• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.245-251
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• 2009

Objective : The authors analyzed the effectiveness and therapeutic response of Novalis shaped beam radiosurgery for metastatic brain tumors, and the prognostic factors which influenced the outcome. Methods : We performed a retrospective analysis of 106 patients who underwent 159 treatments for 640 metastatic brain lesions between January 2000 and April 2008. The pathologies of the primary tumor were mainly lung (45.3%), breast (18.2%) and GI tract (13.2%). We classified the patients using Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Recursive Partitioning Analysis (RPA) and then analyzed the survival and prognostic factors according to the Kaplan Meier method and univariate analysis. Results : The overall median actuarial survival rate was 7.3 months from the time of first radiosurgery treatment while 1 and 2 year actuarial survival estimates were 31% and 14.4%, respectively. Median actuarial survival rates for RPA classes I, II, and III were 31.3 months, 7.5 months and 1.7 months, respectively. Patients' life spans, higher Karnofsky performance scores and age correlated closely with RPA classes. However, sex and the number of lesions were not found to be significantly associated with length of survival. Conclusion : This result suggests that Novalis radiosurgery can be a good treatment option for treatment of the patients with brain metastases.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.149-154
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• 1989

Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) is a syndrome resulting from brain ischemia lasting less than 24 hours. The mechanisms of TIAs may be similar to those of cerebral embolism and thrombosis, and thus TIAs may be followed by cerebral infarction. Despite the availability of CT scanning, the diagnosis and management of TIAs continue to be difficult. Recently SPECT has been advocated as a diagnostic imaging modality. We performed Tc-99m-HMPAO regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) SPECT in 24 patients with the clinical diagnosis of TIAs to assess its ability to detect early changes of rCBF, and determine the diagnostic value. Ten men and fourteen women with an average of 51 years (range; 27-74 years) were included. All but 8 patients had normal brain CT prior to SPECT. The two patients had moderate degree of brain atrophy and the 6 patients nonspecific calcifications. Eighteen of the 24 patients had abnormal Tc-99m-HMPAO rCBF SPECT. Fifteen had unilateral involvement and the other three had bilateral involvements. Seventy-five percents of the defects were found in the left cerebral hemisphere. According to the distribution of the lesions (total number: 34 lesions), fourteen were in the parietal, eight in the temporal, and the remainders were elsewhere. Tc-99m-HMPAO rCBF SPECT is sensitive in detecting rCBF abnormalities in patients with TIAs, and represent the most accurate diagnostic tool available in the diagnosis of TIAs.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.119-131
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• 2015

Objectives : Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by pruritic and erythematous skin lesions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the suppressive effects of Lonicerae Flos, Forsythiae Fluctus and Hwangryunhaedok Decoction Pharmacopuncture on the development of atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions in NC/Nga Mice. Methods : The Atopic Dermatitis was induced by biostir AD on the mice's back skin. Experimental groups were divided into three including LFP(Lonicerae Flos Pharmacopuncture, EtOH extract), FFP(Forsythiae Fluctus Pharmacopuncture, EtOH extract) and HHP(Hwangryunhaedok Decoction Pharmacopuncture, Hydrodistillation extract). Every second day, the mice of three groups were treated with $0.1m{\ell}$ of pharmacopuncture using a syringe at right and left acupoints ($BL_{13}$), alternatively. On the control group, normal saline was used instead of pharmacopuncture. Subsequently optical observation with a handscope, a clinical skin score, Tissue(general/immune) mast cell, Serum IgE level, Serum histamine level, and Serum lymphokine(IL-2, IL-4, $IFN-{\gamma}{\gamma}$) were measured. Results : FFP and HHP decreased the clinical skin score, the total cell number of mast cells, and the Serum total IgE level and Serum histamine level. In Serum lymphokine levels, all groups were decreased to the IL-4 level, LFP and FFP were increased to the IL-2 level, and LFP was increased to the $IFN-{\gamma}$ level. Conclusions : From the above results, Forsythiae Fluctus Pharmacopuncture (EtOH extract) and Hwangryunhaedok Decoction Pharmacopuncture (Hydrodistillation extract) exerted anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory effects, suggesting a promising agent for improving atopic dermatitis related symptoms.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.318-326
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• 1999

Respiratory pathogenic effects of several porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus(PRRSV) isolates were examined in swine tracheal ring(STR) cultures by examining their effect on ciliary activity. One high and one low pathogenic PRRSV isolates were then selected and their pathogenicity investigated in 3-week-old conventional PRRSV-seronegative pigs. Ten pigs each were inoculated intranasally with the high or low pathogenic PRRSV isolate and 6 pigs were sham inoculated as negative controls. Two pigs each from the inoculated group and one pig each from negative control group were killed on 4, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days postinoculation(pI). At necropsy, degrees of gross lung lesion was determined. Turbinate, tonsil, trachea and lung samples were collected for virus isolation or histopathology. Gross lung lesions were observed mainly on 14 days PI with high and low pathogenic isolates inducing moderate diffuse and mild gross lung lesions, respectively. Inoculation of either the high or low pathogenic virus resulted in loss of cilia in ciliated epithelium of turbinates and trachea between 7 and 28 days PI. High pathogenic virus caused increased number of Goblet cells in the tracheal epithelial layer between 4 and 21 days PI whereas the low pathogenic virus did it between 14 and 28 days PI and with a lesser degree. Although both viruses produced interstitial pneumonia, the lesion was less severe with the low pathogenic virus. The isolation of high pathogenic virus from tissues and sera was earlier and more consistent than that of the low pathogenic virus. The agreement between in vitro and in vivo tests indicates that STR cultures may be used as a routine method to determine the respiratory pathogenicity of PRRSV isolates.

• Plant Disease and Agriculture
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.20-26
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• 1999

Ultraviolet light is required for the sporulation of Didymella bryoniae, a gummy stem blight fungus in cucurbits such as watermelon, melon, oriental melon, cucumber and pumpkin. In this experiment, the upper limit of wave length for the production of pycnidia of D. bryoniae was 365 nm - 375 nm. Two plastic houses were covered with either common transparent film (wave length longer than 225 nm is transmitted) or UV-absorbing film ( wave lenght shorter than 388 nm is absorbed). In both houses, seedlings inoculated with D. bryoniae were placed in the center of the house at 30 days after transplantation of watermelon (cv. Whanhoseong), and the disease incidences between the houses were compared until 80 days after transplantation. The number of disease lesions and incidence of pycnidia-producing lesions under the UV-absorbing film were reduced by 90% and 80%, respectively, compared to the common transparent film. The internode lengths of plants grown in the two houses were not significantly different, but the plants grown under the UV-absorbing film had longer vines and more leaves than plants under the common transparent film. However, fruit characters such as weight, length, width, rind thick and brix, were not different between the two houses. Occurrence of aphids was reduced in the UV-absorbing film, but those of mites or diseases (powdery mildew and sooty mold) were not different between the houses. These results suggest that disease incidence of gummy stem blight of watermelon in the greenhouse can be controlled by the use of UV-absorbing film.

• The Journal of Natural Sciences
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.23-26
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• 1998

The efficacy of various concentration of divalent copper and zinc ions was evaluated separately for the infectivity of tobacco mosaic virus. Infectivity of TMV was more enhanced by addition of zinc, while it was decreased by addition of copper. The number of local lesions were more produced on tobacco leaves inoculated with inoculum sap containing zinc than those inoculated with sap only. The effect of copper inhibited the infectivity of TMV is dependent on copper concentration. TMV particles treated with various concentration of zinc and copper, respectively, analyzed by electrophoresis, and appeared to be altered in electrophoretic behavior. When TMV was exposed to zinc concentration at more than 200mM, the viral particles were completely degraded, and at 40-20 mM they were barely detectable, but at 2 mM they were quite stable. When TMV was exposed at less than concentration of 20 mM of copper were degraded.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.56 no.9
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• pp.389-395
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• 2013

Purpose: This single-center study was conducted to assess the changes in epidemiological and clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) over the past 7 years. Methods: This retrospective study included 135 children with KD, admitted to Chungnam National University Hospital, Daejeon, between 2004 and 2005 (group A, n=53) and between 2011 and 2012 (group B, n=82). Medical records were reviewed to obtain information regarding the presenting signs and symptoms, demographic characteristics, and laboratory and echocardiographic findings associated with KD. Results: The hospital admission date after onset was significantly earlier in group B than in group A (P=0.008). The proportion of patients with incomplete KD was 45.3% and 65.9% in group A and B, respectively (P=0.018). The number of pretreatment coronary artery lesions (CALs) were significantly lesser in group B than in group A. (10/53 vs. 5/82, P=0.021). No significant differences was observed in the incidence of CALs at discharge, febrile phase duration, hospital stay duration, incidence of retreatment, and intravenous immunoglobulin dose between 2 groups. The total febrile phase was shorter in patients with incomplete KD than in those with complete KD in both groups. Conclusion: The proportion of incomplete KD has become higher. Furthermore, early admission and management of patients with KD may be related to increased incomplete KD and decreased CALs. Therefore, we believe that a diagnostic strategy for incomplete KD should be established regardless of the presence of coronary lesions.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.76-82
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• 2004

Pine needles are known as a traditional medicine and their ingestion has been shown to be beneficial to human beings. Following induction of the neoplastic process in rats by azoxymethane (AOM), we determined the effects of pine needle supplementation on colon carcinogenesis and on antioxidant systems in the blood and liver. Five week old male Fisher 344 rats were injected with AOM (15 mg/kg) once a week for two weeks. After the second injection, 18 rats were randomly assigned into two groups and were fed a casein-based high-fat diet (120 g fat and 1 g cholesterol/kg diet) with or without pine needle powder (10%w/w). After 6 weeks, rats receiving pine needle powder showed a 40% lower incidence of the number of colonic preneoplastic lesions (aberrant crypts) and a 52% lower incidence of aberrant crypt foci (p<0.01). A significantly elevated level of erythrocyte catalase activity was observed in the pine needle supplemented group (17.4$\pm$1.1 vs. 24.5$\pm$1.5, p<0.01). Pine needle supplementation also increased liver glutathione peroxidase activity (7.5$\pm$0.6 vs. 14.6$\pm$0.6, p<0.01). Other antioxidant parameters such as erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase, liver catalase activity, and plasma total antioxidant potential (TRAP), showed no statistical differences between the two groups. Our data demonstrate that pine needle supplementation improves the antioxidant system and suppresses the formation of colonic preneoplastic lesions in AOM-treated rats. This result provides additional insights into the chemo-preventative properties of pine needles.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.131-140
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• 2014

TMost of the medical images that are being used today are to confirm the existence of lesions. These kind of medical images can not only be used to confirm lesions but if we could use it for academic studies or for analysis and reference materials for surgical operations, it could offer great help in medical studies. Furthermore, we could reduce the number of errors in treatment through simulations in the surgical operations and treatments. In this paper, the necessary parts regarding the medical image visuals were extracted through the point cloud and by using the information obtained through it, it manufactures the necessary information for academic studies, diagnoses or operations. By designing and realizing the system which makes simulation possible with the manufactured information, the paper attempts to provide a more effective way to approach academic studies or giving appropriate diagnoses in the treatment of patients.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.149-155
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• 2019

In metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the role of radiotherapy (RT) has been limited to palliation to alleviate the symptoms. However, with the development of advanced RT techniques, recent advances in immuno-oncology therapy targeting programmed death 1 (PD-1) and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and targeted agents for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation or anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) translocation allowed new roles of RT in these patients. Within this metastatic population, there is a subset of patients with a limited number of sites of metastatic disease, termed as oligometastasis that can achieve long-term survival from aggressive local management. There is no consensus on the definition of oligometastasis; however, most clinical trials define oligometastasis as having 3 to 5 metastatic lesions. Recent phase II randomized clinical trials have shown that ablative RT, including stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) and hypofractionated RT, to primary and metastatic sites improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with oligometastatic NSCLC. The PEMBRO-RT study, a randomized phase II study comparing SABR prior to pembrolizumab therapy and pembrolizumab therapy alone, revealed that the addition of SABR improved the overall response, PFS, and OS in patients with advanced NSCLC. The efficacy of RT in oligometastatic lung cancer has only been studied in phase II studies; therefore, large-scale phase III studies are needed to confirm the benefit of local ablative RT in patients with oligometastatic NSCLC. Local intensified RT to primary and metastatic lesions is expected to become an important treatment paradigm in the near future in patients with metastatic lung cancer.