• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.437-443
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• 2021

Objective: This study explored the clinical usefulness of Nangan-jeon decoction to treat refractory functional dyspepsia. Methods: A 61-year-old female had been suffering from severe functional dyspepsia for about 40 years, but the dyspeptic symptoms rapidly improved after taking Nangan-jeon decoction. The clinical outcome was assessed by the numerical rating scale (NRS) and the self-reporting method. Result: After there was no improvement from various herbal treatments in a department of a Korean college hospital, the patient moved to the author's clinic. She had been diagnosed with the pattern identification of "liver-kidney deficiency cold" and prescribed with Nangan-jeon decoction. This herbal drug rapidly improved her dyspeptic symptoms, from NRS 10 to NRS 2 (after 3 weeks) and NRS 1 (after 7 weeks). Conclusion: This case report is the first to present the potential of Nangan-jeon decoction to improve refractory functional dyspepsia.

• Medical Lasers
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.62-64
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• 2020

Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease that is histopathologically characterized by abnormal differentiation and hyperproliferation of keratinocytes, infiltration of T lymphocytes, and alternations of the dermal vasculature. Pulsed dye laser (PDL) is commonly used to treat cutaneous vascular lesions, and it has been studied for the treatment of localized psoriatic lesions. A 30-year-old female patient with refractory psoriasis on her forehead was treated using PDL. After two sessions, the size of the psoriatic lesion increased, which might have occurred due to koebnerization. As the patient continued to receive PDL treatment, the lesion showed significant improvement with no recurrence on the one-year follow-up. We present here a case of refractory psoriasis treated with PDL and demonstrates an association between a delayed therapeutic effect and the Koebner phenomenon.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.2421-2427
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• 2013

Background: To study the response rate, toxicity profiles, and survival of refractory or recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients treated with paclitaxel. Materials and Methods: Patients with refractory or recurrent EOC who were treated with paclitaxel between January 2002 and December 2011 at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Vajira Hospital were identified. Clinicopathological features of the patients including detailed data of paclitaxel treatment were collected. Results: During the study period, a total of 44 patients were identified, with a mean age of $52.9{\pm}8.2$ years. Some 13.6% (six patients) had refractory cancer to first-line chemotherapy while 86.4% (38 patients) had recurrent cancer. Among these, 35 (79.6%) and 9 (20.4%) patients were considered as platinum-sensitive and platinum-resistant, respectively. Three patients (6.8%) received fewer than 2 cycles of paclitaxel due to loss to follow-up, leaving 41 patients evaluable for response. The overall response rate observed in all 41 patients was 41.5% (17 patients; 12 complete and five partial responses): 12.5% or 1/8 patients with refractory or platinum-resistant cancer and 48.5% or 16/33 patients with platinum-sensitive disease. Stable disease was demonstrated in 17.0% (seven patients) while progressive disease was apparent in 41.5% (17 patients). Median time to progress was 4.5 months (range, 0.67-58.6 months). Median progression-free survival was not reached while median overall survival was 16.3 months (95% confidence interval, 11.0 months -21.6 months). Common toxicities were neutropenia, neuropathy, and alopecia. Conclusions: Paclitaxel is an active agent for refractory or recurrent EOC. Neutropenia, neuropathy and alopecia are common side effects.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.109-126
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• 1993

Refractory periodontitis manifest progressive attachment loss in a rapid and unrelenting manner regardless of the type or frequency of therapy applied. The purpose of this study was ta evaluate the relation between the level of cytokines in GCF and periodontopathic microflora with disease activity of refractory periodontitis. Selection of patients with refractory periodontitis (7 males, 3 females) were made by long term clinical observation including conventional clinical history and parameters. Teeth that showed pocket depth greater than 6mm were selected as sample teeth. Subjects were examined at baseline and after 3 months. Prior to baseline test, individual acrylic stent was fabricated. Reference grooves were made on each sample tooth site. Pocket depth and attachment loss were measured by Florida Probe. Gingival index was measured at 4 sites each sample teeth. Disease activity was defined as attachment loss of ${\ge}$ 2.1mm, as determined by sequential probing and tolerance method. The pattern and amount of alveolar bone resorption was observed with quantitative digital subtraction image processing radiography. Morphological analysis of subgingival bacteria was taken by phase contrast microscopy. Predominant cultivable bacterial distribution and frequency were compared between disease-active and disease-inactive site using immunofluorescence microscopy and selective microbial culturing. Levels of $interleukin-l{\beta}$, 2, 4, 6 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ in GCF and blood serum sample were quantified by ELISA. In active sites, P. intermedia was significantly increased to compare with inactive site. $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-2, IL-6 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ in GCF were increased in active sites and IL-2 in serum was increased in active patients significantly. Alveolar bone loss in active site was correlated with $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-2 in GCF. And loss of attachment in active site was correlated with IL-2 in GCF. These results demonstrate that IL-2 in serum, $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-2, IL-6 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ in GCF, P, intermedia might be used as possible predictors of disease activity in refractory periodontitis before it is clinically expressed as attachment loss and quantitative alveolar bone change.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.131-139
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• 1995

Clozapine, on atypical antipsychotic drug, has been estimated to be a major improvement in the treatment-refractory schizophrenic patients. We evaluated the clozapine efficacy in the treatment of schizophrenic patients who are refractory to classic neuroleptics. The patients were assigned in a prospective, open, comparative trial for 12 weeks. Following an dose titration, 33 inpatients with treatment-refractory schizophrenia diagnosed according to DSM-III-R were given a clozapine(N=17, approximate 300-600mg/day) or haloperidol(N=16, approximate 20-30 mg/day) for 12 weeks. The clinical state was assessed before treatment, and 1st, 4th, 8th and 12th week during treatment using Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale(BPRS) and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS). Assessment of side effects were mode weekly using Simpson-Angus Scale for Extrapyramidal Side Effects and Adverse Events-Somatic Symptoms. Clozapine produces significant improvement than haloperidol on the BPRS and PANSS scores. 77% (13/17) of the clozapine-treated patients were categorized as responders, who showed at least 20% decrease in total BPRS scores, compared with 31% (5/16) of haloperidol-treated patients. Extrapyramidal side effects occurred in only one patient in clozapine group, but nine patients in haloperidol group. Salivation, sleepiness, constipation and hypotension were most frequent adverse effects observed in clozapine group. There was no significant changes in total WBC and neutrophil during clozapine treatment. These findings suggest that clozapine is on effective antipsychotic drug for the Korean treatment-refractory schizophrenic patients, who are nonresponsive to or unable to tolerate classcal antipsychotic drugs due to extrapyramidal side effects.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.353-358
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• 2017

As a drinking water source of 26 millions people of Seoul metropolitan region, Han river is one of the most important basin. Managing the Non-point source pollution which is regarded as the main cause of water pollution including refractory organic matter is important thing. This research investigates the runoff characteristics of organic matters from main 3 rivers (South Han, North Han, Kyungan). Water quality measurement items include not only carbon-based TOC (Total Organic Carbon), DOC (Dissolved Organic Carbon), POC (Particulate Organic Carbon) but also R-TOC (Refractory Total Organic Carbon), R-DOC (Refractory Dissolved Organic Carbon), R-POC (Refractory Particulate Organic Carbon) is researched. The research shows that R-TOC takes approximately 61~83% of TOC. Most of the R-TOC is consist of R-DOC (72~77%). Refractory organic matter have a stable runoff characteristics compared to other organic matter. The organic matter concentrations of South Han river and Kyungan river are the highest in spring time and show a gradual decline. The concentrations of Kyunan river is the highest. Kyungan river's small area and the high city land use ratio seem to be the reason. Loading of organic matter in summer time takes the most loading (62~84%). TOC loadings per unit area of each river is Kyungan river ($1.22ton/km^2$), South Han river ($1.01ton/km^2$), North Han river ($0.91ton/km^2$).

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.169-178
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• 2016

The properties of wastes for melting need to be considered to minimize the maintenance of refractory and to discharge the molten slags smoothly from a plasma torch melter. When the nonflammable wastes from nuclear facilities such as concrete debris, glass, sand, etc., are melted, they become acid slags with low basicity since the chemical composition has much more acid oxides than basic oxides. A molten slag does not have good characteristics of discharge and is mainly responsible for the refractory erosion due to its low liquidity. In case of a stationary plasma torch melter with a slant tapping port on the wall, a fixed amount of molten slags remains inside of tapping hole as well as the melter inside after tapping out. Nonmetallic slags keep the temperature higher than melting point of metal because metallic slags located on the bottom of melter by specific gravity difference are simultaneously melted when dual mode plasma torch operates in transferred mode. In order to minimize the refractory erosion, the compatible refractories are selected considering the temperature inside the melter and the melting behavior of slags whether to contact or noncontact with molten slags. An acidic refractory shall not be installed in adjacent to a basic refractory for the resistibility against corrosion.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.281-290
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• 2004

Spent refractories from a coal gasifier after 1000 hours of operation were analyzed for crystalline phases, chemical composition and microstructures as a function of slag penetration depth, and the slag corrosion mechanism was determined. The chemical corrosion of chromia refractory occurred via reaction between Cr$_2$O$_3$ of the refractory and FeO and A1$_2$O$_3$ in the slag. The FeO reacted with Cr$_2$O$_3$ at the slare/refractory interface and formed FeCr$_2$O$_4$. After all FeO were consumed, Al in the penetrating slag substituted Cr in Cr$_2$O$_3$, forming (Al, Cr)$_2$O$_3$, at the edges of the particle, which were broken to form fragments rich in Al. The corrosion resistance of Cr$_2$O$_3$ varied with the particle size and the extent of sintering, and the higher resistance was observed in the larger and more sintered particles. There was no chemical change in ZrO$_2$, but showed the effects of physical corrosion: the grain boundaries became more wavy, and ZrO$_2$ grains were split in the corroded area. The slag penetration depth increased in the refractory samples farther down from the feed nozzles.

• The Academic Congress of Korean Shoulder and Elbow Society
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• 2005.03a
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• pp.86-87
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• 2005

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.583-588
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• 2000

Antioxidation characteristics of carbon at high temperature with the co-addition of Al and Si powder in Al2O3-C system refractory were analyzed. The use of surface-modified phosphate carbon as a starting material was found to be very effective in improving the mixing effect of raw materials and antioxidation behavior of carbon. In particular, this effect was dominant at higher temperatures than 130$0^{\circ}C$.