• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.469-472
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• 2010

Purpose: Aplasia Cutis Congenita (ACC) is a rare disease characterized by the focal defect of the skin at birth, frequently involving scalp, but it may affect any region of the body. There are no etiology known but some conditions such as intrauterine vascular ischemia, amniotic adherences and viral infections are associated. The ideal treatment for the ACC is not known. Superficial and relatively small sized defects (< $3{\times}5\;cm$) may heal spontaneously and large defects related with risks of infection and bleeding may require aggressive surgical treatment. Hyalomatrix$^{(R)}$ is a bilayer of an esterified hyaluronan scaffold beneath a silicone membrane. It has been used as a temporary dermal substitute to cover deep thickness skin defect and has physiological functions derive from the structural role in extracellular matrix and interaction with cell surface receptor. This material has been used for the wound bed pre-treatment for skin graft to follow and especially in uncooperative patient, like a newborn, this could be a efficient and aseptic way of promoting granulation without daily irritative wound care. For this reason, using Hyalomatrix$^{(R)}$ for the treatment of ACC was preferred in this paper. Methods: We report a case of a newborn with ACC of the vertex scalp and non-ossified partial skull defect. The large sized skin and skull defect ($6{\times}6\;cm$) was found with intact dura mater. No other complications such as bleeding or abnormal neurologic sign were accompanied. Escharectomy was performed and Hyalomatrix$^{(R)}$ was applied for the protection and the induction of acute wound healing for 3 months before the split-thickness skin graft. During the 3 months period, the dressing was renewed in aseptic technique for every 3 weeks. The skin graft was achieved on the healthy granulation bed. Results: The operative procedure was uneventful without necessity of blood transfusion. Postoperative physical examination revealed no additional abnormalities. Regular wound management was performed in out-patient clinic and the grafted skin was taken completely. No other problems developed during follow-up. Conclusion: Hyalomatrix$^{(R)}$ provides protective and favorable environment for wound healing. The combination of the use of Hyalomatrix$^{(R)}$ and the skin graft will be a good alternative for the ACC patients with relatively large defect on vertex.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.173-184
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• 2008

Development of an accident estimation model based on accident data can be made after accident occurrences. However, the taking of historical accident data is not easy, and there have been differences between real accident data and police-reported accident data. Also, another difficult shortcoming is that historical traffic accident data better consider driver behavior or intersection characteristics. A new method needs to be developed that can predict accident occurrences for traffic safety improvement in black spots. Traffic conflict decision techniques can acquire and analyze data in time and space, requiring less data collection through investigation. However, there are shortcomings: as existing traffic conflict techniques do not operate automatically, the analyst's opinion could easily affect the study results. Also, existing methods do not consider the severity of traffic conflicts. In this study, the authors presented traffic conflict decision criteria which consider conflict severity, including opposing left turn traffic conflict and cross traffic conflict decision criteria. In order to test these criteria, the authors acquired three signalized intersection images (two intersections in Sungnam city and one intersection in Paju) and analyzed the acquired images using image processing techniques based on individual vehicle tracking technology. Within the analyzed images, level 1 conflicts occurred 343 times over three intersections. Some of these traffic conflicts resulted in level 3 conflict situations. Level 3 traffic conflicts occurred 25 times. From the study results, the authors found that traffic conflict decision techniques can be an alternative to evaluate traffic safety in black spots.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.02a
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• pp.362-362
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• 2010

Today, vast attention has been paid to periodic arrays of nanostructures due to their potential for applications such as memory with huge storage density. Such application requires large-scale fabrication of well ordered nano-sized structures. One of the most widely used methods for the ordered nanostructures is lithography. This top-down process, however, has the limit to reduce size. Here the promising alternative is the self-organization of ordered nano-sized structures such as large scale 2d carbon-induced reconstructions on W(110). In the present study, we report on the first well-resolved atomic resolution STM studies of the well-known R($15{\times}3$) and R($15{\times}12$) carbon induced reconstruction of the W(110). From the atomic image of R($15{\times}3$) for different values of tunneling gap resistance, we can tell there are no missing atoms in unit cells of R($15{\times}3$) and some atomic displacements are substantial from the clean W(110), even though not all the imaged position of atoms correspond to tungsten, but may include those of carbon. We are considering two cases; First case is related to lattice deformation, or top layer of W(110) is deformed in the process of relief of strain caused by random inserting of carbon atoms possibly in the interstitial position. In the second case, R($15{\times}3$) unit cell results from a coincidence lattice between clean W(110) substrate and tungsten carbide overlayer which has rectangular atomic arrangement and giving R($15{\times}3$) coincidence lattice. beta-W2C showing rectangular unit cell should be a candidate. Further, we report on new reconstructions. Unlike the well-known R($15{\times}12$) consisting of two parts, two inner structures between two "Backbone" structures. The new reconstruction, which we found for the first time, contains more parts between the "Backbone"s. Sometimes we can observe the reconstruction consists of only inner parts without "Backbone" parts. Thus, the observed reconstruction can be built by constructing of two types of "Lego"-like block. Moreover, the rectangle shape of "Backbone" transform to parallelogram-like shape over time, the so-called wavy-R($15{\times}12$). Adsorption of hydrogen can be the reason for this transformation.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.83-88
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• 2009

Purpose: It is said that persons with low vision (LV) require larger object and longer exposure time to make a visual judgment. The spatial summation stands for the increasing of contrast sensitivity (CS), as the target size is enlarged. Likewise, the term temporal summation is used when the CS increases as the exposure duration is extended. The present study investigates whether or not greater target and longer exposure duration is required for LV subjects than for control subjects. Methods: Twenty subjects with LV and twenty age-matched controls took part in the study. The CS was measured with a 2 alternative forced choice stair case for 0.7 and 3.0 cycle per degree (c/d) static sinusoidal gratings within a circular aperture. The results were analyzed by mixed ANOVA (2${\times}$2). Results: As expected, the CS in the LV group were overall depressed. For spatial summation, mixed ANOVA (2 groups${\times}$2 spatial frequencies) gave p values of 0.13 for the effect of group, 0.14 for spatial frequency and there was no interaction (p=0.59). Similarly, for temporal summation the results were p=0.19 for group, 0.31 for spatial frequency and p=0.95 for interaction. Conclusions: Despite the depression of CS in the LV group, a significant difference for spatial and temporal summation between two subject groups was not reached.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.37-51
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• 2012

Objectives : The objective of this study is to determine the present state of patients with breast cancer use of Korean medicine(KM) and predictive factors for the use. Through this, the present study is intended to present reasonable treatment approaches for patients with breast cancer as well as communicating correct information on KM to healthcare providers and presenting objective alternatives for patients with breast cancer management based on the subjects' experience in health benefits obtained from their use of KM. Methods : To collect data for the present study, questionnaire surveys were conducted on outpatients who visited four hospitals located in Seoul, Korea during around three weeks from May 31, 2012. Although the total number of the questionnaire sheet distributed in the form of directly asking questionnaire questions was 300, 12 incomplete questionnaire sheets were excluded. Therefore, the number of questionnaire sheets actually used in analyses was 288 and thus the collect rate was 96%. Results : Major results of this study are as follows. First, the number of subjects who responded to the questionnaire was 288 in total. Forty-six percent of the patients reported KM usage and the most commonly used ginseng and qigong/exercise. KM use was found to be associated with age, experiencing side effects of cancer treamnent. Factors that affect the use of KM were analyzed by Linear Logistic Regression and the results showed that age, experiencing side effects of cancer treatment, effectiveness of cancer treatment, and satisfaction of the treatment were factors that were related with relatively more frequent use of KM. Conclusions : Comparing the previous studies, it could be seen that patients with breast cancer were highly interested in and used KM in which conventional medicine and KM are used simultaneously. Knowledge on the integrative use of KM and conventional therapies is necessary for cancer physicians and traditional Korean medical doctors to help patients make informed choices. KM use may play a role in the positive benefits associated with process of breast center treatment. Healthcare providers should communicate correct information on the KM use that has been scientifically verified and talk with each other openly. The fact that the significant correlation between predictive factors for the use of KM was identified trough the present study is quite meaningful.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.149-158
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• 2006

Objectives : We wanted to evaluate the economic value of a pharmaceutical product, Kremezin, for treating patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) by estimating the amount of cost savings due to its effect for delaying the initiation of dialysis treatments. Methods : We defined a conventional treatment for CRF accompanied by Kremezin therapy as 'the treatment group' and only conventional treatment as 'the alternative group.' The types of costs included were direct medical and nonmedical costs and costs of productivity loss. The information on the effect of Kremezin was obtained from the results of earlier clinical studies. Cost information was derived from the administrative data for 20 hemodialysis and 20 peritoneal dialysis patients from one tertiary care hospital, and also from the administrative data of 10 hemodialysis patients from one free-standing dialysis center. Per-capita cost savings resulting from Kremezin therapy were separately estimated for the cases with delay for the onset of hemodialysis and the cases with immediate performance of peritoneal dialysis. By computing the weighted average for the cases of hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, the expected per-capita cost savings of a patient with CRF was obtained. Using a discount rate of 5%, future cost savings were converted to the present value. Results : The present value of cumulative cost savings per patient with CRF from the societal perspective would be $18,555,000{\sim}29,410,000$ Won or $72,104,000{\sim}112,523,000$ Won if Kremezin delays the initiation of dialysis by 1 or 4 years. Conclusions : The estimated amount of cost savings resulting from treating CRF patients with Kremezin confirms that its effect for delaying the onset of dialysis treatments has a considerable economic value.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.172-182
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• 2020

Objectives : In this study, we conducted a focus group interview among expatriates living in Korea, to investigate their experiences and perceptions of acupuncture and Korean Medicine in order to improve the usage of Korean Medicine in the medical tourism market. Methods : The inclusion criteria for the focus group interview was: (1) participants between the age of 20 to 75 years old; (2) those who had lived in Korea for more than 90 days, and (3) those who were able to express their thoughts freely in English. The participants were informed that the interviews will be recorded and transcribed. We ended recruitment once saturation of materials was met. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the data was analyzed after each interview. Results : The interviews were held between June to December 2016. Twenty-four participants were recruited but four dropped out and a total of twenty participants successfully finished the interviews. Six focus group interviews were conducted. Analysis revealed that Korean Medicine was relatively less known compared to Traditional Chinese Medicine or Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Participants automatically associated acupuncture with the management of pain or stress and replied that these were the areas that they thought acupuncture would be most effective. Positive experiences with acupuncture and with the acupuncture practitioners were factors that promoted the use of acupuncture whereas lack of awareness, accessibility and accreditation were factors that hindered its use. Other factors that hindered the use of acupuncture was needle phobia and the perception that acupuncture lacks scientific evidence. Conclusions : Awareness on Korean Medicine and acupuncture is low. Participants lack awareness on what diseases acupuncture can treat, the scientific evidence behind the mechanism of action, and the rigorous education system that Korean Medicine doctors must go through to get their license. Rigorous marketing should be encouraged, which includes greater exposure in the media, more honest reviews from patients, and promotion of the scientific evidence base.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.430-438
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• 1999

Purpose: We evaluated a rapid preparation procedures for the labeling and quality control of $^{99m}Tc$-ECD, $MAG_3$, and MIBI using microwave heating and Sep-Pak cartridges. Materials and Methods: $^{99m}Tc$ labeling of ECD, $MAG_3$, and MIBI kit preparation was performed according to the package inserts with microwave heating modification. Heating time was 10-15 sec, and heating was performed with 3 mm plastic bottle with screw cap to prevent radiation contamination. Labeling efficiency was obtained with $C_{18}$ or Alumina N Sep-Pak cartridges. Results: The radiochemical purity of $93{\sim}96%$ for $^{99m}Tc$-ECD and $95{\sim}99%$ for $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI was obtained using Alumina N Sep-Pak cartridge. The optimum irradiation time of microwave method for 3 ml $^{99m}Tc$-labeled radiopharmaceutical solution was 10 sec for $^{99m}Tc$-ECD and $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI, and 15 sec for $^{99m}Tc-MAG_3$. The results of quality control data with Sep-Pak cartridges were well correlated with TLC method. The total preparation time of these radiopharmcaeuticals was $5{\sim}6min$ including quality control procedure. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that radiopharmaceuticals preparation by microwave heating and quality control by Sep-Pak cartridges can be efficiently utilized as an alternative to the recommended method by manufacturer's manual.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.176-183
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• 2014

Acoustic emission testing (AET) of cylinders is advantageous in that it can be directly conducted on cylinders installed in a car, without needing to dissemble them on a real-time basis. Therefore, users prefer AET over other nondestructive testing methods. Owing to these advantages of AET, it has been approved by the Department of Transportation of the U.S. as a safety evaluation method for pressure containers or as an alternative to the hydroproof testing method. This paper presents a study of the quantitative evaluation criteria for a container having ultrasonic testing defects and also for Type 1 and Type 2 gas cylinders, which are defective seamless pressure containers provided by NK, a manufacturer of pressure containers. For the Type 1 cylinder, the process from crack growth to leak was observed in a repetitive fatigue test using a 113 L container according to ASTM E 1419-02. Further, for the Type 2 cylinder, integrity was evaluated using a 119 L sound container and a container damaged by hydraulic pressure, by the slow-fill method according to ASTM E 2191-02. Based on the AET results of the Type 1 and Type 2 cylinders, quantitative evaluation criteria were established for a defective and non-defective container.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.178-185
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• 2013

We measured salinity and $^{222}Rn$ concentration to explore submarine spring along the coastal areas (Mundongri, Icheon-ri, Jukseong-ri, Daebyeon-ri, Yeonhwa-ri, and Dadae-po) including Ilkwang Bay of Busan Metropolitan City in 2009 and 2010. Before field observation, we selected the potential and possible locations of submarine spring based on the lineament distribution and rose diagram analysis. Salinity and radon concentration were measured within the 1~2 km from the coastal lines. Radon activity decreased gradually from onshore to offshore. Vertical profiles of salinity at some stations showed lateral transport of water mass characterized by low salinity. Vertical profiles of salinity in the Ilkwang Bay, which is a unique bay in the south-eastern coastal area of Busan Metropolitan City, also showed the occurrence of low salinity in the bottom seawater. Our results suggest the possible occurrence of submarine discharge of fresh groundwater in the coastal areas around Busan Metropolitan City. In the future, intensive research should be conducted for the exploration methods of submarine spring as well for the possible utility of submarine groundwater as alternative water resources.