• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.107-113
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• 2011

Plantago asiatica L. (PA), which is widely distributed in Korea, Japan and China, has traditionally been used as a popular folk medicine for the treatment of liver diseases. A variety of activities of PA was reported, that is hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-glycation and anti-oxidant effect. Ferric nitrilotriacetate (Fe-NTA) is a potent nephrotoxic agent and has been reported to induce renal proximal tubular necrosis. In the present study, pre-treatment with PA extract (PAE) in Wistar rat followed by Fe-NTA i.p. treatment (13.5 mg Fe/kg body weight) was performed to detect the renal protective effect of PAE. Only Fe-NTA treated group showed increases in the level of serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (Cr), and renal tissue malondialdehyde (MDA), product of lipid peroxidation. Moreover, the level of biomarkers indicate the antioxidants status, reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and glutathione reductase (GR) were decreased. However, PAE pre-treated group showed decreases in the levels of serum BUN, serum Cr and renal tissue MDA in concentration dependent manner and increases in the level of GSH, GST and GR. These results are significantly different (p < 0.05) to the other groups. Our data suggest that PAE may be used as an chemopreventive material against Fe-NTA-mediated renal oxidative stress.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.268-277
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• 2007

Purpose: Respiratory motion is a considerable inhibiting factor for precise treatment with stereotactic radiosurgery using the CyberKnife (CK). In this study, we developed a moving phantom to simulate three-dimensional breathing movement and investigated the distortion of dose profiles between the use of a moving phantom and a static phantom. Materials and Methods: The phantom consisted of four pieces of polyethylene; two sheets of Gafchromic film were inserted for dosimetry. Treatment was planned to deliver 30 Gy to virtual tumors of 20, 30, 40, and 50 mm diameters using 104 beams and a single center mode. A specially designed robot produced three-dimensional motion in the right-left, anterior-posterior, and craniocaudal directions of 5, 10 and 20 mm, respectively. Using the optical density of the films as a function of dose, the dose profiles of both static and moving phantoms were measured. Results: The prescribed isodose to cover the virtual tumors on the static phantom were 80% for 20 mm, 84% for 30 mm, 83% for 40 mm and 80% for 50 mm tumors. However, to compensate for the respiratory motion, the minimum isodose levels to cover the moving target were 70% for the $30{\sim}50$ mm diameter tumors and 60% for a 20 mm tumor. For the 20 mm tumor, the gaps between the isodose curves for the static and moving phantoms were 3.2, 3.3, 3.5 and 1.1 mm for the cranial, caudal, right, and left direction, respectively. In the case of the 30 mm tumor, the gaps were 3.9, 4.2, 2.8, 0 mm, respectively. In the case of the 40 mm tumor, the gaps were 4.0, 4.8, 1.1, and 0 mm, respectively. In the case of the 50 mm diameter tumor, the gaps were 3.9, 3.9, 0 and 0 mm, respectively. Conclusion: For a tumor of a 20 mm diameter, the 80% isodose curve can be planned to cover the tumor; a 60% isodose curve will have to be chosen due to the tumor motion. The gap between these 80% and 60% curves is 5 mm. In tumors with diameters of 30, 40 and 50 mm, the whole tumor will be covered if an isodose curve of about 70% is selected, equivalent of placing a respiratory margin of below 5 mm. It was confirmed that during CK treatment for a moving tumor, the range of distortion produced by motion was less than the range of motion itself.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.69-77
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• 1981

Six herbicides were evaluated to investigate the phytotoxicity of rice plant and the weeding efficacy influenced by the time of application in mechically transplanted paddy field. The amount of each chemical applied was 3 kg, a. i, /ha. Chlormethoxynil : Rotala indica KOEHNE and Lindernia pyxuiaria PHILCOX were effectively controlled when applied on the 12th day after transplanting (12 DAT) and this herbicide was excellent for the control of Echinochloa crusgalli P. BEAUV, Monochoria vaginalis PRESL and Sagittaria pygmaea MIQ, when applied early (7 days after puddling) but its weeding effect for these weeds decreased greatly as the application time became later. It had a controlling effect for Potamogeton distinctus A. BENN, Cyperus serotinus ROTTB and Scirpus hotarui ROXB at the initial period at the earlier application time. Butachlor was effective in controlling E. crusgalli, R. indica and L. pyxidaria at 12 days after transplanting (DAT) but was not effective in controlling P. distinctus and S. pygmaea even at the early application time. M. vaginalis, C. serotinus and S. hotarui were effectively controlled by the butachlor treatment at 7 days after final puddling (2 DBT-SDAT) but this weeding effect decreased at the late application time. A combination of butachlor and naproanilide excellently controlled E. crusgalli, R. indica, L. pyxidaria and S. pygmaea regardless of the application time. For the control of M. vaginalis, C. serotinus and P. distinctus, the weeding effect of this mixtures was much greater than that of the single treatment of butachlor. Perfluidone was excellent for the control of E. crusgalli, R. indica, L. pyxidaria, M. vaginalis and S. pygmaea at either application time tested. P. distinctus, C. serorinus and S. hotarui could be controlled by this chemicals until the time of first observation (23 DAT) but the effect for these weeds somewhat decreased as time passed. The effect of pyrazolate on E. crusgalli, M. vaginalis, S. hotarui and P. distinctus was very excellent regardless of the application time but R. indica and L. pyxidaria could not be completely eliminated by this chemical. This chemical was effective in controlling C. serotinus when applied at 7-9 days after final puddling and showed a controlling effect for S. hotaruionly at the initial period. Piperophos + dimethametryn was very excellent for the control of all the annual weeds and P. distinctus. It showed a controlling effect on S. pygmaea, C. serotinus and S. hotarui only at the initial period. There was no difference in the effects on phytotoxicity and yield between chlormethoxynil and pyrazolate at either times of application tested. The later the application time was, the less the phytotoxicity of butachlor and piperophos+dimethametryne was. The phytotoxicity of butachlor + naproanilide and perfluidone decrease in the plots treated at the later application time. When the last two chemicals were treated at 2 days before transplanting (DBT) the yield decreased as compared with the hand weeded plot.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.323-327
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• 2002

Purpose : To evaluate the outcome of early stage non-small cell lung cancer patients who were treated with radiation therapy alone and define the optimal radiotherapeutic regimen for these patients. Materials and Methods : A retrospective review was peformed on patients with sage I or II non-small cell carcinoma of the lung that were treated at our institution between June, 1987 and May, 2000. A total of 21 patients treated definitively with radiation therapy alone were included in this study. The age of the patients ranged from 53 to 81 years with a median of 66 years. All the patients were male. The medical reasons for inoperability were lack of pulmonary reserve, cardiovascular disease, poor performance status, old age, and patient refusal in the decreasing order. Pathological evidence was not adequate to characterize the non-small cell subtype in two patients. Of the remaining 19 patients, 16 had squamous cell carcinoma and 3 had adenocarcinoma. Treatment was given with conventional fractionation, once a day, five times a week. The doses to the primary site ranged from 56 Gy to 59 Gy. No patients were lost to follow-up. Results : The overall survival rates for the entire group at 2, 3 and 5 years were 41, 30 and $21\%$, respectively. The cause specific survivals at 2, 3 and 5 years were 55, 36 and $25\%$, respectively. An intercurrent disease was the cause of death in two patients. The cumulative local failure rate at 5 years was $43\%$. Nine of the 21 patients had treatment failures after the curative radiotherapy was attempted. Local recurrences as the first site of failure were documented in 7 patients. Therefore, local failure alone represented $78\%$ of the total failures. Those patients whose tumor sizes were less than 4 cm had a significantly better 5 year disease free survival than those with tumors greater than 4 cm $(0\%\;vs\;36\%)$. Those patients with a Karnofsky performance status less than 70 did not differ significantly with respect to actuarial survival when compared to those with a status greater than 70 $(25\%\;vs\;26\%,\;p>0.05)$. Conclusion : Radiation therapy 리one is an effective and safe treatment for early stage non-small ceil lung cancer patients who are medically inoperable or refuse surgery. Also we believe that a higher radiation dose to the primary site could improve the local control rate, and ultimately the overall survival rate.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.59 no.5
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• pp.510-516
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• 2005

Backgroud : Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Korea and the number of lung cancer deaths is increasing. The higher response rates, decreased toxicity and improved performance status of the first-line treatments have resulted in an increased number of patients becoming candidates for second-line therapy. Several new antineoplastic agents, including gemcitabine, docetaxel and paclitaxel, have recently demonstrated second-line activity. This phase II study evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of gemcitabine and vinorelbine as combination chemotherapy for Korean patients with NSCLC as a second-line treatment. Methods : Sixty response-evaluable patients were enrolled from December 2000 to July 2003. We conducted a phase II study of a combination gemcitabine and vinorelbine chemotherapy for patients with histologically confirmed NSCLC that was stage IIIB and IV disease at the time of diagnosis, and the disease had progressed onward or the patients had relapsed after first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. They were treated with intravenous gemcitabine $1000mg/m^2$ and intravenous vinorelbine $25mg/m^2$ on days 1 and 8. This chemotherapy regimen was repeated every 3 weeks. Results : A total of 215 cycles of treatment were given and the mean number of cycles was 3.6 cycles. All the patients were evaluable for the toxicity profile. The response rate was 10% according to the WHO criteria. The median progression free survival was 3.8 months and the median survival time was 10.1 months. The 1-year survival rate was 32.9%. Grade III and IV neutropenia were seen in 20 (33.3%) and 7 (11.7%) patients, respectively. Conclusion : The combination of gemcitabine and vinorelbine is active and well tolerated as a second-line therapy for patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung carcinoma.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.1143-1153
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• 1998

Background : Recent outbreaks of pulmonary disease due to drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis have resulted in significant morbidity and mortality in patients worldwide. We reviewed our experience to evaluate the effects of pulmonary resection on the management of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Method : A retrospective review was performed of 41 patients undergoing pulmonary resection for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis between January 1993 and December 1997. We divided these into 3 groups according to the radiologic findings : (1) patients who have reasonably localized lesion (Localized Lesion Group ; LLG) (2) patients who have cavitary lesions after pulmonary resection on chest roentgenogram (Remained Cavity Group : RCG) (3) patients who have Remained infiltrative lesions postoperatively (Remained infiltrative group : RIG). We evaluated the negative conversion rate after resection and overall response rate of the groups. Then they were compared with the results of the chemotherapy on the multi drug-resistant tuberculosis which has been outcome by Goble et al. Goble et al reported that negative conversion rate was 65% and overall response rate, 56% over a mean period of 5.1 months. Results : Seventy five point six percent were men and 24.4% women with a median age of 31 years (range, 16 to 60 years). Although the patients were treated preoperatively with multidrug regimens in an effort to reduce the mycobacterial burden, 22 of 41 were still sputum culture positive at the time of surgery. 20 of 22 patients(90.9%, p<0.01) responded which is defined as negative sputum cultures within 2 months postoperative. Of 26 patients with the sufficient follow up data, 19 have Remained sputum culture negative for a mean duration of 25.7 months (73.1%, p<0.05). The bulk of the disease was manifest in one lung, but lesser amounts of contralateral disease were demonstrated in 15, consisted of 8 in RIG and 7 in RCG, of 41. 12 of 12 patients (100%, p<0.01) who were sputum positive at the time of surgery in LLG converted successfully. 14 of 15 patients (93.3%, p<0.05) with the follow up have completed treatment and not relapsed for a mean period of 25. 7 months. The mean length of postoperative drug therapy of LLG was 12.2 months. In RIG, postoperative negative conversion rate was 83.3% which was not significant statistically. There was a statistical significance in overall response rate (100%, p<0.05) of RIG for a mean period of 24.4 months with a mean length of postoperative chemotherapy, 11.8 months. In RCG a statistically lower overall response rate (14.3%, p<0.01) has been revealed for a mean duration of follow up, 24.2 months. A negative conversion rate of RCG was 75% which was not significant statistically. Conclusion : Surgery plays an important role in the management of patients with multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Aggressive pulmonary resection should be performed for resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection to avoid treatment failure or relapse. Especially all cavitary lesions on preoperative chest roentgenogram should be resected completely. If all of them could not be resected perfectly, you should not open the thorax.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.192-199
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• 2004

Purpose: To determine the patterns on evaluation and treatment in the patient with early breast cancer treated with conservative surgery and radiotherapy and to improve the radiotherapy techiniques, nationwide survey was peformed. Materials and Methods: A web-based database system for korean Patterns of Care Study (PCS) for 6 common cancers was developed. Two hundreds sixty-one randomly selected records of eligible patients treated between 1998$\~$1999 from 15 hospitals were reviewed. Results: The patients ages ranged from 24 to 85 years(median 45 years). Infiltrating ductal carcinoma was most common histologic type (88.9$\%$) followed by medullary carcinoma (4.2$\%$) and infiltrating lobular carcinoma (1.5$\%$). Pathologic T stage by AJCC was T1 in 59.7$\%$ of the casses, T2 in 29.5$\%$ of the cases, Tis in 8.8$\%$ of the cases. Axillary lymph node dissection was peformed I\in 91.2$\%$ of the cases and 69.7$\%$ were node negative. AJCC stage was 0 in 8.8$\%$ of the cases, stage I in 44.9$\%$ of the cases, stage IIa in 33.3$\%$ of the cases, and stage IIb in 8.4$\%$ of the cases. Estrogen and progesteron receptors were evaluated in 71.6$\%$, and 70.9$\%$ of the patients, respectively. Surgical methods of breast-conserving surgery was excision/lumpectomy in 37.2$\%$, wide excision in 11.5$\%$, quadrantectomy in 23$\%$ and partial mastectomy in 27.5$\%$ of the cases. A pathologically confirmed negative margin was obtained in 90.8$\%$ of the cases. Pathological margin was involved with tumor in 10 patients and margin was close (less than 2 mm) in 10 patients. All the patients except one recieved more than 90$\%$ of the planned radiotherapy dose. Radiotherapy volume was breast only In 88$\%$ of the cases, breast+supraclavicular fossa (SCL) in 5$\%$ of the cases, and breast+ SCL+ posterior axillary boost in 4.2%$\%$of the cases. Only one patient received isolated internal mammary lymph node irradiation. Used radiation beam was Co-60 in 8 cases, 4 MV X-ray in 115 cases, 6 MV X-ray in 125 cases, and 10 MV X-ray in 11 cases. The radiation dose to the whole breast was 45$\~$59.4 Gy (median 50.4) and boost dose was 8$\~$20 Gy (median 10 Gy). The total radiation dose delivered was 50.4$\~$70.4 Gy (median 60.4 Gy). Conclusion: There was no major deviation from current standard in the patterns of evaluation and treatment for the patients with early breast cancer treated with breast conservation method. Some varieties were identified in boost irradiation dose. Separate analysis for the datails of radiotherapy planning will be followed and the outcome of treatment is needed to evaluate the process.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.81-115
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• 1992

The problem addressed by this study was to determine the effect of nurse - patient agreement on the means to achieve nursing goals in the early postpartum period of primiparous mothers. It was hypothesized that the experimental treatment would result in hegher self-confidence and satisfaction in maternal role performance. This purpose was to contribute to the planning of nursing care to enhance self- confidence and satisfaction in maternal role performance and to the development of relevant nursing theory. Especially, the early postpartum period is crucial toward in recovery from childbirth and attainment of the maternal role. Maternal role attaintment is a complex social and cognitive process of stimulus -response accomplished by learning. Most women attain the maternal role sucessfully. But, some primiparous mothers experience difficultites in attainment of the maternal role due to lack of experience and knowledge. Self-confidence and satisfaction in maternal role performance are important factors in attainment and adjustment to the maternal role (Mercer, 1981a, 1981b ; Lederman, Weigarten, and Lederman, 1981 :Bobak and Jensen, 1985). Nursing is defined as behaviors of nurses add patients that attain nursing goals through action, reaction, interaction, and transaction. For attainment of nursing goals, active participating transactions must occur by agreement on the means to achieve those goals through nurse -patient mutual goal setting and establishment of their active relationships(King, 1981, Ha, 1977). Based on King's theory of goal attainment (1981), this stuy was planned as a non-equivalent control group, non -synchronized quasi -experimental design using agreement on the means to achieve nursing goals in early postpartum as the experimental treatment. The data were collected from July 20 to Sep. 1, 1991 by questionnaires with 60 primiparous mothers planing to breast feed after normal deliveries at W hospital in Pusan, Korea. The subjects were divided into a control group(conventional group) -those admitted from July 20 to Aug. 12, and an experimental group(agreement group) - those admitted from Aug. 13 to Sep. 1. The instument for agreement on the means to nursing goals in the early postpartum period included five steps - identification of disturbances of problems through action, reaction, and interaction with primiparous mothers : mutual early postpartal nursing goal setting : exploration of the means to achieve goals ; agreement on the means (self- care, ealry maternal -infant contact, performance of mothering behavior, and communicating about the infant's behavior and health condition) : implementation of the means. This instrument was developed on the basis of King's elements that lead to transactions in nurse-patient interactions. Lederman et al's (1981) scale for Confidence in ability to cope with tasks of motherhood and Lederman et al's(1981) scale for Mother's satisfaction with motherhood and infant care were used to measure self-confidence and satisfaction in maternal role performance ·with the subjects immediately after admission and on the day of discharge. Self-care performance in the experimental group was measured by self -evaluation tool developed by the investigator from the literature concerned. The tools to measure Pelf-confidence and satisfaction in maternal role performance, and the tool to measure self-evaluation of self-care performance were tested for internal reliability. Cronbach's Alphas were 0.94, 0.94, and 0.63. The data were analysed by using in S.P.S.S. computerized program and included percentage, x²-test, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson Correlation Coefficient. The conclusions obtained from this study are summerized as follows : 1. The degree of self-confidence in maternal role performance of the total subjects group measured before the experimental treatment was above average with a mean score of 2.77(range 2.14-3.64). Out of 14 items, those with relatively high mean scores were ‘I would like to be a better mother than I am’(3.95), and ‘I have my doubts about whether I am a good mother’(2.87). Those with low mean scores were ‘I know that my baby wants most of the times’(2.28), ‘When the baby cries, I can tell what she /he wants’(2.37), and ‘I have confidence in my ability to care for the baby’(2;50). That is, the self - confidence of Primiparous mothers was considerably high in mothering, but rather low in activities concerning the infant care and understanding of the infant behavior. The degree of satisfaction in maternal role performance of the total subjects group measured before the experimental treatment was high with a mean score of 3.18(range 1.92-3.92). Out of 13 items, those with relatively high mean scores were ‘I am glad 1 had this baby now’(3.75), ‘I play with the baby between feedings when s/he is awake and quiet’(3.67), and ‘I enjoy being a mother’(3.27). Those with low mean scores were ‘I am upset about having too many responsibilities as a mother’(2.78), ‘It bothers me to get up for the baby at night’(2.82), and ‘I get annoyed if the baby frequently interrupts my activities’.(2.82), That is, the satisfaction of primiparous mothers was considerably high in mothering and infant care, but rather low in restraints in time or on the mother's self accomplishment and development. 2. Agreement on the means to achieve nursing goals in the early postpartum period included process of mutual goal setting, exploration of the means to achieve goals, and ahreement in concert means to achieve goals based on the mothers' condition, concerns, self-perception of the nurse - patient interactions. In the process of agreement, there was agreement that the means to achieve goals should be through trust and establishment of active relationships with the nurse through identification of problems according to planned nursing goals and active interaction, such as explanations, teaching, changing of opinions, acceptance or rejection of explanations, and proposing of questions. Therefore agreement on the means to achieve nursing goals in the early postpartum period appears to be an effective nursing intervention for primiparous mothers. 3. The degree of self- confidence in maternal role performance of the exprimental group was higher than that of the control group(t＝3.95, p＜0.01). Out of 14 items, those with higher score in the experimental group were ‘I would like to be a better mother than I am’(t＝1.93, p＜0.05), ‘I know that my baby wants most of the times’(t＝2.75, p＜0.01), ‘When the baby cries, 1 can tell what she/he wants’(t＝2.10, p＜0.05), ‘I have confidence in my ability to care for the baby’(t＝3.72, p＜0.01), ‘I trust my own judement in deciding how to care for the baby’(t＝1.96, p＜0.05), ‘I feel that I know my baby and what to do for him /her’(t＝2.44, p＜0.01), ‘I am concerned about being able to meet the baby's needs’(t＝2.87, p＜0.01), ‘I know what my baby likes and dislikes’(t＝3.26, p＜0.01), ‘I don't know to care for the baby as well as I should’(t＝2.07, p＜0.05), and ‘I am unsure about whether I give enough attention to the baby’(t＝3.04, p＜0.01), That is, the degree of self-confidence in mothering, activities concerning infant care, and understanding of infant behavior of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group. Therefore, the first hypothesis, that the degree of self-confidence in maternal role performance of the experimental group would be higher than that of the control group, was supported(t＝3.95, p＜0.01). 4. The degree of satisfaction in the maternal role performance of the exprimental group was higer than that or the control group(t＝2.31, p＜0.05). Out of 13 items, those with higher score in the experimental group were ‘I am glad I had this baby now’(t＝2.29, p＜0.05), ‘I enjoy taking care of the baby’(t＝2.4g, p＜0.01), ‘It is boring for me to care for the baby and do the same thing over and over’(t＝2.87, P＜0.01), ‘I am unhappy with the amount of time I have for activities other than childcare’(t＝2.51, p＜0.01), and ‘When bathing and diapering the baby, I would like to be doing something else’(t＝2.43, p＜0.01). That is, the degree of satisfaction in mothering, infant care, and restraints in time of on the mother's self accomplishment and development in the experimental group was higher than that of the control group. Therefore, the second hypothesis, that the degree of satisfaction in maternal role performance of the experimental group would be higher than that of the control group, was supported(t＝2.31, p＜0.05). 5. The third hypothesis, that the higher the degree of satisfaction in materenal role performance, the higher the degree of self-confidence in materenal role performance in the experimental group, was supported (r＝0.57, p＜0.01)

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.21-26
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• 2001

Purpose : This study was peformed to evaluate the cosmetic outcome of conservative treatment for early breast cancer and to analyze the factors influencing cosmetic outcome. Materials and Methods : From February 1992 through January 1997, 120 patients with early breast cancer were treated with conservative surgery and postoperative radiotherapy. The types of conservative surgery were quadrantectomy and axillary node dissection for 108 patients $(90\%)$ and lumpectomy or excisional biopsy for 10 patients $(8.3\%)$. Forty six patients $(38\%)$ received adjuvant chemotherapy (CMF or CAF). Cosmetic result evaluation was carried out between 16 and 74 months (median, 33 months) after surgery. The cosmetic results were classified into four categories, i.e., excellent, good, fair, and poor. The appearances of the patients' breasts were also analyzed for symmetry using the differences in distances from the sternal notch to right and left nipples. A logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent variables influencing the cosmetic outcome. Results : Cosmetic score was excellent or good in $76\%$ (91/120), fair in $19\%$ (23/120) and poor in $5\%$ (6/120) of the patients. Univariate analysis showed that tumor size (T1 versus T2) (p=0.04), axillary node status (N0 versus N1) (p=0.0002), extent of surgery (quadrantectomy versus lumpectomy or excisional biopsy) (p=0.02), axillary node irradiation (p=0.0005) and chemotherapy (p=0.0001) affected cosmetic score. Multivariate analysis revealed that extent of surgery (p=0.04) and chemotherapy (p=0.0002) were significant factors. For breast symmetry, univariate analysis confirmed exactly the same factors as above. Multivariate analysis revealed that tumor size (p=0.003) and lymph node status (p=0.007) affected breast symmetry. Conclusion : Conservative surgery and postoperative radiotherapy resulted in excellent or good cosmetic outcome in a large portion of the patients. Better cosmetic results were achieved generally in the group of patients with smaller tumor size, without axillary node metastasis and treated with less extensive surgery without chemotherapy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.12-24
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• 2008

Background: It is currently thought that tissue valve degeneration is related to an animal's immune response, which is mainly due to cell surface ${\alpha}$-Gal epitopes. Cell surface ${\alpha}$-Gal epitopes are known to be degraded by the enzyme called green coffee bean ${\alpha}$-Galactosidase. It is also well known that ${\alpha}$-Gal epitopes are immunologically stained by Griffonia Simplicifolia isolectin type B4. We know that many commercially available tissue valves are made of aortic valves and pericardial tissue of pig. So, we investigated whether ${\alpha}$-Gal epitopes of the aortic valve and pericardial tissue of a pig can be removed by green coffee bean ${\alpha}$-Galactosidase, and we did so by comparing immunologic staining of the tissues before and after the enzyme treatment. Material and method: After treating fresh porcine aortic valve and pericardial tissue with green coffee bean ${\alpha}$-Galactosidase at concentrations of 0.5 unit/mL, 1.0 unit/mL, 2.0 unit/mL, respectively, under the condition of pH 6.5, temperature. $4^{\circ}C$ and 24 hours of incubation, each sample was stained with Griffonia Simplicifolia isolectin type B4 immunpfluorescent labeling. We then examined whether the ${\alpha}$-Gal epitopes were reduced or abolished in each consecutive. concentration of green coffee bean ${\alpha}$-Galactosidase by comparing the degree of the Griffonia Simplicifolia isolectin B4 staining in each sample. Result: In the pig aortic valve tissue, a 1.0 unit/mL concentration of green coffee bean ${\alpha}$-Galactosidase at pH 6.5, $4^{\circ}C$ and reaction for 24 hours was enough for complete removal of ${\alpha}$-Gal epitopes from the cell sur face on the immunostaining with Griffonia Simplicifolia isolectin B4. On the other hand, more ${\alpha}$-Gal epitopes were present in the pig pericardial tissue on Griffonia Simplicifolia isolectin B4 staining before the enzyme treatment, and 1.0 unit/mL of galactosidase was not sufficient for complete removal of ${\alpha}$-Gal from the tissue. 2.0 units/mL of green coffee bean ${\alpha}$-Galactosidase was needed to completely remove the ${\alpha}$-Gal epitopes from the pericardial tissue on immunostaining. Conclusion: The ${\alpha}$-Gal epitopes of the pig's aortic valve and pericardial tissue were successfully stained with Griffonia Simplicifolia isolectin B4. We could remove nearly all the ${\alpha}$-Gal epitopes using green coffee bean ${\alpha}$-Galactosidase at the concentration of 1.0 unit/mL in the aortic valve. Of pig, and 2.0 unit/mL was need to nearly completely remove all the ${\alpha}$-Gal epitopes in the pericardial tissue of pig under the condition of pH 6.5, $4^{\circ}C$ and 24 hours of reaction time. In the near future, removal of ${\alpha}$-Gal epitapes in the pig's aortic valve and pericardial tissue will become a powerful tool for the improvement of the tissue valve durability. It needs to be determined if ${\alpha}$-galactosidase treated pig tissue is immune to human anti-Gal antibody or anit-Gal mooclonal antibodies.