• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.4689-4692
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• 2013

Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is a costly diagnostic item with a low yield in identifying the tiny proportion of nodules that actually represent malignant disease. Our aim through this study was to obtain an ultrasound (US) score for selecting subcentimeter-sized thyroid nodules requiring FNAB in eastern China. Some 248 patients for a total of 270 thyroid nodules less than 1 cm in diameter underwent FNAB and subsequent surgery from January 2006 to March 2012 at our hospital. The clinicopathological and US data from all the nodules were analyzed retrospectively. An US score was developed on the basis of independent predictive factors for malignancy. Irregular shape, hypoechogenicity, no well-defined margin, presence of calcifications and ratio between antero-posterior and transversal diameters (AP/TR) ${\geq}1$ were independent predictive factors for malignancy on logistic regression analysis. US score were statistically significant, with ${\leq}2$ favoring benignancy with an 80.3% sensitivity and a 72.7% specificity. US score is useful for differentiating between malignant and benign subcentimeter-sized thyroid nodules. We suggest FNAB for nodules when the US score is higher than 2.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.1248-1255
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• 2020

Objective: To analyze long-term follow-up sonographic findings of intrathyroidal thymus in children. Materials and Methods: Among 1259 patients with congenital hypothyroidism under 15 years of age who underwent thyroid ultrasonography (US), 41 patients were diagnosed with an intrathyroidal thymus based on US criteria, i.e., hypoechoic solid lesion with punctate and linear echogenicity. In 26 patients aged one to 14 years old, the last follow-up US was performed after 6 to 132 months and compared with the initial US. The lesion was considered to decrease in size if there was a change of more than 2 mm in any dimension. The margin change was divided into well-defined and indistinct, blurred. When the echogenicity changed to a hyperechoic from a characteristic thymic echogenicity pattern, the pattern was considered a hyperechogenic. The changes in size were compared with the changes in shape, margin, and echogenicity pattern. The changes in size, shape, margin, and echogenicity were analyzed the association with the age of last follow-up. Statistical analysis was conducted using the chi-squared test and logistic regression. Results: Fifteen (57.7%) cases were stable in size, and 11 (42.3%) decreased in size, including one that disappeared. Ten (38.5%) cases changed to indistinct margins from initially well-defined margins including one case of initially indistinct margin. Six (23.1%) changed to hyperechogenic, from initially characteristic thymic echogenicity patterns. When follow-up change was compared, decreases in size were significantly associated with lesion changes to indistinct margins (p = 0.004). The age at last follow-up was significantly associated with change to hyperechogenicity (odd ratio, 2.141; 95% confidence interval, 1.144-4.010, p = 0.017). Conclusion: On follow-up US, an intrathyroidal thymus may be decreased in size, with indistinct margins, or show changes to a hyperechoic mass. Decreases in size may be associated with changing to indistinct margins, and changes to hyperechogenicity may be associated with increasing age.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.83 no.4
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• pp.876-886
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• 2022

Purpose To evaluate the performance of MicroPure US imaging to detect and characterize microcalcifications. Materials and Methods A total of 171 lesions with suspicious microcalcifications seen on mammography and B-mode US were included and simultaneously evaluated using MicroPure US imaging. The size of microcalcifications was divided into small (punctate, amorphous, fine pleomorphic, and fine linear) and large (coarse heterogeneous), and the extent was divided into narrow (grouped) and wide (others). MicroPure US imaging visibility was divided into four types based on the number of microcalcifications on the two images: B > M (more on B-mode), B = M (similar), B < M (more on MicroPure), and negative. Triple pairwise comparison was used to evaluate the imaging features according to the MicroPure US imaging visibility. Results Among the 171 lesions examined, 157 lesions (91.8%) were detected by MicroPure US imaging. The proportion of Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) category 4A was significantly higher in the MicroPure positive group, and that of category 4B was significantly higher in the MicroPure negative group (p = 0.035). The other imaging features did not differ. Among the positive MicroPure subgroups, all features showed no significant difference. Conclusion MicroPure US imaging demonstrated 91.8% positivity in detecting microcalcifications on B-mode US. MicroPure US imaging visibility correlated with the BI-RADS category of microcalcifications.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.749-758
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• 2019

Objective: To investigate whether a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system based on a deep learning framework (deep learning-based CAD) improves the diagnostic performance of radiologists in differentiating between malignant and benign masses on breast ultrasound (US). Materials and Methods: B-mode US images were prospectively obtained for 253 breast masses (173 benign, 80 malignant) in 226 consecutive patients. Breast mass US findings were retrospectively analyzed by deep learning-based CAD and four radiologists. In predicting malignancy, the CAD results were dichotomized (possibly benign vs. possibly malignant). The radiologists independently assessed Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System final assessments for two datasets (US images alone or with CAD). For each dataset, the radiologists' final assessments were classified as positive (category 4a or higher) and negative (category 3 or lower). The diagnostic performances of the radiologists for the two datasets (US alone vs. US with CAD) were compared Results: When the CAD results were added to the US images, the radiologists showed significant improvement in specificity (range of all radiologists for US alone vs. US with CAD: 72.8-92.5% vs. 82.1-93.1%; p < 0.001), accuracy (77.9-88.9% vs. 86.2-90.9%; p = 0.038), and positive predictive value (PPV) (60.2-83.3% vs. 70.4-85.2%; p = 0.001). However, there were no significant changes in sensitivity (81.3-88.8% vs. 86.3-95.0%; p = 0.120) and negative predictive value (91.4-93.5% vs. 92.9-97.3%; p = 0.259). Conclusion: Deep learning-based CAD could improve radiologists' diagnostic performance by increasing their specificity, accuracy, and PPV in differentiating between malignant and benign masses on breast US.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.08a
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• pp.276-276
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• 2013

Here we report an integrated microdevice consisting of an efficient passive mixer, a magnetic separation chamber, and a capillary electrophoretic microchannel in which DNA barcode assay, target pathogen separation, and barcode DNA capillary electrophoretic analysis were performed sequentially within 30 min for multiplex pathogen detection at the single-cell level. The intestine-shaped serpentine 3D micromixer provides a high mixing rate to generate magnetic particle-pathogenic bacteria-DNA barcode labelled AuNP complexes quantitatively. After magnetic separation and purification of those complexes, the barcode DNA strands were released and analyzed by the microfluidic capillary electrophoresis within 5 min. The size of the barcode DNA strand was controlled depending on the target bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Salmonella typhimurium), and the different elution time of the barcode DNA peak in the electropherogram allows us to recognize the target pathogen with ease in the monoplex as well as in the multiplex analysis. In addition, the quantity of the DNA barcode strand (~104) per AuNP is enough to be observed in the laser-induced confocal fluorescence detector, thereby making single-cell analysis possible. This novel integrated microdevice enables us to perform rapid, sensitive, and multiplex pathogen detection with sample-in-answer-out capability to be applied for biosafety testing, environmental screening, and clinical trials.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.95-98
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• 2015

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to devise a method of preventing water infiltration into the surface electrodes during EMG measurements underwater and on the ground and to check the reliability of Electromyography (EMG) measurements when underwater. METHODS: Six healthy adults were selected as subjects in this study. The measurements in this study were conducted in pool dedicated to underwater exercise and physical therapy room in the hospital building. An MP150 (Biopac Systems, US, 2010) and a BioNomadix 2-channel wireless EMG transmitter (Biopac Systems, US, 2012) was used to examine the muscle activity of rectus femoris, biceps femoris, tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius of dominant side. The subjects repeated circulation tasks on the ground for more than 10 min for enough surface electrode attachment movement. After a 15-min break, subjects performed the circulation task underwater(water depth 1.1m, water temperature $33.5^{\circ}C$, air temperature $27^{\circ}C$), as on the ground, for more than 10 min, and the MVIC of each muscle was measured again. SPSS v20.0 was used for all statistical computations. RESULTS: The maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) values between the underwater and on the ground measurements showed no significant differences in all four muscles and showed a high intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of >0.80. CONCLUSION: We determined that EMG measurements obtained underwater could be used with high reliability, comparable to ground measurements.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.1-7
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• 2015

The degradation of off-flavors which is 2-Methylisoborneol (2-MIB) and geosmin by means of ultrasound (US) and pulsed ultraviolet (PUV) irradiation and its combination with catalyst (wire mesh, wire mesh coated TiO₂, and TiO₂) and additive (H₂O₂) were investigated via water system. A combination treatment of TiO₂ and H₂O₂ heterogeneity with US (24 kHz) and PUV (6000 W) has shown improved results in destroying 2-MIB and geosmin, which may be attributed to chain reactions by the enhanced formation of hydroxyl radicals (·OH) through H₂O₂ dissociation and reactive oxide ions of TiO₂ addition. Rapid degradation of off-flavors occurred within 2 min under PUV process with H₂O₂ 100 mg/L (81.5% for 2- MIB; 79.3% for geosmin) and TiO₂ 100 mg/L (83.7% for 2-MIB; 79.8% for geosmin), while compared with H2O2 100 mg/L (58.4% for 2-MIB; 58.0% for geosmin) and TiO₂ 100 mg/L (59.2% for 2-MIB; 38.5% for geosmin) within 5 min under US process. Surprisingly, the emphasis was given on the comparison with the same injected energies between PUV and US on degradation efficiency. Based on the injected energy comparison, the US provided better degradation performance under equal input power of 200 kJ with H₂O₂ 100 mg/L, while compared with H₂O₂ 100 mg/L under PUV process. Our findings suggest that US can be more effective compared to PUV for the degradation of off-flavors in aspect of energy consumptions.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.1-25
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• 2016

This study reviews international discussions about the trade-labor linkage and examines the labor chapters of FTAs enforced by the US and the EU from a comparative perspective. Since early 1990s, starting from the NAFTA, the US has included forceable labor provisions in its FTAs and this trend continues to the TPP which was concluded in October 2015. On the other hand, the EU's labor provisions in its FTAs have been composed of promotional elements on labor rights based on cooperations and dialogues. These different features of labor provisions in the US and European FTAs are mainly due to the motives of the FTAs of the US and the EU respectively as well as their domestic situations with regards to domestic law and institutional set-ups. The coordination of labor provisions involves a long-term institutional as well as regulatory convergence which triggers not only economic but also social changes, compared to a relatively short-term effect of tariff elimination. For Korea which has been a FTA partner country both with the US and the EU, it is significant to keep the different characteristics in the labor provisions in mind, particularly in the process of its implementation. Concerning the implementation of Korea-US FTA, it might be problematic if Korean law and its regulatory practice on labor-management relations do not comply with that of the US. The Korea-EU FTA case can also have an indirect impact on Korea's labor laws since it stipulates in its provisions that both parties should have discussions not only within each government but also with the civil communities including NGOs. Thus, Korea should pay more attention to the true meaning in labor provisions of both FTAs in order to promote its firms to be equipped with the right labor-management system in their operations abroad.

• Urogenital Tract Infection
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.58-65
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• 2018

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between uropathogens of infants with febrile urinary tract infection (UTI) and vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). Materials and Methods: We analyzed 308 infants hospitalized for febrile UTI between January 2010 and December 2015, and assessed the voiding cystourethrography (VCUG). The medical records, including clinical symptoms, laboratory findings, urinalysis, urine culture tests, ultrasound (US), dimercaptosuccinic acid scan, and VCUG, were retrospectively obtained. The incidences of VUR and high-grade VURs (III, IV, and V) were analyzed in 4 groups categorized by uropathogens and renal US findings. Results: The mean age of 308 infants was $3.29{\pm}2.18months$. The male-to-female ratio was 3.46:1. In urine culture tests, 267 infants (86.69%) showed single bacterial uropathogen; Escherichia coli in 241 infants (78.25%) and non-E. coli uropathogens in 26 infants (8.44%). Multiple distinctive microorganisms were identified as causative uropathogens in 41 infants (13.31%). Abnormal findings of US and VCUG were identified in 216 and 64 patients, respectively. In 308 infants, the incidences of VUR and high-grade VUR were not different among the 4 groups. In 239 male infants, the incidences of high-grade VUR were higher in patients with non-E. coli single or multiple uropathogen and with abnormal US findings (p=0.042). Conclusions: In male infants with non-E. coli uropathogen or multiple uropathogens and with abnormal US findings at febrile UTI, there was an increased chance of finding high-grade VURs on subsequent VCUG tests.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.69-75
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• 2023

Purpose: This study examined the distance between the coracoid process and the humeral head using an ultrasonography device when shoulder active contraction were applied according to the guided direction in the end range of shoulder mobilization. This study aims to provide essential data on treating shoulder disease patients. Methods: The subjects of this study were 20 adults with healthy shoulder joints. ultrasonography (US) equipment was used to examine shoulder joint mobilization under two conditions: (1) anteroposterior (AP) joint mobilization and (2) superoinferior (SI) joint mobilization. Shoulder active contraction was assessed in the end range. The distance between the coracoid process and the humeral head was measured. A linear probe was used for US; the frequency was set to 7.5MHz, and the US image display method was set to B-mode. The US measurement values were measured in (1) the starting position, (2) the end range position, and (3) the end range position of the shoulder active contraction, and the moving distance was drawn in a straight line through the US image. The distance was determined as the measurement value, and the average values were compared. Reults: The results were as follows: (1) the measured AP Joint mobilization increased by an average of .52cm from the end range of the joint mobilization with shoulder active contraction; (2) the measured SI Joint mobilization increased by an average of .49cm from the end range of the joint. Conclusion: When shoulder mobilization is applied, the distance between the coracoid process and the humeral head increases when muscle contraction occurs through shoulder active contraction in the end range, according to the therapist's guidance. Therefore, shoulder mobilization combined with shoulder active contraction is an effective treatment method for patients with shoulder injuries.