• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.925-928
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• 2014

Background: Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) is a spectrum of disease with abnormal trophoblastic proliferation. Treatment is based on FIGO stage and WHO risk factor scores. Patients whose score is 12 or more are considered as at extremely high risk with a high likelihood of resistance to first line treatment. Optimal therapy is therefore controversial. Objective: This study was conducted in order to summarize the regimen used for extremely high risk or resistant GTN patients in our institution the in past 10 years. Materials and Methods: All the charts of GTN patients classified as extremely high risk, recurrent or resistant during 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2011 were reviewed. Criteria for diagnosis of GTN were also assessed to confirm the diagnosis. FIGO stage and WHO risk prognostic score were also re-calculated to ensure the accuracy of the information. Patient characteristics were reviewed in the aspects of age, weight, height, BMI, presenting symptoms, metastatic area, lesions, FIGO stage, WHO risk factor score, serum hCG level, treatment regimen, adjuvant treatments, side effects and response to treatment, including disease free survival. Results: Eight patients meeting the criteria of extremely high risk or resistant GTN were included in this review. Mean age was 33.6 years (SD=13.5, range 17-53). Of the total, 3 were stage III (37.5%) and 5 were stage IV (62.5%). Mean duration from previous pregnancies to GTN was 17.6 months (SD 9.9). Mean serum hCG level was 864,589 mIU/ml (SD 98,151). Presenting symptoms of the patients were various such as hemoptysis, abdominal pain, headache, heavy vaginal bleeding and stroke. The most commonly used first line chemotherapeutic regimen in our institution was the VAC regimen which was given to 4 of 8 patients in this study. The most common second line chemotherapy was EMACO. Adjuvant radiation was given to most of the patients who had brain metastasis. Most of the patients have to delay chemotherapy for 1-2 weeks due to grade 2-3 leukopenia and require G-CSF to rescue from neutropenia. Five form 8 patients were still survived. Mean of disease free survival was 20.4 months. Two patients died of the disease, while another one patient died from sepsis of pressure sore wound. None of surviving patients developed recurrence of disease after complete treatment. Conclusions: In extremely high risk GTN patients, main treatment is multi-agent chemotherapy. In our institution, we usually use VAC as a first line treatment of high risk GTN, but since resistance is quite common, this may not suitable for extremely high risk GTN patients. The most commonly used second line multi-agent chemotherapy in our institution is EMA-CO. Adjuvant brain radiation was administered to most of the patients with brain metastasis in our institution. The survival rate is comparable to previous reviews. Our treatment demonstrated differences from other institutions but the survival is comparable. The limitation of this review is the number of cases is small due to rarity of the disease. Further trials or multicenter analyses may be considered.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.59 no.5
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• pp.492-497
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• 2016

Objective : Decompressive craniectomy is an effective therapy to relieve high intracranial pressure after acute brain damage. However, the optimal timing for cranioplasty after decompression is still controversial. Many authors reported that early cranioplasty may contribute to improve the cerebral blood flow and brain metabolism. However, despite all the advantages, there always remains a concern that early cranioplasty may increase the chance of infection. The purpose of this retrospective study is to investigate whether the early cranioplasty increase the infection rate. We also evaluated the risk factors of infection following cranioplasty. Methods : We retrospectively examined the results of 131 patients who underwent cranioplasty in our institution between January 2008 and June 2015. We divided them into early (${\leq}90days$) and late (>90 days after craniectomy) groups. We examined the risk factors of infection after cranioplasty. We analyzed the infection rate between two groups. Results : There were more male patients (62%) than female (38%). The mean age was 49 years. Infection occurred in 17 patients (13%) after cranioplasty. The infection rate of early cranioplasty was lower than that of late cranioplasty (7% vs. 20%; p=0.02). Early cranioplasty, non-metal allograft materials, re-operation before cranioplasty and younger age were the significant factors in the infection rate after cranioplasty (p<0.05). Especially allograft was a significant risk factor of infection (odds ratio, 12.4; 95% confidence interval, 3.24-47.33; p<0.01). Younger age was also a significant risk factor of infection after cranioplasty by multivariable analysis (odds ratio, 0.96; 95% confidence interval, 0.96-0.99; p=0.02). Conclusion : Early cranioplasty did not increase the infection rate in this study. The use of non-metal allograft materials influenced a more important role in infection in cranioplasty. Actually, timing itself was not a significant risk factor in multivariate analysis. So the early cranioplasty may bring better outcomes in cognitive functions or wound without raising the infection rate.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.8
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• pp.1162-1169
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• 2016

A new method based on accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) combined with response surface methodology (RSM) has been developed for optimization of the extraction of ginsenoside [Rb1, Rg1, and Rg3(20S)], total phenolics, and benzopyrene in red ginseng. The RSM method, based on a five level and two variable central composite design, was employed to obtain the optimal combination of extraction conditions. In brief, ginsenosides Rb1, Rg1, and Rg3(20S) and total phenolics with undetectable benzopyrene were optimally extracted with 50% ethanol as an extraction solvent, extraction temperature of $158^{\circ}C$, extraction time of 20 min, extraction pressure of 2,500 psi, flush volume of 60%, and one extraction cycle. The contents of ginsenosides and total phenolics in red ginseng extracted by ASE under optimum conditions were significantly higher than those extracted by sonication and reflux extraction.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.273-285
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• 2002

Three materials for sport underwear were manufactured by order for study, and among them, suitable material in order to perform an experiment on the effect of wearing was adopted. The results are as follows: The result of wearing an experimental clothes for sports manufactured as a foundation-type underwear for sports showed that if the same compositional materials were applied, laminating material had higher rate than that of others in the amount of sweat. Concerning relative humidity in clothes and the amount of sweat absorbed in clothes among the two kinds of materials which were produced by laminate, material 2(nylon+modal) was statistically exerts higher influence on the amount of sweat. The humidity in clothes keeps the optimal condition of 59.8%, and breast part showed the highest relative humidity. The material 2(nylon+modal) showed the highest comfortableness, the sense of warmth, humidity and voluminousness, and the sense of pressure. Follow-up survey revealed that in case of material 2, higher amount of sweat than that of the group objects in its early phase, and the amount of sweat varies from individuals. The temperature in clothes of folded parts of experimental clothes and maximum surface temperature was equivalent to that of average skin. With the lapse of time, the weight decreased of 11.03% in maximum, and 3.12% in minimum. The amount of change in the girth was greater in part of body frame than that of limbs, and especially, navel and waist part showed high decrease, and upper breast, breast and the largest part of abdomen showed relatively low decrease. The above experiment revealed that materials for suitable to the underwear for sports for loss of weight by an exercise should be made of doubled-nylon and modal, along with the laminate processing, which heightens the amount of sweat. Thus, wearing an experimental wear gave satisfaction in the view of the beauty of appearance as it did not discharge flowing secretion to the outside at the time of exercise.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.10-19
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• 2007

Conventional MRI methods using T1-, T2-, diffusion-, perfusion-weighting, and functional imaging rely on characterizing the physical and functional properties of the tissue. In this review, we introduce an imaging modality based on measured the mechanical properties of soft tissue, namely magnetic resonance elastography (MRE). The use of palpation to identify the stiffness of tissue remains a fundamental diagnostic tool. MRE can quantify the stiffness of the tissue thereby providing a objective means to measure the mechanical properties. To accomplish a successful clinical setting using MRE, hardware and software techniques in the area of transducer, pulse sequence, and imaging processing algorithm need to be developed. Transducer, a mechanical vibrator, is the core of MRE application to make wave propagate invivo. For this reason, considerations of the frame of human body, pressure and friction of the interface, and high magnetic field of a MRI system needs to be taken into account when designing a transducer. Given that the wave propagates through human body effectively, developing an appropriate pulse sequence is another important issue in obtaining an optimal image. In this review paper, we introduce the technical aspects needed for MRE experiments and introduce several applications of this new field.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.91-99
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• 2014

The common-rail injectors are the most critical component of the CRDI diesel engines that dominantly affect engine performances through high pressure injection with exact control. Thus, from now on the advanced combustion technologies for common-rail diesel injection engine require high performance fuel injectors. Accordingly, the previous studies on the numerical and experimental analysis of the diesel injector have focused on a optimum geometry to induce proper injection rate. In this study, computational predictions of performance of the diesel injector have been performed to evaluate internal flow characteristics for various needle lift and the spray pattern at the nozzle exit. To our knowledge, three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of the internal flow passage of an entire injector duct including injection and return routes has never been studied. In this study, major design parameters concerning internal routes in the injector are optimized by using a CFD analysis and Response Surface Method (RSM). The computational prediction of the internal flow characteristics of the common-rail diesel injector was carried out by using STAR-CCM+7.06 code. In this work, computations were carried out under the assumption that the internal flow passage is a steady-state condition at the maximum needle lift. The design parameters are optimized by using the L16 orthogonal array and polynomial regression, local-approximation characteristics of RSM. Meanwhile, the optimum values are confirmed to be valid in 95% confidence and 5% significance level through analysis of variance (ANOVA). In addition, optimal design and prototype design were confirmed by calculating the injection quantities, resulting in the improvement of the injection performance by more than 54%.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.548-556
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• 2015

The highly maneuverable fighter aircraft such as F-22, F-16 and F-15have the high maneuverability to maximize the combat performance, whereas the high maneuver characteristics might degrade the pilot's mission efficiency due to fatigue's increase by exposing him to the high gravity and, in the worst case, the pilot could face GLOC (Gravity-induced Loss Of Consciousness). The advanced aerospace company has applied the various technologies to improve the pilot's tolerance to the gravity acceleration, in order to prevent the pilot from entering the situation of the loss of consciousness. Especially, the Anti-G Suit(AGS) equipment to protect the pilot against the high gravity in flight could improve the mission success rate by decreasing the pilot's fatigue in the combat maneuver as well as prevent the pilot from facing GLOC. In this paper, a control algorithm is developed and verified to provide an optimal air pressure to AGS according to the gravity increase during the high performance maneuver. This result is expected, as the key technology, to contribute to the KF-X(Korean Fighter eXperimental), project in the near future.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.41 no.7
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• pp.645-653
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• 2017

In bone tissue engineering, polycaprolactone (PCL) is one of the most widely used biomaterials in the manufacturing of scaffolds as a synthetic polymer having biodegradability and biocompatibility. The strut width in the fabrication of scaffolds is an important part of tissue regeneration in in-vitro and in-vivo experiments, because it affects not only the pore size but also the porosity. In this study, we used polymer deposition system (PDS) and design of experiments (DOE) to explore the optimal process conditions to achieve a systematic and efficient scaffold manufacturing process, using temperature, pressure, scan velocity, and nozzle tip height as the parameters for the experiments. The aim of this research was to fabricate a 3D PCL scaffold having a uniform strut width of $150{\mu}m$ using DOE; it was proved that the strut width was constant in all the experimental groups by fabricating the PCL scaffolds according to various pore patterns as well as one pore pattern.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.133-138
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• 2014

Purpose: If the survival of patients suffering from severe blunt trauma is to be improved, appropriate interventions should be taken immediately. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical utility of end-tidal carbon dioxide ($ETCO_2$) as a surrogate marker for predicting both the need for intervention and the prognosis. Methods: This is a prospective observational study. Nasal cannula was applied to measure $ETCO_2$, and the following parameters, which are known to be related to the prognosis for a patient, were recorded: injury severity score (ISS), revised trauma score (RTS), arterial blood gas (ABG), lactate, and hemoglobin (Hb). To evaluate the outcome, we investigated the details of emergent interventions and expired patients. Results: A total of 93 patients were enrolled in this study. Emergent intervention was significantly associated with systolic blood pressure (sBP, p-value=0.001), $ETCO_2$ (p-value<0.001), serum lactate level (p-value<0.001), pH (p-value< 0.003), $HCO_3$ (p-value=0.004), base excess (p-value<0.002), ISS (p-value<0.001) and RTS (p-value=0.005). In the multivariate logistic regression, only $ETCO_2$ (odds ratio (OR): 0.897, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.792-0.975, p-value= 0.048) and ISS (OR: 1.132, 95% CI: 1.053-1.233, p-value=0.002) were associated with emergent intervention whereas $ETCO_2$ (p-value=0.973) and ISS (p-value=0.511) were not statistically significant in predicting the survival of patients in the univariate analysis. An optimal ETCO cut-off of 29 mmHg on the ROC curve was determined, with the area under the ROC curve (AUC) being 0.824 (0.732-0.917)]. Conclusion: This study has revealed that $ETCO_2$, which can be rapid and easily measured through a nasal cannula, and the ISS may be prognostic indicators of emergent interventions in Emergency Departments.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.407-408
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• 2011

Natural boron consists of two stable isotopes 10B and 11B with natural abundance of 18.8 atom percent of 10B and 81.2 atom percent of 11B. The thermal neutron absorption cross-section for 10B and 11B are 3837 barn and 0.005 barn respectively. 10B enriched specific compounds are used for control rods and as a reactor coolant additives. In this work 2 methods for boron enrichment were analysed: 1) Gas irradiation in static conditions. Dissociation occurs due to multiphoton absorption by specific isotopes in appropriately tuned laser field. IR shifted laser pulses are usually used in combination with increasing the laser intensity also improves selectivity up to some degree. In order to prevent recombination of dissociated molecules BCl3 is mixed with H2S 2) SILARC method. Advantages of this method: a) Gas cooling is helpful to split and shrink boron isotopes absorption bands. In order to achieve better selectivity BCl3 gas has to be substantially rarefied (~0.01%-5%) in mixture with carrier gas. b) Laser intensity is lower than in the first method. Some preliminary calculations of dissociation and recombination with carrier gas molecules energetics for both methods will be demonstrated Boron separation in SILARC method can be represented as multistage process: 1) Mixture of BCl3 with carrier gas is putted in reservoir 2) Gas overcooling due to expansion through Laval nozzle 3) IR multiphoton absorption by gas irradiated by specifically tuned laser field with subsequent gradual gas condensation in outlet chamber It is planned to develop software which includes these stages. This software will rely on the following available software based on quantum molecular dynamics in external quantized field: 1) WavePacket: Each particle is treated semiclassicaly based on Wigner transform method 2) Turbomole: It is based on local density methods like density of functional methods (DFT) and its improvement- coupled clusters approach (CC) to take into account quantum correlation. These models will be used to extract information concerning kinetic coefficients, and their dependence on applied external field. Information on radiative corrections to equation of state induced by laser field which take into account possible phase transition (or crossover?) can be also revealed. This mixed phase equation of state with quantum corrections will be further used in hydrodynamical simulations. Moreover results of these hydrodynamical simulations can be compared with results of CFD calculations. The first reasonable question to ask before starting the CFD simulations is whether turbulent effects are significant or not, and how to model turbulence? The questions of laser beam parameters and outlet chamber geometry which are most optimal to make all gas volume irradiated is also discussed. Relationship between enrichment factor and stagnation pressure and temperature based on experimental data is also reported.