• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.18
• /
• pp.8107-8112
• /
• 2016

Background and Aims: Colorectal cancer is the second most frequent cancer in Malaysia. We aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Malaysian Chinese version of European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire core (QLQ-C30) in patients with colorectal cancer. Materials and Methods: Translated versions of the QLQ-C30 were obtained from the EORTC. A cross sectional study design was used to obtain data from patients receiving treatment at two teaching hospitals in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Malaysian Chinese version of QLQ-C30 was self-administered in 96 patients while the Karnofsky Performance Scales (KPS) was generated by attending surgeons. Statistical analysis included reliability, convergent, discriminate validity, and known-groups comparisons. Statistical significance was based on p value ${\leq}0.05$. Results: The internal consistencies of the Malaysian Chinese version were acceptable [Cronbach's alpha (${\alpha}{\geq}0.70$)] in the global health status/overall quality of life (GHS/QOL), functioning scales except cognitive scale (${\alpha}{\leq}0.32$) in all levels of analysis, and social/family functioning scale (${\alpha}=0.63$) in patients without a stoma. All questionnaire items fulfilled the criteria for convergent and discriminant validity except question number 5, with correlation with role (r = 0.62) and social/family (r = 0.41) functioning higher than with physical functioning scales (r = 0.34). The test-retest coefficients in the GHS/QOL, functioning scales and in most of the symptoms scales were moderate to high (r = 0.58 to 1.00). Patients with a stoma reported statistically significant lower physical functioning (p=0.015), social/family functioning (p=0.013), and higher constipation (p=0.010) and financial difficulty (p=0.037) compared to patients without stoma. There was no significant difference between patients with high and low KPS scores. Conclusions: Malaysian Chinese version of the QLQ-C30 is a valid and reliable measure of HRQOL in patients with colorectal cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.18
• /
• pp.8101-8105
• /
• 2016

Background: This study examined the psychometric properties of the Bahasa Malaysia (BM) version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Colorectal Cancer-specific Quality Of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-CR29). Materials and Methods: We studied 93 patients recruited from University Malaya and Universiti Kebangsaan Medical Centers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia using a self-administered method. Tools included QLQ-C30, QLQ-CR29 and Karnofsky Performance Scales (KPS). Statistical analyses included Cronbach's alpha, test-retest correlations, multi-traits scaling and known-groups comparisons. A p vaue ${\leq}0.05$ was considered significant. Results: The internal consistency coefficients for body image, urinary frequency, blood and mucus and stool frequency scales were acceptable (Cronbach's alpha ${\alpha}{\geq}0.65$). However, the coefficients were low for the blood and mucus and stool frequency scales in patients with a stoma bag (${\alpha}=0.46$). Test-retest correlation coefficients were moderate to high (range: r = 0.51 to 1.00) for most of the scales except anxiety, urinary frequency, buttock pain, hair loss, stoma care related problems, and dyspareunia (r ${\leq}0.49$). Convergent and discriminant validities were achieved in all scales. Patients with a stoma reported significantly higher symptoms of blood and mucus in the stool, flatulence, faecal incontinence, sore skin, and embarrassment due to the frequent need to change the stoma bag (p < 0.05) compared to patients without stoma. None of the scales distinguished between patients based on the KPS scores. There were no overlaps between scales in the QLQ-C30 and QLQ-CR29 (r < 0.40). Conclusions: the BM version of the QLQ-CR29 indicated acceptable psychometric properties in most of the scales similar to original validation study. This questionnaire could be used to complement the QLQ-C30 in assessing HRQOL among BM speaking population with colorectal cancer.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.99-105
• /
• 2008

Purpose: In terminally ill cancer patients, accurate prediction of survival is necessary for clinical and ethical reasons, especially in helping to avoid harm, discomfort and inappropriate therapies and in planning specific care strategies. The aim of the study was to investigate prognostic factor of dying patients. Methods: We enrolled the terminal cancer patients from Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital from 2004 until their death. We observed symptoms shown in dying patients and assess 17 common symptoms shown in terminally ill cancer patients, performance status, pain and analgesic use. Results: Average period from hospitalization to death was 11.7 days. The most important prognostic factor is performance status (KPS), average KPS at enrollment is 48% and at last 48 hours is 25%. Physical symptoms that have significant prognostic importance are poor oral intake, weakness, constipation, decreased Karnofsky performance status, bed sore, edema, jaundice, dry mouth, dyspnea. Dying patients showed markedly decreased systolic blood pressure, cyanosis, drowsiness, abnormal respiration, death rattle frequently at 48 hours before death. Conclusion: If we assess the symptoms more carefully, we can predict the more accurate prognosis. The communication about the prognostic information will influence the personal therapeutic decision and specific care planning.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.54 no.5
• /
• pp.399-404
• /
• 2013

Objective : The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study to determine prognostic factors and treatment outcomes of brain metastases (BM) from breast cancer (BC) after Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKS). Methods : Pathologic and clinical features, and outcomes were analyzed in a cohort of 62 patients with BM from BC treated by GKS. The Kaplan- Meier method, the log-rank test, and Cox's proportional hazards model were used to assess prognostic factors. Results : Median survival after GKS was 73.0 weeks (95% confidence interval, 46.0-100.1). HER2+ [hazard ratio (HR) 0.441; p=0.045], Karnofsky performance scale (KPS) ${\geq}70$ (RR 0.416; p=0.050) and systemic chemotherapy after GKS (RR 0.282; p=0.001) were found to be a favorable prognostic factor of overall survival. Actuarial local control (LC) rate were $89.5{\pm}4.5%$ and $70.5{\pm}6.9%$ at 6 and 12 months after GKS, respectively. No prognostic factors were found to affect LC rate. Uni- and multivariate analysis revealed that the distant control (DC) rate was higher in patients with; a small number (${\leq}3$) of metastasis (HR 0.300; p=0.045), no known extracranial metastasis (p=0.013, log-rank test), or the HER2+ subtype (HR 0.267; p=0.027). Additional whole brain radiation therapy and metastasis volume were not found to be significantly associated with LC, DC, or overall survival. Conclusion : The treatment outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed BM from BC treated with GKS could be affected primarily by intrinsic subtype, KPS, and systemic chemotherapy. Therapeutic strategy and prognosis scoring system should be individualized based on considerations of intrinsic subtype in addition to traditionally known parameters related to stereotactic radiosurgery.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.75-83
• /
• 2018

Purpose: To provide effective palliative care, it is important to predict not only patients' life expectancy but their discharge status at a time of inpatient admission to a hospice care facility. This study was aimed to identify meaningful life expectancy indicators that can be used to predict patients' discharge status on admission to the facility. Methods: Among 568 patients who were admitted to the hospice ward of P hospital from April 1, 2016 through December 31, 2017, 377 terminal cancer patients were selected. This retrospective cohort study was performed by using performance status, symptoms and signs, socioeconomic status, laboratory findings on admission. Results: Alive discharge was associated with a good performance status that was measured with the Karnofsky and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) scales and the Global health and Mental status. Less anorexia, dyspnea, dysphagia and fatigue were also associated with symptoms and signs. Associated laboratory findings were close to normal Complete Blood Cell (CBC) count, Liver Function Test (LFT) and Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS), ECOG, Global health, Mental status, anorexia, dyspnea, dysphagia, fatigue, CBC, LFT, BUN are meaningful indicators when predicting discharge status for inpatients. Further investigation is warranted.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
• /
• v.38 no.6_1
• /
• pp.1015-1023
• /
• 2022

The Entry-Descent-Landing process of a lander involves many environmental and technical challenges. To solve these problems, recently, terrestrial relative navigation (TRN) technology has been essential for landers. TRN is a technology for estimating the position and attitude of a lander by comparing Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) data and image data collected from a descending lander with pre-built reference data. In this paper, we present a method for generating descent dataset and extracting landmarks, which are key elements for developing TRN technologies to be used on Mars. The proposed method generates IMU data of a descending lander using a simulated Mars landing trajectory and generates descent images from high-resolution ortho-map and digital elevation map through a ray tracing technique. Landmark extraction is performed by an area-based extraction method due to the low-textured surfaces on Mars. In addition, search area reduction is carried out to improve matching accuracy and speed. The performance evaluation result for the descent dataset generation method showed that the proposed method can generate images that satisfy the imaging geometry. The performance evaluation result for the landmark extraction method showed that the proposed method ensures several meters of positioning accuracy while ensuring processing speed as fast as the feature-based methods.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.395-406
• /
• 2023

The first technological advance to improve the output and efficiency of the latest steam turbines operating in co-generation plants in Korea can be said to be progress in the field of materials that can use high-temperature, high-pressures steam. As a result of design efforts to improve the internal efficiency of steam turbines along with the development of materials, only a few manufacturers of steam turbine have produced high efficiency steam turbines. The internal efficiency of a steam turbine on the steam path operating for a long period of time is gradually lost owing to the limit of mechanical life, and efficiency and output decrease. Therefore, this study aims to develop a model that can analyze the steam flow path performance of HP (High Pressure) and IP (Intermediate Pressure) steam turbine for a co-generation plant using a commercial program and propose a performance calculation method. Owing to the complex performance calculation method of steam turbines, major variables are presented to serve as practically useful references for steam turbine practitioners. In addition, the thermal dynamic analysis(such as heat balance diagram calculation) and the the thermal dynamic calculation required for steam turbine performance calculation and the suitability of the steam turbine performance calculation results were compared with the performance test results.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.167-171
• /
• 2009

Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres have been a useful tool as a controlled drug delivery system for peptides and proteins. Recently, porous microspheres have gained great attention as inhalation drug delivery system due to their low aerodynamic densities. Here, we report highly porous PLGA microspheres, which were prepared by using a single o/w emulsification/solvent evaporation method. Two types of porogen, i.e., (i) extractable Pluronic F127 and (ii) gas foaming salt of ammonium bicarbonate, were used to induce pores on the surface of PLGA microspheres. The respective preparation conditions on dp/cp ratio and porogen concentration were determined by the previous preliminary experiments, and other preparation factors were further optimized on the basis of PLGA Mw and porogen type. The morphological features examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) show these porous microspheres have highly porous surface structure with a diameter range of 20${\sim}$30 ${\mu}$m. These highly porous PLGA microspheres, which have much lower density, would be a practical aerosol system for pulmonary drug delivery.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.201-205
• /
• 2009

Triglyceride solid lipid with medium chain fatty acid, tricaprin (TC), was used as a core matrix of lipid nanoparticles (LN) to solubilize water-insoluble paclitaxel and enhance the stability of nanoparticles by immobilization of incorporated drug in the solid core during storage at low temperature. In the present study, TC-LN containing paclitaxel was prepared by hot melt homogenization method using TC as a core lipid and phospholipids as stabilizers. The particle size of TC-LN containing paclitaxel was less than 200 nm and its zeta potential was around -40 mV. Calorimetric analysis showed TC core could be solidified by freezing and thawing in the manufacturing process in which the hot dispersion should be prepared at elevated temperature and subsequently cooled to obtain solid lipid nanoparticles. The melting transition of TC core was observed at $27.5^{\circ}C$, which was lower than melting point of TC bulk. The particle size of TC-LN remained unchanged when kept at $4^{\circ}C$. Paclitaxel containing TC-LN showed comparable anticancer activity to the Cremophore ELbased paclitaxel formulation against human ovarian (OVCAR-3) and breast (MCF-7) cancer cell lines. Thus, lipid nanoparticles with medium chain solid lipid may have a potential as alternative delivery system for parenteral administration of paclitaxel.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.217-219
• /
• 2009

There are several approaches to calculate a sample size for bioequivalence test. Among these approaches, sample sizes determination based on Schuirmann's two one-sided tests procedures has been used most popularly in case of 2${\times}$2 bioequivalence study. Here we proposed simple sample size table for conventional 2${\times}$2 bioequivalence test based on Schuirmann's two one-sided tests in accordance with Korean Guidelines for Bioequivalence Test. This table will allow researchers with a little statistical background to calculate the sample size for bioequivalence with easy process.