• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.139-144
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• 2010

Objective : We report our surgical experience in the treatment of 16 consecutive patients with benign craniovertebral junction (CVJ) tumor, observed from 2003 to 2008 at our department. Methods : We had treated 6 foramen magnum meningiomas, 6 cervicomedullary hemangioblastomas, 1 accessory nerve schwannoma, 1 hypoglossal nerve schwannoma, 1 C2 root schwannoma, and 1 cavernous hemangioma. Clinical results were evaluated by Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) and all patients underwent preoperative neuroradiological evaluation with computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance image (MRI). Angiography was performed in 15 patients and preoperative embolization was done in 2 patients. Results : Five far-lateral, 1 supracondylar and 10 midline suboccipital approaches were performed. Gross total removal was achieved in 15 cases (94%) and subtotal removal in 1 patient (6%). None of the patients required occipitocervical fusion. Radiological follow-up showed no recurrence in cases totally removed. Postoperative decrease of KPS scores was recorded in only 1 patient. The treatment of cervicomedullary solid hemangioblastoma presented particular issues : by preoperative embolization, we removed tumor totally without an excessive bleeding or brainstem injury. In one of foramen magnum meningioma, we carried out subtotal removal due to hard tumor consistency and encasement of neurovascular structures. Conclusion : The choice of surgical approaches and the extent of bone resection should be defined according to the location and size of individual tumors. Moreover, we emphasize that preoperative neuroradiological evaluations on presumptive tumor type could be helpful to the surgeon in tailoring the technique and providing the required exposure for different lesions, without unnecessary surgical steps.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.351-354
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• 2011

Objective : This investigation was conducted to evaluate a new, safe entry point for the C2 pedicle screw, determined using the anatomical landmarks of the C2 lateral mass, the lamina, and the isthmus of the pars interarticularis. Methods : Fifteen patients underwent bilateral C1 lateral mass-C2 pedicle screw fixation, combined with posterior wiring. The C2 pedicle screw was inserted at the entry point determined using the following method : 4 mm lateral to and 4 mm inferior to the transitional point (from the superior end line of the lamina to the isthmus of the pars interarticularis). After a small hole was made with a high-speed drill, the taper was inserted with a 30 degree convergence in the cephalad direction. Other surgical procedures were performed according to Harm's description. Preoperatively, careful evaluation was performed with a cervical X-ray for C1-C2 alignment, magnetic resonance imaging for spinal cord and ligamentous structures, and a contrast-enhanced 3-dimensional computed tomogram (3-D CT) for bony anatomy and the course of the vertebral artery. A 3-D CT was checked postoperatively to evaluate screw placement Results : Bone fusion was achieved in all 15 patients (100%) without screw violation into the spinal canal, vertebral artery injury, or hardware failure. Occipital neuralgia developed in one patient, but this subsided after a C2 ganglion block. Conclusion : C2 transpedicular screw fixation can be easily and safely performed using the entry point of the present study. However, careful preoperative radiographic evaluation, regardless of methods, is mandatory.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.65-71
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• 2015

Objective : Lumbar spinal stenosis is conventionally treated with surgical decompression. However, bilateral decompression and laminectomy is more invasive and may not be necessary for lumbar stenosis patients with unilateral radiculopathy. We aimed to report the outcomes of unilateral laminectomy and bilateral pedicle screw fixation with fusion for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and unilateral radiculopathy. Methods : Patients with lumbar spinal stenosis with unilateral lower extremity radiculopathy who received limited unilateral decompression and bilateral pedicle screw fixation were included and evaluated using visual analog scale (VAS) pain and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores preoperatively and at follow-up visits. Ligamentum flavum thickness of the involved segments was measured on axial magnetic resonance images. Results : Twenty-five patients were included. The mean preoperative VAS score was $6.6{\pm}1.6$ and $4.6{\pm}3.1$ for leg and back pain, respectively. Ligamentum flavum thickness was comparable between the symptomatic and asymptomatic side (p=0.554). The mean follow-up duration was 29.2 months. The pain in the symptomatic side lower extremity (VAS score, $1.32{\pm}1.2$) and the back (VAS score, $1.75{\pm}1.73$) significantly improved (p=0.000 vs. baseline for both). The ODI improved significantly postoperatively ($6.60{\pm}6.5$; p=0.000 vs. baseline). Significant improvement in VAS pain and ODI scores were observed in patients receiving single or multi-segment decompression fusion with fixation (p<0.01). Conclusion : Limited laminectomy and unilateral spinal decompression followed by bilateral pedicle screw fixation with fusion achieves satisfactory outcomes in patients with spinal stenosis and unilateral radiculopathy. This procedure is less damaging to structures that are important for maintaining posterior stability of the spine.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.218-222
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• 2013

Objective : To clarify the anatomical correlations of the sphenoid sinus with surrounding structures in the normal Korean population, and to identify surgical landmarks for safe sellar floor dissection in the anterior skull base by endoscopy and microscopy. Methods : We reviewed the 196 brain magnetic resonance imaging findings showing a normal appearance, and measured the distances between anatomical landmarks. Results : The mean distances from the base of the columella to the anterior wall of the sphenoid sinus and the sellar floor were $69.71{\pm}4.25$ mm and $86.26{\pm}4.57$ mm, respectively in the over 15 age group, and showed the smallest degree of variation among the measurements. The mean angles between the floor of the nasal cavity and the straight line connecting the base of the columella and the sellar floor were $29.45{\pm}3.25^{\circ}$ and $24.75{\pm}4.00^{\circ}$ in the over 15 and under 15 age groups, respectively. The mean values of both distances and angles increased with age until 15 years after which no further increases were evident. There were no significant differences in the measurements between males and females or among subjects with different degrees of pneumatization in the over 15 age group. Conclusion : The distances from the base of the columella to the sellar floor and the anterior wall of the sphenoid sinus, which were consistent among individuals, could be used as a surgical indicator to investigate the sellar floor in endoscopic or microscopic transsphenoidal approaches.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.88-92
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• 2003

In this paper, the characteristics of the ZnO films deposited on AI bottom electrode and the temperature effects on the ZnO film growth are presented along with the fabrication and their evaluation of the film bulk acoustic wave resonator (FBAR) devices. All the films used in this work were deposited using a radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering technique. Growth characteristics of the ZnO films are shown to have a strong dependence on the deposition temperatures ranged from room temperature to 35$0^{\circ}C$ regardless of the RF power applied for sputtering the ZnO target. In addition, according to the growth characteristics of the distinguishably different micro-crystal structures and the degree of the c-axis preferred orientation, the deposition temperatures can be divided into 3 temperature regions and 2 critical temperatures in-between. Overall, the ZnO films deposited at/below 20$0^{\circ}C$ are seen to have columnar grains with a highly preferred c-axis orientation where the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of X-ray diffraction rocking curve is 14$^{\circ}$. Based on the experimental findings, several FBAR devices were fabricated and measured. As a result, the FBAR devices show return loss of ~19.5dB at resonant frequency of ~2.05GHz.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.442-449
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• 1998

Several transglucosylated xylitols were synthesized using intermolecular transglucosylation reaction of cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) and their bifidogenic effects were investigated. The CGTase from Thermoanaerobacter sp. showed the highest transglycosylation activity on xylitol compared to those obtained from other strains. Extruded starch was identified to be the most suitable glucosyl donor for transglucosylation reaction on xylitol molecule by CGTase. The optimum reaction conditions for transglucosylation were also studied using extruded starch as a glucosyl donor. The transglucosylated xylitols were purified by activated carbon column chromatography with ethanol gradient elution from 0 to 18%, and their chemical structures were analyzed by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometer, $\^$13/C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, and enzyme digestion method. Two transglucosylated xylitol, F-I and F-II, which had one or two glucose molecules attached to maternal xylitol by ${\alpha}$-1,4-linkage, were mainly obtained. F-II showed increased stimulation effect on the growth of Bifidobacterium breve compared to xylitol, indicating the possibility utilized as a new functional alternative sweetners having bifidogenic effects.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.1-24
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• 2017

This paper presents a 1:25 multi-freedom aero-elastic model for a high lighting pole at the Zhoushan stadium. To validate the similarity characteristics of the model, a free vibration test was performed before the formal test. Beat phenomenon was found and eliminated by synthesis of vibration in the X and Y directions, and the damping ratio of the model was identified by the free decay method. The dynamic characteristics of the model were examined and compared with the real structure; the similarity results were favorable. From the test results, the major along-wind dynamic response was the first vibration component. The along-wind wind vibration coefficient was calculated by the China code and Eurocode. When the peak factor equaled 3.5, the coefficient calculated by the China code was close to the experimental result while Eurocode had a slight overestimation of the coefficient. The wind vibration coefficient during typhoon flow was analyzed, and a magnification factor was suggested in typhoon-prone areas. By analyzing the power spectrum of the dynamic cross-wind base shear force, it was found that a second-order vortex-excited resonance existed. The cross-wind response in the test was smaller than Eurocode estimation. The aerodynamic damping ratio was calculated by random decrement technique and the results showed that aerodynamic damping ratios were mostly positive at the design wind speed, which means that the wind-induced galloping phenomenon is predicted not to occur at design wind speeds.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.67-70
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• 2011

The roots of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. were extracted with 30% aqueous ethanol (EtOH), and the concentrated extract was partitioned with n-hexane, chloroform ($CHCl_3$), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), n-butanol (n-BuOH), and $H_2O$, successively. From the $CHCl_3$ fraction, four flavonoids were isolated through the repeated silica gel ($SiO_2$), octadecyl silica gel (ODS), and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatographies (c.c.). According to the results of spectroscopic data including nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry (NMR), electron ionization mass spectrometry (EI/MS), and infrared spectroscopy (IR), the chemical structures of the compounds were determined as glabrol (1), abyssinone II (2), glabridin (3), and isoliquiritigenin (4). The flavonoids were evaluated for cytotoxic effect against human cancer cell lines, HCT-116, HepG2, HeLa, SK-OV-3, SK-BR-3, MCF-7, and SK-MEL-5. Especially, glabrol (1) and glabridin (2) showed $IC_{50}$ values of lower than $25{\mu}M$.

• Journal of Satellite, Information and Communications
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.94-100
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• 2017

In this paper, we suggest a design method of a metamaterial-based low-profile antenna working at 425 MHz for LEO/Cube satellites. Satellites play an important role in linking th remote nodes in a wireless communication network and covering wide areas of the globe. Especially, an increasing number of universities or individuals aspire having their own satellites and build low-budget structures such as cube satellites in LEO and the ways to reduce the sizes of their satellites. Since the antenna occupies a major portion of the satellite surface, the antenna should be miniaturized for lighter weight. The proposed metamaterial low-profile antenna, unlike the conventional patch antenna, produces such a zeroth-order resonance to create an omnidirectional radiation pattern. Also, it is connected to a UHF waveguide bandpass filter as the feeding system to examine the possible change in the situation that the antenna is combined with the system. The performances of the monopole and proposed metamaterial antennas are compared to one another.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.154-158
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• 2006

Objective : We treated 10 pediatric diffuse intrinsic brain stem glioma[BSG] patients with Novalis system [linac based radiotherapy unit, Germany] and examined the efficacy of the Fractionated Stereotactic Radiotherapy[FSRT]. Methods : A retrospective review was conducted on 10 pediatric diffuse intrinsic BSG patients who were treated with FSRT between May, 2001 and August, 2004. The mean age of the patient group was 7.7 years old. Male to female ratio was 4 to 1. The mean dose of FSRT was 38.7Gy, mean fractionated dose was 2.6Gy, mean fractionation size was 16.6, and target volume was $42.78cm^3$. The mean follow up period was 14 months. Results : Four weeks after completion of FSRT, improvements on neurological status and Karnofsky performance scale[KPS] score were recorded in 9/10 (90%] patients and magnetic resonance imaging[MRI] showed decrease in target tumor volume in 8 pediatric patients. The median survival period was 13.5 months after FSRT and treatment toxicity was mild. Conclusion : It is difficult for surgeons to choose surgical treatment for diffuse intrinsic BSG due to its dangerous anatomical structures. FSRT made it possible to control the tumor volume to improve neurological symptoms with minimal complications. We expect that FSRT is a feasible treatment modality for pediatric diffuse intrinsic BSG with tolerable toxicities.