• Journal of KIISE:Computer Systems and Theory
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.677-683
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• 2006

If a node stops functioning in an ad-hoc wireless network, routing paths involving the node will also fail, when construction of replacement routes is required. A major cause of node failure is energy exhaustion, and route replacements may in turn lead to successive node failures by making more nodes consume their energy. The result could be performance degradation of networks. Therefore it is important to ensure that nodes with limited remaining energy are not included in route construction from the beginning. In this paper we propose a new routing protocol, which takes residue energy of nodes into account in order to prevent node failures resulting from energy shortage. Our routing protocol examines the smallest value of node residue energy ($E_{m}$) from each of all possible routing paths and selects the path which has the largest value of $E_{m}$. We prove, through simulation, that our routing protocol extends the lifetime of nodes which have limited amount of energy, reducing chances of path replacement. It is also shown that our proposed protocol helps alleviate network performance degradation.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.111-124
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• 2002

Purpose : Although the average life expectancy has increased due to advances in medicine, mortality due to cancer is on an increasing trend. Consequently, the number of terminally ill cancer patients is also on the rise. Predicting the survival period is an important issue in the treatment of terminally ill cancer patients since the choice of treatment would vary significantly by the patents, their families, and physicians according to the expected survival. Therefore, we investigated the prognostic factors for increased mortality risk in terminally ill cancer patients to help treat these patients by predicting the survival period. Methods : We investigated 31 clinical parameters in 157 terminally ill cancer patients admitted to in the Department of Family Medicine, National Health Insurance Corporation Ilsan Hospital between July 1, 2000 and August 31, 2001. We confirmed the patients' survival as of October 31, 2001 based on medical records and personal data. The survival rates and median survival times were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank test was used to compare the differences between the survival rates according to each clinical parameter. Cox's proportional hazard model was used to determine the most predictive subset from the prognostic factors among many clinical parameters which affect the risk of death. We predicted the mean, median, the first quartile value and third quartile value of the expected lifetimes by Weibull proportional hazard regression model. Results : Out of 157 patients, 79 were male (50.3%). The mean age was $65.1{\pm}13.0$ years in males and was $64.3{\pm}13.7$ years in females. The most prevalent cancer was gastric cancer (36 patients, 22.9%), followed by lung cancer (27, 17.2%), and cervical cancer (20, 12.7%). The survival time decreased with to the following factors; mental change, anorexia, hypotension, poor performance status, leukocytosis, neutrophilia, elevated serum creatinine level, hypoalbuminemia, hyperbilirubinemia, elevated SGPT, prolonged prothrombin time (PT), prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), hyponatremia, and hyperkalemia. Among these factors, poor performance status, neutrophilia, prolonged PT and aPTT were significant prognostic factors of death risk in these patients according to the results of Cox's proportional hazard model. We predicted that the median life expectancy was 3.0 days when all of the above 4 factors were present, $5.7{\sim}8.2$ days when 3 of these 4 factors were present, $11.4{\sim}20.0$ days when 2 of the 4 were present, and $27.9{\sim}40.0$ when 1 of the 4 was present, and 77 days when none of these 4 factors were present. Conclusions : In terminally ill cancer patients, we found that the prognostic factors related to reduced survival time were poor performance status, neutrophilia, prolonged PT and prolonged am. The four prognostic factors enabled the prediction of life expectancy in terminally ill cancer patients.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.76-83
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• 1995

Background: Despite advances in chemotherapy, the treatment of inoperable non-small cell carcinoma of the lung remains poor. According to the recent reports, the response rates of mitomycin, vinblastine, and cisplatin(MVP) chemotherapy are higher than those of other cisplatin based polychemotherapy and MVP chemotherapy can be used as neoadjuvant chemotherapeutic regimen. But the overall response rates of MVP chemotherapy range from 17 to 53 percent, so we studied the effect of MVP chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Method: We treated forty patients with stage III or IV non-small cell lung cancer with two courses of MVP chemotherapy($8mg/m^2$ of mitomycin on day 1, $6mg/m^2$ of vinblastine on day 2 & day 14, and $100mg/m^2$ of cisplastin on day 1) at 4 weeks interval. Then all patients were evaluated the response of chemotherapy 4 weeks later, and received further chemotherapy, palliative radiotherapy or supportive therapy according to the patient's condition. We also determined the median survival time and prognostic factors. Results: 1) Nine patients(23%) had a partial reponse, 23 patients(57%) had a stable disease, and disease progressed in 8 patients(20%). There were no patients with complete response. 2) The overall median survival time was 36 weeks(range, 9 to 119+ weeks). The median survival time of responder(partial response) and non-responder(stable and progressed) groups were 60 weeks(range, 36 to 82+ weeks) and 31 weeks(range, 9 to 119+ weeks) respectively(p=0.03). 3) The median survival time of the female group was 71 weeks and significantly prolonged in comparision with 35 weeks of the male group(p=0.01). But, the other prognostic factors didn't affect the survival time and response rate. 4) The median survival times of chemotherapy group and chemotherapy with palliative radiotherapy group were not significantly different. Conclusion: MVP combined chemotherapy is unsatisfactory in improving survival in advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Therefore, further studies are needed to find more active new agents and to estabilish the efficacy of the combined treatment with radiotherapy and/or surgery.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.1214-1218
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• 1997

The therapeutic results of pulmonary resection for metastatic bone and soft tissue sarcomas were analyzed. From 1986 to 1996, 14 patients(11 male and 3 female) underwent 15 pulmonary resections for metastatic sarcomas. One(7.1%) patient had 2 thoracotomies for recurrences. The number of metastatic tumors were from one to five. The primary malignant tumors were from bone in 4 and from soft tissues in 10. Mean survival time after thoracotomy was 29.2 months, and Kaplan-Meier's 5-year survival rate from the first metastasectomy was 33.2%. Three patients who had the tumor free interval period over 3 years were alive(mean survival period 52.6 months), whereas eleven patients of the less than 3 years were dead with disease(mean survival period 17.3 months). These results suggested that pulmonary. metastasectomy in bone and soft tissue sarcoma may prolong the survival rate.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.57-70
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• 2003

Background : Small cell lung cancer represents approximately 20% of all carcinomas of the lung, and is recognized as having a poor long term outcome compared to non-small cell lung cancer. Therefore, this study investigated the prognostic factors in small cell lung cancer patients in order to improved the survival rate by using the proper therapeutic methods. Material and method : The clinical data from 394 patients who diagnosed with small cell lung cancer and treated from 1993 to 2001 at the Kosin University Gospel Hospital, were analyzed. Result : There were 314 male patients (79.7%), and 80 female patients (20.3%). The number of those with limited disease was 177 (44.9%), and the number of those with extensive disease was 217 (55.1%). Overall, 366 out of 394 enrolled patients had died. The median survival time was 215 days (95% CI : 192-237days). The disease stage, Karnofsky performance state, 5% body weight loss for the recent 3 months, chemotherapy regimens, and the additive chest radiotherapy were identified as being statistically significant factors for the survival time. The median survival times of the supportive care group, one anticancer therapy, and two or more treatment groups were 17 days, 211 days, and 419 day, respectively (p<0.001). These data emphasize the importance of anticancer treatment to improve survival time for patients. The group of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (30 patients) showed significantly longer survival time than the group given sequential chemoradiotherapy (55 patients) (528 days versus 373 days, p=0.0237). The favorable prognostic factors of laboratory study were groups of leukocyte =8,000/mm3, ALP=200 U/L, LDH=450 IU/L, NSE=15 ng/mL, s-GOT=40 IU/L. In extensive disease, there was no difference according to the number of metastatic site. However, the median survival time of patients with ipsilateral pleural effusion had longer than patients having other metastatic sites. According to the survey periods, three groups were divided into 1993-1995, 1996-1998, and 1999-2001. The median survival time was significantly prolonged after 1999 in comparison to previous groups (177 days, 194 days, 289 days, p=0.001, 0.002, respectively). Conclusion: Disease stage and 5% body weight loss for recent 3 months at diagnostic state were significant prognostic factors. In addition, the performance status, serum ALP, LDH, NSE, CEA levels also appear to be prognostic factors. The survival time of those patients with small cell lung cancer has been prologned in recent years. It was suggested that the used of the EP (etoposied and cisplatin) chemotherapy method and concurrent chemoradiotherapy for patients with a limited stage contributed to the improved survival time.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.314-321
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• 1995

Background: Flow cytometric study has been used to measure the DNA content of solid tumors for the last decade. DNA ploidy is an important property commonly measured by flow cytometry. The possibility to study archival paraffin-embedded tumors has hastened an appreciation of prognostic utility of this method. The aim of this study is to look for biologic prognostic indicator for survival time of patients with small cell carcinoma of lung in addition to the well known clinical prognostic factors. Method: DNA ploidy was measured by flow cytometric method using tumor cells isolated from paraffin embedded tissue. To evaluate the prognostic significance, DNA ploidy of small cell lung cancer was analysed in 42 patients who died after receiving anticancer chemotherapy. Results: 1) Mean survival time of all patients was 190(${\pm}156$) days. Survival time was shortened, when TNM stage and PS scale were advanced. 2) 62% of all patients was DNA aneuploidy. DNA ploidy had nothing to do with advance of TNM stage and PS scale. 3) Mean survival time of aneuploid tumor was significantly shorter($138{\pm}90$ days) than that of diploid tumors($272{\pm}197$ days).(p<0.001) 4) To exclude the influence of clinical prognostic factors such as TNM stage and PS scale, the analysis was restricted to subgroups of identical stage. We were able to find the same tendency. Conclusion: DNA ploidy is an independent prognostic factor in small cell lung cancer.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.58-68
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• 2015

Objectives : To evaluate the long-term survival effects of traditional Korean medicine (TKM) on refractory metastatic lung cancer and small cell lung cancer (SCLC), which have historically poor survival rates. Methods : A retrospective study was conducted using the medical records of two patients in Daejeon University hospital. The first patient, with SCLC, was treated from January 2000 to December 2009 and the other, with metastatic pulmonary cancer from primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), was treated from September 2004 to February 2014. The patients were treated with herbal medicines at one-month intervals. During hospitalization, acupuncture and indirect moxibustion were performed concurrent with the administration of Western therapy. Treatment efficacy was assessed monthly using chest radiography, chest computed tomography, and laboratory examination data, and by measuring patient performance status. Results : Both patients exhibited a stable disease course for more than 9 years after the initial diagnosis of intractable lung cancer, suggesting that their disease status was controlled by TKM. Conclusions : We suggest that a combination of TKM with conventional Western therapy for refractory lung cancer patients is effective in controlling various symptoms related to lung cancer and improving quality of life, and may potentially prolong overall survival.

• 농업기술회보
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.27-28
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• 2011

2010년 11월 28일 경북 안동에서 발생한 구제역은 2011년 4월 21일까지 144일간 전국 11개 시 도와 75개 시 군으로 확산되어 348만두의 가축을 살처분 매몰하고, 구제역 백신을 전국적으로 접종하게 되었다. 현재 구제역은 완전히 청정화된 것이 아니고 백신접종으로 관리되고 있는 상황이다. 앞으로 기온이 낮아지면 구제역 바이러스의 생존기간이 연장되고, 차단방역을 소홀히 하면 재발의 위험성이 매우 높아지므로 예방을 위해 축산농가에서 조치해야할 사항을 알아보자.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.62 no.3
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• pp.203-210
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• 2007

Background: The incidence of adenocarcinoma of the lung has been increasing worldwide, and it has been generally been accepted to be relatively unrelated to smoking with a female preponderance. The aim of this study was to examine the gender-related pathological and survival differences in patients with an adenocarcinoma of the lung. Material and Method: A retrospective review of the clinical information of patients diagnosed with an adenocarcinoma of the lung at Kosin Medical Center from January 1999 to September 2005 was performed. The patient's demographics (age, gender), smoking history, stage, serum tumor marker, pathology classification, EGFR mutation, K-ras mutation, treatment methods, and survival time were analyzed. Result: Of the 438 patients, 179 (40.9%) were female. The median age at the diagnosis was 58 years for females and 59 years for males. However, 25.8% of women and only 17.7% of men were under 50 years of age (p=0.02). The distribution of the disease stage was similar in both men and women. The bronchioloalveolar carcinoma component was diagnosed more often in women (11.2%) than in men (5.0%). The overall survival rate was higher in women than in men (p=0.01), and women had a superior therapeutic response to a combined treatment of surgery and chemotherapy. Conclusion: This study showed significant genders differences in terms of the smoking history, bronchioloalveolar carcinoma component, overall survival, and survival after combined treatment of surgery and chemotherapy. Therefore, gender differences should be considered when diagnosing and treating adenocarcinomas of the lung.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.16-24
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• 2018

Gastric cancer is not a single, uniform disease, but rather heterogeneous in nature. It is generally not possible to cure patients with inoperable advanced or metastatic stomach cancer. In the absence of chemotherapy, the median survival time is 3 to 6 months. Therefore, several studies have confirmed the superiority of chemotherapy to the best supportive treatment, in terms of improving the quality of life and prolonging life. Various chemotherapies have been used in the past to treat advanced gastric cancer. Recently, various target therapies and immunotherapy have been introduced. However, compared to other malignancies, the quality of life and life expectancy remain relatively poor in patients with gastric cancer. We expect to overcome these difficulties in the future, with better elucidation of the molecular biology of gastric cancer.