• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.173-182
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• 2020

Human Astrovirus (HuAstV), known as a waterborne virus, is a group IV positive-sense single-stranded RNA that belongs to Astroviridae. The first outbreak of HuAstV was reported in England in 1975. HuAstV can exist not only among clinical patients but also in various water environments, such as water for agriculture and vegetables. For diagnosis of HuAstV from water samples, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system has been developed. However, the PCR-based diagnostic method has problems in field application, such as reaction time, sensitivity and specificity. For this reason, in this study we developed the loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay (LAMP) system, aimed specifically at HuAstV. Three prepared LAMP primer sets were tested by specificity, non-specificity and sensitivity; one LAMP primer set was selected with optimum reaction temperature. The developed LAMP primer set reaction conditions were confirmed at 62℃, and detection sensitivity was 1 fg/μL. In addition, restriction enzyme HaeIII (GG/CC) was introduced to confirm that the LAMP reaction was positive. As a result, selected LAMP primer set was 100 - 1000 times more specific, rapid, and sensitive than conventional-nested PCR methods. For verification of the developed LAMP assay, twenty samples of cDNA from groundwater samples were tested. We expect that the developed LAMP assay will be used to diagnose HuAstV from various samples.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.42 no.sup1
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• pp.140-148
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• 2008

$^{18}F-FDG$ PET showed a high sensitivity and specificity in the initial staging of malignant melanoma, and it also predicted the prognosis correctly. In addition, it had a higher sensitivity and specificity in the detection of recurrence and restaging than conventional imaging modalities. Meanwhile, there's less clinical evidence to support the use of $^{18}F-FDG$ PET in the response evaluation for chemotherapy and the diagnosis/differential diagnosis of malignant melanoma.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.4671-4675
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• 2016

Background and aim: Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, with an overall 5-year survival of <5% mainly due to presence of advanced disease at time of diagnosis. Therefore development of valid biomarkers to diagnose pancreatic cancer in early stages is an urgent need. This study concerned the sensitivity and specificity of serum ICAM 1 versus CA 19-9 in differentiation between pancreatic cancer and healthy subjects and acohort of patients with chronic pancreatitis with a focus on assessing validity in diagnosis of early stages of pancreatic cancer. Methods: A cohort of 50 patients with histologically diagnosed pancreatic tumors, 27 patients with chronic pancreatitis, and 35 healthy controls were enrolled. Serum samples for measurement of CA19-9 and I-CAM 1 were obtained from all groups and analyzed for significance regarding diagnosis and disease stage. Results: At a cut off value of (878.5 u/ml) I-CAM 1 had 82% and 82.26% sensitivity and specificity for differentiation between cancer and non-cancer cases, with higher sensitivity and specificity than CA19-9 at different cut offs (CA19-9 sensitivity and specificity ranged from 64-80% and 56.4 - 61.2% respectively). The AUC was 0.851 for I-CAM and 0.754 for CA19-9. Neither of the markers demonstrated significance for distinguishing between early and late cancer stages. Conclusion: ICAM 1 is a useful marker in differentiation between malignant and benign pancreatic conditions, and superior to CA19-9 in this regard. However, neither of the markers can be recommended for use in differentiation between early and late stage pancreatic cancers.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.616-622
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• 2012

Objectives : The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between earlobe crease(ELC) and Hypertension(HTN) in the auricular point diagnosis. Methods : 140 patients who were admitted the Jeongeup City Geriatric Hospital were examined for the presence or absence of ELC and HTN. The one examined the ELC of patients and the other examined the presence of hypertension. The presence of right ELC, left ELC, right or left ELC, and right and left ELC were respectively compared with the presence of HTN. Chi-square test was used to analyze the correlation between ELC and HTN. Results : The presence of right ELC was significantly related to presence of HTN(p=0.001). The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictability of ELC for diagnosis of HTN were 0.755, 0.524, 0.787, and 0.478. The presence of left ELC was significantly related to presence of HTN(p=0.002). The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictability of ELC for diagnosis of HTN were 0.745, 0.524, 0.785, and 0.468. The presence of right or left ELC was significantly related to presence of HTN(p<0.001). The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictability of ELC for diagnosis of HTN were 0.806, 0.500, 0.790, and 0.525. The presence of right and left ELCs was significantly related to presence of HTN (p=0.007). The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictability of ELC for diagnosis of HTN were 0.694, 0.548, 0.782, and 0.434. Conclusions : These results show that the presence of ELC is significantly associated with hypertension.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.115-119
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• 2014

Purpose: The aim of this in vitro study was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and digital periapical radiography in the detection of mesial root perforations of mandibular molars. Materials and Methods: In this in vitro study, 48 mandibular molars were divided into 4 groups. First, the mesial canals of all the 48 teeth were endodontically prepared. In 2 groups (24 teeth each), the roots were axially perforated in the mesiolingual canal 1-3 mm below the furcation region, penetrating the root surface ("root perforation"). Then, in one of these 2 groups, the mesial canals were filled with gutta-percha and AH26 sealer. Mesial canals in one of the other 2 groups without perforation (control groups) were filled with the same materials. The CBCT and periapical radiographs with 3 different angulations were evaluated by 2 oral and maxillofacial radiologists. The specificity and sensitivity of the two methods were calculated, and P<0.05 was considered significant. Results: The sensitivity and specificity of CBCT scans in the detection of obturated root canal perforations were 79% and 96%, respectively, and in the case of three-angled periapical radiographs, they were 92% and 100%, respectively. In non-obturated root canals, the sensitivity and specificity of CBCT scans in perforation detection were 92% and 100%, respectively, and for three-angled periapical radiographs, they were 50% and 96%, respectively. Conclusion: For perforation detection in filled-root canals, periapical radiography with three different horizontal angulations would be trustworthy, but it is recommended that CBCT be used for perforation detection before obturating root canals.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.246-252
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• 2011

Background : The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of the Comprehensive Attention Test (CAT) by comparing the results of the continuous performance test (CPT) and the CAT in children and adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Method : A total of 110 children and adolescents with ADHD (mean age : 11.2${\pm}$2.9 years, 76 boys) and 36 children and adolescents without ADHD (mean age : 12.0${\pm}$2.7 years, 25 boys) completed the CAT. We compared the specificity and sensitivity of the CPT and CAT at two different cut-off points via the McNemar test. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) between the two groups were compared using Medcalc software. Results : The sensitivity and specificity of the CPT were .419 and .806, respectively. The sensitivity of the CAT was .827, which was significantly higher than that of the CPT (p<.001), and the specificity of CAT is .444, which was significantly lower than that of CPT (p<.001). The AUC of the CPT and CAT was .664 and .692, respectively, and there were no significant difference between the two groups on the paired comparison (p=.513). Conclusions : The results of this study suggest that the CAT has moderate specificity and high sensitivity. The CAT can be used as a useful tool to evaluate the neuropsychological function of children and adolescents with ADHD.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.93-98
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• 2013

A field applicable diagnostic technique, the dipstick assay, was evaluated for its sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing human Schistosoma mansoni infection. A monoclonal antibody (mAb) against S. mansoni adult worm tegumental antigen (AWTA) was employed in dipstick and sandwich ELISA for detection of circulating schistosome antigen (CSA) in both serum and urine samples. Based on clinical and parasitological examinations, 60 S. mansoni-infected patients, 30 patients infected with parasites other than schistosomiasis, and 30 uninfected healthy individuals were selected. The sensitivity and specificity of dipstick assay in urine samples were 86.7% and 90.0%, respectively, compared to 90.0% sensitivity and 91.7% specificity of sandwich ELISA. In serum samples, the sensitivity and specificity were 88.3% and 91.7% for dipstick assay vs. 91.7% and 95.0% for sandwich ELISA, respectively. The diagnostic efficacy of dipstick assay in urine and serum samples was 88.3% and 90.0%, while it was 90.8% and 93.3% for sandwich ELISA, respectively. The diagnostic indices of dipstick assay and ELISA either in serum or in urine were statistically comparable (P>0.05). In conclusion, the dipstick assay offers an alternative simple, rapid, non-invasive technique in detecting CSA or complement to stool examinations especially in field studies.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.52-57
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• 2000

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy between the FNAC and intraopevative frozen biopsy based upon the Final histologic diagnosis. Method: Authors studied 232 cases of thyroid nodule operated at Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Chosun University, from January 1992 to December 1998. The medical records of these patients were studied retrospectively. The cytology of FNAC and the frozen section was compared to the final histologic diagnosis. 232 cases were analysed in regard to correlation of FNAC diagnosis and Intraoperative frozen section with final pathology, preoperative thyroid scan, thyroid function test, ultrasonography, final histopathology of the specimens, and surgical operation methods. 174 cases who underwent FNAC for diagnosis before operation, and Intraoperative frozen-section biopsy were classified according to whether the clinical diagnosis was benign, suspicious or malignant and evaluated the specificity sensitivity and accuracy. Result: Comparing with final histopathology, FNAC as a diagnostic test for thyroid nodules demonstrated an accuracy of 81.3%, a sensitivity of 87.5%, a specificity 86.5% with a false positivity of 2.9%, false negativity of 4.3%, respectively. and Intra-operative frozen section demonstrated an accuracy of 86.8%, a sensitivity of 87.5%, a specificity 92.1%. In the benign lesion, there was no difference in accuracy between FNAC(95.6%) and frozen section(95.1%) but, in the suspicious malignant lesion, frozen section(46.2%) was superior to FNAC(32.0%), and in the malignant disease, FNAC(97.1%) was superior to frozen section(92.3%). Conclusion: Intraoperative frozen section biopsy is useful in patients undergoing surgery for a thyroid nodule with a 'suspicious' malignant lesion and could reduce inadequate extensive excision without missing malignancy and second operation and help to determine the resection margin. It adds no information in patients with a diagnosis of malignancy following FNAC assessment and is of limited use in those in whom a benign lesion is diagnosed.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.40-45
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• 2011

Hemoglobin and zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) tests are commonly used to screen for iron deficiency, but little research has been done to systematically evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of these two tests. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of zinc protoporphyrin/heme (ZPP/H) ratio as a point-of-service screening test for iron deficiency among preschool-aged children by comparing the sensitivity and specificity of hemoglobin, ZPP/H ratio, and serum ferritin (SF). Also completed were assessments for the prevalence of anemia, iron deficiency (ID), and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) with indicators of ferritin models. This study was carried out with 95 children ages 3 to 6 y. Anthropometric measurements were assessed and blood samples were analyzed for hemoglobin, SF, transferrin saturation (TS), and ZPP. Anemia was common and the prevalences of anemia, ID, and IDA were 14.7%, 12.6%, and 5.2%, respectively. The ZPP/H ratio was strongly and significantly correlated with hemoglobin. And ZPP/H ratio was a more sensitive test for ID than hemoglobin or SF measurement, correctly identifying more than twice as many iron-deficient children (sensitivity of 91.7%, compared to 41.7% for hemoglobin and SF). However, ZPP/H ratio had lower specificity (60.2%, compared to 89.1% for hemoglobin or 96.4% for SF) and resulted in the false identification of more subjects who actually were not iron deficient than did hemoglobin or SF. Low hemoglobin concentration is a late-stage indicator of ID, but ZPP/H ratio can detect ID at early stages and can be performed easily at a relatively low cost. Therefore, ZPP/H ratio can serve as a potential screening test for pre-anemic iron deficiency in community pediatric practices.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.37-46
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• 2015

Purpose: This report compared the diagnostic effectiveness between ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) and gadolinium (Gd) based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for differentiation of axillary status in breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods: The present authors performed a meta-analysis of previous studies that compared USPIO or Gd based MRI with histological diagnosis after surgery or biopsy. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, Ovid databases and references of articles to identify studies reporting data until December 2013. Pooled sensitivity and specificity were calculated for every study; summary receiver operating characteristic and subgroup analysis was done. Analyses of study quality and heterogeneity were also assessed. Results: There were 14 publications that met the criteria for inclusion in our meta-analysis. USPIO based MRI showed 0.83 (95% CI: 0.75-0.89) and 0.97 (95% CI: 0.94-0.98) for pooled sensitivity and specificity, respectively. Gd based MRI represented pooled sensitivity and specificity of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.55-0.67) and 0.90 (95% CI: 0.87-0.92) for each. Overall weighted area under the curve for USPIO and Gd based MRI were 0.9563 and 0.9051, respectively. Conclusion: USPIO based MRI had a tendency toward high pooled sensitivity and specificity in detection of axillary metastases for breast cancer. This result may mean that USPIO based MRI could be used as complementary modality to differentiate axillary status more precisely, and assist in the decision-making process regarding possible invasive procedures, such as sentinel node biopsy.