• Annals of Surgical Treatment and Research
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• v.95 no.5
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• pp.286-296
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• 2018

Purpose: Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy (SLNB) is widely accepted for staging of melanoma patients. It has been shown that clinico-pathological features such as Breslow thickness, ulceration, age, and sex are better predictors of relapse and survival than SLN status alone. The aims of this study were to evaluate the long-term (10-year) prognostic impact of SLNB and to determine predictive factors associated with SLN metastasis, relapse, and melanoma specific mortality (MSM). Methods: This was a prospective observational study on 289 consecutive patients with primary cutaneous melanoma who underwent SLNB from January 2000 to December 2007, and followed until January 2014, at an Italian academic hospital. Results: SLN was positive in 64 patients (22.1%). The median follow-up was 116 months (79-147 months). Tenyear disease-free survival and melanoma specific survival were poor in patients with positive SLN (58.7% and 66.4%, respectively). Only the increasing Breslow thickness resulted independently associated to an increased risk of SLN metastasis. Cox regression analysis showed that a Breslow thickness >2 mm was an independent predictor of relapse, and male sex and Breslow thickness >2 mm was a predictor of MSM. At 10 years, SLN metastasis was not significantly associated to either relapse or MSM. Conclusion: After the fifth year of follow-up, SLN metastasis is not an independent predictive factor of relapse or mortality which are mainly influenced by the characteristics of the primary tumor and of the patient. Patients with a Breslow thickness >2 mm regardless of the SLN status should be considered at high risk for 10-year relapse and mortality.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.445-454
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• 2019

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) nanoparticles have emerged as novel nanomaterials for bio-imaging applications due to its unique layered structure, physicochemical properties, and good biocompatibility. Bio-imaging is one of the most important fields for medical applications in clinical diagnostics and therapeutics of various diseases. Enhanced diagnostic techniques are needed to realize new paradigm for next-generation personalized medicine through nanoscale materials. When nanotechnology is introduced into bio-imaging system, nanoparticle probes can endow imaging techniques with enhanced ability to obtain information about biological system at the molecular level. In this review, we summarize structural features of LDH nanoparticles with current issues of bio-imaging system. LDH nanoparticle probes are also discussed through in vitro as well as in vivo studies in various bio-imaging techniques including fluorescence imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and computed X-ray tomography (CT), which will have the potential in the development of the advanced nanoparticles with high sensitivity and selectivity.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.12 no.7
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• pp.879-886
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• 2018

A 3-dimensional (D) printer is a device capable of outputting a three-dimensional solid object based on data modeled in a computer. These features are utilized in the bone model X - ray phantom production etc using CT data by fusing with the radiation science field. A bone model phantom was made using data obtained by CT scan of an existing Pelvis phantom, using PLA, Wood, XT-CF20, Glow fill, Steel filaments which are materials of Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) 3D printer.Measure Hounsfield Unit (HU) with images obtained by CT scan of the existing Pelvis phantom and five material phantoms made with 3D printer under the same conditions,SI and SNR were measured using a diagnostic X-ray generator, and each phantom was compared and analyzed.As a result, the X - ray phantom in the X - ray examination condition of the limb was found to be most suitable for the glow fill filament.The characteristics of the filament can be known to the base of this research and the practicality of X - ray phantom fabrication was confirmed.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.218-231
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• 2012

A total of 126 fossil scaphopods (121 specimens from the Hagjeon Formation and 5 specimens from the Duho Formation) were found from the Cenozoic strata, Hagjeon and Duho Formations, Pohang Basin, Korea. Five species belonging two genera (Fissidentalium yokoyamai, F. sp. A, B, and Rhabdus sp. A, B) were classified: the most dominant species is Fissidentalium yokoyamai. The species of Fissidentalium yokoyamai is characterized by curved shell (accuration=3.90%) and very closely spaced longitudinal ribs on shell surfaces, while the species of Rhabdus is a nearly straight shell characterized by concentric growth lines without longitudinal ribs. Identification of two genera is somewhat easy due to such morphological differences but classification at generic level is hard because diagnostic features (e.g., cross section and apical structure) are lost in the most specimens. Consequently, except for Fissidentalium yokoyamai, the rest were classified temporarily as F. sp. A, B, and Rhabdus sp. A, B. Two types of preservation state were recognized: one is three-dimensionally preserved specimen (3D specimen) and the other is compressed specimen. Internal parts of the 3D specimen is filled with clastic sediments identical to the surrounding sediments of the shells, which is not observed in the compressed specimens. It is, thus, concluded that the 3D fossils were originally empty but internal cavity were immediately filled with the sediments, which may have protect from the compaction due to pressure during deposition of the gravelly to coarse sandstone of the Hagjeon Formation.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.77-90
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• 2021

This study is to develop a Korean version of nonword intervention by modifying and supplementing a Rapid syllable transition treatment (ReST) and to determine its effect by applying it to children with CAS. Ultimately, the purpose of this study is to investigate whether nonword interventions are effective for nonword production ability and generalization of real words. Single-subject research using the ABA design was performed for a child aged five years and six months with diagnostic features of CAS. The nonwords used in the interventions were made suitable for the individual child. The intervention was provided in one-hour sessions, twice a week for six weeks. In all cases, performance of the treated three-syllable nonwords improved, and untreated three-syllable words, four-syllable words, and nonwords showed a generalization effect. However, the generalization of treatment effects to words was smaller than for nonwords. The nonword intervention was effective in improving the subject's speech motor programming skills. As a result, transition errors due to impaired speech motor programming were greatly reduced, and the ability to produce untreated nonwords was greatly increased. However, there was a limit to the full improvement of strongly habitable word errors, which would be expected if a more intensive and repetitive intervention schedule was provided.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 2021

Essential thrombocythemia (ET) is a clonal bone marrow stem cell disorder, primarily involving the megakaryocytic lineage. The WHO 2016 guidelines include the molecular detection of JAK2, MPL, and CALR mutations as a major diagnostic criterion for ET. This study aimed to determine the frequency of JAK2 V617F, MPL W515L, and CALR mutations in Iraqi Kurdish patients afflicted with ET, and to analyze their clinical and hematological features. A total of 73 Iraqi Kurdish patients with ET were enrolled as subjects, and analysis was achieved utilizing real-time PCR. The frequency of JAK2 V617F, CALR, and MPL W515L mutations was determined to be 50.7%, 22%, and 16.4%, respectively. No statistically significant difference was obtained when considering the age and gender among different genotypes. The JAK2 V617F mutated patients had significantly higher white blood cell counts and hemoglobin levels than the CALR-positive patients (P-value=0.000, 0.007, respectively), MPL W515L-positive patients (P-value=0.000, 0.000, respectively), and triple negative patients (P-value=0.000, 0.000, respectively). Also, the JAK2 V617F mutated patients showed higher platelet count as compared to the MPL W515L-positive patients (P-value=0.02) and triple negative patients (P-value=0.04). Furthermore, significantly lower white blood cell count and hemoglobin levels were associated with CALR positivity (P-value=0.000, 0.01, respectively), MPL W515L-positivity (P-value=0.001, 0.000, respectively), and triple negativity (P-value=0.000, 0.000, respectively), as compared to patients with combined mutations. In conclusion, apart from a relatively high frequency of MPL W515L mutation, our data is comparable to earlier reports, and highlights the importance of genotyping the JAK2 V617F, MPL W515L, and CALR mutations for accurate diagnosis of patients with ET.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.473-479
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• 2021

The diagnostic criteria for diffuse thyroid disease are ambiguous and there are many errors due to the subjective diagnosis of experts. Also, studies on ultrasound imaging of thyroid nodules have been actively conducted, but studies on diffuse thyroid disease are insufficient. In this study, features were extracted by applying the GLCM algorithm to ultrasound images of normal and diffuse thyroid disease, and quantitative analysis was performed using the extracted feature values. Using the GLCM algorithm for thyroid ultrasound images of patients diagnosed at W hospital, 199 normal cases, 132 mild cases, and 99 moderate cases, a region of interest (50×50 pixel) was set for a total of 430 images, and Autocorrelation, Sum of squares, sum average, sum variance, cluster prominence, and energy were analyzed using six parameters. As a result, in autocorrelation, sum of squares, sum average, and sum variance four parameters, Normal, Mild, and Moderate were distinguished with a high recognition rate of over 90%. This study is valuable as a criterion for classifying the severity of diffuse thyroid disease in ultrasound images using the GLCM algorithm. By applying these parameters, it is expected that errors due to visual reading can be reduced in the diagnosis of thyroid disease and can be utilized as a secondary means of diagnosing diffuse thyroid disease.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.249-258
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• 2022

The specific muscular structure of the tongue greatly affects margin shrinkage and tumor invasion, making the optimal surgical margin controversial. This study investigated surgical margin correlated prognosis of TSCC (tongue squamous cell carcinoma) according to margin location and its value, and the histopathologic factors which are suggestive of tumor invasion. And we would like to propose defining of the surgical margin for TSCC via prognosis according to location and margin values. We reviewed 45 patients diagnosed with TSCC who visited Seoul National University Dental Hospital (SNUDH) (Seoul, Republic of Korea) from 2010 to 2019, who were managed by a single surgical team. Patient clinical and pathological data of patients were retrospectively reviewed, and in 36 out of 45 patients, the pathologic parameters including the worst pattern of invasion (WPOI) and tumor budding were investigated via diagnostic histopathology slide reading. When standardized with as 0.25 cm anterior margins, as 0.35 cm deep margin, there was no significant difference in disease specific survival (DSS) or loco-regional recurrence-free survival (LRFS). Additionally, there was a non-significant difference in DSS and LRFS at the nearest margin of 0.35 cm (P_DSS=0.276, P_LRFS=0.162). Aggressive WPOI and high tumor budding showed lower survival and recurrence-free survival, and there were significant differences in close margin and involved margin frequencies. In TSCC, the value and location of the surgical margin did not have a significant relationship with prognosis, but WPOI and tumor budding suggesting the pattern of muscle invasion affected survival and recurrence-free survival. WPOI and tumor budding should be considered when setting an optimal surgical margin.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.48-51
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• 2013

We report an unusual case of postoperative early gastric cancer with liver metastasis mimicking pancreaticobiliary carcinoma. A 73-year-old man with early gastric cancer was transferred for endoscopic treatment. The patient underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection for the treatment of the early gastric cancer. The pathological diagnosis was adenocarcinoma with extension to the deep submucosa and some lymphatic invasion. Therefore, subsequent a subtotal gastrectomy was performed. The histological results demonstrated residual adenocarcinoma confined to the mucosa. The resection margin and lymph node metastasis were negative. Thus, he was closely monitored for recurrence every 6 months. After 2 years, he was suddenly suspected of developing liver metastasis and local recurrence. He received a liver biopsy, and the pathological result was poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining suggested pancreaticobiliary carcinoma rather than metastatic adenocarcinoma from the stomach or colon, but primary focus was not found. We were sure that the recurrent stomach cancer metastasized to the liver because stomach cancer can show heterogeneous cytokeratin (CK) expression pattern with various histological features. Therefore, no single CK expression pattern has diagnostic value for distinguishing gastric carcinoma. The patient underwent chemotherapy for metastatic stomach cancer.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.736-745
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• 2020

Objective: To identify the initial chest computed tomography (CT) findings and clinical characteristics associated with the course of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. Materials and Methods: Baseline CT scans and clinical and laboratory data of 72 patients admitted with COVID-19 pneumonia (39 men, 46.2 ± 15.9 years) were retrospectively analyzed. Baseline CT findings including lobar distribution, presence of ground glass opacities, consolidation, linear opacities, and lung severity score were evaluated. The outcome event was recovery with hospital discharge. The time from symptom onset to discharge or the end of follow-up (for those remained hospitalized) was recorded. Data were censored in events such as death or discharge without recovery. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression was used to explore the association between initial CT, clinical or laboratory findings, and discharge with recovery, whereby hazard ratio (HR) values < 1 indicated a lower rate of discharge at four weeks and longer time until discharge. Results: Thirty-two patients recovered and were discharged during the study period with a median length of admission of 16 days (range, 9 to 25 days), while the rest remained hospitalized at the end of this study (median, 17.5 days; range, 4 to 27 days). None died during the study period. After controlling for age, onset time, lesion characteristics, number of lung lobes affected, and bilateral involvement, the lung severity score on baseline CT (> 4 vs. ≤ 4 [reference]: adjusted HR = 0.41 [95% confidence interval, CI = 0.18-0.92], p = 0.031) and initial lymphocyte count (reduced vs. normal or elevated [reference]: adjusted HR = 0.14 [95% CI = 0.03-0.60], p = 0.008) were two significant independent factors that influenced recovery and discharge. Conclusion: Lung severity score > 4 and reduced lymphocyte count at initial evaluation were independently associated with a significantly lower rate of recovery and discharge and extended hospitalization in patients admitted for COVID-19 pneumonia.