• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제19권6호
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• pp.1119-1129
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• 2018

Objective: To compare the image quality of low-tube-voltage and low-iodine-concentration-contrast-medium (LVLC) computed tomography urography (CTU) with iterative reconstruction (IR) with that of conventional CTU. Materials and Methods: This prospective, multi-institutional, randomized controlled trial was performed at 16 hospitals using CT scanners from various vendors. Patients were randomly assigned to the following groups: 1) the LVLC-CTU (80 kVp and 240 mgI/mL) with IR group and 2) the conventional CTU (120 kVp and 350 mgI/mL) with filtered-back projection group. The overall diagnostic acceptability, sharpness, and noise were assessed. Additionally, the mean attenuation, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and figure of merit (FOM) in the urinary tract were evaluated. Results: The study included 299 patients (LVLC-CTU group: 150 patients; conventional CTU group: 149 patients). The LVLC-CTU group had a significantly lower effective radiation dose ($5.73{\pm}4.04$ vs. $8.43{\pm}4.38mSv$) compared to the conventional CTU group. LVLC-CTU showed at least standard diagnostic acceptability (score ${\geq}3$), but it was non-inferior when compared to conventional CTU. The mean attenuation value, mean SNR, CNR, and FOM in all pre-defined segments of the urinary tract were significantly higher in the LVLC-CTU group than in the conventional CTU group. Conclusion: The diagnostic acceptability and quantitative image quality of LVLC-CTU with IR are not inferior to those of conventional CTU. Additionally, LVLC-CTU with IR is beneficial because both radiation exposure and total iodine load are reduced.

• 한국식품과학회지
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• 제51권4호
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• pp.356-360
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• 2019

국내외 티백 녹차 10종을 $70^{\circ}C$의 생수 150 mL에 2분간 음용 조건으로 추출하여, 총페놀 함량, 총플라보노이드 함량, 산화방지능, 카페인 및 카테킨 4종을 정량 분석하였다. 10종의 티백 녹차의 총페놀 함량은 46.3-93.9 mg GAE/g, 총플라보노이드 함량은 10.3-21.7 mg CE/g, DPPH법과 ABTS법을 이용한 산화방지능은 각각 88.8-175.6 mg VCE/g과 87.9-183.5 mg VCE/g이었다. HPLC를 이용한 정량 분석에서 카페인 함량은 9.3-24.0 mg/g, 총카테킨 함량은 33.8-74.7 mg/g이었다. 총카테킨 함량을 녹차 추출 용액 한잔(150 mL)으로 환산했을 때, 건강기능식품 고시형 기능성 원료인 녹차추출물의 기준 및 규격을 고려치 않는 가정 하에 녹차 티백 3.8-12.5잔을 마시면 카테킨 일일섭취량(300-1,000 mg)을 충족시킬 수 있을 것이다.

• 대한지역사회영양학회지
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.280-295
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• 2021

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the characteristics of patients according to their nutritional status as assessed by five nutritional screening tools: Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA), NUTRISCORE, Nutritional Risk Index (NRI), Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), and Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) and to compare the agreement, sensitivity, and specificity of these tools. Methods: A total of 952 gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy and chemotherapy from January 2009 to December 2012 at the Samsung Medical Center were included. We categorized patients into malnourished and normal according to the five nutritional screening tools 1 month after surgery and compared their characteristics. We also calculated the Spearman partial correlation, Cohen's Kappa coefficient, the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity of each pair of screening tools. Results: We observed 86.24% malnutrition based on the PG-SGA and 85.82% based on the NUTRISCORE among gastric cancer patients in our study. When we applied NRI or CONUT, however, the malnutrition levels were less than 30%. Patients with malnutrition as assessed by the PG-SGA, NUTRISCORE, or NRI had lower intakes of energy and protein compared to normal patients. When NRI, PNI, or CONUT were used to identify malnutrition, lower levels of albumin, hemoglobin, total lymphocyte count, total cholesterol, and longer postoperative hospital stays were observed among patients with malnutrition compared to those without malnutrition. We found relatively high agreement between PG-SGA and NUTRISCORE; sensitivity was 90.86% and AUC was 0.78. When we compared NRI and PNI, sensitivity was 99.64% and AUC was 0.97. AUC ranged from 0.50 to 0.67 for comparisons between CONUT and each of the other nutritional screening tools. Conclusions: Our study suggests that PG-SGA and NRI have a relatively high agreement with the NUTRISCORE and PNI, respectively. Further cohort studies are needed to examine whether the nutritional status assessed by PG-SGA, NUTRISCORE, NRI, PNI, and CONUT predicts the gastric cancer prognosis.

• 대한지역사회영양학회지
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• 제27권3호
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• pp.205-222
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• 2022

Objectives: This study examined the characteristics of patients according to nutritional status assessed by five nutritional screening tools: Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA), NUTRISCORE, Nutritional Risk Index (NRI), Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), and Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) and to compare the agreement, sensitivity, and specificity of these tools. Methods: A total of 952 gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy and chemotherapy from January 2009 to December 2012 were included. The patients were categorized into malnutrition and normal status according to five nutritional screening tools one month after surgery. The Spearman partial correlation, Cohen's Kappa coefficient, the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity of each two screening tools were calculated. Results: Malnutrition was observed in 86.24% of patients based on the PG-SGA and 85.82% based on the NUTRISCORE. When NRI or CONUT were applied, the proportions of malnutrition were < 30%. Patients with malnutrition had lower intakes of energy and protein than normal patients when assessed using the PG-SGA, NUTRISCORE, or NRI. Lower levels of albumin, hemoglobin, total lymphocyte count, and total cholesterol and longer postoperative hospital stays were observed among patients with malnutrition compared to normal patients when NRI, PNI, or CONUT were applied. Relatively high agreement for NUTRISCORE relative to PG-SGA was found; the sensitivity was 90.86%, and the AUC was 0.78. When NRI, PNI, and CONUT were compared, the sensitivities were 23.72% for PNI relative to NRI, 44.53% for CONUT relative to NRI, and 90.91% for CONUT relative to PNI. The AUCs were 0.95 for NRI relative to PNI and 0.91 for CONUT relative to PNI. Conclusions: NUTRISCORE had a high sensitivity compared to PG-SGA, and CONUT had a high sensitivity compared to PNI. NRI had a high specificity compared to PNI. This relatively high sensitivity and specificity resulted in 77.00% agreement between PNI and CONUT and 77.94% agreement between NRI and PNI. Further cohort studies will be needed to determine if the nutritional status assessed by PG-SGA, NUTRISCORE, NRI, PNI, and CONUT predicts the gastric cancer prognosis.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.29.1-29.12
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• 2022

Several studies have shown associations between irinotecan toxicity and UGT1A genetic variations in colorectal and lung cancer, but only limited data are available for gastric cancer patients. We evaluated the frequencies of UGT1A polymorphisms and their relationship with clinicopathologic parameters in 382 Korean gastric cancer patients. Polymorphisms of UGT1A1*6, UGT1A1*27, UGT1A1*28, UGT1A1*60, UGT1A7*2, UGT1A7*3, and UGT1A9*22 were genotyped by direct sequencing. In 98 patients treated with irinotecan-containing regimens, toxicity and response were compared according to the genotype. The UGT1A1*6 and UGT1A9*22 genotypes showed a higher prevalence in Korean gastric cancer patients, while the prevalence of the UG1A1*28 polymorphism was lower than in normal Koreans, as has been found in other studies of Asian populations. The incidence of severe diarrhea after irinotecan-containing treatment was more common in patients with the UGT1A1*6, UGT1A7*3 and UGT1A9*22 polymorphisms than in controls. The presence of the UGT1A1*6 allele also showed a significant association with grade III-IV neutropenia. Upon haplotype and diplotype analyses, almost every patient bearing the UGT1A1*6 or UGT1A7*3 variant also had the UGT1A9*22 polymorphism, and all severe manifestations of UGT1A polymorphism-associated toxicity were related to the UGT1A9*22 polymorphism. By genotyping UGT1A9*22 polymorphisms, we could identify high-risk gastric cancer patients receiving irinotecan-containing chemotherapy, who would experience severe toxicity. When treating high-risk patients with the UGT1A9*22 polymorphism, clinicians should closely monitor them for signs of toxicity such as severe diarrhea or neutropenia.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제33권4호
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• pp.552-558
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• 2023

Levulinic acid (LA) is a valuable chemical used in fuel additives, fragrances, and polymers. In this study, we proposed possible biosynthetic pathways for LA production from lignin and poly(ethylene terephthalate). We also created a genetically encoded biosensor responsive to LA, which can be used for screening and evolving the LA biosynthesis pathway genes, by employing an LvaR transcriptional regulator of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 to express a fluorescent reporter gene. The LvaR regulator senses LA as a cognate ligand. The LA biosensor was first examined in an Escherichia coli strain and was found to be non-functional. When the host of the LA biosensor was switched from E. coli to P. putida KT2440, the LA biosensor showed a linear correlation between fluorescence intensity and LA concentration in the range of 0.156-10 mM LA. In addition, we determined that 0.156 mM LA was the limit of LA detection in P. putida KT2440 harboring an LA-responsive biosensor. The maximal fluorescence increase was 12.3-fold in the presence of 10 mM LA compared to that in the absence of LA. The individual cell responses to LA concentrations reflected the population-averaged responses, which enabled high-throughput screening of enzymes and metabolic pathways involved in LA biosynthesis and sustainable production of LA in engineered microbes.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• 제23권4호
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• pp.574-583
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• 2023

Purpose: Gastric cancer (GC) is among the most prevalent and fatal cancers worldwide. National cancer screening programs in countries with high incidences of this disease provide medical aid beneficiaries with free-of-charge screening involving upper endoscopy to detect early-stage GC. However, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused major disruptions to routine healthcare access. Thus, this study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the diagnosis, overall incidence, and stage distribution of GC. Materials and Methods: We identified patients in our hospital cancer registry who were diagnosed with GC between January 2018 and December 2021 and compared the cancer stage at diagnosis before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to age and sex. The years 2018 and 2019 were defined as the "before COVID" period, and the years 2020 and 2021 as the "during COVID" period. Results: Overall, 10,875 patients were evaluated; 6,535 and 4,340 patients were diagnosed before and during the COVID-19 period, respectively. The number of diagnoses was lower during the COVID-19 pandemic (189 patients/month vs. 264 patients/month) than before it. Notably, the proportion of patients with stages 3 or 4 GC in 2021 was higher among men and patients aged ≥40 years. Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the overall number of GC diagnoses decreased significantly in a single institute. Moreover, GCs were in more advanced stages at the time of diagnosis. Further studies are required to elucidate the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and the delay in the detection of GC worldwide.

• 대한기관윤리심의기구협의회지
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• 제5권2호
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• pp.43-50
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• 2023

Purpose: Due to the stringency of regulations related to clinical research, researchers face various requirements in the Institutional Review Board (IRB) review process. Specifically, they encounter time constraints and administrative burdens. In order to cultivate a more favorable review culture and establish a robust research environment, it is necessary to analyze researchers' perceptions of the IRB review. Therefore, this study aims to assess researchers' overall experiences with the IRB and identify researchers' educational needs and demands for research-related policies. Methods: A semistructured questionnaire with 34 items was developed and refined in consultation with advisors from IRB and Human Research Protection Program (HRPP). The questionnaire was distributed via an online survey to researchers with experience in IRB review. The survey covered general characteristics, satisfaction with the IRB review process (rated on a 10-point scale), experiences with IRB review, HRPP policy demands. Results: The study's descriptive statistics revealed a moderate satisfaction level (average rating, 6.75 out of 10) with the IRB review. Researchers from clinical medicine and other disciplines showed similar satisfaction scores of 6.65 and 6.87, respectively. However, respondents with over 5 years of research experience expressed higher satisfaction (mean score, 7.03) compared to those with less experience (mean score, 6.57). Institutional support was emphasized for improving the IRB review process. Certain training topics generated higher demands for addressing frequently raised IRB issues among minor discipline researchers compared to clinical medicine (p=0.017). Conclusion: We conducted an analysis of researchers' perceptions regarding the IRB as well as their demands concerning educational and HRPP policies. It is imperative to address the pinpointed areas for enhancement and integrate a range of perspectives in order to effectively cultivate a robust research ethics culture and ensure comprehensive participant protection.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.43-54
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• 2024

Objective: To evaluate the added value of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)-based quantitative parameters to distinguish uterine sarcomas from atypical leiomyomas on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Materials and Methods: A total of 138 patients (age, 43.7 ± 10.3 years) with uterine sarcoma (n = 44) and atypical leiomyoma (n = 94) were retrospectively collected from four institutions. The cohort was randomly divided into training (84/138, 60.0%) and validation (54/138, 40.0%) sets. Two independent readers evaluated six qualitative MRI features and two DWI-based quantitative parameters for each index tumor. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify the relevant qualitative MRI features. Diagnostic classifiers based on qualitative MRI features alone and in combination with DWI-based quantitative parameters were developed using a logistic regression algorithm. The diagnostic performance of the classifiers was evaluated using a cross-table analysis and calculation of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results: Mean apparent diffusion coefficient value of uterine sarcoma was lower than that of atypical leiomyoma (mean ± standard deviation, 0.94 ± 0.30 10^-3 mm²/s vs. 1.23 ± 0.25 10^-3 mm²/s; P < 0.001), and the relative contrast ratio was higher in the uterine sarcoma (8.16 ± 2.94 vs. 4.19 ± 2.66; P < 0.001). Selected qualitative MRI features included ill-defined margin (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 17.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.41-503, P = 0.040), intratumoral hemorrhage (aOR, 27.3; 95% CI, 3.74-596, P = 0.006), and absence of T2 dark area (aOR, 83.5; 95% CI, 12.4-1916, P < 0.001). The classifier that combined qualitative MRI features and DWI-based quantitative parameters showed significantly better performance than without DWI-based parameters in the validation set (AUC, 0.92 vs. 0.78; P < 0.001). Conclusion: The addition of DWI-based quantitative parameters to qualitative MRI features improved the diagnostic performance of the logistic regression classifier in differentiating uterine sarcomas from atypical leiomyomas on preoperative MRI.

• 한국도서관정보학회지
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• 제55권1호
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• pp.123-143
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• 2024

본 연구에서는 최근 10년간 대학도서관 인력 현황 변화 양상을 분석하고 대학도서관 현장에 근무하는 사서들을 대상으로 인력 현황과 현재 적용되고 있는 대학도서관 인력 배치 기준에 대한 인식을 조사하였다. 인력 변화에 대한 분석은 2014년부터 2023년까지 10년간의 대학도서관 통계 데이터를 활용하였다. 인식 조사는 도서관 직원을 대상으로 온라인 설문을 실시하였고, 4년제 대학과 전문대학 도서관 소속 응답자 216명의 응답을 분석하였다. 인력 변화 분석 결과, 대규모 4년제 대학과 전문대학 도서관에서 평균 직원 수는 감소하였는데, 정규직은 감소하는 반면 비정규직은 증가하는 추세를 보였다. 설문조사 결과 이러한 원인을 학령인구 및 입학 정원의 감소, 대학의 예산 부족 및 구조 조정 등에서 찾을 수 있었다. 대학도서관 인력 배치 기준에 대한 4년제 대학, 전문대학 직원들의 인식은 대부분 부정적이었고 이에 대한 개선 방안으로는 기준 수의 상향 및 세분화, 정사서 및 정규직을 명시한 기준의 구체화, 기준 산출 항목의 수정, 기준 이행의 강제성 강화 등이 제시되었다. 본 연구의 결과는 대학도서관 인력 배치 현황에 대한 이해를 높이고 현장 사서들의 인식을 파악하여 향후 대학도서관 인력 배치 기준 개선을 위한 기초적인 자료로 활용할 수 있을 것이다.