• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.189-196
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• 2011

In this study, we perform a simulation study to compare frequently used standardization methods for interview scores based on trimmed mean, rank mean, and z-score mean. In this simulation study we assume that interviewer's score is influenced by a weighted average of true interviewee's true score and independent noise whose weight is determined by the professionality of the interviewer. In other words, as interviewer's professionality increases, the observed score becomes closer to the true score and if interviewer's professionality decreases, the observed score becomes closer to the noise instead of the true score. By adding interviewer's tendency bias to the weighed average, final interviewee's score is assumed to be observed. In this simulation, the interviewers's cores for each method are computed and then the method is considered best whose rank correlation between the method's scores and the true scores is highest. Simulation results show that when the true score is from normal distributions, z-score mean is best in general and when the true score is from Laplace distributions, z-score mean is better than rank mean in full interview system, where all interviewers meet all interviewees, and rank mean is better than z-score mean in half split interview system, where the interviewers meet only half of the interviewees. Trimmed mean is worst in general.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.495-504
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• 2012

In this study, we propose a statistical model based on projection that generates interview scores. In this model, each interviewee's true score and its related variable are viewed as X, Y values respectively in the two dimensional plane, and each interviewer's score is the projected score of true score X to the axis rotated by some angle, which reflects the interviewer's perspective. Each interviewer's observed interview score is obtained by adding personal bias and observed error to this projected score. We compared commonly used standardizing methods of interview scores such as trimmed mean method, rank method, and z-score method based on the proposed statistical model. In this simulation, two types of interview methods, two numbers of interviewers, two degrees of interviewers' expertise and two distributions and three correlations between actual score and its related variable are all considered.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.61 no.7
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• pp.226-230
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• 2018

Purpose: This pilot study assessed changes in the growth plate and growth rates in children during a 6-month period. Methods: The study included 31 healthy children (17 boys, 14 girls) under evaluation for growth retardation. Height, weight, bone age, insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and insulin like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGF-BP3) were measured at baseline and after 6 months. In addition, the diameter, thickness, and volume of the femoral and tibial growth plates were measured using magnetic resonance imaging. Results: The mean bone age in boys and girls was 11.7 and 10.7 years, respectively. In boys, height (z score) (-0.2 vs. 0.0), weight (z score) (0.8 vs. 1.1), body mass index (BMI) (z score) (1.27 vs. 1.5), IGF-1 (ng/mL) (343.6 vs. 501.8), and IGF-BP3 (ng/mL) (5,088.5 vs. 5,620.0) were significantly higher after 6 months. In girls, height (z score) (-1.0 vs. -0.7), weight (z score) (-0.5 vs. 0.1), BMI (z score) (-0.02 vs. 0.3), IGF-1 (ng/mL) (329.3 vs. 524.6), and IGF-BP3 (ng/mL) (4,644.4 vs. 5,593.6) were also significantly higher after 6 months. In both sexes, the mean diameter and volume of the femoral and tibial growth plates were significantly increased 6 months later. Conclusion: No significant correlation was found between changes in the growth plate and clinical parameters in children with growth retardation in this study, other than correlations of change in femoral diameter with weight and BMI. A larger, long-term study is needed to precisely evaluate the correlation between change in the growth plate and growth.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.14-23
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• 1978

This survey was conducted on a total 672 pulmonary tuberculosis patients who were registered at certain health center in Busan, during the period from July 15th to August 31st, 1977, based on Modified Cornell Medical Index(CMI) consisting of 70 questions. Number of 'Yes' response of an individual patients was collected by each large section of Modified CMI. The each number of 'Yes' response was standardized by mean of Z scoring. Z score was obtained by following formula. Z=50+10(Xi-m)/s M : means of 'Yes' response by each section for all subjects s : standard deviation of the mean Xi : number of 'Yes' response by each section in an individual patients The results of obtained were as follows: 1. The number of investigated cases were 672 (459 males and 213 females). The most prevalent group was 20-24 years old group as 18.4% by age, moderate advanced group as 50.8% by radiological diagnosis, INH+PAS+SM group as 34.7% by antituberculotics and unemployed group as 59.9% by occupation. By bacteriological examination of sputum, the rate of negative group was 60.5% and positive group was 39.5%. 2. Z score of complaints by sex was higher in female as 52.4 than in male as 48.9 in general. By radiological diagnosis, there was decreasing tendency with age in male but increasing tendency with age in female. 3. By age group, Z score of complaints was increasing tendency with age in male but there was non-significant differences in female. 4. By bacteriological examination of sputum, the Z score of complaints was increasing tendency with the more discharged bacteria in both sex generally. 5. By antituberculotics, INH group was revealed the highest Z score of complaints as 50.4 in male and INH+PAS group was the highest as 51.21 in female. 6. By occupation, agricultural and fisherman group was the highest as 53.5 and the next group was professional, technical and related workers, unemployed and sales workers in that order.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.60 no.11
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• pp.373-378
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• 2017

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the statistical properties of four previously developed pediatric coronary artery z score models in healthy Korean children. Methods: The study subjects were 181 healthy Korean children, whose age ranged from 1 month to 15 years. The diameter of each coronary artery was measured using 2-dimensional echocardiography and converted to the z score in the four models (McCrindle, Olivieri, Dallaire, and Japanese model). Descriptive statistical analyses and 1-sample t tests were performed. Results: All calculated z scores had P values of ${\geq}0.050$ using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The one sample t test showed that the mean z scores did not converge to zero except in 1 model, and the mean right coronary artery (RCA) z score was less than zero in all 4 models. The smaller RCA diameter in this study could be associated with the more distal measuring point used to avoid the conal branch. The percentage of subjects with extreme z score values (${\geq}2.0$ and ${\geq}2.5$) for the left main coronary artery (LMCA) seems to be higher in the Dallaire (4.9% and 3.3%) and Japanese models (7.1% and 3.8%). Conclusion: All 4 models showed statistical feasibility of normal distribution. More precise instructions would be needed for the measurement of the RCA. The higher percentage of extreme z scores for the LMCA is compatible with the basic understanding of anatomic variation in the LMCA.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.169-176
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• 2014

This research discusses the characteristics and the implementation strategies for two types of quality metrics to analyze innovation effects in six sigma projects: fixed specification type and moving specification type. $Z_{st}$, $P_{pk}$ are quality metrics of fixed specification type that are influenced by predetermined specification. In contrast, the quality metrics of moving specification type such as Strictly Standardized Mean Difference(SSMD), Z-Score, F-Statistic and t-Statistic are independent from predetermined specification. $Z_{st}$ sigma level obtains defective rates of Parts Per Million(PPM) and Defects Per Million Opportunities(DPMO). However, the defective rates between different industrial sectors are incomparable due to their own technological inherence. In order to explore relative method to compare defective rates between different industrial sectors, the ratio of specification and natural tolerance called, $P_{pk}$, is used. The drawback of this $P_{pk}$ metric is that it is highly dependent on the specification. The metrics of F-Statistic and t-Statistic identify innovation effect by comparing before-and-after of accuracy and precision. These statistics are not affected by specification, but affected by type of statistical distribution models and sample size. Hence, statistical significance determined by above two statistics cannot give a same conclusion as practical significance. In conclusion, SSMD and Z-Score are the best quality metrics that are uninfluenced by fixed specification, theoretical distribution model and arbitrary sample size. Those metrics also identify the innovation effects for before-and-after of accuracy and precision. It is beneficial to use SSMD and Z-Score methods along with popular methods of $Z_{st}$ sigma level and $P_{pk}$ that are commonly employed in six sigma projects. The case studies from national six sigma contest from 2011 to 2012 are proposed and analyzed to provide the guidelines for the usage of quality metrics for quality practitioners.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.504-514
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was done to assess the bone mineral density (BMD), biochemical bone turnover markers (BTMs), and factors associated with bone health in young Korean women. Methods: Participants were 1,298 women, ages 18-29, recruited in Korea. Measurements were BMD by calcaneus quantitative ultrasound, BTMs for Calcium, Phosphorus, Osteocalcin, and C-telopeptide cross-links (CTX), body composition by physical measurements, nutrients by food frequency questionnaire and psychosocial factors associated with bone health by self-report. Results: The mean BMD (Z-score) was -0.94. 8.7% women had lower BMD ($Z-score{\leq}-2$) and 14.3% women had higher BMD ($Z-score{\geq}0$) than women of same age. BTMs were not significantly different between high-BMD ($Z-score{\geq}0$) and low-BMD (Z-score<0) women. However, Osteocalcin and CTX were higher in women preferring caffeine intake, sedentary lifestyle and alcoholic drinks. Body composition and Calcium intake were significantly higher in high-BMD. Low-BMD women reported significantly higher susceptibility and barriers to exercise in health beliefs, lower bone health self-efficacy and promoting behaviors. Conclusion: Results of this study indicate that bone health of young Korean women is not good. Development of diverse strategies to intervene in factors such as exercise, nutrients, self-efficacy, health beliefs and behaviors, shown to be important, are needed to improve bone health.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.62 no.11
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• pp.416-421
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• 2019

Background: The seropositivity rate of hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) antibodies is known to be ≥95% after hepatitis B virus vaccination during infancy. However, a low level or absence of anti-HBs in healthy children is discovered in many cases. Recent studies in adults reported that a reduced anti-HBs production rate is related to obesity. Purpose: To investigate whether body mass index (BMI) affects anti-HBs levels in healthy children following 3 serial dose vaccinations in infancy. Methods: We recruited 1,200 healthy volunteers aged 3, 5, 7, or 10 years from 4-day care centers and 4 elementary schools. All subjects completed a questionnaire including body weight, height, and vaccine type received. Levels of serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-HBs in all subjects were analyzed using electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. The standardized scores (z score) for each sex and age were obtained using the lambda-mu-sigma method in the 2017 Korean National Growth Charts for children and adolescents. Results: Our subjects (n=1,200) comprised 750 males (62.5%) and 450 females (37.5%). The overall anti-HBs seropositivity rate was 57.9% (695 of 1,200). We identified significant differences in mean BMI values between seronegative and seropositive groups (17.45 vs. 16.62, respectively; P<0.001). The anti-HBs titer was significantly decreased as the BMI z score increased adjusting for age and sex (B=-15.725; standard error=5.494; P=0.004). The probability of anti-HBs seropositivity based on BMI z score was decreased to an OR of 0.820 after the control for confounding variables (95% confidence interval, 0.728-0.923; P=0.001). Conclusion: There was a significant association between anti-HBs titer and BMI z score after adjustment for age and sex. Our results indicate that BMI is a potential factor affecting anti-HBs titer in healthy children.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.254-260
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• 2013

Purpose: Recently, vitamin D insufficiency has increased and has been correlated to growth and puberty in children. This study was conducted to find the prevalence of subclinical vitamin D insufficiency and its influence on school-aged children in Korea. Methods: The subjects of this study were 397 children aged 7 to 15 years who had been tested for 25-OH vitamin D3 among the outpatients of the Department of Pediatrics in Eulji General Hospital from March 2007 to February 2011. Data for age, sex, comorbidities, serum 25-OH vitamin D3, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and sunlight exposure time were collected before and after 3 months of vitamin D administration, retrospectively. Results: Vitamin D insufficiency was present in 343 (86%) of the subjects. In the vitamin D insufficient group, chronological age was $8.96{\pm}1.72$ years, mean height (z-score [z]) was $0.51{\pm}1.26$, mean BMI (z) was $0.81{\pm}2.20$, and bone age was $10.26{\pm}1.75$ years. In the vitamin D sufficient group, chronological age was $9.61{\pm}1.77$ years, mean height (z) was -$0.66{\pm}0.98$, mean BMI (z) was -$0.01{\pm}1.16$, and bone age was $9.44{\pm}2.12$ years. A paired t-test showed that three months after vitamin D administration, the mean 25-OH vitamin D3 level in the insufficient group increased to $24.38{\pm}10.03$ ng/mL and mean BMI (z) decreased to $0.67{\pm}1.06$. Conclusion: In Korean school-aged children, vitamin D insufficiency were relatively higher and may be closely related with higher BMI. Insufficient rise of the level of vitamin D after supplementation suggest the new supplementation guidelines, especially for Korean children.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.84-91
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• 2000

Purpose: To improve the recovery of growth deficit after renal transplantation in children, we analysed the factors affecting height growth after renal transplantation. Methods: We reviewed medical records of fifty-six children in whom height data were available for three years after transplantation. All height data were converted into Z-scores. We analyzed the effects of sex, age at transplantation, cumulative mean steroid dose for 3 years, serum creatinine levels, height at transplantation, donor source and history of prior dialysis on patients' z-scores and delta Zs. Results: The Z-scores at transplantation were lower in patients of younger age (P=0.007). When baseline Z-scores were lower, the delta Zs were higher (P<0.01), but the Z-scores after transplantation were still lower (P<0.001). According to the analysis of the partial correlation coefficients, Z-scores and delta Zs at 1 year after transplantation were higher in groups of younger age and of lower steroid dosages (P<0.05). The delta Zs at 6 month and 1 year after transplantation were lower in the group with abnormally higher serum creatinine (P<0.05). There was no difference in Z-scores between groups of different genders, donor sources, and histories of previous dialysis. Conclusion: The children of younger age, on lower steroid dosage, with less growth retardation at transplantation, and with normal graft function had better height growth recoveries after renal transplantation.