• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.4645-4649
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• 2012

Metaplastic breast carcinoma (MpBC) is a rare disease entity, accounting for less than 1% of all breast carcinomas. Furthermore, it is a heterogenous disease with different subgroups, including malignant epithelial (carcinoma) and stromal (sarcoma) features. Here we evaluated, retrospectively, 14 female MpBC patients admitted to Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital between 2005 and 2011. Median age was 45.5 (range:16.0-76.0) and tumor size 57.5 mm (range: 20.0-80.0 mm). Histopathological subtypes were as follows: 5 carcinosarcoma, 5 squamous and 4 adenosquamous carcinoma. All but one with upfront lung metastasis, had their primary breast tumor operated. Axillary lymph nodes were involved in 64.3%. The most common sites of metastasis were lungs and brain. Chemotherapy including antracycline, taxane and even platinium was planned for adjuvant, neoadjuvant and palliative purposes in 9, 3 and 1 patient, respectively. Median cycles of chemotherapy was 6 (range:4-8). Median follow-up of the patients was 52 months (95%CI 10.4-93.6 month). Median 3 year progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in this patients cohort were 33% and 56%, respectively. In conclusion, MpBC is a rare and orphan disease without standardized treatment approaches and the prognosis is poor so that larger studies to investigate different treatment schedules are urgently needed.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.18 no.2 s.92
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• pp.189-198
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• 2006

The composition of most engineering materials is heterogeneous at some degree. It is simply a question of scale at which the level of heterogeneity becomes apparent. In the case of cementitious granular materials such as concrete the heterogeneity appears at the mesoscale where it is comprised of aggregate particles, a hardened cement paste and voids. Since it is difficult to consider each separate particle in the topological description explicitly, numerical models of the meso-structure are normally confined to two-phase matrix particle composites in which only the larger inclusions are accounted for. 2-D and 3-D concrete blocks(Representative Volume Element, RVE) are used to simulating heterogeneous concrete meso-structures in the form of aggregates in the hardened mortar with nearly zero-thickness linear or planar interfaces. The numerical sensitivity of these meso-structures are Investigated with respect to the different morphologies of heterogeneity and the different level of coupling constant among fracture mode I, II and III. In addition, a numerically homogenized concrete block in 3-D using Hashin-Shtrikman variational bounds provides an evidence of the effective cracking paths which are quite different with those of heterogenous concrete block. However, their average force-displacement relationship show a pretty close match each other.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.143-152
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• 2015

Ultrasonography is relatively inexpensive, non-invasive imaging tool and provides real-time imaging. In addition, the images can be obtained repeatedly. But it is not widely used by dentists because it is hard to interpret and technique sensitive. Above all, ultrasonography cannot be used for hard tissue diagnosis. However, ultrasonography can be applied for diagnosis of infection, soft tissue tumor and inflammatory muscle diseases which are commonly found in dental outpatients. Generally, it shows well-defined border, hypoechoic and homogenous structure in case of benign tumor. Malignant tumor appears relatively irregular margin and heterogenous structure. Cyst represents relatively echo-free features compared with benign tumor. Although the general characteristics of abscess are similar with benign tumor, we can observe an increased vascularity and different clinical features. The purpose of this report is to present 3 cases of US images using office-based ultrasonography with their features and discuss the role of office-based ultrasound in dentistry for diagnosis of soft tissue lesions with literature review.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2010

It has been shown that CA repeats in the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of bcl-2 mRNA contribute the constitutive decay of bcl-2 mRNA and that hnRNP L (heterogenous nuclear ribonucleoprotein L) interacts with CA repeats in the 3'-UTR of bcl-2 mRNA, both in vitro and in vivo. The aim of this study was to determine whether the alteration of hnRNP L affects the stability of bcl-2 mRNA in vivo. Human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cells were transfected with hnRNP L-specific shRNA or hnRNP L-expressing vector to decrease or increase hnRNP L levels, respectively, followed by an actinomycin D chase. An RT-PCR analysis showed that the rate of degradation of endogenous bcl-2 mRNA was not affected by the decrease or increase in the hnRNP L levels. Furthermore, during apoptosis or autophagy, in which bcl-2 expression has been reported to decrease, no difference in the degradation of bcl-2 mRNA was observed between control and hnRNP L-knock down MCF-7 Cells. On the other hand, the levels of AUF-1 and nucleolin, transacting factors for ARE in the 3'UTR of bcl-2 mRNA, were not significantly affected by the decrease in hnRNP L, suggesting that a disturbance in the quantitative balance between these transacting factors is not likely to interfere with the effect of hnRNP L. Collectively, the findings indicate that the decay of bcl-2 mRNA does not appear to be directly controlled by hnRNP L in vivo.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.504-508
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• 2014

A 59-year-old male patient had 5-month history of gait disturbance and memory impairment. His initial brain computed tomography scan showed $3.5{\times}2.8cm$ sized mass with high density in the pineal region. The tumor was hypointense on T2 weighted magnetic resonance images and hyperintense on T1 weighted magnetic resonance images with heterogenous enhancement of central portion. The tumor was totally removed via the occipital transtentorial approach. Black mass was observed in the operation field, and after surgery, histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of malignant melanoma. Whole spine magnetic resonance images and whole body 18-fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography could not demonstrate the primary site of this melanoma. Scrupulous physical examination of his skin and mucosa was done and dark pigmented lesion on his left leg was found, but additional studies including magnetic resonance images and skin biopsy showed negative finding. As a result, final diagnosis of primary pineal malignant melanoma was made. He underwent treatment with the whole brain radiotherapy and extended local boost irradiation without chemotherapy. His preoperative symptoms were disappeared, and no other specific neurological deficits were founded. His follow-up image studies showed no recurrence or distant metastasis until 26 weeks after surgery. Primary pineal malignant melanomas are extremely rare intracranial tumors, and only 17 cases have been reported since 1899. The most recent case report showed favorable outcome by subtotal tumor resection followed by whole brain and extended local irradiation without chemotherapy. Our case is another result to prove that total tumor resection with radiotherapy can be the current optimal treatment for primary malignant melanoma in the pineal region.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.463-474
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• 2017

Heterogeneous background fractures of granite and sedimentary rocks in Gyeongju LILW (low-intermediate level radioactive waste) facility area have been characterized quantitatively by analyzing fracture parameters (orientation, intensity, and size). Surface geological survey, electrical resistivity survey, and acoustic televiewer log data were used to characterize the heterogeneity of background fractures. Bootstrap method was applied to represent spatial anisotropy of variably oriented background fractures in the study area. As a result, the fracture intensity was correlated to the inverse distance from the faults weighted by nearest fault size and the mean value of electrical resistivity and the average volumetric fracture intensity ($P_{32}$) was estimated as $3.1m^2/m^3$. Size (or equivalent radius) of the background fractures ranged from 1.5 m to 86 m and followed to power-law distribution based on the fractal property of fracture size, using fractures measured on underground silos and identified surface faults.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.9-19
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• 1998

The present study was primarily carried out to characterize the properties of the spinomesencephalic tract (SMT) neurons that project from the upper cervical spinal segments to the midbrain. It was also investigated whether these neurons received convergent afferent inputs from other sources in addition to cervical inputs. Extracellular single unit recordings were made from neurons antidromically activated by stimulation of midbrain. Recording sites were located in lamina $I{\sim}VIII\;of\;C1{\sim}C3$ segments of spinal cord. Receptive field (RF) and response properties to mechanical stimulation were studied in 71 SMT neurons. Response profiles were classified into six groups: complex (Comp, n=9), wide dynamic range (WDR, n=16), low threshold (LT, n=5), high threshold (HT, n=6), deep/tap (Deep, n=10), and non- responsive (NR, n=25). Distributions of stimulation and recording sites were not significantly different between SMT groups classified upon their locations and/or response profiles. Mean conduction velocity of SMT neurons was $16.7{\pm}1.28\;m/sec$. Conduction velocities of SMTs recorded in superficial dorsal horn (SDH, n=15) were significantly slower than those of SMTs recorded in deep dorsal horn (DDH, n=18), lateral reticulated area (LRA, n=21), and intermediate zone and ventral horn (IZ/VH, n=15). Somatic RFs for SMTs in LRA and IZ/VH were significantly larger than those in SDH and DDH. Five SMT units (4 Comps and 1 HT) had inhibitory somatic RFs. About half (25/46) of SMT units have their RFs over trigeminal dermatome. Excitabilities of 5/12 cells and 9/13 cells were modulated by stimulation of ipsilateral phrenic nerve and vagus nerve, respectively. These results suggest that upper cervical SMT neurons are heterogenous in their function by showing a wide range of variety in location within the spinal gray matter, in response profile, and in convergent afferent input.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.23-35
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• 1983

Since the national health insurance was introduced in 1978, the increased utilization of hospitals and the growing importance of pharmaceutical services to hospital patients have made the administration of these services a very complex and specialized responsibility. The pharmaceutical services has always been an essential component of comtemporary hospital care. In the hospital, the pharmaceutical services is the professional department which concerns itself with the evaluation, selection, control and utilization of drugs. The director of this service must be a versatile professional person who can work effectively in a heterogenous society of educated persons. However, graduate education in hospital pharmacy has not been introduced yet in Korea. The necessity of graduate education hospital pharmacy has been discussed in this research. Graduate education in hospital pharmacy emphasizes preparation for assumption of responsibility as the senior hospital pharmacist or the director of pharmaceutical services. Graduates should also be prepared as administrators of a department that must operate with great efficiency. They should be prepared serve as a consultant on drugs for the medical and allied health professional staff, organizing and disseminating a large and dynamic body of information in their interest and to establish professional roles that emphasize procurement, storage, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, control and evaluation of drugs. Senior hospital pharmacist is a teacher charged with responsibility fer formal and informal instruction of other hospital personnel in pharmaceutical sciences. In addition, the graduates have the opportunity to be a researcher dealing with aspect of hospital care and are intensively educated in the professional aspects of hospital pharmacy practices. The curriculum of graduate education in hospital pharmacy should be established detailly and carefully to fit the educational objective.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.529-534
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• 2002

Interstitial pneumonia is a heterogenous group of inflammatory and fibrosing lesions that manifest themselves as infiltrative lung disease. Of these, nonspecific interstitial pneumonia is characterized as a variable degree of interstitial inflammation with or without fibrosis and is distinguished from usual interstitial pneumonia and desquamative interstitial pneumonia, histologically. The influx of inflammatory cells and the responses of immune effector cells injury to the alveolar wall and these initial injuries results in alveolitis and fibrosis. Consequently, the gas exchange throughout the alveolar wall is impaired and the patients suffer from lung diseases of a restrictive pattern. The chief complaints represented are dyspnea and dry cough. We experienced a case of nonspecific interstitial pneumonia in a 10-year old girl. The patient had been healthy and had not been exposed to organic dusts or other toxic materials. The pathology of lung biopsy tissue showed that the alveoli were thickened by a mixture of chronic inflammatory cells and collagen type fibrosis. High resolution computed tomography(HRCT) found the patchy areas of ground-glass opacity with patchy consolidation and irregular reticular opacity, and diffuse distribution without zonal predominance. The forced vital capicity(FVC) was 31%, forced expiratory volume in one second ($FEV_1$) 29% and $FEV_1/FVC$ 90%, so a restrictive pulmonary insufficiency was found.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.173-181
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• 1988

Various types of evidence suggest that some changes in cellular in cellular calcium may well signal the initiation of a chain of events leading to the physiological effects of the bone resorbing agents. The effects of 1,25-dihydorxycholecalciferol, $1.25\textrm{(OH)}_2\textrm{D}_3$, Ca ionophore A23187 and calcium antagonist, diltiazem on bone resprption and the cellular transport of Ca were investigated. Bone $^{45}\textrm{Ca}$ desaturation experiment was realized in isolated heterogenous rat bone cells after equilibrating the cells with $^{45}\textrm{Ca}$. Results of $^{45}\textrm{Ca}$ desaturation experiments were analysed by fitting the $^{45}\textrm{Ca}$ desaturation curve to a model of 2 exponential terms which indicated the presence of 2 exchangeable cellular calcium pools. $1.25\textrm{(OH)}_2\textrm{D}_3$ (0.5ng/$m\ell$) induced significantly bone resorption which was decreased by the physiological dose of diltiazeme(above 5nmol/$m\ell$) although it was ineffective alone. Ionophore A23187 (0.2$\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$) decreased Ca release from bone but no additivity of effect with diltiazem(20nmol/$m\ell$) was observed. $1.25\textrm{(OH)}_2\textrm{D}_3$ (0.5ng/$10^{6}$ cells) had a moderate effect on the two kinetic phases of $^{45}\textrm{Ca}$ desaturation curve and these values were normalized when diltiazeme (20nmol/$10^{6}$ cells) was added along with $1.25\textrm{(OH)}_2\textrm{D}_3$. Ionophore($0.05\mu\textrm{g}$/$10^{6}$ cells) alone increased specifically the value of the slow turnover rate which was not affected by addition of diltiazem. The hypothesis concerning the involvement of calcium in bone resorption seems in fact to be verified in case of $1.25\textrm{(OH)}_2\textrm{D}_3$ but more unsettled for Ca inophore A23187.