• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
• /
• 2006.05a
• /
• pp.1166-1171
• /
• 2006

Drought is defined by differently for the several scientific and technical fields such as hydrological drought, agricultural drought, meteorological drought, climatological drought, atmospheric drought. A lot of drought indices have been developed to quantify drought severity levels. However these drought indices might be expressed differently as the drought conditions for specific period because the drought severity level is using different types of data on each condition. It is necessary for development of quantative drought representation methods by drought index application. In this research, the reaction to the historical droughts is analyzed after estimation of PDSI, SPI and MSWSI(Modified Surface Water Supply Index) in south korean territory. Lastly the drought representation methods were examiner combining the drought indices by drought indices. The arithmetic mean drought indices that include PDSI, SPI, in yearly basis from 1971 to 2001 and MSWSI in yearly basis from 1974 to 2001 were estimated through the whole nation. The applicability of drought indices are examined based on the observed drought data for national and regional droughts. The result shows that PDSI, SPI(3), SPI(6), and MSWSI have proven to be sensitive enough to the historical drought. The correlation analysis of each drought index was conducted whether they could show the long and short term drought equally. The analysis of how appropriately represent for the historical drought was used for determining for the combined drought index. Consequently, PDSI, SPI(3), SPI(6), and MSWSI have been appeared as suitable indices for the development of quantitative drought representation methods. For the decision of weight on combining PDSI, SPI(3), SPI(6), and MSWSI, drought map was made for eighteen alternative to decide weight. The results showed that PDSI(20%), SPI(3)(60%), SPI(6)(10%), and MSWSI(10%) have been the most well matched weights. Using selected weights of each drought indices and by reconstructing the national mean drought severity on yearly basis, the fact that the year of historical drought is in accordance with the verified one for drought representation. In short, the acquired technique using combined drought index can be used for useful and believable quantitative method of drought analysis.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.58 no.2
• /
• pp.93-100
• /
• 2015

Objective : Optimal treatment decision and estimation of the prognosis in traumatic brain injury (TBI) is currently based on demographic and clinical predictors. But sometimes, there are limitations in these factors. In this study, we analyzed three central nervous system biomarkers in TBI patients, will discuss the roles and clinical applications of biomarkers in TBI. Methods : From July on 2013 to August on 2014, a total of 45 patients were included. The serum was obtained at the time of hospital admission, and biomarkers were extracted with centrifugal process. It was analyzed for the level of S-100 beta (S100B), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase-L1 (UCH-L1). Results : This study included 33 males and 12 females with a mean age of 58.5 (19-84) years. TBI patients were classified into two groups. Group A was severe TBI with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score 3-5 and Group B was mild TBI with GCS score 13-15. The median serum concentration of S100B, GFAP, and UCH-L1 in severe TBI were raised 5.1 fold, 5.5 fold, and 439.1 fold compared to mild injury, respectively. The serum levels of these markers correlated significantly with the injury severity and clinical outcome (p<0.001). Increased level of markers was strongly predicted poor outcomes. Conclusion : S100B, GFAP, and UCH-L1 serum level of were significantly increased in TBI according to severity and associated clinical outcomes. Biomarkers have potential utility as diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic adjuncts in the setting of TBI.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.52 no.6
• /
• pp.400-408
• /
• 2019

Background: For decades, trauma has been recognized globally as a major cause of death. Reducing the mortality of patients with trauma is an extremely pressing issue, particularly for those with severe trauma. An early and accurate assessment of the risk of mortality among patients with severe trauma is important for improving patient outcomes. Methods: We performed a retrospective medical record review of 582 patients with severe trauma admitted to the emergency department between July 2011 and June 2016. We analyzed the associations of in-hospital mortality with the baseline characteristics and initial biochemical markers of patients with severe trauma on admission. Results: The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 14.9%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the patient's Rapid Emergency Medicine Score (REMS; odds ratio [OR], 1.186; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.018-1.383; p=0.029), Emergency Trauma Score (EMTRAS; OR, 2.168; 95% CI, 1.570-2.994; p<0.001), serum lactate levels (SLL; OR, 1.298; 95% CI, 1.118-1.507; p<0.001), and Injury Severity Score (ISS; OR, 1.038; 95% CI, 1.010-1.130; p=0.021) were significantly associated with in-hospital mortality. Conclusion: The REMS, EMTRAS, and SLL can easily and rapidly be used as alternatives to the injury severity score to predict in-hospital mortality for patients who present to the emergency department with severe trauma.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.10 no.5
• /
• pp.164-172
• /
• 2010

Background: We tested the hypothesis that dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) is associated with a $T_H1$-skewed immune response as opposed to dengue fever (DF). Methods: We estimated intracellular (in T-cells) and serum levels of designate $T_H1/T_H2$ cytokines [interferon-${\gamma}$ (IFN-${\gamma}$), interleukin-4 (IL-4), and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$] and macrophage inflammatory protein-$1{\alpha}$ (MIP-$1{\alpha}$) at admission, 48h, and day 5 in 20 adults with dengue (DF=10, DHF=10) and 10 dengue-naive healthy controls. Results: At admission, intracellular IFN-${\gamma}$/IL-4 ratio in CD4+ T-cells and proportion of MIP-$1{\alpha}$-positive CD8+ T-cells were significantly higher in patients with DHF [7.21 (5.36~10.81) vs. 3.04 (1.75~4.02); p=0.011 and 6.2% (3.2~8.2%) vs. 2.4% (2.0~3.6%); p=0.023]. The latter showed a significant positive correlation with IFN-${\gamma}$/IL-4 ratio in CD4+ T-cells (Spearman's rho=0.64; p=0.003), percentage-change in haematocrit (rho=0.47; p=0.048), and serum alanine amino-transferase level (rho=0.61; p=0.009). Conclusion: We conclude that DHF is associated with a $T_H1$-skewed immune response. Further, MIP-$1{\alpha}$ in CD8+ T-cells is an important immunologic correlate of disease severity in dengue.

• Anxiety and mood
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.14-20
• /
• 2009

Objective : The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between plasma serotonin concentration and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in chronic PTSD patients who have been taking medication. Methods : Plasma serotonin level of 14 PTSD patients and a control group of 28 Vietnam War veterans was measured by HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography). The Combat Exposure Scale (CES), Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (M-PTSD), Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD), and Hamiltion Anxiety Scale (HAS) were used to evaluate PTSD symptom severity. Results : Serotonin level was significantly higher in the PTSD group than in the control group (p=0.036, p=0.006, respectively). M-PTSD (p<0.001), CAPS (p<0.001), HRSD (p<0.001), and HAS (p<0.001) scale scores were significantly higher in the PTSD group than in the control group; however, the CES score failed to show a significant improvement (p=0.964). There were no significant differences between plasma serotonin and PTSD symptoms. Conclusion : In chronic PTSD patients who have been taking medications, we can not predict treatment effect and symptom severity by measuring only plasma serotonin levels. PTSD is a complicated disorder which may likely be related to a variety of neurotransmitter systems. Therefore, further research which investigate relationships with norepinephrine, dopamine, and other neurotransmitters as well as serotonin is needed to improve the treatment of PTSD.

• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.13-29
• /
• 2020

Automobiles have long been an essential part of daily life, but the social costs of car traffic accidents exceed 9% of the national budget of Korea. Hence, it is necessary to establish prevention and response system for car traffic accidents. In order to present a model that can classify and predict the degree of injury in car traffic accidents, we used big data analysis techniques of K-nearest neighbor, logistic regression analysis, naive bayes classifier, decision tree, and ensemble algorithm. The performances of the models were analyzed by using the data on the nationwide traffic accidents over the past three years. In particular, considering the difference in the number of data among the respective injury severity levels, we used down-sampling methods for the group with a large number of samples to enhance the accuracy of the classification of the models and then verified the statistical significance of the models using ANOVA.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.98-120
• /
• 2009

The purpose of this study is to elicit preference for drug listing decision criteria and to estimate the ICER threshold in South Korea using the discrete choice experiment (DCE) method. To collect the data, a DCE survey was administered to a subject sample either educated in the principle concepts of pharmacoeconomics or were decision makers within that field. Subjects chose between alternative drug profiles differing in four attributes: ICER, uncertainty, budget impact and severity of disease. The orthogonal and balanced designs were determined through computer algorithm to take the optimal set of drug profiles. The survey employed 15 hypothetical choice sets. A random effect probit model was used to analyze the relative importance of attributes and the probabilities of a recommendation response. Parameter estimates from the models indicated that three attributes (ICER, Impact, Severity of disease) influenced respondents' choice significantly(p${\pm}$0.001). In addition, each parameter displayed an expected sign. The Lower the ICER, the higher the probability of choosing that alternative. Respondents also preferred low levels of uncertainty and smaller impact on health service budget. They were also more likely to choose drugs for serious diseases rather than mild or moderate ones. Uncertainty however is not statistically significant. The ICER threshold, at which the probability of a recommendation was 0.5, was 29,000,000 KW/QALY in expert group and 46,500,000 KW/QALY in industry group. We also found that those in our sample were willing to accept high ICER to get medication for severe diseases. This study demonstrates that the cost-effectiveness, budget impact and severity of disease are the main reimbursement decision criteria in South Korea, and that DCE can be a useful tool in analyzing the decision making process where a variety of factors are considered and prioritized.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.535-541
• /
• 2015

'Taichung No. 2' is a new Asian pear cultivar developed in Taiwan with low chilling requirement; however, is likely to develop internal browning disorder under low temperature storage conditions. We investigated the impact of storage time on flesh browning disorder in pears harvested from 22 orchards in 2010 and 2011, and analyzed the levels of nutrients in different fruit parts such as the peel, flesh, and core. Calcium and potassium contents were higher in the flesh and peel, respectively, of more severely browned fruits, whereas a lower magnesium content was recorded in the peel and core of these fruits. Nitrogen and potassium contents in the peel, and calcium content in the flesh were positively correlated with browning disorder severity. By contrast, the magnesium content in the core was negatively correlated with browning disorder severity. However, the nutrient contents in fruits varied between the two sampling years considered. Only the K/Mg ratio was an effective predictor of the browning disorder severity and showed a positive linear correlation in the two years. We recommend that the K/Mg ratio should be lower than 10 to avoid severe browning disorder in pears.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.38-43
• /
• 2012

Purpose: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) hepatitis is a usually asymptomatic and self-limiting disease in immunocompetent patients. However, the range of severity is wide, and the serological diagnosis is typically difficult until the convalescent phase. Thus, we examined the value of plasma EBV DNA real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in EBV hepatitis for the timely diagnosis and the relationship between EBV viral load and clinical severity. Methods: Sixty samples were confirmed as having EBV infection by RT-qPCR with the EBV BALF5 gene sequence. We examined the clinical characteristics of EBV hepatitis by reviewing medical records. Results: The median total duration of fever was 8 days (range: 0-13 days). The mean peak value of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was $241{\pm}214$ U/L, and the mean peak value of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was $298{\pm}312$ U/L. There was no correlation between the serum levels of liver enzyme and plasma EBV DNA titer ($p$=0.1) or between median total duration of fever and EBV DNA titer ($p$=0.056). The median age of the EBV VCA IgM-negative group was lower compared with the EBV VCA IgM-positive group in EBV hepatitis (2 years vs. 6 years, $p$=0.0009). Conclusion: The severity of EBV hepatitis does not correlate with circulating EBV DNA load according to our data. Furthermore, we suggest that plasma EBV PCR may be valuable in young infants in whom the results of serology test for EBV infection commonly are negative.

• The Korean Nurse
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.49-63
• /
• 1990

This article reviewed & analyzed 33 studies of the Health Belief Model applied to korean chronic ill patients which were published from 1975 to 1990. The findings of analysis are as follows. The subjects of researchs are patients with various chronic illness including Pulmonary Tb., DM., Hemodialysis & Kindney Transplantation, Hypertension, etc. The type of research is retrospective survey in all studies. The measurement of health' belief in all studies & sick role behavior in most studies have relied on self report. The analysis of the relationship between health belief and sick role behavior was done using correlation coefficient in most studies. To analyze empirical support for the relatiohship between health belief and sick role behavior, Significance ratio was computed. This ratio is value wherein the number of statistically significant findings with relationship in the expected direction for an HBM dimension are divided by total number of studies which reported significance levels for that dimension. Examination of this ratio across the 33 studies reveals susceptibility(30.3%), severity(34.4%), benifit(65.6%), barrier(50%). The following suggestions are based on the above findings and literature review. 1. It is necessary to develop the reliable, valid and standadized instrument for measurement of health beliefs. 2. In the further 'measurement of perceived susceptibility of the chronic ill patients, It is considering that the perceived susceptibility and perceived severity are measured together or the measurement of perceived, susceptibility is eliminated. 3. Relationship between perceived severity and sick role behavior is suggested to be analized using ANOV A, $x^2$ square instead of correlation coefficient. 4. Sick role behaviors should be measured by both self report and objective measurement. 5. Prospective, longitudinal survey should be needed. 6. Other factors influencing sick role behaviors of chronic ill patients should be investigated further.