• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.978-989
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• 2016

Objectives: This study evaluated the diagnostic values of measuring the number of fungiform papillae in patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS). Methods: Seventy participants (35 BMS patients and 35 Healthy control) participated in this study. The number of fungiform papillae (FP) was measured on the anterior part of the tongue within an area of $9mm^2$ using a digital camera. The subjects were evaluated on their yin deficiency and blood stasis conditions using the Yin-Deficiency Questionnaire (YDQ) and Blood Stasis Questionnaire (BSQ). Moreover, the severities of subjective tongue pain in the BMS patients were assessed using Visual Analog Scale. Results: There were significant differences in the number of FP and the YDQ and BSQ scores between the two groups. The number of FP and the YDQ scores in the BMS group showed statistically significant correlations with the VAS score of tongue pain. In the bivariate logistic regression analysis, the factor that most strongly contributed to BMS was the number of FP. The optimal cut-off value of the number of fungiform papillae was calculated as 5.5 with 71.4% sensitivity and 82.9% specificity. There was no statistically significant correlation between the number of FP and the YDQ or BSQ score. Conclusions: According to these findings, measuring the number of FP could be a valuable evaluation indicator of BMS.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.268-277
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• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Although it is crucial to identify those children likely to be treated in an appropriate nutrition rehabilitation programme and discharge them at the appropriate time, there is no golden standard for such identification. The current study examined the appropriateness of using Mid-Upper Arm Circumference for the identification, follow-up and discharge of malnourished children. We also assessed its discrepancy with the Weight-for-Height based diagnosis, the rate of recovery, and the discharge criteria of the children during nutrition rehabilitation. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The study present findings from 156 children (aged 6-59 months) attending a supplementary feeding programme at Makadara and Jericho Health Centres, Eastern District of Nairobi, Kenya. Records of age, weight, height and mid-upper arm circumference were selected at three stages of nutrition rehabilitation: admission, follow-up and discharge. The values obtained were then used to calculate z-scores as defined by WHO Anthro while estimating different diagnostic indices. RESULTS: Mid-upper arm circumference single cut-off (< 12.5 cm) was found to exhibit high values of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio at both admission and discharge. Besides, children recorded higher rate of recovery at 86 days, an average increment of 0.98 cm at the rate of 0.14mm/day, and a weight gain of 13.49gm/day, albeit higher in female than their male counterparts. Nevertheless, children admitted on basis of low MUAC had a significantly higher MUAC gain than WH at 0.19mm/day and 0.13mm/day respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Mid-upper arm circumference can be an appropriate tool for identifying malnourished children for admission to nutrition rehabilitation programs. Our results confirm the appropriateness of this tool for monitoring recovery trends and discharging the children thereafter. In principle the tool has potential to minimize nutrition rehabilitation costs, particularly in community therapeutic centres in developing countries.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.269-277
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• 2006

This study prepared functional oyster hydrolysates using two-step enzymatic hydrolysis and investigated their functional properties. To prepare two-step enzymatic hydrolysates (TSEH), oysters were hydrolyzed using 1% Protamex (PR) at $40^{\circ}C$ and pH 6.0 for 1 hr before sequential treatment with one of the following enzymes for 1 hr: Alcalase (AL), Flavourzyme (FL), Neutrase (NE), pepsin (PE), and trypsin (TR). The PRAL, PRNE and PRTR hydrolysates had significantly greater angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity than did PR and the other TSEHs. Only the antioxidant activity of the PRNE hydrolysate was significantly different (p<0.05), while none of the TSEHs had antimicrobial activity. The oyster hydrolysate prepared by sequential treatment with Protamex and Neutrase (PRNE) had the best ACE inhibitory activity and antioxidant activity, with $IC_{50}$ values of 0.40 and 0.94 mg/mL, respectively. The PRNE hydrolysate was processed through an ultrafiltration (UF) series with molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) membranes of 3, 5, 10, and 30 kDa, and the ACE inhibitory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities of the permeates were determined. The permeate through the 3-kDa MWCO membrane had greater ACE inhibitory activity and antioxidant activity than did the other PRNE permeates, with $IC_{50}$ values of 0.11 and 0.40 mg/mL, respectively.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.139-151
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• 2019

Purpose: This study was performed to investigate the effect of exposure parameters on image quality obtained using a cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scanner and the relationship between physical factors and clinical image quality depending on the diagnostic task. Materials and Methods: CBCT images of a SedentexCT IQ phantom and a real skull phantom were obtained under different combinations of tube voltage and tube current (Alphard 3030 CBCT scanner, 78-90 kVp and 2-8 mA). The images obtained using a SedentexCT IQ phantom were analyzed technically, and the physical factors of image noise, contrast resolution, spatial resolution, and metal artifacts were measured. The images obtained using a real skull phantom were evaluated for each diagnostic task by 6 oral and maxillofacial radiologists, and each setting was classified as acceptable or unacceptable based on those evaluations. A statistical analysis of the relationships of exposure parameters and physical factors with observer scores was conducted. Results: For periapical diagnosis and implant planning, the tube current of the acceptable images was significantly higher than that of the unacceptable images. Image noise, the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), the line pair chart on the Z axis, and modulation transfer function (MTF) values showed statistically significant differences between the acceptable and unacceptable image groups. The cut-off values obtained using receiver operating characteristic curves for CNR and MTF 10 were useful for determining acceptability. Conclusion: Tube current had a major influence on clinical image quality. CNR and MTF 10 were useful physical factors that showed significantly associations with clinical image quality.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.179-185
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• 2023

Background: Assessments of air leaks are usually performed subjectively, precluding the use of air leaks as an evaluation factor. We aimed to identify objective parameters as predictive factors for prolonged air leak (PAL) and air leak cessation (ALC) from air flow data produced by a digital drainage system. Methods: Flow data records of 352 patients who underwent lung lobectomy were reviewed, and flow data at designated intervals (1, 2, and 3 hours postoperatively [POH] and 3 times a day thereafter [06:00, 13:00, 19:00]) were extracted. ALC was defined by flow less than 20 mL/min over 12 hours, and PAL was defined as ALC after 5 days. Cumulative incidence curves were obtained using Kaplan-Meier estimates of time to ALC. Cox regression analysis was performed to determine the effects of variables on the rate of ALC. Results: The incidence of PAL was 18.2% (64/352). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed cut-off values of 180 mL/min for the flow at 3 POH and 73.3 mL/min for the flow on postoperative day 1; the sensitivity and specificity of these values were 88.9% and 82.5%, respectively. The rates of ALC by Kaplan-Meier analysis were 56.8% at 48 POH and 65.6% at 72 POH. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that the flow at 3 POH (≤80 mL/min), operation time (≤220 minutes), and right middle lobectomy independently predicted ALC. Conclusion: Air flow measured by a digital drainage system is a useful predictor of PAL and ALC and may help optimize the hospital course.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.55-63
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• 2024

PURPOSE: This study examined the test-retest reliability and clinical utility of the Modified Trunk Impairment Scale (mTIS), Trunk Control Test (TCT), and Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke - Trunk Control (PASS-TC) in patients with chronic stroke. METHODS: Thirty-eight stroke patients were reassessed using the mTIS, TCT, and PASS-TC with a seven-day interval between assessments. The test-retest reliability was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC_2,1), the standard error of measurement (SEM), the minimal detectable change (MDC), and MDC%, as well as Bland-Altman analysis. The relationship between the mTIS, TCT, PASS-TC scores, and the Barthel Index (BI) was also investigated. RESULTS: The test-retest reliability for the mTIS, TCT, and PASS-TC was high, with ICC values ranging from .91 to .94 (95% confidence interval: .83-.97). The MDCs for the mTIS and TCT were 2.35 and 13.9, respectively, while the MDC for the P ASS-TC was 2.54, all below 20% of the maximum possible score, indicating reliable measurement. The optimal mTIS cut-off score for distinguishing between mild (75-95 points) and severe (50-74 points) dependence on the BI was ≥ 9.5, with an accuracy of 79%. Patients with an mTIS score ≥ 9.5 (out of 15) showed an 18-fold higher likelihood of achieving a mild level of functional independence than those with a score < 9.5. CONCLUSION: The mTIS, TCT, and PASS-TC showed high test-retest reliability and no systematic errors in chronic stroke patients. The MDC values were reliable, indicating meaningful change. Among these, the mTIS is a sensitive and a useful tool for predicting functional independence in clinical practice and is straightforward to apply.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.51
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• pp.6.1-6.9
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• 2021

Histopathology is a well-established standard diagnosis employed for the majority of malignancies, including breast cancer. Nevertheless, despite training and standardization, it is considered operator-dependent and errors are still a concern. Fractal dimension analysis is a computational image processing technique that allows assessing the degree of complexity in patterns. We aimed here at providing a robust and easily attainable method for introducing computer-assisted techniques to histopathology laboratories. Slides from two databases were used: A) Breast Cancer Histopathological; and B) Grand Challenge on Breast Cancer Histology. Set A contained 2480 images from 24 patients with benign alterations, and 5429 images from 58 patients with breast cancer. Set B comprised 100 images of each type: normal tissue, benign alterations, in situ carcinoma, and invasive carcinoma. All images were analyzed with the FracLac algorithm in the ImageJ computational environment to yield the box count fractal dimension (Db) results. Images on set A on 40x magnification were statistically different (p = 0.0003), whereas images on 400x did not present differences in their means. On set B, the mean Db values presented promising statistical differences when comparing. Normal and/or benign images to in situ and/or invasive carcinoma (all p < 0.0001). Interestingly, there was no difference when comparing normal tissue to benign alterations. These data corroborate with previous work in which fractal analysis allowed differentiating malignancies. Computer-aided diagnosis algorithms may beneficiate from using Db data; specific Db cut-off values may yield ~ 99% specificity in diagnosing breast cancer. Furthermore, the fact that it allows assessing tissue complexity, this tool may be used to understand the progression of the histological alterations in cancer.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.159-168
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• 1999

Swine whipworm(Trichuris suis) is cosmopolitan nematode which can cause serious pathology in immature stage(larva2~larva5) of infected pigs, such as anorexia, diarrhea, anemia, and death in heavy infections. In this larval stages, it is very difficult to diagnose the infection of whipworm and to differentiate from other common swine gastrointestinal disorders such as 21 day scours which are associated with TGE virus, rota virus, coccidium, and the stress of weaning. In this experiment, the isolated antigens of Trichuris spp. were carried out to examine the structure and specificity of antigens and to select the reasonable antigens which would be used in serological diagnosis by electrophoresis, Western blotting, ELISA. The results of this experiment were as follows; 1. The common fractions of each Trichuris suis antigen were identified 28,32,45, 80kDa by SDS-PAGE with silver stain and four major fractions could be detected in positive swine sera by Western blot analysis. 2. The OD(optical density) values of somatic and excretory-secretory antigens which were reacted against positive(negative) sera from pigs infected with Trichuris suis by ELISA reader were; 1) OD values($mean{\pm}SD$) of adult somatic antigen against positive(negative) sera were $0.30{\pm}0.12(0.09{\pm}0.006)$ and third-stage larva of somatic antigen were $0.28{\pm}0.038(0.10{\pm}0.005)$. And OD values of excretory-secretory antigens of adult and third-stage larva were $0.24{\pm}0.031(0.11{\pm}0.005)$ and $0.08{\pm}0.013(0.10{\pm}0.003)$, respectively. 2) OD values of adult somatic, larval somatic antigen and adult excretory-secretory antigen response to positive sera were significantly (p<0.01) associated with negative swine sera. And the Cut-off OD values(minimum positive value) were determined to be mean negative value plus 3 SD that would minimized the risk of false positives. 3. The OD values of somatic antigens of T suis and T vulpis against swine positive(negative) sera were $0.30{\pm}0.120(0.09{\pm}0.006)$ and $0.25{\pm}0.141(0.09{\pm}0.003)$. These data mean that the somatic antigens of T suis and T vulpis were able to diagnose T vulpis infection in dogs as well as T suis infection in pigs. These results suggest that somatic antigen of third-stage larva and excretory-secretory antigen of adult T suis could be used the diagnostic antigen by serological test(ELISA) in immature Trichuris spp. infection.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.145-157
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• 2004

Microscopic freeway simulation models project the uncertain values of performance measures for subject traffic conditions by explaining drivers' driving behavior with lane changing and car-following models. However, the existing lane changing models are limited to gap acceptance oriented passive behavior of drivers and not able to capture more-or-less aggressive driving behavior(e.g. cut-in lane changing) ordinarily obseved in field. This paper suggests the definition of cut-inlane changing and presents its characteristics based on the findings from two different freeway on- and off-ramp sections. In addition, this paper proposes a new lane changing model capable of handling both passive and active drivers' driving behavior for better performance of simulations. The proposed lane changing model was tested with Hanyang Simulatin (HYTSIM), a microscopic freeway simulation program developed for this study. The HYTSIM simulation results reflecting the performance of the proposed lane changing model were compared against the field data. The test results showed that the distribution of gaps collected when vehicles change lanes were statistically identical to the field data at 95% confidence level.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.77-87
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• 1996

In order to compare the difference of the measurement of delta aminolevulinic acid(${\delta}$-ALA) in urine between HPLC method(HALA) and colorimetric method(CALA), and also to provide useful information for the new diagnostic criteria of ${\delta}$-ALA in urine in lead poisoning, if at all possible in the future, authors studied 234 male lead workers who were selected from 7 storage battery factories, 3 secondary smelting industries, and 2 litharge making industries. Study subjects were selected on the basis of blood Zinc protoporphyrin(ZPP) level from low to high concentration to cover wide range of lead exposure. Study variables for this study were ${\delta}$-ALA measured by two different methods, blood lead(PbB), and blood ZPP. The results were as follows: 1. There was very high correlation between ${\delta}$-ALA measured by two method(r = 0.989 : HALA = -0.8194 + 0.8110 ${\times}$ CALA), but the value of CALA was measured about 2mg/L greater than HALA. 2. While the correlations of ${\delta}$-ALA by two method with blood lead and blood ZPP were 0.46 and 0.37 respectively, they were increased to 0.63 and 0.57 if ${\delta}$-ALA values were log-transformed. 3. Simple linear regression of ${\delta}$-ALA measured by two method on ZPP were as follows: CALA = 2.0421 + 0.0341 ${\times}$ ZPP ($R^2=0.1385$ p = 0.0001) HALA = 0.8006 + 0.0280 ${\times}$ ZPP ($R^2=0.1389$ p = 0.0001) 4. Simple linear regression of ${\delta}$-ALA measured by two method on PbB were as follows: CALA = - 0.4134 + 0.1545 ${\times}$ PbB ($R^2=0.2085$ p = 0.0001) HALA = -1.2893 + 0.1287 PbB ($R^2=0.2154$ p = 0.0001), 5. Simple linear regression of log-transformed ${\delta}$-ALA by two method on ZPP and PbB were as follows: logHALA = 0.3078 + 0.0060 ZPP ($R^2=0.3329$ p = 0.0001) logCALA = 1.0189 + 0.0044 ZPP ($R^2=0.3290$ p = 0.0001) logHALA = -0.0221 + 0.0246 PbB ($R^2=0.4046$ p = 0.0001) logCALA = 0.7662 + 0.0184 PbB ($R^2=0.4108$ p = 0.0001) 6. The cumulative percent of colorimetric method to detect lead workers whose value of PbS and ZPP were over screening level such as $40{\mu}/dl$ and $100{\mu}/dl$ respectively was higher than HPLC method if cut-off level of ${\delta}$-ALA for screening of lead poisoning was 5 mg/L. But if cut-off level of ${\delta}$-ALA measured by HPLC was reduced to 3 mg/L which is compatible to 5 mg/L of ${\delta}$-ALA measured by colorimetric method, there were good agreement between two methods and showed dose-response relationship with other lead exposure indices such as PbB and ZPP.