• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.387-394
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• 2010

In the field of healthcare, the conventional sterilization treatments have been replaced by irradiation methods which are in accordance with internationally well established quality standards. The quality control in radiation sterilization assures that the absorbed dose of the irradiated material is in agreement with its requirements and standards. The electron beam irradiation requires technical assessments of more process parameters than gamma irradiation does. Korea has witnessed wide uses of electron accelerators since early 2000 but there hasn't been research experiences relating to quality system in accordance with international standards. The new large scale e-beam irradiation system with the specification of 10 MeV, 8 kW was installed and operated in 2008 by Seoul Radiology Services Co. It consists of the electron accelerator, product handling system, safety, documentation and control subsystems into an integrated system to meet the requirement of the Good Manufacturing Practice such as process quality assurance and management of product tracking records. To implement the international standard such as EN ISO11137, it is necessary to understand the purposes aimed in the standard and carry out the tests following the procedures required. This study presented the specification of the e-beam facility and showed what its design requirements and features are. The test results on a variety of process parameters were presented and validated it they are within the required limits.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.32-41
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• 2011

By using a newly developed Korean risk-based corrective action (K-RBCA) software (K-RBCA) and the RBCA Tool Kit, risk assessment was performed on a site that was contaminated with aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals. Eight chemicals including benzene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, naphthalene, benz(a) anthracene, benzo(b) fluoranthene, benzo(a) pyrene, and arsenic that exceeded the US EPA Soil Screening Level were chosen as the target pollutants. A conceptual site model was constructed based on the site-specific effective exposure pathways. According to the RBCA Tool Kit the carcinogenic risk of arsenic was larger than $10^{-6}$, which is the generally acceptable carcinogenic risk level. The K-RBCA estimated the same level of carcinogenic risk for arsenic. With the RBCA Tool Kit, the carcinogenic risk of benzo(a) pyrene was estimated to be about $1.3{\times}10^{-6}$. However, with the K-RBCA benzo(a) pyrene did not exhibit any risk. The inconsistency between the softwares was attributed to the different fundamental settings (i.e., medium division) between the two softwares. While the K-RBCA divides medium into surface soil, subsurface soil, and groundwater, the RBCA Tool Kit divides medium into only soil and groundwater. These differences lead to the different exposure pathways used by the two softwares. The K-RBCA considers the exposure pathways in surface soil and subsurface soil separately to estimate risk, however, the RBCA Tool Kit considers the surface soil and subsurface soil as one and uses the integrated exposure pathways to estimate risk. Thus the resulting risk is higher when the RBCA Tool Kit is used than when the K-RBCA is used. The results from this study show that there is no significant difference in the risks estimated by the two softwares, thus, it is reasonable to use the K-RBCA we developed in risk assessment of soil and groundwater. In addition, the present study demonstrates that the assessor should be familiar with the characteristics of a contaminated site and the assumptions used by a risk assessment software when carrying out risk assessment.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.148-153
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• 2015

Allium hookeri is a plant species native to India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and China. The plant is widely cultivated in Korea lately as a medicinal food item. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of Allium hookeri (A. hookeri) on lipid metabolism in Type II diabetic mice (n=8/group, 5 groups). High fat diets with dextrin as a positive control (Dex), leaf (AL), root (AR), and fermented root (FAR) at 3% of diet were fed to all experimental mouse, respectively for 8 weeks. Body weight gain, liver and epididymal fat weights, and excreted fecal lipid levels were measured. Serum and hepatic lipid profiles were analyzed, and fat accumulation in liver was evaluated. In this study, body weight gain and epididymal fat weight were lower in the FAR group, while serum HDL-cholesterol level and excreted fecal total lipid and triglyceride levels were higher in AL or FAR groups. These results suggest that A. hookeri, specially fermented root can be a useful food item to control lipid metabolism in diabetic mice.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.167-172
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• 2015

Aleurone layer of Black rice (Oryza sativa L.) is enriched with anthocyanin that could increase bone density. This study was conducted to investigate the osteoporosis-preventing effects of the aleurone layer extract (BRE) on bone loss of ovariectomized (OVX) rats. OVX (or sham-operated) rats were assigned to three groups (n=8 per group): sham operated group (Sham); OVX control group (OVX); OVX-BRE group, OVX rats treated with BRE at 90 mg/kg B.W. The deionized water alone or deionized water with BRE was orally administrated to Sham, OVX or OVX-BRE groups, respectively for 12 weeks. High fat diet with 45 kcal% fat and water were fed to all rats ad libitum. Body weight was significantly decreased in the OVXBRE group compared to the OVX group (p<0.05). The bone mineral density and bone length of tibia were significantly higher in the OVX-BRE group compared to the OVX group and breaking force was significantly higher for the both tibia and femur bones. Serum estradiol concentration and calcium concentration of femur were higher in the OVX-BRE group than those of OVX group. However, serum alkaline phosphatase activity and parathyroid hormone concentration were decreased in the OVXBRE group compared to the OVX group. The results suggest that aleurone layer of Black rice is a potentially useful ingredient to protect against estrogen deficiency or menopause related osteoporosis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.240-248
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• 2014

Background: Open heart surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is considered one of the most frequent surgical procedures in which acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent and serious complication. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficiency of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) as an early AKI biomarker after CPB in cardiac surgery (CS). Methods: Thirty-seven adult patients undergoing CS with CPB were included in this retrospective study. They had normal preoperative renal function, as assessed by the creatinine (Cr) level, NGAL level, and estimated glomerular filtration rate. Serial evaluation of serum NGAL and Cr levels was performed before, immediately after, and 24 hours after the operation. Patients were divided into two groups: those who showed normal immediate postoperative serum NGAL levels (group A, n=30) and those who showed elevated immediate postoperative serum NGAL levels (group B, n=7). Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 18. Results: Of the 37 patients, 6 (6/37, 16.2%) were diagnosed with AKI. One patient belonged to group A (1/30, 3.3%), and 5 patients belonged to group B (5/7, 71.4%). Two patients in group B (2/7, 28.5%) required further renal replacement therapy. Death occurred in only 1 patient (1/37, 2.7%), who belonged to group B. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that postoperative plasma NGAL levels can be used as an early biomarker for the detection of AKI following CS using CPB. Further studies with a larger sample size are needed to confirm our results.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.02a
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• pp.165-165
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• 2010

$1.55\;{\mu}m$ 대역의 레이저 다이오드를 제작하기 위해, InP(001) 기판에 InAlGaAs 물질을 장벽층으로 하는 InAs 양자점 구조를 분자선증착기 (MBE)를 이용하여 성장하고 구조 및 광학적 특성을 Double Crystal X-ray Diffraction (DCXRD), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Photoluminescence (PL)을 이용하여 평가하였다. 일반적으로 InAlGaAs 물질은 고유한 상분리 현상 (Phase Separation)이 나타나는 특성이 있으며, 이는 양자점 성장에 중요한 요인으로 작용할 수 있다. 이러한 InAlGaAs 물질의 상분리 현상을 기판온도 ($540^{\circ}C$, $555^{\circ}C$, $570^{\circ}C$)를 비롯한 성장변수를 변화시켜 제어하고 InAs 양자점 형성에 어떠한 영향을 미치는지를 분석하였다. 540의 성장온도에서 InP(001) 기판에 격자정합한 InAlGaAs 장벽층이 성장온도를 $570^{\circ}C$로 증가시킬 경우 기판에 대하여 인장 응력 (Tensile Strain)을 받는 구조로 변화되었다. 인장응력을 받는 InAlGaAs 장벽층을 Ga Flux 양을 조절하여 격자정합한 InAlGaAs 층을 형성할 수 있었다. AFM을 통한 표면 형상 분석 결과, 서로 다른 기판온도에서 성장한 InAlGaAs 물질이 InP(001) 기판에 격자정합 조건일지라도 표면의 거칠기 (Surface Roughness)는 매우 다른 양상을 보였고 InAs 양자점 형성에 직접적으로 영향을 주었다. $570^{\circ}C$에서 성장한 InAlGaAs 위에 형성한 InAs 양자점의 가로방향 크기를 세로방향 크기로 나눈 비율이 1.03으로서, 555와 $540^{\circ}C$의 1.375 와 1.636와 비교할 때 모양 대칭성이 현저히 개선된 것을 알 수 있다. 상분리 현상이 줄어 표면 거칠기가 좋은 InAlGaAs 위에 양자점을 형성할 때 원자들의 이동도가 상대적으로 높아 InAs 양자점의 크기가 증가하고, 밀도가 감소하는 현상이 나타났다. 또한 InAlGaAs 장벽층이 InP(001) 기판을 기준으로 응력 (Compressive 또는 Tensile)이 존재하는 경우, InAs 양자점 모양이 격자정합 조건 보다 비대칭적으로 변하는 특성을 보여 주었다. 이로부터, 대칭성이 개선된 InAs 양자점 형성에 InAlGaAs 장벽층의 표면 거칠기와 응력이 중요한 변수로 작용함을 확인 할 수 있었다. PL 측정 결과, 발광파장은 $1.61\;{\mu}m$로 InAs 양자구조 형상에 따라 광강도 (Intensity), 반치폭 (Line-width broadening) 등이 변화 되었다.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.45-51
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• 2016

Purpose: The aim of this work was to assess the efficacy and tolerability of hypofractionated intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in patients with localized prostate cancer. Materials and Methods: Thirty-nine patients who received radical hypofractionated IMRT were retrospectively reviewed. Based on a pelvic lymph node involvement risk of 15% as the cutoff value, we decided whether to deliver treatment prostate and seminal vesicle only radiotherapy (PORT) or whole pelvis radiotherapy (WPRT). Sixteen patients (41%) received PORT with prostate receiving 45 Gy in 4.5 Gy per fraction in 2 weeks and the other 23 patients (59%) received WPRT with the prostate receiving 72 Gy in 2.4 Gy per fraction in 6 weeks. The median equivalent dose in 2 Gy fractions to the prostate was 79.9 Gy based on the assumption that the ${\alpha}/{\beta}$ ratio is 1.5 Gy. Results: The median follow-up time was 38 months (range, 4 to 101 months). The 3-year biochemical failure-free survival rate was 88.2%. The 3-year clinical failure-free and overall survival rates were 94.5% and 96.3%, respectively. The rates of grade 2 acute genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) toxicities were 20.5% and 12.8%, respectively. None of the patients experienced grade ${\geq}3$ acute GU and GI toxicities. The grade 2-3 late GU and GI toxicities were found in 8.1% and 5.4% of patients, respectively. No fatal late toxicity was observed. Conclusion: Favorable biochemical control with low rates of toxicity was observed after hypofractionated IMRT, suggesting that our radiotherapy schedule can be an effective treatment option in the treatment of localized prostate cancer.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.306-316
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• 2017

Purpose: To investigate the predictive role of maximum standardized uptake value ($SUV_{max}$) of 2-[$^{18}F$]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose($^{18}F-FDG$) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in nasopharyngeal cancer patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Materials and Methods: Between October 2006 and April 2016, 53 patients were treated with IMRT in two institutions and their PET/CT at the time of diagnosis was reviewed. The $SUV_{max}$ of their nasopharyngeal lesions and metastatic lymph nodes (LN) was recorded. IMRT was delivered using helical tomotherapy. All patients except for one were treated with concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT). Correlations between $SUV_{max}$ and patients' survival and recurrence were analyzed. Results: At a median follow-up time of 31.5 months (range, 3.4 to 98.7 months), the 3-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 83.2% and 77.5%, respectively. In univariate analysis, patients with a higher nodal pre-treatment $SUV_{max}$ (${\geq}13.4$) demonstrated significantly lower 3-year OS (93.1% vs. 55.5%; p = 0.003), DFS (92.7% vs. 38.5%; p < 0.001), locoregional recurrence-free survival (100% vs. 50.5%; p < 0.001), and distant metastasis-free survival (100% vs. 69.2%; p = 0.004), respectively. In multivariate analysis, high pre-treatment nodal $SUV_{max}$ (${\geq}13.4$) was a negative prognostic factor for OS (hazard ratio [HR], 7.799; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.506-40.397; p = 0.014) and DFS (HR, 9.392; 95% CI, 1.989-44.339; p = 0.005). Conclusions: High pre-treatment nodal $SUV_{max}$ was an independent prognosticator of survival and disease progression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients treated with IMRT in our cohort. Therefore, nodal $SUV_{max}$ may provide important information for identifying patients who require more aggressive treatment.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.320-324
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• 2007

This study was undertaken to assess the antinociceptive effect of Korean bee venom (BV) in mice. Korean BV was collected using BV collector devices in which an electrical impulse is used to stimulate the worker bee (Apis mellifera L.) to sting and release venom. After collection, whole BV was evaporated until dry using the BV collector. Experiments were performed on male ICR mice (weighing $30{\sim}35g$, 6 weeks old). Mice were divided into 4 groups, each comprising 8 mice. BV was diluted and amounts of 6 mg/kg body weight (BW), 0.6 mg/kg BW and 0.06 mg/kg BW were tested. BV was subcutaneously injected to produce an antinociceptive effect and the antinociceptive efficacy was evaluated using a writhing test in mice. Intraperitoneal injection of acetic acid produced a tonic pain behavior, first observed at 3 to 9 min post-injection. This writhing response peaked at 20 min post-acetic acid injection, and then declined until it was undetectable at 60 min post-injection. The time elapse between the administration of acetic acid and the first observed pain behaviors indicated a dose-dependent suppressive effect. These results suggest that Korean BV may be used to achieve an antinociceptive effect for use in medical therapies.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.655-662
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• 2004

The aim of this work was the validation of a rapid real-time PCR assay based on TaqMan technology for the unequivocal identification of infectious canine hepatitis (ICH) virus, to be used directly on DNA purified from blood specimens. A real-time PCR system targeting at the E3 ORFA gene sequence of canine adenovirus type 1 was optimized and validated through comparative analysis of samples using conventional PCR system. The real-time PCR assay based on TaqMan technology could disclose 23 (37.7%) out of 61 samples as PCR positive. In contrast, 18 (29.5%) samples were found PCR positive when conventional PCR was applied on these samples. The use of the ABI Prism 7700 sequence detection system allowed the efficient determination of the amplified product accumulation through a fluorogenic probe. The entire real-time TaqMan PCR assay, including DNA extraction, amplification, and detection could be completed within 3 hours. The detection method of real-time TaqMan PCR assay was 1,000 times more sensitive than conventional PCR. Real-time TaqMan probe and primer set developed and optimized in this study is a sensitive, rapid and accurate method for detection of ICH virus and can be effective screening tool for the detection of ICH in a diagnostic laboratory routines.