• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제61권2호
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• pp.216-224
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• 2023

In several schistosomiasis-endemic countries, the prevalence has remained high in some areas owing to reinfection despite repeated mass drug administration (MDA) interventions; these areas are referred to as persistent hot spots. Identifying hotspots is critical for interrupting transmission. This study aimed to determine an effective means of identifying persistent hot spots. First, we investigated the differences between Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma mansoni prevalence among school-aged children (SAC) estimated by a community-based survey, for which local key informants purposively selected communities, and a randomly sampled school-based survey. A total of 6,225 individuals residing in 60 villages in 8 districts of North Kordofan, Blue Nile, or Sennar States, Sudan participated in a community-based survey in March 2018. Additionally, the data of 3,959 students attending 71 schools in the same 8 districts were extracted from a nationwide school-based survey conducted in January 2017. The community-based survey identified 3 districts wherein the prevalence of S. haematobium or S. mansoni infection among SAC was significantly higher than that determined by the randomly sampled school survey (e.g., S. haematobium in the Sennar district: 10.8% vs. 1.1%, P<0.001). At the state level, the prevalence of schistosomiasis among SAC, as determined by the community-based survey, was consistently significantly higher than that determined by the school-based survey. Purposeful selection of villages or schools based on a history of MDA, latrine coverage, open defecation, and the prevalence of bloody urine improved the ability for identifying persistent hot spots.

• 근관절건강학회지
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• 제28권3호
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• pp.263-274
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• 2021

Purpose: This descriptive research study investigated the effects of temperament and character, emotional intelligence on self-leadership of clinical nurses. Methods: This study recruited clinical nurses at a tertiary general hospital located in S city through convenience sampling. A survey was conducted from April 10 to May 5, 2020, using offline questionnaires. A total of 343 answers were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a three-step hierarchical regression analysis with the SPSS 22.0 program. Results: Factors influencing self-leadership of clinical nurses at a tertiary general hospital in S city were persistent among temperament (β=.331, p<.001), personal maturity (β=.408, p<.001), and total emotional intelligence (β=1.062, p<.001). These factors contributed 58% of self-leadership (F=29.20, p<.001). Conclusion: It was confirmed that persistent among temperament and personal maturity among character, emotional intelligence were factors affecting self-leadership of clinical nurses. Therefore, it is necessary to develop and provide programs to control the factors affecting self-leadership of clinical nurses to increase self-leadership.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권8호
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• pp.3167-3172
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• 2015

Background: Understanding the history of human papilloma virus (HPV) infection is important for interpretation of a positive HPV DNA screening test, future work-up and treatment. We investigated the transition of HPV DNA test results in Korean women, and analyzed the association of cytology result with transition type. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed annual HPV DNA test results for 5,274 subjects between January 2005 and December 2012. Each subject had a minimum of five annual tests over the eight-year period. Based on the pattern of results, the transition type for each subject was assigned to one of the following: negative, persistent, latent, transient, and unclassifiable. Associations of cytology results with the HPV DNA transition types, number of positive results, and the durations of positive results were also analyzed. Results: The proportion of abnormal cytology findings decreased in the following order of transition patterns: persistent, latent, transient, and negative. Among transient patterns, a duration of three years or more significantly correlated with cytology results of non-high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL; p<0.001). In the persistent group, duration of five years or more correlated with both non-HSIL and HSIL (p<0.001). Latent group showed no correlation with duration. Irrespective of patterns, having five or more positive results was significantly associated with HSIL (p<0.001). Conclusions: Our findings may contribute to better understanding of HPV infection, interpretation of HPV DNA screening results, and prediction of prognosis according to transition type.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• 제23권3호
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• pp.266-275
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• 2020

Purpose: The outcome predictors of Kasai portoenterostomy (KPE) for biliary atresia (BA) are controversial. This study aimed to identify possible short-term outcome predictors of KPE for BA in infants. Methods: This retrospective study included infants with BA who underwent KPE between January 2015 and December 2017 and were followed up for at least 6 months after surgery at the Pediatric Hepatology Unit, Cairo University Pediatric Hospital, Egypt. The short-term outcome was jaundice clearance within 6 months following surgery. All data were compared between the jaundice free group and those with persistent jaundice to identify the predictors of jaundice clearance. Results: The study included 75 infants. The mean age at the time of surgery was 82.43±22.77 days (range, 37-150 days), and 28 (37.3%) infants cleared their jaundice within 6 months postoperative. Age at surgery did not significantly affect the outcome (p=0.518). Infants with persistent jaundice had significantly higher pre-operative levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) than those who were jaundice free (p=0.041). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that preoperative AST ≤180 IU/L was predictive of a successful KPE, with sensitivity 74.5% and specificity 60.7%. Infants with bile plugs in liver biopsy had a 6-fold higher risk of persistent jaundice than those without bile plugs (95% confidence interval: 1.59-20.75, p=0.008). Conclusion: Jaundice clearance after KPE for BA can be predicted using preoperative AST and presence of bile plugs in liver biopsy.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제22권2호
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• pp.225-232
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• 2021

Objective: To determine whether changes in the transiting nerve rootlet or its surroundings, as seen on MRI performed after lumbar hemilaminectomy, are associated with persistent postoperative pain (PPP), commonly known as the failed back surgery syndrome. Materials and Methods: Seventy-three patients (mean age, 61 years; 43 males and 30 females) who underwent single-level partial hemilaminectomy of the lumbar spine without postoperative complications or other level spinal abnormalities between January 2010 and December 2018 were enrolled. Two musculoskeletal radiologists evaluated transiting nerve rootlet abnormalities (thickening, signal alteration, distinction, and displacement), epidural fibrosis, and intrathecal arachnoiditis on MRI obtained one year after the operations. A spine surgeon blinded to the radiologic findings evaluated each patient for PPP. Univariable and multivariable analyses were used to evaluate the association between the MRI findings and PPP. Results: The presence of transiting nerve rootlet thickening, signal alteration, and ill-distinction was significantly different between the patients with PPP and those without, for both readers (p ≤ 0.020). Conversely, the presence of transiting nerve rootlet displacement, epidural fibrosis, and intrathecal arachnoiditis was not significantly different between the two groups (p ≥ 0.128). Among the above radiologic findings, transiting nerve rootlet thickening and signal alteration were the most significant findings in the multivariable analyses (p ≤ 0.009). Conclusion: On MRI, PPP was associated with transiting nerve rootlet abnormalities, including thickening, signal alterations, and ill-distinction, but was not associated with epidural fibrosis or intrathecal arachnoiditis. The most relevant findings were the nerve rootlet thickening and signal alteration.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• 제42권6호
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• pp.710-718
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• 2009

배경: Cox maze 수술은 거의 20년 가까이 심방세동의 표준적인 외과적 치료방법으로 이용되었다. 최근 저자들은 Cox maze 수술에서 대부분의 절개선을 양극고주파전극(Cox maze IV procedure)으로 대치하였다. 저자들은 지속성 심방세동의 수술적 치료에 양극고주파전극을 이용한 Cox maze 수술의 결과를 조사하고 절개-봉합법을 이용한 Cox maze III 수술의 결과와 비교하였다. 대상 및 방법: 2005년 4월부터 2007년 7월까지 40명의 환자가 양극고주파전극으로 Cox maze 수술을 받았다. 그 결과를 절개-봉합법으로 수술 받은 35예의 결과와 비교하였다. 모두 다른 심장수술과 함께 심방세동 수술을 받았으며, 수술 후 1내지 2개월마다 추적 조사하였다. 결과: 수술 후 6개월에 정규리듬의 전환율은 양극고주파전극방법과 절개-봉합방법 사이에 차이가 없었고(95.0%/97.1%, p=1.0), 마지막 추적시간까지 정규리듬 전환율도 차이가 없었다(92.5%/91.6%, p=1.0). 다변량 분석(Cox-regression)으로 양극고주파군에서 심방세동의 지속 및 재발의 위험인자는 수술 후 좌심방의 내경이었고(hazard ratio 31, p=0.005), 양군 전체의 환자에서 수술 후 심방세동의 지속 및 재발의 위험인자(Cox-regression)는 수술 6개월에 심방세동의 출현(hazard ratio 92.24, p=0.003)과 수술 후 좌심방의 내경(hazard ratio 16.05, p=0.019)이었다. 대동맥차단시간과 체외순환시간은 양극고주파전극군에서 더 짧았다. 결론: Cox maze 수술 시 양극고주파전극의 사용은 절개-봉합법과 같이 우수한 정규리듬 전판율을 보이며, 수술 후 좌심방의 크기가 심방세동의 지속 및 재발에 영향을 주는 독립인자였다.

• 한국군사과학기술학회지
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• 제2권2호
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• pp.117-130
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• 1999

In this paper, the performance of data communication function of military radio equipment P-999K is analyzed based on the standard CSMA/CA protocol which is DFWMAC standard protocol done by IEEE802.11 work group. Basic three standard protocols, i.e. Basic CSMA/CA, Stop & Wait ARQ and 4-Way Handshake CSMA/CA protocols are analyzed and compared with each other under the hidden terminal environment. The computer simulation is also done by using SIMSCRIPT II.5 which is popular software tool for an independent processing. The results show that p-persistent(with p=0.3) CSMA scheme is superior to non-persistent CSMA scheme with non-hidden terminal condition, but the performances of both schemes are almost same with hidden terminal situation. And the results of computer simulations are also showed that Basic CSMA/CA protocol is superior to the other protocols when the ratio of hidden terminals is below 10 % of total user population, however, with the above 20% hidden terminals environment and the higher offered traffic conditions the 4-Way Handshake CSMA/CA protocol shows the most superior performance.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• 제33권3호
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• pp.231-239
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• 2000

Background: This retrospective study tries to identify specific risk factors that may increase complication rates after the surgical treatment of tuberculous destroyed lung. Material and method: A retrospective study was performed on forty-seven patients, who received surgical treatment for tuberculous destroyed lung in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at Hanyang University Hospital from 1988 to 1998, to identify specific preoperative risk factors related to postoperative complications. Fisher's exact test was used to identify the correlations between the complications and right pneumonectomy, preoperative FEV1, predicted postoperative FEV1, massive hemoptysis, postoperative persistent empyema. Result: Hospital mortality and morbidity rates of the patients who received surgical treatment for tuberculous destroyed lung were 6.4% and 29.7%, respectively. In view of the hospital mortality and morbidity rates as a whole, predicted postoperative FEV1 less than 0.8L(p<0.005), preoperative FEV1 less than 1.8L(p=0.01), massive hemoptysis(p<0.005), postoperative persistent positive sputum cultures(p<0.0005), and the presence of multi drug resistant tuberculosis(p<0.05) presented statistically significant correlations. Among the postoperative complications, bronchopleural fistula, the most common complication, was found to have statistically significant corrleations with the preoperative empyema(p<0.05) and postoperative persistent positive sputum cultures(p<0.05). Conclusion: Although mortality and morbidity rates after surgical treatment of tuberculous destroyed lung were relatively low, when predicted postoperative FEV1 was less than 0.8L, when preoperative FEV1 was less than 1.8L, when massive hemoptysis was present, when postoperative sputum cultures were persistently positive, and when multi drug resistant tuberculosis was present, the rates were significantly higher.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제35권1호
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• pp.70-75
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• 2018

Background: Otitis media with effusion (OME) is defined as middle ear effusion without acute signs of infection. OME usually resolves spontaneously; however, persistent OME may require the insertion of a ventilation tube. This study investigated risk factors for persistent OME in children who undergo ventilation tube insertion. Methods: Children who were admitted to undergo ventilation tube insertion at Jeju National University Hospital between August 2015 and July 2016 were enrolled as the case group. Healthy children without persistent OME from August 2016 to July 2017 were enrolled as the control group. Baseline characteristics and predisposing factor data were collected using an interview questionnaire. Middle ear fluids were collected from the case group. Results: A total of 31 patients underwent ventilation tube insertion. The mean age of the case group was 4.53 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 21:10. Twenty-nine (93.5%) children attended a daycare center, and 21 (67.7%) had experience with bottle feeding. Fifteen (48.4%) children in the case group and 3 (9.7%) in the control group first attended a daycare center at <1 year of age (odds ratio=9.96; 95% confidence interval=2.44-39.70; p=0.001). No bacteria were found in middle ear fluid collected from the 31 operated children. Nasopharyngeal bacterial colonization was found in 13 (41.9%) and 17 (54.8%) children in the case and control groups, respectively. Conclusion: Earlier attendance at a daycare center was the only predisposing factor for ventilation tube insertion in our study. The aseptic nature of middle ear fluids found in children with OME highlights the efficacy of antimicrobial use.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제40권6호
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• pp.442-453
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• 2014

Objectives: Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are known to be the detrimental chemicals in the body, even at low levels, and are stored in adipose tissue. Recently, POPs have been reported to be associated with chronic diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disease, and aging and obesity are reported as common factors in chronic disease. However, there have been only a few studies on the associations of POPs with age and body mass index (BMI) in Korea. Therefore, we analyzed the associations of serum POPs levels with age and BMI in Korea. Methods: This cross-sectional study includes 444 subjects (253 men and 191 women) from the Korean Cancer Prevention Study-II (2004-2011). Serum levels of 33 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 19 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were measured by a gas chromatographer (Agilent 6890) coupled to high resolution mass spectrometer (JEOL JMS-800D). Results: Concentrations of PCB 153 (men: 12.26 ng/g lipid, women: 10.50 ng/g lipid) and p,p'-DDE (men: 94.66 ng/g lipid, women: 96.66 ng/g lipid) were the highest among serum PCBs and OCPs, respectively. PCBs and OCPs were significantly positively correlated with age in both sexes. After adjustment for age, non-dioxin like PCBs were significantly negatively correlated with body mass in women. However, cis-heptachlor epoxide was significantly positively correlated with body mass index in both sexes. When analyzed by sex, stronger associations were shown between POPs and age in men and POPs and BMI in women. Conclusion: These results may provide baseline data for the study of POPs and for the health management field in Korea.