• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.1-22
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• 2017

'The worstest environment disaster', 'World's first biocide massacre', 'Home-based Sewol ferry disaster' are all phrases attached to the recent humidifier disinfectant disaster. In the spring of 2011, four of 8 pregnant women including 1 adult man passed away at a university hospital in Seoul due to breathing failure. Epidemiologic investigation conducted by the Korean CDC soon revealed the inhalation of humidifier disinfectant, which had been widely used in Korea during the winter, to be responsible for the disease. As well as lung fibrosis hardening of the lungs, other diseases including asthma, rhinitis, skin disease, liver disease, fetal disease or cancers have been researched for their relation with exposure to the products. By February 9, 2017, 5,342 cases had registered for health problems and 1,131 of them were already dead (20.8% mortality rate). Based on studies by government agencies and a telephone survey of the general population by Seoul National University and civic groups, around 20% of the general public of Korea has used these products. Since the market release of the first product by SK Chemical in 1994, over 7.1 million items from around 20 brands were sold up to 2011. Most of the products were manufactured by well-known large conglomerates such as SK, Lotte, Samsung, Shinsegye, LG, and GS, as well as some European companies including UK-based Reckitt Benckiser and TESCO, the German firm Henkel, the Danish firm KeTox, and an Irish company. Even though this disaster was unveiled in 2011 by the Korean government, the issue of the victims was neglected for over five years. In 2016, an unexpected but intensive investigation by prosecutors found that Reckitt Benckiser manipulated and concealed animal tests for its own brand and brought several university experts and company employees to court. The matter was an intense social issue in Korea from May to June with a surge in media coverage. The prosecutor's investigation and a nationwide boycott campaign organized by victims and environmental groups against Reckitt Benckiser, whose product had been used by more than 70% of victims, led to the producer's official apology and a compensation scheme. A legislative investigation organized after the April 2016 national election revealed the producers' faults and the government's responsibility, but failed to meet expectations. A special law for the victims passed the National Assembly in January 2017 and a punitive system together with a massive environmental epidemiology investigation are expected to be the only solutions for this tragedy. Sciences of medicine, toxicology and environmental health have provided decisive evidence so far, but for the remaining problems the perspectives of social sciences such as sociology and jurisprudence are highly necessary, similar to with the Minamata disease and Wonjin Rayon events. It may not be easy to follow this issue using unfamiliar terminology from medical and chemical science and the long, complicated history of the event. For these reasons the author has attempted to write this article in a question and answer format to render it easier to follow. The 17 questions are: Q1 What is humidifier disinfectant? Q2 What kind of health problems are caused by humidifier disinfectant? Q3 How many victims are there? Q4 What is the analysis of the 1,112 cases of death? Q5 What is the problem with the government's diagnostic criteria and the solution? Q6 Who made what brands? Q7 Has there been a recall? What is still on sale? Q8 Was safety not checked by any producers? Q9 What are the government's responsibilities? Q10 Is it true that these products were sold only in Korea? Q11 Why and how was it unveiled only in 2011 after 17 years of sales? Q12 What delayed the resolution of the victim issue? Q13 What is the background of the prosecutor's investigation in early 2016? Q14 Is it possible to report new victim cases without evidence of product purchase? Q15 What is happening with the victim issue? Q16 How does it compare with the cases of Minamata disease and Wonjin Rayon? Q17 Are there prevention measures and lessons?

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.71-78
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• 2001

Objectives：Few studies have examined the psychiatric properties or child developmental problems associated with inversion of chromosome 9. The purpose of this study is to examine the psychiatric properties of child patients who have inversion of chromosome 9, focused on behavioral problems and child developmental problems like motor or language developmental delay, intellectual impairment, and growth retardation. Methods：1) The authors examined the cases referred for cytogenetic examination from 1984 to 2000 at Seoul National University Hospital in Korea. The cases with the examination result of inversion of chromosome 9 were collected and informations about the departments which referred and the main reasons for referral were also checked. 2) 12 child subjects with inversion of chromosome 9 and their parents underwent psychiatric interview and parent questionnaire(child and adolescent past history questionnare, CBCL). 45 normal students whose sex and age were matched to patients were selected as a control group. Results：1) There were 165 cases of inversion of chromosome 9. The major departments which referred were Obstetrics and Gynecology(47.3%), Pediatrics(23.6%) and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry(17.0%). The major reasons for referral from the Pediatrics and the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry department (67 cases total) were intellectual impairment(35.8%), language or motor developmental delay(31.3%), suspected Fragile X syndrome(23.9%), and growth retardation(20.9%). 2) Compared to normal control group, the rate to be included in the clinical range with regard to the social problems profile was higher in patient group according to the CBCL results. The patient group had language and motor developmental delay. Conclusion：There is a possibility of inversion of chromosome 9 to be associated with child developmental problems or behavioral problems. This study is the first approach to evaluate the developmental aspects associated with inversion of chromosome 9.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.213-233
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• 1996

This study was made on 274 apoplectics patients who received the rehabilitation therapy and tests on physical, psychological and social adaptations as outpatients in 23 general hospitals in the Seoul and Kyungi area. The basic data on degree of improvement of apoplectic patients studied from rehabilitation therapy. Data was collected over a period of 63 days, from February 21st till April, 23, 1996. The assigned physical therapist conducted direct interviews with patients after he answered the distributed questionnaires for each individual patient. The colleted data was processed by the $SPCC/C^+$ method. The results of the tests conducted to meascne the the degree of ADL dependency, depression and social activity corresponding to the physical, psychological, and social adaptation. The details are ; 1) The test to meascne the degree of ADL dependency, corresponding to the study of physical adaptation of CVA patients, indicated a mean score of 2.57(ideal score is 1.0) with a standard deviation of ${\pm}0.75$. The worst score was 3.95 while the best score was a perfect 1.0, representing a severe range of dependency. The distribution was centered with a median of 2.65 and a mode of 2.68. 2) The test to meascne the degree of depression which corresponds to the level of psychological adaptation yielded a mean of 2.99 which is higher than the normal limit of 2.45. The standard deviation was ${\pm}0.52$ and the worst score and the best score were 4.35 and Respectirdy. The distribution was centered with a median of 3.00 and a mode of 3.00. 3) The test to meascne the degree of social activities for the level of social adaptation indicated a very low mean score of 26.52 (perfect score is 144), with the standard deviation of ${\pm}16.23$. Some patients scored as high as 100, but others scored as low as 3. The distribution of social activities at a very low level was shifted to the left with a median of 24.00 and a mode of 20.00. 4) Factors influencing the level of physical, psychological and social adaptation are as follows : Factors significantly influencing the level of physical adaptation measured by ADL dependency are age, personal guardian, payer of medical expenses, and paralysis of the right arm, right leg and facial paralysis. Factors significantly influencing the level of psychological adaptation measured by the degree of depression, are age, marital status, education, medical history of individual and family, speech impediment, and facial paralysis. Factors significantly influencing the level of social adaptation measured by the degree of social activity are age, marital status, education, employment status, and the burden of medical expense. 5) The Corelationship is significant(9.00), between ADL dependeing as degree of physical adaptation and depreseion as degree of psychologial adaptation. ADL dependency is proportional to depression. But social activity is inversely protional to ADL dependeny and depression. In conclusion, the increased care for physical function of the patients is not the only necessary means to better facilitate the appropriate adaptation of CVA patients. The introduction of a solid rehabilitation program for psychological and social adaptation will also play the integral part of the treatment of CVA patients.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.33
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• pp.117-142
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• 1997

This study is on perfume case that is one of a great number of ornaments which was designed by out ancestors. We had developed the tradition and the history of perfume case bag fan-weight etc. These have the same function as the present perfume. case. There were basket-shaped perfume cases which were the smellest one among the personal girdle ornaments in the silla era. The various patterned perfume case were made of gold metal coral platinum or green jadeite etc. In the single-crop trinkets a embroidered perfume bag with the gold and silver thread whose forms perfectly match their functions appeared during the Yi Dynasty. There was also a perfume bag which was one of the daily necessities. A precious "jul perfume" was carried by noble women. A fan-weight perfume bag was attached to the fan to emphasize the intrinsic beauty of utility and function. It is necessary to know the function of prefume case. As perfume case is weared on the clothes it was given more decorative effects as well as the function of medicinal amulet with a sweet smell. Therefore it is very important for us to study perfume case that has various function as an ornament. So The purpose of this study is to investigate the practical and decorative side of perfume case with the general examines of perfume finding how to practice use through our life. The results were as follows; 1. The first use of perfume is perfume through smoke which is for ceremony of religion It removes human body odor by degrees and spreads a sweet odor. Also the materials for making perfume of early age is aromatic plants which will be used flour-made flowers stems. As the materials for making perfume use is increasing today we can invent alcohol perfume today 2. Our country the custom of perfume-used is wide. Among them men's perfume-used was very special phenomenon. For example men were wearing perfume bag in the Silla era. Because perfume represented wealth and noble in those days. They shew off social position personality through perfume-used. 3. One of early religion ceremony article there was the perfume. And perfume case was means for containing perfume. Gradually the perfume case was used widly as increasing needs of perfume in human life. 4. In the middle period of 'Koryo' Dynasty perfume cases had a close relationship with clothes but after Mongolian has been attacked 'Koryo' there were changes in wearing clothes therefore the position of perfume cases were transfered to coat string that was the origin of decoration style that they began. That is to say the perfume case has been influenced the position of perfume case shapes with changing of fashion. 5. The perfume case has been made manifest various function as an ornament. In the practical side First medical-perfume in perfume case has been played an important role in first-aid medicine in critical condition. Second it was amulet for self protection. That is the shape pattern color materials perfume of the perfume case was represented the amuletive nature. Third it was used as substitute article of perfume. Modern women use liquid-perfume as our ancestors used perfume case bag or jul perfume As started above. Also In the decorative side the perfume case has a beautiful formative arts by itself as well as a close relationship with clothes. That well as a close relationship with clothes. That is when the perfume case is worn on the clothes costume is showed aesthetices. That is the materials shapes color pattern of the perfume case we can see the visual beauty also the materials colors embroidered pattern knots tassel that are used the perfume case are increased the decorative beauty of costume. Sixth the symbol in pattern of the pattern case is shown ancetor's wealth and rank health longevity immortality many-born-boy in those days. Today the perfume case is not used with changing of costume by degrees, Accordingly I hope that the result of this study is an influened in devlopment of the perfume case design with matching the modern fashion.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.74-89
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• 1995

Selective mutism is a childhood condition defined by persisten failure to speak in specific social situation when speaking is expected, dispite preserved ability to comprehend spoken language and speak. Present study is to investigate clinical characteristics, treatment method and outcome of 23 children who were diagnosed as selective mutism by DSM-IV criteria at the child psychiatry ouptatient department of SNUH. The results were as follows : 1) The Sex ratio was 1: 4.8, female dominant Mear age of onset was 33 years old and mean age of first referral was 7.7 years old. 2) 22% of subjects had perinatal problem such as low birth weight, preterm birth, 26% of the subjects have history of delayed language development. There are subjects who had been separated with mam caretaker before 3 years old(26%) and who experienced physical or psychological trauma before 3 years old(26%). A few subjects had enurests(30%) and encoprests(4%). 3) Many subjects(65%) had symbiotic relationship with their mother. These families consist of dominant, verbally aggressive mother and passive father. Parents of 39% of all subjects were judged to have definite psychopathology(social phobic, depression, hysterical trait or alcohol problem) 26% of all subject, were reported physically abused. 4) The personality trait of the subjects were frequently described as follows(in order of frequency) ; Shy(100%), anxious(83%), stubborn(83%)m rigid and tense posture(78%), immature(65%) overdependent(65%), irritable(52%), manipulative(39%), depressive(39%). 5) The mean performance IQ of 16 subjects by KEDI-WISC was 88.3 Among them, the subjects with IQ below 69 were seven and those with IQ above 70 were nine. When comparing these two group(Mental retardation group vs Normal IQ group), we could find some difference in language development, personality trait, family dynamics and treatment outcome. 6) Among several treatment methods for selective mutism, play therapy was the most frequently used method(65%). Other commonly used treatment methods were pharmacotherapy(21%), behavioral therapy(8%), combined therapy(play therapy+pharmacotherapy+family therapy+behavioral therapy)(12%), 7) Regarding the outcome of treatment 8.6% was evaluated as Excellent, 30.4% as Good, 52% as Fair, 8.7% as Poor at the tinic of treatment. At follow up interview 21.7% was evaluated Excellent, 13% as Good, 21.7% as Fair, 34.8% as Poor. 8) We classified all subjects by Havden's 4 subtype. Symbiotic mutism was most common(65%) and other subtypes are Speech phobic mutism(8.6), Reactive mutism(13%) and Passive-aggressive mutism(30%).

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.166-173
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• 2003

Purpose : The cause and pathogenesis of $Henoch-Sch\"{o}nlein$ purpura has been studied for many years but the results are disappointing. Recently the hypothesis that abnormalities involving the glycosylation of the hinge region of immunoglobulin Al(IgAl) may have an important role in the pathogenesis of $Henoch-Sch\"{o}nlein$ purpura is being approved. $Henoch-Sch\"{o}nlein$ purpura is the most common vasculitis Ihat affects children and the prognosis is good. But if kidney invovement occurs, the course may be chronic and troublesome. So we evaluated children with $Henoch-Sch\"{o}nlein$ purpura especially from the point of epidemiology and clinical manifestations. Methods : Investigation of 124 children who were diagnosed with $Henoch-Sch\"{o}nlein$ purpura at Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital from December 1999 to July 2003 was performed retrospectively through chart review. Efforts were made to get informations about the profile, epidemiology, clinical manifestations, progress of the disease and recurrence rate of patients. Results : The patients were 69 boys and 55 girls, with a mean age of $6.1{\pm}2.7$ years at the time of data collection. The male to female ratio was 1.25 : 1. The occurrence rate was much higher in autumn(from September to November, 31.5%) and winter(from December to February, 28.2%) than in spring and summer, with a peak in November. Joint involvement was shown in 66.9% of patients mostly on the foot/ankle(75.9%), knee(39.8%). Seventy(56.5%) out of 124 patients had abdominal pain and 10 patients(8.1%) showed bloody stools. Renal involvement was observed in 24 patients(19.4%) after 21.1 days on the average. IgA was elevated in 10 of 21 patients(47.6%). $C_3$ and $C_4$ levels were normal in 40 of 49 patients (81.7%) and 47 of 48 patients(97.9%), respectively Antistreptolysin-O(ASO) titer was elevated over 250 Todd units in 29 of 62 Patients(46.8%). Mycoplasma antibody titer was elevated in 21 of 49 patients(42.9%) equal or greater than 1:80. Radiologic studies were peformed in 23 patients. Seven patients(30.4%) showed bowel wall thickening and one of them received intestinal resection and anastomosis operation due to terminal ileum necrosis. Eighty four patients took steroid 1.4 mg/kg/day in average. Recurrence rate was 2.5 in 37 patients(29.8%). Conclusion : $Henoch-Sch\"{o}nlein$ purpura in childhood appears most in about 6 years of age. The occurrence rate is much higher in autumn and winter relatively. Diagnosis can be made through the perspective history taking and the inspection of clinical manifestations, but the laboratory findings are not of great help. A small portion of the patients might show abdominal pain or arthritis before purpura develops, therfore various diagnosis can be made. Radiologic evaluation should be performed to avoid surgical complications in cases accompanying abdominal pain, and long term follow up should be needed especially in patients suffering from kidney involvement. In about 30% of the patients $Henoch-Sch\"{o}nlein$ purpura would recur. Steroid can be used safely without side effects.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.141-151
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• 1993

This study was done about 371 tuberculosis(TB) patients composed 195 newly registered at Kyungju Gun Health Center from May 1989 to April 1990 (Group A) and 176 being treated at hospitals or private clinics from January 1988 to November 1989(Group B). When Group A patients visited and newly registered at Health Center, data was obtained by interviewing with a prepared questionnaire paper. And well trained inquirer visited Group B patients and obtained data by the same method from February 1990 to April 1990. The results are as follows ; Group A was generally lower than Group B in socioeconomic status and in family history of TB, the rate of Group A was 24.1% and higher than 11.9% in Group B(p<0.05). Knowledge about TB was improved more than past, but those who answered that TB is 'a communicable disease' were 59.5% in Group A and 51.7% in Group B(p<0.05). Those answered that TB is 'a inherited disease' were 9.2% and 11.4% each. And 1.7% of Group B answered that TB is 'a incurable disease'. Knowledge about TB treatment also was improved more than past, but in the rate of those who answered that TB is a curable disease provided by well treatment Group B(77.8%) was worse than Group A(91.3%). The rate of those who answered that TB were been able to cure by regularly anti-TB medication were 98.0% in Group A and 89.8% in Group B. Its difference was statistically significant. The rate that patients took the first diagnosis and wanted to receive treatments at the same organ were 34.9% of Group A at Health Center and 72.2% of Group B at hospitals or private clinics. And its difference was statistically significant. In the reasons that Group B knew Health Center treated pulmonary TB but they was treated at hospitals or private clinics, unreliability to Health Center was 48.1%. The reasons that Group A was treated at Health Center were 'because of trust' 63.1%, 'because of low cost' 50.3%, 'because of low cost except trust' 9.3%, 'no specific reasons' 27.7%. In the courses of knowing that TB was controlled at Health Center, 'by neighborhood, health worker and doctors' were 84.9% in Group A and 69.0% in Group B. But 'by TV or radio' were 8.2% in Group A and 14.7% in Group B, 'by school education' 2.5% in Group A and 6.2% in Group B. Conclusively, Group A patients were lower than Group B in socioeconomic status, but better than in knowledge about TB. Its reasons was suggested that Health Center had controlled TB patients better than hospitals and private clinics. But considering, that difference in the rate of the same organ for the first diagnosis and treatment, that the only 63.0% of Group A have treated due to 'reliability to Health Center', and that 48.1% of Group B knew that Health Center treated pulmonary TB but didn't visit it due to 'unreliability to Health Center', that public relations(PR) about use Health Center for pulmonary TB and health education for TB was thought to have to strengthened.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2002

An International Cooperative Biodiversity Group (ICBG) program based at the University of Illinois at Chicago initiated its activities in 1998, with the following specific objectives: (a) inventory and conservation of of plants of Cuc Phuong National Park in Vietnam and of medicinal plants of Laos; (b) drug discovery (and development) based on plants of Vietnam and Laos; and (c) economic development of communities participating in the ICBG project both in Vietnam and Laos. Member-institutions and an industrial partner of this ICBG are bound by a Memorandum of Agreement that recognizes property and intellectual property rights, prior informed consent for access to genetic resources and to indigenous knowledge, the sharing of benefits that may arise from the drug discovery effort, and the provision of short-term and long-term benefits to host country institutions and communities. The drug discovery effort is targeted to the search for agents for therapies against malaria (antimalarial assay of plant extracts, using Plasmodium falciparum clones), AIDS (anti-HIV-l activity using HOG.R5 reporter cell line (through transactivation of the green fluorescent protein/GFP gene), cancer (screening of plant extracts in 6 human tumor cell lines - KB, Col-2, LU-l, LNCaP, HUVEC, hTert-RPEl), tuberculosis (screening of extracts in the microplate Alamar Blue assay against Mycobacterium tuberculosis $H_{37}Ra\;and\;H_{37}Rv),$ all performed at UIC, and CNS-related diseases (with special focus on Alzheimer's disease, pain and rheumatoid arthritis, and asthma), peformed at Glaxo Smith Kline (UK). Source plants were selected based on two approaches: biodiversity-based (plants of Cuc Phuong National Park) and ethnobotany-based (medicinal plants of Cuc Phuong National Park in Vietnam and medicinal plants of Laos). At mc, as of July, 2001, active leads had been identified in the anti-HIV, anticancer, antimalarial, and anti- TB assay, after the screening of more than 800 extracts. At least 25 biologically active compounds have been isolated, 13 of which are new with anti-HIV activity, and 3 also new with antimalarial activity. At GSK of 21 plant samples with a history of use to treat CNS-related diseases tested to date, a number showed activity against one or more of the CNS assay targets used, but no new compounds have been isolated. The results of the drug discovery effort to date indicate that tropical plant diversity of Vietnam and Laos unquestionably harbors biologically active chemical entities, which, through further research, may eventually yield candidates for drug development. Although the substantial monetary benefit of the drug discovery process (royalties) is a long way off, the UIC ICBG program provides direct and real-term benefits to host country institutions and communities.

• Korean Journal of Hospice Care
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2006

There are various understandings how to define death. In the context of medicine, death is defined as the irreversible change of the tissue according to the cessation of circulation and respiration. According to the psychologists, a person need to accept the finiteness as a human being and remain conscious that the death is not avoidable. And they say if a person doesn't regard death as unavoidable reality of life he or she will not confront the humanistic death and after all will die like animals. In philosophy, death is viewed as an unwelcome reality in the end of the journey of life. Sociologists usually understand that the society is the organization composed with living persons and human beings which construct and transmit the culture from generation to generation between the both ends of life and death. In society, the generation is changed, maintained, and developed through the phenomenon of death. Although death of human being is natural event in society, the death of a specific person brings a sense of loss, crisis, and anxiety to the communities like family, regional society, nation, and the world. In this context, death is not confined to personal dimension and it can be regarded as a social problem. It is valuable to summarize the religious perspectives on the meaning of death for the better hospice care. In shamanism, there are basic idea that although the flesh of human being disappears, soul never die. If human dies, the flesh of human being disappears but soul never disappear and come back to the origin of soul as it is called chaos. So in shamanism, it is said that shaman can solve the mortified feeling, restore the broken harmony, send the soul to comfortable space- the origin, and guarantee the blessing of descendents. Buddhists regard the death as an essential component through the cycles of life. Through this cycle, human being exits as an endlessly transmigrating being and the death is just a restoration to the original status. In Confucianism, the view on the death based on the philosophy of the "Yin and Yang" and "Five elements". In Buddhist tradition, many believers said the philosophy of "Death is the same as life". Unlike usual thoughts that a god governs "life and death" and "fortune and misfortune", Confucianists deny the governance of a god and emphasize the natural orders in which every phenomenon in the world moves according to the principle. Confucianists understand the death as a natural order with this principle. In Confucianists' belief, the essence of human being remains in their own descendent's lives after the death of ancestor, so in Confucianism there is no concept of immortality of the soul. In the history of Christianity, death has been defined generally as the separation of the immortal soul from the mortal body. In the earlier days of Old Testament, the death is regarded as a disappearance of just a flesh and human never disappear and always live in the relationship with God. Later days in Old Testament, we can find the growing concern for the life after the death because of the entrance of the theodicy. In the New Testament, the death is not regarded as the normal process of the human life and regarded as the abnormal status in which death come to human because of sin as a decisive factor and it should be conquered. In fact, the most of us afraid death because not of the fear of death itself but of the sense of the emptiness and regrets. so many people often make the monument hoping to live forever. But Christian usually regard this behavior as a sinful act because human being usually think themselves as a master of their life and attempt to become immortal in this kind of trial mortal. But if we live with God, we cannot confront such a condition because we aware limits as a mortal human being and entrust everything on Him and want to live according to His guidance. Therefore, in the Christian tradition, the death is regarded as accomplishment of life, fruits of life, invitation to the eternal life, and the last stage of human growth. For human being, the death is the great step of maturation as a human in the final stage of life.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2008

Purpose: The best treatment for advanced esophageal cancer is chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery. In spite of the advance of multimodality therapy, most patients with esophageal cancer are treated with radiation therapy alone. This study reports the outcome of the use of conventional external beam radiotherapy alone for the treatment of esophageal cancer. Materials and Methods: Between January 1998 and December 2005, 30 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus were treated with external beam radiotherapy using a total dose exceeding 40 Gy. Radiotherapy was delivered with a total dose of 44-60 Gy(median dose, 57.2 Gy) over $36{\sim}115$ days(median time, 45 days). Thirteen patients(43.3%) had a history of disorders such as diabetes, hypertension, tuberculosis, lye stricture, asthma, cerebral infarct, and cancers. Four patients metachronously had double primary cancers. The most common location of a tumor was the mid-thoracic portion of the esophagus(56.7%). Tumor lengths ranged from 2 cm to 11 cm, with a median length of 6 cm. For AJCC staging, stage III was the most common (63.3%). Five patients had metastases at diagnosis. Results: The median overall survival was 8.3 months. The survival rates at 1-year and 2-years were 33.3% and 18.7%, respectively. The complete response rate $1{\sim}3$ months after radiotherapy was 20%(6/30) and the partial response rate was 70%(21/30). Sixteen patients(53.3%) had an improved symptom of dysphagia. Significant prognostic factors were age, tumor length, stage, degree of dysphagia at the time of diagnosis and tumor response. Cox regression analysis revealed the aim of treatment, clinical tumor response and tumor length as independent prognostic factors for overall survival. Twenty-eight patients had local failure and another four patients had metastases. Three patients were detected with double primary cancers in this analysis. A complication of esophageal stricture was observed in three patients(10%), and radiation pneumonitis occurred in two patients(6.7%). Conclusion: The prognosis of esophageal cancer remains poor, in spite of advances in radiotherapy techniques. Radiotherapy is one of the main treatment modalities for the relief of dysphagia and treatment related complications are minimal. It is expected that the addition of chemotherapy or another systemic modality to radiotherapy will improve tumor control and increase the survival rate in advanced esophageal cancer.