• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.327-337
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• 2022

Ecological restoration is considered a good means to prevent biodiversity loss in terms of the ecosystem's health and sustainability. However, there are difficulties in putting it into practice as there is no comprehensive and objective standard for the selection of plant species, such as environmental, ecological factors, and restoration goal setting. Therefore, this study developed an evaluation index necessary for selecting plant species for restoration using the Delphi method that synthesizes the opinions of the expert group. A survey with 38 questionnaires was conducted twice for experts in ecological restoration, etc., and the importance and priority of evaluation indicators were analyzed by dividing the restoration targets into inland and island regions. The result of the importance analysis showed that "native plants" had the highest average of 4.9 among the evaluation indices in both inland and island regions, followed by "seed security", "propagation", and "root growth rate". In the inland region, the index priority was analyzed in the order of "native plants", "appearance frequency", "root growth rate", "distribution range", and "seed security" in the island region, it was analyzed in the order of "native plants", "root growth rate", "appearance frequency", "distribution range", and "tolerance", showing slight differences between the two indicators. As a result of the importance and priority indicator analysis, we set the mean importance and priority of 4.1 and 2.9, respectively, in the inland region and 4.2 and 2.9, respectively, in the island region. As for the criteria of selecting plant species for ecological restoration, the "native plants" had the highest importance and priority. "Seed securing", 'viability", "topography", "proliferation", "tolerance", "soil conditions", "growth characteristics", "early succession", "distribution range", "appearance frequency", and "germination rate" were classified into subgroups of low importance and priority. The lowest indicators were "final stage of succession", "transition period", 'transition stage", "root", "reproduction", "soil", "appearance", "technology", "landscape", "climate", and "germination rate". We expected that the findings through objective verification in this study would be used as evaluation indicators for selecting native plant species for ecological restoration.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.95-106
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• 2012

Purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate the usefulness of an IMRT treatment plan according to whether there was a shell-type pseudo target during radiation therapy for patients in Stage III or IV of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and Methods: After setting an IMRT (Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy, IMRT) plan for when there was a shell-type pseudo target (SPT) and when there was none (WSPT) with 22 patients in Stage III or IV of NSCLC, the investigator analyzed dose-volume histograms (DVHs) and made assessment with dosimetric comparisons such as homogeneity index (HI) inside the tumor target, conformity index (CI) of the tumor target, spinal cord maximum dose, Esophagus $V_{50%}$, mean lung dose (MLD), and $V_{40%}$, $V_{30%}$, $V_{20%}$, $V_{10%}$, $V_{5%}$. Results: The mean CI of WSPT and SPT was $1.22{\pm}0.04$ and $1.16{\pm}0.032$ ($.000^*$), respectively, and the mean HI of WSPT and SPT was $1.06{\pm}0.015$ and $1.07{\pm}0.014$ ($.000^*$), respectively. In SPT, the mean of each CI difference decreased by $-5.16{\pm}2.54%$, while HI increased by average $0.81{\pm}0.47%$. Esophagus $V_{50%}$ recorded $14.54{\pm}12.01%$ (WSPT) and $12.14{\pm}11.09%$ ($.000^*$, SPT) with the mean of SPT differences dropping by $-26.37{\pm}25.05%$. Mean spinal cord maximum dose was $3,898.44{\pm}1,075.0$ cGy (WSPT) and $3,810.8{\pm}1,134.9$ cGy ($.004^*$, SPT) with SPT dropping by average $-3.36{\pm}5.81%$. As for lung $V_{X%}$, the mean of $V_{5%}$ and $V_{10%}$ differences was $-1.62{\pm}2.29%$ ($.006^*$) and $-1.98{\pm}5.02%$ ($.005^*$), respectively with SPT making a decrease. The mean of V20%, V30%, and V40% differences was $-3.51{\pm}3.07%$ ($.000^*$), $-4.84{\pm}6.01%$ ($.000^*$), and $-6.16{\pm}8.46%$ ($.001^*$), respectively, with SPT making a decrease with statistical significance. In MLD assessment, SPT also dropped by average $-2.83{\pm}2.41%$ ($.000^*$). Those results show that SPT allows for mean 169 cGy (Max: 547 cGy, Min: 6.4 cGy) prescription dose. Conclusion: An IMRT treatment plan with SPT during radiation therapy for patients in Stage III or IV of NSCLC will help to reduce the risk of lung toxicity and radiation-induced pneumonia by cutting down radiation doses entering the normal lung, reduce the local control failure rate during radiation therapy due to increasing prescription doses to a certain degree, and increase treatment effects.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2009

To assess the effect of butachlor on freshwater aquatic organisms, acute toxicity studies for algae, invertebrate and fishes were conducted. The algae grow inhibition studies were carried out to determine the growth inhibition effects of butachlor (Tech. 93.4%) in Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata (formerly knows as Selenastrum capriconutum), Desmodesmus subspicatus (formerly known as Scendusmus subspicatus), and Chlorella vulgaris during the exposure period of 72 hours. The toxicological responses of P. subcapitata, D. subspicatus, and C. vulgaris to butachlor, expressed in individual $ErC_{50}$ values were 0.002, 0.019, and $10.4mgL^{-1}$, respectively and NOEC values were 0.0008, 0.0016, and $5.34mg\;L^{-1}$, respectively. P. subcapitata was more sensitive than any other algae species. Butachlor has very high toxicity to the algae, such as P. subcapitata and D. subspicatu. In the acute immobilisation test for Daphnia magna, the 24 and $48h-EC_{50}$ values were 2.55 and $1.50mg\;L^{-1}$, respectively. As the results of the acute toxicity test on Cyprinus carpio, Oryzias latipes and Misgurnus anguillicaudatus, the $96h-LC_{50}s$ were 0.62, 0.41 and $0.24mg\;L^{-1}$, respectively. The following ecological risk assessment of butachlor was performed on the basis of the toxicological data of algae, invertebrate and fish and exposure concentrations in rice paddy, drain and river. When a butachlor formulation is applied in rice paddy field according to label recommendation, the measured concentration of butachlor in paddy water was $0.41mg\;L^{-1}$ and the predicted environmental concentration (PEC) of butachlor in drain water was $0.03 mg\;L^{-1}$. Residues of butachlor detected in major rivers between 1997 and 1998 were ranged from $0.0004mg\;L^{-1}$ to $0.0029mg\;L^{-1}$. Toxicity exposure ratios (TERs) of algae in rice paddy, drain and river were 0.004, 0.05 and 0.36, respectively and indicated that butachlor has a risk to algae in rice paddy, drain and river. On the other hand, TERs of invertebrate in rice paddy, drain and river were 3.6, 50 and 357, respectively, well above 2, indicating no risk to invertebrate. TERs of fish in rice paddy, drain and river were 0.58, 8 and 57, respectively. The TERs for fish indicated that butachlor poses a risk to fish in rice paddy but has no risk to fish in agricultural drain and river. In conclusion, butachlor has a minimal risk to algae in agricultural drain and river exposed from rice drainage but has no risk to invertebrate and fish.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.270-284
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• 1997

Effects of dietary carotenoids were investigated on the metaboβsm and body pigmentation of rainbow trout(Salmo gairdneri), masu salmon(Oncorhynchus macrostomos), eel(Anguilla japonica), rock fish(Sebastes inermis) and black rock fish(Sebastes schlegeli). Three weeks later after depletion, these fishes were fed diet supplemented with ${\beta}-carotene$, lutein, canthaxanthin', astaxanthin or ${\beta}-apo-8'-carotenal$ for 4 to 5 weeks, respectively. Carotenoids distributed to and changed in integument were analyzed. In the integument of rainbow trout. zeaxanthin, ${\beta}-carotene$ and canthaxanthin were found to be the major carotenoids, while lutein, isocryptoxanthin and salmoxanthin were the minor carotenoids. In the integument of masu salmon, zeaxanthin was found to be the major carotenoids, while triol, lutein, tunaxanthin, ${\beta}-carotene$, ${\beta}-cryptoxanthin$ and canthaxanthin were the minor carotenoids. In the integument of eel, ${\beta}-carotene$ was found to be the major carotenoids, while lutein, zeaxanthin and ${\beta}-cryptoxanthin$ were the minor carotenoids. In the integument of rock fish, zeaxanthin, ${\beta}-carotene$, tunaxanthin$(A{\sim}C)$ and lutein were found to be the major carotenoids, while ${\beta}-cryptoxanthin$, ${\alpha}-cryptoxanthin$ and astaxanthin were the minor carotenoids. Likely in the integument of black rock fish, ${\beta}-carotene$, astaxanthin and zeaxanthin were found to be the major carotenoids, whereas ${\alpha}-cryptoxanthin$, ${\beta}-cryptoxanthin$, lutein and canthaxanthin were the minor contributor. The efficacy of body pigmentation by the accumulation of carotenoids in the integument of rainbow trout and masu salmon were the most effectively shown in the canthaxanthin group and of eel, rock fish and black rock fish were the most effectively shown in the lutein group. Based on these results in the integument of each fish, dietary carotenoids were presumably biotransformed via oxidative and reductive pathways. In the rainbow trout, ${\beta}-carotene$ was oxidized to astaxanthin via successively isocryptoxanthin, echinenone and canthaxanthin. Lutein was oxidized to canthaxanthin. Canthaxanthin was reduced to ${\beta}-carotene$ via isozeaxanthin, and astaxanthin was reduced to zeaxanthin via triol. In the masu salmon, ${\beta}-carotene$ was oxidized to zeaxanthin. Lutein was reduced to zeaxanthin via tunaxanthin. Canthaxanthin was reduced to zeaxanthin via ${\beta}-carotene$. and astaxanthin was reduced to zeaxanthin via triol. In the eel, ${\beta}-carotene$ and lutein were directly deposited but canthaxanthin was reduced to ${\beta}-carotene$, and cholesterol lowering effect by Meju supplementation might be resulted from the modulation of fecal axanthin, astaxanthin and ${\beta}-apo-8'-carotenal$ were oxidized and reduced to tunaxanthin via zeaxanthin. In the black roch fish, ${\beta}-carotene$ was oxidized to ${\beta}-cryptoxanthin$. Lutein was reduced to ${\beta}-carotene$ via ${\alpha}-cryptoxanthin$. Canthaxanthin was reduced to ${\alpha}-cryptoxanthin$ via successively ${\beta}-cryptoxanthin$ and zeaxanthin. Astaxanthin converted to tunaxanthin via isocryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin, and ${\beta}-apo-8'-carotenal$ was reduced to ${\alpha}-cryptoxanthin$ via ${\beta}-cryptoxanthin$ and zeaxanthin.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.20-26
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• 2008

Purpose: Pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (PPG), which retains pyloric ring and gastric function, has been accepted as a function-preserving procedure for early gastric cancer for the prevention of postgastrectomy syndrome. This study was compared laparoscopy-assisted pylorus-preerving gastrectomy (LAPPG) with laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy with Billroth-I reconstruction (LADGB I). Materials and Methods: Between November 2006 and September 2007, 39 patients with early gastric cancer underwent laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy in the Department of Surgery at Korea Cancer Center Hospital. 9 of these patients underwent LAPPG and 18 underwent LADGBI. When LAPPG was underwent, we preserved the pyloric branch, hepatic branch, and celiac branch of the vagus nerve, the infrapyloric artery, and the right gastric artery and performed D1+$\beta$ lymphadenectomy to the exclusion of suprapyloric lymph node dissection. The distal stomach was resected while retaining a $2.5{\sim}3.0\;cm$ pyloric cuff and maintaining a $3.0{\sim}4.0\;cm$ distal margin for the resection. Results: The mean age for patients who underwent LAPPG and LADGBI were $59.9{\pm}9.4$ year-old and $64.1{\pm}10.0$ year-old, respectively. The sex ratio was 1.3 : 1.0 (male 5, female 4) in the LAPPG group and 2.6 : 1.0 (male 13, female 5) in the LADGBI group. Mean total number of dissected lymph nodes ($28.3{\pm}11.9$ versus $28.1{\pm}8.9$), operation time ($269.0{\pm}34.4$ versus $236.3{\pm}39.6$ minutes), estimated blood loss ($191.1{\pm}85.7$ versus $218.3{\pm}150.6\;ml$), time to first flatus ($3.6{\pm}0.9$ versus $3.5{\pm}0.8$ days), time to start of diet ($5.1{\pm}0.9$ versus $5.1{\pm}1.7$ days), and postoperative hospital stay ($10.1{\pm}4.0$ versus $9.2{\pm}3.0$ days) were not found significant differences (P>0.05). The postoperative complications were 1 patient with gastric stasis and 1 patient with wound seroma in LAPPG group and 1 patient with left lateral segment infarct of liver in the LADGB I group. Conclusion: Patients treated by LAPPG showed a comparable quality of surgical operation compared with those treated by LADGBI. LAPPG has an important role in the surgical management of early gastric cancer in terms of quality of postoperative life. Randomized controlled studies should be undertaken to analyze the optimal survival and long-term outcomes of this operative procedure.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.5 s.250
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• pp.323-334
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• 2005

Background: Gene therapy is a new and promising option for the treatment of severe myocardial ischemia by therapeutic angiogenesis. The goal of this study was to elucidate the efficacy of therapeutic angiogenesis by using VEGF165 in large animals. Material and Method: Twenty-one pigs that underwent ligation of the distal left anterior descending coronary artery were randomly allocated to one of two treatments: intramyocardial injection of pCK-VEGF (VEGF) or intramyocardial injection of pCK-Null (Control). Injections were administered 30 days after ligation. Seven pigs died during the trial, but eight pigs from VEGF and six from Control survived. Echo-cardiography was performed on day 0 (preoperative) and on days 30 and 60 following coronary ligation. Gated myocardial single photon emission computed tomography imaging (SPECT) with $^{99m}Tc-labeled$ sestamibi was performed on days 30 and 60. Myocardial perfusion was assessed from the uptake of $^{99m}Tc-labeled$ sestamibi at rest. Global and regional myocardial function as well as post-infarction left ventricular remodeling were assessed from segmental wall thickening; left ventricular ejection fraction (EF); end systolic volume (ESV); and end diastolic volume (EDV) using gated SPECT and echocardiography. Myocardium of the ischemic border zone into which pCK plasmid vector had been injected was also sampled to assess micro-capillary density. Result: Micro-capillary density was significantly higher in the VEGF than in Control ($386\pm110/mm^{2}\;vs.\;291\pm127/mm^{2};\;p<0.001$). Segmental perfusion increased significantly from day 30 to day 60 after intramyocardial injection of plasmid vector in VEGF ($48.4\pm15.2\%\;vs.\;53.8\pm19.6\%;\;p<0.001$), while no significant change was observed in the Control ($45.1\pm17.0\%\;vs.\;43.4\pm17.7\%;\;p=0.186$). This resulted in a significant difference in the percentage changes between the two groups ($11.4\pm27.0\%\;increase\;vs.\;2.7\pm19.0\%\;decrease;\;p=0.003$). Segmental wall thickening increased significantly from day 30 to day 60 in both groups; the increments did not differ between groups. ESV measured using echocardiography increased significantly from day 0 to day 30 in VEGF ($22.9\pm9.9\;mL\;vs.\;32.3\pm9.1\;mL;\; p=0.006$) and in Control ($26.3\pm12.0\;mL\;vs.\;36.8\pm9.7\;mL;\;p=0.046$). EF decreased significantly in VEGF ($52.0\pm7.7\%\;vs.\;46.5\pm7.4\%;\;p=0.004$) and in Control ($48.2\pm9.2\%\;vs.\;41.6\pm10.0\%;\;p=0.028$). There was no significant change in EDV. The interval changes (days $30\~60$) of EF, ESV, and EDV did not differ significantly between groups both by gated SPECT and by echocardiography. Conclusion: Intramyocardial injection of pCK-VEGF165 induced therapeutic angiogenesis and improved myocardial perfusion. However, post-infarction remodeling and global myocardial function were not improved.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.66 no.3
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• pp.192-197
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• 2009

Background: Despite the benefits of home oxygen therapy in patients suffering chronic respiratory failure, previous reports in Korea revealed lower compliance to oxygen therapy and a shorter time for oxygen use than expected. However, these papers were published before oxygen therapy was covered by the national insurance system. Therefore, this study examined whether there were some changes in compliance, using time and other clinical features of home oxygen therapy after insurance coverage. Methods: This study reviewed the medical records of patients prescribed home oxygen therapy in our hospital from November 1, 2006 to September 31, 2008. The patients were interviewed either in person or by telephone to obtain information related to oxygen therapy. Results: During study period, a total 105 patients started home oxygen therapy. The mean age was 69 and 60 (57%) were male. The mean oxygen partial pressure in the arterial blood was 54.5 mmHg and oxygen saturation was 86.3%. Primary diseases that caused hypoxemia were COPD (n=64), lung cancer (n=14), Tb destroyed lung (n=12) and others. After oxygen therapy, more than 50% of patients experienced relief of their subjective dyspnea. The mean daily use of oxygen was 9.8${\pm}$7.3 hours and oxygen was not used during activity outside of their home (mean time, 5.4${\pm}$3.7 hours). Twenty four patients (36%) stopped using oxygen voluntarily 7${\pm}$4.7 months after being prescribed oxygen and showed a less severe pulmonary and right heart function. The causes of stopping were subjective symptom relief (n=11), inconvenience (n=6) and others (7). Conclusion: The prescription of home oxygen has increased since national insurance started to cover home oxygen therapy. However, the mean time for using oxygen is still shorter than expected. During activity of outside their home, patients could not use oxygen due to the absence of portable oxygen. Overall, continuous education to change the misunderstandings about oxygen therapy, more economic support from national insurance and coverage for portable oxygen are needed to extend the oxygen use time and maintain oxygen usage.