• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.4583-4589
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• 2013

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of multimodality treatment of advanced paediatric hepatoblastoma (HB) and the factors affecting prognosis. Methods: A total of 35 children underwent multimodality treatments consisting of chemotherapy, surgery, interventional therapy, and autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. The patients were followed up every month. Results: Serum AFP levels in 33 out of 35 patients in this study were significantly increased (P = 0.0002). According to the statistical scatter plot, the values of serum AFP on the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentages were 1,210, 1,210 and 28,318 ng/dl, respectively. Of the 35 cases, 21 were stage IV. 18 cases were treated with systemic chemotherapy before surgery, and 3 cases with locally interventional chemotherapy before surgery. Statistical analysis showed that the preferred interventional treatment affected prognosis, and that there was a statistically significant difference (P = 0.024). Some 33 patients completed the follow-up, of which 17 were in complete remission (CR), 5 were in partial remission (PR), 1 became disease progressive (DP), and 10 died. The remission and overall survival rates were 66.7% (22/33) and 69.7% (23/33), respectively. Patients with the mixed HB phenotypes had worse prognoses than the epithelial phenotype (P < 0.001), and patients in stage IV had a lower survival rate than those in stage III (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Multimodality treatment can effectively improve remission rate and prolong the survival of children with advanced HB. In addition, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), a tumor marker of liver malignant tumors, HB pathological classification, and staging are highly useful in predicting prognosis.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.123-134
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• 2002

Seasonal variations of settling particles and metal fluxes were monitored at a nearshore site of Marian Cove, King Geroge Island, Antarctica from 28th February 1998 to 22nd January 2000. Near-bottom sediment traps were deployed at 30m water depth of the cove, and sampling bottles were recovered every month by SCUBA divers. Total particulate flux and metal concentrations were determined from the samples. Total particulate flux showed a distinct seasonality, high in austral summer and low in austral winter: the highest flux $(21.97g\;m^{-2}d^{-1})$ was found in February of 1999, and the lowest $(2.47g\;m^{-2}d^{-1})$ in September of 1998, when sea surface was frozen completely. Lithogenic particle flux accounted for 90% of the total flux, and showed a significantly negative correlation with the thickness of snow accumulation around the study site. It was suggested that the most of the lithogenic particles trapped in the bottles was transported by melt water stream from the surrounding land. Fluxes of Al, Fe, Ti, Mn, Zn, Cii, Co, Ni, Cr, Cd, and Pb showed similar seasonal variations with the total flux, and their averaged fluxes were 34000, 9000,960, 180, 13.8, 17.6, 3.0,2.1, 5.4, 0.02, and $1.5nmol\;m^{-2}d^{-1}$ respectively. Among the metals, Cu and Cd showed the most noticeable seasonal patterns. The Cd flux correlated positively with the fluxes of biogenic components while the Cu flux correlated with both the lithogenic and biogenic particle fluxes. The Cu flux peak in the late summer is likely related to a substantial amount of inflow of ice melt water laden with Cu-enriched lithogenic particles. On the other hands, the Cd flux peak in the early spring may be associated with the unusually early occurred phytoplankton bloom.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.969-976
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• 2009

Use of oocytes from prepubertal animals for in vitro embryo production holds potential application for reducing generation intervals and increasing genetic progress through embryo transfer. The objective of these studies was to compare the effect of three sperm pretreatments (prior to in vitro fertilization) and seven embryo culture protocols on fertilization rate and (or) subsequent development of in vitro fertilized embryos derived from oocytes harvested from ovaries of 1-6 month old prepubertal Boer goats in China. Cleavage rates were highest for embryos fertilized with heparin-treated versus calcium ionophore- or caffeine-treated sperm. Similar rates of blastocyst development were observed using heparin- and ionophore-treated sperm, which were higher than obtained with caffeine-treated sperm. No differences in cleavage or blastocyst rates were observed following embryo culture in basal medias (synthetic oviductal fluid (SOF), Charles Rosenkrans 1 (CR1) or tissue culture medium-199 (TCM-199)) containing 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS). Cumulus or oviductal cell co-culture did not enhance cleavage or blastocyst rates relative to culture in SOF+10% FBS. Replacement of FBS in SOF medium with 0.3% BSA increased cleavage rates, but did not increase rates of blastocyst development. Sequential culture in SOF+0.3% BSA followed by SOF+10% FBS increased blastocyst yield versus continuous culture in SOF+10% FBS and tended to increase blastocyst yield versus continuous culture in SOF+0.3% BSA. These results demonstrate a pronounced effects of sperm pretreatments and in vitro embryo culture systems on rates of blastocyst development and provide a potential protocol (sperm pretreatment with heparin and sequential embryo culture in SOF+0.3% BSA followed by SOF+10% FBS) for generation of the significant numbers of in vitro produced blastocysts from oocytes of prepubertal Boer goats necessary for application of embryo transfer in rural regions of China for distribution of Boer goat genetics.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.233-239
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• 2013

We collected Seokganju minerals (regions in Gyeryong Mountain, Sangsin-ri, Banpo-myeon, Gongju Chungcheongnam-province), which were used as natural color pigments for grayish-blue during the 15th~16th centuries of the Joseon era, and investigated their crystallographic features to develop a black pigment having a spinel structure. By a Raman analysis, the color of Seokganju under transparent glaze as a pigment for painting was black because hematite ($Fe_2O_3$) in Seokganju was converted to magnetite ($Fe_3O_4$) However, Seokganju into the transparent glaze as a pigment was brown because of hematite ($Fe_2O_3$) and small amounts of maghemite (${\gamma}-Fe_2O_3$) in Seokganju minerals. Only Seokganju mineral is used, it is not suitable for black pigment into the transparent glaze. This study tried to develop a spinel crystal black pigment stabilized by Seokganju with CoO, $Cr_2O_3$, NiO, and $MnO_2$ at $1280^{\circ}C$. A Raman spectroscopy analysis was performed to verify the presence of Mn The results showed that it existed as spinel, and two crystal phases $CoFe_2O_4$ and $MnFe_2O_4$ were mixed. $CoFe_2O_4$ spinel has a dark grayish black color and $MnFe_2O_4$ spinel has a greenish black color, and these two appeared as black. The color of a specimen calcined by adding 6 wt% of pigment mixed with 5 wt% of $MnO_2$ added to lime glaze was analyzed with a UV spectrophotometer. When applying the color pigment, it appeared black stabilized with $L^*$24.23, $a^*$ 0.12, $b^*$ -2.29 at $1260^{\circ}C$ oxidative calcination, With $1240^{\circ}C$ reduction firing, it is appeared black stabilized with low brightness of $L^*$ 23.13, $a^*$ -1.12, $b^*$ 0.54.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.3-9
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• 2008

The total amount of fluidized bed incinerator ash, i.e. incombustion materials generated from the municipal solid waste incineration(MSWI) in Korea was approximately 14,000 tons in 2006. Most of the ash after ferrous metal separation is finally discard to the landfill sites. In the present work, possibility for recycling of the ash is studied to utilize the ash as raw materials for ceramic products. Incombustion materials obtained from the two different incinerators were used to recover the raw materials by applying the magnetic separation and screening process to remove metallic particles. The raw materials show relatively low heavy metals content obtained from the KSLP leaching tests. The ceramic products were prepared by mixing the clay with the various amounts of the raw material. The physical properties, i.e. shrinkage rate, absorbancy and compressive strength of the ceramic products sintered at $1,000^{\circ}C$ and $1,050^{\circ}C$, respectively were improved by increasing the addition amounts of the incinerator ash. Based on the leaching tests the ceramic products also be satisfied with the standard limits on the leachability of heavy metals because most of the metallic materials are effectively removed from the incombustion materials by appling the separation processes.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.179-189
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• 2011

Objectives : Aconiti Lateralis Preparata Radix(fuzi, 附子) and its class herbs(chaunwu, caowu etc.) are necessary for some clinical conditions, such as cold pain, chilling etc,. But, they has some poison component. And, they have been known to cause liver and kidney injury, and dangerous in the patients who has abnormal range of LFT and RFT. This study shows the consequences for aspartate aminotransferase(AST), alanine aminotransferase(ALT), blood urea nitrate(BUN), and Creatinine were analyzed using samples from patients who took the decoction containing fuzi. Methods : Blood samples for Experiment Group(E) were collected from 63 patients, who took the decoction containing fuzi, admitted into the 6th internal medicine department of Dong Eui Oriental Medical Hospital between from January 2007 to March 2011. In compared to those of experiment group, blood samples as Control Group(C) were collected from 64 patients, who took the decoction not containing fuzi, admitted into the same hospital from January 2009 to April 2011. Results and Conclusions : 1. AST No changed : E 4.17%, C 2.63%, Increased : E 12.5%, C 28.95%, Decreased : E 80.33%, C 68.42% 2. ALT No changed : E2.94%, C5.13%, Increased : E 8.82%, C 20.51%, Decreased : E 88.24%, C 74.36% 3. BUN No changed : E 0%, CG 7.14%, Increased : E 32.25%, CG 14.29% Decreased : EG 67.65%, CG 78.57% 4. Creatinine No changed : EG 5.00%, CG 0%, Increased : EG 35.00%, CG 54.55% Decreased : EG 60.00%, CG 45.45% 5. The results suggest that the decoction containing fuzi isn't harmful AST, ALT, BUN, Cr of the patients who has high range of them.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.106-117
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• 2006

We measured the concentrations of organic matter and metallic elements (Al, Fe, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Pb and Hg) in the surface sediments of Masan Harbor (in the southern sea, Korea) to evaluate the geochemical characters of sediment and the pollutions by organic matter and metallic elements. The mean grain size of the surface sediments in the study area ranged from $5.6{\phi}$ to $7.8{\phi}$, indicating silt sediment. The water content of the surface sediments exceeded 60% except at some stations. The contents of ignition loss (IL), total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) ranged from 7.2-14.3%, 1.2-3.2%, and 0.10-0.28%, respectively. Based on the C/N ratios, the organic matter in the surface sediments of Masan Harbor may originate from terrigenous sources including fluvial inputs (mainly sewage in urban areas). The chemical oxygen demand (COD) and acid volatile sulfide (AVS) ranged from $11.3-29.9\;mgO_2/g\;dry$ and 0.20-4.47 mgS/g dry, respectively, and low concentrations were observed near a shipping route. In addition, the concentrations of metallic elements showed large spatial variations in Masan Harbor and the distributions of metallic elements were also comparable to those of organic matter. This implies that the distributions of organic matter and metallic elements in the surface sediments of Masan Harbor are mainly controlled by biogenic matter and artificial action (mainly dredging). In addition, we calculated the enrichment facto. (EF) and geoaccumulation index (Igeo) in order to evaluate pollution by metallic elements. The enrichment of metallic elements relative to Al was three to eighteen times higher at the study sites, compared to levels in the Earth's crust except for Fe, Ni and Mn. In addition, the Igeo class indicated that the surface sediments in the study area were moderately to strongly polluted in terms of metallic elements.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.146-158
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• 2010

In order to evaluate the characteristics of sediments and pollution by organic matter and metallic elements in intertidal sediments along the southwestern coast of Korea, we measured various geochemical parameters, including the mean grain size (Mz), water content (WC), ignition loss (IL), chemical oxygen demand (COD), acid volatile sulfide (AVS), and metallic elements (Al, Fe, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr, Mn, Hg, As), in intertidal surface sediments. The Mz of the surface sediments ranged from 2.1 to 8.3$\phi$, indicating that the surface sediments consist of various sedimentary facies, such as sand, slightly gravelly mud, sandy mud, and silt. The IL and COD in surface sediment ranged from 0.8 to 5.5% (mean $2.9\pm1.2%$) and from 3.9 to $13.8\;mgO_2/g{\cdot}dry$ (mean $8.5\pm2.6\;mgO_2/g{\cdot}dry$), respectively, which were lower than the values for surface sediment in areas near fish and shellfish farms or industrial complexes. No AVS was detected at any sampling station, despite various sedimentary facies. Most of metallic elements in surface sediments showed relatively good positive correlations with Mz and IL, which imply that the concentrations of metallic elements are mainly controlled by grain size and the organic matter content. The concentrations of metallic elements, except As, at some stations were considerably lower than those in the Sediment Quality Guideline (Effect Range Low, ERL) proposed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the United States. Similarly, the geoaccumulation index (Igeo) class indicated that pollution by metallic elements in intertidal surface sediment, except As, was moderate or non-existent. Our results imply that the intertidal surface sediments along the southwestern coast of Korea are not polluted by organic matter and metallic elements and are healthy for benthic organisms.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.674-696
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• 1997

There're many cases that should be reconstructed with post and core when clinical crown is destructed. But this post and core restoration may cause damaging stress on the teeth. Previous finite element study was restricted to normal bone model relatively close to cemen-toenamel junction. Moreover, the test of a model with diminished bone support was rare. The purpose of this study is to test the effects of alveolar bone loss on the magnitude, stress distribution and displacement of post reconstructed teeth. In this study, it was assumed that the coronal portion of upper incisor was severely destructed. After conventional endodontic treatment, it was restored with post and core. The PFM restoration was made on it. This crown was cemented with ZPC. Alveolar bone was classified by 4 types of bone, such as normal, 2 mm, 4 mm, 6 mm bone, according to the bone loss. Meanwhile, the material of post are divided into 2 types of materials, such as gold, co-cr. Force was applied to two directions. One was fuctional maximum bite force (300 N) applied to the spot just lingual to the incisal edge with the angle of 45 degree to the long axis of the tooth, and the other one was horizontal force (300 N) applied to the labial surface. The results analyzed with three dimensional finite element method were as follows : 1. Stress was concentrated on the adjacent dentin of the post apex, one third portion of the post apex and the labial & lingual mid-portion of the root in all case. The stress of middle third of the root was apparently concentrated on the labial aspect. 2. The stress on adjacent dentin of the post apex and one third of the post apex increased as alveolar bone height moved apically. This increase was dramatic beyond 4 mm bone loss model. 3. The stress of the post apex was spreaded to the middle third of the post and greater than gold post in the case of metal post. 4. The displacement of the neck of post was the greatest in one of the post-cement interface and this increased as alveolar bone height moved apically. Besides the displacement of the metal post is slightly lower than one of the gold post.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.58 no.11
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• pp.421-426
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• 2015

Purpose: The vancomycin dosage regimen is regularly modified according to the patient's glomerular filtration rate (GFR). In the present study, we aimed to assess the usefulness of serum cystatin C (Cys-C) concentration, compared with serum creatinine (SCr) concentration, for predicting vancomycin clearance (CLvcm) in neonates. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the laboratory data of 50 term neonates who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit and received intravenous vancomycin, and assessed the pharmacokinetic profiles. Creatinine clearance (CLcr) and GFR based on Cys-C (GFRcys-c) were estimated using the Schwartz and Larsson formulas, respectively. Results: The mean CLvcm (${\pm}$standard deviation) was $74.52{\pm}31.17L/hr$, the volume of distribution of vancomycin was $0.67{\pm}0.14L$, and vancomycin half-life was $9.16{\pm}17.42hours$. The SCr was $0.46{\pm}0.25mg/dL$ and serum Cys-C was $1.43{\pm}0.34mg/L$. The peak and trough concentrations of vancomycin were $24.65{\pm}14.84$ and $8.10{\pm}5.35mcg/mL$, respectively. The calculated GFR based on serum creatinine concentration (GFR-Cr) and GFRcys-c were $70.2{\pm}9.45$ and $63.6{\pm}30.18mL/min$, respectively. The correlation constant for CLvcm and the reciprocal of Cys-C (0.479, P=0.001) was significantly higher than that for CLvcm and the reciprocal of SCr (0.286, P=0.044). GFRcys-c was strongly correlated with CLvcm (P=0.001), and the correlation constant was significantly higher than that for CLvcm and CLcr (0.496, P=0.001). Linear regression analysis showed that only GFRcys-c was independently and positively correlated with CLvcm (F=41.9, P<0.001). Conclusion: The use of serum Cys-C as a marker of CLvcm could be beneficial for more reliable predictions of serum vancomycin concentrations, particularly in neonates.