PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of scatter correction on the assessment of myocardial perfusion and left ventricular function by gated Tc-99m myocardial SPECT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Subjects were 11 normal volunteers, 20 patients with non-cardiac chest pain and 13 patients with coronary artery diseases. We classified above 3 groups into normal and diseased groups. Scatter correction was done using dual-energy-window scatter correction method (DEW-SC). We compared acquired counts, image contrast, corrected maximum relative counts, indices of left ventricular function, extent and severity of perfusion defects calculated by 'CEqual program' between scatter non-corrected and corrected images. RESULTS: Scatter corrected studies was lower in counts by 18+/-3% than uncorrected studies, but image contrast were improved in all cases. Scatter correction using DEW-SC took 3 minutes to complete, and 512 kB memory to store. There were no significant differences among indices of left ventricular function between scatter non-corrected and corrected images. Although extents of perfusion defects were not significantly different, severity was severer in scatter corrected images. CONCLUSION: Scatter correction using DEW-SC is simple to do, and improves image contrast without changing other indices of myocardial perfusion and function.
Chest Pain ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Memory ; Perfusion* ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon* ; Ventricular Function, Left*

No abstract available.
Pierre Robin Syndrome*

No abstract available.
Hemorrhage*

We studied 21 neonates who required mechanical ventilation during study period in NICU OF Il Sin Christian Hospital with diagosis of prematurity, IRDS, pneumothorax and diaphragmatic hernia to evaluate the accuracy of pulse oximeter in predicting the arterial oxygen saturtion, hypoxia and hyperoxemia. We also studied whether the changes of birth weight, hematocrit, blood pressure and body temperature affect the accuracy of pulse oximeter. The results are 1) Linear regression analysis revealed a close correlation between in vivo pulse oximeter readings and in vitro SaO2 measurements in patients (Y=0.008X+12.34, r=0.946) 2) The changes of birth weight, hematocrit, blood pressure and body temperature did not affect the accuracy of pulse oximeter. 3) SpO2-PaO2 relationship was similar to the SsO2-PaO2 relationship. 4) When Nellcor N-100 pulse oximeter was setted at alarm limit 96% to avoid hyperoxemia, it identified 16 of 22 hyperoxemic instances (sensitivity 73%) and alarmed falsely in 48 of 92 nonhyperoxemic instances (specificity 59%).
Anoxia ; Birth Weight ; Blood Pressure ; Body Temperature ; Hematocrit ; Hernia, Diaphragmatic ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Linear Models ; Oxygen* ; Pneumothorax ; Reading ; Respiration, Artificial

BACKGROUND: This study investigates the relationship of socioeconomic status with adverse birth outcomes (low birth weight and preterm birth) and the relationship of socioeconomic status with infant mortality, using the birth cohort in Korea, 1995-2010. METHODS: In Korea, 8,648,035 births from 1995 to 2010 were studied with respect to social variation in adverse birth outcomes and infant mortality. The effect of social inequality was examined against adverse birth outcomes and infant mortality using multivariate logistic regression after controlling for other covariates. RESULTS: Social inequality were observed in adverse birth outcomes: low birth weight (LBW, 1,500-2,499 g), very LBW (1,000-1,499 g), and extremely LBW (500-999 g) as well as moderately preterm birth (PTB, 33-36 weeks), very PTB (28-32 weeks), extremely PTB (22-27 weeks), and infant mortality. The effect of social inequality was higher among moderately LBW (1,500-2,499 g) and PTB (33-36 weeks) than very or extremely LBW and PTB. CONCLUSION: The social inequality in adverse birth outcomes (low birthweight and preterm) and infant mortality existed and increased in Korea from 1995 to 2010. The effect of maternal education on adverse birth outcomes as well as infant mortality was apparent in the study results. Especially, social inequality in infant mortality was greater among the sub-normal births (low birth weight [1,500-2,499 g] or preterm birth [33-36 weeks]), which suggests, social interventions should aim at more among the subnormal births. This study suggest that tackling inequality in births as well as infant mortality should be focused on the social inequality itself.
Birth Weight ; Cohort Studies ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant Mortality* ; Infant* ; Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Low Birth Weight* ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight* ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome* ; Pregnancy* ; Premature Birth ; Social Class ; Socioeconomic Factors

No abstract available.
Polycythemia*

Neuroendocrine tumor (NET) of the colon and rectum has been reported to have a low incidence and aggressive progression; it is frequently misdiagnosed and its treatment is not well documented. Four NET cases were collected at our hospital during the previous year of a colon cancer survey. Endoscopic mucosal biopsy of the colon was done for each case and all the cases proved to be adenocarcinomas. Curative surgery was conducted after the preoperative diagnostic and staging evaluation was completed. The locations of the primary lesions of the patients were all different; cecum, ascending colon, splenic flexure colon and sigmoid colon. The disease was advanced in all cases and the first postoperative diagnosis was poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemical tests followed and all the cases were positive for chromogranin A staining. A retrospective study was then conducted.
Adenocarcinoma ; Biopsy ; Cecum ; Chromogranin A ; Colon* ; Colon, Ascending ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Colon, Transverse ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Neuroendocrine Tumors* ; Rectum ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: A study was undertaken to assess the social background of abandoning children at adoption institutions. The results were compared to those of three previous reports from the institution. METHODS: A total of 536 children who had been admitted to the institution during the period of 1993 to 1996 were subjected to the study. The medical records were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: The sex ratio of male to female was 1 : 0.9, which was opposite compared to previous studies. Mean birth weight was 2.76+/-0.58kg. The proportion of prematurity was 27.2% and their mean gestational age was 34.0+/-2.25 weeks. The academic background of the mother was mainly high school, comprising 58.4%. The highest rate of maternal age(75.9%) was between 16 to 25 years of age. Maternal age below 15 years was 2.8%, which showed increased in tendency compared to previous studies. Classifying the mother's occupation, they were unemployed(19.4%), office workers(16.8%), store clerks(15.9%), students(13.6%), factory workers(12.3%) and waitresses (5.6%) in this order of frequency. The order of birth showed that the first baby was 89.4%. The reasons for putting their baby up for adoption were they were unmarried(83.2%), poor(8.6%), extramarital birth(3.2%), divorce(2.9%) and death of parents(0.4%) in this order of frequency, showing a significant increased in the rate of unmarried mothers. Only 38.4% of mothers had taken antenatal care. Most of the children (90.8%) were adopted by parents in foreign countries. CONCLUSION: The main reason for adoption was the mothers were unmarried and the maternal age tended to be younger. The rate of foreign adoption was still high.
Birth Weight ; Child* ; Child, Institutionalized ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Illegitimacy ; Male ; Maternal Age ; Medical Records ; Mothers ; Occupations ; Parents ; Parturition ; Retrospective Studies ; Sex Ratio ; Single Person

PURPOSE: A study was undertaken to assess the social background of abandoning children at adoption institutions. The results were compared to those of three previous reports from the institution. METHODS: A total of 536 children who had been admitted to the institution during the period of 1993 to 1996 were subjected to the study. The medical records were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: The sex ratio of male to female was 1 : 0.9, which was opposite compared to previous studies. Mean birth weight was 2.76+/-0.58kg. The proportion of prematurity was 27.2% and their mean gestational age was 34.0+/-2.25 weeks. The academic background of the mother was mainly high school, comprising 58.4%. The highest rate of maternal age(75.9%) was between 16 to 25 years of age. Maternal age below 15 years was 2.8%, which showed increased in tendency compared to previous studies. Classifying the mother's occupation, they were unemployed(19.4%), office workers(16.8%), store clerks(15.9%), students(13.6%), factory workers(12.3%) and waitresses (5.6%) in this order of frequency. The order of birth showed that the first baby was 89.4%. The reasons for putting their baby up for adoption were they were unmarried(83.2%), poor(8.6%), extramarital birth(3.2%), divorce(2.9%) and death of parents(0.4%) in this order of frequency, showing a significant increased in the rate of unmarried mothers. Only 38.4% of mothers had taken antenatal care. Most of the children (90.8%) were adopted by parents in foreign countries. CONCLUSION: The main reason for adoption was the mothers were unmarried and the maternal age tended to be younger. The rate of foreign adoption was still high.
Birth Weight ; Child* ; Child, Institutionalized ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Illegitimacy ; Male ; Maternal Age ; Medical Records ; Mothers ; Occupations ; Parents ; Parturition ; Retrospective Studies ; Sex Ratio ; Single Person

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of deproteinization and an additional primer treatment on the microtensile bond strength of a newly developed self-adhesive resin cement to dentin. The occlusal dentin of extracted human third molars was randomly divided into four groups according to the surface treatment: a control (CON) with no treatment; applying a deproteinizing agent (DPT) (5% sodium hypochlorite); using a primer (PRI) (G-CEM ONE Adhesive enhancing primer, GC); and applying a deproteinizing agent and a primer (DPT-PRI). Composite resin blocks with a disk shape (diameter, 10 mm; height, 4 mm) were bonded to the treated dentin using a self-adhesive resin cement (G-CEM ONE, GC). The specimens were sectioned into sticks with a cross-section of 1 mm² and tested to failure in tension mode at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min. All groups showed a significantly higher microtensile bond strength compared to CON (p<0.05). PRI showed the highest microtensile bond strength followed by DPT and DPT-PRI (p<0.05). No significant differences were observed between DPT and DPT-PRI (p>0.05). Within the limitations of this study, a deproteinizing agent or specific primer can enhance the microtensile bond strength of the self-adhesive resin cement to dentin. However, it is not recommended to use a primer in combination with the deproteinizing agents.
Adhesives ; Dentin ; Humans ; Molar, Third ; Resin Cements ; Sodium ; Sodium Hypochlorite