• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.29-33
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• 2021

Purpose Plasma renin activity (PRA) test is important for the diagnosis of primary aldosteronism. PRA is an easily deformed substance in vitro and affected by temperature changes. Laboratory of ASAN medical center has consistently found that there was a difference between the initial and re-experimental results. We compared and analyzed the differences in PRA test results according to the sample storage status. Materials and Methods The measurement of PRA was performed by using the radioimmunoassay. From August to September 2020, 43 PRA re-test samples were tested with different sample storage condition. The first group was re-examined by freezing the plasma-separated samples at -18℃, and the second group was re-examined with refrigerated EDTA sample. Also, additional tests were conducted on 13 PRA samples to verify the effect on thawing temperature differences in plasma-separated samples. The same samples were divided into two parts and stored frozen at -18℃, respectively, and thawing samples in room temperature and those in refrigerator were were conducted. Each result was compared and analyzed based on the initial experimental results. Results The results of re-examination after frozen storing plasma separation samples showed a lower correlation than the results of re-examination with EDTA plasma samples in refrigerator. When calculating the percentage based on the initial test results, the average percentage of each was 404.9% and 133.8%. The correlation coefficient was also R=0.8501 and R=0.9966, respectively, showing a higher correlation between plasma in the refrigerated sample EDTA tube. In comparison experiments with differences in thawing temperature, average percentage of the results of initial test and room temperature thawing was 94.3% and the average percentage of the results of refrigerated thawing was 88.0%. After again freezing the sample, the average percentage of the second room temperature thawing result is 107.5%, and the second refrigerated thawing group is 112.7%. Both groups showed an increase from first thawing. Conclusion A comparative analysis of retesting according to differences in sample storage methods in PRA tests showed a higher correlation between the results of retesting of the refrigerated EDTA plasma. And repeated freezing and melting of plasma separation samples, regardless of temperature during defrosting, has been shown to affect results. Therefore, retest of PRA should re-collect plasma from original EDTA plasma to increase reproducibility.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.25-28
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• 2021

Purpose CA 72-4 is a tumor marker that uses two monoclonal antibodies, CC49 and B72.3, to measure tumor-related glycoprotein(TAG72) in the serum. CA 72-4 is used to diagnose stomach, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers, and is known to perform high specificity for stomach cancer. The purpose of this study is to re-evaluate the reference value provided by the manufacturer through revalidation of the reference value in CA 72-4. Furthermore this study was conducted to provide useful help when making a clinical diagnosis at gastric cancer center. Materials and Methods We selected 271 patients who had been to health care center in national cancer center for the month of November 2020. The gender of the subjects was 140 males and 131 females, and the age group was from 30s to 60s. The reagent used in the study was a CA 72-4 IRMA KIT (ISOTOPES, Hungary) and the results were measured using a Dream Gamma-10 gamma counter (Shinjin medics, Korea). Results Statistical analysis of the results of this study used Hoffmann's method and Bayesian's method, which are primarily used in setting reference value. As a result of measuring CA 72-4 of 271 patients, the mean value was 4.54 U/mL and the median value was 3.30 U/mL. 24 people who deviated from 3SD were excluded from the measured value, the mean calculated after that was 3.53 U/mL, median was 3.00 U/mL and SD was 1.89. The reference value calculated based on this results was set to 7.31 U/mL. Conclusion The reference value provided by the manufacturer is less than 4 U/mL. It is slightly different from the value calculated in this study, 7.31 U/mL, so it seems necessary to reset the reference value according to the laboratory environment. Currently, we are receiving inquiries about the reference value from the center for gastric cancer at National Cancer Center. If additional research is carried out along with this study, it will be possible to set more accurate reference value.

• Journal of the Korean Society for information Management
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.111-129
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• 2022

Insomnia is a chronic disease in modern society, with the number of new patients increasing by more than 20% in the last 5 years. Insomnia is a serious disease that requires diagnosis and treatment because the individual and social problems that occur when there is a lack of sleep are serious and the triggers of insomnia are complex. This study collected 5,699 data from 'insomnia', a community on 'Reddit', a social media that freely expresses opinions. Based on the International Classification of Sleep Disorders ICSD-3 standard and the guidelines with the help of experts, the insomnia corpus was constructed by tagging them as insomnia tendency documents and non-insomnia tendency documents. Five deep learning language models (BERT, RoBERTa, ALBERT, ELECTRA, XLNet) were trained using the constructed insomnia corpus as training data. As a result of performance evaluation, RoBERTa showed the highest performance with an accuracy of 81.33%. In order to in-depth analysis of insomnia social data, topic modeling was performed using the newly emerged BERTopic method by supplementing the weaknesses of LDA, which is widely used in the past. As a result of the analysis, 8 subject groups ('Negative emotions', 'Advice and help and gratitude', 'Insomnia-related diseases', 'Sleeping pills', 'Exercise and eating habits', 'Physical characteristics', 'Activity characteristics', 'Environmental characteristics') could be confirmed. Users expressed negative emotions and sought help and advice from the Reddit insomnia community. In addition, they mentioned diseases related to insomnia, shared discourse on the use of sleeping pills, and expressed interest in exercise and eating habits. As insomnia-related characteristics, we found physical characteristics such as breathing, pregnancy, and heart, active characteristics such as zombies, hypnic jerk, and groggy, and environmental characteristics such as sunlight, blankets, temperature, and naps.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.51-61
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• 2022

Earthenware horn cups with horse head decorations were excavated from Tomb No. 7 of Bokcheon-dong, Dongraegu, Busan Metropolitan City. Made of earth in the shape of a horn, these cups are considered to have been used to drink alcohol or beverage. Large numbers of earthenware horn cups of various shapes were excavated from tombs located in the old territories of Silla and Gaya. A pair of earthenware horn cups were excavated from Tomb No. 7, and the two cups are almost identical in overall shapes and manufacturing techniques despite different sizes. Conservation treatment was carried out for the bigger one of the two horn cups this time. There are two cracks toward the horse head decorations around the mouth with missing parts observed. The chest of the horse touches the ground with one side decorating the horse head and the other side facing the conical mouth of the horn cup. It is in the U shape, striking a balance based on two legs attached behind. The surface of the horn cup was made with a potter's wheel, and the connection to the horse head has traces of cutting and trimming. The horse head is expressed realistically with its features including the ears, eyes, nose, and mouth well apprehended and its color is grey This study intended to investigate manufacturing techniques of the artifact by examining its internal structure through the condition survey in a non-destructive way. CT imaging was used to figure out its manufacturing techniques and to diagnose its condition, and accordingly the scientific conservation treatment was conducted to stabilize the artifact. The precise diagnosis on conservation condition found that there are two chips in the spout with their cracks extended. One of the chips is connected with separation added to the crack. The material which has been used for connection in the past was collected for the infrared spectroscopic analysis, which was identified to be nitrocellulose resin for the connection. Therefore, this conservation treatment focused on removing the old material and preventing the spread of cracks. Before conservation treatment, the condition survey and scientific examination for the artifact were carried out to secure data about the earthenware horn cup with horse head decorations(Treasure). Based on them, effective plans for its conservation treatment was sought for and then existing adhesive was safely removed, and restoration material was selected to take into account its reversibility. In addition, the conservation treatment according to optimal methodologies was conducted through the consultation meeting with experts.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.85 no.1
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• pp.56-66
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• 2022

Background: Because the etiologies of bronchiectasis and related diseases vary significantly among different regions and ethnicities, this study aimed to develop a diagnostic bundle for bronchiectasis in South Korea. Methods: A modified Delphi method was used to develop expert consensus statements on a diagnostic bundle for bronchiectasis in South Korea. Initial statements proposed by a core panel, based on international bronchiectasis guidelines, were discussed in an online meeting and two email surveys by a panel of experts (≥70% agreement). Results: The study involved 21 expert participants, and 30 statements regarding a diagnostic bundle for bronchiectasis were classified as recommended, conditional, or not recommended. The consensus statements of the expert panel were as follows: A standardized diagnostic bundle is useful in clinical practice; diagnostic tests for specific diseases, including immunodeficiency and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, are necessary when clinically suspected; initial diagnostic tests, including sputum microbiology and spirometry, are essential in all patients with bronchiectasis, and patients suspected with rare causes such as primary ciliary dyskinesia should be referred to specialized centers. Conclusion: Based on this Delphi survey, expert consensus statements were generated including specific diagnostic, laboratory, microbiological, and pulmonary function tests required to manage patients with bronchiectasis in South Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.34-41
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• 2021

Purpose: To evaluate the long-term clinical results and survivorship of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) in elderly patients older than 70 years by analyzing cases that have been implanted for >10 years ago. Materials and Methods: The long-term follow-up results were evaluated in 39 patients (46 cases) who underwent medial UKA from March 2002 to February 2004. The mean age of the patients at the time of surgery was 74.0 years, and the preoperative diagnosis was degenerative arthritis of the knee in all cases. Results: Of the 46 cases, reoperation occurred due to the complications in four cases. In 22 cases without 14 cases of death and six cases of follow-up loss, follow-up more than 10 years was possible. The mean Knee Society knee and function scores improved significantly from 53.0 and 52.5 points pre-operatively to 89.4 and 80.9 points at the last follow-up, respectively (p<0.001). The mean range of motion of the knee recovered to 132.5°, and the mean tibiofemoral angle changed to 5.9° of valgus at the last follow-up. Complications following the UKA occurred in four cases; the most prevalent complication was mobile bearing dislocation (n=2). One case of failure occurred due to aseptic loosening and degenerative arthritis of the lateral compartment, respectively. The cumulative survival rate of the implants was 95.0% at 10 years and 85.7% at 15 years. Of the 40 cases, excluding six cases of follow-up loss, 36 cases (90.0%) could be used without reoperation until death or at the last follow-up after surgery. Conclusion: These results showed the outstanding functions of the knee and satisfactory long-term survivorship after UKA. Therefore, UKA could be a useful method for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee in elderly patients older than 70 years of age.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.281-293
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• 2020

An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is one of the most frequent surgical procedures in the knee joint, but despite the better understanding of anatomy and biomechanics, surgical reconstruction procedures still fail to restore rotational stability in 7%-16% of patients. Hence, many studies have attempted to identify the factors for rotational laxity, including the anterolateral ligament (ALL), but still showed controversies. Descriptions of the ALL anatomy are also confused by overlapping nomenclature, but it is usually known as a distinctive fiber running in an anteroinferior and oblique direction from the lateral epicondyle of the femur to the proximal anterolateral tibia, between the fibular head and Gerdy's tubercle. The importance of the ALL as a secondary restraint in the knee has been emphasized for successful ACL reconstructions that can restore rotational stability, but there is still some controversy. Some studies reported that the ALL could be a restraint to the tibial rotation, but not to anterior tibial translation. On the other hand, some studies reported that the role of ALL in rotational stability would be limited as a secondary structure because it bears loads only beyond normal biomechanical motion. The diagnosis of an ALL injury can be performed by a physical examination, radiology examination, and magnetic resonance imaging, but it should be assessed using a multimodal approach. Recently, ALL was considered one of the anterolateral complex structures, as well as the Kaplan fiber in the iliotibial band. Many studies have introduced many indications and treatment options, but there is still some debate. The treatment methods are introduced mainly as ALL reconstructions or lateral extra-articular tenodesis, which can achieve additional benefit to the knee stability. Further studies will be needed on the indications and proper surgical methods of ALL treatment.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.15-21
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• 2021

Purpose: Urea cycle disorder (UCD) is an inherited inborn error of metabolism, acting on each step of urea cycle that cause various phenotypes. The purpose of the study was to investigate the long-term clinical consequences in different groups of UCD to characterize it. Methods: Twenty-two patients with UCD genetically confirmed were enrolled at Pusan National University Children's hospital and reviewed clinical features, biochemical and genetic features retrospectively. Results: UCD diagnosed in the present study included ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency (OTCD) (n=10, 45.5%), argininosuccinate synthase 1 deficiency (ASSD) (n=6, 27.3%), carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase 1 deficiency (CPS1D) (n=3, 13.6%), hyperornithinemia-hyperammonemia-homocitrullinuria syndrome (HHHS) (n=2, 9.1%), and arginase-1 deficiency (ARG1D) (n=1, 4.5%). The age at the diagnosis was 32.7±66.2 months old (range 0.1 to 228.0 months). Eight (36.4%) patients with UCD displayed short stature. Neurologic sequelae were observed in eleven (50%) patients with UCD. Molecular analysis identified 37 different mutation types (14 missense, 6 nonsense, 6 deletion, 6 splicing, 3 delins, 1 insertion, and 1 duplication) including 14 novel variants. Progressive growth impairment and poor neurological outcomes were associated with plasma isoleucine and leucine concentrations, respectively. Conclusion: Although combinations of treatments such as nutritional restriction of proteins and use of alternative pathways for discarding excessive nitrogen are extensively employed, the prognosis of UCD remains unsatisfactory. Prospective clinical trials are necessary to evaluate whether supplementation with BCAAs might improve growth or neurological outcomes and decrease metabolic crisis episodes in patients with UCD.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.211-219
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• 2022

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the awareness of work-related disease prevention of farmers. Method: As a research method, a qualitative focus group interview was conducted in 18 participants. Results: Prevention and management services for work-related diseases of farmers mostly are based on research from other fields and so are not highly effective because their content is not relevant to agricultural work. It has been suggested that such program designers be required to have some appropriate related knowledge, and that incentives and a certification system for participation in such education be established. To analyze work-related diseases of farmers, fields of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation should be created. They demanded the designation of hospitals and the actualization of compensation for farmers' safety insurance. The work-related diseases to address were include musculoskeletal diseases, pesticide poisoning-related diseases (cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease), psychiatric diseases such as depression, and allergic diseases. However, this must have been the result of the harmful factors they felt during agricultural work. And for farmer patients diagnosed with work-related diseases, it was said to strengthen farmer safety insurance. Conclusion: In order to increase the safely and health effects of agricultural work, it is necessary to prevent and manage work-related diseases of farmers. Projects should be developed in consideration of cultural and economic barriers of farmers and the characteristics of the work.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.359-375
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• 2022

Purpose: Adult Korean men belonging to the main economically active population are known to have long sedentary hours. This study was undertaken to determine the difference and relevance of sedentary hours on the nutrition, diet, and health status of adult men, and to suggest how to prevent health risk factors. Methods: Subjects (n = 1,068) were classified into 4 groups based on their sedentary hours, ranging from the first quartile (Q1) having the least hours spent sitting, to the fourth quartile (Q4) spending the longest hours. Results: Subjects belonging to Q4 had the lowest average age, the largest waist circumference, and the highest level of education. Among those engaged in economic activities, the ratio of white-collar workers was significantly higher in Q4. Accordingly, the rate of not doing high-intensity or moderate-intensity physical activity while working was also the highest in Q4. A significant difference was obtained in the drinking frequency between groups, but this was found to be associated with the average working hours rather than sedentary hours. The proportion of not doing aerobic exercise was higher with longer sitting hours. The highest diagnosis of diabetes (8.8%) was obtained in the Q4 group. Among the factors related to cardiovascular disease, only low density lipoprotein-cholesterol showed a significant difference, with Q4 being significantly higher than Q1. Considering energy and nutrient intake, vitamin B₁ and calcium intake were the lowest in the group with the longest sitting hours, as well as the least consumption of vitamin C than the recommended estimated average requirement. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the health and nutritional status of Korean adult men are affected by sedentary hours. This should be recognized as a health risk factor and guidelines need to be developed for sedentary lifestyle management.