• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.84 no.1
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• pp.185-196
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• 2023

Purpose This study aimed to investigate radiomics analysis of ultrasonographic images to develop a potential biomarker for predicting lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients. Materials and Methods This study included 431 PTC patients from August 2013 to May 2014 and classified them into the training and validation sets. A total of 730 radiomics features, including texture matrices of gray-level co-occurrence matrix and gray-level run-length matrix and single-level discrete two-dimensional wavelet transform and other functions, were obtained. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator method was used for selecting the most predictive features in the training data set. Results Lymph node metastasis was associated with the radiomics score (p < 0.001). It was also associated with other clinical variables such as young age (p = 0.007) and large tumor size (p = 0.007). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.687 (95% confidence interval: 0.616-0.759) for the training set and 0.650 (95% confidence interval: 0.575-0.726) for the validation set. Conclusion This study showed the potential of ultrasonography-based radiomics to predict cervical lymph node metastasis in patients with PTC; thus, ultrasonography-based radiomics can act as a biomarker for PTC.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.161-170
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• 2018

The epidemic of disorders associated with synthetic stimulants, such as methamphetamine (MA) and amphetamine (AP), is a health, social, legal, and financial problem. Owing to the high potential of their abuse and addiction, reliable analytical methods are required to detect and identify MA, AP, and their metabolites in biological samples. Thus, a dilute-and-shoot liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrophotometry (LC-MS/MS) was developed for simultaneous determination of MA, 4-hydroxymethamphetamine (4HMA), AP, and 4-hydroxyamphetamine (4HA) in urine. Urine sample ($100{\mu}L$) was mixed with $50{\mu}L$ of mobile phase consisting of 0.4 % formic acid and methanol and $50{\mu}L$ of working internal-standard solution. Aliquots of $8{\mu}L$ diluted urine was injected into the LC-MS/MS system. For all analytes, chromatographic separation was performed using a C18 reversed-phase column with gradient elution and a total run time of 5 min. The identification and quantification were performed by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). Linear least-squares regression was conducted to generate a calibration curve, with $1/x^2$ as the weighting factor. The linear ranges were 2.0-200, 1.0-800, and 10-2500 ng/mL for 4HA and 4HMA, AP, and MA, respectively. The inter- and intraday precisions were within 6.6 %, whereas the inter- and intraday accuracies ranged from -14.9 to 11.3 %. The low limits of quantification were 2.0 ng/mL (4HA and 4HMA), 1.0 ng/mL (AP), and 10 ng/mL (MA). The proposed method exhibited satisfactory selectivity, dilution integrity, matrix effect, and stability, which are required for validation. Moreover, the purification efficiency of high-speed centrifugation was clearly higher than 6-15 % for QC samples (n=5), which was higher than that of the membrane-filtration method. The applicability of the proposed method was tested by forensic analysis of urine samples from drug abusers.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.109-121
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• 1995

The hydrothermal vein type deposits which comprise the Kasihan, Jompong and Gempol mineralized areas are primarily copper and zinc deposits, but they are also associated with lead and/or gold mineralization. The deposits occur within the Tertiary sedimentary and volcanic rocks in the Southern Mountain zone of the eastern Java island, Indonesia. Mineralization can be separated into two or three distinct stages (pre-and/or post- ore mineralization stages and main ore mineralization stage) which took place mainly along pre-existing fault breccia zones. The main phase of mineralization (the main ore stage) can be usually classified into three substages (early, middle and late) according to ore mineral assemblages, paragenesis, textures and their chemical compositions. Ore mineralogy and paragenesis of the three areas in the district are different from each other. Pyrite, pyrrhotite (/arsenopyrite), iron-rich (up to 20.5 mole % FeS) sphalerite and (Cu-)Pb-Bi sulfosalts are characteristic of the deposits in the Kasihan (/Jompong) area. On the other hand, pyrite + hematite + magnetite + iron-poor (2.7 to 3.6 mole % FeS) sphalerite assemblage is restricted to the Gempol area. Fluid inclusion data suggest that fluids of the main ore stage evolved from initial high temperatures (near $350^{\circ}C$) to later lower temperatures (near $200^{\circ}C$) with salinities ranging from 0.8 to 10.1 equiv. wt. percent NaCl. Each area represents a separate hydrothermal system: the mineralization at Kasihan and Jompong were largely due to early fluid boiling coupled with later cooling and dilution, whereas the mineralization at Gempol was mainly resulted from cooling and dilution by an influx of cooler meteoric waters. Fluid inclusion evidence of boiling indicates that pressures of ${\geq}95$ to 255 bars (${\geq}95$ bars for the Gempol area: $\approx$ 120 to 170 bars for the Jompong area: $\approx$ 140 to 255 bars for the Kasihan area) during portions of main ore stage mineralization. Equilibrium thermodynamic interpretation indicates that the evolution trends of the temperature versus fS2 variation of ore stage fluids in the Pacitan district follow two fashions: ore fluids at Kasihan and Jompong changed from the pyrite-pyrrhotite sulfidation stage towards pyritehematite- magnetite state, whereas those at Gempol evolved nearly along pyrite-hematite-magnetite reaction curve with decreasing temperature. The sulfur isotope compositions of sulfide minerals are consistent with an igneous source of sulfur with a ${\delta}^{34}S_{{\Sigma}s}$ value of about 3.3 per mil. The oxygen and hydrogen isotopic compositions of the fluids in each area indicate a progressive shift from the dominance of highly exchanged meteoric water at early hydrothermal systems towards an un- or less-exchanged meteoric water at later hydrothermal systems.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.3773-3777
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• 2015

Background: This study aimed to establish a nomogram by combining clinicopathologic factors with overall survival of stage IA-IIB cervical cancer patients after complete resection with pelvic lymphadenectomy. Materials and Methods: This nomogram was based on a retrospective study on 1,563 stage IA-IIB cervical cancer patients who underwent complete resection and lymphadenectomy from 2002 to 2008. The nomogram was constructed based on multivariate analysis using Cox proportional hazard regression. The accuracy and discriminative ability of the nomogram were measured by concordance index (C-index) and calibration curve. Results: Multivariate analysis identified lymph node metastasis (LNM), lymph-vascular space invasion (LVSI), stromal invasion, parametrial invasion, tumor diameter and histology as independent prognostic factors associated with cervical cancer survival. These factors were selected for construction of the nomogram. The C-index of the nomogram was 0.71 (95% CI, 0.65 to 0.77), and calibration of the nomogram showed good agreement between the 5-year predicted survival and the actual observation. Conclusions: We developed a nomogram predicting 5-year overall survival of surgically treated stage IA-IIB cervical cancer patients. More comprehensive information that is provided by this nomogram could provide further insight into personalized therapy selection.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.1281-1287
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• 2015

Background: Early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma using serological markers with better sensitivity and specificity than alpha fetoprotein (AFP) is needed. Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of serum sICAM-1, ${\beta}$-catenin, IL-8, proteasome and sTNFR-II in early detection of HCC. Materials and Methods: Serum levels of IL-8, sICAM-1, sTNFR-II, proteasome and ${\beta}$-catenin were measured by ELISA assay in 479 serum samples from 192 patients with HCC, 96 patients with liver cirrhosis (LC), 96 patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and 95 healthy controls. Results: Serum levels of proteasome, sICAM-1, ${\beta}$-catenin and ${\alpha}FP$ were significantly elevated in HCC group compared to other groups (P-value<0.001), where serum level of IL-8 was significantly elevated in the LC and HCC groups compared to CHC and control groups (P-value <0.001), while no significant difference was noticed in patients with HCC and LC (P-value=0.09). Serum level of sTNFR-II was significantly elevated in patients with LC compared to HCC, CHC and control groups (P-value <0.001); also it was significantly higher in HCC compared to CHC and control groups (P-value <0.001). ROC curve analysis of the studied markers between HCC and other groups revealed that the serum level of proteasome had sensitivity of 75.9% and specificity of 73.4% at a cut-off value of $0.32{\mu}g/ml$ with AUC 0.803 sICAM-1 at cut off value of 778ng/ml, the sensitivity was 75.8% and the specificity was 71.8% with AUC 0.776. ${\beta}$-catenin had sensitivity and specificity of 70% and 68.6% respectively at a cut off value of 8.75ng/ml with an AUC of 0.729. sTNFR-II showed sensitivity of 86.3% and specificity of 51.8% at a cut off value of 6239.5pg/ml with an AUC of 0.722. IL-8 had sensitivity of 70.4% and specificity of 52.3% at a cut off value of 51.5pg/ml with AUC 0.631. Conclusions: Our data supported the role of proteasome, sICAM-1, sTNFR-II and ${\beta}$-catenin in early detection of HCC. Also, using this panel of serological markers in combination with ${\alpha}FP$ may offer improved diagnostic performance over ${\alpha}FP$ alone in the early detection of HCC.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.979-984
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• 2006

Although iron is essential for many physiological processes, excess iron can lead to tissue damage by promoting the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). There is increasing evidence that ROS might play an important role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. However, the effects of iron excess on platelet function and the thrombotic response to vascular injury are not well understood. We examined the effects of iron excess-induced oxidative stress and the antioxidants on platelet aggregation. Oxidative stress was accessed by either free iron $(Fe^{+2})$ or hydrogen peroxide $(H_2O_2)$, as well as their combination on washed rabbit platelets (WPs) in vitro. When WPs were stimulated with either $Fe^{+2}$ alone or a subthreshold concentration of collagen, which gave an aggregatory curve with a little effect, and a dose dependent increase in platelet aggregation was observed by increasing concentrations of $Fe^{+2}$ with $H_2O_2$. This aggregation was associated with the iron-catalyzed formation of hydroxyl radicals from $H_2O_2$, and were inhibited by NAD/NADP (proton acceptor), catalase $(H_2O_2\;scavenger)$, tiron (iron chelator), mannitol (hydroxyl radical scavenger), and indomethacin (cyclooxygenase inhibitor), but not by NADH/NADPH (proton donor), superoxide mutase, and aspirin. However, NADH/NADPH, an essential cofactor for the antioxidant capacity by the supply of reducing potentials, showed the effect of an enhanced radical formation, suggesting a role for NADH/NADPH-dependent oxidase. These results suggest that iron $(Fe^{+2})$ can directly interact with washed rabbit platelets and this aggregation be mediated by OH formation as in the Fenton reaction, inhibited by radical scavengers.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.278-291
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• 2001

Mesothermal gold vein minerals of the Seolhwa mine were deposited in a single stage of massive quartz veins which filled the mainly NE-trending fault shear zones exclusively in the granitoid of the Gyeonggi Massif. The Seolhwa mesothermal gold mineralization is spatially associated with the Jurassic granitoid of 161 Ma. The vein quartz contains three main types of fluid inclusions at 25$^{\circ}$C: 1) low-salinity (< 5 wt.% NaCl), liquid CO$_{2}$-bearing, type IV inclusion; 2) gas-rich (> 70 vol.%), aqueous type II inclusions; 3) aqueous type I inclusions (0${\sim}$15 wt.% NaCl) containing small amounts of CO$_{2}$. The H$_{2}$O-CO$_{2}-CH$_{4}$-N$_{2}$-NaCl inclusions represent immiscible fluids trapped earlier along the solvurs curve at temperatures from 430$^{\circ}$ to 250$^{\circ}$C and pressures of 1 kbars. Detailed fluid inclusion chronologies may suggest a progressive decrease in pressure during the auriferous mineralization. The aqueous inclusion fluids represent either later fluids evelved through extensive fluid unmixing (CO$_{2}-CH$_{4}$ effervescence) from a homogeneous H$_{2}$O-CO$_{2}-CH$_{4}$-N$_{2}$-NaCl fluid due to decreases in temperature and pressure, or the influence of deep circulated meteoric waters possibly related to uplift and unloading of the mineralizing suites. The initial fluids were homogeneous containing H$_{2}$O-CO$_{2}-CH$_{4}$-N$_{2}$-NaCl components and the following properties: the initital temperature of >250$^{\circ}$ to 430$^{\circ}$C, X$_{CO}\;_{2}$ of 0.16 to 0.62, 5 to 14 mole% CH$_{4}$, 0.06 to 0.3 mole% N$_{2}$ and salinities of 0.4 to 4.9 wt.% NaCl. The T-X data for the Seolhwa gold mine may suggest that the Seolhwa auriferous hydrothermal system has been probably originated from adjacent granitic melt which facilitated the CH$_{4}$ formation and resulted in a reduced fluid state evidenced by the predominance of pyrrhotite. The dominance of negative ${\delta}\;^{34}$S values of sulfides (-0.6 to 1.4$%_o$o) are consistent with their deep igneous source.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.233-245
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• 2014

Nighttime correction of $CO_2$ flux is one of the most important and challenging tasks in eddy covariance measurements over a complex mountainous terrain. In this study, we have scrutinized the quality and the credibility of the $CO_2$ flux datasets which were produced by employing three different methods of nighttime correction, i.e., (1) friction velocity ($u^*$) correction, (2) light response curve (LRC) correction, and (3) advection-based van Gorsel (VG) correction. The whole year datasets used in our analysis were collected at the two KoFlux tower sites (i.e., GDK deciduous forest site at the upper hill and GCK coniferous forest site at the lower hill) located in the valley of Gwangneung National Arboretum in central Korea. The resultant magnitudes and patterns of ecosystem respiration ($R_E$), gross primary productivity (GPP), and net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of $CO_2$ showed marked differences among the datasets produced with three different correction methods, which were also site-specific. The examination from micrometeorological and ecological perspectives suggests that the major cause of some inconsistency seems to be associated with the advection of $CO_2$ along the sloping terrain and the inappropriate selection of the correction data that might have been already affected by advective flows. The comparison with the results from other studies indicated that the overall characteristics of the corrected $CO_2$ fluxes at GDK and GCK (except those with LRC correction) were well within the ranges reported in the literature for various ecosystems in East Asia in similar latitudes. However, our study also implies that there will be always a room for further improvement in the present datasets. Therefore, caution must be exercised for the data users in order to properly use the updated version of datasets through transparent, open and participatory communication with data producers.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.40-46
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• 2009

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to identify useful predictors for diagnosing bacterial meningitis and performing CSF studies in febrile infants three months or younger. Methods : Six hundred and fifty two febrile infants with a rectal temperature ${\geq}38.0^{\circ}C$ presented from January 2003 to April 2008 and were retrospectively studied. The total white blood cell count (WBC), band count, absolute neutrophil count (ANC), quantitative C-reactive protein (CRP) and blood cultures were performed on admission. The clinical variables associated with bacterial meningitis were analyzed. Results : In patients with bacterial meningitis, the clinical variables including CRP (P=0.036), band count (P=0.037), ANC (P=0.036) and age (P=0.001) were significantly different. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve was 0.969 for CRP, 0.946 for the band count, 0.765 for the ANC and 0.235 for age. A CRP cutoff point of 8 mg/dL was determined to maximize both the sensitivity and specificity (sensitivity 83%, specificity 95%, likelihood ratio 16.6). A CRP concentration of <7 mg/dL "ruled-out" bacterial meningitis, with a likelihood ratio of 0.17, a posttest probability of <0.1% and negative predictive value 91%. A CRP concentration greater than 9 mg/dL had a much higher likelihood ratio (20.1) than the band count (16.6) and ANC (2.2). Conclusion : The CRP concentration was a useful laboratory test for the differential diagnosis of bacterial meningitis among febrile infants three months of age or younger. A CRP concentration of <7 mg/dL effectively ruled out bacterial meningitis; a value ${\geq}9mg/dL$ increased the clinical suspicion of bacterial meningitis and the need for CSF evaluation.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.48-53
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• 2011

Objective : Korean Version of Beck-II Depression Inventory to verify the reliability and validity of the proposed standards are practical and standardized, cut-off score by establishing a baseline indicating the presence of depression and depression On in the evaluation was to evaluate the clinical usefulness. Methods : 739 patients with major depression using the SCID and normal controls were 302 study subjects. Of patients with clinically significant medical condition, or psychotic disorders, organic mental disorder, epilepsy or seizure disorder, eating disorders are associated with patients taking anti-convulsants experienced in the past, patients were excluded from the study. Results : The main findings of this study were as follows. First, with respect to the KBDI-II items, the correlation between them ranged from 0.51 to 0.74, and was 0.60 over all questions. Further, the overall correlation of the KBDI-II plates showing confidence 'normal' than it was verified that. Second, the BDIII was used in each group to examine internal consistency and thus, whether Cronbach's alpha values were greater than 0.94. Third, the principal component analysis sought to extract factors in a way consistent with the results inspected last 3 factors were extracted and the total variance explained was 47.3%. Fourth, the Cutting calculated the score on the KBDI-II for ROC (Receiver operator characteristic) analysis yielding 18 dot, with the highest sensitivity and specificity was seen. Conclusion : Based on the results of this Study, the KBDI-II cut-off point should be valid as prescribed in 18 is considered.