• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.23-34
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• 2007

To find how much radiation was exposed the patients who visit emergency room, a measurement study was made for radiation amount toward 200 patients selected randomly among visitors to an emergency room in a university hospital from March 16 to 31st, 2006. The results are as follows ; 1. Among the subjects 50 person(25.0%) were transferred from other hospitals, 24 persons(8.3) come after traffic accident, 50 persons for other accident and 76 persons for general medical care. 2. The average frequency of X-ray taking was calculated as 6.4 time per person among transferred patients, 14.5 times per person among patients with traffic accident and 2.6 times per person among general medical care. 3. The radiation exposure amount by kind of X-ray showed 28.9mGyfor general X-ray diagnosis, 84.2mGy for CT scanning and 1.02mGy for other special radiation study. 4. Average radiation exposure amount was calculated as 24.6mGy by transferred patients, 55.2mGy by patients with traffic accident, 17.1mGy by patients with other accidents and 17.0mGy by general patients. 5. Through the comparison of radiation exposure amount among to subject with maximum allowance threshold by International Commission on X-ray Radium Protection, transferred patients exceeded 6 times than allowance in whole body except extremities and joints, blood forming organ, reproductive system, vitreous body of eye, bone, thyroid gland, skin and etc, Patient suffered from traffic accidents were exposed 10 times more than allowance. In conclusion, the radiation exposure amount during X-rat diagnosis re too much and exceeded allowance standard by International Commission on X-ray Radium Protection. So further study and preventive measure to decrease radiation exposure by patients who visit emergency room.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 2006

Purpose: The estimation of fluid deficit is crucial to the proper management of dehydrated children. Without well-documented serial weights on the same scale, the estimation of any given child's fluid deficit is imprecise and dependent largely on subjective clinical criteria. Despite the abundance of literature on clinical and laboratory evaluation of dehydration, few studies have focused on serum uric acid. So, we examined the usefulness of scrum uric acid in gastroenteritis patients with dehydration. Methods: Medical records of 90 gastroenteritis patients were retrospectively reviewed. By the body weight loss, we classified patients with mild, moderate, and severe dehydration groups. We studied the relevance of laboratory data (BUN, creatinine, serum bicarbonate, glucose, urine specific gravity, and uric acid) with dehydration. Results: 54 children (60%) were dehydrated mildly, 24 (26%) dehydrated and moderately, and 12 (14%) dehydrated severely. Statistically significant differences in BUN, creatinine, serum bicarbonate, glucose, and urine specific gravity could not be observed. But there was significant relationship between uric acid and the degree of dehydration. Data analysis suggested that the level of 7.0 mg/dL is the best cut-off value for predicting the development of moderate or severe dehydration. At this cut-off value, the sensitivity and specificity were 66.6% and 87.1%. Conclusion: Our study supports that the measurement of serum uric acid with traditional scale is useful for predicting the development of dehydration. But, in order 10 be used as the indicator for proper treatment at an earlier stage, further validation about serum uric acid is necessary.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.28 no.4 s.51
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• pp.863-873
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• 1995

This report describes a preperation and characterization of canine blood lead(Pb) standard reference material(SRM). Three adult beagle dogs(A, B, and C)were orally dosed with gelatin capsules containing $Pb(NO_3)_2$, equivalent to $10\sim80mg$ Pb/kg body weight. Blood was drawn 24 hours after the dose from the cephalic vein into lead free 500ml Pyrex beaker in which EDTA.K was contained as an anticoagulant. The amount of lead given to individual dog was varied arbitrarily. Three month later, 3 canine animals were orally dosed with lead secondarily to make mixed SRM(D1) which was mixed different concentrations of lead in bloods with A1, B1, and C1 in vitro. The SRMs for A, B, C, A1, B1, C1, and D1 were distributed 2ml each into more than 300 lead free bottles, and were stored in refregerator at $4^{\circ}C$. The amount of lead in canine whole blood samples were determined using a Varian 30A atomic absorption spectrophotometer(AAS) with a model GTA-96 graphite tube atomizer with D2 background correction and a Hitachi Z-8100 AAS with Zeeman background correction. The sensitivity and detection limits for lead determination of Varian 30A were $0.46{\mu}g/L,\;0.34{\mu}g/L,\;and\;0.56{\mu}g/L,\;0.14{\mu}g/L$ of Hitachi Z-8100, respectively. Day to day variations in determination of blood lead concentration in a certain sample were $31.11{\pm}1.36{\mu}g/100ml$ by Varian 30A, and $33.08{\pm}0.82{\mu}g/100ml$ by Hitachi Z-8100, showing the difference of 3% between the two results. At the blood lead concentrations of $56.31{\pm}1.98{\mu}g/100ml(A),\;40.89{\pm}0.80{\mu}g/100ml(B),\;59.01{\pm}1.38{\mu}g/100ml(C)$, the precisions of replicated measurements by AAS were 3.52%, 1.96%, and 2.34%, respectively. Coefficient variation(CV) of SRMs(A, B, and C) within a standard sample were ranged from 0.92% to 7.50%, and those between 5 standard samples were 1.21%, 2.64%, and 1.11%, respectively, showing inter-vial variation of $1{\mu}g/100ml$. Lead levels in SRMs during one month storage were unchanged. The overall recoveries were $89.6\sim100.4%,\;91.6\sim101.9%,\;90.3\sim100.0%$ for A, B, and C SRMs, means were $56.46{\pm}2.69{\mu}g/100ml,\;39.35{\pm}1.89{\mu}g/100ml,\;57.40{\pm}2.31{\mu}g/100ml$, and measurement ranges were$52.88{\pm}59.26{\mu}g/100ml,\;37.47{\pm}41.68{\mu}g/100ml,\;54.80{\pm}60.69{\mu}g/100ml$, respectively. Those results were laid within confidence limits values. The lead concentrations in the mixed sample(D1) stored over one month period were ranged from $32.76{\mu}g/100ml\;to\;33.54{\mu}g/100ml$, with CV ranging from 1.2% to 2.7%. The results were similiar to each of single samples(A1, B1, and C1) in respect of homogeneity and stability. Results of the mixed blood sample analysed after 1 month storage at $4^{\circ}C$ by four other laboratories(L1, L2, L3, L4) were similar with those of our laboratory($L5;31.18{\pm}0.24{\mu}g/100ml$, acceptable range by $CDC;25.18\sim37.18{\mu}g/100ml$), showing the concentrations of $25.91{\pm}1.19{\mu}g/100ml(L1),\;34.16{\pm}0.22{\mu}g/100ml(L2),\;35.68{\pm}0.85{\mu}g/100ml(L3),\;30.95{\pm}0.46{\mu}g/100ml(L4)$ in a each samples.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.28 no.4 s.51
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• pp.899-910
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• 1995

This study was conducted to determine the correlation between weighted needle pinprick sensory threshold(PPT) and sensory nerve conduction tests. The subjects were 53 healthy controls, 31 diabetic patients without peripheral neuropathic symptoms(DM) and 36 diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathic symptoms(DN). PPT was measured on the index and little fingers, bilaterally, as well as under the lateral malleolus, bilaterally. In electrophysiologic assessment the left and right median, ulnar and sural nerves were studied. Each mean PPTs was high in order of controls, DM and DN. Age adjusted PPT was significantly different among three groups on right little finger(p<0.05) and left malleolus(p<0.05), but not significantly different between DN and DM on other sites. Each sensory nerve conduction velocity and amplitude was statistically significantly different among three groups(p<0.05). Correlations of PPT with sensory nerve conduction velocity and amplitude were statistically significant on each site and ranged from -0.4203(left malleolus) to -0.5649(right index finger) and from -0.3897(left index finger) to -0.6200(right index finger), respectively. When electrophysiological study is not feasible, measurement of PPT may be helpful for the assessment of peripheral sensory neurological function.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.45-52
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• 2007

Purpose : A simple, rapid, and highly sensitive analytical method for Gb3 in plasma was developed without labor-ex tensive pre-treatment by electrospray ionization MS/ MS (ESI-MS/MS). Measurement of globotriaosy lceramide (Gb3, ceramide trihex oside) in plasma has clinical importance for monitoring after enzyme replacement therapy in Fabry disease patients. The disease is an X-linked lipid storage disorder that results from a deficiency of the enzyme ${\alpha}$-galactosidase A (${\alpha}$-Gal A). The lack of ${\alpha}$-Gal A causes an intracellular accumulation of glycosphingolipids, mainly Gb3. Methods : Only simple 50-fold dilution of plasma is necessary for the extraction and isolation of Gb3 in plasma. Gb3 in diluted plasma was dissolved in dioxane containing C17:0 Gb3 as an internal standard. After centrifugation it was directly injected and analyzed through guard column by in combination with multiple reaction monitoring mode of ESI-MS/MS. Results : Eight isoforms of Gb3 were completely resolved from plasma matrix. C16:0 Gb3 occupied 50% of total Gb3 as a major component in plasma. Linear relationship for Gb3 isoforms w as found in the range of 0.001-1.0 ${\mu}g$/mL. The limit of detection (S/N=3) was 0.001 ${\mu}g$/mL and limit of quantification was 0.01 ${\mu}g$/mL for C16:0 Gb3 with acceptable precision and accuracy. Correlation coefficient of calibration curves for 8 Gb3 isoforms ranged from 0.9678 to 0.9982. Conclusion : This quantitative method developed could be useful for rapid and sensitive 1st line Fabry disease screening, monitoring and/or diagnostic tool for Fabry disease.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.47-75
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• 2009

Recently, researches on Management Information Systems (MIS) have laid out theoretical foundation and academic paradigms by introducing diverse theories, themes, and methodologies. Especially, academic paradigms of MIS encourage a user-friendly approach by developing the technologies from the users' perspectives, which reflects the existence of strong causal relationships between information systems and user's behavior. As in other areas in social science the use of structural equation modeling (SEM) has rapidly increased in recent years especially in the MIS area. The SEM technique is important because it provides powerful ways to address key IS research problems. It also has a unique ability to simultaneously examine a series of casual relationships while analyzing multiple independent and dependent variables all at the same time. In spite of providing many benefits to the MIS researchers, there are some potential pitfalls with the analytical technique. The research objective of this study is to provide some guidelines for an appropriate use of SEM based on the assessment of current practice of using SEM in the MIS research. This study focuses on several statistical issues related to the use of SEM in the MIS research. Selected articles are assessed in three parts through the meta analysis. The first part is related to the initial specification of theoretical model of interest. The second is about data screening prior to model estimation and testing. And the last part concerns estimation and testing of theoretical models based on empirical data. This study reviewed the use of SEM in 164 empirical research articles published in four major MIS journals in Korea (APJIS, ISR, JIS and JITAM) from 1991 to 2007. APJIS, ISR, JIS and JITAM accounted for 73, 17, 58, and 16 of the total number of applications, respectively. The number of published applications has been increased over time. LISREL was the most frequently used SEM software among MIS researchers (97 studies (59.15%)), followed by AMOS (45 studies (27.44%)). In the first part, regarding issues related to the initial specification of theoretical model of interest, all of the studies have used cross-sectional data. The studies that use cross-sectional data may be able to better explain their structural model as a set of relationships. Most of SEM studies, meanwhile, have employed. confirmatory-type analysis (146 articles (89%)). For the model specification issue about model formulation, 159 (96.9%) of the studies were the full structural equation model. For only 5 researches, SEM was used for the measurement model with a set of observed variables. The average sample size for all models was 365.41, with some models retaining a sample as small as 50 and as large as 500. The second part of the issue is related to data screening prior to model estimation and testing. Data screening is important for researchers particularly in defining how they deal with missing values. Overall, discussion of data screening was reported in 118 (71.95%) of the studies while there was no study discussing evidence of multivariate normality for the models. On the third part, issues related to the estimation and testing of theoretical models on empirical data, assessing model fit is one of most important issues because it provides adequate statistical power for research models. There were multiple fit indices used in the SEM applications. The test was reported in the most of studies (146 (89%)), whereas normed-test was reported less frequently (65 studies (39.64%)). It is important that normed- of 3 or lower is required for adequate model fit. The most popular model fit indices were GFI (109 (66.46%)), AGFI (84 (51.22%)), NFI (44 (47.56%)), RMR (42 (25.61%)), CFI (59 (35.98%)), RMSEA (62 (37.80)), and NNFI (48 (29.27%)). Regarding the test of construct validity, convergent validity has been examined in 109 studies (66.46%) and discriminant validity in 98 (59.76%). 81 studies (49.39%) have reported the average variance extracted (AVE). However, there was little discussion of direct (47 (28.66%)), indirect, and total effect in the SEM models. Based on these findings, we suggest general guidelines for the use of SEM and propose some recommendations on concerning issues of latent variables models, raw data, sample size, data screening, reporting parameter estimated, model fit statistics, multivariate normality, confirmatory factor analysis, reliabilities and the decomposition of effects.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.611-635
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• 2014

Information systems (IS) have become ubiquitous and changed every aspect of how people live their lives. While some IS have been successfully adopted and widely used, others have failed to be adopted and crowded out in spite of remarkable progress in technologies. Both the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the IS Success Model (ISSM), among many others, have contributed to explain the reasons of success as well as failure in IS adoption and usage. While the TAM suggests that intention to use and perceived usefulness lead to actual IS usage, the ISSM indicates that information quality, system quality, and service quality affect IS usage and user satisfaction. Upon literature review, however, we found a significant void in theoretical development and its applications that employ either of the two models, and we raise research questions. First of all, in spite of the causal relationship between intention to use and actual usage, in most previous studies, only intention to use was employed as a dependent variable without overt explaining its relationship with actual usage. Moreover, even in a few studies that employed actual IS usage as a dependent variable, the degree of actual usage was measured based on users' perceptual responses to survey questionnaires. However, the measurement of actual usage based on survey responses might not be 'actual' usage in a strict sense that responders' perception may be distorted due to their selective perceptions or stereotypes. By the same token, the degree of system quality that IS users perceive might not be 'real' quality as well. This study seeks to fill this void by measuring the variables of actual usage and system quality using 'fact' data such as system logs and specifications of users' information and communications technology (ICT) devices. More specifically, we propose an integrated research model that bring together the TAM and the ISSM. The integrated model is composed of both the variables that are to be measured using fact as well as survey data. By employing the integrated model, we expect to reveal the difference between real and perceived degree of system quality, and to investigate the relationship between the perception-based measure of intention to use and the fact-based measure of actual usage. Furthermore, we also aim to add empirical findings on the general research question: what factors influence actual IS usage and how? In order to address the research question and to examine the research model, we selected a mobile campus application (MCA). We collected both fact data and survey data. For fact data, we retrieved them from the system logs such information as menu usage counts, user's device performance, display size, and operating system revision version number. At the same time, we conducted a survey among university students who use an MCA, and collected 180 valid responses. A partial least square (PLS) method was employed to validate our research model. Among nine hypotheses developed, we found five were supported while four were not. In detail, the relationships between (1) perceived system quality and perceived usefulness, (2) perceived system quality and perceived intention to use, (3) perceived usefulness and perceived intention to use, (4) quality of device platform and actual IS usage, and (5) perceived intention to use and actual IS usage were found to be significant. In comparison, the relationships between (1) quality of device platform and perceived system quality, (2) quality of device platform and perceived usefulness, (3) quality of device platform and perceived intention to use, and (4) perceived system quality and actual IS usage were not significant. The results of the study reveal notable differences from those of previous studies. First, although perceived intention to use shows a positive effect on actual IS usage, its explanatory power is very weak ($R^2$=0.064). Second, fact-based system quality (quality of user's device platform) shows a direct impact on actual IS usage without the mediating role of intention to use. Lastly, the relationships between perceived system quality (perception-based system quality) and other constructs show completely different results from those between quality of device platform (fact-based system quality) and other constructs. In the post-hoc analysis, IS users' past behavior was additionally included in the research model to further investigate the cause of such a low explanatory power of actual IS usage. The results show that past IS usage has a strong positive effect on current IS usage while intention to use does not have, implying that IS usage has already become a habitual behavior. This study provides the following several implications. First, we verify that fact-based data (i.e., system logs of real usage records) are more likely to reflect IS users' actual usage than perception-based data. In addition, by identifying the direct impact of quality of device platform on actual IS usage (without any mediating roles of attitude or intention), this study triggers further research on other potential factors that may directly influence actual IS usage. Furthermore, the results of the study provide practical strategic implications that organizations equipped with high-quality systems may directly expect high level of system usage.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.493-513
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• 2014

With the development of related technologies, Location-Based Services (LBS) are growing fast and being used in many ways. Past LBS studies have focused on adoption of LBS because of the fact that LBS users have privacy concerns regarding revealing their location information. Meanwhile, the number of LBS users and revenues from LBS are growing rapidly because users can get some benefits by revealing their location information. Little research has been done on how LBS affects consumers' information search behavior in product purchase. The purpose of this paper is examining the effect of LBS information filtering on buyers' uncertainty and their information search behavior. When consumers purchase a product, they try to reduce uncertainty by searching information. Generally, there are two types of uncertainties - knowledge uncertainty and choice uncertainty. Knowledge uncertainty refers to the lack of information on what kinds of alternatives are available in the market and/or their important attributes. Therefore, consumers having knowledge uncertainty will have difficulties in identifying what alternatives exist in the market to fulfil their needs. Choice uncertainty refers to the lack of information about consumers' own preferences and which alternative will fit in their needs. Therefore, consumers with choice uncertainty have difficulties selecting best product among available alternatives.. According to economics of information theory, consumers narrow the scope of information search when knowledge uncertainty is high. It is because consumers' information search cost is high when their knowledge uncertainty is high. If people do not know available alternatives and their attributes, it takes time and cognitive efforts for them to acquire information about available alternatives. Therefore, they will reduce search breadth. For people with high knowledge uncertainty, the information about products and their attributes is new and of high value for them. Therefore, they will conduct searches more in-depth because they have incentive to acquire more information. When people have high choice uncertainty, people tend to search information about more alternatives. It is because increased search breadth will improve their chances to find better alternative for them. On the other hand, since human's cognitive capacity is limited, the increased search breadth (more alternatives) will reduce the depth of information search for each alternative. Consumers with high choice uncertainty will spend less time and effort for each alternative because considering more alternatives will increase their utility. LBS provides users with the capability to screen alternatives based on the distance from them, which reduces information search costs. Therefore, it is expected that LBS will help users consider more alternatives even when they have high knowledge uncertainty. LBS provides distance information, which helps users choose alternatives appropriate for them. Therefore, users will perceive lower choice uncertainty when they use LBS. In order to test the hypotheses, we selected 80 students and assigned them to one of the two experiment groups. One group was asked to use LBS to search surrounding restaurants and the other group was asked to not use LBS to search nearby restaurants. The experimental tasks and measures items were validated in a pilot experiment. The final measurement items are shown in Appendix A. Each subject was asked to read one of the two scenarios - with or without LBS - and use a smartphone application to pick a restaurant. All behaviors on smartphone were recorded using a recording application. Search breadth was measured by the number of restaurants clicked by each subject. Search depths was measured by two metrics - the average number of sub-level pages each subject visited and the average time spent on each restaurant. The hypotheses were tested using SPSS and PLS. The results show that knowledge uncertainty reduces search breadth (H1a). However, there was no significant correlation between knowledge uncertainty and search depth (H1b). Choice uncertainty significantly reduces search depth (H2b), but no significant relationship was found between choice uncertainty and search breadth (H2a). LBS information filtering significantly reduces the buyers' choice uncertainty (H4) and reduces the negative relationship between knowledge uncertainty and search breadth (H3). This research provides some important implications for service providers. Service providers should use different strategies based on their service properties. For those service providers who are not well-known to consumers (high knowledge uncertainty) should encourage their customers to use LBS. This is because LBS would increase buyers' consideration sets when the knowledge uncertainty is high. Therefore, less known services have chances to be included in consumers' consideration sets with LBS. On the other hand, LBS information filtering decrease choice uncertainty and the near service providers are more likely to be selected than without LBS. Hence, service providers should analyze geographically approximate competitors' strength and try to reduce the gap so that they can have chances to be included in the consideration set.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.271-276
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• 2002

Purpose: To measure reliable glomerular filtration rate by using the representative values of transplanted renal depths, which are measured with ultrasonography. Materials and Methods: We included 54 patients (26 men, 28 women), with having both renal scintigraphy and ultrasonography after renal transplantation. We measured GFR with Gates' method using the renal depth measured by ultrasonography, and median and mean ones in each patient. We compared GFR derived from ultrasonography-measured renal depth with GFR derived from median and mean renal depths. The correlation coefficients were obtained among GFR derived from ultrasonography-measured renal depths, median and mean renal depths under linear regression analysis. We determined whether GFR derived from median or mean renal depth could substitute GFR derived from ultrasonography-measured renal depth with Bland-Altman method. We analyze the expected errors of the GFR using representative renal depth in terms of age, sex, weight, height, creatinine value, and body surface. Results: The transplanted renal depths range from 3.20 cm to 5.96 cm. The mean value and standard deviation of renal depths measured by ultrasonography are $4.09{\pm}0.65cm$ in men, and $4.24{\pm}0.78cm$ in women. The median value of renal depths measured by ultrasonography is 4.36 cm in men and 4.14 cm in women. The GFR derived from median renal depth is more consistent with GFR derived from ultrasonography-measured renal depth than GFR derived from mean renal depth. Differences of GFR derived from median and ultrasonography-measured renal depth are not significantly different in the groups classified with creatinine value, age, sex, height, weight and body surface. Conclusion: When median value is adapted as a representative renal depth, we could obtain reliable GFR in transplanted kidney simply.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.60-64
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• 2017

Purpose Westgard multi-rules application based on test quality improvement and commercialized international standard has been widely used in quality control. However, it is difficult to applicate the Westgard multi-rules in nuclear medicine in vitro tests due to the larger sample sizes and the simultaneous measurement of quality control material and patient sample. This study investigated the usefulness of Westgard multi-rules application in nuclear medicine in vitro tests. Materials and Methods A total of 282 systematic error multi-rules (22s, 101s) recorded in the samsung medical center computer system from January 2013 to June 2016 along with 117 cases of corrective measure record was analyzed. The Quality control implementation is recorded in Hospital information system were divided into 4 high-level areas including quality control material error, experimental procedural error, Kit lot number management error, and others. To prevent quality control material error, the existing method that each staff used their own method was changed. The staff who in charge of managing the quality control material was designated and daily consumption amount of every test was strictly controlled by one person. To prevent other errors, every test step was standardized so that the entire test procedures are identically implemented. Results The total quality control implementation was 117 cases; As a result, 62 quality control material errors were 62 cases, experimental process errors were 24 cases, Kit lot number control errors were 18 cases, and other errors were 13 cases. The quality control material error was corrected and could be used fresh materials within 2 days after thawing. The cases of systemic error were decreased to causes as quality control material error. The quality control materials were reduced above 10 vials to a monthly average. In addition, these errors of experimental processing and Kit lot number were improved by test standardization. Consequently, the cases of 101s and 22s in systematic error rules decreased at least 2 cases to a monthly average. Conclusion To confirm of systematic error through multi-rules application quickly, it is necessary to base on management of the QC material, target values and standard deviation. Moreover, in the event of a systematic error, it was found important to record measures based on test cause analysis. The experiment results are expected to contribute to internal quality control improvement and prompt and accurate result reporting through error recording and causal analysis based on Westgard multi-rules analysis.