• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.114-118
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• 1997

Purpose: Functional MR imaging is the method of demonstrating changes in regional cerebral blood flow produced by sensory, motor, and any other tasks. Functional MR of visual cortex is performed as a patient stares a photic stimulation, so adaptable photic stimulation is necessary. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether the size of photic stimulator can affect the degree of visual cortex activation. Materials and Methods: Functional MR imaging was performed in 5 volunteers with normal visual acuity. Photic stimulator was made by 39 light-emitting diodes on a plate, operating at 8Hz. The sizes of photic stimulator were full field, half field and focal central field. The MR imager was Siemens 1.5-T Magnetom Vision system, using standard head coil. Functional MRI utilized EPI sequence (TR/TE= 1.0/51. Omsec, matrix $No.=98{\times}128$, slice thickness=8mm) with 3sets of 6 imaging during stimulation and 6 imaging during rest, all 36 scannings were obtained. Activation images were obtained using postprocessing software(statistical analysis by Z-score), and these images were combined with T-1 weighted anatomical images. The activated signals were quantified by numbering the activated pixels, and activation a index was obtained by dividing the pixel number of each stimulator size with the sum of the pixel number of 3 study using 3 kinds of stimulators. The correlation between the activation index and the stimulator size was analysed. Results: Mean increase of signal intensities on the activation area using full field photic stimulator was about 9.6%. The activation index was greatest on full field, second on half field and smallest on focal central field in 4. The index of half field was greater than that of full field in 1. The ranges of activation index were full field 43-73%(mean 55%), half field 22-40 %(mean 32%), and focal central field 5-24%(mean 13%). Conclusion: The degree of visual cortex activation increases with the size of photic stimulator.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.11
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• pp.765-769
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• 2007

Background: The curative treatment of choice for empyema is decortication of the pleura. The risks of this treatment however are increased for the patient with reduced pulmonary function, complicated calcification or septic shock. In the past, open window thoracostomy was a final stage treatment for chronic empyema. Relatively safe treatment of empyema could be achieved in difficult cases with a closure of the open window after open drainage and use of a myocutaneous flap (one stage or staged). Material and Method: A retrospective study of the cause, progression and final outcome of empyema patients who received open window thoracostomy was performed. 21 patients were followed from 1995 to 2004 in the department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery in the College of Medicine, Pusan National University. Result: The average age of the patients was $57.5{\pm}15.5$ years (range $25{\sim}78$ years), of whom 16 (76.2%) were men and five (23.8%) were women. Pulmonary function test results showed an average FEV1 of $1.58{\pm}0.49 L$. The type of empyema was tuberculous empyema in 13 cases (61.9%), aspergillosis in three cases (14.3%), parapneumonic empyema in three cases (14.3%) and post-resectional empyema in two cases (10%). Bronchopulmonary fistula was seen in 14 cases. Eight cases were complicated by severe calcification of the pleura. For the four cases of bronchopulmonary fistula, the patients' serratus anterior muscle was covered in their first operation. The average number of ribs resected was $4{\pm}1$. Closure of the open window thoracostomy was performed in 12 cases. The average time to closure after open drainage was $10.22{\pm}3.11$ months and the average defect of the empyemal cavity before the final operation was $330{\pm}110 cc$. Among the 12 cases, there were two cases of spontaneous closure. In two cases closure was only achieved by using the reserved skin fold during the first surgery. Of the remaining eight cases, in seven we used the myocutaneous flap (four cases of lattisimus dorsi muscle and three cases of pectoralis major muscle), and in one case we used soft tissue. As regards complications of the closure, tissue necrosis occurred in one case, which led to failed closure, and there was one case of abdominal hernia in the rectus abdominis muscle flap. One patient died within 30 days of the surgery and one patient died of metastatic cancer. Conclusion: A staged operation with a final closure using open window thoracostomy, which consists of open drainage, transposition of the muscle and a myocutaneous flap, can be a safe and effective option for the chronic empyema patient who is difficult to cure with traditional surgical methods.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.8-17
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• 2002

Objective : Increasing in frequency and success of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and improved survival rates have led to growing concerns regarding the psychosocial aspects of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients. In this study, we have examined the stress coping strategies and related psychiatric symptom in the hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients. Methods : In this study, we examined the psychological stress symptoms of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients and differences of psychosocial variables between active coping group and passive coping group. Twenty nine recipients of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation were recruited prospectively and assessed at 2 weeks pretranplant and at 1-2 days posttranplant. Thirty normal controls were recruited. Assessments included a psychiatric interview, a variety of standardized questionnaires (Ways of Coping Questionnaires, Perceived Stress Scale, Hospital Depression and Anxiety Scale, Short-Form 36 Health Survey). Results : Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients showed higher degree of depression (p<0.001) and anxiety (p=0.011) symptoms than normal control group. However, no differences of depression and anxiety symptoms between pretransplant and posttransplant status were showed. And, passive coping group showed higher degree of depression (p=0.046) and anxiety symptoms (p<0.001) than active coping group. Conclusions : Our results suggested that many hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients would exhibit severe to moderate symptoms of anxiety and depression. Also, it seemed likely that passive coping style might influence the development of negative affect such as anxiety and depression. The implications of these findings were discussed in terms of the need to monitor the coping strategies and apply the appropriate psychiatric intervention. And, further prospective studies about long-term survival and psychological adaptive functions of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients are recommended.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.115-120
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to utilize it as a basic data for local self-government in each region to plan and perform the oral health program targeting children and mothers as guardian. Data had been obtained by using children's oral examination and mothers' self-reported questionnaire method from June 1 to June 30 in 2007 targeting kindergartens where are located in the region of Hwaseong city. The survey was conducted targeting totally 239 people. Its results are as follows. 1. The healthy-tooth rate in the whole children accounted for 79.12%, thus girls were indicated to be a little higher with 80.36% than boys with 78.13%. Carious-tooth rate showed 8.74% for boys and 6.07% for girls. The dental-caries experience treatment rate showed 11.37% for boys and 12.59% for girls. 2. The index of children at age 5, df rate was 39.3% in the whole, thereby having been indicated that boys with 41.3% are higher than girls with 37.2%. Even dft index is showing the higher index in boys with 3.9 than girls with 3.2. 3. As a result of examining mothers' oral-health behavior, mothers with out employment thought the self oral-health state to be good(p = 0.002). In appearance of scaling experience or of periodic dental checkup, a slight difference is being shown according to general characteristics, but wasn't significant. 4. As a result of examining children's oral management, it was indicated that the higher economic level(p = 0.011) and the more in mothers without employment lead to giving a light meal less(p = 0.41). In appearance of children's periodic dental checkup, the higher academic background level(p = 0.047) and the more employment(p = 0.044) led to receiving dental examination.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.1556-1562
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• 2010

This study examined the histopathologic and electron microscopic findings of aborted fetuses from pregnant dairy cows naturally infected with Neospora caninum (N. caninum) at four farms in Gongju city and Yeonki gun of Choongnam province. Systemic subcutaneous edema was observed in the aborted fetuses. The necropsy revealed considerable serosanguinous fluid in the body cavity of the aborted fetuses. Light microscopy showed the infiltration of many inflammatory cells consisting of macrophages, lymphocytes and mononuclear cells, accompanied by congestion, hemorrhage and necrosis of myocardiac cells and hepatocytes in the liver and heart of the aborted fetuses. In the liver, clusters of tachyzoites were formed in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes and the interstitial tissue. In the brain, many tissue cysts of various sizes were observed in the nerve cells and their adjacent areas. Tissue cysts had a round shape and contained a large amount of bradyzoite. In addition, there was diffuse gliosis accompanied by congestion and hemorrhage and focal necrosis in the brain. Infiltration of microglial cells were observed at the periphery of the focal necrosis and perivascular area in the brain. Electron microscopy showed that the tissue cyst wall had a thickness of approximately 1 ${\mu}m$ with an irregular shape. On the interior side, more than 100 bradyzoites with lengths of 2-5 ${\mu}m$ and widths of 1-2 ${\mu}m$ were observed. The nucleus of in the bradyzoites was located approximately 1-1.5 ${\mu}m$ anterior to the posterior tip of the zoite. In the cytoplasm between the nucleus and the posterior tip, there were many amylopectin granules, electron-dense small-sized and electron-thin large-sized round granules, homogeneously electron-dense rhoptries and micronemes oriented perpendicularly to the zoite pellicle. To summarize, tissue cysts were identified on electron microscopy from the aborted fetus from N. caninum seropositive pregnant cow by the ELISA. This led to the confirmed presence of N. caninum.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.95-100
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• 2005

Purpose: Critical pathways (CP), also known as clinical pathways, are management plans that display goals for patients and have led to improved outcomes for many disease entities. This study was aimed at developing a critical pathway for the surgical treatment of gastric cancer patients and evaluating its usefulness. Materials and Methods: A CP was developed and implemented by a team of surgeons, nurses, nutritionists, and administrative officials. Among the 117 patients who received curative gastrectomies for gastric cancer at Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, between October 2003 and August 2004, 26 patients were treated according to the CP. We evaluated its usefulness by comparing the clinical characterisctics, postoperative progress, hospital stays, and costs between the CP and the non-CP groups. Patient satisfaction was also surveyed with questionnaires. Results: Of the initial 26 patients in the CP group, two were excluded from the final evaluation; one patient had a duodenal stump leakage, and the other had a gastric stasis postoperatively. In 8 patients, protocol violation occurred; six patients refused to be discharged on the $7^{th}$ postoperative day, one patient who had an gastric staisis postoperatively stayed for 2 additional days, and one patient who needed ICU care stayed for 4 additional days. The drop-out rate was $7.7\%$ (2/26), and the variance rate was $30.8\%$ (8/26). The mean hospital stay was 11.3 days ($10\~15$ days) for the CP group compared with 17.5 days ($9\∼68$ days) for the non-CP group, resulting in a difference of about 6 days (P<0.05). The mean hospital stays after surgery were 10.3 days ($7\∼68$ days) and 8.3 days ($7\∼12$ days) for the non-CP and the CP groups, respectively, but the difference was statistically not significant (P>0.05). The mean charge during the hospital stay was higher in the non-CP group ( $\\$ 6,292,200) than in the CP group ( $\\$ 4,863,685). The charge per hospital day was higher in the CP group ( $\\$ 430,414) than in the non-CP group ( $\\$ 359,554). Patient satisfaction was higher in the CP group than in the non-CP group. Conclusion: By developing and applying a critical pathway in the surgical treatment of stomach cancer patients, we could reduce the length of hospital stay as well as the cost. A multi-centered prospective study to establish a standard treatment pathway and to demonstrate its effectiveness is needed in the future.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.66 no.1
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• pp.37-41
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• 2009

Hot tub lung has been described as a pulmonary illness associated with exposure to nontuberculous mycobacteria,mainly hot bathtub water contaminated with Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) and hence the name. Although not entirely clear, its etiology has been thought to involve either an infection or a hypersensitivity pneumonitis secondary to MAC. Herein, we describe 2 female patients (60 and 53 years old) admitted to our hospital with hot tub lung, and both of whom worked in a public bath. Both women were initially admitted following several months of exertional dyspnea and cough. The patients had been working as body-scrubbers in a public bath for several years. Their chest CT scans showed bilateral diffuse ground-glass opacities with multifocal air-trappings and poorly defined centrilobular nodules in both lungs. Pathological findings from lung specimens revealed small non-necrotizing granuloma in the lung parenchyme with relatively normal-looking adjacent alveoli. Discontinuation of working in the public bath led to an improvement in symptoms and radiographic abnormalities, without antimycobacterial therapy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2010

Background: Bioprosthetic materials have been made using glutaraldehyde fixation of porcine or bovine pericardium during cardiovascular surgery. But these bioprostheses have the problems of calcification and mechanical failure. We determined changes in tensile strength and elasticity of pericardium after glutaraldehyde, solvent, decellularization and detoxification. Material and Method: Tissues were allocated to four groups: glutaraldehyde with and without solvent, decellularization, and detoxification. We studied tensile strength and strain on tissues. We measured the tensile strength of fresh pericardium stretched in six directions (with 5 mm width), and % strain, which we calculated from the breaking point when we pulled the pericardium in two directions. Result: Tensile strength was reduced when we used the usual concentrated glutaraldehyde fixation (n=83, $MPa=11.47{\pm}5.40$, p=0.006), but there was no change when we used solvent. Elasticity was increased after glutaraldehyde fixation (n=83, strain $(%)=24.55{\pm}9.81$, p=0.00), but there was no change after solvent. After decellularization of pericardium, the tensile strength was generally reduced. The decrease in tensile strength after concentrated glutaraldehyde fixation for a long time was significantly greater less than after concentrated solvent (p=0.01, p=0.00). After detoxification, the differences in strength and strain were not significant. Conclusion: After glutaraldehyde treatment of pericardium there is no loss in tensile strength (even though we did the glutaraldehyde, solvent and detoxification treatments LOGIC IS UNCLEAR). Also, these treatments had a tendency to increase elasticity. Although post-treatment decellularization led to a significant loss in strength, this effect could be attenuated using a low concentration of solvent or hypertonic solution.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.157-170
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• 2008

Purpose: This prospective study was conducted to reveal the haematological index change by low level radiation exposure in radiological environment our hospital workers. Materials and Method: We gathered the cumulative dose by Thermoluminenscent Dosimeters (TLD) over 9-yr period and examined hematological index counts change (RBC, Hb, Platelet, WBC, Monocyte, Lymphocyte, Neutrophilic, Basophilic, Eosinophilic) both occupational workers and controls. Of a total 370 occupational workers and 335 controls were compared. Results: This analysis has led to the following general observations 1) The average cumulative dose in male and female were $9.65{\pm}15.2\;mSv$, $4.82{\pm}5.55\;mSv$ respectively. 2) In both male and female, there were very low relationship between occupation period and cumulative dose (r< ${\pm}0.25$). 3) Occupation period was more increased, in male, WBC counts decreased and increased workers, RBC counts decreased workers were more than controls group (p<0.05). In female, WBC counts decreased and increased workers and W-eosino counts decreased workers were more than controls group (p<0.01). 4) Cumulative dose was more increased, in male, W-Lympho counts decreased workers and Platelet counts deceased workers were more than controls group (p<0.05). In female, W-lympho counts decreased workers and RBC counts decreased workers were more than controls group (p<0.05). Conclusions: We can find some kinds of blood index abnormal distribution in occupational radiation workers by comparing with controls. Occupational workers cannot avoid radiation exposure, in spite of the control it. Actually low level radiation adverse effect occurred not dose but probability. So workers must always try to reduce exposure by ourselves, furthermore as long as possible the government should provide rapidly that national system on radiation control for worker's health.

• Sijohaknonchong
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• v.23
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• pp.107-131
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• 2005

The purpose of this is to make sure what the scholar of the Choseon thought the object of aesthetics, and which psychological element did they use to clear the center of the aesthetics. In addition, I consider their way to recognize the human's aesthetic point of view. A literary man in Choseon regarded the five senses as an obstacle which interrupted to see the nature of all things. So they set up the spiritual condition as their aesthetic subject, with suppressing the pleasure through five senses. The goal to make one's mind calm was to cause someone's spirit to activate freely. The condition of the calmness was considered as a process of recovering the human's natural spirit, which was connected to the poetic spirit and became the aesthetic subject. Simultaneously, a literary man at that time set up the condition of the calmness as a subject of objective consciousness, and estimated the common things as a objective existence, which led to the result that all the materials of the poem and the poet could be unified. This aesthetic centra put a premium on the senses caused by contacting with all natural things, and adopted the 'Xing' as a method of expression. This 'Xing' is not a sense based upon one's experience, but a sense which is created of itself. The expression method of 'Xing' caused the reader to feel and express, encourage, and sublimate what they feel through the poem, as well as purified reader's mind.