• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.35-39
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• 1998

We analyzed image factors to determine the characteristic factors that need for intelligent replenishment system of the auto film processor. We processed the serial 300 sheets of radiographic films of chest phantom without replenishment of developing and fixation replenisher. We took the digital data by using film digitizer which scaned the films and automatically summed up the pixel values of the films. We analyzed characteristic curves, average gradients and relative speeds of individual film using densitometer and step densitometry. We also evaluated the pH of developer, fixer, and washer fluid with digital pH meter. Fixer residual rate and washing effect were measured by densitometer using the reagent methods. There was no significant reduction of the digital density numbers of the serial films without replenishment of developer and fixer. The average gradients were gradually decreased by 0.02 and relative speeds were also gradually decreased by 6.96% relative to initial standard step-densitometric measurement. The pHs of developer and fixer were reflected the inactivation of each fluid. The fixer residual rates and washing effects after processing each 25 sheets of films were in the normal range. We suggest that the digital data are not reliable due to limitation of the hardware and software of the film digitizer. We conclude that average gradient and relative speed which mean the film's contrast and sensitivity respectively are reliable factors for determining the need for the replenishment of the auto film processor. We need more study of simpler equations and programming for more intelligent replenishment system of the auto film processor.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.432-435
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• 2007

Purpose: The jejunal free flap has the shorter ischemic time than other flap and requires a laparotomy to harvest it. As the evaluation of the perfusion the buried flap is very important, the perfusion of the buried jejunal free flap requires monitoring for its salvage. We tried to improve the monitoring flap method in the jejunal free flap and examined its usefulness. Methods: From March 2002 to March 2006, the monitoring flap method was applied to 4 cases in 8 jejunal free flaps for the pharyngeal and cervical esophageal reconstructions. The distal part of the jejunal flap was exposed without suture fixation through cervical wound for monitoring its perfusion. The status of perfusion was judged by the color change of jejunal mucosa and mesentery. If necessary, pin prick test was performed. Doppler sonography was applied to mesenteric pedicle of the monitoring flap in case of suspicious abnormal circulation. Results: The monitoring flap shows no change in 3 cases, but the congestion happened in one case at the 12 hours after the operation. This congestion was caused by the twisting or kinking of the mesenteric pedicle of the monitoring flap. So, we fixed up the monitoring flap close to adjacent cervical skin for prevention of rotation. Finally, the main part of transferred jejunal flap was intact. Conclusion: The success of a jejunal free flap depends on close postoperative monitoring and early detection of vascular compromise. So, various monitoring methods have been tried, for instance, direct visualization using a fiberoptic pharyngoscope, through a Silastic window placed in the neck flap, or external surface monitoring with an Doppler sonography, use of a buried monitoring probe. But, all of the above have their own shortcomings of simplicity, non-invasiveness, reliability and etc. In our experience, monitoring flap can be a accurate and reliable method.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.438-444
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• 2011

Purpose: Adipose-derived stromal cells (ASCs) are readily harvested from lipoaspirated tissue or subcutaneous adipose tissue fragments. The stromal vascular fraction (SVF) is a heterogeneous set of cell populations that surround and support adipose tissue, which includes the stromal cells, ASCs, that have the ability to differentiate into cells of several lineages and contains cells from the microvasculature. The mechanisms that drive the ASCs into the osteoblast lineage are still not clear, but the process has been more extensively studied in bone marrow stromal cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate the osteogenic capacity of adipose derived SVF cells and evaluate bone formation following implantation of SVF cells into the bone defect of human phalanx. Methods: Case 1 a 43-year-old male was wounded while using a press machine. After first operation, segmental bone defects of the left 3rd and 4th middle phalanx occurred. At first we injected the SVF cells combined with demineralized bone matrix (DBM) to defected 4th middle phalangeal bone lesion. We used P (L/DL)LA [Poly (70L-lactide-co-30DL-lactide) Co Polymer P (L/DL)LA] as a scaffold. Next, we implanted the SVF cells combined with DBM to repair left 3rd middle phalangeal bone defect in sequence. Case 2 was a 25-year-old man with crushing hand injury. Three months after the previous surgery, we implanted the SVF cells combined with DBM to restore right 3rd middle phalangeal bone defect by syringe injection. Radiographic images were taken at follow-up hospital visits and evaluated radiographically by means of computerized analysis of digital images. Results: The phalangeal bone defect was treated with autologous SVF cells isolated and applied in a single operative procedure in combination with DBM. The SVF cells were supported in place with mechanical fixation with a resorbable macroporous sheets acting as a soft tissue barrier. The radiographic appearance of the defect revealed a restoration to average bone density and stable position of pharyngeal bone. Densitometric evaluations for digital X-ray revealed improved bone densities in two cases with pharyngeal bone defects, that is, 65.2% for 4th finger of the case 1, 60.5% for 3rd finger of the case 1 and 60.1% for the case 2. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that adipose derived stromal vascular fraction cells have osteogenic potential in two clinical case studies. Thus, these reports show that cells from the SVF cells have potential in many areas of clinical cell therapy and regenerative medicine, albeit a lot of work is yet to be done.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.583-590
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• 2009

Purpose: In the cases of a vascular compromised condition in an injured lower extremity, soft tissue coverage with free tissue transfer presents a challenging problem to the reconstructive surgeon. For this reason, cross - leg flaps are still used in unusual circumstances. Advances in surgical technique has made the cross - leg free flap possible although it may require long operation time along with significant donor site morbidity. Therefore, a pedicled cross - leg muscle flap may be an alternative treatment modality when local flap or free flap is not possible. Methods: Twelve patients(9 males and 3 females) underwent the operation between October of 2001 and December of 2008. The patients' age ranged from 6 to 82 years. The unusual defects included the regions such as the knee, popliteal fossa, distal third of the tibia, dorsal foot, and the heel. Indications for the cross - leg gastrocnemius flap are inadequate recipient vessels for free flap(in eight cases), extensive soft tissue injuries(in three cases) and free flap failure(in one case). The muscle flap was elevated from contralateral leg and transferred to the soft tissue defect on the lower leg while both legs were immobilized with two connected external fixator systems. Delay procedure was performed 2 weeks postoperatively, and detachment was done after the establishment of the adequate circulation. The average period from the initial flap surgery to detachment was 32 days (3 to 6 weeks). Mean follow - up period was 4 years. Results: Stable coverage was achieved in all twelve patients without any flap complications. Donor site had minimal scarring without any functional and cosmetic problems. No severe complications such as deep vein thrombosis or flap necrosis were noted although mild to moderate contracture of the knee and ankle joint developed due to external fixation requiring 3 to 4 weeks of physical treatment. All patients were able to walk without crutches 3 months postoperatively. Conclusion: Although pedicled cross - leg flaps may not substitute free flap surgery, it may be an alternative method of treatment when free flap is not feasible. Using this modification of the gastrocnemius flap we managed to close successfully soft tissue defects in twelve patients without using free tissue transfers.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.451-455
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• 1998

Bovine pericardial bioprosthesis treated with glutaraldehyde is one of the most popular prosthetic materials, but late calcific degeneration must be solved. According to the alleged hypothesis of this calcification mechanism the free aldehyde groups on the surface of the tissue treated with glutaraldehyde bind to the circulating free calcium and induce mineralization. For mitigating the calcific degeneration, I added MgCl2 into the 0.625% glutaraldehyde solution to compete with calcium for binding to free aldehyde from the glutaraldehyde. I prepared 60 pieces of square shaped bovine pericardia and fixed in the 0.625% glutaraldehyde solution as control group(group 1), and the other 60 pieces in the same glutaraldehyde solution with 4g/L MgCl2 6H2O as the other group(group 2). After fixation for 1 month these were implanted into the bellies of 60 Sprague-Dawley rats subdermally and extracted on 1 month, 2 months, 3 months and 6 months later. With atomic absorption spectophotometry I measured the deposited calcium amount with the following results; 1 month and 2 months after implantation I could not find any differences between two groups, but in the 3rd month calcium was 1.738 mg/g in group 1 and 0.786 mg/g in group 2 and in the 6th month calcium had risen to 3.102 mg/g in group 1 and 1.623 mg/g in group 2, which has statistical significance(p<0.05). This means magnesium shows meaningful calcium mitigation effects on subcutaneously implanted bovine pericardium in the rat models.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.347-355
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• 2000

To determine nitrogen balance (Input-Output) of Korea that was asked by Joint Working Party of the Committee for Agriculture and the Environment Policy Committee, OECD, nitrogen input and output were separately investigated as followings: nitrogen input included the amounts of chemical fertilizer consumption, cattle manure production, and biological nitrogen fixation in the national scale, and nitrogen output summed amounts withdrawn by crop and pasture harvesting, and crop residue removal, and lost by denitrification. In 1997, nitrogen balance of Korea was $158kg\;ha^{-1}$ and $211kg\;ha^{-1}$ on including and excluding denitrification loss, respectively. N balance excluded N loss by denitrification and N withdrawal by crop residues on nitrogen output was $250kg\;ha^{-1}$, which OECD asked to except two items from N balance determination because participants were not enough their data. Nitrogen balance was increased to 1.7~2.3 times in 1997 compared with 70 and $162kg\;ha^{-1}$ in 1985, which calculated on the condition of including denitrification and excluding denitrification and removal of crop residues in nitrogen output, respectively. This increase was caused mainly by increasing livestock manure production and chemical fertilizer consumption together with agricultural land area decrease. Nitrogen input was composed with 59% of chemical fertilizer. 42% of cattle manure and 5% of others in 1997, and output was with 73% of crop production, 23% of crop residue withdrawal and 4% of pasture production. Average nitrogen balance excluded N loss by denitrification and N withdrawals by crop residues in 1995~1997 calculated by OECD was $253kg\;ha^{-1}$, which was the second highest rank in OECD participants following $262kg\;ha^{-1}$ of Netherlands. Japanese N balance that has similar farming system with us was $135kg\;ha^{-1}$.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.166-172
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• 1992

The identification on blue-queen algae which were collected from paddy rice fields of the whole nation was carried out in 1991. The blue-green algae identified were 20 species in 5 families including 7 species in the Chroococcaceae. 1 species in the Chamaesiphonaceae. 1 species in the Pleurocapsaceae, 6 species in the Nostocaeae and 5 species in the Oscillatoriaceae. Among the blue-green algae, 6 species in 4 genera including Cylindrospernum, Anabaenopsis, Anabaena and Nostoc were characterized by heterocysts concerning with nitrogen fixation capacity. A concentrated population of Oscillatoria spp. induced soil flakes with blue tint in paddy rice fields. The genera. Spirulina and Oscillatoria, showed their specific motility.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.3 s.83
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• pp.328-333
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• 2007

Genetic diversity and population structure of eleven Liriope platyphylla (Liliaceae) populations in Korea were determined using genetic variation at 20 allozyme loci. The percent of polymorphic loci within the enzymes was 55.9%. Genetic diversity at the species level and at the population level was high(Hes = 0.178; Hep = 0.168, respectively), whereas the extent of the population divergence was relatively low ($G_{ST}$ = 0.064). $F_{IS}$, a measure of the deviation from random mating within the 11 populations, was 0.311. Total genetic diversity values ($H_T$) varied between 0.0 and 0.535, giving an average over all polymorphic loci of 0.323. The interlocus variation in within population genetic diversity ($H_S$) was high (0.305). An indirect estimate of the number of migrants per generation (Nm = 3.66) indicates that gene flow is high among Korean populations of the species. In addition, analysis of fixation indices revealed a substantial heterozygosity deficiency in some populations and at some loci. Mean genetic identity between populations was 0.988. It is highly probable that directional toward genetic uniformity in a relatively the homogenous habitat is thought to be operated among Korean populations of L. platyphylla.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.250-255
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• 2002

Fluorescent species-specific DNA probe (AT1) of toxic dinoflagellate Arexandrium tamarense was tested on several other species, on comparison of binding activity at different preservatives for fixation of the cells, at different culture age and estimation of cell density by light microscope or epifluorescent microscope using whole cell hybridization. Th AT1 probe specifically bound to Alexandrium tamarense, whereas it did not bind to other phytoplankton, in particular Alexandrium catenella, morphologically similar to Alexandrium tamarense, could not react to AT1 probe. When cells were fixed with all three preservatives, labeling cells of Alexandrium tamarense emitted strong fluorescent signal intensity. In addition, regardless culture days, binding activity with AT1 probe was strong. The tell densities estimated by epifluorescent microscope were than those estimated by light microscope. The enumeration and identifying of Arexandriurn tamarense using DNA probe method will be contributed to a new biotoxin monitoring and prediction system in field.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.473-480
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• 2003

We analyzed the patterns of mineral ions and growth responses among symbiotic nitrogen fixing legumes by external nitrogen applications under salt gradients. Glycine max, Phaseolus angularis and Albizzia julibrissin showed remarkable growth inhibition above 40 mM NaCl treatments, but Cassia tora did not exhibit any visible injury symptom up to 100 mM NaCl treatments. As to ionic pattern, the $Na^+$ and $Cl^-$contents in leaves of G. max, P. angularis and A. julibrissin progressively increased with higher contents of external salinity. Compared to other plants, C. tora excluded $Na^+$more efficiently and maintained rather constant ionic contents in spite of high salt levels. With a few exception, these 4 legume plants exhibited better growth by the external nitrogen supply rather than the contribution of symbiotic nitrogen fixation only under saline condition.