• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.90-98
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• 2009

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a milling by-product diet and two sugar cane diets on the local Creole pig breed (CR). A total of 48 CR pigs (24 females and 24 castrated males) were randomly assigned to four different groups of 12 animals. Pigs were allotted to one of 4 dietary treatments: fed with a control soya-bean meal-corn diet containing 19.1% crude protein (CP) and 15.4 MJ DE/kg (diet 1), with an experimental milling by-product diet (soya-bean meal and wheat by-products) containing 19.4% CP and 13.0 MJ DE/kg (diet 2), with ground cane stalks (GCS) or with fresh sugar cane juice (SCJ). Both GCS and SCJ were supplemented with soya-bean meal complement (400 g/d of a 48.7% CP and 16.1 MJ DE/kg diet) in order to obtain diets 3 and 4, respectively. Pigs were fed close to ad libitum level and had free access to water. All the pigs were slaughtered at 65 kg BW. Between 30 and 65 kg BW, growth performance was significantly (p<0.001) affected by dietary treatments: average daily BW gain was 657, 530, 546 and 200 g/d for diets 1, 2, 4, and 3, respectively. Average daily DM intake was 1.8, 1.9, 2.5 and 1.4 kg/d for diets 1, 2, 4, and 3, respectively. Fat cuts (backfat+leaf fat) and backfat thickness were significantly lower on diet 3 than for other treatments (127 vs. 192, 166 g/kg of left half-carcass weight and 24.6 vs. 39.0, 35.3 mm for diet 3 vs. diets 1 and 4, and diet 2, respectively; p<0.001). The dressing weight was significantly lower on diets 2 (82.7 vs. 84.0%; p<0.001). The entire empty digestive tract (DT) weight was higher on diet 2 (73.1 vs. 66.7 g/kg empty BW). However, stomach and large intestine were more developed on diet 3: 12.8 vs. 9.3 g/100 g empty DT (p<0.001) and 26.4 vs. 23.8 g/100 g empty DT (p<0.05), respectively. In conclusion, this study suggests the CR pig has the ability to reach rather good growth and carcass performance with a well-formulated sugar cane meal and/or with a milling by-product diet refined according to its low requirements.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.5777-5783
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• 2012

Published data on the associations between tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$) promoter -308G>A and -238G>A polymorphisms and cervical cancer risk are inconclusive. To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship, a meta-analysis was performed. Data were collected from MEDLINE and PubMed databases. Crude odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated in a fixed/random effect model. 13 separate studies including 3294 cases and 3468 controls were involved in the meta-analysis. We found no association between TNF-${\alpha}$-308G>A polymorphism and cervical cancer in overall population. In subgroup analysis, significantly elevated risks were found in Caucasian population (A vs. G: OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.00-2.03; AA vs. GG: OR = 2.09, 95% CI = 1.34-3.25; Recessive model: OR = 2.09, 95% CI = 1.35-3.25) and African population (GA vs. GG: OR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.02-2.30). An association of TNF-${\alpha}$-238G>A polymorphism with cervical cancer was found (A vs. G: OR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.47-0.78; GA vs. GG: OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.45-0.77; Dominant model: OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.46-0.77). When stratified by ethnicity, similar association was observed in Caucasian population (A vs. G: OR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.46-0.84; GA vs. GG: OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.43-0.82; Dominant model: OR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.44-0.83). In summary, this meta-analysis suggests that TNF-${\alpha}$-238A allele significantly decreased the cervical cancer risk, and the TNF-${\alpha}$-308G>A polymorphism is associated with the susceptibility to cervical cancer in Caucasian and African population.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.63 no.5
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• pp.623-630
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• 2020

Objective : A primary degenerative sagittal imbalance has been considered because of unique lifestyles such as the prolonged crouched posture during agricultural work and performing activities of daily living on the floor. Previous papers have reported that sagittal imbalance disease is often seen distinctly in the farming districts of "oriental" countries such as Korea and Japan. However, this finding was only evaluated with the use of X-ray, and other factors such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), muscle volume, compression fracture, and laboratory results were not considered. Thus, using these, we evaluate the agricultural work-associated factors for Korean elderly spinal sagittal imbalance. Methods : We recruited 103 Korean participants who had a sagittal vertical axis (SVA) of >5 cm in this Korean Elderly Sagittal Imbalance Cohort Study. The following were evaluated : radiological parameters, MRI, compression fracture, vitamin D, parathyroid hormone, C-terminal telopeptide, osteocalcin, bone mineral density and muscle fatty change, muscle volume, and health-related quality of life from patients' survey. Moreover, in this survey, the farmers' annual working hours were investigated. Subsequently, we analyzed the associated factors for spinal sagittal imbalance depending on occupation. Results : A total of 46 participants were farmers, and the others were housewives, sellers, and office workers. The farmer group had more SVA (141 vs. 99 mm, p=0.001) and pelvic tilt (31° vs. 24°, p=0.004) and lesser lumbar lordosis (20° vs. 30°, p=0.009) and thoracic kyphosis (24° vs. 33°, p=0.03) than non-farmer group. A significantly positive correlation was noted between the working hour and SVA in the farmer group (p=0.014). The visual analogue scale score for back pain (8.26 vs. 6.96, p=0.008) and Oswestry Disability Index (23.5 vs. 19.1, p=0.003) in the farmer group were higher than that in the non-farmer group, but the Short Form-36 score was not significantly different between the two groups. The Mini-Mental State Exam score was significantly lower in the farmer group than in the non-farmer group (24.85 vs. 26.98, p=0.002). Conclusion : The farmer group had more sagittal imbalance and back pain in proportion to the working hours even though the muscle and bone factors and general laboratory condition were not significantly different between the two groups. These results supported that the long hours spent in the crouched posture while performing agricultural work were a risk factor for severe sagittal imbalance.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.239-246
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• 2013

Purpose: We explored whether the deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) technique using Abches during left-sided breast irradiation was effective for minimizing the amount of radiation to the heart and lung compared to free breathing (FB). Materials and Methods: Between February and July 2012, a total of 25 patients with left-sided breast cancer underwent two computed tomography scans each with the DIBH using Abches and using FB after breast-conserving surgery. The scans were retrospectively replanned using standardized criteria for the purpose of this study. The DIBH plans for each patient were compared with FB plans using dosimetric parameters. Results: All patients were successfully treated with the DIBH technique using Abches. Significant differences were found between the DIBH and FB plans for mean heart dose (2.52 vs. 4.53 Gy), heart V30 (16.48 vs. $45.13cm^3$), V20 (21.35 vs. $54.55cm^3$), mean left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) dose (16.01 vs. 26.26 Gy, all p < 0.001), and maximal dose to $0.2cm^3$ of the LAD (41.65 vs. 47.27 Gy, p = 0.017). The mean left lung dose (7.53 vs. 8.03 Gy, p = 0.073) and lung V20 (14.63% vs. 15.72%, p = 0.060) of DIBH using Abches were not different significantly compared with FB. Conclusion: We report that the use of a DIBH technique using Abches in breathing adapted radiotherapy for left-sided breast cancer is easily feasible in daily practice and significantly reduces the radiation doses to the heart and LAD, therefore potentially reducing cardiac risk.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.4243-4247
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• 2013

The relationship between the X-ray repair cross-complementing group 3 (XRCC3) Thr241Met polymorphism and gliomas remains inclusive or controversial. For better understanding of the effect of XRCC3 Thr241Met polymorphism on glioma risk, a meta-analysis was performed. All eligible studies were identified through a search of PubMed, Elsevier Science Direct, Excerpta Medica Database (Embase) and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM) before May 2013. The association between the XRCC3 Thr241Met polymorphism and gliomas risk was conducted by odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). A total of nine case-control studies including 3,533 cases and 4,696 controls were eventually collected. Overall, we found that XRCC3 Thr241Met polymorphism was significantly associated with the risk of gliomas (T vs. C: OR=1.10, 95%CI=1.01-1.20, P=0.034; TT vs. CC: OR=1.30, 95%CI=1.03-1.65, P=0.027; TT vs. TC/CC: OR=1.29, 95%CI=1.01-1.64, P=0.039). In the subgroup analysis based on ethnicity, the significant association was found in Asian under four models (T vs. C: OR=1.17, 95%CI=1.07-1.28, P=0.00; TT vs. CC: OR=1.79, 95%CI=1.36-2.36, P=0.00; TT vs. TC/CC: OR=1.75, 95%CI=1.32-2.32, P=0.00; TT/TC vs. CC: OR=1.11,95% CI=1.02-1.20). This meta-analysis suggested that the XRCC3 Thr241Met polymorphism is a risk factor for gliomas, especially for Asians. Considering the limited sample size and ethnicities included in the meta-analysis, further large scale and well-designed studies are needed to confirm our results.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.2857-2860
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• 2016

Background: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection is one of the important causes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Thailand, involved in the pathogenesis and leading to a development of HCC with or without cirrhotic changes of the liver. This study was aimed to investigate the predictive factors for HCC among CHB patients in a tertiary care center in Thailand. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of CHB patients with or without HCC during the period of January 2009 and December 2014 at Thammasat University Hospital, Pathumthani, Thailand. Data on clinical characteristics, biochemical tests and radiologic findings were collected from review of medical records. Results: A total of 266 patients were diagnosed with CHB in Thammasat university hospital during the study period. However, clinical information of only 164/266 CHB patients (98 males, 66 females with mean age of 49.4 years) could be completely retrieved in this study. The prevalence of HCC in CHB infection in this study was 38/164 (23.2%). CHB patients with HCC had a mean age older than those without HCC (59.5 vs 47 years, P-value = 0.01). Furthermore, history of upper GI bleeding, tattooing, blood transfusion, and chronic alcoholism were significantly more common in CHB patients with HCC than patients without HCC (13.2% vs 3.2% P-value 0.03, OR = 4.6, 95%CI = 1.2-18.1, 20% vs 3.9%, P-value = 0.01, OR= 6.1, 95% CI= 1.6-23.6, 20% vs 6.3%, P-value = 0.03, OR = 3.8, 95%CI =1.1-12.7, 62.2% vs 30.3%, P-value <0.0001, OR = 3.7, 95%CI= 1.7-8.1 respectively). Interestingly, more CHB patients with HCC had evidence of cirrhosis than those without HCC (78.9% vs 20.4%, P-value <0.0001, OR = 14.6, 95%CI = 5.8-36.7). In CHB patients with HCC, surgical therapy provided longer survival than radiofrequency ablation (RFA) (72 vs 46.5 months, P-value= 0.04). The mean survival time after HCC diagnosis was 17.2 months. Conclusions: HCC remains a major problem among patients with CHB infection in Thailand. Possible risk factors are male gender, history of upper GI bleeding, chronic alcoholism, tattooing, blood transfusion and evidence of cirrhosis. For early stage HCC patients, surgical treatment provided longer survival time than RFA. Most HCC patients presented with advanced disease and had a grave prognosis. Appropriate screening of CHB patients at risk for HCC might be an appropriate approach for early detection and improvement of long-term outcomes.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.65 no.2
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• pp.269-275
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• 2022

Objective : The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is affecting the characteristics of patients with head injuries. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with head injuries at a regional emergency medical center in South Korea. Methods : From April 2019 to November 2020, 350 patients with head injuries were admitted to our hospital. The study period was divided into the pre-COVID-19 (n=169) and COVID-19 (n=181) eras (10 months each). Patients with severe head injuries requiring surgery (n=74) were categorized into those who underwent surgery (n=41) and those who refused surgery (n=33). Results : Head injuries in pediatric patients (<3 years) were more frequent in the COVID-19 era than in the pre-COVID-19 era (8.8% vs. 3.6%, p=0.048). More patients refused surgery in the COVID-19 era than in the pre-COVID-19 era (57.9% vs. 30.6%, p=0.021). Refusal of surgery was associated with old age (67.7±14.5 vs. 52.4±19.1, p<0.001), marital status (married, 84.8% vs. 61.0%, p=0.037), unemployment (42.4% vs. 68.3%, p=0.034), COVID-19 era (66.7% vs. 39.0%, p=0.021), and lower Glasgow coma scale scores (6.12±3.08 vs. 10.6±3.80, p<0.001). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that refusal of surgery was independently associated with old age (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.084; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.030-1.140; p=0.002), COVID-19 era (adjusted OR, 6.869; 95% CI, 1.624-29.054; p=0.009), and lower Glasgow coma scale scores (adjusted OR, 0.694; 95% CI, 0.568-0.848; p<0.001). Conclusion : We observed an increased prevalence of head injuries in pediatric patients (<3 years) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, among patients with severe head injuries requiring surgery, more patients refused to undergo surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.1044-1053
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• 2021

Objective: Motion-corrected averaging with a single-shot technique was introduced for faster acquisition of late-gadolinium-enhancement (LGE) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging while free-breathing. We aimed to evaluate the image quality (IQ) of free-breathing motion-corrected single-shot LGE (moco-ss-LGE) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Materials and Methods: Between April and December 2019, 30 patients (23 men; median age, 48.5; interquartile range [IQR], 36.5-61.3) with HCM were prospectively enrolled. Breath-held single-shot LGE (bh-ss-LGE) and free-breathing moco-ss-LGE images were acquired in random order on a 3T MR system. Semi-quantitative IQ scores, contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs), and quantitative size of myocardial scar were assessed on pairs of bh-ss-LGE and moco-ss-LGE. The mean ± standard deviation of the parameters was obtained. The results were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: The moco-ss-LGE images had better IQ scores than the bh-ss-LGE images (4.55 ± 0.55 vs. 3.68 ± 0.45, p < 0.001). The CNR of the scar to the remote myocardium (34.46 ± 11.85 vs. 26.13 ± 10.04, p < 0.001), scar to left ventricle (LV) cavity (13.09 ± 7.95 vs. 9.84 ± 6.65, p = 0.030), and LV cavity to remote myocardium (33.12 ± 15.53 vs. 22.69 ± 11.27, p < 0.001) were consistently greater for moco-ss-LGE images than for bh-ss-LGE images. Measurements of scar size did not differ significantly between LGE pairs using the following three different quantification methods: 1) full width at half-maximum method; 23.84 ± 12.88% vs. 24.05 ± 12.81% (p = 0.820), 2) 6-standard deviation method, 15.14 ± 10.78% vs. 15.99 ± 10.99% (p = 0.186), and 3) 3-standard deviation method; 36.51 ± 17.60% vs. 37.50 ± 17.90% (p = 0.785). Conclusion: Motion-corrected averaging may allow for superior IQ and CNRs with free-breathing in single-shot LGE imaging, with a herald of free-breathing moco-ss-LGE as the scar imaging technique of choice for clinical practice.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.194-200
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• 2015

Background Surgical site infections (SSIs) result in significant patient morbidity following immediate tissue expander breast reconstruction (ITEBR). This study determined a single institution's 30-day SSI rate and benchmarked it against that among national institutions participating in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP). Methods Women who underwent ITEBR with/without acellular dermal matrix (ADM) were identified using the ACS-NSQIP database between 2005 and 2011. Patient characteristics associated with the 30-day SSI rate were determined, and differences in rates between our institution and the national database were assessed. Results 12,163 patients underwent ITEBR, including 263 at our institution. SSIs occurred in 416 (3.4%) patients nationwide excluding our institution, with lower rates observed at our institution (1.9%). Nationwide, SSIs were significantly more common in ITEBR patients with ADM (4.5%) compared to non-ADM patients (3.2%, P=0.005), and this trend was observed at our institution (2.1% vs. 1.6%, P=1.00). A multivariable analysis of all institutions identified age ${\geq}50$ years (odds ratio [OR], 1.4; confidence interval [CI], 1.1-1.7), body mass index ${\geq}30kg/m^2$ vs. < $25kg/m^2$ (OR, 3.4; CI, 2.6-4.5), and operative time >4.25 hours (OR, 1.9; CI, 1.5-2.4) as risk factors for SSIs. Our institutional SSI rate was lower than the nationwide rate (OR, 0.4; CI, 0.2-1.1), although this difference was not statistically significant (P=0.07). Conclusions The 30-day SSI rate at our institution in patients who underwent ITEBR was lower than the nation. SSIs occurred more frequently in procedures involving ADM both nationally and at our institution.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.73-73
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• 2003

본 연구는 돼지 체세포의 clonal cell lines을 효율적으로 확립할 수 있는 배양방법을 제시하기 위하여 실시하였다. 50일령의 돼지태아로부터 섬유아세포를 회수하여 2회 계대배양 후 단일 세포를 96-well plate와 4-well dish에서 배양하여 배양액내의 FBS농도(10, 30, 50%), 첨가제(catalase, $\beta$-mercaptoethanol; BME), 세포의 크기(<16, 16~20, 20<) 및 형태(smooth, rough)에 따른 cell line 확립 효율을 검토하였다. FBS 농도에 따른 clonal line 확립 효율과 PD를 검토한 결과, 효율에 있어서 30% FBS 처리구(5.1%)가 10%(0.3%) 및 50%처리구(2.1%)보다 비교적 높게 나타났으나 유의적 차이는 없었으며, PD의 경우는 10, 30, 50%처리구에서 각각 36.7, 29.4, 26.3 시간으로 FBS 농도가 증가할수록 PD 시간이 유의적으로 짧아졌다(p<0.05). 배양액 첨가제에 있어서 BME 가시 무처리구나 catalase 첨가시보다 유의적으로 높은 효율을 보였으며(11.4%, 3.2%, 3.2%; p<0.05), PD 시간은 짧게 나타났다(23.6, 25.5, 28.1; p<0.05). 그러나 catalase는 cell line 확립 효율에 영향을 미치지 않는 것으로 나타났다. 세포의 크기에 따른 cell line 확립효율은 5.2~8.2%로 크기에 따른 차이는 보이지 않았으며, PD 또한 23.7~27.9 시간으로 세포 크기에 따른 차이는 없었다. 세포의 형태에 따른 세포의 부착율은 smooth(55.8%)구가 rough(73.0%)구보다 유의적으로 낮게 나타났으나(p<0.05), clonal line 확립 효율(7.7%n vs. 6.6%) 및 PD(23.5h vs. 24.0h)에서는 차이가 없었다. 본 연구의 결과, 세포의 형태에 따른 cell line 확립 효율은 큰 차이가 없었으나, 세포 배양액내에 30% FBS와 BME의 첨가로 clonal cell line 확립 효율을 향상시킬 수 있음을 확인할 수 있었다. 또한 cell line 확립 효율이 높아질수록 PD 시간이 짧아지는 경향을 볼 수 있었다.