• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.628-635
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• 1999

Background : Maximal expiratory flow rate is determined by the size of airway, elastic recoil pressure and the collapsibility of airway in the lung. The obstruction of expiratory flow is one of the major functional impairments of emphysema, which represents COPD. Nevertheless, expiratory narrowing of upper airway may be recruited as a mechanism for minimizing airway collapse, and maintaining lung volume and hyperinflation by an endogenous positive end-expiratory pressure in patients with airflow obstruction. We investigated the physiologic role of trachea in respiration in emphysema. Method : We included 20 patients diagnosed as emphysema by radiologic and physiologic criteria from January to August in 1997 at Seoul Municipal Boramae Hospital. Chest roentgenogram, high resolution computed tomography(HRCT), and pulmonary function tests including arterial blood gas analysis and body plethysmography were taken from each patient. Cross-sectional area of trachea was measured according to the respiratory cycle on the level of aortic arch by HRCT and calibrated with body surface area. We compared this corrected area with such parameters of pulmonary function tests as $PaCO_2$, $PaO_2$, airway resistance, lung compliance and so on. Results : Expiratory cross-sectional area of trachea had significant correlation with $PaCO_2$ (r=-0.61, p<0.05), $PaO_2$ (r=0.6, p<0.05), and minute ventilation (r=0.73, p<0.05), but inspiratory cross-sectional area did not (r=-0.22, p>0.05 with $PaCO_2$, r=0.26, p>0.05 with $PaO_2$, and r=0.44, p>0.05 with minute ventilation). Minute ventilation had significant correlation with tidal volume (r=0.45, p<0.05), but it had no significant correlation with respiratory frequency (r=-0.31, p>0.05). Cross-sectional area of trachea had no significant correlation with other parameters of pulmonary function including $FEV_1$, FVC, $FEV_1$/FVC, peak expiratory flow, residual volume, diffusing capacity, airway resistance, and lung compliance, whether the area was expiratory or inspiratory. Conclusion : Cross-sectional area of trachea narrowed during expiration in emphysema, and its expiratory area had significant correlation with $PaCO_2$, $PaO_2$, and minute ventilation.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.629-641
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• 1999

Background: Corticosteroid is most potent and effective anti-inflammatory medication currently available and inhaled form has been used in the long-tenn control of asthma. Fluticasone propionate(Flixotide/Flovent: FP) is highly potent and topically active inhaled corticosteroid and has at least twice the potency of beclomethasone dipropionate(BDP) in the control of asthma. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of FP and BDP in several aspects. Method: Fifty patients with asthma were treated in a randomized, parallel group study of 4 weeks duration. During 2-week run-in period $\beta_2$-agonist was administered. After run-in period, FP $500{\mu}g/day$ was administered via Diskhaler or BDP $800{\mu}g/day$ via reservoir dry-power device. During the run-in and treatment period, morning and evening peak expiratory flow rate(PEFR) were measured daily. Daytime and nighttime asthma symptoms, daytime and night-time rescue bronchodilator use were checked daily. $FEV_{1.0}$ and FVC were measured biweekly in both groups. Results: Three patients treated with FP and seven patient treated with BDP were dropped out. Therefore forty patients completed the study. Morning and evening PEFR was increased and diurnal variation of PEFR decreased significantly in both groups. $FEV_{1.0}$ increased significantly in FP treatment group but not in BDP group. There were also improvements in daytime and night-time asthma symptoms, daytime and night-time rescue bronchodilator use in both groups after treatment There were no significant difference between groups in any of the efficacy parameters. Therapeutic effects were demonstrated earlier in patient treated with FP than BDP. Conclusion: In this study, $500{\mu}g/day$ fluticasone propionate was as effective as $800{\mu}g/day$ beclomethasone dipropionate in the control of asthma. Therapeutic effects were demonstrated earlier in patient treated with FP than BDP without adverse effect.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.781-787
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• 2000

Background : The established by Light et al in 1972 have been used widely for the differential diagnosis of the pleural effusions in transudates and exsudates. However, in recent years, several reports have agreed that these criteria misclassified an important number of effusions. For this reason, different parameters have been proposed for differentiating the transudates from exudates. Nevertheless, all these alternative parameters have not been better than the past criteria of Light et al. In response the usefulness of two parameters for differentiating pleural transudate from exudates were evaluated : pleural fluid cholinesterase level and pleural fluid to serum cholinesterase ratio. Methods : A total of forty-three patients with known causes of the pleural of the pleural effusion by diagnostic thoracentesis were studied. The following criteria for differentiating the pleural effusions in transudates and exsudates were analyzed : Ligt's criteria, the pleural fluid cholesterol level, the pleural fluid to serum cholesterol ratio, the pleural fluid cholinesterase level, and the pleural fluid to serum cholinesterase ratio. Results : The conditions of forty-three patients were diagnosed. Ten were classified as having transudates and thirty-three as exudates. The percentage of effusions misclassified by each parameter was as follows : Light's criteria, 9.3% ; pleural fluid cholesterol 2.3% ; pleural fluid to serum cholesterol, ratio, 2.3% ; pleural fluid cholinesterase, 4.7% ; and pleural fluid to serum chlinesterase ratio, 2.3%. Conclusions : The pleural fluid to serum cholinesterase ratio is one of the accurate criteria for differentiating pleural transudates from exudates. If fur1her studies confirm the results, the cholinesterase ratio could be used as the first step in the evaluation of pleural effusion and, if evaluated together with the other criteria, the differentiation of pleural transudate from exsudates will become more accurate.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.58 no.5
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• pp.452-458
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• 2005

Background : In Korea, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for M. tuberculosis has been used for the diagnosis of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear-negative tuberculosis in order to increase diagnostic sensitivity. However, there have been no data dealing with the clinical utility of PCR in AFB smear-positive patients to differentiate between M. tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacteria. Method : We retrospectively analyzed the PCR test results which have been performed in patients who had AFB smear-positive sputum but had ambiguous clinical manifestations of active tuberculosis. PCR test was done using $AMPLICOR^{\hat{a}}$ M. tuberculosis kit. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the PCR test were calculated based on culture and final clinical diagnosis result. Results : Fifty-six consecutive patients (62 PCR tests) were included in the study. Active tuberculosis was diagnosed in 23 patients (41.0%), while 9 patients had NTM infection (16.0%). The sensitivity, specificity, positive- and negative-predictive value of PCR test were 88.8%, 86.8%, 76.1% and 94.3%, respectively, according to the culture result. In comparison, they were 91.3%, 100%, 100%, 94.3%, respectively, according to the final clinical diagnosis. All 15 patients with NTM isolates, including 6 patients who had other lung diseases but expectorated NTM isolate, were negative for PCR test. Conclusion : Even though tuberculosis is still prevalent in Korea, PCR test is useful to differentiate between M. tuberculosis and NTM in patients with AFB-smear positive sputum but with ambiguous clinical manifestations of active tuberculosis.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.21-26
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• 2010

Purpose: To analyze clinical, radiological and pathological features as well as clinical outcome after surgical treatment of patients with secondary chondrosarcoma arising from osteochondroma(tosis). Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical records, radiographs, pathologic slides of 14 patients. Nine patients were male and fi ve were female. The mean age was 34 years. The mean follow-up period was 54 months. Results: All patients had a history of previous mass since childhood or puberty. Preexisted osteochondroma was single in 3 patients and multiple in 10. Remaining 1 patient had multiple osteochondromatosis with enchondromatosis. MRI clearly provided thickness of cartilage cap, which was over 2 cm except in 2 cases. Chondrosarcoma was grade 1 in all except 1 case, which was grade 2. Wide excision was performed in 10 patients, marginal excision in 3 and amputation in 1. Twelve patients were doing very well without evidence of disease. Among 3 patients with marginal excision, 1 patient had local recurrence and 1 patient died of disease. Conclusion: Comprehensive understanding of clinical, radiological and pathological features of secondary chondro sarcoma is warranted for accurate diagnosis. The best result can be expected with early recognition of malignant change of osteohcondroma(tosis) and wide excision.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.22-30
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• 2007

Purpose: We describe clinical, radiographic, MRI and pathologic findings as well as final outcome after simple curettage and bone graft of cystic fibrous dysplasia (FD) in the long bone, which has been rarely documented in the literature. Materials and Methods: Clinical records, radiographs, MRI and histologic slides of 11 patients with cystic FD in the long bone were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Six patients complained pain for several months, 4 patients presented pain after trivial injury event, and 1 patient suffered pathologic fracture. The mode of involvement was monostotic in 10 patients and polyostotic in l patient. The femur was affected in 7 patients, the humerus in 3, and the radius in 1. Radiography showed prominent, expansive lysis associated with ground-glass density of FD. MRI revealed 2 different signals of FD and cyst. Microscopic examination revealed classic findings of FD and non-specific cystic degeneration. The final outcome was satisfactory in every patient. Local recurrence was not observed. Conclusion: Cystic FD in the long bone seems not as rare as the scarcity of reported cases would indicate. MRI features provide a basis for differential diagnosis between benign cystic change and malignant transformation. Cystic FD would be an indication for surgery and simple curettage with allo-chip-bone graft is effective.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.31-35
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• 2010

In this experiment, the effects on the growth and the quality of cut flowers of chrysanthemum 'Jinba' were mainly concerned depending on cultural methods between the pinching and the non-pinching. According to the results, the sufficient period of the vegetative growth was necessary to enter the flower bud differentiation in case of the non-pinching cultivation whereas it was not the case on the pinching. As compared with the pinching, the non-pinching showed 10% higher in the flowering ratio after flower bud differentiation. The flowering ratio of the non-pinching exceeded more than 95% but the pinching showed below 95% of the flowering ratio after flower bud differentiation. Comparing the number of cutting flowers between pinching and non-pinching, it was the non-pinching that showed the production of the first grade cutting flowers about 5 weeks faster than that of the pinching. It seem to be possible that harvesting time and growing period could be shortened. In the non-pinching growing region, above third-grading marketable cut flowers was 100% regardless of planting time. On the contrary, the pinching method showed 84.7% of marketable cutting flowers at first week from the planting, followed by 64.3% at second week, 18.8% at third week, and 2.6% at fourth week. Marketability of cutting flowers indicates that were planted by the pinching is very poor. When draw a comparison between the fourth-week planting of the non-pinching with the first-week planting of the pinching, the non-pinching could cut the growing period 38 days shorter than the pinching and the marketability was better. These results indicate that the non-pinching method can shorten the growing period and harvesting time compared to the pinching and it also resulted in reduction of cost and rapid production of the cutting flowers.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.383-390
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• 2014

This study was conducted to investigate the growth characteristics of cucumber scion and pumpkin rootstock under different levels of light intensity (photosynthetic photon flux, PPF) and plug cell size in a closed transplant production system with artificial lighting. Cucumber scion and pumpkin rootstock seedlings were grown under the combinations of three levels of PPF (PPF 165, 248, and $313{\mu}mol{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}s^{-1}$) and five types of plug tray (50, 72, 105, 128, and 200 cells in the tray) for nine days. The shoot dry weight and relative growth rate increased with increasing PPF and plug cell size. As PPF increased, cucumber scion and pumpkin rootstock seedlings had higher dry matter, lower specific leaf area, and lower hypocotyl length. The first true leaf of cucumber scion and pumpkin rootstock unfolded at eight and seven days after sowing, respectively, except the treatment using 200-cell plug tray. The unfolding of first true leaf of seedlings grown in 200-cell plug tray was delayed by one day. Accordingly, it was considered that the use of small cell size such as 200-cell plug tray would require more time for the production of scion and rootstock. Based on the results, we suggest that cucumber scion and pumpkin rootstock be grown in 105-cell to 128-cell plug tray for eight days and 72-cell to 105-cell plug tray for seven days, respectively, when using splice grafting method with root-removed rootstock. Additionally, higher PPF is suggested to improve the growth and quality of scion and rootstock.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.51 no.9
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• pp.998-1006
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• 2008

Purpose : Hypertension is defined as average systolic blood pressure and/or diastolic blood pressure that is ${\geq}95^{th}$ percentile for gender, age, and height on ${\geq}three$ occasions. Knowing that blood pressure values increase in children as they grow older, the purposes of this study were to measure blood pressure by an oscillometric device and to determine normal values and percentile curves for children. Methods : Systolic and diastolic blood pressures were measured twice with an oscillometric device in 3,545 boys and 3,145 girls under six years of age, in Seoul. Using this data, we determined average blood pressure values and percentile curves based on gender and age; we subdivided these values into blood pressures of $50^{th}$, $90^{th}$, $95^{th}$, and $99^{th}$ percentiles, by percentile of height. The regression coefficients and standard deviations of the systolic and diastolic blood pressure values were obtained from linear regression models. Results : Older boys and girls had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure values. Older boys and girls in the same percentile of height for age had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure values. Taller boys and girls within the same age group had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure values. Conclusion : Blood pressure standards based on gender, age, and height were obtained via an oscillometric method. Llimitation of this study is that the study population was not from the whole country, but exclusively from Seoul. Nonetheless, the data from this study will be helpful in diagnosing and managing hypertension in Korean children.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.301-307
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• 2015

High quality transplants are critical for success in crop production. Increasing numbers of growers purchase their transplants from specialized transplant producers instead of growing their own transplants. A drawback of purchasing transplants is the risk of deterioration to transplants during transportation from transplant producers to the growers. This study evaluates the influence of temperature on the quality of grafted tomatoes transplants (Solanum lycopersicum cv. Super Doterang), in order to propose optimum temperature condition for the transportation of grafted tomato transplants. Grafted tomato transplants with visible flower trusses were exposed to different air temperature ($10^{\circ}C$, $25^{\circ}C$, or $40^{\circ}C$) for 2, 4, or 6 hours. After treatment, the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) values of tomato transplants treated at 25 and $40^{\circ}C$ were lower than that at $10^{\circ}C$. The root fresh weight was lowest at $40^{\circ}C$. After transplanting, the transplants that were exposed to the air temperature of $40^{\circ}C$ exhibited chlorosis and blight on lower leaves. The degree of damage on leaves was severer as the high temperature exposure time was longer. The temperature conditions during the transportation also influenced the growth, flowering and fruit set of tomatoes after transplanting. The fruit number and weight of first truss was lowest at $40^{\circ}C$ for 6 hours. Accordingly, it is recommended that the temperature during the transportation should be controlled and kept at the range from 10 to $25^{\circ}C$ even though the period is short (within as six hours) in order to maintain the quality of transplants.