• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.121-130
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• 2007

In this paper, large scale experimental model tests were performed to investigate the distribution of earth pressure acting on embedded rigid pipes having different bedding conditions. For these tests, very light weighted EPS blocks were installed at top and bottom of the rigid pipe and Jumunjin Standard Sand was used as a ground material. As results of model tests, for the case of no bedding on the pipe, the measured pressure at the bottom of the pipe was $4.96_{tf/m^2}$ whereas they were in the range of $1.87{\sim}4.96_{tf/m^2}$ in the case of EPS beddings being installed at the top and the bottom of the pipe. Therefore, for the case of EPS bedding being installed, the ratio of reduced pressures acting on the pipe, compared with the case of no EPS beddings, were in the rage of 16~62%. As a result of parametric test with changing the locations of EPS bedding, the trend of reducing the stress acting on the pipe was in the order of bottom bedding, top bedding, and top and bottom bedding. Effect of bedding positions on the reduced magnitude of acting pressure on the pipe was more significant in the case of top bedding than in the case of the bottom bedding.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.36-45
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• 1999

Purpose : Cancer, one of the major causes of death in Korea, tends to become chronic due to the rapid development of diagnostic and therapeutic methods. As a result, the number of home-based cancer patients is in the increasing trend. However, on account of the insufficiency of continuous and comprehensive cancer patient management system, a number of cancer patients are left in a defenseless state. This study was designed for need assessment of home-based cancer patient to establish the community-based health care system for the comprehensive and continuous health care service to improve the quality of life of cancer patients and reduce rare burdens of their families. Methods : Through making a survey for needs assessment toward the health care service, the 455 respondents among home-based cancer patients answered the given enquetes to analyze the management status and problems of home-based cancer patients Results : 1) Unsatisfaction rates of pain control is 25.5 percent for mild cases, 46.5 percent for severe cases. 2) According to the needs assessment of home-based cancer patients, most of the respondents want to receive economical support, alleviation for the pain and symptoms, and the information of health care and consultation. So these needs account for the main contents of the home-based cancer patient management plan. 3) In the aspect of the satisfaction rate for basic care need, most items account for $20{\sim}30%$ of satisfaction. And the proportion of need for special case is under 5%, satisfaction rate for special care need is about 50% of satisfaction. So the home-based cancer patients are not being cared sufficiently. Conclusion : According to the result of need assessment, many home-based cancer patients received inadequate pain and symptom management. And Satisfaction rate for basic and special care need is low. So development of comprehensive and continuous health care service to improve the quality of life of cancer patients and reduce care burdens of their families is very necessary.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.164-171
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• 2013

Purpose: Laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer has gained acceptance and popularity worldwide. However, laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer is still controversial. Therefore, we propose this prospective randomized controlled multi-center trial in order to evaluate the safety and feasibility of laparoscopy assisted D2-gastrectomy for advanced stage gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: Patients undergoing distal gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer staged cT2/3/4 cN0/1/2/3a cM0 by endoscopy and computed tomography are eligible for enrollment after giving their informed consent. Patients will be randomized either to laparoscopyassisted distal gastrectomy or open distal gastrectomy. Sample size calculation revealed that 102 patients are to be included per treatment arm. The primary endpoint is the non-compliance rate of D2 dissection; relevant secondary endpoints are three-year disease free survival, surgical and postoperative complications, hospital stay and unanimity rate of D2 dissection evaluated by reviewing the intraoperative video documentation. Discussion: Oncologic safety is the major concern regarding laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer. Therefore, the non-compliance rate of clearing the N2 area was chosen as the most important parameter for the technical feasibility of the laparoscopic procedure. Furthermore, surgical quality will be carefully reviewed, that is, three independent experts will review the video records and score with a check list. For a long-term result, disease free survival is considered a secondary endpoint for this trial. This study will offer promising evidence of the feasibility and safety of Laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer. Trial Registration: NCT01088204 (international), NCCCTS-09-448 (Korea).

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.52-58
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• 2008

Purpose : Whole blood interferon-$\gamma$ assay was developed and many studies showed its usefulness in diagnosing tuberculosis (TB) including latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). However, assessment in children has been limited. This study was undertaken to evaluate the usefulness of QuantiFERON-TB Gold for the diagnosis of LTBI in children exposed to pulmonary TB. Methods : Children who visited Seoul National University Bundang Hospital with a history of TB exposure were enrolled from January 2006 to December 2007. They were evaluated with chest x-rays, tuberculin skin test (TST) and QuantiFERON-TB Gold test. TST was retested 3 months later for those with initial negative reactivity. Definition of LTBI was made on the basis of the TST reactivity. Results : Among the 103 children with a history of TB exposure, 49 children were tested with chest x-ray, TST, and QuantiFERON-TB Gold. Twenty-two were males. Median age was 7.5 years (range; 3 months to 14.7 years). According to TST reactivity, LTBI was in 8 (19%), no infection was in 21 (50%), possible LTBI was in 13 (31%). QuantiFERON-TB Gold test was positive in 5 of the 49 subjects (10%); 3 of the 13 subjects (23.1%) in unknown status, 1 of the 8 subjects (13%) in LTBI, and 1 of the 21 subjects (5%) without infection. The agreement between the QuantiFERON-TB Gold and the TST was poor (${\kappa}=0.101$). Conclusion : QuantiFERON-TB Gold showed poor sensitivity for the diagnosis of LTBI in children with exposure to TB. QuantiFERON-TB Gold alone does not seem to be useful in the diagnosis of LTBI in children.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.143-152
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• 2008

Mixed-planting of two rice cultivars, HP ('Hopyeongbyeo') and NP ('Nampyeongbyeo'), having a dissimilar susceptibility to rice blast was practiced for chemical-free control of rice blast in the field. The HP/NP combination was selected for applying under mechanized agricultural conditions. Because they have similar genetic characteristics such as seed germination and heading time, culm length, rice quality and size of rice grains except susceptibility to blast. Incidence of panicle blast was reduced 50.4 % compare with supposed blast incidence by HP/NP mixed-planting when the seeds of two cultivars were combined 1 to 1 as weight. Supposed blast incidence was estimated from reduction of rice blast caused by addition of a resistant cultivar NP. Race diversity of Magnaporthe oryzae was examined for correlation with control effect of HP/NP mixed-planting on rice blast. The population of dominant race KJ-101 was diminished and replaced with various co-existing races and eleven new races were appeared in mixed-planting plot. Total number of race isolated from mixed-planting plot was not largely different from mono-culture. However, detection frequency of the new race was increased and variation of the population size of each race was decreased in mixed-planting plots. It was shown that a biased community with a dominant race (KJ-101 or KI-181) was altered to a balanced one of coexisting races. From these results, it was supposed that the balanced diversity among co-existing races within a community might be correlated to control effect by HP/NP mixed-planting on rice blast. Further more, it should be studied that genetic characteristics of the individual race including a virulence on cv. HP and NP was examined for verifying a correlation of mixed-planting effect and race diversity.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.360-366
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• 2013

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of multivitamin on macrophage activity in Raw 264.7 cell and repeated oral dose toxicity in Sprague-Dawely rat of multivitamin. Raw 264.7 cells were treated with 50 and $100{\mu}g/mL$ multivitamin for 24 h. To measure the activity of macrophages, NO and TNF-${\alpha}$ assays were performed in Raw 264.7 cells. Treatment with 50 and $100{\mu}g/mL$ multivitamin for 24 h significantly increased production of NO and TNF-${\alpha}$ compared with control groups, indicating activation of macrophages. The female rats were treated with multivitamin of control group, low group (0.24 g/kg), medium group (1 g/kg) and high group (2 g/kg) intragastrically for 4 weeks, respectively. We examined the body weight, the feed intake, the clinical signs and serum biochemical analysis. We also observed the histopathological changes of liver, ovary, brain, adrenal gland, spleen, kidney, heart and lung in rats. No significant differences in body weights, feed intake, biochemical analysis and histopathological observations between control and multivitamin treatment group were found. In conclusion, multivitamin is physiologically safe and improve macrophage activity.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.1152-1158
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• 2009

For the toxicological pathologic study of amanita muscaria, we have investigated single and repeated dose toxicity in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Single dose toxicity study was identified as catalepsy, incline and tail pinch methods (control 0 mg/kg, low 3.3 mg/kg, middle 16.5 mg/kg, high 33.0 mg/kg). Repeated dose toxicity study was carried out in blood tests, serum tests and histopathological methods. Neurotoxicity - muscle paralysis, and convulsion and loss of movement - was observed at 33.0 mg/kg group in the single dose toxicity study. Dysfunction of liver and kidney were shown in the repeated oral administration of the amanita muscaria at 3${\sim}$4 weeks. Serum chemistry results revealed a marked increase of LDH [Lactate Dehydrogenase (3181.5 IU/L; normal 230-460 IU/l)], ALT [Alanine transaminase (124.0 IU/l; normal <40 IU/l)] but the kidney was normal. Histopathological results show interstitial edema and tubular epithelial necrosis in the kidney. These results suggest that amanita muscaria has a neurotoxic effect and causes dysfunction of liver and kidney in the SD rat.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.79-86
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• 2017

Purpose: This study was aimed at analyzing the serotypes of group B streptococcus (GBS) isolated from Korean infants with invasive disease and evaluating their association with disease manifestation. Methods: Data were retrospectively collected from invasive GBS infections at Gachon University Gil Medical Center from January 2006 to June 2012 and at Samsung Medical Center from April 2010 to November 2012. Serotypes were determined by slide agglutination test. Results: A total of 37 cases were identified, which included 22 full-term infants and 15 preterm infants. Fifteen cases (40.5%) were early-onset, 19 (51.4%) was late-onset, and three (8.1%) was very late-onset. Early-onset diseases among preterm infants were higher than those among full-term infants (60.0% [9/15] vs. 27.3% [6/22], P=0.17). The most common manifestation was bacteremia (70.3%), followed by meningitis and septic arthritis. Among 24 isolates retrievable for serotyping, serotype III (41.7%) was most common, followed by V (16.7%), Ia, Ib, and II (12.5%, respectively), and non-typeable (4.2%). Serotype III was more common in isolates from full-term infants (10/22) than from preterm infants (0/15), whereas serotype V was more common in isolates from preterm infants (4/15) than from full-term infants (0/22) (P=0.002). No penicillin-resistant strain was detected, and resistance to erythromycin and clindamycin were both 64.9%. Conclusions: GBS is an important pathogen in both preterm and full-term infants, and serotype distribution of GBS causing invasive diseases can differ between preterm and full-term infants. It is necessary to monitor the nationwide epidemiology of GBS diseases, including in preterm infants, in order to prepare preventive measures without underestimating early-onset diseases.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.201-209
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• 2009

Purpose: To investigate the care patterns for radiation therapy and to determine inter-hospital differences for patients with laryngeal carcinoma in Korea. Materials and Methods: A total of 237 cases of laryngeal carcinoma (glottis, 144; supraglottis, 93) assembled from 23 hospitals, who underwent irradiation in the year of 1998 and 1999, were retrospectively analyzed to investigate inter-hospital differences with respect to radiotherapy treatment. We grouped the 23 hospitals based on the number of new patients annually irradiated in 1998; and designated them as group A (${\geq}$900 patients), group B (${\geq}$400 patients and <900 patients), and group C (<400 patients). Results: The median age of the 237 patients was 62 years (range, 25 to 88 years), of which 216 were male and 21 were female. The clinical stages were distributed as follows: for glottis cancer, I; 61.8%, II; 21.5%, III; 4.2%, IVa; 11.1%, IVb; 1.4%, and in supraglottic cancer, I; 4.3%, II; 19.4%, III; 28.0%, IVa; 43.0%, IVb; 5.4%, respectively. Some differences were observed among the 3 groups with respect to the dose calculation method, radiation energy, field arrangement, and use of an immobilization device. No significant difference among 3 hospital groups was observed with respect to treatment modality, irradiation volume, and median total dose delivered to the primary site. Conclusion: This study revealed that radiotherapy process and patterns of care are relatively uniform in laryngeal cancer patients in Korean hospitals, and we hope this nationwide data can be used as a basis for the standardization of radiotherapy for the treatment of laryngeal cancer.