• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.487-497
• /
• 2021

The purpose of this study is to identify factors affecting length of stay(LOS) and death in tuberculosis(TB) patients by disease type, patient characteristic, admission and disease characteristic, and hospital characteristic from 2008 to 2017. Survey data was using Korean national hospital discharge in-depth survey data produced by Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Study subjects were 10,634 inpatients with TB(A15, A16, A17, A18, A19, U88.0, U88.1, U84.30, U84.31) and analyzed frequency, chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and logistic regression by using STATA 13.0. As a study result, the type of TB(extrapulmonary TB, multidrug-resistant TB, extensively drug-resistant TB), sex(woman), age(35-49, 50-64, 65-74, 75 years old or older), admission type(outpatient department), CCI(1-2 point, 3 point over), hospital location(metropolitan city) and bed size(300-499, 500-999, over 1000) were significantly influence LOS. Also, the type of TB(extrapulmonary TB, extensively drug-resistant TB), sex(woman), age(50-64, 65-74, 75 years old or older), residence(small town/rural), admission type(outpatient department), CCI(1-2 point, 3 point over), hospital location(provincial) were significantly influence death. In conclusion, the existing tuberculosis management has been patient management with rapid diagnosis and treatment following early detection. But other studies should be carried out for the system that identifies and supports high-risk groups of the long-term length of stay in hospital or high mortality rates as a result of treatment.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
• /
• v.23 no.6
• /
• pp.664-673
• /
• 2022

Objective: To evaluate the performance of baseline clinical characteristics and pretherapeutic histogram parameters derived from T2 mapping of the extraocular muscles (EOMs) in the prediction of treatment response to intravenous glucocorticoid (IVGC) therapy for active and moderate-to-severe thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) and to investigate the effect of fat-suppression (FS) in T2 mapping in this prediction. Materials and Methods: A total of 79 patients clinically diagnosed with active, moderate-to-severe TAO (47 female, 32 male; mean age ± standard deviation, 46.1 ± 10 years), including 43 patients with a total of 86 orbits in the responsive group and 36 patients with a total of 72 orbits in the unresponsive group, were enrolled. Baseline clinical characteristics and pretherapeutic histogram parameters derived from T2 mapping with FS (i.e., FS T2 mapping) or without FS (i.e., conventional T2 mapping) of EOMs were compared between the two groups. Independent predictors of treatment response to IVGC were identified using multivariable analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the predictive performance of the prediction models. Differences between the models were examined using the DeLong test. Results: Compared to the unresponsive group, the responsive group had a shorter disease duration, lower kurtosis (FS-kurtosis), lower standard deviation, larger 75th, 90th, and 95th (FS-95th) T2 relaxation times in FS mapping and lower kurtosis in conventional T2 mapping. Multivariable analysis revealed that disease duration, FS-95th percentile, and FS-kurtosis were independent predictors of treatment response. The combined model, integrating all identified predictors, had an optimized area under the ROC curve of 0.797, 88.4% sensitivity, and 62.5% specificity, which were significantly superior to those of the imaging model (p = 0.013). Conclusion: An integrated combination of disease duration, FS-95th percentile, and FS-kurtosis was a potential predictor of treatment response to IVGC in patients with active and moderate-to-severe TAO. FS T2 mapping was superior to conventional T2 mapping in terms of prediction.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.16
• /
• pp.6825-6830
• /
• 2015

Opisthorchis viverrini is remains a public health problem in Thailand, particularly in the northeast and north regions which have the highest incidences of chonalgiocarcinoma (CCA). O. viverrini causes the disease opithorchiasis, and its has been classified as a group 1 biological carcinogen. Humans, dogs, and cats become infected with O. viverrini by ingesting raw or undercooked fish containing infective metacercariae. The first human cases of O. viverrini infection were reported in Thailand 100 years ago, and it's still a problem at the community level. Based on data for the year 2009, more than 6 million people were infected with O. viverrini. Associated medical care and loss of wages in Thailand costs about $120 million annually. This review highlights the current status of O. viverrini infection in communities of Thailand through active surveillance for the five years period from 2010 and 2015. A total of 17 community-based surveys were conducted, most in the northeast region. Some 7 surveys demonstrated a high prevalence over 20%, and the highest was 45.7%. Most commonly infection was found in age group of 35 years and older, males, and agricultural workers. Although, the national prevalence may be decreasing but the results show that the O. viverrini infection is still high in communities of the northeast region. Therefore, the focus in populations living in northeast Thailand should be screening of infection and changing their eating behavior.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.295-310
• /
• 2015

Objectives : Symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during childhood may persist into adulthood. This study included the development and validation process of the Korean Adult ADHD Rating Scale (K-AARS), which was developed for screening and monitoring treatment of adults with ADHD. Methods : Preliminary questionnaires of the K-AARS were based on the reviews of previous adult ADHD scales and clinical experiences of the board certified child and adolescent psychiatrists in Korea. For this study, 136 adults (18-50 years old) with inattention, hyperactivity and/or impulsivity symptoms were enrolled as ADHD subjects, and compared with 406 control subjects (18-50 years old) without ADHD symptoms. Construct validity was examined using explorative factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha to obtain internal reliability coefficients. Concurrent validity was evaluated by comparison with the Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scale (CAARS). Results : An explorative factor analysis showed that the K-AARS had 8 factors (inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, antisocial personality disorder/conduct disorder/oppositional defiant disorder, impairment, driving, emotional dysregulation, disorganization). K-AARS was highly reliable in terms of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.77-0.95) and correlation between factors (0.57-0.86). Concurrent validity with the CAARS and discriminant validity were statistically significant. Conclusion : The K-AARS is a valid and reliable measure for assessment of Korean adults with ADHD.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.3.1-3.23
• /
• 2024

Cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-treated mouse airway epithelial cells (MAECs)-derived exosomes accelerate the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by upregulating triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 (TREM-1); however, the specific mechanism remains unclear. We aimed to explore the potential mechanisms of CSE-treated MAECs-derived exosomes on M1 macrophage polarization and pyroptosis in COPD. In vitro, exosomes were extracted from CSE-treated MAECs, followed by co-culture with macrophages. In vivo, mice exposed to cigarette smoke (CS) to induce COPD, followed by injection or/and intranasal instillation with oe-TREM-1 lentivirus. Lung function and pathological changes were evaluated. CD68⁺ cell number and the levels of iNOS, TNF-α, IL-1β (M1 macrophage marker), and pyroptosis-related proteins (NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase-1 recruitment domain, caspase-1, cleaved-caspase-1, gasdermin D [GSDMD], and GSDMD-N) were examined. The expression of maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3), spleen focus forming virus proviral integration oncogene (SPI1), methyltransferase 3 (METTL3), and TREM-1 was detected and the binding relationships among them were verified. MEG3 increased N6-methyladenosine methylation of TREM-1 by recruiting SPI1 to activate METTL3. Overexpression of TREM-1 or METTL3 negated the alleviative effects of MEG3 inhibition on M1 polarization and pyroptosis. In mice exposed to CS, EXO^-CSE further aggravated lung injury, M1 polarization, and pyroptosis, which were reversed by MEG3 inhibition. TREM-1 overexpression negated the palliative effects of MEG3 inhibition on COPD mouse lung injury. Collectively, CSE-treated MAECs-derived exosomal long non-coding RNA MEG3 may expedite M1 macrophage polarization and pyroptosis in COPD via the SPI1/METTL3/TREM-1 axis.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.57-70
• /
• 2011

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to reveal some factors of ROSC & survival for cardiac arrests from sport & leisure activities(CASLs). Methods : A retrospective study of the 1,341 out of hospital cardiac arrests(OHCAs) treated by EMS in Gyeonggi Provincial Fire and Disaster Headquarters from January to December in 2008 was conducted. The primary end-point was admission to emergency room. To clarify the factors through comparison of CASLs(n=58) with ROSCs & survivals(n=58), Answer Tree analysis for data mining with the CHAID algorithm was performed and alpha was set at .05. Mean, median, and percentile of time intervals, distances, and age on the 58 CASLs, 75 ROSCs, and 27 survivals(patients admitted to emergency room) were analysed. Results : Fourteen CASLs(24.1%), 41 ROSCs(54.7%), 16 survivals(59.3%) were treated with CPR within 5 min., and only 2 CASLs(3.4%), 11 ROSCs(14.7%), 10 survivals(37.0%) were treated with defilbrillation within 10 min. from arrest. If time recording from arrest to defilbrillation, the patients were classified 81.0%($X^2=9.83$, p=.005) into ROSCs & survivals. And the patients with no history, 100.0%($X^2=5.44$, p=.020). The other patients with no intention, 87.5%($X^2=7.00$, p=.024). Whereas the other patients with intention, treated with CPR after 4 min. from arrest were classified 67.2%($X^2=3.99$, p=.046) into CASLs. Conclusion : CPR within 4 minutes was the most important factor that discriminates between CASLs and ROSCs & survivals to record cardiac arrests-defilbrillation time. CPR within 4 min. from arrest, no history, and no intention were factors for improved ROSC & survival.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.23
• /
• pp.10387-10391
• /
• 2015

Background: This study aimed to identify any association between the p73 gene G4C14-to-A4T14 polymorphism and risk of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the south of China. Materials and Methods: We genotyped the p73 gene polymorphism of peripheral blood DNA from 168 patients with NSCLC and 195 normal controls using HRM (high resolution melting) and PCR-CTPP (polymerase chain reaction with confronting two-pair primers). Results: The results of genotyping by HRM and PCR-CTPP were consistent with direct sequencing, the p73 genotype distribution in 168 lung cancer patients being as follows: GC/GC 101 cases (60.1%), GC/AT 59 cases (35.1%), AT/AT 8 cases (4.8%). The carriers of AT/AT genotype had a significantly reduced risk of NSCLC (OR=0.370; 95%CI: 0.170-0.806; p=0.010) as compared with non-carriers. However, we found no relations between p73 genotypes and histological type (p=0.798, $x^2=0.452$), tumor stage (p=0.806, $x^2=0.806$), or lymph node metastasis (p=0.578, $x^2=1.098$). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the p73 G4C14-to-A4T14 polymorphism may be a modifier of NSCLC susceptibility in the Chinese population.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.47 no.5
• /
• pp.268-273
• /
• 2014

HER2-overexpressing breast cancers are characterized by frequent distant metastasis and often develop resistance after short-term effective treatment with the monoclonal antibody drug, trastuzumab. Here, we found that the oncogenic miRNA, miR-221, inhibited apoptosis, induced trastuzumab resistance and promoted metastasis of HER2-positive breast cancers. The tumor suppressor PTEN was identified as a miR-221 target; overexpression of PTEN abrogated the aforementioned miR-221-induced malignant phenotypes of the cells. These findings indicate that miR-221 may promote trastuzumab resistance and metastasis of HER2-positive breast cancers by targeting PTEN, suggesting its role as a potential biomarker for progression and poor prognosis, and as a novel target for trastuzumab-combined treatment of breast cancers.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.9
• /
• pp.4327-4333
• /
• 2016

Purpose: To systematically review efficacyand safety of robotic gastrectomy (RG) compared with conventional laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) for gastric carcinoma. Materials and Methods: A systematic literature search was carried out using PubMed, Cochrane Library, CBM, CNKI, WanFang, VIP and other sources like relevant references to obtain comparative studies assessing the effectiveness and safety between RG and LG published between 2013 and 2016. Then the literature was screened and the data were extracted by 2 independent reviewers. The quality of the literature was assessed, and the data analyzed using Stata/SE 14 software. Fixed effects or random effects models wereapplied according to heterogeneity. Results: A total of 12 non-randomized observational clinical studies involving 3,580 patients were included, of which 1,096 had undergone RG and 2,484 had received LG. The results of the meta-analysis showed in terms of effectiveness, RG was associated with less blood loss, less time to first flatus and greater number of harvested lymph nodes, but there were no significant differences in proximal and distal resection margins, compared with LG. In terms of efficiency, RG was associated with shorter hospital stay, but longer operative time. In terms of safety, there were no statistically significant differences in complications, mortality and conversions between RG and LG. Conclusions: RG can achieve comparable or better short-term and radical effects than LG, with respect to effectiveness, efficiency and safety in treatment of gastric carcinoma. Future studies involving RG should focus on decreasing operative time and reducing cost. Moreover, there is a need for randomized controlled trials comparing the two techniques with long-term follow-up.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.20 no.6
• /
• pp.635-643
• /
• 2017

The rehabilitation and strengthening of concrete structures using Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) materials have been widely investigated. As a priority issue, however, the effect of curing conditions on the bonding behavior between FRP and concrete structures is still elusive. This study aims at developing a prediction model to accurately capture the mode-II interfacial debonding between FRP strips and concrete under different curing conditions. Single shear debonding experiments were conducted on FRP-concrete samples with respect to different curing time t and temperatures T. The J-integral formulation and constrained least square minimization are carried out to calibrate the parameters, i.e., the maximum slip $\bar{s}$ and stretch factor n. The prediction model is developed based on the cohesive model and Arrhenius relationship. The experimental data are then analyzed using the proposed model to predict the debonding between FRP and concrete, i.e., the interfacial shear stress-slip relationship. A Finite Element (FE) model is developed to validate the theoretical predictions. Satisfactory agreements are obtained. The prediction model can be used to accurately capture the bonding performance of FRP-concrete structures.