• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.53-58
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• 2009

Background: The goal of this study was to compare the patency and complications of femoropopliteal bypass with superficial femoral artery stenting for patients with atherosclerotic superficial femoral artery occlusive disease. Material and Method: Between July 2005 and July 2008, we reviewed 29 femoropopliteal bypass procedures (24 patients) with prosthetic grafts (the bypass group) and 19 superficial femoral artery stentings (15 patients) with nitinol stent (the stent group). There were 35 male patients (89.7%) and the mean age of the patients was 69.2 years (range: 48~84). The number of patients who had DM, hypertension and a smoking history was 25 patients (64.1%), 17 patients (43.6%) and 30 patients (76.9%), respectively. 23 (59.0%) patients had skin ulceration or tissue gangrene at admission. Result: There were 27 cases (93.0%) of TASC C&D lesion in the bypass group and 16 cases (84.2%) of TASC A&B lesion in the stent group. There were significant differences for the indications for a procedure between the two groups (p<0.01). The primary patency rates at 6 months, 12 months and 24 months were 91.9%, 79.7% and 79.7% for the bypass group and 93.3%, 86.2% and 86.2% for the stent group, respectively. There were no statistical difference between the two groups (p=0.48). Conclusion: There were no significant differences in the outcome between two groups. TASC C&D lesion and failed intervention therapy should be treated with femoropopliteal bypass surgery, and TASC A&B lesion and the high-risk patients should be treated with femoral artery stent insertion.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.244-250
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• 2012

The results of analyzing the difference between performances of individual dosimeters on this research subjecting the PLD and TLD, which are the official personal dosimeters, through dosimetry are as follows. After scanning the integral dose using an automatic scanner, the values of two devices that went through dose adjustment process had a statistical difference in TLD and PLD measurements under each filming conditions which were 70kVp, 200mA, 0.012sec and 42kVp, 100mA, and 0.012sec (p<0.001 and p<0.001 respectively). As for the difference of measurement value between DAP and the two particles under 70kVp, 200mA, 0.012sec filming condition, TLD had a value lower than DAP average value by $44.2mGy{\cdot}cm^2$ and PLD had a value of $246.8mGy{\cdot}cm^2$ which was lower than DAP average value by $15.5mGy{\cdot}cm^2$, while under 42kVp, 100mA, 0.012sec filming condition, TLD had a value lower than DAP average value by $17.9mGy{\cdot}cm^2$ and PLD had a value of $82.6mGy{\cdot}cm^2$ which was lower than DAP average value by 7.6$mGy{\cdot}cm^2$. Also, compared to PLD, each of 10 devices measured dose value in TLD had a larger deviation between the particles, and for a reproducibility test which repeatedly measured one particle, PLD had ${\pm}1%$ which was lower than TLD's ${\pm}2%$. As such, PLD had a superior performance result in dose measurement capacities aspect compared to TLD, and therefore we could verify that PLD is more appropriate and advantageous in managing radiation-related task performing worker's personal radiation exposure management in the diagnostic radiation field.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.2465-2472
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• 2014

Background: The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) published a new staging system ($7^{th}$ edition) in 2009. In our study, we evaluated the survival results and prognostic factors among T4 local advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) patients in a large heterogeneous group, in accordance with this new system. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the files of 122 T4 N0-3 M0 LA-NSCLC patients, identified according to the new staging system, treated at two centers between November 2003 and June 2012. Variables correlating with univariate survival at p<0.20 were later included in multivariate Cox regression analysis. Here, selection of relevant predictors of survival was carried out in accordance with the likelihood ratio formula with p<0.05 regarded as significant. Results: The median age was 60 and the median follow-up period was 17.4 months. Median overall survival (OS) was 18.3 months, the 1 year overall survival (OS) rate was 72%, and the 5 year OS rate was 28%. Statistically significant predictors of survival were (p<0.20) ECOG-PS (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status), age, T4 factor subgroup, stage and primary treatment in OS univariate analysis. On multivariate analysis for OS ECOG-PS (p=0.001), diagnostic stage (p=0.021), and primary treatment (p=0.004) were significant. In the group receiving non-curative treatment, the median OS was 11.0 months, while it was 19.0 months in the definitive RT group and 26.6 months in the curative treatment group. There was a significant difference between the non-curative group and the groups which had definitive RT and curative operations (respectively p<0.001 and p=0.001) in terms of OS, but not between the groups which had definitive RT and curative operations. The median event free survival (EFS) rate was 9.9 months, with rates of 46% and 19% at 3 and 5 years, respectively. On univariate analysis of EFS rate with ECOG-PS, weight loss and staging, statistical significance was found only for thorax computerized tomography (CT)+18F-fluorodeoxy-glucose positron emission tomography-CT (PET-CT) use, stage and primary treatment (p<0.20). In multivariate analysis with EFS, only the primary treatment was statistically significant (p=0.001). In the group receiving non-curative treatment, the median EFS was 10.5 months while in the curative operation group it was 14.7 months. When all the primary treatment groups were taken into consideration, grade III/IV side effect swas observed in 57 patients (46.6%). Esophagitis was most prominent among those that received definitive radiotherapy. Conclusions: Independent prognostic factors among these 122 heterogeneous LA-NSCLC T4 N0-3 M0 patients were age at diagnosis, ECOG-PS, stage and primary treatment, the last also being a significant prognostic indicator of EFS. Our findings point to the importance of appropriate staging and a multidisciplinary approach with modern imaging methods in this patient group. In those with T4 lesions, treatment selection and the effective use of curative potential should be the most important goal of clinical care.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.3769-3776
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• 2016

Background: Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide. High breast cancer mortality has been attributed to lack of public awareness of the disease. Little is known about the level of knowledge of breast cancer in Central African Republic. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge of health professionals on breast cancer. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 158 health professionals (27 medical; 131 paramedical) in 17 hospitals in Bangui using a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistical analysis, Person's ${\chi}^2$ test and ANOVA were applied to examine associations between variables with p < 0.05 being considered significant. Results: Data analyzed using SPSS version 20 indicates that average knowledge about breast cancer perception of the entire population was 47.6%, diagnosis method 45.5%, treatment 34.3% and risk factors 23.8%. Most respondents (65.8%) agreed that breast cancer is important in Central African Republic and that family history is a risk factor (44.3%). Clinical assessments and mammography were considered most suitable diagnostic methods, and surgery as the best treatment. The knowledge level was significantly higher among medical than paramedical staff with regard to risk factors, diagnosis and treatment. However the trainee group had very high significant differences of knowledge compared with all other groups. Conclusions: There is a very urgent need to update the various training programs for these professionals, with recommendations of retraining. Health authorities must create suitable structures for the overall management of cancer observed as a serious public health problem.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.256-262
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• 2001

Objective：The enlargement of the lateral ventricle is well established finding in adult-onset schizophrenia, but in the patients with early-onset psychotic disorder(EOPD) is still controversal. To identify structural abnormalities of the lateral ventricle in patients with EOPD and difference of the brain developmental course in EOPD group, planimetrical assessment of the lateral ventricle was conducted by means of retrospective quantitative neuroimaging. Methods：The brain MR images of 14 patients with EOPD(mean age $14.0{\pm}2.1$ years) who met the DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and 24 control subjects with simple headache(mean age $10.0{\pm}2.1$ years) were collected. Single best view for the lateral ventricle, one axial slice was selected for analysis. MR images were redigitalized with flatbed scanner and data were analyzed with NIH IMAGE software. Results：In the patients with EOPD, there were significant correlations between aging and lateral ventricular sizes and between aging and ventricular brain ratio(VBR). The statistical significance of normal asymmetry of the lateral ventricle was not observed for the EOPD group. The EOPD group had larger lateral ventricular sizes and VBR than control group, but these results were not statistically significant. Conclusion：These findings suggest that the brain abnormalities in patients with EOPD progress from the earlier course of the disorders and the course of brain development in EOPD group is different from control group.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.149-155
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• 2012

Purpose : Serum insulin levels are useful indicator which of reflecting the function of insulin secretion in pancreatic ${\beta}$ cell and diagnosis of diabetes, differentiating the cause of impaired glucose tolerance. Insulin measurement kits have shown some differences in many ways such as test methods as well as quality control. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of seven manufacturing companies commercial kits. Materials and Methods : The values of insulin measured by three manufacturing companies (Biosource, Siemens, TFB) with 59 samples in August 2009 were compared with those measured by four manufacturing companies (Immunotech, Izotope, BNIBT, Cisbio) with 68 samples in December 2011. We evaluated precision, recovery rate, dilution test and correlation of serum insulin measurement using seven manufacturing company kits. Statistical program SPSS 12.0 was used for the verification of results. Results : The coefficients variation of the precision on all seven different kits were showed within 5.0%. Recovery rate of Biosource, Siemens, TFB kits on three different levels showed 94.2~103.7%, 99.0~104.6%, 99.7~107.6% respectively. Immunotech, Izotope, BNIBT, Cisbio were 93.5~99.1%, 91.4~99.1%, 99.2~131.0%, 84.8~102.3% respectively. There was strong correlation between the measurement of insulin by Biosource kit and that by two commercial kits, Siemens (R2=0.96), TFB (R2=0.99). There was good correlation between the measurement of insulin by TFB kit and that by three commercial kits, Immunotech (R2=0.97), Izotope (R2=0.96), Cisbio (R2=0.97). In the dilution test performed with more than 200 ${\mu}IU/ml$ high concentration samples, samples with diabetes correctly was measured in all seven manufacturing kits. However, as measured with insulinoma samples TFB, Siemens, Izotope, Cisbio kits were correctly measured, but Biosource and Immunotech kits were measured 47.4 ${\mu}IU/ml$, 72.3 ${\mu}IU/ml$, respectively. Conclusion : Serum Insulin radioimmunoassay kits were showed excellent precision, correlation and good recovery rate. However, some kits were not measured correctly in the high concentration insulin values. when selecting a kit should be considered many factors that cost effectiveness, compatible for automation equipment, high performance kit, the environment for each laboratory such as reaction time and reporting time.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 1994

The urinary excretion of ${\delta}$-aminolevulinic acid has been widely used as a measure of the biological effect of lead in lead exposed workers. It is usually measured by colorimetric method based on the color reaction of ALA-pyrrole with Ehrlich's reagent. But the results of ${\delta}$-ALA in urine by this method are somewhat artificially higher than expected due to the urinary ALA-like compound such as aminoacetone. On the other hand, the recently developed fluorometric HPLC method is very sensitive and specific for the measuring urinary ALA. In order to compare the data obtained by two methods and to investigate the interrelation between two methods, 117 lead workers with different lead exposure were checked urinary ${\delta}$-ALA, blood lead and other lead exposure related indices. The results obtained are as follows; 1. Urinary excretion of ${\delta}$-ALA by colorimetric method is 2.15 times higher than HPLC method in overall, revealing 2.47 times in workers of blood lead less than $20{\mu}g/dl$, 2.53 times in workers of blood lead $21-40{\mu}g/dl$ and 1.86 times in workers of blood lead over $41{\mu}g/dl$, respectively. 2. While the correlation coefficients of ${\delta}$-ALA measured by colorimetric method with blood lead and blood ZPP was 0.571 and 0.629, those of ${\delta}$-ALA measured by HPLC with blood lead and blood ZPP were 0.6l0 and 0.637. All the correlation coefficients were statistically significant, but there was no statistical difference of correlation coefficients between two methods. 3. The correlation coefficient of urinary excretion of ${\delta}$-ALA between two method was 0.838 without any correction, but it was 0.852 with the correction of specific gravity 1.024. 4. Simple linear regression of ${\delta}$-ALA measured by HPLC method on ${\delta}$-ALA measured by colorimetric method was (ALA-UPH)=-0.245+0.536 (ALA-UCO) without any correction and it was (SP ALA)=-0.525+0.598 (SP ALA-UCO) with the correction of specific gravity 1.024. With above results, it is recommended that the diagnostic criteria of ${\delta}$-ALA for lead poisoning needed to be revised if ${\delta}$-ALA is measured by HPLC rather than colorimetric method.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.812-816
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• 2002

Pericardial effusions result from various conditions such as inflammation, malignancies, open heart surgery and uremia. Recently, video assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) has been used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in the management of pericardial effusion and intrathoracic lesions due to its ability to provide outstanding visibility of intrathoracic structures with less pain, superior cosmetic effects, and shorter hospital stay Material and Method: From April 1995 to October 2001, 51 patients received pericardial window operation via either thoracoscopic(Group A, n＝37, m:f＝18:19, mean age＝56.4 yrs)or thoracotomy approach(Group B, n＝14, m:f＝8:6, mean age=58.4 yrs). Result: In group A, the operation time, duration of chest tube insertion, recurrence rate of pericardial effusion, and postoperative hospital stay were 61.2 minutes, 9.3 days, 2.7%, 16.2 days, respectively while in group B these values were 58.4 minutes, 12.2 days, 7.1, and 17.3 days. The number of injections for pain control in group A were 4.2 times, whereas in group B it was 6.3 times. Although there was a tendency for the mean hospital stay and duration of chest tube insertion to be shorter in group A than in group B, these differences did not reach statistical significance. There was also no significant difference in the operation time and recurrence rate between the two groups. Conclusion: The safety and effectiveness of VATS in the management of pericardial effusion is comparable to the open thoracotomy method. It allows for a shorter hospital stay, duration of chest tube insertion, lesser postoperative pain and a smaller skin incision.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.99-106
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• 2014

Objectives Previous studies suggest that the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CNR1) gene could be an important candidate gene for schizophrenia. According to linkage studies, this gene is located on chromosome 6q14-q15, which is known to harbor the schizophrenia susceptibility locus (locus 5, SCZ5, OMIM 803175). The pharmacological agent delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (${\Delta}$-9-THC) seems to elicit the symptoms of schizophrenia. The association between CNR1 polymorphisms and schizophrenia is actively being investigated, and some studies have linked the AAT-trinucleotide repeats in CNR1 to the onset of schizophrenia. In this study, we have investigated the association between the AAT-trinucleotide repeats in CNR1 and schizophrenia by studying schizophrenia patients and healthy individuals from Korea. Methods DNA was extracted from the blood samples of 394 control subjects and 337 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (as per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition criteria). After polymerase chain reaction amplification, a logistic regression analysis, with age and gender as the covariates, was performed to study the variations in the AAT-repeat polymorphisms between the two groups. Results In total, 8 types of trinucleotide repeats were identified, each containing 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 repeats, respectively. $(AAT)_{13}$ allele was most frequently observed, with a frequency of 33.6% and 31.6% in the patient and control groups, respectively. The frequency of the other repeat alleles in the patient group (in the decreasing order) was as follows : $(AAT)_{13}$ 33.6%, $(AAT)_{14}$ 21.6%, $(AAT)_{12}$ 18.5%, and $(AAT)_{7}$ 11.1%. The frequency of the repeat alleles in the control group (in the decreasing order) was as follows : $(AAT)_{13}$ 31.6%, $(AAT)_{14}$ 24.5%, $(AAT)_{12}$ 17.2%, and $(AAT)_{7}$ 11.6%. However, there were no significant differences in the AAT-repeat polymorphisms of the CNR1 gene between the patient group and the control group. Conclusions Although our study revealed no significant association of the AAT-repeat polymorphism of the CNR1 gene with schizophrenia, it will serve as a good reference for future studies designed to examine the cannabinoid hypothesis of schizophrenia.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.49-54
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• 2000

Background: Echocardiography is rapidly establishing itself as the primary diagnostic technique for investigation of children with heart diseases, and referrals are increasing to the pediatric cardiology clinic for investigation. However, because there is a lack of analyzed data on the patients referred to the pediatric cardiology clinics, we have proceeded to compare and analyze their characteristics to provide basic data base. Methods: From Oct. 1, 1998 to Jul. 10, 1999, total 443 cases referred to the pediatric cardiology clinic of Yeungnam University Hospital were studied retrospectively by medical records, chest X-ray, EKG and echocardiography, etc. Results: The results were as follows. 1. The proportion of male was 61.0%(261 cases) and that of female was 39.0%(67 cases). The ratio of male to female was 1.6:1. The proportion infants less than 1 year-old was 62.6% (26R cases) of all patients. 2. Cardiac murmur was present in 248 cases(57.9%), which was the most common case of referral ed to the pediatric cardiology clinic. The impression at referral was more congenital heart disease(70.6%) than acquired heart disease(17.8%) and arrhythmia01.6%). 3. The final diagnosis was as follows : congenital heart disease was present in 212 cases(49.5%), acquired heart disease, 59 cases(13.9%); arrhythmia. 13 cases(3.0%); normal heart. 144 cases(33.6%). Conclusion: Among the patients referred to pediatric cardiology clinic, 33.6%(144 cases) had normal hearts and why these patients were referred may be possibly due to more dependence on echocardiography than on auscultation instruction. Therefore, clinical and auscultatory skill should be emphasized to minimize dependence on expensive echocardiography for evaluation of pediatric heart disease.