• KSBB Journal
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.452-459
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• 2008

To obtain maximal efficacy with minimal systemic side-effects, many studies have been carried out to achieve the controlled release of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). In this study, biodegradable poly(L-lactide) (L-PLA) microparticles containing 5-FU were prepared by a process, called aerosol solvent extraction system (ASES), utilizing supercritical carbon dioxide. The effects of various organic solvents, drug/polymer feeding ratio, polymer molecular weight, and blending with the same polymers with different molecular weights on the formation of 5-FU loaded microparticles were investigated under a predetermined operating condition from our previous study. The drug recovery, entrapment efficiency, and in vitro drug release kinetics were determined by HPLC assays. The drug recovery obtained from the ASES process was found to be very high, whereas the drug entrapment efficiency was considerably low in all the experiments due to the poor affinity between L-PLA and 5-FU. These results indicated that the precipitation rate of L-PLA might be quite different from that of 5-FU so that there was little chance to form 5-FU loaded L-PLA microparticles.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.187-197
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• 2015

Oriental mineral medicines are single or mixture of more than one mineral species or rock/fossil which are used to treat disease. Mineral medicines remove harmful or useless substances to decrease toxicity and secondary effects, and cause the manufacture of medical compounds with increased efficacy. The extraction test is an accepted in vitro system to predict the bioaccessibility of major and minor elements from mineral medicine. It incorporates gastrointerstinal tract parameters representative of a human body that including stomach and small intestinal pH which are the same as digestion condition. The bioaccessibility of a mineral medicine is the fraction that is soluble in the gastrointestinal environment and is available for absorption. Reaction path modeling in the human body can predict digestion with gastric fluid as well as absorption in the small intestine, existence in body fluids and reaction progress of the exhaust process according to pH conditions in body. Also reaction path modeling can predict bioavailability, which is equal to existence rate in the body and the form and amount of a medicine in the body after intake. The study results from predicating the existence form mineral medicines in the body, and proving the effective ingredient using bioaccessibitily and human risk assessment, suggest these that should be necessary data for new medicine development.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.71-86
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• 2007

This study aims at looking into the use of oriental medical services in treating disease and patient's attitude of oriental medicine by social classes. The first to be explored through this study is medical accessibility, classifying them by age, gender and job. Second is to examine kinds of oriental medical services and expenses incurred in treating the disease. Third is to compare satisfaction for the services offered and investigate into relations between disease and oriental medicine through cross-analysis by class, and provide fundamental materials for enhancing accessibility to oriental medical centers for treating chronic diseases. The 1,376 households for the period of time from Apr. to Jun. 2005, were asked to answer to the questionnaires offered. The conclusion from the survey can be summarized as follows. Medical services for the onset of disease were less offered to females, older group, low schooling, and low-income bracket. It is attributable to an economic cause, in both genders. The in- and outpatients' rate were found higher in groups of female, older age, low-income and blue-color workers. Use of oriental medical centers were higher in outpatients than inpatients probably for low-income brackets were less frequently put on regular physical checkups, more exposing to diseases. Each hospitalization was found over six days longer in average; 19.7 days for oriental medical hospitals, 12.5 for hospitals. The hospital charges that patients should pay for one hospitalization showed 909,000 won in oriental medical hospitals, much higher than 518,000 won in hospitals. Outpatients were also found to pay more for oriental medical services; 55,000 won for oriental medical hospitals, 19,000 for hospitals. As to outpatients' satisfaction, oriental medical hospitals were generally found to be a little more satisfactory than general hospitals; 11.2% of respondents answered Very Satisfactory. Satisfaction to services offered to outpatients showed 82.2% of respondents responded to Over Satisfactory for herb clinics, 76% for general hospitals. For future intention to use oriental medical services, females, over 51 years old, lower education and income, and blue color workers showed more intention to use them. To be more competitive in treating chronic diseases, it is necessary that oriental medical services become more accessible through extending its coverage of insurance into more medical herbs and their prepared packs, as well as mapping out extensive publicity strategies to make known to the public about high efficacy of medical herbs and their safety.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.227-232
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• 2010

Purpose: Continuous irrigation method is an important step in managing wound infection. V.A.C. devices have been used in intractable wounds for reducing discharge, improving local blood flow, and promoting healthy granulation tissue. We expect synergistic effects of reduced infection and more satisfactory, accelerated wound healing when using both methods simultaneously. This study evaluated continuous irrigation combined with V.A.C. appliance for treatment of infected chronic wounds. Methods: We reviewed data from 17 patients with infected intractable chronic wounds. V.A.C. device (Group A) was used in 9 patients, and V.A.C. with antibiotics irrigation (Group B) was used in 8 patients. We placed Mepitel$^{(R)}$ on the surface of wound and placed an irrigation and aspiration tube on each side. A sponge was placed on the Mepitel$^{(R)}$ and covered with film dressing. The wound was irrigated continuously with mixed antibiotics solution at the speed of 200 cc/hr and aspirated through the wall suction at the pressure of -125 mmHg. V.A.C. applied time, wound culture and wound size were compared between the two groups. Results: No complication were seen in two groups. Compared with Group A, in the Group B, V.A.C. applied time was shortened from 32.7 days to 25.6 days and showed efficacy in the reduction rate of wound size. No statistical differences were shown in bacterial reversion. Conclusion: V.A.C. appliance with continuous irrigation is an effective new method of managing infected chronic wounds and useful to reduce treatment duration and decrease wound size. Moreover it could be applied more widely to infected wound.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.220-226
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• 2010

Purpose: Many topical agents had been used for burn or wound treatment. An awareness of topical agents on various aspects of wound healing permits the clinician to choose the most appropriate material to advantageously control the wound process and final results. Although polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) was used as a tissue repair stimulating agent in a number of human diseases, such as ulcers and burns, its wound healing effects were largely unreported. We aimed to compare the woundhealing effects of PDRN and common dressing materials on full-thickness skin defect in the mouse. Methods: Full-thickness skin defects were made on the back of mice (N=60). The mice were divided into the following 4 groups according to the dressing used for the wounds: group O (Polydeoxyribonucleotide cream), group I (Polydeoxyribonucleotide solution), group M (Medifoam$^{(R)}$), and group G (dry gauze, control group). We analyzed the gross findings, wound sizes and histological findings for the groups. Results: The rate of wound size was decreased in order of group I, group O, group M and group G. The histological findings revealed that the I group showed more reepithelialization and granulation tissue formation and less inflammatory cell infiltration than the other materials. The grade score of wound healing was increased in order of group I, group O, group M and group G. Conclusion: PDRN applicated wound dressings can be used for treating a full-thickness skin defect wounds. Considering its superior efficacy in comparison to the efficacies of other wound dressings, PDRN soaked gauze dressing should be preferentially used for the treatment of fullthickness skin wounds.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.374-378
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• 2008

For the standard method of collecting the run-off, it is consumed the high cost and much effort to install and to manage this instrument. Because the all the soil and water from reservoir tank must be eliminate after their measurement of amount of soil loss and run-off and installed the reservoir tank at regular size in the experimental field. Therefore, objective of this study was to compare its efficacy between the standard method and a flow rotate divider for ontinuously collecting and measuring the soil loss and run-off in order to conveniently conduct the field experiment of the lysimeters. For collecting the sampling of soil loss and run-off from agricultural land with invariable ratio, a flow rotate divider was consisted with a 8 blades of round plate sloped in order to collect the invariable ratio of soil and water at lowest part from round plate by the law of gravity. For comparing its accuracy in the batch scale experiment, it shown that there was significantly a positive linear corelation ($r=0.997^{***}$) between flowing and sampling amounts with adjusting the range from 1 to $10L\;min^{-1}$ with flowing rate. In collecting ratio in the field experiment, it observed that the more its accuracy had, the more soil loss and run-off.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.62-68
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• 1984

This experiment was conducted to find out the possibility for reducing herbicidal dose of the recommended herbicides in combining with the plant growth regulator "chlorflurenol" at the Yeongnam Crop Experiment Station, from 1981 to 1982. Chlorflurenol itself exhibited weed suppression effect against Monochoria raginalis Presl., Rotala indica Koehne, Cyperus difformis L., Lindernia procrembens Philcox, etc. and its effect increased as the concentrations of chlorflurenol increased from 100 to 1,000 ㎖/㏊. Combination of chlorflurenol with butachlor or thiobencarb, showing synergistic effect, reduced their recommended herbicidal rates by 50 to 75%, showing 90% of weed control rate, stic but combined treatment between chlorflurenol and bentazon showed an antagonistic effect since bentazon had poor control ability to Echinochloa crusgalli Beauv. An application of chlorflurenol showed no significant effect on rice growth, in terms of dry weight, but it resulted in the decrease in the ratio of leaf blade to other non-photosynthetic organ.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.1037-1042
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• 1998

Background: Among the various techniques for the adequate exposure of the mitral valve, the extended transseptal approach is the essential prerequisite for accurate repair or replacement of the mitral apparatus. But the efficacy and safty of the extended transseptal approach has not determined in Korea yet. Materials and methods: Retrospective data of 80 consecutive patients, operated from September 1992 to July 1997 were reviewed. Seventy- eight patients underwent mitral valve replacement and 2 patients underwent excision of left atrial myxoma. Thirty-eight of 78 patients had other concomitant procedures such as aortic valve replacement(n=22), tricuspid annulopasty(n=14), coronary artery bypass graft(n=1) and closure of ventricular septal defect(n=1). Mean follow up was 23.3±15.0 months and total follow up was 1792 patient-months. Results: The hospital mortality rate was 3.8%(3 patients). Two deaths were due to low cardiac output and one due to postoperative bleeding of coagulopathy. Among the 46 patients who had atrial fibrillation preoperatively, 45 had atrial fibrillation postoperatively and 1 converted to sinus rhythm. All 34 patients who were in normal sinus rhythm preoperatively remained in sinus rhythm after the operation. Mean aortic cross clamping time was 62 minutes for isolated mitral procedure and 90 minutes for concomitant procedures. There were no specific complications related to this approach. Conclusions: We suggest that the extended transseptal approach is an easy and good method for mitral valve surgery, especially in patients with small sized left atrium.

• Proceedings of the KSEEG Conference
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• 2002.06a
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• pp.81-100
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• 2002

While most of regulatory communities in abroad recognize ' 'natural attenuation " to include degradation, dispersion, dilution, sorption (including precipitation and transformation), and volatilization as governing Processes, regulators prefer "degradation" because this mechanism destroys the contaminant of concern. Unfortunately, true degradation only applies to organic contaminants and short- lived radionuclides, and leaves most metals and long-lived radionuclides. The natural attenuation Processes may reduce the potential risk Posed by site contaminants in three ways: (i)contaminants could be converted to a less toxic form througy destructive processes such as biodegradation or abiotic transformations; (ii) potential exposure levels may be reduced by lowering concentrations (dilution and dispersion); and (iii) contaminant mobility and bioavailability may be reduced by sorption to geomedia. In this review, authors will focus will focul on "sorption" among the natural attenuation processes of hazardous inorganic contaminants including radionuclides. Note though that sorption and transformation processes of inorganic contaminants in the natural setting could be influenced by biotic activities but our discussion would limit only to geochemical reactions involved in the natural attenuation. All of the geochemical reactions have been studied in-depth by numerous researchers for many years to understand "retardation" process of contaminants in the geomedia. The most common approach for estimating retardation is the determination of distrubution coefficiendts ($K_{d}$) of contaminants using parametric or mechanistic models. As typocally used in fate and contaminant transport calculations such as predictive models of the natural attenuation, the $K_{d}$ is defined as the ratio of the contaminant concentration in the surrounding aqueous solution when the system is at equilibrium. Unfortunately, generic or default $K_{d}$ values can result in significant error when used to predict contaminant migration rate and to select a site remediation alternative. Thus, to input the best $K_{d}$ value in the contaminant transport model, it is essential that important geochemical processes affecting the transport should be identified and understood. Precipitation/dissolution and adsorption/desorption are considered the most important geochemical processes affecting the interaction of inorganic and radionuclide contaminants with geomedia at the near and far field, respectively. Most of contaminants to be discussed in this presentation are relatively immobile, i.e., have very high $K_{d}$ values under natural geochemical environments. Unfortunately, the obvious containment in a source area may not be good enough to qualify as monitored natural attenuation site unless owner demonstrate the efficacy if institutional controls that were put in place to protect potential receptors. In this view, natural attenuation as a remedial alternative for some of sites contaminated by hazardous-inorganic components is regulatory and public acceptance issues rather than scientific issue.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.63 no.3
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• pp.397-405
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• 2020

Objective : We retrospectively evaluated the efficacy of Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKS) for recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in patients who previously underwent radiotherapy, and analyzed the treatment outcomes over 14 years. Methods : Ten patients with recurrent NPC who had previously received radiotherapy underwent stereotactic radiosurgery using a Gamma Knife^® (Elekta Inc, Atlanta, GA, USA) between 2005 and 2018. The median target volume was 8.2 ㎤ (range, 1.7-17.8), and the median radiation dose to the target was 18 Gy (range, 12-30). The median follow-up period was 18 months (range, 6-76 months). Overall and local failure-free survival rates were determined using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results : The NPCs recurred at the primary cancer site in seven patients (70%), as distant brain metastasis in two (20%), and as an extension into brain in one (10%). The recurrent tumors in seven of the 10 patients (70%) were found on the routine follow-up imaging studies. Two patients presented with headache and one with facial pain. Local failure after GKS occurred in five patients (50%) : two of whom died eight and 6 months after GKS, respectively. No adverse radiation effects were noted after GKS. The 1- and 3-year overall survival rates after GKS were 90% and 77%, respectively. The local failure-free survival rates at 6 months, 1 year, and 3 years after GKS were 80%, 48%, and 32%, respectively. The median interval from GKS to local failure was 8 months (range, 6-12). Univariate analysis revealed that using co-registration with positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was associated with a lower local failure rate of recurrent NPC (p=0.027). Conclusion : GKS is an acceptable salvage treatment option for patients with recurrent NPC who previously received radiation therapy. PET-CT and MRI co-registration for dose planning can help achieve local control of recurrent NPC.