• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.64-71
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• 2004

Background: Video-assisted sympathicotomy is a safe and effective method for the treatment of essential hyperhidrosis with immediate symptomatic improvement. However, this is offset by the occurrence of a high rate of side-effects, such as embarrassing compensatory hyperhidrosis. Therefore, by comparing and assessing the relationship between temperature change measured by DITI (digital infrared thermographic imaging) and clinical results according to the level and extent of sympathicotomy in essential hyperhidrosis. we tried to obtain a more precisely and objectively, the distribution and degree of compensatory sweating by DITI and also for ascertaining the clinical usefulness. Material and Method: From January 2000 to June 2002, the thoracoscopic sympathicotomy was performed in 28 patients suffering from essential hyperhidrosis in Dept. of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Wonkwang University Hospital. The patients were divided into four groups, Group I: patients having undergone T2 sympathicotomy, Group II: patients having undergone T3 sympathicotomy, Group III: patients having undergone T3,4 sympathicotomy, and Group IV: patients having undergone T2,3,4 sympathicotomy. The parameters were composed of the satisfaction rate of treatment, the degree of compensatory and plantar sweating, and temperature changes of entire body measured by DITI Result: There was no difference in age and follow-up period among the groups. All of the treated patients obtained satisfactory alleviation of essential hyperhidrosis in immediate postoperative period. However, the rate of long-term satisfaction were 85.8%, 85.8%, 42.9%, and 28.6% in group I, II, III, and IV (p<0.05). More than embarrassing compensatory sweating was present in 14.2%, 14.2%, 57.1%, 71.4% in group I, II, III, and IV (p<0.05) In regard to plantar sweating, decrease in sweating was expressed in each of four groups, but was not significant between groups. An apparent increase of temperature measured by DITI indicated sufficient denervation and predicted long-lasting relief of essential hyperhidrosis and also decrease in temperature of trunk and lower extremity by DITI had correlated well with postoperative satisfaction, and also postoperative compensatory sweating. Conclusion: We suggested that the incidence and degree of compensatory sweating was closely related to the site and the extent of thoracic sympathicotomy. Resection of the lower interganglionic neural fiber of the second thoracic sympathetic ganglion on the third rib is the most practical and minimally invasive treatment than other surgical methods. We were also to anticipated the distribution and degree of compensatory sweating by DITI precisely and objectively and for ascertaining the clinical usefulness.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.17-28
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• 2005

With the advent of computer technology, the fundamental nature of products has shaped from physical forms towards product interactivity, The focus is now on usability of the product with ease and efficiency rather than conversing with just the looks of the product. However, most definitions of usability and contemporary usability-related researches, have focused on the performance-oriented functional aspects of usability (i.e., how well users perform tasks using a product). Today, user expectations are higher; products that bring not only functional benefits but also emotional satisfaction. So far, there have been many studies on human emotions and the emotional side of products in the field of emotional engineering. Contemporary emotion-related researches have focused mainly on the relationship between product aesthetics and the emotional responses elicited by the products, but little is known about emotions elicited from using the products. The main objective of our research is analyzing user's emotional changes while using a product, to reveal the influence of usability on human emotions. In this research, we suggested conceptual framework for the study on the relationship between usability of products, and human emotions with emphasis on mobile phones. We also extracted emotional words for measuring user's emotions expressed not from looking at the product's appearance, but from using the product. First, we assembled a set of emotions that is sufficiently extensive to represent a general overview of the full repertoire of Korean emotions from the literature study. Secondly, we found emotional words in the after note by the users on the websites. Finally, verbal protocols in which the user says out loud what he/she ks feeling while he/she ks carrying out a task were collected. And then, the appropriateness of extracted emotional words was verified by the members of the consumer panel of a company through web survey. It is expected that emotional words extracted in this research will be used to measure user's emotional changes while using a product. Based on the conceptual framework suggested in this research, basic guidelines on interface design methods that reflect user's emotions will be illustrated.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.309-315
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• 2003

Background: To avoid the adverse effects of cardiopulmonary bypass and to overcome late vein graft failure we routinely peformed off-pump total arterial coronary revascularization. Material and Method: From July 2000 to August 2001, 104 consecutive patients underwent first elective off-pump total arterial coronary revascularization. Both internal mammary, radial and gastroepiploic arteries were used. Sequential and composite grafts were used to achieve complete revascularization. Perioperative adverse events and postoperative angiograms were analyzed. Result: A total of 252 arterial conduits were used with an average of 2.47 grafts per patient. A total of 326 distal anastomosis were performed with a mean of 3.13 distal anastomosis per patient. Cross over to on-pump occurred in seven patients (6.7%). Of these 4 were due to unstable hemodynamics during lateral or posterior wall stabilization as a result of cardiomegaly and 3 were due to uncontrolled bleeding during dissection of diffusely dimunitive deeply placed intramyocardial coronary arteries. There were no opeartive deaths. Two cases of perioperative myocardial infarction and transient neurologic complications occurred, respectively. Of the 312 distal anastomoses, 308 (98.7%) were compatible with Fitz-Gibboll A or B patency grading. Conclusion: Off-pump total arterial coronary revascularization was technically feasible in most elective cases with satisfactory early results. However, on-pump coronary bypass surgery should be considered in difficult circumstances, such as cardiomegaly or unfavorable anatomy of the target coronary artery.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.132-138
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• 2007

Purpose: In Korea, the number of laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomies for early gastric cancer patients has been on the increase. Although minimally invasive surgery is more beneficial, no reported case of a total laparoscopic gastrectomy has been reported because of difficulty with intracorporeal anastomosis. This study attempts, through our experience, to determine the safety and feasibility of a total laparoscopic gastrectomy with various types of intracorporeal anastomosis using laparoscopic linears stapler in treating early gastric carcinomas. Materials and Methods: We investigated the surgical results and clinicopatholgical characteristics of 81 patients that underwent a totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy at our department between June 2004 and May 2007. The intracorporeal anastomoses were performed by using laparoscopic linear staplers. Results: The mean operative time was 287 minutes, the mean anastomotic time was 40 minutes, and the mean number of laparoscopic linear staplers used for an operation was 7.5. The mean time to the first flatus, the first food intake, and discharge from hospital was 2.9, 3.6, and 10.3 days respectively. There were 11 cases of postoperative complications, but no case of postoperative mortality or conversion to an open procedure. In 75 patients with an adenocarcinoma, the mean number of lymph nodes harvested was 38.1 and the stage distribution was as follows: stage I, 72 patients; stage II, 2 patients; stage IV, 1 patient. During the mean follow-up period of 14 months, 5 patients died of other causes and there were no cases of cancer recurrence. Conclusion: A total laparoscopic gastrectomy with intracorporeal anastomosis by using a laparoscopic linear stapler was found to be safe and feasible. We were able to obtain acceptable surgical outcomes in terms of minimal invasiveness.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.101-109
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• 2013

Purpose: Pediatric urolithiasis is uncommon in children but is a cause of significant morbidity and damage to the kidney. Although much information on adult urolithiasis is available in the literature, large studies on the pediatric population are still scarce. In this report, we review our experience with pediatric urolithiasis over 22 years at a tertiary referral center. Method: We retrospectively reviewed the records of children with newly diagnosed urolithiasis between January 1991 and May 2013. We assessed the age, sex, family history, initial symptoms, location of stones, underlying cause, stone analysis, treatment, and recurrence among the patients. Results: In total, 137 patients (96 male, 41 female) were assessed. The age range was 0-17 years (mean age, 6.0 years). Forty-three (31%) children were aged <1 year, and 37% (16/43) had a history of intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Thirteen patients (9.5%) had a family history of stones. The most common symptoms at presentation among the patients were gross hematuria (56/137, 41%) and flank or abdominal pain (46/137, 34%). The stones were located in the kidney (85/137, 62%), ureter (29/137, 21%), bladder (2/137, 1.4%), and multiple locations (20/137, 15 %). Congenital abnormalities of the genitourinary (G-U) tract, with or without metabolic abnormality, or urinary tract infection (UTI) was detected in 26 children (19%). Ninety-one patients (66%) underwent metabolic examination, and 38% of these patients exhibited an abnormality. UTI, with or without abnormalities of the G-U tract, or metabolic abnormality was detected in 26 children (19%). Of the 35 stones analyzed, the majority were calcium stones (20/35, 57%), followed by infected stones (5/35, 14%), uric acid stones (4/35, 11%), carbonate apatite stones (3/35, 7%), cystine stones (2/35, 6%), and phosphate stones (1/35, 3%). Five patients (4%) required open procedures, with or without non-open procedures, whereas 77 patients (56%) were managed conservatively; the remaining 55 patients (40%) received some other form of intervention. Eighteen patients (13%) had stone recurrence during the follow-up period. Conclusions: Pediatric urolithiasis is commonly associated with abnormalities of the G-U tract and/or metabolic disorders and/or UTI. Half of the patients will pass their stones spontaneously, and all the techniques of minimally invasive surgery are applicable in the treatment of children with stones. As the recurrence rates are high among this population, long-term follow-up is recommended and the complete clearance of stones is important.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.21-25
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• 2005

Purpose: $^{14}C$-urea breath test (UBT) is a non-invasive and reliable method for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection. In this study, we evaluated the diagnostic performance of a new and rapid $^{14}C$-UBT (Heliprobe method), which was equipped with $Geiger-M\ddot{u}ller$ counter and compared the results with those obtained by using the conventional method. Materials and Methods: Forty-nine patients with dyspepsia underwent gastroduodenoscopy and $^{14}C$-UBT. A 37 KBq $^{14}C$-urea capsule was administered to patients and breath samples were collected. In Heliprobe method, patients exhaled into a Hellprobe BreathCard for 10 min. And then the activities of the BreathCard were countered using Heliprobe analyzer. In the conventional method, results were countered using liquid scintillation counter. During gastroduodenoscopy, 18 of 49 patients were underwent biopsies. According to these histologic results, we evaluated the diagnostic performance of two different methods and compared them. Also we evaluated the concordant and disconcordant rates between them. Results: In all 49 patients, concordant rate of both conventional and Heliprobe methods was 98% (48/49) and the discordant rate was 2% (1/49). Thirteen of 18 patients to whom biopsies were applied, were found to be HP positive on histologic results. And both Heliprobe method and conventional method classified 13 of 13 HP-positive patients and 5 of 5 HP-negative patients correctly (sensitivity 100%, specificity 100%, accuracy 100%). Conclusion: The Heliprobe method demonstrated the same diagnostic performance compared with the conventional method and was a simpler and more rapid technique.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.82 no.4
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• pp.923-935
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• 2021

Purpose We aimed to assess the clinical efficacy of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) for treating hemothorax caused by chest trauma. Materials and Methods Between 2015 and 2019, 68 patients (56 male; mean age, 58.2 years) were transferred to our interventional unit for selective TAE to treat thoracic bleeding. We retrospectively investigated their demographics, angiographic findings, embolization techniques, technical and clinical success rates, and complications. Results Bleeding occurred mostly from the intercostal arteries (50%) and the internal mammary arteries (29.5%). Except one patient, TAE achieved technical success, defined as the immediate cessation of bleeding, in all the other patients. Four patients successfully underwent repeated TAE for delayed bleeding or increasing hematoma after the initial TAE. The clinical success rate, defined as no need for thoracotomy for hemostasis after TAE, was 92.6%. Five patients underwent post-embolization thoracotomy for hemostasis. No patient developed major TAE-related complications, such as cerebral infarction or quadriplegia. Conclusion TAE is a safe, effective and minimally invasive method for controlling thoracic wall and intrathoracic systemic arterial hemorrhage after thoracic trauma. TAE may be considered for patients with hemothorax without other concomitant injuries which require emergency surgery, or those who undergoing emergency TAE for abdominal or pelvic hemostasis.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.16-22
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• 2005

Purpose: In Korea, the number of laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomies for early gastric cancer patients has been increasing lately. Although minimally invasive surgery is more beneficial, no reported case of a totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy has been reported because of difficulty with intracorporeal anastomosis. This study attempts, through our experiences, to determine the feasibility of a totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy using an intracorporeal gastroduodenostomy in treating early gastric carcinoma. Materials and Methods: We investigated surgical results and clinicopatholgic characteristics of eight(8) patients with an early gastric carcinoma who underwent a totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy at the Department of Surgery, Our Lady of Mercy Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, between June 2004 and September 2004. The intracorporeal gastroduodenostomy was performed with a delta-shaped ananstomosis by using only laparoscopic linear staplers (Endocutter 45mm; Ethicon Endosurgery, OH, USA). Results: The operative time was $369.4\pm62.5$ minutes (range $275\∼465$ minutes), and the anastomotic time was 45.1\pm14.4$ minutes (range $32\∼70$ minutes). The anastomotic time was shortened as surgical experience was gained. The number of laparoscopic linear staplers for an operation was $7.1\pm0.6$. The number of lymph nodes harvested was $31.9\pm13.1$. There was 1 case of transfusion and no case of conversion to an open procedure. The time to the first flatus was 2.8$\pm$0.5 days, and the time to the first food intake was $4.1\pm0.8$ days. There were no early postoperative complications, and the postoperative hospital stay was $10.0\pm3.9$ days. Conclusion: A totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy using an intracorporeal gastroduodenostomy with a delta-shaped anastomosis is technically feasible and can maximize the benefit of laparoscopic surgery for early gastric cancer.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.486-491
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• 2004

Purpose: factor analysis and independent component analysis (ICA) has been used for handling dynamic image sequences. Theoretical advantages of a newly suggested ICA method, ensemble ICA, leaded us to consider applying this method to the analysis of dynamic myocardial $H_2^{15}O$ PET data. In this study, we quantified patients' blood flow using the ensemble ICA method. Materials and Methods: Twenty subjects underwent $H_2^{15}O$ PET scans using ECAT EXACT 47 scanner and myocardial perfusion SPECT using Vertex scanner. After transmission scanning, dynamic emission scans were initiated simultaneously with the injection of $555{\sim}740$ MBq $H_2^{15}O$. Hidden independent components can be extracted from the observed mixed data (PET image) by means of ICA algorithms. Ensemble learning is a variational Bayesian method that provides an analytical approximation to the parameter posterior using a tractable distribution. Variational approximation forms a lower bound on the ensemble likelihood and the maximization of the lower bound is achieved through minimizing the Kullback-Leibler divergence between the true posterior and the variational posterior. In this study, posterior pdf was approximated by a rectified Gaussian distribution to incorporate non-negativity constraint, which is suitable to dynamic images in nuclear medicine. Blood flow was measured in 9 regions - apex, four areas in mid wall, and four areas in base wall. Myocardial perfusion SPECT score and angiography results were compared with the regional blood flow. Results: Major cardiac components were separated successfully by the ensemble ICA method and blood flow could be estimated in 15 among 20 patients. Mean myocardial blood flow was $1.2{\pm}0.40$ ml/min/g in rest, $1.85{\pm}1.12$ ml/min/g in stress state. Blood flow values obtained by an operator in two different occasion were highly correlated (r=0.99). In myocardium component image, the image contrast between left ventricle and myocardium was 1:2.7 in average. Perfusion reserve was significantly different between the regions with and without stenosis detected by the coronary angiography (P<0.01). In 66 segment with stenosis confirmed by angiography, the segments with reversible perfusion decrease in perfusion SPECT showed lower perfusion reserve values in $H_2^{15}O$ PET. Conclusions: Myocardial blood flow could be estimated using an ICA method with ensemble learning. We suggest that the ensemble ICA incorporating non-negative constraint is a feasible method to handle dynamic image sequence obtained by the nuclear medicine techniques.