• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• 제30권
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• pp.10.1-10.14
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• 2015

Recent cohort studies have relied on exposure prediction models to estimate individual-level air pollution concentrations because individual air pollution measurements are not available for cohort locations. For such prediction models, geographic variables related to pollution sources are important inputs. We demonstrated the computation process of geographic variables mostly recorded in 2010 at regulatory air pollution monitoring sites in South Korea. On the basis of previous studies, we finalized a list of 313 geographic variables related to air pollution sources in eight categories including traffic, demographic characteristics, land use, transportation facilities, physical geography, emissions, vegetation, and altitude. We then obtained data from different sources such as the Statistics Geographic Information Service and Korean Transport Database. After integrating all available data to a single database by matching coordinate systems and converting non-spatial data to spatial data, we computed geographic variables at 294 regulatory monitoring sites in South Korea. The data integration and variable computation were performed by using ArcGIS version 10.2 (ESRI Inc., Redlands, CA, USA). For traffic, we computed the distances to the nearest roads and the sums of road lengths within different sizes of circular buffers. In addition, we calculated the numbers of residents, households, housing buildings, companies, and employees within the buffers. The percentages of areas for different types of land use compared to total areas were calculated within the buffers. For transportation facilities and physical geography, we computed the distances to the closest public transportation depots and the boundary lines. The vegetation index and altitude were estimated at a given location by using satellite data. The summary statistics of geographic variables in Seoul across monitoring sites showed different patterns between urban background and urban roadside sites. This study provided practical knowledge on the computation process of geographic variables in South Korea, which will improve air pollution prediction models and contribute to subsequent health analyses.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제37권5호
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• pp.358-368
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• 2011

Objectives: In order to evaluate the association between occupational exposure to chloroethylene (TCE) and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), we conducted a meta-analysis of retrospective cohort studies and casecontrol studies and attempted to summarize the evidence of the association from molecular-epidemiological studies and experiments with human cells. Methods: In the meta-analysis, we restricted the analysis to those studies with data for chlorinated solvents, degreasers, or TCE. Studies involving dry cleaners or launderers were excluded from the analysis because use of TCE as a dry cleaning fluid has been rare since the 1960s. The data were combined using a random-effects model to estimate the summary risks (OR and RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Molecular evidence of the effect of TCE on human immune system were also reviewed and summarized. Results: Occupational exposure to TCE was strongly associated with NHL among cohort studies (number of studies=13, summary RR=1.33, 95% CI=1.04-1.70) whereas the association was not statistically significant among case-control studies (number of studies=15, summary OR=1.10, 0.98-1.23). When exposure level was considered, it became statistically significant for the highest exposure level (number of studies=5, summary OR=1.70, 1.25-2.32). Molecular evidences showed that TCE exposure in human or cultured human cells may cause a significant decrease immune cell subsets and changes in hormone levels related to immune response. Conclusions: Our results from meta-analysis and additional molecular evidence suggest that occupational exposure to TCE may cause NHL. However, unmeasured potential confounding and unclear dose-response relationships warrant further study on the role of TCE exposure in NHL carcinogenesis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권18호
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• pp.7603-7609
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• 2014

Glutathione is a thiol compound that plays an important role in the antioxidant defense system of the cell and its deficiency leads to an increased susceptibility to oxidative stress and, thus, progression of many disease states including head and neck cancer. In the present study, alterations of glutathione levels were investigated in study cohort of 500 samples (cohort 1 containing 200 head and neck cancer blood samples along with 200 healthy controls and cohort II with 50 head and neck squamous cell carcinoma tissue samples along with 50 control tissues) by high performance liquid chromatography. The results indicated that mean blood glutathione levels were significantly reduced in head and neck cancer patients (p<0.001) compared to respective controls. In contrast, the levels of glutathione total (p<0.05) and glutathione reduced (p<0.05) were significantly elevated in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma tissues compared to the adjacent cancer-free control tissues. In addition to this, pearson correlation performed to correlate different tissue glutathione levels (GSH) with clinical/pathological parameters demonstrated a significant negative correlation between pT-stage and GSH level ($r=-0.263^{**}$; p<0.01), C-stage and GSH level ($r=-0.335^{**}$; p<0.01), grade and GSH ($r=-0.329^{**}$; p<0.01) and grade versus redox index ($r=-0.213^{**}$; p<0.01) in HNSCC tissues. Our study suggests that dysregulation of glutathione levels in head and neck cancer has the potential to predict metastasis, and may serve as a prognostic marker.

• 의학교육논단
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.84-101
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• 2023

Longitudinal data can provide important evidence with the potential to stimulate innovation and affect policies in medical education and can serve as a driving force for further developments in medical education through evidence-based decisions. Tracking and observing cohorts of students and graduates using longitudinal data can be a way to link the past, present, and future of medical education. This study reviewed practical methods and technical, administrative, and ethical considerations for the establishment and operation of a longitudinal database and presented examples of longitudinal databases. Cohort study design methods and previous examples of research using longitudinal databases to explore major topics in medical education were also reviewed. The implications of this study are as follows: (1) a systematic design process is required to establish longitudinal data, and each university should engage in ongoing deliberation about this issue; (2) efforts are needed to alleviate "survey fatigue" among respondents and reduce the administrative burden of those conducting data collection and analysis; (3) it is necessary to regularly review issues of personal information protection, data security, and ethics regarding the survey respondents; and (4) a system should be established that integrates and manages a longitudinal database of medical education at the national level. The hope is that establishing longitudinal data and cohorts at individual medical schools will not be a temporary phenomenon, but rather that they will be well utilized at the national level to innovate and implement ongoing changes in medical education.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제57권1호
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• pp.55-64
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• 2024

Objectives: This study investigated the prevalence and characteristics of comorbid conditions in patients exposed to ionizing radiation and those who were involved in the Soviet-Afghan war. Methods: This study analyzed the frequency and spectrum of morbidity and comorbidity in patients over a long-term period (30-35 years) following exposure to ionizing radiation at the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site or the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, and among participants of the Soviet-Afghan war. A cohort study, both prospective and retrospective, was conducted on 675 patients who underwent comprehensive examinations. Results: Numerical data were analyzed using the Statistica 6 program. The results are presented as the mean±standard deviation, median, and interquartile range (25-75th percentiles). The statistical significance of between-group differences was assessed using the Student t-test and Pearson chi-square test. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. We found a high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension (55.0%) and cardiac ischemia (32.9%); these rates exceeded the average for this age group in the general population. Conclusions: The cumulative impact of causal occupational, environmental, and ultra-high stress factors in the combat zone in participants of the Soviet-Afghan war, along with common conventional factors, contributed to the formation of a specific comorbidity structure. This necessitates a rational approach to identifying early predictors of cardiovascular events and central nervous system disorders, as well as pathognomonic clinical symptoms in this patient cohort. It also underscores the importance of selecting suitable methods and strategies for implementing treatment and prevention measures.

• 대한전자공학회논문지SP
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• 제39권3호
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• pp.88-98
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• 2002

MLP(multilayer perceptron)는 다른 패턴인식 방법에 비해 몇 가지 유리한 이점을 지니고 있어 화자증명 시스템의 화자학습 및 인식 방법으로서 사용이 기대된다. 그러나 MLP의 학습은 학습에 이용되는 EBP(error backpropagation) 알고리즘의 저속 때문에 상당한 시간을 소요한다. 이 점은 화자증명 시스템에서 높은 화자인식률을 달성하기 위해서는 많은 배경화자가 필요하다는 점과 맞물려 시스템에 화자를 등록하기 위해 많은 시간이 걸린다는 문제를 낳는다. 화자증명 시스템은 화자 등록후 곧바로 증명 서비스를 제공해야 하기 때문에 이 문제를 해결해야 한다. 본 논문에서는 이 문제를 해결하기 위해 EBP의 학습속도를 개선하는 방법과, 기존의 화자증명 방법에서 화자군집 방법을 도입한 배경화자 축소방법을 사용하여 MLP 기반 화자증명 시스템에서 화자등록에 필요한 시간의 단축을 시도한다.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• 제27권2호
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• pp.111-116
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• 2023

Purpose: This article was to investigate the association between urinary tract infections (UTIs) and high weight status in infancy. Methods: We conducted a nationwide matched cohort study from January 2018 to December 2020 using data from the Korean National Health Insurance System and the Korean National Health Screening Program for Infants and Children. We analyzed the association between UTI diagnosis codes and high weight status (which was defined as being in the 90th percentile or higher of weight-for-age). Results: We found that 22.8% of infants with UTIs exhibited high weight status, compared to 20.0% of non-UTI infants (P<0.001). Per our multivariable analyses, the adjusted odds ratio for high weight status was 1.09 (95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.13). Conclusions: UTI in the first 12 months of life was associated with a weight-for-age percentile of ≥90. Our findings corroborate those of previous single-center studies and emphasize the importance of careful monitoring for this at-risk group.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.76-82
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• 2000

Objectives : We attempted to assess He accuracy of ICD codes for cerebrovascular diseases in medical insurance claims (ICMIC) and to investigate the reasons for error. This study was designed as a preliminary study to establish a nationwide surveillance system. Methods : A total of 626 patients with medical insurance claims who indicated a diagnosis of cerebrovascular diseases during the period from 1993 to 1997 was selected from the Korea Medical Insurance Corporation cohort (KMIC cohort: 115,600 persons). The KMIC cohort was 10% of those insured who had taken health examinations in 1990 and 1992 consecutively. The registered medical record administrators were trained in the survey technique and gathered data from March to May 1999. The definition of cerebrovascular diseases in this study included cases which met ore of two criteria (Minnesota, WHO) or 'definite stroke' in CT/MRI finding. We questioned the medical record administrators to explain the error if the final diagnoses were not coded as stroke. Results : The accuracy rate of the ICMIC was 83.0% (425 cases) Medical records were not available for 8.2% (51 cases) due to the closing of hospitals, the absence of a computer system or omission of medical record, etc. Sixty-three cases (10.0%) were classified as impossible to interpret due to insufficient records in 'major clinical symptoms' or 'neurological deficits'. The most common reason was 'to meet review criteria of medical insurance benefits (52.9%)'. The department where errors in the ICMIC occurred most frequently was the department for medical insurance claims in the hospital. Conclusion : The accuracy rate of the ICMIC was 83.0%.

• 한국정보과학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국정보과학회 2004년도 봄 학술발표논문집 Vol.31 No.1 (B)
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• pp.571-573
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• 2004

Speaker verification systems based on multilayer perceptrons (MLPs) have good prospects in reliability and flexibility required as a successful authentication system. However, the poor learning speed of the error backpropagation (EBP) which is representative learning method of MLPs is the major defect to be complemented to achieve real-time user enrollments. In this paper, we implement an MLP-based speaker verification system and apply the existing two methods of the omitting patterns in instant learning (OIL) and the discriminative cohort speakers (DCS) to approach real-time enrollment. An evaluation of the system on a Korean speech database demonstrates the feasibility of the system as a speaker verification system of high performance.

• 한국인구학
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.53-88
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• 2006

본 연구의 목적은 장래인구추계를 위하여 논리적이고 상대적으로 정확한 연령별 출산율의 가정치를 설정하는 것이다. 먼저 코호트별 출산순위별 연령별 출산율의 추정과 추계를 위하여 Coale-McNeil 모형을 일반화한 로그감마분포모형을 선택한다. 다음은 보정형의 연령별 출산율 모형을 재생산을 완료하지 않은 상대적으로 젊은 출생코호트를 포함하는 실적치 자료에 맞추기 위하여, 출산력 파라메터를 추정하는 방법을 설명한다. 본 연구는 일련의 출생코호트의 출생순위별 연령별 출산율을 역출하여, 장래의 특정연도 대하여 연령별 출산율을 추계한다. 가령, 2010년의 20세의 연령별 출산율은 1990년에 태어난 출생코호트의 20세에서의 연령별 출산율이고, 2010년의 21세의 연령별 출산율은 1989년에 태어난 출생코호트의 21세에서의 연령별 출산율에 해당한다. 결국 2010년에 태어난 코호트까지의 연령별 출산율의 추계치를 얻게 되면, 2055년도 까지의 기간별(연도별_령별 출산율에 대한 가정치를 설정할 수 있다. 본 연구의 출산력 가정치와 통계청의 2005년 장래인구 특별추계의 가정치 사이에 차이가 나는 것은 털 연구의 출산예측모형에서 혼인연령의 상승과 독신여성의 증가로 인한 출산력 저하의 최근 추세를 제대로 반영하였기 때문이라고 할 수 있으며, 이러한 점에서 본 연구의 출산력 가정치가 논리적이고 합리적이라고 주장할 수 있을 것이다. 그러나 장래인구추계와 관련하여, 출산력 가정치 설정을 위한 출산예측모형의 본질적 과제는 어떻게 기간효과(를 슬기롭게 다루느냐 하는 것이다. 코호트모형을 근간으로 하여, 최근의 실적치를 바탕으로 약간의 기간적 수정을 하는 것을 제외하고는 기간효과를 별도로 취급하기는 쉽지 않다.