• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.221-224
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• 2019

Based on the results of studies on acetone excretion in diabetic patients, a one - chip sensors array was fabricated by combining acetone-selective sensor materials and volatile-organic-compound sensitive sensor materials. An electonic-nose was implemented using a sensor array and confirmed selectivity for five gases. In this system, the excretion of diabetic patients and controls was sampled with solid phase microextraction fiber and transferred to the sensor array. Although the control and diabetic patients were distinct, several samples failed. In the control group, the results of blood tests were normal, but patients were highly obese. In addition, the gas chromatography mass spectrometry results for the subjects revealed chemicals that are external factors.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.329-337
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• 2010

Inhaled inorganic dusts, such as coal, can cause inflammation and fibrosis in the lungs, known as pneumoconiosis. Diagnosis of pneumoconiosis depends on morphological changes by radiological findings and functional change by pulmonary function test (PFT). Unfortunately, current diagnostic findings are limited only to lung fibrosis, which is usually irreversibly progressive. Therefore, it is important that research on potential and prospective biomarkers for pneumoconiosis should be conducted prior to initiation of irreversible radiological or functional changes in the lungs. Analytical techniques using exhaled breath condensate (EBC) or exhaled gas are non-invasive methods for detection of various respiratory diseases. The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between inflammatory biomarkers, such as EBC pH or fractional exhaled nitric oxide ($FE_{NO}$), and pneumoconiosis among 120 retired coal miners (41 controls and 79 pneumoconiosis patients). Levels of EBC pH and FENO did not show a statistically significant difference between the pneumoconiosis patient group and pneumoconiosis patients with small opacity classified by International Labor Organization (ILO) classification. The mean concentration of $FE_{NO}$ in the low percentage $FEV_1$ (< 80%) was lower than that in the high percentage (80% $\leq$) (p = 0.023). The mean concentration of $FE_{NO}$ in current smokers was lower than that in non smokers (never or past smokers) (p = 0.027). Although there was no statistical significance, the levels of $FE_{NO}$ in smokers tended to decrease, compared with non smokers, regardless of pneumoconiosis. In conclusion, there was no significant relationship between the level of EBC pH or $FE_{NO}$ and radiological findings or PFT. The effects between exhaled biomarkers and pneumoconiosis progression, such as decreasing PFT and exacerbation of radiological findings, should be monitored.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.157-167
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• 1998

Background and Purpose : Cerebrovascular reactivity(CVR) can be estimated by measuring the change of cerebral blood flow that occurs during vasostimulation. To estimate the cerebrovascular reactivity, we investigated the change of flow velocity of the middle cerebral artery(MCA) during hyperventilation and hypoventilation with the transcranial doppler. So we studied whether the CVR measured by this method could show a significant difference between the normal and the cerebral infarction subjects and whether the CVR may decrease with age in normal subjects. Methods : Using transcranial doppler, we measured the mean velocity(Vm), the pulsatility index(P.I.) at the resting state, the end of breath-holding and the end of hyperventilation in 36 normal and 10 cerebral infarction subjects, so we calculated the percentile change of mean velocity(%${\Delta}$Vm) and P.I.(%${\Delta}$P.I.) after the vasostimulation. We estimated the change of Vm, P.I., %${\Delta}$Vm and %${\Delta}$P.I. by the age group and compared those parameters between the age-matched normal control and cerebral infarction subjects. Results : The Vm in MCA significantly decreased with age(p<0.05), but there was no significant difference in Vm and P.I. between normal and cerebral infarction subjects. The %${\Delta}$Vm and %${\Delta}$P.I. in response to hyperventilation significantly decreased with age in MCA and there was significant difference in $%{\Delta}Vm$ of MCA after breath-holding between the normal and cerebral infarction subjects. Conclusion : The breath-holding and hyperventilation tests could be non-invasive and useful methods in estimation of the cerebrovascular reactivity and could be applied in the basal and follow-up evaluation of the cerebrovascular reserve of the ischemic stroke patients.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.1-12
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• 2003

The purpose of this study were to analyze the anthropometric data of feet of Korean women with aging, to categorize the women's foot shapes, and to compare the shoe size according to the foot shapes in order to provide the basic information for more comfortable shoes. Subjects of this study were 181 women over age 20. They were measured with the direct measurement method and the indirect measurement method. 26 items were measured from the right foot and 6 items were taken on foot outline. Factor analysis, cluster analysis, analysis of variance, post-hoc test, and cross tabs were peformed for statistical analysis of the data by SPSS program. There were significant differences in height items, breadth items, girth items, and angle items by subjects' age. The older subjects' feet were wide and thick with big deformity on toes. The arch height of the older ones was low. This implicates that the degree of deformity on toes, the foot ratio, the foot girth, the foot breath and the arch height as well as the foot length are needed to be considered in developing comfortable shoes. Nine foot construction factors were extracted by the factor analysis of anthropometric measurements; foot size factor, heel and instep factor, malleolus lateralis factor, malleolus medialis factor, foot shape factor, shape of toes factor, heel height factor, big toe height factor, and internal factor. On the basis of the cluster analysis, three different foot shapes were categorized. Type 1 was large and wide foot with little deformity on little toe. Type 2 was medium foot with deformation of big toe, and with the lowest arch height. Type 3 was small and narrow foot with the highest arch height. Distribution of shoe size according to the foot shape was analyzed. The ball of foot breath was of wide distribution than the ball of foot girth. This implicates that girth items and breath items of the foot should be enclosed for the same foot length in the shoe sizing system.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.379-388
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• 1994

Background : In sleep apnea syndrome, arterial oxygen saturation($SaO_2$) decreases at a variable rate and to a variable degree for a given apneic period from patient to patient, and various kinds of cardiac arrythmia are known to occur. Factors supposed to affect arterial oxygen desaturation during apnea are duration of apnea, lung voulume at which apnea occurs, and oxygen consumption rate of the subject. The lung serves as preferential oxygen source during apnea, and there have been many reports related with the influence of lung volume on $SaO_2$ during apnea, but there are few, if any, studies about the influence of oxygen consumption rate of an individual on $SaO_2$ during breath holding or about the profile of arterial oxygen resaturation after breathing resumed. Methods : To investigate the changes of $SaO_2$ and heart rate(HR) during breath holding(BH) and rebreathing(RB) and to evaluate the physiologic factors responsible for the changes, lung volume measurements, and arterial blood gas analyses were performed in 17 healthy subjects. Nasal airflow by thermistor, $SaO_2$ by pulse oxymeter and ECG tracing were recorded on Polygraph(TA 4000, Gould, U.S.A.) during voluntary BH & RB at total lung capacity(TLC), at functional residual capacity(FRC) and at residual volume(RV), respectively, for the study subjects. Each subject's basal metabolic rate(BMR) was assumed on Harris-Benedict equation. Results: The time needed for $SaO_2$ to drop 2% from the basal level during breath holding(T2%) were $70.1{\pm}14.2$ sec(mean${\pm}$standard deviation) at TLC, $44.0{\pm}11.6$ sec at FRC, and $33.2{\pm}11.1$ sec at RV(TLC vs. FRC, p<0.05; FRC vs. RV, p<0.05). On rebreathing after $SaO_2$ decreased 2%, further decrement in $SaO_2$ was observed and it was significantly greater at RV($4.3{\pm}2.1%$) than at TLC($1.4{\pm}1.0%$)(p<0.05) or at FRC($1.9{\pm}1.4%$)(p<0.05). The time required for $SaO_2$ to return to the basal level after RB(Tr) at TLC was not significantly different from those at FRC or at RV. T2% had no significant correlation either with lung volumes or with BMR respectively. On the other hand, T2% had significant correlation with TLC/BMR(r=0.693, p<0.01) and FRC/BMR (r=0.615, p<0.025) but not with RV/BMR(r=0.227, p>0.05). The differences between maximal and minimal HR(${\Delta}HR$) during the BH-RB manuever were $27.5{\pm}9.2/min$ at TLC, $26.4{\pm}14.0/min$ at RV, and $19.1{\pm}6.0/min$ at FRC which was significantly smaller than those at TLC(p<0.05) or at RV(p<0.05). The mean difference of 5 p-p intervals before and after RB were $0.8{\pm}0.10$ sec and $0.72{\pm}0.09$ sec at TLC(p<0.001), $0.82{\pm}0.11$ sec and $0.73{\pm}0.09$ sec at FRC(p<0.025), and $0.77{\pm}0.09$ sec and $0.72{\pm}0.09$ sec at RV(p<0.05). Conclusion Healthy subjects showed arterial desaturation of various rates and extent during breath holding at different lung volumes. When breath held at lung volume greater than FRC, the rate of arterial desaturation significantly correlated with lung volume/basal metabolic rate, but when breath held at RV, the rate of arterial desaturation did not correlate linearly with RV/BMR. Sinus arrythmias occurred during breath holding and rebreathing manuever irrespective of the size of the lung volume at which breath holding started, and the amount of change was smallest when breath held at FRC and the change in vagal tone induced by alteration in respiratory movement might be the major responsible factor for the sinus arrythmia.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.20-24
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• 2012

Background: Migraine patients can be sensitive to external or internal stimuli, such as light, noise, or hormonal changes. Using transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) with breath-holding method, we evaluated the changes of cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) to hypercapnia in women with migraine without aura between fasting and postprandial period. Methods: Twelve women with migraine without aura and the same number of age and sex-matched healthy controls with no significant history of headache participated in this study. Using TCD examinations, we studied mean flow velocity in middle cerebral artery with better temporal window. Each subject was examined consecutively before and after a standard meal, together with serum glucose level and blood pressure. CVR was evaluated with breath-holding index (BHI). Results: Postprandial-BHI (mean+SD) was significantly higher than fasting-BHI (mean+SD) in patients group but not in controls (in patient group; postprandial-BHI=1.38, fasting-BHI=1.08, in control group; postprandial-BHI=1.25, fasting-BHI=1.18, P=0.021 and 0.239, respectively). After meal, serum glucose level was significantly enhanced but blood pressure was not in both groups. Serum glucose level of patients showed a tendency of mild positive correlation with BHIs (${\gamma}$=0.448, P=0.032). Conclusions: Although exact mechanisms are unclear, cerebrovascular reactivity of some women with migraine without aura may be influenced by prandial state.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.271-276
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• 2007

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is common in korea and high incidence at gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer. $^{14}C-urea$ breath test ($^{14}C-UBT$) is regarded as a highly reliable and non-invasive method for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnositc performance of a new and rapid $^{14}C-UBT$, which was equipped with Geiger-Muller counter and compared the results with those obtained by gastroduodenoscopic biopsies (GBx). One hundred sixty-eight patients (M : F = 118 : 50) underwent $^{14}C-UBT$, rapid urease test (CLO test), and GBx. The results of $^{14}C-UBT$ were classified as positive (>50 cpm), borderline (25$^{14}C-UBT$ or CLO test results with GBx as a glod standard. In the assessment of the presence of H. pylori infection, the $^{14}C-UBT$ global performance yielded positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of 93.3% and 83.3%, respectively. However, the CLO test had performance yielded positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of 76.9%, 50.0%, respectively. In this study $^{14}C-UBT$ is a highly accurate, simple and non-invasive method or the diagnosis of follow up H. pylori infection.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.95-100
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• 2019

Background and Objectives For patients with polyps and cysts, glottal gaps resulting from their lesions have negative respiratory effects when they vocalize. Phonatory Aerodynamic System is clinically used, but is often limited in the measurement of vowels. So the researchers attempted to verify the usefulness of Phonatory Aerodynamic System by comparing differences in respiratory characteristics and patterns which can be measured by the level of connected speech. Materials and Method Among the subjects who were diagnosed through a stroboscopy, there were 33 patients with polyps and 23 patients with cysts. Then, 36 subjects who were found to have no specific findings through a stroboscopy and perceptual test were selected to the normal group. We compared respiratory characteristics and patterns. And compared vocal polyps and cysts before and after laryngeal micro surgery (LMS). Results First, difference in respiratory patterns between the normal group and the patients with polyps and cysts were examined to show that breath groups, breath group syllables, and expiratory·inspiratory volume were significantly higher in the polyp/cyst group than those in the normal group, indicating that precision was lowered during the conversation, due to reduction in speech intelligibility and interruption of communication. Second, there were significant differences in maximum phonation time, mean flow rate, and subglottal pressure among respiratory characteristics, breath groups, breath group syllables, and inspiratory volume before and after LMS, which appeared to be similar to the normal group. Conclusion The understanding of respiratory characteristics and patterns produced by patients in connected speech which is most similar to natural speech was found to be the objective and useful method for examining characteristics of the subjects.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.153-158
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• 2016

Purpose: This study was aimed to investigate effects of breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) increase on visual field and readable visual field. Methods: 23 males in 20s (average age $21.17{\pm}2.19years$, body mass index (BMI) $22.09{\pm}2.16$) were selected and administered the amount of alcohol to reach 0.05% and 0.08% BrAC calculated by BAC (blood alcohol concentration) Dosing Software program. Then, visual field and readable visual field test with Vision Disk were conducted. Results: Visual field are measured as $74.41{\pm}15.97^{\circ}$, $64.98{\pm}17.93^{\circ}$, and $58.33{\pm}19.01^{\circ}$ (p=0.000) and readable visual field as $21.93{\pm}12.71^{\circ}$, $17.41{\pm}11.36^{\circ}$, $14.26{\pm}9.93^{\circ}$ (p=0.006) in 0.00%, 0.05% and 0.08% BrAC respectively. As breath alcohol concentration increased, both visual field and readable visual field decreased. Conclusions: BrAC increase with drinking could be the cause of safety accident by decreasing visual field and readable visual field, it is necessary to raise awareness.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.505-511
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was to investigate the effect of breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) increase with drinking alcohol on contrast sensitivity in the conditions of restricted BrAC. Methods: 23 males in 20s (average age $21.17{\pm}2.19$ years, body mass index (BMI) $22.09{\pm}2.16$) were selected and administered the amount of alcohol to reach 0.05% and 0.08% BrAC calculated by BAC (blood alcohol concentration) Dosing Software program, which was developed as basis of Watson's formula. Then, the contrast sensitivity in various luminance conditions (photopic, mesopic, and mesopic with glare) was measured and compared between these conditions. Results: The contrast sensitivity in all spatial frequency was decreased with BrAC increase. Although BrAC was increased, the peak of contrast sensitivity didn't change as 6 cycle per degree (cpd) in the photopic condition and 3 cpd in the mesopic condition, respectively. But, in the mesopic condition with glare, the peak of contrast sensitivity was shifted from 6 cpd at 0% and 0.05% BrAC to 3 cpd at 0.08% BrAC with increase of alcohol concentration. Conclusions: The increase of BrAC by drinking alcohol induces the decrease of contrast sensitivity in all spatial frequency and the shift of peak of contrast sensitivity, which can cause safety accidents, and may have an effect on various visual tasks.