• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.66-73
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• 2018

Hanwoo is an important livestock resource in Korea. Its genetic improvements of economic traits have mainly focused on the steers in the past. However, there is a great necessity to extend the breed improvement programs to the cows as well. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of various environmental factors (person taking the measurement, region, year of measurement, month of measurement, image interpreter, birth-year and birth-year) on ultrasound measured carcass traits. A total of 27,215 ultrasound measurements of carcass traits were recorded between 2004 and 2012 for 22,620 cows born from 1997 to 2011. The ultrasound measures included backfat thickness (BFT), eye muscle area (EMA), and marbling score (MAR). The mean values for the BFT, EMA and MAR were 4.46 mm, $56.24cm^2$, and 4.12 point, respectively. Seven environmental factors, person taking the measurement, region, year of measurement, month of measurement, image interpreter, birth-year and birth-month, were tested to determine if they had a significant effect on the studied traits using the GLM procedure in SAS. All factors were found to significantly affect all the ultrasound carcass traits in this study. Unlike in previous studies, among the environmental effects, the significant effect of the image interpreter on the ultrasound carcass traits was shown for the first time in this study. These results indicate that future genetic evaluations of ultrasound carcass traits of Hanwoo cows should include all of the above environmental factors as well as the effect from people taking the measurements.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.4927-4935
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• 2015

Northeastern India is a major nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) high risk-area although the rest of the country has very low incidence. A case-control study of 105 NPC cases and 115 controls was conducted to identify the potential risk factors for NPC development in this region. Information was collected by interviewer about socio-demographic characteristics, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, dietary history, occupational history, and a family history of cancer. Epstein-Barr viral load was assayed from the blood DNA by real time PCR. Associations between GSTs genotypes, cytochrome P450 family including CYP1A1, CYP2E1 and CYP2A6 polymorphisms and susceptibility to relationship between the diseases were studied using PCR-RFLP assay. Results indicate that Epstein-Barr virus load was significantly higher in patients compared to controls (p<0.0001). Furthermore, concentration of blood EBV-DNA was significantly higher in advanced stage disease (Stage III and IV) than in early stage disease (Stage I and II) (p<0.05). Presence of CYP2A6 variants that reduced the enzyme activity was significantly less frequent in cases than controls. Smoked meat consumption, exposure to smoke, living in poorly ventilated house and alcohol consumption were associated with NPC development among the population of Northeastern India. Thus, overall our study revealed that EBV viral load and genetic polymorphism of CYP2A6 along with living practices which include smoked meat consumption, exposure to smoke, living in poorly ventilated houses and alcohol consumption are the potential risk factors of NPC in north eastern region of India. Understanding of the risk factors and their role in the etiology of NPC are helpful forpreventive measures and screening.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.sup3
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• pp.23-26
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• 2016

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer and the second cause of mortality in women all around the world. It is caused by several factors including genetic determinants, so that both genetic susceptibility factors and environmental factors are involved in the etiology. Significance of genes functioning in steroid hormone synthesis and metabolism are well established in breast cancer susceptibility. In this study, 134 women with BC and 135 normal controls were analyzed for their genotypes for the polymorphisms, rs743572, rs10046 and rs4646903, resided in CYP17, CYP19 and CYP1A1 genes, respectively. Significant differences in distributions of allele and genotype frequencies were found for the rs10046 polymorphism in CYP19 (p-value=0.01, OR (CI 95%) =1.59 (1.1-2.3), p-value=0.04, OR (CI 95%) =1.7 (1.1-2.5) respectively). For rs743,572 and rs 4646903 polymorphisms, no significant associations were observed. A significant association was observed between the rs10046 polymorphism of the CYP19gene and breast cancer in Iranian patients. Due to inconsistent previous results, more studies in different populations with larger sample sizes are indicated.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.2811-2819
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• 2016

Multiple genetic and environmental factors have been reported to play key role in the development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Here, we investigated interactions of XRCC1 Arg399Gln and XRCC2 Arg188His polymorphisms and environmental factors in modulating susceptibility to NPC in Northeast India. One-hundred NPC patients, 90 first-degree relatives of patients and 120 controls were enrolled in the study. XRCC1 Arg399Gln and XRCC2 Arg188His polymorphisms were determined using PCR-RFLP, and the results were confirmed by DNA sequencing. Logistic regression (LR) and multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) approaches were applied for statistical analysis. The XRCC1 Gln/Gln genotype showed increased risk (OR=2.76; P<0.024) of NPC. However, individuals with both XRCC1 and XRCC2 polymorphic variants had 3.2 fold elevated risk (P<0.041). An enhanced risk of NPC was also observed in smoked meat (OR=4.07; P=0.004) and fermented fish consumers (OR=4.34, P=0.001), and tobacco-betel quid chewers (OR=7.00; P=0.0001) carrying XRCC1 polymorphic variants. However, smokers carrying defective XRCC1 gene showed the highest risk (OR = 7.47; P<0.0001). On MDR analysis, the best model for NPC risk was the five-factor model combination of XRCC1 variant genotype, fermented fish, smoked meat, smoking and chewing (CVC=10/10; TBA=0.636; P<0.0001); whereas in interaction entropy graphs, smoked meat and tobacco chewing showed synergistic interactions with XRCC1. These findings suggest that interaction of genetic and environmental factors might increase susceptibility to NPC in Northeast Indian populations.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.7
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• pp.606-612
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• 2007

Since the introduction of chemotherapy for the treatment of childhood leukemia more than 50 years ago, the results of childhood cancer have improved dramatically. The 5-year survival rate of disease, many of which were uniformly fatal in the prechemotherapy era, reached to more than 75%. This remarkable improvement in survival is a direct result of the incorporation of chemotherapeutics into treatment regimens that previously relied only on surgery or radiotherapy for the primary tumor. The multimodality approach, which integrates surgery and radiotherapy to control local disease with chemotherapy to eradicate systemic or metastatic disease, has become the standard approach to treating most childhood cancers. The overall improvement in outcomes in childhood solid tumors has been related to the development of multidisplinary cooperative studies that has permitted the development of well-designed tumor treatment protocols characterized by uniform staging criteria, sharing informations in pathologic classification, uniform methods for tumor markers, oncogenes, and other biologic and genetic factors. Important advances in the biologic study of cancer and its genetic basis led to a number of observations that impact directly on the management of childhood solid tumors. Identification of specific genes, oncogenes, tumor markers, and other biologic and pathologic factors plays an important role in both staging and clarifying the risk categorization of individual patients. Treatment of the patient is influenced by the recognition of specific risk factors. This knowledge has resulted in a change in the approach to care based not only on staging criteria, but also on risk-based management. This concept uses various risk factors of outcomes. Risk-based management allows for each patient to maximize survival, minimize long-term morbidity and improve the quality of life, especially for children's growth and development.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.361-362
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• 2006

This paper presents the robust design of gripper part for a high-speed LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) transfer system. In this paper, the 1st DOE (Design of Experiment) is conducted to find out main-effect factors fur the design of gripper part. Thirty-six experiments are performed using $ANSYS^{(R)}$ and their results are statistically analyzed using $MINITAB^{(R)}$, which shows that the factors, i.e., First-width, Second-width, Rec-width, and thickness of gripper part, are more important than other factors. The main effect plots shows that the maximum deflection and mass of gripper part are minimized by increasing First-width, Second-width, Rec-width and thickness. The 2nd DOE is conducted to obtain RSM (Response Surface Method) equation. The CCD (Central Composite Design) technique with four factors is used. Optimum design is conducted using the RSM equation. Genetic algorithm is used for optimal design. Six sigma robust design is conducted to find out a guideline for control range of design parameter. To obtain six sigma level reliability, the standard deviations of design parameters are shown to be controlled within 5% of average design value.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.511-520
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• 2013

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) plays an important role in cardiovascular disease (CVD). Genetic polymorphism in the regulatory regions of MCP-1 could affect MCP-1 expression. The purpose of the study was to explore the possible association of MCP-1 -2518 A/G genetic polymorphism and CVD risk factors in the elderly Korean population. Dietary, anthropometric, and biochemical factors were assessed in 168 subjects. The frequency of A/A, G/A, and G/G genotypes was 14.2%, 45.8%, and 40.0%, respectively. The blood level of MCP-1 was significantly higher in subjects with A/A genotype. The MCP-1 level was significantly higher in A/A genotype with hypercholesterolemia than in other genotypes. Meat intake and percent energy from lipids were significantly positively correlated with the MCP-1 level, especially, stronger in A/A genotype. In the stepwise discriminant analysis, TNF-${\alpha}$ level, meat intake, HDL-C were associated with MCP-1 in all subjects (model $R^2=24%$). TNF-${\alpha}$ level, sugar intake, cholesterol intake, and meat intake affected MCP-1 in A/A genotype (model $R^2=82%$), but not in G/A or G/G. In conclusion, subjects possessing A/A genotype exhibited higher levels of MCP-1 than other genotypes in Korean elders. Further, meat, sugar, and cholesterol intakes affected the MCP-1 level. Therefore, the decrement of meat, sugar, and cholesterol intakes helps to normalize the MCP-1 level and can decrease CVD risk in A/A genotype.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.46-55
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• 2012

Objectives: It is well known that genetic factors and environmental factors play major role in aging skin. In general, son and daughter take after their parents in appearance. But comparability of skin properties in Korean family has not been well estimated. So we evaluated the correlation of skin properties in Korean mother-daughter pairs. Methods: 10 couples of mother and daughter pair(n=20) participate in this study. Mothers and daughters were aged $50.6{\pm}2.459$ and $23.8{\pm}2.15$ years, respectively. Skin moisture, sebum, skin color and elasticity is measured using non-invasive method : Corneometer CM825, Sebumeter(MPA580), Mexameter MX18, Cutometer MPA580. Statistical analysis program we used is Minitab 14 Korea. Results: The Skin moisture of mother group was significantly higher than daughter group. And skin elasticity(R2) of the daughter group was significantly higher than mother group. In the results of correlation analysis between mother and daughter pairs, skin elasticity(R2) had high positive correlation(r=0.729, p=0.026). But skin moisture, sebum, melanin index, erythema index and skin elasticity(R5) did not be confirmed a significant correlation. Conclusions: Skin elasticity(R2) is the only factor that showed high positive correlation significantly in mother and daughter pairs. Mother and daughter share the genetic factors and environmental factors that influence skin aging. So, mother's aging pattern will be a good guide for anti-aging of daughters.

• BMB Reports
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.111-115
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• 2016

Caffeine has been proposed to have several beneficial effects on obesity and its related metabolic diseases; however, how caffeine affects adipocyte differentiation has not been elucidated. In this study, we demonstrated that caffeine suppressed 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation and inhibited the expression of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP)α and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ, two main adipogenic transcription factors. Anti-adipogenic markers, such as preadipocyte secreted factor (Pref)-1 and Krüppel-like factor 2, remained to be expressed in the presence of caffeine. Furthermore, 3T3-L1 cells failed to undergo typical mitotic clonal expansion in the presence of caffeine. Investigation of hormonal signaling revealed that caffeine inhibited the activation of AKT and glycogen synthase kinase (GSK) 3 in a dose-dependent manner, but not extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). Our data show that caffeine is an anti-adipogenic bioactive compound involved in the modulation of mitotic clonal expansion during adipocyte differentiation through the AKT/GSK3 pathway.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.86 no.2
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• pp.167-176
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• 1997

Characteristics of leaf morphology and vegetation were examined in 6 populations of rare endemic tree species, Koelreuteria paniculata Laxm. Additionally we studied genetic variation employing isozyme marker. Nested anova showed that there were statistically significant differences among populations as well as among individuals within populations in all 8 leaf morphological traits. In 7 of 8 traits, variance components among populations were larger than those among individuals within populations. Only a few tree species were found within each population and all the populations seemed to have been disturbed by man. Level of genetic diversity for this rare endemic species was very low, especially compared with those of geographically widespread tree species(A/L=1.1, P=9.5%, $H_o=0.021$, $H_e=0.035$) and degree of genetic differentiation was high($F_{ST}=0.114$). Factors contributing to the low level of genetic diversity and high level of genetic differentiation might include genetic drift, inbreeding and limited gene flow. Finally, implications for the conservation of genetic diversity of Koelreuteria paniculata were discussed.