• Allergy, Asthma & Respiratory Disease
• /
• v.6 no.6
• /
• pp.310-314
• /
• 2018

Purpose: Conventional serum IgE assay was costly, required the skills of expert, and relied heavily on expensive equipment. Quantitative measurement of total IgE using Point of Care Test (POCT) device can be the solution for these limitations. This study evaluated and validated the reproducibility of ImmuneCheck IgE. Methods: This study included 120 patients of allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis, asthma, drug allergy, food allergy, atopic dermatitis, or anaphylaxis. The reliability of POCT ImmuneCheck IgE was evaluated by comparing results from the naked eye and from the Q-Reader. Intratest reproducibility and intertest correlation were analyzed using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: Of the 120 enrolled patients, 51 were males and 69 were females. The ages ranged from 19 to 84 years, with an average age of 51.5 years. The concentration of serum total IgE measured by Phadia ImmunoCAP IgE ranged from 5.95 to 5,000 IU/mL. ICC for Intratest reproducibility of ImmuneCheck IgE by naked eye and by Q-Reader were 0.991 (P< 0.001) and 0.989 (P< 0.001), respectively. In addition, intertest correlation between ImmuneCheck IgE and Phadia ImmunoCAP IgE results of naked eye and Q-Reader were 0.968 (P< 0.001) and 0.948 (P< 0.001), respectively. Conclusion: The ImmuneCheck IgE was reproducible and highly correlated with conventional Phadia ImmunoCAP IgE assay. This result suggests that ImmuneCheck IgE can be a useful tool for rapid and precise detection of total IgE.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
• /
• v.23 no.12
• /
• pp.1251-1259
• /
• 2022

Objective: T1 mapping provides valuable information regarding cardiomyopathies. Manual drawing is time consuming and prone to subjective errors. Therefore, this study aimed to test a DL algorithm for the automated measurement of native T1 and extracellular volume (ECV) fractions in cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging with a temporally separated dataset. Materials and Methods: CMR images obtained for 95 participants (mean age ± standard deviation, 54.5 ± 15.2 years), including 36 left ventricular hypertrophy (12 hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, 12 Fabry disease, and 12 amyloidosis), 32 dilated cardiomyopathy, and 27 healthy volunteers, were included. A commercial deep learning (DL) algorithm based on 2D U-net (Myomics-T1 software, version 1.0.0) was used for the automated analysis of T1 maps. Four radiologists, as study readers, performed manual analysis. The reference standard was the consensus result of the manual analysis by two additional expert readers. The segmentation performance of the DL algorithm and the correlation and agreement between the automated measurement and the reference standard were assessed. Interobserver agreement among the four radiologists was analyzed. Results: DL successfully segmented the myocardium in 99.3% of slices in the native T1 map and 89.8% of slices in the post-T1 map with Dice similarity coefficients of 0.86 ± 0.05 and 0.74 ± 0.17, respectively. Native T1 and ECV showed strong correlation and agreement between DL and the reference: for T1, r = 0.967 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.951-0.978) and bias of 9.5 msec (95% limits of agreement [LOA], -23.6-42.6 msec); for ECV, r = 0.987 (95% CI, 0.980-0.991) and bias of 0.7% (95% LOA, -2.8%-4.2%) on per-subject basis. Agreements between DL and each of the four radiologists were excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] of 0.98-0.99 for both native T1 and ECV), comparable to the pairwise agreement between the radiologists (ICC of 0.97-1.00 and 0.99-1.00 for native T1 and ECV, respectively). Conclusion: The DL algorithm allowed automated T1 and ECV measurements comparable to those of radiologists.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
• /
• v.11 no.12
• /
• pp.148-157
• /
• 2021

This research aims to adapt and evaluate the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale (K-IEPS). The original IEPS was translated into Korean according to the World Health Organization's guidelines. A total of 302 questionnaires were collected from healthcare professional students at 4 universities in South Korea. The validity and reliability of the scale were measured using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Cronbach's alpha, and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC). As a result of the factor analysis, a ten-item scale with two factors (Competency & Autonomy and Perception of Actual Cooperation) was achieved. Additionally, the Cronbach's alpha coefficient was found to be .87, and test-retest reliability was .83. Our study results show that the Korean version of the IEPS is a valid and reliable instrument. Therefore, the K-IEPS can be used in measuring interdisciplinary perceptions of healthcare professional students between different occupational groups.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
• /
• v.52 no.3
• /
• pp.245-258
• /
• 2022

Purpose: This study compared the root canal anatomy between cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) images before and after biomechanical preparation and root canal filling. Materials and Methods: Isthmus-containing mesial roots of mandibular molars(n=14) were scanned by micro-CT and 3 CBCT devices: 3D Accuitomo 170 (ACC), NewTom 5G (N5G) and NewTom VGi evo (NEVO). Two calibrated observers evaluated the images for 2-dimensional quantitative parameters, the presence of debris or root perforation, and filling quality in the root canal and isthmus. The kappa coefficient, analysis of variance, and the Tukey test were used for statistical analyses(α=5%). Results: Substantial intra-observer agreement (κ=0.63) was found between micro-CT and ACC, N5G, and NEVO. Debris detection was difficult using ACC (42.9%), N5G (40.0%), and NEVO (40%), with no agreement between micro-CT and ACC, N5G, and NEVO (0.05<κ<0.12). After biomechanical preparation, 2.4%-4.8% of CBCT images showed root perforation that was absent on micro-CT. The 2D parameters showed satisfactory reproducibility between micro-CT and ACC, N5G, and NEVO (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.60-0.73). Partially filled isthmuses were observed in 2.9% of the ACC images, 8.8% of the N5G and NEVO images, and 26.5% of the micro-CT images, with no agreement between micro-CT and ACC, and poor agreement between micro-CT and N5G and NEVO. Excellent agreement was found for area, perimeter, and the major and minor diameters, while the roundness measures were satisfactory. Conclusion: CBCT images aided in isthmus detection and classification, but did not allow their classification after biomechanical preparation and root canal filling.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
• /
• v.23 no.10
• /
• pp.959-975
• /
• 2022

Objective: To investigate the agreement and reliability of estimating the volumes and normative percentiles (N%) of segmented brain regions among NeuroQuant (NQ), DeepBrain (DB), and FreeSurfer (FS) software programs, focusing on the comparison between NQ and DB. Materials and Methods: Three-dimensional T1-weighted images of 145 participants (48 healthy participants, 50 patients with mild cognitive impairment, and 47 patients with Alzheimer's disease) from a single medical center (SMC) dataset and 130 participants from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) dataset were included in this retrospective study. All images were analyzed with DB, NQ, and FS software to obtain volume estimates and N% of various segmented brain regions. We used Bland-Altman analysis, repeated measures ANOVA, reproducibility coefficient, effect size, and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) to evaluate inter-method agreement and reliability. Results: Among the three software programs, the Bland-Altman plot showed a substantial bias, the ICC showed a broad range of reliability (0.004-0.97), and repeated-measures ANOVA revealed significant mean volume differences in all brain regions. Similarly, the volume differences of the three software programs had large effect sizes in most regions (0.73-5.51). The effect size was largest in the pallidum in both datasets and smallest in the thalamus and cerebral white matter in the SMC and ADNI datasets, respectively. N% of NQ and DB showed an unacceptably broad Bland-Altman limit of agreement in all brain regions and a very wide range of ICC values (-0.142-0.844) in most brain regions. Conclusion: NQ and DB showed significant differences in the measured volume and N%, with limited agreement and reliability for most brain regions. Therefore, users should be aware of the lack of interchangeability between these software programs when they are applied in clinical practice.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.455-465
• /
• 2022

Objective: To compare the reproducibility and performance of quantitative metrics between ZOOMit and conventional intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of early- and mid-stage Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Materials and Methods: Twenty-two patients (mean age ± standard deviation, 52.0 ± 10.8 years; male:female, 2:20) with early- or mid-stage SS and 20 healthy controls (46.9 ± 14.6 years; male:female, 7:13) were prospectively enrolled in our study. ZOOMit IVIM and conventional IVIM MRI were performed simultaneously in all individuals using a 3T scanner. Quantitative IVIM parameters - including tissue diffusivity (D), pseudodiffusion coefficient (D^*), and perfusion fraction (f) - inter- and intra-observer reproducibility in measuring these parameters, and their ability to distinguish patients with SS from healthy individuals were assessed and compared between ZOOMit IVIM and conventional IVIM methods, appropriately. MR gland nodular grade (MRG) was also examined. Results: Inter- and intra-observer reproducibility was better with ZOOMit imaging than with conventional IVIM imaging (ZOOMit vs. conventional, intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.897-0.941 vs. 0.667-0.782 for inter-observer reproducibility and 0.891-0.968 vs. 0.814-0.853 for intra-observer reproducibility). Significant differences in ZOOMit f, ZOOMit D^*, D^*, conventional D^*, and MRG between patients with SS and healthy individuals (all p < 0.05) were observed. ZOOMit D^* outperformed conventional D^* in diagnosing early- and mid-stage SS (area under receiver operating curve, 0.867 and 0.658, respectively; p = 0.002). The combination of ZOOMit D^*, MRG, and ZOOMit f as a new diagnostic index for SS, increased diagnostic area under the curve to 0.961, which was higher than that of any single parameter (all p < 0.01). Conclusion: Considering its better reproducibility and performance, ZOOMit IVIM may be preferred over conventional IVIM MRI, and may subsequently improve the ability to diagnose early- and mid-stage SS.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.50 no.1
• /
• pp.38-59
• /
• 2017

Objectives: Few attempts have been made to develop a generic health-related quality of life (HRQoL) instrument and to examine its validity and reliability in Korea. We aimed to do this in our present study. Methods: After a literature review of existing generic HRQoL instruments, a focus group discussion, in-depth interviews, and expert consultations, we selected 30 tentative items for a new HRQoL measure. These items were evaluated by assessing their ceiling effects, difficulty, and redundancy in the first survey. To validate the HRQoL instrument that was developed, known-groups validity and convergent/discriminant validity were evaluated and its test-retest reliability was examined in the second survey. Results: Of the 30 items originally assessed for the HRQoL instrument, four were excluded due to high ceiling effects and six were removed due to redundancy. We ultimately developed a HRQoL instrument with a reduced number of 20 items, known as the Health-related Quality of Life Instrument with 20 items (HINT-20), incorporating physical, mental, social, and positive health dimensions. The results of the HINT-20 for known-groups validity were poorer in women, the elderly, and those with a low income. For convergent/discriminant validity, the correlation coefficients of items (except vitality) in the physical health dimension with the physical component summary of the Short Form 36 version 2 (SF-36v2) were generally higher than the correlations of those items with the mental component summary of the SF-36v2, and vice versa. Regarding test-retest reliability, the intraclass correlation coefficient of the total HINT-20 score was 0.813 (p<0.001). Conclusions: A novel generic HRQoL instrument, the HINT-20, was developed for the Korean general population and showed acceptable validity and reliability.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.127-129
• /
• 2015

Background and Objectives : The etiology of globus pharyngeus remains uncertain. It has been known there is a relationship between the presence of air bubbles in esophagus and GERD symptoms. The aim of this study is to identify relationship between the globus symptom and the presence of air column in esophagus. Subjects and Methods : The study population consisted of 46 patients who underwent CT scan as part of evaluation for globus. Controls were chosen from the population consisted of patients with lymphadenopathy who underwent CT scan. The correlation between the presence of globus symptom and diameter, volume, and position of the air column was assessed using t-test. Reproducibility of diameter and volume of the esophageal air column was analyzed using intraclass correlation coefficient. Results : In study group, the mean volume of the air column was $769.56{\pm}983.08mm^3$, the mean diameter was $8.24{\pm}4.90mm$, the mean distance from the inferior border of posterior lamina of cricoid cartilage was $88.86{\pm}28.01mm$. In control group, $682.18{\pm}767.28mm^3$, $8.37{\pm}5.50mm$, $88.34{\pm}21.06mm$, respectively. There were no differences of diameter, volume and distance of the air column between the two groups. We failed to obtain acceptable reliability when we compare the diameter and the volume of the esophageal air column. Conclusion : There was no relationship between air column of esophagus and presence of globus symptom. And the measurement of diameter and volume of the esophageal air column change over time and it should be considered in a further study.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.37-45
• /
• 2016

The purpose of this study was to assess the intra-rater, inter-rater and test-retest reliability and validity of frontal plane lower extremity alignment estimated from a rasterstereographic method using ABW-Mapper. Eighteen subjects participated in this study. The S angle (stereographic angle-frontal plane lower extremity alignment estimated from a rasterstereographic method) in standing was measured throughout the two sessions with one week interval by two different readers. In the first session, a reader measured S angle twice per subject with a short break in-between. The Q-angle (quadriceps angle) was measured using a standard goniometer from a photography taken through digital camera with the participant standing in the same position as in the S angle measurement. The HKA(hip-knee-ankle) angle was measured from a computer based digital radiograph with the computerized measurement software. Reliability was tested using intraclass correlation coefficients(ICC). Validity was tested using a Pearson's correlation coefficient. Excellent intra-rater(ICC=0.956~0.974), inter-rater(ICC=0.962), test-retest reliability (ICC=0.945) were demonstrated. There were strong negative correlations between S angle and Q-angle (r=-0.739), and between S angle and HKA angle (r=-0.702). Therefore, the S angle measured using a rasterstereographic mapper may be used to as a preliminary or supplementary tool to evaluate and study LE alignment in the frontal plane in relation to HKA angle or Q-angle.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.53 no.3
• /
• pp.295-308
• /
• 2023

Purpose: This study evaluated the validity and reliability of Shively and colleagues' self-efficacy for HIV disease management skills (HIV-SE) among Korean participants. Methods: The original HIV-SE questionnaire, comprising 34 items, was translated into Korean using a translation and back-translation process. To enhance clarity and eliminate redundancy, the author and expert committee engaged in multiple discussions and integrated two items with similar meanings into a single item. Further, four HIV nurse experts tested content validity. Survey data were collected from 227 individuals diagnosed with HIV from five Korean hospitals. Construct validity was verified through confirmatory factor analysis. Criterion validity was evaluated using Pearson's correlation coefficients with the new general self-efficacy scale. Internal consistency reliability and test-retest were examined for reliability. Results: The Korean version of HIV-SE (K-HIV-SE) comprises 33 items across six domains: "managing depression/mood," "managing medications," "managing symptoms," "communicating with a healthcare provider," "getting support/help," and "managing fatigue." The fitness of the modified model was acceptable (minimum value of the discrepancy function/degree of freedom = 2.49, root mean square error of approximation = .08, goodness-of-fit index = .76, adjusted goodness-of-fit index = .71, Tucker-Lewis index = .84, and comparative fit index = .86). The internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α = .91) and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = .73) were good. The criterion validity of the K-HIV-SE was .59 (p < .001). Conclusion: This study suggests that the K-HIV-SE is useful for efficiently assessing self-efficacy for HIV disease management.