• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.27 no.4 s.48
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• pp.711-734
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• 1994

Among chemical agents in herbicides, dioxin (2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachloro dibenzo-$\rho$-dioxin : TCDD), a chemical contaminant in herbicides sprayed during the Vietnam War has been known to be the major agent causing toxic effects. Approximately 320,000 korean soldiers participated the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1974. Although the potential hazards of the herbicides among Korean veterans exposed were implicated, the problem had not been a public issue until 1991 when Korean veterans were informed U.S. companies, the herbicides manufacturer payed fund, from which a trust fund for New Zealand and Australian Class members were established in 1985. After a series of appeals and demonstration by the Korean Veterans demanding medical care and compensation for their serious health damages, a bill of medical care and compensation for herbicides victims was promulgated in March 1993 and become effective from May 1993, This study was carried out with two major objectives : the first to understand the health problems caused from the herbicides by reviewing literatures published, and the second to examine the nature and extent of health impacts among Korean veterans exposed and to develop valid study methods for the major study by interviewing and reviewing records on a part of veterans (638 persons) registered and completed medical examination in Seoul Veterans Administration Hospital from June to October 1993. The results obtained are as followings: 1. The literature review of 107 papers revealed that 1) Dioxin is teratogenic, carcinogenic and affects almost all organs including nervous, endocrine, and reproductive systems in animal experiments. 2) The diseases showing evidence of causal association were Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's disease, lung cancer, lymphoma, soft tissue sarcoma, chloroacne and polyneuropathy when judged on the basis of consistency in study results and biological plausibility. 2. Interview and medical record review study on 638 veterans, though limited validity owing to lack of control group, crude estimates of dioxin exposure levels (no biomarkers measurable), and uncertainty of diagnosis, showed that: 1) Most of the study subject's were in their 40's of age and had been dispatched to Vietnam during the period from $1965{\sim}1970$ around one year. 2) Most frequently complained symptoms in medical examination were motor weakness (32%), sensory abnormalities in extremities (23%), skin diseases (22%), and pain in extremities (20%) whereas in Interview they were more frequent in order of skin problem (44%), motor weakness (38%), sensory abnormalities and pain in extremities(17% and 19% each). Kappa indices on the same category of complaints between two sources of information were variable and relatively low. 3) On medical examination, only a part of the 638 subjects had initial impression (442 pts) and final diagnosis (218 pts) suggesting decision making on diagnosis appeared to be difficult even with all available modern medical technologies: in initial impression disorders from peripheral and central neuropathy were predominant whereas in final diagnosis various types of skin disorder were most frequent 4) When dose-response relationship between several conditions (from questionnaire) and arbitrary exposure scores were examined by CMH linear trend test, spontaneous abortion, sexual problems and health problem of offsprings showed statistically significant linear trends. However, pregnancy, accident and suicidal attempts did not show any relationship in this study capacity. 5) Among complaints, psychosis and neurosis (anxiety, phobia) in interview study, and memory disorder and psychosis in medical record study revealed linear trend. 6) Skin disorder was the only condition showing linear trend in initial impression and none in final diagnosis on medical examination. Even though objective to select out dioxin-related disease or group of diseases from this study was not achieved the research experiences provided firm basis for developing various methodological approaches. 3. From this preliminary study we concluded that a larger scale major epidemiologic study on health impacts of herbicides among Korean veterans exposed is not only Indispensible but also well designed study with more valid exposure information and diagnosis may be able to establish causal relationship between certain groups of diseases and exposure to the herbicides among Korean veterans.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.152-157
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• 1997

From August 1986 until June 1995, single aortic valve replacement was performed in 65 patients at the Chonnam National University Hospital. worthy-eight were male and 17 were female patients, ranging from 19 to 68 years of age(median : 43 years). The causes of the valve lesions were rheumatic in 29 patients (44.6%), bicuspid aortic valve in 6 patients (6.2%), endocarditis in 6 patients(6.2%), unknown in others. Concomitant surgical procedures were performed in 10 patients : repair of congenital defect in 5, pericardiectomy in 1, coronary artery bypass grafting in 1, noncoronary sinus plication in 1, Valsalva sinus aneurysmectomy in 1, subaortic membrane resection in 1 Used valves were 51. Jude-Medical valve in 42, Duromedics valve in 22, Bjork-Shiley valve in 2, Carpentier-Edward valve in 1. There were 3 hospital deaths (4.6%), and 2 late deaths (3.2%). Follow-up was 95.2% complete. The 10-year acturlal survival rate was 85.3%. Postoperative complications were low cardiac utput in 8, arrythmia in 5, valve related hemolysis in 1, cerebral infarction in 1, and gastrointestinal bleeding in 2. Reoperation was performed in 4 for surgical bleeding, in 3 for paravalvular leak. The mean improvement in New York Heart Association functional class is from 2.79 $\pm$ 0.66 preoperatively to 1.25 $\pm$ 0.49 postoperatively(p < 0.001) The change of cardiothoracic ratio from preoperative to postoperative is 0.57 $\pm$ 0.06 to 0.54 $\pm$ 0.05 (p < 0.05). The left ventricular ejection fraction change is not significant perioperatively. There are no mechanical failures. This early and intermediate-term follow-up suggests that in adults in whom valve repair is not possible, the mechanical valve is a reliable and durable prosthesis with good hemodynamic function and a low rate of thromboembolic event.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.219-227
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• 2006

Objective: To evaluate the impact of endometriosis on IVF-ET cycles and to compare IVF outcomes between stage I/II and stage III/IV endometriosis. Methods: We analyzed 697 patients (1,199 cycles) with endometriosis (stage I-II:638 cycles, stage III-IV: 561 cycles) and 325 pts (459 cycles) with tubal factor as controls between January 1994 and April 2004. Pts with endometriosis were diagnosed by laparoscopy and medical and surgical treatment were done in 353 cycles (55.3%) and 466 cycles (83.1%) of stage I-ll/stage III-IV endometriosis. Cycles with age>35 years or FSH>20 miU/mL or severe male factor infertility were excluded. Results: The number of retrieved oocytes ($9.97{\pm}7.2$ vs. $13.4{\pm}7.9$ (p<0.0001 )), total number of embryos ($6.5{\pm}4.8$ vs. $9.1{\pm}5.6$ (p<0.0001)), and good quality embryos ($2.43{\pm}1.6$ vs. $2.74{\pm}1.7$ (p=0.013)) significantly decreased in stage III-IV endometriosis than in control. But pregnancy rate of stage III-IV endometriosis was comparable with control (35.7% vs. 36.8%). Fertilization rate and number of total embryos were lower in stage I-II endometriosis than in control ($64.8{\pm}22.9$ vs. $70.8{\pm}20.8$ (p<0.0001), $7.6{\pm}5.0$ vs. $9.1{\pm}5.6$ (p<0.0001)). In patients with medical and surgical treatment of endometriosis, pregnancy rate and live birth rate was significantly lower in stage I-II than in stage III-IV endometriosis (29.2 vs. 36.2 (%), p=0.045, 23.9 vs. 31.5 (%), p=0.043). There was no difference in the mean age, but the duration of infertility was significantly longer ($56.5{\pm}26.3$ vs. $46.9{\pm}25.8$ (mon), p<0.0001) and fertilization rate was lower ($64.7{\pm}23.3$ vs. $70.5{\pm}22.7$ (%), p=0.001) in stage I-II than stage III-IV endometriosis. Conclusion: We suggest that IVF should be considered earlier in patients with minimal to mild endometriosis because of significantly decreased fertilization rates.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.383-392
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• 1997

To study the differences of bone mineral density according to the gestational ages and the birth weight and get a reference data for the diagnosis of metabolic bone diseases in the newborn infants, bone mineral densities of the lumbar vertebrae were measured in fifty-three newborn infants born at Yeungnam University Hospital from March 1, 1995 to February 28, 1997, whore gestational ages were between $28^{+3}$ and $41^{+3}$ weeks and who had no intrauterine growth retardation, using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (X-R 26, Norland, USA) within seven days of life. 1. There was no sexual difference in bone mineral density. The bone density increased significantly as gestational age increased from $0.149{\pm}0.009g/cm^2$ at 28-30wks to $0.229{\pm}0.034g/cm^2$ at 39-41wks of gestational age (p<0.05), but there was no significant difference between bone mineral densities at 33-34 wks and 35-36wks. There was positive linear correlation between gestational age and bone mineral density ($Y=7.5{\times}10^{-3}X-0.082$, r=0.7018, p<0.001). 2. The bone mineral density increased significantly as the birth weight increased from $0.158{\pm}0.020g/cm^2$ in 1,000-1,499 g to $0.251{\pm}0.021g/cm^2$ in 3,500-4,000 g of the birth weight (p<0.05), but there was no significant difference between bone mineral densities in 1,000-1,499 g and 1,500-1,999 g of the birth weight. There was positive linear correlation between the birth weight and the bone mineral density ($Y=3.9{\times}10^{-5}X+0.093$, r=0.7296, p<0.001). There were positive correlations between the bone mineral density and gestational age, and between the bone mineral density and the birth weight. It can be used as a reference data for the further study on the bone mineral metabolism in the newborn infants including preterm babies.

• Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Sports Medicine
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.28-36
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• 2003

Purpose: To determine and to compare the effects of cyclic loading on the fixation strength of different femoral fixation methods in ACL reconstruction. Materials and Methods: Biomechanical test using an Instron(R) machine (Model No.5569. Mass, U.S.A) were carried out to compare the pull out strength of six different femoral fixation techniques after a cyclic loading in 72 Yorkshire pig knees. The graft-bone complex was cyclically loaded between 30N and 150N at 50 mm/min rate for 1000 cycles and maximal tensile testing was performed. A preload of 30N was applied to the graft along the axis of the tunnel 15 minutes. ANOVA and the Duncan multiple comparison test was used for the statistical analysis. Results: The mean maximum tensile strength of femoral fixation before and after the cyclic loading test were 1003.4$\pm$145N and 601.1$\pm$154N in hamstring-LA screw(R) group, 595.5$\pm$104N and 360.7$\pm$56N in hamstring-Bioscrew(R) group, 1431.7$\pm$135N and 710.7$\pm$114N in hamstring-Semifix(R) group, 603.6$\pm$54N and 459.1$\pm$46N in hamstring-Endobutton(R) fixation group, 1067.4$\pm$145 and 601.8$\pm$134N in the BPTB-Titanium interference screw group, and 987.1$\pm$168N and 588.7$\pm$124N in the BPTB-Bioscrew(R) group. And these data illustrated that cyclic loading reduces the maximum tensile strength by 40 $\%$, 39 $\%$, 50 $\%$, 24 $\%$, 44 $\%$, 40 $\%$ respectively. Conclusions: With the results of these experiments it should be emphasized that rehabilitation exercises after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction should be executed with precaution as the repetitive flexion and extension of the knee would compromise the maximum tensile strength of the graft tendon.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.39-65
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• 1979

The purpose of this study was to investigate the pattern of irregularities of teeth in various malocclusion groups. The subjects consist of 803 out-patients (355 males, and 448 females) in department of Orthodontics of S.N.U. Hospital, Yonsei University, and Kyunghi University Hospital. The results were as follows. 1. The proportions of subjects on the basis of Angle's Classification were 39.2% (42.2% male, and 57.8% fomale) in class I malocclusion, 29.0% (44.6% male, and 55.4% female) in class II. div. 1., 3.5%(46.4% male, and 53.6% female) in class II. div. 2., 28.3%(46.3% male, and 53.7% female) in class III. 2. Considering all the subjects, the percentage of teeth crowding was 67.8% (45.0% male, and 55.0% female). In class I malocclusion, the percentage of Crowding was 70.8%(43.5% male, and 56.5% female) with higher frequency in upper anterior teeth than in lower anterior. 3. The percentage of Maxillary anterior diastema was 25.6% (45.6% male, and 54.4% female) on the whole. In class II. div. 1. malocclusion, the percentage was 28.8% (46.3% male, and 53.7% female) and in class III, the percentage was 19.8% (46.7% male, and 53.3% female). Thus, frequency of maxillary anterior distema, was comparatively higher in class II. div. 1. than in class III. 4. The percentage of high canine was 25.1% (53.2% male, and 46.8% female) on the whole, and was 86.0% male and 76.6% female in right side, 73.0% male and 72.3% female in left side. In calss II. div. 2., the percentage was 53.6% (46.7% male, and 53.3% female ). In class II. div. 1., the percentage was 16.7% (46.2% male, and 53.8%) with higher frequency in class II. div.2. 5. The percentage of deep overbite was 23.0% (43. 2% male, and 56.8% female) on the whole. Ia class 11. div. 2., and in clas sll. div. 1., its were 89.3%(48.0% male and 52.0% female), 54.5% (40.9% male, and 59.1% female) respectively. This result can be considered as one of the characterics of Angle's class 11 malocclusion group. 6. The percentage of spacing was 23.0% (36.8% male, and 63.2% female) on the whole, In class II. div. 1., and in class II. div. 2., its were 26.1% (44.3% male, and 55. 7% female), 7.1% (50.0% male, and 50.0% female) respectively. 7. The percentage of open bite was 14.3% (42.6% male, and 57.4% female) on the whole with higher rate on the anterior part. It rated 17.6%(50. 0% male, and 50.0% female) in class III, but none in class II. div. 2. 8. The percentage of crossbite was 22.5% (55.8% male, and 44.2% female) on the whole, with higher frequency on the anterior part than on the posterior part. In Angle's class III, it rated as much as 55.1% (57.6% male, and 42.4% female). 9. The percentage of edge-to-edge bite was 20.4% (47.6% male, and 52.4% female) with higher frequency on anterior part than on posterior part. 10. The percentage of irregularities of teeth in various malocclusion groups, was 21.5% (24.8% maxillary, and 18.1% mandible) in crowding, 20.8% (23.5% maxillary, and 18.0% mandible) in rotation, 10.7% (10.6% maxillary, and 10.8% mandible) in cross bite, 9.5% (11.8% maxillary, and 7.3% mandible) in spacing, 8.5% (8.5% maxillary, and 8.5% mandible) in edge-to-edge bite, 8.1% (8.3% maxillary, 7.8% mandible) in open bite. Crowding teeth, spacing teeth, and rotating teeh were more prevalent in anterior part than in posterior part. Cross bite teeth and edge-to-edge bite teeth were more prevalent in class III malocclusion than in another.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 1999

Purpose: Up to date there is no nationwide survey on epidemiological or clinical data of nephrotic syndrome, so we investigated about age of onset, sex, result of renal biopsy, treatment method, its results of treatment, its responsiveness, time of response to treatment and pattern of relapse in Korea. Methods: Between 1987 and 1997, 2193 patients with primary nephrotic syndrome diagnosed at 38 university hospital and general hospital in Korea were included. Of these 1655 were male and 538 were female. Incidence peaked at 1-5 years of age. Results: Results were as follows; 1) Among 2193 cases, male was 1655($75.5\%$), female was 538 cases($24.5\%$) and male to female ratio was about 3:1. Among 1752 patients with MCNS, male was 1338, female was 414 and male to female ratio was about 3.23:1. The most prevalent age group was 1-5 years of age. 2) Renal biopsy was done in 942 cases($43\%$), pathologic findings were as follows; MCNS 646 cases($68.6\%$), FSCS 149 cases($15.8\%$). 3) Regimen of treatment were as follows; prednisolone 1191 cases, Calcort 192 cases, cyclophosphamide 251 cases, cyclosporin A 223 cases, MPD pulse therapy 120 cases.4) Complete response to treatment were noted in 1597 cases($82.2\%$, n=1944). 5) Responsiveness according to result of renal biopsy were significantly different between MCNS and FSGS. Complete response were noted in $86.5\%$ among patients with MCNS, $35.8\%$ in patients with FSGS. 6) Time of response to treatment were noted between 1 and 4 weeks after treatment in 879 cases($67.4\%$, n=1305). 7) 994 cases($73.1\%$) relapsed during follow up, most frequently between 2 months and 6 months after response. Conclusion : Nationwide survey of epidemiological and clinical data were performed in childhood primary nephrotic syndrome. Most of the clinical and epidemiological data were similar to other reports from U.S.A. and from Europe, however male to female ratio is higher in Korean nephrotic syndrome(3:1 in contrast to 2:1).

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.120-125
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• 2012

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to compare count between Chang's method and CT-based attenuation correction (AC-CT) among the attenuation correction (AC) methods for non-attenuation correction (AC-non) images of Brain SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography). Materials and Methods : We injected $^{99m}Tc$ 37Mbq in a Hoffman 3D phantom filled with distilled water in the phantom study, and injected intravenously $^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO 740Mbq in a normal volunteer in the patient study, and then obtained Brain SPECT images with Symbia T6 of Siemens and conducted quantitative brain analysis. Transverse images to which each method was applied were rebuilt at the same position, and 6 regions of interest (ROI) were drawn on each of Slice No. 10, 20 and 30 and then the counts of AC-non, AC-CT and Chang's method were compared. Results : The mean counts of AC-non, AC-CT and Chang's method were $4606.8{\pm}511.3$, $16794.6{\pm}2429.4$, and $8752.6{\pm}896.5$, respectively, in the phantom study and $5460.8{\pm}519.6$, $15320{\pm}1171.6$ and $12795{\pm}1422.1$, respectively, in the patient study. In the phantom study, the ratio of AC-CT to AC-non was 3.70 and the ratio of Chang's method to AC-non was 1.92, and in the patient study, they were 2.85 and 2.38, respectively. Conclusion : From this study, we found that AC-CT makes higher AC than Chang's method. In addition, when Chang's method was used, AC in the patient study was higher than that in the phantom study. These results need to be considered also in other examinations.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.39
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• pp.350-373
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• 1999

The patient population of U. S. state mental hospitals has changed drastically since the 1960s, when the deintstitutionalization movement began. This paper is designed to look at what happened to the number of inpatients of state hospitals in California during the last 150 years and, from this, to explore implications for the future of the mental health system in Korea, especially for the viability of mental hospitals. The data had been collected by field research(visits to state hospitals and State Department of Mental Health, and interviews with mental health administrators) and accessing statistical publications and various reports. Since the first state hospital opened in 1851 the statewide inpatient population of individuals who were mentally disabled has grown and peaked at 37,489 in 1959. The number of patients in state hospitals, however, began declining in the early 1960s and was reduced to 10,874 by 1971, and to 4,973 by 1986. As of 1997, there were only 4, 263 inpatients remaining in the state hospital system. This dramatic decrease slowed down somewhat in 1980s and 1990s, but this trend seems irreversible except for the inpatients referred by the court. Now the beds in state hospitals are filled with more and more forensic patients, which constitutes nearly 70% of the total inpatient population. Based on these findings, it is well expected that the number of inpatients of mental hospitals in Korea will also be reduced in a significant way as the community-based mental health care system is gradually replacing the traditional one. Mental hospitals need to introduce more diversified programs for the care of the mentally ill, and concurrently more vigorous aftercare programs are required in the community.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.153-160
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to investigate needs and satisfaction on the medical services of cancer patients in Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. Methods: Total 174 cancer patients, who visited at the clinic of Jeju National University Hospital, submitted informed consent and participated in this study from July 13 to July 30, 2009. Self questionnaire was used and data were analyzed with Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Mann-Whitney U test, ANOVA, and Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: Participants expressed the needs of most economical support (3.38 out of 4), followed by counseling of treatment plan (3.22), information of disease (3.07), and disease management except cancer (2.97). Participants were satisfied most with religious counseling (3.41), followed by nursing service support (3.39), employment counseling (3.26), and counseling for family or interpersonal relationships (3.26). The satisfaction of economical support was the lowest (1.98). Satisfaction of men was higher than women, and needs in patients who were living with children was the highest. Patients who were living alone or with children showed the lowest satisfaction about the medical services. There were no significant differences in the general characteristics, however, participants who were older than 60 years of age or had higher income showed lower needs and higher satisfaction. There were no significant differences in the medical characteristics, however, thyroid cancer patients and patients who were treated with radiation therapy or transarterial embolization showed low satisfaction. Conclusion: Cancer patients seemed to need more economical support, information of treatment or disease, and symptom management. Furthermore, there were various needs about the services, depending on family formation or economical support of patients. Therefore, it is certain that patients who were suffering from other cancers, except the 5 major cancers, needed more services. In conclusion, continuous and systemic policy to consider patient's characteristics and needs are needed in community as well as health care system.