• Endocrinology and Metabolism
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• 제33권4호
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• pp.466-472
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• 2018

Background: Thyroid dysfunction is associated with negative neonatal and obstetric outcomes. Large differences in thyroid function reference intervals exist across different populations. These differences can be explained by population-specific factors, such as iodine status. Many countries in Latin America report iodine sufficiency, but relatively few countries have published up-to-date data on iodine levels and thyroid function in the overall population, and especially in pregnant women. We evaluated the iodine status of pregnant women in Chile and determined thyroid hormone reference ranges in this population. Methods: This was a prospective observational study of healthy Chilean women at their first prenatal visit before week 14. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), total thyroxine ($T_4$), free $T_4$, antithyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb), and iodine levels from spot urine samples were measured. Iodine status and the reference ranges for TSH were calculated. Results: A total of 1,022 pregnant women in the first trimester were selected. Urinary iodine levels were measured in 302 randomly-selected women. The median urinary iodine concentration was $173.45{\mu}g/L$ (interquartile range, 108.11 to 249.35).The reference ranges of TSH were calculated in 670 patients selected according to the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry guidelines. The median TSH level was $1.88{\mu}IU/mL$ (2.5th percentile: 0.13 to 97.5th percentile: 5.37). Using the reference range in the 1,022 women, the prevalence of clinical hypothyroidism was 1.76%, and that of subclinical hypothyroidism was 3.92%. TPOAb positivity was more common in women with TSH levels above $3.5{\mu}IU/mL$. Conclusion: We found adequate iodine intake and a right-shifted distribution of serum TSH levels in pregnant women in Chile. The prevalence of hypothyroidism in our sample of pregnant women was higher than has been described in the literature.

• 말소리와 음성과학
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.17-25
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• 2023

이 논문은 국립국어원에서 배포한 한국인 대화 음성 말뭉치에서 화자의 성대의 진동을 나타내는 fundamental frequency(f0)값을 측정해서 한국인이 일상 대화를 할 때 f0값의 기초적인 통계자료를 살펴보고, 나이와 f0값의 분포는 어떤 관계를 보이는지를 조사했다. 연구자료 수집과 분석은 Praat과 R을 이용했고, 개인별 억양구마다 상자도를 구하고 사분위값을 활용하여 극단값을 제거하는 방법으로 최종 f0값 자료를 구했다. 그 결과 전체 한국인들의 f0값의 평균값은 185 Hz이고 중앙값은 187 Hz로 나왔다. 자료의 분포모양을 나타내는 왜도는 0.11의 정적분포를 보였고, 첨도는 -0.09로 정상분포에 거의 가까운 모양을 보였다. 일상대화의 피치값의 변화범위로는 238 Hz로 나타났다. 남녀 간의 f0값의 차이는 남성의 중앙값 114 Hz의 거의 두 배에 해당하는 199 Hz가 여성의 중앙값으로 나타났고 t검증결과 유의미한 차이를 보였다. 분포모양을 나타내는 왜도는 남성이 1.24이었고, 여성은 그것의 반에 해당하는 0.58이었다. 첨도는 남녀집단 각각 5.21과 3.88로 나타나 남성의 값이 34% 정도 더 뾰족한 모양을 보였다. 연령대별로는 남녀집단을 합하여 볼 때, 나이가 들수록 f0값이 서서히 내려가는 경향을 보였다. 연령대별 f0중앙값과 나이 간의 회귀분석을 실행한 결과 기울기가 남성집단에서는 0.15, 여성집단에서는 -0.586으로 서로 반대되는 경향을 기록했다. 결론적으로, 대규모 참여자가 녹음한 대화 음성에서 한국인의 집단별 연령별 다양한 f0분포를 규명할 수 있지만, 나이와 f0관계는 더 정밀한 자료수집이 필요함을 알 수 있었다.

• 벤처창업연구
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.1-13
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• 2022

청년창업의 중요성과 청년창업 지원은 지속적으로 증가하고 있다. 하지만 청년창업은 일반창업 보다 실패할 가능성이 높으며 이에 대한 원인 또한 미시적·거시적으로 다양하다. 이러한 상황에서 청년창업자가 창업을 성공하기 위해 어떻게 대처해야하는지 대안이 제시되지 않는 실정이다. 따라서 본 연구는 청년창업자에게 창업교육, 창업보육, 창업 멘토링·코칭을 수행하는 창업전문가를 대상으로 델파이 기법을 적용하여 청년창업 성공요인을 도출하였다. 이를 통해 기존 사례 연구에서 파악하지 못하였던 창업현장에서의 청년창업 성공요인을 파악하여 청년창업자에게 청년창업 성공요인에 대한 궁금증을 해소할 수 있도록 도움을 주고자 한다. 또한 청년창업자가 창업을 진행하면서 고려해야 하는 여러 요인 중 우선적으로 확보하거나 수행해야하는 요인을 파악하고 제한된 자원을 효율적이고 효과적으로 사용하여 창업성공을 할 수 있도록 기여하는 것을 목적으로 한다. 본 연구에서 델파이 조사는 총 2차에 걸쳐 진행하였다. 델파이 1차 조사는 구조화된 폐쇄형 문항(Closed-ended)을 사용한 수정 델파이 기법(Modified Delphi Method)을 활용하였으며, 수정 델파이 기법의 문제를 보완하기 위해 청년창업자 및 창업전문가를 대상으로 사전조사(Pilot Test)를 실시하였다. 델파이 1차 조사에서 IBM SPSS Statistics 22와 Microsoft Office Excel 2016을 활용하여 평균(Mean), 표준편차(Standard Deviation), 중위수(Median), 사분범위(Inter Quartile Range), 내용타당도 비율(Content Validity Ratio)을 산출하였으며, 델파이 2차 조사에서는 1차 조사에서의 동일한 통계적 수치와 추가적으로 크론바흐 알파(cronbach's α)를 산출하였다. 델파이 조사결과, 창업자특성, 창업준비, 창업전략, 창업환경의 4개 상위요인과 22개의 하위요인을 청년창업 성공요인으로 도출하였다.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제25권6호
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• pp.540-549
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• 2024

Objective: This study investigated the feasibility and prognostic relevance of threshold-based quantification of myocardial delayed enhancement (MDE) on CT in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM). Materials and Methods: Forty-three patients with NIDCM (59.3 ± 17.1 years; 21 male) were included in the study and underwent cardiac CT and MRI. MDE was quantified manually and with a threshold-based quantification method using cutoffs of 2, 3, and 4 standard deviations (SDs) on three sets of CT images (100 kVp, 120 kVp, and 70 keV). Interobserver agreement in MDE quantification was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Agreement between CT and MRI was evaluated using the Bland-Altman method and the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). Patients were followed up for the subsequent occurrence of the primary composite outcome, including cardiac death, heart transplantation, heart failure hospitalization, or appropriate use of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate event-free survival according to MDE levels. Results: Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was observed in 29 patients (67%, 29/43), and the mean LGE found with the 5-SD threshold was 4.1% ± 3.6%. The 4-SD threshold on 70-keV CT showed excellent interobserver agreement (ICC = 0.810) and the highest concordance with MRI (CCC = 0.803). This method also yielded the smallest bias with the narrowest range of 95% limits of agreement compared to MRI (bias, -0.119%; 95% limits of agreement, -4.216% to 3.978%). During a median follow-up of 1625 days (interquartile range, 712-1430 days), 10 patients (23%, 10/43) experienced the primary composite outcome. Event-free survival significantly differed between risk subgroups divided by the optimal MDE cutoff of 4.3% (log-rank P = 0.005). Conclusion: The 4-SD threshold on 70-keV monochromatic CT yielded results comparable to those of MRI for quantifying MDE as a marker of myocardial fibrosis, which showed prognostic value in patients with NIDCM.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제24권10호
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• pp.974-982
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• 2023

Objective: Recent studies have highlighted the active and potential role of perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) in atherosclerosis and aneurysm progression, respectively. This study explored the link between PVAT attenuation and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) progression using computed tomography angiography (CTA). Materials and Methods: This multicenter retrospective study analyzed patients with AAA who underwent CTA at baseline and follow-up between March 2015 and July 2022. The following parameters were obtained: maximum diameter and total volume of the AAA, presence or absence of intraluminal thrombus (ILT), maximum diameter and volume of the ILT, and PVAT attenuation of the aortic aneurysm at baseline CTA. PVAT attenuation was divided into high (> -73.4 Hounsfield units [HU]) and low (≤ -73.4 HU). Patients who had or did not have AAA progression during the follow-up, defined as an increase in the aneurysm volume > 10 mL from baseline, were identified. Kaplan-Meier and multivariable Cox regression analyses were used to investigate the association between PVAT attenuation and AAA progression. Results: Our study included 167 participants (148 males; median age: 70.0 years; interquartile range: 63.0-76.0 years), of which 145 (86.8%) were diagnosed with AAA accompanied by ILT. Over a median period of 11.3 months (range: 6.0-85.0 months), AAA progression was observed in 67 patients (40.1%). Multivariable Cox regression analysis indicated that high baseline PVAT attenuation (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 2.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16-4.32; P = 0.017) was independently associated with AAA progression. This association was demonstrated within the patients of AAA with ILT subcohort, where a high baseline PVAT attenuation (aHR = 2.23; 95% CI, 1.08-4.60; P = 0.030) was consistently independently associated with AAA progression. Conclusion: Elevated PVAT attenuation is independently associated with AAA progression, including patients of AAA with ILT, suggesting the potential of PVAT attenuation as a predictive imaging marker for AAA expansion.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제33권4호
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• pp.386-394
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• 2020

Background: In the emergency department (ED), adequate pain control is essential for managing patients; however, children with pain are known to receive less analgesia than adults with pain. We introduce the Pain Passport to improve pain management in paediatric patients with suspected fractures in the ED. Methods: This was a before-and-after study. We reviewed the medical records of paediatric patients who were primarily diagnosed with fractures from May to August 2015. After the introduction of the Pain Passport, eligible children were enrolled from May to August 2016. Demographics, analgesic administration rates, time intervals between ED arrival and analgesic administration, and satisfaction scores were obtained. We compared the analgesic prescription rate between the two periods using multiple logistic regression. Results: A total of 58 patients were analysed. The baseline characteristics of subjects during the two periods were not significantly different. Before the introduction of the Pain Passport, 9 children (31.0%) were given analgesics, while after the introduction of the Pain Passport, a significantly higher percentage of patients (24/29, 82.8%) were treated with analgesics (P < 0.001). The median administration times were 112 (interquartile range [IQR], 64-150) minutes in the pre-intervention period and 24 (IQR, 20-74) minutes in the post-intervention period. The median satisfaction score for the post-intervention period was 4 (IQR, 3-5). The adjusted odds ratio for providing analgesics in the post-intervention period was 25.91 (95% confidence interval, 4.36-154.02). Conclusions: Patient-centred pain scoring with the Pain Passport improved pain management in patients with suspected fractures in the paediatric ED.

• 농촌의학ㆍ지역보건
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• 제42권1호
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• pp.24-35
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• 2017

이 연구의 목적은 한국형 일차의료 평가 도구(KPCAT)를 이용하여 한 농촌 지역 보건소의 일차의료의 질을 평가하는 것이다. 또 이 연구에서는 KPCAT 적용 및 결과 해석과 관계된 몇 가지 방법론적 이슈를 검토하였다. 농촌 보건소 진료 의사에게 4회 이상 진료받은 환자 79명이 KPCAT 설문에 응답하였다. 응답자의 특성을 빈도와 백분율, 중앙값과 사분위 범위, 평균과 표준 편차로 제시하였다. 일차의료의 질은 KPCAT 총점과 영역별 점수의 중앙값과 사분위 범위로 제시하였고 최댓값과 최솟값, 기대 점수와 함께 방사형 도표로 제시하였다. KPCAT 문항별 점수와 중앙값과 사분위 범위, 기대 점수 이상 응답자 비율, 잘 모름 응답자 비율을 제시하였다. 연구 대상 농촌 지역 보건소 일차의료 질의 중앙값과 사분위 범위는 각각 45점, 16점이었다. KPCAT 영역별 점수 중앙값이 기대 점수에 이른 영역은 최초 접촉 하나였다. KPCAT 문항별 점수가 기대 점수 이상인 응답자 비율이 50% 미만인 문항은 포괄성 4문항 중 2개, 조정 기능 3문항 전부, 전인적 의료 5문항 중 2개, 가족 및 지역 사회 지향성 4문항 전부였다. 잘 모름 응답의 처리 방침 개선, 잘 모름 응답률이 높은 문항의 타당성 검토, 응답 척도의 내용과 점수의 일치 등이 방법론적 개선 과제였다. 농촌 지역 보건소 일차의료의 질은 개선할 여지가 많았다. 특히 조정 기능과 가족 및 지역 사회 지향성 영역의 개선 필요성이 두드러졌다. KPCAT의 방법론적 개선을 통하여 타당하고 신뢰성 있는 일차의료 평가가 이루어지기를 기대한다.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.78-84
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• 2018

Purpose: To investigate the hemodynamic risk factors for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), we analyzed the characteristics of descending aorta (DA) blood flow in preterm neonates, who later developed NEC. Methods: This was an observational case-control study on 53 preterm neonates at a tertiary referral center. Clinical and echocardiographic data were collected from 23 preterm neonates with NEC (NEC group), and compared with those of 30 preterm neonates without NEC (control group). Echocardiography was done at a median (interquartile range) of 5 (3-9) days after birth and 2 (1-2.5) days before the diagnosis of NEC. Results: Basic clinical characteristics including gestational age, birth weight, Apgar score, breast feeding status, use of umbilical catheters, and mode of invasive ventilator care were similar between the groups. Compared with the control group, the lowest diastolic velocity of DA was significantly decreased, whereas the diastolic reverse flow and the ratio of diastolic reverse to systolic forward flows were significantly increased in the NEC group. In addition, the resistive index (RI) of DA was significantly increased in the NEC group and showed a positive association with the development of NEC. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that increasing RI of DA was an independent risk factor for the development of NEC (P=0.008). Conclusion: Significant changes in DA flow characteristics including decreased diastolic velocity and increased diastolic reverse flow along with increased peripheral vascular resistance were observed before the development of NEC in preterm neonates. These findings may help clinicians stratify in advance neonates at a risk of developing NEC and may help improve outcomes in these neonates.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제49권5호
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• pp.329-341
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• 2016

Objectives: The goal of this study was to investigate the short-term effect of ambient air pollution on emergency department (ED) visits in Seoul for asthma according to patients' prior history of allergic diseases. Methods: Data on ED visits from 2005 to 2009 were obtained from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. To evaluate the risk of ED visits for asthma related to ambient air pollutants (carbon monoxide [CO], nitrogen dioxide [$NO_2$], ozone [$O_3$], sulfur dioxide [$SO_2$], and particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <$10{\mu}m$ [$PM_{10}$]), a generalized additive model with a Poisson distribution was used; a single-lag model and a cumulative-effect model (average concentration over the previous 1-7 days) were also explored. The percent increase and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated for each interquartile range (IQR) increment in the concentration of each air pollutant. Subgroup analyses were done by age, gender, the presence of allergic disease, and season. Results: A total of 33 751 asthma attack cases were observed during the study period. The strongest association was a 9.6% increase (95% CI, 6.9% to 12.3%) in the risk of ED visits for asthma per IQR increase in $O_3$ concentration. IQR changes in $NO_2$ and $PM_{10}$ concentrations were also significantly associated with ED visits in the cumulative lag 7 model. Among patients with a prior history of allergic rhinitis or atopic dermatitis, the risk of ED visits for asthma per IQR increase in $PM_{10}$ concentration was higher (3.9%; 95% CI, 1.2% to 6.7%) than in patients with no such history. Conclusions: Ambient air pollutants were positively associated with ED visits for asthma, especially among subjects with a prior history of allergic rhinitis or atopic dermatitis.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• 제24권2호
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• pp.89-94
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• 2011

Purpose: A few studies have assessed the factors affecting the prognoses for major trauma patients and those improving the circumstances when dealing with the trauma system. In that light, we analyzed factors, such as pre-hospital factors, the time to admission, the length of stay in the emergency department (ED) and emergency operation, influencing the outcomes for trauma patients. Methods: The patients who visited our emergency department from April 1, 2009, to February 29, 2011, due to major trauma were enrolled in the study. The inclusion criterion was a revised trauma score (RTS) < 7 or injury severity score (ISS) ${\geq}$ 16. We used reviews of medical records, to analyze each step of emergency medical care with respect to patients' sex, age, visit time and visit date. Continuous variables were described as a median with an interquartile range, and we compared the variables between the survival and the mortality groups by using the Mann-Whitney U test. Fisher's exact test was used for nominal variables. Using the variables that showed statistical significance in univariate comparisons, we performed a logistic regression analysis, and we tested the model's adequacy by the using the Hosmer-Lemeshow method. Results: A total of 261 patients with major trauma satisfied either the RTS score criterion or the ISS score criterion. Excluding 12 patients with missing data, 249 patients were included in this study. The overall mortality rate was 16.9%. Time to ED arrival, time to admission, time of ED stay, RTS, ISS, and visit date being a holiday showed statistically significant differences between the survival and the mortality groups in the univariate analysis. RTS, ISS, length of ED stay, and visit date being a holiday showed statistical significance in the multivariate analysis. Conclusion: The mortality rate did not show a significant relationship with the time to ED arrival, use of 119, on time to admission. Rather, it elicited a quite significant correlation with the trauma scoring system (RTS and ISS), the time of ED stay, and the visit date being a holiday.