• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.141-147
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• 2008

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the short-term operative outcomes of laparoscopy-assisted total gastrectomy (LATG) with those of open total gastrectomy (OTG) for patients suffering with advanced upper gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: Of the 47 patients who underwent LATG with $D1+{\beta}$ or D2 lymphadenectomy from July 2004 to March 2008, 29 patients with pathologically proven advanced gastric cancer were compared with 35 patients who underwent conventional OTG during the same time period. The comparison was based on the clinicopathological characteristics, the surgical outcome, the follow-up survival and tumor recurrence. Results: The patients' age, gender and body mass index were similar between the two groups. However, there were statistically differences in tumor size ($9.2{\pm}3.9$ vs $6.1{\pm}3.6cm$, P=0.002) and the proximal resected margin ($2.1{\pm}2.0$ vs $3.6{\pm}2.1cm$ P=0.004). There was no significant difference in most of the peri- and post-operative courses such as the time to first flatus, the time to starting a solid diet and the length of the hospital stay, except for a longer operating time (289.0 vs. 361.3 minutes, P<0.001) in the LATG group. The complication rate was higher in the LATG group (13.8%) than that in the OTG group (5.7%). The mean overall survival and disease free survival times were 32 and 31 months, and 24 and 28 months, respectively, with an average 18.8 months follow-up duration. The main recurrent sites were peritoneum and lymph node in both groups. Conclusion: The early results of the current study suggest that LATG for AGC is technically feasible and it does not show any inferiorities of the postoperative outcomes as compared to those of conventional open total gastrectomy.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.315-329
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• 1999

Recently, dissatisfaction with aspects of health care has been complemented by directly at complaints such as informal, formal and litigation. But some people take action and other not in spite of feeling of dissatisfaction. This study was to investigate an accounts of patient's disagreement with doctor's care from a community sample, and make a distinction between felt disagreement and disagreement actions. This study was done in six hundred forty residents in Sungjoo County of Kyungbuk Province and Nonman city of Chungnam Province. The questionnaires of interview included sociodemographic data, health status data, a nature of patient's disagreement with doctor and actions taken following or during the disagreement episode. Approximately sixteen percent of sample reported a disagreement, and nine percent reported action taken following or during the disagreement episode. Age, educational attainment, income and area were significantly related with experience of disagreement episode in univariate analysis. In people who experienced the disagreement episode, nearly forty-one percent reported on disagreement about the diagnosis related, twenty-eight percent reported doctor-patients relationship related, twenty percent reported treatment related, and eleven percent reported prescription drug related. In people who experienced actions taken following or during the disagreement episode, nearly fifty-four percent acted as 'sought a second opinion or visit other doctor', thirty-six percent acted as 'verbally challenged the doctor', thirty-two percent acted as 'stopped prescribed treatment or medication', twenty-nine percent acted as 'made repeat visits to the same doctor', twenty-five percent acted as 'eventually left and changed doctor'. Results of multivariate analysis, age, marital status, have or haven't chronic disease, and general satisfaction with health service were significantly related with experience of disagreement episode and marital status was significantly related with experience of actions taken following or during the disagreement episode. This study is experimental and exploratory trial about a relationship between patient's disagreement with doctor and actions taken following or during the disagreement episode in some community of Korea. We find that patient's disagreement with doctor and actions taken following or during the disagreement episode is latent in our community. We suggest that the relationship between felt disagreement and disagreement action is more complicated and worthy of further study.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.330-337
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• 2003

Background : Low spirometric forced vital capacity(FVC) in conjunction with a normal or high ratio of the forced expiratory volume at 1 second to the forced vital capacity($FEV_1$/FVC%) has traditionally been classified as a restrictive abnormality. However, the gold-standard diagnosis of a restrictive pulmonary impairment requires a measurement of the total lung capacity (TLC). This study was performed to determine the predictive value of spirometric measurements of the FVC for diagnosing a restrictive pulmonary abnormality. Methods : Test results from 1,371 adult patients who undertook both spirometry and lung volume measurements on the same visit from January 1999 to December 2000 were enrolled in this study. The test values for the FVC, the TLC that was below 80% of predicted value, and a $FEV_1$/FVC% that was below 70%, were classified as being abnormal. Results : Of the 1,371 patients, 353 patients had a reduced a FVC. Of these patients, 186 patients had a reduced TLC. Therefore, the positive predictive value was 52.7%. Of the 196 patients with a normal $FEV_1$/FVC% and a reduced FVC, 148(75.5%) patients had a lower TLC. Thirty eight (24.2%) patients out of 157 patients with a low $FEV_1$/FVC% and a low FVC showed a restrictive defect. Conclusion : Spirometry is useful to rule out a restrictive pulmonary abnormality, but a restrictive pattern on the spirometry dose not mean there is a true restrictive disease. For the patients with a low FVC, TLC measurements are essential for diagnosing a restrictive pulmonary impairment.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.196-204
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• 2011

Virus diseases occurring on cucumber was surveyed at main plantation areas of 'Sangju' and 'Gurye' in 2006 and 2007. Viral infection rate on cucumber was ranged from 14% to 90% in fields and the average infection rate was 46% at Sangju area. Cucumber cultivated at Gurye area had viral incidence ranged 9-100% and averaged 48%. The majorly infected viruses were Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus, Zucchini yellow mosaic virus, Papaya ring spot virus and Watermelon mosaic virus-2, and their infection rates were 23.5%, 13.0%, 9.0% and 2.0%, respectively in 2006 and 2007. Mixed infection rate of duplex, triplex and tetraplex was 31.5%, 7.5% and 2.5%, respectively. The rate of infection type was 47.7% by single infection, 31.5% by double infection and 88.7% by both infection types. Important viruses involved in mixed infection types were Zucchini yellow mosaic virus, Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus, Papaya ring spot virus and Broad been wilt virus2, orderly. Symptom in single infection was almost same on 'Dadagi' line and 'Chicheong' line of cucumber cultivars. Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus produced various symptoms of chlorotic spot, vein chlorosis and vein wrinkle and so on. Main symptoms of vein chlorosis, and severe mosaic and malformation were induced by Zucchini yellow mosaic virus. Mild symptoms were occurred relatively by Papaya ring spot virus and Watermelon mosaic virus2.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.122-128
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• 2007

This study aims to analyze the voices of the patients with voice disorders including vocal fold paralysis, vocal fold cyst and vocal nodule/polyp in the aspect of acoustic phonetics. This study intends to collect subsidiary acoustic data in order to make a speech treatment and an standardization of vocal disorders. Subjects and Methods: The subjects of this study were 64 adult patients who underwent indirect laryngoscopy and laryngostroboscopy, and were diagnosed as vocal fold paralysis, vocal fold cyst or vocal nodule/polyp. Experimental group consisted of 20 patients who were diagnosed as vocal fold paralysis, 21 patients who were diagnosed as vocal fold cyst and had the average age of 42.0 $({\pm}10.03)$ ; and 23 patients who were diagnosed as vocal nodule/polyp and had the average age of 40.9 $({\pm}13.75)$. For the methodology of this study, the patients listed above were asked to sit in a comfortable position at intervals of 10cm apart from the patient's mouth and a microphone, and subsequently to phonate a vowel sound /e/ for the maximum phonation time with natural tone and vocal volume then the sound was directly inputted on a computer. During recording, sampling rate was set to 44,100Hz and the 1-second area corresponding to stable zone except the first and the last stage of waveform of the vowel sound /e/ vocalized by the individual patients was analyzed. Results: First, there was no statistically significant difference in jitter and shimmer between vocal fold paralysis and vocal fold cyst, while there was highly statistically significant difference in them between vocal fold paralysis and vocal nodule/polyp. Second, looking into the mean values obtained from NNE, HNR and SNR results associated with noise ratio, the disease showing the most abnormal characteristics was vocal fold paralysis, followed by cyst and nodule/polyp in order. For NNE, there was statistically significant difference between vocal nodule/polyp, and cyst or paralysis. In other words, it was found that the NNE of vocal nodule/polyp was weaker than that of cyst or paralysis. Similarly, HNR and SNR also showed the same characteristics; there was statistically significant difference between vocal fold paralysis and vocal fold cyst or nodule/polyp, and HNR and SNR values of vocal fold paralysis were lower than those of vocal fold cyst or nodule/polyp. Conclusion: For vocal fold paralysis, the abnormal values of acoustic parameters associated with frequency, amplitude and noise ratio were statistically significantly higher than those of vocal fold cyst and nodule/polyp. This finding suggests that the voices of the patients with vocal fold paralysis are the most severely injured due to less stability of vocal fold movement, asymmetry and incomplete glottic closure. In addition, there was no statistically significant difference in the acoustic parameters of tremor among vocal fold paralysis, vocal fold cyst and vocal nodule/polyp. Further studies need to ascertain reasonable acoustic parameters with various vocal disorders as well as to clarify the correlation between acoustics-based objective tools and subjective evaluations.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.56-66
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• 1984

Giardia lamblia is a pathogenic flagellate causing intestinal disorders such as diarrhea, abdominal pain and malabsorption of nutrients. Giardia is mainly infected by the ingestion of contaminated foods per os. Craun (1979) has recently reported that mass infection of this flagellate through the contaminated water supply systems is one of public health hazards. Also, so-called traveller's diarrhea is sometimes caused by Giardia infection (CDC, U.S.A., 1971). However, a few epidemiological studies figuring out the mode of infection or control measures of Giardia infection has been done so far in Korea. The present study was aimed to know the prevalence of Giardia infection in several Korean populations, detectability of this flagellate in water systems and the viability of the cysts against sewages and disinfectants applying to drinking water. In the present study, 388 stool specimens from orphanage children in Chun-joo, Chung-joo, On-yang and Chun-an areas and 538 stool specimens from inhabitants in Woo-do, In-chon, and Chun-joo were examined by formalin-ether concentration technique to detect out Giardia cysts. On the other hand, water samples from 14 sites of Han River and its tributaries were collected in May through July, 1984. Fifty liter of water sample in each sampling site was then filtered through water filtering system deviced by U.S. Environmental Proutection Agency and the sediments rinsed out from the thread rolls, a part of water filtering system, were examined to detect out the Giardia cysts. In order to observe the viability of Giardia cysts in the sewage samples, the cysts were treated in it at $4^{\circ}C$ or $25^{\circ}C$ for 7 through 28 days. For this purpose, the cysts were also exposed to various concentrations of disinfectants such as chlorine, iodine and ozone gas for proper time intervals. After treatment, the viability test of the Giardia cysts were carried out by method of Rice and Schaefer (1981) with minor modification. The results obtained in this study were as follows : 1) The detection rates of G lamblia cysts in the stool specimens were 18.3% in orphans and 4.3% in general examinees. 2) The prevalences of Giardia Infection were higher in the young age groups than in-adults. The highest positive rate was 18.4% in the age group less than 10. 3) Of 14 water specimens sampled from Han River system and its tributaries around the Seoul area, the Giardia cysts were detected from 4 samples, and no cyst was found in the water supply systems. 4) The cysts treated in the sewage survived for 28 days at $4^{\circ}C$ and for 13 days at $25^{\circ}C$. 5) The cysts were completely destroyed within 60 minutes by exposure to 8 mg/l of residual chlorine at 4g and within 30 minutes by exposure to the same concentration of chlorine at $25^{\circ}C$. 6) The cysts were all dead when exposed to 1 mg/1 of iodine for 60 minutes at $4^{\circ}C$ or $25^{\circ}C$. 7) The cysts were destroyed after 10 minute exposure in 0.15 mg to 0.25mg of residual ozone gas per liter. Summarizing the above results, it is considered that Giardia infection is regarded as water-borne disease and the cysts are able to be controlled by the application with the disinfectants in the water supply systems.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.239-247
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• 2018

Chronic inflammation is known to have effects on various diseases such as gout, cancer, dementia, atopic disease, and obesity. In addition, since some signal cascades involved in the development of inflammation are known to affect the damage and aging of the skin tissue, studies are being conducted actively to control the inflammation mechanism. In order to mitigate or prevent inflammatory response, a number of researches have been made to develop anti-inflammatory materials from some plants. In particular, Stevia rebaudiana produces steviol glycosides (SG), a natural sweetener with a distinctive flavor. Studies on some of SG have been shown to have anti-inflammatory activity. Researchers of this study expected that more SG also possess anti-inflammatory activity, besides stevioside, rebaudioside A, and steviol. In order to confirm this possibility, the researchers screened inhibition activity of various steviol glucosides for NO production in RAW 264.7 cell lines. As a result, steviol ${\beta}-glucopyranosyl$ ester (SGE) showed the highest inhibitory activity among steviol derivatives treated at the same molar concentration. In addition, we found that mRNA expression level of $interleukin-1{\alpha}$ ($IL-1{\alpha}$), $interleukin-1{\beta}$ ($IL-1{\beta}$), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), nuclear factor kappa-light chain-enhancer of activated B cells ($NF-{\kappa}B$) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was also decreased in a dose-dependent manner. These results show that SGE inhibits anti-inflammatory activity and NO production in mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. It was confirmed that SGE has potential to be applied as an anti-inflammatory material.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.35-43
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• 2012

Purpose : PET/CT performed CT-based attenuation correction generates the beam hardening artifact by metallic implant. The attenuation correction causes over or underestimate of the area adjacent to metallic hip prosthetic material and change of $^{18}F$-FDG uptake. Also, the image quality and the diagnosability on genitourinary disease are reduced. Therefore, this study will evaluate the usefulness of MAR (Metal Artifact Reduction) algorithm method to improve the image quality on PET/CT. Materials and Methods : PET/CT was performed by fixing hip prosthesis in SPECT/PET phantom. In PET images with and Without MAR algorithm, the Bright streak, Dark streak, Metal region and Background area that appeared on CT were confirmed, and the change of each SUV (standardized uptake value) was analyzed. Also, in 15 patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty, each MAR algorithm and Without MAR algorithm and non attenuation correction was evaluated. Results : In PET image Without MAR algorithm, SUV of Bright streak region was $0.98{\pm}0.48$ g/ml; Dark streak region was $0.88{\pm}0.02$ g/ml; Metal region was $0.24{\pm}0.16$ g/ml, Background area was $0.91{\pm}0.18$ g/ml. In SUV of PET image with MAR algorithm, Bright streak region was $0.88{\pm}0.49$ g/ml, Dark streak region was $0.63{\pm}0.21$ g/ml, Metal region was $0.06{\pm}0.07$ g/ml, Background was $0.90{\pm}0.02$ g/ml. SUV generally decreased when applying MAR algorithm. In PET image Without MAR algorithm, SUVs of Bright region were higher than those measured in the Background, and it was false positive uptake. But, in PET image with MAR algorithm, SUVs of Bright region were similar to the Background, and false positive uptake disappeared. Conclusion : MAR algorithm could reduce an increase of $^{18}F$-FDG uptake due to attenuation correction in the hip surrounding tissue. However, decrease of SUV in Dark streak region should be considered in the future. Therefore, this study propose that the diagnostic accuracy can be improved in genitourinary diseases adjacent to metallic hip prosthesis, if provided PET images with and Without MAR algorithm, and non attenuation correction images at the same time.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.9-14
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• 2009

Purpose: Nowadays in the nuclear medicine, many studies and efforts are being made to reduce the scan time, as well as the waiting time to be needed to execute exams after injection of radionuclide medicines. Several methods are being used in clinic, such as developing new radionuclide compounds that enable to be absorbed into target organs more quickly and reducing acquisition scan time by increase the number of Gamma Camera detectors to examine. Each medical equipment manufacturer has improved the imaging process techniques to reduce scan time. In this paper, we tried to analyze the difference of image quality between FBP, 3D OSEM reconstruction methods that commercialized and being clinically applied, and Astonish reconstruction method (A kind of Iterative fast reconstruction method of Philips), also difference of image quality on scan time. Material and Methods: We investigated in 32 patients that examined the Bone SPECT from June to July 2008 at department of nuclear medicine, ASAN Medical Center in Seoul. 40sec/frame and 20sec/frame images were acquired that using Philips‘ PRECEDENCE 16 Gamma Camera and then reconstructed those images by using the Astonish (Philips’ Reconstruction Method), 3D OSEM and FBP methods. The blinded test was performed to the clinical interpreting physicians with all images analyzed by each reconstruction method for qualitative analysis. And we analyzed target to non target ratio by draws lesions as the center of disease for quantitative analysis. At this time, each image was analyzed with same location and size of ROI. Results: In a qualitative analysis, there was no significant difference by acquisition time changes in image quality. In a quantitative analysis, the images reconstructed Astonish method showed good quality due to better sharpness and distinguish sharply between lesions and peripheral lesions. After measuring each mean value and standard deviation value of target to non target ratio with 40 sec/frame and 20sec/frame images, those values are Astonish (40 sec-$13.91{\pm}5.62$ : 20 sec-$13.88{\pm}5.92$), 3D OSEM (40 sec-$10.60{\pm}3.55$ : 20 sec-$10.55{\pm}3.64$), FBP (40 sec-$8.30{\pm}4.44$ : 20 sec-$8.19{\pm}4.20$). We analyzed target to non target ratio from 20 sec and 40 sec images. And we analyzed the result, In Astonish (t=0.16, p=0.872), 3D OSEM (t=0.51, p=0.610), FBP (t=0.73, p=0.469) methods, there was no significant difference statistically by acquisition time change in image quality. But FBP indicates no statistical differences while some images indicate difference between 40 sec/frame and 20 sec/frame images by various factors. Conclusions: In the circumstance, try to find a solution to reduce nuclear medicine scan time, the development of nuclear medicine equipment hardware has decreased while software has marched forward at a relentless. Due to development of computer hardware, the image reconstruction time was reduced and the expanded capacity to restore enables iterative methods that couldn't be performed before due to technical limits. As imaging process technique developed, it reduced scan time and we could observe that image quality keep similar level. While keeping exam quality and reducing scan time can induce the reduction of patient's pain and sensory waiting time, also accessibility of nuclear medicine exam will be improved and it provide better service to patients and clinical physician who order exams. Consequently, those things make the image of department of nuclear medicine be improved. Concurrent Imaging - A new function that setting up each image acquisition parameter and enables to acquire images simultaneously with various parameters to once examine.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.165-171
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• 2016

Purpose: Human parechovirus (HPeV) is an increasingly recognized pathogenic cause of central nervous system (CNS) infection in neonates. However, HPeV infections have not been studied in older children. This study determined the prevalence and clinical features of HPeV CNS infection in children in Korea. Methods: Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays were performed using HPeV-specific, 5' untranslated, region-targeted primers to detect HPeV in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from children presenting with fever or neurologic symptoms from January 1, 2013, to July 31, 2014. HPeV genotyping was performed by sequencing the viral protein 3/1 region. Clinical and laboratory data were retrospectively abstracted from medical records and compared with those of enterovirus (EV)-positive patients from the same period. Results: Of 102 CSF samples, six (5.9%) were positive for HPeV; two of 21 EV-positive samples were co-infected with HPeV. All samples were genotype HPeV3. Two HPeV-positive patients were <3 months of age and four others were over 1 year old. While HPeV-positive infants under 1 year of age presented with sepsis-like illness without definite neurologic abnormalities, HPeV-positive children over 1 year of age presented with fever and neurologic symptoms such as seizures, loss of consciousness, and gait disturbance. The CSF findings of HPeV-positive patients were mostly within the normal range, whereas most (73.7%) EV-positive patients had pleocytosis. Conclusions: Although HPeV is typically associated with disease in young infants, the results of this study suggest that HPeV is an emerging pathogen of CNS infection with neurologic symptoms in older childhood.