• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.108-116
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the differences in the acoustic measurements (AVQI) and the auditory-perceptual assessments (GRBAS, CAPE-V) of the normal and vocal fold nodules. For this purpose, Total 335 voice samples were analyzed acoustically and three raters performed auditory-perceptual assessments. in the results, AVQI, G, and OS scores of the normal group were lower than those of the vocal fold nodules group. The correlations between the G scale and the OS scale were highly correlated, and the correlation between the AVQI, and auditory-perceptual results (G and OS) was also high value. The threshold values for discriminating AVQI, G, and OS between the two groups were ${\leq}4.06$, ${\leq}1$, and ${\leq}26$, respectively, and the predictive diagnostic power was 0.840, 0.860, and 0.848. In conclusion, AVQI and auditory-perceptual evaluation can improve potentiality the screening of vocal fold nodules and help to determine the diagnosis and treatment plan of voice disorders.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 2014

Purpose: The goal of this study is to determine whether the magnitude of overlap between planning target volume (PTV) and rectum ($Rectum_{overlap}$) or PTV and bladder ($Bladder_{overlap}$) in prostate cancer volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is predictive of the dose-volume relationships achieved after optimization, and to identify predictive equations and cutoff values using these overlap volumes beyond which the Quantitative Analyses of Normal Tissue Effects in the Clinic (QUANTEC) dose-volume constraints are unlikely to be met. Materials and Methods: Fifty-seven patients with prostate cancer underwent VMAT planning using identical optimization conditions and normalization. The PTV (for the 50.4 Gy primary plan and 30.6 Gy boost plan) included 5 to 10 mm margins around the prostate and seminal vesicles. Pearson correlations, linear regression analyses, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to correlate the percentage overlap with dose-volume parameters. Results: The percentage $Rectum_{overlap}$ and $Bladder_{overlap}$ correlated with sparing of that organ but minimally impacted other dose-volume parameters, predicted the primary plan rectum $V_{45}$ and bladder $V_{50}$ with $R^2$ = 0.78 and $R^2$ = 0.83, respectively, and predicted the boost plan rectum $V_{30}$ and bladder $V_{30}$ with $R^2$ = 0.53 and $R^2$ = 0.81, respectively. The optimal cutoff value of boost $Rectum_{overlap}$ to predict rectum $V_{75}$ >15% was 3.5% (sensitivity 100%, specificity 94%, p < 0.01), and the optimal cutoff value of boost $Bladder_{overlap}$ to predict bladder $V_{80}$ >10% was 5.0% (sensitivity 83%, specificity 100%, p < 0.01). Conclusion: The degree of overlap between PTV and bladder or rectum can be used to accurately guide physicians on the use of interventions to limit the extent of the overlap region prior to optimization.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.43-49
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• 1997

We studied to investigate the predictive values of gated SPECT for the improvement of wall motion after bypass surgery. As we compared postoperative SPECT with preoperative ones, we defined viability as wall motion improvement. We peformed rest T1-201/s1ress Tc-99m-MIBI gated SPECT in 25 patients before and 3 months after bypass surgery. Myocardial wall motion was graded as normal, hypokinesia, akinesia, and dyskinesia by pair-wise visual analysis of gated pre and postoperative SPECT's on the same monitor screen. Myocardial wall thickening was determined good or poor Among 92 segments with wall motion abnormalities before operation, 69 (75%) improved and 23 did not. Before operation, we could find segments with good systolic thickening in 64 segments among total 92. Thickening of the remaining 28 was poor. Wall motion improved postoperatively in 45 segments (70%) among 64 with good thickening. Twenty four(86%) among 28 segments with poor thickening had also improved. We grouped segments into mild(hypokinetic) and severe(akinetic/dyskinetic) ones. Among 33 segments with severe motion abnormalities, 14 had good thickening and 19 did not. Nine(60%) improved out of 14 segments having severe abnormality with good thickening However, 16(84%) segments out of 19 haying severe abnormality with poor thickening also improved. Neither degree of perfusion decrease nor severity of wall motion abnormalities could explain the high rate of false negatives. In conclusion, as we defined viability as wall motion improvement by comparing pre and postoperative SPECT, systolic thickening observed by gated Tc-99m-MIBI SPECT in myocardial segments with wall motion abnormalities predicted wall motion improvement after bypass surgery. However, poor thickening could not be referred as evidence of nonviable myocardium both in mild and severe contractile dysfunction, so that we might need stimulation study such as dobutamine echocardiography or dobutamine gated SPECT.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.68 no.2
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• pp.87-92
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• 2010

Background: D-dimer testing is widely applied as a first step in the diagnostic work-up of pulmonary embolism (PE). Although this is the most sensitive assay for ruling out PE, the prognostic implications of D-dimer testing in patients with normotensive PE are not well known. The aim of this study was to determine if D-dimer testing on admission predicts major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in patients with normotensive PE. Methods: A total of 180 consecutive patients with normotensive PE admitted between January 2003 and June 2009 were included. The group was divided into quartiles on the basis of their D-dimer levels. We compared the frequency of MACE by quartile of D-dimer level and estimated sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values for MACE in the first and fourth quartile. Results: In the 37 (20.6%) patients with MACEs, the median D-dimer level (7.94[IQR:4.03~18.17]${\mu}g/mL$) was higher than in patients with a benign course (5.29[IQR:2.60~11.52]${\mu}g/mL$, p<0.01). The occurrence of MACEs was increased with increasing D-dimer level (p=0.017). In the first quartile (D-Dimer <$2.76{\mu}g/mL$) sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for predicting MACEs were, respectively, 91.9%, 29.4%, 25.2%, and 93.3%. Conclusion: Patients with D-dimer levels below $2.76{\mu}g/mL$ have a low risk of MACEs. Our study suggest that D-dimer level may be used to identify low risk patients with normotensive PE.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.367-377
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• 2023

This study investigates the utility of the Triglyceride-glucose(TyG) index and Cardiometabolic Index(CMI) as predictors for diagnosing metabolic syndrome. The study involved 1970 males, 1459 females, totaling 3429 participants who underwent health checkups at P Hospital in Busan between January 2023 and June 2023. Metabolic syndrome diagnosis was based on the presence of 3 or more risk factors out of the 5 criteria outlined by the American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute(AHA/NHLBI), and participants with 2 or fewer risk factors were categorized as normal. Statistical analyses included independent sample t-tests, chi-square tests, Pearson's correlation analysis, Receiver Operating Characteristic(ROC) curve analysis, and logistic regression analysis, using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences(SPSS) program. Significance was established at p<0.05. The comparison revealed that the metabolic syndrome group exhibited attributes such as advanced age, male gender, elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressures, high blood sugar, elevated triglycerides, reduced LDL-C, elevated HDL-C, higher Cardiometabolic Index, Triglyceride-glucose index, and components linked to abdominal obesity. Pearson correlation analysis showed strong positive correlations between waist circumference/height ratio, waist circumference, Cardiometabolic Index, and triglycerides. Weak positive correlations were observed between LDL-C, body mass index, and Cardiometabolic index, while a strong negative correlation was found between Cardiometabolic Index and HDL-C. ROC analysis indicated that the Cardiometabolic Index(CMI), Triglyceride-glucose(TyG) index, and waist circumference demonstrated the highest Area Under the Curve(AUC) values, indicating their efficacy in diagnosing metabolic syndrome. Optimal cut-off values were determined as >1.34, >8.86, and >84.5 for the Cardiometabolic Index, Triglyceride-glucose index, and waist circumference, respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed significant differences for age(p=0.037), waist circumference(p<0.001), systolic blood pressure(p<0.001), triglycerides(p<0.001), LDL-C(p=0.028), fasting blood sugar(p<0.001), Cardiometabolic Index(p<0.001), and Triglyceride-glucose index (p<0.001). The odds ratios for these variables were 1.015, 1.179, 1.090, 3.03, and 69.16, respectively. In conclusion, the Cardiometabolic Index and Triglyceride-glucose index are robust predictive indicators closely associated with metabolic syndrome diagnosis, and waist circumference is identified as an excellent predictor. Integrating these variables into clinical practice holds the potential for enhancing early diagnosis and prevention of metabolic syndrome.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.280-289
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• 2022

In this paper, we present a QRS-complex detection algorithm to calculate an accurate heartbeat and clearly recognize irregular rhythm from ECG signals. The conventional Pan-Tompkins algorithm brings false QRS detection in the derivative when QRS and noise signals have similar instant variation. The proposed algorithm uses amplitude differences in 7 adjacent samples to detect QRS-complex which has the highest amplitude variation. The calculated amplitude is cubed to dominate QRS-complex and the moving average method is applied to diminish the noise signal's amplitude. Finally, a decision rule with a threshold value is applied to detect accurate QRS-complex. The calculated signals with Pan-Tompkins and proposed algorithms were compared by signal-to-noise ratio to evaluate the noise reduction degree. QRS-complex detection performance was confirmed by sensitivity and the positive predictive value(PPV). Normal ECG, muscle noise ECG, PVC, and atrial fibrillation signals were achieved which were measured from an ECG simulator. The signal-to-noise ratio difference between Pan-Tompkins and the proposed algorithm were 8.1, 8.5, 9.6, and 4.7, respectively. All ratio of the proposed algorithm is higher than the Pan-Tompkins values. It indicates that the proposed algorithm is more robust to noise than the Pan-Tompkins algorithm. The Pan-Tompkins algorithm and the proposed algorithm showed similar sensitivity and PPV at most waveforms. However, with a noisy atrial fibrillation signal, the PPV for QRS-complex has different values, 42% for the Pan-Tompkins algorithm and 100% for the proposed algorithm. It means that the proposed algorithm has superiority for QRS-complex detection in a noisy environment.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.52-57
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• 2022

Purpose: To determine predictive factors for detecting renal parenchymal damages (RPDs) in infants with recurrent febrile urinary tract infection (fUTI). Methods: From January 2015 to December 2021, 102 infants with recurrent fUTI and who underwent ^99mTc-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) renal scan in our hospital were included in this study. Controls included infants with normal DMSA results performed 3 months apart from the 2nd episode of fUTI. DMSA-positive group included infants with positive DMSA results performed 3 months apart from the 2nd episode of fUTI or at the 3rd episode of fUTI. The recurrence rate, causative bacteria, renal size discrepancy of both kidneys, and laboratory findings including C-reactive protein (CRP) and spot urine sodium-to-potassium ratio (uNa/K) were compared between both groups. Results: Only 3.8% of 79 infants with a 2nd episode of fUTI showed positive DMSA results. fUTI recurred more frequently within 12 months of follow-up in the DMSA-positive group than in the control group (69% vs. 13%, P<0.001). CRP values were significantly higher in the DMSA-positive group than in the control group (7.3 mg/dL vs. 3.7 mg/dL, P<0.001). Spot uNa/K were significantly lower in the DMSA-positive group than in the control group (0.6 vs. 1.1, P<0.001). Conclusions: Congenital renal scar and RPDs on the DMSA scan were more frequently found in infants with recurrent fUTI than those in the control group. High CRP values and low spot uNa/K in acute infections were helpful in predicting the presence of RPD in infants with recurrent fUTI.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.497-508
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• 1998

Purpose: Using rest T1-201/dipyridamole stress gated Tc-99m-MIBI/ 24 hour delay T1-201 SPECT, we investigated the predictive values of the markers of the stress-rest reversibility (Rev), T1-201 rest perfusion (Rest), T1-201 24 hour redistribution (Del) and Tc-99m-MIBI gated systolic thickening (Thk) for wall motion improvement after coronary artery bypass surgery. Materials and Methods: In 39 patients (M;F= 34:5, age $58{\pm}8$), preoperative and postoperative (3 months) SPECT were compared. 24 hour delayed SPECT was done in 16 patients having perfusion defects at rest. Perfusion or wall motion was scored from 0 to 3 (0: normal to 3: defect or dyskinesia). Wall motion was abnormal in 142 segments among 585 segments of 99 artery territories which were surgically revascularized. Results: After bypass surgery, ejection fraction increased from $37.8{\pm}9.0%$ to $45.5{\pm}12.3%$ in 22 patients who had decreased ejection fraction preoperatively. Wall motion improved in 103 (72.5%) segments among 142 dysfunctional segments. Positive predictive values (PPV) of Rev, Rest, Del, and Thk were 83%, 76%, 43%, and 69% respectively. Negative predictive values (NPV) of Rev, Rest, Del, and Thk were 48%, 44%, 58%, and 21%, respectively. Rest/gated stress/delay SPECT had PPV of 74% and NPV of 46%. Though univariate logistic regression analysis revealed Rev (p=0.0008) and Rest (p=0.024) as significant predictors, stepwise multivariate test found Rev as the only good predictor (p=0.0008). Conclusion: Among independent predictors obtained by rest T1-201/ stress gated Tc-99m-MIBI/ delayed T1-201 myocardial SPECT for wall motion improvement after bypass surgery, stress-rest reversibility was the single most useful predictor.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.77-81
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• 2015

Background: The aim of the study was to determine whether the expression of baseline phosphorus (P) and magnesium (Mg) levels were prognostic in terms of stage and overall survival (OS) in newly diagnosed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients. Materials and Methods: Retrospectively, 130 patients were selected at the time of diagnosis oflung cancer (100 with NSCLC and 30 with SCLC), before the initialization of any chemo-radiotherapy. The median age was 67 (range 29-92). IA, IB, IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB and IV stages were present in 3, 4, 19, 6, 25, 8, and 65 patients, respectively. After centrifugation, the levels of serum P and Mg were measured using the nephelometric method/ photometry and evaluated before any type of treatment. Results: Higher than normal levels of P were found in 127/130 patients, while only four patients had elevated Mg serum values. In terms of Spearman test, higher P serum values correlated with either stage (rho=- 0.334, p<0.001) or OS (rho=-0.212, p=0.016). Additionally, a significant negative correlation of Mg serum levels was found with stage of disease (rho=-0.135, P=0.042). On multivariate cox-regression survival analysis, only stage (p<0.01), performance status (p<0.01) and P serum (p=0.045) showed a significant prognostic value. Conclusions: Our study indicated that pre-treatment P serum levels in lung cancer patients are higher than the normal range. Moreover, P and Mg serum levels are predictive of stage of disease. Along with stage and performance status, the P serum levels had also a significant impact on survival. This information may be important for stratifying patients to specific treatment protocols or intensifying their therapies. However, larger series are now needed to confirm our results.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2020.08a
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• pp.100-100
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• 2020

Wheat is mainly composed of carbohydrate but it contains a moderate amount of protein, which gives a very useful characteristics to flour food such as the unique elasticity and stickiness of the dough. We developed a calibration equation for analyzing crude protein content using Near Infrared Spectroscopy to quick analyze the crude protein content of wheat germplasm stored in the National Agrobiodiversity Center, RDA, Korea. The 1,798 wheat germplasms were used to draw up the calibration formula. The crude protein's interval distribution of 1,798 wheat germplasms used for the calibration was 7.04-20.84%, the average content was 13.2%, and standard deviation was 2.6%. The germplasms distribution was composed of a suitable group for the preparation of the calibration formula because the content distribution was a normal, excluding the 13.0-15.5% content section. In order to verify the applicability of the NIRS prediction model, we measured the crude protein content of the 300 wheat germplasms that were not used for the calibration using both Kjeldahl analysis and NIR spectrum. The analysis value calculated using each method were statistically processed, and the test results and statistical indicators of the predictive model were compared. As a result, The R² value of the optimized NIRS prediction model was 0.997, and the Standard error of Calibration value(SEC) was 0.132, and slope value was 1.000. With prediction model selection, compared to Kjeldahl method, R² values were 0.994(Kjeldahl), 0.998(NIRS), and the SEC value were 0.191 and 0.132, respectively, comparing the statistical indices of the forecast model. And slope value were 1.013, 1.000, respectively. The analysis of crude protein content by the NIRS predictive model developed by each statistical index showing similar figures is judged to show a high degree of correlation with the Kjeldahl analysis. The proven calibration equation will be used to measure the crude protein content of wheat germplasms held by the National Agrobiodiversity Center, and by dividing the wheat germplasms by their use according to the crude protein content, it will provide useful information to relevant researchers.