• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.852-861
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• 1996

Background : Many clinicians have experienced the difficulty of decision on termination of antituberculosis chemotherapy after the 6th month due to relapse of disease. There is still controversy in the effect of 2S(K)HRZ/4HRZ 6-month short course chemotherapy including pyrazinamide for 6 months in patiems with pulmonary tuberculosis. And there is no long term follow-up study of 6-month short course chemotherapy for pulmonary tuberculosis in korea. So we had performed the study to find the result of 6-month antituberculosis chemotherapy for 4 years. Method : We studied prospectively the effect of 2S(K)HRZ/4HRZ in one hundred-fifty patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and followed up fifty-nine patients for more than 1 year to 4 years after the completion of 6-month short course therapy. Results : 1) Out of one hundred-fifty patients, seventy-two patients(48%) completed the prescribed 6-month chemotherapy. Sixty-eight patients(45.3%) have experienced premature discontinuation and the most common cause of premature discontinuation was drop-out against advice(thirty-six patients, 24%). Ten patients(6.7%) were treated beyond the 6 months mainly due to irregular treatment. 2) Fifty-nine patients(81.9%) among seventy-two patients with completed treatment have been followed up for more than 1 year and 32 patients(44.4%) for more than 4 years. There was three relapse patients of whom two patients have experienced relapse of pulmonary tuberculosis within 1 year after the termination of chemotherapy. 3) Among one hundred-thirty-four patients who have been assessible for more than two months of chemotherapy, including the patients who experienced within 2 months, there were eighty-two patients(61.2%) who have experienced adverse reactions and the treatment regimen was changed only in thirteen patients(9.7%). The most frequent cause of adverse reactions was arthralgia and/or hyperuricemia, which had occurred in 33 patients(24.6%). Conclusion : In a university hospital in Korea, 6-month shot course chemotherapy of 2S(K)HRZ/4HRZ had unnegligible relapses and premature discontinuation. Therefore, change of the regimen might be carefully considered by drug susceptibility results. Close monitoring of patients, retrial of sputum exam and radiologic evaluation during treatment might be required in the endemic area of drug resistant strains like in Korea. Further study about the effect of 6-month short course chemotherapy including pyrazinamide for 6-month might be needed.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.331-341
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• 2020

Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate perceptions of safety and risk among Korean industrial hygienists and the change between before and after the Sewol Ferry Disaster in 2014. Two surveys with questionnaires composed of 51 questions were completed by attendees of the Korea Industrial Hygiene Association(KIHA) conference. Methods: One was conducted at the 2013 KIHA Fall Conference(N=181) and the other was from the 2014 KIHA Summer Conference(N=123). Between these two surveys was the Sewol Ferry Disaster on April 14, 2014, which was believed to seriously affect safety and risk perceptions in Korea. Results: It was revealed that industrial hygienists' awareness of safety rules strengthened after the Sewol Ferry Disaster(p<0.05). It was apparent that people over the age of 30 were more sensitive to social safety. There was no significant difference in the evaluation and attitude regarding governmental safety policy between the years of 2013 and 2014. The credibility of public organizations responsible for the disaster management system decreased. The self-evaluation of respondents' safety level also decreased. This trend shows mainly in the younger generation. It was evaluated that the overall social safety level decreased and the anxiety level increased. The score on social safety on a ±5 Likert scale was 0.68 in the 2013 survey and -0.33 in the 2014 survey(p<0.05). It was reported that the most serious threat factors for accident or disaster were 'building collapse > illegalities and corruption > side effects of radiation therapy >accidents in normal activity > occupational disease,' in order. They picked 'safety ignorance > hurry-up habits and culture > focusing on short-term benefit > easy-going attitude > insufficient safety education' for the causes of low social safety levels in 2013. In 2014, they were 'safety ignorance > easy-going attitude > focusing on short-term benefit > insufficient safety education > hurry-up habits and culture'. Conclusions: This study has some limitations because it was originally not designed to survey attitudes prior to the Sewol Ferry disaster in 2013. In addition, the survey targets are industrial hygienists who are familiar with occupational disease and injury.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.11
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• pp.1031-1035
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• 1999

Background: ATS mechanical valve is a recently introduced pyrolytic carbon bileaflet prosthesis. This report is to evaluate the results of hemodynamic and anticoagulant therapy after ATS valve replacement. Material and Method: From May 1995 to October 1998, 53 patients received 65 ATS prosthesis; 38 Mitral(27-33 mm), 27 Aortic(19-25 mm). 2 CABGs and 5 Tricuspid annuloplasty were taken concomitantly. The follow up period was 769 patient-months(mean 16.2$\pm$10.0), varied from 1 month to 39 months with 92.5% follow up rate. All patients were evaluated with Doppler echocardiography, 7-14 days after operation. Result: NYHA functional class was improved significantly, from 2.6$\pm$0.8 preoperatively to 1.3$\pm$0.4 postoperatively. The average value of peak and mean transvalvular pressure gradients were 25.7$\pm$13.5 mmHg, 12.7$\pm$8.3 mmHg in aortic position. In the mitral position, the average values of peak and mean transvalvular pressure gradient and valve area were 5.9$\pm$2.5 mmHg, 3.1$\pm$0.8 mmHg and 2.9$\pm$0.5 $\textrm{cm}^2$, respectively. In the anticoagulant therapy, mean INR was 2.5$\pm$0.6 in mitral valve replacement and 1.9$\pm$0.5 in aortic valve replacement. There was no anticoagulant related complication. During that period, there were 3 hospital death(5.9%) and 1 late death(1.9%). Conclusion: The early clinical results of the ATS heart valve replacement is quite satisfactory, and low target INR reginmen is safe. And long term follow of hemodynamic characteristics is also necessary.

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2004

Being engaged in the musical tasks needs cognitive skills to perceive musical sound, organize them into meaningful unit, store them in the memory and retrieve them when needed. These skills are also required for academic tasks indicating that there is positive correlation between skills for musical and academic tasks. Based on these findings, the study purported to examine whether the developed sessions can enhance cognitive skills which is composed of auditory information skills, which is composed of perceiving sounds, organizing them into groups based on the existing information or organization pattern, and short-term memory skills. Eighteen elementary students in 4, 5, and 6th grades have participated in the study. The study has administered Music Cognitive Skills Test(MCST) before and after implementing music therapy sessions. The MCST consisted of five parts, first one measuring the rhythm imitating skills, second, measuring the melodic imitation skills, third, measuring discriminative skills in identifying higher pitch, fourth, measuring discriminative skills in identifying identical chords, and lastly, measuring the tone retention skills. The results indicated that there was statistical difference between the pre and post test in rhythm and melody imitation skills. Because reproduction of perceived rhythm patterns requires memory skills, imitating patterns are considered cognitive skills. Also melody is defined adding spatial dimension to the rhythm which is temporal concept. Being able to understand melodic pattern and to reproduce the pattern also requires cognitive skills. The subjects have shown significant improvement in these two areas. In other areas, there were definite increase of scores, however, no significant differences. The study also explores interpretation of these results and also observed consistencies among the participants in completing the musical tasks.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.299-306
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• 1996

Purpose : Respiratory symptoms related with malignant airway disease have been the main causes of lowered qualify of life and also sometimes may be life-threatening if not properly managed. The authors report the short-term experiences of endobronchial brachytherapy for symptomatic malignant airway obstruction using high dose rate after-loading brachytherapy unit. Materials and Methdos : Twenty-five Patients with symptomatic malignant airway obstruction were treated with endobronchial brachytherapy between the period of December 1994 and March 1996 at Department of Radiation Oncology of Samsung Medical Center Twenty-one ($84\%$) were patients with non-small cell lung cancer, three with tracheal malignancies, and one with recurrence of esophageal cancer. Twenty Patients were given elective external beam radiation therapy, while six were given endobronchial laser evaporation therapy on emergency bases in addition to endobronchial brachytherapy. Three procedures for each patient were planned and total of 70 procedures were completed. Results : Improvement rates of major respiratory symptoms after endobronchial brachytherapy procedures were $88\%$(22/25). $96\%$(22/23), $100\%$ (15/15), and $100\%$(9/9) for cough, dyspnea, hemoptysis and obstructive pneumonia, respectively. ECOG performance scores were improved in $56\%$ of total patients group, while there was no case with worsened ECOG score. Fifteen patients died and the median interval from the start of treatment to death was 4 months (range: $1\~17$ months), while that of ten survivors was 9 months (range $5\~19$ months). There were five patients with controlled intrathoracic disease, who have survived over one rear. All deaths were associated with uncontrolled local and/or distant disease. Four Patients died of massive fatal hemoptysis, three of who received emergency endobronchial laser evaporation therapy before the start of endobronchial brachytherapy. Conclusion : Endobronchial brachytherapy has been confirmed as an excellent palliative treatment modality improving respiratory symptoms as well as patients' general performance status. Based on the current observations, use of endobronchial brachytherapy in curative setting as a boost technique may be warranted.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.229-236
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the use of external radiation therapy (ERT) in terms of survival and compliance in patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Materials and Methods: The medical records of 17 patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma treated with ERT between 1993 and 2002 were retrospectively reviewed. ERT was administered after surgery in 14 patients and after a biopsy in three patients. Among the 14 patients who had undergone surgery, nine underwent a curative resection and five underwent a palliative resection. Six patients had associated well-differentiated thyroid carcinomas and 14 patients were diagnosed with a tumor size exceeding 5 cm. The radiation dose ranged from $6{\sim}70\;Gy$ (median dose, 37.5 Gy). Eleven patients completed the planned course of ERT, whereas six patients did not. The follow-up period ranged from $1{\sim}104$ months (median, 5 months; mean, 20 months). Results: Five patients started the ERT without the presence of a gross mass and all of the patients competed ERT without a re-growth of tumor. Twelve patients (four patients after a curative resection, five patients after a palliative resection and three patients after a biopsy) started ERT with a gross mass present and only six patients were able to complete the planned course of ERT. Among the six patients who completed ERT, two patients showed a marked regression of the tumor mass, whereas two patients showed slight regression and two patients showed no response. The median survival was five months (range, $1{\sim}104$ months) and the mean survival was 21 months. The overall survival was 41% at 1-year, 24% at 2-years and 12% at 5-years. Significant prognostic factors included the number of primary tumors present, tumor size, whether surgery was performed and completion of ERT as planned. Long-term survivors showed a tendency of having smaller sized initial tumors and smaller sized pre-ERT tumors than the short-term survivors. Conclusion: This study suggests that patients with a small initial tumor (${\leq}5\;cm$), which was treated by surgery (curative resection or palliative resection) before ERT, and without rapid re-growth of the mass seen at the surgical site at the beginning of the ERT course, would be the best candidates for postoperative ERT. In contrast, patients with a large initial tumor (>5 cm) and did not undergo surgery before ERT or that rapid re-growth of the mass was observed at the surgical site are likely to have a short survival time, along with the interruption of ERT. In these cases, the role of ERT is very limited and the omission of ERT could be considered.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.1065-1071
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• 2001

Object : This study was conducted to evaluate whether short-term intravenous infusion of tranexamic acid (AMCA) was able to improve the management outcome by preventing rebleeding without increasing vasospasm and hydrocephalus associated with the long-term administration of this agent in the patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage(SAH) who were planned for the early surgery. Methods : During the period from June, 1996 to May, 1998, 137 patients admitted within 3 days of their SAH and planned for early surgical intervention were subject to study population. Of these, 60 patients who had been treated with AMCA were classified as AMCA treated group and 77 patients without AMCA treatment as AMCA untreated group. Initially, prognostic factors for rebleeding, vasospasm, hydrocephalus and outcome following SAH including age, sex, clinical grade, CT grade, site of ruptured aneurysms, admission day after SAH, surgery day after SAH, number of aneurysms and hypertension history, were analyzed and compared between AMCA treated group and untreated group. Secondly, the incidence of rebleeding, symptomatic vasospasm and hydrocephalus were compared between the two groups. Also, the management outcome of the patients was compared between the two groups. Results : There were no significant differences in prognostic factors between the two groups. The rebleeding rate was 0% in the AMCA treated group whereas the rate was 7.8% in the untreated group. This difference was statistically significant. The incidences of symptomatic vasospasm and hydrocephalus were found not to be significantly different between the two groups. Of the treated group, 31.7% of patients developed hydrocephalus compared to 32.5% of those at the untreated group. Fourteen(23.3%) patients in treated group developed symptomatic vasospasm and 6 of them(10%) suffered stroke whereas incidences of these in untreated group were 25.9% and 11.7%, respectively. The AMCA treated group showed more favorable outcome than that of untreated group. There was no case of death by rebleeding in the AMCA treated group while one of the main causes of death in the untreated group was rebleeding. Conclusion : Short-term high-dose AMCA administration is considered beneficial in improving outcome and diminishing the risk of rebleeding in the patients who suffer from an aneurysmal SAH prior to early surgical intervention.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.297-303
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• 2018

This study investigated the effect of community-based health intervention program to improve metabolic disease in Jeju island. There were 50 obese local residents in the experimental group (body mass index, $BMI{\geq}25kg/m^2$). They participated in cooking therapy with nutrition education (4 times), exercise program with proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) and stretching training (9 times), and alternative medicine program with healing touch massage (3 times) during a 3-week period. To evaluate the effectiveness of the program, body composition, blood lipid profiles, blood glucose, and waist circumference were assessed before and after the intervention program. After the program, the value of total cholesterol (TC), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C), diastolic blood pressure, percent body fat, and waist circumference were decreased, and became the normal value. Especially, HbA1C, percent body fat, and waist circumference were significantly decreased (P<0.001) in the experimental group, while HbA1C, percent body fat, and waist circumference were significantly increased (P<0.001) in the control group (N=50), who had no intervention. Our results suggest that metabolic syndrome associated markers need intervention program for improving them. In conclusion, although this study did not analyze the effect of the health intervention program and cooking therapy separately, considering the result of this 3-week, short term program, the effect will be more profuse if cooking therapy and exercise program were performed concurrently.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.172-176
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• 2000

Objectives: To improve local control and reduce toxicity, 3-D conformal radiotherapy was used as a boost the primary tumor site following fractionated radiotherapy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Materials and Methods: Eight patients with previously untreated nasopharyngeal carcinomas were treated with 3-D conformal radiotherapy following fractionated radiotherapy from September 1998 to April 2000. All patients had biopsy confirmation of disease before radiation therapy. Stages were II in 1, III in 5, and IV in 2. Two patients received cisplatin based chemotherapy in addition to radiation therapy; induction chemotherapy in 1, concurrent chemoradiation in 1. 3-D conformal radiotherapy delivered using 6MV Linac as a boost(range 25.2-28.8Gy, median 25.7Gy) following conventionally fractionated radiotherapy(range 50.4Gy). Average total dose ranged from 75.6-79.2Gy(median 76Gy). Follow-up time was 4-21 months(median 9.6 months). Results: Seven of 8 patients were evaluated radiologically within 3 months after completion of radiation therapy. All 7 patients were seen complete remission. One of 7 patients had distant metastasis after 5 months and local failure after 7 months. The tree interval of local recurrence was ranged from 4 - 21 months(median 10.2 months). One patient without radiological evaluation got complete remission clinically. Treatment related toxicity was grade 1-3 xerostomia, dysphagia, and mucositis. During 3-D conformal radiotherapy, there was no aggravation of any toxicity. Conclusion: Although the number of patients was small and follow-up period was short, 3-D conformal radiotherapy following conventional radiotherapy improved tumor control and dose escalation without increased toxicity. Survival and late toxicity should be evaluated through long term follow-up. In addition, it is necessary to confirm the benefits of 3-D conformal radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma with randomized trial.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.51 no.11
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• pp.1211-1216
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• 2008

Purpose : Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA) is a rare heterogeneous genetic disorder of infancy and early childhood. It is characterized by red cell aplasia, congenital anomalies, and a predisposition to cancer. Corticosteroids and red cell transfusions are the mainstays of therapy. We describe our experience of 6 cases of DBA that were encountered over a period of 16 years. Methods : Medical records of 6 patients diagnosed to have DBA and admitted to the Chonnam National University Hospital between 1992 and 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. Results : Three patients were males. The age at diagnosis ranged from 3 to 18 months (median, 5.5 months). Heart defects were observed in 4, polydactyly in 2, and strabismus in 1 patient. The median number of transfusions was 3 (range, 2-8). All patients responded to initial treatment with steroids and had a hemoglobin level ${\geq}9g/dL$ with a median of 12.5 days (range, 7-22 days). Three patients are currently not receiving steroid therapy. A minimum dose of oral prednisolone (<5 mg per day) was required to maintain hemoglobin ${\geq}9mg/dL$ in 3 cases. Red cell transfusion was infrequently required in 1 patient. In the median follow-up of 14 years, there was no development of malignancy. No significant side effects of steroids were found, except for short stature in 2. Conclusion : The majority of DBA patients achieved complete response and under maintenance therapy with low dose of steroids. Close observation is needed to monitor steroid side effects, cardiac function, and development of malignancy. A nation-wide survey is necessary to further characterize this rare disease in Korean children.