• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.2375-2382
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• 2016

Cancer is a major health problem in Oman. It is reported that cancer incidence in Oman is the second highest after Saudi Arabia among Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Based on GLOBOCAN estimates, Oman is predicted to face an almost two-fold increase in cancer incidence in the period 2008-2020. However, cancer research in Oman is still in its infancy. This is due to the fact that medical institutions and infrastructure that play central roles in data collection and analysis are relatively new developments in Oman. We believe the country requires an organized plan and efforts to promote local cancer research. In this paper, we discuss current research progress in cancer diagnosis using machine learning techniques to optimize computer aided cancer detection and classification (CAD). We specifically discuss CAD using two major medical data, i.e., medical imaging and microarray gene expression profiling, because medical imaging like mammography, MRI, and PET have been widely used in Oman for assisting radiologists in early cancer diagnosis and microarray data have been proven to be a reliable source for differential diagnosis. We also discuss future cancer research directions and benefits to Oman economy for entering the cancer research and treatment business as it is a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.11 no.9
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• pp.4461-4475
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• 2017

Recently, introduction of the hospital information system has remarkably improved the efficiency of health care services within hospitals. Due to improvement of the hospital information system, the issue of integration of medical information has emerged, and attempts to achieve it have been made. However, as a preceding step for integration of medical information, the problem of searching the same patient should be solved first, and studies on patient identification algorithm are required. As a typical case, similarity can be calculated through MPI (Master Patient Index) module, by comparing various fields such as patient's basic information and treatment information, etc. but it has many problems including the language system not suitable to Korean, estimation of an optimal weight by field, etc. This paper proposes a method searching the same patient using MRI information besides patient's field information as a supplementary method to increase the accuracy of matching algorithm such as MPI, etc. Unlike existing methods only using image information, upon identifying a patient, a highest weight was given to physical information of medical image and set as an unchangeable unique value, and as a result a high accuracy was detected. We aim to use the similarity measurement result as secondary measures in identifying a patient in the future.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.135-141
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• 2024

The use of ultrasound (US)-guided interventions has rapidly increased in Korean medicine (KM) to ensure the safety and accuracy of invasive procedures, such as pharmacopuncture and acupotomy. Although hands-on training is important for the acquisition of skills, it requires considerable time and cost. A detailed guide on the procedure and treatment regions is needed to ensure hygiene and safety during US-guided procedures in KM practice. In this study, we present the overall procedure, target structures, and treatment approaches of US-guided pharmacopuncture and acupotomy for nerve entrapment in the upper extremities of the cubital and radial tunnel, posterior interosseous nerve, carpal tunnel, and Guyon's canal syndrome. We believe that the findings of our study will serve as a foundation for future clinical research, practice, and education on US-guided KM procedures. Further research involving US-guided interventions should specify target structures in three-dimension to delineate the treatment areas.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.128-133
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• 2024

Aortic dissection in pregnant patients results in an inpatient mortality rate of 8.6%. Owing to the pronounced mortality rate and speed at which aortic dissections progress, efficient early detection methods are crucial. Here, we highlight the importance of early chest computed tomography (CT) for differentiating aortic dissection from pulmonary embolism in pregnant patients with dyspnea. We present the unique case of a 38-year-old pregnant woman with elevated D-dimer and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels, initially suspected of having a pulmonary embolism. Initial transthoracic echocardiography did not indicate aortic dissection. Surprisingly, after an emergency cesarean section, a chest CT scan revealed a DeBakey type I aortic dissection, indicating a diagnostic error. Our findings emphasize the need for early chest CT in pregnant patients with dyspnea and elevated D-dimer and NT-proBNP levels. This case report highlights the critical importance of considering both aortic dissection and pulmonary embolism in the differential diagnosis of such cases, which will inform future clinical practice.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.116-125
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• 2016

Background: Microfluidics is of considerable importance in food and agricultural industries. Microfluidics processes low volumes of fluids in channels with extremely small dimensions of tens of micrometers. It enables the miniaturization of analytical devices and reductions in cost and turnaround times. This allows automation, high-throughput analysis, and processing in food and agricultural applications. Purpose: This review aims to provide information on the applications of microfluidics in the agro-food sector to overcome limitations posed by conventional technologies. Results: Microfluidics contributes to medical diagnosis, biological analysis, drug discovery, chemical synthesis, biotechnology, gene sequencing, and ecology. Recently, the applications of microfluidics in food and agricultural industries have increased. A few examples of these applications include food safety analysis, food processing, and animal production. This study examines the fundamentals of microfluidics including fabrication, control, applications, and future trends of microfluidics in the agro-food sector. Conclusions: Future research efforts should focus on developing a small portable platform with modules for fluid handling, sample preparation, and signal detection electronics.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.71-78
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• 2022

Wearable devices have the potential to revolutionize future medical diagnostics and personal healthcare. The integration of biosensors into scalable form factors allow continuous and noninvasive monitoring of key biomarkers and various physiological indicators. However, conventional wearable devices have critical limitations owing to their rigid and obtrusive interfaces. Recent developments in functional biocompatible materials, micro/nanofabrication methods, multimodal sensor mechanisms, and device integration technologies have provided the foundation for novel skin-interfaced bioelectronics for advanced and user-friendly wearable devices. Nonetheless, it is a great challenge to satisfy a wide range of design parameters in fabricating an authentic skin-interfaced device while maintaining its edge over conventional devices. This review highlights recent advances in skin-compatible materials, biosensor performance, and energy-harvesting methods that shed light on the future of wearable devices for digital health and personalized medicine.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.191-216
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• 2019

This study is to suggest the revitalization plan of the medical school libraries in the future, on the basis of analysis for the overall operation situation of the medical school libraries among the medical libraries. So based on the website, it is divided into 1) whether independent homepage exists, 2) service target, 3) books, 4) classification system, 5) manpower, 6) facilities (area, number of seats available), 7) equipment (pc, printer, copy machine, etc.), 8) services, and then analyzed. Consequently, as the ways to revitalize the medical libraries, firstly, it is necessary to establish legal standards and develop guidelines for the medical school library's books, sizes, librarians, etc. Secondly, establishing a cooperative community network between medical school libraries is necessary. Thirdly, policies such as support at the national level, specialization education of librarians, development of operational guidelines, and activation of inter-library networks are needed to revitalize the medical school libraries. It is also expected that research on the actual situation of the medical libraries should be conducted at the national level or at the level of the association of medical libraries.

• The Journal of Korean Medical History
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.101-118
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• 2006

Phenomena experienced by all individuals and cultural interpretation of such phenomena seem to be irrelevant to the change of time. The subject dream to be discussed in this study is one of them. Nevertheless, people's attitude of understanding dreams in the past is obviously different from the contemporary one, and the interpretation of dreams reveals the science of the corresponding age. Bishop Daveluy, a missionary to Chosun in the mid 19th century, observed Korean people's hardly understandable response to dreams. According to his explanation, Chosun people regarded what they saw in a dream as a fact. It might have been quite long that a dream is regarded as a sign of the future. However, how a dream can be a sign of the future is explained different according to the science of the corresponding age. Many records on dreams since the late Koryo Dynasty and the early Chosun Dynasty did not give satisfactory answers to this question. However, new interpretations of dreams were attempted occasionally in the process that the Sung Confucian view of nature in the Chosun Dynasty was being matured. One of such interpretations is that a dream is obviously a phenomenon of human cognition and there is a rule behind dreams. I t was believed that the rule is a flow of energy defined by reason penetrating through the past, the present and the future and, as a consequence, dreams are future oriented. The view that a dream is a phenomenon with a causal relation is observed more specifically in medicine. I t was understood basically as a pathological phenomenon but, at the same time, a substance in an organic relation with the human body. In addition, it was understood as the results of facts (physiological and pathological processes) experienced by the body in the past and the sign of diseases in the future. However, from the viewpoint of contemporary science based on empirical rationalism, such foreseeability is fundamentally unacceptable. In contemporary science, in which scientific analysis of phenomena has to be of the past tense, dreams exist as the representations of the past. What Bishop Daveluy saw in Korean people was a phenomenon observed when the pre modern met the modern as pre modern people's life and idea were viewed from a modern people's eye.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.98-124
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• 2020

Objectives: This study was aimed to present a summary and analysis of a survey on the educational status of basic Korean medicine and basic medical science in colleges of Korean medicine nationwide. Methods: The data on the curriculum and weekly education plans were acquired in the first half of 2020. Data showing the educational status and contents of basic Korean medicine and basic medical science were extracted. Results: Most of the colleges were providing a subject-based education. All subjects of basic Korean medicine were included in the required courses for majors, and most of them appeared to have developed and been using common main textbooks and standardized educational contents. However, there were some subjects in which the education period was dispersed until the 3rd and 4th grades, or in which discussions to develop and use common textbooks and standardized educational content were required. Most of the subjects of basic medical science were also educated as required courses for majors, but there were some subjects with a low curriculum establishment rate, and these could be considered as areas to be reinforced first when reorganizing the curriculum. Conclusions: It is expected that the findings of this study would be a basis for exploring the ways to concrete changes that are desirable and also realistically feasible when reorganizing the curriculum of colleges of Korean medicine in the near future.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.99-114
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• 2020

The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), including deep learning, has led to the development of technologies that may assist in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, prediction of disease risk and prognosis, health index monitoring, drug development, and healthcare management and administration. However, in order for AI technology to improve the quality of medical care, technical problems and the efficacy of algorithms should be evaluated in real clinical environments rather than the environment in which algorithms are developed. Further consideration should be given to whether these models can improve the quality of medical care and clinical outcomes of patients. In addition, the development of regulatory systems to secure the safety of AI medical technology, the ethical and legal issues related to the proliferation of AI technology, and the impacts on the relationship with patients also need to be addressed. Systematic training of healthcare personnel is needed to enable adaption to the rapid changes in the healthcare environment. An overall review and revision of undergraduate medical curriculum is required to enable extraction of significant information from rapidly expanding medical information, data science literacy, empathy/compassion for patients, and communication among various healthcare providers. Specialized postgraduate AI education programs for each medical specialty are needed to develop proper utilization of AI models in clinical practice.