• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.61-66
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• 2015

Purpose: In this study, dynamic stereoacuity of 20s' adults were measured by using the Howard-Dolman test(H-D TEST, Bernell, U.S.A), and compared of male and female. And the correlation between dynamic stereoacuity and PD(pupillary distance), and between dynamic stereoacuity and anisometropia caused by difference in the spherical refractive power of the left and right eyes were analyzed. Methods: The mean age of $22.68{\pm}0.50$(20~29)years old, 20s' 63 adults (30 male, 33 female) were conducted for this experiments. After the full correction of subject's refractive error, dynamic stereoacuity was measured 5 times for 1 subject at 2.5 m distance using the H-D test. at 2.5 distance. Results: The mean of dynamic stereoacuity was $28.44{\pm}25.03$ sec of arc for total subjects, $28.23{\pm}23.34$ sec of arc for male, and $28.63{\pm}26.83$ sec of arc for female. In the dynamic stereoacuity classified by the range of inter-pupil distance (IPD), the dynamic stereoacuity was $33.87{\pm}18.53$ sec for the IPD being under 59.80 mm, $26.24{\pm}25.26$ sec of arc for 59.81~66.15 mm, $34.60{\pm}25.65$ sec of arc for over 66.15 mm. However, there were no significant differences between 3 groups (P=0.73, r=0.03). In dynamic stereoacuity classified by the refractive error difference between two eyes, dynamic stereoacuity was $26.81{\pm}24.86$ sec of arc for the under 1 D, $41.45{\pm}24.18$ sec of arc for over 1 D, and there was no significant difference between two groups (P=0.15, r=0.15). Conclusions: Dynamic stereacuity by the H-D test in 20s adults showed that there was no significant differences between male and female, and PD and anisometropia did not have a significant impact upon the dynamic stereoacuity.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.1811-1815
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• 2014

Background: In clinical trials with no upper age limit, the proportion of older patients is usually small, probably reflecting the more conservative approach adopted by clinicians when treating the elderly. An exploratory analysis of elderly patients in the RECORD-1 Trial showed that patients ${\geq}$ 65 y.o. had superior median PFS than overall RECORD-1 population (5.4 months and 4.9 months, respectively). We investigated the efficacy, relative benefit and safety of Everolimus (EVE) as sequential therapy after failure of VEGFr-TKI therapy for older patients with metastatic renal cell cancer (mRCC), in daily practice. Materials and Methods: 172 consecutive IRB approved patients with mRCC (median age 65, M:F 135/37, 78% clear cell) who received salvage EVE at 39 tertiary institutions between October 2009 and August 2011 were included in this analysis. Some 31% had progressed on sunitinib, 22% on sorafenib, 1% on axitinib, 41% on sequential therapy, and 5% had received other therapy. Patients with brain metastases were not included and 95% of the patients had a ECOG (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) performance status (PS) of 0 or 1. Previous radiotherapy was an exclusion criterion, but prior chemotherapy was permitted. Adequate organ function and hematologic parameters were mandatory. EVE administration was approved by the institutional review board at each participating institution and signed informed consent was obtained from all patients. Results: Median time of the whole cohort to last follow-up was 3.5 months (range 0.4-15.2 months). Forty four percent were continuing to take EVE at last followup. There were 86 (50%) patients ${\geq}$ 65 y.o. and 86 (50%) <65 y.o. The percentage of patients who showed PR/SD was higher in the older group than in the younger one (5.9%/61.2% vs 1.2%/46.5%, respectively). Median survival of older patients was also significantly longer (3.5 +/- 0.31 vs 3.1 +/- 0.34, hazard ratio=0.45, CI; 0.255-0.802). Analysis using Cox regression model adjusted for gender, PS, number of metastases, site of metastases, histology, smoking history and age detected an association between age and PFS (p=0.011). The frequency of adverse events in elderly patients treated with EVE was no greater than that in younger patients, although such toxicity may have had a greater impact on their quality of life. Conclusions: Older patients should not generally be excluded from accepted therapies (mTOR inhibitors after failure of VEGFr-TKI therapy) for mRCC.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.9
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• pp.4517-4525
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• 2016

Background: Sperm DNA damage is underlying aetiology of poor implantation and pregnancy rates but also affects health of offspring and may also result in denovo mutations in germ line and post fertilization. This may result in complex diseases, polygenic disorders and childhood cancers. Childhood cancer like retinoblastoma (RB) is more prevalent in developing countries and the incidence of RB has increased more than three fold in India in the last decade. Recent studies have documented increased incidence of cancers in children born to fathers who consume alcohol in excess and tobacco or who were conceived by assisted conception. The aetiology of childhood cancer and increased disease burden in these children is lin ked to oxidative stress (OS) and oxidative DNA damage( ODD) in sperm of their fathers. Though several antioxidants are in use to combat oxidative stress, the effect of majority of these formulations on DNA is not known. Yoga and meditation cause significant decline in OS and ODD and aid in regulating OS levels such that reactive oxygen speues meditated signal transduction, gene expression and several other physiological functions are not disrupted. Thus, this study aimed to analyze sperm ODD as a possible etiological factor in childhood cancer and role of simple life style interventions like yoga and meditation in significantly decreasing seminal oxidative stress and oxidative DNA damage and thereby decreasing incidence of childhood cancers. Materials and Methods: A total of 131 fathers of children with RB (non-familial sporadic heritable) and 50 controls (fathers of healthy children) were recruited at a tertiary center in India. Sperm parameters as per WHO 2010 guidelines and reactive oxygen species (ROS), DNA fragmentation index (DFI), 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxy guanosine (8-OHdG) and telomere length were estimated at day 0, and after 3 and 6 months of intervention. We also examined the compliance with yoga and meditation practice and smoking status at each follow-up. Results: The seminal mean ROS levels (p<0.05), sperm DFI (p<0.001), 8-OHdG (p<0.01) levels were significantly higher in fathers of children with RB, as compared to controls and the relative mean telomere length in the sperm was shorter. Levels of ROS were significantly reduced in tobacco users (p<0.05) as well as in alcoholics (p<0.05) after intervention. DFI reduced significantly (p<0.05) after 6 months of yoga and meditation practice in all groups. The levels of oxidative DNA damage marker 8-OHdG were reduced significantly after 3 months (p<0.05) and 6 months (p<0.05) of practice. Conclusions: Our results suggest that OS and ODD DNA may contribute to the development of childhood cancer. This may be due to accumulation of oxidized mutagenic base 8OHdG, and elevated MDA levels which results in MDA dimers which are also mutagenic, aberrant methylation pattern, altered gene expression which affect cell proliferation and survival through activation of transcription factors. Increased mt DNA mutations and aberrant repair of mt and nuclear DNA due to highly truncatred DNA repair mechanisms all contribute to sperm genome hypermutability and persistant oxidative DNA damage. Oxidative stress is also associated with genome wide hypomethylation, telomere shortening and mitochondrial dysfunction leading to genome hypermutability and instability. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report decline in OS and ODD and improvement in sperm DNA integrity following adoption of meditation and yoga based life style modification.This may reduce disease burden in next generation and reduce incidence of childhood cancers.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.125-135
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• 2002

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of depression, discomfort, spirituality, physical care, and opioid use on pain with terminally ill cancer patients in the hospice units. Method : The convenient sample of this study consisted of 58 terminally ill cancer patients at three hospice units in university-affiliated hospitals. Patients were interviewed with structured questionnaires. The data was analyzed using ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multivariate multiple regression. Result : The results of this study were as follows : 1) The mean age of the participants was approximately 57 years. Regarding diagnosis, stomach cancer showed the highest frequency (24.1%), followed by lung cancer (17.2%) and rectal cancer (13.8%). Regarding motivation for admission to the hospice unit, the majority of the participants indicated pain control (67.2%), followed by spiritual care (39.7%), and symptom relief (27.6%). 2) The mean pain level measured by VAS was 5.13 (${\pm}2.61$). Regarding pain type, the highest pain frequency the participants experienced was deep pain (53.4%), followed by multiple pain (20.7%), intestinal pain (17.3%), and neurogenic (5.2%) and superficial pain (3.4%). 3) Regarding the factors influencing pain, the pain level was significantly affected by the depression level (P<0.01) and the opioid use (P<0.01). Conclusion, In summary, the higher the level of pain the terminally ill cancer patents had the higher the depression level as well as the opioid use. Thus, health care professionals need to continuously provide holistic care for them to die comfortably.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.1615-1634
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• 2004

A review was undertaken to obtain information on the sustainability of pig free-range production systems including the management, performance and health of pigs in the system. Modern outdoor rearing systems requires simple portable and flexible housing with low cost fencing. Local pig breeds and outdoor-adapted breeds for certain environment are generally more suitable for free-range systems. Free-range farms should be located in a low rainfall area and paddocks should be relatively flat, with light topsoil overlying free-draining subsoil with the absence of sharp stones that can cause foot damage. Huts or shelters are crucial for protecting pigs from direct sun burn and heat stress, especially when shade from trees and other facilities is not available. Pigs commonly graze on strip pastures and are rotated between paddocks. The zones of thermal comfort for the sow and piglet differ markedly; between 12-22$^{\circ}C$ for the sow and 30-37$^{\circ}C$ for piglets. Offering wallows for free-range pigs meets their behavioural requirements, and also overcomes the effects of high ambient temperatures on feed intake. Pigs can increase their evaporative heat loss via an increase in the proportion of wet skin by using a wallow, or through water drips and spray. Mud from wallows can also coat the skin of pigs, preventing sunburn. Under grazing conditions, it is difficult to control the fibre intake of pigs although a high energy, low fibre diet can be used. In some countries outdoor sows are fitted with nose rings to prevent them from uprooting the grass. This reduces nutrient leaching of the land due to less rooting. In general, free-range pigs have a higher mortality compared to intensively housed pigs. Many factors can contribute to the death of the piglet including crushing, disease, heat stress and poor nutrition. With successful management, free-range pigs can have similar production to door pigs, although the growth rate of the litters is affected by season. Piglets grow quicker indoors during the cold season compared to outdoor systems. Pigs reared outdoors show calmer behaviour. Aggressive interactions during feeding are lower compared to indoor pigs while outdoor sows are more active than indoor sows. Outdoor pigs have a higher parasite burden, which increases the nutrient requirement for maintenance and reduces their feed utilization efficiency. Parasite infections in free-range pigs also risks the image of free-range pork as a clean and safe product. Diseases can be controlled to a certain degree by grazing management. Frequent rotation is required although most farmers are keeping their pigs for a longer period before rotating. The concept of using pasture species to minimise nematode infections in grazing pigs looks promising. Plants that can be grown locally and used as part of the normal feeding regime are most likely to be acceptable to farmers, particularly organic farmers. However, one of the key concerns from the public for free-range pig production system is the impact on the environment. In the past, the pigs were held in the same paddock at a high stocking rate, which resulted in damage to the vegetation, nutrient loading in the soil, nitrate leaching and gas emission. To avoid this, outdoor pigs should be integrated in the cropping pasture system, the stock should be mobile and stocking rate related to the amount of feed given to the animals.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.20
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• pp.8607-8612
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• 2014

Background: Breast cancer patients experience a variety of altered appearance - such as loss or disfigurement of breasts, discolored skin, and hair loss - which result in psychological distress that affect their quality of life. This study aims to evaluate the impact of socioeconomic status on the altered appearance distress, body image, and quality of life among Korean breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at advocacy events held at 16 different hospitals in Korea. Subjects were eligible to participate if they were 18 years of age or older, had a histologically confirmed diagnosis of breast cancer, had no evidence of recurrence or metastasis, and had no psychological problems at the time of the survey. Employment status, marital status, education, and income were assessed for patient socioeconomic status. Altered appearance distress was measured using the NCI's cancer treatment side effects scale; body image and quality of life were measured by the EORTC QLC-C30 and BR23. Means and standard deviations of each outcome were compared by socioeconomic status and multivariate linear regression models for evaluating the association between socioeconomic status and altered appearance distress, body image, and quality of life. Results: A total of 126 breast cancer patients participated in the study; the mean age of participants was 47.7 (SD=8.4). Of the total, 83.2% were married, 85.6% received more than high school education, 35.2% were employed, and 41% had more than $3000 in monthly household income. About 46% had mastectomy, and over 30% were receiving either chemotherapy or radiation therapy at the time of the survey. With fully adjusted models, the employed patients had significantly higher altered appearance distress (1.80 vs 1.48; p<0.05) and poorer body image (36.63 vs 51.69; p<0.05) compared to the patients who were unemployed. Higher education (10.58, standard error (SE)=7.63) and family income (12.88, SE=5.08) was positively associated with better body image after adjusting for age, disease stage at diagnosis, current treatment status, and breast surgery type. Similarly, patients who were married and who had higher education had better quality of life were statistically significant in the multivariate models. Conclusions: Socioeconomic status is significantly associated with altered appearance distress, body image, and quality of life in Korean women with breast cancer. Patients who suffer from altered appearance distress or lower body image are much more likely to experience psychosocial, physical, and functional problems than women who do not, therefore health care providers should be aware of the changes and distresses that these breast cancer patients go through and provide specific information and psychosocial support to socioeconomically more vulnerable patients.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.332-345
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• 2013

The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional status of elementary and middle school students by gender with an emphasis on comparison of nutritional intake between weekday and weekend. Survey construct included one 24-hour diet recall and two diet records, short food frequency questionnaire, and anthropometry. Eating behaviors and nutritional intake were largely different for four groups divided by age and gender: ME, FE, MM, and FM. Frequency of consumption of healthful foods was significantly higher in the ME and FE groups. The highest and lowest scores for frequency of eating with parents were observed in the FE and FM groups, respectively. The amount of consumption of food groups was lower on weekends than on weekdays and this trend was more prominent in elementary schoolers compared with middle schoolers. In terms of food group consumption as well as energy and nutrient intake, the ME group showed the greatest differences between weekday and weekend, followed by FE, MM, and FM, in descending order. A significantly higher amount of potassium, phosphorus, and calcium was consumed on weekdays than on the weekend in the ME and FE groups. The amount of energy and nutrient intake was smallest in the FM group; however, the difference between weekday and weekend was minimal as well. In comparison of the subjects' energy and nutrient intake with their Korean Dietary Reference Intakes values (%KDRI), the MM group showed the most undesirable results for energy, protein, dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin $B_1$, vitamin $B_2$, niacin, vitamin $B_6$, calcium, and zinc. Overall, findings indicated that nutritional intake status may differ between weekday and weekend for elementary and middle schoolers by gender, suggesting that youth may benefit from nutritional education programs that stress the impact of gender and weekend effect on their dietary intake.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.1011-1017
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• 2002

The aim of this study was to investigate nutrition education effect in the long term and short term nutrition education intervention for childhood obesity. Seventy-seven obese children aged seven to twelve who visiting obesity clinic in a university hospital were given nutrition education therapy. Long-term as well as short-term education effect had been measured based on reducing level of Body Mass Index (BMI), Relative Body Weight (RBW) and lipid profile as well as dietary behavior. Identification of factors influencing the effect of nutrition education had been tested using multiple regression analysis as well as Main Whitney test. The result showed that nutrition education intervention had a significant impact on reducing the level of BMI, RBW and lipid profile during long term and short term period. Duration of clinic visit and total number of clinic visit were the most significant factors for the short term effect for obesity treatment. However, frequent clinic visit per month was not significant factor on short term effect. Therefore sustained participation for nutrition education by the obese individual seems more important factors than other factors especially for short term effect. Although, there was the tendency of reducing weight with longer duration and frequent clinic visit, and changing health behavior, none of the factors showed statistically significant effect on the long term effect for the obesity treatment. The results may imply that more complex factors involved for the long term treatment of childhood obesity than short term treatment.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.44 no.12
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• pp.1865-1872
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• 2015

This study attempted to investigate consumer perceptions and attitudes towards reducing sugar intake by providing data to develop guidelines for the government and food-related industries to encourage Korean consumers to maintain appropriate levels of sugar intake. A survey was conducted on 238 adult consumers regarding their purchasing power for products with high sugar content in Seoul and Bundang, Gyeonggi area from September 1~30, 2013. Nutritional information on sugary products had a greater impact than media and others' recommendations on consumer awareness regarding need to reduce sugar intake. External factors such as health and weight control were stronger reasons for consuming reduced amounts of sugar or sugar-free products than internal factors such as sweetness. However, internal factors-such as taste-did not have a greater effect on consuming reduced amounts of sugar or sugar-free products than environmental factors-such as absence of purchase channels. Consumers indicated higher acceptance for 50% reduction in sweetness of existing commercial products. Regarding methods of lowering sugar intake, sugar replacement and reducing sugar consumption both generally and at home were preferred. In addition, consumers were likely to pay 10~14% more for sugar-reduced products than for existing products. Overall, consumers expressed positive attitudes towards reducing sugar intake in the future, although those in their twenties tended to be more passive than other age groups.

• Survey Research
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-32
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• 2009

This study examines the changes of income, everyday life and living condition of consumer in the aftermath of financial crisis. In this period financial crisis was the crucial factor behind various social problems such as the dissolution of families and individuals. This research explores the range and degree of impact on individuals and social groups after the financial crisis. We explore the social mobility in terns of maintaining middle class and falling into the lower class measured by middle class identification. The 60% of the middle class before the financial crisis maintained the middle class position and the rest of people left out of middle class and fell into lower class. The 60% of those who has been maintained and has just became the members of middle class were college - educated people. The great part of people whose income and assets has increased after financial crisis belongs to college - educated group. Many of those whose income have decreased belong to the high school educated group and blow, the older than 50 years old, self - employed without employee and unpaid family employee. Those whose income and assets decreased and those who experienced downward mobility have undergone changes in everyday life and living conditions as a consumer. Many of them experienced the unemployment, nonpayment or credit - delinquency, dissolution of family, worsening health condition, depression, feeling the impulse to commit suicide simultaneously. The poor consumer disposition, reduction of living expenses, sound consumer culture have expanded to people since economic crisis. The middle class reported that the cost of private education often goes beyond the family ability to pay. The lower class has suffered from the cost of living. In a meanwhile luxury goods preference, consumer consciousness for status symbol have continuously increased among all the classes since 1997. Thus fluctuations of one's income and social mobility during past 10 years were some of the major determinants which brought about the various damaging life events, changes of living conditions and everyday lives as a consumer.