• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.7651-7656
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• 2013

Background: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women in both developed and developing countries. The burden is increasing in low-income and middle-income countries (LMCs) and threatens the public health of such societies. Introduction of expensive monoclonal antibodies to cancer treatment regimens poses a real challenge in the health systems of LMCs. Despite controversy of cost-effectiveness of bevacizumab in breast cancer, some studies indicate gain of patients from this drug. The present study aimed to propose a priority setting model for administration of anti-angiogenic agents in breast cancer via assessment of tumor angiogenesis by the microvessel density (MVD) method and associations with clinicopathological characteristics (including simultaneous mutations of TP53 and HER-2 genes). Materials and Methods: Age, axillary lymph nodes status, tumor size, stage and grade, estrogen and progesterone receptors status, HER-2/neu status (by immunohistochemistry and FISH test), TP53 mutation, Ki-67 (for proliferation assay) and CD34 (for angiogenesis assay) were assessed in 111 breast cancer patients. The molecular subtype of each tumor was also determined and correlations of simultaneous mutations of HER-2 and p53 genes with angiogenesis and other clinicopathological characteristics were evaluated. Results: There were significant associations between simultaneous mutations of HER-2 and p53 genes and all other parameters except tumor size. The degree of angiogenesis in the ERBB2 subtype was greater than the others. Younger patients showed a higher angiogenesis rate rather those older than 50 years. Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that patients with simultaneous mutations of HER-2 and p53 genes, those with ERBB2 molecular subtype and also younger women (often triple negative) seem more eligible for obtaining anti-angiogenic agents. These results suggest a model for priority setting of patients with breast cancer for treatment with anti-angiogenic drugs in LMCs.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.275-279
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• 2013

Etiological agents of extended spectrum ${\beta}$-lactamase (ESBL) producing uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) have become a major problem in urinary tract infections. The purpose of this study was to compare the molecular characteristics of ESBL producing UPEC strains isolated from 1989 and 2010. A total of 301 strains of UPEC clinical isolates was collected from Korean healthcare facility in 1989 (126 strains) and in 2010 (175 strains). UPEC clinical isolates were analyzed by multiplex polymerase chain reaction method (ESBL related bla genes and phylogenetic groups) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). Among 301 isolates, ESBL producing UPEC were 8 strains (6.3%) in 1989 isolates and 35 strains (20%) in 2010 isolates. The rate of bla genes in ESBL producing UPEC from 1989 isolates and 2010 isolates were $bla_{TEM}$ (75% and 85.7%), $bla_{CTX-M}$ (0% and 91.4%), $bla_{OXA}$ (25% and 20%), $bla_{PER}$ (0% and 2.9%). The distribution of phylogenetic groups in 1989 isolates and 2010 isolates were A (37.5% and 11.4%), B2 (12.5% and 51.4%), and D (50% and 37.1%). The most prevalent ESBL related bla gene and phylogenetic group were $bla_{CTX-M}$ (91.4%) and B2 (51.4%) in 2010 isolates, while $bla_{CTX-M}$ was not detected in 1989 isolates. Among 43 ESBL producing UPEC were grouped into 12 clusters up to 76% of genetic similarities by AFLP analysis. During past twenty one years, the rate of the ESBL producing UPEC strains in 2010 isolates was increased than that of in 1989 isolates. Also, the most prevalent ESBL related bla gene has been changed from $bla_{TEM}$ to $bla_{CTX-M}$.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.278-283
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• 2014

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are used in various composite materials to enhance electrical, thermal and mechanical properties of composite materials. In this study, we investigate the wear characteristics of polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PC/ABS) blends containing multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). PC/ABS blends are commonly used in many industrial applications such as cellular phones and display cases and MWCNTs have been added to the PC/ABS blends to improve their electromagnetic interference shielding (EMS). We performed wear tests on PC/ABS blends containing MWCNTs under reciprocating linear sliding conditions with chrome steel balls as a counterpart material. The normal loads were 10, 30, 50, 70, 100 N, the sliding speed was 10 mm/s, the stroke length was 15 mm, and the tests lasted 900 s. The MWCNTs included in the PC/ABS blends lower the wear volume and friction coefficient of the composites. We analyzed the wear debris collected from the composites during the tests in terms of the MWCNT concentration using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. The results show that the quantity of MWCNTs in the debris is proportional to the concentration of MWCNTs in the composite, indicating that the exposure of the MWCNTs to environments by wear could be increased with their concentration in the composite.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.5257-5261
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• 2012

Background: High incidence of breast cancer and its fatal effect has reached an alarming stage across the globe, including the third world countries. Many factors have been reported to be associated with the development of breast cancer but detailed structural and functional information is missing. CA 15-3 is one of the known potential tumor marker of breast cancer; however little is known about structure and functional site of this protein. Present study aims to investigate the functional role of CA 15-3 in breast cancer, especially in development and metastasis. Material and Methods: Hundred female breast cancer patients confirmed by histopathological reports were included in the study. Their physiological characters were recorded in a performa. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique was used to estimate serum CA 15-3 level. Immunohistochemistry was done for estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR) and Her2/neu receptors expression. Results: The study revealed the details of physiological characteristics of female breast cancer. Mean age was $37.72{\pm}5.99$ and $55.05{\pm}7.28$ years and serum CA 15-3 (MUC1) level was $60.47{\pm}8.59$ and $63.17{\pm}4.58$ U/ml in pre and post-menopause respectively, and both groups of women had sedentary life style. Their receptor status especially of progesterone, estrogen and HER-2/neu were positive in 50% of premenopausal women and 65% of postmenopausal women. Conclusion: There are multiple physiological factors promoting breast cancer. High serum CA 15-3 level and hormonal imbalance of ER, PR and Her2/neu appears to be the main cause of breast cancer. It may be possible that the functional sites of these proteins may be altered which may increase the chances of metastasis in breast cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.5081-5086
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• 2012

Background: The liver is one of the most common metastatic sites of breast cancer, hepatic metastases developing in 6%-25% of patients with breast cancer and being associated with a poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to analyze the survival and clinical characteristics of patients with hepatic metastases from breast cancer of different molecular subtypes and to investigate the prognostic and predictive factors that effect clinical outcome. Methods: We retrospectively studied the charts of 104 patients with breast cancer hepatic metastases diagnosed at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from December 1990 to June 2009. Subtypes were defined as luminal A, luminal B, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) enriched, triple-negative (TN). Prognostic factor correlations with clinical features and treatment approaches were assessed at the diagnosis of hepatic metastases. Results: The median survival time was 16.0 months, and the one-, two- three-, four-, five-year survival rates were 63.5%, 31.7%, 15.6%, 10.8%, and 5.4%, respectively. Median survival periods after hepatic metastases were 19.3 months (luminal A), 13.3 months (luminal B), 18.9 months (HER2-enriched), and 16.1 months (TN, P=0.11). In multivariate analysis, a 2 year-interval from initial diagnosis to hepatic metastasis, treatment with endocrine therapy, and surgery were independent prognostic factors. Endocrine therapy could improve the survival of luminal subtypes (P=0.004) and was a favorable prognostic factor (median survival 23.4 months vs. 13.8 months, respectively, P=0.011). Luminal A group of patients treated with endocrine therapy did significantly better than the Luminal A group of patients treated without endocrine therapy (median survival of 48.9 vs. 13.8 months, P=0.003). Conclusions: Breast cancer subtypes were not associated with survival after hepatic metastases. Endocrine therapy was a significantly favorable treatment for patients with luminal subtype.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.361-364
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• 2015

Gynandromorphic ticks are extremely rare, and often attract parasitologists' attention. During our examination of tick specimens, an engorged gynandromorph of Hyalomma asiaticum was noticed. This is the first record of gynandromorphic ticks from China. In this study, several important morphological structures of normal and gynandromorphic H. asiaticum were analyzed. Comparing to the normal H. asiaticum, the gynandromorphic specimen was a typical bipartite protogynander. Its right side showed normal female characteristics, whereas the left side had normal male traits. Different from other gynandromorphic ticks containing 1 anus, this tick reported here had 2 complete anuses, and the anus of the male part had a single adanal plate.

• KSTLE International Journal
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.27-34
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• 2006

Knudsen number is the ratio of molecular mean free path versus mm thickness and the criterion to determine the flow form. When its value is lower than 0.01, the flow can be assumed to has no slip boundary condition. And in the case that the value is between 0.01 and 10, then the flow has slip boundary condition at both the adjacent walls. The condition of the air flow between the rotating journal and top foil in the air foil bearing is determined by the rotating speed and load, and the Knudsen number is also varied by those values. Because the molecular mean free path is variable to the pressure and temperature, more exact formulation is necessary to understand and analyze the flow regime. In this study, the analysis considering Knudsen number formulated with those variables (pressure, temperature and mm thickness) was executed. The approximate value was examined using the equation to confirm whether the flow has the slip or no-slip boundary condition. From the analytic investigation, it was decided to range approximately 0.01 to 1.0 and the flow can be supposed to have the slip boundary condition. Under the condition of the slip flow, the static characteristics of the air foil bearing were examined using modified Reynolds equations. The results were compared with those considering no slip condition. It shows that the slip condition makes the flow decelerates and the load carrying capacity decreases compared with no slip condition. And as the bearing number and eccentricity ratio increase, the load carrying capacity also increased at both the cases. From this result, it can be supposed that the bearing torque also increases. In the analysis of the dynamic characteristics, the perturbed Knudsen number was taken into consideration. Because the Knudsen number is expressed as the terms of each variable, the perturbed equation can be simply derived. The results of both cases considering and not considering Knudsen number were compared each other. In the case of the direct terms of the stiffness and damping coefficients, the difference between both cases was little and increased as the bearing number and eccentricity ratio increased. And the cross terms have less or more differences.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.26-33
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• 2006

Recently, the rapid increase in extended-spectrum ${\beta}$-lactamase (ESBL) producing clinical isolates has become a serious problem. In this study, the epidemiologic features and molecular characteristics of ESBL among clinical isolates of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, antibiotic susceptibility testing, genotype of the ESBL and patterns of chromosomal DNA from PFGE (pulsed field gel electrophoresis) were observed. A total of 53 ESBL-producing clinical isolates (30 of E. coli and 23 of Klebsiella pneumoniae) were collected from two university hospitals in the period of June to July in 2002 and 2003 respectively. The antibiotic resistance frequency of those 53 strains was tested by the disk agar diffusion method with the result that all the strains were resistant to cephalothin. To other antibiotics, the resistance rates of E. coli (30 isolates) were in order of ceftazidime (90.0%), cefotaxime and aztreonam (respectively 83.3%). Also, the resistance rates of K. pneumoniae (23 isolates) were in order of aztreonam (78.3%), ceftazidime (73.9%) and cefotaxime (65.3%). Also the sensitivity of ceftazidime-clavulanic acid were 100% in E. coli and 95.7% in K. pneumoniae. And the sensitivity of cefotaxime-clavulanic acid was 96.7% in E. coli and 91.3% in K. pneumoniae. The types of the ESBL genes were determined by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Among the 30 isolates of ESBL-producing E. coli, 6 (20.0%) have SHV only, 5 (16.7%) have TEM only and, 18 (60.0%) have both of TEM and SHV. Among the 23 isolates of ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae, 7 (30.4%) have SHV only, 2 (8.7%) have TEM only, and 14 (60.9%) have both of TEM and SHV. These results show that 52 strains, with only one exception, were confirmed as either TEM or SHV. The patterns of Xba I-digested chromosomal DNA of ESBL-producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates were analyzed by PFGE. PFGE patterns of E. coli and K. pneumoniae were multiclonal, but many strains were grouped into a few types. Therefore, it seems that there were clonal outbreaks or possible horizontal spread. In conclusion, the TEM and SHV ${\beta}$-lactamase are most widely spread in E. coli and K. pneumoniae in Korea. As these types are usually carried by plasmids, the spread of these ${\beta}$-lactamase genes could compromise the future usefulness of third generation cephalosporins for the treatment of infections caused by E. coli and K. pneumoniae.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.38 no.11
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• pp.1595-1599
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• 2009

Ginseng is one of the most well known medicinal plant in East Asia with many bioactivities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality properties of cookies added with different concentrations (0, 1, 3, and 5%) of ginseng powder by molecular press dehydration (MPD) method. MPD was known to be an excellent tool for keeping taste and flavor without any loss of original materials. The results indicated no significant difference in the density of cookie dough with different concentrations of ginseng powder. The L color value was decreased and the a color values were increased with increasing concentrations of ginseng powder (p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the b values. Spread factor of cookie was not significantly different between 1% and 3%, but decreased at 5% (p<0.05). The hardness of cookies was significantly increased as ginseng powder concentration increased. The result of sensory score showed that cookie added with 1% ginseng powder had higher color, sweetness, overall acceptability scores than other samples. As a result of this study, quality of cookies with added 1% ginseng powder were the most suitable in terms of its color, texture, and sensory properties.

• The Journal of Natural Sciences
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.67-75
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• 1992

In the our country, especially in Yeongil and Wolsung area, abundant authigenic zeolites are found from the tuffaceous sediments and volcanic rocks of Miocene age showing wide variation in their mineralogy and abundance from horizon to horizon. The principal zeolite species identified are clinopti-lolite. mordenite. heulandite. ferrierite, and erionite. etc. Zeolite minerals are widely used in many countries in the following applications; (a) in air separation adsorption processes; (b)as desiccants; (c)in inorganic building materials; (d)in papermaking; (e)in fertilizers; (f)as soilconditioners-this application is based upon the ability of the zeolite to ion exchange with soil nutrients; (g)in the treatment of radioactive wastes; and (h)as adsorbents for toxic gases, etc. In the present paper, using natural zeolite mordenite treated with IN hydrochloric acid or IN sodium chloride solution as column packings, separation characteristics of argon, nitrogen, carbon monoxide, and methane gases have been studied by gas chromatography. By the use of mordenite treated with hydrochloric acid solution, the tailing peak of methane showed from untreated mordenite was satisfactorily reduced, although it was difficult to separate it from carbon monoxide with a column activated at $300^{\circ}C$. Using a column activated at $350^{\circ}C$, methane could be separated from carbon monoxide easily but only carbon monoxide eluted as a bad defined peak. Mordenite treated with sodium chloride solution was generally similar to chromatograms obtained by using the untreated mordenite. Both the above chemical treatments of mordenite had little effect on the separations of argon and nitrogen. The separations and the HETP values obtained from natural zeolite mordenite treated with continuously hydrochloric acid and sodium chloride solutions were almost identical with those obtained with synthetic molecular sieve 5A zeolite. On the other hand, the efficiency of column was good in the range 20~3Oml/min of the carrier helium gas rate.