• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.169-175
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• 2005

Purpose: Although computed tomography (CT) simulators are commonly used in radiation therapy department, many Institution still use conventional CT for treatments. In this study the setup errors that occur during simulation, CT scan (diagnostic CT scanner), and treatment were evaluated for the twenty one breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods: Errors were determined by calculating the differences in isocenter location, SSD, CLD, and locations of surgical clips implanted during surgery. The anatomic structures on simulation film and DRR image were compared to determine the movement of isocenter between simulation and CT scan. The isocetner point determined from the radio-opaque wires placed on patient's surface during CT scan was moved to new position if there was anatomic mismatch between the two images Results: In 7/21 patients, anatomic structures on DRR Image were different from the simulation Image thus new isocenter points were placed for treatment planning. The standard deviations of the diagnostic CT setup errors relative to the simulator setup in lateral, longitudinal, and anterior-posterior directions were 2.3, 1.6, and 1.6 mm, respectively. The average variation and standard deviation of SSD from AP field were 1.9 mm and 2.3 mm and from tangential fields were 2.8 mm and 3.7 mm. The variation of the CLD for the 21 patients ranged from 0 to 6 mm between simulation and DRR and 0 to 5 mm between simulation and treatment. The group systematic errors analyzed based on clip locations were 1.7 mm in lateral direction, 2.1 mm in AP direction, and 1.7 mm in SI direction. Conclusion: These results represent that there was no significant differences when SSD, CLD, clips' locations and isocenter locations were considered. Therefore, it is concluded that when a diagnostic CT scanner is used to acquire an image, the set-up variation is acceptable compared to using CT simulator for the treatment of breast cancer. However, the patient has to be positioned with care during CT scan in order to reduce the setup error between simulation and CT scan.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 2006

Purpose: This study explored the anal sphincter-saving rate and down-staging rate after preoperative chemoradiotherapy for treating lower rectal cancer. We also explored the prognosis of the patients who refused surgery after preoperative chemoradiotherapy. Materials and Methods: Thirty seven patients with histologically proven lower rectal cancer who underwent preoperative chemoradiotherapy were retrospectively analyzed. In each case, the tumor location was 0 to 5 em from the anal verge, and curative resection of the cancer with performing a sphincter-saving procedure was not feasible before chemoradiotherapy. In each case, the staging examinations, including biopsy, were done before starting radiotherapy and this was repeated at 1 month after radiation therapy. Results: After chemoradiotherapy, among the 37 included patients, 56.8% and 32.4% were downstaged to the T stage and N stage, respectively, when comparing the postradiotherapy stage with pre-radiotherapy stage. Twenty five patients underwent complete resection of cancer at 6 weeks after radiotherapy: eleven, eight and six patients underwent abdominoperineal resection, low anterior resection and local excision, respectively. The sphincter-saving rate among the 24 completely resected cases was 54.2%. Twelve patients refused surgery after radiotherapy. Among 6 patients who refused surgery with biopsy-proven complete remission after chemoradiotherapy, 5 patients were alive without disease at a median follow up period of 31 months, and only 1 patient had local failure. Conclusion: For lower rectal cancer, a high sphincter-saving rate was accomplished with preoperative chemoradiotherapy. The prognosis of the patients who refused surgery with biopsy proven complete remission after chemoradiotherapy was good and these patients need to be kept under close surveillance.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.6
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• pp.61-77
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• 1965

In this experiment, Akiochi was studied especially on plant growth on the degraded soils. Besides, such soils were carefully examined on its character and plant body was analysed to know the difference in various mineral contents. For this purpose, paddy cultivation was done with the variety Pal Dal at Suwon, Sosa and Pyungtak. Three plots were chosen at each location as the normal and 2 levels of akiochi, a-the stronger and b-the weaker. Harvests from these 9 plots were measured agronomically and also chemically analysised. As for soil, after an observation on vertical section of soil, samples from each layer were also studied both physically and chemically. The results are summarized as follows. 1. Outer changes in rice plant and changes in yield components. 1) Rice from Akiochi soil showed remarkably shortened culm length, head length, protrusoion length, blade length of boot leaf, and coleoptile length, compared with that from the normal paddy field. 2) There was a tendency for Akiochi rice to have more heads per plant. 3) Akiochi rice showed poorer intercalary growth of upper 3 internodes. The ratio of this upper internode length to total culm length was also smaller in this case. Consquently the ratio of lower internode length to total culm length became larger than that from normal peddy field. 4) Akiochi rice showed significantly fewer first spikelets and attached grains of head at main stem. 5) Maturing rate of both this main seem of whole plant body was remarkably lower than that of normal rice. 6) Akiochi rice showed lower head weight of main stem, total hulled rice weight, total grain yield, 1000-grain weight, straw weight and straw-hulled rice ratio. 2. Physical and chemical study on soil. 1) Akiochi soil showed thinner upper layer and total thickness of upper and lower parts was smaller than that of normal. 2) Akiochi soil of Suwon was mainly composed of sand, while that of Sosa and Pyungtak was composed of heavy clay. 3) Chemical analysis indicated that content of $SiO_2$ in upper layer is always lower than that of normal. But no other common tendencies were found. 4) This analysis further lillustrates lower content of Fe, & Mn at Suwon ; of Mn at Sosa and higher content of Fe at Sosa and organic matters at Pyungtak. 5) Some differences in the content of N in each plot could be marked though irregular. 3. Chemical Composition of plant body. 1) Chemical analysis on grain, boot leaf and straw did not suggest any remarkable differences between normal and Akiochi rice, except that the latter contains less Si in boot leaf and less Mn in straw. 2) Contents of each chemical element were measured in grain and straw to calculate the percentage of element content in grain to that of whole plant body including both grain and straw. Here, Akiochi rice always showed lower value in N, K and Mn. 4. Relationship between chemical composition of plant body and that of soil. Akiochi soil at Sosa marked lower content of Mn. This caused another lower content of this element in grain, boot leaf and straw. But except that, no remarkable relationship could be found in this study.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.353-377
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• 2000

This study was performed to investigate the performance state and improvement countermeasure of Primary Health care Posts(PHPs). The operation reports of PHPs(1996 330 PHPs, 1999 313 PHPs) located in Kyongsangbuk-Do and data collected by self-administered questionnaire survey of 280 community health practitioners(CHPs) were analyzed. The major results were as follows: Population per PHP in 1999 decreased in number compared with 1996. But population of the aged increased in number. The performance status of PHP in 1999 increased compared with 1996. A hundred forty one community health practitioners(50.4%) replied that the fiscal standing of PHP was good. Only 1.4% replied that the fiscal standing of PHP was difficult. For the degree of satisfaction in affairs, overall of community health practitioners felt proud. The degree of cooperation between PHP and public health institutions was high and the degree of cooperation of between PHP and private medical institutions was high. The degree of cooperation between PHP and Health Center was significantly different by age of CHP, the service period of CHP, and CHP's service period at present PHP. Over seventy percent of CHPs replied that they had cooperative relationship with operation council, village health workers, community organization. CHPs who drew up the paper on PHP's health activity plan were 96.4 % and only 11.4% of CHPs participated drawing up the report on the second community health plan. CHPs who grasped the blood pressure and smoking status of residents over 70% were 88.2%, 63.9% respectively and the grasp rate of blood pressure fur residents were significantly different according to age and educational level of CHP. CHPs received job education in addition continuous job education arid participated on research program in last 3 years were 27.5%, respectively. CHPs performed the return health program for residents in last 3years were 65.4%. Over 95% of CHPs replied that PHPs might be necessary and 53.9% of CHPs replied that the role of PHPs should be increased. CHPS indicated that major reasons of FHPs lockout were lack of understanding for PHP and administrative convenience, CHPs were officials in special government service governors intention of self-governing body. CHPs suggested number of population in health need such as the aged and patients with chronic disease, opinion of residents, population size, traffic situation and network in order as evaluation criteria for PHP and suggested results of health performance, degree of relationship with residents, results of medical examination anti treatment, ability for administration and affairs in order as evaluation criteria for CHP. CHPs replied that the important countermeasures for PHPs under standard were affairs improvement of PHPs and shifting of location to health weakness area in city. Over 50% of CHPs indicated that the most important thing for improvement of PHPs was affairs adjustment of CLIP. And CHPs suggested that health programs carried out in priority at PHP were management of diabetes mellitus and hypertention. home visiting health care, health care for the aged. The Affairs of BLIP should be adjusted to satisfy community health need and health programs such as management of diabetes mellitus and hypertention, home visiting health care, health care for the aged should be activated in order that PHPs become organization reflecting value system of primary health care.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.49-59
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to analyze the importance and satisfaction of resources in the mouth of Nakdong River. A Pearson's chi-square test was performed in SPSS 24.0 for statistical analysis and the result of the study was summarized by three points. First, the results of importance analysis on resources in Nakdong estuary found that the importance of ecology resources was the highest with 27.1%, followed by landscape resources (18.5%), waterside leisure resources (6.5%), complex cultural resources (5.4%), and historic and cultural resources (3.3%). The probability values (p-value) of each group had shown significant differences depending on gender, age, and the location of the survey. For instance, women respondents reported a higher preference to ecology resources and complex cultural resources such as museums than men respondents as much as two times and three times, respectively. Meanwhile, men respondents showed a higher preference to waterside leisure resources in three times as much as women respondents. As for the analysis by age, the respondents in their 20s and 30s recorded a higher value than those in other age groups, and people in their 30s reported a higher preference to waterside leisure resources than those in different age groups by three times. Lastly, no significant differences were found in the preference analysis by occupation (p>.05). With regard to the results of satisfaction analysis, the average level of satisfaction on landscape resources was 6.01, and that of ecology resources and complex cultural resource were 5.65 and 5.15, respectively. Also, significant differences were found between landscape and ecology resources in the satisfaction analysis by age, landscape resources by age, ecology resources by region, and between landscape resources and ecology resources by occupation. The p-value of complex cultural resources was p=0.012, although the satisfaction level of landscape resources and ecology resources were reported to have no significant differences by age. As for the level of satisfaction in landscape resources, respondents in their 40s and 50s showed a high level of satisfaction. However, those in their 20s showed a relatively low level of satisfaction in the same category. The survey respondents living in Busan and South Gyeongsang Province and those living outside the regions revealed no significant differences in terms of satisfaction in landscape resources and complex cultural resources. However, the two same groups were found to show significant differences in the satisfaction analysis on ecology resources. In the satisfaction analysis of landscape resources and ecology resources by occupation, significant differences were found among college students, government employees, ordinary citizens, and expert groups. However, they showed no significant differences in the level of satisfaction to complex cultural resources. Third, the results of importance-satisfaction analysis on Nakdong estuary found that the average levels of satisfaction to landscape resources for each group of respondents who considered landscape, ecology, and cultural resources as important was 6.19, 6.08, and 5.67, respectively. Their levels of satisfaction on ecology resources were 5.95, 5.57, and 5.41 for each. Its correlation to the importance was insignificant. However, it was confirmed that the correlation to the level of satisfaction on complex cultural resources had a significant difference (p=0.025). In addition, the results of the analysis on 15 detailed items that was carried out with the aim to improving values and vitalizing resources in the mouth of Nakdong River found that respondents considered that the vitalization of eco-tourism (49.5%) and restoration of reed marsh (47.5%) were important. The results of detailed analysis revealed respondents' high awareness on the need of enhancing values on ecology resources. Also, improving infrastructure nearby the mouth, creating cycling routes, walkways, waterside leisure facilities, and others were considered as the requirements for the vitalization of Nakdong estuary.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.69-92
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• 2001

The purposes of this study were to offer foundation making more certain standards of musculoskeletal disorder diagnosis, We researched musculoskeletal symptoms degrees, frequencies, and cares and then examined relation between musculoskeletal symptoms and diagnosis of musculoskeletal conditions using moire topography among workers at an automobile manufacturing plant. Therefore we propose the possibility of moire topography as diagnosing utilities of musculoskeletal disorders. Methods: This study was to examine the general characteristics, complaints of musculoskeletal symptoms, and work-related musculoskeletal disorder rates of cervicobrachial and lumbar area by survey among 435 workers at an automobile manufacturing plant and then to show each frequency and percentage, In the diagnosis using moire topography, we studied pain control necessity of cervicobrachial and lumbar area, 435 subjects were classified by 5 levels: A(no symptoms), B(need management), C(need treatment) and then more divided by B1(light symptoms)/B2(heavy symptoms), C1(light symptoms)/C2(heavy symptoms), And musculoskeletal areas were divided by 2 parts, cervicobrachial area(neck, shoulder, arm&elbow, and wrist&hand) and lumbar area, Then, frequency and percentage of each musculoskeletal areas(cervicobrachial and lumbar area) were appeared. At last, Pearson's chi-square test analysis was utilized to observe the relation between diagnosis using moire topography and general characteristics and the relation between diagnosis using moire topography and work-related complaint of musculoskeletal symptoms of cervicobrachial and lumbar area, Results: The subjects employed for this research were categorized into; by gender, all of them were males(l00%): by age, under 35 years 12 %, 36-40 years 56.3%, 41-45 years 26.3 %, and above 46 years 5.3% with 36-40 years accounting for most of it. By living location, owned houses represented 69.7%, rented houses 23.4%, monthly-rented 1.6%, the others 5.3%; by education, middle school and lower represented 3.0%, high school 89.4%, and junior college and higher 7.6% with high school occupying most of the group. By marital status, married represented 95.2%, unmarried 4.1%, and the others 0.7% with most of them married; by alcohol, drinking represented 81.8% and non-drinking 18.2%; by smoking status, smoking represented 53.6%, non-smoking 46.4% with no big difference between them. By working time(hours/week), below 50 represented 26.9%, 50-60 67.6%, above 60 5.5%; by working time(hours/day), below 9 represented 21.6%, 10-12 73.1%, above 13 5.3%; by job tenure(years), below 10 represented 25.1%, 11-15 54.3%, 16-20 15.2%, above 21 5.5%. By personal income per year, below 30 million won represented 11.0%, 30-40 84.8%, above 40 4.1%; by sleeping hours, below 6 hours represented 26.7%, 7-8 hours 69.9%, above 9 hours 3.4%. Complaint rates of musculoskeletal symptoms and work-related musculoskeletal disorder rates were 63.9% and 54.9% with shoulder area occupying most of both them. By pain degree of musculoskeletal symptoms, shoulder area represented $2.73{\pm}0.84$, lumbar area $2.66{\pm}0.86$, wrist and hand area $2.59{\pm}0.86$, neck area $2.55{\pm}0.74$, and arm and elbow area $2.48{\pm}0.71$. By cares about musculoskeletal symptoms, taking medication or care represented 34.4%-46.7%, absence or leave 15.4%-28.7%, and job transfer 6.3%-11.5%. So experienced cases more than one thing among cares about musculoskeletal symptoms represented 39.6%-54%. In the diagnosis using moire topography, pain control necessity of cervicobrachial area was shown below; A(no symptoms) 20.7%, B1(need management/light symptoms) 64.6%, B2(need management/heavy symptoms) 11.5%, C1(need treatment/light symptoms) 3.0%, C2(need treatment/heavy symptoms) 0.2%. By lumbar area, A(no symptoms) 8.7%, B1(need management/light symptoms) 52.2%, B2(need management/heavy symptoms) 30.3%, C1(need treatment/light symptoms) 8.7%, C2(need treatment/heavy symptoms) was none. In the relation between pain control necessity and general characteristics, age(P=0.013), education(P=0.000), and job tenure(P=0.012) with pain control necessity showed differences with significance. The relation between pain control necessity and complaint of musculoskeletal symptoms of cervicobrachial and lumbar area showed no difference with significance; in cervicobrachial area represented P=0.708, lumbar area P=0.318 Conclusions: This study for musculoskeletal symptoms on workers at automobile manufacturing plant showed that complaint rates of musculoskeletal symptoms for cervicobrachial and lumbar area were so high, 63.9%. But Pearson's chi-square test analysis was utilized to study the relation between musculoskeletal symptoms and the diagnosis using moire topography, showed no differences with significance. They have no differences with significance, but the prevalence rates of diagnosis using moire topography for cervicobrachial and lumbar area were more higher than complaint rates of musculoskeletal symptoms; complaint rates of musculoskeletal symptoms were 52.4%, 34.5% and the diagnosis using moire topography were 79.3%, 91.3% for cervicobrachial and lumbar area. The results of this study indicate that the diagnosis using moire topography can find weak musculoskeletal disorders that an individual can not feel, not be judged work-related musculoskeletal disease. Therefore, this study has an important meaning that diagnosis using moire topography can predict and control own physical condition complete musculoskeletal disorders beforehand, since oriental medicine theory considers that prevention is important.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.25-52
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• 2018

This study performs social network analysis based on consumer sentiment related to a location in Seoul using data reflecting consumers' web search activities and emotional evaluations associated with commerce. The study focuses on large commercial districts in Seoul. In addition, to consider their various aspects, social network indexes were combined with the trading area's public data to verify factors affecting the area's sales. According to R square's change, We can see that the model has a little high R square value even though it includes only the district's public data represented by static data. However, the present study confirmed that the R square of the model combined with the network index derived from the social network analysis was even improved much more. A regression analysis of the trading area's public data showed that the five factors of 'number of market district,' 'residential area per person,' 'satisfaction of residential environment,' 'rate of change of trade,' and 'survival rate over 3 years' among twenty two variables. The study confirmed a significant influence on the sales of the trading area. According to the results, 'residential area per person' has the highest standardized beta value. Therefore, 'residential area per person' has the strongest influence on commercial sales. In addition, 'residential area per person,' 'number of market district,' and 'survival rate over 3 years' were found to have positive effects on the sales of all trading area. Thus, as the number of market districts in the trading area increases, residential area per person increases, and as the survival rate over 3 years of each store in the trading area increases, sales increase. On the other hand, 'satisfaction of residential environment' and 'rate of change of trade' were found to have a negative effect on sales. In the case of 'satisfaction of residential environment,' sales increase when the satisfaction level is low. Therefore, as consumer dissatisfaction with the residential environment increases, sales increase. The 'rate of change of trade' shows that sales increase with the decreasing acceleration of transaction frequency. According to the social network analysis, of the 25 regional trading areas in Seoul, Yangcheon-gu has the highest degree of connection. In other words, it has common sentiments with many other trading areas. On the other hand, Nowon-gu and Jungrang-gu have the lowest degree of connection. In other words, they have relatively distinct sentiments from other trading areas. The social network indexes used in the combination model are 'density of ego network,' 'degree centrality,' 'closeness centrality,' 'betweenness centrality,' and 'eigenvector centrality.' The combined model analysis confirmed that the degree centrality and eigenvector centrality of the social network index have a significant influence on sales and the highest influence in the model. 'Degree centrality' has a negative effect on the sales of the districts. This implies that sales decrease when holding various sentiments of other trading area, which conflicts with general social myths. However, this result can be interpreted to mean that if a trading area has low 'degree centrality,' it delivers unique and special sentiments to consumers. The findings of this study can also be interpreted to mean that sales can be increased if the trading area increases consumer recognition by forming a unique sentiment and city atmosphere that distinguish it from other trading areas. On the other hand, 'eigenvector centrality' has the greatest effect on sales in the combined model. In addition, the results confirmed a positive effect on sales. This finding shows that sales increase when a trading area is connected to others with stronger centrality than when it has common sentiments with others. This study can be used as an empirical basis for establishing and implementing a city and trading area strategy plan considering consumers' desired sentiments. In addition, we expect to provide entrepreneurs and potential entrepreneurs entering the trading area with sentiments possessed by those in the trading area and directions into the trading area considering the district-sentiment structure.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.31-39
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• 2004

Purpose: Although acute nonspecific mesenteric lymphadenitis (ANML) is probably common cause of abdominal pain in children, which can be severe enough to be an abdominal emergency, the clinical features of mesenteric lymphadenitis are not clear. Also, a differential diagnosis with acute appendicitis (APPE) is indispensable to avoid serious complications. The clinical features of ANML were determined, and the risk factors for differential diagnosis with APPE were analyzed. Methods: Between November 2000 and May 2001, data from 26 patients (aged 1 to 11 years) with ANML and 21 patients (aged 2 to 13 years) with APPE were reviewed. ANML was defined as a cluster of five or more lymph nodes measuring 10 mm or greater in their longitudinal diameter in the right lower quadrant (RLQ) without an identifiable specific inflammatory process on the ultrasonographic examination. There were risk factors on patient's history, physical examination, and laboratory examination; the location of abdominal pain, abdominal rigidity, rebound tenderness, fever, nocturnal pain, the vomiting intensity, the diarrhea intensity, the symptom duration, and the peripheral blood leukocytes count. Results: Of the 26 ANML patients and 21 APPE patients, abdominal pain was noted on periumbilical (76.9% vs 14.2%), on RLQ (11.5% vs 71.4%), with abdomen rigidity (7.6% vs 80.9%), with rebound tenderness (0.0% vs 76.1%)(p<0.05), in the lower abdomen (11.5% vs 14.2%), and at night (80.8% vs 100.0%) (p>0.05). The clinical symptoms were vomiting (38.4% vs 90.4%), the vomiting intensity ($1.5{\pm}0.7$ [1~3]/day vs $4.5{\pm}2.9$ [1~10]/day), diarrhea (65.3% vs 28.5%) (p<0.05), and fever (61.5% vs 76.2%)(p>0.05). The period to the subsidence of abdominal pain in the ANMA patients was $2.5{\pm}0.5$ (2~3) days. The laboratory data showed a significant difference in the peripheral blood leukocytes count ($8,403{\pm}1,737[5,900{\sim}12,300]/mm^3\;vs\;15,471{\pm}3,749[5,400{\sim}20,800]/mm^3$)(p<0.05). Discriminant analysis between ANML and APPE showed that the independent discriminant factors were a vomiting intensity and the peripheral blood leukocytes count and the discriminant power was 95.7%. Conclusion: The clinical characteristics of ANML were abrupt onset of periumbilical pain without rigidity or rebound tenderness, a mild vomiting intensity, normal peripheral leukocytes count, and relatively short clinical course. If the abdominal pain persist for more than 3 days, and/or the vomiting intensity is more than 3 times/day, and/or the peripheral leukocytes count is over $13,500/mm^3$, abdominal ultrasonography is recommended to rule out APPE.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.22-31
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• 2005

Purpose : To conduct a nationwide survey on the principals in radiotherapy for rectal cancer, and produce a database of Korean Patterns of Care Study. Materials and Methods : We developed web-based Patterns of Care Study system and a national survey was conducted using random sampling based on power allocation methods. Eligible patients were who had postoperative radiotherapy for rectal cancer without gross residual tumor after surgical resection and without previous history of other cancer and radiotherapy to pelvis. Data of patients were Inputted to the web based PCS system by each investigators in 19 institutions. Results : Informations on 309 patients with rectal cancer who received radiotherapy between 1998 and 1999 were collected. Male to female ratio was 59 : 41, and the most common location of tumor was lower rectum ($46\%$). Preoperative CEA was checked in $79\%$ of cases and its value was higher than 6 ng/ml in $32\%$. Pathologic stage were I in $1.5\%$, II in $32\%$, III in $53\%$, and IV in $1.6\%$. Low anterior resection was the most common type of surgery and complete resection was peformed in $95\%$ of cases. Distal resection margin was less than 2 cm in $30\%$, and number of lymph node dissected was less than 12 in $31\%$. Chemotherapy was peformed in $91\%$ and most common regimen was 5-FU and leucovorine ($59\%$). The most common type of field arrangement used for the initial pelvic field was the four field box (Posterior-Right-Left) technique ($65.0\%$), and there was no AP-PA parallel opposing field used. Patient position was prone in $81.2\%$, and the boost field was used in $61.8\%$. To displace bowel outward, pressure modulating devices or bladder filling was used in $40.1\%$. Radiation dose was prescribed to isocenter in $45.3\%$ and to isodose line in 123 cases ($39.8\%$). Percent delivered dose over $90\%$ was achieved in $92.9\%$. Conclusion : We could find the Patterns of Care for the radiotherapy in Korean rectal cancer patients was similar to that of US national survey. The type of surgery and the regimen of chemotherapy were variable according to institutions and the variations of radiation dose and field arrangement were within acceptable range.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.63-86
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• 2010

Personalized services directly and indirectly acquire personal data, in part, to provide customers with higher-value services that are specifically context-relevant (such as place and time). Information technologies continue to mature and develop, providing greatly improved performance. Sensory networks and intelligent software can now obtain context data, and that is the cornerstone for providing personalized, context-specific services. Yet, the danger of overflowing personal information is increasing because the data retrieved by the sensors usually contains privacy information. Various technical characteristics of context-aware applications have more troubling implications for information privacy. In parallel with increasing use of context for service personalization, information privacy concerns have also increased such as an unrestricted availability of context information. Those privacy concerns are consistently regarded as a critical issue facing context-aware personalized service success. The entire field of information privacy is growing as an important area of research, with many new definitions and terminologies, because of a need for a better understanding of information privacy concepts. Especially, it requires that the factors of information privacy should be revised according to the characteristics of new technologies. However, previous information privacy factors of context-aware applications have at least two shortcomings. First, there has been little overview of the technology characteristics of context-aware computing. Existing studies have only focused on a small subset of the technical characteristics of context-aware computing. Therefore, there has not been a mutually exclusive set of factors that uniquely and completely describe information privacy on context-aware applications. Second, user survey has been widely used to identify factors of information privacy in most studies despite the limitation of users' knowledge and experiences about context-aware computing technology. To date, since context-aware services have not been widely deployed on a commercial scale yet, only very few people have prior experiences with context-aware personalized services. It is difficult to build users' knowledge about context-aware technology even by increasing their understanding in various ways: scenarios, pictures, flash animation, etc. Nevertheless, conducting a survey, assuming that the participants have sufficient experience or understanding about the technologies shown in the survey, may not be absolutely valid. Moreover, some surveys are based solely on simplifying and hence unrealistic assumptions (e.g., they only consider location information as a context data). A better understanding of information privacy concern in context-aware personalized services is highly needed. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to identify a generic set of factors for elemental information privacy concern in context-aware personalized services and to develop a rank-order list of information privacy concern factors. We consider overall technology characteristics to establish a mutually exclusive set of factors. A Delphi survey, a rigorous data collection method, was deployed to obtain a reliable opinion from the experts and to produce a rank-order list. It, therefore, lends itself well to obtaining a set of universal factors of information privacy concern and its priority. An international panel of researchers and practitioners who have the expertise in privacy and context-aware system fields were involved in our research. Delphi rounds formatting will faithfully follow the procedure for the Delphi study proposed by Okoli and Pawlowski. This will involve three general rounds: (1) brainstorming for important factors; (2) narrowing down the original list to the most important ones; and (3) ranking the list of important factors. For this round only, experts were treated as individuals, not panels. Adapted from Okoli and Pawlowski, we outlined the process of administrating the study. We performed three rounds. In the first and second rounds of the Delphi questionnaire, we gathered a set of exclusive factors for information privacy concern in context-aware personalized services. The respondents were asked to provide at least five main factors for the most appropriate understanding of the information privacy concern in the first round. To do so, some of the main factors found in the literature were presented to the participants. The second round of the questionnaire discussed the main factor provided in the first round, fleshed out with relevant sub-factors. Respondents were then requested to evaluate each sub factor's suitability against the corresponding main factors to determine the final sub-factors from the candidate factors. The sub-factors were found from the literature survey. Final factors selected by over 50% of experts. In the third round, a list of factors with corresponding questions was provided, and the respondents were requested to assess the importance of each main factor and its corresponding sub factors. Finally, we calculated the mean rank of each item to make a final result. While analyzing the data, we focused on group consensus rather than individual insistence. To do so, a concordance analysis, which measures the consistency of the experts' responses over successive rounds of the Delphi, was adopted during the survey process. As a result, experts reported that context data collection and high identifiable level of identical data are the most important factor in the main factors and sub factors, respectively. Additional important sub-factors included diverse types of context data collected, tracking and recording functionalities, and embedded and disappeared sensor devices. The average score of each factor is very useful for future context-aware personalized service development in the view of the information privacy. The final factors have the following differences comparing to those proposed in other studies. First, the concern factors differ from existing studies, which are based on privacy issues that may occur during the lifecycle of acquired user information. However, our study helped to clarify these sometimes vague issues by determining which privacy concern issues are viable based on specific technical characteristics in context-aware personalized services. Since a context-aware service differs in its technical characteristics compared to other services, we selected specific characteristics that had a higher potential to increase user's privacy concerns. Secondly, this study considered privacy issues in terms of service delivery and display that were almost overlooked in existing studies by introducing IPOS as the factor division. Lastly, in each factor, it correlated the level of importance with professionals' opinions as to what extent users have privacy concerns. The reason that it did not select the traditional method questionnaire at that time is that context-aware personalized service considered the absolute lack in understanding and experience of users with new technology. For understanding users' privacy concerns, professionals in the Delphi questionnaire process selected context data collection, tracking and recording, and sensory network as the most important factors among technological characteristics of context-aware personalized services. In the creation of a context-aware personalized services, this study demonstrates the importance and relevance of determining an optimal methodology, and which technologies and in what sequence are needed, to acquire what types of users' context information. Most studies focus on which services and systems should be provided and developed by utilizing context information on the supposition, along with the development of context-aware technology. However, the results in this study show that, in terms of users' privacy, it is necessary to pay greater attention to the activities that acquire context information. To inspect the results in the evaluation of sub factor, additional studies would be necessary for approaches on reducing users' privacy concerns toward technological characteristics such as highly identifiable level of identical data, diverse types of context data collected, tracking and recording functionality, embedded and disappearing sensor devices. The factor ranked the next highest level of importance after input is a context-aware service delivery that is related to output. The results show that delivery and display showing services to users in a context-aware personalized services toward the anywhere-anytime-any device concept have been regarded as even more important than in previous computing environment. Considering the concern factors to develop context aware personalized services will help to increase service success rate and hopefully user acceptance for those services. Our future work will be to adopt these factors for qualifying context aware service development projects such as u-city development projects in terms of service quality and hence user acceptance.