• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제60권1호
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• pp.118-124
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• 2017

Brain abscess commonly occurs secondary to an adjacent infection (mostly in the middle ear or paranasal sinuses) or due to hematogenous spread from a distant infection or trauma. Pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) are abnormal direct communications between the pulmonary artery and vein. We present two cases of brain abscess associated with asymptomatic pulmonary AVF. A 65-year-old woman was admitted with a headache and cognitive impairment that aggravated 10 days prior. An magnetic resonance (MR) imaging revealed a brain abscess with severe edema in the right frontal lobe. We performed a craniotomy and abscess removal. Bacteriological culture proved negative. Her chest computed tomography (CT) showed multiple AVFs. Therapeutic embolization of multiple pulmonary AVFs was performed and antibiotics were administered for 8 weeks. A 45-year-old woman presented with a 7-day history of progressive left hemiparesis. She had no remarkable past medical history or family history. On admission, blood examination showed a white blood cell count of 6290 cells/uL and a high sensitive C-reactive protein of 2.62 mg/L. CT and MR imaging with MR spectroscopy revealed an enhancing lesion involving the right motor and sensory cortex with marked perilesional edema that suggested a brain abscess. A chest CT revealed a pulmonary AVF in the right upper lung. The pulmonary AVF was obliterated with embolization. There needs to consider pulmonary AVF as an etiology of cerebral abscess when routine investigations fail to detect a source.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• 제48권2호
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• pp.175-178
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• 2021

The umbilicus is an important aesthetic component of the abdomen; therefore, its absence is both cosmetically and psychologically distressing to the patient. However, loss of the umbilicus during abdominal surgical procedures is often unavoidable. Umbilical reconstruction is aimed at obtaining a natural, three-dimensional appearance. We propose a simple method for immediate umbilical reconstruction with good long-term results. This technique was used successfully on a patient who underwent tumor excision. A 49-year-old woman presented with a large mass, measuring 5.8×4.0 cm, on her umbilicus. The mass, an epidermal cyst, developed after laparoscopic uterine myomectomy 5 years earlier. Complete excision of the mass resulted in a large defect, and immediate umbilical reconstruction was planned. Our procedure involved apposing and anchoring two opposing flaps onto the abdominal wall, so that the umbilicus would retain its depth over a long period of time. Negative-pressure wound therapy was applied for 72 hours as a mild compressive dressing. No complications were encountered. The healing process was uneventful and the aesthetic outcome was pleasing; a natural-appearing navel was created. The patient was satisfied with the end result. This technique provides a permanent and sufficient depression for the umbilicus.

• Human Ecology Research
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• 제61권3호
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• pp.375-387
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• 2023

In research on housing welfare policy, there has been little interest in middle-aged households compared with young or elderly households. The purpose of this study was to explore influences on the housing satisfaction of middle-aged renter households using microdata from the Korea Housing Survey 2021. A statistical analysis of data was performed on a total of 2,709,152 middle-aged (aged between 40 and 64 years) Jeonse (lumpsum housing lease) renters and monthly renters with deposits, living in private rental housing units. The major findings were as follows. Firstly, there were significant differences in housing unit satisfaction and residential environment satisfaction among renter groups by age and rental type. Early-middle-aged Jeonse renters displayed the highest satisfaction with both housing units and the residential environment, while semielderly monthly renters with deposits displayed the lowest satisfaction. Secondly, living in aged structures or in apartment units exerted the strongest influences on housing satisfaction, which implies the need for residential area regeneration programs that consider the situation of rental households. Thirdly, living in Incheon and Gyeonggi-do was found to have a negative influence on housing satisfaction. Fourthly, upward filtering on tenure types or lease renewal of the current house did not necessarily have a positive influence on the housing satisfaction of middle-aged renters. Based on the findings, suggestions were made to improve the housing situation of middle-aged renter households.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• 제54권2호
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• pp.211-220
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• 2024

Non-secretory multiple myeloma (NSMM) is a rare cancer of plasma cells characterized by the absence of detectable monoclonal M protein in the blood or urine. A 57-year-old woman presented with mandibular pain but without intraoral swelling. Imaging studies revealed multiple osteolytic lesions in her mandible and pronounced root resorption of the left mandibular second molar. Biopsy results showed atypical plasmacytoid cells positive for anti-kappa, CD138, MUM1, and CD79a antibodies, but negative for anti-lambda and CD20. These results were indicative of a malignant plasma cell neoplasm. No abnormalities were revealed by free light chain assay or by serum or urine protein electrophoresis, leading to a diagnosis of NSMM. The patient began chemotherapy in conjunction with bisphosphonate therapy and achieved remission following treatment. This case underscores the critical role of dentists in the early detection and prevention of NSMM complications, as the disease can initially present in the oral cavity.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권11호
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• pp.4603-4608
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• 2015

Background: To determine the potential value of serum tumor markers in predicting pCR (pathological complete response) during neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively monitored the pro-, mid-, and post-neoadjuvant treatment serum tumor marker concentrations in patients with locally advanced breast cancer (stage II-III) who accepted pre-surgical chemotherapy or chemotherapy in combination with targeted therapy at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center between September 2011 and January 2014 and investigated the association of serum tumor marker levels with therapeutic effect. Core needle biopsy samples were assessed using immunohistochemistry (IHC) prior to neoadjuvant treatment to determine hormone receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2), and proliferation index Ki67 values. In our study, therapeutic response was evaluated by pCR, defined as the disappearance of all invasive cancer cells from excised tissue (including primary lesion and axillary lymph nodes) after completion of chemotherapy. Analysis of variance of repeated measures and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were employed for statistical analysis of the data. Results: A total of 348 patients were recruited in our study after excluding patients with incomplete clinical information. Of these, 106 patients were observed to have acquired pCR status after treatment completion, accounting for approximately 30.5% of study individuals. In addition, 147patients were determined to be Her-2 positive, among whom the pCR rate was 45.6% (69 patients). General linear model analysis (repeated measures analysis of variance) showed that the concentration of cancer antigen (CA) 15-3 increased after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in both pCR and non-pCR groups, and that there were significant differences between the two groups (P=0.008). The areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) of pre-, mid-, and post-treatment CA15-3 concentrations demonstrated low-level predictive value (AUC=0.594, 0.644, 0.621, respectively). No significant differences in carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) or CA12-5 serum levels were observed between the pCR and non-pCR groups (P=0.196 and 0.693, respectively). No efficient AUC of CEA or CA12-5 concentrations were observed to predict patient response toward neoadjuvant treatment (both less than 0.7), nor were differences between the two groups observed at different time points. We then analyzed the Her-2 positive subset of our cohort. Significant differences in CEA concentrations were identified between the pCR and non-pCR groups (P=0.039), but not in CA15-3 or CA12-5 levels (p=0.092 and 0.89, respectively). None of the ROC curves showed underlying prognostic value, as the AUCs of these three markers were less than 0.7. The ROC-AUCs for the CA12-5 concentrations of inter-and post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the estrogen receptor negative HER2 positive subgroup were 0.735 and 0.767, respectively. However, the specificity and sensitivity values were at odds with each other which meant that improving either the sensitivity or specificity would impair the efficiency of the other. Conclusions: Serum tumor markers CA15-3, CA12-5, and CEA might have little clinical significance in predicting neoadjuvant treatment response in locally advanced breast cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권10호
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• pp.5081-5086
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• 2012

Background: The liver is one of the most common metastatic sites of breast cancer, hepatic metastases developing in 6%-25% of patients with breast cancer and being associated with a poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to analyze the survival and clinical characteristics of patients with hepatic metastases from breast cancer of different molecular subtypes and to investigate the prognostic and predictive factors that effect clinical outcome. Methods: We retrospectively studied the charts of 104 patients with breast cancer hepatic metastases diagnosed at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from December 1990 to June 2009. Subtypes were defined as luminal A, luminal B, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) enriched, triple-negative (TN). Prognostic factor correlations with clinical features and treatment approaches were assessed at the diagnosis of hepatic metastases. Results: The median survival time was 16.0 months, and the one-, two- three-, four-, five-year survival rates were 63.5%, 31.7%, 15.6%, 10.8%, and 5.4%, respectively. Median survival periods after hepatic metastases were 19.3 months (luminal A), 13.3 months (luminal B), 18.9 months (HER2-enriched), and 16.1 months (TN, P=0.11). In multivariate analysis, a 2 year-interval from initial diagnosis to hepatic metastasis, treatment with endocrine therapy, and surgery were independent prognostic factors. Endocrine therapy could improve the survival of luminal subtypes (P=0.004) and was a favorable prognostic factor (median survival 23.4 months vs. 13.8 months, respectively, P=0.011). Luminal A group of patients treated with endocrine therapy did significantly better than the Luminal A group of patients treated without endocrine therapy (median survival of 48.9 vs. 13.8 months, P=0.003). Conclusions: Breast cancer subtypes were not associated with survival after hepatic metastases. Endocrine therapy was a significantly favorable treatment for patients with luminal subtype.

• 심성연구
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.194-223
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• 2010

이 논문에서는 독일 민담 "세 마리 개"를 분석심리학적 관점에서 해석해 보고자 시도하였다. 이 민담의 내용은 다음과 같다. 한 가난한 양치기가 양 세 마리를 데리고 행운을 얻기 위해 세상구경을 다닌다. 그러다 방향을 잃고 지친 좌절의 순간, 어떤 낯선 이의 출현으로 검은 세 마리 개와 자신의 양 세 마리를 교환하게 된다. 그 세 마리 개는 양식을 가져다주는 개, 모든 것을 갈기갈기 찢을 수 있는 개, 강철을 부술 수 있는 강한 개였다. 이 세 마리의 개와 함께 충만한 방랑생활을 하다가 괴물의 희생제물이 되기 위해 검은 마차를 타고 가고 있는 검은 옷의 슬픈 공주를 만나게 된다. 갈기갈기 찢는 검은 개의 도움으로 용을 죽인 후 공주를 구원하게 된다. 이에 공주는 젊은이에게 감사의 표시를 하기를 원하지만, 주인공은 3년간 세상구경을 한 후에 돌아올 것을 약속한다. 그 사이에 마부의 가짜 영웅행세와 위협에도 불구하고 공주는 그 위기를 슬기롭게 견뎌낸다. 약속대로 3년 후 주인공이 궁궐로 왔지만 마부의 가짜 영웅행세로 진짜 영웅인 젊은이는 철창 감옥에 갇히는 신세가 된다. 그러나 이 때, 철창 감옥을 부술 수 있는 가장 강한 개를 불러 주인공은 감옥에서 탈출하게 되고, 자신이 진짜 영웅임을 입증하여 마침내 공주와 결혼하여 오랫동안 행복한 삶을 살게 된다. 그러던 중 주인공은 홀로 집에 남아 있는 불쌍한 누이와 자신의 행운을 나누기를 원한다. 이를 지켜본 세 마리 개는 이제 자신들이 더 이상 곁에 있을 필요가 없음을 말하고는 새들로 변해 공중으로 사라지게 된다는 내용이다. 이 민담의 모티브는 영웅 모티브이며, 주인공이 부정적 모성 콤플렉스를 어떻게 극복하는 지를 보여주고 있다. 이렇게 각 민담은 우리에게 각기 다른 방식으로 개성화 과정을 이야기 하면서 그 개성화 과정에서의 어려움의 극복과정과 그 목적의미를 우리에게 보여주고자 하고 있다. 민담은 매우 담담하고 단순하지만 순수하게 우리에게 다가오고, 이러한 민담을 통해 우리는 삶의 지혜라는 매우 귀중한 보물을 얻고 있다고 본다.

• 한국산학기술학회논문지
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• 제17권9호
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• pp.279-291
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• 2016

본 연구의 목적은 영아의 기질, 아버지의 양육 참여와 영아의 사회 정서 행동발달간의 구조적 관계를 알아보기 위한 것이다. 이를 위해 J지역에 소재하고 있는 55개 어린이집의 만 1~2세 영아의 부모 330명을 대상으로 실시하였다. 자료 분석은 SPSS 21.0과 AMOS 21.0을 이용하여 빈도분석, 신뢰도분석, 상관분석, 확인적 요인분석, 구조방정식 모형분석을 실시하였으며, 연구 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 영아기질은 아버지 양육참여 중 여가지도, 생활지도와 부적 상관이 나타났고, 사회 정서행동의 외현적 문제행동인 활동성/충동성과 정적인 상관이 나타났다. 아버지의 양육 참여는 사회 정서행동의 주의집중, 모방/놀이와 정적 상관이 나타났으며, 사회 정서행동은 영아기질 접근회피와 정적 상관이 나타났다. 둘째, 최종모형의 변인 간 경로계수를 통한 적합도 검증결과, 영아기질은 아버지 양육참여와 사회 정서행동에 부적영향을 미치는 유의한 경로임이 검증되었다. 본 연구의 결과로 영아의 사회 정서행동에 영향을 미치는 영아기질과 아버지 양육참여의 역할을 확인하고, 영아기 자녀의 사회 정서행동에 영향을 미치는 아버지 양육참여에 대한 올바른 이해와 교육적 시사점을 제공하고자 한다.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권4호
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• pp.1471-1477
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• 2015

Background: Adding taxanes to adjuvant antracycline and cyclophosphamide (AC) in combination may provide significant improvement in node-positive and high risk node-negative breast cancer (BC) patients. However, the optimal dose and the role of dose-dense (DD) chemotherapy have yet to be determined. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of a DD paclitaxel (P)-AC combination with conventional weekly P-AC or docetaxel D-AC combinations in patients with node-positive breast cancer. Materials and Methods: Newly diagnosed 280 node-positive BC patients diagnosed from 1998 to 2013 in three clinics were retrospectively analyzed. Demographic and medical data were collected from the medical charts. Patients were categorized to 3 groups according to treatment arms: arm A, ddAC-P; arm B, weekly P and AC combination; and arm C; T and AC combination. Adjuvant trastuzumab was added for HER2-positive patients. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was carried out for disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). The log-rank test was used to examine the statistical significance of the differences observed between the groups. Two-sided P values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Of the total of 280 patients, 101 were in arm A, 114 in arm B and 65 in arm C.The median ages were 49, 50 and 46, respectively (p=0.11). Median follow-up was 39 (3-193) months. Stage, lymphovascular and perineural invasion, receptor patern, and menopausal status were similar in the 3 treatment arms, but HER2 positivity was significantly lower in arm A, compared to arms B and C (25.7%, 53.1%, 41.5% in arms A, B and C, respectively; p<0.001). Also grade 3 tumors were significantly less frequent in treatment arm A compared to arm B and C (27.3%, 56.8% and 49.2%, respectively, p=0.01). Afterunivariate and multivariate analysis were performed, 3-year DFS rates were 89%, 81%, and 75%, respectively (p=0.12) and three year OS rates were 96.6%, 89%, and 75% (p=0.62). Conclusions: In this study, no significant difference was found between adjuvant dose dense and conventional taxane treatment regimens.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• 제29권5호
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• pp.405-416
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• 2007

Objective : Lots of papers have revealed that tumor growth related factors such as EGF, EGFR, c-erbB-2 play an important role in tumorigenesis and proliferation. These factors are found in most tumors of ectodermal origin. But, documentations of tumor growth related factors on salivary gland tumors were rare. Therefore, we determined expressions of tumor growth related factors; PCNA, p53, EGF, EGFR, cerbB2(HER-2), Maspin, DMBT-1, N-Ras in representative salivary gland tumors. Materials and methods : A few types of salivary tumors were examined by immunohistochemical assays. Each antibody was applied to specimens of tumors. Specimens were composed of 5 pleomorphic adenomas (PA), 3 mucoepidermoid carcinomas (MEC), 2 adenoid cystic carcinomas (ACC) and 2 squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) from 12 patients. One specimen was selected randomly as negative control. For evaluation of staining intensity, each stained sample was divided into 5 grade; no staining, obscure, weak staining, moderate staining, strong staining. Results : Strong expressions of PCNA were found in all tumors except of PA. EGF was expressed strongly in SCC, ACC sequently. But in both PA and MEC, EGF expression was weak. EGFR and c-erbB-2 expression showed similar patterns in all salivary gland tumor tissues. P53 showed weak expression generally in all salivary gland tumors. DMBT-1 was expressed in SCC rather than in ACC or in MEC. N-Ras showed weak expressions in all salivary gland tumors except of squamous cell carcinoma. Conclusion : Taken together, tumor growth related factors were expressed in salivay tumors as well as mucosal squamous cell carcinoma. Especially EGFR and c-erbB-2 could be candidates as diagnostic markers for estimating clinical grade of salivary gland tumors. But further studies with reliable methods will be needed to confirm the results of this study.