• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권5호
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• pp.1907-1910
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• 2012

Background: Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer and the fifth cause of cancer death in Iranian women. Early detection and treatment are important for appropriate management of this disease. Mammography and ultrasonography are used for screening and evaluation of symptomatic cases and the main diagnostic test for breast cancer is pathological. In this study we evaluated mammography and ultrasonography as diagnostic tools. Methods: In this cross-sectional study 384 mammography and ultrasonography reports for 255 women were assessed, divided into benign and malignant groups. Suspected cases were referred for pathology evaluation. The radiologic and pathologic reports were compared and also comparison was performed based on age groups (more and less than 50 years old), history of breastfeeding and gravidity. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS. Results: The mean ages of malignant and benign cases were $49{\pm}11.6$ and $43{\pm}11.2$ years, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity for mammography were 73% and 45%, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity for ultrasonography were 69% and 49%, respectively. There were statistical differences between specificity of mammography in patients based on factors such as history of gravidity, breastfeeding and sensitivity in patients equal or more than 50 years old and less. Conclusion: Factors affecting different results in mammography and ultrasonography reports were classified into three groups, consisting of skill, experience and training of medical staff, and setting of instruments. It is recommended that health managers in developing countries pay attention the quality of setting and man power more than current status. Policy-makers and managers must establish guidelines regarding breast imaging in Iran.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• 제46권1호
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• pp.10-21
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• 2016

Purpose: This study evaluated the predictive performance of a combination of self-report questionnaires, salivary hemoglobin levels, and age as a non-invasive screening method for periodontitis. Methods: The periodontitis status of 202 adults was examined using salivary hemoglobin levels, responses to 10 questions on a self-report questionnaire, and the Community Periodontal Index (CPI). The ability of those two variables and the combination thereof with age to predict the presence of CPI scores of 3-4 and 4 was assessed using logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: CPI scores of 3-4 and 4 were present among 79.7% and 46.5% of the sample, respectively. The area under the ROC curves (AUROCs) of salivary hemoglobin levels for predicting prevalence of CPI scores of 3-4 and 4 were 0.63 and 0.67, respectively (with sensitivity values of 71% and 60% and specificity values of 56% and 72%, respectively). Two distinct sets of five questions were associated with CPI scores of 3-4 and 4, with AUROCs of 0.73 and 0.71, sensitivity values of 76% and 66%, and specificity values of 63% and 69%. The combined model incorporating both variables and age showed the best predictive performance, with AUROCs of 0.78 and 0.76, sensitivity values of 71% and 65%, and specificity values of 68% and 77% for CPI scores of 3-4 and 4, respectively. Conclusions: The combination of salivary hemoglobin levels and self-report questionnaires was shown to be a valuable screening method for detecting periodontitis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제17권5호
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• pp.2507-2511
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• 2016

Purpose: To study the diagnostic accuracies of serum human epididymis protein 4 (HE-4) levels, virtual organ computer-aided analysis (VOCAL) parameters and endometrial volume in endometrial cancer cases. Materials and Methods: One hundred and seven patients (37 with endometrial cancer and 70 with benign endometrial pathology) were included in this study. VOCAL parameters and serum HE-4 levels were compared between the groups. Results: Area under the curve (AUC) values were 0.702, 0.658, 0.706 for vascularization index (VI), the flow index (FI) and the vascularization flow index (VFI), respectively. A cut off value of 0.568 for VI demonstrated 70% sensitivity, 72% specificity, 56% positive predictive value (PPV) and a81% negative predictive value (NPV). A cut off value of 25.8 for showed a senitivith of 70% and a specificity of 58% with aPPV of 46% and NPV of 78%, and with a cut off value of 0.12 for VFI 70%, 69%, 54% and 81%, respectively. The area under the curve for HE-4 was 0.814. A cut off value of 458 pmol/L was predictive of malignancy with 86% sensitivity and 63% specificity. Conclusions: VOCAL parameters and serum HE-4 levels were statistically significantly higher in the endometrial cancer patients. Serum HE-4 levels provided a greater sensitivity compared to power doppler angiography for predicting malignancy or benign endometrial pathology.

• 대한임상검사과학회지
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• 제45권4호
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• pp.149-153
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• 2013

Candidiasis is a fungal infection of the most common causes; generally, opportunistic infections occur often in patients with weakened immune systems. Because of high rates in fungal infection patients and increasing frequency of being isolated from clinical materials, quickly identifying of Candida albicans is critical. By identifying 404 yeast cell strains of referred samples via API 20C kits, NGL and PRO tests and Germ tube (GT) test were conducted and compared. In the 3.0 McFarland yeast cells, 0.1% ${\rho}-nitrophenyl-N-acetyl-{\beta}-D-galactosaminide$ (NGL) and 0.04% ${\small{L}}$-proline ${\beta}$-naphtylamide (PRO) were each put in test tubes and incubated at $35^{\circ}C$ for 15, 30, 60 and 90 minutes. Afterwards, 1 drop of 2% NaOH was applied, and if the color turned yellow; it was positive for NGL test. Afterwards, 1% ${\rho}$-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde was applied, and if the upper layer turned pink or red, it was positive for PRO test. NGL and PRO tests were conducted for all C. albicans and identified accurately within 30 minutes. In NGL, PRO test, false-positive, negative were not seen, whereas, GT test showed false-positive in 1 strain and false-negative in 3 strains. Therefore, sensitivity and specificity of NGL, PRO tests were 100% and 99.5%, respectively, and positive and negative predictive rate were 99.5% and 100%, respectively. However, GT test sensitivity and specificity were 98.5% and 99.5%, respectively, and positive and negative predictive rates were 99.5% and 98.5%, respectively. In conclusion, NGL, PRO tests are better than GT tests for sensitivity and specificity, therefore, these reliable tests will be useful in clinical laboratories.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• 제44권1호
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• pp.37-41
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• 2014

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the accuracy of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in the diagnosis of vertical root fractures in a tooth with gutta-percha and prefabricated posts. Materials and Methods: This study selected 96 extracted molar and premolar teeth of the mandible. These teeth were divided into six groups as follows: Groups A, B, and C consisted of teeth with vertical root fractures, and groups D, E, and F had teeth without vertical root fractures; groups A and D had teeth with gutta-percha and prefabricated posts; groups B and E had teeth with gutta-percha but without prefabricated posts, and groups C and F had teeth without gutta-percha or prefabricated posts. Then, the CBCT scans were obtained and examined by three oral and maxillofacial radiologists in order to determine the presence of vertical root fractures. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 20.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results: The kappa coefficient was $0.875{\pm}0.049$. Groups A and D showed a sensitivity of 81% and a specificity of 100%; groups E and B, a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 100%; and groups C and F, a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 100%. Conclusion: The CBCT scans revealed a high accuracy in the diagnosis of vertical root fractures; the accuracy did not decrease in the presence of gutta-percha. The presence of prefabricated posts also had little effect on the accuracy of the system, which was, of course, not statistically significant.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제50권5호
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• pp.294-302
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• 2017

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to investigate the agreement between medical history questionnaire data and claims data and to identify the factors that were associated with discrepancies between these data types. Methods: Data from self-reported questionnaires that assessed an individual's history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, stroke, heart disease, and pulmonary tuberculosis were collected from a general health screening database for 2014. Data for these diseases were collected from a healthcare utilization claims database between 2009 and 2014. Overall agreement, sensitivity, specificity, and kappa values were calculated. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with discrepancies and was adjusted for age, gender, insurance type, insurance contribution, residential area, and comorbidities. Results: Agreement was highest between questionnaire data and claims data based on primary codes up to 1 year before the completion of self-reported questionnaires and was lowest for claims data based on primary and secondary codes up to 5 years before the completion of self-reported questionnaires. When comparing data based on primary codes up to 1 year before the completion of selfreported questionnaires, the overall agreement, sensitivity, specificity, and kappa values ranged from 93.2 to 98.8%, 26.2 to 84.3%, 95.7 to 99.6%, and 0.09 to 0.78, respectively. Agreement was excellent for hypertension and diabetes, fair to good for stroke and heart disease, and poor for pulmonary tuberculosis and dyslipidemia. Women, younger individuals, and employed individuals were most likely to under-report disease. Conclusions: Detailed patient characteristics that had an impact on information bias were identified through the differing levels of agreement.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권17호
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• pp.7187-7193
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• 2014

Background: The aim of this meta-analysis was to compare sensitivities and specificities of fine needle aspiration (FNA) and core needle biopsy (CNB) in the diagnosis of thyroid cancer. Materials and Methods: Articles were screened in Medline, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE and Google Scholar, and subsequently included and excluded based on the patient/problem-intervention-comparison-outcome (PICO) principle. Primary outcome was defined in terms of diagnostic values (sensitivity and specificity) of FNA and CNB for thyroid cancer. Secondary outcome was defined as the accuracy of diagnosis. Compiled FNA and CNB results from the final studies selected as appropriate for meta-analysis were compared with cases for which final pathology diagnoses were available. Statistical analyses were performed for FNA and CNB for all of the selected studies together, and for individual studies using the leave-one-out approach. Results: Article selection and screening yielded five studies for meta-analysis, two of which were prospective and the other three retrospective, for a total of 1,264 patients. Pooled diagnostic sensitivities of FNA and CNB methods were 0.68 and 0.83, respectively, with specificities of 0.93 and 0.94. The areas under the summary ROC curves were 0.905 (${\pm}0.030$) for FNA and 0.745 (${\pm}0.095$) for CNB, with no significant difference between the two. No one study had greater influence than any other on the pooled estimates for diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. Conclusions: FNA and CNB do not differ significantly in sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of thyroid cancer.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제30권3호
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• pp.259-272
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• 2022

Rockburst is a dynamic, multivariate, and non-linear phenomenon that occurs in underground mining and civil engineering structures. Predicting rockburst is challenging since conventional models are not standardized. Hence, machine learning techniques would improve the prediction accuracies. This study describes decision based uncertainty models to predict rockburst in underground engineering structures using gradient boosting algorithms (GBM). The model input variables were uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), uniaxial tensile strength (UTS), maximum tangential stress (MTS), excavation depth (D), stress ratio (SR), and brittleness coefficient (BC). Several models were trained using different combinations of the input variables and a 3-fold cross-validation resampling procedure. The hyperparameters comprising learning rate, number of boosting iterations, tree depth, and number of minimum observations were tuned to attain the optimum models. The performance of the models was tested using classification accuracy, Cohen's kappa coefficient (k), sensitivity and specificity. The best-performing model showed a classification accuracy, k, sensitivity and specificity values of 98%, 93%, 1.00 and 0.957 respectively by optimizing model ROC metrics. The most and least influential input variables were MTS and BC, respectively. The partial dependence plots revealed the relationship between the changes in the input variables and model predictions. The findings reveal that GBM can be used to anticipate rockburst and guide decisions about support requirements before mining development.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.110-122
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• 1978

A study on the morbidity of syphilis among 729 workers in Po Hang and Ul San Industiral Complexes at the routine periodical examination was performed. In addition to the morbidity, factors related to the disease infection such as educational level, religion, preventive measures taken by the workers, history of urethritis, and so on were studied and analysed to check significant relation. The results were as follows: 1. VDRL and RPR tests were undertaken to determine the sensitivity and specificity of RPR test which was utilized for all the workers studied. It revealed 86.4% of sensitivity and 87.7% of specificity from RPR test, and 81.8% of sensitivity and 90.1% of specificity from the VDRL test compared with RPCF test. There were 87.4% of agreement rate between RPR and VDRL. Actually, RPR was more sensitive but less specific than VDRL, and found to be a satisfactory screening test for syphilis especially in the fields. 2. Among the workers in Po Hang Area 24.0% of them revealed reactive result, and in Ul San Area 5.2% revealed reactive result showing 4.6 times of risk among workers in Po Hang Area. 3. There were no statistically significant differences between RPR reactive rates and personal characteristics such as educational level, religion, history of urethritis experience, history of coitus with prostitute, and preventive measures of V.D. taken by workers if evaluated by area of Po Hang and Ul Srn separately. 4. V.D. could be encountered as an occupational disease in certain conditions of working places and the psychosocial problems of workers. And so, it is necessary that all the workers working in special estates such as in Po Hang Industrial Complex should be checked to be screened out by RPR test at periodical examinations and part of pre-employment examination also should include RPR test to be compared with. Regardless of the workmen's compensation, establishment of V.D. treatment clinic or system for such industrial workers is urgently needed. Health education regarding V.D. is another subject to be performed.

• 분석과학
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.23-32
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• 2020

Methamphetamine (MA) is the most common and available drug of abuse in Korea and its primary metabolite is amphetamine (AP). Detection of AP derivatives, such as MA, AP, phentermine (PT), MDA, MDMA, and MDEA by the use of immunoassay screening is not reliable and accurate due to cross-reactivity and insufficient specificity/sensitivity. Therefore, the analytical process accepted by most urine drug-testing programs employs the two-step method with an initial screening test followed by a more specific confirmatory test if the specimen screens positive. In this study, a gas chromatography-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) method was developed and validated for confirmation of MA and AP in human urine. Urine sample (500 µL) was added with N-isopropylbenzylamine as internal standard and ethyl chloroformate as a derivatization reagent, and then extracted with 200 µL of ethyl acetate. Extracted samples were analysed with GC-MS in the SIM/ Scan mode, which were screened by Cobas c311 analyzer (Roche/Hitachi) to evaluate the efficiency as well as the compatibility of the GC-MS method. Qualitative method validation requirements for selectivity, limit of detection (LOD), precision, accuracy, and specificity/sensitivity were examined. These parameters were estimated on the basis of the most intense and characteristic ions in mass spectra of target compounds. Precision and accuracy were less than 5.2 % (RSD) and ±14.0 % (bias), respectively. The LODs were 3 ng/mL for MA and 1.5 ng/mL for AP. At the screening immunoassay had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 95.1 % versus GC-MS for confirmatory testing. The applicability of the method was tested by the analysis of spiked urine and abusers' urine samples.