• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.619-630
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• 2021

Objective : The skull base reconstruction step, which prevents cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage, is one of the most challenging steps in endoscopic skull base surgery (ESS). The purpose of this study was to assess the outcomes and complications of a reconstruction technique for immediate CSF leakage repair using multiple onlay grafts following ESS. Methods : A total of 230 consecutive patients who underwent skull base reconstruction using multiple onlay grafts with fibrin sealant patch (FSP), hydroxyapatite cement (HAC), and pedicled nasoseptal flap (PNF) for high-flow CSF leakage following ESS at three institutions were enrolled. We retrospectively reviewed the medical and radiological records to analyze the preoperative features and postoperative results. Results : The diagnoses included craniopharyngioma (46.8%), meningioma (34.0%), pituitary adenoma (5.3%), chordoma (1.6%), Rathke's cleft cyst (1.1%) and others (n=21, 11.2%). The trans-planum/tuberculum approach (94.3%) was the most commonly adapted surgical method, followed by the trans-sellar and transclival approaches. The third ventricle was opened in 78 patients (41.5%). Lumbar CSF drainage was not performed postoperatively in any of the patients. Postoperative CSF leakage occurred in four patients (1.7%) due to technical mistakes and were repaired with the same technique. However, postoperative meningitis occurred in 13.5% (n=31) of the patients, but no microorganisms were identified. The median latency to the diagnosis of meningitis was 8 days (range, 2-38). CSF leakage was the unique risk factor for postoperative meningitis (p<0.001). Conclusion : The use of multiple onlay grafts with FSP, HAC, and PNF is a reliable reconstruction technique that provides immediate and complete CSF leakage repair and mucosal grafting on the skull base without the need to harvest autologous tissue or perform postoperative CSF diversion. However, postoperative meningitis should be monitored carefully.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.65 no.3
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• pp.457-468
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• 2022

Objective : The clinical management paradigm of skull base chordomas is still challenging. Surgical resection plays an important role of affecting the prognosis. Endonasal endoscopic approach (EEA) has gradually become the preferred surgical approach in most cases, but traditional transcranial surgery cannot be completely replaced. This study presents a comparison of the results of the two surgical strategies and a summary of the treatment algorithms for skull base chordomas. Methods : We retrospectively analyzed the surgical outcomes and follow-up data of 48 patients with skull base chordomas diagnosed pathologically who received transnasal midline approaches (TMA) and transcranial lateral approaches (TLA) from 2010 to 2020. Results : Among the 48 patients, 36 cases were adopted TMA and 12 cases were performed with TLA. In terms of gross total resection (GTR) rate, 27.8% in TMA and 16.7% in TLA and with EEA alone it was increased to 38.9%, while 29.7% in primary surgery. In TMA, the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak remains the most common complication (13 cases, 36.1%), other main complications included death, cranial nerve palsy, hypopituitarism, all the comparisons were no statistical significance. The Karnofsky Performance Scale scores in TMA were all better than those in TLA at different time, and the overall survival (OS) and recurrence free survival/progression free survival was just the reverse. Conclusion : The EEA for skull base chordomas resection has improved the GTR rate, but transcranial approach is still an alternative approach. It is necessary to select an appropriate surgical approach based on the location and the pattern of tumor growth in order to obtain the best surgical outcomes.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.148-156
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• 1994

Three composition in the system of $YO_{1.5}-BaO-CuO$ were grown using a cold crucible (skull) melting technique with a 50 kW R.F. induction generator operating at 4 MHz as the power source. The starting materials were prepared by conventional ceramic powder processing methods, loaded into the skull, and melted at about $1200^{\circ}C$. For this study, compositions near the $YBa_2Cu_3O_X$ region were selected. The growth rates used ranged from 4 cm/hr to 0.25 cm/hr. The relation between the microstructures and the starting composition of each ingot was determined using metallograph, X-ray diffraction, and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Both $YBa_2Cu_3O_X$ and $Y_2BaCuO_5$ needle-shaped crystals, aligned with the growth direction, were formed in the $CuO-BaCuO_2$ eutectic matrix of the $YBa_2Cu_7O_x and YBa_5Cu_{11}O_x$ ingot.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.39-47
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• 2016

Recently, it has been reported that morphologically and genetically different two Siberian roe deer (Capreolus pygargus, Pallas, 1771), in Mainland and in Jeju island. Until now, this roe deer has not been clearly taxonomy of Siberian roe deer in Korean peninsula. So, the aim of this study was to compare the skull morphometrics of mainland and Jeju roe deer to obtain more information on the species status of C. pygargus and study the distribution of roe deer subspecies in this region. A total of 50 skulls of adult roe deer was compared and analyzed. The maximum skull length, condylo-basal length, basilar length, maximum skull width, cheek-bone width, interorbital width, rostrum length, length of upper tooth row from the Siberian roe deer in Jeju island were significantly smaller than those of the deer in mainland. Length of the skull was the principal factor of interpopulational variability in roe deer. Variation was not distributed along latitude, longitude, or elevation, but those factors did influence the variation through effects on primary production, which in turn caused isolated differences in skull morphology apparently related to types of forage selected by roe deer in various geographic areas. According to the analysis results of the skull characters, Mainland roe deer was more similar to C. p. tianschanicus which is a subspecies of Siberian roe deer. In addition, Jeju roe deer showed distinct differences compared to European roe deer, 3 subspecies of Siberian roe deer, so it appeared that they could be a unique native species inhabited only in Jeju Island. Because Siberian roe deer in Jeju Island can be classified at subspecies level in this study.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.124-128
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• 2013

In this research, cubic zirconia is synthesized with a refined CaO from shells as a stabilizer through Skull melting method. The proper process time and concentration are defined by Hydration reaction to produce the refined CaO after two different treatments using 0.1 mol% of HCl respectively with Cockle shell. The highest purity of CaO is reached when the shell is immersed in 1 mol% HCl. In Hydration reaction step, the pure $Ca(OH)_2$ is produced at $45^{\circ}C$ for 24 hours. The highest purity of CaO is measured when the $Ca(OH)_2$ is treated by heat at $1200^{\circ}C$ for 5 hours. The single crystals are grown through Skull melting method by adding the different contents of the refined CaO from 10 mol% to 30 mol% into $ZrO_2$. The frequency of High-frequency oscillator used for Skull melting method is 3.4 MHz. The descending speed of the single crystal is 3 mm/hour. The grown length of the single crystal is 4 cm. As a result of this study, 15 mol% of CaO has the best crystallinity.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.115-118
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• 2009

The use of dolomite refractories has increased during the past several years in the manufacturing of clean steel during the stainless steelmaking process. However, at the same time, the use of dolomite refractories has led to what is known as the skull formation. In the present work, to understand the skull formation, the wetting characteristics of dolomite substrates by liquid Fe-19wt%Cr-10wt%Ni alloys in various oxygen partial pressures were initially investigated at 1753K using the sessile drop technique. For comparison, the wetting characteristics of alumina substrates were investigated with the same technique. It was found that the wetting index, (1+$cos{\theta}$), of dolomite is approximately 40% higher compared to those of alumina. In addition, the oxygen partial pressure to generate the surface oxide, which may capture the liquid metal on the refractory surface, for dolomite is much lower than that for alumina. From this study, it was concluded that the use of dolomite is much more closely associated with the skull formation compared to the use of alumina due to the stronger wettability and the surface oxide formation at a lower oxygen partial pressure of dolomite.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.205-210
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• 2003

Alexandrite-like cubic zirconia single crystals were grown by skull melting method. The R.F. generator (output power is 35 ㎾) used for skull melting was operated at 2 MHz. The grown crystals were doped with up to 1 or 1.5 wt% and 0.5 or 1 wt% of rare earth metal ion (Pr, Nd) on$ ZrO_2-Y_2O_3$ (12 mol%). The grown crystals were cut for slice (0.25 mm) and round brilliant (12 mm in diameter). The cut stones were heat treated in air and nitrogen at $1000^{\circ}C$ for 2 hours and their optical absorption spectra ($\lambda$ = 400∼700 nm) data were obtained.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.246-249
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• 2013

A solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is a rare neoplasm originated from the pleura, but they can occur in a variety of extrathoracic regions. Although many cases of primary SFT have been reported, there are extremely rare repots to date of a malignant SFT in the spine or skull. A 54-year-woman visited our hospital due to low back pain and both leg radiating pain. Several imaging studies including magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography revealed expansive enhanced lesions in the occipital bone, T8, S1-2, and ilium, with neural tissue compression. We performed surgical resection of the tumor in each site, and postoperative radiosurgery and chemotherapy were performed. However, after six months, tumors were recurred and metastasized in multiple regions including whole spine and lung. The authors report here the first case of patient with malignant SFT of tandem lesions in the various bony structures, including skull, thoracic spine, and sacral spine, with a rapid recurrence and metastasis. Although malignant SFT is extremely rare, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis and carful follow-up is needed.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.64-65
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• 2007

A 49-year-old woman with invasive ductal carcinoma of the right breast underwent Tc-99m MDP bone scintigraphy for an evaluation of skeletal metastases. Multiple focal hot spots in the midline and left frontoparietal skull region were observed. The plain radiographs revealed the typical findings of the calcification of the falx cerebri and dura. These findings might be mistaken for metastases of the skull in cancer patients. Therefore, a radiographic correlation is essential when multifocal hot spots in the skull are observed in cancer patients.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.10
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• pp.1372-1376
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• 2000

The authors present two cases of lytic skull metastasis from thyroid carcinoma. The first case is a 62-year-old female who was diagnosed as thyroid cancer one year ago. She complained a mass over the right parietal area but showed no neurological abnormalities. The mass didn't invade the dura, and was completely removed. Histopathological examination revealed the insular thyroid carcinoma, composed of undifferenciated cells that were responded to thyroglobulin in immunohistochemical staining. The second case is a 75-year-old female who complained a mass over the right parietal and neck area without any neurological abnormality. The mass was confined to the epidural region which was associated with osteolytic change of skull. It was also completely removed. Histopathological examination of mass revealed the follicular thyroid carcinoma.