• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.241-247
• /
• 1993

Between July 1988 and December 1992, we treated 45 patients who had deep seated inoperable or residual and/or recurrent intracranial tumors using LINAC based stereotactic radiosurgery at the Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic University Medical College. Treated intracranial tumors included pituitary tumors (n=15), acoustic neurinomas (n=8), meningiomas (n=7), gliomas (n=6), craniopharyngiomas (n=4), pinealomas (n=3), hemangioblastomas (n=2), and solitary metastatic tumor from lung cancer (n=1). The dimension of treatment field varied from 0.23 to 42.88 $cm^3\;(mean;\;7.26\;cm^3)$. The maximum tumor doses ranging from 5 to 35.5 Gy (mean; 29.9 Gy) were given, and depended on patients' age, target volume, location of lesion and previous history of irradiation. There were 22 male and 23 female patients. The age was varied from 5 to 74 years of age (a median age; 43 years). The mean duration of follow-up was 35 months (2~55 months). To date, 18 $(39.1\%)$ of 46 intracranial tumors treated with SRS showed absent or decrease of the tumor by serial follow-up CT and/or MRI and 16 $(34.8\%)$ were stationary, e.g. growth arrest. From the view point of the clinical aspects, 34 $(73.9\%)$ of 46 tumors were considered improved status, that is, alive with no evidence of active tumor and 8 $(17.4\%)$ of them were stable, alive with disease but no deterioration as compared with before SRS. Although there showed slight increase of the tumor in size according to follow-up imagings of 4 cases (pituitary tumor 1, acoustic neurinomas 2, pinealoma 1), they still represented clinically stable status. Clinically, two $(4.4\%)$ Patients who were anaplastic astrocytoma (n=1) and metastatic brain tumor (n=1) were worsened following SRS treatment. So far, no serious complications were found after treatment. The minor degree headache which could be relieved by steroid or analgesics and transient focal hair loss were observed in a few cases. There should be meticulous long term follow-up inall cases.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.51 no.6
• /
• pp.530-539
• /
• 2001

Background : Bronchial asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airways that is associated with airway remodeling. The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent, multifunctional cytokine that contributes to angiogenesis and inflammation. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is a major proteolytic enzyme that in duces bronchial remodeling in asthma. However, there is no data available on the possible role of the VEGF or on the potential relationship between the VEGF and MMP-9 in acute asthma. Therefore, the VEGF was studied to determine whether or not it participates in airway inflammation during acute asthma. An additional aim of this study was to determine whether or not the VEGF levels correlated with the MMP-9 levels in the sputum of acute asthma patients. Methods: Both the VEGF and MMP-9 levels were measured by an enzyme immunoassay and zymographic analysis in the sputum of patients with either stable asthma or with acute asthma. The VEGF and MMP-9 levels were also evaluated during a spontaneous asthma attack. Results : The VEGF levels were significantly higher in the sputum of acute asthmatic patients than in either the stable patients the control subjects. The VEGF levels in the sputum during asthma exacerbation were significantly higher than those on the remission days, and those levels decreased after asthma therapy. In acute asthmatic patients, the VEGF levels in the sputum correlated with the number of neutrophils and eosinophils. In addition, a significant correlation was established between the VEGF and MMP-9 levels in the sputum. Conclusion : These results suggest that VEGF overproduction is associated with airway inflammation during acute asthma and is related to the MMP-9 function.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.48 no.1
• /
• pp.54-66
• /
• 2000

Background: Pneumoconiosis, like other chronic respiratory diseases, is essentially incurable and, for many, progressive. While improved survival time is an important aim of treatment, there is growing recognition that for some people, improving the quality of life is more important than extending the length of life. Currently the measurement of the quality of life is used to assess the efficacy of therapeutic agents. Methods: Sixty-three pnemoconiotics who were admitted to St. Mary's Hospital between April and August 1999 were interviewed using COOP charts, Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire(CRQ) and Pneumoconiotic Respiratory Questionnaire(PRQ), a newly developed questionnaire concerning clinical and socioeconomic features of pneumoconiotics. Also, ILO classification of the chest film, pulmonary function test, and arterial blood gas analysis of the patients were evaluated. The scores between Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance(IACI) covered and uncovered patients and between clinically stable and unstable patients were compared. Results: Domains of CRQ and PRQ showed a high internal consistency reliability($\alpha$=0.86-0.89, 0.77-0.81) except the dyspnea domain($\alpha$=0.63) of CRQ. The scores on the CRQ and PRQ showed statistically significant correlations with the results of COOP charts, pulmonary function test and arterial blood gas analysis. The dyspnea domain and social activity domain of the PRQ showed significant difference between IACI covered and uncovered patients and between clinically stable and unstable patients. Conclusion : Korean translation of the Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire and the newly developed Pneumoconiotic Respiratory Questionnaire are reliable and valid methods and are likely to be useful in measuring the quality of life in patients with the chronic respiratory disease including pneumoconiosis.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.29-39
• /
• 2023

In this study, an analysis of medical waste generation characteristics was conducted, differentiating between ordinary situation and the outbreaks of massive infectious diseases. During ordinary situation, prediction models for medical waste quantities by type, general medical waste(G-MW), hazardous medical waste(H-MW), infectious medical waste(I-MW), were established through regression analysis, with all significance values (p) being <0.0001, indicating statistical significance. The determination coefficient(R2) values for prediction models of each category were analyzed as follows : I-MW(R2=0.9943) > G-MW(R2=0.9817) > H-MW(R2=0.9310). Additionally, factors such as GDP(G-MW), the number of medical institutions (H-MW), and the elderly population ratio(I-MW), utilized as influencing factors and consistent with previous literature, showed high correlations. The total MW generation, evaluated by combining each model, had an MAE of 2,615 and RMSE of 3,353. This indicated accuracy levels similar to the medical waste models of H-MW(2,491, 2,890) and I-MW(2,291, 3,267). Due to limitations in accurately estimating the quantity of medical waste during the rapid and outbreaks of massive infectious diseases, the generation unit of I-MW was derived to analyze its characteristics. During the early unstable stage of infectious disease outbreaks, the generation unit was 8.74 kg/capita·day, 2.69 kg/capita·day during the stable stage, and an average of 0.08 kg/capita·day during the reduction stage. Correlation analysis between generation unit of I-MW and lethality rates showed +0.99 in the unstable stage, +0.52 in the stable stage, and +0.96 in the reduction period, demonstrating a very high positive correlation of +0.95 or higher throughout the entire outbreaks of massive infectious diseases. The results derived from this study are expected to play a useful role in establishing an effective medical waste management system in the field of health care.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.64 no.2
• /
• pp.125-132
• /
• 2008

Background: In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, the serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) are elevated and an increase of CRP is more exaggerated in the acute exacerbation form of COPD (AECOPD) than in stable COPD. Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a common complication of COPD. An increased level of CRP is known to be associated with the risk of systemic cardio-vascular disorders. However, few findings are available on the potential role of CRP in pulmonary arterial hypertension due to COPD. Methods: This study was performed prospectively and the study population was composed of 72 patients that were hospitalized due to AECOPD. After receiving acute management for AECOPD, serum CRP levels were evaluated, arterial oxygen pressure ($PaO_2$), was measured, and the existence of pulmonary arterial hypertension under room air inhalation was determined in the patients. Results: The number of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension was 47 (65.3%)., There was an increased prevalence of pulmonary arterial hypertension and an increase of serum CRP levels in patients with the higher stages of COPD (e.g., patients with stage 3 and stage 4 disease; P<0.05). The mean serum CRP levels of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and without pulmonary arterial hypertension were $37.6{\pm}7.4mg/L$ and $19.9{\pm}6.6mg/L$, respectively (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference of the mean values of $PaO_2$ between patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and without pulmonary arterial hypertension statistically ($77.8{\pm}3.6mmHg$ versus $87.2{\pm}6.0mmHg). Conclusion: We conclude that higher serum levels of CRP can be a sign for pulmonary arterial hypertension in AECOPD patients.

• Journal of Mushroom
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.122-130
• /
• 2010

Common mushroom production per area has been decreased and are up to less than 50% of the 1980 production. To determine the main reasons for the decrement, we performed this study. Two main reasons, which are mushroom disease and the low compost quality because of mechanized compost making, were assessed. In mechanized mushroom farms, nitrogen concentration in compost was lower than recommended and total compost quantity was about 100-150 $kg/3.3m^2$, which was also lower than usual. Our study revealed that higher nitrogen concentration (about 1.5%) in compost gave better production. Also, use of large amount of compost appeared to increase the mushroom production, although more insects and disease problems were observed. The relationships between the presences of microorganisms and occurrence of diseases were assessed by monitoring the microorganism densities near the mushroom farms. Higher number of microorganisms were observed near the mushroom farm area, compared to control region, Daechon beach. Most contaminating molds were found in the circulating fans, tunnel and culture room floor. The bacterial isolates were collected from the air in mushroom culture room and killed with 0.005% Benzalkonium solution, indicating treatment of Benzalkonium are the effective methods to sanitize the mushroom culture room.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
• /
• v.65 no.4
• /
• pp.314-326
• /
• 2020

This study was carried out to develop a resistant variety against the K3a race of bacterial blight, Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, through expansion and pyramiding of resistance genes. To develop an elite bacterial blight-resistant cultivar, the breeding process and bacterial blight resistance reactions in advanced backcross lines (ABLs) were analyzed. ABLs21 which contain Xa3 and Xa21, were developed by double backcrossing japonica cultivar Hwanggeumnuri, which has bacterial blight resistant Xa3 gene, and indica variety IRBB21, which havs Xa21 gene, followed by disease resistance bioassay and marker-assisted selection. The resistance genes of ABLs21 were amplified by PCR with the molecular markers 9643.T4 (Xa3) and U1/I1 (Xa21). Hwanggeumnuri and IRBB3 showed resistance reactions against K1, K2, and K3 races, and a susceptible reaction against K3a, K4, and K5 races. IRBB21 showed resistance reactions against K2, K3, K3a, K4 and K5 races, and a susceptible reaction against K1 race. Hwanggeumnuri showed susceptible reactions at the seedling, tillering and adult stages (all stages), whereas ABL21-1 showed moderate resistance at the tillering stage. ABL21-1 showed stable resistance against 18 isolates of K3a race, and the lesion length was shorter than that of the donor parents. In cluster analysis, the HB4032 isolate showed the highest pathogenicity among the 18 isolates. The molecular marker polymorphisms and average substituted chromosome segment lengths of ABLs21 were 63.2 % and 86.1 cM, respectively. Insertion of the donor chromosomal segments occurred in the predicted region of the Xa21 gene of ABLs21.

• Journal of Mushroom
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.220-225
• /
• 2014

This study was conducted to set the proper sterilization standards of casing soil for the stable production of button mushroom(Agaricus bisporus) from mushroom disease that occurs in infection of casing soil material. Changes of aerobic bacteria are increased as the longer grow-out period and sharply increased after second flushes. Fluorescence Psuedomonas showed high density at high sterilization temperature and $100^{\circ}C$ treatment has extremely high density at 30 min and 60 min in casing 22 days. Density of thermophilic actinomyces is sharply increase from casing with soil and the highest density at 22 days of casing and rapidly decrease after first flushes. Sterilizing temperature of casing soil affects quality and quantity of button mushroom. Treatment of 60 min, 90 min at $80^{\circ}C$ and 30 min at $100^{\circ}C$ produced the highest mushroom yields, especially mushrooms yields of A grads were the highest at treatment of 90 min at $80^{\circ}C$. Treatment of 60min at $100^{\circ}C$ products many yields, however, this treatment has low economic feasibility for its yields. Sterilizing temperature of casing soil has an effect on generating diseases and insect pests. Treatment of 60 min, 90 min at $80^{\circ}C$ and 30 min $100^{\circ}C$ showed lower incidence than the other treatment. Although treatment of 30 min at $100^{\circ}C$ causes low diseases and mushroom fly damage, it has low mushroom yields. Furthermore, although treatment of 60 min at $100^{\circ}C$ has high mushroom yields, it causes high diseases and mushroom fly damage. Therefore the best conditions for the sterilization of casing soils was 60 min and 90 min at $80^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
• /
• v.53 no.1
• /
• pp.19-28
• /
• 2015

Though mulberry fruit is known to a by-product that was produced from mulberry tree after harvesting leaves for silkworm rearing, as a yield and consumption of mulberry fruit was increased, it has been fixing to a new income crop. But, a stable production of mulberry was issued on damage by the weather disaster, so it is requires that agricultural disaster insurance import. So, in this study as a basic research for a importation of agricultural disaster insurance, the cultivation of mulberry for the production of mulberry fruits, the shape of tree, the number of a bearing fruit from each cultivar, the occurrence of mulberry fruit sclerotic disease, and a yield and the market price of mulberry fruits were investigated and that results obtained were as follows; The number of mulberry tree each 10a was abundant in Buan and Jeongeup region that cultivated a suitable cultivar on low cut shape, however, a large cultivated Gochang region was little. The number of a bearing fruit per 1m on the branch was highest in the variety of Cheongilppong at Gochang. Yield of mulberry fruits each 10a was Cheongilppong at Gochang, followed by Iksuppong at Sangju. Average sale price of the mulberry fruits was high in the order of Gwasang No. 2, Suwonppong, Iksuppong, and Cheongilppong.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.42 no.2
• /
• pp.201-205
• /
• 2009

Background: Cryosurgery has been used to treat primary malignant pulmonary tumors at our institute since November 2004. In this study we analyzed our treatment results and complication rates. Material and Method: A retrospective study using medical charts and imaging data was conducted involving 17 patients with a total of 17 malignant pulmonary tumors who were treated between November 2004 and March 2007. Fourteen patients were males and 3 were females. The median age of the patients was 64 years (range, $54{\sim}77$ years). The average size of the tumors was 48.8mm (range, $36{\sim}111mm$) in diameter. The patients were followed with chest CT scans 7 days, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively. PET scans were obtained between 6 and 9 months postoperatively. The treatment response was analyzed according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria. Result: Six months after treatment, 6 tumors (35.3%) showed a complete response, 4 (23.5%) had a partial response, 3 (17.6%) had stable disease, and 4 (23.5%) showed disease progression. In tumors <4 cm in diameter, a complete response was reported in 50% of the tumors. A $x^2$-test showed that in tumors <4 cm in diameter, the p-value for results better than a partial response was 0.034. With respect to procedural complications, there was 1 case of blood-tinged sputum which resolved spontaneously within 1 or 2 days, a spontaneously relieved case of subcutaneous emphysema, and 1 patient with a fever. There were no mortalities and the average hospital stay was 6.3 days. Conclusion: The effects of cryosurgery on primary lung cancer is greatest in patients with small tumors. Considering the facts that cryosurgery is minimally invasive, has a low complication rate, and can be performed repetitively, we believe that it may play an important role in the treatment of high risk lung cancer patients.