• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.723-728
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• 2010

The effect of abdominal respiration on electrocardiogram readings was examined using a 12-lead ECG in healthy young adults. Ten males and ten females without any cardiac and/or pulmonary problems participated in this study. ECG readings during periods of abdominal respiration and thoracic respiration were compared using a paired t-test. Results showed that the PR interval was longer in males compared to females during the period of abdominal respiration (p<0.05). There were no differences in amplitudes of the P, R, T waves, QTc, and degree of P axis between abdominal respiration and thoracic respiration in both male and female subjects. However, degrees of QRS axis in male subjects (p<0.05) and T axis (p<0.05) in female subjects were increased during the abdominal respiration. Therefore, abdominal respiration may cause positive electrical axis changes in the depolarization and relaxing re-polarization of the ventricles.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.616-624
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• 2011

The flow characteristics and heat transfer augment on the periodically arranged semi-circular ribs in a rectangular channel for turbulent flow has been investigated numerically. The aspect ratio of the rectangular channel was AR=5, the rib height to hydraulic diameter ratio were 0.07 and rib height to channel height ratio was set as e/H=0.117 for various PR(rib pitch-to-rib height rate) between 8~14, respectively. The SST k-${\omega}$ turbulence model and v2-f turbulence model were used to find out the heat transfer and the flow characteristics of near the wall which are suited to obtain realistic phenomena. The numerical analysis results show turbulent flow characteristics, heat transfer enhancement and friction factor as observed experimentally. The results predict that turbulent kinetic energy(k) is closely relative to the diffusion of recirculation flow. and v2-f turbulence model simulation results have a good agreement with experimental values.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.55-60
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• 2014

Background: Whether sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) should be performed in patients with pure ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast has been a question of debate over the last decade. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with microinvasive disease and determine the criteria for performing SLNB in patients with DCIS. Materials and Methods: 125 patients with DCIS who underwent surgery between January 2000 and December 2008 were reviewed to identify factors associated with DCIS and DCIS with microinvasion (DCISM). Results: 88 patients (70.4%) had pure DCIS and 37 (29.6%) had DCISM. Among 33 DCIS patients who underwent SLNB, one patient (3.3%) was found to have isolated tumor cells in her biopsy, whereas 1 of 14 (37.8%) patients with DCISM had micrometastasis (7.1%). Similarly, of 16 patients (18.2%) with pure DCIS and axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) without SLNB, none had lymph node metastasis. Furthermore, of 20 patients with DCISM and ALND, only one (5%) had metastasis. In multivariate analysis, the presence of comedo necrosis [relative risk (RR)=4.1, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.6-10.6, P=0.004], and hormone receptor (ER or PR) negativity (RR=4.0, 95%CI=1.5-11, P=0.007), were found to be significantly associated with microinvasion. Conclusions: Our findings suggest patients presenting with a preoperative diagnosis of DCIS associated with comedo necrosis or hormone receptor negativity are more likely to have a microinvasive component in definitive pathology following surgery, and should be considered for SLNB procedure along with patients who will undergo mastectomy due to DCIS.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.15
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• pp.6595-6597
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• 2015

Objective: To investigate short- and long-term treatment effects and side reactions of lobaplatin plus 5-Fu combined and concurrent radiotherapy in treating patients with inoperable middle-advanced stage esophageal cancer. Methods: Sixty patients with middle-advanced stage esophageal squamous cell cancer were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were administered lobaplatin (50 mg intravenously) for 2 h on day 1, and 5-Fu ($500mg/m^2$) injected intravenously from day 1 to 5 for 1 cycle, in an interval of 21 days for totally 4 cycles. At the same time, late-course accelerated hyperfractionated three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy was performed. Patients were firstly treated with conventional fractionated irradiation (1.8 Gy/d, 5 times/week, a total of 23 treatments, and DT41.4 Gy), and then treated with accelerated hyperfractionated irradiation (1.5 Gy, 2 times/d, a total of 27 Gy in 9 days, an entire course of 6-7 weeks, and DT 68.4Gy). Results: All patients completed treatment, including 10 complete response (CR), 41 partial response (PR), 7 stable disease (SD), and 2 progressive disease (PD). The total effective rate was 85.0% (51/60). Thirty-nine patients had an increased KPS score. One-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates were 85.3%, 57.5%, and 41.7%, respectively. The median survival time was 27 months. The adverse reactions included myelosuppression, which was mainly degree I and II. The occurrence rate of radiation esophagitis was 17.5%. No significant hepatic or renal toxicity was observed. Conclusion: Lobaplatin plus 5-Fu combined with concurrent radiotherapy is safe and effective in treating patients with middle-advanced stage esophageal cancer. However, this result warrants further evaluation by randomized clinical studies.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.159-166
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• 2004

Safety pharmacological properties of CJ-11555, an anti-cirrhotic agent, were investigated in experimental animals and in vitro test system. CJ-11555 had no effects on normal body temperature in rats, motor coordination, chemoshock induced by pentetrazol, electric shock induced by electric shocker and writhing syndromes in mice at dose levels of 100, 300 and 1,000 mg/kg. CJ-11555 inhibited intestinal activity and prolonged hexobarbital-induced sleeping time in mice at the dose level of 1,000 mg/kg. CJ-11555 affected on general activity and behaviour tests in SD rats, such as lacrimation, ptosis, piloerection, decreased body tone, abnormal dispersion within the cage, diarrhoea, red colored faeces, slight hypothermia and decreased grooming, at the dose level of 1,000 mg/kg in rats. CJ-11555 was effected on cardiovascular and respiratory system in anesthetized beagle dogs, such as tachycardia, increase of mean blood pressure and decrease of PR interval, decrease of respiratory rate and minute volume, at dose levels of 10 and 30 mg/kg. However, these effects were also observed in vehicle treated anesthetized beagle dogs. In in vitro experiments, CJ-11555 inhibited agonists (histamine, acetyl-choline or $BaCl_2$) induced contraction of isolated guinea-pig at the concentration of 30$\times$$10^6$ M. CJ-11555 was weekly inhibited hERG channel current at concentrations of 10 and 30$\times$$10^6$ M, and $IC_{50}$ was estimated to be higher than 30${\times}$$10^6$M. Based on these results, it was concluded that CJ-11555 affected on cardiovascular and respiratory system, general activity and behaviour and hexobarbital-induced sleeping time at the dose level of 1,000 mg/kg and contraction of the smooth muscle and hERG channel current at the concentration of 30$\times$$10^6$ M.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.153-162
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• 2018

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate clinical outcomes including progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), partial response, and complete response in patients who underwent radiation therapy (RT) for mycosis fungoides (MF). Also, we sought to find prognostic factors for clinical outcomes. Materials and Methods: Total 19 patients confirmed with MF between 1999-2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical and treatment characteristics, clinical outcomes, and and toxicities were analyzed. Results: Eleven patients were treated with total skin electron beam radiotherapy (TSEBT) and 8 patients with involved field radiation therapy (IFRT) with median dose of 30 Gy, respectively. The median time interval from diagnosis to RT was 2.6 months (range, 0.4 to 87.3 months). The overall response rate was 100%; 11 patients (57.9%) had a complete response and 8 patients (42.1%) a partial response. The presence of positive lymph node at the time of consultation of RT was associated with lower OS (p = 0.043). In multivariate analysis, PFS was significantly lower for patients with increased previous therapies experienced following RT (p = 0.019) and for patients showing PR during RT (p = 0.044). There were no reported grade 3 or more skin toxicities related with RT. Conclusion: Both IFRT and TSEBT are effective treatment for MF patients. Patients with short disease course before RT or complete response during RT are expected to have longer PFS. Positive lymph node status at the initiation of RT was associated woth poor OS, suggesting other treatment modalities such as low-dose RT for patients with low life-expectancy.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.296-296
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• 2007

Ferroelectric neodymium-substituted $Bi_4Ti_3O_{12}$(BTO) thin films have been successfully deposited on Pt/Ti/$SiO_2$/Si substrate by a sol-gel spin-coating process and the effect of crystallization temperature on their microstructure and ferroelectric properties were studied systematically. $Bi(TMHD)_3$, $Nd(TMHD)_3$, $Ti(O^iPr)_4$ were used as the precursors, which were dissolved in 2-methoxyethanol. The thin films were annealed at various temperatures from 600 to $720^{\circ}C$ in oxygen ambient for 1 hr, which was followed by post-annealed for 1 hr after depositing a Pt electrode to enhance the electrical properties. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to analyze the crystallinity and surface morphology of layered perovskite phase, respectively. The crystallinity of the BNT films was improved and the average grain size increased as the crystallization temperature increased from 600 to $720^{\circ}C$ at an interval of $40^{\circ}C$. The polarization values of the films were a monotonous function of the crystallization temperature. The remanent polarization value of the BNT thin films annealed at $720^{\circ}C$ was $24.82\;{\mu}C/cm^2$ at an applied voltage of 5 V.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.287-294
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• 2023

Background: Fruit and vegetable market is an abundant source of bioaerosols. Exposure to organic and inorganic waste and long-term inhalation of bioaerosols during working hours leads to chronic respiratory symptoms. Hence, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms and related factors among fruit and vegetable workers compared with the control group in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods and materials: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from 2020 to 2021. Data were entered in EpiData 3.1 and exported to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Logistic regressions were computed to depict the data and related factors. The culture method was done to count and compare bacterial and fungal concentrations between fruit and vegetable workers and office workers. Results: In this study, the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms (PR = 2.87, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.772-4.66) was significantly higher among fruit and vegetable workers (46.7%) than controls (23.4%). Sex (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.12-3.98), educational status (AOR = 1.34, 95% CI = 0.78-2.32), working hours per day (AOR = 3.91, 95% CI = 1.586-9.65), and working department (AOR = 3.20, 95% CI = 0.90-11.40) were associated with chronic respiratory symptoms. Bacterial and fungal concentrations were significantly higher in the air of the vegetable market (276 colony-forming unit) than the air in the workplace of controls (7 colony-forming unit). Conclusion: The fruit and vegetable market workers (greengrocers) had a higher prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms relative to office workers. Respiratory protective devices should be given to deliver preventive measures.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 1992

Cis-Platinum (DDP) was utilized as a radiosensitizer in a pilot study for stage III and IV squamous cell carcinoma between 1984-1987, and DDP 20 $mg/M^2$/day was administered for 4 days at 3 week interval with concurrent radiotherapy. This study consisted of three phases: cytoreduction phase, eradicative treatment phase and adjuvant phase. Total 59 patients were subjected to evaluate a tumor response and its toxicity. During the eradicative phase,27 patients underwent surgery (group I ), 29 patients were treated with radiotherapy only (group II) and 3 patients did not complete the second phase of therapy. At the cytoreduction phase, $95\%$ response rate with complete response (CR) $47.5\%$ and partial response (PR) $47.5\%$ was observed. Complete tumor clearance (CTC) rate following 2nd phase of therapy was $84\%$ (47/56) with 26/27($96\%$) in group I achieved CTC with surgery and 21/29 ($72\%$) patients In group II achieved CTC following 2nd phase. $67\%$ of primary lesions and $70\%$ of nodal diseases in group I showed no tumor in the surgical specimen. $34\%$ of patiets who achieved CTC at 2nd phase developed recurrence and median time to recur was 8 months. Actuarial disease free survival at 4 years was $59\%$ and $51\%$(24/27) of patients who achieved CTC at 2nd phase were alive without any evidence of disease at median follow-up 31 months (range, 10-48 months). There was no significant difference in overall and disease free survival between group I and II between CR and PR group following 1st Phase. Only significant Prognostic factor in this study was the complete tumor clearance following 2nd phase theapy. In general, toxicity was not excessive. Author concludes that this study confirmed the significant radiosensitizing effect of DDP with the acceptable toxicity and warrant the prospective study to determine optimum scheduling for DDP and radiotherapy which maximizes the therapeutic gain.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.3 s.248
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• pp.214-220
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• 2005

Extended transseptal approach can provide an excellent view of the mitral valve but the safety of this approach is controversial because this incision requires transaction of the sinus node artery, which in most cases and can result postoperative arrhythmia. The purpose of this study was to evaluate perioperative and longterm conduction disturbances and the cardiac rhythms of patients who underwent an extended transseptal approach for mitral valve surgery. Material and Method: Postoperative cardiac rhythms were analyzed in the 164 consecutive patients who received mitral valve replacements with a extended transseptal approach between March 1992 and July 2003. Result: Of the 84 patients in normal sinus rhythm, 34 ($39\%$) had developed transient junctional rhythm and atrial fibrillation after operation, lasting less than 72 hours in most of cases. No intractable arrhythmias occurred. Most of these arrhythmia were not detected at the time of discharge and only 8 patients ($9\%$) had atrial fibrillation at discharge. Postoperative PR intervals increased for 1 week, then decreased within 2 weeks postoperatively, and returned to normal range by 6 months postoperatively. During the postoperative period, 4 of the 78 patients with preoperative atrial fibrillation developed normal sinus thythm. Conclusion: The post-operative arrhythmias were temporary and showed no significant complications after extended transseptal approach for the mitral valve surgery.