• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.38-49
• /
• 2008

Objectives: Though overt thyroid dysfunction is well recognized to affect serum lipid profiles and obesity, there are conflicting reports on the effect of subclinical hypothyroidism on serum lipid profiles and obesity. In most reports, the definition of the upper normal limit of serum thyroid stimulation hormone (TSH) of 4.0${\sim}$5.0mU/L has been used to diagnose. However, recent studies have suggested a much lower TSH cut off with an upper limit of 2.5mU/L, because >95% of rigorously screened normal euthyroid volunteers had serum TSH values between 0.4 and 2.5mU/L. Therefore we defined subclinical hypothyroidism as a TSH level greater than 2.5mU/L. We sought to evaluate the correlations of subclinical hypothyroidism with obesity index and serum lipid profiles Methods: TSH levels were measured in 6190 men and 4223 women that participated in health examination and free T4, lipid profiles (total-cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-C), and obesity index (body mass index, body fat, waist circumference, C-reactive protein) were also measured. Results: There were significant differences of triglyceride between subclinical hypothyroidism men and normal control subjects. In women, there were also significant differences of triglyceride and LDL-C between subclinical hypothyroidism and normal control subjects. Subclinical hypothyroidism women showed significant correlations of TSH with total cholesterol, LDL-C, triglyceride, and C-reactive protein. Subclinical hypothyroidism men and women with a TSH level 2.5${\sim}$4.0mU/L had significant differences of triglyceride and body fat. In men, there were significant differences of waist circumference andC-reactive protein. In women, there were significant differences of LDL-C. Conclusions: We have demonstrated correlations of subclinical hypothyroidism with serum lipid profiles and obesity index. These findings suggested that subclinical hypothyroidism people had an increased risk of dyslipidemia and obesity. Subclinical hypothyroidism people with a TSH level 2.5${\sim}$4.0mU/L may be also considered suspect since it may signal a case of evolving thyroid underactivity eligible to be prevented.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.311-316
• /
• 2010

We studied a comparison of the concentration of biochemical markers in sera of patients hospitalized with high fever (n=296) in Jeonbuk province during the last 2 years (2008 to 2009). The patients were divided into three patient groups of viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) patient group tested positive for Hantavirus (n=53), leptospirosis (LEP) patient group tested positive for Leptospira interrogans (n=137) and scrub typhus (TSU) patient group tested positive for Orientia tsutsugamushi (n=106). We analyzed the concentration of ALP, AST, ALT, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and glucose and compared the mean levels of them to normal range, the first sample and last sample. The frequencies of abnormal patient elevated above the upper limit of normal for ALP, AST and ALT were 18~43.4%, 78~97% and 62.3~92.7% in patient groups, and 24.5~47.4% (total protein) and 13.2~50.0% (albumin) of patients in patient groups had decreased below the lower limit of normal. The patients showed higher abnormal levels of glucose in patient groups were 58.5% (viral hemorrhagic fever patient group), 66.4% (leptospirosis patient group), 71.7% (scrub typhus patient group) and 66.9% (total patient group). There were significant difference between the first sample and the last sample in the mean levels of AST (decreased 22.2% in viral hemorrhagic fever patient group, 30.2% in leptospirosis patient group, 20.4% in scrub typhus patient group and 24.1% in total patient group), BUN (43.0% in viral hemorrhagic fever patient group, 41.6% in leptospirosis patient group, 47.4% in scrub typhus patient group and 43.0% in total patient group) and glucose (20.2% viral hemorrhagic fever patient group, 17.9% in leptospirosis patient group, 18.6% in scrub typhus patient group and 18.9% in total patient group) in the first sample and the last sample. According to these results, those diseases may cause liver damage and have high concentration of ALP, AST, ALT and glucose in blood even though the patients get out of the hospital.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.25 no.7
• /
• pp.608-616
• /
• 1992

Using the hematofluiorometer normal values of the erythrocyte zinc protoporphyrin(ZPP) and ZPP/Heme ratio were measured in 312 males and 163 females aged from 6 month to 73 years old and compared with those of anemic persons. The mean$\pm$SD values of ZPP of normal Koreans were 28.5$\pm$6.4($\mu\textrm{g}$/dl) in males and 3.18$\pm$7.7 in females. the mean$\pm$SD of ZPP/Heme ratio were 49.5$\pm$12.3($\mu$mol/mol heme) in males and 62.0$\pm$15.8 in females. The difference in the mean ZPP and ZPP/Heme ratio values between male and female subjects were statistically signficant(p<0.0001) In male subjects the mean ZPP and ZPP/Heme ratio of the age groups less than 15 years old were higher than adult groups and the difference between age groups was significant(p<0.005 and p<0.0001 respecti-vely) The normal upper limit of the mean$\pm$2SD in normal male and female subjects were 41.3 and 47.2 for ZPP and 74.1 and 93.6 for ZPP/Heme ratio respectively. The mean values of ZPP and ZPP/Heme ratio measured in the anemic persons were higher than those of normal subjects and did not show any significant difference by the sex and age groups except in 6-14 years male groups. The test specificity(positivity) analyzed in the anemic persons by the cut-off values calculated from the normal data were 50.6% for ZPP and 73.0% for ZPP/Heme ratio. The correlation analysis between blood hemoglobin and erythrocyte ZPP or ZPP/Heme ratio in the total 801 normal and anemic subjects showed that there are very high logarithmic correlation between the hemoglobin levels and ZPP/Heme ratio (r=-0.8339) and high correla-tion between the hemoglobin levels and ZPP concentrations(r=-0.6372) These results suggested that the measurement of the erythrocyte ZPP and ZPP/Heme ratio with the hematofluorometer can be a usuful screening method for iron deficiency anermin because they provide a reliable immediate results with a small amount of sample and are relatively simple and inexpensive.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.27 no.10
• /
• pp.1058-1069
• /
• 1994

This study was performed to study the effects of dietary factors on breast and cervical cancer incidence in female Koreans. The subjects were 60 breast and 109 cervical cancer patients recruited from five general hospitals in Seoul. Food intake, anthropometric measurement, and blood compositions were studied through personal interview and using medical records, from August 1991 to September 1992. Body weight, body mass index, triceps skinfold thickness and body muscle mass were at upper limit of normal value, which suggest that these patients had a tendency of overweight. The levels of hemoglobin and hematocrit of the patients were below the normal values. The values of serum protein, albumin, and calcium were in the normal range but close to the lower bound. Therefore the nutritional status assessed by blood composition seems to be marginal. The results of diet history showed that most of the nutrient intake of the subjects met with RDA. The fat intake were 22.9-36.9g/day which supplies about 15-16% of total calories. The results of this study do not agree with those reports of western societies which showed the positive correlation between calorie and fat intake and the incidence of breast and cervical cancer. Even through the calories and fat intake of the subjects were not high, it was higher than national average, especially in breast cancer patients. From this study, dietary factors does not seem to be a major risk factor in cancer incidence in Korea. However, the tendency of the increasing consumption of fat could be a contributing risk factor together with overweight.

• Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.212-221
• /
• 2020

This work discusses the palm oil mill processing carried out at Jugra Palm Oil Mill Sdn Bhd, situated at Selangor, Malaysia with the capacity of 45-t fresh fruit bunch (FFB)/h. Typically, oil palm residues and palm oil mill effluent (POME) from FFB are generated while processing. Prior to discharge, POME should be treated to remove pollutants in the effluent. As such, the performances of anaerobic and aerobic ponds were assessed in this study to determine temperature, pH, biological oxygen demand (BOD), sludge volume index (SVI), and dissolved oxygen (DO). From the experiments, mesophilic temperature due to better process stability was applied in anaerobic ponds. The pH results displayed a fluctuating trend between lower control limit and upper control limit, and, the pH value increased from one pond to another. The final discharge BOD and SVI appeared to be lower than 100 mg/L and 10 mL/L indicating low degree of pollution and good settling ability for biomass/solid. DO was close to normal, mostly below 2 mg/L. The experimental outcomes revealed the effective treatability of POME in adherence to the standard regulation, which is the priority for environmental sustainability within this industry domain.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.246-255
• /
• 1998

This paper presents a novel method for real-time malfunction detection of plasma etching process using EPD signal traces. First, many reference EPD signal traces are collected using monochromator and data acquisition system in normal etching processes. Critical points are defined by applying differentiation and zero-crossing method to the collected reference signal traces. Critical parameters such as intensity, slope, time, peak, overshoot, etc., determined by critical points, and frame attributes transformed signal-to symbol of reference signal traces are saved. Also, UCL(Upper Control Limit) and LCL(Lower Control Limit) are obtained by mean and standard deviation of critical parameters. Then, test EPD signal traces are collected in the actual processes, and frame attributes and critical parameters are obtained using the above mentioned method. Process malfunctions are detected in real-time by applying SPC(Statistical Process Control) method to critical parameters. the Real-time malfunction detection method presented in this paper was applied to actual processes and the results indicated that it was proved to be able to supplement disadvantages of existing quality control check inspecting or testing random-selected devices and detect process malfunctions correctly in real-time.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.313-334
• /
• 2005

The paper presents a new approach for the analysis of slope stability that is based on the numerical solution of a differential equation, which describes the thrust force distribution within the potential sliding mass. It is based on the evaluation of the thrust force value at the endpoint of the slip line. A coupled approximation of the slip and thrust lines is applied. The model is based on subdivision of the sliding mass into slices that are normal to the slip line and the equilibrium differential equation is obtained as the slice width approaches zero. Opposed to common iterative limit equilibrium procedures the present method is straightforward and gives an estimate of slope stability at the value of the safety factor prescribed in advance by standard requirements. Considering the location of the thrust line within the soil mass above the trial slip line eliminates the possible development of a tensile thrust force in the stable and critical states of the slope. The location of the upper boundary point of the thrust line is determined by the equilibrium of the upper triangular slice. The method can be applied to any smooth shape of a slip line, i.e., to a slip line without break points. An approximation of the slip and thrust lines by quadratic parabolas is used in the numerical examples for a series of slopes.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.81-84
• /
• 1978

A 15 years Old girl was admitted with chief complaints of intermittent claudication of lower extremity, dizziness, and headache for 5 years. On admission, malignant hypertension was noted in the upper part of body [190-150/120-110] but femoral & dorsalis pedis pulse could not palpate. Once she had experienced C. V. A. due to hypertension of upper part, about years ago. On auscultation, systolic murmur was audible along the left sternal border. E.C.G. Showed left ventricular hypertrophy pattern, and others within normal limit. Retrograde aortography demonstrated diffuse narrowing of entire thoracic aorta with underdeveloped lower abdominal aorta [below the renal artery] & both common lilac artery, and rich collaterals, but normally visualized greater arteries in the aortic arch. On left posterolasteral thoracotomy, entire descending thoracic aorta revealed marked narrowing with mild perivascular adhesion, but no mediastinal pleura adhesion. These findings suggest as congenital type of atypical coarctation in the entire thoracic aorta with mild secondary change. But histopathology was showed the findings of chronic non-specific aortitis, later. Dacron by pass graft was performed with end to side anastomosis between graft and aortic wall. After operation, all her preoperative symptoms & signs were disappeared, and discharged with good general condition.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.231-238
• /
• 1984

Normal range has use mainly in the first phase of the diagnostic process, that is, to screen or to raise ideas about possible pathology. The traditional method of determining it is based on the probability paper or on the mean plus or minus two standard deviations. These methods are often turned out to be vague and impractical. The percentile method is adequate and flexible, though. The appropriate limit of lower and upper points should be chosen by considering medical aspects above all things and also the reliability of the range determined by the standard error. The results of normal range are interesting, strictly speaking, only for the hospital concerned. Differences exist between the normal ranges reported by various sources (Bezemer et al, 1983). It would be best to establish the normal range based on a population comparable to a group of individuals to whom the normal range is to serve as a norm.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
• /
• 2008.04a
• /
• pp.185-188
• /
• 2008

This paper introduces the Bootstrap method for statistical analysis of noise and vibration spectrum in aeronautic and space fields. Generally, all components of a launch vehicle and its payloads are subjected to high intensive noise and vibration environment during the lift-off phase and the ascent phase through Mach =1 and Max Q. In order to verify their survivabilities against these severe vibroacoustic environments during qualification tests and acceptance tests, it is most important to estimate the proper upper limits of the environmental condition. Although NASA has typically utilized the Normal Tolerance Limit method in deriving these levels, the reference[1] says that the Bootstrap can be also an alternative method to estimate the maximum expected environments. In this paper, a general procedure of the Bootstrap method is summarized, and it is applied to analyze acceleration power spectral density functions, which were measured during acoustic test on the upper stage of KSLV-I.