• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.17
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• pp.7627-7632
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• 2015

Background: The present study was conducted to evaluate the technical feasibility, safety and adequacy of surgical margins with salvage transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for recurrent or residual head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients. Materials and Methods: Thirty patients who underwent salvage TORS using the 'DaVinci' robot were enrolled in the study and data related to their surgical time, complications and functional outcome were recorded. Results: The feasibility of salvage TORS in our study was observed to be 100%. Positive margins were encountered in only 6.7% of patients. Mean blood loss was 23.3 ml with no patient requiring blood transfusion. Postoperative complications in the form of primary haemorrhage requiring active surgical intervention occurred in 13.3%. Oral feeding could be started as early as the 3rd postoperative day in a few patients, with nasogastric tubes being removed on the 12th postoperative day. Long term gastrostomy tube dependency was seen in 10% cases. Median survival of patients was 19 months. Conclusions: Salvage TORS is a safe, effective and feasible option in the management of treatment failure cases. It offers an alternative surgical approach with unexpected benefits in terms of tracheostomy tube use, Ryle's tube and gastrostomy dependence.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.18
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• pp.7835-7838
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• 2014

Background: Neuroendocrine tumors have widespread and different clinical presentations and prognoses. This study was conducted to assess their survival time and prognostic factors in Iran. Materials and Methods: In a retrospective cohort study, 189 patients diagnosed of having neuroendocrine carcinoma were chosen. The tumor and clinical characteristics of the patients were modeled with a Cox proportional hazard approach. Survival was assessed using Kaplan-Meyer curves. Results: Crude median survival time was 30 months. Women survived longer than men (the median survival time for women was 40 and for men was 24 months). Age (<60 vs >60 years old with hazard ratio (HR) of 2.43, 95% CI 1.3-4.5), primary pathology report (carcinoid vs. others with HR 5.85 cm, 95% CI 2.4-14.3), tumor size cm (for 5-10, HR of 3.1, 95% CI 1.6 and for >10 HR of 8.2, 95% with 95% CI 3.1-21.9), and chemotherapy with single drug (taking vs. not taking with a HR 2.2, 95% CI 1.1-4.8) had significant effects on overall survival of patients. Conclusions: Survival time in patients with neuroendocrine carcinomas is related to demographics, clinical characteristics, tumor histology, and subtype specific treatment.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.9
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• pp.4281-4288
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• 2016

Background: Traditional meta-analyses or systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been used to compare laser surgeries and transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) for benign prostate hyperplasia (BHP), but they cannot provide a hierarchy regarding efficacy and safety of treatment. Objective: We therefore performed a network meta-analysis (NMA) to compare and create hierarchies for efficacy and safety of TUPR and laser surgeries for BPH. Materials and Methods: We searched for reports of RCTs published up to April 25, 2015. After methodological quality assessment and data extraction, we performed an NMA to compare TURP and laser surgeries for BPH. Results: We ranked the treatments of TURP and laser surgeries for BPH. For IPSS at 6 months, holmium laser resection of the prostate (HoLRP) ranked the first-best and at 12 months, holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP). For Qmax at 6 and 12 months, HoLEP ranked the first-best; for operative time it was TURP; for cathedral removal time, diode laser enucleation of the prostate (DiLEP) ranked the first-best. Conclusions: Although TURP is considered the gold standard for treating BPH, it is not better in terms of efficacy and safety compared with the laser surgery. Our NMA created hierarchies for the 9 types of surgery in terms of efficacy and safety, which should help clinicians choose the best approach for the individual patient.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SP
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.86-97
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• 2011

This paper presents a novel algorithm to detect more accurate road lane with image sensor-based color classification and directional edge clustering. With treatment of road region and lane as a recognizable color object, the classification of color cues is processed by an iterative optimization of statistical parameters to each color object. These clustered color objects are taken into considerations as initial kernel information for color object detection and recognition. In order to improve the limitation of object classification using the color cues, the directional edge cures within the estimated region of interest in the lane boundary (ROI-LB) are clustered and combined. The results of color classification and directional edge clustering are optimally integrated to obtain the best detection of road lane. The characteristic of the proposed system is to obtain robust result to all real road environments because of using non-parametric approach based only on information of color and edge clustering without a particular mathematical road and lane model. The experimental results to the various real road environments and imaging conditions are presented to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.277-290
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• 2012

The metabolic profiles of Panax quinquefolius and its associated therapeutic values are critically affected by the repetitious steaming times. The times-dependent steaming effect of P. quinquefolius is not well-characterized and there is also no official guideline on its times of steaming. In this paper, a UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS method was developed for the qualitative profiling of multi-parametric metabolic changes of raw P. quinquefolius during the repetitious steaming process. Our method was successful in discriminating the differentially multi-steamed herbs. Meantime, the repetitious steaming-inducing chemical transformations in the preparation of black American ginseng (American ginseng that was subjected to 9 cycles of steaming treatment) were evaluated by this UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS based chemical profiling method. Under the optimized UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS conditions, 29 major ginsenosides were unambiguously identified and/or tentatively assigned in both raw and multi-steamed P. quinquefolius within 19 min, among them 18 ginsenosides were detected to be newly generated during the preparatory process of black American ginseng. The mechanisms involved were further deduced to be hydrolysis, dehydration, decarboxylation and addition reactions of the original ginsenosides in raw P. quinquefolius through analyzing mimic 9 cycles of steaming extracts of 14 pure reference ginsenosides. Our novel steaming times-dependent metabolic profiling approach represents the paradigm shift in the global quality control of multi-steamed P. quinquefolius products.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.94-98
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• 1998

Background: Completion thyroidectomy can most accurately be described as reexploration of the neck to remove the contralateral thyroid lobe. This procedure has commonly been performed when the histopatholoic condition of the ipsilateral thyroid lobe reveals papillary or follicular carcinoma of the thyroid. Because of a definitely increased risk of complications with completion thyroidectomy, avoiding its routine use is important. But this operation is safe procedure with minimal morbidity by coinsidering interval, surgical approach, surgeon's experience. The purpose of this review is to define the indication, and the safety of completion thyroidectomy. Materials & Methods: Recent 2 years(1995. 1 to 1996. 12), we have performed 161 thyroid operations. Fourteen of these patients were treated by completion thyroidectomy. The patients ranged in age from 21 to 66 years. We have routinely used ultrasound guided needle biopsy and intraoperative frozen section. Result: The completion thyroidectomized specimen contained papillary carcinoma in 12 (86%), follicular carcinoma in 1(7%) and follicular adenoma(no residual tumor) in 1(7%). The complication of completion thyroicetomy was absent, although case number was a few. The indication of completion thyroidectomy in our study was defined recurrence in 9 and staging in 5. The site of recurrence consists of residual thyroid in 7 and residual thyroid added cervical lymph node in 2. The staging consists of incomplete thyroidectomy 3, questionable frozen biopsy 1, and huge follicular carcinoma. Conclusion: The incidence of completion thyroidectomy appear to be increasing by application of ultrasonogram in follow-up of thyroidectomized patients, especially, for the improving of well differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Experience suggests that the morbidity of completion thyroidectomy is low, so we recommend completion thyroidectomy as an efficient and safe method of surgical treatment.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.133-137
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• 2006

Objectives : The purpose of this paper is to know the efficacy of voice therapy for vocal fold nodules in children. Materials and Methods : Sixty two patients with vocal nodules(46 boys and 16 girls) were retrospectively reviewed. Age ranged from 4 to 15 years with mean age of 8 years. Questionnaire survey was carried out with voice handicap index, at pretherapy and post-therapy(3 months and 5 years after voice therapy). Results : Sixty two percent of the patients showed improvement by voice therapy. Twenty five patients continued education at home after voice therapy, but only eight childrens were included this group in pre-school aged children. Voice handicap index was improved in 3 months and 5 years after voice therapy. In contrast, pre-school children group showed slight aggravation in 5 years, especially in emotional subdomain. Conclusion : Voice therapy is effective primary treatment in children with vocal fold nodules. Different result between preschool aged children and school aged group shows needs for age specific approach of voice therapy.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.13-18
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• 2008

Successful treatment of any pathological condition of the shoulder requires an accurate diagnosis. Physical examination represents an integral part of the assessment of shoulder disorders. Pain, loss of strength, decreased range of motion, and instability are the most common symptoms caused by a great variety of different shoulder pathologies. Therefore, a sophisticated clinical approach to the patient with shoulder pathology is essential. A standardized evaluation including a variety of diagnostic tests and clinical assessments improves the diagnostic accuracy by specifically examining one component of the shoulder complex. In most cases a careful physical examination will establish or suggest a diagnosis and special investigative techniques such as imaging procedures can be applied more selectively for confirmation or further evaluation of the pathological entity.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.97-105
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• 2001

Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the Associated factors of bone mineral density in postmenopausal was measured for 36 normal in the women from July 14.2000 to august 24,2000. Methods: The data were collected from women who visited Physical Examination Center of a Catholic university hospital located in Taegu. Bone mineral density(BMD) of lumbar spine was measured using energy absorptiometry. Results: The bone mineral density of the lumbar spine decreased with aging. The bone mineral density of the lumbar spine increased with number of delivery and number of abortion decreased. The mean bone mineral density of the lumbar spine of postmenopausal women in age less than 50 and 50 ${\sim}$ 59 were 0.79 g/c$m^2$, the lumbar spine of postmenopausal women in age greater than 60 was 0.69 g/c$m^2$. The mean bone mineral density of the lumbar spine of postmenopausal women in mean age 56.1. Conclusions: In the multiple regression of risk factors to bone mineral density(BMD) of lumbar spine were correlated with bone mineral density T-scores(p<0.05). Osteoporosis is a major public health problem among the elderly, demanding effective strategic approach for prevention and treatment.

• Proceedings of the KOR-KST Conference
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• 1997.12a
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• pp.33-69
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• 1997

This study was conducted to develop a methodology to predict utility pole accident rates and to evaluate cost-effectiveness for safety improvement for utility pole accidents. The utility pole accident rate prediction model was based on the encroachment rate approach introduced in the Transportation Research Board Special Report 214. The utility pole accident rate on a section of highway depends on the roadside encroachment rate and the lateral extent of encroachment. The encroachment rate is influenced by the horizontal and vertical alignment of the highway as well as traffic volume and mean speed. The lateral extent of encroachment is affected by the horizontal and vertical alignment, the mean speed and the roadside slope. An analytical method to generate the probability distribution function for the lateral extent of encroachment was developed for six kinds of encroachment types by the horizontal alignment and encroachment direction. The encroachment rate was calibrated with the information on highway and roadside conditions and the utility pole accident records collected on the sections of 55mph speed limit of the State Trunk Highway 12 in Wisconsin. The encroachment rate on a tangent segment was calibrated as a function of traffic volume with the actual average utility pole accident rates by traffic volume strategies. The adjustment factors for horizontal and vertical alignment were then derived by comparing the actual average utility pole accident rates to the estimations from the model calibrated for tangent and level sections. A computerized benefit-cost analysis procedure was then developed as a means of evaluating alternative countermeasures. The program calculates the benefit-cost ratio and the percent of reduction of utility pole accidents resulting from the implementation of a safety improvement. This program can be used to develop safety improvement: alternatives for utility pole accidents when a predetermined performance level is specified.