• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.20-25
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• 2006

Background: Although fever is one of the most common and challenging problem in intensive care medicine(ICU), it is difficult to distinguish between infectious and non-infectious causes. Procalcitonin(PCT) has recently been reported to be an indicator of various infectious diseases. This study examined whether or not measuring the serum PCT level in patients with fever in the ICU can help distinguish fevers with infectious causes from those with non-infectious causes. Methods: ICU patients with fever at $38^{\circ}C$ or over from March to August 2005 were prospectively enrolled. The cause of the fever was identified by the culture results and clinical course. The leukocytes, CRP, PCT, IL-6, and $TNF-{\alpha}$ in the fever patients with infectious and non-infectious causes were compared, and the PCT level in the patients with fever in the ICU were compared with those without fever. Results: 1) 42 patients were enrolled and 46 cases of fever were analyzed. 26 cases were considered to be infectious, while 13 cases were considered to be non-infectious. 7 cases were found to have no clear causes. 2) There were no significant differences in the degree of fever, leukocytes count, CRP, IL-6, and $TNF-{\alpha}$ levels in the patiemts with infectious and non-infectious causes. 3) The serum PCT level was higher in those with infectious causes than in those with non-infectious causes ($15.1{\pm}32.57ng/mL$ vs $2.68{\pm}3.63ng/mL$) but there was no statistical significance (p=0.06). 4) The serum PCT level of the ICU patients with fever was significantly higher than in those without fever ($10.94{\pm}27.15ng/mL$ vs $0.45{\pm}0.49ng/mL$) (p=0.02). Conclusion: The serum PCT cannot be used to distinguish the fever in ICU patients with infectious causes from that with non-infectious causes.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.58 no.3
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• pp.271-275
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• 2015

Objective : This study was designed to evaluation the diagnostic value of procalcitonin (PCT) in patients with spinal infection, compare to the classical biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), white blood cell (WBC) count. Methods : All patients who were diagnosed as a spinal infection between January, 2013 and July, 2014 were included in this study. Serum PCT, CRP, ESR, and WBC count were checked at initial hospital visit and once a week serially until they were discharged. Patient's medical history, causes and pathogens of spinal infection were reviewed. Results : Total 34 (16 men, 18 women) patients were included in this study. Mean age of the patients was 65.6 year-old. Causes of spinal infection were pain block procedure (14, 41.2%) and post-operation (5, 14.7%). Out of 25 patients who showed elevated initial serum PCT level, 20 patients (80%) had a combined systemic infection. 14 patients (6.7%) had a sepsis, 3 patients (14.2%) had a urinary tract infection and 2 (9.6%) had a pneumonia. 14 patients (41.2%) showed elevation of serum PCT level during treatment. Among them, 9 patients (64.3%) had a combined infection such as sepsis and urinary tract infection. Conclusion : Serum CRP showed more sensitivity compared to serum PCT in patients with spinal infection. Patients with spinal infection who showed elevated serum PCT level should be investigated for combined infection and proper antibiotics should be applied.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.253-256
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• 2014

Background: The standard treatment in the metastatic colorectal cancer consists of 5-FU based infusional regimens. However, with oral fluoropyrimidines, equal tumor responses may be obtained. Capecitabine causes macrocytosis of the cells by inhibition of DNA synthesis. In this context, a relationship was found between mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and response to therapy in breast cancer patients treated with Capecitabine, but whether this relationship also pertains in colorectal cancer has not been established. Materials and Methods: A total of 102 metastatic colorectal cancer patients treated with a oxaliplatin (XELOX)${\pm}$Bevacizumab combination were retrospectively evaluated. Patients were randomized into three groups. Hematological parameters (MCV, MPV, PCT, PLT, NLR) were recorded retrospectively, before treatment and after 3 cycles of chemotherapy. Results: After three cycles of therapy, 20 (19.6%) patients had progressive disease (PD), 41 (40.1%) had stable disease (SD), and 41 (40.1%) demonstrated a partial response (PR). In 62 (60.7%) treatment was with capesitabin plus XELOX therapy, and in 40 (39.2%) it was XELOX-Bevacizumab combination therapy. There was no difference among three groups before the treatment in terms of MCV, MPV, PCT, PLT, and NLR. MCV showed significant increase in chemotherapy response groups (PR and SD). In addition, a significant decrease was observed for platelet count in chemotherapy response groups. While NLR decrease was seen in only a PR group, PCT decrease was observed in all three groups. PCT and PLT values were higher in patients receiving Bevacizumab. Conclusions: PLT, PCT, MPV, and NLR values were decreased due to Capecitabine-based chemotherapy, however MCV was increased. PCT and PLT values were higher in patients who received Bevacizumab than those who did not. MCV, PLT, and NLR can be considered as important factors in predicting response to colorectal carcinoma treatment.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.114-123
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• 2018

Purpose: The aim of the current study was to develop a computer-assisted detection system based on a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithm and to evaluate the potential usefulness and accuracy of this system for the diagnosis and prediction of periodontally compromised teeth (PCT). Methods: Combining pretrained deep CNN architecture and a self-trained network, periapical radiographic images were used to determine the optimal CNN algorithm and weights. The diagnostic and predictive accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, area under the ROC curve, confusion matrix, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using our deep CNN algorithm, based on a Keras framework in Python. Results: The periapical radiographic dataset was split into training (n=1,044), validation (n=348), and test (n=348) datasets. With the deep learning algorithm, the diagnostic accuracy for PCT was 81.0% for premolars and 76.7% for molars. Using 64 premolars and 64 molars that were clinically diagnosed as severe PCT, the accuracy of predicting extraction was 82.8% (95% CI, 70.1%-91.2%) for premolars and 73.4% (95% CI, 59.9%-84.0%) for molars. Conclusions: We demonstrated that the deep CNN algorithm was useful for assessing the diagnosis and predictability of PCT. Therefore, with further optimization of the PCT dataset and improvements in the algorithm, a computer-aided detection system can be expected to become an effective and efficient method of diagnosing and predicting PCT.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.683-686
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• 2014

Objective: The purpose of the study was to evaluate clinical value of dual-phase $^{18}F$-FDG SPECT with serum procalcitonin (PCT) in identifying cancers in patients with fever of unknown origin (FUO). Methods: PCT test and dual-phase $^{18}F$-FDG SPECT were sequentially performed on 50 consecutive patients with FUO. Two radiologists evaluated all $^{18}F$-FDG SPECT data independently. A consensus was reached if any difference of opinions existed. Final diagnosis was based on a comprehensive analysis of results for the PCT test, dual-phase $^{18}F$-FDG SPECT and bacterial cultivation, regarded as a gold standard. Results: Among 50 patients, 34 demonstrated PCT ${\geq}0.5{\mu}g/L$. Coincidence imaging showed in 37 patients with inflammatory lesions, and 13 with malignancy. Finally, 36 bacterial, 1 fungal and 1 viral infections, as well as 12 cancerous fevers were confirmed by dual-phase $^{18}F$-FDG SPECT with PCT, combined with bacterial cultivation and clinical follow-up. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that dual-phase $^{18}F$-FDG SPECT in association with PCT could be a valuable tool for diagnosis in tumor patients with FUO.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Illuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.69-74
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• 2006

The effects of mechanical grinding(MG) treatment on the hydrogen storage of $Mg_2Ni$ alloy and $Mg_2Ni$ composite alloy($Mg_2Ni+graphite$) were investigated by pressure-composition-temperature(PCT) measurement, the micro-electrode technique of electrochemistry and etc, in which PCT was measured at high temperature(around $300[^{\circ}C]$) of gas phase and a carbon-filament micro-electrode for electrochemical evaluation was manipulated to make electrical contact with the particle in 1M KOH aqueous solution. It was found that the hydrogenation properties of $Mg_2Ni$ and graphite composite particle were greatly improved by the mechanical grinding treatment by which the $Mg_2Ni$ and graphite composite alloys could be changed into microstructure and nano-level particles. namely; the hydrogen dissociation pressure of PCT measurement was decreased from 0.55[MPa] to 0.42[MPa] and hydrogenation peaks by micro-electrode were also observed more clearly on the same sample.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.502-510
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• 2021

Hierarchically porous carbon materials with high nitrogen functionalities are extensively studied as high-performance supercapacitor electrode materials. In this study, nitrogen-doped porous carbon textile (N-PCT) with hierarchical pore structures is prepared as an electrode material for supercapacitors from a waste cotton T-shirt (WCT). Porous carbon textile (PCT) is first prepared from WCT by two-step heat treatment of stabilization and carbonization. The PCT is then nitrogen-doped with urea at various concentrations. The obtained N-PCT is found to have multi-modal pore structures with a high specific surface area of 1,299 m² g^-1 and large total pore volume of 1.01 cm³ g^-1. The N-PCT-based electrode shows excellent electrochemical performance in a 3-electrode system, such as a specific capacitance of 235 F g^-1 at 1 A g^-1, excellent cycling stability of 100 % at 5 A g^-1 after 1,000 cycles, and a power density of 2,500 W kg^-1 at an energy density of 3.593 Wh kg^-1. Thus, the prepared N-PCT can be used as an electrode material for supercapacitors.

• The magazine of the Korean Society for Advanced Composite Structures
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.53-64
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• 2014

• 발명특허
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• v.7 no.10 s.80
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• pp.66-69
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• 1982

특허청은 공업소유권제도의 국제화추세에 따라 특허협력조약(PCT)에 가입하는 것을 전제로 특허출원절차의 국제협력 및 기술정보의 확산을 통한 국내기술개발을 촉진하기 위하여 필요한 국내적조치로써 실용신안법중 개정법률안을 다음과 같이 마련하였다. 또한 부실특허권의 행사로부터 선의의 피해자를 보호하기 위하여 특허권효력의 일시정지에 관한 규정도 개정법안에 신설하고 있다.

• 발명특허
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• v.7 no.8 s.78
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• pp.13-18
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• 1982

특허청은 공업소유권제도의 국제화 추세에 따라 특허협력 조약(PCT)에 가입하는 것을 전제로 특허출원절차의 국제협력 및 기술정보의 확산을 통한 국내기술개발을 촉진하기 위하여 필요한 국내적조치로써 특허법중 개정법률안을 다음과 같이 마련하였다. 또한 부실특허권의 행사로부터 선의의 피해자를 보호하기 위하여 특허권효력의 일시정지에 관한 규정도 개정법안에 신설하고 있다.