• Progress in Medical Physics
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.227-245
• /
• 1998

A most appropriate model of 3-D conformal radiotherapy has been induced by clinical evaluation and animal study, and therapeutic gains were evaluated by numerical equation of tumor control probability(TCP) and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP). The radiation dose to the tumor and the adjacent normal organs was accurately evaluated and compared using the dose volume histogram(DVH). The TCP and NTCP was derived from the distribution of given dosage and irradiated volume, and these numbers were used as the biological index for the assessment of the treatment effects. Ten patients with liver disease have been evaluated and 3 dogs were sacrificed for this study. Based on the 3-D images of the tumor and adjacent organs, the optimum radiation dose and the projection direction which could maximize the radiation effect while minimizing the effects to the adjacent organs could be decided. 3). The most effective collimation for the normal adjacent organs was made through the beams eye view with the use of multileaf collimator. When the dose was increased from 50Gy to 70Gy, the TCP for the conventional 2-port radiation and the 5-port multidimensional therapy was 0.982 and 0.995 respectively, while the NTCP was 0.725 and 0.142 respectively, suggesting that the 3-D conformal radiotherapy might be the appropriate therapy to apply sufficient radiation dose to the tumor while minimizing the damages to the normal areas of the liver. Positive correlation was observed between the NTCP and the actual complication of the normal liver in the animal study. The present study suggest that the use of 3-D conformal radiotherapy and the application of the mathematical models of TCP and NTCP may provide the improvements in the treatment of hepatoma with enhanced results.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• /
• v.34 no.6
• /
• pp.465-477
• /
• 2000

Purpose: Thallim-201 ($^{201}Tl$) brain SPECT and proton ($^1H$) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) have been used to evaluate tumor grade and viability of glioma. We assessed the correlations between $^{201}Tl$ brain index or spectrum of metabolites of $^1H$ MRS and grade of glioma or histopathologic findings. Materials and Methods: We studied 17 patients (4 astrocytoma, 7 anaplastic astrocytoma and 6 glioblastoma). On $^{201}Tl$ Brain SPECT, $^{201}Tl$ index was measured as the ratio of average counts for region of interest to those for the contralateral normal brain. On $^1H$ MRS, we calculated choline (Cho) /creatine (Cr) ratio and N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/Cr ratio in ROI defined as tumor center. Histopathologic findings were graded by Ki-67 index, cellularity, mitosis, pleomorphism, necrosis and endothelial proliferation. An unpaired t test and statistical correlations were performed to evaluate these data. Results: Tl-index showed the best correlation with Ki-67 index (p<0.01), less correlations with cellularity, mitosis, and endothelial proliferation, but no correlation with results of MRS, pleomorphism, or necrosis. The findings of MRS did not correlate with all of the above. The cases of glioblastoma demonstrated a higher Tl-index, Cho/cr ratio, Ki-67 index and lower NAA/Cr ratio, albeit without statistical significance. Conclusion: Even though $^{201}Tl$ brain SPECT did not correlate directly with grade of malignancy, it may still be useful in determining biological aggressiveness of tumor and prognosis of patients because it correlated well with Ki-67 index, a growth fraction of glioma, cellularity, mitosis and endothelial proliferation.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.52-58
• /
• 2005

In Korea, little attention has been paid to microbial perchloroethylene (PCE) and/or trichloroethylene (TCE) dechlorination activity and identification of microorganisms involved in PCE reductive dechlorination at a PCE-contaminated aquifer. We performed microcosm tests using the groundwater samples from 4 different contaminated sites (i.e. Changwon A, Changwon B, Bucheon and Yangsan) to assess PCE reductive dechlorination activity. We also adapted molecular techniques to screen what types of known reductive dechlorinators are present at the PCE-contaminated aquifers. In the Changwon A and Changwon B active microcosms where potential electron donors such as sodium propionate, sodium lactate, sodium butyrate, and sodium fumarate, were added, ethylene, an end-product of complete reductive dechlorination of PCE, was detected after a period of 90 days of incubation. In the Bucheon and Yangsan active microcosms, cis-1,2-dichloroethylene (c-DCE) was accumulated without the production of vinyl chloride (VC) and ethylene. Molecular techniques were used to evaluate the microbial community structures in the Changwon B and Yangsan aquifer. We found two sequence types that were closely related to a known PCE to ethylene dechlorinator, named uncultured bacterium clone DCE47, in the Changwon B site clone library. However, in the Yangsan site clone library, no sequence type was closely related to known PCE dechlorinators reported. It is plausible that microorganisms being capable of completely dechlorinating PCE to ethylene may be present in the Changwon B site aquifer. In this study we find that complete PCE reductive dechlorinators are present at some PCE-contaminated sites in Korea. In an engineering point of view this information makes it feasible to apply a biological reductive dechlorination process for remediating PCE- and/or TCE-contaminated aquifers in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.138-146
• /
• 2006

To understand the status of water quality and work out a suitable countermeasures in Seonakdong watershed which has poor agro- environmental condition because of severe point and non-point source pollution by popularized city and near sea, we investigated the pollution sources and water quality from '03 and '05 and the result were mapped with GIS and RS for end-users's convenient comprehense and conjunction of water quality and geological data. The most degraded tributary was Hogeo stream which was affected directly by highly popularized Gimhae city, the main pollution source of the watershed. The pollution of tributaries in watershed increased the T-N of main body that reached over 4 mg/L during dry season. Pyeonggang stream and the lower part of main water way were suffered from high salt contents induced near sea and the EC value of those area were increased to 2.25 dS/m. The delivered loads of T-N and T-P were largest in Joman river as 56% and 61% of total delivered loads 1mm tributaries because of lots of stream flow. When Management mandate for irrigation water in Seonakdong river watershed was mapped for estimating integrated water quality as the basis of classification of EC and T-N contents in water, Hogeo and Shineo catchments were showed the requiring countermeasures none against nutrients hazard and Pyeonggang catchment was the vulnerable zone against nutrients and salts hazard. As the result, Seonakdong watershed had very various status of water quality by characteristics of catchments and countermeasures for improving water quality and crop productivity safely should changed depend on that.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.57-62
• /
• 2017

BACKGROUND: Pesticide residue analysis is essentially required for safety evaluation of agricultural products. Bistrifluron and chlorantraniliprole have been currently considered as potentials to deeply evaluate their residues in agricultural products because they are frequently found in strawberry. This work was performed to investigate the residual patterns of bistrifluron and chlorantraniliprole in strawberry after harvest. METHODS AND RESULTS: Strawberry was treated with bistrifluron and chlorantraniliprole 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 10 days before harvest under greenhouse conditions. The strawberry samples were subjected to solvent and solid phase extractions followed by LC-MS/MS analysis. There covery percentages of bistrifluron and chlorantraniliprole for tified in the control samples ranged from approximately 82 to 103% with the method limit of 0.005 mg/kg. The concentrations of bistrifluron and chlorantraniliprole in strawberry samples decreased significantly in 10 days after treatment, giving the safety levels of 0.04 to 0.06 mg/kg at 10 days after application, as considered maximum residue limit. The half-lives of bistrifluron and chlorantraniliprole based on first order kinetics were determined to 6.3 days and 6.4 days, respectively. CONCLUSION: Bistrifluron and chlorantraniliprole are suggested to use in strawberry 10 days before harvest to reach residual safety levels.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.93-99
• /
• 2012

In this study, the evaluation of antioxidative activity and componential analysis of C. obtusa leaf extracts was carried out. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging activities ($OSC_{50}$) of C. obtusa leaf extracts on ROS generated in $Fe^{3+}-EDTA/H_2O_2$ system were investigated using the luminol-dependent chemiluminescence assay. The ethyl acetate fraction ($OSC_{50}$; 0.22 ${\mu}g/mL$) and aglycone fraction of C. obtusa leaf extracts (0.20 ${\mu}g/mL$) showed about 7 times more prominent ROS scavenging activity than L-ascorbic acid (1.50 ${\mu}g/mL$). The cellular protective effects of fractions obtained from C. obtusa leaf extracts on the rose-bengal sensitized photohemolysis of human erythrocytes were investigated. The ethyl acetate fraction and aglycone fraction of C. obtusa leaf extracts showed the cellular protective effects in a concentration dependent manner (5~25 ${\mu}g/mL$). The inhibitory effect ($IC_{50}$) of ethyl acetate fraction and aglycone fraction on tyrosinase exhibited 74.43 and 53.80 ${\mu}g/mL$, repectively. The aglycone fraction showed four times higher tyrosinase inhibitory effect than arbutin (226.88 ${\mu}g/mL$), known as a whitening agent. The aglycone fraction of C. obtusa leaf extracts showed three bands in TLC chromatogram and three peaks in HPLC chromatogram (360 nm). Three compounds were identified as taxifolin, quercetin and kaempferol. These results indicate that the fractions of C. obtusa leaf extracts can function as antioxidants in biological systems, particularly skin exposed to UV radiation by scavenging $^1O_2$ and other ROS, and protect cellular membranes against reactive oxygen species. The fractions of C. obtusa leaf extracts can be applicable to new functional cosmetics for antioxidan and whitening effects.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.41 no.2
• /
• pp.188-197
• /
• 2008

This research was a preliminary case study to determine the levels of total mercury in the tissues of sentinel species (Zacco platypus) and ecological health in relation to habitat characteristics and chemical conditions. We collected fishes in Gap Stream during June$\sim$October 2007 and analyzed the total mercury from five types of tissues such as liver, kidney, gill, vertebrae and muscle of Zaceo platypus using Direct Mercury Analyzer (DMA-80, US EPA Method 7473). Mean concentrations of total [Hg], based on all tissues, was 67.2 and $20.7\;{\mu}g\;kg^{-1}$, in the upstream and downstream site, respectively, indicating 3 times greater level in the upstream. In other words, the levels were higher in the pristine upstream than the downstream influenced by the wastewater disposal plant. Chemical water quality, based on BOD, COD and nutrients (TN, TP) showed that severe degradation occurred in the downstreams than the upstreams. Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) using fish multi-metric model averaged 32, indicating a "good$\sim$fair" condition and varied from 42 (excellent$\sim$good) at S2 to 22 (fair$\sim$poor) at S5 depending on the sites sampled. Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) in the all sites averaged 142, which was judged as "good" habitat health, but showed a high variation (181 in Site 2 vs. 67 in Site 5). Overall data suggest that health conditions, based on IBI and QHEI, was better in the upstream sites but the mercury bioaccumulation levels in the fish tissues were opposite. We believe that measurements of various parameters are required for a diagnosis of integrative ecosystem health.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.25 no.5
• /
• pp.421-430
• /
• 2004

Clinically, it is almost impossible for a physician to distinguish subtle changes of frequency spectrum by using a stethoscope alone especially in the early stage of thrombus formation. Considering that reliability of mechanical valve is paramount because the failure might end up with patient death, early detection of valve thrombus using noninvasive technique is important. Thus the study was designed to provide a tool for early noninvasive detection of valve thrombus by observing shift of frequency spectrum of acoustic signals with computer aid diagnosis system. A thrombus model was constructed on commercialized mechanical valves using polyurethane or silicon. Polyurethane coating was made on the valve surface, and silicon coating on the sewing ring of the valve. To simulate pannus formation, which is fibrous tissue overgrowth obstructing the valve orifice, the degree of silicone coating on the sewing ring varied from 20％, 40％, 60％ of orifice obstruction. In experiment system, acoustic signals from the valve were measured using microphone and amplifier. The microphone was attached to a coupler to remove environmental noise. Acoustic signals were sampled by an AID converter, frequency spectrum was obtained by the algorithm of spectral analysis. To quantitatively distinguish the frequency peak of the normal valve from that of the thrombosed valves, analysis using a neural network was employed. A return map was applied to evaluate continuous monitoring of valve motion cycle. The in-vivo data also obtained from animals with mechanical valves in circulatory devices as well as patients with mechanical valve replacement for 1 year or longer before. Each spectrum wave showed a primary and secondary peak. The secondary peak showed changes according to the thrombus model. In the mock as well as the animal study, both spectral analysis and 3-layer neural network could differentiate the normal valves from thrombosed valves. In the human study, one of 10 patients showed shift of frequency spectrum, however the presence of valve thrombus was yet to be determined. Conclusively, acoustic signal measurement can be of suggestive as a noninvasive diagnostic tool in early detection of mechanical valve thrombosis.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.47 no.3
• /
• pp.167-175
• /
• 2014

This study was conducted to quantify a carbon budget of major vegetation types established in the campus of the National Institute of Ecology (NIE). Carbon budget was measured for Pinus thunbergii and Castanea crenata stands as the existing vegetation. Net Primary Productivity (NPP) was determined by applying allometric method and soil respiration was measured by EGM-4. Heterotrophic respiration was calculated as 55% of total respiration based on the existing results. Net Ecosystem Production (NEP) was determined by the difference between NPP and heterotrophic respiration (HR). NPPs of P. thunbergii and C. crenata stands were shown in $4.9ton\;C\;ha^{-1}yr^{-1}$ and $5.3ton\;C\;ha^{-1}yr^{-1}$, respectively. Heterotrophic respirations of P. thunbergii and C. crenata stands were shown in $2.4ton\;C\;ha^{-1}yr^{-1}$ and $3.5ton\;C\;ha^{-1}yr^{-1}$, respectively. NEPs of P. thunbergii and C. crenata stands were shown in $2.5ton\;C\;ha^{-1}yr^{-1}$ and $1.8ton\;C\;ha^{-1}yr^{-1}$, respectively. Carbon absorption capacity for the whole set of vegetation types established in the NIE was estimated by applying NEP indices obtained from current study and extrapolating NEP indices from existing studies. The value was shown in $147.6ton\;C\;ha^{-1}yr^{-1}$ and it was calculated as $541.2ton\;CO_2ha^{-1}yr^{-1}$ converted into $CO_2$. This function corresponds to 62% of carbon emission from energy that NIE uses for operation of various facilities including the glass domes known in Ecorium. This carbon offset capacity corresponds to about five times of them of the whole national territory of Korea and the representative rural area, Seocheongun. Considered the fact that ongoing climate change was originated from imbalance of carbon budget at the global level, it is expected that evaluation on carbon budget in the spatial dimension reflected land use pattern could provide us baseline information being required to solve fundamentally climate change problem.

• Food Science and Preservation
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.437-442
• /
• 2015

In a continuing screening of selected medicinal plants native to South Korea, the antioxidant and pancreatic lipase inhibitory activities of an aqueous methanolic extract from the heartwood of Aquilaria agallocha were investigated. Eighty percent of the methanolic extract of A. agallocha was further divided into $CH_2Cl_2$, EtOAc and n-BuOH in order to yield four solvent-soluble portions, namely $CH_2Cl_2$-soluble, EtOAc-soluble, n-BuOH-soluble and $H_2O$ residue. The antioxidant properties were evaluated by employing radical scavenging assays using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) ($ABTS^+$) radicals, while the anti-obesity efficacy of A. agallocha extracts and solvent-soluble portions were tested by porcine pancreatic lipase assay. All tested samples showed dose-dependent radical scavenging and pancreatic lipase inhibitory activities. Among the tested extracts and solvent-soluble portions, the $CH_2Cl_2$-soluble portion showed much higher radical scavenging activity and pancreatic lipase inhibitory properties when compared with other solvent-soluble portions. This result suggested that there was a significant relationship between the total phenolic content and biological efficacies, and A. agallocha extract might be considered as a new potential source of natural antioxidants and as a pancreatic lipase inhibitory source. A more systematic investigation of this biomass will be performed for further investigation of activity against antioxidative and anti-obesity effects.