient, and the anatomical structure of the bile pancreatic duct and the presence or absence of lesions can be easily and quickly observed. Biliary contrast is an effective diagnostic method that can directly visualize various cystic dilatations throughout the enlarged bile duct. However, since this procedure is also an invasive procedure, it is recommended not for diagnosis but for treatment purposes. Ultrasonography can confirm similar findings to computerized tomography. The hepatic artery root is difficult to prove with conventional grayscale ultrasound. However, it is of clinical value in that it can not only describe dilated bile ducts with vascular roots in the tube but also easily identify color Doppler signals in the tube. With the development of video diagnostics, early diagnosis has become possible through computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, cholangiography, and ultrasound. In order to further contribute to the development of video diagnostics so that long-term prognosis can be improved after treatment through early diagnosis, we examined what aspects of each test's caroli disease appear.

• The Journal of the Society of Stroke on Korean Medicine
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.11-16
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• 2006

Objectives : Transcranial Doppler (TCD) has been reported to be established as useful in detecting spasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage and to be probably useful in diagnosing stenosis or occlusion in intracranial arteries. In the detection of intracranial stenosis using TCD there have been reported some kinds of diagnostic criteria. This study was aimed to evaluate the accordance between TCD and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) in detection of intracranial stenosis and to find out more accurate criteria for intracranial stenosis using TCD. Methods : Seventy-six stroke patients were evaluated by TCD and MRA. TCD criteria for middle cerebral artery (MCA) stenosis were used by 3 methods; ≥ 80cm/sec of mean velocity(Vm), ≥ 140 cm/sec of systolic velocity(Vs), and both. For stenosis of vertebral(VA) and basilar arteries(BA), the TCD criteria followed by 2 methods; ≥ 70 cm/sec of Vm and ≥ 100 cm/sec of Vs. The stenosis of intracranial artery in MRA followed by the interpretation of specialist in the department of radiology. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, diagnostic accuracy and kappa agreement were calculated in each criteria of TCD compared with the result of MRA. Results : The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, diagnostic accuracy and kappa agreement using ≥ 80cm/sec of Vm for MCA stenosis were 55.6%, 81%, 34.5%, 91.0%, 77.1%, and 0.293, respectively. Using 140 cm/sec of Vs, those were 44.4%, 92.0%, 50.5%, 90.2%, 84.7%, 0.380, and using both criteria those were 44.4%, 95.0%, 61.5%, 90.5%, 87.3%, 0.445, respectively. Those using ≥ 70 cm/sec of Vm for VA and BA stenosis were 71.4%, 93.7%, 26.3%, 99.0%, 93.0%, 0.186 and using ≥ 100 cm/sec of Vs those were 71.4%, 97.3%, 45.5%, 99.1%, 96.5%, 0.539, respectively. Conclusion : These results suggested that for the diagnosis of MCA stenosis using TCD we should use the criteria of both ≥ 80cm/sec of Vm and 140 cm/sec of Vs, and for the VA and BA stenosis we adapt the criteria of ≥ 70 cm/sec of Vm.