• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.33 no.5 s.112
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• pp.15-30
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• 2005

A deserted town once vibrant with active commercial activities around a railroad station now tries to find a way to escape from depression and revive its life with a renewed civic pride. An open space adjacent to the Main Street, the commercial district of Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, is waiting to be transformed and reconfigured to be a new ecological park to boost the economy of the community. Bridge Park is 26-acre land abutting the Cape Cod Canal with a railroad bridge as a backdrop. The existing condition of the site with a small salt marsh, woodland, lawn, and the vestige of old railroad easement along with the proximity to the commercial district poses an interesting question of how to make a medium scaled ecological park within an urban context. This paper examines the winning design proposals for the Bridge Park submitted to the International Design Competition held in April, 2005. Six winning proposals were introduced and discussed in terms of categories related to the trend of contemporary landscape design such as; 1) ecological ordinariness and geometric figures, 2) topography and spatial imagination, 3) minimal programs and open put 4) time and process oriented design, 5) park and economic effects and 6) diagrammatic plan and photo montage. Bridge Park Design Competition confirms the complex characteristics representing the contemporary landscape design overcoming the dichotomy between nature and culture and the 'pastoral ecological design' and 'landscape as an art'. The Park becomes the activating agent for the community rejecting the conventional and passive role as a romantic picturesque landscape. Bridge Park International Design Competition is a meaningful event to test the idea of new ecological urban park, and to fine-tune the trend of the contemporary urban park design.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.823-836
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• 2019

Spiral welded tubes (SWTs) are fabricated by helically bending a steel plate and welding the resulting abutting edges. The cost-effectiveness of concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) columns can be enhanced by utilising such SWTs rather than the more conventional longitudinal seam welded tubes. Even though the steel-concrete interface bond strength of such concrete-filled spiral-welded steel tubes (CF-SWSTs) is an important consideration in relation to ensuring composite behaviour of such elements, especially at connections, it has not been investigated in detail to date. CF-SWSTs warrant separate consideration of their bond behaviour to CFSTs of other tube types due to the distinct weld seam geometry and fabrication induced surface imperfection patterns of SWTs. To address this research gap, axial push-out tests on forty CF-SWSTs were carried out where the effects of tube material, outside diameter (D), outside diameter to wall thickness (D/t), length of the steel-concrete interface (L) and concrete strength grade (f'_c) were investigated. D, D/t and L/D values in the range 102-305 mm, 51-152.5 and 1.8-5.9 were considered while two nominal concrete grades, 20 MPa and 50 MPa, were used for the tests. The test results showed that the push-out bond strengths of CF-SWSTs of both mild-steel and stainless-steel were either similar to or greater than those of comparable CFSTs of other tube types. The bond strengths obtained experimentally for the tested CF-SWSTs, irrespective of the tube material type, were found to be well predicted by the guidelines contained in AISC-360.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.63 no.6
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• pp.777-783
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• 2020

Objective : To compare the accuracy and breach rates of freehand (FH) versus navigated (NV) pedicle screws in the thoracic and lumbar spine in patients with metastatic spinal tumors. Methods : A retrospective review of adult patients who underwent pedicle screw fixation in the thoracic or lumbar spine for metastatic spinal tumors between 2012 and 2018 was conducted. Breaches were assessed based on the Gertzbein and Robbins classification and only screws placed >4 mm outside of the pedicle wall (lateral or medial) were considered breached. Results : A total of 62 patients received 547 pedicle screws (average 8 per patient) - 34 patients received 298 pedicle screws in the FH group and 28 patients received 249 screws in the NV group. There were 40/547 breaches, corresponding to a breach and accuracy rate of 7.3% and 92.7%, respectively. The breach rate was 9.7% in the FH group and 4.4% in the NV group (chi-squared test, p=0.017); this corresponded to an accuracy rate of 90.3% and 95.6%, respectively. Only one patient from the overall cohort (in the FH group) required revision surgery due to a medial breach abutting the spinal cord (1.6% of all patients; 2.9% of FH patients); no patient suffered organ, vessel, or neurological injury from screw breaches. Conclusion : Navigated pedicle screw placement in patients with metastatic spinal tumors has a significantly higher radiographic accuracy compared to the FH technique. However, the revision surgery was low and no patient suffered from clinically-relevant breach. Navigation also offers the advantage of real-time localization of spinal tumors and aids in targeting and resection of these lesions.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.89-96
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• 2016

Tooth development shows dynamic morphological changes from the stages of cap to hard tissue formation and is strictly regulated during development. In the present study, we compared expression and localization of 3 major enamel matrix proteins in rats: amelogenin, enamel and ameloblastin. DD-PCR and RT-PCR revealed differential expression of the major proteins from the cap stage to root stage. Immunofluorescence staining results indicated that amelogenin was not detected in either inner enamel epithelium or reduced enamel epithelium, but highly immunoreactive in preameloblasts and ameloblasts; in addition, it was sporadically expressed in preodontoblasts abutting preameloblasts. Ameloblastin expression was also observed in not only differentiated ameloblasts but also osteoblasts. Immunoreactivity to ameloblastin in ameloblasts was strong in Tomes' processes. Enamelin was exclusively localized along the entire newly formed and maturing enamel. Enamelin was largely localized in near Tomes' processes and enamel rods in maturing enamel. Alendronate treatment resulted in down-regulation of amelogenin and ameloblastin at both transcription and translation levels; whereas, enamelin expression was unchanged in response to the treatment. These results suggested that amelogenin, ameloblastin and enamelin might be implicated in cell differentiation, adhesion of ameloblasts to enamel and enamel crystallization during enamel matrix formation, respectively.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.134-138
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• 2010

Parosteal lipoma is a rare benign tumor containing mature adipose tissue having an intimate relationship to the periosteum. Characteristically, this tumor presents as a lipomatous mass adjacent to bone, eliciting variable reactive changes in the underlying cortex. We report a case of parosteal lipoma of the foot. The MR findings consisted of juxtacortical lipomatous mass abutting to bony protuberance, with internal fibrous striations, and osseous reaction in the adjacent bone. By the aid of multiplanar imaging capability, high spatial and contrast resolution of MRI, characteristic features of parosteal lipoma can lead to diagnosis on imaging.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.8
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• pp.1349-1360
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• 2015

The rhizospheric zone abutting plant roots usually clutches a wealth of microbes. In the recent past, enormous genetic resources have been excavated with potential applications in host plant interaction and ancillary aspects. Two Pseudomonas strains were isolated and identified through 16S rRNA and rpoD sequence analyses as P. fluorescens QAU67 and P. putida QAU90. Initial biochemical characterization and their root-colonizing traits indicated their potential role in plant growth promotion. Such aerobic systems, involved in gluconic acid production and phosphate solubilization, essentially require the pyrroloquinoline quinine (PQQ)-dependent glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) in the genome. The PCR screening and amplification of GDH and PQQ and subsequent induction of mutagenesis characterized their possible role as antioxidants as well as in growth promotion, as probed in vitro in lettuce and in vivo in rice, bean, and tomato plants. The results showed significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) in parameters of plant height, fresh weight, and dry weight, etc., deciphering a clear and in fact complementary role of GDH and PQQ in plant growth promotion. Our study not only provides direct evidence of the in vivo role of GDH and PQQ in host plants but also reveals their functional inadequacy in the event of mutation at either of these loci.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.596-603
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• 2021

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and diagnostic performance of ultrasound (US)-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology and core-needle biopsy (US-FNAC/CNB) for the diagnosis of laryngo-hypopharyngeal masses. Materials and Methods: This was a single-center prospective case series. From January 2018 to June 2019, we initially enrolled 40 patients with highly suspicious laryngo-hypopharyngeal masses on laryngoscopic examinations. Of these, 28 patients with the mass involving or abutting the pre-epiglottic, paraglottic, pyriform sinus, and/or subglottic regions were finally included. These patients underwent US examinations with/without subsequent US-FNAC/CNB under local anesthesia for evaluation of the laryngo-hypopharyngeal mass. Results: Of the 28 patients who underwent US examinations, a laryngo-hypopharyngeal mass was identified in 26 patients (92.9%). US-FNAC/CNB was performed successfully in 25 of these patients (96.2%), while the procedure failed to target the mass in 1 patient (3.8%). The performance of US caused minor subclinical hematoma in 2 patients (7.7%), but no major complications occurred. US-FNAC/CNB yielded conclusive results in 24 (96.0%) out of the 25 patients with a successful procedure, including 23 patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and 1 patient with a benign mass. In one patient with atypical cells in US-FNAC, additional direct laryngoscopic biopsy (DLB) was required to confirm SCC. Among the 26 patients who received US-FNAC/CNB, the time from first visit to pathological diagnosis was 7.8 days. For 24 patients finally diagnosed with SCC, the time from first visit to the initiation of treatment was 25.2 days. The mean costs associated with US-FNAC/CNB was $272 under the Korean National Health Insurance Service System. Conclusion: US-FNAC/CNB for a laryngo-hypopharyngeal mass is technically feasible in selected patients, providing good diagnostic performance. This technique could be used as a first-line diagnostic modality by adopting appropriate indications to avoid general anesthesia and DLB-related complications.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.1203-1212
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• 2021

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic accuracy and complications of cone-beam CT-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (PTNB) of juxtaphrenic lesions and identify the risk factors for diagnostic failure and complications. Materials and Methods: In total, 336 PTNB procedures for lung lesions (mean size ± standard deviation [SD], 4.3 ± 2.3 cm) abutting the diaphragm in 326 patients (189 male and 137 female; mean age ± SD, 65.2 ± 11.4 years) performed between January 2010 and December 2014 were included. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of the PTNB procedures for the diagnosis of malignancy were measured based on the intention-to-diagnose principle. The risk factors for diagnostic failures and complications were evaluated using logistic regression analysis. Results: The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were 92.7% (293/316), 91.3% (219/240), 91.4% (74/81), 96.9% (219/226), and 77.9% (74/95), respectively. There were 23 diagnostic failures (7.3%), and lesion sizes ≤ 2 cm (p = 0.045) were the only significant risk factors for diagnostic failure. Complications occurred in 98 cases (29.2%), including 89 cases of pneumothorax (26.5%) and 7 cases of hemoptysis (2.1%). The multivariable analysis showed that old age (> 65 years) (p = 0.002), lesion size of ≤ 2 cm (p = 0.003), emphysema (p = 0.006), and distance from the pleura to the target lesion (> 2 cm) (p = 0.010) were significant risk factors for complications. Conclusion: The diagnostic accuracy of cone-beam CT-guided PTNB of juxtaphrenic lesions for malignancy was fairly high, and the target lesion size was the only significant predictor of diagnostic failure. Complications of cone-beam CT-guided PTNB of juxtaphrenic lesions occurred at a reasonable rate.

• Korean Circulation Journal
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.74-83
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• 2022

Background and objectives: This study aimed to identify the characteristics and clinical outcomes of cancer patients who developed constrictive physiology (CP) after percutaneous pericardiocentesis. Methods: One-hundred thirty-three cancer patients who underwent pericardiocentesis were divided into 2 groups according to follow-up echocardiography (CP vs. non-CP). The clinical history, imaging findings, and laboratory results, and overall survival were compared. Results: CP developed in 49 (36.8%) patients after pericardiocentesis. The CP group had a more frequent history of radiation therapy. Pericardial enhancement and malignant masses abutting the pericardium were more frequently observed in the CP group. Fever and ST segment elevation were more frequent in the CP group, with higher C-reactive protein levels (6.6±4.3mg/dL vs. 3.3±2.5mg/dL, p<0.001). Pericardial fluid leukocytes counts were significantly higher, and positive cytology was more frequent in the CP group. In baseline echocardiography before pericardiocentesis, medial e' velocity was significantly higher in the CP group (8.6±2.1cm/s vs. 6.5±2.3cm/s, p<0.001), and respirophasic ventricular septal shift, prominent expiratory hepatic venous flow reversal, pericardial adhesion, and loculated pericardial fluid were also more frequent. The risk of all-cause death was significantly high in the CP group (hazard ratio, 1.53; 95% confidence interval,1.10-2.13; p=0.005). Conclusions: CP frequently develops after pericardiocentesis, and it is associated with poor survival in cancer patients. Several clinical signs, imaging, and laboratory findings suggestive of pericardial inflammation and/or direct malignant pericardial invasion are frequently observed and could be used as predictors of CP development.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2004

Patient dose verification is one of the most Important responsibilities of the physician in the treatment delivery of radiation therapy. For the task, it is necessary to use an accurate dosimeter that can verify the patient dose profile, and it is also necessary to determine the physical characteristics of beams used in intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) The Beam Intensity Scanner (BInS) System is presented for the dosimetric verification of the two dimensional photon beam. The BInS has a scintillator, made of phosphor Terbium-doped Gadolinium Oxysulphide (Gd$_2$O$_2$S:Tb), to produce fluorescence from the irradiation of photon and electron beams. These fluoroscopic signals are collected and digitized by a digital video camera (DVC) and then processed by custom made software to express the relative dose profile in a 3 dimensional (3D) plot. As an application of the BInS, measurements related to IWRT are made and presented in this work. Using a static multileaf collimator (SMLC) technique, the intensity modulated beam (IMB) is delivered via a sequence of static portals made by controlled leaves. Thus, when static subfields are generated by a sequence of abutting portals, the penumbras and scattered photons of the delivered beams overlap in abutting field regions and this results in the creation of “hot spots”. Using the BInS, inter-step “hot spots” inherent in SMLC are measured and an empirical method to remove them is proposed. Another major MLC technique in IMRT, the dynamic multileaf collimator (DMLC) technique, has different characteristics from SMLC due to a different leaf operation mechanism during the irradiation of photon and electron beams. By using the BInS, the actual delivered doses by SMLC and DMLC techniques are measured and compared. Even if the planned dose to a target volume is equal in our experimental setting, the actual delivered dose by DMLC technique is measured to be larger by 14.8% than that by SMLC, and this is due to scattered photons and contaminant electrons at d$_{max}$.