• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.81-86
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• 2016

Cystatin C is a low molecular weight 13 kilodalton protein. It is known to be a more sensitive marker of glomerular filtration rate than creatinine in humans. The purpose of the present study was to demonstrate the changes of renal markers including cystatin C according to the severity of chronic mitral valve insufficiency (CMVI) and to investigate the clinical relevance of cystatin C as an early renal marker in dogs with CMVI. A retrospective study was performed to assess renal function according to International Small Animal Cardiac Health Council (ISACHC) system classification of heart failure in dogs with CMVI. Thirty seven dogs were divided into a group 1 (healthy dogs ; n = 10), a group 2 (ISACHC I ; n = 10) and a group 3 (ISACHC II-III ; n = 17). In all dogs, serum concentrations of bun (sUr), creatinine (sCr) and cystatin C (sCys-C) were measured with an automated analyzer. In dogs with CMVI, sCys-C concentrations were significantly correlated with sCr concentrations and were independent of age, BW, SBP, and sex. Renal dysfunction tended to occur more frequently as the severity of CMVI increases. In dogs with mild CMVI, only sCys-C concentrations were statistically higher than in healthy dogs. This study demonstrates the clinical relevance of sCys-C. sCys-C may be a valuable renal marker for early diagnosis of renal dysfunction in dogs with CMVI.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.51-57
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if monocular and binocular accommodative facility tests would be useful in diagnosing general binocular dysfunctions. Methods: 95 symptomatic children, who were selected from comprehensive vision tests, were classified into four groups (29 subjects with accommodative dysfunctions, 28 subjects with vergence dysfunctions, 25 subjects with combined accommodative and vergence dysfunctions, 13 subjects with normal binocular functions). Monocular and binocular accommodative facility was measured with ${\pm}$2.00 D flipper lenses. Results: Statistical analysis revealed that binocular accommodative facility measurement was significantly lower than monocular accommodative measurement in the vergence dysfunction group (p<0.01). However, there were no differences between monocular and binocular accommodative facility measurements in the group of accommodative or combined accommodative and vergence dysfunction (p>0.05). In addition, subjects with general binocular dysfunctions performed significantly poorer than subjects with normal binocular function on monocular and binocular accommodative facility (p<0.000). Conclusions: As a result of this study, monocular and binocular accommodative facility test, which could differentiate dysfunction from normal as well as between dysfunctions, indicated useful means for diagnosis of general binocular dysfunctions.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.219-226
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• 2012

Objectives: To evaluate the risk of fractures related with zolpidem in elderly insomnia patients. Methods: Health claims data on the entire South Korean elderly population from January 2005 to June 2006 were extracted from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database. We applied a case-crossover design. Cases were defined as insomnia patients who had a fracture diagnosis. We set the hazard period of 1 day length prior to the fracture date and four control periods of the same length at 5, 10, 15, and 20 weeks prior to the fracture date. Time independent confounding factors such as age, gender, lifestyle, cognitive function level, mobility, socioeconomic status, residential environment, and comorbidity could be controlled using the case-crossover design. Time dependent confounding factors, especially co-medication of patients during the study period, were adjusted by conditional logistic regression analysis. The odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated for the risk of fracture related to zolpidem. Results: One thousand five hundred and eight cases of fracture were detected in insomnia patients during the study period. In our data, the use of zolpidem increased the risk of fracture significantly (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.72; 95% CI, 1.37 to 2.16). However, the association between benzodiazepine hypnotics and the risk of fracture was not statistically significant (aOR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.21). Likewise, the results were not statistically significant in stratified analysis with each benzodiazepine generic subgroup. Conclusions: Zolpidem could increase the risk of fracture in elderly insomnia patients. Therefore zolpidem should be prescribed carefully and the elderly should be provided with sufficient patient education.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.107-114
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and long-term clinical effects of hypertension in Korean childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) patients. Methods: The medical records of SLE patients, diagnosed by 2019 SLE European League Against Rheumatism/American College of Rheumatology (EULAR/ACR) classification criteria, who visited Samsung Medical Center from January 2009 to May 2019 were reviewed. Disease activity and long-term damage were evaluated using the Modified Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) and the Pediatric Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/ACR Damage Index (Ped-SDI), respectively. The sex-, age- and height-blood pressure standards recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics 2017 guideline was used to define hypertension. Results: A total of 32 patients were enrolled in this study. The median follow-up duration was 7.3 years and females were predominant. The median ages at SLE and hypertension diagnoses were 14.2 and 14.3 years, respectively. The biopsy-proven lupus nephritis was detected in 90.6% and 37.5% were class IV. During the follow-up, 12 patients (37.5%) had hypertension. Among them, 2 patients had 3 episodes of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome and 5 patients had left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Univariate analysis showed baseline hypertension was significantly correlated with a lower estimated glomerular filtration rate, higher body mass index and SLEDAI at baseline. The development of hypertension during the follow-up was significantly correlated with obesity, LVH, and higher Ped-SDI. Conclusion: Our study revealed that hypertension in pediatric SLE is associated with obesity and renal function at SLE diagnosis and could affect long-term damage.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.22-25
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• 2007

Background and Objectives: Biomedical signals have been usually used for the diagnosis of the laryngeal function such as speech, electroglottograph(EGG), airflow and other signals. But, in most cases these signals were analysed separately. Here, we propose a new interchannel parameter Glottal Closure Delay Ratio(GCDR) which is estimated from speech and EGG measured simultaneously. Materials and Method: Speech and EGG signal were recorded simultaneously from 13 normal subjects, 39 patients. The patients' data included 16 polyps and 23 vocal folds palsy. Time difference between glottal closing instance on EGG and the first maximum peak on speech in a pitch period was calculated. Glottal closing instance was defined as the maximum peak on the first derivative of EGG signal(dEGG). Results: The standard deviation and jitter were calculated using 20-30 GCDRs extracted from each data, and they are significant different between normal and vocal fold paralysis group. Conclusion: The GCDR may be the first index reflecting speech and EGG characteristics and the perturbation of this parameter was significant different between normal and vocal fold paralysis group.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.57-89
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• 1992

This study is aimed both to reorient the Health net-works focused to Health Subcenters in times of development of local autonomy in Korea and to collect the fundamental data such as attitude and practice of the directors of Health Subcenter. The materials are collected from 134 out of 258 sampling directors of Health Subcenters with a questionaire by mailing(respond rate 51.9%). The major findings of this fundamental data are as follows. 1. Current average number of outpatients cared by a director of Health Subcenter is found to be 21.6. 2. The directors of Health Subcenter have little deducted hours for Public Health Programme. 3. Number of the Preventive Health Programme worked by a director of Health Subcenter is from 0 to 3. The most major group worked only 1 programme marked at 69.4%. 4. The directors of Health Subcenter express approval opinin marked at 80.2% that their qualification to appoint has to finish intern course. 5. The average diagnosis allowance a month is approximately twenty hundred thousand won. 6. Most of Health Subcenter(market at 94%) adopted a self-supporting account system. 7. The most complaining subject of directors of Health Subcenter is their working environment. The second complaining subject is governmental officier's interference. 8. The average number of outpatients cared by a director of Health Subcenter is found to be certain differentials by their marriage and the duration of employment. Some proposals of development on Health Subcenter based on the result of this research is as follows : 1. The reorganization on Health Subcenter under line of National Health Center Net-work 2. The psychological reorientation of directors of Health Sucenter and officers. 3. Autonomy management of Health Subcenter. 4. Reorientation of status on directors of Health Subcenter.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.sup1
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• pp.128-132
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• 2001

Aneurysm of the basilar artery trunk are rare and the surgical approach is very difficult because of the complexity of surgical anatomy around the basilar trunk and the vulnerable adjacent neurovascular structures. The development of brain CT and MRI makes the accurate diagnosis and produces the improvement of surgical approaches at the lesion of the skull base. One of the surgical approaches of basilar trunk aneurysms, the retrolabyrinthine presigmoid transtentorial transpetrosal approach to the aneurysm of the basilar trunk has some advantages of minimal retraction of cerebellum and temporal lobe, intact auditory and facial nerve function by the preservation of the vestibulocochlear and facial nerves, a preservation of sigmoid sinus and vein of Labbe and a relatively good operation field. We had a good result with this approach for the patient of basilar trunk aneurysm and reported the case with the review of literatures.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.61 no.6
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• pp.767-773
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• 2018

Three male patients diagnosed with surfer's myelopathy (19-30 years) were admitted to our hospital. All three patients were novice surfers showing a typical clinical course of rapid progression of paraplegia following the onset of back pain. Typical history and magnetic resonance imaging features indicated the diagnosis of surfer's myelopathy. Two patients received high-dose steroid therapy and the other was treated with induced hypertension. One patient treated with induced hypertension showed almost full recovery; however, two patients who received high-dose steroid therapy remained completely paraplegic and required catheterization for bladder and bowel dysfunction despite months of rehabilitation. Our case series demonstrates the potentially devastating neurological outcome of surfer's myelopathy; however, early recovery in the initial 24-72 hours of presentation can occur in some patients, which is in accordance with previous reports. Ischemic insult to the spinal cord is thought to play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of surfer's myelopathy. Treatment recommendations include hydration, induced hypertension, early spinal angiography with intra-arterial intervention, intravenous tissue plasminogen activator, and high-dose steroid therapy; however, there is no standardized treatment option available. Early recovery appears to be important for long-term neurological outcome. Induced hypertension for initial treatment can be helpful for improving spinal cord perfusion; therefore, it is important for early and long-term neurological recovery. Education and awareness are essential for preventing surfer's myelopathy and avoiding further deterioration of neurological function.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.79 no.6
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• pp.332-336
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• 2018

Renal artery injury is a rare complication in blunt trauma, but can cause devascularization of the kidney, leading to renal failure. It requires early diagnosis and management. The treatment of renal artery injury still remains controversial, but recent studies have reported the successful treatment outcome with endovascular stent placement. Nevertheless, there is no standard treatment strategy in cases of pediatric patients. We report a case of a 16-year-old girl with right renal artery occlusion associated with a grade IV liver laceration. She was treated with only balloon angioplasty, and the kidney showed marked improvement of parenchymal perfusion with normalized renal function. Treatment with only balloon angioplasty can be a treatment option in pediatric patients with renal artery injury.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.17-24
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• 2014

This paper proposes a fault detection method for low-speed rolling element bearings of an induction motor using acoustic emission signals and histogram modeling. The proposed method performs envelop modeling of the histogram of normalized fault signals. It then extracts and selects significant features of each fault using partial autocorrelation coefficients and distance evaluation technique, respectively. Finally, using the extracted features as inputs, the support vector regression (SVR) classifies bearing's inner, outer, and roller faults. To obtain optimal classification performance, we evaluate the proposed method with varying an adjustable parameter of the Gaussian radial basis function of SVR from 0.01 to 1.0 and the number of features from 2 to 150. Experimental results show that the proposed fault identification method using 0.64-0.65 of the adjustable parameter and 75 features achieves 91% in classification performance and outperforms conventional fault diagnosis methods as well.