• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.56-64
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• 2008

Purpose: Cathepsin D(CD) is a lysosomal acid proteinase that is related to malignant progression, invasion, and a poor prognosis in several tumors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic clinical significance of CD and p53 expression in pretreatment biopsy specimens from patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who were treated with preoperative chemoradiation. Materials and Methods: Eighty-nine patients with locally advanced rectal cancer(cT3/T4 or N+) were included in this study. Preoperative chemoradiation consisted of a dose of 50.4 Gy of pelvic radiation and two concurrent cycles of administration of 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin. Surgery was performed six weeks after chemoradiation. CD and p53 expression in pretreatment formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor biopsy specimens were assessed by immunohistochemical staining using a CD and p53 monoclonal antibodies. The threshold value for a positive stain in tumor tissue and stromal cells was 1+ intensity in 10% of the tumors or stromal cells, respectively. Results: Positive CD expression was found in 57(64%) of the tumors and 32(35%) of the stromal cell specimens. There was no association with CD expression of the tumor or stromal cells and patient characteristics. There was a correlation between tumor CD expression with stromal cell CD expression(p=0.01). Overexpression of p53 was not a significant prognostic factor. The 5-year overall survival(OS) and disease-free survival(DFS) rates were not different between tumor CD-negative and positive patient biopsy samples(69% vs. 65%, 60% vs. 61%, respectively). The 5-year OS rates in the tumor-negative/stromal cell-negative, tumor-negative/stromal cell-positive, tumor-positive/stromal cell-negative and tumor-positive/stromal cell-positive biopsy samples were 75%, 28%, 62%, and 73%, respectively. Stromal cell staining only without positive tumor staining demonstrated the worst overall survival prognosis for patients(p=0.013). Conclusion: Overexpression of p53 in rectal biopy tissue was not associated with prognostic significance. In the pretreatment biopsy specimens, an exclusive increase in CD expression in stromal cells without tumor expression was related to poor overall survival in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer treated with preoperative chemoradiation.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.271-276
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• 2009

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Bone Mineral Density(BMD) at mandible. So, we studied how to measure the BMD at mandible using DEXA(Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, DEXA) by Horner er al (1996) and knew reproducibility of the measurements. Thirty-five patients (13 men, 22 women, mean age : 25.4 years) were examined using the GE Lunar Prodigy Advance(LUNAR Corporation, madison, USA). They were examined in Semiprone position of their body and true lateral position of their mandible selected the Lumbar lateral mode. We used the custom mode in analysis when ROI (area $30{\times}2.5\;mm^2$). Three ROIs ($30{\times}2.5\;mm^2$, $50{\times}2.5\;mm^2$, $20{\times}2.5\;mm^2$) were located each at the two different sites of the mandible (angle of mandible and mental symphysis) and BMD was measured. Differences in BMD measurement was statistically compared according to the size and location of ROI. BMD was $1.320{\pm}0.358g/cm^3$ in men and was $1.152{\pm}0.340g/cm^3$ in women. BMD at the angle of mandible was $1.201{\pm}0.361g/cm^3$ in men and was $1.025{\pm}0.377g/cm^3$ in women. BMD of men at the mental symphysis was $1.434{\pm}0.341g/cm^3$ and that of women was $1.19{\pm}0.358g/cm^3$. With the ROI of $20{\times}2.5\;mm^2$, BMD was $1.262{\pm}0.384g/cm^3$ in men and was $1.113{\pm}0.357g/cm^3$ in women. With the ROI of $50{\times}2.5\;mm^2$, BMD of men was $1.320{\pm}0.358g/cm^3$ and that of women was $1.129{\pm}0.340g/cm^3$. There was a statistically significant difference of BMD according to the size and location of ROI. When measuring mandible BMD, there are good for increasing ROI and locate between ramus and mental symphysis. Especially following exam, refer to same size and location with fore exam. According to study which measure mandible BMD, It's correct to measure better a portion of mandible then whole of BMD. Using DEXA protocol is studied good for the additional study to compare the BMD at mandible. Later date, It will be good for measurement value in implant and bone graft quantitatively. Using DEXA method gain BMD threshold value in korean.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.38-48
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• 2004

Tropospheric ozone data in Korea for 1998-2002 were analyzed to assess the impact on vegetation. SUM06(sum of hourly concentrations at or above 0.06 ppm) and AOT40(accumulated exposure over a threshold of 40 ppb), widely used as ozone indices in the U.S. and Europe, were calculated based on hourly ozone concentration in 612 areas during 1998-2002 in Korea. SUM06 of the highest 30 areas were 5-12 ppm/hr which were almost the same levels of the U.S. average, and a crop loss of 5% would be expected. Ozone pollution in Seoul during 1998-2002 had decreased compared to that for 1990-97 except in the Northern area; however, ozone pollution in Kyunggi during 1998-2002 had been increased twice compare to the previous 5 years. Korea was divided into four regions: Seoul Metropolitan area, Jungbu, Honam, and Youngnam. Ozone pollution in the Seoul Metropolitan area was much higher during 1998-2000 than the other areas, but ozone pollution during 2001-2002 was almost the same in all four regions. Chunnam-Kwangyang na Kyungbuk-Gumi, famous industrial complexes in southern Korea, were significant ozone pollution areas. However, other industrial complexes, such as Incheon, Ulsan, and Kyunggi-Sihwa, were not polluted compared to their neighbors. Comparing all ozone indices, SUM06(yr), SUM06(3mon), AOT40(yr), AOT40(3mon), number of hours exceeding 100 ppb, 95 percentile, 99 percentile, and maximum concentration, it was determined reasonable to use SUM06(3mon), AOT40(3mon) and number of hours exceeding 100 ppb for evaluation of the chronic impact of ozone on vegetation.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.190-204
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• 2018

The probability of safe cropping and the major phenological stages in rice were assessed using daily mean temperature data from 1981 to 2016 at 27 sites in North Korea. The threshold temperatures for early marginal transplanting date (EMTD), marginal harvesting date (MHVD), safe marginal heading date (SMHD), and cumulative temperature-based heading date (CTHD) were set to be $14^{\circ}C$, $13^{\circ}C$, $22^{\circ}C$ for 40 days after heading, and cumulative temperature of $1200^{\circ}C$ to MHVD, respectively. The safe heading date (SHD) was assumed to be either SMHD or CTHD whichever was earlier. It was also assumed that the minimum requirement for the suitability of safe rice cropping was met when both SMHD and CTHD appeared along with the time period of 60 days or more from EMTD to SHD. It was analyzed that 17 sites (Kaesong, Haeju, Yongyon, Singye, Sariwon, Nampo, Pyongyang, Anju, Kusong, Sinuiju, Changjon, Wonsan, Hamhung, Pyonggang, Huichon, Supung, Kanggye) had 90% or higher probability, two sites (Yangdok, Sinpo) had 80-90% probability, and eight sites (Kimchaek, Chunggang, Chongjin, Sonbong, Changjin, Pungsan, Hyesan, Samjiyon) had less than 80% probability of the safe rice cropping. For each region, the representative EMTD, SHD, and MHVD were analyzed using the 80 percentile of total years tested. The ranges for EMTD, SHD, and MHVD were May 4 in Sariwon~May 24 in Sinpo, June 21 in Kanggye~August 11 in Haeju, and September 17 in Kanggye~October 16 in Haeju and Changjon, respectively. Time durations from EMTD to SHD and from SHD to MHVD were 67~97 days and 57~72 days, respectively, depending on the regions. This study would facilitate modeling efforts for rice yield simulation in future studies. Our results would also provide basic information for practical researches on the rice cropping system in North Korea.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.125-133
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• 2017

Purpose: After the introduction of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine in 1995 in Korea, it was included in the national immunization program in 2013. In the post-Hib vaccine era, some studies in other countries reported that invasive Hib disease affects adults, especially the elderly and immunocompromised persons, more often than it affects children. To evaluate disease susceptibility, quantitative and qualitative analysis of anti-polyribosylribitol phosphate (PRP) antibodies were carried out in Korean adults aged 20 to 85 years. Methods: Sera were collected from 39 healthy adults (20 to 50 years of age) and from 30 elderly adults (75 to 85 years of age) who did not have immune-compromising conditions. The concentration of anti-PRP immunoglobulin G (IgG) and serum bactericidal indices (SBIs) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and serum bactericidal assay. Results: Geometric mean concentrations of anti-PRP IgG and geometric mean SBIs were $0.88{\mu}g/mL$ (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.17 to 3.85) and 354 (95% CI, 50 to 2,499) in young adults and $1.67{\mu}g/mL$ (95% CI, 0.53 to 5.24) and 449 (95% CI, 146 to 1,376) in elderly adults, respectively. When the threshold of seropositivity for anti-PRP IgG was applied as 0.15 or $1.0{\mu}g/mL$, which is the protective antibody level in children, seropositive rates were 87.2% or 53.8% in young adults and 100% or 60% in elderly adults. The seropositivity rates of the SBI ($SBI{\geq}4$) were 82.1% and 100% in the groups, respectively. Conclusions: Most subjects in the adult and elderly adult groups display immunity to Hib based on quantitative and qualitative antibody levels, but not all. Because high immunization and low Hib circulation rates may reduce the natural Hib immunity in the population, monitoring Hib immunity as well as disease are needed continuously.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.190-198
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• 2008

There is an increasing concern over heavy metal contamination of paddy soils and the subsequent translocation of heavy metals to rice. Objective is to monitor the status and long-term trend of heavy metal contamination in paddy soils, periodically. In 2007 survey, the average concentrations of As(arsenic), Cd(cadmium), Cu(copper), Ni(nickel), Pb(lead), and Zn(zinc) in 2,010 paddy soils nationwide were 0.87, 0.08, 3.33, 1.19, 4.95 and $4.67mg\;kg^{-1}$, respectively. Few sites, which were contaminated by As in 2003 and 2007 survey and by Ni in 1999 and 2007 survey, were over the threshold level for soil contamination designated by the Soil Environmental Conservation Act in Korea. Long-term change was shown that As, Ni, and Zn were gradually increased whereas Cd and Cu were decreased. In the distribution of extractable heavy metal contents, the modes of each heavy metal content were similar with the average contents of each heavy metals. Mean value of heavy metals except copper in paddy soils was higher than median value. It means that the downward distribution of heavy metal content in paddy rice was shown against normal distribution.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.499-510
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• 2017

Traffic accident fatalities in Korea in 2016 was 4,292 and 1,732 cases were deaths of elderly people. In spite of this, the researches on behaviors of the elderly when crossing roads, are rather limited. The purpose of this study is to investigate and analyze road crossing behavior characteristics of the elderly, when crossing roads, especially focusing on the characteristics of pedestrians and vehicles. Cross-sectional data was collected from six different sites in two regions and the following results was identified. First, at road crossings, 528 cases(84.3%) out of 626 conflict situations of the elderly and 303 cases(63.3%) out of 478 conflict situations of the non-elderly pedestrians were found to be dangerous, respectively. The elderly tend to face a statistically significant risk of 3.11 times higher than that of non-elderly people. Second, 519 cases(82.9%) of jaywalking occurred in 626 conflict cases of the elderly and 375 cases(78.5%) of jaywalking in 478 conflict events of non-elderly persons, which indicates the elderly's 1.34 times higher trend compared with the non-elderly's. Third, the pedestrian safety margin (PSM) analysis showed that the PSM of the elderly and the non-elderly were 3.33 seconds and 4.04 seconds respectively, which is 17.5% high. Fourth, the difference in pedestrian safety interval was examined by dividing the speed of approaching vehicle into less than 30km/h, above 30km/h and less than 50km/h, and over 50km/h. There was no significant difference between the PSM of coming vehicles with the speed less than 30km/h and the PSM of approaching with the speed 30km/h~50km/h, but the conflicts with vehicle of the speed above 50km/h show significantly lower PSM than with vehicle speed of 30km/h~50km/h. Finally, when the risk threshold is set to less than 2.5 seconds, the analysis shows that older pedestrians tend to cross roads dangerously 1.59~2.53 times than younger pedestrians. The results set forth here can be used as a basis for constructing the elderly safety measures at present and a potential basis for autonomous vehicle safety application in the future for solving the issue of the difference in crossing behavior between elderly and non-elderly pedestrians.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.317-325
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• 1994

The accuracy of dipyridamole stress/rest $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI myocardial imaging for detection of ischemia depends on reproducible image interpretation. To evaluate the reproducibility of visual assessment, agreement in interpretation among two independent observers, blind-ed to clinical data, was evaluated in SPECT images of 131 patients (94 males, 38 females; mean age $58{\pm}7yr$) with suspected coronary artery disease who underwent both dipyridamole stress/rest $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI myocardial SPECT and coronary angiography. The left ventricle was divided into twenty-nine segments in stress and rest SPECT images and each segment was visually graded according to a five-point scale (segmental score : 0=normal, 1=equivocal, 2=mild decrease, 3=severe decrease and 4=absent uptake). Overall concordance of segmental scoring between the two observers was 80%. The Pear-son's correlation coefficient (r) of the segmental scores for stress and rest images were 0.67 and 0.65, respectively, while the difference in score between the two images showed a correlation of 0.45 (all p<0.001). Agreement between two observers in final SPECT diagnosis as absence or presence of disease was 93%. The degree of agreement in segmental scoring showed no difference between patients with or without agreement as to the presence of disease. Therefore it appeared that cases with inconcordant diagnosis between the 2 observers were mainly due to a difference in individual threshold for interpretating the significance of a particular decreased uptake area rather than to a difference in perceiving the degree of the hypoactivity Thus, establishment of individual optimum thresholds in visual interpretation of myocardial SPECT may be helpful to improve reproducibility and accuracy of scan diagnosis.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.309-316
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• 2007

Purpose: Sentinel lymph node biopsy became the standard procedure in early breast cancer surgery. Faculty members might be exposed to a trace amount of radiation. The aim of this study is to quantify the radiation exposure and verify the safety of the procedure and the facilities, especially during pathologic process. Materials and Methods: Sentinel lymph node biopsies with Tc-99m human serum albumin were performed as routine clinical work. Exposed radiation doses were measured in pathologic technologist, nuclear medicine technologist, and nuclear medicine physician using a thermoluminescence dosimeter (TLD) during one month. We also measured the residual radioactivities or absorbed dose rates, the exposure distance and time during procedure, the radiation dose of the waste and the ambient equivalent dose of the pathology laboratory. Results: Actual exposed doses were 0.21 and 0.85 (uSv/study) for the whole body and hand of pathology technologist after 47 sentinel node pathologic preparations were performed. Whole body exposed doses of nuclear medicine physician and technologist were 0.2 and 2.3 (uSv/study). According to this data and the exposure threshold of the general population (1 mSv), at least 1100 studies were allowed in pathology technologist. The calculated exposed dose rates (${\mu}$ Sv/study) from residual radioactivities data were 2.47/ 22.4 ${\mu}$ Sv (whole body/hand) for the surgeon; 0.22/ 0 ${\mu}$ Sv for operation nurse. The ambient equivalent dose of the pathology laboratory was 0.02-0.03 mR/hr. The radiation dose of the waste was less than 100 Bq/g and nearly was not detected. Conclusion: Pathologic procedure relating sentinel lymph node biopsy using radioactive colloid is safe in terms of the radiation safety.(Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2007;41(4);309-316)

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.568-578
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• 2019

The nymphal development of the potato aphid, Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas), was studied at seven constant temperatures (12.5, 15.0, 17.5, 20.0, 22.5, 25.0, and 27.5±1℃), 65±5% relative humidity (RH), and 16:8 h light/dark photoperiods. The developmental investigation of M. euphorbiae was separated into two steps, the 1^st through 2^nd and the 3^rd through 4^th stages. The mortality was under 10% at six temperatures. However, it was 53.0% at 27.5℃. The developmental time of the entire nymph stage was 15.5 days at 15.0℃, 6.7 days at 25.0℃, and 9.7 days at 27.5℃. In the immature stage, the lower threshold temperature of the larvae was 2.6℃ and the thermal constant was 144.5 DD. In our analysis of the temperature-development experiment, the Logan-6 model equation was most appropriate for the non-linear regression models (r²=0.99). When the distribution completion model of each development stage of M. euphorbiae larvae was applied to the 2-parameter and 3-parameter Weibull functions, each of the model's goodness of fit was very similar (r²=0.92 and 0.93, respectively). The adult longevity decreased as the temperature increased but the total fecundity of the females at each temperature was highest at 20℃. The life table parameters were calculated using the whole lifespan periods of M. euphorbiae at the above six temperatures. The net reproduction rate (R₀) was highest at 20.0℃(63.2). The intrinsic rate of increase (r_m) was highest at 25℃(1.393). The finite rate of doubling time (D_t) was the shortest at 25.0℃(2.091). The finite rate of increase (λ) was also the highest at 25.0℃(1.393). The mean generation time(T) was the shortest at 25.0℃(9.929).