• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.187-195
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• 2014

Purpose: Laparoscopic gastrectomy in obese patients has been investigated in several studies, but its feasibility has rarely been examined in morbidly obese patients, such as in those with a body mass index (BMI) of ${\geq}30kg/m^2$. The present study aimed to evaluate the technical feasibility and safety of laparoscopic gastrectomy in morbidly obese patients with gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: A total of 1,512 gastric cancer patients who underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG) were divided into three groups: normal (BMI< $25kg/m^2$, n=996), obese (BMI $25{\sim}30kg/m^2$, n=471), and morbidly obese ($BMI{\geq}30kg/m^2$, n=45). Short-term surgical outcomes, including the course of hospitalization and postoperative complications, were compared between the three groups. Results: The morbidly obese group had a significantly longer operating time (240 minutes vs. 204 minutes, P=0.010) than the normal group, but no significant differences were found between the groups with respect to intraoperative blood loss or other complications. In the morbidly obese group, the postoperative morbidity and mortality rates were 13.3% and 0%, respectively, and the mean length of hospital stay was 8.2 days, which were not significantly different from those in the normal group. Subgroup analysis showed that postoperative complication rates were not high in morbidly obese patients, independent of the type of anastomosis technique used and level of lymph node dissection. Conclusions: LDG is technically feasible and safe in morbidly obese patients with a BMI of ${\geq}30kg/m^2$ and early gastric carcinoma. Except for a longer operating time, LDG might represent a reasonable treatment option in these patients.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.681-685
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• 2000

A computer software was developed in our laboratory to automatically control the pigs environment by the image analysis system (IAS), which monitors and analyzes the pig's behavior and feeds the results back to the computer hardware. Three feeding trials were conducted with growing pigs ($L{\times}Y$) to test the effectiveness of the IAS under various seasons. In all three trials, the open-sided conventional pens with half-slatted floor were used as controls; for the IAS treatment, fully-slatted floors were used in the windowless pens. Experiment 1 was conducted in the winter for 30 d with 24 growing pigs. There were two treatments (Conventional vs. IAS), and three pens (replicates) per treatment. During the growing period, the feed efficiency was significantly (p<0.05) improved by the IAS. In addition, the pigs reared under the IAS during the growing period displayed better growth rate during the finishing period than did the pigs reared under the conventional conditions. Experiment 2 was conducted in the summer for 30 d with 24 growing pigs. The experimental design was the same as Experiment 1. During the finishing period, all the pigs were kept in conventional open-sided pens until their market weights to evaluate their carcass characteristics. During the growing period, the growth rate and feed efficiency of the pigs in the IAS was better than those of the control pigs. In addition, various carcass characteristics were significantly improved by the IAS rearing during the growing period. Experiment 3 was conducted with 30 growing pigs for 30 d in the spring. The experimental design was the same as Experiment 1. No difference was found in growing performance between the control and IAS pigs. It could be concluded that the IAS is effective in providing optimum conditions for the growing pigs in summer and winter seasons. In addition, providing an optimum environment during the growing period results in improved growth rate, feed efficiency, and carcass qualities for the finishing pigs.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.9
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• pp.4233-4235
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• 2016

Background: Whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) and stereotactic radiosurgery were frequently used to palliate patients with brain metastases. It remains controversial which modality or combination of therapy is superior especially in the setting of limited number of brain metastases. The availability of newer medical therapy that improves survival highlighted the importance of reducing long term radiation toxicity associated with WBRT. In this study, we aim to demonstrate the hippocampal sparing technique with whole brain and integrated simultaneous boost Materials and Methods: Planning data from 10 patients with 1-5 brain metastases treated with SRS were identified. Based on the contouring guideline from RTOG atlas, we identified and contoured the hippocampus with 5mm isocentric expansion to form the hippocampal avoidance structure. The plan was to deliver hippocampal sparing whole brain radiotherapy (HSWBRT) of 30 Gy in 10 fractions and simultaneous boost to metastatic lesions of 30 Gy in 10 fractions each. Results: The PTV, hippocampus and hippocampal avoidance volumes ranges between 1.00 - 39.00 cc., 2.50 - 5.30 cc and 26.47 - 36.30 cc respectively. The mean hippocampus dose for the HSWBRT and HSWBRT and SIB plans was 8.06 Gy and 12.47 respectively. The max dose of optic nerve, optic chiasm and brainstem were kept below acceptable range of 37.5 Gy. Conclusions: The findings from this dosimetric study demonstrated the feasibility and safety of treating limited brain metastases with HSWBRT and SIB. It is possible to achieve the best of both worlds by combining HSWBRT and SIB to achieve maximal local intracranial control while maintaining as low a dose as possible to the hippocampus thereby preserving memory and quality of life.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.147-158
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• 1998

The purpose of this study was to test the stability of TPN basic solutions containing amino acids and dextrose. Test solutions containing $4.25\%$ amino acids in $25\%$ dextrose (central TPN basic solution) or $4.25\%$ amino acids in $10\%$ dextrose (peripheral TPN basic solution) were prepared. Two different amino acids solutions $(Fravasol^{(R)}\;vs\;Freamine^{(R)})$ were tested. The samples were taken from each admixture and stored in the evacuated, sterile containers at $2{\sim}8^{\circ}C$ and ambient room temperature. Each sample was analyzed at 0, 3, 7, 14 and 30 days of storage. Each amino acid was analyzed by amino acid analyzer. Dextrose content was measured by polarimeter. The pH and chromagen formation were also monitored. The decomposition was measured by the changes in concentration of amino acids and dextroser TPN basic $solution-Freamine^{(R)}$ admixture stored at $2\sim8^{\circ}C$ were stable for 30 days. Central and peripheral TPN basic solutions stored at room temperature were stable for 7 days and 14 days, respectively. There were no changes in color for 30 days by naked eye. Amino acid concentrations in TPN basic $solution-Fravasol^{(R)}$ admixture stored at $2\sim8^{\circ}C$ or room temperature were stable for 30 days. But, significant color change was detected according to passing time. In conclusion, Peripheral TPN basic $solution-Fravasol^{(R)}$ admixture stored at room temperature and in refrigerator were stable for 3 days and 7 days, respectively. However, central TPN basic solution-Fravasol admixtures were unstable. Therefore, it is recommended that it should be admixed right before use.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.02a
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• pp.322-322
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• 2010

For boron doping on n-type silicon wafer, around $1,000^{\circ}C$ doping temperature is required, because of the relatively low solubility of boron in a crystalline silicon comparing to the phosphorus case. Boron doping by fiber laser annealing and lamp furnace heat treatment were carried out for the uniformly deposited p-a-Si:H layer. Since the uniformly deposited p-a-Si:H layer by cluster is highly needed to be doped with high temperature heat treatment. Amorphous silicon layer absorption range for fiber laser did not match well to be directly annealed. To improve the annealing effect, we introduce additional lamp furnace heat treatment. For p-a-Si:H layer with the ratio of $SiH_4:B_2H_6:H_2$=30:30:120, at $200^{\circ}C$, 50 W power, 0.2 Torr for 30 min. $20\;mm\;{\times}\;20\;mm$ size fiber laser cut wafers were activated by Q-switched fiber laser (1,064 nm) with different sets of power levels and periods, and for the lamp furnace annealing, $980^{\circ}C$ for 30 min heat treatment were implemented. To make the sheet resistance expectable and uniform as important processes for the $p^+$ layer on a polished n-type silicon wafer of (100) plane, the Q-switched fiber laser used. In consequence of comparing the results of lifetime measurement and sheet resistance relation, the fiber laser treatment showed the trade-offs between the lifetime and the sheet resistance as $100\;{\omega}/sq.$ and $11.8\;{\mu}s$ vs. $17\;{\omega}/sq.$ and $8.2\;{\mu}s$. Diode level device was made to confirm the electrical properties of these experimental results by measuring C-V(-F), I-V(-T) characteristics. Uniform and expectable boron heavy doped layers by fiber laser and lamp furnace are not only basic and essential conditions for the n-type crystalline silicon solar cell fabrication processes, but also the controllable doping concentration and depth can be established according to the deposition conditions of layers.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.1095-1103
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• 2020

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate whether quantitative dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) parameters offer an incremental risk stratification benefit over the CT ventricular diameter ratio in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) by using propensity score analysis. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on 480 patients with acute PE who underwent CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) or DECT pulmonary angiography (DE CT-PA). This propensity-matched study population included 240 patients with acute PE each in the CTPA and DECT groups. Altogether, 260 (54.1%) patients were men, and the mean age was 64.9 years (64.9 ± 13.5 years). The primary endpoint was all-cause death within 30 days. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to identify associations between CT parameters and outcomes and to identify potential predictors. Concordance (C) statistics were used to compare the prognoses between the two groups. Results: In both CTPA and DECT groups, right to left ventricle diameter ratio ≥ 1 was associated with an increased risk of all-cause death within 30 days (hazard ratio: 3.707, p < 0.001 and 5.573, p < 0.001, respectively). However, C-statistics showed no statistically significant difference between the CTPA and DECT groups for predicting death within 30 days (C-statistics: 0.759 vs. 0.819, p = 0.117). Conclusion: Quantitative measurement of lung perfusion defect volume by DECT had no added benefit over CT ventricular diameter ratio for predicting all-cause death within 30 days.

• Annals of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.337-343
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• 2024

Backgrounds/Aims: Challenges arise when translating pure laparoscopic donor right hepatectomy (PLDRH) results from Asian to Western donors, due to differences in body mass index (BMI). This study compares the outcomes of PLDRH and conventional open donor right hepatectomy (CDRH) in donors with BMI over 30. Methods: Medical records of live liver donors (BMI > 30) undergoing right hepatectomy (2010-2021) were compared: 25 PLDRH cases vs. 19 CDRH cases. Donor and recipient demographics, operative details, and outcomes were analyzed. Results: PLDRH and CDRH had similar donor and recipient characteristics. PLDRH had longer liver removal and warm ischemic times, but a shorter post-liver removal duration than CDRH. Donor complication rates were comparable, with the highest complication being grade IIIa in PLDRH, necessitating needle aspiration for biloma on postoperative day 11. Fortunately, this donor fully recovered without additional treatment. No complications exceeding Clavien-Dindo grade IIIa occurred in either group. Recipient outcomes between the groups were similar. Conclusions: This study supports PLDRH as a viable option for donors with BMI over 30, challenging the notion that high BMI should deter considering PLDRH. The findings provide valuable insights into the safety and feasibility of PLDRH, encouraging further exploration of this technique in diverse donor populations.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.674-684
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• 1999

Background : It has been generally known that the incidence of lung cancer is higher in the patients with idopathic pumonary fibrosis (IPF) than those in general population. The reported incidence was variable from 4.8 to 43.2%. There were controversies on the most frequent cell type (squamous cell carcinoma vs. adenocarcinoma) and no study was done about the real concordance of cancer and the fibrotic lesion. And the pulmonary fibrosis may influence not only the development of cancer but also the treatment and prognosis of the cancer, but there was no report on that point. Method : Total 63 patients ($66.8{\pm}7.8$ year, M : F=61 : 2) were diagnosed as IPF combined with lung cancer (IFF-CA) at Asan Medical Center. A retrospective analysis was done about the risk factors of the lung cancer, pulmonary function test, the site of cancer(especially the relationship of the cancer with the fibrotic lesion), the histologic types, and the stage of cancer. The histologic types were compared with those of 2,660 patients with lung cancer who were diagnosed at the same institute for the same period. The effect of IPF on the treatment of the cancer was evaluated with the survival time after the detection of lung cancer. Results : The lung cancer was found in 63(22.9%) out of 281 patients with IPF. But in most of them(45 patients), lung cancer was detected at the same time with IPF and only in 18 patients, the cancer was diagnosed during the follow-up($25.2{\pm}17.7$ months) of IPF. So in our study, 6.7% of patients with IPF developed lung cancer during the course of the disease. The age ($66.8{\pm}7.84$ vs. $63.4{\pm}11.1$ years), percentage of smoker (88.9 vs. 67.2%), and the male gender (96.8 vs. 67.6%) were significantly higher in IPF-CA compared with lone IPF (p<0.05). The odds ratio of smoking was 4.7 compared with non smoking IPF controls. The lung cancer was located more frequently in the upper lobe and 55.5% was in the periphery of lung. The cancer was developed in the fibrotic lesion in 23 patients (35.9%), and in the majority of the patients, the cancer was separated from the fibrosis. The cell type of the lung cancer in IPF-CA was squamous cell carcinoma 34.9%, adenocarcinoma 30.2%, small cell carcinoma 19.0%, large cell undifferenciated carcinoma 6.3%, and others 9.5%. No significant difference in the distribution of histologic type of the lung cancer was found between IPF-CA and lone lung cancer. There was no significant difference in demographic features, cell types, location and the stage of the cancer between the group with concurrent IPF-CA and the group with cancer diagnosed during the follow up of IPF. There was a tendency (but statistically not significant : p=0.081) of higher incidence of adenocarcinoma among the cancers developed in the fibrotic area(43.5%) (F-CA) than in the cancers in non-fibrotic area (22.5%) (NF-CA). The prognosis of the patients with F-CA was poor (median survival : 4 months) compared with the patients with NF-CA (7 months, p=0.013), partly because the prevalence of severe IPF (the extent of fibrosis in HRCT 50%) was higher in F-CA group. Conclusion : These data suggest that the lung cancer in the patients with IPF has similar features to the ordinary lung cancer.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.161-166
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• 2008

The techniques for the collection, cooling and freezing of semen and artificial insemination of horses are not fully understood in Korea. We investigated the percentages of total motile (TM) and progressively motile (PM) sperms after the collection, cooling and freezing of stallion semen. The average volume of semen was 167 ml in Thoroughbred and 68 ml in Arab. The average numbers of spermatozoa in Thoroughbred and Arab were $104\times10^6/ml$ and $86\times10^6/ml$ respectively. The average percentages of TM and PM were 82.3% and 88.6% in Thoroughbred, and 61.4% and 82.6% in Arab, respectively. The average percentage of TM at 4 hr after cooling at $5^{\circ}C$ was significantly lower than that at 0 hr ($30.0\pm4.1%\;vs.\;78.0\pm2.5%,\;p<0.05$), but the percentage of PM was similar between 66.5 and 73.2% at 0, 1, and 4hr. The average percentage of frozen-thawed Thoroughbred semen frozen in MFR5 extender was 56.2%, which was significantly higher than that of the semen frozen in LE extender (average 32.9%, p<0.05). The percentage of TM in Arab was similar for semen frozen in MFR5 extender and LE extender (18.2% and 21.2%, respectively), but the percentage of PM was significantly higher in sperm frozen in MFR5 extender than in sperm frozen in LE extender (69.0% vs. 36.4%, p<0.05). Four mares were artificially inseminated by Thoroughbred frozen-thawed semen and one of them fertilized at 11 day after artificial insemination. In this study, the collection, cooling and freezing of equine semen were possible under domestic conditions.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.233-244
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• 2012

Purpose: The kinetic evaluation was performed for swine manure (SM) degradation and biogas generation. Methods: The SM was anaerobically digested using batch digesters at feed to inoculum ratio (F/I) of 1.0 under mesophilic conditions ($36.5^{\circ}C$). The specific gas yield was expressed in terms of gram total chemical oxygen demand (mL/g TCOD added) and gram volatile solids added (mL/g VS added) and their effectiveness was discussed. The biogas and methane production were predicted using first order kinetic model and the modified Gompertz model. The critical hydraulic retention time for biomass washout was determined using Chen and Hashimoto model. Results: The biogas and methane yield from SM was 346 and 274 mL/ TCOD added, respectively after 100 days of digestion. The average methane content in the biogas produced from SM was 79% and $H_2S$ concentration was in the range of 3000-4108 ppm. It took around 32-47 days for 80-90% of biogas recovery and the TCOD removal from SM was calculated to be 85%. When the specific biogas and methane yield from SM (with very high TVFA concentration) was expressed in terms of oven dried volatile solids (VS) basis, the gas yield was found to be over estimated. The difference in the measured and predicted gas yield was in the range of 1.2-1.5% when using first order kinetic model and 0.1% when using modified Gompertz model. The effective time for biogas production ($T_{Ef}$) from SM was calculated to be in the range of 30-45 days and the critical hydraulic retention time ($HRT_{Critical}$) for biomass wash out was found to be 9.5 days. Conclusions: The modified Gompertz model could be better in predicting biogas and methane production from SM. The HRT greater than 10 days is recommended for continuous digesters using SM as feedstock.