• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.57-63
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• 2010

Purpose: We performed an immunohistochemical study with pre-treatment biopsy specimens to evaluate the prognostic significance of four biomolecular markers which can be used as a predictive assay for radiotherapy (RT) treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Materials and Methods: From January 1998 through December 2006, 68 patients were histologically diagnosed as non-metastatic NPC and treated by RT. Only 38 patients had the paraffin block for the immunohistochemical study. Thirty-one patients had undifferentiated carcinoma and 7 patients had squamous cell carcinoma. Thirtytwo patients (84%) had advanced stage NPC (2002 AJCC Stage III~IV). Immunohistochemical staining was performed for Met, COX-2, nm23-H1, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression using routine methods. Results: The median follow-up time was 30 months (range, 11 to 83 months) for all patients, and 39 months (range, 19 to 83 months) for surviving patients. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate of the patients with high Met extent (${\geq}50%$) was significantly lower than that of the patients with low Met extent (48% vs. 84%, p=0.02). In addition, Met extent was also a significant prognostic factor in multivariate analysis (p=0.01). No correlation was observed between Met extent and T stage, N stage, stage group, gender, age, and the response to chemotherapy or RT. Met extent showed moderate correlation with COX-2 expression (Pearson coefficient 0.496, p<0.01), but COX-2 expression did not affect OS. Neither nm23-H1 or EGFR expression was a prognostic factor for OS in this study. Conclusion: High Met extent (${\geq}50%$) might be an independent prognostic factor that predicts poor OS in NPC treated with RT.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.20-27
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate the results of local control, survival rate, prognostic factors, and failure pattern in locally advanced esophageal cancer. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively studied 50 patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy at Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center from June of 1999 to August of 2008. Seven patients with inappropriate data were excluded, and 43 patients were analyzed. There were 39 males and four female patients ranging in age from 43 to 78 years (median, 63 years). There were seven patients with stage IIA and 36 with stage III. Irradiation from 46 Gy to 63 Gy (median, 54 Gy) was carried out 5 days per week, 1.8 Gy once a day. There were eight patients with neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, and we mostly used 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin with 3 cycles for concurrent chemotherapy. The range of follow up periods was from 2 to 82 months (median, 15.5). Results: There were nine patients that exhibited a cornplete response, 23 that exhibited a partial response, 9 that exhibited no response, and 2 that exhibited disease progression. The median survival time was 15 months. Two-year and 5-year survival rates were 36.5% and 17.3%, respectively. Two-year and 5-year disease-free survival rates were 32.4% and 16%, respectively. Treatment failure occurred in 22 patients (51.2%). Patterns of failure were categorized as local failure in 18 patients and distant metastasis in four patients. In a univariate analysis for prognostic factors related to overall survival and disease-free survival, the hemoglobin levels during chemoradiotherapy (${\geq}$ 12 vs. <12, p=0.02(p=0.1) and the response to the treatments (CR/PR vs. NR/PD, p=0.002/p< 0.0001) were statistically significant. In a multivariate analysis, only response to the treatments was revealed to be statistically significant. There was no statistical significance associated with patient age, gender, disease stage, T-stage, smoking history, tumor location, or neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. Conclusion: Our survival rate was similar to those of other institutions. Local recurrence was the main reason for failure. It is suggested that further prospective studies should be performed to improve local control.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.7-17
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• 1985

Many investigators have been pursuing various attempts so far to produce hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg) vaccines using the techniques such as isolation from plasma of chronic HBsAg carrier, recombinant DNA technique or preparation of synthetic peptides specific for immunogenic determinants. Hepatitis B virus can not grow on any cell lines by the tissue culture technique at the present time. The plasma of chronic HBsAg carrier is expensive and its source is limited. The HBsAg from the recombinant DNA technique gave still very low yield. Another approach, therefore, has been initiated to develop a synthetic hepatitis B virus vaccine. The possible use of several distinct synthetic vaccines in prophylaxis can be facilitated by availability of full synthetic immunogens. Peptides synthesized for potential application as antiviral vaccines have been mostly tested in the form of conjugates with carrier proteins, although the free synthetic peptide can be immunogenic. To understand basic knowledges on the antigenicity and immunogenicity of a synthetic peptide specific for major immunogenic determinant of HBsAg, a nonapeptide, $H_2N^{139}Cys-Thr-Lys-Pro-Thr-Asp-Gly-^{146}Asn-Aba$ COOH, which corresponds to HBsAg amino acid residues 139 to 147, was synthesized by the Merrifield's solid-phase method with a slight modification. The antigenicity and immunogenicity of this specific synthetic peptide were examined comparing with purified plasma-derived natural HBsAg. The results obtained are as follows; 1. The peptide synthesized showed the identical amino acid composition to the theoretical value. The degree of purification and molecular weight were acertained by methods of high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. 2. Using m-maleimidobenzoyl-N-hydroxysuccinimide ester as a conjugating agent, the synthetic peptide was conjugated to rabbit albumin and ${\gamma}$-globulin, tetanus and diphtheria toxoids, and keyhole limpet hemocyanin. Their conjugation yields were 8.3, 9.5, 15.8, 13.5, and 11.2%, respectively. 3. The natural HBsAg was purified from plasma of chronic HBsAg carrier. By the electron microscopic observation of the purified natural HBsAg preparation, no Dane particles were observed and the preparation showed negative DNA polymerase activity. 4. Antigenicity of the synthetic peptide and the plasma-derived natural HBsAg was determined by competition radioimmunoassay using $^{125}I$-natural HBsAg. Their 50% inhibitions appeared as $90{\mu}g/ml$ and $0.12{\mu}g/ml$ for the synthetic peptide and the natural HBsAg, respectively. This indicates that the former was about 750-fold less antigenic than the latter. 5. Immunogenicity of the synthetic peptide was determined by administering the peptide-carrier conjugates into rabbits with and without Freund's complete adjuvant. Regardless the carrier proteins and adjuvant, positive immune responses to the synthetic peptide were observed. The higher antibody titers, however, were shown in the groups administered with Freund's complete adjuvant. 6. Immunizing dose 50% in mice of the various peptide-carrier conjugates was 5.47, 6.00, 65.16, 31.25 and $13.03{\mu}g/dose$ for rabbit albumin and ${\gamma}$-globulin, tetanus and diphtheria toxoids, and keyhole limpet hemocyanin, respectively, while the natural HBsAg showed $0.65{\mu}g/dose$. 7. It was postulated that homologous proteins prefer to heterologous ones as the carriers.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.507-513
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• 2004

Aflatoxins are produced mainly by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus that grow in improperly stored cereals. Aflatoxin B1 ($AFB_1$) is a potent hepatocarcinogen in a variety of experimental animals including human beings. In spite of a high attention to the hepatocarcinogenecity of $AFB_1$, the relative toxicity of aflatoxins ($AFB_2$ and $AFG_1$) is not fully clarified. Sprague-Dawley male rats were orally administered with $AFB_1$, $AFB_2$, and $AFG_1$ at the dose of 250 ${\mu}g/kg$ (additionally including a dose of $1250{\mu}g/kg $ for $AFB_1$) body weight. Animals were then killed at 12, 24 or 48 hrs following aflatoxin exposure. Subsequently the immunohistochemical examination of p53, cytochrome p450 1A1 (CYP450 1A1), and glutathione-S-transferase placental form (GST-P) were performed. The level of the 8-OxodG in the liver was determined. Expressions of CYP450 1A1 and p53 were high in the liver of rats through 48 hrs after treatment of $AFB_1$ at the single dose of $250{\mu}g/kg $. This pattern was more clear as increasing doses. The treatment of $AFB_2$ and $AFG_1$ did not affect the expression of CYP450 1A1 but it caused weak expression of p53. The activity of GST were not found in the liver of rats treated with aflatoxins. The formation of 8-OxodG by $AFB_1$ increased in a dose-dependent manner up to 24 hrs after a single treatment of $AFB_1$ thereafter decreased to the level of control. The treatment of $AFB_2$ and $AFG_1$ did not affect the levels of 8-OxodG in the liver of rats with increasing time. These results in the present study indicate that $AFB_1$ among aflatoxins with low comparable levels is the most toxic as determined by early biomarkers such as CYP450 1A1, p53, GST-P, and 8-OxodG.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.128-135
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• 1998

The experiment was carried out to obtain basic informations on sod culture using water foxtail in apple orchard at Kyeongbuk Provincial RDA in 1996 to 1997. Period of seedling emergence varied with sowing time and accumulative temperature. Sowing at Nov. 25 required longer than 100 days, while it needed only 8 days when water foxtail was sowed at Sep. 20. In a view of accumulative temperature, sowing at March 15 needed $139^{\circ}C$ but it required about $1,000^{\circ}C$ at August 10. This result showed that the seed of water foxtail has strong summer-dormancy in natural condition. Water foxtail had s-shape growth curve during growing season, and growth rate was the highest from March to May in this period. Plant height increased 2 times and 4 times for dry weight from March 20 to April 20. However, growth was decreased by summer depression after May. Major weeds in apple orchard were horseweed, akino-nogeshi and shepherd's-purse. These species were suppressed by the dominance of water foxtail. Water foxtail as a cover plant could be used for a method of weed control instead of herbicide in apple orchard.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.1 s.47
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• pp.15-29
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• 2006

Synthetic Mn-tourmalines (tsilaisite) were obtained by hydrothermal synthesis under the condition of 2 Kbar, $375{\sim}700^{\circ}C$, and 50 day-run-time with complete substitution of Mg in dravite by Mn (Mn%=0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%). They are all 6 samples containing Mn-tourmaline with some amounts of albite, spessartine, rhodocrosite, phlogopite etc, showing different synthetic condition of temperature and Mn composition. Synthetic Mn-tourmalines are of site deficiency in X-site ($0.53{\sim}0.68$) more than that of natural ones (approx. $0.2{\sim}0.3$) and show Mn cations occupying Y-site less than expected with initial experiments, leading to failure in synthesis of end-member tsilaisite. Rietveld structural refinements reveal that $R_{wp}$ ($R_{p}/R_{exp}$) is in the range of 13.35 and 18.62%, $R_{B}$ and S (CofF) are $4.85{\sim}6.25%$ (S-18: 8.57%), $1.31{\sim}1.59$ (S-18: 1.81), respectively. Unit cell parameters (space group R3m, z=3) are ${\alpha}=15.8994\;{\AA}$ and $c=7.1846\;{\AA}$ in average (S-18: ${\alpha}=15.9491\;{\AA},\;c=7.1773\;{\AA}$). Average bond lengths of and are $2.67{\sim}2.69\;{\AA}$ (S-18: $2.65\;{\AA}$) and $2.00{\sim}2.02\;{\AA}$ (S-18: $1.96\;{\AA}$), respectively. Ditrigonality (${\delta}$) are in the range of 0.022 and 0.031 (S-18: 0.061), indicating degrading symmetry with increase of Mn content.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.14
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• pp.91-113
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• 2013

Cheongpung Buwongun Kim Wu-myeong's Funeral Bier, an important folklore cultural property No.120, possessed by Chuncheon National Museum was donated in 2002 (by Kim Seonggu). It consists of a bier, yoyeo(腰輿), myeongjeongdae(銘旌臺), and manjangdae(輓章臺). It has a high value as the oldest royal bier. The bier which had a resting time in the storage for special exhibition of "The great cultural treasure of Gangwon province" was inspected in September 2012 and colored pigment layer of the wooden part had the risk of peeling off and surface damage of the textile was serious. Therefore, conservation treatment was conducted. In addition, knots and susiks(垂飾) were severely damaged and their exhibition was impossible. Therefore, a reproduction to replace them through a close investigation was made. All parts of the funeral bier were in separation except for the basic furniture. Conservation was made by dividing the parts into wooden parts and textile parts. Yoyeo was reinforced after disassembling bujae from it and then was reassembled. Paraloid B-72 2 wt% (in ethyle acetate), acrylic resin, was applied to the wooden part of the bier in order to reinforce the colored pigment layer with the addition of sodium alginate 2 wt%(in stilled water) and glue 4 wt%(in stilled water). The pollutants on the surface of the textile part were removed (vacuuming) and its creases were smoothed out (steaming). Fat-soluble pollutants were removed using an nonionic surfactant(Saponin, concentration at 0.25 to 0.5 g/𝑙, in de-ionized water). After the disassembly of the yoyeo from the broken wooden, it was bonded with glue (3 wt% for the first gluing, 35 wt% for gluing), and pine wood was used to restore missing parts. In the process of connecting Wongak(雲角), the original metal hinge and nails were reused to complete the assembly.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.12
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• pp.1348-1353
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• 2005

Purpose : Influenza is a respiratory disease which prevails widely every year and shows high morbidity and mortality among not only chronic invalids and the old, but also among infants and young children. To prevent community-acquired influenza infection, to facilitate prompt antiviral therapy and to avoid unnecessary use of antibiotics, an easy, rapid diagnostic method for the influenza virus is needed. We evaluated a lateral-flow immunoassay(QuickVue Influenza Test), compared to viral culture. Methods : During two consecutive years from Jan. 2004 to June 2004 and from Feb. 2005 to Jan. 2005, 408 patients who were suffering from fever, cough and/or sore throat and myalgia were enrolled in our study. A total of 408 patients were tested with $QuickVue^{(R)}$(Quidel Co., San Diego, USA) influenza rapid antigen test and virus cultures at the same time. Results : Of the 408 patients tested, children who showed positive results at the virus culture numbered 77; among them, 55(71.4 percent) were type A/H3N2 and 22(28.5 percent) were type B. QuickVue influenza test had a sensitivity of 71.4 percent and a specificity of 95.8 percent. The positive and negative predictive values were 79.7 percent and 93.5 percent, respectively. Conclusion : In our study, this test had comparable high sensitivity and high specificity and many advantages, such as being easy to perform and simple to interpret, and showing rapid results. If rapid influenza antigen tests are widely applied in the clinic, we can begin treatment more rapidly and reduce influenza complications and the abuse of antibiotics.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.44-53
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• 2008

Purpose : Epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC) caused by adenovirus is a highly contagious disease, which has been reported as outbreaks involving adults in the community. However, there has been no report on EKC outbreak by adenovirus in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Korea. Aims of this study were to investigate the EKC outbreak by adenovirus type 8 in NICU and to confirm an effectiveness of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for diagnosis. Methods : Conjunctival swab or nasopharyngeal aspirate specimens were taken from all patients and tested by viral culture and PCR. Adenovirus serotype was determined by sequencing of PCR product of selected region of hexon gene using the virus isolates or specimens. Results : An outbreak of EKC occurred which was involving 12 preterm infants in the NICU of the Seoul National University Children's Hospital between July 12th and August 1st, 2005. Three hospital staffs and one family member of the neonate were also affected. Adenovirus was detected in 12/12 (100%), 6/11 (54.5%) by PCR and virus culture, respectively. Eleven PCR-positive neonates were identified as serotype 8 by sequencing. The first affected 4 babies have had routine ROP (retinopathy of prematurity) examinations one week ago. While previous outbreaks were sustained for a few months, the event in our unit was controlled without complications in 3 weeks. Conclusion : We analyzed the EKC outbreak by adenovirus type 8 in NICU. Adenovirus serotype was identified by PCR and sequencing with high sensitivity for the first time in Korea, so we suggest this method can be very useful for rapid diagnosis and infection control.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.264-273
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• 2002

Purpose : Three-dimensional radiation dosimetry using magnetic resonance imaging of polymer gel was recently introduced. This dosimetry system is based on radiation induced chain polymerization of acrylic monomers in a muscle equivalent gel and provide accurate 3 dimensional dose distribution. We planned this study to evaluate the clinical value of this 3-dimensional dosimetry. Materials and Methods: The polymer gel poured into a cylindrical glass flask and a spherical glass flask. The cylindrical test tubes were for dose response evaluation and the spherical flasks, which is comparable to the human head, were for isodose curves. T2 maps from MR images were calculated using software, IDL. Dose distributions have been displayed for dosimetry. The same spherical flask of gel and the same irradiation technique was used for film and TLD dosimetry and compared with each other. Results : The R2 of the gel respond linearly with radiation doses in the range of 2 to 15 Gy. The repeated dosimetry of spherical gel showed the same isodose curves. These isodose curves were identical to dose distributions from treatment planning system especially high dose range. In addition, the gel dosimetry system showed comparable or superior results with the film and TLD dosimetry. Conclusion : The 3-dimensional dosimetry for conformal radiation therapy using MRI of polymer gal showed stable and accurate results. Although more studies are needed for convenient clinical application, it appears to be a useful tool for conformal radiation therapy.