• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제52권6호
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• pp.633-642
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• 2009

Neutropenia is defined as an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) of <$1,500/{\mu}L$, and the severity of neutropenia generally can be graded as mild ($1,000-1,500/{\mu}L$), moderate ($500-1,000/{\mu}L$), or severe (<500/$\mu{L}$). This stratification aids in predicting the risk of pyogenic infection because the susceptibility to life-threatening infections is significantly increased in patients with prolonged episodes of severe neutropenia. Especially cancer-related neutropenia carry significant mortality. Neutropenia can develop under various conditions such as decreased bone marrow production, the sequestering of neutrophils, and increased destruction of neutrophils in the peripheral blood. Neutropenia is classified according to the etiology as congenital or acquired, with the latter further defined according to the etiology or pathology. The clinical result is increased risk for infection, which is directly proportional to the severity and duration of the neutropenia. The typical workup of neutropenia starts with a 6-week period in which complete blood counts are measured twice weekly to document the persistence of the neutropenia and whether a cyclic pattern is present. When persistent neutropenia is diagnosed and no spontaneous recovery occurs within 3 months, a more extensive evaluation is advised. Treatment is usually unnecessary for most patients with severe neutropenia, as the majority of patients have a good prognosis. However, for patients who have severe and frequent infections, treatment with filgrastim may prevent infectious complications and improve quality of life.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권7호
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• pp.2871-2877
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• 2015

Background: Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is a malignant neoplasm that most commonly occurs in the urinary bladder. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the clinicopathologic features, recurrence and progression in patients with bladder urothelial cancer. Materials and Methods: The medical records of patients diagnosed with UC in the state pathology laboratory between January 2006 and July 2014 were retrospectively included. Carcinomas were categorized according to age, gender, histologic grade, tumor configuration, pathologic staging, recurrence status, and progression. Results: A total of 125 (113 men, 12 women) patients were examined. The mean age was 65.9 years and the male-to-female urothelial cancer incidence ratio was 9.4:1. Low-grade UCs were observed in 85 (68%) and high-grade in 40 (32%). A papillary tumor pattern was observed in 67.2% of the UCs. Cases were classified with the following pathological grades: 34 (27.2%) cases of pTa, 70 (56%) of pT1, and 21 (16.8%) of pT2. Recurrence occurred in 27 (21.6%) patients. Ten progressed to a higher stage (pT1 to pT2), and three cases to higher grade (low to high). We also analyzed the results separately for 70 (56%) patients 65 years of age and older. Conclusions: With early detection and diagnosis of precursor lesions in older patients, by methods such as standard urologic evaluation, urinary cytology, ultrasound scanning and contrast urography, and cystoscopy, in addition to coordinated efforts between pathologists and urologists, early diagnosis may reduce the morbidity and mortality of patients with urothelial carcinoma.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.181-184
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• 2005

Effects of irradiation and fumigation on disinfestation and quality attributes of chestnuts during storage were studied. Fresh chestnuts were exposed to gamma irradiation (0-10 kGy) and methyl bromide (MeBr) under commercial conditions and stored at different temperatures for 6 months. Pest of quarantine importance for chestnuts, Curculio sikkimensis Heller showed 100% mortality by MeBr on 3rd day after fumigation and by irradiation at 0.5 kGy in about 3 weeks at $23{\pm}0.5^{\circ}C$. Respiration rates of samples one day after treatments increased in proportion to irradiation dose. Respiration pattern of MeBr group was equal to that of 10 kGy-group. Both MeBr and irradiation at 0.25 kGy or higher showed 100% inhibition of sprouting during storage at $5^{\circ}C$ for 6 months. Flesh firmness was significantly reduced by MeBr or irradiation over 5 kGy (p<0.05) 1 day after treatments. MeBr fumigation resulted in appreciable decrease in flesh weight, reducing sugar and ascorbic acid contents (p<0.05), as compared to irradiated samples. Irradiation at 0.5 kGy was effective as alternative to MeBr in controlling pests while maintaining overall quality of fresh chestnuts during storage.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제13권3호
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• pp.215-222
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• 1997

The features of seizure-related brain injuries in rats poisoned i.p. with diisopropylfiuorophosphate were investigated. Pyridostigmine bromide (0.1 mg/kg) and atropine methylnitrate (20 mg/kg), which are centrally inactive, were pretreated i.m. 30 min and 10 min, respectively. before diisopropylfluorophosphate (10 mg /kg, $2LD_50$) poisoning to reduce the mortality and eliminate peripheral signs. Diisopropylfluorophosphate induced severe limbic seizures, and early necrotic and delayed apoptotic brain injuries. The necrotic brain injury, which was closely related to seizure intensity, was exerted as early as 1 hr predominently in hippocampus and piriform cortex. showing spongiform change (malacia) of neurophils in severe cases, in contrast to a typical apoptotic (TUNEL-positive)pattern after 12 hr in thalamus, and a mixed type in amygdala. Nitric oxide content in cerebrospinal fiuid significantly increased after 2 hr, reaching a maximal level at 6 hr. Pretreatment with $_L-N^G$-nitroarginine, an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, reduced nitric oxide content and attenuated only apoptotic brain injury in all four brain regions examined without affecting seizure intensity and necrotic injury. Taken together, early necrotic and delayed apoptotic brain injuries induced by diisopropylfiuorophosphate poisoning in rats may be related to seizure intensity and nitric oxide production, respectively.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• 제18권1호
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• pp.1-19
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• 2018

Gastric cancer (GC) is the second leading cause of cancer mortality and the fourth most commonly diagnosed malignant diseases. While continued efforts have been focused on GC treatment, the introduction of trastuzumab marked the beginning of a new era of target-specific treatments. Considering the diversity of mutations in GC, satisfactory results obtained from various target-specific therapies were expected, yet most of them were unsuccessful in controlled clinical trials. There are several possible reasons underlying the failures, including the absence of patient selection depending on validated predictive biomarkers, the inappropriate combination of drugs, and tumor heterogeneity. In contrast to targeted agents, immuno-oncologic agents are designed to regulate and boost immunity, are not target-specific, and may overcome tumor heterogeneity. With the successful establishment of predictive biomarkers, including Epstein-Barr virus pattern, microsatellite instability status, and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, as well as ideal combination regimens, a new frontier in the immuno-oncology of GC treatment is on the horizon. Since the field of immuno-oncology has witnessed innovative, practice-changing successes in other cancer types, several trials on GC are ongoing. Among immuno-oncologic therapies, immune checkpoint inhibitors are the mainstay of clinical trials performed on GC. In this article, we review target-specific agents currently used in clinics or are undergoing clinical trials, and highlight the future clinical application of immuno-oncologic agents in inoperable GC.

• 한국수산과학회지
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• 제36권2호
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• pp.144-150
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• 2003

Reproductive biology and population dynamics of Latreutes planirostris were investigated on the south western waters of Korea from June 2001 to May 2002. This paper describes sex ratio, population growth, and reproductive aspects of Latreutes planirostris. Brood size was an isometric function of female carapace length. Based on dry weight, reproduction effort (mass of eggs/mass of female) averaged 0.23. Ovarian examination showed that there was significantly higher gonadosomatic index from May to September, with a peak in June. Statistical analysis revealed that the ovarian dry weight of females with eyed eggs was significantly higher than that of those with non-eyed eggs. This suggests that females were potentially consecutive breeders. Sex ratio showed that female is more numerous than male. Growth parameters mortality and recruitment were estimated by monthly length-frequency data. Growth parameters were estimated, using the seasonalized von Bertalanffy growth function model $(L\infty\;=\;12.70\;mm\;CL,\;K\;=\;0.87yr^{-1},\;C\;=\;0.96,\;WP\;=\;0.59)$. The recruitment pattern was twice a year.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제12권3호
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• pp.89-94
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• 2008

In order to reproduce chronic cerebral hypoperfusion as it occurs in human aging and Alzheimer's disease, we introduced permanent, bilateral occlusion of the common carotid arteries (BCCAO) in rats (Farkas et al, 2007). Here, we induced BCCAO in two different rat strains in order to determine whether there was a strain difference in the pathogenic response to BCCAO. Male Wistar and Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (250-270 g) were subjected to BCCAO for three weeks. Kluver-Barrera and cresyl violet staining were used to evaluate white matter and gray matter damage, respectively. Wistar rats had a considerably higher mortality rate (four of 14 rats) as compared to SD rats (one of 15 rats) following BCCAO. Complete loss of pupillary light reflex occurred in all Wistar rats that survived, but loss of pupillary light reflex did not occur at all in SD rats. Moreover, BCCAO induced marked vacuolation in the optic tract of Wistar rats as compared to SD rats. In contrast, SD rats showed fewer CA1 hippocampal neurons than Wistar rats following BCCAO. These results suggest that the neuropathological process induced by BCCAO takes place in a region-specific pattern that varies according to the strain of rat involved.

• 한국임상수의학회지
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.159-164
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• 2002

The present study was conducted to investigate the antibiotic resistance of 24 Salmonella gallinarum isolated from 48 chicken samples of diagnosed fowl typhoid cases during the period from November 1998 to November 1999. And the isolates of S gallinarum were also tested for their invasion abilities to experimental infection as one of virulence tests, and the presence of virulence-related plasmid in S gallinarum isolates. The results obtained through this study were summarized as follows; 1. All of isolates from 48 cases of 24 farms were identified S gallinarum by biochemical and serological tests.2. Antimicrobial drug resistance test against 24 isolates showed that the isolates were resistant to Colistin(95.8%), and Penicillin(79.2%), Polymyxin B(75.0%), Streptomycin (65.2%), Gentamycin(54.2%), and Tetracycline(33.3%). 3. Mortality in chicken following peroral inoculation of four isolates of S gallinarum during 14-days inoculation pecked at 5 days(40%) after inoculation and all of experimental chickens died within 13 days after inoculation.4. Based on the pattern and number of isolated plasmid from each isolate, plasmid profiles were divided into five groups; group I with 3 plasmids, group II to group IV with 4 plasmids and group V with 5 plasmids.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제23권3호
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• pp.197-205
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• 2007

Cancer metastasis is a major determinant of cancer patient mortality. Mounting evidence favors a strong positive role for $TGF-{\beta}$ in human cancer progression. The complex pattern on cross-talk of $TGF-{\beta}$ and the related other signaling pathways is an important area of investigation that will ultimately contribute to understanding of the bifunctional role of $TGF-{\beta}$ in cancer progression. This review summarizes some of the current understanding of $TGF-{\beta}$ signaling with a major focus in its contribution to the tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Five issues are addressed in this review: (1) $TGF-{\beta}$ signaling, (2) $TGF-{\beta}$ and EMT, (3) $TGF-{\beta}$ and MMP, (4) $TGF-{\beta}$ and Ras, and (5) Role of $TGF-{\beta}$ in invasion and metastasis. Due to the bifunctional cellular effects of $TGF-{\beta}$, as a tumor promoter and a tumor suppressor, more precisely defined $TGF-{\beta}$ signaling pathways need to be elucidated. According to the current literature, $TGF-{\beta}$ is clearly a major factor stimulating tumor progression through a complex spectrum of the interplay and cross-talk between various signaling molecules. Understanding the role of $TGF-{\beta}$ in invasion and metastasis will provide valuable information on establishing strategies to manipulate $TGF-{\beta}$ signaling which should be a high priority for the development of anti-metastatic therapeutics.

• 한국환경복원기술학회지
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.1-10
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• 2011

Six pine trees (Pinus densiflora S. et Z.) at the Euilimji Lake Park in Jecheon were collected to investigate tree ages, growth decline pattern and the years of death. Tree-ring measurement was carried out using the Lintab with a resolution of 0.01mm. Tree age were 80-176 years. Cross-dating between the tree-ring series of each tree and the local chronology from Worak Mountain resulted that four and two trees died in 1998 and 1999, respectively. Three dead trees had only formed earlywood in the outermost tree ring and the others had incomplete latewood. Therefore, it was proven that the former trees died between spring and early summer, whereas the later ones died during late summer and/or autumn. The simultaneous deaths of trees suggest the insect damage and/or drought may be the crucial reason of the death, but frequent reaction woods, which were formed by leaning stem, and scars formed by physical damage may also contribute to the death.