• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제55권5호
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• pp.569-573
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• 2017

The present study was performed to reveal the current status and risk factors of Strongyloides stercoralis infections in the villages of Kenethao district, Xayaburi Province, Lao PDR. Fecal specimens were collected and examined for S. stercoralis using Koga-agar plate culture technique. Among 516 individuals, the prevalence of S. stercoralis and hookworm infection was 44.2% and 17.1%, respectively. Co-infection was detected in 13.2% of the cases. The prevalence did not significantly differ between males and females (P=0.193). However, the prevalence of S. stercoralis infection increased significantly with age (P=0.041). Of the risk factors examined, both performing farming activities (P=0.001) and walking barefoot when going outside of the house (P=0.003) showed significant correlations with S. stercoralis infections. Our results suggest that S. stercoralis is highly endemic in this area. The National Helminth Control Program of Lao PDR should take actions to control S. stercoralis infection. In addition, provision of health education about the benefits of wearing shoes would be important for reducing infection in the study area. Moreover, the application of high-sensitivity diagnostic approaches is needed to obtain the true impact of S. stercoralis infections in all rural communities in order to provide surveillance activities in Lao PDR.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.925-928
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• 2014

Background: Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) is a spectrum of disease with abnormal trophoblastic proliferation. Treatment is based on FIGO stage and WHO risk factor scores. Patients whose score is 12 or more are considered as at extremely high risk with a high likelihood of resistance to first line treatment. Optimal therapy is therefore controversial. Objective: This study was conducted in order to summarize the regimen used for extremely high risk or resistant GTN patients in our institution the in past 10 years. Materials and Methods: All the charts of GTN patients classified as extremely high risk, recurrent or resistant during 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2011 were reviewed. Criteria for diagnosis of GTN were also assessed to confirm the diagnosis. FIGO stage and WHO risk prognostic score were also re-calculated to ensure the accuracy of the information. Patient characteristics were reviewed in the aspects of age, weight, height, BMI, presenting symptoms, metastatic area, lesions, FIGO stage, WHO risk factor score, serum hCG level, treatment regimen, adjuvant treatments, side effects and response to treatment, including disease free survival. Results: Eight patients meeting the criteria of extremely high risk or resistant GTN were included in this review. Mean age was 33.6 years (SD=13.5, range 17-53). Of the total, 3 were stage III (37.5%) and 5 were stage IV (62.5%). Mean duration from previous pregnancies to GTN was 17.6 months (SD 9.9). Mean serum hCG level was 864,589 mIU/ml (SD 98,151). Presenting symptoms of the patients were various such as hemoptysis, abdominal pain, headache, heavy vaginal bleeding and stroke. The most commonly used first line chemotherapeutic regimen in our institution was the VAC regimen which was given to 4 of 8 patients in this study. The most common second line chemotherapy was EMACO. Adjuvant radiation was given to most of the patients who had brain metastasis. Most of the patients have to delay chemotherapy for 1-2 weeks due to grade 2-3 leukopenia and require G-CSF to rescue from neutropenia. Five form 8 patients were still survived. Mean of disease free survival was 20.4 months. Two patients died of the disease, while another one patient died from sepsis of pressure sore wound. None of surviving patients developed recurrence of disease after complete treatment. Conclusions: In extremely high risk GTN patients, main treatment is multi-agent chemotherapy. In our institution, we usually use VAC as a first line treatment of high risk GTN, but since resistance is quite common, this may not suitable for extremely high risk GTN patients. The most commonly used second line multi-agent chemotherapy in our institution is EMA-CO. Adjuvant brain radiation was administered to most of the patients with brain metastasis in our institution. The survival rate is comparable to previous reviews. Our treatment demonstrated differences from other institutions but the survival is comparable. The limitation of this review is the number of cases is small due to rarity of the disease. Further trials or multicenter analyses may be considered.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권12호
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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.

• 한국수자원학회논문집
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• 제45권6호
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• pp.617-629
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• 2012

본 연구에서는 낙동강유역을 대상으로 토양 침식 및 유실의 위험성을 분석 및 평가하기 위해 토지이용도를 세부적으로 분석하여 유역별 토양침식 발생의 위험성을 순위화하였다. 또한, 토양침식량을 RUSLE 모형을 이용하여 산정하였고 토지이용도 분석 결과와 함께 토양침식 위험성이 높은 유역을 평가하였다. 최종적으로 해당 유역에 산사태 위험지도와의 비교를 통해 유역내 토양유실 대책 수립을 위한 자료의 활용 방안을 분석하였다. 분석 결과, 전체 낙동강유역내 토양침식 위험성이 높은 것으로 선정된 유역은 내성천유역으로 토지이용도 분석결과와 RUSLE 모형의 결과에서 모두 토양유실 측면에서 위험성이 높은 것으로 나타났다. RUSLE 모형 결과에서 토양침식량이 높은 것으로 나타난 지역과 산사태 위험지역의 분포는 유사한 것으로 나타났으나, 하천 주변의 토지이용에 따른 토양유실의 위험성은 RUSLE를 이용한 산정 결과에서만 확인할 수 있었다.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.131-146
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• 2020

Evaluation of earthquake impacts in settlements with a high risk of earthquake occurrence is important for the determination of site-specific dynamic soil parameters and earthquake-resistant structural planning. In this study, dynamic soil properties of Karliova (Bingol) city center, located near to the intersection point of the North Anatolian Fault Zone and the East Anatolian Fault Zone and therefore having a high earthquake risk, were investigated by one-dimensional equivalent linear site response analysis. From ground response analyses, peak ground acceleration, predominant site period, 0.2-sec and 1-sec spectral accelerations and soil amplification maps of the study area were obtained for both near-field and far-field earthquake effects. The average acceleration spectrum obtained from analysis, for a near-field earthquake scenario, was found to exceed the design spectra of the Turkish Earthquake Code and Eurocode 8. Yet, the average acceleration spectrum was found to remain below the respective design spectra of the two codes for the far-field earthquake scenario. According to both near- and far-field earthquake scenarios in the study area, the low-rise buildings with low modal vibration durations are expected to be exposed to high spectral acceleration values and high-rise buildings with high modal vibration durations will be exposed to lower spectral accelerations. While high amplification ratios are observed in the north of the study area for the near-distance earthquake scenario, high amplification ratios are observed in the south of the study area for the long-distance earthquake scenario.

• 한국항해항만학회지
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• 제44권3호
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• pp.158-165
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• 2020

해상등부표는 선박 통항의 안전을 위해 필요한 시설로 파손 및 유실되는 경우 예상치 못한 예산 지출뿐 아니라 등부표 운용이 불가능해짐에 따라 선박 통항 안전에도 큰 영향을 미칠 수 있다. 본 연구에서는 해역의 교통흐름을 반영할 수 있는 해상교통평가지표를 적용하여 등부표 접촉사고의 위험성을 평가하고자 한다. 이를 위하여 평가대상 해역을 등부표 설치기수가 많고 등부표 접촉사고가 많이 발생하는 부산항 제5항로로 설정하고, 대상해역의 등부표 접촉사고 현황을 조사했다. 그리고 해상교통평가지표로 사용될 수 있는 해상위험평가도구인 IALA Waterway Risk Assessment Programme(IWRAP MkII)와 Potential Assessment of Risk Model(PARK Model)를 활용하여 등부표 접촉사고 발생의 위험성을 평가했다. 그 결과, 마산항 입출항 선박과 부산항신항 입출항 선박으로 교통흐름이 복잡한 경계해역 인근에 위치한 등부표와 항로를 따르지 않는 선박들이 항로를 가로지르는 운항패턴을 보이는 가덕수도 입구 인근에 위치한 등부표, 부산항신항 내항항로의 방파제 인근에 위치한 등부표가 접촉사고 위험성이 큰 것으로 평가되었다. 본 연구는 등부표 사고 위험성을 평가할 수 있는 통합 모델을 만드는 기초 자료로 활용될 수 있으며, 추후에 다양한 해역의 접촉사고 위험성을 평가하고, 미래교통량을 추정·적용하여 등부표 신설 시 안전한 등부표 설치 위치를 선정할 수 있을 것이다.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권5호
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• pp.3281-3288
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• 2013

Background: Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women. Despite being associated with high morbidity and mortality, breast cancer is a disease that can be diagnosed and treated early. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study of 321 women, data were collected by Questionnaire, Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Form and Champion's Health Belief Model Scale. Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, Chisquared tests and logistic regression were used in the statistical analysis. Results: It was found that only 2.2% of women have high and very high risk levels of breast cancer risk. There is a positive correlation between early diagnosis techniques and Health Belief Model Sub-Dimension scores which are sensibility, health motivation, BSE (Breast self-examination) self-efficient perception and negative correlation between mammography barrier score and BSE barrier score (p 0.05). When factors for not having BSE were examined, it was determined that the women who do not have information about breast cancer and the women who smoke have a higher risk of not having BSE. Conclusions: It is important to determine health beliefs and breast cancer risk levels of women to increase the frequency of early diagnosis. Women's health beliefs are thought to be a good guide for planning health education programs for nurses working in this area.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권14호
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• pp.5593-5596
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• 2014

Background: The objective of this study was to determine a diagnostic classification scheme using a decision tree based model. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted as a retrospective case-control study in Imam Khomeini hospital in Tehran during 2001 to 2009. Data, including demographic and clinical-pathological characteristics, were uniformly collected from 624 females, 312 of them were referred with positive diagnosis of breast cancer (cases) and 312 healthy women (controls). The decision tree was implemented to develop a diagnostic classification scheme using CART 6.0 Software. The AUC (area under curve), was measured as the overall performance of diagnostic classification of the decision tree. Results: Five variables as main risk factors of breast cancer and six subgroups as high risk were identified. The results indicated that increasing age, low age at menarche, single and divorced statues, irregular menarche pattern and family history of breast cancer are the important diagnostic factors in Iranian breast cancer patients. The sensitivity and specificity of the analysis were 66% and 86.9% respectively. The high AUC (0.82) also showed an excellent classification and diagnostic performance of the model. Conclusions: Decision tree based model appears to be suitable for identifying risk factors and high or low risk subgroups. It can also assists clinicians in making a decision, since it can identify underlying prognostic relationships and understanding the model is very explicit.

• 보건교육건강증진학회지
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.129-140
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• 2001

Harmful environment around school area have been increased with socio-economic development in Korea. Those entertainment facilities have caused a negative effect on the learning environment in many schools. As a result of increased entertainment harmful facilities in school area, the numbers of deviant behaviors such as drinking, smoking, substance abuse and sexual activity among junior high school students have been significantly increased. Given this situation, the aim of this study was to describe the distribution of the facilities; to access applied(experience) of the facilities according to students demographic variables; and to identify the relationship between use of the facilities and students risk health behaviors such as smoking, drinking, substance abuse and sexual activity. The field theory was used to study the relationship between the use of the facilities and risk health behaviors among students. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted in Korea. 2,114 junior and senior high school students(middle and high school students) were recruited by the method of proportional stratified random sampling from June to July 2000. Results indicated that: 1) The rates of using game centers, PC rooms, Song rooms and comic rooms were 78.3%, 75.6%, 71.6%, and 34.3% respectively. 2) High school students visited the entertainment facilities significantly more than middle school students(p〈0.001). 3) The rates of using facilities near schools were significantly associated with parents job(p〈0.05). 4) The rates of drinking, smoking, drug abuse, and sexual activity were 21.6%, 11.9%, 4.3% and 1.6% respectively. 5) Risk health behaviors such as smoking(p〈0.001) and drinking(p〈0.001), amount of smoking and drinking(p〈0.001) and sexual activity(p〈0.05) were associated with the experience of using the facilities. Those who had drinking experience were more likely to go the facilities than those without drinking experience. Also, those who were smoker had higher probability of going using the facilities than non-smokers.

• 한국생활과학회지
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• 제16권5호
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• pp.899-908
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• 2007

Clusters of parental and peer variables associated with adolescent risk behaviors are explored using the mixture model. Questionnaires were completed by 917 high school freshmen in the Daegu Kyungpook area and included measures of risk behaviors, parental attachment, autonomy, parental monitoring, and peers' risk behaviors and desirable behaviors. As a result of the mixture model, five clusters were produced. Two of the subgroups were consistent with the literature of showing linear relationships among adolescent risk behaviors and above variables; a group of higher parental attachment and autonomy as well as parental monitoring, lower friends' risk behaviors, and lower adolescent risk behaviors, and a group of lower parental attachment and autonomy as well as parental monitoring, higher friends' risk behaviors, and higher adolescent risk behaviors. Two other subgroups were similar in parental attachment and autonomy, but differed in parental monitoring, friends' risk behaviors, and adolescent risk behaviors. The last subgroup was characterized by scoring the lowest parental attachment and autonomy, parental monitoring, friends' risk behaviors, and lower adolescent risk behaviors compared to other subgroups. The utility of the mixture model in research on adolescent risk behaviors is discussed in the conclusion.