No abstract available.
Animals ; Calcium ; Glucose ; Insulin ; Magnesium ; Pancreas ; Rats

OBJECTIVES: Heart failure (HF) is a progressive syndrome that marks the end-stage of heart diseases, and it has a high mortality rate and significant cost burden. In particular, non-adherence of medication in HF patients may result in serious consequences such as hospital readmission and death. This study aims to identify predictors of medication adherence in HF patients. In this work, we applied a Support Vector Machine (SVM), a machine-learning method useful for data classification. METHODS: Data about medication adherence were collected from patients at a university hospital through self-reported questionnaire. The data included 11 variables of 76 patients with HF. Mathematical simulations were conducted in order to develop a SVM model for the identification of variables that would best predict medication adherence. To evaluate the robustness of the estimates made with the SVM models, leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) was conducted on the data set. RESULTS: The two models that best classified medication adherence in the HF patients were: one with five predictors (gender, daily frequency of medication, medication knowledge, New York Heart Association [NYHA] functional class, spouse) and the other with seven predictors (age, education, monthly income, ejection fraction, Mini-Mental Status Examination-Korean [MMSE-K], medication knowledge, NYHA functional class). The highest detection accuracy was 77.63%. CONCLUSIONS: SVM modeling is a promising classification approach for predicting medication adherence in HF patients. This predictive model helps stratify the patients so that evidence-based decisions can be made and patients managed appropriately. Further, this approach should be further explored in other complex diseases using other common variables.
Heart ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Medication Adherence ; New York ; Patient Compliance ; Patient Readmission ; Support Vector Machine ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: This study aims to investigate if 2D analysis method is applicable to analysis of CBCT by comparing measuring points of CBCT with those of Adjusted 2D Lateral Cephalogram (Adj-Ceph) with magnification adjusted to 100% and finding out at which landmarks the difference in position appear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CBCT data and Adj-Ceph (100% magnification) data from 50 adult patients have been extracted as research objects, and the horizontal (Y axis) and vertical (Z axis) coordinates of landmarks were compared. Landmarks have been categorized into 4 groups by the position and whether they are bilaterally overlapped. Paired t-test was used to compare differences between Adj-Ceph and CBCT. RESULTS: Significant difference was found at 11 landmarks including Group B (S, Ar, Ba, PNS), Group C (Po, Or, Hinge axis, Go) and Group D (U1RP, U6CP, L6CP) in the horizontal (Y) axis while all the landmarks in vertical (Z) axis showed significant difference (P<.05). As a result of landmark difference analysis, a meaningful difference with more than 1 mm at 13 landmarks were indentifed in the horizontal axis. In the vertical axis, significant difference over 1 mm was detected from every landmark except Sella. CONCLUSION: Using the conventional lateral cephalometric measurements on CBCT is insufficient. A new 3D analysis or a modified 2D analysis adjusted on 19 landmarks of the vertical axis and 13 of the horizontal axis are needed when implementing CBCT diagnosis.
Adult ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Diagnosis ; Humans

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study is to present a strategy for improving the self-regulation (SR) ability and facilitating the change of vocal behavior by applying voice therapy using the SR concept to the patients with vocal cord nodule and muscle tension dysphonia. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The subjects were 80 patients and 80 patients who were diagnosed with muscle tension dysphonia and vocal nodules. As a control group, the results were compared among patients with the same dysphonia without using SR strategies. The concept of SR before voice therapy was explained to the patients, and the treatment was divided into three stages according to the goal of voice therapy. The treatment stages consist of 1) skill acquisition, 2) habit formation, and 3) habit changes. voice therapy was performed by applying SR strategies such as goal implementation intentions and a less routine behavior. Patient's dropout rates were measured to compare the adherence of voice therapy. RESULTS: Significant improvement was seen in all groups receiving voice therapy. However, in the group using the SR strategy, the voice analysis results showed a relatively low dropout rate of voice therapy. In the generalization confirmation stage, patients who applied SR concept showed better results. SR strategy did no longer be necessary to maintain newly adopted vocal behavior. CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that SR is one of the cognitive factors that can have a significant impact on the outcome of voice therapy, and also has a positive impact on the acquisition and generalization of new skills. A better understanding of SR and the development of therapeutic strategies using it will play an important role in solving voice problems in clinical settings.
Dysphonia ; Generalization (Psychology) ; Humans ; Intention ; Methods ; Muscle Tonus ; Self-Control ; Vocal Cords ; Voice

The case of a cyanotic infant with a rare combination of atypical pulmonary artery sling, imperforate anus, absence of the left kidney, interruption of the inferior vena cava, left side hemihypertrophy and diffuse-type pulmonary arteriovenous fistula is described. The clinical features were confusing, because of compounding abnormalities involving the respiratory tract and pulmonary circulation. The diagnostic approach to the etiology of cyanosis is discussed and the embryonic origin of pulmonary artery sling is reviewed.
Arteriovenous Fistula/ultrasonography ; Arteriovenous Fistula/pathology* ; Case Report ; Human ; Infant ; Male ; Pulmonary Artery/pathology*

PURPOSE: The objectives of this study was to compare the efficacy of antibiotic monotherapy with antibiotic plus alpha-blocker combination therapy for the treatment of inflammatory chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between October 2005 and May 2006, 69 patients who were diagnosed as CPPS(National Institutes of Health; NIH-catagory IIIa), were included in this study. The patients were randomly placed into two groups: group I was treated with gatifloxacin alone(35 patients), and group II was treated with gatifloxacin and doxazosin(34 patients) for 6 weeks. For all the patients, the urinalysis, expressed prostatic massage, the National Institute of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index(NIH-CPSI) and a distal rectal examination(DRE) were performed at the initial visit. The NIH-CPSI was compared both before and after the treatment. RESULTS: On the initial diagnosis, the mean CPSI of the group I patients was 24.0+/-6.3, and that for the group II patients was 24.7+/-6.9. After the treatment, that of the group I was 16.6+/-5.4, and that of group II was 13.4+/-5.3. After 6 weeks of treatment, the changes in the total CPSI scores had significantly improved in group II compared with group I(p<0.05). A statistically significant improvement occurred in the pain score, the voiding symptom score and the quality of life in the group II compared with group I(p<0.05) CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that combination therapy of antibiotic plus alpha-blocker would be more effective than antibiotic monotheraphy for treating patients with inflammatory chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.
Academies and Institutes ; Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Fluoroquinolones ; Humans ; Massage ; Pelvic Pain ; Prostatitis ; Quality of Life ; Urinalysis

OBJECTIVES: To report two cases of neuropathy due to methyl bromide intoxication. METHODS: Workers, engaged in the fumigating process, complained fatigue, general weakness, ataxia, and hypersomnia. We evaluated them with blood tests, neurophysiologic studies and MRI and investigated their occupational history. RESULTS: Increased signal intensities were found in the medulla oblongata and paraver mian of cerebellum in MRI and after 11 days, high signal intensities were reduced in the following MRI. In the other case, polyneuropathy and rlght lower brainstem lesion were observed In the NCV and BAEP studies. CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed that worker's symptoms were related to methyl bromide exposure in the fumigation. It is necessary that we should evaluate present condition of fumigating process and prepare appropriate methods to protect workers engaged in the fumigation.
Ataxia ; Brain Stem ; Cerebellum ; Disorders of Excessive Somnolence ; Fatigue ; Fumigation* ; Hematologic Tests ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Medulla Oblongata ; Polyneuropathies

Streptococcus Gallolyticus subspecies pasteurianus is a biotype II/2 of Streptococcus bovis. Although there is a clear correlation between Streptococcus bovis bacteremia and the risk of developing colon cancer, the relationship between Streptococcus gallolyticus subspecies pasteurianus bacteremia and colon cancer is not clear. We report a 53-year-old female who initially presented with fever and low back pain. Streptococcus gallolyticus subspecies pasteurianus was isolated in blood cultures, so we performed a colonoscopy and discovered colon cancer.
Bacteremia* ; Colon* ; Colonic Neoplasms* ; Colonoscopy ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; Middle Aged ; Streptococcus bovis ; Streptococcus*

OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were to identify the factors that affect the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of the elderly with chronic diseases and to subsequently develop from such factors a prediction model to help identify HRQoL risk groups that require intervention. METHODS: We analyzed a set of secondary data regarding 716 individuals extracted from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2008 to 2010. The statistical package of SPSS and MATLAB were used for data analysis and development of the prediction model. The algorithms used in the study were the following: stepwise logistic regression (SLR) analysis and machine learning (ML) techniques, such as decision tree, random forest, and support vector machine methods. RESULTS: Five factors with statistical significance were identified for HRQoL in the elderly with chronic diseases: 'monthly income', 'diagnosis of chronic disease', 'depression', 'discomfort', and 'perceived health status.' The SLR analysis showed the best performance with accuracy = 0.93 and F-score = 0.49. The results of this study provide essential materials that will help formulate personalized health management strategies and develop interventions programs towards the improvement of the HRQoL for elderly people with chronic diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Our study is, to our best knowledge, the first attempt to identify the influencing factors and to apply prediction models for the HRQoL of the elderly with chronic diseases by using ML techniques as an alternative and complement to the traditional statistical approaches.
Aged* ; Chronic Disease* ; Complement System Proteins ; Decision Trees ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Machine Learning* ; Nutrition Surveys ; Quality of Life* ; Statistics as Topic ; Support Vector Machine

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to classify patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis according to their fixed location and to analysis the effects of two treatment methods by early voice therapy and injection laryngoplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty patients who were classified as full abduction and slight abduction according to the position of paralysis were treated injection laryngoplasy, and 23 patients were treated by voice therapy. Twenty patients were treated injection laryngoplasy and 23 patients were treated voice therapy. Results were evaluated by acoustic analysis, electroglottography, cepstrum analysis before and after therapy. The voice therapy was conducted by improving the larynx movement and glottal contact, whilst removing hypertension of the supraglottic and use the breathing. RESULTS: Significant improvement was found in the acoustic parameter, cepstrum parameter, and EGG before and after treatment in both groups. There was no significant difference between the two groups when compared before and after treatment to compare the effects of injection laryngoplasty and voice therapy. CONCLUSION: The initial treatments for unilateral vocal cord paralysis are injection laryngoplasty and voice therapy. however, there is no precise standard about which method should be applied first. Therefore, in this study, we tried to classify patients according to their paralysis position and then apply two methods. The results of this study suggest that voice therapy and Injection laryngoplasty at the initial stage is a very useful method to improve voice quality of vocal fold paralysis and improve laryngeal function.
Acoustics ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Laryngoplasty* ; Larynx ; Methods ; Ovum ; Paralysis ; Respiration ; Speech Therapy ; Therapeutic Uses* ; Vocal Cord Paralysis* ; Vocal Cords ; Voice Quality ; Voice*